seyoungparkk

[seyoungparkk]

making the bed [c.sc]

MDNI, 18+

SUMMARY | you and seungcheol’s marriage is hanging on by a thread. separate rooms, broken conversations, and barely any contact, it's clear that what you once had is slipping away. desperate for a second chance, you both turn to couples therapy, but when intimacy—or the lack of it—becomes the topic of conversation, everything changes.

PAIRING | husband!seungcheol x afab!reader

CONTENT | nonidol!seungcheol, angst, bad relationships, miscommunication, fingering, oral (f receiving), unprotected sex, creampie

WORDS | 4.9k

A/N | quick disclaimer i know nothing about therapy sessions, so there may be inaccuracies. i loooved writing this ! i hope u enjoy it as much as i did, pls pls pls leave feedback if u can. ty <3 not proofread !!!

you woke up to yet another feeling of cold sheets beside you. the sun peeking through the curtains, the cool breeze of air conditioning meeting your skin. you shivered at the sensation. you patted seungcheol’s side of the bed, knowing you would be disappointed yet again. your eyes fluttered open, the sight of neatly tucked sheets on the opposite side of the bed made your heart heavy. as if he hadn’t slept there at all.

for months now, your marriage had a cloud looming over it. love that was once warm had grown cold and silent, reduced to taking care of household necessities and meaningless small talk. you couldn’t remember the last time you felt comforted by your husband of three years. and even if you did, the memory wouldn’t bring any comfort.

seungcheol’s career was at its peak. he was a few steps closer to getting promoted to a higher position at the firm he worked at. of course, along with this almost promotion, he had to sacrifice spending time with you. he was never home most days of the week. and if he were home, he would instead be resting and catching up on whatever sports he watched on tv.

needless to say, you were getting tired of that routine. you felt lonely. you tried to keep yourself busy with work or even joining a pilates class, but every corner reminded you of how much you missed your husband. the sight of other wives being picked up from work or how some husbands would join their wives for workouts. the feeling was gnawing at your chest.

you and seungcheol didn’t fight. in fact, you barely even talked. you resorted to cooking his favorite meals–which were mostly piling up in the fridge because he was never home–and steaming his suits for him. the silence that gathered in your home was louder than any argument could ever be.

it was strange, living together, yet he felt farther than when he went on his business trips.

you loved seungcheol. you were so in love with him that the thought of losing him terrified you. but sometimes you wonder if love alone was enough to hold your marriage together. you often thought about what went wrong, questioning if you ever did something to make him lose interest in you.

you sighed, pulling the covers off you to prepare for the day. after showering and brushing your teeth, you headed to the kitchen to make lunch. the silent air greeting you as you walked through your shared apartment. you decided to make coffee for your husband, even if deep down you knew it would just grow cold. you wanted to show your affection for him somehow.

you took a sip of coffee from your cup, the bitterness lingering longer than usual. you glanced at the clock, seeing it was almost time for your therapy appointment.

it was your idea to attend couples’ therapy, seeing it as a last resort to salvage your crumbling marriage. when you first suggested it to seungcheol, he was hesitant and weary about the idea of running to another person about your problems. but seeing that it would mean a lot to you, and he didn’t want to put up a fight, he agreed to give it a try.

you hadn’t seen seungcheol since the previous morning when he hastily left for work. bidding you goodbye with a tired smile when he left you alone in the kitchen. a small part of you was worried he had forgotten about the appointment, not wanting to be disappointed, so you decided to send him a text.

wifey <3: hi, just wanted to remind you about our appointment at 2 pm

you stared at the screen, fingers dancing anxiously as you awaited his response.

cheolie <3: yea, i'll meet u there

that was it. no greeting, no apology for not coming home the night before. you pursed your lips at his response. feeling somewhat disappointed with his nonchalance. you convinced yourself that he was preoccupied with his career, too busy to send you a proper response. but nevertheless you decided to brush it off, tucking your phone in your bag as you got ready to head out.

when you arrived at the clinic, you couldn’t help but glance around the waiting area to find a glimpse of your husband. but to your dismay, you were the first one to arrive. you took a seat in one of the empty chairs, scrolling mindlessly through your phone in an attempt to ignore the tightening feeling in your chest.

exactly a minute before the clock struck 2, the doors swung open, and seungcheol walked in. his hair was messy, bags surrounded his eyes, and his shoulders slumped. he looked like hell, you couldn’t help but wonder if this was affecting him more than it was affecting you. his eyes landed on you and he made his way towards you, sinking in the seat beside you.

“hey.” he said softly, eyes barely meeting yours. hearing his voice reminded you how much you missed him.

“hi.” your eyes scanning him. you heart fluttered at the proximity between the two of you. you weren’t sure whether you were just touch deprived or you just missed your husband too much–it was probably a mix of both–but the thought of having him close to you made your head slightly dizzy. your mouth opened to speak but decided against it. you wanted to tell him that you were glad he made it and how much it mattered to you. but words felt too heavy to speak, so you enjoyed the silent company he provided instead.

the therapist’s door opened, and a nurse emerged, calling his and yours’ last name. you both stood up, walking inside the room side-by-side, hands almost grazing each other.

you and seungcheol settled on the couch in front of the therapist. she offered you a soft smile, eyes flicking between the two of you.

“hi, mr. and mrs. choi. how are you two feeling today?” she asked, her tone gently with a hint of curiosity.

your eyes shifted to seungcheol, wanting to see if he would speak first. he shifted in his seat, clearing his throat. “it’s been… a busy week.” he let out, eyes glancing between you and the therapist.

your lips formed into a frown, fingers fiddling with each other. “it has been tough. recently i’ve been feeling like we’ve been living separate lives despite sharing the same space.” you forced yourself to speak, the words falling out of your mouth before you could even comprehend them. “i’m afraid that if we let it happen for too long, we might lose each other in the process.”

you could feel seungcheol’s gaze on you, his once tired eyes growing soft from taking you in. he could tell you were extremely upset, your lips quivering and your hands playing with one another–which you only did when you were visibly upset. he wanted to reach for your hand, to provide you with comfort. but his cowardness was taking over him.

she leaned forward, her voice soft but firm. “i see. this must be incredibly difficult for both of you.” her eyes flickered between the two of you. “if you both want to reconnect, we need to address the emotional and physical barrier forming between you.”

you felt a lump form in your throat at her words. you glanced at seungcheol only to find him staring at you. his expression was guarded and unreadable. you felt tiny under his gaze, not used to the intensity of his eyes on you.

the therapist cleared her throat, drawing both of your attention to her. “the effort you two took to meet me today is a sign that you both want to save this relationship, but it seems that there’s a lot of distance–both emotional and physical.” you shifted in your seat at her words. you couldn’t deny the truth; it had been a while since you had a proper conversation with seungcheol, let alone a moment of intimacy. “when was the last time you two… shared a moment of true closeness?” her question was left open. still, you and seungcheol know her meaning was leading to one thing.

your cheeks burned slightly at the thought of it. it had been months since you last shared a bed, weeks since he last held you close; you couldn’t even remember the last time you had sex. you glanced at your husband, wondering if he felt the same embarrassment or if the thought of this issue would bring him back to you.

seungcheol let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, a hand rummaging through his hair. “i-i don’t know, it has been a while.” he admitted, voice so soft you barely caught on to what he was saying. “i’ve been too caught up with stuff at work, i don’t think we’ve shared a bed in a while.” hearing him admit your problems made your heart ache. he was capable of acknowledging his mistakes, yet he made no effort to correct them.

she gave you both a sympathetic look. “it’s not uncommon for couples under this kind of strain to lose touch emotionally and physically. often, intimacy is the first thing to slip, but it’s also one of the most important bridges to reconnecting. i’d like to encourage you both to try spending time together, maybe even share the same bed, and just… see how that feels.”

the suggestion lingered in the air. silence erupting from the two of you as you processed her words. glancing at seungcheol, whose gaze was fixated on the floor while it seemed like he was in deep thought. seungcheol lifted his head, facing you briefly, his eyes filled with vulnerability for the first time in a long time. you caught your bottom lip between your teeth, nodding at your therapist while sending her a soft smile.

the session ended with an agreement to try. hoping that the words you heard today were a head start to fixing your crumbling marriage.

seungcheol mentioned that he had to return to work but promised to be home early. without having a choice, you went separate ways and decided to go home. your heart was heavy on the drive home. you weren’t sure how he took the session today and all you wanted was to talk to him, to hold him, for him to remind you that everything would be okay and that he loved you.

as the afternoon turned into evening, you couldn’t help but pace around the apartment. you already tried everything to keep your mind off of what happened today, but it was nearly impossible. your habit of cleaning every surface took place, every inch of the house spotless as you awaited your husband’s return. even catching up on your favorite series couldn’t help you keep your mind at ease.

you found yourself checking your phone every so often, the time taunting you as it nearly reached 7 pm and there were still no signs of seungcheol. you sighed, feeling a twinge of disappointment form in your heart. not wanting to feel the empty space of the house any longer, you decided to get ready for bed.

after taking a shower and doing your skincare, exhaustion begins to seep through your body. you felt stupid, stupid to think that seungcheol wanted it to work as much as you did. you started to accept that maybe he no longer needed you, no longer felt the same affection he had for you when you first started going out.

you lay in bed, going under the covers as tears escaped your eyes. the memories of you and your husband’s early days haunting you, wondering where it all went wrong.

you hadn’t noticed that you cried yourself to sleep. the sound of rustling around awoke you from your slumber. with heavy eyes, you tried to make out the source of the noise.

“fuck.” seungcheol whispered as he dropped his phone that had his flashlight on as he tried to navigate the room in the dark.

“cheol?” you mumbled, hand rubbing your eye as you sat in bed. seungcheol turned to face you with an apologetic look on his face.

“y/n!” he said, surprised, guilty that he had woken you up. “did i wake you? i’m sorry, i was trying to find a change of clothes.”

you leaned over the bedside table, turning on the lamp to provide light for him. eyes secretly glancing at the time, seeing that it was only 8 pm. “don’t apologize, this is your room too.” you said, but it felt more like a reminder than a statement; it had been so long since he slept here with you.

without saying a word, he stepped towards the bed, sitting on the edge while his back faced you. his shoulders were tense; you could tell he had much on his mind.

you watched with worried eyes as he sighed before he turned to face you. “i’m sorry, y/n.” his gaze was soft, lips dry as he mustered up the courage to speak to you. you inched towards him in bed, sitting directly in front of his body that was turned to you. “i know i’ve been… absent these past couple of weeks, months even. and your head was probably filled with thoughts about what was going on, and i-“ he gulped, tears forming in his eyes. it had been so long since he opened his feelings to you since he looked at you with warm eyes and honesty. the nights you spent alone and mornings waking up next to an untouched bed flashed before you. “i was trying to prove something… to myself, to you.” he admitted, his eyes filled with shame and regret. still, you listened to his words intently. “i thought that if i kept my head down and focused on work, i could finally give us this picture-perfect life that you deserve. and i-i thought you’d be okay with waiting.”

you took a moment to register his words. your fingers absentmindedly fiddling with one another–which he caught. you hadn’t been okay. the loneliness swallowed you these past few months, and his physical distance from you only made it worse. you missed him. you missed his scent, his touch–his hand on your back as you slept, the feeling of his arms around your shoulders, the way he pulled you close in his sleep. you missed the feeling of his soft lips, the feeling of his hands on your body. it had been so long since you felt good.

“you have no idea how hard it’s been, seungcheol.” you started, voice almost trembling as you spoke. “going to bed alone, having no clue if you’d even come home to me. i felt like i was losing you, little by little.” 

“god, no.” for the first time in forever, seungcheol reached for your hands instinctively. comfort rushing through your body by his touch. he held your hands tightly, his eyes pleading. “i thought i was doing this for us, y/n, but i was being so selfish. i pushed you away. i pushed us away.” his voice cracked, pain written all over his face. “i missed you. i missed everything about you. i missed us.” he admitted, his thumb gliding over your hands in an attempt to provide solace. “i didn’t want to fail you, y/n.”

his eyes shut, a tear slipping down his cheek. you reached out to cup his face, your thumb wiping away his tears. you felt him lean against your touch, making your heart ache. you couldn’t remember the last time he had been this vulnerable with you. you could see how deeply he felt the loss, even if he had hidden it from you.

seungcheol’s eyes fluttered opened, his voice barely above a whisper. “i promise i’ll make up for the lost time. i want to show you that i’m here and i’m sorry. you’re not losing me.”

his words impacted you harder than you had expected, providing you with both comfort and hurt. it felt silly to be so relieved by his simple promise. but after longing for him for so long, you couldn’t help it. it was exactly what you were waiting to hear. the assurance from him was more than enough to give you ease.

instead of saying anything, you leaned forward and rested your forehead against his. he exhaled softly at your touch. god, you missed him. it meant everything to you that he was here. actually here.

“cheol.” you mumbled, eyes shutting. “i missed you so much.”

you felt him nod lightly. “i know, angel.” hearing his pet name for you flooded you with warm memories. “i missed you, too. more than you could imagine.” his hand slid to the back of your neck. you pulled away from his forehead, eyes staring up at him as he rubbed the skin. slightly shivering at his touch as it reached down into the parts of you that had felt cold and empty for so long. “let me make up for the lost time.” his voice was deep as his gaze on you darkened.

your eyes fluttered open, gaze falling to his lips. you let your hands slide down his shoulder, almost pulling his body close to you. he leaned closer to you, his breath fanning your face, lips brushing against yours. you melted into his touch as he connected his lips with yours. your hands finding their way to his chest as the kiss deepened, feeling his heartbeat beneath your fingertips. it reminded you that he was actually here, and you weren’t alone as you had felt for all those months.

seungcheol wrapped his arms around your waist as he laid you on the bed, your back meeting the soft sheets as he climbed between your legs. his thigh rubbing against your core that was growing warm with his every touch. feeling the tension between you dissipate with each kiss and touch. the gap between the two of you shrinking as he showed you just how much he missed you.

his fingers made their way to the hem of your shirt, pulling away from your lips to tug the fabric off your body, leaving your upper half naked. he groaned at the sight of you, reminding him how much he missed seeing your body. “god, i missed you.” he whispered before leaning down and pressing his lips to yours. moaning when his hand slipped between your legs, hand cupping your pussy that was growing wet at his mere touch. your body craving him more than you anticipated.

“cheol, i need you.” you whimpered against his lips as his fingers traced over your clothed core. desperation lacing from your voice made him grow hard against his suit. feeling his hard-on against your thigh. your hands reached up to undo his tie before unbuttoning his shirt. he hovered over you to give you more access, sliding the shirt off once you were done. you shamelessly checked him out, running your fingers over his chiseled chest. you almost forgotten how much you loved his body.

seungcheol hooked his fingers around the waistband of your shorts and underwear. sliding them down your legs, feeling your arousal sticking to the fabric. in a swift movement, he inched his body down the bed until his head was in between your thighs, face dangerously close to your throbbing pussy. he took a whiff, your familiar scent welcoming him. “you smell amazing, baby.” his arm hooked around and over your thigh, pulling your body close to him. bringing two fingers up to your entrance, collecting your arousal, and spreading it up to your clit. “so wet and needy for me.”

you moaned at his touch, hips bucking upwards as you tried to get more friction but his grip around you prevented you from moving. he softly smiled at your state, wasting no time in pressing his tongue against your clit. you gasped, hand flying down to grip his hair.

seungcheol ran his tongue up and down your folds, lips sucking on your clit, occasionally flicking his tongue over the sensitive bud. the sudden movements had your back arching off the bed, hand gripping the sheets beneath you as his tongue lapped your hole. “f-feels so good.” you whimpered.

his free hand snaked around your body, his thumb circling your clit while his tongue fucked your entrance. the sensation driving you crazy as you let out curses. he knew your body all too well. he knew exactly how to push you over the edge even after all these months.

“my pretty girl. i bet your pussy was waiting for me, hm?” he hummed against your folds, the vibrations sending shocks throughout your body. you lifted your head to meet his gaze, his eyes flickering to yours. maintaining eye contact, he slipped his fingers down your core, abruptly inserting two of them inside you. you could barely let out words once you felt his digits curl inside you. he beamed once he saw you writhe beneath his touch, glad that you weren’t that disconnected from each other in every way.

seungcheol pressed his mouth against your clit, sucking on the bud as his fingers relentlessly fucked your hole. thrusting them in and out of you in addicting movements. your hips jerk up from the overwhelming pleasure. toes curling as you felt a knot form in your stomach.

“p-please, cheolie, i want to cum.” your voice shaking as he continued his movements. your hand reaching up to your breast, squeezing them as you felt your orgasm forming.

“let it out, angel.” he whispered against your clit, sucking on it harshly to the point tears fill your eyes. without warning, you came undone with his fingers in you, cursing his name. your insides clenching around his digits as his movements slowed down. you head thrown back against the mattress as you let out shaky breaths.

seungcheol detached his mouth from your clit, pulling his fingers away before entrapping them with his lips. savouring your cum to account for the many months that went by without tasting you. “my good girl.”

seungcheol kneeled between your legs, his cock hard against his stomach–you hadn’t even noticed he took his pants off. you lifted your head to face him, mouth watering at the sight. nearly forgetting how big and thick his cock was. you wrapped your fingers around his length, pumping it lightly before stroking it. his hips inching towards you as he leaned into your touch. your thumb running over his tip that was leaking with precum. you looked at him through your lashes, but his eyes were already dark and focused on you.

“fuck, baby.” he grunted once you jerked him off, but his hand reached for your wrist to prevent your movement. “stop teasing, princess. i need my cock inside your pussy.” his confession made sparks shoot throughout your body and onto your cunt.

seungcheol positioned his body between your legs, gripping his cock in one hand, aligning it with your entrance. you couldn’t help the moans that escaped your lips as he glided the tip of his cock along your folds, spreading your wetness before sinking into you. you gasped at the size of his length. your fingernails digging (careful not to hurt him) into his shoulders as you adjusted to his size.

“i know, baby.” his voice soothed you, hushing you as tears threatened to escape your eyes. fuck, you forgot how his dick felt inside you. “you’re taking me so well, angel.” he pressed kisses all over your face.

once he was balls deep in you, he stayed still for a moment. letting you get used to the sensation, he reached for your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours.

“m-move, please.” your voice barely a whisper. “you’re so big, cheolie.”

seungcheol growled at your words, slowly starting to move his hips. “missed your pussy, baby.” you felt every inch of his cock in you, insides splitting from his size. your insides burning, but it felt so fucking good. you bucked your hips, meeting his thrusts.

he took this as a sign to gradually increase his speed, his hips rocking into you faster. your legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, pulling him even closer to you, scared that if you let go, he’ll disappear again.

the proximity allowing him to bury his cock deeper into you. in a swift motion, he pulled his cock out before slamming his hips against yours. sounds of skin slapping filling the room, along the moans that emit from you and the groans that escape his throat. he buried his face into your neck, leaving soft kisses against the skin.

“you feel so fucking good, shit.” his hand sneaked to your breast, taking your nipple in between his fingers, circling the sensitive bud. the rough pad of his thumb and index adding to the overwhelming pleasure. “fuck, i’m never leaving you alone ever again.”

you don’t know if it was his words or the pleasure from his cock that brought tears to your eyes. he pulled away from your neck, towering over you as he held eye contact with you. “my pretty wife, i love you so much.”

“i-i love you, cheol.” you breathed out, feeling him twitch inside you from your confession. the words felt foreign from your lips, but the feeling was reeling in so many memories. he picked up his pace again, relentlessly fucking you as if to remind you that he’s here now.

seungcheol leaned forward, capturing your lips with his. the kiss was more passionate and needy, his taste leaving you intoxicated. his hand inching down to your clit, rubbing circles on the nub. the stimulation building your orgasm even more. he knew you were getting close when you clenched around him, driving him to fuck into you deeper and harder.

“are you gonna cum for me, angel?” his voice deep as he watched you squirm underneath his touch. he latched his lips to your chest, sucking on the skin softly, enough to surely leave a mark. the overwhelming amount of pleasure he was providing was enough to drive you insane. the coil in your stomach begging to be released. “cum all over my cock, baby, let me feel you.” with the encouragement of his words, you released all over his cock. stars clouding your vision as you ride out your high. “s-shit, baby.” the sight of you cumming on his cock was enough to send seungcheol over the edge. with a few final thrusts, his warm seed burst inside you, painting your walls white, groans filling the room.

seungcheol slowly retreated his cock from you, his cum spilling from your pussy. you winced at the sticky feeling. he pressed a quick kiss on your forehead before he disappeared into the bathroom and grabbed a towel which he ran under cold water. he returned and immediately nursed you, dragging the towel up and down your entrance which made you giggle.

“thank you.” you mumbled as he went to return the towel in the bathroom.

“anything for my beautiful wife.” seungcheol grabbed a shirt from the closet, handing it to you because he knew how much you loved wearing his shirts to bed. even helping you slip it on your body. your heart warmed at the sight of him taking care of you. you barely noticed that he climbed into bed and pulled you close to his chest. “i told you, i’ll make it up to you, my love.” he whispered, pressing a kiss on the side of your head.

you could only nod at his words, feeling slumber take over you. hearing him whisper how much he loved you before falling unconscious.

-

you woke up to the warmth of a body shifting beside you, feeling the familiar weight of your husband’s arm around your waist. the soft morning light greeted you as you opened your eyes. you glanced at his sleeping figure, taking in the sight of his relaxed face, lashes resting against cheeks and lips slightly parted. he was still here. your heart was pounding so loudly that you were sure he'd hear it if he were awake.

your hand reached up to brush away the strands of hair falling onto his face. but before you could do so, his eyes fluttered open, a soft smile forming on his lips as he focused on you.

“g’morning.” seungcheol mumbled, voice deep and husky, still laced with sleep.

“good morning.” you responded, unable to hide the chipper in your voice. you rested your hand on his bare chest, rubbing the skin comfortingly, slightly scared that you were in a dream.

his hand fell to your back, pulling your body close to him. “i meant it, you know.” he whispered, his thumb rubbing circles along your back. “i don’t want us to fall apart again.”

your chest tightened at his words, but this time, the ache was different–it was hopeful. “neither do i.” leaning your head against his neck, softly kissing the skin.

“you have me forever, baby.” he said, a promise that felt as grounding as his touch on your body.

you closed your eyes, letting the warmth of his embrace engulf you. comfortable silence taking over as you lay there in each other’s arms. you both knew this was just the start of finding your way back to one another.

[seyoungparkk]

“on your way to love.” ₍ y.jh ₎

( ✉️ )。 "On your way to your new apartment, you would've never thought that your dreamy neighbour next door would be your department team leader. However, it didn't take long for him to become the reason for your headaches and bad days. But now, on your way to love, you find yourself seeking warmth in his presence. Worst of all, you think you are falling for him."

GENRE/CONTENTS: fluff, humour, heavy angst at a point, frenemies to lovers, office romance au, neighbours au, brief fake dating, konglish with translations, romcom, mutual pining (idiots in love), slow burn (until the slowness starts to burn)

PAIRINGS: neighbour/leader!jeonghan x fem/employee!reader (ft. seungkwan, chan and joshua)

WARNINGS: mild cursing, mentions of (drinking) alcohol, painfully obv hannie (& reader), seungkwan and chan are two little silly goose, overworking (?), heart-fluttering cute scenes, FLIRTY jeonghan, reader wears makeup, rude blind date (not reader's), sharp objects (shattered glass), minor injuries, confusing and unspoken feelings, dramatic angry love confession

WORDCOUNT: 30k

listen to this playlist to set the vibe! (praying the shuffling is good)

♡ A/N: AAHH ITS FINALLY HEREE!!! This took me straight up two months, and I'm SO proud of the results!! Literally the biggest thanks to @hanniescookie, this wouldn't have been possible without her unconditional support ς(>‿<.) a little bd gift to myself, and I'm so excited for you all to read this !! [feedbacks + reblogs are appreciated <3]

──────୨୧ MONDAY

You strongly believe that Yoon Jeonghan’s sworn enemy is your peace.

And the way life was unkind enough to keep the devil himself as your neighbour and your department team leader at the same time always ruins your perfectly fine day.

Whether or not it was work hours, he was always around the corner, just waiting for the opportunity to test your patience.

Waking up in the morning and having an absolute normal day with no stress only lasted until you reached your company building. Or worse, only until you stepped out of your apartment. Because the moment Jeonghan came into sight, you knew you were not having a peaceful day.

He has the audacity to smile at you so sweetly after he manages to say the most nerve-wracking thing ever. It makes your stomach do this weird twirl that you can't explain.

You hate him and he hates you. Well, that should be obvious by now.

In your list of all the ways your team leader has made you frustrated, your brain ticks off another point.

Following your every move with an intense gaze.

Something that's making you want to scream at the top of your lungs right now is the way Jeonghan's eyes are following your every move while you are presenting your idea in front of your team. Almost as if judging you for every little mistake you might make.

It was a team meeting that was supposed to happen last Friday, but got delayed because of the poor weather, so it was taking place today. You had told everyone about an extremely helpful idea you came up with that might be a good plan for the company's sales to rise.

You had activated every single one of your professional bones before the meeting had started. Because you knew, in one way or another, your team leader would be bothering you.

But you never thought that it would be this way.

“And it would be a big advantage for our company, assisting the finance team as well.” You explain, turning around to face your team for a brief second, catching Jeonghan's focused gaze on you before shifting your attention to the projector again.

Why is he looking at you?

“Sorry to interrupt,” you hear the familiar voice that always drives you insane. In a good or bad way. You pause for a moment, gathering the courage to look him in the eye and then turn your head to shift your attention to him.

He sat on the extreme corner of the long table, arms folded as he leaned on his chair. Everyone present in the room turned their attention to him, holding in their breath as they could feel the tension crashing between you two.

The way his dark black hair fell on his face, his expression professional and concentrated as he read the file laying on the table in front of him—made him look so fine.

No matter how much you despised his guts, you could never deny the fact that he was one of the most charming and attractive men you have ever laid your eyes on. Maybe even the most. But you wouldn't admit that.

Your eyes stayed fixed on him, but they were quick to flicker to the person sitting beside him—Joshua—when he lifted his gaze again to look at you. Even when your eyes were on Joshua, you could see from the very corner of your eye that Jeonghan’s lips curved into the slightest bit of a smirk before he started to scan the file again.

Oh no.

You knew his next words would be basically telling you to lose your temper.

“What was in section four?” He asked, pressing his pointer finger on a specific part of the file he was reading, then turned to you for an answer.

“Our team’s contribution to the latest product launch.” Joshua responded, eyes darting between you and Jeonghan. Your eyes shift to Joshua then again at the man sitting at the centre, noticing the way his eyes narrow at him when he answers his question instead.

“I was asking her.” Jeonghan deadpanned, but the man next to him just shrugged it off like dust on his clothes.

“Same thing.”

Even during a meeting, the years of friendship they treasured was always palpable, earning a few giggles from your coworkers.

Jeonghan briefly glanced at you as the coworkers giggled among themselves at their antics, checking if you were finding this amusing as well. But your mind was too busy trying to come up with the worst sentence Yoon Jeonghan can possibly say to make your blood boil.

It was a known fact—except for Hong Joshua, his bestfriend from highschool (and you, his long-time rival), nobody really dared to mess with a serious Jeonghan even though he was a pretty liked and sociable guy.

Probably because of the demeanor that he carries while working is a complete contrast to that of when he is off work. But you disagree with that to a certain extent. Whether on work mode or not, he still finds every possible way to get on your nerves.

You watch as Jeonghan huffs, his cheeks puffing out in the process. ‘cute’ you think, but quickly slap that thought away.

“Well,” he clears his throat, sending a side eye in the direction of where his bestfriend sat, then sets his eyes on you. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and a hint of amusement he always carried when looking at you returned. You gulp down the lump in your throat, gripping on the pen in your hands a little more tightly as you maintain eye contact with him with the same narrowed eyes, but yours really didn't carry the amusement like he did. It carried agitation that Jeonghan caught immediately.

He was intentionally taking a lot longer than usual to complete his sentence, and it was frustrating.

“I need you to repeat it again. From the beginning.”

What the fuck. You were currently on the 9th section, and he wants you to go four sections back just to explain it all over again?

Your lips parted as you gawked at the man who stared back with an annoying grin. The room filled with gasps and concerned looks shared between your coworkers, including Joshua.

Joshua shot a look of disbelief in Jeonghan's direction, stepping on his foot to grab his attention. Jeonghan yelped and jumped, but managed to maintain his composure.

At this point, your mind absolutely went blank due to the rage building up in you. Jeonghan made no attempts to break the eye contact that was growing intense by each passing second, and neither were you going to back out. His eyes didn't only carry amusement, but now it looked like he was challenging you.

Your right eye twitched. This was it. You were not letting him win.

“Mr. Yoon, isn't that too mu—”

“I'll do it.” You cut your colleague, Chan, off. And in an instant, everyone's head snapped towards you as their jaws dropped in sync.

With an eye roll, you finally look away from Jeonghan and turn back to the projector behind you, tapping on the button aggressively as if you are letting out your anger on it to switch the slides back to section 4.

You could still feel his eyes on you, and you also knew that if you turned around right now, you would be met with an annoying smirk plastered across his face. Taking a deep breath, you look down at the presentation file you had prepared while pulling an all-nighter and flip the page backwards atleast twenty times before you finally reach section 4 again.

Your blood was boiling. You wanted to yell at your team leader. You wanted to let him know that he was annoying. But you somehow calmed yourself down and managed to stay professional.

“Okay, section four.” You began, jotting down all the basic important points on the small whiteboard beside the projector that needed to be revised.

“In detail, please.” A voice interrupted. You didn't have to turn around to know it was the same annoying menace.

“Alright.” You bite back without turning around, your tone firm.

Meanwhile, Joshua let out a deep sigh, purposely making himself heard by Jeonghan so he could be aware of the fact that he was stretching this out too much.

“Why are you acting like that?” Jeonghan leaned to his side, arms folded as he asked in a quiet whisper; careful not to disturb your explanation.

“Ask yourself, buddy, I don't know.” Joshua sighed again, his eyes fixated on the projector across the room.

“에이… aren't you caring too much?” He leans away, returning his gaze on you. “Don't get too attached. Stay professional.”

Joshua let out a quiet laugh, reaching up to cover his mouth with the side of his fist. He glanced at Jeonghan, observing his expression before teasing, “Shouldn't I be the one saying that?”

Jeonghan rolled his eyes ever so slightly, scoffing as he unfolded his arms and leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table. He placed his chin on his palm, giving Joshua a glance from the corner of his eyes.

“I am very professional, thanks.”

“That is. I was talking about the ‘attachment’ part.” Joshua quipped, mirroring his best friend's actions.

“...shush and focus.” Jeonghan nodded towards your direction as you stayed focused on explaining. With a snicker, Joshua flipped back twenty pages of Jeonghan's copy of the presentation file and nudged his arm with his elbow.

“Focus on this too.” He ribbed, trying his best to hold in his laugh at the sight of an incredibly provoked Jeonghan.

Well, to some extent, Joshua was the only one who could annoy Jeonghan just like how Jeonghan annoyed you. So it was fair to say that he made it up for you, even without knowing it.

After the meeting had finally ended, leaving you with a headache, you had gotten up from your seat to leave. When you thought your morning couldn't get worse, Jeonghan walked up behind you, muttering “good work” before leaving the room like nothing happened.

Your eye twitched again.

Unfortunately, your mind was recalling the scene from earlier throughout the whole day. Your face scowled each and every time it did, leaving your coworkers a bit concerned, but they decided to not budge onto it.

It was like a challenge to focus on work especially when constant thoughts about that jerk occupied your mind every now and then. You finally got up from your seat after hours of face-palming and sighing because of the amount of mistakes you had made in the file you were preparing, deciding that a cup of coffee would really help to relax your racing mind right now.

So, with that thought in your mind, you headed to the kitchenette of your department and grabbed your coffee cup, pressing the ‘pour’ button on the coffee machine.

There were thousands of other things to worry about at this moment—whether or not the idea that you gave this morning to your team would be chosen by the C-suite. And if it does, how you were going to present your ideas. There was another thing to worry about—your blind date that was scheduled this Sunday. But instead, your mind was busy with the thoughts of the gremlin, Yoon Jeonghan.

“Is that cup not big enough for you?” A voice pulled you out of your daydreams. But before you could worry about it being Jeonghan, your eyes widened at the sight of the coffee ridiculously overflowing from your cup. With a loud gasp, you hastily reach out to switch the pour button off, watching the perfectly clean table covered in a flood of coffee.

“You could use mine.” The man beside you (at whom you hadn't looked yet) offered in a playful taunting voice, placing his cup on the table before sliding it toward you.

Your eyes followed his hands as he brought it closer to rest his chin on it and leaned forward, eyeing you with an amused look and an annoying smile. As soon as your eyes landed on him, your nose scrunched ever so slightly before you rolled your eyes and basically ignored his presence. It didn't affect him, but only made his smile grow wider.

“No thanks.” You respond bluntly, sliding the cup back, earning a snicker from him. He slightly scooted closer, his eyes never leaving you as you held your cup and winced at the way the coffee was dripping from every direction possible.

“Rude.” He fake pouted.

From the corner of your eye, you noticed the handkerchief he was holding in his hands. You have to seize this opportunity to make his day just as worse as he made yours.

Without a warning, you snatched the handkerchief from his hands, making him startled. “Maybe you could stop being a pain in the ass,” you retorted, using his precious handkerchief to wipe the table and your cup clean as he stood there with his jaw dropped to the floor.

“I—”

“And go do some actual work.” Turning to face him with an uninterested look, you shove the soaked handkerchief back in his hands. The way his hands were frozen mid-air, exactly where it was two minutes ago when you snatched the handkerchief, was enough to let you know that he was indeed shocked.

Without another glance, you turned around and started to walk away, leaving a stunned Jeonghan behind. You giggled to yourself, imagining the look on his face.

Meanwhile, Jeonghan’s gaze dropped to the handkerchief in his hands as a scoff of disbelief escaped his lips. But he wasn't going to admit defeat.

Instead of crying over a literal handkerchief, he placed down his cup of coffee on the table and threw the handkerchief in it before following behind you, fastening his pace to catch up.

“I didn't know you were so annoying.”

His words reached your ears, and you closed your eyes tightly, holding in a scream that would really release all the frustration building up in you because of the man following behind you.

“Following someone like a creep isn't a very “professional” thing to do, y’know.” You snarked.

“Well, I'm not a creep, so, no, it's not creepy. It's romantic—”

“Who told you that? You, yourself?” You turned around, causing him to halt on his steps.

He smirked, already sensing that you were getting provoked by his teasing.

“Almost every lady in this department.” He answers in a smooth tone, bringing his hands behind his back. Your eyes narrow at him as you think of your next words.

“The world doesn't revolve around you.” You gibed, not bothering to take a step back when he takes a step forward. Too close for comfort.

“But your thoughts do, sweetheart.” He says. Too confidently. As if it's a matter of fact. You hate to admit, but those words did poke your heart a little.

The unprovoked facade you had put on falters for a moment. Gulping down the lump in your throat, you break eye contact before turning away from him. You square your shoulders and clear your throat. The fact that he was somehow correct about that, made you want to forget everything and snap at him for being able to ‘see through you.’

“If you're done wasting my time, I have work to do.” You say, taking a step forward to walk away, but your stomach does this weird twirl when Jeonghan grabs your wrist to prevent you from doing so.

“What work?” He asks, and you're so sure he is doing all this just to get a reaction from you—which, you wasn't about to get.

“Can you stop—”

“I'm just asking.” You notice the way his tone is a bit serious now, a complete contrast to that of just a few minutes ago.

Letting out a deep sigh, you turn your head just slightly, enough for him to know you were answering without seeming too disrespectful. Because, as much as you hate this fact, he was your senior and it was one of your basic manners to respect someone.

“The work Mr. Lee assigned me and Seungkwan a few days ago.” You respond, expecting him to let go of your wrist after that. But instead, he craned his neck to look at your face with the same annoying grin.

You thought he was asking seriously.

“아니, (no)” he denies, causing you to turn around to face him with a confused expression. “You have work there,” he nods in a specific direction, and as you follow his gaze, your eyebrows furrow.

Jeonghan sneaked a glance at you, scanning your face while holding in a laugh at the sight of your dumbfounded expression. He was referring to his office room that was all see through due to the clear glass walls. You squint your eyes and try to search for the possible ‘work' he meant, but he decided to help you himself.

“Those papers on my desk,” he points. “I need you to review them.”

“What!?”

Jeonghan snickers, raising an eyebrow when he realised he was about to get the reaction he wanted from you. You clenched your fists, your nose scrunching just a little.

Those papers he wanted you to review were a month old, and probably had been reviewed at least five times now.

“Yoon jeonghan!”

“Mr. Yoon.” Jeonghan corrected, leaning over with a stupid boyish grin.

He leaned back and mimicked your glare, furrowing his eyebrows and pressing his lips into a thin line that made his lips appear like he was faintly smiling. A smile you're unable to describe, yet you can call it an ‘upside-down smile.’

Before Jeonghan could say something to add fuel to the fire, you pushed your coffee cup against his stomach, forcing him to hold it for you before you turned away without another glance and stormed off to his office. He won't deny—he was taken aback with the sudden burst of aggression but he shrugged it off with a chuckle.

Out of everything Jeonghan can possibly do to cure his boredom, he chooses to be an impossibly annoying being. But that's only with you. As if it's a special thing.

──────୨୧ 11:00PM

After the office hours had ended, Jeonghan was nowhere to be seen when you left the company building. That meant you could finally take a breath of relief without the stress of your team leader roaming around you.

You knew you needed to freshen up your mind after the rollercoaster of emotions you experienced today. So you decided to visit the traditional restaurant just a few blocks away from your apartment and sat down to order your favourite bowl of noodles that you also call your ‘comfort food’. But when you received a call from your female colleague inviting you over for late night snacks, how could you refuse?

That's why; by the time you stepped in your apartment building, it was already past 11PM. Although your colleague had suggested you stay over since it was late, you figured that you don't want to be a bother. Plus, you'd rather be in the comfort of your apartment instead.

The elevator came to a halt, the doors sliding open smoothly. You stepped out of the elevator, letting out a sigh of exhaustion before beginning to walk ahead. It was already past Jeonghan's bedtime, so you didn't expect to see him waiting for you in the hallway like he always does when you're late by an hour or two.

As you entered the hallway, your eyes instinctively landed on the door which had the number plate ‘09’ on the wall beside it. Or more specifically, the door that led into Jeonghan's apartment.

You scrunch your nose when you realise you had been ridiculously staring in that direction for too long, and begin to walk towards your apartment room that was just after Jeonghan's, but parallel to him.

For a moment, when you’re almost about to pass by his room, you feel like the door would open and reveal Jeonghan whose eyebrows will be furrowed in concern for you. You chuckle at the thought. Because there was no way he would still be awake by now—

“You're late.” Suddenly, the room door you had been gawking at swung open, and a groggy but firm voice called out. You flinch a little, gripping the strap of your bag that hung from your shoulder as you snapped your head in that direction—only to find Jeonghan in his pyjamas, hair slightly messed up as he glared at you with eyes that could barely open from drowsiness and a pout that looked very genuine.

“I— what?”

“Do you know what time it is right now?” He said, with the same tone and same expression as the first time.

Your hand reached up to cover your mouth as you let out a quiet laugh at his appearance. “Did you jump out of bed at the sound of the elevator?”

Jeonghan doesn't respond for a moment, his eyebrows only furrowing further. “Answer my question first.”

“Go back to bed, gremlin.” You double down, unable to hold in the smile that brightened your features. With that, you turn away to walk to your doorstep and your fingers hover over the keypad lock.

“You got a new 남자친구 (boyfriend) or something?” Jeonghan called out, the permanent playful tone in his voice coming back to life. You gradually turned to look in his direction, your nose scrunching up as you watched him snickering while leaning his front body on the door frame.

“아니 (no), but I got another reason why I shouldn't be nice to you.” You scoff, but that menace kept snickering with an annoying smirk.

One thought that crossed your mind when you glanced at him—he looked so fine. Even though he jumped out of this bed in a hurry, and could barely open his eyes due to sleepiness, his face card still never declined.

“So you don't have one?” He tilted his head, asking with a grin.

You ignored him and his question, pushing your door open before stepping inside and shutting it close. But your lips immediately curved into a smile when you heard him yell “잘자! (goodnight!)” even though it sounded a little muffled.

Alright, Yoon Jeonghan was and is a menace. However, you can't help but always recall the way your eyes were starstruck when you first saw him. When he was just the man next door, the kind neighbour you had encountered who was willing to help you with every little thing ever.

──────୨୧ 6 MONTHS AGO

You thought that shifting from your previous apartment to a different and better one would be really convenient when you landed your dream job—since the new apartment was much closer to your company building as well.

But now, as you tighten your grip around the stick of the broom, sitting on the couch and holding your knees close to your chest, your eyes scanning the living room frantically—you doubt that.

There wasn't a single corner of the room that your eyes hadn't landed on. You swear you saw that menace of a cockroach just a few minutes ago by the curtain of the window, and you’ve been holding your breath in since then.

It's not like you were afraid of literal cockroaches! No way. The only thing that you were afraid of was the fact that it could fucking fly. Hell, it even dared to fly and sit down on your thigh when you weren't looking.

Suddenly, the cockroach appeared from nowhere and flew straight towards your face, and you let out the most terrifying scream ever. You didn't give a damn if there were people next door, probably judging you for being a coward, but the creature is so disgusting that you can't do anything but this.

Just when you were fighting for your life, swinging the broom in your hands aggressively in the air to try and hit the cockroach, someone rang the doorbell and you went quiet.

“저기요, 괜찮아요? (excuse me, are you okay?)” An unfamiliar voice called out from the other side of the front door. Letting out a shaky breath, you look around the living room, the cockroach nowhere to be seen.

“네 (yes), sorry for disturbance.” You respond, loud enough for the man to hear. The silence that followed after was deafening, causing you to finally come back to your senses.

Fuck. Did you scream too loud?

“I doubt that, are you sure you don't need help?” The stranger asks again, and you fall silent, actually considering his offer. Well, this cockroach will definitely not let you sleep tonight, you were too exhausted to fight it, and the stranger genuinely seemed to want to help.

Taking a deep breath, you put the broom away and slowly bring your right foot to the floor then the left one to stand up. You look down to check your fit, reaching out to fix your hair with your hands. Finally, you clear your throat and head towards the front door, pulling it open slightly just enough for you to peek out.

In front of you stood a man in a formal white shirt and black trousers, the sleeves rolled up till his elbows and the tie around his neck seemed to be pulled down. His short hair was dark brown, shining under the lights of the hallway and he held a black suit.

And oh my god. He was majestic. His facial features were soft, eyes coloured in a cozy shade of brown. He seemed to have just arrived from work and decided to check up on his crazy neighbour who was screaming at the top of her lungs.

Before the embarrassment could drown you further, the stranger offered a soft smile. You noticed the way it made him appear so angelic.

“Hi,” you say awkwardly, mentally cursing yourself.

“Hello,” but he responded so gently, doing a great job at making your cheeks heat up.

“I'm sorry to be a bother, but it’d be a great help if you could— uh..” you force a smile, trying to think of how you can possibly tell a stranger that you are afraid of flying cockroaches at the age of an adult who should be more than capable of handling them.

“I could?” He repeated, patiently waiting for you to continue. And you figured that it would be better if you showed it to him instead.

“이야! (iya!)” The man infront of you placed the glass bowl on the floor with a loud thud, a smile creeping up to his face.

You jumped, crawling from the other side of the couch to peek over the armrest. He slowly removed his hands from the bowl, revealing the cockroach who was now trapped inside it.

“Woah…” you breathe out, turning to look at the man who was kneeling down with one of his arms resting on his knee. “That was fast.”

“That was easy.” The man replied, shooting a smile in your direction. He had just entered your apartment two minutes ago after you decided to show him the problem instead of using your words so you don't sound stupid, and he already spotted and trapped the cockroach.

It takes skills.

You watched as he slowly got up from the floor, patting the dust on his clothes. “So, you're new here?” He asked, glancing at you.

“응 (yeah).” You nodded, straightening your posture before getting up from the couch.

“그렇구나 (I see), I live just next door.”

“room number 09?”

Jeonghan nodded, grabbing his suit from the table. He swiftly wore it, tugging on the ends to ease the crumps.

You don't realise as your eyes stay fixated on him, admiring his charismatic and loveable self, until he forwarded a hand as he introduced. “I'm Jeonghan. Yoon Jeonghan.”

Yoon Jeonghan. A name just as pretty as the person himself.

Giving a little nod and smile of acknowledgement, you reach out to shake his hand for a brief second. “Y/n.”

Although you looked like you were in the conversation, your mind could only process the way his hands were so soft and warm, fitting perfectly against yours. As if it was meant to be held by you.

“Y/n. That's a pretty name.” Jeonghan remarks, a soft smirk playing on his lips as he leaned in, mindful to maintain a respectful distance. That action alone made your cheeks heat up as they dusted a light shade of pink.

“Thank you. Yours is prettier, though.” Your words slipped before you could comprehend them, but his lips curved into the same soft smile again as he let out a small laugh.

“It's getting late, I should head back.” He says, and you glance at the clock before nodding.

“Right. Thank you for this,” you pointed towards the glass bowl that had the cockroach trapped inside it. When you did so, Jeonghan paused as if he remembered something suddenly.

“Ah, what are you going to do with that?” He asks, gesturing to the cockroach. You smile, waving your hand.

“Don't worry about it, I'll throw it out. I'm not scared of it once it's trapped.”

He softly laughed again, nodding his head before heading over to the front door to leave. As he steps outside, you call out for him.

“I’m really sorry for bothering you, I probably look like an idiot right now.” You say sheepishly, but he simply shrugs it off.

“There's nothing to be sorry about. Plus, I think it's good to be helpful as neighbours.” He assures, offering you a small smile that didn't reach his eyes, but still carried genuineness and warmth. For a moment, you catch the slightest bit of drowsiness in his body language, and let out a sigh, genuinely feeling bad for wasting his time.

You nod, mirroring his smile. “맞아요 (you're right), I'll definitely make it up to you for today.”

His smile brightens ever so slightly and he bids you a final goodbye before walking away to his apartment room.

From that day onwards, you never had a day where you wouldn't encounter Jeonghan. Mostly because he was the one to approach you whenever he would see you.

You had shifted in your apartment one month before the first day of your work intentionally so you could get familiar with the place. But now, with Jeonghan, it became so much easier to know about everything. From local shops to fancy restaurants and supermarkets, you got familiar with everything in less than 2 weeks. And Jeonghan was the most perfect neighbour you could ever ask for. Even without asking, he was always ready to help you with things.

Especially when you ordered this huge cupboard that you could barely lift up, let alone fix it in your living room. But as soon as Jeonghan caught you struggling with that, he took the full responsibility of it, only asking for a bowl of the dumplings you had made earlier in return because he was craving some. Something you also liked about him was his playful nature. He had the type of personality that could light up any room with his back-to-back jokes and teasing. You liked the way his jokes and teasing were never overboard, and it wasn't too constant to the point it would become a headache.

You thought he was the most ideal man ever.

Keyword: “thought” “was”

Finally after a whole month of eagerly waiting, it was your first day of work at your dream company. Finally.

You could barely contain your excitement as you quickly got ready and headed out of your apartment room. Just as you step outside, you spot Jeonghan outside his apartment, fixing his shoes. He seemed to be leaving his apartment for work at the same time too.

“Jeonghan?” You called out, catching his attention as he looked up from his shoes. His face immediately brightened with a smile before he locked his door and waited for you to walk forward.

“It's your first day of work?” He asked as you walked up to him and both of you began to head towards the elevator. You nod, flashing a smile towards his direction.

“음 (hm)! I'm really excited.” You chirp softly, making him chuckle.

“You’ll do great, fighting!” He exclaimed, waving his fist in the air to emphasize.

You muttered a ‘thanks’ as the elevator door opened and you both walked inside. Jeonghan pressed the button all the way to the ground floor, and stepped back before shoving his hands in his pockets as both of you waited for the elevator to halt. You and him shared a few jokes and conversations, finally heading out of the apartment building. The spring air was fresh yet a bit cold. Good thing you had decided to wear proper warm clothes to face this weather.

Bidding goodbyes with Jeonghan, you walked to your car as he headed towards his. You opened the driver's seat door and sat down inside, shutting the door close before starting the engine. Just as you pull your car out, your eyes catch Jeonghan’s car already exiting the parking lot. You simply started to head towards your company location, but after a while, you realised that Jeonghan was heading in the same direction as you.

You shrugged it off, thinking that his workplace might just be near yours. Soon, you finally arrived infront of the company building. The building was situated in a really gorgeous area—surrounded by a beautiful landscape that was adorned with greenery. Despite being in the middle of a bustling city, it had a huge front lawn of its own with a parking lot equally large, completely dividing it from the noisy roadsides.

Stepping out of your car, you were just admiring the building that stood so tall, when you noticed a car that looked too much like Jeonghan’s pull up in the parking lot aswell. You weren't quite sure about it, so you brushed your thoughts away and headed straight inside, loving the way the front entrance was a revolving door. You walked up to the reception, patiently waiting as the lady talked with other employees.

Suddenly, you hear a group of female employees squeal and let out excited giggles. You turned your head in the direction of the sound, tilting your head in confusion before you followed their gaze and looked at the entrance. Instead of clearing up your confusion, the sight in front of you jumbled your brain even more.

The group of employees were squealing over Jeonghan as he walked past the entrance, radiating a charming and attractive energy, offering a smile to every employee who walked past him.

Yes, he did look handsome and everything. But the real question was—what was he doing here? And how do these people know him? The way he walked in, so comfortably as if he is familiar with every single corner of this building, confuses you even more. You were just about to approach him—

“Are you Ms. Y/n?” A voice snaps you out of your thoughts. You turn around, greeting the lady in the reception with a smile before nodding in response to her question.

The lady smiles back warmly, rummaging through some papers. She takes one of the papers that seemed to have information about you, scanning it.

“You’re the new shift from Busan branch, correct?”

“Yes, it's me.”

The lady opens her mouth to say something, but she pauses as she looks over your shoulder. “Ah, this is perfect actually,” she says. “That is Mr. Yoon, the captain of the marketing team!” She adds, gesturing to a specific man that stood by the lounge area, talking to someone.

You followed her gaze, eyes landing on a man whose back was facing you, but his attire looked exactly like Jeonghan's. The thought that it could be Jeonghan didn't even cross your mind at all. Without being able to see the man’s face, you nod along with the lady’s words as she calls out to someone and asks them to bring ‘Mr. Yoon’ here.

You were in the marketing team, so it was great that you already encountered the team leader. That is, until the man turned around when a person approached him.

Your jaw dropped to the floor, and your eyes went wide.

It was Jeonghan. Yoon Jeonghan. Your neighbour.

Actually, you were dumb enough to have not guessed it sooner.

“That is… our leader?” You ask, hesitantly.

“He is! He's very charming and friendly. I'm sure you'll get along with him.” The lady replied.

You kept gawking at Jeonghan. He nodded to the person, saying something that you figured out to be “알았어요 (I got it)” before he looked up, his eyes immediately locking with yours. And just like yours, they went wide in surprise.

Without wasting another second, he walked over to the reception. Or more like to you.

“Y/n? What are you doing here?” He asks, genuinely confused, eyebrows raised.

Before you could answer, the lady spoke. “You guys know each other?”

Jeonghan turned to look at her, nodding in response. He let out a soft gasp, eyes softening in realisation.

“와 (woah), so you're the new shift from Busan branch?”

You nod subtly, smiling, despite being a bit taken aback yourself.

That was the first day of your work, and also the greatest coincidence that had ever happened. Jeonghan was just as kind and playful with others as he was with you. Upon being the new shift in the marketing department, you soon became really popular. Even employees from other departments were always greeting you, smiling at you or some even approached you to be friends. And as friendly you are, you welcomed each and everyone without even thinking twice.

Three of them were Seungkwan, Chan and Joshua. You learned that Joshua was Jeonghan’s bestfriend, and they were pretty much like frenemies. But aside from them, you also befriended female colleagues. They were all so beautiful.

It didn't take long for you to start receiving love letters and gifts. There would be atleast three of them whenever you came by your cubicle in the morning, and honestly, they were pretty cute. You didn't think much about it because other than harmless gifts and cute letters, nobody approached you in person that could make you uncomfortable.

It wasn't a problem for you.

But it was for Jeonghan.

He hated the way you gave attention to everyone but him. Whether or not it was just his overthinking capabilities, he knew who liked you and the way you became so friendly with the same people boiled his blood. No, he wasn't possessive or anything, but he could see whenever they tried to overly flirt with you. And as oblivious as you are, you never realised and laughed along.

Jeonghan was well aware of his feelings—he liked you. Alot.

And why on earth would he sit there and watch you basically drift away from him and he wouldn't even have the chance to be yours?

He started nagging you about how you need to distance yourself from these things because they can be ‘distracting’ and would be a problem in the long run. But soon, this nagging turned into annoying teasing. He would do everything in his power to annoy you, even reaching to the point where he would throw all the unnecessary work on you to do.

A part of him was still nice, but that was just barely half of his behaviour towards you. Whenever he would see you, he would start being a pain in the ass and refuse to shut up with his nonsense.

Soon, you've come to realise that Jeonghan was mean to this extent only with you. And soon you started to despise his guts, his ability to leave you speechless and his ability to make you flustered under a minute. He carried a hint of mischief in his eyes whenever he saw you, and the little smirk that crawled up his lips every time.

But, you wouldn't lie—he was still caring sometimes. You started to become a bit upset when he would take a day off from work, when he would be focusing on something else even though you were right there, or basically when he's not being playful like he usually is. But it was far away from your realisation. You never realised that you felt like that. And even now, as of the present, you still fail to realise your own feelings.

Even if Jeonghan is an evil gremlin, you have a soft spot for him and you, yourself, aren't aware of that.

──────୨୧ PRESENT (TUESDAY)

Next morning, you don't even realise that you had been snoozing the alarm for twenty minutes straight, refusing to wake up. But when the alarm rang again, you jumped up from your bed, gasping when you saw the time.

7:29AM.

Your office hours started by 8.

Ignoring the exhaustion and the painful pounding in your head, you searched your entire closet for a suitable outfit and rushed your morning routine. You definitely didn't have the time to cook breakfast, so you decided that you'd stop by your favourite store near the company building and grab a bun or two.

Finally stepping out of your apartment, you took the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator and took out your car key—only to see that your car was nowhere to be found in the parking lot. You paused, holding in the urge to let out a scream when you remembered your friend borrowed your car just yesterday.

What a way to start your day.

By the time you left your apartment, Jeonghan was already off to work so you were glad that you didn't have to deal with him in the morning. Especially because you weren't in the mood for his teasing right now, and if he was here, you would've probably lashed out. Which you would regret later.

Glancing at the watch that adorned your wrist, you winced when it displayed ‘7:50AM.’

You fastened your pace, and then began to run in a hurry. You were so sure that that menace would start nagging at you for being a ‘sleepyhead’. After what felt like ages of running and bumping into random strangers on the street, you finally reached the store, the company building just a few blocks away.

“저기요 (excuse me), two cream buns please.” You say as you hastily take out your wallet to pay. Just then, you turn your head to see Seungkwan and Chan huffing as they come running to you in a hurry.

“Y/n!!” They yell in unison, and your life flashed before your eyes as Seungkwan almost lost his balance, about to crash straight onto you. But Chan grabbed his shirt just on time, pulling him back and they came to a halt, panting heavily as if they had been chasing a thief.

“Chan? Kwan? What are you two doing here?” You asked, looking at them up and down in concern. “Isn't it almost time for work?”

Both of them put a hand over their chest, trying to catch up with their breathing before they could actually respond.

“I—”

“지금은 아니야 (not right now), we have only two minutes to reach our office! 빨리 가자 (Let's go fast)!” Just when Seungkwan opened his mouth to answer your question, Chan interrupted and let go of Seungkwan's shirt.

Before you could say something, Seungkwan nodded aggressively, grabbed your wrist along with Chan’s and began to sprint towards the company building at the distance.

“Hey! Slow down!” You shouted at him as he kept running. Luckily, you had already paid the shopkeeper and grabbed the two buns in your hand just before this menace decided that it would be a good idea to make a run for it.

“Just come along!” Chan urged as he pulled himself out of Seungkwan's grip and ran forward. You too, shrugged off his hand and ran on your own.

“Why did you buy two cream buns?” Seungkwan asked, almost shouting. Although his voice was barely audible because of the pace you three were running at, you still managed to catch it.

“To eat.” You reply, shouting-back.

“Or to share it with your 애인 (lover)!” Chan added with a sly smile.

“I don't even have one?” You say.

“Oh c’mon, we both know you have a teeny tiny crush on him.” Seungkwan doubled down, fastening his pace to catch up with Chan at the front. You frown at both of them, slowing down to catch up with your breathing as they giggled among themselves.

“I don't like Jeonghan!” You exclaim, eyes widened and your lips pursed. Both of them halted, and turned around to look at you with the silliest grin ever.

“We never mentioned him?” Chan teased, wiggling his eyebrows while Seungkwan leaned against his shoulder, laughing his heart out.

“I—” you pause, feeling your cheeks burning up.

“Just give up at this point, oh my go—” Seungkwan made his way to you, giggling, and wrapped an arm around your shoulder that you shrugged away.

“Shut up,” you mutter embarrassingly, squaring your shoulders before beginning to walk away. You picked up your pace, outrunning them to the company building.

“That's cheating!” Seungkwan yelled, chasing after you.

“Stop, or you like Jeonghan!” Chan added, but you weren't going to listen to them for another second. You were already ten minutes late to work.

You've just come to accept that these two were nothing but a headache. Just like Jeonghan.

You sneaked in your cubicle, saving yourself from Jeonghan and his nagging. As soon as you took a seat, Seungkwan and Chan also stepped out of the elevator, tiptoeing their way to the cubicle.

“You're so mean!” Chan hissed, making his way to his cubicle just beside yours. You simply shrugged it off with a smile, and watched as Seungkwan plopped down on his seat, parallel to you, with the most dramatic sigh ever.

“You didn't slow down either, that means you do like Jeonghan!” Seungkwan whispered, your nose scrunching up in annoyance.

“Shut it and do your own work.” You huffed, reaching out to take a look at the papers you had left yesterday. You paused as you saw that there was a new stack of files with a little sticky note on the file cover. Furrowing your eyebrows in confusion, you remove the sticky note and read through, your jaw dropping to the floor.

‘hope you don't mind reviewing all of these by the end of office hours! (p.s stop being a sleepyhead) — your handsome hannie.’

“What the fuck.” You breathed out.

Chan turned his head to look at you. “What the fuck, what?”

While you were gawking at the sticky note in your hands, Seungkwan slowly stood up and leaned forward, sneaking a glance at it. “이게 뭐야 (what is this)?”

Without moving your eyes, you pass the note to Seungkwan and glance at him as he audibly gasps before passing it over to Chan.

“Oh my god, screw Yoon Jeonghan!” Seungkwan hisses, resting his arms on the cubicle divider.

“I don't know if you like him,” Chan began, and you could tell by the tone of his voice that he was about to say something to test your patience. “But I'm damn sure he likes you.”

You glared at the two grown men who were giggling like highschool teenagers.

“Shut up before I report you two for verbal harassment!” You snapped, and the two of them immediately put a finger against their lips, shushing themselves. Seungkwan slowly leaned away and sat down on the chair with a sigh as Chan busied himself with work.

Again, you were stuck with loads of work and it frustrated you so much. Like Seungkwan said, screw that menace.

After atleast 2 hours of continuous work, Seungkwan and Chan asked you to join them for lunch, but you could manage with coffee for now. Plus, over eating would really slow down your work and it was due 6PM. So, you tell them to bring you a sandwich from the corner shop when they come back.

You watch as everyone leaves one by one, and when you think everyone is gone, you get up from your seat and head to the department’s kitchenette to get coffee.

As you pour yourself a cup of coffee, a thought suddenly hits you—the blind date. You pause, letting out an annoyed sigh.

You had completely forgotten about that…

Well, the blind date isn't really yours because it was supposed to be your friend's. But when she came running to beg you to cover this up for her in exchange for a pochacco keychain that you always had your eyes on, there was no way you could turn down this tempting offer.

But the thing was—how will you even mess this blind date up? The original plan was that you'd act so dumb and weird to the point the blind date would reject you himself. But you figured out that you would not last a second especially since it was a fancy restaurant. There is no way you're embarrassing yourself just for a man to reject you.

Then it hit you—you can just pay someone to be your fake boyfriend for like an hour, and he can mess this blind date up.

Seems like a perfect idea, doesn't it? The problem is, where and how on earth will you get a fake boyfriend for an hour?

The first two people that came to your mind were Seungkwan and Chan, but then you know they’d suck at this job. It's not like they would agree anyway.

“What's got you so zoned out?” A familiar voice pulled you out of your thoughts, and you turned around to see Joshua entering the kitchenette with a cup in his hand.

“Ah, it's nothing.” You say, smiling.

He mirrors your smile, walking to the coffee machine to pour himself a cup. “You didn't go out for lunch?”

You shake your head, taking a sip of your coffee. “I have some work to do, I'll go later.”

“Remember to take breaks, don't overwork!” He reminds with raised eyebrows. You nod in acknowledgement, letting out a chuckle.

“What about you? Shouldn't you be having lunch with Jeonghan right now?” You ask, referring to the fact that they usually have lunch together.

Joshua presses his lips in a thin line, taking his cup of coffee and turning to face you. “Well, yeah, but he's been busy lately. The chairman demanded all the team leaders to attend the following meetings and do extra work.” He says, scrunching his nose before smiling.

“Oh…” you trail off, subtly nodding. No wonder you hadn't seen him all day.

“But don't worry, he should be back in just an hour or two.” He assures, taking a sip of his coffee.

For a moment, you look at Joshua, who was busy reading the details of a food pack. Then, as if your mind unlocked an idea, your eyes went wide in realisation.

He could be the one to help you with this blind date.

“Shua,” you called out, grabbing his attention as he raised his gaze to look at you.

“Yeah?”

You take a few seconds to form your words, biting the inside of your cheek. “Remember when I took the blame of accidentally tearing Jeonghan’s favourite coat but it was actually you who did it?” You recall, a glint of mischief in your eyes.

Joshua paused, his lips parted slightly as he blinked. “I— are we really bringing that up?” He whined, his eyebrows furrowing as he leaned on the counter.

“Well, yes we are!” You grin, and he pouted.

“Please don't tell him, you promised you won't!” he pleaded, placing the cup on the counter to rub his palms together.

“I won't, I won't,” you reassure, patting his shoulder. “I just need you to return that favour right now.”

He straightened his posture, looking at you with wide puppy eyes. “What do you need me to do?” He asked, waiting for your answer.

You take a deep breath before looking at him with a sheepish smile.

“I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend for an hour.”

Joshua’s smile dropped, and he looked at you as if you were insane. He tilted his head, his face painted with confusion.

“뭐? (what)” He exclaimed, raising an eyebrow.

“You heard me!”

“Yes I did, and it's absurd.”

Your lips jut out in a pout at his words. “Come on, please!”

“But why do you even need a fake boyfriend?” He asks, then you realise that you'd make sense if you told him the reason.

“It’s not my date… I just agreed to cover up for my friend and I need to mess this up. It's coming up this Sunday…” You confess, making Joshua frown’s grow deeper.

“First of all, why would you even agree to that? And second of all, I'm not gonna be the one helping you with this.”

Closing your eyes tightly, you huff out a breath. He wasn't even wrong, so you couldn't be mad at him. Instead, you just take a sip of your coffee, and lean back on the counter with a disappointed sigh.

“You’ll get paid for it.” You say in an attempt to bribe him, following after him as he starts walking towards the office area.

“I'm still not doing it, Y/n.” He sighs.

Joshua, indeed, had no problem with pretending just for an hour. Especially if he got paid for it? Perfect. But there was no way in hell he would accept this offer, being fully aware of the fact that Jeonghan is his bestfriend.

“Just say you hate me,” you mumbled, purposely making yourself heard by him.

“There are other people you can ask—” he paused, turning around. “Actually, no. Not other people. Only Jeonghan.”

Your face fell. You squint your eyes at him, looking him up and down. “Are you, like, sick in the head?”

Joshua sighed, not fazed by your judging. “C’mon, I'm being serious!”

“You don't sound serious. He is probably the last person I'd ask about this.” You say, resting your hands on your hips.

“And the only person who would agree without a question.” He states as a matter of fact, his lips curving into a sly smile. “You know that yourself.”

You pause, staring at him as a wave of hesitation and realisation wash over you.

If you were to ignore his words right now, it wouldn't seem like a big deal. But as you drown in your own thoughts, you start to wonder about it too.

Would he? But what if he doesn't? What if he rejects right away? Or would he actually accept it without a question?

“Hello? Hellooo?” You snapped out of your thoughts as Joshua waved his hand infront of your face.

“I—”

“Y/n!! We're back!” Chan shouted, looking around the office as he stepped out of the elevator with Seungkwan. You turn your head to look at them, biting your lower lip, still hovering over Joshua's words.

“I'll get going now,” you say, flashing a smile as you glance at him. He nodded, the sly smile never leaving his face. You knew he was aware that you were considering what he said, but you decided to play it cool.

Giving Joshua one last look, you turned away to walk up to Seungkwan and Chan. “얘들아 (guys)!” You called out for them, and they ran to you with huge food bags in their hands.

Before the three of you headed to your cubicles, you turned to look at Joshua—who was watching something on his phone. “Shua!” You yell from the office, waving your hand as a gesture for him to come over and have lunch together.

He scrunched his nose and pressed his lips into a thin line, shaking his head with a soft smile. Just as you were about to insist, Seungkwan made his way to him and wrapped his hands around his arm, pulling on it.

“Enough with your no's!” Seungkwan complained with a mouthful of fried chicken, practically dragging Joshua into the office and sat him down on your chair. You threw your head back in laughter as Chan clapped at the scene unfolding infront of you two.

“I said it's fine,” Joshua laughed, amused by Seungkwan's behaviour.

“Just have lunch with us, it's been awhile since the last time.” Chan said, and you nod.

“Right? You only stick to Jeonghan all the time!” You say, folding your arms.

“Like you?” Chan giggles, already holding his hand up to prevent you from hitting him. You frown, smacking his shoulder while Seungkwan got busy gossiping with Joshua.

Soon after the four of you had lunch, you all got back to your own work as everyone returned to the office. You thought you would take a bit longer than usual today because of the amount of work you had received from Jeonghan, but call it your experience over the months or the desperation to go home, you were surprisingly done much earlier than expected. But Seungkwan, Chan and Joshua had already left an hour ago. Even though they insisted that they wait for you, you didn't want them to waste their time.

As you get up from your seat, stretching your body to ease the stiffness, you glance at the time. It was 4PM already, and you hadn't seen Jeonghan all day.

Where was he?

You sling your bag over your shoulder, heading towards the elevator as you take out your phone and check his last dm.

Yesterday at 10:49PM

handsome hannie😇: 잘자~! (goodnight) handsome hannie😇: 🤍🤍🤍 You: bad night ◠‿◠ღ

You softly smiled as your gaze lingered on his name saved on your phone.

You had given Jeonghan your phone password for important work, but instead of doing what he was supposed to, he cared more about changing his nickname from ‘mr. yoon’ to ‘handsome hannie’ and made sure to put an angel emoji after it. Even after you had seen it, you never really bothered to make any changes. Plus it made you smile whenever you noticed it.

With a long sigh, you stepped into the elevator after the other employees had gotten off, and pressed on the button that led to the first floor. The elevator seemed to move a bit faster than usual because you were just putting your phone in your bag when the doors were already open.

Stepping out, you offer small smiles at the other employees before reaching the entrance, bracing yourself to walk to your apartment since you didn't have your car.

“Took you long enough,” a voice called out from behind, and you have to pause for a bit to comprehend your hearing skills. As you slightly look over your shoulder, you watch as Jeonghan walks up to your side with a grin across his face.

“너 (you)?” You ask, causing him to fold his arms, exaggerating a pout.

“Aren't you happy to see me after so long?” He asks, expecting nothing but a scoff and an eye roll from you in response.

You scowl, rolling your eyes. Just like he guessed. You were hesitant to ask him where he was for so long, but lucky for you, he is already starting on that topic.

“I suddenly wanna quit as a team leader,” he sighs. That's when you notice the slightest hint of drowsiness in his eyes—they were looking much softer, almost droopy.

“왜 (why)? I thought you liked abusing the privilege.” You remarked, your eyes refusing to leave his even after he looked away with a pout.

“Well, that is true,” he says, lifting his gaze. You immediately looked away, praying that he didn't catch you staring like a stupid. But when he took a few seconds to continue with his sentence, you knew you were done for.

He let out a chuckle, deciding that he will let it slide today because he didn't want to annoy you. Also because he was a bit tired to keep up with his own antics.

“Let's just say… It's a moment of weakness. Like, right now I'm hating my job, but I know I'll be loving it by tomorrow.” Jeonghan grinned, putting his hands behind his back.

Your gaze lingered on him for a bit, uncertain about his words. “Did they give you too much work?” You ask, furrowing your eyebrows.

He shook his head, his grin never leaving his face. “That's not something to worry about right now,” he says, bringing his hand to rest on his stomach. “I'm hungry. Like really hungry.”

You squint your eyes. “Go eat something?”

“That, I'll do. But…” he trails off, batting his eyelashes at you.

“뭐 (what)?”

He sighs, one of his hands reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose as the other one rested on his hip. He goes on with his dramatic act for a moment before turning to face you.

“Let's have dinner together.” He says in a rushed tone, already rubbing his palms together.

You stare at him for a second, then let out a laugh. “And what do I benefit from it?” You retorted, and the corners of his lips curved into a small smirk as if he had the perfect reply to that.

“Free food, and a very handsome man by your side that you can show off as your boyfriend for tonight.”

As you heard the word ‘boyfriend’, your mind recalled Joshua’s words.

“The only person who would agree without a question.”

And the idea of Jeonghan as your boyfriend sounded so… tempting. No. Hold on. You need to get a grip, really.

What are you thinking?

Pushing your thoughts aside, you shift your gaze from him with a snicker. “Not interested,” you say, turning to walk away.

You had barely lifted your other foot, and Jeonghan's hand was already wrapped around your wrist, keeping you from walking away. That small gesture was strangely enough to make your head spin for a millisecond.

“Are you really gonna leave me alone like this?” He exaggerated his pouty tone, putting a hand over his chest to emphasize his ‘pain.’

“Jeongha—”

“Please?” His tone softened ever so slightly. You turned around, looking at him for a moment before letting out a sigh.

“Okay, fine,” you huff, pulling your wrist out of his grip gently. “But I want the limited edition butterscotch sundae with chocolate wafers in my favourite ice cream parlour.” You add with a smile, and watch as he shakes his head.

“That's it?” He quipped, sliding a hand in his pocket to take out his card, waving it in his hand while wiggling his eyebrows. “I'm richer than that, sweetheart.”

“Oh my god.” you groan, rolling your eyes as you turn away to storm off. Jeonghan quickly shoves the card in his pocket, laughing like a menace while rushing after you.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'll get you the biggest butterscotch sundae to ever exist, I promise.” He jabbered, jumping around from your left to right. You had to grab his wrist to stop him because it was getting embarrassing.

The dinner went pretty well, and surprisingly, Jeonghan indeed fulfilled his promise by taking you to your favourite ice cream parlor. But you were convinced that it was your extreme bad luck when they ran out of butterscotch sundae just before you arrived there.

You ended up getting an alternative—a chocolate bar—instead. While Jeonghan was satisfied with the strawberry bar he had bought for himself, you were still sulking over the butterscotch sundae to the point he got you another ice cream so you could stop cursing under your breath every two seconds.

Well, you wouldn't say you were completely satisfied, but two chocolate bars were enough to shut you up.

By the time both of you arrived at the apartment building, it was already past 9PM.

“We're here,” Jeonghan said, shoving the car key in his pocket. Just as you reached out to open the car door, he told you to wait before getting out of the car in a hurry and walking over to the passenger side.

A sly smile played on his lips as he opened the car door, extending his hand dramatically for you to take. You scoff, smiling a little at his antics.

“How could you ignore such a handsome man?” He stressed, leaning against the car door when you refused to take his hand and got out of the car on your own. You lightly hit his head, earning a much exaggerated grunt from him in response.

“I’m more than capable of getting out of the car myself, stop crying.” You jested as he turned around with a huff.

Before he could open his mouth to protest, a car loudly pulled into the parking lot, catching both of your attention.

“Isn't that Joshua's car?” You remarked, and Jeonghan nodded.

“It is.” He confirmed, taking a few steps back to get a better look of the car. The driver's seat door opened, revealing Joshua as he got out of the car and spotted you two.

“Ah,” he smiled, making his way towards Jeonghan's car.

“You didn't tell me you were coming?” Jeonghan asked, causing Joshua to frown.

“So now I'm not even allowed to visit my bestfriend without permission?” He deadpanned, eyes shifting between you and Jeonghan.

“Oh my god,” he gasped, lifting his finger to point at you two. “A late night date?”

Hearing that, your hand instinctively reached out to smack Joshua's head, but he was quick enough to move away with a giggle.

“I mean, if it seems so… then, probably yes!” Jeonghan grinned.

This time, you shoved Jeonghan with all your power, resulting in him almost falling flat to the ground.

“Why are you violent?” Joshua chuckled in amusement, grabbing his bestfriend's arm just in time as Jeonghan held his shoulder for support.

“Ask yourselves.” You retorted.

“Is this what I get in return after buying you two ice creams?” Jeonghan sighed, rubbing his hips dramatically with a pout.

You look at him up and down, holding in a laugh. “Yeah, because I wanted butterscotch. Not chocolate.” You reply, mimicking his pouty tone before turning around to walk inside the apartment building.

“Goodnight!” Jeonghan shouted and kept giggling, watching you walk away while Joshua stood there—lips parted, eyebrows furrowed as if he was just told the most confusing lore to ever exist.

“You two… right after work.. ice creams…” Joshua mumbled, shifting his gaze on Jeonghan. “Isn’t that literally an ice cream date?”

Jeonghan looked at him, putting a hand on his shoulder as he leaned in. “Not just an ice cream date. A dinner date.” He corrected, leaning away with a proud grin.

“와 (woah),” Joshua raised an eyebrow, a soft laugh escaping his lips. “You're really stepping up your game, huh?”

Jeonghan closed his eyes, nodding, satisfied and proud with his great work.

“Well, I have another thing for you that can take you close to victory.” Joshua added, shoving his hands in his pocket as Jeonghan snapped his head to look at him.

“What is it?” He asked, following after him as he started to walk inside the apartment building.

“I take fried chicken with cold drinks as a form of payment.” Joshua said, causing Jeonghan to let out a whine.

“C’mon, let me survive one minute without spending my money!” He protested, but Joshua shook his head with a smile.

But at the end, Jeonghan had to order take out for his dear bestfriend, and he swears that if this piece of information isn't useful, he is kicking Joshua out. (He won't, but that's just his way of exaggeration)

“Okay, now begin.” Jeonghan plopped down on the couch beside Joshua in his pyjamas, holding a small bottle of cold drink in his hand.

Joshua chewed on the fried chicken in his mouth, gulping it down before he spoke. “Y/n has a blind date on Sunday.”

And Jeonghan immediately spat out the drink in his mouth, coughing out loud. Joshua winced with a scowl, patting his back.

“Calm down—”

“What!?” Jeonghan shouted at the top of his lungs, eyes widened to the point it looks like they will pop out any moment.

“Oh my god, be quiet!” Joshua hissed, smacking his shoulder.

Jeonghan, the horrified expression never leaving his face, sinked into the couch and covered his face with his hands, letting out an exasperated sigh.

“Hey, listen to me first,” Joshua says, taking the cold drink from his hands and placing it on the table. “It’s not her blind date, it's her friend's.”

Upon hearing that, Jeonghan slid his hands down from his face to rest on his chest with a frown. “What do you mean?”

“The reason is because her friend wanted her to mess this date up, and she asked Y/n to do it for her.”

“And she agreed?” Jeonghan asked, somewhat relieved but genuinely dumbfounded. Joshua nodded, taking a sip of the cold drink before he continued.

“I don't know what her plan is, but here's the chase,” his tone lowered slightly as he shifted his position to face Jeonghan better. Sensing that this was the important part, Jeonghan sat up straight, listening intently while nodding to each word.

“She is looking for someone to pretend to be her fake boyfriend for this.”

Jeonghan’s eyebrows furrowed as he stopped nodding at the last five words. He clicked his tongue, clearly in disbelief.

“Wait,” He paused, glancing at Joshua. “How do you know all this?”

At that question, Joshua blinked, lips parting slightly. He cleared his throat, giving Jeonghan a hint with his expression.

Jeonghan’s jaw dropped to the floor. “설마… (no way)” he breathed out, and when he received a sheepish nod from Joshua, his mind went crazy.

He put a hand over his forehead, throwing his head against the couch with a loud thud.

“Hey, I didn't accept it though—”

“That’s not the point,” Jeonghan sighed, sounding much more serious as the whiny tone in his voice dropped. “I’m probably not even the last person she would ask about this.”

“땡 (wrong)!”

“What?”

“Let’s be real here,” Joshua began. “It's so painfully obvious that she has a soft corner for you.”

Jeonghan bit his lower lip, considering his words.

“I suggested she talk to you about it, and from what I noticed, she is actually giving it a thought!” He added, making Jeonghan gasp.

“진짜 (seriously)!?”

Joshua nodded proudly, raising his eyebrows. Then, he sucked in a breath before starting to speak again.

“I’m sure she has doubts about what I said,” he says, reaching out to pat Jeonghan's shoulder. “So now, you have to be the one to erase those doubts.”

──────୨୧ NEXT MORNING (WEDNESDAY)

With a sigh, you shut your closet after you had gone through it for the third time and still failed to find your muffler.

Today's weather was really the complete contrast of yesterday's, and you're joking to yourself that this is a sign for something interesting. Although your predictions never turn out correct, you still like to try your luck.

Maybe one day after your retirement, you could try being an astrologer?

Jokes aside, you're seriously screwed today. The weather outside your window looked like it could freeze you as soon as you step out of the apartment building. And you are one hundred and ten percent sure that you left your muffler on your cubicle desk yesterday.

How great.

Just as you had given up searching for it and headed to the living room to slide in your shoes, someone knocked on the front door.

“Coming!” You yell, quickly placing your phone on the table before making your way towards the door. You peeked through the peephole while squinting your eyes to find Jeonghan on the other side of the door, waiting for you to come outside.

Twisting the doorknob, you gradually opened the door, watching as Jeonghan’s eyes immediately lit up at the sight of you.

“Good morning,” he greets with a sly smile, lifting his arm to rest it on the doorframe as he leaned against it.

“What are you doing here?” You ask, tilting your head.

“Waiting for you.” He replies, leaning away from the door frame as he shoves his hands in his pockets.

“왜 (why)?”

“애이… you're asking too many questions, sweetheart.” Jeonghan quipped, one of his hands reaching out to open the front door fully before he walked past you. You made no efforts to stop him, because you know it was just a waste of energy in the morning. So, you just close the door and fold your arms as you watch him roam around your living room like he owned the place.

“Y’know, you can just wait for me at the office if you want to start ruining my day.” You joke, fighting a smile when Jeonghan pauses with a frown.

“I didn't know you hated me so much,” he sighed, plopping down on the couch as his gaze followed you to the kitchen island.

“You’ll be surprised, Yoon Jeonghan.” You chuckle, not failing to catch the amused smile on his face while he playfully glared at you.

“Don't call me that.”

“Call you what?”

“That.” He pointed his finger at you, referring to how you called him by his full government name just now.

Your expression shifts to amusement. “Isn't that your name?” You say, turning around to stir something in the pot that laid on top of the stove.

Instead of arguing back, Jeonghan gets up from the couch and walks towards you, peeking over your shoulder. “What are you cooking?”

You jump at the suddenness, placing a hand over your chest as you snap your head, only to find him just a few inches away from you.

“I—” You freeze, the realisation that his face was so close to yours dawning on you. You stare at him, eyes widened and lips parted as he gawks at the pot with raised eyebrows like a curious kid.

“Woah, that looks delicious,” he breathed out, shifting his gaze on you. “You don't mind if I take a bite, right?”

Maybe he noticed the way your cheeks were heating up and how you couldn't take your eyes off him, because his face brightened with that same annoying smirk when you didn't respond.

“Stop staring, you’ll fall in love.” He teased, leaning in to the point your noses almost touched. But before they could, you returned back to your senses and immediately stepped back, stumbling on the rug beneath your foot.

Just when you closed your eyes tightly, thinking that you were about to crash straight onto the floor, you felt a warm hand on the lower of your back that pulled you back upward.

Oh my god. No way.

You know the moment you open your eyes, the first thing you’ll see is him. Especially with that sly smile dancing on his lips, just a few inches away.

Jeonghan noticed how you refused to open your eyes even after he pulled you in, an amused smile creeping up to his lips as he just stared at you for a moment, tilting his head.

“You can open your eyes, I don't bite.” He chuckled. When you felt his hand move away from your waist, you slowly opened your eyes, raising your gaze to look at Jeonghan timidly. He burst into laughter, his hand reaching up to pinch your cheek gently before you shrug it off.

“Go away, I'm doing something.” You mumbled, using your forearm to shove him out of the way. His grin never left his face even as he winced at the harshness.

“You're not gonna share that?” He asks, referring to the ramen you were cooking as he stepped forward. But he just let out a soft laugh when you stepped away from him, as if he was radiating danger.

“No, I'm eating this alone.” You say, serving the ramen on a plate and turning to walk away with it.

“Hey! That's not fair!” Jeonghan whines as he follows after you. He kept complaining, plopping down on the couch beside you before you finally had to give up and feed him a bite.

“Now shoo!” You gently push him by your elbow, earning a giggle from him. He took out his phone, leaning away to click a picture of you.

You were too busy with your food to argue.

When Jeonghan came into your apartment, there was still an hour until office hours started. But when you told him to go wait in his own apartment because he would get bored here, he denied.

“It’ll be more boring if you're not there.” He had said, winking. As always, you ignored his corny words and busied yourself with your own chores.

“Let's go, I'm ready.” You say as you walk out of your room, fixing the watch on your wrist. Jeonghan looked in your direction, got up from the couch before putting his phone in his pocket.

“Okay, beautiful.” He leans over from behind, his tone unbelievably flirty as he whispers before heading over to the front door like nothing happened. You take a deep breath, glaring at him as he unlocks the door and steps outside.

Grabbing your handbag, you walk out of the apartment, turning around to lock your door.

“Give me that,” Jeonghan says, lifting his hand. You glance at him, then at his hand, tilting your head.

“Give you what?”

He sighs, a faint smile playing on his lips. He leans over, taking the handbag from you. You watch confusedly as he does, not bothering to stop him.

“This.”

“What will you do with that?” You ask.

“Nothing, just being the gentleman I am.” He smirks, waving your bag in his hands.

Letting out a scoff, you look at him up and down with an unamused expression. “Not very like you.” You remark, happy to see him offended by your words.

Jeonghan opens his mouth to say something, but then pauses with a frown, lifting his finger to point at your neck. “Where’s your muffler?”

You couldn't help the sigh that left your lips when he mentioned it.

Clicking your tongue, you scrunch your nose before speaking. “I can't find it… I think I left it at work yesterday.”

At that, Jeonghan let out an amused chuckle. “Didn't know you were forgetful,” he ribbed, his hand reaching out to ruffle your hair.

What the fuck. Why did he just ruffle your hair? He had never done it before?

“I— you’ll mess up my hair!” You complain, fixing your hair with your hands.

“Okay, I'll let you live.” He snickered, following after you as you turned around to walk to the elevator. Just when you were about to reach there, Jeonghan called out.

“Wait, no,”

You turn around, furrowing your eyebrows. “What's wrong? We’ll be late!”

“Just wait a second,” he urges, turning around to run towards his apartment room before he unlocked the door and rushed inside. With a sigh, you folded your arms as you waited for him.

You opened your mouth to call out to him again, pausing when he steps out at that very moment and quickly locks the front door before making his way to you with a muffler in his hands.

“What are you—”

“Let's head to the ground floor first.” He quickly says, nodding towards the elevator. You do as he says, stepping into the elevator with him. As soon as the doors slide open, you two walk towards the main entrance. Just before reaching there, he tells you to wait and walks infront of you.

“Hold this,” Jeonghan says, handing your bag. You stare at him curiously and confusedly, doing what he tells you to. When you took your handbag, he wrapped the muffler around your neck, carefully overlapping the cloth.

For a moment, your heart skips a beat when you realise how close he is standing. His eyebrows were furrowed, lips pursued in concentration as if he was doing the most risky thing ever.

The longer you stare at him, the more your cheeks dust a warm shade of pink and your heart beats uncontrollably against your chest, making you feel like it's about to burst out.

“There!” He grins, leaning away as he tugged at the ends of the muffler. “Much better.”

Surprisingly, you're quick to look away this time, your hands reaching up to touch the soft cloth around your neck.

“You… didn't have to do that.” You mutter, sounding embarrassingly shy and affected.

“I can't have you freezing in this weather, y'know.” He smiles, not forgetting to take your handbag before he glances down, fighting a full grin.

Then, before you know it, his hand is holding yours as he leads you out of the apartment building. You swear, at that moment, your heart stopped beating and your soul flew out of your body before entering again.

Your eyes were stupidly gawking at his hands that were holding yours—so gently and sweetly, like you were the most precious one in the world for him right now. Gulping down the lump in your throat, your hands reacted on their own as you wrapped your fingers around his hands aswell.

The feeling made you smile. In this weather, it felt like summer without the overbearing heat. That's the only way you can explain this sweet feeling.

Your eyes trailed up to him, staring at the faintest hint of a smile playing on his lips. You're not sure if it's because you held his hand, or because of something else.

You wonder if you can hold his hand forever like this—

“Are we standing here all day?” Jeonghan's amused voice snapped you out of your dreamland. You flinched slightly, gripping his hand a little tighter as you looked around, taking in your surroundings. Then, your eyes land on Jeonghan’s car infront of you, with the passenger side door opened.

Biting the inside of your cheek gently, you glance at him before stepping forward to sit on the passenger seat. As you took your seat, Jeonghan’s hand slowly slid away before he closed the door, still smiling like a menace.

You want to hate yourself for it, but your stomach flipped ten times when he took his hand away. The cold air didn't waste a second before stinging your hand, making you wince. Your gaze dropped to your lap, watching your hand that Jeonghan had held.

“Why are you so quiet?” He suddenly broke the silence, starting the car engine. You didn't even realise that he had entered the car. “Aren’t you in a mood to, like, nag me or something?”

Composing yourself, you let out a soft scoff, looking out of the window. “Focus on driving, gremlin.”

He chuckled, humming in response before beginning to drive out of the parking lot. The whole ride to your work felt like a fever dream, and he spent the entire time teasing or flirting with you while all you did was roll your eyes and scoff in response.

It wasn't your fault. It was him who cared enough to bring a muffler for you, initiated to hold your hand. And you don't know why you are affected by the bare minimum.

One thing's for sure, though—you’d like to hold his hand again. Took you a long time to convince yourself.

──────୨୧ THURSDAY

Yesterday was, well, interesting. Just like you guessed in the morning. Maybe you should really start preparing to become an astrologer.

The sun must have risen from the West, because there was no extra useless work given by your team leader yesterday. And your day went… peaceful?

Well, that's what you had thought until Jeonghan literally asked to go watch a movie together tomorrow (today). When you asked why it was so out-of-the-blue, he only replied with “I’ll take that as a yes.” and ran off to his room.

As you let yourself drown in your thoughts, you gawk at your reflection in the mirror, reaching out to pinch your cheek to double-check if you were really alive and breathing.

Knowing you, Jeonghan wouldn't really bother to wait for you to go to the movie theatre together. Because it's either that he’ll end up wasting a ticket, or he’ll have to endure your nagging during the entire ride there. You generally wouldn't bother to join him either. But now as you are scanning through your closet, trying on every one of your favourite clothes, you are doubting yourself.

“This is it!” you mutter to yourself, grinning as you look at the dress you had just tried on and it seemed perfect. Fair to say, you're too excited to go to this “hang out” with Jeonghan, and wasting your two hours on finding the perfect outfit was probably worth it.

Just as you picked up the lipgloss from your vanity, your phone rang—it was Jeonghan. Pausing for a moment, you take your phone and answer his call.

“Are you ready?” Jeonghan asks from the other end of the call. You shake your head, as if he could see.

“아니 (no), not yet.” You respond, placing the phone down on the vanity before opening the lid of the lipgloss and applying it on your lips slowly.

Although it was a bit muffled, probably because he had covered his mouth, you heard him let out a soft laugh. “Don’t look too pretty, though. Can't have others thinking that they stand a chance against me.”

Hearing that, you mildy paused while staring at yourself in the mirror. You let out a chuckle, dropping your gaze to the lipgloss in your other hand before closing it with the lid.

A part of you came to the realisation—no matter how many times he passes over his ridiculous pick up lines, you’ll never get used to it. It does something to you each and every time that you can't explain, but it feels special and close to your heart.

“Too late, you’ll have to fight now.” You joke in response. Jeonghan’s smile widens, clearly satisfied with your response.

“Really?” He asks, amusement audible in his tone. You hum in response, putting on your favourite sandal.

“Okay, I'll do it.”

“Do what?” You ask, having zoned out for a moment.

“Fight those who think they stand a chance against me.” He says, making you playfully scoff.

“We’ll see. You’ll probably back out before the fight even starts.”

“No way,” he is quick to deny, sounding offended. “It’s your fault for being so gorgeous. Now I'll have to hurt my pretty hands by punching someone… ouch.” He exaggerates, faking a weeping noise.

“Oh my god, you should be casted in a romance movie.” You sigh, trying your best to calm down as your heartbeat quickened by his words.

How could he call you gorgeous so casually like that, then pretend like nothing ever happened?

“I know right,” Jeonghan chuckles, enjoying your cooperation in his playfulness. “In a romance movie where we are the main leads. Sounds perfect.”

“Wait wha—”

“Let me know when you're ready, sweetheart, I'm waiting! Mwah!” With that, the call ends with a beep as Jeonghan hangs up.

You swear this man is after your heart.

Finally done with taking your time to dress up and do your makeup, you walk out of your apartment and head towards the elevator. You quickly rush out of the apartment building, looking around the parking lot for Jeonghan.

He had told you that he was waiting for you here beside his car.

You fight a smile when you spot Jeonghan, leaning against his car while scrolling on his phone. With soft steps, you sneak up behind his back and peek over his shoulder to find him playing some kind of a puzzle game. You gently hit head, and he jumped, letting out a small yelp.

“I didn't know you still played these,” you teased, trying to take a look at his phone screen. He yanked his arm away, shoving the phone in his pocket.

“It's not a crime! I was just getting bored.” He argued back, pouting before the corner of his lips curved into a smirk as he finally took a good look at you.

“Woah,” He breathed out, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Waiting for hours was really worth it, huh?”

You paused, blinking. He tilted his head with a sly smile, causing you to step away and clear your throat.

“가자 (let's go), we’ll be late.” You say in an attempt to ease the tension building up in you.

“Did you take this much time to look pretty for me? Or for yourself? Hm?” He poked your cheeks with his finger, staring at your annoyed state fondly.

You slapped his hand away, huffing. He giggled, helping you to open the car door as you struggled to do so. You shut the door close after you got in, looking anywhere but at the menace who leaned forward, resting his arms on the window.

“Sweetheart, you look pretty everyday. And damn, when you take your time to glam up, you look ethereal. But what about my poor heart? It suffers to beat after seeing your gorgeous self, oh my go—”

“Shut the hell up, Yoon Jeonghan!” You snap, fighting a smile as you gently shove his shoulder with your hand. He continues to snicker, finally walking over to the other side of the car to open the door and sit on the driver's seat.

“Do you think I should become a writer or something?” Jeonghan asks, playfulness laced in his voice.

“No, I think you should zip your mouth and drive.” You respond, your gaze fixated outside of the window. He glanced at you, laughing under his breath before he started the car and began to drive.

“Someone's blushing because of my words, huh?” He grins, leaning over a bit to elbow your arm. Shooting a glare in his direction, you reach out to flick his forehead.

You're glad he wasn't looking, or he would catch the stupid smile playing on your lips. He winced, rubbing the area where you hit with his hand.

“Okay, okay, I'll shut up~” he sighs, glancing at you for a brief second before focusing on the road ahead.

The car ride to the movie theatre was anything but peaceful. And you got reminded again—this was the same Jeonghan who you used to call your ‘worst enemy' a few weeks ago. But no one would smile while listening to the cute rants of their worst enemy.

And oh my god. No one would think their worst enemy is cute.

For what felt like the thousandth time, you slapped Jeonghan’s shoulder, throwing your head back with a loud cry. He winced, rubbing his arm with a frown.

“Hey, stop hitting me, it hurts!” He hissed, careful not to disturb anyone present in the hall. Instead of acknowledging his words, you hid your face in your hands, crying like a kid that had been denied sweets. Jeonghan’s eyes observed you, concerned.

There was no way you were crying this much over a movie.

“He—” hiccup. “Is dead—” hiccup. “Oh m—” hiccup.

Unable to form a sentence due to your overflowing emotions, you hit Jeonghan's shoulder again, weeping loudly.

Now, normally the others present there would be mad at you. But the fact that almost everyone was crying just as loudly as you were, made it worse.

The movie was indeed emotional, and if Jeonghan had focused on watching it instead of you, he would be crying like you right now.

He knew this wasn't the most ideal situation where he should be holding in a laugh, but as he watched you, looking so adorable with your cheeks red and puffy, he couldn't help but smile. He took his time, staring at you fondly before he reached out, wiping the tears from your cheeks.

An extremely sad music started playing in the movie’s ending scene, causing everyone including you to cry even harder.

Just when you sinked in your seat, covering your face again while sobbing loudly, Jeonghan reached out and wrapped an arm around your shoulder, pulling you close against his chest as his other hand tucked a hair strand behind your ear. He got a bit concerned about your behaviour, but he pushed that thought aside with a chuckle.

“Shh, It's okay,” he whispers, careful not to startle you. You were so into bawling your eyes out that you couldn't process the little to no distance between you and Jeonghan, and instead of moving away, you buried your face in his neck, sniffing and sobbing.

He froze, his eyes widening for a split second out of surprise. He had thought of thousands of things that could have happened when he held you close like this for the first time ever.

You burying your face in his neck and resting a hand on his chest wasn't one of them.

He knew that it was only possible because you weren't really aware of your surroundings due to your emotions, but he melted under your touch, smiling to himself.

Even without being in your presence of mind, you could feel yourself getting comfortable and relaxed in his warm embrace. You two spent atleast twenty minutes like that, with him patting your arm gently, occasionally reaching up to wipe away your tears while you kept on crying.

Finally, the movie came to an end as people started to get up from their seats and make their way out of the hall, some of them still sobbing. You, on the other hand, had stopped crying just a minute ago, still sniffling and hiccuping every now and then.

But you hadn't moved an inch, and how he held you so gently made you feel safe and comfortable. It was as if you hadn't really come back to your senses, just exhausted from all the crying and seeking warmth.

“Don't fall asleep,” hearing his soft voice, your breath hitched. Reluctantly, you lift your gaze to look at him, not bothering to move away. He met your gaze, the corners of his lips curving into a warm smile.

“아이고… you cried alot,” Jeonghan cooed, tilting his head as he reached out to touch your tear-stained cheek. Meanwhile, you couldn't keep your eyes off him. He looked so calm, his gaze full of affection that you don't think you've ever noticed before, and his smile so sweet as if it was only meant to be seen by you.

Suddenly, one of the people leaving the hall sobbed loudly, catching Jeonghan's attention as he glanced at the person. But your gaze didn't shift even one bit. He let out a soft laugh, returning his eyes on you.

“But you're not alone, don't worry.” He assured, his arm around your shoulder loosening just enough for you to move away. Your lips reacted on their own as you faintly smiled.

The air around you suddenly felt cold when you pulled away from him. You gulped down the lump in your throat along with the strange feeling blooming inside you. Jeonghan pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, handing it to you.

With a sigh, you lift your gaze and look at him. “Do I… look stupid?” You ask, your voice barely above a whisper. He stares at you amusedly for a moment before shaking his head with a chuckle.

“Not at all,” he reassured, reaching out to push the hair falling on your face away. “You look pretty all the time.” He teased, his grin widening at the sight of your shy smile.

“Shut up,” you mumbled, hiding your smile with the handkerchief. Jeonghan glances at the exit of the hall, noticing that everyone had already left.

“Let's get out of here,” he says, getting up from his seat. “Unless you want to watch this movie again?”

“No way, I'm leaving.” You say, already getting up from your seat and walking towards the exit, causing him to laugh.

“We should watch it again, it was fun!” He ribbed.

“I can't ruin my makeup again!” You argue, and he giggles uncontrollably, following behind you while resting his hands on your shoulder.

Looking around the gorgeous neighbourhood that was adorned with spring flowers everywhere, you wait as Jeonghan talks with the shopkeeper.

“Here,” you turn your head at the voice, looking at Jeonghan as he extends his arm to give you the ice cream. You take it, frowning when you notice that he only got one ice cream.

“What about you?” You ask, lifting your gaze to look at him. He shakes his head, pressing his lips into a thin line.

“Not in the mood.” He shrugs off with a smile.

“Not in the mood? You need to be in a specific mood to be able to have ice cream?” With a judging look, you retort.

“I didn't mean that~” he laughs, following after you as you start to walk.

You click your tongue, taking a bite of the ice cream.

“I could enjoy a bite from yours instead!” He chirps, leaning over to your side with mouth wide open. But you shoved him gently, refusing to share, causing him to pout.

Suddenly, your eyes land on a vending machine a few blocks away. Without saying anything to Jeonghan, you sprint towards it as he calls out for you.

“Where are you going?” He asks, confused yet still rushes after you. You come to a halt upon reaching the vending machine, take out a coin from your purse before inserting it in the machine and tap on the ‘cold coffee’ option.

The machine makes a whirring sound, a can of cold coffee dropping out. You take it, turning to face Jeonghan as he stops running when you extend your arm in his direction.

He stares at the cold coffee in your hand confusedly until you speak.

“Take it, it's for you.” You say, faintly smiling as Jeonghan pursued his lips and took the can from your hands. He lifted his gaze to look at you, a soft smirk playing on his lips.

“Do I have to thank you?” He quipped, leaning forward while wiggling his eyebrows. With a huff, you turn your back at him and begin to walk away, fighting a smile.

Jeonghan watches amusedly as you walk away for a bit before glancing at the can of coffee in his hands with a small smile.

Maybe Joshua was right. You do have a soft corner for him. You do care about him.

He takes a deep breath, looking up in the sky to calm his racing heart. Then, he looks ahead before running after you.

“Wait up!” He shouts, fastening his pace to catch up with you.

The two of you walk for a bit, admiring the mesmerizing view of the neighborhood and pointing out random things to each other.

Soon, your thoughts began to revolve around Joshua’s words from two days ago, your head instinctively turning to look at Jeonghan.

But your mind starts to race with thousands of ‘what ifs’, making it impossible for you to initiate this topic.

What if he says no? What if it gets awkward? But Joshua's words seemed to make sense. Is this good timing? Should you be casual about it?

“Fuck it.” You mumbled to yourself, taking a deep breath before turning to face Jeonghan.

“Jeonghan,” you call out, and he pauses, looking at you as he waits for you to continue.

“Hm?”

Pushing your thoughts and nervousness aside, you bite the inside of your cheek before continuing.

“I… well— I wanted to ask…” you stammer, looking away with a heavy sigh.

He waited patiently, although a part of him was eager to hear your next words. Maybe this was the time. Maybe you would finally ask.

“Yeah?” He says, turning to face you better as he shoves his hands in his pocket.

After closing your eyes tightly to think about your next words, you gather the courage to look him in the eye. Then, in one breath, you ramble the words—

“I need you to be my fake boyfriend for… an hour…” you trail off, nervously pressing your lips into a thin line. You watch as Jeonghan's expression shifts to something you can't seem to pinpoint.

The corners of his lips curved into a giddy smile as his eyes glimmered with joy. He started to softly laugh uncontrollably, one of his hands reaching up to cover his face that was ridiculously turning red. He turned away for a moment before squaring his shoulders.

“Ah, 좋다 (great),” he breathed out, returning his gaze on you with a silly grin.

Your eyebrows furrow at his behaviour, causing you to get concerned for him instead of what his answer would be.

“...what?”

“I thought you'd never ask. ” He gushed, grinning from ear to ear.

You couldn't help but let out a confused chuckle at the sight of him getting so giddy all of a sudden. Just then, your mind clicked.

“I thought you'd never ask.”—does that mean he already knew about this?

“Wait what? How do you—” You pause, your eyes widening as Jeonghan suddenly shuts up.

“Oh my god, Hong Joshua…” you gasp, starting to feel the embarrassment get to you. Jeonghan chuckles in amusement as you cover your face and turn away.

“Put him aside, I want to know why I'm the last person you asked,” he asks, followed by a dramatic sigh of disbelief. You gulped before turning slightly.

“Well, I—” As soon as your gaze landed on Jeonghan—who was leaning in too close than necessary—your breath hitched. Heck, your lips were just a few centimetres away.

Without a word, you immediately stepped away, clearing your throat. He clicked his tongue, faking a small pout.

“Well, in that case…”

Your ears perked up at his words. “No!” You exclaim, your hand frozen mid-air.

But then you let out a sigh, your shoulder slumping. “Nevermind, you can say no..” you mumbled, mentally cursing yourself for believing Joshua's words.

“Say no to what?”

“This… fake boyfriend thing.”

“But I don't want to say no.” He says, tilting his head to observe your face better. You snapped your head to look at him with widened eyes of expectation.

“Are you saying that…” you trail off. He pressed his lips into a thin line, smiling faintly as he nodded.

As soon as you see the gesture, you let out a gasp, immediately throwing your arms around his neck to pull him in for a tight hug.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!” You squeal, using all your power to hug him tight.

Jeonghan, on the other hand, froze on the spot, taking a few seconds to process your sudden burst of happiness. Then, with a fond smile, he wrapped his arms around your torso and hugged you back.

“Oh my god,” you breathe out, pulling away from the hug just when he thought he would enjoy this moment for a few seconds more. “I have to tell Seoyun about this! 가자! (let's go)”

Before Jeonghan could even look at you properly, you had wrapped your arms around his and began to run towards the parking lot. But nevertheless, he still managed to match your energy.

Mainly because of the fact that he was the one helping you with this blind date. Not someone else. And he might give Joshua a big smooch the next time he sees him, because oh my god—he’s a literal cupid.

After the little “hangout”, you had dragged Jeonghan to your female colleague, Seoyun's, place to break the news to her since it was her blind date and now the plan was about to be perfectly executed.

You also got to know the reason behind why Seoyun didn't want to attend this blind date—it was her new boyfriend.

She had gotten into a relationship just a few weeks ago, and her parents are still unaware. And so, they prepared a blind date for her while she doesn't even know what the man looks like. But for the pochacco keychain, you are ready to help her out of this misery.

You, Jeonghan, Seoyun and her boyfriend really got along well. Soon, Joshua had also joined the friend group, helping you and Jeonghan to make up a good plan for this blind date. You really wished Chan and Seungkwan could join, but amidst all the planning and plotting, that thought had flown away from your mind.

The five of you had planned a little hangout after the blind date to celebrate it anyway, so you could invite them over then.

──────୨୧ SUNDAY (THE BLIND DATE)

Friday and Saturday had passed by in the blink of an eye, and your brain was about to burst from all the nervousness.

Seoyun had helped you get dressed up and did your makeup. Because even if this blind date was to be doomed, you had to dress up nicely since it was a fancy restaurant.

So, here you were—looking out of the huge window by your booked table, bored. It had been exactly 20 minutes since you had been sitting here, waiting for the blind date to arrive.

You don't know if you would even have to do anything and this date would already be cancelled, because this man was late—

“저기요 (excuse me), are you Ms. Shin?” A voice pulled you out of your thoughts. You raised your head to look at the person, blinking.

It was a man in a suit, his hair oddly styled and as much as you tried to ignore it, he had definitely overused his perfume.

After taking a minute or two to process his question, you bring yourself to nod. Well, you weren't ‘Ms. Shin’ but you figured that he was Seoyun’s supposed blind date since her last name is Shin.

“네, it is me.” You force a smile, watching as the man’s eyes flickered to your outfit. He swiped his tongue across his lips disgustingly, as if checking you out. Clearing your throat, you sat down on your chair without a word.

“Wow, not even asking me to sit down?” The man laughed, and your left eye twitched.

Yeah, no. Not after the ick he was giving you. You ignored his remarks, avoiding eye contact as he took a seat across from you.

“Well,” he sighed, leaning forward on the table. “You're a lawyer, right?”

With an uninterested expression, you nod.

“Then… you probably won't mind me asking what your monthly salary is?”

Huh? The date literally just started, and that's the first question you ask?

But you maintain your composure, trying to think of a made up answer. Then, he speaks again, not failing to piss you off.

“I mean, I wouldn't want a woman who depends on me all the time. Not only me, any other men wouldn't.”

This time, your right eye twitched.

First of all, Seoyun was not unemployed. She has a stable job, more than capable to support herself and she has worked hard for it. Whether the salary makes her a millionaire or just enough to survive a day, it should not matter to a literal blind date.

You're glad that Seoyun wasn't the one attending this date, because you know she would've snapped. And you really don't blame her as you almost roll your eyes at his words.

“Why does it even matter to you—”

A loud bang coming from the direction of the entrance interrupted you. Your eyes shifted to the entrance, immediately widening at the sight of… Jeonghan!?

Although it was a part of your plan (to barge in the restaurant dramatically), your jaw dropped to the floor when he walked in like he owned the place, his hands in his pockets. Not to mention his outfit was making every head turn in the room.

There was no way he looked so good in just a plain black buttoned up shirt, sleeves folded till his elbows and beige coloured pants. His dark brown hair fell on his face gracefully.

His eyes land on you, his lips widening into a smirk as he winks. Your breath hitched, and all you could focus on was the way he was heading to your booked table, your blind date still unaware. You noticed a group of young girls gasping, giggling and whispering among themselves.

You couldn't blame them, because oh my god.

Upon reaching your side of the table, he pulled his hands out of his pocket and the glint in his eyes shifted from smugness to something innocent effortlessly. It looked so real to the point you couldn't tell if he was really putting up an act.

“자기야 (baby), what is this?” Jeonghan asks, a frown painted on his face as he looks at you. Almost everyone present in the restaurant gasps.

First of all, your mind went spinning at the pet name he used so casually. And secondly, you have no idea what he is talking about because whatever he just said isn't a part of the script you two prepared.

“Are you seriously on a blind date right now? 자기야 (baby), do you want me to go crazy?” He asks again, his sad eyes looking straight into yours. You gawked at him, too focused on his words that sounded so genuine and real.

“What the hell is going on?” The blind date scowled. “Ms. Shin, is he someone you know—”

“Am I just someone you know?” Jeonghan feels the need to interrupt, and you want to punch his face for being so good at this.

Gulping down the lump in your throat, you look away from him and shift your gaze on the man. “He's not just someone I know,” you began, getting nervous as you feel Jeonghan’s eyes on you.

“He's the one I like.”

“What nonsense is this!?” The man snapped, slamming the table before getting up.

“You're making a mistake, woman. I'll show you who I am.” He threatened, aggressively pointing at you. Jeonghan grabbed his wrist tightly, his eyes narrowing as he deadpanned at him.

“How about you leave,” he snarked, his grip on his wrist tightening. “Before you know who I am.”

You and Jeonghan watched as the man shrugged his hand off and scoffed in disbelief, storming off while cursing under his breath.

“He seems like a pain in the ass.” He sighed, turning to look at you.

“And I'm the one you like, huh?” His tone immediately shifted to a softer one as he stepped closer, resting both of his hands on the table and leaning forward with a side smile. Unlike usual, you didn't move away when he came closer, but instead, you stared at him for a moment.

“You went out of script, so I had to aswell.” You say, rolling your eyes with a smile. Jeonghan sighs heavily, putting a hand over his chest.

“정말 (really)? I thought you were confessing your love for me.”

“가자 (let's go), we have to let the others know about this.” You say, ignoring his teasing and slinging your bag over your shoulder before getting up.

He watches as you probably bite back a smile and begin to walk.

“Hey, wait for the one you like!”

You were too indulged in the thought of how he protected you so effortlessly. How he could appear intimidating and then shift to his usual self with his loved ones—it all fascinated you so much.

You're glad he was behind you, or he would have another thing to tease you about—your stupid smile and blushing cheeks.

The evening sky was bright, and the gentle but cool breeze made you huff every now and then.

“It's cold?” Jeonghan asks. You nod in response, rubbing your hand together to provide them the warmth they craved. And not long after, you feel a coat being wrapped around you from behind.

Letting out a sigh, you turn around to find him smiling warmly as he adjusted the coat on your shoulders.

That definitely stirred something in you. Clearing your throat, you look away and breathe slowly.

“Is that better?” He asks, patting your shoulder one last time before stepping forward.

“You don't have to do this every time, y’know..” you say.

“But I want to.” He simply replies as both of you start walking again. While he keeps his gaze ahead, you steal multiple glances at him, suddenly feeling goosebumps.

Your eyes land on a bunch of big clay pipes lying on the ground just by the side of the street. It's been awhile since you tried balancing on those.

As you walk near one of the pipes, you use all your power to climb on top of it, letting out an excited yelp as you try to balance yourself.

“Hey! What are you doing, you’ll fall down!” Jeonghan yelled with panic, eyes widening. Just as you were about to lose your balance, you quickly crouched down, holding onto the pipe.

“Then hold my hand!” You exclaim, watching as he breaks into a grin.

“You could've just held my hand, no need to put up an act.” He teased, lifting his arm to hold your hand tightly and securely.

You ignored his remarks and the same feeling from the first time you held his hand, slowly standing up to your feet. Without a doubt, Jeonghan was still staring at you with a teasing smile, but you couldn't care less.

“I'm happy Seoyun wasn't the one attending this blind date.” You say as the two of you walk the quiet street, hand-in-hand.

“왜? (why)”

“Because that man was pissing me off,” you scowled, turning to look at him. “You won't believe what he said!”

Jeonghan bit his lower lip to hold in a chuckle at the sight of your puffy cheeks and widened eyes that gleamed with unreleased frustration.

“What did he say?” He asked in a soft voice, tilting his head.

“The first thing he asked was how much my salary is. Which, first of all, isn't what you ask as soon as you take a seat,” you began ranting, looking ahead while Jeonghan kept his eyes glued to you with a smile. He let out a “hm!” with a nod in response, full-on agreeing with your statement.

“And secondly, he dares to say that he doesn't want a woman who depends on him all the time? Who will tell him that nobody wants to depend on him anyway?”

“Hm!”

“Oh my god, who will tell him that he's not even this close to Seoyun or my type.”

“Hm, I know right!”

“Mind him, Seoyun is an extremely successful woman and it's because she worked hard for it!”

“맞아! (exactly)”

“I bet Seoyun's bank balance is ten times better than his!”

“Hm!”

You paused, turning to look at Jeonghan with a frown.

“Are you even paying attention? You're just hm-ing with everything I’m saying.” You ask, your eyebrows furrowed.

Jeonghan pulled himself out of his dreamland, looking up at you. He processed your question before the corners of his lips curled into a breath-takingly beautiful smile.

“You're cute. Really cute.”

He squeezed your hand gently, letting out a chuckle as you froze on the spot. It's unfair how he could say these things and make butterflies dance in your stomach.

After what felt like hours of staring at each other, you forced a scoff and looked away, trying to hide your face that was turning red as your grip on his hand loosened a little.

Just when you took a step forward, the pipe began to shake uncontrollably. But before you could even scream from the panic taking over you, Jeonghan quickly pulled you to his side and the two of you dropped to the ground with a loud thud. You, on top of him.

The way his hands held your waist to keep you from falling made your stomach twirl weirdly. Your eyes were closed tightly, but you knew that the moment you open them, the first thing you'd see is Jeonghan’s face just an inch away. Heck, you could even feel his warm breath hitting your face. Yet, you still dared to open your eyes gradually. Whether or not you realised it, you were staring at him while his eyes were closed. And even when he opened them, your gaze didn't falter even a bit.

If you wanted to, you could've looked away. But the dim lights of the street that brightened his features, and the gentle breeze that was the complete contrast of your trembling heart made it impossible.

The first thing you notice as you stare at him is his eyes. So soft, so dreamy and definitely carrying a deeper secret within them. Never in a million years did you think that you'd want to find out what it really was, but you're curious. Curious to find out the deeper meaning behind his special gestures that was only meant for you.

Maybe, just maybe, a part of you already knows. But now, in this moment, the realisation hits you—you want to be aware of each and every detail. Not just what you think is a hint.

You don't have to run away from the fact anymore. It's Jeonghan. Not someone else.

It's Jeonghan, the one you swear will be the first one to annoy you about something but also the first one to celebrate even your smallest achievements. The one who doesn't give a damn if it's freezing cold, but his first instinct is to shield you from it.

It's definitely worth it. It is—

“Are you gonna let me up, or are you gonna kiss me?” Jeonghan teased, his voice barely above a whisper.

Hearing that, you knocked some sense into your head and immediately pushed yourself up. You could hear him chuckling under his breath as you stood up on your feet.

“Tsk, kissing was a better option.” He sighed heavily, resting his arm on his knees as he lazily sat on the ground.

“Shut it and get up. Isn't that your favourite pair of jeans?” You remind him, holding in a laugh as the realisation settles in and he jumps up, patting the dust from his jeans.

“Oh my god, is it dirty?” He asks, a rush of panic painting his expression.

“몰라! (don't know)” Shrugging your shoulders, you flash a grin and turn around to walk away.

“야, 그러지 마! (hey, don't be like that)” He whines, trying to keep up with your pace, checking his jeans every now and then.

──────୨୧ AFTER-PARTY (12:40AM)

The celebration for successfully ruining the blind date was chaotic. Almost everyone, except Joshua and Jeonghan, was more than tipsy. You and Seoyun were busy living in your own world while Seungkwan, Chan and Seoyun’s boyfriend danced around the room. As expected, Joshua had to be the one to drop all of them because Jeonghan decided to stay back and clean your apartment.

And it was only when they all left, you realised that your apartment was… well, let's just say, it was not the most pleasing. But you relaxed a bit when Jeonghan reassured you that he'll help you with the cleaning.

So, here you were—sitting on the kitchen counter as Jeonghan washed the dishes. You two were done with all the cleaning and had taken a shower (not together, wake up). The only thing left was the mountain of dishes and surprisingly, he was kind enough to offer to do it.

“Seungkwan is a menace, he wasted six glasses just to drink.” You sigh, eyeing the pile of glasses and plates that Jeonghan had washed so far.

“That isn't even half of what he left behind,” he chuckled, rubbing his palm along a plate under the running tap water. “Look over there.” Nodding towards the trash he had swept away in a corner earlier, he said. Slowly, you follow his gaze, the slightest hint of smile on your lips immediately fading.

“Aren't those… the flowers you gifted me yesterday!?”

He nods, glancing at you with a smile. You caught the way he showed no signs of disappointment or sulkiness over the flowers, causing you to frown.

“And you're happy about that?” With a tone of disbelief, you question him.

“Ofcourse not,” he says, the amused smile never leaving his face. “But it means I can give you another one tomorrow.” With a flirty wink, he adds.

Mirroring his smile, you keep your eyes glued to him longer than necessary. “It better be tulips this time.”

“Got it!” He grins, placing another washed bowl on the counter.

You look at the torn flowers scattered away in the corner of the living room, letting out a sigh.

Those were your favourite flowers.

Placing your hands on the counter for support, you jump down to stand on your feet and accidentally hit one of the plates, causing it to shatter on the floor. You gasp at the sight, startled by the sudden loud noise.

Jeonghan immediately snapped his head in your direction, eyes widening with concern. Without thinking twice, you lean down to pick up the broken pieces, but he was quick to grab your hand.

“Let me do it,” he said, gently moving your hand. You pout, watching as he kneels down and begins to collect the pieces one by one.

“미안… (sorry), I didn't mean to.” You apologise softly, nervously fidgeting with the hem of your shirt.

Jeonghan glanced up at you for a brief second, flashing a reassuring smile. “Don’t apologise, it's really okay.”

“Be careful, you'll hurt yourself,” you say, leaning slightly to observe his hands. He smiled at your words, feeling giddy about the fact that you were worried about him.

Suddenly, his hand slipped over a sharp piece of the broken plate, slicing his skin deeply. He flinched, and let out a wince.

Your heart dropped.

Letting out a loud gasp, you kneeled down infront of him. Your eyes were wide in concern, your heartbeat quickening the more you frantically stared at the cut, and your hands reacted on their own as they reached out for his injured one in a hasty manner.

“Oh no,” you breathed out, gripping his hand tightly in panic. “Are you okay? Is the cut too deep? Does it hurt too much?” Your words slipped out in a hurry. Your eyebrows knitted together as panic and worry filled your emotions.

Jeonghan couldn't help but stare at you. Almost blinded by your beauty—if he can add. His heart skipped a beat or two, then began to beat unbelievably fast, just a few seconds away from bursting out of his rib cage. The way your hands gently clasped his was enough to subside the pain he was supposed to feel.

Finally breaking into a soft smile, his eyes never leaving your face. “I'm fine—”

“Wait here, I'll be back.” You take one last look at his wounded hand, then get up without a second thought to run to your bedroom.

Jeonghan paused with his words as his hands froze mid-air. His eyes followed you curiously until you were out of sight, then softened as you came rushing over to him with a med kit in your hands.

You grabbed his hand, which surprisingly showed no signs of uneasiness, and pulled him to stand on his feet, dragging him towards the couch. He plopped down on the couch, his gaze unwavering from your face as a soft smile ghosted his lips.

The hazy lights of the lamps you had turned on to make it seem more “cozy” was casting a gentle glow on your face. If he could stare more intensely and with more obvious love eyes, he would definitely see a halo above your head.

As you hurriedly take a seat next to Jeonghan, placing the med-kit on the space between you two, you could feel Jeonghan's gaze pierce through your soul. But at this moment, the extremely unsettling view of his bruised hand had occupied every corner of your mind. Worrying about him picturing every one of your moves was far away from your concern.

“Give me your hand,” your soft, but perturbed voice replaced the silence as your hands rummaged through the med-kit. While his heart tugged at your unusual serious face, the small smile that his lips were blooming with weren't leaving anytime soon.

As one of your hands continue to look through the unorganised medicines in the kit, you extend your other arm with open palms and wait for him to rest his hand on yours. Suddenly, you feel something heavy on your hand instead of a delicate hand.

Your eyes turned to him, softening as they met his content smile. As expected, he was resting his chin on your palm instead of his hand. His eyes locked deep into yours, a brighter and ethereal smile adorning his lips.

Before your lips could curve into a shy smile and cause your composure to teeter, you concedingly move your hand away to grab his hand.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he admired each and every detail about you—the way your lips were struggling to fight a smile, the way your eyes carefully examined his small wound, your delicate and fluffy cheeks, the quick glances you stole through your lashes, how comforting your hands felt with his, and how he is more than willing to sacrifice everything for this everlasting bloom of emotions that surged through his whole body whenever he was in your presence.

Unlike usual, no words were being spoken to lighten the mood, and to be very honest, neither of you two were bothered by the silence. It was comfortable, easy and serene.

But Jeonghan couldn't breathe without letting you know he is enjoying the moment.

“Someone's more worried than the injured himself,” he cooed sweetly, causing a warm feeling to envelope your heart.

“And the injured one isn't bothering to check the wound himself.” Without lifting your gaze, you deflected. Jeonghan realised that he had successfully lightened your mood up, and maybe he could regain the privilege to see your fluttering smile in this sensitive moment.

“Does it hurt?” You ask, pressing your lips into a thin line. He shook his head, his fingers wrapping around your hand.

“Since you're holding it so gently, it really doesn't— AGH!!”

His flattery-talk came to a devastating end as soon as the disinfectant touched his wound, as if the harsh reality thundered on him. He was, indeed, injured. And a wound wasn't about to be fluttered by his teasing.

He held in another yelp as the disinfectant kept coming in contact with his wound while he struggled to stay still.

“Be gentle, please!” He begged, his voice now a complete contrast to earlier. You glanced at him, holding in an urge to laugh at the sight of his over-stressed expression.

“왜 (why)? I thought it wouldn't hurt as long as I'm the one doing it?” You teased with a smile, causing his pink lips to jut out in a pout. 

Finally, the highlight of the day he'd always remember—your soft smile amidst the unwanted chaos. The wound was painful, ofcourse, but keeping him distracted from the obvious feeling was your comforting presence and gestures.

Just when he thought he could stretch this playful moment longer with his nonsense, you stopped applying the disinfectant and moved to grab the ointment. But small obstacles like these cannot stop Yoon Jeonghan from finding his way to your heart.

“You should hold my hand, it's better than this stinging thing and I'll be healed much sooner,” he dramatically whined when you let go of his hand to search for the ointment, outstretching his arm in your direction.

His words, supposedly his way of flirting, carried a much softer and genuine tone to it, causing your heart to swoon. Another smile touched your lips like a soft bloom, then soon brightened as Jeonghan leaned forward to get a better view of it.

“You're hurt, and you're busy flirting.” You laughed softly, reaching out to take his hand after you found the ointment.

“It's in my blood.” He boasted with a grin, finding solace in your feather-light hands that held his.

“I can tell.”

Jeonghan leaned back, grinning from ear-to-ear with satisfaction at your response. He began to move his hand weirdly and avoid the ointment you were about to apply, reaching out to wrap his fingers around your hand tightly instead.

“Hannie, will you stop and let me do this peacefully?” You lift your gaze, sighing softly as your eyes meet his amused ones. For a minute or two, he stayed still with an unexplainable expression on his face, staring at you.

But the way he gazed at you clearly held sweetness, longing and the secrets to making you feel cherished and loved.

He finally opened his mouth to say something, but the one calling you was, unfortunately, faster than him.

‘Can't help it, I'm so hopelessly in love with you.’ those words, that he thought would be his next ones, were interrupted.

Jeonghan paused as your phone started to ring, cutting through the comfortable and sensitive moment shared between you two. With a sigh, your gaze dropped to his hand before looking away.

Grabbing your phone from the coffee table, you glance at the name flashing on your screen.

“It's my friend,” you say, briefly looking at Jeonghan. He smiled with a quiet rassurance, nodding subtly.

“Don't move around too much, I'll be back.” You added, getting up from the couch to head to your room. Jeonghan whispered a soft ‘okay’ in response, watching as you entered your room and disappeared from sight. 

As soon as you left, a gust of air left his lips and he placed a hand over his chest to soothe his over-excited heart. A phone call was probably the last thing he'd expect to ruin this moment that was unfolding perfectly. All he could do was wait for you, and the realisation settled over Jeonghan like a horror—it would take everything in him to build up the same tension in the room again.

Maybe, today wasn't the perfect day. Or it probably was, but a phone call wasn't happy with that news.

The indistinct faint sounds of you chatting with your friend was the only thing preventing a dreadful silence. Jeonghan quietly listened to the conversation even though the voices were muffled, a smile flickering across his lips as an immediate response to your joyful laughter.

He began to stare at the painting on the wall, his smile never bidding a goodbye from his lips. Your voice filled the silence, and his eyelids grew heavy, each blink a little slower, a little longer.

It was probably the influence of the long day he had enjoyed, or your voice that sounded sweet as honey that soon coaxed him into sleep. And there he was, his lips pouting ever so slightly unconsciously and his lashes touching the skin below his eyes.

This day was unfair. For his heart, and for the feelings he carried. He had the perfect chance to let you know about it, but it slipped away from his hands in the blink of an eye.

Maybe tomorrow. Or even the day after tomorrow.

──────୨୧ 1 MONTH LATER

You're confused.

It's been exactly 28 days, 12 hours and 34 minutes since you’ve learnt to accept the feelings you carry for Jeonghan, and yet, you're confused.

You could swear—the door that led to his heart was open for you always and all you had to do was walk in. But now, amidst the chaos in your mind, you're starting to doubt it.

Yes, you’ve gotten used to Jeonghan's constant, out-of-the-blue, flirting. But there was only so much you could take.

He would consistently invite you to join him for lunch and dinner, often surprising you by sneaking into your apartment just to share breakfast together. He had a way of calling you adorable names like pretty, love, baby, and sweetheart, among many others. He was always the first to notice when you weren't feeling your best, and never hesitated to shield you from the cold or anything else that might make you uncomfortable.

And that was it. Nothing more, nothing less. While you’re desperately waiting to know how genuine his feelings are. It feels like a suffocating wish buried in your heart, desperate to move forward to build a future. A promising future.

To be very, very specific, you're scared of his reaction. His reaction when you confess to him that you want more than just the casual heart-fluttering pick-up lines and smiles shared between you two, the ridiculously long time spent with each other, and the small and big gestures that make you question if it's normal for “friends” to do.

Maybe it's just the paranoia in you. You can't help but think of the worst responses you could receive. A rejection? It turns out that all the time you two spent together really meant nothing to him? Or worse, him straight up laughing at your face? How stupid would you look?

You want whatever you have with Jeonghan to be a future. And for that, you'd have to tell him, you'd have to confront him about it. But at the same time, the consequences that may come along with a risky decision you take was like a burden—telling you to keep your feelings just where they are.

The question is, for how long? For how long can you stay quiet with butterflies dancing in your stomach when you catch the way the corners of his pink lips curve into an ethereal smile?

For the past week, Jeonghan has been busy. Caught up with work, leaving the apartment early, arriving late at night and barely having the time to even eat. Yet, he always took the time to text you about his day.

Whether it was early in the morning or midnight when he arrived at his apartment, he'd let you know about the smallest things. Even during work hours, he would glance at you every five minutes and smile warmly, sending your heart into a spiral. However, whenever you two could talk to each other, it was always through the phone. It had been a while since the last face-to-face conversation.

So, you decided to plan a small hangout after work at his favourite cafe as a way to make up for each other. Usually, Jeonghan would be the one to plan these things, but you realised he was really not capable of doing so at the moment.

Especially with the messed up sleep schedule? Definitely, no.

The problem is that Jeonghan's extra work hours had ended hours ago, and the seat across from you was still empty.

You’ve memorised the advertising clips that looped on the big screen of the cafe, the pattern of the workers as they entered the kitchen once and checked up on the customers the next second—you have been waiting here for so long.

Again, with an exhausted sigh that escaped your lips, you glanced at the time on the watch that adorned your wrist, and to make sure your watch wasn't wrong, you looked at the clock on the wall too, only to be met with the same result.

It wasn't supposed to bother you that much, but it did. It really did. It bothered you so much to the point you could feel your eyes getting teary at the sheer thought of Jeonghan forgetting about you as you stared out of the window.

Did he really forget about today?

You gulp down the lump in your throat, let out a shaky breath and stand up to your feet, beginning to step towards the entrance of the cafe.

Pressing your lips into a thin line, your mind recalled the last message you sent Jeonghan that had been left unanswered.

“Aren't you gonna come? It's past work hour…”

As simple of a question as that, yet it wasn't answered. Perhaps, and hopefully his phone’s battery had died. But he would've been here with you if that was the case. But otherwise, even a phone call to let you know he is caught up with something would have been… nice.

The gloomy and unpleasant night weather that probably held a heavy rainfall behind its dark clouds catches your attention as you step out of the cafe. It wasn't any different from your mood right now. Bracing your unshed tears and thoughts together with a sniffle, you begin to walk down the street steadily, having no other destination than the comfort of your home.

However, as luck has a habit of testing you everytime, the sky brought together each and every thundering cloud to drizzle gently, hiding a downpour just a minute away.

Using your bag to shield your face from the drizzle, you picked up your pace, aimlessly running straight. After some minutes, you finally realised the intensity of the rain growing and sprinted to the nearest shelter you could find, huffing and puffing.

You catch up with your breathing, frantically looking around in hopes to find a cab. Your gaze stopped just on three people inside the arcade as they cheered one of them to win a plushie from the claw machine.

Your heart dropped.

The one they were cheering for was none other than Jeonghan.

“There, I'm going now.” Jeonghan announced, already reaching out to grab his coat from his colleague’s hands.

“No, wait! Just play one more time!” A female colleague insisted, reaching out to tug at his sleeve with a pout. His gaze dropped to her hand, a sigh leaving his lips.

“Right, just one more!” The male colleague added, holding Jeonghan's coat a little tighter to prevent him from snatching it.

“I gotta go, it's important.” He explained, gently and smoothly moving his hand away from the female colleague’s reach.

“More important than us?” She questioned, her voice dropping to a lower tone. Without hesitation, Jeonghan responded with a “yes” and grabbed his coat.

He swung it around his shoulder, sliding in his arms through the sleeves. “Try it yourselves too, It's not difficult to grab a plushie.”

“That's not the point—”

“어머, the rain is going crazy.” The male colleague’s voice rose in surprise as he gawked at the rain pounding against the window, followed by the noises of the drastic change in intensity of the rain.

Jeonghan whipped his head, his eyes widening gradually as the realisation settled over him.

You were probably still waiting for him.

His gaze lingered outside for a moment before he looked towards the left slightly, pausing immediately. His eyes took in the sight of someone familiar. Before he could even register the fact that it was you standing outside, looking at him with an unexplainable expression of hurt and disbelief, he turned around to face the window fully—lips parted, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

“Y/n…” he breathed, knowing he had messed up. Really, really badly.

Even from a distance, Jeonghan caught the way your eyes were flooded with unshed tears. As soon as you looked away, his heart shattered into a million pieces, the urgent need to hold you in his arms taking over him like an overwhelming tidal wave crashing over a fragile shore.

He stood there frozen, desperate yet hesitant to run to you. But when you began to walk away even in the thundering rain, he reacted faster than he ever had—sprinting towards the exit of the arcade, ignoring his colleagues as they called out for him.

“Y/n!” He yelled, coming to a halt just outside the building. The distant fog and rain blurred his vision ever so slightly, but he continued to chase after you. A tear rolled down your cheek as you heard his voice—his tone urgent, yet never failing to carry the softness which you fell for. But your heart was stubborn, telling you to keep walking ahead without looking back.

When Jeonghan realised that you weren't about to slow down, his pace fastened. The puddle water he had been avoiding to keep his clothes from getting muddy was splashed everywhere as he stepped into them with his rushing feet.

He couldn't care less about the mud. Not when you were walking away from him. And he knew he had to stop you, explain to you.

He lunged forward with his arm to grab your hand, forcing you to come to a halt.

“What are you doing? You’ll get a cold if you—” he began with the worry of your health, his eyebrows knitted together and all the emotions visible in his eyes that he was supposed to hide.

“No, I'm fine.” You respond, your tone unusually and heart-achingly cold as you jerk his hand off. Jeonghan felt the slightest hint of hope present in him get washed away with the overwhelming rain, leaving behind nothing but the ache caused by your sharp words.

The way your gaze refused to look away from the ground to atleast make an eye contact with him, how your actions were unusually harsh when you jerked his hand off—he caught it, and that small detail held him back from saying anything further.

No more words exchanged, and you turned to walk away again. But as the realisation dawned on him that this small misunderstanding could create a bigger problem to the point he won't be able to be by your side, he rushed after you again.

“Will you listen to me? Please?” Jeonghan coaxed, his voice soft like the delicate petals of a rose. His fingers brushed against your forearm, hesitant to reach out for you.

“I didn't forget about it. I could never forget about it, you know that. My colleagues wanted me to accompany them for a moment and I was supposed to go to you after that but then—” He paused, his steps impatient as he walked behind you.

“Are you listening? Please let me expla—” Jeonghan stepped infront of you, desperate to make himself heard.

“Can't you understand that I'm fine!?” You yelled, your harsh and cruel voice ripping through his soft and tender one. All the emotions you had been carrying snapped in the form of anger.

Jeonghan flinched.

His hand, that was reaching out for you earlier, dropped back to his side. His eyes, that carried softness earlier, were now looking into yours as if he had been wounded. By your words.

A strange, but strong feeling of agony surged throughout his entire body, threatening to spill in the form of tears. Where your eyes had been glaring and unwavering, meeting his tender, hurt ones brought a subtle but noticeable change. The weight of your words began to settle, easing the intensity of your stare.

Slowly, almost with guilt, your gaze drifted away from him and dropped to the ground. It felt like darts being thrown at his heart—violent, merciless and sharp. The rain's soft illusion had shattered. Now, it hammered down like accusing stones, each impact a physical echo of your brutal words that were crushing his soul.

To intensify the stinging feeling in your heart, silence soon followed—making the tension so much more palpable along with the loud thudding of the rain. The unbearable silence gave way to your voice, now a low whisper that seemed to carry the guilt and weight of your words that had slipped from your lips unwillingly.

“Just… just leave me alone. I don't want to see you right now.” You gulped the lump in your throat, folding your fingers in a tight fist. The words were simple, but an excuse to hide the threatening tears behind your eyes that could overflow at any moment now. Without another word, you step forward, ready to run away to somewhere.

Somewhere you could hide yourself. From the cruelty of your words that filled your heart with guilt.

But Jeonghan wasn't willing to let go. Not in this weather, not at this moment. Even if it was a fine sunny morning, he would still hold onto you like a lifeline forever.

His hand reacted sooner than you could, grabbing your hand as soon as you stepped forward. He didn't turn to look at you—probably overwhelmed by his emotions that he, for the first time in a while, was unable to take control of.

You paused, and he gently pulled you back, his gaze lingering on your wrist that adorned the specific bracelet he had gifted you.

“Why… why do you not want to see me right now?” His voice was low and almost plain, the genuine curiosity but disbelief audible in his tone. Your fingers ached to wrap around his hand and embrace the warmth of it to stop the throbbing of your heart, but for the first time ever, you hesitated.

Gathering the courage to meet his eyes, you felt your composure falter for a second. “Let me go.” You breathed, but made no effort to shrug his hand off.

“No, I won't let you go. Not until I know why you're so desperate to… to get away from me.” If his voice wasn't quiet enough, it lowered even more on the last word.

That was it.

A question—whose answer you've failed to find—caused the tears welling up behind your eyes to finally roll down your cheeks slowly.

You don't know why you're running away from him. Out of everything, you didn't want your feelings to get to you this much.

You stared down at his delicate hands that, even in this moment, held yours with the same gentleness you're fond of. Your mind was a chaos of thoughts, ready to spill in reckless words. But you held back, putting each and every word together to form the softest way to express your emotions.

“Why are you holding my hand so… so—” you whispered, stuck in the mess of your own feelings and overflowing tears. Jeonghan’s eyes stayed glued to you as they soon softened when you struggled to form words. He gazed down—observing the way your hands trembled against his.

“Gently..?” Your voice cracked, and your burning tears grew into a burden behind your eyes. Jeonghan lifted his gaze slowly, feeling his heart shatter into pieces by the way you sounded so helpless and lost. Your words echoed in his ears, leaving him confused and eager to understand you.

“I’m really confused… really, really confused.” You breathed, your other hand reaching up to wipe your tears away. You gulped down the lump in your throat along with your sobs, and the rain seemed to quiet down as if to let the whole world be aware of your vulnerability.

Jeonghan couldn't understand. For the first time, he couldn't understand your words. You were crying, you were vulnerable, you needed to be protected. Yet, he couldn't pull you into his arms.

What if you shrugged his hands off? What if you refused to even look at him if he tried to comfort you? What if, under this rain, his hands couldn't warm your cold ones anymore?

“I'm tired, Jeonghan, I'm— I'm tired…” you cried out softly, your hands slipping away from his grip. “I'm tired of trying to find out what I mean to you. I'm tired of waiting to know if I even mean anything to you,”

There they were. The words that had been stinging, rotting in your heart, waiting to be spoken to him.

“If I don't, then—” you sobbed, your mind racing at the next words. “Then why did you let me fall for you!?”

Your voice raised instantly, and you slapped his chest—gently, yet enough to tell him the weight of your emotions—bursting into tears loudly. Jeonghan’s breath hitched. The cut in his heart deepened—slowly, steadily and intensely.

The world seemed to slow down, the moon only shining on the two of you. His eyes widened ever so slightly, carrying each and every word’s significance in unshed tears.

He stared as you cried your heart out, his eyes heaving with warm tears and an unexplainable look. The heavy rain that had felt like darts against his skin earlier, now nothing in comparison to your precious and aching tears.

All this time, all this damn time, you were ready to be his. And he was out in the dark, searching for the light of your smile that kept him wrapped around your finger. But amidst the chaos of his countless failed attempts to be yours, he missed the constant, beautiful curve of your lips whenever he was by your side, when it was the only thing he yearned for. To be the reason for your laughter and smiles.

The hesitation in his system that had been dragging him down had vanished into thin air, leaving behind nothing but his longing to hold you close and tight. Without giving it another thought, he stepped forward and engulfed you in his embrace. His grip around you was strong, protective and loving, his warm neck touching your skin softly.

Your tears continued to flow uncontrollably as you sobbed and sniffled on his shoulder. One of his hands patted your back slowly and gently while the other cradled your head. Jeonghan felt his own tears start to roll down his cheeks, but he is quick enough to hold them back.

“Why didn't you just push me away or disappear…” you blubbered, your voice a little gentler, softer now. Jeonghan inhaled deeply, pulling away just enough to look you in the eye.

“How can I?” He whispered, his breath warm against your skin. You finally lifted your gaze, staring into his deep, loving eyes.

“How can I push you away or disappear when you're my lifeline?”

There. That alone was the answer to all your questions, but the way those words touched his lips—genuine, certain and overwhelmingly gentle—left no more room for doubts in your heart.

His voice was always soft, especially with you. But this time, at this moment, even the softness seemed too overly sweet for you to process. If it weren't for his dreamy eyes that you were lost in, you would've cried once again, unable to handle it.

“You're my lifeline, Y/n. And I'm sorry… I'm so sorry I took so long to say this,” he apologized, reaching out to cup your cheeks with one hand.

“I never knew you were waiting for me. Because if I did, maybe I wouldn't get lost in those playful moments, taking everything so slow and for granted.”

Your eyes stayed glued to eachother, and your heartbeat fastened like never before, eager to hear his next words. Jeonghan’s eyes softened even more as if time had slowed down, the universe guiding both of you toward eachother’s hearts.

“I love you. I've loved you for the longest I can remember. I feel like a coward for not saying it sooner, but I'm so madly in love with you it drives me insane—”

Jeonghan would've rambled about his feelings for a little longer, letting you know about each and everything about how he feels. If your soft lips hadn't touched his rain-soaked ones out-of-the-blue and sent him into a spiral, he would have.

He froze, feeling the ground beneath his feet shake and the world around him spin.

You pecked his lips, and the corner of your lips curved into a small smile.

He stared at you like you were insane—eyes widened, lips parted and jaw about to touch the ground. He tried to form words, but they came out as nothing but stupid stutters.

“Wha— why did you—”

“Go on, I liked listening to how much you love me.” You chuckled, a soft but bright smile playing on your lips—a complete contrast to earlier. It was the way he sounded so genuine, so in love just like you—you couldn't help but feel giddy.

Jeonghan didn't move nor say anything, but his gaze was locked onto yours, an unexplainable look on his face. Then, as if the world had turned upside down, he pulled you in by the waist. And the next thing you know—

His lips were firmly, yet softly pressed against yours. The first thought that crossed your mind was the fact that his lips were so tender and sweet, perfectly resting against yours. He didn't move his lips, allowing himself to get familiar with the warmth of your lips.

It felt like a dream come true. All the emotions and feelings both of you had been bottling up within yourselves finally burst out so sweetly that your one-month-ago self wouldn't believe it. It was lovely, it was beautiful, and most importantly, it was what you always yearned for.

Reluctantly, Jeonghan pulled away, a newfound twinkle in his eyes. As your gaze locked, your eyes began to tear up again, causing the man infront of you to panic.

“What's wrong?” He asked softly, his thumb grazing your tear-stained cheek. You shook your head, lifting your hands to rest on his shoulders.

“Nothing. I feel bad for raising my voice like that…” you mumbled, your voice laced with guilt. At that, Jeonghan let out a chuckle, mirroring the pout on your lips.

He pulled you in for another hug, rocking you like a baby. “But I'm glad you did. Because if this didn't happen today, I doubt we’d have the courage for tomorrow.”

A soft smile bloomed on your lips, your heart satisfied with his words of reassurance. You never thought this day would come, but it did. And you don't think you could thank the universe more.

For some minutes that felt like hours, the two of you continued to hug, letting each other embrace the warmth that radiated from your newfound relationship. Jeonghan thought he'd get to spend more time with you—as a way to celebrate—but when you complained about feeling cold and wanting to rest, his hopes were shattered in a second.

The realisation dawned on him—the two of you had been drenched in the rain. Something that had completely slipped out of his mind this whole time.

So, begrudgingly, he pushed all his ‘romantic’ thoughts aside and focused on walking back to the apartment. The entire time you were walking hastily, in a desperate need to change out of the uncomfortable clothes, there was Jeonghan on the other hand who was taking his time ‘admiring the view.’

Although you'd usually tell him to fasten his pace, a part of you completely understood his feelings. And so, your grip on his hand tightened every time he sighed.

Soon enough, you were already infront of your apartment building while he stood there, glaring at it.

“Let's go,” you tugged on his arm, reminding him of his surroundings with a soft laugh. He shifted his gaze on you, his eyes softening as a small pout played on his lips.

“Stop sulking, come on~” you softly sing-sang, dragging him towards the entrance of the building. A whine left his lips and his eyes closed, already hating the view.

Upon reaching the elevator, you let out a groan after seeing the ‘out of service' sign.

“See? Even the elevators want you to stay with me for sometime!” Jeonghan seized the opportunity to make his point sound valid, wiggling his eyebrows with a grin.

“Stairs!” You chirp, pointing towards a specific direction. Before his eyes could follow, you were already dragging him to the staircase, ready to walk all the way to the 4rd floor.

He complained, although he was fully aware it wasn't useful.

While your steps were stable and steady, Jeonghan was sighing, wobbling and reluctantly climbing the stairs. If it weren't for you dragging him with all your power, he would've stood there the whole night until you agreed to spend more time with him.

“Come on, don't be like that,” you sigh, letting go of his hand as you reach the 4th floor.

Jeonghan’s shoulders slumped as he hung his arms loosely, gazing at you with sad puppy eyes. You couldn't help the chuckle that left your lips.

“Please…” he mumbled, pouting his lips and exaggerating.

“I know you're sleepy, your eyes are heavy.” You sighed. He realised just after you pointed it out, actually feeling drowsy now. Although the pout on his lips didn't disappear, he straightened his posture and reached out to rub his eyes.

You smiled, finding his small actions adorable. Before you could hold yourself back, you tiptoed just a little to peck his cheek and ruffled his hair.

“Goodnight, I'll see you tomorrow.” Your voice and sudden act so loving and gentle, it sent shivers down his spine. He immediately froze, his eyes refusing to blink. With a silly grin, you turned away to walk to your front door. Even after you had reached there, Jeonghan stood there dumbfounded, his hazy mind trying to register everything taking place.

“Don't keep standing there the whole night, you'll catch a cold.” You reminded him, shooting a smile in his direction when he snapped his head to look at you with wide eyes and parted lips. You had just stepped in your apartment, closing the door half-way until Jeonghan barged in, slamming it open against the wall.

“I— what are yo—”

“You can't just leave like that!” Jeonghan complained, his energy level having burst out of its maximum bar.

“Leave like what?” You teased, your words and tone feeling like stinging pokes at his heart. His face ridiculously heats up, his red cheeks and ears giving it all away.

He stepped in, gradually closing the door behind him. Now, it was your heart that was getting poked.

“Why are you closing that—” you stammered, backing away from his menacing smirk. He kept stepping forward, the mischievous glint in his eyes just growing each second.

“I'm sleeping here today!” He suddenly chirped, his giggles replacing the silence around you. You watch as he zooms from the front door to the couch, jumping on it and laying on his stomach as he flaps his arms like a bird.

A scoff of disbelief left your lips, embarrassed at the way he managed to make your cheeks all red just with that subtle closeness. But a smile of fondness soon replaced your lips as you took in the sight of an overly happy and excited Jeonghan.

“Hey! You were literally drenched in rain, don't sleep on the couch like that!” you whined, throwing your bag away somewhere as you rushed to get him off your couch.

“So were you!” He argued back, laughing at the way you were grabbing him by his collar.

“Get off or else you’ll have to be the one washing the covers for one whole month!” You yelled in between laughs, shaking him back and forth. Then, just as he felt that he was losing, he pulled his ultimate weapon and began to poke your sides with an ‘adorable-but-annoying’ grin.

“Stop, that's cheating!—”

His arms suddenly wrapped around your waist, pulling you against him.

He had successfully seized the opportunity once again.

“I'll wash the covers for one whole year, let's just stay like this, please?” He asked, a gentle and genuine smile touching his lips. Your heart melted, washing all of your other thoughts away. His arms around you felt protective, safe and gentle.

Who were you to deny him?

You rested your head on his chest, smiling. That was more than an answer for him. His smile grew, his hold tightening around you. After a moment of comfortable silence, you spoke.

“You better keep your promise,” you say, tapping his shoulder with your hand. He glanced down just enough to get a glimpse of your eyes before ruffling your hair.

“Do you think I'll miss the chance to stay with you for one whole year?”

You blinked, finally realising. “You’re crazy!”

Jeonghan burst into laughter, holding you tightly to keep you from getting up or getting away. 

You really, really couldn't lie. The idea of staying with him for another year (or the rest of your life) sounded too tempting.

You might as well try it out?

[READ THE EPILOGUE !!] © kissbyoon 2025. taglist: @ateez-atiny380 @haotelmania @jeonghaniehaee @starshuas @woncheecks @zahrareadsstuff @imhereonlytoreadxoxo @himewonu @fancypeacepersona @lavunyan @inseonqt @https-seishu @technicallyleftkoala @viciousdarlings @tournesol155 @metaphorandmoonlight @nonbanhg @justanotherkpopstanlol @lily409

[seyoungparkk]

SEVENTEEN FIC RECS

Tags: f - fluff, a - angst, s - smut, ❤️ - personal favourite

Seventeen

Imprinted Series - s,f,a

@viastro 's Masterlist - ❤️

In pursuit of wedded bliss - f,a ❤️

13 reasons why - f,a

@starlightxsvt 's Masterlist - ❤️

SVT Reaction to yelling at you for the first time/saying something hurtful pt1. pt2. - a

Choi Seungcheol

"S" on My Chest, 'Cause I'm Ready to Save Him - s,a

Withering for you - s,f,a ❤️

Kidult - f,a

Adore u - f,a

Under the moonlight - f

My last - f,a

In this life - f,a

Hello tutorial - f

The great war - f,a,s

Inflection Point(JeongCheol) - f,a,s ❤️

Read all about it - f,a

Yoon Jeonghan

Don't worry, for our souls are forever intertwined (JiHan) - f,a

8.07 - a

How many times does it take to get smarter? - f,a,s (Part 1)

How many chances are too many chances? - f,a,s (Part 2)

Just one day - f,a

Our dawn is hotter than day - f

Velvet varnish - f,a,s

Love café - f,a,s

We got along infamously verse - f,a,s

Holidate - f,a,s ❤️

I know, but don't say it - f,a (Part 1)

I don't want to tell you that anymore - f,a (Part 2)

twenty two days before we go our separate ways (twenty two days of not falling for you) - f,a ❤️

Lovin' me - f,a,s

Perfect misery (GyuHan) - a ❤️

Inflection Point (JeongCheol) - f,a,s ❤️

Illicit Affairs - f,a,s

One Shot/One Song #3 - a

Kidult - f,a ❤️

Of rainy nights and roses - f,a ❤️

Hong Jisoo

Don't worry, for our souls are forever intertwined (JiHan) - f,a

Why won't you love me - f,a

My favourite person - f,a

When you spoke to me - f,a

Fine line - f,a,s

Anonymously Yours - f,a ❤️

bad girls make good boys cry - f,s ❤️

Wen Junhui

melomanie - f,a

Stupid cupid -f,s

I don't understand but I love u - f,a

Would you like a receipt? - f,a

Kwon Soonyoung

Caller #17 - f,a

This Love - f,a

Jeon Wonwoo

All too well - f,a

Hi, Wonwoo - f,a ❤️

Until my lips turn blue - f,a

Sucker (for you) - f

I found love in your smile - f,a ❤️

Grease (The tragedy) - f,a,s

Lee Jihoon

Mr Lee's wingmen - f

Jihoon's puppy - f,a

Something about you - f,a,s

Crawling back to you - f,a,s

Xu Minghao

The letter - f,a ❤️

Now or never - f,a,s ❤️

Fixer upper - f,a,s

Kim Mingyu

Even when we're drown, we're still breathing - f,a

Birthday boy - f

May flowers - f,s ❤️

Make yourself at home - f,a

Just try - a

Drift Away - f,a,s ❤️

His smile - f,s

Love me out loud - f,a

Hallmark Moment - f,a,s

Perfect misery (GyuHan) - a

My daisy - f,a ❤️

Honeyboy - f,a,s ❤️

Lee Seokmin

Love scene - f,s

Boo Seungkwan

Destiny - a

Kind of love - f,a

Choi Hansol

Work husband - f

'Cause I still get nervous - f,a

Lee Chan

Run to you - f,a

Tinder (gone wrong) - f

The road not taken - f,a

Promise ring - f,a ❤️

Pansy - f,a ❤️

[seyoungparkk]

THIS LOVE

PAIRING: kwon hoshi x fem!reader

GENRE: angst, hurt comfort, some fluff

TROPES: best friends to lovers, hoshi's w someone else, mentions and descriptions of a toxic/abusive relationship but nothing extreme or graphic.

Loving Hoshi was wrong. You know this. But you gravitate toward him nevertheless like a cliche in a love story. Except this couldn't be love. Love was pure and love healed. What you felt was rotten. Morbid. Disgusting.

Still, when you see him entering the cafe that morning, your heart speeds up, your feelings like clockwork whenever you caught sight of his blonde head. His smile was ultra-sweet as always, your name on his lips like a forbidden curse. You should go to hell for your feelings. 

"Hey, Hosh," you greet him back as he sits across from you, pulling his book bag of his shoulder with a heave. You're working on a project for your boss together, something that involves interviewing the owner of this cafe together and putting the notes after, also together. All of which is only worse when it's you with him because you should not be in love with him.

"I had a chance to meet the owner before you got here," you inform him, rifling through the browned pages of your notebook for a distraction away from Hoshi's glorious face, "And he said he'd be ready for us in ten."

"Perfect," Hoshi responds, pulling out his laptop along with some other writing equipment. "I love working with you, Y/N, you make things a lot easier for me."

You laugh without meeting his eyes, shifting uncomfortably. "You're being nice this morning," you comment.

Hoshi shrugs, "You're right. Just. I'm just tired of fighting all the time."

You raise a brow at his ominous comment. "I don't think we fight all that often, Hosh? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, I didn't mean us," he grows quieter and you already know what's coming. "It's just… I had a fight with Chloe this morning. Again." There it was. The reason why you couldn't possibly continue to harbour, let alone foster your feelings for Hoshi. He was in love with someone else, Chloe, a sharp but charming woman he'd been dating for nearly 2 years now. 

They'd met in college– In fact, you'd all met in college; you, Hoshi, Chloe. A big happy friendship with its share of a love triangle, except it was always clear who Hoshi was going to end up with. Not to mention you'd never let anyone catch a whiff of your shameful feelings for him. It was almost already too late when you'd realized them: Chloe had already confessed to and asked Hoshi out. It all happened so fast, the beginning of their happy dating life and the end of your first love. 

"Again?" you echo Hoshi's words. "I'm sorry, Hosh. What was it this time?"

Hoshi averts his gaze, never a good sign for you. "She got mad I was coming here with you."

You don't mask the scoff that escapes you, "But it's for work. Why is she…" You trail off, knowing the answer to your question. Let's retract your earlier statement. Hoshi and Chloe didn't have the happiest dating life, just as your feelings for Hoshi never truly died down. To be completely clear though, the latter didn't cause the former. You were delusional, sickening at worst, but you were still a honorable person. 

No, their troubles were their own. Well, the troubles were mostly Chloe's if you're being completely candid. She had a way of being overprotective of Hoshi and perhaps, slightly manipulative at times.

"I know, that's what I told her," Hoshi has his head in his hands. His soft curls crushed against the strong hold of his palms. God, did his shoulders look tense today. "She just thinks I prefer hanging out with my friends over her, or that I come up with excuses to be late to our dates. A lot of the times, you just happen to be the friend I'm hanging out with, which leads me to being late."

You swallow the outrage trying to spill out of your veins. You had lost count of how many times you had this conversation with Hoshi. You'd tried to make him see what he was blind to: Chloe didn't trust him when he hadn't given her any reason to distrust him. She was trying to control his life and it all came down to her own insecurity. She'd never had friends outside of Hoshi and you in college. She kept to herself thanks to her skeptical assumptions about everyone else. It infuriated you, watching Hoshi lose the spark in his friendships and passions all because he was worried about the argument with Chloe it would inevitable lead to.

There's so much you want to say. But you can't. So instead you shut up, ending the conversation with Hoshi abruptly. You feel him stare at the top of your head as you check the time. "It's time. We should go find the owner."

The interview goes swimmingly. The owner is a sweet man named Seokmin and has a humor almsot greater than his heart. You lose all sense of time, wrapped up in a more than natural conversation between the three of you. 

"Well, I think that's all the questions we had for you. Thanks for your time, Seokmin." 

Seokmin grins back at you, "Of course! Feel free to come by and ring for me anytime. Both of you. It was lovely meeting you."

You stand up with Hoshi following suit and as you gather your stuff, you look at Seokmin's retreating back. "He's nice. I feel like he'd hit it off with our friend group."

Hoshi nods thought his enthusiasm is amiss, looking down at his bag the whole time.

"You good?" 

He doesn't say anything for a second and you start to wonder if he didn't hear you. 

And then, "I didn't think you were so easy."

The comment is so out of the blue it has you speechless for a full minute. "...Excuse me?"

Hoshi's eyes widen as he hears his own words, "Sorry, that was rude. I just mean, I didn't think you'd mix professional life with personal." You stare Hoshi down, trying to figure out what the fuck he was getting at. "I mean about the owner."

"Hoshi, I suggested he'd be a good friend," you snap, "I don't recall expressing my desire to bone him right here in full daylight for everyone to see." Hoshi flushes at your crude statement and he stumbles over his words.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he rushes to cover, "I didn't think before I spoke. And I didn't mean it. I don't know, I think I'm just in a weird mood."

"Might be all the fighting with Chloe," you comment flatly, chest feeling heavy. 

"Are you mad?" his tone is inflated with guilt and you have to dig your nails into your palm to keep from looking up at—and undoubtedly giving in to—Hoshi's face. "Listen, I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have taken it out on you like that. I think I just got jealous."

That's one way to get you to look up. "Jealous?" your breath catches, knowing there's any explanation other than the one your mind immediately jumps to.

"Yeah, just the way you got along so well with him back there," he admits, "It reminded me of us in college. How we were always laughing and joking. Before I got all moody and shit."

You laugh weakly, "Right. Before everything."

"Anyway, let me make it up to you?" he pleads, his hand finding yours in the carefree way that had both intrigued and eventually trapped you into Hoshi's charms. "Dinner?"

You know the right answer to his question, you know because there's a storm inside of you and it's made of nothing good: shame, guilt, self-loathing. You hate yourself around Hoshi. You should stay away for your own sake, to find something better.

"Sure, Hosh," you smile, "I'd love dinner."

— 

Dinner with Hoshi is a bad idea for the myriad of reasons already listed and hinted at above. But perhaps, the worst one of them all is how much of a lightweight Hoshi is. His declarations of his love for beer be damned, once he was three glasses in, he was already too tipsy to tell his right from his left. And at five glasses, he's lost all control over his inhibitions, which is just a nicer way to say that he gets touchy.

It didn't help that you'd chosen bar seats that evening. You'd thought avoiding sitting across from him and forcing yourself to look at his face all evening would limit your imagination. But this is worse: Hoshi's arm is slotted right against you the entire evening because the man has a distorted understanding of personal space to begin with. Fifth beer later, he's pulling your bar stool closer and spinning you to face him.

"Hosh, you're drunk," you mutter, ignoring the way your voice gives away your nerves, "Let's get you home—"

Hoshi catches the hand you reach toward your phone, pulling it into his lap. "No! No, no, no. I don't go home. Don't wanna."

His cheeks are flushed as he begs you not to send him home and you smile wistfully, wondering how many times you'd seen this sight before. 

"Hosh, you have to go home," you tell him, speaking loud and clear. You place your free hand atop his, brushing his knuckles gently. "You're gonna want to be in bed soon, right?"

Hoshi shakes his head, eyes closing despite what he says, "Not sleepy. 'M not sleepy. Not sleepy."

You chuckle at his antics, rushing to place your forearm on the counter as his head swings dangerously low. "Geez, Hosh, you need to be careful." You pull your hand out of his grip to rest his head on your arm carefully. "You're gonna hurt yourself."

He mumbles something but it's too incoherent for you to hear. So you shift closer, running a finger through his bangs to move them out of his eyes. "What'd you say, buddy?"

His voice is muffled with drowsiness but you barely make out a name. Your heart sinks. Of course, what the fuck else had you expected? "You wanna see Chloe?" you call out, hoping if you voiced the desire out loud he'd finally deny it.

What you don't expect is for him to actually deny it. "No, no, no," his voice is small and your heart lurches when you make out tears forming in his eyes.

"Wait, Hosh, are you crying?" you pull his head off your arm, "Hey, hey, look at me. What's wrong?"

He blinks, unshed tears dissolving as he opens them wider. "Oh. It's you. Y/N." You're trying to decipher the mixed emotions in his tone—relief, gladness, something more—when he's pulling you infinitely closer. Closer until you crash into his chest, feeling his hot breath hit your bare back. 

"Hosh– Hoshi, you're—"

"You're always so gentle with me," Hoshi mumbles, his hand finding your scalp with a thud against your skull. You want to pull away, to shake sense into him but this feels so nice and it feels honest, to feel Hoshi's voice reverbrating through your organs like this.

"Of course I am," you mutter back, knowing you shouldn't be indulging him, "You're a softie. A sweet boy. You deserve to be treated carefully." You felt your voice shake with the sincerity of the emotions that rush through you. You'd kept this side of you locked away for so long, it physically hurt to let anyone see it, let alone Hoshi of all people.

"Hmm, you really think that?" Hoshi's voice is dampened with doubt, "You think I deserve care?"

"Okay, this is getting me worried," you pull away with a start, grabbing a hold of Hoshi's face to force him to look into your eyes. "What's wrong with you? Why are you saying these stupid things?" Hoshi's cheeks are warm against your cold palms but you try not to think about it. Just like how you try not to think about the way his gaze lingers over you, taking you in like he'd never before. Raking your features like he was just a guy admiring a girl. 

"Chloe doesn't love me anymore."

Hoshi's statement snaps you out of your selfish dream like a slap. "What?"

"She… doesn't like me that much anymore. I think. She's always annoyed. Mad. Angry."

"Hosh," you groan, thumbing at his tears as they start to spill, "It pains me to see you like this."

"Like– Like what?"

"Like this. She's hurting you, Hosh," you say, "and you're letting her."

"How'd you know? I hid it so well though," his voice breaks and so do you, eyes watering and overflowing almost instantly. "Well, some things you can't hide from me, idiot. I'm your best friend. I know everything about you." 

"Really?" His tears have ceased and you sigh, letting go of his face to wipe your own salty mess. "Can I just stay at your place tonight? I don't feel like going home just to fight. I want to be with you. It's easier."

His words rip through you and he doesn't even know it. It gladdens you that you're a safe place for him but it absolutely kills you that you're just that: a place to run away from the world. It wasn't so bad but it didn't compare to be his first choice, which is what he'd always been for you. 

"Of course, Hosh. C'mon, I'll take you to mine."

— 

You sense that something's different the next morning. You know it was partially a bad call on your part to let Hoshi stay over at your place, what with Chloe's already unreasonably convinced misconceptions of his relationship with you. But it was also right: as Hoshi's friend, you don't think you could've let him go home like that. Sobbing, begging to stay. 

So you don't expect the cold shoulder Hoshi gives you that morning, strolling into your kitchen without a single smile your way. You're about to call out the breakfast spread you prepared to help nurse both your hangovers but before you can open your mouth, Hoshi snatches his phone off the counter.

He looks panicked as he turns it on. You can hear the notification go ham and his frustrated groans as he rapidly types something into a textbox. 

"Hoshi, is everything—"

"Fuck!" The outburst surprises you and you jump away a little. "Fuck, fuck. Motherfucker."

"So I'm guessing you're…not okay?" 

"No, Y/N!" You didn't think it was possible for Hoshi to be angry but wow, the look he trains on you in that moment has you chilled. "I'm fucked, Y/N. I never told Chloe I was getting dinner with you and then I— I blacked out and forgot to let her know. And then, I slept over here, at your place without letting her know. I think it's pretty fucking clear how not okay I am, Y/N."

You're taken aback at the way he says your name– like you were somehow at fault for this. "Oh, okay, so I'm the bad guy right now?"

Hoshi has the audacity to roll his eyes, "God, you know that's not what I meant."

"Okay, well, whenever you're done just using my services as a friend and then blaming me for being a friend, I can let you out of my apartment because it sounds like I held you against your will."

"Y/N," Hoshi says. "I'm sorry." He sounds defeated. His phone is still blowing up. You know the last thing he needs is yet another argument but you can't help it. You dislike confrontation but it feels like it's high time you protected yourself for once.

"Do you wanna talk about last night?" you ask, hand on your hip as you glare at him. 

"Last night?" he sounds hesitant, definitely not remembering much, "Did I do something?"

"Hoshi, you begged me to not send you home. You said Chloe didn't love you anymore. You said that you doubted that you deserved care. You, finally, for once, admitted that she's hurting you, Hoshi—"

"Y/N, not this again—"

"No, Hoshi. I need you to listen to me. I'm have it up to here standing by your side while you let Chloe treat you like shit! You–! You're scared to go home, Hoshi, do you even realize what that means?"

"I know it sounds bad but all couples have their rough patches. And Chloe and I will–"

"You've been in this rough patch for over a year, Hoshi, give me a fucking break– Or better yet, give yourself a fucking break."

"What did you say?" Hoshi's red eyes widen at your outburst."

"I said you should break up with her, Hoshi," you deadpan, a challenge in your eyes.

"Y/N, that is just crossing the line– You can't—"

"Why? I'm your friend, Hoshi, and I'm sick of watching this bullshit happen over and over again," your voice breaks, "You deserve so much better."

Hoshi walks away from the kitchen, as if unable to stomach hearing your words without flinching. You follow him, determined to see this through. "Hoshi, you–"

"You can't do this, Y/N. You know I love her–"

"You can love other people, Hoshi, she's not the only woman in the world you know. She's definitely not the first to love you."

"What?" Hoshi slowly turns to face you, sensing there was something more to your statement. 

You take a deep breath and decide to bite the bullet. Go big or go home, right?

"She wasn't even the first one to love you, you know? I loved you first. She just beat me to the asking you out part, and I guess that's the real important step, no?"

Hoshi freezes, eyes going blank at your confession. Your confession. God, how truly fucked you are to have confessed your feelings for your best friend who was dating someone else. The someone else, not to mention, who was your friend, too.

"Well, I didn't mean to say all that out loud," you cough, looking away from Hoshi, "It's wrong, I know, for me to love you. But the heart wants what it wants and whatnot. And more than anything, I want you to be happy, Hoshi. And she doesn't make you happy. I'd even say she's making you miserable."

You cut your monologue short when Hoshi continues to be frozen in his shock. "Well, who am I to give you any advice, right? It's up to you. Do what the fuck you want. Don't let me stand in the way–"

Hoshi's lips are on yours. You don't even remember blinking between one moment and this one but this is it: he's kissing you. He's holding you like a lover, fingers splayed along the column of your neck as he keeps you close to him. He steals your breath and leaves you with the taste of peppermint toothpaste. You gasp when you pull away.

"Hoshi–" He doesn't let you talk though, his lips are busy devouring you. Your jaw, your pulsing neck, your collarbones. You feel Hoshi like you've always wanted to. His lips leave a wet trail of desire and your head is too clouded with the pleasure of getting something you'd even shuddered to dream of to think straight. It's only when your hands find their way into his hair— God, his hair, it was as silky as it looked— when his phone rings like a cry in the other room and you both spring apart. You both pant, looking around like you'd been caught red-handed.

"Hoshi," you start, reeling with the meaning—and the meaninglessness—of this, of everything, but he doesn't look at you. He leaves, rushing to his phone and you let yourself hope that he'd come back only to hear him pick up, Chloe's name on his lips like a prayer.

Fucking great.

—

You don't see Hoshi for a week after that. Sorry, let's rephrase that: you don't meet Hoshi all week after. You see Hoshi everywhere because that's how little restraint you've left after the undoing known as his kiss. You have a soul-rotting combination of nightmares about Chloe killing and harvesting your heart in a variety of ways and wet dreams where Hoshi never stops kissing you and his trail of kisses only grows greater and greater—

Needless to say, you're a mess. You don't wish to think about it and reaching out to Hoshi is out of the question. He texts you on Thursday, asking you if you have time to meet on Friday for a work thing and you have the grace to left him on read. You text your boss to let him know you'd be taking the last day of the week to work from home. 

please yn can we talk?

i am so sorry about everything.

can we please talk?

i understand that you might not want to but please

im doing a dinner party this saturday for friends if youre avoiding seeing me alone

You close your eyes. The texts haunt you on your phone, the little time tag counting how long you'd been agonizing over his words. 12m, 37m, 58m. Finally, you decide to get over yourself and text back.

sure hoshi i'll be there

— 

You don't know what you expect to get out of the dinner at Hoshi's place but the last of it is Chloe greeting you when you ring the bell. You greet her, swallowing against her dry acknowledgement of your existence and you truly contemplate turning on your heels to leave. But—who didn't see it coming—Hoshi stops you, his voice calling your name steeling your nerves.

You step in, thankful there are a handful of your friends scattered around the room, nursing drinks in little glasses. You're about to make a beeline for Yuji when Hoshi intercepts you, hand on your arm. You stare at him and then his hand. He takes his hand off, cheeks reddening at your demeanor.

"Hey, thanks for coming."

"Right," you mumble. "I'm gonna go catch up with Yuji if you don't mind–"

"Y/N, listen, I know I–" Hoshi stops himself, glancing over his shoulder and continuing when he spots Chloe across the room, "I know I fucked up but I promise it'll never happen again. I'm so incredibly sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise–" Hoshi's in the middle of digging himself into a hole when you hear a vaguely familiar voice calling out. 

It startles you when you realize who it is. 

"Seokmin?" you ask, spotting the cafe-owner making his way to you. He grins brightly, "Hey, it's me! Hoshi was nice enough to invite me over tonight! Said you'd be here so I should definitely make time."

"Oh, really?" you're looking at Hoshi, heart impossibly strained against your chest. You couldn't believe the audacity. "Um, actually, I think I have to head out." You pull out your phone as a lame excuse. To be fair, you hardly cared at this point.

"Y/N, let me explain and–"

"Sorry, Hoshi. I don't think I have time tonight. See you around some other time, 'kay?"

You take off to the door, forcing your tears back with a firm cough. You can hear the clamor behind you as Hoshi rushes after you, fingers brushing against your arm in an attempt to halt your movements. You shove him away and for once, you run away from Hoshi.

You'd made it down the stairs and a few steps on the pavement outside his house when you hear his footsteps slapping against the stairs. Your name. A trail of pleas. You can barely hear it.

He catches up, Hoshi always does, his arm seizing yours in an iron grip. Idiot man. 

"Hoshi, if you don't let go of me right this fucking second. I'm going to throw myself at incoming traffic."

"Y/N, don't go," his voice is strained and for once, you don't analyze the emotions that make it so.

You turn around to scream at him instead. "Why don't you fuck off, Hoshi?"

"Please," his lip quivers, "I don't want to lose you, I–"

"I think it was a little too late when you kissed me—right after I confessed to you—and then proceeded to try and set me up with the same guy you were jealous I hit it off with— Wow, when I say it out loud, you really do sound like a maniac. Honestly, you know what, I was wrong! You and Chloe are made for each other!"

"Don't say that, Y/N, please, I wasn't thinking straight."

"You're right. You weren't. You kissed me, you acted shocked that I love you, and you still asked me to come over knowing I could never fucking say no– No, I couldn't, not to you, Hoshi. Why'd you do this to me? How could you be so fucking cruel?"

"I'm sick, Y/N, you're right," Hoshi's crying now and you match his shining tears with your own unshed ones. "I'm evil. I'm– I'm in love with you, too."

"What the fuck did you just say?" 

The words echo, but they don't come from you. "Chloe," you breathe, watching as she closes in on the two of you. "Hey, we're just—"

But she's not looking at you. Her eyes are fixed on Hoshi, daring him to repeat himself, "What did just say?"

Hoshi's gaze falls and his shoulder slump. You move uneasily, "Listen, let's just–"

"I'm not talking to you!" Chloe screams, but she directs it toward Hoshi and the man, you swear you see him flinch. Something like a chill settles into your veins as a possibility begins to creep in on you… Surely not?

"You," Chloe continues, stepping closer until she was a breath's distance from Hoshi, "What did you say."

"Chloe, I think we should go inside–" You make the mistake of reaching for her shoulder. She's seething and slaps your hand away, stinging your palm and you stare at her in confusion. Chloe, however estranged you'd grown over the years, this wasn't like her. She had her moments of rage but she'd never been aggresive like this. Physical.

Your eyes land on Hoshi and he's already looking at you, unspoken concern shining back. The possibility solidifies into realization.

"I was just telling Hoshi how much I'm worried–" Hoshi tries to cut you off in a hushed tone but you continue, "And how much I think he should break up with you."

Chloe's finally looking at you and you smile at the fire in her gaze. "Dear God, you're so much worse than I thought," you tell her and then turn to Hoshi. "I told you she was insane but this–? Hoshi, let me ask you something." You step closer to him and feel his breath hitch at your question, "Does she get physical with you?"

"Who the fuck do you think you are–"

"I'm not talking to you!" You echo her earlier words, a hand trained on Hoshi's elbow protectively. "Hoshi, please, I need you to be honest with him. Did she ever–?"

Hoshi's eyes are unreadable. They meet yours hesitantly before travelling away and to Chloe. You stop him, "Hoshi. Look at me. Please."

"It happened once but it wasn't that bad and–"

"Okay, that's all I needed. We're getting you out of there," you grab Hoshi's hand, tugging him away from Chloe and toward your car. "I hope you're not attached to any of your stuff because we're–"

"Hoshi! Kwon Hoshi! Stop, right there!" 

Chloe's voice is thin with how high-pitched it's gotten and your mind reels with this newfound understanding. She wasn't just a manipulative bitch, she was also abusive. God, what exactly had Hoshi tolerated? He'd said it happened once but the fact that it even got to the point–

"Y/N, we– are you sure?" Hoshi's question barely cuts through the noise in your head. You're already in your car by the time he finds his voice.

"Did she hit you, Hoshi?'

"She didn't exactly hit– It was more like she threw something at me–"

"Threw what?"

"It's not that important and I don't really care–"

"What did she throw at you, Hoshi?" you ask him again, quieter this time. "Can you tell me? You don't have to. I'm still getting you out of here."

"It was just a glass. She got mad– I don't even remember what exactly happened but one minute I was making her a drink and the next, she—It didn't even hit me so it–"

"Hoshi, I'm so sorry," you breathe, "You don't deserve that– You could've been really hurt, you know? I don't care that it was a glass and it didn't hit you. The fact that she felt the need to physically hurt you— God, Hoshi, do you see? She is a physical threat to you."

"I'm– I don't know what to think, Y/N," Hoshi sighs, settling into the passenger seat. "It wasn't even that what got to me. I know she doesn't actually want me dead. It's when she talks about you—"

"Me?"

"Yes. I don't know when it all went downhill, but she began to speak really badly of you. Just the meanest things. Completely untrue things. I didn't like it and I tried to get her to stop. I told her I couldn't stand to hear it and once, I even told her I'd break up with her if she kept it up– That's when it really got out of hand."

"I'm sorry, Hoshi, I had no idea."

"Well, it's not your fault. You were nothing but a good friend to me. You never even let me onto your feelings."

You sigh, "Right. Those."

"I wish you had," he breathes out, head lolling over to look at you, "I know it's selfish of me, but I wish I'd known sooner. I would've come to my senses."

"How come?" you ask, heart in your throat, his confession from earlier looping in your mind.

"Well, because you weren't the only one with the wrong kind of feelings. I developed my own share of feelings for you. Even though I was dating Chloe. It's pretty fucked up, huh?"

You focus on keeping your breath steady. Chloe's figure was still visible in the night. You couldn't tell what she was doing but honestly, after all you'd found out, she could really just go to hell for all you cared.

"I don't know if it is fucked up," you shrug. "With how she treated you and all."

"I guess. I think that's why I held on longer though, knowing it was wrong to love you," he continues, "I thought if I faced my feelings, I'd lose Chloe and you in one fell sweep. I was too big of an idiot to see that I'd lost Chloe a long time ago. And I would've lost you too if you hadn't told me how you felt."

"You're one selfish bastard," you murmur, looking at his shadowed face. "You couldn't just break up with her when she got crazy? Why'd you let her keep hurting you? Why'd you keep hurting me?"

"Once again, idiot things. It was easier being where I was, however unpleasant that inertia was. I wanted to keep pretending things were normal with us."

You sigh again. "Idiot. I'm taking you home."

— 

Things are hard for a while after that.

As much as you want to just sit back and enjoy loving Hoshi openly, you resist. 

He faces his broken relationship with Chloe first, going back to his shared home with her to break things off in person, for once and for all. You don't ask him how it went, simply offer him a hug when he comes back later that night, eyes rimmed with red. 

You face your own guilt over Hoshi's broken relationship and then cry a little more because you realize what your friends, what other people must think of you. The kinds of words they'd use. 

"You know it's not your fault, right?" Hoshi reminds you one night when he's over. He's over a lot lately. 

"Which part?" you call back with a chuckle. He shifts beside you, hitting pause on the movie playing to face you. 

"I'm serious, Y/N. Me and Chloe. Or me and you now."

"Yeah, maybe slightly not my fault. But that's not how it looks, you know?" you heave a sigh, tilting your head away from him so he doesn't have to see your downcast eyes. "I'm still a homewrecker."

"Dude, look at me, what the fuck are you saying?" Hoshi forces you closer to him. "If anything, it should be me that's ridiculed. Not only did I stay in a toxic relationship despite all the red flags, I led you on. Heck, I kissed you when I was officially still dating her. Plus, it's not homewrecking when it's barely a home you're wrecking."

"That's not fair to you, Hoshi. I know I blamed you earlier but it's not the easiest thing to walk out of an abusive–" You cut yourself off, containing a laugh at his insistence. He looks troubled by your behavior, "Y/N. I'm serious. I can't have this."

"What?"

"I want to be with you for real, Y/N. I want to take you out without it feeling wrong. It's not wrong. Okay?"

You close your eyes, letting his words sink into your veins. You feel his palms curling around your face and you smile against his touch. "I think it's gonna take me a bit before I'm not uneasy about it."

"That's fine," you open your eyes to find a loving grin on his face, "I'll wait." His love was pure and bright, and for once, you let that light bloom within yourself. 

— 

[seyoungparkk]

Something About You || Woozi

Pairings: Woozi x Fem!Reader

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Smut, Lawyer!Woozi, Event Coordinator!Reader, Selective Amnesia au, Secret Relationship au

Synopsis: When your boyfriend loses all memories of you after an accident, you go through hell of a time trying to bring back the memories. But in the process of convincing him what you both had was real, it makes you question if what you both had was ever real.

Warnings:  jihoon is outright blunt and asshole, mentions accident, jihoon suffers selective amnesia, reader has astraphobia, relationship is hidden and based on rebound, one fighting scene, jihoon gets beaten by umbrella, oral (f. recieving), fingering, dirty talks, rough sex.

Word Count: 11.5k

Thanks to @cherriegyuu for beta reading this ♡

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT 🔞

[ SVT Masterlist ] [ SVT Flick - Fic Masterlist ]

The look Jihoon gives you is condescending. He believes that whatever you said just now is the most ridiculous thing he has ever heard.

"I know it's hard to believe but it's true that I'm your girlfriend."

You repeat, biting back the tears.

The doctor takes pity on you and attempts to make his patient understand his current medical situation quoting it in most layman terms possible.

"Mr. Lee, you have been in an accident and that has caused internal bleeding in your brain. I'm not going into details but that has caused neural damage.", he continues solemnly, "Since you can't recognize your partner, we have run some tests and it indicates that you're suffering from amnesia."

Suddenly the door barges open and enters Soonyoung, Jihoon's friend and most probably the only one on his side who knows about your relationship.

Jihoon's eyes light up as he recognizes his friend and the realization dreads upon you.

"It's selective amnesia.", the doctor explains, carefully studying your expression, "Mr. Lee has forgotten all the memories you've shared."

Soonyoung stands up, his entire demeanor masked in disbelief, "How is that possible? He recognised everyone when I showed him the pictures! How can he not remember his girlfriend?"

"We can't give you an exact explanation but it's possible that before the accident happened Mr. Lee was thinking about her. "

You fiddle your fingers, tears wetting your cheeks and chin. Taking a deep breath, you ask, "Is there a possibility he can remember me or am I erased from his mind forever?"

You choke a sob. 

"There are cases where the patients have recovered their memories. It can take two days, two weeks, two years or even two decades. There's no certainty. In some cases", the doctor relents, "they never got their memories back. I'd suggest you revisit familiar places, re-watch your shared moments captured together. Anything to make him regain his lost memories."

It's been a hell of a ride since then.

Lee Jihoon, an enigmatic independent lawyer, who has zero nonsense tolerance has now a random woman constantly claiming to be his girlfriend of two years.

And somehow his close friend is backing up that claim. Something's absolutely fishy.

Jihoon glares at Soonyoung and completely ignores your presence right next to him.

"You have brought her into my office now?", Jihoon glowers in rage, his voice low, "Soonyoung explain yourself."

As the said man opens his mouth, you gesture him to stop.

You pull out your phone, opening the gallery.

"I have already seen them.", Jihoon says unimpressed, "I get that we have met through Soonyoung but these photos suggest nothing more than us being friends."

You show him a picture where he's hugging you from behind, his chin perched on your shoulder. You're smiling looking at the camera, he's smiling looking at you.

There's another one, set in his apartment, you are drawing something on his hand and he's kissing the top of your head. 

Jihoon turns away from you in his revolving chair, "This doesn't prove shit. We could have done this as friends."

You sigh, "Do you think you are that kind of person who'd do this with a mere or even a close friend?"

That shuts him up for a moment.

"Why would I be lying to you, Jihoon?", Soonyoung asks, almost offended.

"You tell me. I'm also not sure why you are doing this.", Jihoon retaliates.

There's a beat of silence before Jihoon continues, rubbing his temples in frustration, "Look, I don't wanna be an ass about it but you don't have enough proof to back up that we were in a relationship."

"But--", you're getting cut off.

"No one knows about us, none of my friends or colleagues. You show me our pictures and I admit they look intimate but it doesn't solidify that we were dating. You showed me our text conversation and never in the span of two years did I write a single 'I love you'.", he shakes his head, "All of it looks circumstantial to me."

It hits you harder than you could imagine.

Another couple of months go by and you're still not giving up. 

"He was on a call with me, Soonyoung, when the accident happened he was talking to me.", you admit sobbing. Soonyoung hands you the tissue box and patiently waits for you to continue. 

"He had been acting antsy for the past few days and though I wanted to share his burden, I decided not to probe. I knew he'd eventually let me know. Before the accident, the last thing he said was he had something to tell me and he was on his way to my place."

He pats on your shoulder, "Jihoon will get back his memories of you, Y/N. Let's keep trying."

But you've freed Soonyoung from the burden of constantly backing you up, still being a great friend he shows up whenever he can.

You work as an event coordinator. You were acquainted with Soonyoung through a common friend, so when over two years ago you had been contacted by him to be the planner of his brother's wedding, you agreed instantly. 

You are professional. In your line of work, you're well known for professionalism. 

But it was discarded the moment you saw Jihoon among the crowd on the wedding day. 

You had ditched professionalism then and only once, when you asked Soonyoung for his friend's contact details. When enquired, you spilled it all to Soonyoung honestly. 

Lee Jihoon is a known name in the city, he's reputed to be the best. It goes back a year when your friend's aunt had gotten scammed by a loan shark losing her property. With no lawyer interested in defending her, it was only Jihoon who had fought for her.

You swore you hadn't seen anyone cooler. The aura he emitted, the impeccable ferociousness and the sincerity he showed when he represented his client had you down bad for him.

Since then you've developed a crush but it would pass by, you thought, as there's no way you'd be crossing paths with him ever unless you have something to deal with legally.

But seeing him again during Soonyoung's brother's wedding was a sucker punch to your gut.

Suddenly, the crush resurfaces, in fact it ten folds when Jihoon looked nothing but absolutely gorgeous throughout.

"Jihoon has a foul mouth, so don't expect anything good coming out of it.", Soonyoung warns as he sends you the contact details, "Don't cry, don't take it to heart, no matter what he says."

And Soonyoung was correct. 

"Hi, I'm Y/N. I got your contact from Soonyoung."

When you had called Jihoon asking him if he could free some time for you as you had something to discuss, he agreed, assuming you would be needing some legal advice.

"Go on a date with me.", you say, "Please?"

The incredulous look on his face was remarkable but you had mustered all the courage within the world before sitting in front of him and discarded all the shame along with it.

"I'd be courteous since you're Soonyoung's friend but don't dare to try this act again.", Jihoon gets up, controlling himself from berating you as he walks past.

"3 dates.", you grab his wrist and he looks back at you, "That's all I want. And if you reject me after that, I won't be a bother."

Yanking his hand from your grip, he glares, "And why did you assume that I'd want to invest my time on you? You must be knowing that I'm quite busy."

"That surely makes you bitchless.", you snark back under your breath but Jihoon catches it.

He scoffs in a mix of disbelief and anger, "You--"

Clamping your hand on his mouth, you apologize quickly, "Sorry about that. And to answer your question", you grin, "Why don't you find it out yourself by going on a date with me? Tonight works for you?"

"You, for sure have a few loose screws.", Jihoon finally says, removing your hand, "Look I'm not interested and I'm busy, I work till late every night."

So Jihoon is rendered speechless when he sees you knocking on his office door late at night, to be specific at 2 AM.

"Hey, brought delicious wedding food and beer for us.", you enter and set the bag on the chair as the table was occupied, "That was one extravaganza wedding I had to arrange."

"And who said that you could be here?", Jihoon quips back, initially agitated but as the aroma of food hits his nose, reminding how he had skipped meals again and now his stomach could growl anytime, "This is rude and unethical."

"I know but I've decided to go against all ethics to woo you, Mr. Lee.", you throw him a wink which has Jihoon rolling eyes at you.

The first date was spent by eating food, chugging beer and your one sided talks.

The second one comes some days later as Jihoon agrees upon it just to make it crystal clear that he's really not interested and you should stop pestering him. He goes blunt, his words piercing you, intentionally. 

Though you insist, he is adamant. So you promise to not bother him anymore and make up your mind to move on.

Surprise comes to you a month later when Jihoon asks to meet you through a text. Somehow that night ends with you tangled in his sheets and the next morning he finally agrees to date you.

"Let's keep it private for now.", Jihoon tells and before you could ask the reason, he continues, "I wanna be sure, if it works out fine, let's tell everybody."

You find it a bit skeptical but it's not impractical so you agree. 

"But Soonyoung gets to know.", you declare, leaving no room for negotiations, "And my family and close friends would be knowing too."

Jihoon is your boyfriend now but something about the way let's himself around you makes you worry.

You don't expect him to act lovesick around you but he's so conserved. He barely texts you, only shows up when insisted and rarely initiates anything. There are no terms of endearment from him, no special acts.

Eight months into the relationship and you decide it's enough. You're done with his half ass slash zero commitments. So you start to act like him, zero calls, no texts and updates. You realise that you had gotten too good at the game when Jihoon knocks at your door one night.

Jihoon notices the lack of communication on your part and he doesn't let it bother him thinking you must have been busy but when it goes on for nearly a month, it strikes him that something's definitely wrong so that's how he finds himself knocking on your door.

And that night changes the dynamics between you two.

Jihoon has been getting frequent dreams nowadays. He sees you in all of them. In one, he's playing chess with you, in another you're perched on his lap humming soothing melodies to get him to nap. In some he sees your bodies tangled in the sheets.

He wakes up, his body hot, mind foggy. It's reoccurring, even pestering. He concludes that the reason behind these dreams is all the nonsense you've been feeding him daily, it's because he sees you everyday. He decides to put a stop to it.

"Something's bothering you?", you ask upon entering his cabin, "need help?"

Jihoon perks up, "And what can you help me with?"

"You might have forgotten, but we used to brainstorm a lot. You'd never go into the exact details of the case to respect privacy and we'd create hypothetical scenarios and try to come up with possible nooks and crannies."

He scoffs, "I would never take opinions from anyone. It's not my way of working, I work solely upon my hunch and instincts."

You've had a long day and aren't in a mood for banter. All you want is a warm bath and tight sleep.

So not pushing it further, you set the bags on the table and say, "I bought you food from your favourite outlet. Eat it up while it's hot and call me if you need me."

"Don't expect me to call you.", Jihoon blurts out, "When are you gonna stop doing this?"

You give him a sharp look, "Stop doing what?"

"Trying to forcefully insert yourself in my life."

You scoff, "Maybe when you stop being an asshole and try to put some effort into gaining back your memories?"

Jihoon glares at you. You glare back at him, no way you're taking shit from him today.

When his jaw ticks and eyes turn darker, you think of backing down and leaving because you know it's the look he gives when he's about to say something absolutely brutal.

"Maybe you should get a hint by now.", he says coldly, "Isn't it obvious, the reason why I remember everyone but you?"

"Jihoon, don't.", you say as soon as he opens his mouth to speak again.

"You weren't someone important in my life, Y/N. You're so insignificant that I don't even remember you."

Your throat closes up. A tear falls down your cheek and before he could continue his verbal assault, you run out of his cabin.

While doing so you bump into someone.

"I'm sorry.", you say, wiping your tears before looking up.

The woman in front of you, echoes your words and leaves. Your gaze follows her and you see her entering Jihoon's office. And rooted to the ground, through the glass window you watch an entirely different Jihoon. The frown on his face is quickly replaced by a shy smile, his body language seemingly changing to gentleness. The way he crosses the chairs to pull one out for the woman to sit, the eye contact that definitely holds a meaning.

For the first time, your head and heart come up with the same conclusion.

Later that night, Jihoon is somewhat shocked to receive a call from you.

"Who's she, Ji?", you ask from the other side, "Why were you looking at her like that?"

He straight up knows whom you are talking about and he right away knows that you're drunk.

"Where are you? Are you alone?", he asks you, already looking for his car keys.

He hears something incoherent and presses the phone tighter against his ear.

"Tell me Ji, why were you looking at her like that?", you ask again.

He halts, "Like what?"

You hum and he hears a loud thud. There's a moment of silence and Jihoon is rooted, holding his breath.

Moments later, you speak again, "Like you used to look at me. Like you like her."

"Where are you, Y/N? Can you send me your location?", he tries to coax you, "I'll come right away, we'll talk. Please tell me where you are."

Another pause and just as he's about to speak again, he hears your sobs. His heart tightens in his chest.

"D-Did I already lose you, Ji?", comes your choked voice, "Did you give up on us? Why can't you like me again?"

There is no answer to your questions. 

"I love you.", you say, "I love you so much that it hurts. What do I do now? I-I think I love you way too much, much more than I thought. And I regret not telling you sooner."

Jihoon freezes, he's tongue tied, his knees almost giving up.

"And if this is the end of us, then--", the line disconnects. You've accidentally hung up.

He calls you back immediately but you don't pick up. Repeated calls, when they remain not received, he sends you a string of texts.

Already inside his car, he's about to drive away in search of you, aimlessly, when he receives a text from you.

'I'm at home.'

He let out a breath of relief, his mind pounding, his heart thumping because of your words from before.

It's been over a month since Jihoon has seen or heard from you. For a week or two it was nice, not having you breathing on his neck felt refreshing. By the end of the third week he's worrying about you, his mind is relentlessly fogged with your thoughts. Mid of fourth week and he's contemplating whether to send you a text or ask Soonyoung to do it. 

It isn't relaxing anymore, it's stressful. It bothers him to all extent. He feels guilty about going overboard with his choice of words that night, he never meant to make you cry. He can't forget your drunk confessions either.

You are on a call with your mother who's nagging you to consider extending your stay when you go home for Christmas along with the equal urging of your sister and father. A lot of negotiations and you're finally agreeing to them.

"How's Jihoon? Any luck with the memories?", your sister, Eunha asks.

"Let's not talk about him.", you say after a beat, "I think, my relationship with Jihoon--", you halt, not being able to continue further, before the cracking of your voice gives it all away.

Eunha knows you better than anyone and sensing your tone, she's quick to assure you, "I've always admired your straight headedness. Whatever it is, I know you'll overcome it. And all of us are always there for you."

The doorbell rings and you frown, "Thanks Eun. I'll call you later, bye."

Checking the time and opening the door causes your frown to deepen. 

Jihoon sits on the couch, an awkward tension lingering in the atmosphere. And somehow it pains you to look at him, you're avoiding eye contact, looking everywhere but him, waiting for him to initiate the conversation.

A photo on the centre table catches Jihoon's attention and he picks it up, his curious eyes scrutinizing the faces. It's the two of you, an amusement park in the backdrop, grinning ear to ear, pressed cheek against cheek, radiating love through the photo itself.

You quickly snatch the frame out of his grip, setting it down on the same centre table.

"I hate amusement parks", Jihoon mutters more to himself but loud enough for your ears to pick up, "Because they're so crowded and everyone's screaming.", he looks up at you, "I went there with you?"

You just give a simple nod, no explanation, no backstory.

I love going to amusement parks. And you don't hate them anymore.

"Why are you here?", you ask him finally.

"I'm sorry.", he blurts out, "I'm really sorry for that night."

Your brows furrow for a moment before the neutral expression returns, "You didn't have to come here to apologise, a call would have sufficed."

For the record, you just know you had called him as an aftermath of that night but you don't remember, not even a bit of things you had said and you don't plan on bringing that up either.

Jihoon notices your defensiveness and to test it he stands up to walk towards you but you're immediately backing up.

"I'm feeling under the weather so if you're done, could you leave?", you speak still avoiding his gaze, "And I know you don't want me anywhere near you, rest assured I won't be a bother."

"What do you mean?", he asks closing in, "Are you still upset at me, even after I apologized?"

You keep stepping back, "I'm not upset. I'm just not feeling well, please leave."

I think you already replaced me, Ji.

Your back hits the wall and reaching you with long strides, Jihoon is caging you between the wall and his arms.

He hovers over you, "For the past months, you've been begging for my attention, trying everything to establish our relationship, so what happened, what's with this change in demeanour?"

He leans in, your faces merely an inch apart.

"Isn't this what you wanted?", your somber gaze meets his fiery ones.

He's not sure what he wants anymore.

"I have been having dreams about you, about us.", he admits, stepping away, "And I don't think they're just infringements of my imagination."

"What did you see?", your voice comes out in a whisper.

He then proceeds to tell you about the dreams and not so surprisingly you have stories and even photos for some cases to collate with his description of dreams.

"So did we record it as well?", Jihoon asks amused as you dab your hot pink cheeks, "I wanna see it though--"

You're slapping a hand on his mouth as he blatantly teases and asks you about the wet dreams he has been seeing which wakes him up with a tent in his pants.

"Let's brainstorm.", Jihoon is setting his briefcase on the table suddenly, taking out some flaps.

You eye him in suspicion, "Did you hit your head again, you're acting strange. You're acting like my Jihoonie."

The corners of his lips twitch, trying to suppress a smile, "Maybe your Jihoonie wants to make a comeback."

"I'll be waiting with my arms wide open, I miss my boyfriend.", you admit, your tone emitting sadness, your gaze meets his and you're smiling, "Thanks Jihoon."

Maybe that night at his workplace, you read it all wrong. Maybe your mind was too tired, your heart was too hurt so they made a fuss over nothing because you know your Jihoon would never do something to hurt you, even when he can't remember you. Even though his head can't recognise you, there's a hope that his heart would still beat for you.

He grins wider, "Don't get me wrong, I just came here to test your problem solving abilities."

"You should be thanking the heavens that I didn't choose law as my career, you'd have been jobless otherwise.", you retort smugly.

Maybe running your mouth isn't the best option, especially when with Jihoon because now he's running his fourth hypothetical case with you, pinching your arm whenever your drowsy eyes are shutting close.

"Another wedding?", you hum in delight, "Ah, god bless you."

Joshua laughs, "Is it such good news to you that another of my friends is getting married?"

"Isn't it obvious? It keeps the business running.", you muse, eating the brownies he has baked for you, "This is the 4th one right? Why are all your friends getting married this year?"

Joshua ponders, "Beats me as well. How are the brownies, sweetheart? I tried a new recipe today."

"And it's my new favourite.", you say, making him grab a bite of his own baking, "Makes me wanna kiss your hands."

He unabashedly holds his hands to your face only to get a swat.

"That's not what you said you'd do, sweetheart.", he feigns offense, "Shouldn't you start commissioning me by now? I think I bring in a fair share of customers."

He's absolutely right. Joshua is people's people. Everyone knows him. You knew Soonyoung through Joshua, in fact most people know others via him. 

The common link, the mutual friend that everyone talks about is actually Joshua Hong. He's the gossip monger, nothing gets past him. Not even the fact that you had gotten into a relationship. 

You were an expert in keeping personal matters under the sleeves and as asked by Jihoon, only Soonyoung was made known. But two weeks under his observation and he's declaring that there's no point in hiding, that he can tell by your body language that you're dating.

You didn't deny, you knew Joshua is perceptive. Though you felt bad for hiding who you're dating, he waved it off with all smiles stating he'll get to know when the time is right.

"Correct, I should start commissioning you but for baking me the best confectioneries.", you chirp happily, "The lemon drizzle chocolate cake you made at the previous wedding, I can't stress how good it was. Only you could make chocolate and lime flavour work like magic."

"You look happy, sweetheart.", Joshua comments casually, "How's things going with Mr. Boyfriend?"

"It's complicated, Josh.", your mood sets down.

Joshua takes a look at your face and decides to drop the topic.

"What do you think of me, Josh?", you ask with a serious tone, throwing him off bound.

"You want the truth, sweetheart?", he asks softly, his hand already atop yours, rubbing your skin soothingly.

Just one please from you and Joshua is baring his heart out, "I don't know who made you doubt yourself but to me, you're my rock. I have tons of friends but you're among the ones I'd always seek solace. When I had no one, you were there to support me."

He smiles embarrassed as you catch his teary eyes. Joshua is always cheery but there are rare moments like this where you get to see his vulnerable side.

"I was almost out of business when you took me under your wing until I had accumulated enough capital and reputation to establish the standalone business.", he fondly pats your head, "You barely knew me then, just know that you saved my life back then. So I'd never accept anything apart from compliments from anyone about you."

"Joshua Hong, it's too early, don't make me cry.", you say wiping your tears.

His laugh reverberates pleasantly, "You look pretty even when crying, sweetheart."

"You mean ugly."

"I said what I meant, sweetheart."

You could never win against Joshua.

"You're going to Soonyoung's housewarming party right?"

"Only if you're going.", Joshua sighs, leaning back, stretching his arms, "Socializing can be pretty tiring, sweetheart, so I need you as my charge-up."

Soonyoung thinks, no he's sure that Jihoon has been acting differently.

"Weeks ago", Soonyoung pulls up his phone, "I even have proof, you said you weren't coming to my housewarming party. I was hurt, I still am."

Jihoon grimaces.

"You said that you won't go if Y/N's going.", he almost shoves the phone on the lawyer's face, "And now you're here just to ask if she's coming. Why does it matter so much?"

Jihoon gets a little frightened when he sees Soonyoung holding up his hand. He's gonna count points now and after each point, Jihoon knows he's gonna get earfuls.

"First of all, I'm your friend so why does it matter who's coming or not. You should be there ", one finger down.

"Second, unlike you, Y/N is a decent person who doesn't abandon her friends.--"

"When did I abandon you--"

Without batting an eye, Soonyoung continues, "Third, I don't care if you're coming or not."

Jihoon cowers when Soonyoung puts his hand down smiling, almost eerie, "Now, tell me what changed? Are you getting your memories back?"

"Well maybe? First I've been having dreams, now they've turned into flashes. It has been difficult, this whole thing since the accident. But I think I'll get those missing pieces of my memories back soon.", Jihoon smiled wistfully.

"You better be on your knees and apologize to your girlfriend when you do so.", Soonyoung says with an undertone but smiles nonetheless, "I deserve an apology as well."

"Did you just curse?", your brows crease. 

When there's nothing but silence that follows, your eyes squint as you speak again, "So you're not gonna answer me?"

Jihoon frowns, "Who's Joshua and why are you taking him with you as your plus one?"

"We both didn't have a plus one so we decided to go together, that's it.", you explain, "And I know you said you wouldn't go to the party if I go so what's the problem here?"

"Can you stop please?", he pouts and you fight back the strong urge to kiss it away, "It was before, now I want to go but with you."

You grin, "Sorry, but I can't ditch Josh. There's time, find someone."

He nods, accepting defeat. He follows you from the kitchen to the dinning as you set the plates on the table.

You both have fallen into a routine, Jihoon has been acting awfully comfortable around you lately. He drops by your place anytime, he knows your passcode. When you call to remind him about having meals he makes excuses to see you. 

"The lawsuit against the insurance company that I've been working on", he says sitting across from you, "The one we discussed last month, I am planning to try the method you suggested. You might be right, I think these people are collectively trying to extort money in the name of insurance from the company, all of them have huge debts piled up and they're in a closely knitted group."

"Jihoon, let me warn you, it might be the case that your client is actually the perpetrator. What would you do then? You're supposed to fight for your client, not against them. You'll lose trust, people won't come to you."

"Then let it be. Maybe I'd get less cases, but people who are wrongfully accused would have their trust in me. I won't side with those who are on the wrong side of the law."

You give him a proud smile as you both eat in a soothing silence before he leaves your apartment as it drizzles outside.

By the time Jihoon reaches his apartment, the dizzles have turned into a heavy downpour with lightning jagging across the sky. And by the time he's out of the shower he can hear the thunderstorms soaring.

His head hurts with an intensity causing his knees to buckle up. There's a flash again and despite the ache, he's searching for his car keys.

Yet another one of his numerous calls remains unreceived. With every second that ticks away, Jihoon feels his heart constricting. However, his eyes glints hope when he sees the glimpse of the familiar building, nearing it.

His nervousness causes him to mispunch the code a fair number of times. Entering, he comes across an expected sight. The surroundings are pitch black, just becoming visible when the lightning strikes. 

"Y/N?", he shouts. No response. He puts on the flashlight of his cell phone and starts searching for you cautiously. He takes a deep breath, all he has to do is search across a hall, two rooms and a kitchen.

"Y/N?", he shouts again. Still no response. Just as he's about to stride towards the bedroom, from the corner of his eyes he spots a silhouette somewhere in the kitchen. He turns, focusing the flashlight, to see your weak form. You are supporting yourself by the counter with your fingers jabbed into your ears. His gaze softens.

He lunges towards you, engulfing your shaking form into a tight hug, "Shh...I'm here."

"Ji...", you voice out weakly, wrapping your hands around his waist instantly. The call of this nickname stirs something within him. He rubs your back, peppering soft kisses on your forehead. Another lightning strikes and you're shivering in his embrace.  

The raindrops hitting the window panes erupts the stillness of the night. Only with the rain stopping, you find yourself calming down. And you find yourself in Jihoon's embrace.

"How did you-- Why did you come back?", you ask, pulling away but Jihoon doesn't let go of you.

He wipes your tears and observes you carefully, "Are you okay now?"

You nod, "Thanks, Jihoon."

"I felt like I needed to be with you. I don't know how but I just knew that you've astraphobia so I drove back as fast as I could."

You feel a sense of relief, "You already knew, you're just starting to get your memories back, Jihoon."

He stares at you, his eyes darting to your lips often. 

You stare back at him, his eyes asking for your permission.

There's an unspoken consent and instantly, his lips are on your. Pressed against the counter, he grabs the back of your neck deepening the kiss. His thumb runs against the column of your throat, making your head go dizzy.

You gasp into the kiss when he lifts and sets you up on the counter. 

"Ji..", you say breathlessly, "We probably shouldn't--"

His lips work now, trailing hot kisses down your neck and collarbone, "I want to love my girlfriend, is it so wrong?"

"Whom you don't even remember--", another kiss to shut you up. The way you moan is enough for Jihoon to almost make a mess in his pants. 

"Which room?", his voice is thick with desire as he carries you now, not breaking the intense eye contact. "Tell me before I fuck you against the wall.”

One hand slides between your legs while the other supports your weight, as he lays you on the bed his fingers exploring through the fabric of your dress. “Tell me to stop.", he whispers against your neck, nipping slightly.

"Don't stop, Ji", you whine and that breaks him completely. 

His breath catches in his throat at your intense gaze and he leans down to whisper in your ear his hands trail down your sides, making you shiver. His hands push your panties down, sliding the fingers across your wet slit, “Was it lonely here without me?”

“Please Ji, need you.”

With a gentle yet firm grip, he holds your wrists above your head. “You're so adorable when you're needy like this…”, he presses his lips to your neck, trailing kisses downwards, “Such a perfect, impatient thing.”

He hooks his fingers in your thighs, pulling your legs around his waist as he settles between your thighs. He looks down at you with loving eyes, his voice dropping to a husky whisper "My love, you're killing me with these eyes.”

Your body moves on its own, trying to find friction, soft gasps coming out each time you feel his hard clothed length.

A deep chuckle escapes him, "So responsive. Is this what you wanted? To make me go wild?" He leans down, capturing your lips in a passionate kiss while one hand traces your curves, “Such a good girl.”, he whispers against your lips.

He breaks the kiss to look into your eyes, his own burning with desire, "I'm going to take you hard and fast, tonight.”

A wolfish grin spreads across his face at your eager response. In one swift motion, he tears off your clothes, leaving you bare before him. His eyes darkens with lust as he takes in the sight of you. "Damn, you're gorgeous." he growls, quickly shedding his own clothes.

He settles back between your thighs, his hardness pressing urgently against you. With a sharp inhale, he slides into your welcoming heat, filling you completely. "Fuck, you feel incredible," he groans, setting a relentless pace. His hips snapping against yours with each powerful thrust.

He leans down to roughly claim your lips, swallowing your moans as he continues his frenzied pace. His hands grip your hips tightly, fingers digging into your soft flesh as he holds you in place. "Take it, baby. Take every inch of my cock.”

“Fuck, missed you so much Ji, missed being ruined by you.”, you say in between of sobs and gasps, clenching around him.

His movements become more urgent, more possessive. He knows you're close, and it only spurs him on, "Squeeze me just like that. Milk my cock with your perfect little pussy.”

With a feral growl, he buries himself deeper inside you, grinding against your g-spot as he unleashes a torrent of thrusts. Your screams of pleasure fill the room as you reach your peak, your inner walls convulsing around his pistoning cock.

As you come down from your high, he continues to pound into you mercilessly, seeking his own release. His face contorts with pleasure as he chases his climax, his body glistening with sweat. 

With one final, brutal thrust, he explodes inside you, his hot seed filling your womb as he roars his release. He collapses on top of you, his heavy breathing the only sound in the room as he tries to catch his breath. "Fuck... Are you okay?”

He nuzzles his face against your neck, his body still trembling as he asks softly, "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" 

His large hands gently roam your body, checking for any bruises or marks from his rough handling. "Answer me, please?”

A sigh of relief escapes him as he feels your gentle nod against his cheek. "Good", he murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to your neck. He gently nips at your lower lip, "Though I do need to lotion those lovely handprints on your hips... they're quite noticeable.”

“If I let you, it'll lead to another round.”, you say, still breathless and smiling.

“I wouldn't mind. Would you?”, he waggles his eyebrows comically, trying to elicit another giggle from you and maybe get inside you again.

Seeing the crowd, you realize that Soonyoung, if not as much as Joshua, is quite popular.

There's a very limited amount of people you can recognise and the majority you don't. You stick close to Joshua and leave his side when the flock of people keep coming and greeting him.

"There you are.", Soonyoung smiles as you hand him a gift, "How's things going?"

You understand the insinuation, giving a genuine wide grin, "A lot better, you must be knowing, he's getting his memories back bit by bit."

He pats on your shoulder, "Soon, he'll be remembering it all."

Though it's crowded but there's a touch of coziness, you like the atmosphere. Taking permission from Soonyoung, you make a quick tour of his new house. It's impressive, it's warm given the purpose, he bought this house to settle in once he gets married. His parents, including him, have been looking for a partner for him.

You conquer a table at the corner, sitting quietly and sipping on the drink that the host himself has given you. 

"There you are, sweetheart.", Joshua settles beside you, taking a sip of what you were drinking.

Joshua is extremely fun and must have a person to be around, specially at the parties. He would point at random people and drop the juiciest gossip about them. What makes it more interesting is that Joshua's memory is photographic and storytelling is top notch.

You'd ask him about something that occurred four years ago he'd be spilling it all out unabashedly, doesn't even need a brush up.

'Just got here, Soonyoung told me you're in the lawn, I'll come and find you.'

A smile creeps up on your face as you read the text from Jihoon, keeping your phone aside.

Joshua demands your attention once again as he points at a woman, wearing an unmistakable neon coloured jacket.

"That's Arong", he says, "Runs her own boutique. She's a Richie rich."

You squint your eyes to figure her out and surprisingly she's someone you know. She's the same woman you had seen visiting Jihoon's office.

With your interest picked, you ask, "How do you know her?"

"We're good friends, went to the same university.", Joshua eyes glint as if he remembers something amusing, excitedly turning his head to look at you, "She's quite a character you know, she used to hangout with a guy discreetly. I think they had the same group and wanted to keep it low. She's not the kind to commit to a relationship."

You listen quietly.

His eyes turn big, emitting specks of energy as he continues, "Here's the interesting part. She knew that the guy liked her, even after that, she indulged him, went on dates, hooked up with him, all of this went on casually. But when the guy finally asks her out, she brushes him off."

Joshua laughs, "Can you believe it? She doesn't even reject him, she just brushes him off. Imagine the humiliation the guy faced.", he quotes, "By the way, it's not her first drill. From what I heard, all her words not mine, that the guy was really invested in her and wasn't willing to give up, must be a romantic kind. It's kinda blurred out on what happened but she did kinda bruise his ego."

There's something unsettling about this whole narrative. You don't know why but your chest caves in.

"So some days later, he comes back only to tell her that he's dating. Such a foul move.", he sighs, "Amidst all of this, I feel bad for the girl he is dating. I mean she's basically a rebound and probably doesn't even know. It was so wrong, he shouldn't have played it like that. How can he play with someone's feelings when he has practically gone through that himself?"

"When did this happen, Josh?", you ask in a quiet voice, "Do you know his name?"

Joshua ponders for a moment, of course he remembers, "This happened almost three years ago. If I had to be specific, hmm, I think it's around when you start dating as well.", he misses the way face pales, "I don't know his name but I have seen him once or twice while I was face timing Arong. Not sure if he's invited to this party."

'Found ya.'

Your phone buzzes with Jihoon's text and you look ahead to see him walking towards you. 

"That's him!", Joshua points out at Jihoon, "He's the guy we just talked about! Oh my god, why is he coming towards us?", he turns his head again to look at you, "Do you know him?"

It all makes sense now. Jihoon's agreement to date you, to him emphasising on keeping it hidden, to his non commitmental attitude. You've been played. You should have known.

Jihoon is in front of you now and all you tell Joshua before walking out is, "Stop Jihoon from following me."

The party was on Sunday and it's Friday when you decide that you won't be taking any more work, won't work except for the scheduled ones, to give yourself a long break. It feels rewarding after spending effort tirelessly throughout the year.

You're exhausted physically, mentally and unavailable emotionally.

Ending things with Jihoon was easy because there wasn't anything to end in the first place. 

You've met Arong, you've met her in the presence of Joshua, Soonyoung and Jihoon himself. This was specially to let Jihoon know what he has done, to hold  him accountable for something that doesn't remember. 

"I'm breaking up with you."

You aren't crying, not a single choke in your voice, eyes void of any emotion.

"Since you don't remember any of it, not even us being in some sort of relationship", your hands ball into a fist, gaze lowering, "And since none of it was ever real, I'm sure you're relieved."

"Y/N, please--"

"If you ever get your memories back, please don't make it an excuse to come see me. I don't want to see or talk to you ever again."

Jihoon grabs your hand once you turn to walk out, "I don't believe that I could do something like this. I'll get my memories back and when I do, let me--" 

"No don't.", Joshua steps up, yanking your arm out of his grip, "Didn't you hear what she said?"

"And who are you to come between us?"

"Someone who's does not play with feelings."

And all of a sudden there's a scuffle. Jihoon is grabbing the collar of the shirt Joshua's wearing and the latter tackles him down on the ground.

You watch in horror, as the two grown men indulge in a fight where the rest had to step in to separate them.

"The audacity, ridiculous!", Joshua huffs as you and Arong hold him.

"Says the one who doesn't know boundaries!", comes Jihoon's retort in Soonyoung's hold.

His eyes dart back at you, holding so much vulnerability that if you hadn't known the truth, he'd be in your arms by now.

"Y/N, I don't believe that it was all an act, that I hadn't fallen in love with you. It can't be, my head might not remember but my heart has definitely not forgotten you."

You chuckle bitterly, "That's delirium, Jihoon. You're busted and now making excuses. You had something important to tell me, you were on the phone with me when the accident happened. The way you had been acting before that, I'm sure you were going to break up with me. So save it. We're done. It's over."

"To the last wedding of the year!"

You raise your glass to the toast absentmindedly, waiting for the head of catering services to finish his speech.

"We're done with the headache.", Wonwoo leans in to speak into your ear.

A slap on his arm but you're laughing nonetheless, "You shouldn't be saying that."

Rolling his eyes, Wonwoo enunciates, "They asked for the change of flower arrangement three times. You know how difficult it is to convince the suppliers at the last moment."

You give him a pat on his shoulder, "You did great as always though. Imagine being in Joshua's shoes, he had to add two tiers to the cake as a last moment request."

"He's a saint for agreeing to it, I'd never--"

"Wonu, that's our job, as long as it's not unrealistic, we'll try to fulfil it.", your tone is reprimanding.

"So we're leaving as planned on the weekend right?", he speaks over your shoulder, as you check off the items from the inventory list.

You both are now behind the barracks, wrapping things up, "Yes.", turning to look at him you thank him, "Also, sorry for crashing in the trip along with Junhee."

"Oh please, my girlfriend absolutely loves you, maybe more than me? And your house is literally on the way, so no sweat at all", Wonwoo laments, shaking his head, "Junhee has been feeling guilty about what happened. She blames herself, you met Jihoon because he was handling her aunt's case back then."

"It's not her fault. I'll talk to her, maybe she needs some lecture on how to not connect dots every time.", you frown, "And thanks. I'm glad that I got some people who are genuine even though my person wasn't."

All Wonwoo does is give you an empathetic smile.

Jihoon leaves no stones unturned.

"Doctor, I'm willing to do anything", his hands are clasped in desperation, "Please, help me get my memories back."

The doctor sighs, he's tired of seeing Jihoon's face every other day. The doctor gets the urgency but his patient is not understanding the implications.

"What do I need to do? Any brain exercising? New medicines? I'm ready to be a guinea pig for scientific research as well. Just name it, I'll do it if it brings my memories back."

His house is a mess. He's searching every corner, every shelf, every drawer but he gets nothing significant, nothing to get back his memories of you.

Soonyoung quietly watches over as Jihoon lays in slumber. He was finally able to get his friend to sleep, an attempt to free him from restlessness even if it's for limited time.

He can't bear to see his dear friend in this condition anymore and almost calls you but he doesn't because it's not his place. He only hopes for you both to be freed of despair.

The hunt goes on, Jihoon looks like a wreck, he is a wreck. Tries to hit his head again, thanks to Soonyoung's presence he's saved, tries unprescribed/unwarranted pills for memory loss and gets admitted to hospital. Vomits tons, loses appetite along with weight.

A hard slap lands across his face and Jihoon winces. Soonyoung had enough. He gives him a diary which Jihoon recognises as his own.

"I found this on top of the almirah, while you were admitted. You can search the obvious places. I haven't gone through it but it's your personal diary. Hopefully this will help."

And it certainly does. Maybe the accident had made him forget about his most important habit. He goes through it, consumes whatever he has written.

Each page hits a nerve, bringing back visions.

He now knows two things, he definitely liked Arong and found you annoying.

When Arong rejected him, he wasn't surprised. He knew Arong, he knew it was something she could pull. His heart wasn't bruised, it was his ego. He couldn't take it.

And you came into the picture, an annoying woman who likes him. Even though he's a rational lawyer, his practicality leaves him when goes by when decides to follow the classic 'to get over someone is to get under someone else'.

It was fine, he found you tolerable. But his initial plan of breaking up after dating a few months started to crumble when he found himself worrying about you, wanting to see you more and yearning for you more. He was rational after all, so he knew it was him changing. His feelings for you ran deeper than what he had for Arong.

He realised that he liked Arong but he loved you, he loves you now.

And as the realisation settles in again, into the present Jihoon, he falls apart.

You don't like the vibe, no you hate it. Your mother doesn't stop making your favourite dishes, your sister doesn't even throw banter, always agreeing with whatever you're suggesting for Christmas tree decoration and your father keeps on buying you presents discreetly which is also not so discreet.

And somehow, Seungkwan, your sister's boyfriend, is walking on eggshells whenever he's around you.

You miss the laughs, you miss the dramatics, you miss the goofiness.

"I'm not dying, y'all. This isn't the end of the world either."

Silence.

"Can we get back to normal? You all are being extraordinarily nice to me and every time you do so I think about the reason and it makes me think about him which is certainly what I don't wanna do."

You lower your gaze again, mind involuntarily going back to Jihoon, the way he fooled you within the entire span of your relationship. Your naive nature acts as a blindfold, causing you to trust people easily and you take pride in it because you are surrounded by good people who never took advantage of it but that's until Jihoon happened.

You gave him your heart, he crumpled upon it and your trust, he stomped on it.

"We're re-doing the deco of the Christmas tree, it's awful.", your sister, Eunha proclaims, "You just sit and watch."

You look at her, a smile gracing your lips and it's contagious, everyone is smiling.

And follows chaos, returns the banter and it's all over the place as the liveliness reappears. You watch it all with your lips curl up.

Christmas comes as fast and you're really excited, first because you know this year you're getting most gifts, second, like every time you won't have to leave the day after, you have a whole month to yourself, to be around your loved ones.

The house lights up in your favourite colours and you chirp around the house happily.

"So when are you going to propose?", you bump his shoulder, whispering into his ear as he prepares the batter for the cake.

Being the dramatic he is, Seungkwan gasps, glares and bumps back at you, "March, on her birthday. She'd like the ring right?"

"She'd love it, it's so beautiful. I can't wait to capture how ugly she'd look while crying.", you laugh at the thought.

"Hey! Watch it, she'll be beautiful even if she snots.", he retorts, "Our babies will be pretty."

"Oh my god, such a simp.", you fake a gag, "I'm gonna puke."

He suddenly pats your back, without looking at you and that somehow conveys that he's there for you.

As the night draws in, you excuse yourself and beeline into your room, locking the door, giving your parents and your sister and her boyfriend some time to themselves. They are bundled on the couch and the carpet in pairs sharing loving gazes and gentle touches.

As you lay on the bed, your favourite pillow starts to get stained with your tears. Your body shakes with sobs as you hide your face behind your palms.

You miss Jihoon.

You miss his voice, his laughs. You miss his silent affection, the way his gaze affirmed many unspoken words.

It's been four months since you called off things. And it hurts how easy it was for him to accept it all, the lack of contact says it all. You haven't blocked him anywhere and he hasn't tried reaching you either.

Why would he? You gifted him the only thing he wanted from you, a break up. Maybe love isn't the same for all, maybe it doesn't come in the same form.

There are repeated knocks on your door and you lay holding your breath, hoping whoever is on the other side thinks that you've fallen asleep and leaves.

The knocks don't stop, they only become frantic and you hear Eunha's distraught voice, "Y/N, you need to be out asap. Only you can stop dad please!"

What could have happened? You rush off to the bathroom to wash your face before opening the door.

You freeze watching the scene unfold.

Jihoon getting on his knees at the doorstep, bowing his head down in front of your seething father who's holding an umbrella, it's end pointed at him.

"Sir.", he calls your father calmly, bringing everyone's attention back to him.

"You must know what I have done to your daughter. I'm ready for whatever punishment you have for me."

He looks at you, as if his words are for you, "Beat me as much as you want, don't look at my face if it disgusts you but when your rage resides please hear me out. I won't leave until you listen to me. So if you want to get rid of me, you'll have to listen to me.", Jihoon gives a sad smile before grabbing the edge of the umbrella and resting it on his shoulder.

"Have you gone mad?", you scold him, "Get up."

He raises his hand to stop you from rushing towards him. He chooses to ignore your words, his gaze trained on your father.

"Are you contemplating, Sir?", he chortles, "Wasn't it bad enough, what I did to your daughter?"

You shake your head, closing your eyes. You know what Jihoon is doing, he's provoking your father and everyone else.

The rage that had subsided a bit, seems to reignite as your father tightens his grip on the object on his hand.

And you could only watch through it.

"She's the youngest of the household, we've raised her with love, pampered her to bits!"

"The last thing we want is to see her in tears that too on a day like this!"

"How dare you show your face here after breaking her heart in the worst way?"

And the words keep pouring in.

Jihoon is squeezing your arm into a tight grip, hissing in pain.

"What's your motive this time?", you ask while dabbing one of the bruises with disinfectant, particularly hard making him wince, "The Lee Jihoon, I know doesn't care about anyone except himself."

Jihoon's unwavering gaze does nothing to answer your queries and you refuse to meet his eyes.

"You can stay in my room for the night, leave by tomorrow morning, as early as possible."

Just as you get up to leave, he stands as well, blocking your path.

"I lost the insurance lawsuit case.", he says, searching for your eyes, "I ratted out my own clients."

"You came all the way here just to tell me this?"

He shakes his head down, with a small stretch of lips. When he looks up again you're shocked to see tears in his eyes.

"I got my memories back, Y/N.", his voice cracks, "All of them."

"Great.", you scoff in distaste, "I had already warned you to not make it an excuse to see me."

He kneels again, on both knees, "Would you please give me a chance to explain?"

You hate it to admit but you've never seen Jihoon this vulnerable. If anything, he's the type to carry pride and arrogance in his aura. He has never (his words) bowed to anyone and here he is doing it for the second time tonight.

"Jihoon, it doesn't matter anymore. You may not have loved me for even a moment, but I did, with all my heart. And I don't want to go through it all over again.", you say, urging him to be on his feet, "It won't change our past, but it has definitely changed the way I am going to perceive people now."

Jihoon lets out a sob and you freeze.

"I love you, Y/N.", he chokes out in words, as his sobs turn into cries, "That was what I was going to tell you on the day of the accident. I had been so ansty because I realised I was in love, I was going to come clean, I was going to confess."

"I just wanted a honesty in our relationship, you built it entirely around the other way. You didn't love me when we got together but I thought you did and this is the pressing wound, I have."

You don't let him speak further, after putting a very restless Jihoon to sleep on your bed, you ponder over a lot of things.

It's been over a month and the dynamics between you two has changed. When Jihoon begged and begged to give him a chance, to prove himself worthy of you, you denied at first. You had forgotten how persistent Jihoon could be, how convincing he can be.

"Our relationship will be on a trial basis. And there are rules.", you declare with a bored expression, "First, you can't tell anyone we're dating. Second, don't expect me to update you about anything, if I feel like you'll get to know, if not then you won't. Third, skinship is allowed only behind closed doors. You have six months and if within that I feel like you're worthy, we make it public or we part ways."

You give it a last try, to push his buttons and make him admit that he can't be bothered to do this. That he isn't the kind to work under conditions. You're sure that this is when he finally stops.

The corners of your lips twitch as you suppress your triumphant smile. By the way Jihoon stays silent, you're sure he's speechless. And it's just a matter of time he walks out, he walks away from your life.

"I agree with all of it." he says with sincerity, "For the following six months, I'll be the boyfriend, you want me to be. Mold me into anything, I'll take the shape of your like."

Your heart constricts, brain shots, stupid senses, you wanna scream. You swear you'll break him under your watch, it won't be a month and he'll be bailing out.

And Jihoon swears, he'll get you back, that this time, that he'll love you right.

It's Eunha's birthday and Seungkwan made you arrange a big event since she's gonna get proposed. 

You can't stress how nervous you are even after trying your best to suit the taste of everything to be of Eunha's liking along with calming Seungkwan who's about to puke anytime because of his anxiety hitting the roofs.

And now your sister's crying, her now fiancé is crying but you're bawling. It's so beautiful, the entire scene that it makes you a bit too emotional, so you go out to breathe some fresh air and calm your nerves.

You feel a presence beside you and suddenly your head is being downed on a shoulder.

"I have kept your favourite chocolates in your purse. Have them to calm your nerves, your cycle date is approaching. I have restocked the supplies.", Jihoon says, "And made sure that no one is watching us now."

You tangle your arm with his and watch the stars in awe.

"One of your aunts kept asking me if I am single since you introduced me as your friend.", he says, leaning his head against yours.

"What did you say?"

"That I am taken and so in love."

Your heart flutters.

Jihoon has become calmer than he already was. He does everything you say, no questions asked. He waits for you inside his car every night to escort you when you're done for the day. He texts you frequently, though it's mostly monologue without any expectations of getting a reply.

He sleeps on the same bed if you ask him to, he takes the couch when you don't. There's always an ask of consent if he wants a kiss.

Nothing is out of scope, he'll bring you the moon if you want it.

"You look the prettiest tonight, you always do.", he kisses the top of your head, "Thanks for wearing the brooch, I bought you."

"Jihoon", you look up, your face perched on his shoulder blade and gazes meeting, "Why do you always look at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you love me.", your hand slips into his and he encases it as if his life depends on it.

"I do love you.", comes his immediate assurance, "I may not use nicknames, not big on PDA and not be expressive on texts. But I love you and even though I was late to confess the last time I hope at some point I made you feel loved, made you see that guy who's usually not a fan of skinship initiated hugs and held hands, who hates amusement parks had planned every outing there because you like it, who doesn't like carrots either but picks them out of your plate so you don't have to feel guilty for throwing them."

Tears prick at the corner of your eyes and do his.

It's true. Now as well, Jihoon doesn't text 'I love you's, doesn't use nicknames, nor does he gushes over. He's still silent, acts of service loud enough as his love language.

Jihoon looks away, exhaling sharply, "I'm sorry, I started dating to rebound. I think I'll regret this as long as I'm alive."

"I'm on a mission and you're making it impossible to follow through."

It's snowing. Jihoon, as usual, waits for you to wrap things up. Today, he's standing in a corner, inside the venue as snow pours outside.

You are almost done with stuffs when you spot him. He smiles, eyes forming slits as you walk up to him.

His presence, you think, feels like a fresh breath in the hustle. You're just about to greet him when--

"Y/N!", you turn back to hear the yell of your name only to find one of your colleagues, Ahin, rushing towards you, "You forgot to take the inventory list."

Jihoon takes it as que to leave your side. He's about to turn but freezes when Ahin asks, "Who's he?"

As practiced, as he's been doing it for months, he's about to answer, "I'm her friend--"

"Boyfriend.", you cut him off, taking the papers from her hand, "This is Jihoon, my boyfriend."

Ahin is shocked, Jihoon goes stiff and you bite your lips to suppress your laugh. You know tomorrow's gonna be chaos at work.

As Jihoon crosses the threshold of your apartment, he's pressed against the closed door.

Your lips press on his with intensity while his hands tangle in your hair. It's a full makeout session and you're pulling him into the bedroom.

"Since when am I your boyfriend?", there's a tease in his tone as he looks up from between your legs, his chin glistening from your juices, "I thought we still have a month left?"

"Consider this as an early promotion.", you grab a fistful of his hair and push back his mouth to work on cunt, "Let's love now, Ji. Let's be together and happy."

"Let's love then.", he dives in, his tongue parting your folds and finding your clit. He circles it slowly, then sucks gently, coaxing a needy whimper from your lips.

He continues lavishing attention on your clit, his tongue alternating between rapid flicks and slow, sensual licks. One hand slides up to caress your breast, teasing your nipple gently. His other hand grips your hip, holding you steady as he pleasures you thoroughly.

"Ji, fuck!", your heads befalls on the pillows, eyes close shut.

His mouth is relentless, your pleasure his sole focus. He eats you out with abandon, his own hunger evident in the way he devours you. Your cries and whimpers only spur him on, his tongue never stopping its assault on your sensitive clit, "Fuck, you taste so good."

"Ji, can't hold back anymore", you're whimpering as the fisting on his hair tightens.

Upon hearing your breathy confession, Jihoon doubles his efforts, his tongue now moving in tight, rapid circles around your clit. He slips two fingers inside you, curling them just right to stimulate that perfect spot, "That's it, come for me. Wanna feel you fall apart on my tongue."

He can feel you tensing, your hips bucking against his face as you get closer to the edge. He growls around your sensitive flesh, the vibrations pushing you closer. He hooks his fingers deeper inside you, rubbing that spot mercilessly, "Now, Love now."

He continues to lick and suck, drawing out your orgasm until you're a quivering mess beneath him. Only then does he pull back, his chin glistening with your arousal. He climbs up your body, capturing your mouth in a deep, passionate kiss, letting you taste yourself on his lips.

He smiles against your lips feeling your fingers working on the button on his trouser.

"You'll have to leave early tomorrow morning," he says, grabbing both of your hands, "This was for you to have a sound sleep."

"But--"

"You can have me all you want tomorrow, after you return.", he is already descending down the bed to bring warm washcloth to clean you up, "Promise."

"Ji, next month, I'll be gone for a week."

Jihoon hums, as he cleans you up gently, "A destination wedding right?"

You hum sleepily, "Do you wanna join? We could extend the stay and use it as a break."

"I'll check my schedule and let you know. It's a good idea actually."

"I love you, Ji.", your drowsiness amuses Jihoon, as he watches you fall into slumber, "Wanna brainstorm cases with you for the rest of my life."

He presses a soft kiss on your forehead, listening to your soft snores, "And all I wanna do is be the best partner to you. I love you too, dearest darl+ing."

→ Do not copy, re-post, translate, or share any of my works on other platforms! All stories are copyrighted, joonsytip.

[seyoungparkk]

SVT Reaction to yelling at you for the first time/saying something hurtful

a/n: *gasp* I'm actually posting something after... checks watch... 4 years?! holyyyyy shit! anyways, this wasn't requested, I've been been brainrotting over SVT and anyone who knows me knows I love the angst. if you want to see more of SVT or have a request, hit up my inbox! i missed writing and tbh this is probably complete shit. I'm just trying to get back into it slowly before I write any behemoths like I used to. anywhooooooooo, here's some angsty AF SVT reactions.

w/c: 5,000~ (this is normal for me, unfortunately)

warnings: angssssst, some name calling (sl*t is used in a derogatory way by one of the boys I'm so sorry), one of the boys gets slapped (he deserves it), and overall just a lot of hurt no comfort. let me know if I missed anything that needs a warning.

let me know if you wanna see a part 2!

Seungcheol (S.coups)

He can be hot-headed and while he can have a sharp tongue sometimes, he doesn’t actually mean the things that he says in the heat of the moment. When he first raised his voice at you to tell you to “Stop acting like a bitch!” he instantly regretted his choice of words. It wasn’t even that big of an argument, you had only asked him to tell you about practice and what was bothering him, but after the long day he had he really didn’t want to rehash the details. When you sighed your third sigh, he just… snapped. The look on your face told him all he needed to know. He’d hurt you with his words and his tone. He watched in real-time as your expression turned from one of annoyance to one of pure hurt. Before the tears started rolling down your cheeks, you turned from him and immediately locked yourself in the bathroom. 

“Baby?” He approached the door cautiously like he would an injured animal. And he guessed, you kind of were at this point. He lightly rapped his knuckles on the wooden door. “Baby, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean that.” His voice was hoarse, he was trying to hold back his emotions so he could fix this. He could hear you sniffling from the other side of the door, but you made no moves to unlock it. 

“Go away, Seungcheol.”

He flinched at the use of his full name, he hated when you called him that and you knew it. “Ok, I’ll leave you alone for right now, but please know that I did not mean that. I’m not mad at you, I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you, and I’m not going anywhere. Ok, baby?”

He heard a few more sniffles and a soft “ok”, before planting himself against the wall opposite the bathroom door. He’d wait here however long he needed to. 

Jeonghan 

Now, Jeonghan can be sassy and snippy, you know this. You are used to this and you know he can sometimes be more passive-aggressive than he means to be. You two typically work very well together and you never let his snarky comments get to you. Besides, he always ends up apologizing for his moods and you two move on.

This time, however, Jeonghan knows he fucked up. It started with him being late for dinner, which isn’t an unusual thing. Practice runs late oftentimes, it can’t be avoided. But tonight was date night and he wasn’t just a few minutes late, he was three hours late. By the time he got home, dinner was cold and you were snoozing on the couch already in your pajamas. Practice had been tough, their choreographer running through the chorus what felt like hundreds of times until they were all moving in synch. He was exhausted, so instead of waking you up or carrying you to bed like he normally would, he set his things down and went straight to wash up.

The sound of running water is what woke you. You wandered into the bathroom to find your boyfriend in the shower. You crossed your arms and leaned against the doorframe. “You didn’t wake me.”

Jeonghan startled a bit, not having heard you enter. “Sorry, lovey. I’m really tired.” You could hear the harshness of his voice and for a moment you felt guilty, but then you remembered he didn’t even text you he would be running late. 

“You didn’t call or text. It was date night.”

Jeonghan heaved a long sigh before turning off the shower and wrapping a towel around his waist. “It was a long day, love, please.”

“I know, Jeonghan and I’m sorry, but you know how important these nights are to me. You’re getting ready to leave again and-”

He cut you off, voice rising, “Y/N, just stop. I’m exhausted, and you’re being incredibly clingy right now.”

“What- Jeonghan excuse me?”

“You heard me.” He brushed past you, bumping into your shoulder on his way out of the bathroom. 

“Jeonghan! Hey!” You followed after him, not realizing how hot-headed your boyfriend was right now. “You can’t just say shit like that to me!”

“You know what Y/N? I can, now for the love of God, leave me alone!” His voice was louder than you’d ever heard him speak to you before. He was yelling at you. You stood, stunned, in the doorway to your shared bedroom, but Jeonghan wasn’t done. “Either you sleep on the couch or I will, because I don’t want to be around you right now.”

Something inside you snapped, hearing those words from your usually sweet boyfriend. “Don’t bother, Jeonghan. I’ll be at my sister’s.”

You don’t even bother packing a back, just grabbing your purse and phone and leaving, despite only wearing pajamas. Jeonghan followed you out of the bedroom, watching you leave, realizing what he had done as he watched the front door slam behind you. He ran his hands through his still-wet hair, closing his eyes. “Fuck.”

Joshua

Joshua is the biggest sweetheart, so you two don’t fight very often. You have small, petty arguments sometimes, but Joshua is always the first to admit defeat, even if he wasn’t in the wrong, simply because he hates fighting with you that much. 

Tonight, though, he was on a different level of mad. Was it justified? Maybe not, but it didn’t stop him from seeing red when he saw you touching your coworker's arm when he pulled up to pick you up from work. One thing Joshua couldn’t stand, was cheaters, having been cheated on in the past. Parking his car, he honked the horn just once to get your attention.

Immediately, you turned and looked at your boyfriend, smiling wide and bright. It almost made him forget why he was upset in the first place. You turned back to your group of coworkers and waved goodbye before jogging over to the passenger door and getting into your boyfriend’s ride. 

“How was work?” He asked coldly, not bothering to look at you. “Who was that?”

You looked at Joshua confused, brows furrowing, “Who?”

“That guy you were just all over,” he responded, putting the car into drive and pulling away from the sidewalk, “you know the one you were flirting with?”

You blanched. There’s no way your sweet, loving Joshua was accusing you of something right now. He’s joking, right? “You’re joking, right?”

Joshua finally turned and looked at you, and you could tell by the look in his eye that he was dead serious. “Josh, that’s my coworker, Jihyun. I’ve told you about him before, you know the-”

“Save it, Y/N. I saw the way you were looking at him, and you knew I was coming to pick you up, did you just want to rub it in my face?! Huh?” His voice was louder than you’d ever heard it before. His usually calm, soft demeanor had completely changed and it was starting to scare you, before you could get a word in he continued, “Or do you just act like that with all your coworkers?! Like a slut?”

The dam broke and tears started streaming down your face. “Stop the car.”

“No, you’re going to tell me-”

“STOP the car Josh!” You yelled through tears. It stunned him out of his momentary anger and he blinked at you. “STOP!”

He pulled over to the sidewalk, and before he could even put the car in park you were out the door with your bag, leaving your phone behind in his center console. “Y/N! Wait!”

“Save it, Josh!” You slammed the car door and stalked away, leaving Joshua to stare, too stunned to move, but regretting his words instantly. 

Jun

“Please, baby, can we talk about his tomorrow?” Jun sighed into the phone. He was currently laying on his hotel bed, trying to fall asleep but you wouldn’t let him get off the phone. Not that he usually minded, but he was so exhausted from his shoot today that all he wanted was a few hours of sleep before he did it again. “I’m so tired, Y/N.”

“Junhui, this is important!” You whined, trying to go over the schedule for your sister’s wedding next week. He was part of the wedding party, and you were the maid of honor and it really was important that you have the times down for flights and pickups. “I just need to make sure you’re getting in before-”

“Y/N! Please!” Jun yelled into the phone, stunning you into silence. He never yelled, he was usually so calm and collected that his tone shut you up. “Just shut up, please! I can call you tomorrow and we can go over all of this, but right now I need to sleep! You have no idea how long my days are right now and listening you to whine and complain about this stupid wedding is getting on my last nerve!” The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He knows how important this is to you and your family, hell, it’s important to him because he loves you and your family so dearly. He has not idea why he said it, but he can’t take it back now.

He could hear you sniffle on the other end of the phone, but before he could even try and make amends, you cut in, “You know what, Junhui. You’re right. Don’t bother showing up.”

The call ended before Jun could say anything and he immediately tried calling you back, only to be sent to voicemail, over and over again. 

“Baby, please. I am so, so sorry. Please pick up. I’ll be on a flight tomorrow after the shoot, I swear to you. Please, Y/N.” His voice broke on his last words and he hung up the phone with tears in his eyes. 

Soonyoung

Soonyoung was loud on a good day, so arguments between you two tended to get a little bit heated. That said, they were few and far between and your loving boyfriend never raised his voice at you. Despite this, you’ve heard his anger in the practice room, you just weren’t used to it being directed at you.

“I don’t understand why you always have to be on my back about shit, Y/N!” He boomed across the practice room. You two were the only ones in the large room, the others having left about 20 minutes ago after Soonyoung dismissed them. “Why can’t you just chill the fuck out?!”

You stared at your boyfriend in shock. He had never yelled at you like this before. And over what? You telling him he should take a break? 

“Soons, I didn’t mean it like that. I just think-”

“You just think, what?! That I can just drop everything to be with you all the time?! Why are you even here right now? You should be at home, not bothering me at work!”

Tears pricked at your eyes, but you wouldn’t let them fall. Not in here. “I just wanted to bring you and the boys some dinner.” Your voice was small, but Soonyoung didn’t seem to pick up on your near tears, because the yelling continued. 

“We don’t need your help, Y/N! I don’t need your help! Just go home.” He spat, turning away from you to start packing up his bags. “I’ll be at the dorm.”

Without saying another word, you turned on your heels and ran out of the practice room and into the maze-like halls of the Hybe building, but not before Soonyoung heard your little gasps for air like you were about to have a full-blown panic attack. His anger completely dissipated at the sound, dropping everything he was doing to stand up and follow after you. 

He felt like an idiot. Did he really just blow up on you, his favorite person in the whole universe, over something so silly? He was just stressed, he didn’t mean it, but now he’s hurt you, his entire world. He rushed out of the practice room, but it was too late. You were nowhere to be found, even after he searched up and down the halls, the lobby, and even the roof. Running his hands through his hair, he headed back to grab his bag and keys and started heading back towards your shared apartment. He knew he had a lot to make up for, but he wasn’t sure what state he’d find you in.

Wonwoo

“Y/N just shut the fuck up for once!”

You stood, stunned into silence, in the doorway of your boyfriend's gaming room. Wonwoo opted to ignore your figure to continue playing whatever game he was playing on his computer, headphones still snug over his head. 

You had approached him asking if he would get off the games to go out to dinner with you. You’d been asking him all week if you two could go out together since he had the next two weeks off before preparing for his group’s next comeback. He pushed off your requests but you’ve finally had enough and pushed him to come out with you tonight, but boy was that a mistake. 

You knew you were starting to get on his nerves, but you didn’t understand why. All you wanted was to spend some time with your boyfriend before we got busy again and you weren’t able to. You felt like the two of you were drifting apart and this just confirmed it. He had never yelled at you like that before, and the fact that he wasn’t even turning around to look at you sealed the deal. 

“I’m sorry, Wonwoo.” Your words were soft as you turned around, slamming the door behind you. 

Wonwoo sighed again into his mic for the billionth time that night, only this time, Seungcheol on the other end had had enough. “You’re a fucking dick, dude.”

Wonwoo blanched at that, “What do you mean?”

“You just yelled at Y/N and she just apologized?” Did you? He couldn’t hear you over his game. Wonwoo pushed one side of his headphones off so we could listen to you out in the apartment. He heard shuffling around and furrowed his brows. “Dude, go fix it, she’s probably pissed at you.” Wonwoo only nodded, not realizing Seungcheol couldn’t see him, and shut his computer off. 

As he walked into your shared bedroom, he saw the tail end of you shoving things into a duffle bag. Shocked, he rushed over to you, reaching out to grab your arm, but you flinched away so hard he was paralyzed with shock. “Do not touch me Jeon Wonwoo!”

Shit. You used his full name, you never did that. “Baby, I-”

“Don’t call me that.” You said coldly, before grabbing your bag and heading for the door. “I’ll be at Sunmi’s.” You threw over your shoulder before walking out the front door and out of Wonwoo’s life. He watched you walk away and for a moment, just stood there dumbstruck, before falling to his knees with tears streaming down his face. 

Jihoon

Jihoon could easily get into aggravated or ‘mean’ moods and after being together for so long, you’ve learned when to give him space when he needs it. But when he’s been ignoring you for the better half of the whole week, you’ve had enough.

You knocked on his studio door three times and waited for an answer. Only you didn’t get one. You knocked again, but this time you kept knocking until you heard his grumbles from the other side of the door. 

“I’m coming! Jesus, Cheol, can you-”

When Jihoon opened the door to find you, his loving girlfriend of 5 years, his words are cut short. You smile slightly at him and push your way through the entrance of his studio, plopping yourself on his black leather couch.

“Since you don’t want to leave the studio, I decided to come to you.”

Jihoon felt his anger rising. So what if he’s been in his studio and the dorms for the last 6 days? He has a job to do and this album’s due date is next week. He has limited time and not enough hours in the day to complete this. You know this, and yet, here you are to bother him. 

“Y/N, go home.” He says cooly while taking a seat at his computer. 

“No.” You say simply, a smirk on your face. “I’m here to keep you company until you’re ready to come home.”

“Y/N…” he sighed, running a hand down his face.

“Don’t Y/N me, you can’t stay here cooped up like a hibernating bear. It’s not healthy, Ji.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, Y/N. You know the deadline is coming up, I have to get this done.”

“I understand Ji, but-”

“Do you?” He yells, turning his chair to face your shocked one. “Do you actually understand the pressure I’m under Y/N?! No, you don’t, because all you do all day is sit at home and answer emails and phone calls. You don’t understand how hard I work when all you ever do is lay on the couch!”

Now that hurt. Jihoon knows you work hard, he does. He has been with you since before you finished your Masters in business and before you started working for this huge tech company. He knows that you work on important projects all day and you get stressed with meeting deadlines just like he does. He knows what he’s saying isn’t fair, but he just wants you out of his hair so he can finish these songs. 

His studio was silent for a few minutes as you both just sat there staring at eachother. You swallowed hard and Jihoon could tell you were holding your tears back. “I’m sorry, Jihoon, I didn’t realize you felt that way.”

“Wait-” Jihoon stood up and followed you as you rushed towards his studio door, “I didn’t mean-”

“Yes, you did.” He could hear the crack in your voice and his heart broke at the dejected look on your face. “Goodbye, Ji.”

You walked out the door, leaving Jihoon standing in the doorway regretting all the choices he’s made this week leading up to this moment. He wants to chase after you, wants to do something, anything, but the guilt keeps him rooted in place.

Seokmin

Your boyfriend is a literal embodiment of sunshine. He’s happy-go-lucky and positive like no one you’ve ever met before and it’s one of the main reasons you fell for Seokmin. He’s so sweet, and kind, and caring, that you are constantly asking yourself how you got so lucky to be his girlfriend, the one he loves most. 

So it’s safe to say that when you hear him yelling from the other room in your shared apartment, you’re pretty shocked. You spring up from your spot on the bed and rush out into the living room to see what he’s yelling about, assuming he found a bug, or something. Only, it wasn’t a bug. Seokmin was standing in the middle of your living room holding his phone out for you to see. 

“What the hell is this Y/N?!” His face was turning slightly red and you could tell he was angry. You moved closer to him and furrowed your brows as you read the large text at the top of the article. ‘Y/L/N Y/N leader of popular k-pop girl group is in secret relationship with amateur actor Park Seungmin’ was written across his phone screen with a photo of yourself and some small-time actor you didn’t recognize. “Who is he Y/N?!”

You looked back up at your boyfriend, confusion written all over your face. “Seokmin I have no idea, you know these articles come out all the time-” before you could finish, Seokmin was moving past the couch to push the phone in your face. Feeling defensive you shove at your boyfriend’s chest a little, not enough to actually move him but to get your point across, “Seok! Stop it!”

“No, Y/N, did you think I wouldn’t find out you were fucking this guy?” Seokmin shoved his phone back into his pocket but kept pushing into your space. “Think I wouldn’t figure it out? Is this where you’ve been when you’ve said you were at practice late?” His voice was raising and you were honestly a bit scared of him in the moment. You’ve never seen him so worked up about anything. 

“Seok, listen to me-”

“No! You can’t just-” “SEOKMIN!” You screamed just to get him to stop, you didn’t even care if your neighbors heard you. “Stop it! Stop, please!” There were tears running down your face and Seokmin looked devastated, whether it was because he truly believed you cheated or because he was regretting his words, you weren’t sure. “Get out. Please!”

“I, Y/N, I’m so-”

“OUT!” You sobbed, putting your face in your hands. 

“Oh - okay, I’ll stay at the dorms, but baby-”

“Just leave Seokmin.”

Mingyu

Your huge puppy dog of a boyfriend was the cuddliest, kindest, big-hearted person you had ever met in your life. Mingyu was so kind and caring and he never, ever raised his voice at you, even when he was upset (which happened sometimes, cause you’re human!). 

Which is why it was so startling when you came home to find him hunched over his phone, sitting on the couch, looking like his world was ending. You dropped your bag by the door, not bothering to look where you tossed your phone and keys, and ran over to Mingyu and placed your hands on his knees. 

“Baby? What’s wrong, what happened?” You peered up into his large brown eyes that were looking back at you with an anger you’d never seen in them before. The look he was giving you shocked you to the point you removed your hands from his knees as if he burned you. “Babe?”

“You have the nerve to ask me what’s wrong, when YOU are what’s wrong?” He glared daggers at you as he suddenly stood up, making you jump backwards slightly, hitting your back into the glass coffee table. You flinched but stayed still as Mingyu towered over you. He pointed his phone at you showing you a string of texts between him and Soonyoung. “This, this is what is wrong, Y/N!”

Your brows furrowed as you read the text messages, but you couldn’t, for the life of you remember sending them. “Mingyu, I think-”

“What the fuck is this Y/N?!” He screamed, making you jump again and wince as you hit your back for the second time. “Are you fucking him behind my back?!” This time your wince came from the sheer volume of your boyfriend’s voice. 

“Gyu, he must be pranking you, please calm down lovey.” Your voice was quiet now, you’ve never seen him like this and it was really starting to scare you. Why would he yell at you without asking questions first? It really stung, worse than the pain you were feeling in your spine. 

He scoffed, “You have some nerve coming back here.” With that he stalked off to your shared bedroom and slammed the door, locking it behind him and leaving you there on the floor of your living room, shocked and crying. 

You stood up, grabbed your bag, and called Joshua, explaining to him what was going on as you ran out of your apartment building to call a cab and head to your brother’s.

Minghao

Your boyfriend, Minghao, didn’t have a short fuse per se, but he definitely didn’t have the patience of a saint either. But that was fine because he never directed his anger at you. You were the light of his life, his only love, and he let you know that on a daily basis. So when the words “You’re acting fucking crazy right now” came out of his mouth, it absolutely shocked you. 

“Hao, what do you mean by that?” You asked him quietly, not quite believing he would say such words to you and mean them. You were having a rough day, no MONTH, and when you got home from work all you could think about was how messy the apartment was. You got straight to work scrubbing and cleaning everything you could see and when Minghao arrived home from practice you asked if he could help you with the refrigerator. 

It set off a small argument about him being tired after a long day, but you continued cleaning even when he asked you to stop and have dinner with him. He didn’t understand, you needed to get the apartment clean before you could relax. But to tell you you’re acting crazy? You’ve never heard him say those words before. 

“You heard me, Y/N. You need to chill the fuck out! Why are you always like this when you get stressed?! You need to learn how to fucking relax because it’s getting on my nerves!” Minghao yelled into the mostly quiet apartment, the only other sound aside from him was the aircon running in the corner. 

“I - I do- don’t…” you stuttered, dropping the sponge you were holding, “I’m s-sorry Hao, I-”

“Don’t, Y/N. Just please leave me alone.” Your usually sweet boyfriend stormed past you and into your bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. 

You took a few deep breaths like Minghao had taught you previously when you’ve had panic attacks, and sunk to the floor, back against the kitchen cabinets. You couldn’t stop the tears now, so you placed your head between your knees and tried fruitlessly to get your breathing to calm down. 

Minghao was in the other room, in a similar state after what he just said to you. But all he could do was sit and listen to your sobs while he figured out what exactly was wrong with him that he would be the cause of your hurt like that.

Seungkwan

Living with Boo Seungkwan, one of the sassiest idols in Korea, was bound to lead to spitfire arguments and fights occasionally. You were used to your little spats, always making up by the end of the evening. Seungkwan had a rule, after all - never go to bed upset. 

That is why you were so shocked to receive a phone call from your boyfriend right before you got off work. 

“Y/N I need you to stay somewhere else tonight.”

“Wait, what?” You were confused, you and Seungkwan had been living together for almost a year now, and he has never asked this of you before. “Where am I supposed to stay?”

“I don’t know, Y/N and frankly I don’t really care right now. I can’t believe you told Seungcheol about our trip.”

Your heart dropped to your feet at the mention of Seungcheol, because yes, you had accidentally let it slip that you and Seungkwan were planning a weekend trip to Jeju to visit his family and have a little getaway before they went on tour. You didn’t think it was a big deal at the time, as Seungkwan hadn’t asked you to keep it a secret or anything, but the look on Seungcheol’s face after you told him told you that Seungkwan most likely never planned on telling him. 

“We have a schedule on Saturday and I was planning on skipping it, and you’ve gone and ruined the whole thing.”

“I- I’m so sorry babe, I didn’t realize-”

“Save it, Y/N. I can’t believe you would go blabbing to Cheol of all people! Do you realize what you’ve done? I got chewed out in front of the whole group during practice today!” His voice was rising and your guilt was too. “Just, find someplace to stay tonight, I don’t want to see your face. And maybe this weekend too.” At that, your boyfriend ended the call, leaving you distraught at your desk. 

One of your coworkers noticed the tears running down your face and came over to ask if you were alright, and you nodded but said you needed to head home, as something important came up. She understood and let your boss know as you gathered your things and headed down to the subway. 

Back at your shared apartment Seungkwan was pacing back in forth in the living room, unbelieving of what he just said to you. Yes, he was rightfully upset, but that didn’t give him the right to ream you like that. You would come home, right? You had to, you had a rule, after all. You never went to bed upset. 

But Seungkwan waited up for you all night, calling your phone dozens of times before it eventually turned off. You never walked through the apartment door and now he has no idea where to find you. 

Vernon

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

Those were the first words you heard from your boyfriend’s mouth as you walked out of your shared bedroom after getting ready for work. 

“What’s the matter, babe?” you asked as you finished tying your hair up. 

“Don’t ‘what’s the matter, babe’ me. My fucking lyric sheets!” He held up a stack of papers that looked like they’d been soaking in water all night. 

“Oh no, what happened?” You asked, moving towards Vernon with outstretched hands as if you could actually dry the papers for him. 

“Oh, I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?! Someone left a glass of water on the table where the cat could knock it over, and guess what?! She did!” He shook at papers in your direction to emphasize his point, splashing you with frigid droplets, and making you flinch. And yes, you did leave your glass of water on the coffee table last night, being too tired to get up and do the dishes, but did he really have the right to blame you?

“Look, Vern, I’m really sorry, but-”

“Don’t even try to say it isn’t your fault because it fucking is!” Your usually quiet and calm boyfriend yelled at you in the middle of your living room. You were honestly so taken aback that you didn’t know what to say to him. Vernon was typically so cool and collected that seeing him red in the face with anger was not something you were prepared for this early in the morning. “I can’t fucking believe you.”

“You know what, Vern, I’m sorry but you don’t get to talk to me like that.” You said in a quiet voice, betraying your confident words. You walked over to the front door and grabbed your jacket and bag before turning around to look at your boyfriend again. “I’ll go to Jihyo’s after work. I’m sorry about your papers.”

Vernon watched you with wide eyes as you exited your apartment, slamming the door behind you. You were right, he shouldn’t have spoken to you like that, but he was just so angry when he came out of your bedroom this morning to find his lyrics ruined. He huffed a sigh before plopping down onto the couch and placing his head in his hands. How was he going to fix this?

Chan

It wasn’t like you to come home so late, but your annoying boss asked you to calculate some projections for next quarter 15 minutes before your clock out time and you couldn’t just tell him no, especially when you’re up for a promotion this month. So you took on the task and ended up working 3 hours of overtime. 

You were so caught up in paperwork that you didn’t even think to text Chan, your boyfriend, and let him know you’d be home late. You didn’t think he would mind, but when you sat down on the bus to head home, you checked your phone to find 9 missed calls and dozens of texts. The last few were especially worrisome.

From Channie: do you have any idea how worried i am?!?

From Channie: i swear to god Y/N if you dont call me back

From Channie: where the fuck are you???

From Channie: are you out with that guy, from work?! 

From Channie: you know what? Dont bother coming home

You furrowed your brows. Chan never usually reacted like this. You pressed the little green phone icon next to his name in an attempt to soothe whatever he was feeling, only to be met with his voicemail. Instead you tried texting him a few times, but the texts stayed green, never going through. Confused, you pocketed your phone and continued on your ride home. 

When you got to your apartment you keyed in your passcode and walked into an almost completely dark apartment.

“Channie?” You called out, setting your bag down on the console table. “Chan, what’s going on?”

All of the sudden your bedroom door bursts open to reveal a slightly tipsy Chan, stumbling towards you. “Where the fuck were you?!” He yelled, slightly slurred.

“Chan - Chan what - are you ok?” You asked, slipping your shoes off and walking towards him with your arms out to steady him.

“Am I ok!? Am I OK!? You’re out with who the fuck knows doing God knows fucking what and I can’t reach you. And you have the balls to ask if I’M OKAY?!” He roared, making you take a few steps back. You’ve never seen him this angry before, and it confused and scared you.

“Chan, my boss asked me to work on some projections, you know how he-”

“Oh fucking save it, Y/N! Just get the fuck out of my face!”

“Chan!” By now, tears were running down your cheeks, you honestly couldn’t believe your sweet and loving boyfriend was saying such cruel things to you right now. “You know I’m up for promotion and - and…” 

“And what, Y/N?! You think you can just sleep your way to the top?!”

You swung your hand back and slapped your boyfriend as hard as you could across the face. It seemed to jar him enough that he snapped out of whatever rage he was in. He blinked a few times, sobering up, before he looked at your tear-streaked face, realizing what he had just said. 

“Y/N, wait.”

“No, Chan, fuck you!” You screamed, running into your bedroom and slamming the door shut. He deserved that, he thinks. 

“Baby, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that,” he knocked on the door a few times before trying the knob, it was locked, “just let me in, please. I’m so sorry, baby, so, so sorry. Let me in and we can talk, I don’t know what came over me, I was just so worried about you.” He was rambling now, but he wasn’t sure what else to do, he knew if he didn’t fix this he was going to lose you.

He could hear your sobs on the other side of the door and it was breaking his heart. He slid down the wall opposite the door, resolute to wait there the entire night until you finally opened the door.

[seyoungparkk]

SVT Reaction to yelling at you for the first time/saying something hurtful pt. 2

a/n: ok here is pt. 2! i got a ton of asks/comments asking for a pt. 2 and honestly I kinda hate this. its totally unedited, as usual, and I really don't feel like I gave all of them justice. some of them feel kinda rushed, but anywayssssss, send me your others requests for SVT while I'm on this writing kick... hehehe.

w/c: 8,000~ sheeeeeesh

warnings: angsssssssssst, like a lot of angst, female reader (for a couple of the boys), pet names (good girl), hurt/comfort, mentions of previous slap and bruising, just overall angsty as per usual. no smut but this blog is 19+ MDNI as always.

Seungcheol (S.coups)

Just like Seungcheol promised, he stayed up against the wall by your bedroom door all night. He tried his best to fight sleep but eventually, his exhaustion got the better of him and he fell asleep sitting up, head dipped down so his chin touched his chest. 

When you finally decided you’d locked him out long enough, sometime in the middle of the night, you quietly exited your bedroom to find him in this state. A wave of guilt rushed through you at seeing him like this. He was probably exhausted from non-stop practice, and you knew he shouldn’t be sleeping in positions like this, his physiotherapist would probably kill him. But you also knew that you were incredibly hurt by his words and until he properly apologized you couldn’t allow yourself to feel that guilty. 

Instead of waking him up, you walked out to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. But the small noises of clinking glass and running water woke your boyfriend up from his slumber. Stumbling into the kitchen, one fist rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and the other massaging his knee, he found you standing there sipping from your glass, eyes red and swollen from crying. 

“Baby…” his voice was rough, you could tell he had been crying too and it made your heart clench. He took a few steps towards you and you didn’t resist, letting him get close. “Honey, I’m so sorry.” Seungcheol reached both his hands out to you but didn’t dare touch until he got your permission. That permission came in the form of you setting your glass down on the counter and opening your arms for him to fall into. 

The relief he felt was immense as he sunk into your embrace. “I’m so, so sorry baby,” he was sobbing without realizing it, soaking the front of your sleep shirt with salty tears, “I didn’t mean it, you know how much I love you and I c-can’t believe I s-said something like that to you.”

You hugged him closer as your own tears started to fall again. “It’s ok Cheol, I forgive you.” You whispered into his hair as you held him. His embrace was warm and felt like home and of course, you forgave him, he meant what he said, and you were his entire world, as he was yours. “I love you so much, Cheollie.”

“I love you, too, baby, please never leave me.”

Jeonghan 

It’s been three days and Jeonghan is losing his absolute mind. He has never gone more than a single day without some form of communication with you, and if your sister Nayeon hadn’t texted him yesterday to let him know you are in fact fine, he would’ve probably filed a police report by now.

He’s sent probably hundreds of texts and he calls you at least a few times a day. Each and every one has gone unanswered and Jeonghan just doesn’t know what to do with himself at this point. 

He had just gotten home from practice, as he was sent home early by Seungcheol, stating he ‘needed to take a breather’ after sulking around the practice room for hours on end. When he dropped his keys on the kitchen island he startled at the sight of you standing at the stove, stirring something in a pot.

“Lovey?” Jeonghan asked as you turned around to look at him. He sounded as if he didn’t really believe his eyes and thought maybe he was hallucinating you standing in your shared kitchen. “You - you’re home?”

You gave a tight-lipped smile and nodded twice before turning back around to finish whatever you were cooking. It smelled delicious and Jeonghan suddenly couldn’t remember the last time he ate. But that didn’t matter right now. You’re home.

“Baby, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean any of that, you know that right?” He asked, desperately, as he moved closer to you, reaching out like he wanted to give you a back hug. Any other time he would’ve been clinging to you as you cooked, but now he hesitated. Were you still upset? Of course, you were, how could he ever think you wouldn’t hate his guts after what he did. “Lovey, please… please look at me.” Jeonghan was on the verge of tears now, thoughts spiraling to all the worst-case scenarios. It was his sniffles that finally made you turn to face him, tears already falling from your own eyes.

“Hannie…” your voice was quiet and choked, and the look of exhaustion on your face broke Jeonghan’s heart even further. 

“Baby… can I please hold you? Please?” The tears were flowing freely now, he didn’t even bother to stop them. When you shyly nodded he wasted no time in scooping you up in his arms and placing you on the kitchen countertop, arms wrapped around your middle as he sobbed into your chest. You weren’t faring much better, arms wrapped tightly around his neck and you cried into his soft hair. “Please, pl-please don’t leave me. Please, lovey, I was so, so worried. I don’t know what to do without you, an-and I’m so fucking sorry, Y/N.”

“I know, Hannie. I know.”

“N-no, please. Let me make it up to you. I mean it, I don’t know what came over me, and I will spend forever making things right again.” All you could do was hold your boyfriend and nod, knowing that he would indeed keep this promise. 

Joshua

“Y/N! Wait!” Joshua snapped back to reality right away, watching as you rushed down the sidewalk back toward your workplace. He shut his car off quickly before grabbing his keys and phone and rushing out after you. “Y/N!”

He caught up to you quickly, you being much shorter than him, in a few long strides. He grabbed your elbow lightly, not allowing you to walk any further. “Baby, I know you’re upset. Fuck, I’m so sorry, but do not rush off, it’s not safe.”

You halted your steps but didn’t turn around to face your boyfriend. Tears were threatening to fall, but you held them back as you waited for him to continue. 

“F-fuck, Y/N. I’m sorry, I have no idea what just came over me. You are not a slut, and I don’t believe anything that just came out of my mouth, please baby, please believe me.” His grip loosened on your arm once he was sure you weren’t going to run again. “I know you’re mad, but please get back in the car, we can go home and you can scream at me all you want. But I want to make sure you’re safe.”

You finally turn to face Joshua as the tears started to fall. There weren’t too many people around, but it was enough to make your face heat with embarrassment, making Joshua’s heart shatter. On top of hurting you with his words you were embarrassed and it was all his fault. 

“Come on, sweetheart,” he urged gently, offering you his hand, which you reluctantly take. “Let’s talk about it on the way home.” You nodded and followed him back towards the car, allowing him to open the door for you and click your seatbelt into place before taking his place behind the wheel again. 

You wiped your tears with the sleeve of your sweater as Joshua began to drive. You mumbled something softly that Josh didn’t quite pick up. “Say that again, baby?” He looked over at you with soft eyes, waiting for you to repeat yourself.

“He’s gay.”

Joshua took a moment to realize what you were talking about before it clicked. Your coworker. The gay one who just got engaged to his fiance. Their wedding is this summer and you’ve been talking about it non-stop since he asked you to be in the wedding party. Joshua felt like the biggest idiot on the planet.

“Shit. Sweetheart, I knew that. Fucking hell I’m an idiot. I’m so fucking sorry, Y/N.” He ran one hand over his face, blinking rapidly to try and hold back his own tears of embarrassment now, not letting them fall so he could get you both home safe.

You wouldn’t look at him the rest of the ride home, but when you got home that night Joshua groveled and babied you until you forgave him for his shitty words. 

Jun

The next day, Jun kept the promise he made in the last voicemail he sent. He was on the first flight home after his schedules and the entire flight back to Korea he was wracking his brain with what he was going to say to fix this, if he even could fix this. The thought was tearing him apart. He did his best to sleep on the plane, but he couldn’t get his mind to stop picturing the worst case scenarios of you leaving him when he got home.

Once he was finally standing outside your shared apartment door, bouquet in hand, he knocked quickly three times, despite having the passcode. If you needed space, he was going to give that to you, his feelings be damned.

After a moment you opened the door, surprised to see your boyfriend holding a rather large bouquet of flowers, though you guess he did tell you he was coming home today in his voicemails. You almost felt guilty for making him come home a few days earlier than he should have, but that thought quickly evaporates when you remembered his words from last night.

“Why are you here?” You ask, not allowing him to pass you and enter your apartment, despite him also living there. You could tell Jun had been crying, you could tell he was miserable, and while you felt a pang of heartache for your usually loving boyfriend, you couldn’t help but feel some sort of satisfaction that he had been up all night crying just like you had. 

Junhui frowned at your words, but pushed the flowers towards you gently. “These are for you… and Y/N, please. I’m so sorry…” He was wearing the most forlorn look on his face as he stared down at his feet. 

You took pity on your boyfriend and took the flowers, turning on your heel to bring them into the kitchen, leaving the door open so he could finally come in. As you set the bouquet down on the countertop, you turned back to the doorway, watching as your boyfriend stayed standing outside, still staring at his feet. 

“Well, are you just gonna stand there, or come in?” You asked snippily.

Jun looked up at you, large doe eyes watering with unshed tears, before nodding and entering the apartment and softly closing the door behind him. He still couldn’t bare to look at your face and the remnants of dried tear tracks and puffy cheeks. He felt immeasurable guilt for the things he said last night and how he made you feel. So he continued staring down at the floor out of respect for you.

“Y/N, I hope you know I didn’t mean any of those things I said last night. I love you and your family so, so much. There is nowhere in this world I would rather be than with you, in your arms, making you the happiest person on the planet. I love your family, and one day I know they’ll be my family, too, so, of course, I love them, of course, I will do whatever it takes to make them happy too, because-” Jun let out a soft ‘oof’ when you collided with his chest, stunned for a moment before he gently closed his arms around your middle, resting his cheek on your soft hair. “I love you more than all the stars in the sky.”

You were sniffling now and Jun could tell you were on the verge of full-blown sobbing when you said with a watery voice, “And I love you more than all the fish in the sea.”

Soonyoung

When Soonyoung entered your darkened apartment, there was silence, and that scared him more than the noises you made when you ran out of the practice room. With his thoughts spiraling to all the worst-case scenarios of what could be happening, he quickly searched through your shared space, checking all the rooms and bathrooms to figure out where you were hiding. 

When he reached the guest bedroom, he heard it. A small sniffle and a gasp for air. Without thinking he launched himself onto the guest bed, thinking he’d find you, but you weren’t there. Looking around again, he finally spotted you, squished in between the corner wall and the old dresser you two had put in here last year. Your head was between your knees and you were attempting to take deep breaths, but he could tell it was futile. 

Rushing over to you he dropped to his knees, ignoring the pain in his knee caps as he did so, and reached out to put his hands on your shoulders. Your head shot up as if you hadn’t heard all the commotion before and stared up at your boyfriend with a red, puffy face, streaming with tears. The sight broke Soonyoung’s heart even further, but he needed to help you through this first and foremost. 

“Baby, I need you to breathe, ok? Can you do that for me?” You shook your head no, an action that he mirrored, “I know you’re upset, and you should be, but right now I’m more worried about your breathing. Ok, deep breath…” Soonyoung took an exaggerated deep breath in which you were reluctant to mirror, “C’mon baby, please breathe with me.” You could tell from your boyfriend’s tone that he was actually starting to get scared and in turn that scared you, so you followed along with his instructions. “There you go, good girl, again…”

After a few minutes of following Soonyoung’s deep breathing, your own started to even out, satisfying your boyfriend enough for him to properly sit down and pull you into his lap, cradling you like you were the most precious thing to him in that moment. As you started to move to get out of his embrace, his arms tightened slightly around you as he murmured into your hair, “Please… please baby, please don’t leave me.”

His panicked tone set you on edge again, having thought you were both calmed down from before, but clearly he needed this now. 

“Please…” he was sobbing into your hair, your shoulder, just trying to be as close to you as possible, even though he knew he didn’t deserve it. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so fucking sorry, please, please don’t leave.” He was begging now.

“Soon…” You whispered, taking one cheek in your hand and raising his face to meet your eyes. You could see the anguish there, he really thought you were about to leave him for good. “Soon, I’m not leaving. I’m just really upset with you, you said some cruel things to me.”

Soonyoung cleared his throat slightly, but the tears kept running, “And you should be! I was horrible, baby, and I’m so fucking sorry. I was in my head about practice and nothing going right today.”

“I can see that Soonyoung, but it doesn’t give you the right to treat me that way.”

“You’re right, I’m not making excuses. I was wrong, and if you’ll let me I will make it up to you, and prove to you it wont happen again. I love you so much, and all I want is to cherish you.”

You slid your hand down his cheek, his neck, his shoulder, until you wrapped both your arms around him, squeezing him tightly, which he returned without a second thought. “And I love you, too, Soonie.”

Wonwoo

Wonwoo had been knocking on your friend’s door for the last five minutes, he knew you were in there. You told him last night where you were going, but you hadn’t answered any of his calls or texts all night, finally prompting him to drive over here himself and make sure you were alright.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Sunmi answered the door wearing a robe with her hair up in a towel. It was clear she had just showered and she looked like she was about to tear Wonwoo a new one, until she saw the crazed look in his eyes. 

“Wonwoo? What are you doing at my door at,” she looked behind her at her microwave clock, “6:53 am? Is it Y/N?” Now she was starting to panic, wondering why your boyfriend is at her apartment looking like he just went through hell and back.

“She’s not here?” Wonwoo’s eyes widened, “What do you mean she’s not here? She didn’t come over last night?” Sunmi shook her head, not understanding what Wonwoo meant. She talked to you yesterday, but made no plans to come over. “Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck!” Wonwoo ran both his hands through his hair and turned on his heel, running down the hallway of Sunmi’s apartment building. “Call me if she shows up, please!” He yelled over his shoulder, and all Sunmi could do was nod before he disappeared down the corridor. 

Now, Wonwoo was actually panicking. How could he let you go last night? What if something horrible happened to you? What if- he needed to find you. Now. 

Wonwoo started calling all of your friends, your brother, even his friends, to see if you were with any of them, only to be met with the same answer: No, they hadn’t seen or heard from you. Wonwoo walked through the streets near your shared apartment, every scenario of what could have happened to you running through his mind. The picture of you sitting somewhere, cold and sad with your duffle bag absolutely sends him spiraling. He’s calling your phone over and over, sending texts that are becoming more crazed as time goes on. 

Wonwoo is nearly home, resigned to finally calling your mother and the police, when he gets the text. 

From: Y/N  i’m home

Fuck. He shoved his phone in his pocket and started sprinting the rest of the way home, not taking even a moment to catch his breath before he’s bursting through the front door, finding you with your face in your hands, sitting on the couch of your shared living room. 

“Y/N, oh my God, Y/N…” Wonwoo dropped to his knees in front of you, reaching out and smoothing his hands over your shoulders, needing to feel that you were real, “Y/N are you ok? What happened, where were you?” Wonwoo we crying from relief at this point, trying, and failing to hold back his sobs. 

You sniffled again and finally pulled your head from your palms, looking at your boyfriend, who looked absolutely pitiful. You would’ve chuckled if the situation wasn’t so serious. His glasses were askew on his face, his bedhead sticking out in different places, and tears running down his face, making his eyes red and puffy. He looked like he fared no better than you last night and the thought made you feel better somehow. 

Wonwoo was still looking up at you expectantly, not bothering to wipe the tears from his face. “I was in the subway station.” Wonwoo furrowed his brow and reached out to grab your hands, you let him, knowing what he was doing.

“Your hands are freezing, Y/N.” Wonwoo reached up, brushing his knuckles lightly over your reddened cheek, “Shit. You’re burning up. You stayed down at the station? All night?”

You nodded, closing your eyes at the sensation of his cooler hand against your warm skin. 

Without asking, Wonwoo stood up and scooped you into his arms, bringing you to your shared bedroom and settling you comfortably on the mattress. He stripped your coat and shoes off before wrapping you in the warm duvet. He left momentarily to grab some medicines from the bathroom and make some hot tea. When he returned, you were curled in on yourself, sniffling and coughing from the cold Wonwoo presumed you had. 

Setting the tea and meds on the nightstand, he took a seat on the bed near your huddled form and rubbed his hand up and down what he assumed was your back. “I’m really sorry, you know. Like… I’m such an asshole. I didn’t even realize what I said until Cheol told me I was being a dick. Which I was.”

You let out a slight chuckle at that, which made Wonwoo smile. Maybe all wasn’t lost. His eyes softened as he watched you cough again. “I’m so, so sorry, love. You are my entire world and I’m so sorry I made you feel like that wasn’t true last night. I’m sorry you felt like you needed to get away from me and it got you sick.” A few more tears fell as he finished, “I hope you know I’m not letting you out of my sight until you're better. This is all my fault and I’m going to show you how much you mean to me if it’s the last thing I do.”

Wonwoo leaned over you, hugging you the best he could in your prone position. You turned onto your back slightly, reaching up and wrapping your arms loosely around your boyfriend's neck, hugging him back, and leaning your face into the crook of his neck. He placed light kisses all over the side of your face as he whispered into your ear, “I love you so much, Y/N. Always.”

Jihoon

Jihoon stayed in his studio that night, not having the balls to face you. Though he did send a few texts, updating you on what he was doing, asking if you were alright, and checking in throughout the night. All of which went unanswered.

When morning came, Jihoon couldn’t sit still any longer. He hardly got any work done throughout the night, which was the entire reason for your fight, which only made him feel even more guilty. So after he powered down his computer and locked up his studio, he headed down to the cafe to grab breakfast and coffees for you before heading home.

When he unlocked the front door and walked into shared apartment, he was shocked to see you still awake, working on something on your laptop as you sat on the floor of the living room, back against the sofa. If the bags under your eyes told Jihoon anything, it’s that you didn’t get any sleep either. He winced at the thought of you up and working all night, though he figured he deserved to feel the heavy guilt on his shoulders. 

When he approached you with a bag of food and coffee, you finally looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. You could tell he felt miserable, his hair was sticking out in every direction as if he had run his hands through it all night, his glasses were smudged from his fingers pushing them up over and over, and he had what looked suspiciously like dried tear tracks on his cheeks. Jihoon set the bag and coffee down on the table before taking a seat next to you, his eyes never leaving your form.

“I brought breakfast.” Was the only thing he could think to say. Jihoon felt like such as idiot. “I didn’t expect you to be awake.”

You scoffed at that, looking away from him and back to your laptop. “Of course you didn’t. Apparently you don’t think I work very hard in the first place.” You slammed your laptop closed with a little too much force, making Jihoon jump slightly. He winced at his own words, going and fucking up again.

“Y/N…” he started, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, “I am so… so, so fucking sorry. I know how hard you work. I let my stress get the better of me and that is not an excuse. I fucked up. I know I did.”

“Yeah… you did, Jihoon. Coffee and breakfast isn’t going to fix this.”

“No, I know. I just wanted to make sure you ate, since you never let me know last night if you had dinner.” Jihoon put his head in his hands. “I have no idea why I said those things when you are the hardest working person I fucking know. I can’t take it back, but I will continue apologizing for it for as long as you’ll let me.”

You sighed, you knew Jihoon didn’t mean what he said. That didn’t mean it didn’t still hurt. But you could also see how sorry he was. Hell, the fact that he was home this early in the morning was testament to that. Deciding that you had forgiven him, but not wanting to make it too easy on him, you reached over the coffee table, grabbing the bag of pastries. 

“If it means I get breakfast every morning, I guess I can forgive you.” Jihoon looked up at you, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

“Whatever you want, baby.”

Seokmin

Seokmin had been at the dorms for approximately 20 minutes when he just couldn’t take it anymore. You had texted him to let him know to give you some space, and that you could talk tomorrow, but he just couldn’t take it anymore. He knew he fucked up bad, especially once he got to the dorms and Jeonghan had asked him what happened. When he explained it to his hyung, Jeonghan has scoffed and chewed him out for being such a dumbass, before he finally showed Seokmin that the website he was looking at was a fanmade troll website. 

Seokmin had never felt so guilty, so horrible in his entire life. You, the love of his life, his literal sunshine on a cloudy day, was hurt because of something he did, something he said, and he was really spiraling thinking about it. 

Without thinking too hard about it, he grabbed his things and left the dorm, ignoring Mingyu’s questioning shouts behind him. 

Seokmin ran all the way to your shared apartment, which wasn’t all that far from the dorms, but far enough that when he reached your front door he was winded. Pressing the passcode to the door, he fumbled a few times before he finally got it right and burst through the door.

He found you lying under the covers of your shared bed, quietly sobbing, and his heart shattered at the sight. “Baby….?”

You startled and sat up in bed, letting the duvet fall around you, not expecting Seokmin to be back so soon. “Seok?” Your voice was scratchy and it made Seokmin feel even worse. At this point, he wasn’t sure how much worse he could feel, but he knew he deserved every last ounce of the guilt he was feeling. 

“Fuck.. I’m so, so sorry, baby.” Seokmin stumbled his way over to the bed before resting both palms on in, not wanting to join you on the bed if he wasn’t wanted. “I couldn’t - I couldn’t stay at the dorms, I can’t be away from you right now. Fuck! I’m so stupid, I’m so, so fucking stupid!” He cried, not bothering to stop the tears now that you were in front of him.

Your face crumpled and your tears fell again, not wanting to see your usually upbeat boyfriend so distraught, despite him of being deserving of it. “Seok, it wasn’t real…”

“I know, I know, sweetheart. I’m such a dumbass for confronting you like that. I will never, ever forgive myself for the things I said to you. For making you feel like… like this.” He gestured at you wildly, not knowing fully how to convey his thoughts. “I… I talked with Jeonghan-hyung when I got to the dorms, he chewed me out,” Seokmin looked sheepish as he continued, “he showed me it was fake… baby, I’m so fucking sorry.”

“It’s okay, Seok… I understand, I would probably have reacted poorly too if I was-”

Seokmin violently shook his head, “No, no please, Y/N. Don’t let me off the hook that easily. How I reacted was wrong, so fucking wrong, and you don’t deserve that. Especially not from me. Please, please let me show you how sorry I am. I will prove to you that you are safe here, with me, and I will never, ever let my temper get the best of my like that again.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of your lips as you opened your arms for your boyfriend to fall into. You wrapped your arms around his neck as he tackled you back onto the soft pillows, kissing your cheeks, your nose, your eyes, everywhere he could reach, making you giggle. “Ok… ok, Seok. I believe you.”

He pulled away slightly to look into your eyes, his big brown orbs sparkled back at you, and all he could say in response was, “Thank you, baby.”

Mingyu

When you got to your brother’s house, Joshua immediately sat you down and made you explain everything. Through tears you explained how Mingyu had accused you and yelled at you, and how you were so confused at the text messages because you swear you didn’t send them to him. 

Joshua was livid, he was seeing red when he called Soonyoung over to his apartment and made him also explain what had happened. Through all your revelations it was discovered that you actually had sent those texts to Soonyoung, only you were drunk, and you thought Soonyoung was Mingyu. Apparently it happened last weekend when you were out with your friends for a bachelorette party and as stupid as you felt, as guilty as you felt for putting Soonyoung and now Mingyu is such an odd predicament, Mingyu was still out of line for the way he spoke to you and accused you.

Joshua helped you ice your back after Soonyoung left, wincing when you showed him the bruise that was forming there. It only fueled his anger further, making his decision to call Mingyu over final. Once Joshua had you comfortable in the guest bed, he called Mingyu to see what exactly was going through is head. 

Once he explained what had actually happened, Mingyu was in tears, sobbing to him over the phone, hiccuping and making it hard for Joshua to understand anything he was saying. Joshua asked Mingyu to come over but to stay quiet, as you were napping after the emotional afternoon you just had. Mingyu agreed and showed up not even 15 minutes later.

Joshua and Mingyu had a long discussion about how Mingyu should be treating you, with your boyfriend silently crying throughout the whole thing. Neither of them realized that you were in fact awake, and listening just around the corner from the living room. When Joshua and Mingyu were done talking, you came around the corner and immediately went and sat in Mingyu’s lap, hugging tightly around his neck. Mingyu was stunned for a second, but wrapped his strong arms around you just as tightly.

“Baby…” he whispered into your hair as he watched Joshua get up and leave the living room with a slight smile on his face. “I’m so sorry for reacting the way I did.”

“It’s fine, Gyu,” you sniffled as you pulled back to look him in the eyes, “It was all a stupid misunderstanding and I’m sorry, too, for sending those texts.”

“Hey, baby, no - don’t apologize. You thought you were texting me. It’s me who should be apologizing for how I treated you. And I am. I’m so fucking sorry, baby.” Mingyu cupped your cheek in his large hand, thumb running over the apple of your cheek to catch your tears. “You are my entire world.”

“I forgive you, Gyu.” You whisper as you lean down to kiss your pouty boyfriend. 

Minghao

Steeling himself, Minghao took a deep breath and walked back out into the kitchen. He knew that he needed to own up to how he just treated you, but honestly all he could think about the moment he sees you hyperventilating on the kitchen floor, is making sure you were safe. Pushing the fight and his need for apologies to thge back of his mind, he sunk down to his knees in front of you, putting one hand on your shoulder and the other on your cheek, bringing your face up to look at him.

“Y/N, look at me…” he said quietly, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. You shook your head violently, trying to get away from him, “Hey. Hey hey, baby, it’s ok, you’re ok, we’re ok. I just need you to breathe Y/N.” Your boyfriend did his best to take some deep breaths, gently nudging your cheek again so you would look up into his eyes. You look so small and scared and even though his heart was breaking, he knew you needed him right now. “Deep breath, there you go. Good girl. Tell me five things you can see.”

You hiccupped when you tried to take a deep breath and Minghao made exaggerated motions with his chest to show you how to breathe. Once your breathing evened out a bit you started to mumble, looking anywhere that wasn’t him. “T-t-table… a- a mug.” You pointed weakly to the kitchen counter. Minghao didn’t need to look, didn’t care if you were right, just needed you to keep talking. 

You looked down at his hands, “Ring,” his eyes softened when you mentioned the team ring on his pinky and grabbed at his wrist. “Y-you.” 

“Who, Y/N?”

“H-Hao.”

“One more.”

You took another shaky breath in and looked around, “The p-plant.” You motioned with your eyes to the pothos plant sitting just above the kitchen sink. 

“Good. I’m right here, baby. I got you.” Minghao whispered as he moved to sit down right next to you, letting you hold onto his wrist still, he gently picked you up and moved you so you were situated on his lap. “Now, four things you can touch.”

You rested your head against his shoulder as you started to calm down. “Your hair,” you whispered as you ran your fingers through his long hair. “Your sweater,” you mumbled as your hand reached the soft material of his sweater. “My jeans,” you said as you shifted in Minghao’s lap and he chuckled softly knowing how much you hated wearing denim at home. 

“One more, baby.” He whispered softly into your ear. 

“Heartbeat…” you murmured quietly as your hand rested against his chest. Before he could continue with your calming techniques you cut him off. “I’m fine, Hao.” He wasn’t sure if he believed you, but he couldn’t hear the tremble in your voice anymore, so he chose to just hold you tightly.

After a moment of silence, Minghao whispered in your ear. “I am so, so incredibly sorry, my love. I’ve been stressed lately, and seeing you so stressed just freaked me out.” His voice was so soft like he was trying not to startle you. You nodded against his neck and he could feel the wetness from your remaining tears gathering near his collarbone. “I hate seeing you hurt, and I can’t believe I’m the one who hurt you this time.”

“You didn’t…” you trailed off, pulling back to look your boyfriend in the eye. He gave you a look that told you that was a lie, so you added, “I mean, not initially. Sometimes I just…. Get this way and I don’t know how to fix it.” You looked down at your hand still resting on Minghao’s chest and sniffled.

“That’s okay, my love. That’s why I’m here. I shouldn’t have yelled, I should’ve helped you in whatever way I could, and I am so sorry that I didn’t do that.”

You looked back up at his big brown orbs, noticing the wetness there. Minghao rarely cried, especially not in front of others, so without hesitation you wrapped your arms around his neck and buried your face in his hair. “I forgive you.”

“I promise you are safe with me.”

Seungkwan

When 3 a.m. hit Seungkwan couldn’t keep his cool any longer. He refused to go to sleep without speaking to you, regardless of how mean he was to you earlier, he wasn’t going to break the promise the both of you had made to each other. 

He had called you several times by now, but at this point, your phone was off. Either that or you blocked him, but he was refusing to believe that just yet. 

Grabbing his coat and keys, he made his way out of your apartment complex and started walking towards your best friend Minji’s house. It wasn’t too far from your shared place, and Seungkwan figured that would be the best place to start his search. 

While he walked he continued to try and call you in hopes that your phone would be on, or you unblocked him, he supposed, but each time it went straight to voicemail. As he rounded the corner to Minji’s complex, he saw a slumped-over figure sitting on the edge of a flower planter, and immediately he knew it was you.

You sat there, in the dark, slouched over with your elbows on your knees and your head in your hands. You were clearly shivering, having only been in your work clothes and light coat, only stockings covering your bare legs under your pencil skirt. Without hesitation Seungkwan ran over to you and crouched down so he was in your line of sight.

“Y/N?” His voice was so small and timid, so much unlike the tone he used with you on the phone earlier that it made you look up at him. His heart broke when he saw you were crying, probably had been crying his whole time and it truly made him hate himself in that moment. “Hey, baby,” he whispered, a light smile gracing his beautiful features when your eyes met his, “What are you doing out here all alone?”

“Seungkwan… why are you here?”

“I was worried about you. You didn’t come home…”

You scoffed and turned your head to look anywhere but at him. “You told me not to.” His heart sank to his feet at your words. Because yes, that is exactly what he told you earlier. 

“I am so sorry, Y/N. I don’t know what came over me, you know I can lose my temper sometimes, but… but that is no excuse!” He reached out and grabbed both your hands in his, wincing at how cold they were. “Baby, you’re going to get sick, please let me take you home?”

“Now you’re concerned? Earlier you didn’t want anything to do with me, but now you’re worried?” You scoffed again, pulling your hands from his grasp. 

“Sweetheart, please. You can yell and scream at me all you want when you’re home, and safe, and warm, okay?” Seungkwan looked up at you with pleading eyes and you finally, finally graced him with your gaze. It was hard, and sad, but at least you were looking at him. He tried his best for a smile again, but it came across more as a grimace as he watched your body shake from the cold. “Please, Y/N. I didn’t mean what I said earlier, it was said out of anger, but I’m not angry anymore. I’m worried about you. Please, let me take care of you and make up for my words.”

You looked at him now, really looked at him. His hair was mussed, his cheeks were red and puffy, and you could tell he hadn’t slept. “You haven’t slept?” You voiced your thoughts and he shook his head immediately. 

“We made a promise,” Seungkwan said softly, reaching for your hands again. This time you let him take them, “We never go to bed upset.”

The corner of your mouth quirked as you allowed your boyfriend to pull you up from the ledge you were sitting on, and wrapped his arms around you, pushing his face into your hair, kissing your ear before whispering, “I will never break that promise.”

Vernon

Vernon had been sulking all day, not just from his ruined lyrics, but from the way he had spoken to you this morning. Why did he have to take his anger out on you? It wasn’t even your fault, it was the cat’s fault, really. But getting mad at the cat wasn’t going to solve anything. No, if he wanted to fix this he needed to take responsibility for his actions.

He had left you alone all day, not wanting to bother you at work, but as soon as the clock reached 5:05 p.m., he called you, knowing you’d probably be on your way down from your office, heading to the bus stop. You picked up on the third ring.

“What do you want, Vern.” Your tone was sharp and he figured he definitely deserved it.

“Hey…” he started dumbly, “Can you - can you please come home?” His voice was tiny, so different from how it sounded earlier. It was like he was a pleading child asking for his mother to come home. It tugged at your heart strings hearing your usually confident boyfriend sound so small. 

“Are you sure?” You asked, voice still clipped. 

“Of course, Y/N. Actually, where are you? I’ll come get you.” Immediately Vernon was up and grabbing his keys and wallet. 

“I’m just outside work at the bus stop. You don’t-”

“I’ll be there in 10 minutes.” He didn’t give you a chance to finish your sentence, determined to make up for whatever he could. “Please, babe, let me do this.”

“Ok, Vernon.” You said as you hung up and waited at the bus stop for your boyfriend. He pulled up exactly 9 minutes later, having broken at least a few traffic laws to get to you. 

As soon as you got into the passenger seat of his car, he awkwardly leaned over the center console to wrap his arms around you. “I’m so sorry, Y/N.” You reached up your hands to lay over his arms, not wanting to ignore the comfort he was offering, not when you needed it so bad. 

You both stayed like that for a moment before Vernon finally pulled away, only to see you trying your damndest to fight the tears that were threatening to fall. “Oh, baby.” He whispered, reaching out and wiping the tears from your cheeks as they started to fall, “Please don’t cry, I’m not worth your tears. I’m so fucking sorry, you have no idea.”

You nodded your head and bit your lip, but Vernon was having none of it as he gently pried your bottom lip from your teeth with his thumb. “Don’t let me off the hook, what I said was awful. I was awful.”

“I understand, Vern.” You whispered, tears still falling, as you reached out to grab his hand. “I’m sorry I left the water out, I-”

Vernon shook his head, eyes closing as he felt another punch of guilt to his gut at what you were about to say. “Nope. No, don’t apologize. Not your fault, not even a little.”

“But-”

“Nope. Let’s go home and I’m going to show you exactly how sorry I am, babe.” You looked at him as he slowly sat back comfortably in the driver’s seat, not letting go of your hand, and started to drive. “You aren’t allowed to lift a finger for the rest of the day. And I don’t want to hear any apologies from you. I’m the sorry one.”

Chan

Chan listened to your quiet sobs for what felt like hours but realistically had only been about 30 minutes. He never left his spot right outside your bedroom door, not even to grab ice for his steadily bruising cheek. He didn’t care about the pain, he deserved it and more for what he had said to you.

Chan would spend the rest of his life groveling and making up for those words if you’d let him. He knows how wrong they were, how awful they sounded coming from someone who is supposed to love and protect you. Protect you from shit like that, but instead, he’s the one spewing it. 

After another few minutes, Chan couldn’t take it anymore and crawled over the the door, rasping his knuckles on the wood frame a few times. “Y/N?” he asked over your sobs. You quieted for a moment, letting Chan know you heard him, at least. “Y/N, I am so fucking sorry.” Chan finally let his tears fall, full force, as he continued to apologize. “J-just, please, let me in so I can make sure you’re okay, p-please.” He begged, still lightly knocking his knuckles onto the door. 

It took a few moments of silence before he heard the lock click. Immediately he was scrambling to stand up and open the door. He was expecting you to be standing there waiting to possibly slap him again, but instead, he stumbled over your hunched form on the floor, right next to the door. Catching himself before he could face plant, he quickly crouched down so he was at eye level with you.

“Baby…” his voice was distraught at the sight of you hunched over and sobbing. Sobbing because of him, his words. It broke his heart all over again. “Will you p-please come sit with me?” He asked, holding his hand out in offer for you to take. You stared at it for a moment before giving in and settling your hand in his, allowing him to pull you to standing. 

You didn’t look him in the eye, instead looking down at the floor as he led you over to the edge of the mattress and sat down. He wanted to pull you into his lap, but decided against it, opting instead to keep holding you hand as he spoke. 

“Y/N, I don’t even know how to explain myself. I can’t explain myself. What I said was so fucked up, that I wouldn’t blame you if you never forgive me. I wouldn’t blame you if you slap me again and leave me forever.” He sounded so distraught that you finally looked up at him, a small gasp leaving your lips at the sight of his bruised face.

He looked at you surprised, only to realize you were tearing up again at the sight of his face. “No, no Y/N, you didn’t hurt me, I swear. I deserved this, in fact, I deserve more,” he pleaded with you, not wanting you to feel guilty for the slap. “I promise, baby, I’m fine.”

You weren’t sure you totally believed him, but you nodded anyway, not really knowing what to say. 

“Can I please, please hold you? I know I don’t have the right, but-”

Before Chan could finish his sentence you had your arms around his neck. You could tell he was truly sorry for what he said. That didn’t mean you were going to forgive him right away, or possibly at all, for the awful way he treated you. But right now you both needed a little comfort before you had a serious discussion. You weren’t going to deny yourself of that, so you sunk into his arms as they wrapped around you, burying your face in his neck. 

“I don’t want to say I forgive you, Chan because I don’t know if I do, but I’m not leaving. I love you, Chan, and I know you didn’t really mean it.”

“You don’t have to forgive me,” he mumbled into your hair, “But I’m going to keep apologizing for the rest of our lives if you let me.”

[seyoungparkk]

— inflection point ⟢

a jeongcheol poly series!

★ FEATURING; jeonghan x afab!reader x seungcheol

★ STATUS; complete ; adding side stories as requested

★ TAGS; established polyamorous relationship, fluff, angst, smut (MINORS DNI!)

★ NOTES; because i'm getting an influx of inflection point side story/blurb requests, i decided to compile everything into a single masterlist for easy access! this remains one of my personal favorites and i'd love nothing more than to share more of reader's daily life with her two hot and rich boyfriends :3c

— main story ✧

✧ part one ✧

word count: 5.7k words

summary: you love yoon jeonghan. no, scratch that. you fucking adore yoon jeonghan; so much that the moment he asks you to be in an exclusive set-up with his current partner, you accept the offer in a heartbeat. what you fail to consider, however, is who your boss’ boyfriend actually is.

tags: unresolved emotional tension, friends to lovers on the hannie side of things, lovers to exes to enemies to lovers again on the cheol side of things, established relationship, angst, smut

✧ part two ✧

word count: 8.3k words

summary:  things make a turn for the worse (or the better?) when jeonghan leaves you with the most insufferable person on earth. but maybe a few weeks alone is exactly what you and seungcheol needed after all.

tags: unresolved emotional tension, established relationship, angst, smut

✧ part three ✧

word count: 7.6k words

summary: after reconciling with your first love, all seems well in your relationship thus far. but when you notice jeonghan distancing himself from you and seungcheol, you're determined to get to the bottom of it.

tags: established relationship, angst, smut

— side stories ✧

(🧺) smut (🎻) angst (🧸) fluff (☕️) crack

— getting rawed by cheol | 🧺 — when you're having a bad day | 🧸 — cheol locker room sex for good luck + hannie fucking his cum back inside you | 🧺

⟢ notes from kai: requests are perpetually open for this series regardless of whether i'm accepting general requests or not :3c that's how much i love this story LOL i can NEVER put it past me it seems.... altho i can't say whether i can cook something up right away when you request it, but i'll definitely consider each and every one! just slide into my ask and abuse the inflection point privilege~

[seyoungparkk]

crawling back to you • ljh

pairing: producer!woozi x f!reader, exes2l

genre: smut 18+ MINORS DNI!!!! angst & fluff

synopsis: reader sees her ex boyfriend for the first time after avoiding him for months, and they realize just how much they miss each other

warnings: p in v, fingering, unprotected s*x (reader takes BC), praise, dirty talk, groveling, drinking, they’re at a club

a/n: eeeek sorry i’ve been MIA! i hope u like this. unedited. excuse any plot inconsistencies i started this weeks ago. will be finishing up reqs soon!!

music blares through the club speakers and bodies fill up what feels like every square inch of space available. your drink sloshes in your cup when a club-goer collides with your shoulder, a drunken “sorry” thrown your way as they stagger off. luckily, nothing spills on you and you got an apology.

walking up the stairs to the section your friends got, doubt and anxiety creep around the corners of your brain, the cage of butterflies in your stomach ready to be released. here’s the thing: your ex is up in this section, here because this night is partially about him and partially because your friends guilt tripped him into coming. otherwise, you know he wouldn’t be here. you also wouldn’t be here, if not for being tired of skipping out of fun activities just to avoid him. it’s tiring making up excuses as to why you can’t go to something whenever you catch wind of him being invited as well.

that’s really the problem with your breakup; you shared a group of friends. they all vowed to not get involved, staying true to their word on being impartial, though sometimes you wish they’d show favoritism and not invite him to things, just for your sake.

tonight, you’re here because you’re tired of being tired, tired of being afraid of running into him. you even stopped frequenting the places you used to go together because of the mere threat of possibly running into him. you’re tired of it.

also, you came because you knew he’d be here. not that that matters, or anything.

stepping into the section, you take a sip of your drink to calm yourself, before you’re spotted by soonyoung who waves at you enthusiastically. “y/n! you came!” he cries, jumping up from the couch and nearly tackling you in a hug. he hugs you around the shoulders and squeezes you tightly, and you can smell the alcohol wafting from his breath. “i’m so happy you’re here!” he slurs, and you wonder how many drinks he’s had.

when he releases you, you can’t help but return the toothy smile he gives you. “me too,” you say, though you’re not really sure yet. placing a hand on his cheek, you gently pat him. “youre drunk.” you declare, giggling when he smiles proudly.

out of all of the friends you shared with jihoon, you got the closest to soonyoung. probably because he was always around, but his personality is infectious and he’s just overall a good time. it sucked when you and jihoon broke up because you saw less of him until he reached out a few weeks after to reassure you that he wasn’t ‘picking sides’, but was trying to be there for his friend. you understood, but you needed a friend too.

you and soonyoung release each other, and he grabs your hand and begins to drag you over to where he’s sitting. knowing how close him and jihoon are, you relent and try to pull yourself back. “no, hosh, i don’t think it’s a good idea,” you start to panic, eyes frantically scanning the section for any sign of him.

“nooo, he’s not even sitting with me!” he pouts, rolling his eyes. you furrow your eyebrows at him, and he sighs, gnawing on his lip like you’re goin to hate what he’s about to say. clearing his throat, he says, “he’s made a friend.”

you ignore the pang in your chest and swallow down the lump in your throat. everything in you stops you from whipping your head around in search of him and this new found friend of his. shrugging your shoulders, you attempt to act nonchalant and like you don’t care, but soonyoung sees right through your facade. “good for him,” you say, but it comes out like fuck you.

“let’s drink.”

tipsy, not drunk. that’s your goal for tonight, and you’re dangerously on the verge of approaching drunk, the shot glass in front of you tempting. jeonghan raises his eyebrows at you from across the table, his shot glass hovering in the air. you eye the cup full of liquor, stomach roiling at the thought of taking even a sip. with resignation, you shake your head at last and lean back against the couch, a collective groan and pleading coming from your friends.

“cmonnnnnnn!” they say in unison, making you cover your face and shrink against the cushion.

“this is peer pressure, you know,” you say, pulling your hands from your face and looking at the shot glass. it’s practically calling your name (or maybe it’s seungcheol complaining at you), waiting for you to drink it. “nah, guys, i’m tapping out.” you declare.

“i’ll drink it,” wonwoo says, reaching across the table and grabbing your shot. he clinks both of the drinks in his hands against everybody else’s before downing one after the other. you watch in astonishment, feeling slightly nauseous for him, and a drink is placed in front of you on the table.

“water,” soonyoung says before you can question him, and sets a few more glasses down. somehow, despite his drunken state earlier, he’s managed to sober up as you drank more and more, despite it being his idea to keep on drinking.

you thank him and immediately grab the glass and begin chugging, not realizing how dehydrated you are.

“can i cut in?” you freeze, nearly choking on your water, and pray to the heavens that that voice doesn’t belong to who you are 101% sure it belongs to. you’ll never not know that voice, never not hear it ringing through your head when you watch a tv show you both liked or walk by your favorite restaurants. all the blood in your body rushes to your face, cheeks and neck burning red.

sliding your eyes from the table in front of you and up to the voice, it’s like your brain is wiped of every thought in your head and your senses are working over time. suddenly the music feels too loud, and the lights too bright, and your dress too tight. jihoon is looking down at you, chewing on his bottom lip nervously—a habit he’d never been able to shake.

you realize much too late that he’s waiting for an answer from you, being under his gaze after so long of even seeing him making your brain work extra hard to process anything. jihoon stands above you, looking sexier than ever in all black with hair pulled back, a few loose strands framing his face. you nod choppily, hands clutching your water glass so hard that it might break from the pressure.

everyone at the table magically disappears after that, soonyoung vanishing from your side the moment you tipped your chin up. the only sign of anyone else having been sat around you are the empty glasses littered across the table.

jihoon takes a seat next to you on the couch, not so subtly wiping his palms on his pants. “are you gonna throw that at me?” he says as a greeting, nodding down at the glass in your hands.

at that, your grip loosens and you set the drink on the table, wiping the condensation from the glass on your dress. “no,” you reply, meeting his eyes. jihoons face softens when you look at him, and you wish you didn’t notice it because you feel your heart break in your chest.

“hi,” he says.

“hi.”

there’s a gap of space between the two of you, wide enough for another person to sit. you want to scoot closer and simultaneously scoot away from him, but stay planted where you’re at. “how’ve you been? it’s good to see you, y/n,” his voice is sincere, and it makes you feel confused, and like you miss him. because you do—it’s why you’re here.

you nod, nervously sliding your hands underneath your legs. “good. it’s nice to see you too,” you reply, and you wonder if this is how the night is going to go; you agreeing with and repeating whatever he says. “how are you?”

jihoon mirrors your anxious over-nodding. “good! just been working.”

“sounds like you,” you offer, earning a smile from him that shoots straight to your chest, followed by a ripple of sadness. work. the one thing you couldn’t compete with, so you never tried. and because you never tried, you were always second. second to the music, second to the studio, second to everything you let him put above you.

sensing your discomfort at the mention of the thing that drove a wedge between the two of you, jihoon scrambles to change the subject. work is his fault, but music is something he could never give up. music is his passion, it’s his calling and his purpose in this life. he blames the hours, not the thing. “i’ve been meaning to call you, but i was trying to give you space,” he says.

you nearly scoff in his face because if anything, space was the last thing you needed or wanted from him. you wanted time, but certainly not space. he gave you enough of that while you were together. space is what you got when you allowed yourself to be second. you can only hum at his words, a proper response lost on you.

“i miss you.”

those three words echo through your skull and bounce around the corners before they land squarely in the front. i miss you. somebody had to say it first.

“you don’t show it,” you murmur, looking down at the floor. you’re acutely aware of how much space is between you when the gap lessens, his thighs centimeters from your own in an instant.

“hm? i couldn’t hear you,” his mouth is very near your ear, leaving you no space if you were to turn your head to look at him. you go to lean back against the couch to put some distance between the two of you, but collide with his arm that is strewn over the back of it.

a surge of nerves runs through your body. finding a new sense of boldness, you scoot away from him and turn towards him, looking him square in the eye. “i said, you don’t show it,” jihoon blinks at you, mulling over your words.

“i don’t show it?” he asks, leaning in. you shake your head, your eyes never leaving his. jihoon brings a hand up to rub his bottom lip. those lips. your eyes drag down to rest upon the soft, pink lips that adorn his face. you fight the urge to trace his bottom lip with your thumb, grateful for the darkness of the club because your face is on fire. “well, it’s true though. i miss you.”

in place of a response, you pick up your water glass and chug the rest. you can feel him watching you, his eyes burning right through you. it’s bad enough that you’ve been craving his presence ever since you called things off with him, but having him this close so soon wasn’t exactly as easy as you dreamed it to be. you’re hot under his gaze, and the water is doing nothing to cool you down.

“you don’t act like it. you didn’t even call,” and maybe it’s the alcohol talking, or you’re simply feeling extra bold but you can’t stop the words from tumbling out of your mouth.

jihoon works his jaw and pushes a few strands of hair out of his face. “i didn’t think you wanted to hear from me.”

“i’ll always want to hear from you.”

at your admission, jihoon leans back against the couch cushion, teeth running over his bottom lip. your gaze lingers on his lips for a brief moment, long enough for jihoon to catch. he shifts against the couch, and you let your thoughts get the best of you and rake your eyes over his figure, shamelessly eyeing his lap. his legs are outstretched in front of him, slightly bent at the knee and fallen open wide.

it’s been months since you’ve had sex, jihoon being your last. you’ve managed to take care of yourself, though you miss feeling full. jihoon watches you drink him in, hand curling around the back of the couch. “are you seeing anyone?” he asks, leaning forward slightly. you shake your head, looking at him pointedly. you don’t have the strength to ask him back, brain taking you back to what soonyoung said earlier. a friend. clearly, there’s something there.

he’s watching you again, and this time you don’t have anything to preoccupy yourself with under his gaze. “congratulations, by the way,” you blurt embarrassingly, trying to find something else to talk about. jihoon blinks a few times, like he’s trying to figure out why you’re congratulating him for anything. “on your music. tonight is for you, isn’t it?”

“oh. thanks. and no, it’s not for me. they just needed an excuse to go out,” he says, brushing the stray strand of hair out of his eyes. you follow the movement and let out a small sigh, hands holding onto your knees.

jihoon leans forward and rests his elbows atop his knees. his face is close to yours, mere inches away. if you leaned in towards him, your lips would brush, and you hate how aware of it you are. you should hate him, shouldn’t want to see him, and certainly shouldn’t be imagining kissing him right now. you left him. but he marked the end of your relationship.

a zing of heat spreads through your chest as you look him in the eye. the club feels too dark, too hot, too loud, and jihoon too close to you. “i need some air,” you rush, standing up on wobbly knees. you pull the hem of your dress down, making the mistake of looking down at jihoon. he stares up at you, his eyes wide as they drag up your legs. when his gaze settles on your face, his lips part and his to the darts out to lick the corner of his mouth.

you swallow the newly formed lump in your mouth and make your way towards the stairs and hobble down, hand gripping tightly to the railing. you manage to make it down the flight of stairs without embarrassing yourself and push past people to get to the exit, outside calling your name like a siren. “y/n!” or maybe it’s literally your ex calling out to you.

jihoon is right on your heels, looking a little stressed as you round the corner around the side of the club. you suck in some air and look over at him, a breeze blowing his hair out of place again. “what?”

he holds his arms out to the side for a brief moment before dropping them at his sides. “i don’t know. i don’t know what to say, i just…” he trails off with a light shake of his head, wiping around his mouth. you just stare at him, bottom lip tucked under your top lip. “i just want to talk to you, i guess. i don’t know. i miss you.” he says for the third time tonight.

you only hum, looking up at the inky black sky. you hear his shoes scuff against the pavement, and then he’s right at your side, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking onto his heels. “i’d do it differently, if i could, you know? i fucked it all up.”

“what would you have done differently, jihoon? quit your job? stopped making music? i wasn’t going to have you resent me, jihoon,” tonight doesn’t feel like the night for this conversation, but maybe it is. maybe that’s why you came here knowingly, hoping that you’d run into him to make sense of the end of your relationship. “there’s nothing to really change, jihoon. you came home. you checked in. you did it all.” you don’t know why you’re trying to spare his feelings still, but something in you won’t let you dunk on him to his face like you did behind his back.

jihoon is listening, he hears you. but the only thing he can focus on is the way you keep saying his name, and just how much he really misses hearing you say it. blowing out a breath, he shrugs his shoulders up to his ears and drops them, eyes flicking up to you at you. your bottom lip is tucked underneath the top, your eyes already on him. your arms are crossed over your midsection, and a breeze blows a few strands of hair out of their place and jihoon has the urge to put them back, but he stops himself.

“so now what?” you ask, peering down at him. jihoon stares back at you with parted lips, eyes dropping to the ground before flicking back up to you.

“i don’t know. i just miss you, y/n,” he flicks his bangs out of his face and you purse your lips. it’s not like you don’t miss—you do, way too much, in your opinion—you just don’t necessarily know what to do with what he’s saying to you. is he expecting you to magically forget everything and take him back? should you take him back? should you even be talking to him? “you look really nice tonight.”

and he looks too good right now, too approachable, too take-back-able. he looks good enough to do something you might regret in the morning.

jihoon takes a half a step closer to you, the toe of his shoe touching your heel. you turn, interweaving your legs and pressing your abdomen against his and putting a hand on his shoulder. he swallows and ignores the thump thump thump of his heart, nerves skyrocketing the longer you look at him with your hand on him.

in an instant, you’re ducking down and pressing your lips to his. jihoon kisses you back urgently, one hand resting on your hip and the other cradling the side of your face. it’s rushed, messy, and feverish in seconds, jihoon trying his damndest to pull you impossibly closer.

he grows hard below you and the slightest brush of his erection on your leg makes you shiver and part your lips against his, allowing him to slip his tongue in your mouth. jihoon drops his hand from your cheek and places it over your ass, pulling your crotch against his own. “i drove here,” he pants against your lips when he gets a moment to pull away.

that’s all you need to hear to let him lead you to his car, your heels echoing off the pavement. jihoon helps you into the back and climbs in immediately after, pulling the door closed and caging you against the backseat and the side of the door.

jihoon settles one knee on the floor of the car and the other on the seat, hands bunching your dress up around your hips as he kisses you fervently. your hands work the buttons of his shirt open, mouths pulling apart for a brief moment when you get to the end of his shirt and fumble with the last button for too long. his shirt falls open and you push it off his shoulders, and wet your lips at the sight of his bare torso.

the air in the car is thick as he sits above you, chest heaving as you drink him in. you rake your nails over the toned body that you once used to get to touch just like this. jihoon nudges your nose with his own, gently pressing his lips to yours once you angle towards him. he holds onto the headrest to brace himself, quietly groaning when you start to work his belt open.

“i need you,” you whine when his belt is pulled free, already rushing to unbutton his pants.

“lemme stretch you out first. you can’t take me yet,” and he’s not trying to be cocky (he definitely is), but he doesn’t need to know if you’ve been fucking other people to know that you definitely aren’t ready for him.

you whine at the thought of having him inside of you, your core aching with need. he’s 100% right, but you want him so bad and feel like you can’t wait.

jihoon is already working his fingers inside of you, pulling your panties down to your knees and dragging his fingers up your folds to collect your slick. he doesn’t tease you like he otherwise would if you were still together, rather he dips two fingers into your sopping, warm hole and curls them upwards. you gasp and he bites his bottom lip, pumping his fingers in and out of you.

arching against the seat, you whimper when he presses against your clit with his thumb as he works his fingers inside of you, reaching that spongy part that makes your vision spot and harsh pants leave your lips. jihoon leans down and kisses on your neck, lips dragging under your jawbone and nearing your collarbones. “i missed this,” he groans into your neck, teeth lightly nipping at the soft skin there. you only buck your hips in response and bury a hand in his hair. “missed you and this perfect pussy.”

a soft grunt escapes you when he slips in a third finger. “you take my fingers so well, baby,” he adds, pulling back from your neck to look down at where you mold around his three fingers. you suck him in greedily, and it still doesn’t feel like enough.

“hoon, i want you,” you whimper, tugging on his hair. his eyes fall closed as he lets you pull on his hair, head falling back as you do it. “i can take it.” you add, pussy clenching around his fingers. you bring your other hand over to pull down his zipper, eagerly pushing at the waistband.

“you sure?” he asks, pressing a gentle kiss to your cheek, fingers still moving inside of you. you nod and lean up from the seat and press your chest into his, turning your head to connect your lips in a sloppy kiss.

jihoon pulls his fingers out of you and pull away from you to shove his pants down to his ankles, haphazardly wiping his hand on the fabric of his boxers. jihoon throws himself onto the seat next to you and tugs you onto his lap, one hand making use of unzipping the back of your dress and helping you out of it, followed by your bra and panties.

you’re left in just your heels and him in just his open shirt, his hard cock flat against his stomach. jihoon palms your breasts, letting out a breath when you rock against his lap. “fuck, i need you so bad,” you say, pressing an open mouthed kiss to his neck. reaching between the two of you, you take his thick shaft in your hand and slowly start pumping him, reveling in how he pants into your ear and grips onto your ass tightly.

“i wanna feel you, baby. ride me,” he rasps, biting his lip to hold in a whimper when you swipe your thumb over his tip. you raise your hips and position him at your entrance before slowly sinking down on him, gasping when the head of his cock presses into your hole and stretches you out. “fuckkkk.” he drawls, leaning his head back against the seat.

you hold onto his shoulders for support as you move lower and lower onto him, breathing quickening with each inch you take. his cock fills you up in a way that is so familiar yet so foreign after months of going without. it would be overwhelming if not for the way he rubs your lower back and kisses across your chest, mumbling at you to take your time. “you feel that?” jihoon groans, hands squeezing your hips.

you only whine pathetically and draw your bottom lip in between your teeth. you sink lower, finally bottoming out and shuddering at being stuffed. jihoon lets you sit on his lap and adjust, his ego swelling knowing that you even need the time. “shit,” you whisper, running a hand through your hair and tilting your head back. the stretch is bordering on painful, but you’re not about to quit now, not when your cunt has its own pulse that’s in sync with your heart.

a heavy hand falls on your neck and jihoon pulls you down to his lips, instantly slipping his tongue into your mouth. you moan against him and rock your hips back and forth, sucking in a breath each time you move forwards. you falter in the kiss, simply pressing against his mouth as you grind against him. “you’re so tight,” jihoon grunts, dropping his hand from your neck to toy with your clit. you clench around him and his breath hitches. “i missed this pussy, fuck. i’ve been thinking about you every night.” he admits, earning a whimper in response.

moving up onto your knees, you work up the strength to fuck yourself onto him and place a hand on the roof of the car to steady yourself. “f-fuck, jihoon,” you hiccup, mouth falling open.

“do you miss me too?” he rasps, pinching your clit , hips bucking when you let out a whimper that goes straight to his cock. “you think of me fucking you like this?”

“yes!” you cry out, a response to both of his questions. your thighs burn but you keep bouncing up and down, a familiar tightness forming at the base of your stomach. “missed this so much.” you squeak, dropping onto his lap and rolling your hips.

“yeah?” he pants out, lips ghosting over your neck. “cum for me and show me.” and you look down at him and swear you see a demon for a second, jaw falling to your chest when he rubs his thumb across your bundle of nerves.

putting both of his hands on your ass, he surprises you when he hoists you up before slamming you back down on his cock, careful to avoid knocking your head against the top of the car. you moan and encircle your arms around his neck and hunch down into him, crying out his name as he manually moves you up and down. “j-jihoon!” the air gets pushed from your lungs each time he pulls you down onto his cock, vision blurring.

your cunt clenches around him in a vice grip, making him stutter as he lets out a string of curses mixed with praise. “s-shit, feels so f-fucking g-good,” jihoon manages. he can feel his release creeping up on him, but he’s determined to have you cum first. he still knows all of your tells: heavy breathing, lack of talking back, the tight grip you have on him. “are you gonna cum for me?”

it only takes him fucking you onto his cock a few more times before youre sputtering out his name and your cunt is spasming around his cock. you gush onto his lap and shake against him, nails digging into his shoulder blades. feeling you against him spurs his own orgasm, and ropes of his cum shoot up into you. you want to blame the alcohol for your lack of concern for a condom, but you’re too far gone (and take birth control pills) to take up an issue with letting him fuck you raw.

you settle in his lap and tuck your face into his neck. jihoon rubs your back soothingly and makes no move to get you off of him, or to move. for a few minutes of you sitting on top of him, he lets himself pretend like you’re still together, and softly peppers kisses into your neck, all while his finger tips gently stroke up your spine. you love and hate the intimacy, wishing it were real and yours to hold onto. wishing that it meant something.

“jihoon,” you’re the first to break away after what feels like forever. you sit up and peel yourself off of him, involuntarily moaning when he slips out of you. you roll onto the seat next to him and shyly try your best to cover yourself. “did you really mean it?” you ask.

“mean what?”

“mean it when you said you’d do it all over again?”

he places a hand on your bare leg and looks over at you. “i did. i’d do anything, really, to get you back,” he admits. he doesn’t care if he sounds pathetic, he just wants you back.

you only hum. his bluntness puts butterflies in your stomach, and has you wondering if a second chance would really be that bad? or maybe it’s the fact that you can feel his cum leaking out of you and onto the seats.

“it’s not going to be this easy, jihoon,” you say, playing with the ends of your hair. his hand slides higher as he scoots closer to you, seemingly pulling you back into his lap. you wrap an arm around his neck and toy with his hair. “you’ve really got to try. show me that you care.” you add softly.

jihoon peers up at you with big, pleading eyes, and you feel yourself soften against him. he kisses the center of your chest and you let out a sigh, curling into his body. “i can do that. i just want you back, baby.”

and if he keeps calling you baby, it really might just be that easy.

[seyoungparkk]

Grease (the tragedy)

“Careful, those marks on the floor aren’t just oil and paint.”

jeon wonwoo x reader

word count: 5.8k

warnings: smut [minors DNI], fluff, angst, mechanic!wonu, annoyances to lovers, blind date gone wrong but then gone right, kissing, clit stuff, oral (f. rec), thigh fucking (oop), this all happens at a desk LMAO, title is a what I thought was a funny spin on how people say "grease (the musical)"....has nothing to do with the musical though but lots to do with actual grease!!!

synopsis: In which you have to sit through one of the worst dates of your life, followed by the insistent tug of fate and compulsion that lead you straight back to where you'd sworn you'd never go.

[a/n]: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WIFE CAMOTHY @highvern everyone go say happy birthday to cam or ill appear in your room at night 🔫 anygays HAVE FUN READING THIS I hope this is all the sexy wonu content you wanted, I cant wait for your reaction hehehhehe

and also bigbigbigbig thank you to jessifer @the-boy-meets-evil for proofing this for me!!! ily heh

and and to everyone reading this who is not cam, I hope you enjoy reading mechanic!wonu as much as I liked writing him heheh PLS REMEMBER TO REBLOG AND TELL ME UR THOTS it could be in the tags, replies, an ask literally anything!!!! id love to hear what you guys think!!!!

masterlist

 [You]: do you think he died on the way

[Liv]: hes still not there???

[You]: what do you think?????

[Liv]: let me ask Amelia

[You]: dont bother

[You]: he can show up whenever he wants im leaving in 5

[Liv]: you promised you’d sit thru this!!

[You]: sit thru what? an empty seat across from me???

Liv doesn’t respond immediately, and you immediately know she’s buggered off to ask her cousin why your date still wasn’t here. 

It’s not like you couldn’t have asked him yourself, the sparse textbox sitting just under Liv’s contact. You open it to inspect the contents. 

[liv’s cousin’s something]: Amelia gave me your number

[liv’s cousin’s something]: friday night at the sage&salt at 7 

[liv’s cousin’s something]: is that okay

[You]: uh hey

[You]: yeah that’s fine

Today 7:20 PM

[You]: im here?

The first thread of texts were enough to make you feel like this was some cold business meeting instead of a date, knowing wherever this would lead would be either the city dump or off a cliff. Liv was hearing none of it, taking the guilt tripping route, saying she’d already committed and her cousin was irritating enough even without a scuffle.

So when Friday evening came around you’d pulled on the first dress your fingers could find, took all of ten minutes fighting with your makeup to make it look like you did something and left the house with zero expectations. 

Despite that, as you see a man walk into the establishment dressed like he’d gotten into a fight with a squid and a paper shredder, you feel the stone in your chest tank into the abyss. Zero expectations, and he’s somehow managed to strike out anyway. 

The jacket looks like he’s put it on as a weak cover for the grime stains on his shirt and trousers, a couple jet black splatters across the outfit to really pull the whole thing together. It’s not like he looked homeless or anything, his face surprisingly handsome with his hair pushed away from his forehead. Although he remains looking like he’d been playing football in some neighbourhood parking lot before remembering he had an adult appointment too. 

You’d never seen the man in your life, but your gut told you this was the shit texter who’d kept you waiting for nearly an hour. He seems to notice too, eyes locking from across the restaurant as the waitress leads him to your table. 

“Wonwoo,” you greet with a difficult smile, half sure it came out as a grimace. “Right?”

“Yeah,” he huffs as he practically slams back down on the chair, and you wonder for a moment how the legs didn’t give out. He says your name and you nod. “Sorry I’m late, I got a call in the parking lot.”

He’s been in the parking lot this entire time?!

It’s like you’ve been doused in gasoline and lit on fire, yet somehow needing to give him a shaky reply anyway. 

“O–oh, I see.”

The waitress saves you from spitting in his face when she asks if you were ready to order. 

Dinner was off the table, as you discussed with Liv who forwarded it to her cousin to her–whoever it was that set up this god awful date–and agreed on dessert and perhaps a drink. 

“I’ll have the chocolate cake,” you request in an attempt to make this somewhat better. You consider for a moment before asking for a drink as well, “And a dry gin martini, please.”

“Um,” he staggers as he barely skims the menu, ultimately flipping it closed. “I’ll have the same, I guess.��

Deep voice. You might’ve liked that if you weren’t already so peeved. 

The waitress disappears with the menus, leaving you two alone for the first time. 

“So,” you start with an exhale. “How do you know Amelia?”

“Her husband.”

“I see.”

Silence. 

“How do you know her husband?”

He sighs like this is all inconveniencing him, and it irks you to an irrespective degree. Like you wanted to be here either. 

“He brings his car to the workshop alot, became friends somewhere along the line.”

“Workshop?”

He looks a little startled, cocking his head to the side. “I’m a mechanic? Did Olivia–was it–not tell you?”

“No, she didn’t.”

It’s silent yet again as the man across from you refuses to elaborate. You curse as you ask him a follow up question. If there was anything you hated more than shouldering a dead conversation, it was sitting through an awkward silence. 

One hour. You’d sit through this for one more hour and then you’d leave. 

“What kind of cars do you work on?”

“Expensive ones,” he answers. You might’ve kicked yourself if he’d ended it at that, but he continues with a purse of his lips. “Ones that rich people abuse to an inch of the machine’s life and wonder why the dealership gives up on it. Vintage pieces too.”

“Have I heard of it?”

“The cars?”

“No, I mean,” you let out a breath. “Your workshop.”

“Jeon Motors, just a couple streets down actually.”

You did know what he was talking about, not expecting to recognise it through the empty question, passing by it on multiple occasions in this part of the city.

“Oh, I’ve seen it a few times.”

“Yeah, we’ve been there for a while.”

“Family business?”

“Uh–sort of.” 

“Okay,” you sigh in an irritated laugh. This was going to be a very difficult hour. “Keep that to yourself too.”

“Is there a problem?”

Just as you lift your eyes to lock with his, a ready yes, there is actually a problem on your tongue, there’s an intrusion. 

“Here are your chocolate cakes,” the waitress places the cakes down, and then the drinks. “And your dry gin martinis. Do you guys need anything else?” By the time the waitress is gone you’ve somewhat forced yourself to put that sudden surge of flames out, to a degree at least. 

“Okay,” he sighs, grabbing his glass and downing nearly half the contents. He emerges, wiping a bit of a spill from the corner of his mouth. “Let’s get this out of the way.”

“Hm?” He’s speaking to you with a very weird surge of intensity, and it confuses you.

“Neither of us wanna be here. You’re clearly trying to be hospitable but I’d really rather you not, especially when we’re both doing this to get our respective ticks off our hides.”

There isn’t much you can do but stare at him. 

“Have I misjudged your advances?” he asks over his glass, sharp eyes piercing. 

“No!” you yelp, reaching for your drink yourself, taking big sips only to emerge sputtering and heaving. 

Your date looks like he’s rising out of his chair when you raise a hand to stop him. 

“No,” you repeat, less jumpy this time. “I guess we could’ve cleared that out from before.”

Did he…snort?

“Sorry.” Dropping his chin to his chest, he composes himself. 

“What?” you ask, remaining annoyed as ever. 

“Nothing.”

That does it. You slam your now empty glass down on the table, slipping your fork out of the napkin a little forcefully, the metal glinting in the light of the restaurant. You dig into a corner of the cake and shove it in your mouth. 

If he was gonna be rude, you could be too. 

“I don’t know about hospitable.” You swallow. “But I assumed not being an ass was kind of an unwritten rule for any situation really. Including the ones you’d rather not be in.”

Wonwoo stares at you with a blank face, his cake untouched. “I’m being an ass. My laugh couldn’t have offended you that much.”

“So you did pick that up,” you comment. “With the way this conversation’s going I would’ve thought it flew right over your engine.”

“I’d argue your laugh was the least offensive thing you’ve done tonight.” You plunge your fork into your cake again. “But clearly we’re in different realms of etiquette.”

Your eyes meet the rough stains on his attire, and then his own that bore into yours like a challenge. The cake isn’t too sweet, rich just the right amount and texturally sound. Maybe something good did come out of this fiasco. 

“Okay fine,” he announces, sitting up straighter. “I apologise.”

“For laughing?”

“And for being obscenely late.”

“And?”

“And…” he genuinely looks like he’s struggling to figure it out, but catches your eyes flickering to his tattered and stained outfit. “And for my entirely inappropriate dressing sense. You’ll have to forgive me for that one, oil and grime are my spoils of war.”

“Wear it like a badge, mister mechanic, but perhaps somewhere it’s appreciated.” 

Wonwoo has already finished his drink, his cake remaining untouched. “You’re quite adamant on disliking me.”

“And you’re quite adamant on being a horrid conversationalist.”

The corners of his mouth lift the slightest bit. Opening his mouth to respond, you cut him off. “Cars don’t talk? Or perhaps, machines are easier to understand?”

“More like I don’t care to be personable.”

“That can’t be good for business.”

“The cars speak for themselves.”

He’s a weird one. Even more so when he offers to pay the entire bill, promising you he wasn’t lying when he said he was good at what he does, and to “make up for lost personality points.” You manage to pay your half anyway, considering the circumstances. 

“Can you at least let me drive you home?” Wonwoo asks as you both step out of the establishment soon after. 

“Depends.” You fix the strap of your bag. “Will it fall apart on the highway?”

The blaring white of the restaurant's outdoor lights backlight Wonwoo to make him look like some sad angel. He turns to you, the same slight smirk that seems to be plastered on his face. “Why don’t you find out?”

“What do you mean sell it? I got this thing a year ago!” 

There isn’t much you can do but sigh loudly as you listen to Olivia talk about the state of her car, the one that cost too much to justify but she seemed to use and abuse like a very replaceable toy truck. 

Leaning against the hood of the darn thing, you talk to her. “The dealership is giving you a shit deal to take it off your hands, you might as well try your luck.”

The look on her face is easy to read as she silences. Not convinced in the slightest, waiting for the conversation to end just so she could figure it out on her own. Sighing loudly, you look back to the dark beauty with a crate of issues that make it spit and sputter to a stop every few weeks. 

“How much did you say the repairs cost again?”

“Enough to put me on food stamps,” she whines through her frustration, tears pricking against her eyes as they glisten under the neighbourhood streetlights. “Why are you smirking like that?!”

“It’s just,” you pause as you consider your next words, pressing your lips together. “This is a little bit your fault.”

Lies, it was entirely her fault. 

Liv stares like you’ve just offended her, which you’re sure you have.

“Care to share how this possible bankruptcy could be my fault?"

“Because you drive the thing like you have a secret reserve buried somewhere in Tenerife.”

“My apologies for making a habit of not being a public nuisance and going forty on a national highway.”

“Your speed-o-metre is not the issue here.”

“Yes, of course, everything’s my fault.”

“Liv, please!” You groan loudly. “Just…let’s try putting up a listing tomorrow. Consider the prospects and you can decide from there.”

Sagging her shoulders and stretching her neck, Liv decides to simply trudge back indoors in silence. You take it as a begrudging yes, and follow her inside. 

That very night, when you were at the very cusp of falling into the dark space of sleep, your brain re-awakens before your eyes do. A jolt as the memory comes back to you of the many months ago, sitting in that restaurant across from a man who was too handsome for the personality he seemed to sire. 

“Expensive ones,” he had said. “Ones that rich people abuse to an inch of the machine’s life and wonder why the dealership gives up on it.”

How fitting. 

“Are you going to explain or should I explode instead?” 

You’d mentally prepared for the bombardment of accusations from Liv, her questioning perfectly right as you yourself cringed at the thought of showing your face here of all places. The one last one that’d officially banned her from ever setting you up with an individual of her choosing ever again. 

Hearing only silence as her answer, she appeals; “I thought he was the worst date of your life.”

“Nothing to do with his skills as a mechanic,” you mumble, refusing to make eye contact. 

“And everything to do with this being a horrible idea anyway!” Liv stares up at the sign on top of the garage. Jeon Motors. “What makes you think this guy can fix my car?”

What did make you think he could fix Liv’s car? If you’d known you might have given her an answer, but as you stare at the giant signboard that you’ve driven past for longer than you can remember, you can’t help but feel this place has been haunting you. Just a little. 

You can’t help but feel the tingle of goosebumps rise on your skin, the hairs across the expanse standing up at the thought of walking inside. There was no way you could differentiate the reaction from plain nerves or from the cringing drills that sound all the way outside the establishment. Regardless, you make an attempt to look confident as you make your strides into the pungent of the workshop. 

The first thing you note is how…clean everything is. Cleaner than any other workshop you’ve walked into anyway. 

The interior is bigger than it looks from the outside, the ginormous hall hosting about a dozen cars within your eyeshot alone. One side of the great hall holds an array of parked cars in different stages of dismantled and deconstructed, while the other side is lined with contraptions that look like stripped and enlarged elevators. 

Once you’ve inhaled a beyond recommended amount of smoke fumes and listened past all of the clanging, banging and sparks, you register the people that are elbow deep in the hoods of the vehicle they’re working on, enough to leave you and Liv standing at the entrance of an establishment that you can barely make sense of. 

“Can I help you?” A man in stained beige overalls approaches your wide eyed pair, face half covered in his baseball hat and hands occupied with a rag. 

To your slightest dismay, it isn’t the man you’re looking for.

“Uh– is Wonwoo here?” you ask. 

“He’s in a meeting right now. Are you a friend?” 

No, just a failed love interest.

“He,” you falter. If you weren’t a friend…then what were you? “He gave me his card.”

“Do you need help with your car?”

“Mine, actually,” Liv pipes. “It’s outside if you wanna take a look first.”

With one sweeping look across the warehouse, your eyes land on one of the few doors on the left. You register the plain look of it for barely a moment before joining Liv outside. 

By the time her car has been rolled and parked inside for a more thorough inspection, it’s taken you every last grain of your willpower to not stalk back out and wait in your car. For whatever reason, you can’t help but feel a very familiar spasm of irritation spark through you. Here you are, left anxiously waiting for the same man for a second time, merely feet away but remaining occupied with more important things. 

At the very least, the multiple hands prodding around the car’s engine were being somewhat of use, attempting to survey the same issues that had been looked at about a dozen times before. You silently promise to be a better person if this trip wouldn’t be for vain.  

“Am I late for something again?” 

Your throat is suddenly clogged as you open your mouth and no sound graces your presence. The face that meets you has his eyebrows raised as he stares at you in expectation, a ghost of a smile on his face. 

“W–Wonwoo, hi, um.” You clear your throat loudly, heat cursing your cheeks. “No, of course not.”

“To what do I owe the pleasure after…four months?” he asks, hands on his hips and his back straightened.

“I…my friend’s car needed to be looked at so…”

“Ah, of course!” He turns to where you’ve motioned, looking at the popped hood of the car his employees are working on. “I’ll take a look at it myself, don’t worry about it.”

He’s already walking away, towards the car and leaving you a ways away from the action. You stare at his back; the overalls tied at the waist and the stained white T-shirt that clings to his form from the humidity.

Wonwoo remains a man of a few words, and you remain at wits end about it all. 

A loud honk gives you something to do as you jump at the sound so up close, scrambling to move away from the smack centre as another car pulls into the garage. 

“Careful, those marks on the floor aren’t just oil and paint.” Wonwoo snickers from his place hunched over the hood as he cranes his neck to look at you. 

You walk over to where he is to get out of the way. “Was that meant to sound like an innuendo?”

“I was talking about the occasional running over someone’s foot,” he answers. “Not sure what you were thinking.” 

Ignoring the jab, you note that it was now only you and him crowding the car, “Where’s Olivia?”

“Went to look at spare parts.” You watch him as his gloved hands reach further into the enclave and yank at something hard. 

“So you can fix it?” 

“The car? It’ll take a couple days but it’s not really an issue.”

Furrowing your brows, you press on, “But the dealership—”

“Dealerships are the spawn of the devil,” he grunts as he finally wrenches out a spare nut or bolt or something that’s covered in oil. “Let me guess, they wanted her to sell it back to them?”

It’s your turn to raise your brows. “Yes. They tried fixing it, but it'd just stop again.”

“Because they’ve been fixing the symptoms.” He raises his eyes to meet yours, hands occupied with rubbing the part in his hands relatively clean with a rag. “They haven’t bothered to do anything about the actual problem.” 

“Because that’s gonna cost…?”

“Couple hundred, give or take,” he announces nonchalantly, turning his focus back to the engine. 

“But—” That’s it?

“Fifty extra for every question I have to answer after this.” You briefly wonder if Wonwoo’s eyes were always this piercing, boring into your soul like he didn’t need words to know what was going on with you. 

“Fine,” you huff, moving to drag a chair over, mostly just so you could have reason to break eye contact, and plop down as you watch him work. 

The more you think about it, the more you can find yourself unbothered by his strange behaviour. He wasn’t bleak, but nowhere near one of the more interesting people you’ve met. Taking the opportunity to really scan the man head to toe, you can’t say you find anything truly concrete to be this put off by him. 

Not much of a talker, but with the times you’ve prayed for a man that knew when to shut up sometimes, you wonder how much you can actually complain about this boon in particular. 

Besides, he was a looker, and you were completely content shutting your trap if it meant you got to shamelessly ogle at him from this close. 

“You know, this place looks bigger than it does from the outside.”

Wonwoo stares pointedly. 

You raise a shoulder in nonchalance, “Wasn’t a question!”

He simply huffs as he mumbles, “More length than breadth I suppose.”

“What are those things called?” you ask as you watch a sedan get lifted into the on some platform on the other end of the row. 

Glancing back, he answers, “Post lift, car lift, whatever you wanna call it.”

“What does it do?”

“Take a wild guess.”

“Touché.” 

Glancing back at him, you catch sight of his stained shirt once again. “Is that the same thing you wore to our date?”

Chin to chest, he registers what he’s wearing, hands still working on pulling bolts and boxes out of the hood. “Have about twenty of the same shirt, I can never be too sure.”

“You’re impossible.”

He smirks, “Touché.” 

You questioned if this was a mistake. 

Olivia could pick up her car herself, so why did you insist to be the one that did it? As you pay the taxi driver, you feel your ankles lock for a moment as you move to slip out of the cab. Frozen, you hear the driver ask you if everything was alright, to which your legs seem to work again, finally foot to gravel in front of the dreaded workshop.

The Jeon Motors sign blares the same as it always has in the afternoon light, glinting as it encourages you to walk in and do one of the stupider things you’ve done in life. Other than the ridiculous outfit you’ve put on, of course. 

But alas, as you hand over your slip to one of the many mechanics in the workshop, you find yourself praying he wasn’t here after all, that perhaps you could miss him as you leave and never have to see him again. 

Somebody yells out his name, and the dream drifts away like smoke. 

Finding the courage, you look up to where the man shouted for him, and immediately wish you hadn’t. 

Wonwoo remains in his overalls, the same ones that he had tied to his waist the last time you saw him. His undershirt however…

The tank top is revealing too much for you to pretend you don’t care, his hair remaining pushed back and away from his forehead as he walks over to you in what feels like slow motion. He takes the slip that he does not need, smiling at you as he says his hellos. 

“Car’s all fixed up, just need some papers that need signing and you’re all set.”

“Oh, but Liv isn’t here today.”

“That’s alright, you can sign them too,” he reassures, motioning for you to walk with him towards the car. “The car was alright in the test drives, revving hasn’t caused any problems either.”

He halts in front of the now (supposedly) fixed black sedan and pats the hood lightly, “If anything happens tell her to bring it straight here, although it shouldn’t have any more problems.”

“What’s your rate of return on customers?” you ask, a slight smirk on your face.

He thinks for a moment, “Pretty crap. But I guess that means I’m doing something right.”

You consider yourself something of a helicopter parent when it comes to your own car, but perhaps you’d change that if it meant you’d get to come here a little more often. 

Goodness, what’s gotten into you.

Wonwoo’s smiling too, and for a brief moment the silence is nearly awkward. A pause before he proposes leaving. 

“Shall we go to the office then?” 

Nodding eagerly, you trail behind him as he leads you towards the other end of the workshop, passing by even more cars in all their stripped or constructed glory. Glancing in front, you catch sight of Wonwoo’s back, ensnared for a moment before you snap your head away, reciting every curse word you know like a mantra. 

“It’s less hot in here too, keep the air on all the time.” Wonwoo stands in front of the plain doors, hands on the handle to wrench it open. You recognise it as the same door you had noted a few days ago. “Would you like anything? Coffee, tea?”

“Um, just water is fine, thanks.”

It’s quite plain, beige and leather against cream walls and unfittingly white lights. There’s a desk on one corner that’s beyond cluttered with more papers than you can register, pens and other office supplies mixed into the disorganised chaos of the large tabletop.

“Sorry about the mess, I can never find time to sort through it.” To your surprise, the light tinge of his cheeks suggest he might actually feel a little embarrassed. 

Cute. 

There’s cabinets that line on one of the far walls, and you watch him take his gloves off to open it and reach for a cup. The white porcelain emerges stained with an ashy grey as his fingers betray him. He looks flustered, glancing at his hands and back up to the cabinet. 

You can’t help but laugh a little, moving forward to help. “It’s alright, let me.”

“Sorry,” he apologised again, with a sheepish look on his face. “I’ll, um, wash this off.”

“Go on, I’m here,” you reassure as you move towards the water dispenser in the corner to fill your clean cup. 

He returns with significantly cleaner hands and apologises one last time. “Seems all I do around you is apologise.”

You have the good humour to chuckle, “So I’ve noticed.”

He does well to clear out most of the clutter that’s on his desk, leaving enough room to set down a few pieces of paper as you take a seat on the opposite side. 

As you scan through the papers, he attempts to make sober conversation. “You should…bring your car around for inspections if you want.”

“Oh? Even if I ask a million questions?”

“I can make an exception or two,” he grins. 

“And if you charge me double?”

“Might not charge you at all.”

“Might?” you question as you lift the pen he’d given you to sign the first space. 

“Might.”

“And what’re the conditions for that?” 

He doesn’t answer as he ponders and you fill in the second blank. “I’ll have to think about that.”

You snort before you can help it, your last signature coming out a little wonky as your hands shake. Turning the papers over to him, you continue, “Well then, let me know when you figure it out.”

He stares pointedly as he accepts the papers before dropping his eyes again, “Can I?”

“Hm?”

“Can I? Let you know?” 

It’s like you’ve been frozen over, the typewriter in your mind jamming as it punches out the implications of what he’s saying. 

“It seems, at least to me, that we may have gotten off on the wrong foot,” he continues. 

You hesitate. “I think so too.”

“I…I don’t want to put anything like pressure on you but–” 

“Would you like to try the new gelato place downtown this week?” you ask finally as you save him from his misery. “If…you’d like.”

He looks stunned for a moment before he’s scrambling, “Oh–of course! Yes, anytime is fine with me.”

“Great,” you smile, lifting from your seat. “It’s a date.”

“I’ll promise to wash my hands this time…and my shirt. And I won’t be late.” 

“Let’s not make promises we can’t keep,” you tease. 

You’re nearing the door as he follows behind, and just as you’re about to pull down on the handle, you hear him say your name. 

Turning around, almost too eagerly, you look up at him in expectation. He’s close, almost right behind you as he looks like he’s debating whether opening his mouth is a good idea. 

“Are you doing anything else today?” 

“Um,” you stutter for a moment. “I don’t have to drop off the car till later tonight, that’s all really.”

He swallows. “Do you wanna stay? Just a little while. We can stay in here, nobody comes in anyway.”

You aren’t entirely sure why you said yes, because you did actually have dinner plans with Liv later tonight, but the teeny tiny voice in your mind egged you on anyway. Besides, Liv wouldn’t mind, not if you were cancelling for this.

This entailed the very friendly contact of Wonwoo’s tongue in your mouth, and the extremely cordial way it seemed to caress your insides. If somebody asked you how it led to this, you don’t think you’d have an answer. Not that you care, especially when his hands are grabbing your waist and hips like that.

He’s already locked the door, reassuring you that nobody would find their boss and client in the smack dab middle of the devil’s tango. You take his word for it, relishing in the way his hot breath hits your skin below your ears, his mouth sucking under your earlobes as you whimper ever so quietly. 

Your hands are on his exposed biceps, feeling him up all to your heart's content. “Do you–Do you always wear stuff like this?”

He emerges, wet lipped and eyes trained. “So I wasn’t imagining it.”

“Imagining what?” you ask as you let him unbuckle your trousers.

“Please. Like you weren’t stripping me with your eyes.”

If you were warm before you, you're boiling up now. Were you being so obvious?

“It’s alright,” he reassures as you feel his fingers make contact with the crotch of your panties, pushing in to put pressure on your clit. “Wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t picked up on it.”

You feel his fingers push the dampening fabric away as his fingers make contact with your hole, coating his fingers in the arousal that’s made itself known. It’s hard to not hiss at the way he begins to circle it, thanking the universe that the loud noises of the workshop outside were masking whatever evidence of the heinous crime you were committing inside. 

Back against the couch in his office, you settle into the cushions once you feel him rub at your clit, one hand spreading your lips apart as he continues to massage your own wetness onto your throbbing cunt. 

When he retreats you almost cry out, but are smothered when he plunges two fingers into your hole instead, curling them almost immediately inside you. The consistent brush of the tips of his fingers on your walls are making it difficult to keep your eyes open, and absolutely impossible to keep your moans at bay. 

“Wonwoo, that’s so good, fuck.”

Through your closed eyes, you don’t note when Wonwoo gets on his knees. But you do feel him yank your trousers off entirely, and you definitely feel him place his wet mouth flush on your lower lips, sucking at your clit as he continues to pump his fingers in and out of you mercilessly. 

That’s all it takes for your noises to become increasingly high pitched, hands buried in his beautiful hair as he continues to pleasure you beyond imagination. 

“I’m so close, keep going, please, it feels so–”

He somehow buries his face in deeper, sucking harder, licking faster, and it’s enough for you to finally feel yourself collapsing on the inside, your composure dissolving as you moan so loud you’re sure they can hear it outside, even through all the clanging and revs of cars. 

There’s no way for you to know how long you lay there slumped against the couch cushions, but when you hear Wonwoo speak to you in your ear, you answer. 

“Was that okay?”

“More than okay,” you say as you grab his face and pull his lips to yours, tasting the tang in his mouth from your arousal. “Do you have a condom?”

“I–fuck,” he thinks for a moment. “I don’t think I do.”

You try not to feel too disappointed, but you sigh into his mouth anyway. 

“Can I fuck your thighs?” you hear him ask, and you might have just orgasmed again, untouched. 

“Fuck, yes you can.” 

With a yelp, you feel yourself lifted off the couch as you wrap your arms around Wonwoo’s neck, letting him guide you to his desk. “Wonwoo!”

You hear a loud crash of the desk being stripped of all its inhabitants, and your back hitting the cool of the table top. 

Wonwoo unties the arms of his overalls around his waist, letting the legs pool to the floor before slipping his hard cock out of his boxers. 

You don’t see it as you feel him lock your knees together and lift both your calves to rest on one of his shoulders. But you do feel it as he pushes the head into the seam of your thighs, watching the indent as the pink of his dick appears before you through the skin of your thighs. 

Wonwoo’s face is contorted as he pulls back and pushes back through again, this time brushing against your still sensitive clit. You gasp at contact, and immediately feel him thrusting faster. 

“Wonwoo,” you grunt. “Lower.”

He obliges, pushing his dick lower so it can rub flush against your clit as he begins to roughen up his pace. 

You moan as you feel his free hand that isn’t holding your legs trail to the ends of your shirt, caressing over your stomach to pull it up and reveal your bra clad tits. He pushes his hands under the nearest cup and begins to grope you so wonderfully with his big, warm hands. Rolling the bud between his fingers, you can only grasp onto his wrists as a handheld to keep you down on earth. 

The desk beneath you is rattling with noise, the full drawers making themselves known as Wonwoo pounds into your thighs like he would die if he stopped, mouth coming in contact with whatever skin of your legs he could reach, his breath fanning the side of your knees. 

You’re close again, and you know he is too with the way his thrusts are beginning to grow sloppy. 

“There,” he pants. “Almost.”

You orgasm for the second time, the throb your clit beyond comprehension as the rough of his dick slides across your clit mercilessly. 

“Cum like this, Wonwoo please I need to see you cum.”

And he does, shooting the heft of his load to cover your already wet cunt and thighs, landing on your stomach as he continues to ride out his high between your legs. 

The back of your head hits the table as you take in gulps of air through the aftermath of it all. Wonwoo is putting his weight on the back of your thighs, holding onto the table for support. 

“Oh, Liv is never gonna let me live this down,” you pant, lolling your head to one side as you register him. 

He peers up at you through his hair, the stupid smirk on his face, “Do you care?”

You’re smiling a little too when you answer, “Not really.”

And then your legs are off his shoulders as he nestles between them instead, diving in to lift your head and kiss you. 

And you let him, although you wouldn’t really call it too much of a kiss—not when the both of you were smiling like idiots through the clash. 

[seyoungparkk]

bad girls make good boys cry | joshua hong

pairing: virgin!joshua x experienced!reader (fem reader)

genre: smut, some fluff, academic love

word count: ~3.7k

synopsis: crying was never on joshua’s list of things to expect when he finally lost his virginity, but it’s more blissful than he could’ve imagined. 

warning(s): smut under the cut (mdni !!!), established relationship, virgin joshua, dacryphilia (shua kind of full on sobs), hand kink, breeding kink, begging, dick riding, hair pulling, marking kink, spit kink, semi-public sex, unprotected sex, creampie

author notes: this is my retaliation towards @onlyhuis ,and also @lovelyhan ... i innocently self projected in my hannie fic and they in turn ATTACKED ME <3 and now im paying it back hehe.. also thank you @onlymingyus for proofreading for me.

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when you and joshua decided to rent a study room in your university's library, neither of you accounted for how cold it would be. he was dressed in a thin button up shirt with a sweater vest and you had on a skirt, that sat a little high on your hips so the underside of your ass peaked out every time you lent over the table to reach for something you placed methodically out of reach so you could give your boyfriend the perfect view. 

“babe..” he mumbles, burying his face back in his textbook to hide his blush, the reading glasses he had on sliding down his nose a little as he reads the words on the page quietly to himself.

“hm?” you plop back down in the chair next to him with the highlighter dedicated to vocabulary words. 

“i’m all for you expressing yourself with your clothing but.. don’t you think your skirt is a little short?” he mumbles, side eyeing you as you innocently play with the hem of said skirt.

“maybe i did pull it up a little.. don’t you like it like this though shua?” you look at him with a pout that dripped with fake innocence. 

“i.. uh.” he stutters as he looks down at the skirt fanning over your thighs before looking up into your eyes, his tongue poking out to wet his lips as he thinks of something to say that doesn’t make him sound completely stupid. 

“maybe a little shorter?” you mumble as you trail your fingers to the waist of your brown plaid skirt to pull it up more, your thighs on full display now as the only thing it covers is the white lacy panties you have on. 

“god.. don’t do that..” he mumbles, his fingers gripping the edge of his textbook tightly as he watches your fingers ghost back down to your thighs where you grab the hem of your skirt again.

“why not? too distracting?” your lips quirk up a little as he nods, watching as you slowly lift the hem, your panties barely becoming visible but he’s able to see the edge of a wet spot that has his cock twitching in his loose trousers. 

“y/n..” joshua is no stranger to your naked body, seeing it multiple times as you have no shame in changing in front of him, and he’s had his mouth on you once or twice before. 

he waited a long time to have his first time be special, wanting it to be with the right person - and if he’s being frank he never thought you’d be that person at first. you were beautiful and way out of his league. yet here you were, sitting next to him, teasing him with the thought of you being dripping wet for him and he’s never felt more sure about someone in his entire life.

“shua..” you flutter your eyelashes at him, knowing you were pushing buttons your boyfriend possibly didn’t know he had. 

“we’re in the library.” he mumbles as his eyes flicker off your body to look at the door that was very much locked.

“and we have the room all to ourselves for the next two hours,” you lick your lips as you watch him fidget, the gears turning in his head as he mulled over the idea of you two being in public. “we don’t have to do anything if you’re not comfortable though..” you place your skirt back over your thighs, pulling it down your hips so it was at an acceptable length. you might’ve liked to push his buttons to see how far you could go but you knew when to stop, your boyfriend’s comfort is more important than anything.

“i-” his hand shoots out and grabs your hand that was still holding on to the hem of your skirt. “i’m comfortable.. i just,” his eyes look at the door before looking down at you again. “the door is locked, right?” 

you fought so hard to hide the cheeky smile as you watched your boyfriend's eye’s darken the longer he stared at you. you nod your head quickly, offering to double check it but he doesn’t let you move far as he yanks you into his lap just as you stand up. 

“i trust you.” he whispers as he rests his hands on your hips allowing you to situate yourself comfortably on his lap. 

“are you sure this is what you want?” you mumble softly as you brush the strands of hair that fell out of his eyes. he gulps quietly as he nods, whispering a quiet ‘yes’ as he squeezes your hips harder. 

“i’ve always wanted you..” he whispers as he looks up into your eyes, his eyes completely blown with lust but his voice was steady with confidence. “need you so bad now.” 

“well i’m right here, baby.” you whisper against his lips before you’re kissing him hard enough to bruise his lips. your hips experimentally rock against his as he groans into your mouth, a shock of pleasure shooting through his body as his cock twitches in his pants. 

your body was far from foreign to joshua as his hands began to rub up and down your sides, his warm fingers slipping under your shirt before his hands dip under the waistband of your skirt so he can get two handfuls of your ass. his hands were warm and his nails dug into your plump flesh deliciously, ripping a quiet moan from you that broke the heavy makeout session. 

“why’d you pull away.” he pants quietly as he watches you through hooded eyes. he continued to knead at your ass as you bent over to the side to dig through your bag. 

“condom..” you mumble as you fished for the gold foil you always carried in your bag that you’d take to joshua's place just in case. 

“why?” he whined a little desperately. “you don’t want me to fill you up?” you could hear the pout in his voice as you froze, blood rushing to your face as your body began to heat up. 

“i-” he cuts you off by jerking your body so you are sitting up straight again. 

“i overheard you talking with your friends a while back about getting creampied..” his face began to heat up as he couldn’t make eye contact with you at first. “i.. i had to look it up but, i wanna creampie you.” he swallows the lump in his throat. 

“fuck..” you groan quietly biting your lip. the idea of him fucking you raw and cumming in you had a new wave of arousal soak your panties. “okay.” you whisper, burying your fingers in his hair again. moaning quietly, joshua's eyes flutter as he lets you tug his head back enough to give you a better angle to kiss him. 

you kiss him a little softer this time as you settle down on his lap, your warm cunt pressed fully against his painfully hard erection. you can’t help but giggle into the kiss when you feel him twitch below you before you start to rock your hips slowly. joshua has always had impeccable self control, being able to make you cum on his tongue, fingers, and thigh plenty of times without so much as breaking a sweat - however, right now all of that is out the window as you make feelings he was unfamiliar with rush through his body. 

“y/n..” he moans in between kisses, his hips sloppily bucking up against yours when you barely lift them to reposition yourself. gasping at the friction and force behind his hips you grip his hair tighter, the moan leaving your boyfriend was sinful. “sorry..” 

“it’s okay, you're just desperate aren’t you baby?” you smile at him as you pet his hair gently, soothing the sting from you pulling it. he nods his head quickly as he begins to roll his hips up into yours experimentally. 

“yes.. god yes.” he sounded desperate as he squeezed your ass cheeks harder. “please..” 

“please what baby?” you watched the way he bit his lip shyly. “use your words shua, i won’t do anything unless you ask for it.”

“please fuck me already.” he sounded breathless as he watched your eyes sparkle, the lust drowning out your irises as you sat up on your knees. joshua whines quietly at the loss of friction. “why-” 

“be a good boy and undo your pants for me baby.” he almost mewls at the words ‘good boy’ before he slips his hands out from your skirt to make quick work at undoing his belt and pants so he can push them down his thighs enough to give you access to his cock. 

“are you gonna keep your skirt on?” he licks his lips, watching the way you pull your skirt up higher on your torso so he can see the soaked lace of your panties peeking out from the bottom of the plaid material. 

“if you want me to take it off i will.” he shakes his head as he continues to watch your fingers hook onto the waistband of your panties, pulling the ruined material slowly down your thighs where you lift one leg at a time to pull them fully off.

“fuck..” he whispers at the sight of your bare pussy glistening in the poor study room light. “so pretty.”

“you think?” you giggle when he looks at you incredulously. 

“do i think so? of fucking course i do, every inch of you is beautiful.” you can’t help but scoff playfully, trying to hide the bashful smile threatening to make its way out.

“keep talking like that and i’ll gag you with these.” you hold your soaked panties up before balling them up and tucking them into the pocket of your jacket. 

“i wouldn’t be opposed to that.” he mumbles as his eyes drop back to your hands that are gingerly wrapped around the waistband of his boxers. 

“are you ready?” you look back up at him again, wanting one more verbal confirmation before you continue. 

“yes, i’ve been ready.” you give him a sweet smile before you finally tug his boxers down, freeing his cock that springs up and slaps against his sweater vest. 

“now that's pretty.” you lick your lips and wrap your fingers around the base, squeezing it gently causing joshua to hiss and buck his hips up. 

“god..” his ears get red as he tries to keep his eyes open to watch how your fingertips barely touch as you jerk your hand slowly up and down the full length of his cock. your thumb would come up to rub at his slit every couple strokes and every time he almost sobs in pleasure. 

“tell me when to stop.” you lean up to kiss the underside of his jaw that was exposed to you after he threw his head back from the sheer force of the pleasure just your hand was causing. joshua was always a giver, he never expected, let alone asked you to go down on him after he had his chance to go down on you - so the feeling of your hand was new, and the look of adoration on your face when you saw his cock for the first time had his head spinning. 

it was almost like time slowed down when you rubbed the tip of his cock through your folds, his precum mixing with your juices. joshua can’t help but groan lowly at the feeling of your warmth before he's moaning louder when his tip becomes enveloped by your pussy. 

“fuck!” you stop moving when he moans out loudly, his fingers coming to dig into your hips. “slow.. go slow please.” you relax realizing you didn’t hurt him. everything was new to him and he didn’t want to cum just from the feeling of your walls hugging his tip. 

you began to sink down on him slower, his tip dragging agonizingly slow against your walls as you took a couple minutes to finally bottom him out inside you. joshua's legs shook gently along with yours, his from the overwhelming feeling of being squeezed by your pussy and you from never feeling so full before. 

“so.. big..” joshua groans quietly at the praise. you both took a couple minutes to recuperate before you slowly lifted your hips until just the tip was still inside and just when joshua went to question what you were doing you slammed your hips back down, drawing the loudest moan from joshua you had ever heard. 

“ah!~” his eyes roll at the sensation, his words coming out jumbled as you do that a couple more times before finally setting a steady pace. 

“that's it baby, let me take care of you.” joshua was completely relaxed in his chair, his eyes closed and his teeth digging into his lip as he tried to control his sounds so no one came knocking to investigate. 

“so, so warm.. you're so warm.” he babbles, his nails leaving crescent shapes in your hips. 

“am i?” you tangle your fingers in his hair again as he nods his head. “tell me more baby.” you whisper before moaning loud when he bucks his hips up in time with you pulling his hair. 

“be.. be good.” you struggle to talk as his hips keep instinctively bucking up into yours, his control slipping even more. “so bad.” you mumble as you let his hips jerk you forward against his body where he wraps his arms around your waist to hold you close. 

“‘m not bad.” he whines trying to bury his face in your neck to muffle his moans more. 

“you’re such a bad boy,” you smirk at the way his cock twitches inside of you. “”so so bad shua, bad little whore who likes to get fucked in public.” you kiss sloppily at his jaw. 

“n-no, ngh~” he lets out a strangled moan when your pussy clenches around him when he hits that spongy spot inside of you that has your toes curling and your hand gripping his hair tighter. 

“can’t believe you wait this long just to have me fuck you in the university library shua.” you pull your head back enough to see his eyes were glassed over as he moaned louder, any shame of being heard going out the window. “you want me to fuck you in public more baby?” 

joshua nodded his head quickly, his voice lost to the constant moans and whines escaping his mouth. you smirk at the sight of tears finally welling in his eyes, the sadistic side of you coming out a little as you tug his hair more, jerking his head back and causing his mouth to fall open. taking a second to just admire the sight in front of you, you felt your heart swell at the fact he trusted you enough to make him feel this good. 

without wasting another beat you reach forward and nip at his tongue that is sticking out now. his eyes flutter and cross for a second before they close completely when you begin to suck on his tongue. 

everything was beginning to build up inside you both, his moans were beginning to get lost in his throat as his cock twitched more with each bounce of your hips. your legs were beginning to shake from exhaustion and from the building orgasm that was winding up quicker and quicker the more his tip hit your g-spot. 

“are you close, baby?” you whisper after letting his tongue go. 

“i-” his sentence is cut off with another wave of moans and whines as he squeezes his arms around you tighter. 

“i think you are.” you try to laugh but it comes out as a breathy moan instead as you rest your arms around his shoulders as you let your hips slow down a little. 

“no no no.”’ he begs as he starts to buck his hips into yours more quicker. he didn’t want the pleasure to stop as he found his own rhythm and confidence in his hips. 

“fuck, thats it baby,” you moan louder than you have. “right there shua! shit!” you whine, burying your face into his neck. 

joshua continued to thrust his hips up into you fast, his cock leaking precum into you until he felt a strange feeling building up his legs and back that caused his hips to stutter. 

“gonna cum?” you sit back up enough to see his nose scrunched up as he bit hard into his bottom lip to stifle his sounds. “that's it baby.” you begin to bounce quickly again, taking over the reins as you helped him reach his orgasm quicker. 

“fuck! god please, i’m gonna cum inside.. let… let me come inside. please!” joshua bubbles and tears up more as his first ever orgasm was right there. 

“cum shua, please please, cum inside me.” your orgasm was right there as well, the familiar warmth was filling your body as you leant forward to be pushed up against his body again. “give me your cum… your.. your.. fuck please baby. you feel so good.” 

with a strangled sob, joshua buries his face in your neck as he unloads his cum deep inside of you. your own orgasm finally washes over you as you sit fully on his cock, letting your pussy clench and unclench around him until he is milked dry. 

a quiet sniffle followed by tears hitting your neck causes you to panic and come out of your post orgasm haze quickly as you jerk away from joshua's body to see his eyes welled with tears and his eyes still hazy from his orgasm.

“joshua? joshua baby.” your voice was soft as you cupped his cheeks to tilt his head up so he was looking at you. “what's wrong baby? did.. did you not want his after all?” 

“no.. no i,”’ he sniffles as he closes his eyes and lets you gently wipe his tears away before you kiss his eyes and nose gently. “just a little overwhelmed i guess.” he mumbles before his eyes flutter open to look up at you again. 

“maybe doing this here wasn’t the best idea.” you gently rub your thumbs against his cheeks. 

“i couldn’t have thought of a better place actually.” he offers you a genuine smile, causing you to laugh quietly.

“really? you never imagined your first time being in a bed?” 

“i’m not that boring,” he pouts a little, his mind coming out of the haze. “but i never did imagine my first time being in our universities library.” he laughs quietly before groaning at the feeling of his softening cock slipping out of your warm pussy. 

“i’m glad this was memorable for you.” you lean forward to peck his nose again before finally standing up, wincing at the slight sting between your legs. 

“it was perfect.” his hands rubbed gently at your thighs as you stood in front of him for a couple seconds before shuffling out of his way so he could stand up as well to situate himself back into his pants. 

“that makes me so happy.” you smile brighter, grabbing your still wet panties from your pocket you slide them back on to make sure none of his cum drips out of you. “i'm hungry now, how does burgers and a milkshake sound?” 

“sounds amazing,” joshua begins to pack your stuff up, handing you things so you can put them in your bag that sat on the ground between your chairs. “lets find a bathroom too… fuck.” he groans when he looks over to see you bent over, putting your bags away. 

“what?” you stand up straight and tilt your head back to look at him as you swing your bag over your shoulder. 

“pull your skirt back down baby..” he couldn’t make eye contact with you as he stared at the wall ahead of you. 

“what? you just fucked my brains out and you're still embarrassed to see my ass?” you smile playfully as you wiggle your skirt back down to cover everything. 

“first of all, you rode me till i cried. second of all, i'm not embarrassed to see your ass… i just left hand prints on it that's all.” he mumbles the last part but you heard him loud and clear as you walked towards the door. 

“you what?” you turned and lifted your skirt like you were gonna be able to see them. “show me!” 

“show you?” he looked at you wide eyed. “how?” 

“take a picture! i wanna see my boyfriend's hand prints on my ass.” you pout as you turned and put your ass on display so he could pull his phone out and snap a picture really quick.

“here.”  he mumbles as he shows you his phone screen, where your ass was beautifully on display with two pretty red hand prints on it. 

“woah,” you could feel your face heating up again. “keep that.” you go to hand him his phone back before pulling it back again. “actually, let me make it your wallpaper.” 

“no no no,” he tried to get it back from you but you just giggly evilly while keeping it out of his reach. 

“don’t you want everyone to see how pretty you make my ass look?”

“fuck no.” he grabs you by the waist and pulls you back against his body. “only mine to see.” he pouts as he looks over your shoulder to see you had closed his phone already. 

“i’m only yours baby.” you giggle as you hand him his phone back and kiss his cheek before wiggling out of his grasp. “now let’s go find that bathroom and get some food.”

feedback and reblogs greatly appreciated!

[seyoungparkk]

𝐦é𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞 •°. *࿐

🎻 feat: violinist!jun x violinist!reader, victorian era, enemies to lovers (kind of)

🎻 warnings: mentions of physical abuse (not explicit), mentions of cheating (but no one cheated)!!! not the best e2l i'm very sorry

🎻word count: ~11k

🎻 summary: in an era of music and dance, of dukes and arranged marriages, there is only one man whom you fight tooth and nail to play at the same tempo as -- legendary violinist wen junhui. people fall over themselves to dance to a song he plays, and festivities from all over the land request the pleasure of his attendance.

portraits are painted, praises sung of him, but you've only ever known him as your stiffest competition, in a society where outstanding women are frowned upon, reduced to mere puppets in the shadow of men. yet, amid domineering voices and too-loud presences, you have no option but to understand that he was the melody that played his way into your heart.

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1870, November 11th

"Your Grace," You reach for the Duchess' outstretched hand as you exit the carriage, your other hand lifting your gown, the horses skittering as they reach a complete stop.

"My dear Y/N! It has been too long since you have graced our court," The Duchess seems pleased to meet you as she clutches your hand tightly, you squeezing it in return.

"It has been long," You agree. "It is an honour to play for the annual ball once more."

"Nonsense!" She trills a laugh, her hand coming up to cover herself. "Truly, it is our greatest blessing to be able to hear your music."

You smile in gratitude as she leads you towards the palace. "Thank you, Your Grace. I'm looking forward to performing for you as well."

"I'll have someone send up your bags to your rooms," She adds, continuing to walk you in. "The estate is busy today, what with the company we're having... and the two greatest violinists of our time!"

Your smile freezes on your face. It can't be, it's not possible--

"Of course, we're not expecting Sir Wen Junhui just yet, but I like the staff to be well-prepared-"

Wen Junhui. Of course, it had to be him.

"My dear? Are you alright?" The Duchess asks you, concern on her face. "I didn't have you just now."

"My apologies, Your Grace," You immediately say, a smile plastered on your face. "I...I must have been tired. Carriage journeys have never really been my preference."

"Of course, how could I forget!" The duchess sighs, before turning to the servants trailing behind. "Ensure Miss Y/N has everything she needs. She must be in tip-top condition for the ball." At the servants' bow, she turns back to you. "I must return to the preparations," she tells you. "Will you be alright heading to your rooms by yourself? The servants will lead you."

"Of course, Your Grace," You curtsy. "You really didn't have to lead me in, it was too much trouble. Please, I wish not to disturb you further."

Again, her tinkling laugh. "What words! You could never be a trouble to me, my dear friend."

You bid your farewell and as she leaves, the servants motioning to lead you to your chambers.

You shake your head lightly as you resume the walk. Wen Junhui, in the same place as you. What luck.

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"You two surely have met, given your professions," The Duke tells you as he beckons to a tall man you know all too well. "It is my understanding that you both played for His Majesty's coronation the previous year."

"Indeed we did," His velvet-like voice, thinly masking his hostility, returns. "It was charming to be in her company."

"As if." Your mutter, thankfully, goes unheard by the Duke. Junhui, however, picks up on it, what with those sensitive ears of his that supposedly make him an oh-so-amazing violinist, and raises his eyebrows at you.

The Duke excuses himself soon after to find his wife, which leaves you and Junhui standing alone. His waistcoat, laced with what you recognise to be one of the finest silks in the market, rustles with his movement as he turns and faces you properly.

He bows to you in mock politeness. "My pleasure to be in your delightful company once more, Miss L/N."

You roll your eyes. "Skip the formality, for our sakes."

Amusement laces his cat-like features. "If you say so, treasure." The term of endearment stirs more irritation in you.

The hostility between you two dated back to your teens. Fresh out in the world and eager for opportunity, you tried to become the court violinist in the royal orchestra, to prove yourself not just as a talent but as a woman, only to be turned away with the memo that a violinist had already been chosen, the only one the court was looking for, and it had been Junhui, all lanky limbs but with the fervour of a highly determined seventeen-year-old.

And at the birthday celebration of a royal you didn't remember, for which your family watched from the gates, you heard him play for the very first time. The symphony the orchestra had played, the seamless chords and semiquavers that had flowed from his relentless fingers on the strings, and the firm press of the glowing horsehair of his bow had impressed every person in the audience. Except for you.

No, you were bitter, so, so, bitter, that the one chance you had strived for your whole life had been taken from right through your fingers.

From then on, you had been known, amongst many in your small town, not very kindly, to be the "young lady who had dared to pit herself against Wen Junhui".

Your mother and father had taken the remarks in shame, beginning to discourage you from pursuing music. Yet, you had taken no heed, continuing to find all ways to continue what had become your lifeline.

And as he soared, both in skill and in fame, to become the most popular violinist of the age, you worked equally hard at your art, staining your fingers with cuts and your wrists with injury as you strived to reach his heights.

And you had run into luck, for an academy run by a sharp-tongued man scouted you at a performance at your local church. Before long, you were on the stage, flitting from event to celebration, just as you dreamed. You played concertos and partitas to your heart's content, did opening acts for renowned orchestras, and headlined the stage in the courts of various nations, eager to keep climbing the ladder towards the goal that was Junhui.

But no matter your greviances, you truly enjoyed the stage. It was everything you had. You took pride in your work, you blushed at compliments, and you appreciated every chance there was to step on the stage and perch the four-stringed instrument on your shoulder.

Then came the day when you met your competitor for the very first time, performing at a gala held for a local lord. He'd looked at you, no doubt recognising you based on the gossip circulating around, and raised an eyebrow in teasing recognition before shaking his head and simply turning away. No formalities were exchanged, even though you were fully intending to be civil.

From then on, you both maintained a stoic but unspoken rivalry, making sniping remarks when you had the misfortune of meeting. Yet, years after it all started, here he was, standing in front of you, on a stage you would soon share.

And as luck would have it, a courtier walked over. Park, you remembered his last name with some effort. He had been the first to object when the court invited you to play at this ball. The papers had published his account of why you shouldn't be involved (boringly long, you thought).

"My, my, if it isn't the two legends of our time," He drawled, in a voice that grated on your nerves. "I must say, having you both on the same stage is rather...shocking."

Junhui raises his brows. "And what prompted that belief?"

"Oh, but doesn't everyone know of your rivalry, sir! Years upon years of competition of talent."

You let out a light laugh, leaning forward to the smug courtier to jest. "And which of us would you prefer, sir?"

His smirk is nothing short of hateful, you decide, when he replies, "Captivating as your music is, my charming lady, I find Sir Wen Junhui's music simply...breathtaking. Perhaps a fine man, bestowing his heavenly talents upon us all, is much welcomed now."

Junhui's smirk is even more hateful, you determine when he walks past you, Courtier Park in tow, his hand raising to pat your shoulder, which you brush off roughly, saying under his breath, "Better luck next time. Looks like you won't be playing in his court any time soon."

"Rot in hell."

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

"Oh, how wonderful that you both will be sharing the stage this time!" The Duchess claps her hand in appreciation after each of you plays excerpts of your performance pieces.

"It's an honour," Junhui replies, bowing low. You curtsey, noting the way the Duke nods at Courtier Park after.

"Refresh yourselves," The Duke instructs. "We will see you at the celebrations. We're looking forward to both of your performances."

You can't bring yourself to look interested when Junhui turns to you. "As am I." The smug, arrogant twinkle in his eyes does not go amiss.

You curtsey once more and at the couple's nods, stride out of the room, Junhui behind you.

"The Divertimento No.17 by Mozart," He muses. "A fitting choice. You always liked the cheer."

"And you could only dream of appreciating them."

"Snippy as ever, treasure," Junhui answers patronisingly, as easy as counting.

"Yes, well, you are no different from the last time we met," You reply coldly, turning a corner. "Stop following me."

"Our rooms are nearby, treasure," He drawls, leaning against the wall. "Remind me again why you're being so delightful?"

"Why, huh," You sneer back, turning to face him. "Where to start? Why are you even here?"

"Why am I here?" He echoes. "My dear, I was invited. As were you. Through our wonderful years of being around each other, you would know I dislike performing for the royals. I agreed because I owed His Grace a favour."

"Of course you did," You mutter. "Well, I'll get going. Go find your next person to terrorise, you take joy in that anyway."

His chuckles go on as you walk off, the skirts of your dress fanning out behind you.

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

Notes, one after another, flow like water out of his bow, in rapid semiquavers and strong crotchets, chords easing through the strings as easy as the alphabet.

You can't deny Wen Junhui is a phenomenal performer.

It's two waltzes before your piece comes up, and the guests of the ball are mingling, filling in dance cards, getting to know one another. You see a few familiar faces, ladies of society whom you'd seen on other occasions. The Duke and the Duchess took the dance floor earlier, and are now nursing glasses of carefully brewed liquor, laughing and entertaining.

The head of the estate's entertainment announces your appearance, and you step up in front of the orchestra. At your cue, the piano launches into the familiar cheerful chord.

And off you go from there. You laser-focus yourself on every note, the vibrato you'd honed to perfection. And thankfully, all goes without a hitch, leading to resounding applause as people break away from their dance partners.

The Duchess bustles to you after you bow and get down. "My dear, that was magical."

"Oh," You smile at her gushing compliment. "Thank you. I enjoyed myself."

"And so you should," The Duke encourages, walking up next to his wife. "What a stunning job you've done."

The Duchess hums in agreement before exclaiming. "Right! I was coming to say, the governors want you and Sir Wen Junhui to dance together."

You stiffen. "I'm sorry?"

“As a sign of goodwill,” The Duke says. “Not very customary, given that you have no real ties to each other, but we think it would be nice. Not to mention, you both ought to loosen up and enjoy yourselves tonight. Do you not agree?”

You’re about to politely decline, but an arm slides around your arm and tugs you closer. Just a little. “Of course we do. Thank you for the offer, Your Grace.” Junhui nods at the beaming couple.

The Duchess smiles at you as her husband nods, satisfied and ready to help her to the dance floor again. “Enjoy yourselves.”

“I—”

“Hush,” Junhui croons as he sweeps you into his arms and across the floor in an elegant turn, the beginning notes of another popular waltz playing out. “We are meant to revel. Look at the atmosphere we’ve created. We ought to enjoy the fruition of our work, no?”

“Shut up.”

He smirks slightly at you. “As you please. You’re not a bad dancer, I see.”

You curse silently. In the distraction of the banter, your feet had automatically stepped alongside his, rhythmically and physically attuned as one — one body and one being.

Heavens, you hated it.

“Fall silent at praises?” He raises his brows.

You snort. “Why should I if it comes from you?”

He gasps in mock hurt. “You wound me, truly.”

“Oh, forgive me,” You simper, a sweet smile on your face. “Whatever should I do with that information?”

And back and forth it went again, till the last cadenza played. His confident and suave digs, your sarcastic and impatient snipes.

He lets go of you as the crowd starts mingling again, and smiles. “It was a pleasure. We’ll meet again.”

He presses a kiss to the back of your palm, winks and disappears into the throng, leaving you looking appalled at your hand.

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

1871, January 17th

“You want me to what?”

“Keep your voice down,” Your father urges.

“Oh, forgive me for being surprised that you’re marrying me off.”

“Daughter,” He says sternly, putting down his paper. “It’s Merchant Park’s son. A finely educated, young man. You will not do any worse with him. At the very least, it would make you seem more like the desired lady you are.”

“And what of my music?” You demand. “I have to put a stop to my dreams? On your order?”

“Dear,” Your mother cautions, then addresses your father. “Husband, we should tell her the truth. The deal is signed, anyway.”

Deal. You’re being sent to some stranger over a deal.

“We are not doing well, you know this,” Your father explains.

“I have told you, the commissions I get from the Lords and the palace—”

Your father holds up his hand. “Let me finish.”

“We need help to keep our estate and our rights,” He continues. “Merchant Park has very kindly provided a deal for us: a monetary exchange in return for a bride. As Mr. Nathaniel Park has proved himself a true man, we saw no reason to turn down such a win-win offer: a groom for our daughter and enough to sustain us.”

You clench your fists. “And you didn’t think to ask my opinion on all this? When I am the one to marry?”

Your father eyes you. “Daughter, things in other households are far worse. Some do not even know until the night before the matrimony. You might consider yourself lucky.”

You look to your mother, but she trains her eyes on her tea and doesn’t reply.

A painful lump forms in your throat. “Is there no other way?”

Your father shakes his head. “Not one as beneficial as this.”

“And will it ensure prosperity and stability for the rest of your days?”

He nods. “We will do much better than before.”

You blow out a resigned breath. “When will it be?”

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

1871, March 1st

Church bells ring, shouts are heard.

You marry Mr Nathaniel Park in the nearest church to his estate. It has been the talk of the town, and throngs have turned up to see a wealthy merchant's son marry a talent of the nation.

Everyone, except for your families, seem to be under the impression that you had been seeing each other in secret for years, and had finally emerged to take the next step.

It’s all nonsense, every last detail, but the very same nonsense made it to the papers by next morning.

You leave your family home that night to start your life with Nathaniel.

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

1874, June 28th

You were bored out of your mind.

Your violin was locked up goodness knows where, and Nathaniel had explicitly said he had no intention of letting you return to the stage as a career.

It had killed you a little inside, but it was to little surprise. Men like Nathaniel and his equally unbearable father were common. And you had fully expected to be controlled and restricted in return for your family’s benefit.

Except you had severely underestimated how much time the violin occupied. With nothing to do and only so much overseeing of the estate you could do, you were about to go insane.

Worse, Nathaniel had been in a dark mood as people in the streets had started gossiping.

Because while Wen Junhui had continued to travel far and wide to showcase his talents, his rival (yes, you) had suddenly stopped doing the same — so suddenly that it was downright suspicious.

And your temporary reprieve came when an invite for a local lord’s ball came by the estate. In it, it urged for both your attendance and a a suggestion for you to perform. It seemed like a good chance for Nathaniel to turn the tide and assure society that you were still fulfilling your dream, and to quell any rumours.

Your fingers were rusty, so it was to your shock when Nathaniel allowed you to play and practice for a couple of hours.

“For the ball,” He warned. “Only for the ball. I cannot have people speculating why my wife has suddenly stopped performing publicly.”

It was better than nothing, you surmise.

And so it is to your greatest pride that you stand once again on the stage, performing a sonata you’d long since learnt by heart, the guests clapping and in awe.

And after you get off the stage, you use the start of yet another dance to allow yourself to be whisked away by your husband. But your impatience returns once you see who your dance partner is.

“I thought I’d come keep you company since it has been a while,” Wen Junhui smiles lazily at you as he captures your hand in his. “Congratulations are in order, I see.”

You shrug.

“Funny how the papers said you’d been seeing each other for a long while. A secret dalliance, did that paperboy say? Wonder where that came from.”

"Be quiet."

He does not, in fact, keep quiet.

“Dashing man,” He nods towards your husband, who is doing an awful job of hiding his scowl at you dancing with another. “Tell him to loosen up and smile a little. After all, his wife is the star of tonight.”

“Shut up.”

“Not proud of your matrimony?” He has a saccharine tone which you decide you really hate.

“You know nothing.”

“Huh.” His grin drops, no longer pleasant, as you take another turn around the floor, falling perfectly into place with other dancers. “Someone is snippy today.”

“Would you please stop?” You demand hotly. It’s not as if you would admit right this second that this marriage was what you want. “If you have nothing genuinely good to say, why don’t you—”

"Oh, so you want me to be quiet, huh?"

His eyes are now suddenly simmering with both mild anger and something else, perhaps impatience. With that same burning expression on his face, he grips your hand and hauls you toward him.

The abrupt and rough action makes you release a squeak of surprise, and his other hand catches your head in time to adjust it on his chest.

You struggle. "We are in public! Unhand me this instant!"

"I told you, be quiet."

"What?!"

"Be quiet and listen," He demands, pressing your head to his chest, using the throng of dancers and people to hide you from Nathaniel. "Listen and tell me what you hear."

You scowl up at him. "Is this a joke?"

"What do you hear?"

"Your heartbeat, like a normal living person?" You snarl. "What more is there?"

"Listen again."

After a brief pause, you ask him, "Why is it racing?"

He glares at you. "Exactly."

"What do you mean, exactly? That was not even my questi-"

"My God, use your brain for once," He sighs impatiently. "If I truly hated you, would I have picked you as my dance partner? Would I have offered you my company and my well-wishes? Would I, Y/N?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"Forget it," he snarls, biting his lip in impatience. "Go and be with your husband. Last I heard, he was looking for your whereabouts." He strides away, leaving you stunned.

And even as Nathaniel meets you and berates you for leaving his side, and as you get back into the homebound carriage with him, your mind stays only on Junhui.

If I truly hated you, would I have picked you as my duet partner?Would I have offered you my company and my well-wishes?

Would I, Y/N?

You lean your head on the back of the carriage, the lights of the city wide awake, even with the lateness of the hour, your mind whirling with thoughts you didn't know were true.

His racing heartbeat, your racing mind. He didn't hate you. The real question now was... did you hate him? Still?

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

1874, September 4th

It's a rainy afternoon when everything falls apart. Nathaniel is in a horrible mood, and you're about to lose your mind.

No music, since he took it away from you once you got home. No money to seek any kind of entertainment, since he's in charge of the estate's finances. You can't even go out on a ride, since he's ordered the footmen to keep you within the property.

“What’s going on between you and Mr. Wen?” You look up at his seething question as he strides in and throws the morning paper down on the table in front of you. “It has been months and columns are still writing about you two!”

“What am I supposed to do, tell the writers to stop?” You ask drily, and a sudden strong fist grabs your arm and a blunt impact is unceremoniously struck to your face.

You freeze, blood running cold.

Nathaniel doesn’t seem fazed in the slightest that he just hit his wife.

He grunts in displeasure. “Heavens, I’ll have to explain these articles to our family again.” He makes a tutting sound at you and strides out of the room, massaging his hand and rotating his wrist.

Amidst everything, the painful swell of your cheek and arm, the humiliation you feel, and the anger that courses through you, you can only think of one thing.

One person.

And so Junhui has the shock of his life when you turn up, panting and soaked in the downpour, at the gates of his estate. Your fine gown is as good as ruined, your updo plastered over your face. Your makeup is running, and Junhui wastes no time pulling you indoors.

"I didn't know where else to go," You murmur, strength sapped, and he says nothing, only signals to his servants to get towels and new clothes.

As he surveys you, his eyes widen in disgust and shock, and he takes your shoulders in his warm and gentle grip. "Was this him? Sir Park's son?"

At your unsettling silence, he repeats his question, more firmly this time. "Did he do this to you?"

For the first time in maybe your life, you meet his eyes fully. There is anger in his eyes, so raw and so deep, that you feel your eyes start burning again.

As you bow your head to blink the tears away, he lifts your chin to meet his eyes once more. "You have never shied away from me. Of all times, my treasure, I would beg you not to hide now."

You stay silent, and he repeats his question, each word more strained than the last.

You nod imperceptibly, confirming his worst fears.

"God," He groans, leaning forward to hold your hands in his large ones. "If I were a swordsman and not a musician, he would be gutted like a fish."

You try to crack a smile, but it just doesn't come out right. "You're not funny."

"I wasn't trying to be," He returns. "But whilst we are on this subject, perhaps my bow could do the job. It's sharp enough."

That finally coaxes a small, broken smile out of you, and his shoulders release slightly at the sight.

His servants return with the requested items, and after pushing you into a room with an adjoining chamber to dry off and get changed, he sits you down as he tends to you. Still shaken, you just let him, and you watch silently as he presses a small makeshift ice pack to your face, made of soft towels and crushed ice meant for drinks.

Occasionally, he brushes a hand through your hair to detangle it and let it dry. It's so... domestic, painfully so, and you're fully aware of how hard your heart is pounding.

"I hate you," His voice suddenly comes through, and you look up as they register. "I hate you so much, you know that?"

Your voice is hoarse as you reply. "I know. I know it all."

"I hate that you're here, in my estate. I detest the sight of you. I hate that we're here, only being civil under circumstances like these, and I loathe beyond comprehension that he did this to you. I hate it so much, but I despise you the most for not coming to my door the second it happened."

Your eyes sting again with tears, and he reaches up to wipe at them, his eyes the most tender you've ever seen.

"Do not shed tears for a man so undeserving," He murmurs. "It is unbecoming, you know."

"I know," You choke. "I didn't want to."

"Forget about him." His voice resounds like thunder. "You should not remain with a monster like him for your family. You are your own person, and your fate is in your hands."

He turns his attention back to the bruise on your arm, tending to it with the same gentleness and precision a tinker had with music boxes.

He called for medicine, clothed and fed you, only to hear you confess three hours later. "I must return before dawn. He will be seeking me out, and I can't have him come to your estate and make trouble."

"No." His firm refusal shot a pang into your heart.

"Junhui. I must."

"You will not return to that hellhole. It's my order."

"I have to, my family-"

"Would want their daughter to be whole and hale." His voice is deep and fierce, so much angrier than you've ever heard.

"I would not see you ruin yourself for a godforsaken life with him. If he can hit you once, and to this extent," he motions to you, "He will do it again and again. Each time even harder than the last. You will die at his hands!"

"The deal-"

"The money is the last thing on my mind!" He exclaims, now agitated. "I do not care about the riches or the deal your family has made with anyone. I just want you to be safe. I want you to be happy. Are you happy, locked up in a great lonely house with him, giving up on the art you have honed all your life, becoming his puppet and a shell of what you once were, only to be hit as if you are worth nothing?"

You shake your head, as if trying to shake off his words. "I know, you're right, Junhui, god! You are right about it all. But my family... they are everything to me. I worked all this time just so I could go home to them someday and live our days out in comfort. I...I cannot forsake them now. Not when they will be thrown into the streets and shamed if they do not honour the contract."

"Then stay here with me," He pleads. "I will handle all of it. I'll make sure no one gets hurt. You can perform and do everything to your heart's desire and I will never hold you back. Please."

"I cannot burden you with my issues!" You shout, choking back a poorly concealed sob, hands reaching to your hair to tug on it in frustration. "Please, Junhui, please, just... let me be. Live your life and let me live mine."

"You chose to come here tonight. Yet now you ask me to stay out this. How can I, if you're making a choice that may very well get you killed?!"

"I will not. You know that. I'm strong enough to handle it."

"Do you even know what you are handling?" He demands hotly. "A violent barbarian who knows only use his fists against a blameless lady and her family -- do you have any idea how horrendous that sounds?!"

You take a deep breath. "I-"

"I will open my gates to you and your family. I will give you my home, my sanctuary and protection, anything you will ever need. But in return, all I ask is that you leave that place. Leave someone who will never care for you the way you should be cared for."

"I can't, I can't. The world is in my way, his family-- they would never view me or respect me the way I want. Not as a musician who worked her way to the top. They will see me as a mere town-girl who seduced him for money and ran off with it. Everything I've done to make sure people never see me that way-- I can't handle that."

"And so you pick them, their satisfaction and influence, over your own fate?" He asks incredulously. "That strong, stubborn, steadfast woman I know -- where is she?"

"I am not picking. It is my only option! You have seen how the governors and men of the court see me, even as a musician in comparison to you. I would suffer that tenfold, and worse, my family will go the same path. I would rather die than allow it to happen, even if I must suffer."

The whole room goes silent, save for your breathing and his ragged pants.

His nose flares and his eyes narrow. His voice turns colder than the cruel winters of the land. "Is that what you truly mean?"

"..Yes. Yes."

After what seems like an eternity, he nods, so slightly you almost don't catch it. His lips curl, whether in disgust or mock of your decision, you do not know. He looks the most disappointed you've ever seen him. "Fine. Then let him destroy you. Let the people who do not matter, do not care about you tear you to shreds. Perhaps you were right, and I was the one meddling too much. I apologise." He starts walking away.

"Junhui-" You begin as you clutch his arm, dread running down your spine, but he simply looks at your hands wrapped around his with the indifference you thought was all he had. He looks at your pleading eyes, your shaking posture. He wants nothing more than to tell you how he feels, the immense frustration that you just won't let him be there for you... but through his raging emotions, his mouth stays shut.

"You can leave as you want," He says, all the emotion from prior gone. He finally looks you in the eye, his own betraying only the smallest hint of anguish and something you can't quite place. "I will not hold you back if that's what you desire. I just hope you will be happy with your decision, Y/N."

And then he's gone, leaving you to sink down in the middle of the room and cry into your hands, the finery of the gown he clothed you in now a mess around you.

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

1874, September 5th

"You have returned."

Not quite a question, but you nod to your husband, who is currently lounging on a newly embroidered couch, eyeing you up and down with something close to disdain in his eyes.

"Costume yourself. Conceal everything well. There is another ball tonight in honour of a newly debuted painter, and we must attend."

Fantastic. Yet another function where you would be on his arm, hang on to his every word, pretend to love him. "Must-"

Nathaniel raises his hand and you flinch. He lowers it, head tilting. "You heard me."

You head up to your chambers in silence.

Your tears flow as you dress yourself as instructed, every puff of makeup lowered to your face doing a terrible job of hiding the marks on your face, the exhausted swell of your eyes.

Fine. Then let him destroy you, Junhui had said bitterly.

He probably already had, you thought. In ways no one would ever see.

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

"Sir Park!" Court ladies and gentlemen alike hailed your husband as he helped you out of the carriage, painting the picture of a perfect husband. You see your mother, dressed in finery, looking awkward and uncomfortable with the current company. You start excusing yourself to walk to her, but Nathaniel holds you to him, glaring down at you with a fake grin plastered on his face. "What are you doing?" He hisses furiously under his breath.

"I am going to see my mother," You hiss back through gritted teeth, venom in your voice, a sweet smile fixed on your face as if you were exchanging an intimate secret. "Or would you prefer I scream for help, darling?"

He releases you immediately. "Be back swiftly. People will wonder of your whereabouts."

Without responding, you make your way through the crowd, smiling and bowing slightly to the upperclassmen who greet you. When you reach your mother, she visibly relaxes, reaching out to clasp your hand.

"My dear girl," She says, trying to smile. "You seem to have lost weight. Are you well?"

"Very, Mother," You reply, through a fake smile.

Concern shines in her eyes, and she tries to continue. "Daughter. Don't make the same mistakes I did, trying to keep defying your father. There are times where we must step back, and you might find that... life gets easier. The frustration will ease."

Would the frustration and pain of your marriage really fade? Would you, like Junhui insisted, be reduced to a hollow shell, numbed to everything and allow yourself to be treated like an unloved rag doll? Would you, after everything you did to make a woman out of yourself... become a meek and obedient arm candy, the one thing you never wanted to be?

As you pull away from your mother with a quiet excuse, you hear pleasantries being called to a new guest, and you turn to find Junhui, who clearly just entered the ballroom, staring directly at you.

You're not sure if your eyes look imploring enough, but it doesn't seem to work. Junhui turns away, and for the rest of the evening, you do not catch his eye.

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

1874, September 21st

Days pass and you still play the perfect wife.

The order is exactly the same. You attend balls, play one or two customary pieces for Nathaniel to receive the oohs and ahhs of your talent, and at the end of the night, you return to your great, lonely house and sleep alone.

Soon after you got home from the ball, Nathaniel received an invitation to a business conference with the lords of Sicily. He had, after careful deliberation, decided to bring you.

Fine, you think. At least with the business, he might be too busy to keep you in line all day.

Nathaniel hasn't hit you since that night, but you're constantly on tenterhooks, on edge that his anger might blow once more. It's a ticking time bomb at home, and not much better outside. It isn't as if you have anyone to lament to about your marital troubles.

Your impatience is getting worse day by day. You already know the deal could easily be nullified, with the riches you know your family has received, but your parents still have no intention of setting you free. And so, on a warm Tuesday afternoon, three springtimes after it all started, you make your decision, rash and unchecked.

"I want to leave."

"What?"

"I cannot live like this. Not as your trophy wife. I wasn't born for this."

"And where will you go?" Nathaniel sneers. "Who will have you, a once-married woman?"

"It matters not where I go," You shoot, "You have no business knowing. As long as I am away from you, you asshole!"

"Oh, I would be very entertained," He replies coldly, a mocking smile set upon his hateful face. "I would like to know which man would take in the likes of you, even if you go to Sicily and start anew. Or maybe Sir Wen Junhui has already defiled-"

You slap him hard. He clutches his cheeks, turning red from the impact and from his rage. "You dirty little rat-"

"You are the vermin that thinks that way," You seethe. "You are the problem here. Not me, not Junhui, not my family. This isn't about the deal we made with your father anymore. It is purely because I am a woman that you are behaving this way. If anything is being defiled here, it is my dignity and your reputation."

He scoffs. "And you really believe some good Samaritan will voluntarily take you in and give you a bright future? Even if you believe so, you will end up the same way, in their kitchens, whether in Sicily or anywhere in the world. I am doing you a favour."

He steps closer. "But perhaps you already have someone in mind? ...Sir Wen Junhui, perhaps?"

You narrow your eyes at him. "What's this got to do with him?"

"Oh, you don't fool me," He laughs humourlessly. "You think I never see the way his eyes move to you when you're in the same room? You think I don't notice how you glance at him? And those few moments at the painter's ball last month. Care to explain that, my dear wife?"

"We are not on good terms." You hiss, stepping up to him. "Shame on you that you think otherwise, because there is nothing going on. I am no cheating liar."

"Perhaps not," He muses. "But I would pay good money to see what he thinks of you."

You stand your ground. "I want a divorce. That's all I want. I can return all the money you want to you in due course. Just set me free."

"Let's see what the courts think of that," He challenges, and you clench your teeth, anger overriding you like never before. "Your whole family will crash and burn with you. All because of your erroneous ways."

You stride away from him, out the estate doors, and his condescending, bitter voice resounds in your head, eyes wide in the face of your rebellion. "You don't know men the way you think you do, Y/N. Mark my words. Wen Junhui will not take you in no matter what he says. Women only have one fate, and you sealed it the moment we married."

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

Junhui opens the door and swears it's deja vu.

Mere weeks ago he did the same thing, only for you to break his heart in a span of a few hours. He surmises that it must be the same situation tonight.

Nevertheless, he opens the door to your panting figure wordlessly and lets you enter. You look sheepish as you adjust your gown, body heaving with the effort it took to run here, but he does nothing.

No, if he gave in and comforted you, he did not think he could risk another heartbreak.

You beat him to it. "I'm sorry I came," You start hesitantly. He stays silent, so you continue.

"Nathaniel, he-"

"Forgive me, but I do not wish to hear details of your marriage. You said it yourself, your life is not my concern." He knows he is being petty, but this was the only way he knew he would not overstep.

"It-"

"What more do you have to say to me?"

You open your mouth to reply, but the bell of his estate rings and you glance at him, petrified. You mouth the words as if the visitor would hear, Nathaniel? His jaw clenches instinctively.

He quickly ushers you into another room, a safe distance from the sitting room where they would still be in earshot. "Stay put," He warns.

He leaves for the main door, and you can hear him exchanging greetings with a man's voice, all too familiar.

It is Nathaniel. You expected it.

"Please, sit. Can I offer you a drink?"

"No need for formality. I am not here as Sir Park's son, but as Y/N's husband."

"...I see. Well, what can I do for you?"

"We are both gentlemen, Sir Wen," You hear your husband say. "Let us get right to the point. You harbour illicit feelings for my wife, do you not?"

"...I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." Junhui's voice has turned cold. Nathaniel should be afraid, but he looks Junhui squarely in the eye.

"I told her this and I'll tell you too, Sir Wen," Your husband's voice is careless, as if he doesn't care what he's saying. "She is mine. And I have rules about the women in my life. They will not look at other men. Their life will change to suit mine. And if anyone tries to defy that, defy me, I will tear them down. You, my dear musician, are no exception."

The room goes silent for a moment. "Well, I am glad we straightened this out." You can practically feel Nathaniel smiling, smug in his arrogance. "Y/N will be heading to Sicily soon, and I must ready our travel plans. Goodness, what a world we live in!"

His footsteps scuff the ground as he gets up, then stop. "This was a nice meeting, but the next time we chat about this, I will not be as friendly." You hear his chair creak. "Well, as you were. Good evening."

"You do not deserve any part of Y/N." Junhui mutters.

"...I'm sorry?"

"I said, you do not deserve her." Junhui repeats, each word firmer than the last. "If you knew her at all, those vile, vulgar words should never have left you. Had you not wed her just for her talent and face value, you would have seen her for who she is -- a strong, talented, and truly selfless woman. She gave up her music, her lifeline, to marry a man she barely knows just for her family's sake. If you ever bothered to observe her beyond your conceited and overbearing ego, you would have found bliss with her by your side."

"...I knew coming to an agreement so quickly was suspicious." YOur husband laughs, slightly cruelly. "And you would know all that of my wife, because?"

"I do not know her as well as I'd like, but I know better than to let go of such a precious being." Junhui's words do not cease, each one hitting home hard. "The innate truth is, neither you nor I deserve her. I will not lie that she showed up at my estate the night you laid your filthy hands on her, and nothing has ever made me angrier. So I swear, from now on, not a single hand will land upon her, or be damned this nation and its money, I will make it my life's duty to ensure you never again see the light of day."

Nathaniel chuckles, as if Junhui's words are but a gust of wind, as insignificant as one raindrop in a thunderstorm. You cannot stay and hear any more of this. So you creep towards the nearest window, ajar to let air in. As you crawl out, careful not to hook the hem of your gown on the hinges, and flee for the back gate, you hear your husband croon. "There must be more than meets the eye, Mr Wen. Although, I hope you know where you stand. Y/N will never belong to you."

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

1874, September 24th

"Thank you for coming, Mother," You try to smile at her, as she sits across you.

"You have never invited me over before," She says brightly. "What did you seek me out for?"

"I need to tell you something."

"Okay..." She comments, putting her teacup down. "Go on."

"I wish to leave Nathaniel."

"What?" Your mother is beyond alarmed, sitting forward and furrowing her brows. "Daughter, you know--"

"He hits me," You blurt out, and her eyes widen. Perhaps not the most graceful or discreet way to expose your suffering, but to you, there was no nice way to say it, no matter how much it hurt.

"He-- Y/N--"

"And someone else came and saved me. In so many ways, even the ways I did not know I could be saved.”

"Wh-" Your mother looks truly befuddled, and in any other situation, you might have laughed at the astounded look on her face.

"Wen Junhui." You continue blabbering. "He has seen me for who I am, at my best and at my worst, and he... he has healed me. He told me the truth that no one bothered to say, and he taught me that... that my fate is my own. Mother... I do not think I can live by the words of others. I think... I think that would make me miserable beyond belief."

Your mother is silent for what seems like an eternity, and you fiddle with your fingers nervously.

She finally opens her mouth to speak, and your breath catches.

“Of all people,” She murmurs, before giving you a soft smile. “I never would have thought that Mr. Wen would be the one to catch your eye.”

You shake your head in fond exasperation. “Life works in mysterious ways.”

“No.” She disagrees. “It has its own wiles and ways, but everything… everything happens for a reason. We were foolish to try forcing your happiness, weren’t we?”

You shake your head again. “I know you want the best for me.”

“I do, and I am glad you trust that, Daughter,” Your mother says softly, and you look at her, the gentleness of it all making your eyes glass over. “And if the best for you can be found in Mr. Wen…”

She dabs at her eyes carefully to prevent the kohl from running, and shoots a smile at you, genuine and loving. “Who are we to disagree?”

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

1874, September 27th

"You'll need more coats. Those dresses of yours are so overbearing." Nathaniel comments as your maids fold both of your clothes into trunks.

You grit your teeth but say nothing, as you pick out your jewellery.

"And this," He holds up another gown, one of your personal favourites, a sweet baby-blue confection with small gems sewed meticulously within. "Outrageous. Have it burned, my wife will not be seen in things as skimpy as th-"

"Shut up!" You can't recognise your shout. "Just keep your mouth shut for a moment, won't you?"

He advances upon your retort, eyes glittering. "What did you just say to me?"

"I will not go to Sicily with you." You say resolutely.

He starers at you for a moment, then bursts into laughter. "You? Turning Sicily down? How amusing."

"I'll never go anywhere with you." You snap, backing away. The maids hesitantly put down their work, then proceed to leave the room, leaving just the two of you.

"Don't be ridiculous, wife," Nathaniel says condescendingly. "Sicily would be good for us to start over. Too many nuisances here."

As he laughs and returns to selecting clothes, you scoff. "You're one to talk. You ruined my life, you took everything dear to me away."

He throws down the possessions, a loud shout bouncing off the walls. "Understand one thing. You are nothing, you understand? I could crush you and all that you have under my boot all in a day's work."

You push back, enraged. "Don't you project your emotions and problems on me. Junhui was right. You don't know any part of me. Not what I love, you're nothing that any sane person wants or needs. You're human vitriol."

"Junhui, Junhui, Junhui," Nathaniel sneers. "So you do know he's in love with you. Why else would you allow him to poison your mind? That pest--"

You punch him in the mouth.

You punch your husband, a rich and influential merchant's son, square in the mouth.

Now, you're not a strong woman, and in any fight, you'd be knocked out like a light. But given that Nathaniel did not expect any form of violence or pushback from you, when he was so close to taking you to Sicily permanently, he stumbles back in surprise and clutches his jaw.

Taking advantage of his confusion, you run.

You run and run and run, to the stables, upon a mare, and urge it out towards Junhui's estate.

So you do know he's in love with you.

This was the only time you wanted -- yearned -- to believe Nathaniel Park.

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

"You must think my home is a vacant shelter," Junhui comments as he lets you in.

He stiffens when you say nothing. "What is going-"

"Junhui." You lock eyes with him, firm and headstrong. "Are you in love with me?"

He stops moving entirely for five moments before chuckling. It sounds so artificial.

"No, that idea is repulsive."

"Junhui-"

"No."

"Junhui." You take his hands and plead. "Tell me the truth, and only the truth. Is it true, that you are in love with me?"

He tries swatting your hands away. "Please stop. Leave."

"I will the second you tell me that you are not in love with me. I will disappear from your sight for the rest of my life, I will leave for Sicily without looking back, and I will never return. Just answer me, just this once. Are you in love with me?"

His resistance snaps as he whirls to you.

"I've been crazy for you the moment I laid eyes on you!" He chokes out, eyes burning with emotion, hands flying to wipe furiously at them. "I couldn't fathom the thought that you hated me from the moment you saw me, goodness knows why, but I figured -- if that was the only way I'd see you for who you were, wild and free and beautiful, instead of the other ladies in court who put up facades to be around me -- I'd take it all. Whatever you gave me, I'd take and play along."

He swallows before he continues. "And yet it wasn't enough. Competing on and off the stage with you. I was in Rome when I received word of your union with that...that monster. I hated myself then. I regretted immensely that I had not asked for your hand before someone else did. I must have been complacent that you would always be around."

"Y-You...you never sought me out." You say softly, stunned at the revelation.

"It was a marriage between a renowned merchant's son and the world's best violinist, celebrated by all... I could not compare. Love would not cut it. Love would never cut it."

You could not help but cup his face, wiping the tears that leaked from his earnest eyes. "I truly believed you would find happiness with that man, treasure. I genuinely wished you well, even if it broke me." He whispers.

"And then you turned up at my gates, with bruises on you and a horrific story to tell," He continues, clenching your hands in his, "Yet I had to watch you, and let you return to that son of a bitch of your own will just so your family could live in peace!"

His body, now racked in sobs, crumples to the ground, bringing you with him as you cradle his head, tears of your own now dripping down your face. "Here you are now, one step away from moving to Sicily as you dreamed, asking me if I am in love with you? My beloved, is that really a question, or simply a confirmation?"

He looks up at you, eyes rimmed in red. "I cannot burden you with my emotions now. Not when you're achieving your dreams. Not when you and yours are suffering under the world's scrutiny. I love you so deeply that I know I cannot do that. If I cave into my emotions... you will be shackled to me, and I cannot have that on my account."

"No." You interrupt. His eyes raise to meet yours, as if in disbelief at what he was hearing.

"I plan to leave Nathaniel. All future plans are gone, and we will not be going to Sicily."

His eyes dilate in shock. The world goes silent, and it's just the two of you.

"I...I spoke to my mother. Way before today. About what you said. A lot of it was what you said." Your voice sounds foreign, so strange to your own ears. "I told her that I would settle the deal and anything we owe in any other way that would not require my happiness as a trade. I told her...I could not bear to let people who did not care if I lived or died dictate how I spend my days. I showed her the wounds he gave me. And I told her how you healed them."

He could not speak, could not move. The fact that you had decided to show your suffering to the one person you did it all for... he did not know whether to praise or cry at your bravery. That you, terrified yet adamant, had made a choice that would finally change the trajectory of your life.

You take a deep breath. Clasp his shaking hands in yours as you find your next sentence.

"You know this. The current divorce bill has always favoured men. In this age, no matter how big I am, no matter how much proof of how awful he is, society will only ever choose him over me. I have every intention to leave that monster, but it will be a tedious, arduous task, and I cannot promise anything out of it -- but what I can promise is that if you want me, you have me. Wholeheartedly, even if hell bestows its wrath upon us, my heart will always be yours. It..."

He waits with bated breath for your next words, his grip on your hand just as unwavering as your will.

"It must have been yours from the moment you pushed me to leave. You were the only one who saw me as anything more than a trophy wife, even with everything I threw your way. I only realised too late... that what I need isn't someone who would speak behind my back, or only support me from the sidelines."

His hands reached up to your face, trembling, cold, so full of emotion he felt like he would combust.

"I need someone like you to stand with me. I need you, Junhui."

It was all he ever wanted to hear. For the longest time, ever since he could remember. Just the thought that you might want him, competitor and all, shakes him to the core.

He grabs you and pulls you to him, hands gripping your waist. Tears form once more in his eyes as he shuts them and presses his mouth firmly to yours, and you can taste the salty tang of them on your tongue as you wrap your hands around his shoulders and tug him towards you. He smothers any remaining space between you -- not that there was much at all -- and wraps his arms wholly around you.

You both enjoy how you mold into each other so, so perfectly -- like a major scale, like a perfect chord, like the coda of your favourite orchestral symphony. One kiss against the next, the tune of your heart swelling into a brilliant crescendo.

You stay like that, lost in the throes of passion, heads tilting to accommodate each other, and when he finally pulls away, leaving you breathless as you meet his eyes, his expression changes into one of such deep love and joy, tears spring into your eyes again.

He draws you into a warm embrace, stroking the back of your head as you find solace in his arms. "Do not weep, treasure. I need you to stay with me, because after all these years of butting heads with each other, you are finally mine."

And as the darkness of the night descends upon the land, neither of you make any move to let go, because Junhui was right.

After all this time, of fighting and being at odds, you were where you really belonged.

With the man whose career you once swore to end, yet the only person who managed to play his way into your heartstrings.

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

"And you must still leave, because?" Junhui is frowning, evident even with his head down, playing with your fingers. You look at him longingly.

"To finish what I have started, Junhui," You murmur, looking at him. "There is to be a court hearing, and only then will I know if I can leave him."

He only frowns further. "And you will be going alone?"

"My mother will be coming with me. I would need support."

His expression does not relax as you hoped, as he continues, "I presume I cannot go?"

"The court would be even less in my favour if you were to show up. Imagine the scandal it would cause!" You reply, chuckling as you fiddle with the silk material on his waistcoat, soft and fluffy against your rough fingers. "Why? Can't get enough of me already?"

"Shut up," He replies instantly, voice bitter. "If you had just married me before and not bothered with him, you could've avoided all of this."

"It was arranged, you idiot! And I wonder, who was the one who didn't ask for my hand and pined about it on his own?"

"I did not pine!" He defends immediately. "I could have you thrown out for such slander, you know."

"You keep telling yourself that, Junhui," You reply, smiling slightly. "How was I to know you wanted to marry me from the start?"

"You had your head up in your ass, trying to win a competition that didn't exist," He responds without missing a beat, grinning devilishly, and now you were ready to release a string of curses that would make your poor mother weep.

"Listen here, you little-"

He takes your raised fist and holds it easily in his own.

You scowl deeply. "What do you want from me now?"

"I want you to decide for yourself. Go and do what you have to for your own happiness. If you decide you do not want me-"

A slap to his chest leaves him stunned.

"Are you actually lacking in intelligence somewhere up there?" You hum. "You're much more an idiot than I thought."

"What?"

"I spilled all I had in my mind to you, you nincompoop." You mutter. "I want you. I will only want you from here on out. Don't be stupid."

"Do you mean it?"

"That you're stupid? Without a doubt."

"You know what I mean." He holds your gaze. That in itself has you gaping in mock hurt.

"Do you not trust my words in the slightest?" You ask incredulously. "My, what do you think of me?"

He raises his eyebrows. "After the past ten years? You want me to be honest?"

You slap his chest again indignantly and he laughs.

"Junhui," You say, softer than ever before, and he looks back at you, eyes shining. "I mean it all. Down to the last word. Please... believe me."

He'd never heard so much as a request from you, never mind a 'please'.

"I do. Gods... I do. More than anything." He cups your face affectionately, and you melt at the touch. He seems as though he's gearing himself up to say something, and after a few moments, he finally loosens his tongue.

"From now to the end, I will wait. I'll be right here. No matter the number of waltzes and music I must grace this ridiculous society with, you must promise, promise, you will come back for me." He leans into your hold, and the intimacy, the gentleness Nathaniel never once provided, makes you blink back tears.

"I will." You say. No more word play or snarky responses. Your promise hangs between the two of you, strong as the red string of fate shining between your interlinked fingers, bright as the days ahead.

With Junhui by your side.

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

1875, April 2nd

Resounding applause booms through the concert hall. Junhui takes his final bow as the stage closes. Women were swooning, men applauding the prodigy violinist that finally graced the stage of Jahn's Hall. People waving could be seen wherever Junhui looked.

Show-off, you think to yourself. Yet, your legs betray you, standing up to carry you to the wings of the back-stage.

You handle your gown with ease, your feet carefully navigating through throngs of Junhui's well-wishers, the people manning the operations, all the way to the back where you saw clearly a large crowd forming.

Where the crowd was largest was where Junhui would be.

You pick at the bouquet in your hands in slight hesitation, until a man you recognise from many concert halls catches sight of you and promptly yells, "If it isn't Miss Y/N! Another wonderful musician in our midst! Freshly back from the courts eh?"

You shoot him a small smile and a nod, and he immediately starts elbowing people out of the way. "Out of the way, folks! She must be here for Mr Wen. The rumours are true, so move, fellas!"

Slowly, the crowd dissipates, fading to the sidelines, until Junhui notices the strange crowd movement. He looks up from his conversation with another man, and he freezes in his spot when he sees you.

Heart thumping so loud you can't hear anything else, you raise the bouquet (you searched for the perfect arrangement for almost a week, but you would carry that secret to the grave) and with a smirk on your face, you drawl, "Missed me?"

The crowd bursts into noise, full of clamouring and people shouting. Through it all, you pay them no attention, your focus only on the man in front of you, staring as though he's never seen you before.

Junhui stays stock-still for a few moments. You're starting to think he doesn't want you here.

"I know I did not write to tell you I was returning, but I can explai-"

The greatest violinist of the age strides over to you, captures your face in both his warm hands and kisses you.

You can feel him shaking as he presses himself tightly into your embrace, your foreheads almost touching.

"Seven months," He rasps out, pressing kisses on your mouth between each word. "Seven months and not a word from you. I imagined you'd run off with another man."

"Who else could have infiltrated my mind as you can?" You choke a laugh, reciprocating him with equal fervour. "Day and night, I ached to write to you, but I could not jeopardise my position in the court hearing."

"And what was the outcome?"

"Of what?"

"You know very well what!" He says, drawing away from you but keeping you locked still in his hug. "What of the case?"

You stay silent and his smile fades. "You are frightening me, treasure."

You laugh at that, unable to keep up the facade. "Ruled in my favour. We have signed the separation papers, and I am a free woman."

He shouts out something intelligible, and wraps you up in another bone-crushing hug which you happily return.

"I am glad I kept my promise," You murmur as he sways you around, lost in the joy of you back by his side. You hardly notice the hum of activity as someone ushers the crowd out of the room. "I hate to say this, but it may have been the best decision of my life."

"You say that now, treasure," He teases back before looking at you, puzzled. "What promise? As I recall, you did not write to me at all."

"That I would come back for you," You answer, without missing a beat. "That promise echoed in my head, every single day. When I stood my case, when I went to listen to an orchestra play the first day after learning I'd won. When I hastened my departure and my mother told me to be happy, all I thought of was coming home to you."

He pulls back and looks at you, eyes slightly glassier than they were before, and the brightness in his expression, the love in it, etches itself in your mind permanently.

"And you are home with me now."

"I am."

"You are not leaving me again, treasure. It is an order."

"You sound sappy. Stop that right this second."

"You started it first, darling. Your promise echoed in your head? Really?"

"You're insufferable. I hope you know that."

"Remind me when we marry. You love me anyway."

You sigh, half-helpless and half-fond, and reach up to rake your hands through his hair.

"I do. Gods... I do. More than anything."

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

1946, November 11th

"Hang that over there, please. Right at the centrepiece of the fireplace."

"Here, madam?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Treasure, you look at this portrait too many times in a day."

"Be quiet. This was the only good decision you made in our lives."

"You say that now. What of marrying me? Was that not the best thing you did?"

"The worst decision of my life, I can assure you."

"You're a terrible liar."

"I hate you."

"Love you too, treasure."

"..."

"You're smiling."

"I am not!"

"The curve of your lips won't go down. You are not sneaky."

"Shut up. I told you we should go see the classical group before they leave tomorrow."

"Don't distract me. We can look at the picture a little longer. It isn't time to go yet."

"Ah...finally, something good coming out from your mouth."

"The same mouth that kisses y- ow! My face!"

"Not another word!"

"Fine! God, you horrible lady."

"Fine, you wretched man!"

Shaking his head and smiling, the man, much older now, but with the same charming smile and earnest eyes, reaches his arm out to wrap it around his wife, tongue still sharp from their youth, yet still the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. She lets him embrace her, even leaning back semi-reluctantly, to his great amusement.

"Look at that," The lady marvels. "Look how wonderful the artwork is, Junhui. Goodness, I still remember the whole day."

"The best day of my life, treasure," The man responds gently. "I'll never forget."

Snug in each other's arms, the couple looks on, at the memory of their younger selves. The time has come and gone, but the days ahead of them are still as bright, the memory of this portrait just as vivid as ever.

The portrait of a beautiful young woman and a tall, dashing young man, sitting together on their wedding day, arms interlinked and smiles forever etched on their faces. Two violins sit next to each of them, and a small plaque attached below the portrait reads:

"Commissioned: Wen Junhui and Y/N L/N, March 7th 1876."

───✱.｡:｡✱.:｡✧.｡✰──────✱

author's note:

SURPRISE FIC in the middle of “This Summer”!!

i play the violin, so i was veeerrry excited to write one about music!! especially a period romance?? yes pleaaaasee

thank you for reading! 🎻🤍 feedback is always welcome :”)

[seyoungparkk]

© deedeekpop - all rights reserved. I don’t allow translation or reposting of my content on any platforms without my consent

Summary Seungcheol never seems to have much time on his hands, but after he meets you, his schedule suddenly gets a lot freer.

Word Count 5.6k

Genres fluff, minor angst, strangers to friends to lovers, hurt and comfort au

Pairing(s) journalist!reader x football player!Seungcheol (gn reader)

Warnings None really, just a lot of fluff. Y/N does get hurt at some point, but it is taken care of pretty quickly. 

A/N Pretty sure this is the fluffiest fluff I’ve written so far. I enjoyed writing this one, and wrote it quite quickly. I hope you enjoy reading it, and let me know how I can improve. :)

Masterlist

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[seyoungparkk]

fixer upper

pairing: minghao x reader wordcount: 9.5k summary: you love your friends dearly, but do they really think that they can match make for their resident matchmaker? minghao’s certainly interesting, though, so maybe you can fix him up with someone else instead. genre/themes: s2f2l. “beg” minghao. LOTS OF PLOT with eventual smut. slow and i mean SLOW burn. some member slander(affectionate), lol. set in the ‘we get along infamously’ universe.

a/n: i have nothing to say for myself regarding the length of this.

    You tapped the bartop impatiently as you waited for your blind date to show up. You couldn’t believe that Danbi had roped you into this, but you had lost the game of darts fair and square. As a result, you were here waiting for a man named Minghao to show up. Part of you really wanted to skip out on this, because you just did not trust Danbi’s romantic sensibilities. She had dated a string of truly boring and strange people for months before you had finally set her up with Seungcheol. There was no way this Minghao was going to be anywhere near suited for you, but you were a person of your word, so you would do the date and be done with it.

“Hey, are you YN?” a voice called from above your left shoulder. You turned your head to see a tall, lanky individual with dark hair looking curiously at you.

“Yes, are you Minghao?” you sat up straight, fixing him with a smile. He wasn’t your usual type, physically, but you couldn’t deny he was handsome.

“Yes, nice to meet you,” he smiled, taking the barstool next to you.

Keep reading

[seyoungparkk]

jun; stupid cupid (m)

feat. matchmaker!Jun x female reader

genre/warnings: university!au, fratboy!svt, semi-crack, lots of silly humor and fluff, minor use of penetrative sex toys, slight dom!Jun

word count: 8.4 k 

summary: After seeing your best friend get paired up through an alleged matchmaker, you can’t help but wonder about the credibility of his business. Wen Junhui, your resident Cupid, can’t help but take on the challenge of setting you up with Mr. Right. (Un)fortunately it seems like that person is right in front of you.

for @wen-junehui, remember that jun loves you to lil bitty bits and misses you

College is supposed to be some sort of life-changing experience, but the only thing that is currently blowing your mind is the lack of experience.

Keep reading

[seyoungparkk]

I Don't Understand But, I Love You

pairing; wen junhui x gn reader

genre; angst, fluff

warnings; mentions a fight and making up

w/c; 680 and some change

requested; no

a/n; i was listening to I Don't Understand But I Luv U and had this idea of what if it wasn't just about a language barrier

please consider supporting me read how to do that here

“Baby, open the door.” 

You sit against the bedroom door listening to Jun’s voice as he speaks to you from the hall. The tears were still fresh on your cheeks. There was still a heavy feeling in your chest, making it impossible to take a deep breath. 

Jun leans his forehead against the door, his palms flush with the wood as he waits for you to speak to him. He knows he doesn’t deserve it but he hopes for it. He hates fighting with you but sometimes you are both too headstrong and your tongues too sharp. 

Sighing softly, the man turns his back to the door after a moment of not hearing your voice. You listen to the soft thump of his back hitting the door before he slides down it to sit on the floor in the hallway. Only a few inches of wood separated you but in the moment it felt like worlds. 

“Y/N, I understand that you don’t want to talk to me. I know you are upset with me. I know why, and I don’t blame you…but baby, please? I’m sorry. I can’t stand this.” 

You can hear the pain in Jun’s voice. The way his voice trembles causes your shoulders to shake with your fresh sobs. You hated that he was in pain but you weren’t sure you could face him yet. You weren’t sure you could trust yourself so soon. You loved him too much. He was too easy to love and too easy to fight with. There was a fire in your relationship that created a passion in more ways than one. 

Lifting your hand, you wipe under your eyes and nose sniffling loud enough that Jun can hear it through the door causing him to close his eyes. He hated the sound of your crying but at least he knew you were there and could hear him now. 

“I wish that I could tell you that I understand everything we fight about and that you are right about everything. I wish it were that easy baby, but I can’t lie and pretend like I understand. I don’t think you want me to lie to you, even to stop a fight from happening…” 

You sigh, leaning your head back against the door with a small thump. He was right, you wouldn’t want him to lie to you. Lying would only lead to more fighting and worse. 

“But I don’t think I have to always understand you, because I love you and we share something so special that we don’t even have to speak to get one another. You know what I mean?” 

Jun didn’t expect an answer so when you only nod and sniff back more tears, he simply looks down at his fingers rubbing them together in thought.

“I think it’s beautiful when we have those moments baby. When it’s like this secret language that only we know. Neither of us actually needs to speak, just a look from you and I get it. I think about times like that when things like this happen…you know when I fuck up. When I don’t understand something…I try to think back to when everything made perfect sense.” 

Lost in his thoughts, Jun sniffs back his own tears unaware you have moved until the door opens behind him causing him to look up at you in surprise. You watch him scramble to his feet, his hands moving to take yours pulling you into his arms before those same hands move to your face pushing your hair from it so he can look over you carefully. 

“God, I love you. I’m so sorry. I know I’m stupid…” 

Shaking your head, your hands on Jun’s forearms you tug at them to coax him down until his lips brush over yours gently. 

“You’re not.” 

Sighing on your lips, Jun lets his hands find your hips so he can hold you close to him. The silence speaks volumes, one of the moments when neither of you needs to say anything to understand how much you love one another. 

© onlymingyus - all rights reserved. Reposting/modifying of any fic, or pieces of original writings posted on this blog is not allowed. Translations not allowed. 

[seyoungparkk]

Would you like a receipt? Pt. 1

In Valentines collaboration with @svthub hosted by my wifey @wongyuseokie, pt 2 out now! Pairing: Childhood bf!junhui x working class gn!reader Genre: fluff, slight angst, slice of life Word count: 2.9k tags: second chances, exes to ???, childhood friend/boyfriend!junhui, spontaneous dates, misunderstandings, smut in part 2!!! Summary: Coming across a grade school ex-boyfriend while you worked a shitty seasonal job around Valentines was not in your 2024 bingo card. author note: to sweet mio at @skyechild i apologize in advance for making you wait for the second half. I promise it'll be worth the wait. but yes! i am your one and only cupid. I hope you enjoy what i have so far. And to answer your ask, idk if i have a favorite thing about myself? Maybe it's the constant desire to look for new things to improve on or my attitude in trying new things? What i look for other people is pretty simple tho. That would be ease. I'd like if someone felt comfortable with me and vice versa. if i can make someone's day by making them laugh or just existing then that would be great. happy valentines day mio! From yours Truly, Cupid💘

Tag: @shiningstar-byulxx @misssugarlips @tommolex @hoeforhao @dkakapizzaboy @junhui-recs @svtup @buffhoshi @meowmeowminnie @caratochan @lovebot4han @camisun93 @emmmui @toruro @jeonride @novalpha @nvmrljk @feat-sun @tinkerbell460 @aaniag @tacosandbitch @cottoncheol @embrace-themagic

Valentine's Day has always been a bit of a hit or miss for you. The last time you remember eagerly anticipating the holiday was back in high school. Since then, the allure of celebrating love and romance seemed to fade away, as you realized that not everything in the world is adorned in shades of pink and red. Valentine's Day became a luxury, a whimsical indulgence that felt distant and impractical for someone navigating a world that often left little room for such extravagances. Life, for you, was a series of tasks, responsibilities, and the constant juggling act of making ends meet.

From the time you were in high school, you entered the realm of adulthood, where dreams sometimes took a backseat to the more immediate needs of providing for your family. The dreams you put on hold lingered in the recesses of your mind, awaiting their turn to be fulfilled. Working tirelessly, you made sacrifices, dedicating yourself to a job that demanded your energy and time. Despite the challenges, you pressed on, ensuring the well-being of your family, who toiled alongside you, if not even harder.

Now, as an adult working a part-time job that offers a slightly better paycheck than your previous one, you’ve grown used to the matter. While the financial gains may not be monumental, every improvement counts, especially when compared to the downfalls of your previous workplace.

Amidst the whirlwind of your daily hustle, Valentine's Day transforms into a distant echo of the past–a time when celebrations were carefree and seemingly attainable. However, for you, navigating the world feels akin to maneuvering on an almost empty tank. In this moment, mere existence becomes a means to sustain yourself.

“Is this a gift? If so, would you like it to be gift-wrapped for you?”

The middle-aged man raises an eyebrow, smacking that mint gum that doesn’t seem to mask his nicotine-coated breath. “Is it extra?”

“It’s two dollars extra.”

Usually, you’d really sell the idea that the highest premium quality wrapping paper would be used to then be topped off with a satin ribbon that truly pulls it all together, but for such a customer, you know you’d be wasting your breath.

He scoffs, snatching the bag off the counter. “Are you trying to scam me? Fuck that shit.”

You let a sigh of relief slip past your lips the moment he made his way out the sliding door, muttering to yourself about the smell. You reach down for your Powerade hidden on a bottom shelf of the counter you stand behind, hoping this supposed ‘power’ would relinquish itself to you for another long shift.

It’s the day before Valentine's Day, which means the rush has become a regular occurrence since about a week ago. The store is bursting with vibrant displays of flowers, stuffed animals clutching oversized lollipops, and decadent heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. Not such a bad gig if you look at it.

However, the true predicament lies in the presence of aggressive customers, drawn to discounts like magnets. They're all about grabbing anything and everything that's on sale, making things more complicated than they need to be. It's like they're trying to see how far they can push things and make your day even crazier. Dealing with them adds an extra layer of chaos to the already busy scene as if you haven’t lost faith in humanity enough.

“I bought this yesterday and it’s DIGUSTING! I want a full refund and extra compensation for my time and taste buds being wasted on this disgusting excuse of a candy.”

Popping open the box revealed a sorry sight–almost half the candies were missing as if they'd gone on a little taste adventure without an invite. The poor box looked like it had been through a candy apocalypse, so messed up that I couldn't even be sure if it originally belonged to our store.

“Ma’am, I’m sorry you're dissatisfied with our products. However, because the box is so damaged and half of the contents have been consumed we cannot accept this return,” you respond in your most polite service voice.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Where the hell is your manager? The customer is always right!”

At last, a wave of relief crashes over you like a superhero arriving just in the nick of time during closing hours. The once bustling crowd has dwindled, allowing you to begin the task of rearranging items and securing the cash register, signaling the imminent conclusion of yet another busy day.

Just when you're on the verge of clocking out and calling it a day, a sudden interruption unfolds at the entrance. A lone figure materializes outside, softly tapping on the glass as if pleading to be granted entry.

"Please," his voice is all muffled through the glass, "I know you're about to close, but pretty please! I just need to grab something real quick. I already know exactly what I need!"

It’s not every day you see a man of his looks and caliber beg to be given access to a candy store as if he were a determined child. There's this undeniable air of urgency about him–as if he’d die if we didn’t get what he needed–but it doesn't overshadow his perfectly proportioned features that illuminate under the evening street lights. Ultimately, you decide to approach the door, swiftly undoing the top lock of the door and allowing him inside.

He expresses his gratitude with a grateful clasp of his hands, swiftly navigating through the inventory to grab what he urgently needs. Returning to the counter, you initiate the process of unraveling the closing procedures, all the while fervently hoping that no one else decides to join the stranger in last minute browsing.

"Sorry," he apologizes as he drops his items on the counter: several heart-shaped boxes and a bear clutching a mini Mylar balloon that shouts 'I love you,' with a small box of chocolates in its other paw. A classic and popular choice.

“That’s a lot of chocolate. Big family?”

He shakes his head, "Nah, these are for a company thing. I've been busting my butt for weeks, and the one simple task I get, I can't even manage it until the last minute."

"Got it. And the bear? Picking up a last-minute surprise for your girlfriend too?"

A slightly offended look crosses his face. "Oh, if I had a girlfriend, I’d do way more than make up my tardiness with a teddy bear.” He holds the fluffy creature in his hand, “This is just for my mom. So, if you ever spot a lady with my face and long hair, please, keep it on the down-low."

You chuckle softly, bagging up his purchases. "I'll remember that. Cash or credit?"

He extends his hand, revealing his credit card with his full name on display. As you sound out the name in your head, it strikes you as unique yet oddly familiar. You run the card through the machine, unaware that the customer is squinting at you, also trying to place where he might know you from.

"Hey, have we met before? You seem really familiar," he questions.

"Uh, not sure, but your name does ring a bell," you reply as you hand the card back. "Haven't come across too many Wen Junhuis."

"Wait, how do you know my name?" he questions.

"Well, it's on your credit card, sir," You respond with straightforward precision.

"True, but no one has picked it up as quickly and accurately as you did. Maybe we do know each other."

You shrug. "Maybe so. I think the last time I heard a name like that was back in elementary school. A classmate maybe."

"Hold on, you couldn't be Y/n, right?" he questions, his eyes widening with realization.

You take a brief pause to grasp the implication, acknowledging it with a nod. "Been a long time coming, hasn't it?"

His smile widened across his cheeks, evoking memories of a similar grin on a boy more than half his age. "Yeah. Well, I be damned. I'm surprised you remember my name."

"It's pretty distinctive; I'm surprised you remember mine."

He scoffs. "You are a core memory, thank you very much. One of the nicest and coolest people in our grade. God, remember our first Valentines?"

"Yes," you softly chuckle, the memories of childhood innocence flooding back. "I begged my mom to get these really nice scented Valentine cards to give to the class."

"And you gave me the lemon one because I love lemons, and I gave you one of the hologram cards of a cat that smiles when you flip it on its side."

"I was so excited to show my sister, and I just know she was so jealous."

"Yeah, where did the time go?" he sighs, his smile turning wistful on his lips.

You shake your head, still smiling from the unexpected trip down memory lane, and finally, hand off his gifts back to him. "Would you like a receipt?"

"No, I'm good. So,” He leans over the counter curiously, “What are you doing this Valentine's?"

"Working the day. I'll probably just grab takeout for dinner and head home. You?"

"It's a workday,” he says proceeding to grab his things. “So most of the day is spent in the office. But, I'm free the rest of the evening…would it be weird if I asked you out for Valentine's Day?" he nervously proposes.

You raise an eyebrow, slightly taken aback but intrigued. "You want me to be your Valentine?"

"Couldn't hurt," he nonchalantly shrugged, a wry grin playing on his lips. Then, as if a light bulb flickered to life above his head, an idea dawned on him, sparking mischief in his eyes.

"Unless you've got a 200-pound, all-muscle boyfriend ready to beat my ass," he quips, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm. The words linger in the air, forming a playful challenge and a subtle admission that, just maybe, he wasn't entirely impervious to consequences.

It harks back to a past altercation, one of those rare 'couple quarrels' you had. The promise was made in jest—that you'd leave him if he ever pulled on your hair again, and he'd have to face a burly 200-pound muscle man. Though uttered in humor with no evidence of said muscle man, it struck a chord of genuine concern in his little boy heart, and he kept that promise until the end of your relationship. The memory lingered, manifesting now in an unmistakable charm, a blend of audacity, bravado, and humor that fills the air with laughter and unadulterated ease.

You chuckle. “Lucikly, I don’t, but I don’t know you. Who knows what kind of person you, or I, have become in the last fifteen or so years? Maybe I'm a bitch.”

"Well, as long as there’s no one else in the picture, I see no problem. Bitch all you want to me." he grins.

Your expression shifts into a playful contemplation, "Why me? I'm pretty sure there are plenty of people out there dying for a dinner date with you. I mean, the last thing we shared was a juice box."

"Maybe I'm hoping to reignite an old spark. If I recall our MASH game correctly, we were supposed to be living in a shack with 20 kids, a dog, and daily commutes on a scooter," Junhui retorts.

"Thank goodness that scenario never played out, but, um, I'm not sure dinner is a good idea."

As the banter unfolds, you realize it's been an eternity since you've experienced the thrill of a proper date. The mere thought of dressing up, the nervous excitement before meeting someone, and the shared laughter over a romantic meal become fragments of a distant past, like pages in a cherished novel stored away on a forgotten shelf.

“We never know unless we try, right?” He says, a teasing glint in his eyes.

“You always hit on exes that you stumble upon on a random Tuesday?”

“Only the pretty ones.” Junhui grins, swiftly extracting a candy box from the bag. With a quick scribble on the side, he hands it to you. “If you change your mind. Happy Valentine's Day.”

You roll your eyes playfully, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips as you accept the candy. “Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Jun.”

You depart with a box of candy in hand when your shift ends, Junhui's number hastily scribbled on the top, the ink still fresh as that abrupt encounter. As you make your way home, the city lights shimmering in the distance, you find your thoughts circling back to his audacious proposition.

The weight of the candy box seems to mirror the gravity of the decision before you. The city streets, now quieter in the late evening, echo with dilemma of pursuing his offer. You can't deny the charm that lingers in the air—a mix of confusion, nostalgia, and an unexpected connection. The mere act of considering his offer adds a layer of excitement to the night, anticipation for plans that have been yet set in motion.

As you unlock the door to your apartment, the scent of familiarity welcomes you warmly for once, likely due to the refreshing end of your night. You set the candy aside–already having memorized Junhui's number–and with a decisive tap, you enter his number into your phone. The screen lights up with his name, a digital beacon inviting you to venture into uncharted territory. As you send a quick message, the city outside continues its gentle hum, and you can't help but feel giddy. You’re eleven all over again.

The memory of Junhui's charismatic grin lingers in your mind, a subtle tug at the edges of your thoughts the moment you hit send, and you throw the phone aside, letting yourself get rid of the electrifying nerves running through your body. When you hear the notification going off–Junhui’s name on display–you realize there’s no going back.

The following day, you’re excited about living for once. Delighted to have something to look forward to after work, you board today's bus with a genuine smile on your face, a subtle change that doesn't escape the notice of the bus drivers, who have grown accustomed to your early presence by now.

As the bus carries you through the familiar townscape, you can't help but revel in the subtle shift in the air. The usual humdrum of daily life seems to have given way to a vibrant undercurrent of anticipation for the holiday. The ordinary scenes outside the window take on a slightly pink hue, and you find yourself savoring the details that often go unnoticed illuminated with festive decor.

Work hours also pass with a newfound energy, and the anticipation for the evening grows with each passing minute, even with the rambunctious customers buying more gifts just in the nick of time. The mundane tasks of the day become a mere backdrop to the vibrant scene that awaits you once the clock strikes the end of the workday.

Today, the world outside the candy store seems to radiate brighter than any other day has. The street lights gradually flickering on, usually just a backdrop to your daily grind, now beckon with a promise of surprises. As the day unfolds, you find yourself counting down the hours until your appointment time arrives and you quickly change into your Valentine's date attire, anticipating Junhui's reappearance.

Time moves forward—one hour, two hours, three hours. Doubts begin to creep in. Were you merely indulging in wishful thinking at this point?

The rose-tinted glasses, which once painted the day with a hopeful hue, must have started to expire. Now, a subtle gray takes over, bringing you back to the stark reality of the passing moments. The initial excitement begins to wane, replaced by a tinge of disappointment and a hint of uncertainty.

As the clock ticks away, doubts and questions swirl in your mind like a gathering storm. The vibrant anticipation that once filled the air begins to dissipate, leaving behind a quiet unease.

You glance at your reflection in the mirror, the Valentine's date attire now carrying a touch of wistfulness. The city outside, once alive with the promise of a special evening, now takes on a different tone. The street lights, initially beacons of excitement, cast shadows that dance with anxiety and unease. The imminent arrival of buses amplifies a fleeting thought–maybe, just maybe, you can still catch it if you run.

Taking a leap of faith, you hastily gather your belongings and make your way to the bus station, adhering to your initial plan—opting for takeout in the solitude of home, if restaurants are still an option at this hour. Amidst the uncertainty, your phone succumbs to the lack of power, its screen plunged into darkness, mirroring the tone of your night.

The familiarity of home brings no comfort, only disheartenment. You set aside the dinner you had envisioned for tonight, plugging in your phone to replenish its drained battery, intentionally avoiding any further interaction with the outside world for the remainder of the night.

When your phone finally regains its power, messages burst to life in an instant, one particular message standing out, beckoning attention. That is, of course, if you were still around to witness it.

Junhui: I’m so sorry! You will not believe the day I had. My office was bombarding me all day with extra work and i only left now. Please tell me its not too late.

P.S. and here's that valentine i wanted to give to you <3 i hope you like it as much as this fic so far