HOW TO GET THE GIRL
lee chaeryeong is the most sought after girl in your school. everyone has fallen victim to her charms, including choi beomgyu and it is no surprise that he wants to try and win her over. what is a surprise is that he came to you for help considering that one: you have never spoken to him in your life, and two: you have no connection to chaeryeong at all. well, except for your beginners music composition class.
PAIRING. choi beomgyu x fem reader
GENRE. college au, strangers to friends to lovers, fluff, light angst
WARNINGS. swearing, lots of food mentions, y/n is a grump lol, two small mention of a creepy teacher, making out/kissing, drinking, social anxiety but itâs not presented that way?
FEATURING. chaeryeong + yeji (itzy), taehyun + hueningkai (txt), rina (weki meki), keeho + theo (p1harmony), jay (enhypen) mentioned
WORD COUNT. 21k (it was never supposed to be like this...)
AN. here she is! finally! i have been working on this for a while now and its done! this fic was beating my ass but look who came out on top. ty to my stink stink @hyukaas for her help. now i am going to go curl into a ball and sleep for 600 years, hope this was worth the wait
TAGLIST. @junniesavidreader @pr0dbeomgyu @rainy-cobbled-streets @laviendove @imyuna-06 @xiaoting999 @hellevatormoa @yyx2 @soobin-choi @xysthe @hyukaas @tsupuffs @yjwfav @ren-chib @mykalon @junityy @iyeonjuni @fairybinie @fallingforhoon @hanlvkes (fill out this form to be added to my permanent taglist)
On days like these you wonder seriously why you would ever choose Music Composition as class. You want to blame it on the fact that you must not have been in your right mind, or that you must have been really drunk when you made that decision, but alas. When you selected the class you were completely aware of your actions.
After dropping out of a Design class you were taking for extra credit due to a creepy professor (who has now been kicked out), you needed another subject to replace it. And Music Composition seemed like the easiest one out of the options. It was not.
Your class had written a test two weeks prior and your teacher was finally giving out the papers for you to check your marks. You watch with dread as one by one students make their way to the front of class to view their tests, waiting for your name to be called. Ms Kwon liked to call everyone up to her desk when giving out tests so she could discuss where you went wrong without the whole class hearing. A small mercy, you think.
You have your arm lying flat on your desk, your head resting on top of it. You find yourself wishing that the fire alarm could go off so you could leave the class before you see just how badly you failed this test. Maybe an earthquake could strike right under your seat and you would be put out of your misery.
Too caught up by the pity party you were having for yourself, you almost didnât notice the door opening and a boy walking in. He was tallâlike tall enough that you would have to crane your neck to look him in the eye. His hair was dark and long, brushing the back of his neck and it looked good, youâll admit. If only heâd style it instead of letting it lay flat on his head.
The boy walks right up to your teacherâs desk just when she finishes up with a student, grinning cheerfully. He wasnât in your class, you observe. You donât know most of your classmates very well but you think you would at least remember him.
He stays by Ms Kwonâs side making casual conversation about whatever and that gets you curious. Who is this guy? When he is not talking with your teacher, he is staring off somewhere in the class and you canât find it in you to find out what heâs looking at.
âY/N.â Your head snaps up at the sound of your teacher calling you, eyes wide. It was your turn already?
Taking a breath, you slowly stand up from your seat. You try your hardest to calm your racing heart. Even though you know the mark you are going to see (a big fat fail), you still hated the look you knew would be on Ms Kwonâs face.
Once at her desk, she looks up at you with a slight frown on her face and disappointment pools in your chest. She shows you your paper and you have to swallow a lump in your throat. This was probably the worst you had ever done.
âThanks, Miss,â you mumble. You lift your head up to find the boy regarding you with a calculating look. Great. Now someone you donât even know knew how badly you were doing in this dumb class.
You shoot him a glare before turning back to go sit down. The rest of the lesson is spent contemplating whether you should just drop the class and save yourself the suffering. The boy never leaves your teacherâs side.
When the bell rings you waste no time in rushing out of the class, ending up being one of the first ones to leave despite sitting near the back. You had plans to continue wallowing in your dorm and hopefully your roommate Rina would still be in class so you can have the space to yourself.
Your plans are unfortunately interrupted by someone yelling from behind you.
âHey! Wait up!â
It takes a moment for you to realise that they were talking to you and that was only because they appeared right next to you. And itâs the boy from the class. Absolutely not.
You pick up your pace.
The boy keeps walking alongside you. âY/N, right?â he asks even though you both know he knows thatâs your name.
âNo,â you say anyway.
He is undeterred. âIâm Choi Beomgyu.â
âSo what?â
âI have an offer for you.â Itâs then that you accept the fact that no matter how much faster you try to walk, you will never lose him. Stupid boys with stupid long legs.
Slowing down to walk at your normal pace, you let out an exasperated sigh. âWe donât even know each other.â
âThatâs true,â he admits, scratching the back of his neck in a manner that makes him look so boyish. âBut I was thinking we could help each other out?â
You quirk an eyebrow. âAnd how exactly could you help me?â
âI could tutor you. In Music Comp.â
You donât even bother holding back a scoff. So what, he sees your one bad mark and thinks you need help? âWhat do you even know about Music Composition?â
He shrugs easily and you feel his shoulder brush against yours. He was really close. You step to side slightly and he doesnât notice. âItâs my major.â
That makes you stop in your tracks and rethink whatever smart comeback you had. You arenât sure you believe him but it would explain why he was so comfortable walking into an in session class and just talking to Ms Kwon. If he is telling the truth, maybe he could help you. Despite being terrible at it, you know that you werenât just going to drop the class. (It was too late to anyways.)
âSay I agree,â you start crossing your arms. âWhat do I have to help you with?â
For the first time since you started talking, Beomgyu looks shy. He takes a moment before answering. âUm, help me get Chaeryeong to date me?â
Oh, he cannot be serious.
âYou cannot be serious.â
You immediately start walking again and start trying to lose Beomgyu in the crowd, not caring if heâs following you. Which he was, but whatever. Because you donât care.
Itâs not even like youâre surprised that he has a crush on Chaeryeongâliterally everybody does. Youâd be more surprised if he didnât. And many people have tried valiantly to get the attention of the most popular girl in school, but to no avail. What was really making you speedwalk your way away from the boy is the fact that he thought that you would be any help in being the one successful guy who manages to steal Chaeryeongâs heart.
It was an impossible ask and whatâs worse, it wasnât even a fair trade. I will help you not fail and in exchange you help snag the most unattainable girl in existence? Yeah, there was no way you were doing that.
But Beomgyu was persistent and remained chasing after you and weaving through students to reach you.
âY/NâWait!â when he catches up, he moves to stand in front of you, blocking you from moving. You sigh and roll your eyes âJust hear me out for a second.â
You donât respond and he takes it as a go ahead. âLook, okay, I know itâs sudden but I really like her okay.â
âYeah, and so does half of Seoul,â you scoff.
âThatâs where you come in! You help me by, I donât know, making me stand out from the other people trying to get her attention.â
He sounds so earnest it annoys you. His plan had so many holes in it and once again came the issue of why is he bothering with you. âBut why do I come in? I donât even know her!â
Beomgyu shuffles his feet. âWell, youâre in the same Comp class.â
Oh my god, you think. Thatâs who he was staring at.
Chaeryeong sits in the middle of the class with her one friend Keeho, you think his name is. You have never spoken to her or interacted, save for the times when she hands out worksheets.
In your opinion, in no way does this qualify you to be some kind of wingman for a boy you just met.
âSorry man, thanks for the offer, but I canât help you.â You sidestep around him and walk away, and this time, he lets you.
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
The next day you are feeling a little better about yourself. You managed to burrow yourself under blankets on your couch, and even though Rina was home, she made a whole bunch of popcorn for the two of you and put on old historical dramas.
Ms Kwon is standing at the front of the desk, arms crossed, when the lesson starts. âSo, after showing you all your marks yesterday, I have decided that it would be best for you to have a rewrite next week.â
Your eyes widen in surprise as gasps and cheers erupt in cheers. Even Chaeryeong seems pleased by this news. Rewrites were hardly ever granted in this class, the first and last one being in your first year. The class had to have done really bad on the last test for your teacher to even consider it.
The older woman waves her arms around to get you all to quiet down. You, however, are too stunned to speak.
âDonât just take this as me being nice, okay? You actually have to use this opportunity to do better. Got it?â A chorus of âyesâ went out as you all answered. Even though Ms Kwon was addressing the whole class, it felt like that last part was specifically for you.
In that moment you make up your mind to study harder than you ever have for this makeup test. Even if you didnât get an A, you at least wanted to raise your mark.
Except.
You had tried all that. That was literally what you had done for the last test. There was just something about this subject that did not make sense to you no matter how much you tried to understand it.
If you wanted to do well on this test, youâd need help. So like, fuck you.
At the end of the lesson you make your way to Ms Kwonâs desk. âMiss?â you ask, and she looks up from her work to regard you with a curious look.
You watch as Chaeryeong laughs leaving the class with Keeho in tow and and let out a long suffering sigh. I canât believe Iâm doing this. âThat boy that was here yesterday? Choi Beomgyu? Where can I find him?â
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
The answer was in the Music room. There were two main music classrooms at your schoolâone for where the lessons take place and the other for studentsâ personal study. You had never been in either class before because despite taking the Composition class, it was the only music related subject you did.
Ms Kwonâs class was the only one you ever went to in the Music block.
The Students Music room is one of the classrooms at the far end of the block. It was the last room on the right and you had to pass a bunch of other small rooms where students were either recording music or just sitting around.
The door to class was open and you caught sight of Beomgyu before you even entered the room. His back was to you, but you would know that long head of hair anywhere.
You donât bother with knocking. âChoi Beomgyu,â you say as you walk into the class and march right up to him. He turns around, eyes wide, and a guitar hanging around his body. Huh. You didnât know he played.
He is not alone, you notice belatedly. There is a boy sitting at a drumkit and another standing by the wall. Whatever. You were not going to be deterred.
âUh, hi?â That boyish look is back as he scratches his neck. Standing right in front of him, you can see just how tall he is. You do, in fact, have to lift your head up slightly to be able to look at him properly and that in and of itself isâŚan experience, to say the least.
The overhead lighting casts a harsh yellow glow on Beomgyuâs face, and it should make anyone look unappealing but somehow he looks good. It takes everything in you not to stare.
âYou have one week.â
He tilts head to the side and furrows his eyebrows. It is such a simple yet endearing action and you have to monetarily cast your gaze somewhere else. âOne week for what?â
âTo help me get an okay mark on my make-up test thatâs next week.â
âWait. Does that mean youĘźll help me?â The way he perks up is reminiscent of a puppy and you have to roll your eyes at his incessant want to get with Chaeryeong.
The other two boys were watching the both of you intently and trying very badly to be discreet about it. You wonder if these are his friends, if they know about his insane plan. If they tried to talk him out of it. Doesnât matter, really. Because even if they did, it clearly didnât work.
âOnly if I get a good mark on that paper. Or, at least better than what I would have gotten if I was alone.â You made sure to stress the âifâ because the way you saw it, this way you could potentially raise your grade but if that didnât happen, you wouldnât have to do anything for this boy.
A fool proof plan.
(Unless, of course, Beomgyu actually does end up being a big help and you have no choice but to fulfill your end of the deal. But, youâll cross that bridge when you get there.)
Beomgyu grins at you and nods. âOkay, deal. Prepare to get an A.â
You roll your eyes. âDonât flatter yourself. We start tomorrow at your place. Send me your address.â With that, you turn on your heel with every intention of going back to your room before your next class.
âI donĘźt have your number!â Beomgyu yells after you as you continue on your way.
âIâll find your Instagram!â you shout back in a dismissive way. Besides, you donât see a point in giving him your number when there is a chance that after this week is done the two of you will never speak again.
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
You do, in fact, find his Instagram. Itâs something simpleâreally just his name and a couple couple numbers at the end. All you had to do was sift through the countless Choi Beomgyus on the Internet and narrow it down to all the twenty-somethings with HYBE University in their location.
You felt like a spy by the end of it.
@ ynln: address
@ choibeomgyu01: woah by me dinner first ;)
@ ynln: chaeryeong will never love you
@ choibeomgyu01: WOAAAHH CALM DOWN ILL SEND IT
@ ynln: see you :)
At 8am, you are standing outside Beomgyuâs door with your bag slung across your back and a muffin and coffee in your hands. Before you knock on the door, you roll your shoulders back and try to rid yourself of any doubt.
This has to be some kind of violation of the Girl Code, or something. It is for the greater good, you tell yourself. The greater good of your grades. Chaeryeong was nice, sheâd forgive you, right? In fact, if you do successfully help get them together, she would have to thank you, really.
With that, you raise your free hand and rap your knuckles against the door. A moment passes and you think that Beomgyu isnât even awake. You roll your eyes before you hear the lock click.
There in front of you is Beomgyu, looking like he just rolled out of bed. His long hair sits ruffled on his head, sleep shirt slipping off his shoulder revealing the soft looking, cream skin that otherwise would have been covered. You force yourself to tear your eyes back to his face. You barely suppress a groan when you see he is still wiping the sleep from his eyes.
âYouâre early,â he says around a yawn.
âNo, we didnât agree on a time, so technically, Iâm right on time.â
He doesnât fight you, just yawns again and moves away from the door into his dorm. You follow him wordlessly and he leads you to a table in the living room. He drops his body onto his couch with a loud groan that is muffled by the cushions.
You barely pay him any mind as you give yourself the okay to look around his place. Itâs smaller than yours, you notice immediately and you wonder if thatâs because he lives here alone. It was clean enough, you supposed. For a house solely lived in by a twenty-something year old college boy, there was a surprising lack of dirty laundry and empty food containers.
There is, however, an abundance of music sheets and guitar picks and photo frames and Polaroids. Pictures of him and who you think are his friends are sitting on the TV stand, on display for anyone to see.
Except you donât, because your tutor is currently asleep and you want to finish as soon as possible. Putting your breakfast on the table in front of the couch, you kick Beomgyuâs leg to get him to get up. He groans indignantly, but complies anyway. When he catches sight of your food, he sends a pout in your direction.
âWhereâs mine?â
Your eyebrow raises on its own accord. âYour what?â
âMy food. I think if Iâm going to be waking up everyday at 8 in the morning helping you, I deserve breakfast.â
Rolling your eyes you shrug. âI didnât know what you wanted.â
âLiterally anything. I can eat anything.â
âI will keep that in mind.â You suppose itâs the least you can do. An extra muffin from the dining hall wouldnât kill you. He makes no move to get started and you have never been tutored before so you donât know what the procedure is. âAre we going to start, orâŚ?â
That seems to spur him into action. âOh, right. You can put your books on the table, Iâll grab my notes.â
You nod and watch as he disappears into his room. Your eyes stray back to the photos and before you know it, you have a frame in your hand.
Itâs a picture of Beomgyu with those two other boys you saw in the Music room. They were at a beach, the ocean behind them as they smiled at the camera. They look like they were having fun, and glancing at the other photos, it seems like their together often. You wonder belatedly why he doesnât ask them for help, and instead come to a stranger for this.
Thereâs a longing in your chest as you continue looking. Your only friend here is your roommate, and you and Rina arenât close enough to take photos whenever you are together.
You wouldnât say you were lonely, no, in fact, you loved the time you got to spend by yourself. But this just served as a reminder of what you were missing.
âOh-kay, letâs go!â You donât notice Beomgyu coming back into the room until he is yelling from behind you.
You turn away from the pictures with a grimace. âAre you always this loud in the morning?â
He shrugs, putting his books down. âTrying to wake myself up. Where do you want to start?â
You wonder briefly if saying The beginning would be too much for a first session before settling on, âThe test weâre writing is on music theory and all that, so there, I guess.â
Beomgyu nods and holds out a cushion for you to take, flipping through pages in his notes. You accept it and place it on the floor before sitting on it and getting out your notes. You notice immediately the difference between you and Beomgyu.
For one, he actually had notes.
Like, they werenât organised by any means and most of them made no sense to you, but, well. He has stuff written. You, however, have Theory written at the top of the page and probably only ten lines of notes.
A bit embarrassing.
When Beomgyu notices this, you see his whole body physically deflate. âOh.â
You feel yourself getting sheepish. âSorry. If itâs too much, or whatever, you donât have toââ
âNo!â He is quick to interrupt and you are starting to think that maybe he really is this loud in the morning. âItâs cool, really, donât worry.â
Wow, he must really be serious about this Chaeryeong thing if heâs still willing to help you when you know virtually nothing. You nod your head slowly with a tight smile. âOkay. Yeah, okay.â
Pulling his notebook towards you, he goes over definitions and symbols with you from across the table. You think that reading upside down must be hard for him but he expresses no discomfort. He hardly looks down at the book at all, seeming to have all the information in his head anyway.
And you get it. Kind of. Itâs a lot to expect to understand everything after only an hour or so, but itâs working. You donât know what Beomgyu is doing differently to Ms Kwon, but you are not complaining.
âDoes that make sense?â Beomgyu looks up at you and youâre struck with how earnest he seems. Like he really wants you to get this. Like he wants to be of help to you.
And maybe itâs just so he can get help with Chaeryeong, but youâre fine with that. At least he cares a lot.
You nod sincerely. âYeah, it does.â He lets out a sigh of relief thatâs oddly endearing and grins. Your phone alarm that you swt reminding you to leave for your first class goes off then and you begin packing your things up.
âWell, Iâve got a class soon so Iâve got to go, but. Thanks.â You stand up from your spot on the floor, and Beomgyu joins you, nodding, as you walk to the front door.
Beomgyu smiles that boyish grin as he opens the door for you. âYouâre welcome. Tomorrow?â
Despite your hesitancy, you nod curtly. âTomorrow.â And you turn around and leave to head to your class.
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
The rest of the week goes a little like this:
You wake up, go to the dining hall and get a muffin and coffee for yourself, and a coffee and cookie or a muffin or sandwich for Beomgyu. He meant it when he said he could eat everything. Well, almost everything. You had bought him a sandwich that he looked really excited to eat but once he took a bite, his face twisted in disgust. Apparently the only food that he canât eat is tomato and after rolling your eyes at his dramatics, you swap your muffin for the bacon, cheese and tomato sandwich. He may be a baby, but you're not a monster.
Beomgyu teaches you with his notes and you try to pay attention enough to take down your own. You get caught a couple times doodling faces instead of music notes and he tries to pull a disappointed teacher look, but you canât really take him seriously when heâs sitting on a Lightning McQueen pillow.
One time, you actually doodled what was supposed to be him and he couldnât even try to be upset because he thought it looked just like him, he couldnât stop gushing.
The session ends and you take your new notes back home with you to go over again. It works well.
(Not included, but worth noting, you getting distracted every time Beomgyu answers the door with his shirt slipping off his shoulder. You might not like him, but youâre not stupid.)
You still havenât exchanged numbers though, because as well as tutoring has been going, you havenât written the test. And that is, like, the test of time, basically, for if you will be spending more time together.
On the day of the test, Beomgyu walks with you to your class. Next to you, he seems more nervous than you. Heâs constantly wringing his hands out and muttering little nothings under his breath.
Itâs annoying. Endearing, but annoying.
âYou know Iâm the one writing the test, not you?â you say after youâve just about had enough.
He gets the hint and lets out a sigh. âI know, itâs justâI have a lot riding on this, too, you know?â
You wave your hand dismissively. âYes, yes, I will try and do my best so we can see if you will end up with my help. Donât worry, Iâm not gonna, like, flunk on purpose.â Which, honestly, you had thought of doing. Multiple times.
It seems to put him at ease, though. He takes a breath and when the two of you stop in front of your class, he pulls you into a hug. You canât help the grunt you let out at the sudden contact.
âWhat are you doing?â you ask, arms hanging limply at your sides. As confused as you are, you canât help the heat that rushes to your face.
âWishing you good luck. This is a good luck hug,â he informs you speaking into your hair.
âRightâŚâ you drawl. You canât help but think about how weird this is. âYou can let me go now.â
He finally does and pats your shoulder once for good measure as well. Beomgyu shoots you what is supposed to be an encouraging smile before walking away with two thumbs up shooted at you. You opt for just nodding, before walking into the class in a half confused daze.
Whatever that was, you think, when you get to your desk. Beomgyu, you decide, is a very strange boy.
Ms Kwon enters the class not shortly after. She greets everyone then gets right down to business by giving out the tests.
When she tells you can start, you push all thoughts of stupid boys and stupid hugs out of your mind and focus only on the test in front of you and what you covered the past week. And, well. It goes well. You have the answers to most of the questions and while you know you donât get everything right, you at least know why and what you forgot.
The next hour and a half passes by in a flash, and the next thing you know you are handing in your test. Leaving the music block, you feel like skipping. You have never felt this confident after a Music Comp test before, you could sing. Like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders.
Chaeryeong comes out, too, just a moment later and shoots you a smile. You politely return it then make your way back to your dorm as fast as you can. If you really did as good as you think you did, then you would be seeing lot of the other girlâseeing a lot of Beomgyuâwhich is something you are going to have to get used to.
Maybe failing wouldnât be so bad?
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
Well. You passed.
Like, you got a D. The highest mark you have ever gotten in the class. Ms Kwon even smiled at you when she showed you your paper (âI donât know what you did, but keep doing itâ). And, well, not like you have a choice.
Beomgyu is waiting for you outside the class, rocking on the heels of his feet, when your class lets out. You are surprised to see him there. And you let that be known. âWhat are you doing here?â you ask, stopping in front of him with a deadpan expression.
The boy just shrugs, trying to appear nonchalant even though you can tell he is waiting for you to tell him how it went. âI wanted to know how you did.â There it is.
You hum noncommittally, turning to make your way out of the Music block and Beomgyu follows. âAnd what if I did terribly; you would have come all this way for nothing.â
He blanches. âDid you?â
You shrug. âI got a D.â You turn to see Beomgyuâs reaction only to find that heâs stopped in his tracks. âWhat?â you ask, turning to face him fully.
âOh.â He looks crestfallen, and that doesnât make sense to you. âSo I guess I didnât help much, then, huh?â Beomgyu scratches the back of his neck
You fix him with a deadpan stare. âWhat are you talking about? I did good. You should be, like, jumping for joy right now.â
âA D isâŚgood?â You figure that since he is so good at the subject, he probably canât wrap his head around you being happy about your grade.
âFor me, at least. So stop looking like I kicked your dog, or something.â Turning on your heel, you continue your way across the quad. You donât look to see, but you can tell Beomgyu is chasing after you.
âParrot, actually. I have a pet parrot,â he says, falling into step with you. It takes you a moment to realise what heâs talking about.
âThe phrase doesnât go like that.â
âJust letting you know,â he says with a cheeky grin. You roll your eyes. âSo,â Beomgyu starts, with a mischievous glint in his eye, âwhat Iâm hearing is you are officially a part of Operation: Woo Chaeryeong.â He holds his arms out at his sides and proceeds to do obnoxious jazz hands.
You barely suppress a groan at his dramatics. God, you hope you donât regret this. âWe need a new name. And a plan.â
Which is how you found yourself here:
âOkay, first things first, new plan name,â you say, putting a piece of paper on the table between the two of you. The two of you are at the on campus cafĂŠ that you have never actually visited before. It was Beomgyuâs idea, apparently they have the best coffee at HYBE.
Beomgyu ordered for youâyour standard coffee and muffin, and a slice of cake you didnât ask for but just trust me on thisâbecause the reason you donât visit new cafĂŠâs all that often is because you donât like ordering for yourself. You find it awkward and anxiety inducing, and oh god what if you donât like it? Of course you donât tell Beomgyu this. Instead you tell him it would make sense because heâs been here before so heâd know whatâs good.
He cracks his knuckles and nods. âRight, right. So Iâve been thinking and how about âMake Chaeryeong Fall in Love With Meâ?â Beomgyu actually looks pleased with himself, like that isnât the worst name for, well, anything. You stare. âThink about it! Itâs simple and straight to the point!â
âYeah, and sucks,â you deadpan. You bring the page closer to you with a sigh, realising that you are going to have to do everything yourself. Grabbing one of the pens Beomgyu brought, you write something at the top of the page. You take a moment to admire your work before you show the boy.
How to Get the Girl: A 5 Step, Foolproof Plan by Y/N
Beomgyu pouts. âWhy is your name the only one written?â
âBecause, if it was a plan by you, it wouldnât be foolproof,â you say easily and he scowls.
âItâs boring but I suppose itâll do.â
You roll your eyes. âWell, step one should beââ
âHere you guys go.â You are interrupted by your waiter bringing you your food.
You mumble out a âthanksâ through pursed lips, awkward as ever, while the boy across from you smiles brightly as he accepts the food.
You waiter grins back at Beomgyu but shoots you a glare when she turns to you, that you have no problem returning.
When she walks away, you turn back to your page. âYouâre a grouch,â Beomgyu says matter-of-factly.
âAm not.â
âAre to,â he shoots back childishly. âWould it have killed you to be nice?â
âThat was me being nice,â you say, a little indignant. Itâs not your fault that girl thought you were rude. You were saying thank you!
He levels you with a stare, before raising his hands in mock surrender. âOkay, fine Little Miss Sunshineââ you feel like throwing your spoon at himâ âwhatâs your master plan.â
âThe first stepâGet her to notice you.â
Beomgyu hums, sipping his own coffee. âI can manage that.â
âUh-huh, because Iâm here for fun?â He opens his mouth to retort, before seemingly remembering why he asked for your help in the first place and he deflates in his seat. âThought so,â you say with a smirk. He sticks his tongue out at you.
âWe need to come up with a list of things about you that can get her attention. What you got?â
He ponders this for a moment. âWell, for starters, Iâm tall.â
âUh-huh,â you drawl, writing it down. Itâs not like heâs wrong.
âIâm good looking.â
âRight.â
âAnd Iâm charming,â he adds with a wink. Your pen stills and he notices. âWhy arenât you writing that down?â
âOoh, I just donĘźt know how true it is.â
âOh, you donât know how true that is,â he repeats, twisting his face and putting on a high pitched voice, supposed to be resembling you.
âI donât sound like that.â Beomgyu just responds with an angry bite of your muffin. Ignoring him, you continue. âSecond, enter her space. Eat where she eats, find mutual friends, stuff like that.â
âSounds stalkerish.â
âYouâre stalkerish.â
âWhat are you even saying?â
You sigh. âOkay, so it needs a little rewording, whatever. You just have to show her that youâre, you know, available. That you have stuff in common. Get her to want to hang out with you personally. Which brings us to step three. Hang out with her.â
âLike dates?â he asks with a tilt of the head.
âYeah, but donât call them that. Youâre just two new friends getting to know each other.â
âLike us,â he teases, with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
You donât even crack a smile. âAs if,â you scoff. Beomgyu just grins. âThe fourth step is asking her on a real date. And then, step five, ask her to be your girlfriend. That is, if you get that far.â
âHey!â he yells indignantly. âHave some faith in me!â
You snatch your muffin back from him and take your first bite. âWeâll see how well you do on the first two steps and I might change my mind.â
âI can live with that.â He brings the plate of cake closer to him. âWe should, like, ask each other questions,â Beomgyu says around his piece of cake.
You barely hold back a long suffering sigh. âWhy?â
He just shrugs, a trait you have grown to find increasingly annoying. Does he not have any other way to express himself? âTo get to know each other.â
âI already know plenty about you; you are tall, good-looking and not as charming as you think you are.â
âHow sweet,â he deadpans and you give him a tight smile. âCome on, itâll be fun! LookâIâll go first.â You raise a single eyebrow at that. You can tell he pretends to think about his question for a moment because not even five seconds later, âOkay, why are you doing Music Comp anyways?â
At first, you pretend not to hear him, taking your first sip of your coffee. And itâs really good. Like, you probably canât drink from the dining hall anymore. But Beomgyu just stares at you, waiting for you to answer. You sigh, realising that thereâs no getting out of this. âDo you know Mr Seo? From last year?â
âThe creepy, predator design teacher that got caught trying to get with a freshman?â Huh. His reputation precedes you. You nod your confirmation and Beomgyu hums. âIt was hot gossip for, like, a good two weeks.â
âYeah, well, he was my design teacher.â
Beomgyuâs eyes widen. âNo way. He didnât, like, you know?â
âOh no, not me,â youâre quick to clarify. Beomgyu looks relieved to hear that. âI just didnât want to be there anymore and Music Composition sounded easy enough. I was sorely mistaken, though.â
âHuh. Well, itâs your turn.â
You sip your coffee. âTo do what?â
âAsk me a question.â
You bite back the snarky What makes you think I want to know anything else about you? thatâs threatening to fall from your lips, because you do have something you want to know. âWhy did you hug me? When I was writing my test?â
You werenât used to people hugging you, and certainly not people you had known for only a week. It was unnerving how quick it took for Beomgyu to initiate that contact. You didnât even think you were that agreeable of a personâthat barista certainly didnât even though thatâs just your face.
Beomgyu doesnât seem to understand your turmoil or confusion. He just shrugs and replies easily, âFor good luck.â
âYeah, but why.â
âI donĘźt know, I hug a lot of people. Iâm a tactile person, Y/N.â
âAnd thatâs why youâre trying to play footsie with me right now?â He had been knocking his foot against your leg since the moment you sat down.
Beomgyu has the decency to blush, even though he doesnât stop. The tips of his ears turn red but he tries to play it off with a shrug. Heâs so annoying. âItâs an instinct.â You hum. You suppose it is, the same way frowning and grumbling about everything is yours. (Maybe you are a grouch.) âI can stop if you want. I donât want to make you uncomfortable or anything.â
âItâs whatever,â you say, waving him off. âYour turn.â Beomgyu seems to be able to tell that your nonchalance is a front, that itâs not that you donât care what he does, you donât mind. And that you are giving him permission for if he ever wants to do it again.
He doesnât mention it though. Just smiles knowingly and nods. âEat the cake.â
You raise an eyebrow. âThatâs not a question,â you note.
He just shrugs. âIâm saving it. For later. Right now, I want you to taste the cake I spent my hard earned money on buying for you.â He throws in a pout for good measure and you roll your eyes.
Whatever, you think, one bite of cake wonât kill you. And so far the coffee and the muffin had both been good, so whoâs to say this wonât be too? Except, you donât have one bite. You finish the whole thing without even stopping to look up from the plate. It shouldnât be possible but every single thing youâve tried from this place has been incredible. You hate to admit itâreally, really hate to admit itâbut Beomgyu was right.
Beomgyu is smirking at you, as though he can read your mind. âWas it good?â he teases.
âShut up,â you say with no real bite to it.
He just laughs good-naturedly. âSo, how do we start step one?â
You think for a moment. Interlocking your fingers and resting your chin on them, you study Beomgyu closely. He shifts under your gaze, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck nervously. Then it hits you.
âWe need to fix your hair.â
âWhatâs wrong with my hair?â He furrows his eyebrows, clearly confused.
âItâs plain, itâs boring and while it is a cool cut, it doesnât look good because you donât style it. So. We have to fix it.â
Beomgyu sighs, giving in. âFix it how?â It surprises you how easily heâs going along with what youâre suggesting. You expected more fights, more disagreements, but so far, Beomgyu has just been oddly compliant.
âHow do you feel about hair dye?â
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
STEP 1: GET HER TO NOTICE YOU
STEP 1B: CHANGE YOUR HAIR
BGâS NOTE: BLONDE PREFERABLY!!
Y/NâS NOTE: SHUT UP, YOU WILL DO WHATEVER COLOUR I GET
The hair dye is not blonde. You arenât a monster, of course you tried to look for some, but apparently everyone on campus had the same idea as you and it was sold out at the store. So you settled for the next best thingâwhite.
Beomgyu was not amused.
âNo.â
Standing in the middle of his living room, you are showing off the hair dye you just bought with pride. âOh come on, think of it as, like, platinum blonde. Itâs the same thing!â
He looks affronted. âNo, itâs not! My one clause was that it had to be blonde!â
âAnd mine was that you would suck it up! I tried getting blonde but there wasnât any. So, you know, this is the best weâve got.â You cross your arms across your chest with finality.
You kind of feel bad, because if someone had walked into your house and demanded to dye your hair white, you would have kicked them out immediately. You can understand his apprehension, and honestly, youâre a bit nervous, too. You canât show it though, obviously. If you look confident, it might ease Beomgyu.
You expect him to put up more of a fight, to tell you that there is no way he is letting you dye his hair white. ButâŚhe just sighs, walks into his bathroom and sits on the chair he placed in there, levelling you with a stare.
âDo not ruin my hair.â
Beomgyu had everything you would need for the hair dying process ready for you in the bathroom. A pair of gloves on the counter, a chair in front of the bath and a towel draped over the back of it. You enter the bathroom after him, placing the hair dye next to the gloves and get out your phone. You take your place behind him, him finally being shorter than you making you more excited than it should.
âOkay,â you say, rubbing your hands together, âletâs do this.â
Beomgyuâs hair, you learn, is really soft. You havenât started doing anything, the gloves still on the counter behind you, but you were curious. Wanted to know what it felt like. Carding your fingers through the strands, you enjoy the feeling of the silky locks slipping through your fingers, a bit ticklish. Beomgyu sits still in his chair. He doesnât say anything, barely even moves. The only indication you have that he hasnât somehow passed out is the steady rise and fall of his chest. When you tug a little too hard, the boy lets out a sound from below you.
âSorry,â you say, face flushing, even though he canât see you.
âItâs fine.â His voice sounds strangely hoarse. âDidnât hurt.â
You nod. âOkay.â It takes a lot to remove your hands from his hair, but you do and grab the gloves from behind you and put them on.
He clears his throat. âYou have done this before, right?â
Well.
The short answer is no. You have never dyed anyoneâs hair before, not even your own. You have no idea how this is going to turn out.
The long answer is well, technically. Your conditioner was nearing empty and needed to be replaced. Now, you hadnât known that what you thought was a refill packet of the conditioner was actually blue hair dye until Rina came out of the bathroom looking murderous, but. That had to count for something, right?
The answer you settle on is, âYeah. Sort of.â
Beomgyu whirls his head around to face you. âWhat do you mean âsort ofâ?â he questions, eyes blown wide.
You wave off his concern with a dismissive hand. âRelax, would you? I have a tutorial so if it goes wrong you can blame jaydoesstuff on YouTube. He calls this look âRock Chicâ.â
âOh my god.â
âWhat happened to having faith, huh?â you ask, barely paying attention to him anymore as you press play on the tutorial. Jay welcomes you to his channel and you fast forward through the sponsorship bit (which takes almost two minutes, god) until he actually starts with the tutorial.
âYou are probably the most cynical person I know.â
You let out a snort involuntarily. âThatâs fair.â You shake the dye bottle over his head, watching as it drips over his hair. Google says you should mix the dye in a bowl but jaydoesstuff only has the bottle, a brush and hope.
The rest of the process passes by without incident. You let it set for ten minutes and in that time you and Beomgyu watch other YouTube videos from the Jay guy and find out that he goes to your school. What a small world. When the timer goes off, you rinse out the dye in the sink while Beomgyu whines from under the tap that water is getting into his eyes.
You let him dry his hair with the towel on his own, and take to throwing your dirty gloves away and cleaning up any mess on the counter.
âHow does it look?â Beomgyu asks when his hair is mostly dry. Heâs staring at you with wide eyes, wringing the towel nervously.
You canât help teasing. âWell. I want to give a zero, but that is not possible. So I give you a one.â
He just stares at you. For a moment you think he didnât get your reference, then, âOkay, Tyra,â he says with a scoff.
Your mouth quirks upwards. âYou watch Americaâs Next Top Model?â
He shrugs. âIâve seen clips.â
âItâs fun. Trashy reality TV is a good stress reliever.â
âMaybe. But seriouslyâŚ.Does it look okay?â
This time, you take your time looking at him. Again, youâre astounded by how he can continue to look so good under the crappy light of the bathroom. The harsh yellow casts an almost golden glow across his face. You trail your eyes up to his hair, to take in his whole face with his new look and, well. You did a good job. Itâs not professional by any means, but itâs not awful and the white highlights actually suit him.
Your eyes find his only to realise that heâs been looking at you this entire time. That he could have looked in a mirror and come to his own conclusion, but he hasnât.
âYeah,â you breathe out. âIt looks good.â
To test if the first phase of step one works, Beomgyu is going to pick you up from your Music Comp class. Hopefully, Chaeryeong sees him and is so wowed by his beauty, she falls instantly in love with him and kisses him in the middle of the hallway. Which, of course, is not your expectation, but Beomgyu has been talking about it for days and it has kind of bled into your subconscious.
You take your time packing up when Ms Kwon dismisses the class, trying to time your leaving with Chaeryeong who's messing around with Keeho.
When you see that sheâs about to leave, you head out before her. Beomgyu is there waiting like you knew he would be, and when he sees you, he walks towards you.
âIs she coming?â he stage-whispers and you resist the urge to roll your eyes, which is something you find yourself doing a lot around him.
âGive her a second,â you say, adjusting the straps on your bag.
And as though you summoned her, Keeho and Chaeryeong come walking out of the class right then. You catch her eye and return the small smile she gives you as she passes. You watch as she notices Beomgyu, her eyes travelling up to his face and an unreadable expression flashes through her face.
She nods at him in acknowledgement. âCool hair,â is all she says before walking away completely.
Next to you, Beomgyu lets out a squeak. A blush has spread all the way from the tips of his ears and disappears down into his shirt.
You turn to face him. âWell?â He is standing frozen in place, mouth hanging slightly open. You are sure that a tornado could hit and he wouldnât move a muscle. His face is still bright red.
âOh my god,â he breathes out when he finally regains the power of speech. âSheâs never spoken to me before.â His eyes trail after her as she disappears out onto the quad.
âYeah, well, youâre welââ
You donât get to finish chastising him, because the next thing you know his arms are wrapped around your shoulders and his head is resting on your head. âThank you,â he says with such sincerity, it makes you rethink teasing him in the first place.
You pat his back gingerly, still awkward about the contact, but you suppose you should come to expect it now. âUmâŚ. Youâre welcome.â
He pulls away from you, grinning widely and you can only offer a more strained one in return, but Beomgyu doesnât seem to mind. âWe should celebrate.â
You scoff lightly, no weight behind it. âCelebrate what?â You turn to walk out onto the quad, expecting Beomgyu to follow you. Which he does. He falls into step with you almost immediately.
âThe plan working, obviously.â
âObviously.â
âCome on,â he whines dramatically. âIâll buy you cake.â He has managed to pass you and is standing in front of you, lifting his shoulders in what is supposed to be a tempting manner.
In all honesty, you were kind of planning to go do something with Beomgyu today, anyway. You didnât know whether or not changing his hair would actually get Chaeryeongâs attention but you figured Beomgyu would drag you away somewhere regardless. And clearly you were right.
He is looking at you with a smirk as if heâs cornered you and thereâs just no way you can say no to him now. He doesnât need to know that you would have agreed without the bribery, because free cake is free cake and who can say no to that?
Humouring him, you sigh in defeat. âFine, I guess this is worth celebrating.â
Grinning proudly, Beomgyu easily loops his arm with yours and leads you across the quad to the cafĂŠ. He orders for the two of you again, sitting across from you at the table and starts talking about how he was so nervous about today that he could hardly answer questions in his classes all day.
You kill two hours like that, just talking in the cafĂŠ. By the time you make it back to your dorm, Rina is home and asks if you were out with a friend. You pause for a moment before answering.
âYeah,â you say before entering your room. You suppose you were.
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
Beomgyu shows up to pick you up from class more often than not. He is always there before Ms Kwon letâs you out and it makes you seriously wonder if he ever attends class himself.
Itâs a smart move, you acknowledge, because Chaeryeong gives him a nod in greeting whenever she passes by him on her way out of class. You tell him as much and he grins cheekily gushing about how smart you find him, so you make it a point to never praise him again.
You spend a lot of time with Beomgyu. Not necessarily by choice, he just always happens to be around you and you canât find it in you to tell him to go away. (You find that you donât want to.) Between him tutoring you and walking you from class, itâs like you see him everywhere now. Even now, the two of you were walking into the cafĂŠ for no reason other than you were both hungry and, according to Beomgyu, what better way to eat than together?
The cafĂŠ was packed today, students and teachers alike rushing in and out of the restaurant, the bell above the door constantly ringing. You donât know what the occasion could be for there to be so many people here now, but you find you donât really want to stick around to find out.
You turn to Beomgyu to tell him as much, that you guys can just go somewhere else but he looks almost offended. âWe canât just go somewhere else! This is our place now. We canât betray it by eating at a basic Mcdonalds.â
You cross your arms and fix him with a deadpan stare. âWhatâs wrong with Mcdonalds?â
âThereâs no charm. No memories attached. We have to eat here.â Staring up at him, you realise that heâs not going to let up. You sigh in defeat and Beomgyu smirks in satisfaction. âOkay, you order, Iâll go find us a table.â
You grab his arm, stopping him before he can walk away. âUh, you order.â
âWhy?â Beomgyu questions.
âBecause you know whatâs good,â you explain shrugging.
He narrows his eyes at you. âYouâve been here at least twenty times now, I think you know what you like.â
âCanât hear you, Iâm already getting a table!â
You effectively bypass him, weaving your way through the throng of students and teachers alike. If you were to look back, you would probably find Beomgyu staring at you with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.
On another day, you might have been able to push past the anxiety and place an order for the two of you. But today there are just too many people, too many orders the workers have to fill. And maybe itâs the crowd or the waning patience of the workers, but you really canât bring yourself to talk to anyone here, especially when Beomgyu can do it for you.
âDo you have, like, a fear of ordering in public?â Beomgyu asks when he joins you at the booth you managed to secure. He opts to sit next to you instead of across the table, making you slide closer to the wall.
You scowl. âNo.â
He continues like he doesnât hear you. âBecause itâs totally okay if you do. I know Iâm moreâout-going? Sociable? Charismatic?âout of the two of us, so I donât mind being used like that.â
âOh, youâre so annoying.â You punch his arm and he laughs goodnaturedly. âItâs justâItâs weird. And makes me feel awkward, so I donât do it.â
Beomgyu hums in consideration, like he can tell you are holding back, but doesnât push. âWell I meant it, you know. I donât mind.â He nudges your shoulder for good measure and you roll your eyes.
âLike I was giving you a choice?â
He contemplates this for a moment. âSuppose youâre right. Choice or not, though, I donât mind doing stuff for you.â He says it so easily. So earnestly. Almost too earnestly. Thereâs a weight behind his eyes when he looks at you and you canât figure out what it means. He seems to notice his staring and averts his gaze. Clearing his throat, he jokes, âLike paying for your lunch.â
You hit his arm again. âI never asked you to do that.â
âStop punching me, this is a very small booth!â
âThen move to the other side.â
âDonât wanna.â And just like that, whatever happened before was gone, replaced with the natural light atmosphere you always have around Beomgyu.
A waiter comes by, then. He leaves your food on the table, and the both of you thank him simultaneously. He nods in response, goes to walk away but does a double take looking at Beomgyu. He regards him for a moment before nodding. âNice,â he says pointing to Beomgyuâs hair then goes on his way.
Beomgyu smirks in response, claery satisfied with the attention his new hair is giving him. You donât indulge him and turn your attention to the sandwich and chips Beomgyu ordered for you.
âYou know,â he drawls out, nudging your side, âitâs not just Chaeryeong. Bunch of people in class keep telling me how cool they think my hair is.â You raise an eyebrow and Beomgyu nods seriously. âIf you ask me, you should drop out of school and do this professionally.â
That makes you snort. âI dyed your hair once, I donât think that qualifies me for a job.â
He hums thoughtfully, then shrugs. âItâs for the best. Iâd miss you too much.â
âSure.â
âI mean it! Youâd be so busy doing everybody elseâs hair because youâre so high in demand that you wonât have any time to spend with me. I donât know how people can go through life without your quick wit and sunny disposition.â
âMost people donât put up with me long enough to get past the âsheâs mean and glares a lotâ thing so I donât think theyâre missing out.â You snort involuntarily at your own joke, expecting him to laugh a little, too. But he doesnât. He frowns.
âDo you think Iâm putting up with you?â
Beomgyu stares at you intently and you wonder how the mood was able to change so quickly again. You want to get back to teasing, not whatever this is. âI was kidding,â you clarify, shifting in your seat awkwardly.
âBut do you?â When you donât say anything, he takes your silence as an answer. âY/N, Iâm not hanging out with you because I feel like I have to.â
âI never said that.â You didnât. Itâs not even what you were thinking, not really. Itâs more a proximity thing. Youâre helping him, heâs helping you, and for either of those things to happen, being together makes sense. There isnât much more to it. There doesnât need to be. (You want there to be.)
You hang out with Rina because sheâs your roommate. The two of you arenât friends, but youâre friendly enough. It helps that the two of you live together, so, naturally, you spend time together, but itâs always because youâre there.
So, no, you donât think heâs fulfilling an obligation by being around you. Just. He probably doesnât enjoy these outings as much as you do. And thatâs fine. Itâs not a big deal. Exceptâ
Beomgyu is the closest thing youâve had to a friend in a long time. The thought of that feeling being one-sided sucked. The thought of it being reciprocated, though? Too good to be true.
Beomgyu turns so that his upper half is facing you. Stares at you right in your eyes and holds your gaze for so long you start squirming in your seat. He opens his mouth, hesitates, closes it again. Then, eyes and voice full of conviction, âY/N, youâre, like, my best friend, you know that, right?â You wonder what he wanted to say, if thatâs it.
Your mouth drops. You blink owlishly at him, not believing what he just said. âOh, now youâre pushing it,â you finally say, shoving a couple fries in your mouth.
âIâm being serious! I spend way more time with you than I do anyone else, Iâm pretty sure weâve been hanging out everyday. My leg is literally hooked over yours right now!â Looking down at your lap, you realise that it is. You donât know how you didnât notice the weight on your leg.
âYouâre a tactile person,â you say, repeating his words.
âY/N,â he looks at you like he canât believe you donât believe him. Like heâs explaining such a simple concept and doesnât know how you canât get it. Grass is green, the sky is blue and you are his best friend. âI wouldnât be around you this much if I didnât want to. Iâm not tutoring you, and weâre not discussing the plan. There is no reason for me to be here with you right now other than I want to be. I like being with you.â
The only explanation you had to Beomgyuâs clingy nature towards you was the one he gave you first. That he was touchy because he was just like that, and you just happened to be there. Not because he liked you. But here he was telling you that thatâs not true.
You flounder for a bit, struggling to find the words, any words. Heâs still staring, head tilted slightly with a grin on his face. This, you think probably way to excitedly, is your best friend.
âGod, youâre so cheesy,â you say, fighting back a blush, pushing his smiling face away from you. And he laughs goodnaturedly, steals fries from your plate and does not move his leg.
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
STEP 2: HANG OUT WHERE SHE HANGS OUT
BGâS NOTE: NOT IN A STALKER WAY
Y/NâS NOTE: IT WAS NEVER IN A STALKER WAY!
The success of Step One has Beomgyu itching to begin Step Two immediately. Obviously, patience is a virtue and timing is everything, so you say no. You reason that it would be weird for him to just show up wherever she is after she acknowledged his existence one time (âWe want her to think youâre interesting, not creepyâ).
The both of you are on your way to Beomgyuâs dorm for no particular reason. You ran into each other on campus after class and started walking together without caring about where you were going, only realising belatedly the familiar route you were taking.
Beomgyu is talking your ear off animatedly about one thing or another, arms waving around him, clearly very into whatever has caught his attention. Heâs so distracted that he doesnât realise youâve arrived, so itâs up to you to unlock the door and let you both in.
There are two boys sitting on his couch. They both have their feet kicked up on the coffee table, messing with their phones. You wonder who they are to be sitting so comfortably in here when Beomgyuâs gone.
You nudge Beomgyuâs side, making him look up and take notice of the two might-be intruders. He doesnât seem fazed. âWhatâre you guys doing here?â Dropping his bag by the door, he moves into the house, leaving you standing in the doorway awkwardly. The boys shrug, looking up from their phones.
âOh, well, Y/N, this is Kai and Taehyun. Taehyun and Kai, this is Y/N.â Beomgyu points out each boy individually and itâs then that you recognise them as the guys from his pictures. The ones who were in the Music room with him. The ones in his pictures. He waves you over with a slight jerk of his head and you follow him inside.
âHi!â The one named Kai greets cheerily. Taehyun nods at you with a âHeyâ and you wave back awkwardly, a tight smile on your lips.
âDonât be upset, this is her being polite,â Beomgyu stage whispers to the boys, as if heâs letting the other two in on a secret and you hit his shoulder.
You clear your throat, straightening up your back. âNice to meet you,â you say. Beomgyu grins brightly at you.
Taehyun speaks up first. âHe told us about the plan. Have to say, Iâm surprised you agreed to help him.â
âHeâs helping me with Music Comp,â you say easily. And he really was. Your grades have never been better and the proud smiles Ms Kwon had been sending you when showing the marks for tests were something you could get used to. Honestly, you never thought Beomgyu would be such a help to you, but here you were.
Kai nods. âAnd howâs that going?â
âShe said my hair is cool,â Beomgyu gushes, like he has been every time youâve seen him since that day. You didnât think it was possible, but he actually looks like the definition of heart eyes.
Taehyun studies his friendâs hair for a moment. âI guess it is.â
Pride blooms in your chest and you stand up a little straighter. âThanks. I did it.â
Kai perks up at that. âOoh, do you think you could do mine? Iâve been wanting to dye my hair red for a while.â
âSure,â you say easily, shrugging in agreement, at the same time Beomgyu blurts out, âNo!â
You all turn to stare at him. Youâre surprised at the outburst, considering he was the one suggesting you open a salon. âSorry, but I canât risk Y/Nâs magic hands also making Chaeryeong fall in love with you at first sight.â
âSheâs not in love with you,â The rest of you say in unison.
Beomgyu stares at the three of you with wide eyes. âThis was a mistake.â He sighs heavily and sits on an open armchair while you and Kai snicker.
âWeâve been trying to find out ways for him to bump into her but aside from my Music Comp class, we donât know where else to find her,â you explain, dropping your bag at your feet. Beomgyu tugs on the sleeve of your shirt, pulling you closer to him until your trying to get comfortable on the arm of the chair heâs sitting on.
âWeâve been stumped for a week,â he says when youâve settled on the arm of the chair, your own arm resting on his shoulder.
It should be weird how quickly you were able to get used to Beomgyuâs constant touch. How quickly you were to oblige to it. To let him hug you or play footsie with you whenever he wanted. Especially after last weekâs revelation that he actually liked being around you. That he thought of you as his friend. It made you closer, somehow.
It should be. But it isnât. Just easy.
Taehyun eyes the two of you from his spot on the couch and when you catch his eye, he just quirks an eyebrow before looking away. Weird.
âI see Chaeryeong every Thursday,â Kai says. You are surprised Beomgyuâs head doesnât snap off from how fast he whipped it around to stare at his friend. âHer dance class is before mine.â
Silence. Then. âAnd you mention this now?â
Kai shrugs, unperturbed by his friendâs outburst. âIt never came up.â The way he is smirking, though, makes you think that he was withholding this information on purpose.
Thursday comes around and between you, Beomgyu and his friends, you came up with the next move for Step Two. Beomgyu would go with Kai to his dance class to drop him off and âbumpâ into Chaeryeong, thus starting his first conversation with her.
He had begged you to go with him. Moral support, he said. But you have a class. You canât tag along with Beomgyu to make sure he doesnât make a fool of himself, a fact that had him begging you to skip. You said no, obviously, because even if you didnât have a class, what are you supposed to do while Beomgyu tries to flirt for five minutes?
Halfway through your lesson, your phone vibrates from inside your pocket. Pulling it out discreetly, you find seven texts from Beomgyu. Mainly incoherent key smashes and an excessive amount of exclamation points.
As discreetly as you can, you text back telling him to meet you at the cafĂŠ when your class is over. As soon as the bell rings, you speed walk your way over to where Beomgyu is already waiting for you, booth secured, food waiting to be touched.
You slide into the seat next to him and stare him down. âOkay, talk.â
And, essentially, this is how it went:
CHAERYEONGâS AND BEOMGYUâS FIRST CONVO, ACCORDING TO CHOI BEOMGYU
To say that Beomgyu was nervous would be an understatement. There was a difference between waiting outside Ms Kwonâs class with the intention of exchanging polite, but curt, nods and going to her dance class to (hopefully) talk to her. He was freaking. Out.
âDude, chill out,â Kai tells him for the fourth time in a row since they started walking to his dance class together. âYouâre literally going to scare her off with how much youâre sweating right now.â
Beomgyu knows heâs exaggerating, that itâs a part of his friendly duties to tease and make fun of him. Heâs not actually sweating, obviously. But. What if he is? He does a quick and inconspicuous pit-check, and, yeah, heâs not sweating. Kaiâs just a dick.
Beomgyu tells him as much and he just laughs obnoxiously loud.
When they arrive at Kaiâs class, the students from the lesson before are packing up their things. The students including Chaeryeong.
When she notices him, she looks a little shocked, like this is the last place she would have expected to see him. She gets over it quickly, though, and makes her way over to him. âCool Hair Guy?â
His mouth hangs open stupidly, tongue dried up. She was talking to him. Chaeryeong was talking to him! He doesnât know how long he stands there gaping like an idiot, but the voice in his head that sounds suspiciously like you gets fed up. Say something, idiot! Yeah, definitely you. âUh, itâs Beomgyu, actually. Choi Beomgyu,â he manages out.
âNice to meet you, Choi Beomgyu,â she says smiling, something she does a lot. Itâs so pretty. She doesnât introduce herself, probably knows that she doesnât have to. âI didnât know you did dance?â
Beomgyu canât really believe this is happening. That heâs here, talking to Lee Chaeryeong. That sheâs talking to him. âNo, Iâm just here dropping off my friend.â He waves his arm around noncommittally in the general direction he last saw Kai.
She seems to contemplate this for a moment. âWell, Iâll see you around, Cool Hair Guy Beomgyu.â Chaeryeong smiles at him and gives his arm a squeeze before leaving with her friends. Beomgyu is frozen in place, mouth hanging open as he wonders seriously if this is real life.
Kaiâs wolf whistles from wherever he is tell him that it is. Oh my god. He has to tell you.
When he finishes recounting everything, you have a few questions about the legitimacy of everything. You sincerely doubt Chaeryeong was trying to feel up his muscles but you digress. You wonât ruin his fun.
You nudge his shoulder slightly. âSee, you didnât even need me there.â
âStill would have been nice.â You try not to show how much the comment affects you, how it tugs at the corners of your lips, a smile threatening to break out. âSo, what now?â
You shrug, keeping your face neutral. âKeep dropping Kai off, I guess. She knows your name now, so itâs basically open season. Anything can happen, really.â
âOpen Season,â he deadpans and you regard him with a quizzical look. âThat bear movie with the deer?â
âNo, Beomgyu, open season the expression.â
He doesnât look like he believes you, but doesnât push it. Clearing his throat, he says, âI could keep picking you up, too. From your Comp class.â
âI guess. It would maximise the amount of time you see Chaeryeong, or whatever.â
âWell, yeah, but no.â
âWhat are you talking about?â
âI want to hang out with you. Seeing Chaeryeong would just be a bonus.â
He doesnât say anything more and gives no indication that he wants to. He busies himself with his food and you take advantage of the fact that his attention is no longer on you and try to will the heat rising to your cheeks to stop.
When you are sure that the temperature in your face is back to normal, you clear your throat. âI have a question.â
Beomgyu glances from his plate. âItâs not your turn,â he says. âI havenât used my second question.â
âWell, do you have one?â
âNo,â Beomgyu says cheekily. âBut I suppose I can let you skip.â Bringing his sandwich to his mouth, he nods his head slightly, giving you the go ahead.
âWhy do you like Chaeryeong?â
He swallows. âEverybody likes Chaeryeong.â
âWell, yeah, but not everyone would ask a random stranger to be their wingman.â
âYou got me there.â You continue to stare, waiting for an answer, and after a moment Beomgyu sighs. âI donât know. Itâs gonna sound stupid.â
âWell itâs great that I already donât think that highly of you,â you tease. (You do.) It makes Beomgyu laugh, though, just a little. He exhales dramatically before leaning back in his seat.
âI transferred here in the middle of the year. I missed freshman orientation, I got stuck with a single room because everybody else had a roommate meaning I missed out on the quick and easy way people made friends. Or enemies, depending on who you were stuck with.â You laugh a little at that last bit when he turns his head to give you a wry smile.
He continues. âThe first month kind of sucked. And then one day Iâm rushing to class twenty minutes late because I still havenât figured out where everything is and Chaeryeong is running, too, in the opposite direction and when she notices meâthis is where it sounds stupidâshe smiles.â
âShe so clearly had somewhere to be and yet she took the time to do that. To comfort me, or just to say âHey, weâre in the same boat!â or something, I donât know. It just made me feel better. Iâve had a crush on her since.â
When he finishes, he drops his gaze to the table, practically burning holes into the metal.
âHmm,â is all you say.
âI told you it was stupid,â he says looking up at you, chuckling half-heartedly.
You look affronted. âI didnât even say anything!â
âYou have that look on your face. Youâre thinking itâs stupid.â
âI was actually thinking that I found it sweet.â
Because of course one act of kindness is all it takes for Beomgyu to all but fall in love with someone. He is the kindest and most earnest person you know, it makes sense, really. You wouldnât have expected anything else.
It makes you think back to your own first meeting with him, how you thought he was crazy and probably said so out loud, too. The farthest from kind or sweet. Not that it should matter. You donât want him to have a crush on you, obviously.
âYeah?â he asks uncertain.
âYeah. Chaeryeong seems sweet. Your crush is sweetâif not a little obsessive at times.â
He chuckles. âThank you. Youâre sweet, too.â
The comment catches you off guard. âMeaning?â
âThat youâre a lot nicer than you give yourself credit for.â
Beomgyu has this uncanny ability to seemingly read your mind. To tell when youâre in your head too much and knows exactly what to say to make you feel better.
You canât believe that heâs managed to render you speechless and flustered twice in one conversation. You kick him under the table, biting back a smile. âEat your food.â
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
STEP 3: ASK HER TO HANGOUT
BGâS NOTE: NOT AS A DATE, RIGHT?
Y/NâS NOTE: NOT AS A DATE! ITâS A FRIEND THING!
This, you think, is the perfect time for Beomgyu to take the plunge and ask Chaeryeong to hangout. She knows his name, greets him whenever she passes him on her way out of the Music block, there really is no better moment.
You donât know what heâs waiting for.
Whenever he gets close, he gets nervous, changes his mind and speedwalks in the opposite direction. He keeps saying heâll get to it, but at this rate youâre not holding your breath.
Youâve almost given up entirely but Beomgyu surprises you by strolling into your Music Comp class casually heading straight for Ms Kwonâs desk. You sit up in your chair, shocked to see him, and your eyes blow wide when, as heâs talking with your teacher, he points to you.
Ms Kwon eyes you suspiciously and looks wary to give Beomgyu permission to do, well, whatever it is that he wants to do, but gives in eventually. Your friend bounds up the steps two at a time to get to your desk, falling into a crouch when he reaches you.
âHey,â he whispers, head reaching just above your table.
âWhat are you doing here?â you whisper back leaning forward to his face, entirely confused by his sudden appearance.
âIâm going to ask You-Know-Who to hang out.â
Your eyebrows furrow. âVoldemort?â
âWhat? No! Chaeryeong,â he whispers, looking around to make sure no one can hear. Your mouth makes an âOâ shape in realisation. The girl in question is sitting at her desk, diligently doing her work.
Then what he said hits you. âWaitâRight now?â
He shrugs. âI had a surge of adrenaline. If I donât do it now Iâll probably chicken out and never talk to her again.â
It makes sense and well, better now than never, right? Butâ âSo youâre just gonna, what? Go up to her in the middle of class and ask her?â
ââCourse not. Iâm going to wait for class to end.â
He makes no move to leave.
Your eyes blow impossibly wide. âYou mean here?â
âTold Ms Kwon that youâre giving me help in Calculus,â he says standing up and moving until heâs right next to you.
âI donât take Calculus.â
âNeither do I. Scoot over.â
You sigh. The sounds of you moving out of your seat and into the next one draws the attention of the class to the two of you. Even Chaeryeong looks back curiously and Beomgyu blushes before waving shyly.
âThis is so stupid,â you groan once youâve both settled and everyone has turned their attention back to their own work.
âHush. Now, how do you calculate the slope of a curve?â
The lesson passes with Beomgyu nudging you every so often to make it look like youâre helping. Quick, pretend to explain something to me. It makes you wonder what it would be like to actually share a class with him. Fun, probably. You wouldnât get any work done, though.
When the bell rings and Ms Kwon dismisses you, Beomgyu stands up, determination written all over his features, staring at Chaeryeongâs back.
He rolls his shoulders back. âOkay, Iâm going in.â
âOh, god,â you groan.
He ignores you. âWish me luck?â Beomgyu turns to you, cheeky smile on his face and you sigh before wrapping your arms around his torso. He squeezes you back once then pulls away. âOkay,â he breathes out, straightening his back, âI got this.â
You watch as he makes his way to Chaeryeongâs desk and how she brightens up when she sees him. She waves Keeho off and he complies with a perplexed look on his face. Huh. It seems Beomgyu didnât need the good luck anyway.
You donât stick around and choose to leave the class, saying goodbye to Ms Kwon. However, once outside, you donât leave. You linger in the hallway watching the door as students rush to their next classes. Probably because you are invested in the outcome and want to know what happened immediately. More definitely because you want to see Beomgyu again as soon as possible.
Chaeryeong comes out first. Her face gives no indication that she just rejected someone or accepted their offer so you guess youâre just going to have to wait for Beomgyu.
He emerges a moment later, walks with his head low, somehow already spotting where you are. He looksâŚWell, dejected. You feel your body deflate just watching him.
âWell,â he exhales when he reaches you. You frown. âGuess whoâs going to a movie with Chaeryeong.â
âOh my god, no way!â you gasp, hands flying to cover your mouth. When the initial excitement dies down, you punch Beomgyuâs shoulder and he yelps. âThatâs for making me think she turned you down.â
Beomgyu laughs nervously, shaking his arm out. âYeah. Weâre gonna have so much fun.â
You feel your face fall. âWe? As in you, Chaeryeong and whoever else youâre going with? Not you and me?â You have a sneaking suspicion that you already know the answer and youâre not going to like it.
He remains silent. You punch his arm again.
âI got nervous, okay!â he exclaims when you continue your assault on his limb but you donât let up. You couldnât hangout with Chaeryeong. The great part about the plan was that you handled the logistics and Beomgyu did the heavy lifting. You havenât even talked to the girl.
âIt hit me how weird it would be to just go up and ask her out when she only realised I existed, like, last week, so I turned it into a group thing. A couple of her friends are coming and, well, youâStop hitting me!â
You stop punching him. âWhy couldnât you bring Taehyun or Kai with you?â
âBecause Chaeryeong knows you, kinda. Same class and all. Also they would just make fun of me the whole time.â
âAnd I wonât?â
âWell, you will, but once youâve had your fun youâll help me.â
The worst part is that you know heâs right. Instead of responding, you turn on your heel and stomp your way to the quad.
âWhere are you going!â Beomgyu yells.
âYou owe me so much cake!â You flip him off over your shoulder, not bothering to look back. But, of course, he was following you anyway.
The movie everyone decides to see is the new Scream. By everyone you mean Chaeryeong, her friends and Beomgyu. He came to you with the suggestions and out of protest you refused to give your opinion. But it seems you spend too much time with Beomgyu because he chooses the exact movie you wanted to see anyway.
Saturday afternoon finds you and Beomgyu on the bus on your way to the mall where you will meet up with Chaeryeong and her friends.
The boy in question nudges your side for the fifth time in ten minutes. As part of your act of protest you had been sitting silently next to him, not engaging in any conversation with him. Which is effective because it seems all you do with him is talk.
âY/N,â he sing-songs, jutting his finger in your stomach, âyou canât stay mad at me forever. Itâs free snacks and a movie, which, by the way, I know youâve been wanting to see.â
âIâm not mad at you, Beomgyu,â you sigh, slapping his finger away from you, bringing an end to your silent treatment. You canât have him thinking this is a bigger deal than it is. Or worse: have him feeling bad. âItâs more the principle of the thing.â
âThe principle,â he repeats, clearly not following.
You nod. âI have never had to interact with Chaeryeong before and now Iâm being thrown into the proverbial deep end.â
It takes him a moment to fully understand what youâre saying. Then, âOh, I get itâyouâre nervous!â
Scowling, you clarify, âI never said that.â
âYou have nothing to worry about! You just have to go there and charm everyone with your dry humour and worrying, yet endearing, pessimism and theyâll fall in love with you in no time.â
You donât fail to notice the implications of his words. But you canât afford to think about it so you donât. You donât say anything and let Beomgyu give you advice on how to not be nervous and just be yourself. Which is rich coming from him, because the moment you meet up with Chaeryeong, he freezes completely.
You sigh.
âHey, guys!â she greets brightly, waving the two of you over when she catches sight of you. There are three other people with her, one being Keeho. You donât know who the others are.
âHi,â you say back. Beomgyu is still stock still next to you so you send an elbow to his stomach.
âHi!â he finally squeaks out.
If Chaeryeong is confused she doesnât show it. She turns to her friends. âGuys, this is Beomgyu and Y/N. Beomgyu and Y/N these are my friends, Keeho, Yeji and Theo.â
You all wave at each other before moving to buy snacks. You shoot Beomgyu a look that you hope reads Get it together, loser! but judging from the confused head tilt he sends your way, he doesnât get the message.
The six of you move as a group into the cinema playing your movie and start looking around for the perfect place to sit. Settling on a row in the middle, all thatâs left to do is sort out the seating arrangements.
âY/N, where do you want to sit?â Chaeryeong asks politely.
âUhâŚâ It hits you again that you are here for Beomgyu. Choosing to sit next to him would limit or hinder him from sitting with Chaeryeong but you donât really want to sit next to people you just met. Making up your mind with an internal groan, you lie, âActually I forgot to buy skittles. So. Iâm going to go get them. Iâll sit wherever when I get back.â
âYou sure? We can always just save you a seat.â God, she was so nice. Why did she have to be so nice?
You shake your head. âDonât worry about it, itâs okay.â You start making your way up the steps to the door.
âOh, Iâll come with you,â Beomgyu states, following you up the stairs and you freeze.
âWhat are you doing?â you question when he reaches you.
He regards you with a funny look. âYou donât like ordering? I can go with you.â
Warmth erupts in your chest. âI donât actually want skittles, I just said that so you could get a seat with Chaeryeong.â
âNow, how would that work?â
âOh, shut up, go sit with her!â
He bites his lip. âYouâre sure?â
âYeah, Iâll just stand by the door for two minutes or whatever.â
Beomgyu hesitates for a moment longer before nodding. âOkay. Okay, yeah, sure. Thanks.â
You donât linger to see if he manages to snag a seat next to Chaeryeong, and just exit the cinema. True to your word, you only stand outside for a moment before you walk right back inside. Sitting in the aisle is Chaeryeong and right next to her⌠is Beomgyu. You donât know how he pulled it off, but you feel a swell of pride in your chest.
There is a seat for you in between Yeji and Theo with Keeho at the end and you almost turn back on your heel to sit by yourself at the back. Squaring your shoulders, you walk to your seat and once you pass Beomgyu, he shoots you a secretive thumbs up that you return with your own, equally secretive and equally impressed.
âWhat happened to your skittles?â The boy named Theo whispers to you once you settle down and the lights dim.
âOh, they ran out,â you lie easily, waving him off.
âHere,â Yeji says from your opposite side, holding out her own packet of sweets, âwe can share.â
You smile gratefully and only after a split second of hesitation, you reach into the bag and pull out a sweet.
You sneak a few glances at Beomgyu throughout the duration of the movie to see how itâs going for him only to find him already grinning at you. Yeji whispers her thoughts to you and while you would usually be annoyed by that, you find that you donât mind, because in the short time youâve spoken, you find that sheâs pretty cool.
By the time the movie ends and you all exit the mall, the sun has set and everyone is making plans to head back to campus. You and Beomgyu politely turn down Chaeryeongâs offer to drive you both back, insisting that youâll be fine on the bus. As much as you enjoyed yourself, you can feel yourself getting drowsy and you donât think you could handle spending more time with them without falling asleep.
âThis was fun, we should do this again sometime!â As apprehensive as you were about it, you have to agree with Chaeryeong.
When you part ways, Yeji gives you a quick hug with a promise that you should text her and waves goodbye to you. You canât help the smile that spreads on your face as you wave back. Beomgyu doesnât comment on it but he just gives you a knowing grin. You merely flip him off and board the bus.
Itâs late enough that there arenât many people on the bus, so you get two seats next to each other with no problem.
âWell that wasnât so bad,â Beomgyu says plopping down on the seat next to you. âChaeryeong was basically talking to me the whole time.â
You nod half listening, eyelids heavy. âThe movie was really good. And I guess the company wasnât too bad.â
A cheeky grin spreads across Beomgyuâs face. âWhat Iâm hearing is you had fun.â
You groan dramatically. âHush, please, Iâm way way too tired to engage in clever banter.â
Beomgyu laughs, but doesnât say anything else after that.
You donât remember falling asleep, but you must have, because when you reach your stop, Beomgyu is nudging you gently to wake you up. You groggily raise your head from where it was resting on his shoulder and look around trying to figure out where you were.
âCome on, Sleeping Beauty,â he says, helping you stand up and leading you out the bus.
The cool air of the night helps wake you up. You walk the rest of the way to campus in comfortable silence with Beomgyu.
âYouâre going to be fine getting to your dorm?â he asks when you reach the point where you both part ways.
âYes, dad.â
âHey!â You snicker childishly. He rolls his eyes goodnaturedly before sobering. âThanks for coming today,â he says seriously.
âYouâre welcome. IâŚhad fun.â
Youâre not sure if it matters or what it even means if anything, but when Beomgyu hugs you goodbye, his lips brush against the top of your head for the briefest of moments, you canât tell if itâs intentional or not.
It stuns you all the same.
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
Hanging out with Chaeryeong and her friends becomes such a common thing, you start reminiscing on the times when the only person who asked you to go out was Rina and it was your turn to take out the trash.
Chaeryeong likes going out. You have an invite to a new event almost every week. You have been out watching movies or eating or doing karaoke so much that one time Rina even asks if youâre in a cult. You say no, obviously, but sometimes it really feels like it.
Just yesterday, one of her friends suggested going to an amusement park for the day and Beomgyu was beyond nervous. Am I supposed to win her a prize? Would she want one from me? You have to come, Y/N, I canât do this. You had fun, sure, none of these hangouts had been boring (Theo won the biggest and ugliest plush for you after you joked that you wanted it. You kept it on your bedside) but itâs the principle of the thing. You are pretty sure that being outside this often is not good for anyone.
And it is not good for you. After the third consecutive week of following Beomgyu around while he becomes friends with Chaeryeong, your battery for these social events has been tapped and you need time to yourself. So when Chaeryeong tells you that theyâre going bowling that weekend, you lie and say youâre sick. That your roommate has the flu and you caught it from her, but youâre so sorry you canât join. Chaeryeong tells you that it wonât be as fun without you and to get well soon and while you donât buy the first bit, it warms you to know she cares. You almost feel bad for lying.
Almost.
Itâs the first Saturday you are spending on your own, in your dorm in almost three weeks, and oh how you missed your couch. Rina comments on this too, wondering why you arenât with your âgroupâ today. You just tell her that you wanted the day to yourself and so you asked for permission to skip the meeting.
Sometime during your rerun binge of Basketball Wives, there is a knock at the door. You hardly pay attention to it, far too caught up in the fabricated drama on your screen and leave it to Rina to go see whoâs there. Probably one of your neighbours asking for eggs or something.
Rina leaves her spot in the kitchen and opens the door. âUh, is Y/N here?â you hear whoever it is ask cautiously. That gets you curious. You pause your show and try leaning back on the couch to see whoâs asking about you, but from your vantage point you canât.
Rina does it for you. âUh, who are you?â
âOh, Iâm Beomgyu. Choi Beomgyu?â Your eyes blow wide and you practically jump up from your spot on the couch. What was he doing here?
Rina doesnât say anything for a moment. Then, âOh, so youâre the boy Y/Nââ
ââOkay! Enough of that!â You say jumping in before your roommate could embarrass you any further. Rina just smirks knowingly and moves out the way of the door. You take her place, staring up at the boy who is supposed to be bowling right now. Heâs looking down at you, a slight smile playing on his lips.
âYouâre sick?â He asks, tilting his head to the side, concern lacing his voice.
Your eyes furrow. âWhat? No. How do you know where I live?â
âYou told me. When we were doing homework you got a text saying that the water pipes in the showers burst and you were all like âFucking Kings Building fucking sucks! Fuck!â Or something like that.â He shrugs, grinning.
You remember that day like it was yesterday. The building your dorm is located in is one of the oldest on campus. The only things about it thatâs been updated are the furniture and accent pieces to make it look more modern, even though everything else about it is ancient. Including the plumbing.
The text came from the group chat your floor has. One of the girls was taking a shower when water started spraying everywhere. It took two weeks to fix. You had to walk all the way to the neighbouring building to wash. But it wasnât yesterday.
âThat was a month ago,â you inform.
He points to his temple. âI have a good memory.â
âOkay, but how did you find my dorm?â
âLucky guess,â he says easily, although he looks shifty. Canât look at you directly.
Your eyes widen in realisation. âDid you go knocking on peopleâs doors until you found me?â His silence and sheepish expression is answer enough for you. Your face threatens to break out in a grin but you hold it back. âCome in,â you say instead, opening the door wider for him to enter.
âWhat are you doing here?â you ask as he follows you inside.
âI thought you were sick and came to check on you. Turns out youâre just a liar.â
âBut youâre supposed to be bowling.â
âSo are you.â
âDidnât feel like it. You donât have to stay. As you can see Iâm fine. You could probably still make it if you left now.â You hope he canât tell that you donât want him to.
âNah,â he brushes you off shrugging. âLooks way more fun here.â
You try not to look too excited, and return to your seat. âWhatever.â
Beomgyu joins you on the couch, kicks his feet up like heâs been here before, immediately getting comfortable.
âWhatâre we watching?â he asks, pulling your laptop onto his lap.
âThe lives of the wives of basketball players from Atlanta.â
â...Cool?â
âYou can leave.â
âNo, no, no,â he exclaims, backpedaling. His insistence to stay is cute. âIâm sure itâs super fun and interesting andâwhat was it you said about reality TV?âa great stress reliever. Well, I am just full of stress that needs to be released so press play.â
He stays over well into the evening, Rina migrates to join you in the living room and you switch to watching some drama that they both were looking forward to. Beomgyu gets along well with Rina and it shouldnât be a big deal but it is. It feels like bridging a gap in your life you didnât even realise there was.
Beomgyu almost falls asleep on your couch, too, but you kick him out telling him to go to his own room.
(âBut Iâm already here and your couch is way more comfortable than mine.â âSleep on your bed, stupid.â)
The fact Beomgyu chose to be here, with you, instead of out wooing Chaeryeong, has you blushing all over again.
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
Yeji is the one to text you about the party. Someoneâs parents are out for the weekend meaning they have the house to themselves and of course throwing a party is the best way to celebrate the fact. Honestly, youâre more surprised that a college student still lives with their parents but whatever.
This party is significant, Beomgyu tells you, because Chaeryeong invited him personally. As far as he knows, the usual suspects are going, too, but Chaeryeong asked him to meet her there, save her a dance, which basically puts them at Step Four. Youâre his good luck charm, he tells you.
Rina eyes you suspiciously when she sees you getting ready to head out. âWhere are you going all dressed up?â she asks from your bedroom door.
You look down at your outfit of black jeans and a crop top and think you donât look that different. Or spectacularly good. âA party,â you say.
She narrows her eyes at you. âIs Beomgyu going with you?â You sigh.
Ever since Beomgyu showed up at your dorm, Rina has not stopped badgering you with questions about him. What heâs like, what he studies, if youâre dating. (That last one landed her a cushion to the head.) You indulge her anyway and find that all those teen dramas might have been on to something when it comes to boy talk. Itâs fun.
You spent most of your time complaining about him and find that the things that used to annoy you think are more endearing than anything. When you talk about him, Rina always gives you a funny look, the same one Taehyun gave you all those weeks ago, like she knows something you donât.
âYes, he is, and heâs coming to pick me up, too, so behave.â
Rina raises her hands in mock surrender âI will make myself scarce.â Then, seriously, âHave fun.â
Not ten minutes later, there is a knock on the door. You smooth out your clothes, checking yourself in the mirror, once, twice then finally exiting your room.
âHey,â Beomgyu greets, when you open the door.
âHi.â You donât know how long you stay staring at each in your doorway, but it must be long enough for someone to clear their throats from behind you. âLetâs go,â you say, when you finally snap out of your daze, âIâm pretty sure Rina is watching us from the kitchen.â He laughs, nodding his consent and you follow out, closing the door behind you.
The two of you make your way to the bus stop together in comfortable silence. Youâre always comfortable with Beomgyu, you find.
Heâs the one to break it. He clears his throat awkwardly, turns to look at you, changes his mind and looks away, before looking again and averting his gaze. His nervousness is cute, you observe, although you donât know what could make him nervous. Itâs just you. He settles his gaze on a lamppost. âUh, you look nice.â
You scoff lightly, endeared all the same. âIâm pretty sure Iâve worn this exact outfit in front of you before. I look the same.â
Beomgyu rounds on you suddenly. âMaybe you always look nice.â Where his newfound confidence comes from, you donât know, but it makes something burn in your stomach. He is staring down at you, using his height to his full advantage. The light from the lamppost is all you have under the night sky and you are thrown for a loop at how gorgeous he was.
Part of you is grateful for the bus arriving just then, the screeching signaling itâs arrival taking you out of the spell you were under.
âThe bus is here,â you inform, not sure why youâre whispering, even though Beomgyu probably knows. He hasnât stopped looking at you, though.
Eventually he nods and moves away from you in a way that makes it look like it physically pains him too.
You donât find any seats next to each other; there are a couple singles spread out here and there, but Beomgyu wants to be next to you. He grabs your hand with his own, pulling you close to his side as you stand, using your other hand to hold onto the bar above your head.
Your mind is still reeling from what happened outside, even though you donât really know what happened. One moment, you were teasing him like you normally do and the nextâ
You think he mightâveâ
You wanted him toâ
âThis is our stop.â Beomgyuâs voice shakes you out of your thoughts. You let him lead off the bus and you donât have to walk far before you reach the house.
Music is blaring from the house, so loud you can hear it from the street. It only gets worse as you enter, the noise seemingly coming from inside your head.
You turn to Beomgyu. âYou should go find Chaeryeong!â He doesnât look like he hears you.
âIâm going to go find Chaeryeong!â he yells over the music and you nod. He pushes his way through the bodies and you remain in your spot. You look around the crowd, watching people dance to the music and find that if youâre to get through this, youâre going to need a drink.
Itâs only been ten minutes since youâve arrived, you nursing the same bottle of beer, when Beomgyu is emerging from the throng of people. Heâs saying something. To you, you realise belatedly. The music is too loud to hear anything.
âWhat?â you yell back.
âChaeryeong!â he starts, louder this time, âsheâs not here!â
Your eyes go wide. The whole reason you were here is because you were banking on her being here. Now that sheâs not, well. âWhat now?â you ask and Beomgyu canât hear you. You lean closer to his ear and repeat your question.
It seems what youâre saying still doesnât register and youâre about to ask for the third time when he grabs hold of your wrist and leads you through the crowd, deeper in the house. You want to ask what heâs doing but figure he wonât hear you anyway. There are less people here, though not by much.
Itâs still impossibly loud, and Beomgyu seems to realise this at the same time as you, because before you can comment, he spies something by the wallâa door, you realise belatedlyâand pushes you inside. He follows closely, shutting the door behind him, but underestimates the size of the room you are in and ends up chest to chest with you.
It must be a closet, you think. Far too small to be anything else. Beomgyu doesnât step back.
âWhat were you saying?â His question makes you realise that it is significantly quieter in here, the music a soft thump muffled by the walls.
âOh. Uh, I was just asking what now. Since Chaeryeong isnât here.â Your words come out breathless, despite the fact that you have been standing still this whole time.
Beomgyuâs eyes search your face, for what, you donât know. Your heart is pounding under his stare. Nervous, you realise. Beomgyu is making you nervous.
His eyes flick down your face for the briefest of moments and you think he might have been looking at your lips. But it happens too fast and the lighting is too dim to be able to tell.
A beat.
Then, âDo you want to dance?â
Dancing with Beomgyu consists primarily of swaying inappropriately to bass heavy music and standing stock still when people jump around too close to you. He smiles at you the entire time, face lighting up so bright it rivals the LEDs stuck on the wall. Yours is probably matching.
Youâre in a limbo, it feels like. This moment is a liminal space and the only thing that exists is you, and Beomgyu, dancing together, while he stares at you like you are the only person in the world. The space in between something ending and something starting.
An almost.
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
STEP 4: ASK HER ON A DATE
BGâS NOTE: I CANâT DO THIS
Y/NâS NOTE: uâll be fine
You have a problem.
A serious, life threatening problem caused by one long legged, pretty faced, chronically annoying yet eternally endearing boy. This problem has your stomach turning over and your chest erupting in warmth whenever you are in contact with said long legged, pretty faced, chronically annoying yet eternally endearing boy.
Rina says itâs a crush. Says that you like him, have for a long time but just didnât realise. She also says I told you so, like she ever brought it up before so what exactly does she know?
You suppose, though, it makes sense. Suppose that you have been leaning into his touch more, lingering in his hold during hugs. Catching yourself smiling at him stupidly when heâs not looking.
God, you feel like Beomgyu when you first met him. Obsessed with the object of your affection. Except, obviously, you arenât going to extreme measures to win them over. No, you plan on just letting it run its course until you eventually get over it.
(Although, according to Rina, youâre in too deep. There is no âgetting over itâ. Itâs been too long and your feelings are probably much stronger than you realise. In simple terms: youâre fucked.)
((But she doesnât know what sheâs talking about, remember.))
Though, as of late, you suppose Beomgyu has been following your footsteps.
He hasnât seen Chaeryeong, or talked to her as far as youâre concerned.
You figure heâs just nervous and you know you should give him some pep talk to inspire him and get him back on track with the plan, because doing otherwise and taking advantage of this would be selfish. Allowing your own personal feelings to affect how you help him wouldnât be fair. But, as it stands, you are selfish. If only a little bit.
You donât give him a pep talk, you donât encourage him, in fact, you donât even bring up the plan. Donât even bring up Chaeryeong. And neither does he. So if Beomgyu wants to spend every waking moment with you, you canât find it in you to deny him.
loser gyu: come over
ynie: hmmm no
loser gyu: PLEASE IM BEGGING
ynie: uh huh
loser: DON'T BE LIKE THAT loser: i bought you cake
ynie: oh so u RLLY want me there huh? what's going on
loser: i need ur help w smth
ynie: do i have to get my hands dirty?
loser gyu: um loser gyu: not if u do it properly?
ynie: well my curiosity is piqued ynie: give me ten minutes
Arriving at his dorm, you donât bother knocking and just let yourself in. âBeom?â you call out when you donât see him immediately.
âBathroom!â he shouts back.
You leave your things on the coffee table and locate your friend, stopping short when you see the state the bathroom is in. âWhat is happening?â
There are bottles and brushes on the counter, plastic bags and a bowl, too. A towel is laying across the floor, another draped over the back of a chair, and in the centre of this mess is Beomgyu.
Beomgyu has the decency to blush. âMy highlights are fading.â
It is then that you notice that the bottles are hair dye and the plastic bags are actually gloves and it hits you what youâre here for.
You stare. âDid you make me come over here to redo your hair?â
âDepends on how you will react if I say yes.â
God, he was so stupid. You like him so much.
This time, you didnât even need to watch a tutorial, going off memory from the first time. The colour comes out good, better, even, than the first time around. More yellow, too, something you know heâll be happy about.
âLooks like you finally got to do that blonde,â you joke, dropping down onto his couch once you finished cleaning up the bathroom.
Beomgyu huffs out a laugh and sits down next to you. Right next to you. Which is normal for him but now that you are aware of your feelings (stupid parties and stupid roommates), you are keenly aware of all the points of contact between the two of you. His thigh against your thigh, his arm pressed up against yours.
You try to keep still, to limit your movements, lest he somehow figure out how much this simple contact is affecting you.
Throughout your inner turmoil, Beomgyu is oddly silent next to you. Gaze straight ahead at his collection of pictures. Pictures that now include you.
The two of you at the cafĂŠ, one of you when you fell asleep on the bus. Another of you two on this very couch where you had a marathon of old dramas and woke up with uncomfortable pains in your necks.
Beomgyu speaks up suddenly. âDo you think this plan is stupid?â
You look over at him curiously. âThe Chaeryeong thing?â He nods. âOh, yeah, terribly stupid. Iâm pretty sure Iâve said so, too, when we were making it. Or maybe I just thought about it.â
He laughs. âI can vividly hear you saying it. Like, itâs exactly the kind of thing you would say.â
âThen I stand by my initial thought. Itâs so stupid. But, itâs working. Whoâdâve thought?â
âYou, of course.â
âOf course. I believed in this plan from the get go.â
âJust a ray of optimism.â
âThatâs me. Optimism and positivity.â The two of you are a giggling mess on the couch by the end of your little bit. You wait until your laughter dies down to ask, âWhy?â
He shrugs. âJust thinking. We started here, you know?â
âAnd how far weâve come,â you muse, chuckling to yourself. You never would have expected to get this close to Beomgyu when you started this whole thing, let alone develop feelings for him. But, looking back on it, you guess it was bound to happen anyways.
âDo you think we should stop?â
Beomgyuâs sudden question brings you out of your musings. You shift on the couch so youâre facing him dead on. âWhat? Why?â
He doesnât answer for a moment. He wrings his fingers, eyes flitting between his hands and your face. Then, âI saw Chaeryeong earlier.â
Your breath hitches. âYeah?â
âShe apologised. For missing the party. She had a lot of work to get done and forgot to text that she wouldnât make it.â
âAnd?â
âAnd nothing. I was like âOh, itâs fine, donât worryâ. And she was âCoolâ and asked if we could go out later to make up for it and I said Iâll let her know. Then we stood there for a moment and then I justâŚleft. Impulsively felt the need to dye my hair. Texted you.â
âHuh.â
âYeah.â Beomgyu leans back into the couch, releasing a breath.
Youâre quiet for a moment, processing everything heâs told you. You scoff lightly, rolling your eyes. âWell, that was stupid.â
He snaps his head to you. âWhat?â
âShe obviously wants to go out with you!â you explain. Beomgyu just stares at you. âYou were supposed to agree and then go on a dateâa real dateâand then ask her out like âOh, Chaeryeong, Iâve been obsessed with you since I came out the womb, will you be mine, rah rah rahâ.â
The boy scoffs. âI do not sound like that. And also, that is a terrible way to ask someone out.â
âWell, what would you say, then?â you challenge, crossing your arms. This is dangerous territory youâre entering, but itâs too late to turn back now.
Beomgyu stares at you like youâve grown two heads. âAre you serious?â
You shrug. âYeah, since you know so much about romance. Pretend Iâm Chaeryeong.â
And maybe thereâs something to be said about you being selfish as well as a masochist. Because why else would you subject yourself to hearing the boy you like use you as a placeholder to confess to someone else? You get to pretend that he is talking to you, that his words are directed to you. But on the other hand? You know he isnât.
Retribution, maybe, you think. For keeping him to yourself for so long.
Making up his mind, Beomgyu sits up straighter, mirroring your position to face you. âIf you had told me three months ago you and I would be friends, I would have stared at you like you just told me you were from the future and walked away. But here we are, three months later, and you are probably the most important person to me in my life.â
He is not talking about you. You know. But he looks at you like he is.
âI donât know how you became such a staple in my life but Iâm so glad you did because I canât imagine not knowing you. Iâve liked you for a while now, Y/N. Will you go out with me?â
Your breath hitches. It feels like all the air in the room has been sucked out. Heâs staring at you intently. Like he is actually waiting for a response. Like he meant it.
âChaeryeong,â you whisper. Beomgyuâs mouth falls open slightly, as if only now realising his slip up. âYou mean Chaeryeong.â
âY/Nââ
âOther than that, that was good, yeah. You should, like, call her now. See if sheâs still interested.â Standing up from the couch, you begin to collect your things, getting ready to leave.
You can make up for your selfishness like this. All he needs is a push.
Beomgyu stands up after you, following you to the door. âY/Nââ
You donât look back. âText me how it goes, yeah?â
âY/N, waitââ
But youâve already shut the door behind you.
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
This, you think, is the longest youâve gone without seeing Beomgyu. Five hours of time to yourself watching your favourite bad TV shows with Rina out studying with some people from her class. You are by yourself in your dorm with nothing to do and no one to see for the whole day, just like old times.
It sucked.
You never realised how much you actually hated being alone until you werenât anymore.
The day passes in a blur and you think about Beomgyu on his date with the girl of his dreams, then immediately try to think of something else. It doesnât work very well. Because even before you started liking him, he was a staple in your thoughts.
Rina tries to distract you when she comes home. You donât tell her whatâs wrong but it doesnât matter because apparently she can spot âboy problemsâ a mile away. She goes to bed, eventually, leaving you on the couch with only the company of your laptop and Tyra Banks.
You donât know what youâre staying up for. Nobodyâs coming, youâre expecting anyone to. Itâs more hope than anything. But itâs late and he can text you in the morning andâ
There is a knock at your door.
It canât be. It isnât.
It is.
Beomgyu is at your door, still dressed in his date outfit, slightly wrinkled button down paired with black jeans. âHi.â He looks surprised to see you. âI didnât think youâd be up.â
âYou still came,â you point out.
âHoped you were.â
Heart in your throat, you step aside to let him in. Heâs nervous, you observe, playing with his fingers as he moves into your dorm.
You swallow. âHow did it go?â
âShe kissed me,â he blurts out and time seems to slow.
You become acutely aware of the space between you. Him standing by the door and you near the couch. You want to be closer. Donât think you could handle it. âYeah?â
âYeah.â
Clearing your throat, you try plaster an encouraging smile on your face. âWell, there you have it. She likes you. Only thing left is for you to ask her to be your girlfriend.â
There is a moment where he doesnât say anything. Just stands there. Then, âY/N.â
âYeah?â
Beomgyu pulls his bottom lip between his teeth nervously. âDo you want me to go?â he asks cautiously, eyes boring into yours. It looks like heâs about to take a step to you, body tilted in your direction, but heâs waiting. For your answer, you realise.
You think back to the party, from the bus stop to the party where the two of you danced together. How you wished that moment would last forever. How it felt like it would. But it didnât. And the party came to an end and you were hit with the reality that was supposed to be Chaeryeong.
It was always supposed to be Chaeryeong.
âYes,â you say. No. âYouâve got to finish the plan.â Please stay.
Beomgyu looks stunned. Opens and closes his mouth like he doesnât know what to say. âThe plan,â he says breathlessly, dazed. âRight,â this time with more conviction. âOkay, yeah. Iâll, uh, see you around.â
You give him a small smile, something you hope says Youâve got this! and not I donât know what to do when youâre not around, please donât go. You open the door for him, leading him out. He gives you one last glance before stepping out into the hallway.
He doesnât say goodnight. Neither do you.
Turns out Rina was right. You were in too deep. And there was nothing you could do about it.
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
STEP 5: ASK HER TO BE YOUR GIRLFRIEND (CONGRATULATIONS FOR MAKING IT THIS FAR, LOSER)
BGâS NOTE: uh thanks
Y/NâS NOTE: ur welcome
âIâm surprised, really,â Yeji starts, from her place on your couch. âI could have sworn you guys were dating when we met.â
You nearly spill the coffee you were drinking all over yourself. âWhat?â
Yeji had invited herself over that morning, under the guise of catching up, then bombarded you with questions about why she hasnât seen you around with your shadow (Beomgyu) lately. You donât know why, but it led to spilling your guts to her about everythingâthe plan, your not planned feelings, pushing Beomgyu to Chaeryeong.
Yeji shrugs noncommittally. âYeah, you guys are, like, all over each other, all the time, I just figured.â Youâre sure you must look like she just told you she believes the Earth is flat with the way you are staring at her mouth agape but she pays you no mind. âAnd then we started hanging out more and Chaeryeong just wouldnât stop talking about Beomgyu and I was stunned because, you know, I like you and think youâre cool and Girl Code and all that so Iâm like âDude, back off, donât be a homewreckerâââ
This time you do spill your coffee. âYou said what?â
ââand she was like âOh, no they arenât dating, donât worryâ. Now you can imagine how confused I was. But, I let it go because I know Chaer and she wouldnât do that, but, I donât know. Had this feeling in my gut. And now here you are telling me that I was, in fact, wrong and that this whole thing was planned. Crazy.â
At your silence and most definitely frazzled expression, Yeji winces sympathetically. âToo much at once?â
âA lot at onceâYou told Chaeryeong we were dating?â
âYou guys sure act like it! Like, the amount of heart eyes that boy sends your way? Anybody could see he liked you.â
You cross your arms, frowning as you lean back into your seat. âWell, you got your facts wrong, clearly. Those were for Chaeryeong.â
Yeji sighs. âRemember when we went to that amusement park? And the guys were trying to win all those prizes?â
âYeah, and Beomgyu was trying to win some for Chaeryeong.â
She waves you off with an eye roll. âHe was and he did, and she appreciated it, by the way.â You scowl. She is undeterred. âAnyways, you and me were looking at, like, the big ones, the ones that need, like, a bajillion points, right? And you point at this giant, ugly as shit sloth as a joke and tell me that thatâs what you want?â
You nod, confused as to what this has to do with anything. âAnd Theo won it for me.â
Yeji shakes her head. Your eyebrows furrow further. âI asked and he didnât. Beomgyu did.â
You throw a cushion at her head. âShut up.â
âIâm being serious!â she exclaims, dodging successfully. âHe heard you say that you wanted and stayed back for twenty minutes trying to win that thing for you. Told Theo to pretend it was from him.â
You think back to the plushie in question, resting on your bedside table and try to imagine Beomgyu trying to win it for you. Try to imagine him hearing your offhanded comment, taking it seriously and spending all that time and shake your head to rid the thoughts. âWhy would he do that?â
âBecause heâs in love with you and is too stupid to see it? And youâre just as stupid for not seeing it either.â
You sputter to defend yourself. To defend Beomgyu. âThatâs not-The plan-He canâtââ
âYou canât plan for feelings, Y/N. You shouldnât try to.â
You go to argue again but decide against it. Instead you slide down the couch and hide your face in your hands. âSo what do you want me to do?â
âWell, for one, get out of your head.â At that, the cushion you threw comes launching back and hits you square in the face. You release a string of curses that Yeji ignores. âStop refusing the idea that Beomgyu might like you like you like him. After that? I donât know. Itâs kind of up to you.â
Yeji leaves soon after that, having a lesson thatâs starting soon and you figure itâs time for you to head to your own, too.
Seeing Chaeryeong in class feels like a punch in the gut. She smiles when she sees you, waves you over to her table to talk but you canât find it in you to do so.
You give a small wave in return but make a beeline for your desk. You ignore the frown she sends your way. The truth is, youâre not mad at Chaeryeong. You canât be. Itâs not her fault and she didnât do anything except be super welcoming and nice. But, you canât sit with her, not when your feelings are practically eating you up inside. Not when you donât know if Beomgyuâs asked her yet.
If she said yes.
After nearly another hour feeling sorry for yourself, Ms Kwon lets the class out. You sling your bag over one shoulder and exit, barely looking up from the ground.
âHey,â Beomgyu breathes out, standing right outside your class, like he always does.
You gssp softly, surprised to see him here. For you. âHey,â greet back, adjusting the strap of your bag.
âHow was class?â
âFine,â you blurt out. You find that you canât do the small talk. That you just want to know. âDid you talk to Chaeryeong?â
Beomgyu blinks. âUh, yeah. I did.â
âWell what did she say?â
A breath. âThat she likes meâwhich, I figuredâand that, if itâs okay with me, she wants to keep hanging out as friends.â
It feels like the whole world has tilted on itâs axis. âWhat?â
âGave me a hug for good luck, too.â
âFor what?â
He shrugs, stepping closer. âGetting the girl.â
Your chest tightens. âDid you?â You hold your breath, afraid of the answer but needing to hear it anyway.
âIâm here, arenât I?â Another step. âYou told me to go to Chaeryeong.â
You scan his face, hoping to find answers to the one question playing on loop in your head: What is going on? âI thought it was what you wanted. Still do, kinda. Iâm confused.â
âI wanted you to tell me not to. To stay. With you.â
âOh.â
He chuckles softly, âYeah.â
Talking to Beomgyu always came easy, too easy sometimes. You could talk for hours on end and never get bored. But now it feels like there arenât any words in the world. Nothing you could say.
He does it for you. âIf you donât mind, I would like to cash in my question now.â
âGo ahead.â
âIf this isnât completely out of left field and Iâm not reading this the wrong way, Y/N, would you like to go out with me? And then, I donât know, if you donât end up having a horrible time with me, go on another one? And anotherâa dozen preferably. And, hopefully, if after all that, youâre not absolutely sick of me, would you say yes to being my girlfriend?â
You blink once. Twice. Gasp. Then, âOh my god.â
âYou can be incredibly slow, you know that?â Beomgyu teases, smirking until you punch his shoulder, making him wince.
âI thought you were being friendly, you jerk!â
âStop hitting me!â
You bring your arm back. You avert your gaze to somewhere over his shoulder, uncertainty and nerves washing over. âI havenât had any in a while. Didnât want to mess it up.â
His face softens almost impossibly so. âYou couldnât mess up anything with me. SoâŚabout that question?â That boyish nervousness is the only confidence boost you need to remember that this is Beomgyu. Your best friend. The boy you were in love with. (Maybe. It might be too soon to tell. It doesnât matter.)
âWell,â you drawl and Beomgyu groans at your dramatics, âdo I really have to wait till the twelfth date before I can be your girlfriend?â
Beomgyu pretends to think, smile beaming so bright itâs almost blinding. âI suppose we could knock it down to at least six. Minimum four.â
You hum in consideration, taking a step forward. âHow about, one and a kiss?â
âWhaâ?â
Before he can finish his question, you grab a fistful of his shirt and pull his lips onto yours, bag slipping off your shoulder. Heâs stock still for a moment, stunned by the sudden movement, but quickly melts into the kiss.
His hands find your sides, running up and down your arms, pulling you closer. Your hold on his shirt releases as your body practically turns into a puddle. Itâs all too much. Too much and not enough all at once. You want him closer, think anymore would make you combust.
Breathing, you remember belatedly, is a necessary thing. Reluctantly, you pull away from Beomgyu, resting your forehead against. He chases your lips once, twice and you giggle.
âNo dates.â Beomgyuâs breath comes out ragged. âLetâs just kiss some more and I can be your boyfriend right now.â
You laugh loudly, attracting the attention of a few students. Beomgyu beams. He kisses you again, slower this time, softer. The urgency from the first one is gone, replaced with a gentleness that has you sighing into his mouth.
âYou were right,â he says suddenly when you have to stop to breathe again. You tilt your head slightly confused. âPretty fool proof plan.â Beomgyu grins at you wide and silly and you try your hardest to hold back from kissing it off his face.
(You do, anyways.)
â Ë・âŕ¨ŕ§ËăËŕ¨ŕ§âď˝ĄË â
BONUS STEP!!
REMEMBER: NOTHING REALLY CHANGES
BGâS NOTE: ONLY THEREâS A LOT MORE KISSING
Y/NâS NOTE: CAN CONFIRM, KISSING AS WE WRITE THIS
âSo, I guess you fell for my charms after all, huh?â
âOh my god, shut up.â
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CHAPTER 1
what was supposed to be a fun weekend away with friends turns into a sinister game of hide and seek where their lives are on the line. trapped in a lake house cabin with only six hours on the clock, can y/n figure out who is behind the mask and manage not to get caught all before sunrise?
PAIRING. soobin x gn reader ; beomgyu x gn reader ; yeonjun x gn reader
GENRE. college au ; mystery ; thriller ; escape room ; angst ; horror ; humour
WARNINGS. swearing ; character death ; mentions of blood ; stabbing ; knives ; drinking ; joke about the devil
FEATURING. lia (itzy), sunghoon (enha), sumin + isa (stayc), jongho + yunho + wooyoung (ateez), kai + taehyun (txt)
WORD COUNT. 6.2k
A/N. it's starting yasss! laughs evilly. i want to say again that this isn't scary like i really don't think so đ i hope this good omg im not confident in my action writing skills (if u have read my other stuff u will see that i am a dialogue writer first and foremost). tell me what you think i am begging cries. okay bye now.
TAGLIST. @hyukaas @xysthe @tsupuffs @ren-chib @yjwfav @mykalon @junityy @iyeonjuni @fallingforhoon @fairybinie @enhacolor @cheorei @jjhmk @acciomylove @yeonjunsgf777 @soobin-chois @chosoluvr @odxrilove @soobisms @strawbrinkofdeath @etherealcherrie @maemarahuya @1-800-ryujin (send an ask to be added)
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Lia was late. You glance at the clock on your phone and see that ten minutes have passed since your agreed meeting time and your friend was nowhere to be found.
Not that this was surprising. Lia was always late. Chronically so, it seemed like sometimes.
For her birthday last year, you had thrown her a surprise party in your shared apartment and instructed her to be home by seven pm so you could âwatch movies and do your nails to celebrateâ. You had gathered all her friends in your small living room, hiding in plain sight waiting for her arrival. Thirty minutes turned into an hour before it was nine oâclock and half the guests had dwindled out, leaving their gifts and wishes with you.
When the birthday girl finally arrived at almost ten, she revealed that she got caught up in the dog park on her way home and kept asking what the party streamers on the ceiling were for. You ended up spending the night watching movies and doing your nails anyway.
All this to say, though, that Lia being late was not the point. Not entirely.
The two of you had started packing at the same time yesterday and yet, you were the only one ready, waiting on the sidewalk for your friend to emerge. Honestly, you didnât know what she was packing that was taking so long but at this point you have learnt not to question it.
While mentally berating your friend, you were also compulsively checking the road for your ride. You havenât gotten any other texts yet, and the fact that he could arrive at any moment was putting you slightly on edge.
You check your phone. Twenty minutes. God, where the hell was Lia?
Speak of the devil and she shall appear, apparently. Stumbling out of your apartment building lobby is Lia, lugging an inappropriately massive suitcase behind her. It makes you look down at the school issued duffel bag you have slung over your shoulder and wonder what she could have possibly brought.
You watch as she struggles getting through the doors with her bag, holding back a laugh because you are supposed to stern in this situation.
She makes it eventually and joins you on the sidewalk. âIâm late, Iâm late, I know! You have no idea how difficult it was fitting those Stephan King novels in here on top of the hairdryer.â
You squint your eyes at her. âWhat do you need Stephan King novels for? And what do you need a hairdryer for? In fact, why do you have so much stuff? We are staying over for two nights, not moving in.â
Lia waves off your questions with a simple wag of her finger in your face. âRemember, I am doing you a favour by coming along to your nerd weekend, do not make me go back upstairs and unpack.â
Raising your hands in mock surrender, you drop it, even though you know that Lia wouldnât leave you. After being assigned as roommates in your freshman year, the two of you had been inseparable. You didnât do anything without the other; trying out clubs; pledging a sorority and subsequently not making it in; helping each other study for tests on subjects you werenât even taking. Youâre pretty sure you could ask Lia for anything and sheâd agree, and vice versa.
You check the road again, as if in the few minutes you have been talking to Lia, a car has driven by and parked and you hadnât noticed. Lia sees your looking and follows suit, eyes narrowed at the cars whizzing past.
âWhere is your boyfriend anyway? Questioning me when our ride isnât even here yet.â
âHe is not my boyfriend,â you correct even though you can feel your face heat up despite the cool breeze blowing and Lia simply raises a disbelieving eyebrow that you ignore. âAnd I told him he could go fill his tank before he got here because somebody was taking her sweet time.â
Your mind wanders to the texts exchanged between you and Soobin just a few minutes before. He had texted you to say that he was only five minutes away and asked if itâd be okay to stop at a gas station on your way to the lake.
Thinking about your friend who was still in her room, probably running around grabbing different shirts and shoes in a haste, you instruct him to just change his direction. You didnât know what you would do if he had arrived without Lia being there and how long you would have to talk to him alone.
You have known Soobin for two years now, meeting when you both were sophomores, now being seniors, and in all that time, you never really hung out just the two of you. You were always with other people, other friends and while the thought of finally spending some time alone with Soobin excites you, it scares you shitless, too.
Lia opens her mouth to make a retort, but is interrupted by the loud roaring of a car engine. The two of you turn your heads to the road to find a vehicle speeding its way towards the two of you. As it nears, you can make out the familiarity of the model and colour, and your heart races in expectation.
The car comes to a stop a little ways ahead of you and out steps the boy of your constant musings. âWere you guys waiting long?â Soobin looks like the lead out of a drama, leaning against the roof of the car, a perfect picture of charm and confidence.
âNope,â you manage out, smiling up at him. âRight on time.â Lia elbows you in your side.
Soobin rounds the car and joins the two of you on the sidewalk. âHey,â he greets looking at you and you smile in response.
âHi.â
âHi, Lia, nice to see you, too,â your friend mutters bitterly and Soobin has hung out with her long enough to know sheâs just kidding.
He laughs and turns to her. âIt is nice to see you.â
She rolls her eyes despite the smile on her face. Lia has always said that Soobin was just too hard not to like. He was polite and friendly and always brought her back pastries from his trips to the cafĂŠ. âYeah, yeah, can you help me with this?â
Without a second thought, Soobin lifts up Liaâs suitcase to put it in the boot with a huff. âJesus, what do you have in there?â
âEssentials,â is all she says before walking around the car and getting in.
âLet me get that,â he says, gesturing to your duffel bag and you shake your head.
âItâs not that heavy, honest, you donât have to help.â
âI want to.â He smiles earnestly and it throws you off so much, he is able to take the bag from your shoulder and put it in next to Liaâs.
âOkay,â you say, half in a daze. You make your way to the passenger seat, seeing as Lia has already made herself comfortable in the backseat, laying across all three, Soobinâs smile still on your mind.
He climbs into the driverâs seat and the next thing you know, you are on your way. âYou guys excited for this weekend?â
Lia scoffs lightly. âI think only one of us is excited for this weekend,â she says nodding her head in your direction and Soobin laughs.
You know sheâs right but you put your face in your hands at the call-out all the same. Soobin and Lia just laugh more. Itâs no secret that you are obsessed with games and riddles alike, you being able to turn almost anything into a competition and never backing down from a bet.
So when Soobin told you about the weekend trip he was planning where you would be playing games each night, you agreed to attend before he even got the chance to formally invite you. A weekend away with the boy youâve liked for months now doing your favorite thing in the world? Of course you would be excited.
You drive for hours, the sun fully sunk behind the horizon, the stars glowing in the sky. The further you get from the city, the thicker the trees get around you.
Eventually, the smooth road you were previously driving on, turns into a bumpy gravel one, winding through trees and over rocks. You can see the lake through the gaps in the passing trees and think fleetingly about how you need to go out to see it with Lia sometime.
The car comes to a slow, pulling into a driveway, the house where you would be staying coming into view.
âOh my god,â you mutter in disbelief, staring out your window.
Lia is just as shocked as you. âWeâre staying here?â
Soobin nods once, turning the engine. âWelcome to Hotel Choi.â
The house is a massive three storey, maybe bigger than that, brown wooden building. There are four balconies that you can see, two one either side. Light shines through the two dozen or so French windows and looking through them you can see that the source is from multiple chandeliers.
Honestly, it looks more like a castle than a house. And you had it for the whole weekend.
Soobin takes both your bag and Liaâs to the door and leaves you two staring up at the house that is practically looming over you.
âSoobin is rich,â Lia says matter-of-factly.
âYep,â you say dumbly.
âLike, Y/N, he is rich.â
âWe have established.â
âOh my god.â
âYou guys coming?â Soobin calls out from the front door and snaps you out of your stupor.
Somehow, the inside is even more impressive than the outside. A staircase greets you, reaching the second floor before splitting off in two directions. The chandelier you saw from outside hangs above your head in its full glory and looks impossibly large.
To your left was the living room, large and cozy with three couches and chairs and a fireplace. The hearth is burning, warmth hitting you the further you pass into the house. A TV is mounted above it, off for now and you have a sneaking suspicion that this isnât the only one in the house.
There are three people sitting on the couches, though you canât make out who they are just yet.
On the right is the kitchen, separated by a wall that stops just so you can see the island and stove. Even still, you know it is just as big as everything else in the house.
You turn to Soobin. âWhen you said lake house, I thought you meant a little, modest cabin. Not Bill Gatesâ vacation house.â
âNah, Billy prefers Jeju Island. Seoul isnât really his thing,â Soobin jokes and you huff indignantly.
âIâm being serious! You didnât tell me you were, like, rich.â
He tilts his head faux innocently. âOh, did I forget? I could have sworn I had. I usually do when I meet someone for the first time.â You cross your arms unimpressed and he sputters before defending himself. âWhat was I supposed to say? âHi, Iâm Choi Soobin, Iâm a sophomore and my parents are extremely and grossly wealthy. Would you like to get coffee?ââ
A pause. âIâd probably think youâre a liar or some pretentious douche.â
âSee? Exactly what I was avoiding.â He cracks a cheeky smile then grows serious. âYouâre not mad, though, right?â
You think about the Soobin who gave you five dollars when you were short at the cafĂŠ the first time you met and how he continued to be just as kind and caring as that day for the rest of the time youâve known him and suppose that he is the same, just, now you know he has money.
You sigh, shaking your head. âNo, just surprised, I guess. Like, if this is just your lake house, Iâm a little scared to imagine what your actual house looks like.â
He smirks. âIâll show you sometime.â
The way his lips curl is enough to temporarily short circuit your brain. You avert your gaze to a spot just above his shoulder, flustered. âSpeaking of sometime, is this the day I finally get to meet your elusive friends?â Taehyun and Kai are two of Soobinâs closest friends and yet, for some reason, you have never met them before. They were always busy when you were free and vice versa.
He talks about them all the time and that only spurs your curiosity to actually see what they are like yourself. If Soobin gets along well with your best friend, whoâs to say you wonât with his?
Soobin groans dramatically. âI wish. They were supposed to be here but Kaiâs parents had a yacht party to host and Taehyun went with him. I really wanted tonight to be the day you guys met.â
âYacht parties,â you repeat, turning the idea over in your head. âBecause that is a totally normal and regular thing for the middle class person to do.â Soobin scratches the back of his neck sheepishly and you get the feeling that Kai and Taehyun are not middle class. âAre all of your friends as rich as you? Like, do they all have to show their credit scores before joining?â
âItâs more of an upfront payment thing, actually.â
You laugh at his joke and make to quip in response, but are interrupted.
âHey, Soobin!â you turn at the sound of your friendâs voice to see her standing at the foot of the stairs. âWhere are we sleeping?â
âYeah, stop flirting and host!â one of the people from the couch, Sumin, teases. You remember from the volunteer group you and Lia had to participate in for a month after you accidentally defaced one of the school statues for a bet. Sumin was the leader, if memory serves right.
The comment has you ducking your head shyly, face heating up. Soobin, ever the charmer, just smiles good-naturedly. âThe rooms are upstairs to the left, you can pick any empty one youâd like.â
At that, Sumin stands up and gives Soobin a mock salute before grabbing her things and her friends and climbing the stairs. âSee you later,â Soobin says to you with a smile and you nod, returning it, before joining Lia.
It is a feat lugging Liaâs suitcase up the dozens of steps, but the two of you eventually make it. Looking down at the first floor, you feel like youâre on top of the world.
Lia leads you down the hallway to the left, passing photo frames of what you think is Soobin and his family. There are doors on either side of you and you leave it up to your friend to pick one knowing it wonât matter much, all the rooms had to be good choices regardless of where they were.
She pulls open a door on the right, picking a room near the end of the hall and stops dead in her tracks when she sees whatâs inside.
Curiously, you peak over her shoulder to see what the fuss was about. âWhat isâHoly shit.â
The room is huge. Two queen sized beds with matching bedside tables and lamps fit comfortably with space to spare for a vanity table and chest of drawers. There is another door inside the room and you almost scream at the possibility. An attached bathroom?
âY/N,â Lia breathes out clearly blown away by everything she has seen so far.
You release your own breath. âYeah?â
âYou have to marry him. Like propose. Tonight, preferably.â
You snort though you donât dismiss the idea entirely. The two of you walk in finally, placing your bags on the floor and claiming the beds. Lia flops down on the one closest to the window with a sigh.
âCanât believe this house is being wasted on a game night.â
You lay down next to her, shrugging. âI think itâs gonna be fun.â
She snorts. âCourse you do, nerd. Unfortunately I find no joy in competition and am going to wither away in boredom while you have the time of your life.â
âNot with those novels you brought,â you point out.
A sigh. âYouâre right. Guess this wonât be a total bust.â
Reluctant to move from the comfortable bed, you push yourself up. âLetâs go downstairs, Iâm thirsty.â You hold out your hand which Lia takes, standing up as well with a grunt.
When you reach the bottom of the stairs,, Lia turns to you. âIâm gonna go talk to Sumin, can you get me something, too?â
âSure.â
Passing by the living room, you see that more people have arrived and are milling around and talking to each other. You recognise one of the new arrivals as Wooyoung who was in your Statistics class in your first year. Lia makes her way over to where Sumin is talking to those other people, who you can now identify as Isa and Jongho.
The kitchen is just as big as you expected it to be. There are two fridges on either side of the stove, cabinets and drawers lining the walls. You could probably host a dinner party just inside her, forget the living room. And the dining room that you havenât seen. Hidden next to the second fridge, you almost wouldnât have noticed it if it wasnât for the fact that you actively taking everything in, is a door. You donât know what it is for and find that those two drinks for you and Lia is more pressing business.
Pulling open one of the fridges, you grab two cans of beer and shut the door. Turning to go back to your friend, you bump into someone who was trying to pass you.
âOh, sorry!â you exclaim, jumping back in surprise. âI wasnât looking where I was going. Are you okay?â
The boyâcute boy, your brain supplies unwarrantedâwaves you off goodnaturedly. âYeah, donât worry about itâY/N?â Heâs staring at you like he canât believe what heâs seeing. It makes you squirm nervously.
âUmâŚYeah?â
His face lights up. âNo way! Itâs Beomgyu! Choi Beomgyu, from middle school.â
Your eyes widen once the recognition hits and you nearly drop the cans you were holding. âOh my god, what the fuck? What are you doing in Seoul? How do you know Soobin?â
The last time you had seen Beomgyu, you were fourteen and moving to Seoul with your parents. You had both been distraught about having to be separated from each other but eventually, after weeks turned into months without seeing one another, it got bearable, until Beomgyu became just another face from your childhood.
Seeing him now, though, it was like you never left.
He grins that cheeky grin you remember from your time as children and it brings an odd sense of comfort. âTransferred to BigHit last year. We stay on the same floor.â
âHow did I not know you moved to my school?â
âWell itâs not like I knew you were going here either, now did I?â he retorts.
You roll your eyes fondly, smiling sincerely. âItâs good to see you, Beom.â You knock his shoulder once with yours before leaving him in the kitchen.
Joining Lia on the couch, you hand her her drink which she accepts, eyeing Beomgyu curiously. âWho was that?â
âBeomgyu, we used to be friends in middle school but then I moved. I had no idea we went to the same school now.â You still canât believe how things worked out for the two of you, to meet at a random party years after you lost contact. You had to get his number before the weekend was up.
Soobin claps loudly from on top of a coffee table in the middle of the floor, causing the chatter to quiet down. âEverybody! Itâs ten oâclock, and weâve got a round of beer pong and charades set up. Split up into teams and let the games begin!â
A round of cheers erupt around the living room, including from you. You canât stop the excitement practically coursing through you. Aside from seeing Soobin and the knowledge that you would be sleeping in the same house as him, this was what you came here for.
You chose to start with beer pong with Lia because Y/N, if Iâm getting through this night, I need alcohol. You roll your eyes at her antics and donât hold back from saying I told you so when you see her having fun and high fiving Sumin when she gets a ball in the cup.
Playing Twister, you go against Isa and Jongho and Wooyoung. Wooyoung gets out after his third spin when he had to tuck his hand under his right leg and Isaâs and she managed to knock him over. Ten minutes later and it is just you against Jongho on the mat. It doesnât take much to beat him, just a very strategically placed leg that has him wobbling trying to get over.
You continue to catch up with Beomgyu during the times where you werenât playing and introduce him to Lia, too. You are introduced to the rest of the party goers. Jung Yunho came with Wooyoung and is scarily good at Uno. He also brought pizza and beer, so you think heâs pretty cool. Park Sunghoon came on his own but knows Isa from one of the classes they share together. And Soobinâ
Is terrible at charades. Paired up with Yunho, the two of you absolutely wipe the floor with Soobin and Sumin. Whenever the two of you were up against each other to describe the same word or guess, you would always get it before he did.
While the two teams, Lia and Isa against Sunghoon and Wooyoung, prepares to start their round, you quietly excuse yourself to get some fresh air outside. Between the fire that was still going and all the games youâve been playing, you could do with the cool air.
Stepping out onto the patio, you take in the view of the lake and everything surrounding it. The house was perched at the top of an incline, looking over the lake. The moon reflected across the water was such a sight to look at and you wish you hadnât left your phone inside so you could take a picture.
Movement catches your eye from across the lake. You squint to get a better look. A figure moves in the dark. From your vantage point, you canât tell whatâor whoâit is or where theyâre going.
âSick of games already?â You donât hear Soobin walking out to join you until he is taking a spot next to you. âDidnât think that was possible.â
âNo,â you clarify. âJust need a break from kicking your ass,â you tease, shoving his shoulder lightly and he barks out a laugh. Staring ahead again, you sigh. âThis view isâWow.â
âYeah,â Soobin agrees, leaning his arms on the railing, looking out at the lake.
âDo you have any neighbours?â You ask, thinking about what you saw earlier.
Soobin shakes his head. âNot for miles. Good for privacy. When you run out of eggs? Not so much.â
At the mention of privacy, it hits you that this is the most alone the two of you have been before. You chuckle awkwardly, trying to keep the nerves out of your voice. âThanks for inviting me. Iâm having a lot of fun.â
âWell thatâs a relief. I planned this whole thing for you.â
âWhat?â
He looks like he regrets saying anything in the first place but only hesitates a moment before sighing. âItâs going to sound super pathetic, I know, but I know how much you love games so I kind of set this all up with you in mind.â
This stuns you into stillness. âReally?â
âThere were supposed to be more people here but convincing people to spend a weekend away for Snakes and Ladders doesnât really go over well.â
âItâs fine,â you reassure, laughing at the thought of Soobin trying to get people to come this weekend. âItâs perfect, really. Thank you.â Again, you are hit by the knowledge that you are alone. There are people just a wall away, sure, but Soobinâs sole attention is on you. He did this whole thing for you. âCan I ask why, though?â
He looks at you with a shy smile, and the sight makes your heartbeat stutter, then pick up twice as fast. Before he can say anything, though, an alarm blares through the entire house, so loud, the sound rattles around your head. Frantically you press your hands over your ears to try to lessen the noise, and it works though not by much.
âWhatâs going on?â you yell to Soobin over the ringing and he just shrugs, seemingly as confused as you are. Hands covering his own ears, he motions with his head to follow you back into the living room. The rest of the guests have abandoned their games and are standing in similar positions to, trying to block out the ringing.
You immediately cross over to Lia when you catch sight of her and Soobin follows behind you. Just as suddenly as it started, the alarm stops, leaving behind a faint ringing in your ears.
âWhat the hell, Soobin?â Sunghoon asks.
The boy in question just sighs, shaking his head. âI donât know, man.â
Feedback whines through the surround sound system connected to the house. âI hope you have been having a good time so far,â a voice booms out from the speakers. Everyoneâs head snaps up, trying to find the source to no avail. âItâs about to get better, and the stakes are about to get higher.â Whoever was talking was using a modifier, their voice coming out too gruff and tiny and to be normal.
âWhatâs going on?â you hear someone whisper. You were thinking the same thing, and with the quick glances you took to Soobin, it seems he was, too. Which you donât really get, seeing as this was his party.
âWelcome, players, to the final game of the night: Hide and Seek.â
Murmurs go up around the room. You nudge the boy next to you slightly. âAre we really going to play that?â
Soobin glances down at you, and admits seriously. âI honestly have no idea what is going on.â
âGonna beat you anyway,â you say cheekily.
âThe rules are simple,â the voice says, grabbing everyoneâs attention again. âStay hidden until sunrise and you win. If you get caught, youâre out. You can hide anywhere in the house, but going outside is strictly off-limits. You will get a hundred second head start before the game starts. Good luck.â The speaker crackles with finality.
Silence. Then, âYou canât be serious.â You turn to Lia who looks like she would rather be anywhere else. âWho plays hide and seek for six hours?â
âSheâs got a point.â This time itâs Beomgyu who speaks up. âSoobin, we donât actually have to do this, right?â
âGuys, this isnât my game,â Soobin announces which raises some eyebrows. âSomebody must have gotten into the media room and said all that.â
You try to think of a reason why anyone would want to do that and come up blank. You should probably be more concerned about somebody potentially breaking in and forcing you into a game but you have never played hide and seek on this scale before and besides, Soobin doesnât seem all that concerned himself. Soâ âA gameâs a game, right?â you say, addressing everyone. They all look at you, unreadable expressions on their faces. âIt could be fun. And we could always end it early if it gets too boring.â
You donât know how much time has passed but, looking at the clock, you see that there are a few seconds until midnight. The game was going to start soon.
Nobody makes a move to do anything and you almost resign to the fact that you wonât get to play when Lia sighs heavily. âYou owe me so bad.â You grin wildly at your friend and throw your arms around her neck, pulling her into a hug.
At that, everyone seems to decide to give the game a chance and play. Wooyoung and Yunho run off somewhere upstairs. Sumin leaves by herself and Isa and Jongho take off in the direction of one of the guest bathrooms. You donât see Beomgyu anywhere.
âY/N,â you look down to see Soobin holding your wrist. âHide with me?â
You almost do. His pleading eyes boring into yours, and you hate to turn him down. âIâm hiding with Lia. And besides, I canât beat you if weâre together,â you add the last bit teasing and he cracks a wry grin before reluctantly releasing your hand.
The warmth of his hand doesnât leave your wrist.
You turn back to Lia and run off together in the direction of the kitchen. You remember the door you saw in there and hope that whatever it is, itâs going to be big enough to fit the both of you.
The last thing you hear before you shut the door behind you both, is the voice from earlier coming from the speakers. âReady or notâŚhere I come.â The microphone clicks.
6 HOURS LEFT
The room you end up in is shrouded in darkness, you canât even tell what it is. Lia pats the walls on either side of you until she finds what she is looking for and flips a switch. The room erupts in light.
The first thing you notice is that this is not a normal room. Itâs a cellar. The second, you are standing at the top of a staircase.
Lia whistles. âHow big is this place?â
The two of you descend the stairs and find yourselves in where the Choi family stores their wine. Two wine racks are in the middle of the floor, full of different bottles.
âDo you think Soobin will mind if we open one?â Lia muses inspecting each bottle carefully.
âYou donât like wine,â you point out and Lia flips you off.
âThis is crazy, right?â she asks while looking around the room. âLike how big this house is. How rich Soobin is?â
âIâm trying not to think about it.â
âDo you think his great grandfather did something weird a hundred years ago? Secured all this money by making a deal with the devil or something?â
You blink slowly. âI think somebody has read one too many Stephen King books.â
âMaybe so. Lots of stories about crazy rich people, though.â
âLike Crazy Rich Asians?â
Lia goes quiet. âFair enough,â she concedes and you snort. Lia exhales heavily. âNow what?â
âNowâŚâ you start, sitting down against the winerack, making sure you are hidden from view from the stairs, âwe wait.â
Your friend groans.
The clock ticks and minutes pass. You wonder if anyone else has been caught yet. Itâs a big house and thereâs only one seeker. You donât think they could have found anyone so soon.
âI canât do this,â Lia announces suddenly. She pushes herself off the ground and paces the room. âLike, if weâre going to be down here the whole time, I need my book before I descend into insanity.â
She walks along the walls, hands pressing against the brick, it almost looks like sheâs hugging it. âWhat are you doing?â
âTrying to see if thereâs another door here. Rich peopleâs houses always have secret doors.â
The accuracy of her statement seems a bit off and you say so. âYeah, but not in the cellarââ A click. A narrow door opens slightly, triggered by the pressure Lia applied to it. It leads to a hallway that splits two ways, the right side should take you back to the main house. Huh. âI stand corrected.â
Lia nods determinedly. âOkay, Iâll be back.â
âWait, Liaââ
âRelax, Y/N, I promise Iâm not going to try and get caught on purpose. Iâm just going to go grab my book and come back. In and out. Like a spy.â
You are apprehensive but give in eventually with a sigh. âFine. Iâll be waiting.â
To her credit, Lia does peak her head out and look both ways before she slips out the room and to the right. You sigh. You donât know how long you sit there by yourself before you start to get antsy. Lia should be back by now.
The door creaks open from above the stairs.
Your head snaps up, trying to see who it is from behind your hiding place. You peak your head around the wooden wine rack and make out a pair of legs from the top of the stairs. The person descends slowly.
You are going to be so pissed if you should have followed Lia outside.
Itâs one of the boys from the party. Sunghoon.
Emerging from your hiding spot, you make your presence known. âAre you the seeker?â you ask suspiciously.
Sunghoon startles but regains his composure quickly. He shakes his head. âNo, but theyâre right outside so we should probably go.â
âWhat?â
âI saw them snooping around the living room and kitchen then saw this door and came to hide. Wonât be long before they get the same idea, so depending on how seriously you are taking this game, we should go.â
You hesitate, shaking your head. âI canât, Iâm waiting forââ
âSuit yourself.â Sunghoon has already pushed past you to the wall. âIs there another way out of here?â
You watch as he goes through the same process Lia did and think about how you canât just leave your agreed meeting spot. But, if the seeker is right outside, you canât just stay here to potentially be caught without her.
Getting rid of any doubt, you press against the same spot Lia did and watch as the secret door clicks open. Sunghoon merely raises an eyebrow but doesnât say anything.
The two of you slip through the door, and shut it quickly behind you. Thinking of Lia, your initial plan is to walk towards where the rooms should be so you can meet up with her halfway, but Sunghoon points out that thatâs probably where the seeker will be looking next and leads the two of you to the left, deeper into the house.
You hope Lia doesnât come this way.
âWhere were you hiding before this?â you whisper, the eerie silence of the house putting you on edge. The seeker could be anywhere.
âBehind the curtains in the living room.â You raise your eyebrows at that and Sunghoon sighs exasperated. âDonât judge me, I wasnât really trying.â
Out of everyone this evening, he did seem to be the least interested in playing the games. âWhat did the seeker look like?â
âAll black cloak. Like, some Dungeons & Dragons shit. Didnât see their face though.â
A cloak? Was their identity a secret, or something? Did it matter? âWho do you think it is?â
âHonestly, thought it was you for a while,â he admits and that gives you pause. âYou were, like, way too oddly excited to play so I just figured.â
âThatâsâŚactually pretty fair.â
Sunghoon chuckles mirthlessly. You reach the end of the hallway where it turns to the left abruptly. You both come to a stop. You donât know what part of the house you are in, donât know where turning the corner will lead, how far away it will take you from Lia.
The boy youâre with whispers, âIâll check if the coast is clear,â and you nod. He inches closer to the corner, head sticking to inspect what is there. You watch with bated breath as he disappears from view.
There is a sharp intake of breath.
âSunghoon?â you whisper, concerned. He doesnât respond. You wonder what he sees, if itâs a dead end. Or the seeker.
Suddenly, he staggers back, hitting the wall behind him.
âSunghoon, whatâŚâ your words die on your lips when your eyes trail down his body and find his hand gripping his side.
Shakily, he pulls his hand away. Your breath hitches.
Blood.
Sunghoonâs eyes meet yours, scared and blown wide. You try to move. To run or to help, you canât tell, but your feet are frozen.
A shadow is cast over Sunghoonâs body. It grows larger. You donât know how long you have been holding your breath. Something metallic glints in the light.
A knife. In blood.
The sickening realisation hits you like a punch in the gut. Sunghoon had been stabbed.
A cloaked figure emerges from around the corner. Head to toe shrouded in black fabric, Sunghoonâs assailant is, you realise with sinking feeling in your gut, the seeker.
They raise the knife again. You should look away. You donât want to see this. Your eyes are locked onto Sunghoonâs. Heâs crying.
At the sound of the weapon piercing the boyâs flesh, bile creeps up your throat. You will your body to move, your mouth to scream, but it feels like you arenât in control anymore. Like you are floating above somewhere, staring at yourself, but canât do anything.
They pull the knife out. âGotcha.â That distorted voice, sinister in its inflection, turns your stomach over.
You turn on your heel. And run.
Sunghoon was out.
Sunghoon was dead.
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