#anyway i love choi seungcheol that's what the post was supposed to be about

[haechannabelle]

hey guys big announcement

choi s.coups seungcheol has reached ult ult status. is this because of a dream that i had last night ? no, that's crazy. why would you even ask that

edit: i ended up writing way more down in the tags than up here but that counts as part of the post sorry

[because-of-a-friend]

Seventeen Reaction: They Forget To Pick You Up

MASTERLIST

Let’s start getting through requests!!!!

Sorry this took so long anon! It got deleted twice so that was fun... anyways I’m super honored to be someone’s favorite reaction blog!!! I hope I keep living up to that title! Thanks for the request, I hope you like it!!

P.S- Remember that the gifs are not mine! I always post so you can see the OPs, so if you like them pls go give their creators some love!!!

(TBH besties, idk how I did with this one so...)

CHOI SEUNGCHEOL

This is so so so so unlike him. Seungcheol is always punctual, always responsible, and always working so hard not to inconvenience others. Which is why you’re trying very hard not to be upset with him. It’s not like this is a regular occurrence with him... it’s not even close. It’s just one time. But you can’t help the way your stomach knots up when he walks into the building. You’re silent as he escorts you to the car and then again for the whole ride home. When you arrive, he lets you go off on your own to give you some space. He paces around just outside the room you’re in, wondering what he should do. Finally, he peeks his head in and waits for you to give him some sort of ok for him to come in. You pat the space on the couch next to you and he immediately walks over to settle in. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asks simply. To his surprise, you actually burst into tears. He wraps an arm around you, the other reaches up so he can massage the back of your head and lets you cry it out into his shoulder. When he tries to apologize, you pull back and stop him. You quickly explain that you had just had a really stressful day, and him forgetting to pick you up was more of the straw the broke the camel’s back than anything. After you reveal all to him, he decides to take care of you for the rest of the night. He’ll order takeout, bring everything to you so you hardly have to move, and then turn on your favorite movie and cuddle with you.

YOON JEONGHAN

This dumb baby will make a joke. Truthfully, so dumb (affectionate). He obviously doesn’t fully grasp how serious this is for you or how upset you seem. As soon as he notices, though, every muscle in his body will tense up. He does feel really bad, he’s just not quite sure what to do in this situation. He, like Coups, will walk on eggshells around you for a bit. Literally has no idea what to do. No idea. He’ll finally walk up to you and tap you on the shoulder, “I don’t suppose you’d accept an apology, would you?” You’ll laugh a little at this joke and invite him to sit with you. Jeonghan will sincerely, albeit awkwardly, apologize to you. He’ll encourage you to talk out your feelings, while he provides little bits of affection: holding your hand, stroking up and down your arms, wiping away any tears if you cry. “Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” he’ll ask once you’ve finished your thoughts. “You can start by buying dinner, and we’ll see from there?” you say coyly. Jeonghan laughs before standing, pressing a kiss to your forehead and then leaving to order food.

JOSHUA HONG 

Such a sweet, little awkward baby. He’s just so smiley and nervous when he walks up to you that you can’t even be mad at him. “Hi,” he says simply, an apologetic smile plastered across his face. “Hey,” you said simply back, “you’re a little late.” Joshua’s smile becomes more relaxed when he hears the hint of humor in your voice. “I know I’m late, and I’m sorry,” he takes your hand and lets both of your arms swing back and forth while connected. “I know you are, but don’t you dare let it happen ever again,” you mockingly threaten him by pointing your other finger in his face. He giggles as he takes that hand as well, “Consider me warned.” He’ll take the two of you out for ice cream and then let you decide what you guys do for the rest of the day.

WEN JUNHUI

Gives you his awkward little “:]” smile when he walks in. He feels so bad and is really nervous about how you’ll react. He almost doesn’t want to approach you. You can feel his nervousness radiating off of him when he finally reaches where you’re standing. “Fancy seeing you here,” he jokes for a second before you shake your head to let him know that now is not the time. He falls silent but breathes easier seeing the slight smile on your face. It feels a little awkward between you two for a second, so he decides to just take the lead and escort you out of the building. Once you’re in the car, he’ll give you a sincere apology. You’re nodding along as he speaks, smiling at the effort he’s putting into his words. You can tell that he’s still so nervous. When he finally finishes his piece, you lean over to peck his lips, “It’s ok Junnie, thank you for apologizing, let’s just try to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” He’s finally fully smiling as he holds your hand the whole way home. 

KWON SOONYOUNG

Soonyoung definitely coddles you as soon as he walks in. He approaches you with no hesitation and squishes your face between his hands. “Oh baby, I’m so sorry, you had to wait so long, that was so terrible of me, I’m so so so so so so sorry.” Then he gives a cute little peck to your lips and pulls you into a hug. Once he’s got you in the car, he’ll do anything to get you laughing and smiling again. He wants to talk about what happened but he wants to make sure you feel better before you do. Once you’re in a good mood again, he’ll give you a more sincere and specific apology and let you air out all of your thoughts and feelings. Soonyoung will listen intently to every word, nodding along and responding when he feels it’s necessary. Soonyoung wants to make sure the two of you end the day feeling good, understood, and comforted by each other’s presence.

JEON WONWOO

Wonwoo feels so incredibly anxious about this situation. He always gets nervous when it comes to expressing his feelings and navigating serious emotional situations, since he’s not always sure of his social skills. He’ll essentially freeze. Wonwoo will wordlessly pick you up, walk you back to the car, and drive you home. Not one sentence leaves his mouth. On the inside he’s truly panicking and has no idea what to do. Should he give you space? Should he ask you how you feel? Should he just try to apologize? He knows he can’t let it just go by without acknowledging it, so he finally sits you down to talk it out. To your surprise, as he begins to apologize, he actually tears up while speaking. He reveals that he feels so guilty for what happened and overwhelmed by being in this situation. He apologizes again for not talking to you as soon as he arrived. You rub his back soothingly, assuring him you’re not mad and that you appreciate his honesty and sincerity. You tell him as long as both of you are open with each other, then things like this can be resolved easily. He nods along to your words and listens to you as you share your own feelings. It’s hard to talk for long when you’re staring right at a pouty, teary-eyed Wonwoo, though. So, you quickly tell him all is forgiven, and let him pull you into a tight hug.

LEE JIHOON

Straight up pretends this did not happen. Like, simply walks into the building, and asks, “Hey, you ready to go?” Like he would on any other day. You’re honestly baffled, but follow him out. He seems so casual??? You genuinely start to wonder if you somehow told him the wrong time or completely imagined him being late. But you check through your texts messages from earlier and confirm that you told him the right time and he was definitely late. But he’s totally silent the whole ride home, and you really don’t understand what’s going on. Jihoon is panicking inside, like so many of the others, he has no idea what to do. He feels so bad, but he’s terrified of how you’ll react. But he knows you two need to talk about it, and also knows he already fucked up by not acknowledging it at first. You’ve been sulking in the living room since you two returned home, and he quietly walks in. “Hey, let’s eat dinner wherever you want, on me. I know you had a bad day,” he takes your hand in his. “How did you know I had a bad day?” you pout up at him. He scratches the back of his head, “Well I heard that your boyfriend was super late to pick you up and he didn’t even apologize for it. I’m pretty sure that would ruin anyone’s day.” You can’t help but smile at his cheesy approach. “You’re buying dessert too, right?” you ask hopefully. He smiles down at you, he really can’t handle how cute you are, “Of course I am, and then you get to yell at me as much as you want.” He pulls you up to follow him back out of the house. “I’m not gonna yell at you dummy, but you will be getting an earful,” you say jokingly, leaving both of you laughing as you walk out the door.

LEE SEOKMIN

Seokmin also feels incredibly guilty when this happens. You don’t think you’ve ever seen a sadder face than when he finally steps inside the building to come get you. He rushes over to you and pouts as he tries to find the words to apologize. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry,” he grips your arms and pulls you close to him. You just sort of shake your head, feeling comforted by his presence after worrying about where he was. You push your head into his chest and rest against him for a moment. Seokmin holds you and waits for you to make the next move. After a moment or two, you pull back and quietly ask if he can take you home. He nods and takes your hand to lead you out of the building. The whole ride home, he talks sweetly to you, apologizes intermittently throughout the conversation, strokes your hair lovingly, and squeezes your hand with his free one. He takes care of you for the rest of the evening, only hoping to make sure you feel better after what happened that day. Just a real sweetheart whose biggest concern is your comfort.

KIM MINGYU

Fearful. Completely ready for you to yell at him. Not that you ever have or have given him any reason to think that you would, but he’s never messed up this bad so he has no idea how you’ll react. He literally just stands in front of you, his hands clasped in front of him, trying to stay in the politest stance possible. He really does look like he’s preparing for you to scold him. You almost laughed when you looked up at him, “What are you doing?” He bows his head at you as if you are strangers and gives you the stiffest apology you’ve ever received. “Gyu, seriously, what’s going on? Why are you acting like this?” you’re almost laughing at him. “Well, you must be upset…” his hands are still clasped together. “Gyu, as long as you apologize and understand that you messed up, it’s ok,” you say, standing up to run a hand up and down his arm comfortingly. He apologizes again with a guilty smile, before leaning over to kiss your forehead. “What else should I do to make this right?” he grins. You weren’t going to push anything but when he’s smiling down at you like that… you might take advantage and boss him around a little bit for the rest of the day.

XU MYUNGHO

Will probably give you one of his humorous, wide-eyed, panicked faces as he walks in so you can’t help but laugh. Probably babies you as much as Soonyoung. You’ll have a very attentive Myungho pinching your cheeks and petting your head with that kind smile he has when he’s trying to comfort someone or show them that they’re being listened to. In order to make you laugh, he’ll do something incredibly out of character like pretending that you two are in a scene from a drama. He’ll put on a super dramatic voice, suddenly pulling your body against his and pulling on the most ridiculous facial expression as he says something like, “My sweet darling, did you wait long? How could I, a lowly man, leave such an incredible and beautiful being to wait like this?” You’ll start laughing. As soon as he sees you smiling again, he’ll give you a real apology. Myungho will put his arm around your waist and hold you tightly against him as he leads you out of the building.

BOO SEUNGKWAN

Probably crying as soon as he realizes how late he is. So unbelievably stressed when he finally arrives to get you. DEFINITELY babies you as soon as he walks in, has a full-on pout as he strokes your cheeks and nods along to you saying how long you waited. This sweet baby is probably still apologizing two weeks later lol, you have no doubts about how seriously he takes his mistake. Starts texting you updates when he leaves to come pick you up, “I’m five minutes away, cutie <3” If he ever ends up in a situation where he might be late to pick you up again, he’ll call you immediately and offer to pay to get you a car. He doesn’t want his baby to be abandoned ever again :(.

VERNON CHWE

You 100% get a text that says, “Do you even still want me to come?” Vernon just sort of assumes you’ll be upset and want space. You tell him you’re already on the bus (you’re not) and that you’ll meet him at home. You’re honestly really upset when you finally get back to your house. Vernon’s assumption was incorrect. You sort of wanted him to come apologize immediately and coddle you a little bit. But you wait until he’s ready to approach you. When he finally comes to say sorry, he catches on pretty quickly from all your pouting what you really want from him. He can’t help but smile as he pulls you to cuddle up next to him on the couch and putting on a mockingly cute voice as he asks, “What? Did my baby want me to cuddle with them?” You smack him playfully before he nuzzles into the top of your head and presses a kiss there.

LEE CHAN

What will he do? What will he do? What will he do? You don’t even see him when he finally arrives because he is immediately on you, pulling you in a tight hug with his arms firmly around your waist. You let him hold you. One of his hands comes up to cradle the back of your head as he turns his own to whisper in your ear, “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” He’ll pull back and take your hands in his, and look at you with wide eyes, waiting for you to speak. “It’s ok Chan, it’s not like you do this all the time,” you say to him. He gives you the simplest, sweetest smile and leans in to peck you on the lips. He becomes to gentlest little cutie for the rest of the night, all sweet touches and kind words. He’ll treat you like royalty, and give you all sorts of affection.

[soundofseventeen]

Cake (Choi Seungcheol)

Hello! I know I posted yesterday, but this one is small. And fluffy. So just. Yeah. We all need some fluffy. -Erin

Requested

When Seungcheol came home from the recording, all he wanted to do was to crawl into bed. It had been a great birthday, he got to spend it with his members and carats, even a part of it that morning with you. While it was a great day, he was thrilled about the concept of curling up next to you and falling asleep, knowing he would have to be up in a few hours anyway. 

He raised an eyebrow as he shut the front door to your apartment, seeing the lights still on. It was well after midnight, normally you would be asleep by now. As he took off his shoes and jacket, he heard a pan fall in the kitchen. 

“Shit!” He heard, slightly alarmed. 

“Y/N?” He called out, running to the kitchen. 

“Wait, Cheol I’m not-!” You started too late as Seungcheol froze in the doorway. 

“What… the hell happened?” He said, looking around the mess of a kitchen with wide eyes. This would take hours to clean up. 

“It was supposed to be a surprise…” You muttered, looking at the floor guiltily. 

“What was?” 

“I wanted to get you a cake, but I thought it would be more meaningful to make one from scratch, but I think it’s a little harder than I thought it would be…” You explained, Seungcheol’s eyes landing on the cake on the table. It was messy, but it was standing. It even sloppily said ‘Happy Birthday Cheolie!’ in red icing on the top. 

“You made me a cake?” He smiled, walking over to it. 

“Well, I tried to. I don’t know how good it will actually taste…” Seungcheol looked at you, hearing the disappointment in your voice. 

“Babe, I love it.” He laughed, walking over to hug you. 

“Really?” You looked at him, giving you a big gummy smile. 

“I really do. Thank you.” He went to take your hands in his, eyes widening as he did. “Woah, wait. What happened to your hands?” You looked at the bandaids on your hands and the bright red splotches covering them. 

“Uh… I kind of burned myself a bit…”

“You burned yourself?” He looked at you very concerned, you quickly waving him off. 

“It’s only mild burns. I just didn’t want them to get worse.” 

“What about the red?”

“...I might have spilled some of the red food coloring…” 

“Oh babe…” He laughed, shaking his head at you. 

“I wanted this to be perfect…” You muttered, looking at the mess in the kitchen. 

“It is perfect. It’s the perfect end to my day.” He kissed your nose, smiling at you. 

“You should go shower, I’ll get this cleaned up.” You smiled, feeling your face get warm. 

“I can help you clean-”

“No way birthday boy, go shower.” 

“Fine. But then we get to try that cake.” He said, pinching your cheek a bit before leaving the room, shaking his head at how cute you were. 

Once he came back, you both took a bite of cake, agreeing that you should never bake a cake again.

[hanniiesuckle17]

In The Sheets

A/n: not requested but I was watching House Md and thought I’d give this a try. Thinking of making it a series???

Member: Lee Jihoon (Woozi) ft. Seungcheol (S.Coups)

WARNINGS: Brief smut, mention of sex, swearing, mention of gore

Summary: Residency at one of the most prestigious teaching hospitals in Seoul doesn’t do much for one’s social life. Especially one’s sex life. Doctors resort to shagging in dark closets and on call rooms just to keep from killing each other. Y/n has a constant on going deal with one of the most famous attendings in the hospital. When feelings, jealousy, and a certain patient start to get involved, things fall apart.

Genre: smut? Not really, fluff, comedy?, intense, doctor!au, doctor!idol x doctor!reader, friends with benefits

The sounds of heavy breaths and strangled moans echoed in the small dark room. My body satisfied and tired, rolled off of the handsome doctor under me. Jihoon was quite the sight to see, but he always was after a round between the sheets.

There was no harm in what we were doing, because there was no emotion. Or so I thought. Lately these rendezvous with the dark, handsome, and calculating doctor had a knot growing in my stomach. The kind where when I saw him in the hall I couldn’t help but feel a little hurt when he didn’t at least smile at me.

I pushed the thought aside and decided to think about his chest rising and falling heavily beside me. “Top three.” He said with a tiny smile looking over at me. His dark hair fell in his eyes. “Top three times we’ve done it?” He shook his head and took a gasp of air before pushing himself up on his elbows. “Top three ever.” He leaned down and started attacking my collar bone with his swollen lips. Instinctively my fingers tangled in his messy black hair.

“Jihoon-” His slim form hovered over me and kissed every inch of skin he could find. Our attention was diverted at the sound of the door knob turning. Pulling the covers quickly over the both of us he hid me beneath the blanket and I pressed against his stomach, holding my breath. 

“Dr. Lee?” I heard Jihoon shift and he did his best to make his voice sound drowsy. “Yes. What is it, Kim?” I tried to stifle a laugh as his cold and pissy personality started to come back and attack the poor intern or resident who ‘woke him up’. “Chief wants to see you in her office.” Jihoon muttered a cuss word under his breath before agreeing and shooing the doctor out of the room. 

When the door fully closed, I pulled the covers away and got out of the bunk bed. I could feel Jihoon’s eyes on me as I grabbed my underwear and slipped them on. “Duty calls anyway, huh?” I was grateful I had kept my bra on and pulled on my pants before turning to Jihoon. 

My eyes landed on the spectacles sitting on the desk and handed them to the man half sitting up in bed. Not only was Jihoon attractive, but he was incredibly smart. Definitely the best doctor in the hospital and leading Diagnostician in the city. It was a big turn on. 

I checked my pager and saw a message. “Uh- I’ll be leaving first. I’ve got a surgery in an hour. I need to go prep.” I tossed on my shirt and threw on my doctor’s coat. “How come you’re the first to leave lately?” Turning I saw him out of bed and pulling up the pants of his scrubs. “I told you. I have a surgery.” If I spent much more time with him I’d be in more trouble than I already was in more ways than one. 

Suddenly I was pressed against the wall, his bare chest pressed flush against mine. “You starting to get feelings? You know that’s against the rules.” Jihoon’s breath fanned across my cheek with a smirk. He loved the fact that I was shorter than him. I lied my ass off and hoped he didn’t notice. “Feelings for you? The calculating, emotionless, sociopath, genius doctor? Never.” He scoffed and looked me in the eye.

“I have emotions.”

“Yes, happy, mad, and horny. I’m familiar with all three of them.”

I gently pushed him off of me and fixed my hair in the mirror. “Are you on call tomorrow night?” He scratched the bridge of his nose and watched me through the reflective surface. I nodded and pulled my hair back with an old and stretched out rubber band. Jihoon’s eyes scanned my wrists and neck as my fingers tied back my messy hair.

“Bye.” With a quick smile I left the room and tried to calm my fast beating heart.

The sky was still dark out as I walked back to the hospital. Sleeping for three hours in my own bed was nice. My feet shuffled into the doctor’s locker room carrying my chai tea latte. Thank god for caffiene. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. If I didn’t know myself I would have though I was a broke college student in a crop top and sweatpants rather than a doctor. As I placed my bag in my locker the door opened. 

Jihoon walked in, his black hair disheveled and covered by the blue hoodie he wore. His round glasses were perched on the end of his nose as he looked up at me. I seemed to have forgotten the fact that the attendings’ locker room was under renovation. “Morning,” He said with a smile. His eyes quickly scanned the empty room. 

Sending a small smile his way I turned back to what I was doing. More specifically trying to ignore how attractive he looked in sweats and a t-shirt. The touch of his slender fingers on my waist surprised me. “What? No, ‘Good morning, Doctor!’” The comment itself seemed harmless and normal coming from him. However the way he said it to me seemed more playful than his usual sarcasm.

I had to get these thoughts out of my head. “You giving me the silent treatment?” His grip became tighter pulling me so I was attached to his hip as his other hand moved in the locker next to me. I simply smirked and kept his stare.

“You never told me how hot you looked in sweats.” His fingers that drove my pulse through the roof found a patch of bare skin on my side. Jihoon’s eyes searched for any type of reaction. “Never seen you in anything, but scrubs.” His eyes crinkled with a smile. “Well, that’s not true.” He winked at me, inching the two of us closer.

“Fuuuuuucccckkk.” The door slammed open and I pushed Jihoon away and ripped my binder from my locker. I couldn’t help but smile at my colleague’s entrance. “Morning, Seungcheol.” The man smiled brightly at me and ran a hand through his shaggy blonde hair as he rounded the corner. “Hey beautif–Oh….Annyeonghaseo Doctor.” He bowed low obviously embarrassed of his previous action. 

Seungcheol quickly shuffled over to his locker and he began changing. Slowly residents and attendings started trickling in. Some getting off a shift and some coming on. Changed into scrubs and my coat I walked over to Seungcheol who was looking at the bulletin board. “You know why we are reporting to the Diagnostician office this morning?” I shook my head and followed his line of sight to a new posting with three names and instructions.

Dr. Choi Seungcheol

Dr. Boo Seungkwan

Dr. L/n Y/n

“We all have different expertise. You do neurology, I am more of the surgical doctor, and Dr. Boo is am immunologist. Why do they need all of us?” Seungcheol nodded looking from me to the paper. “Yo Boo!” He called out into the room. When no one responded we both turned and found the brunette doctor passed out against the wall with a chart in one hand and a redbull in the other.

“Boo,” I kicked his shoe with no response. “Boo, we’re out of redbull.”

“You should probably drive.” He shot up the words drowsily falling from his lips. I laughed and helped Seungkwan up and told him we were were needed in Diagnostics. The three of us walked side by side down the hall down to the only diagnostics office. Entering I saw Jihoon with his feet propped up on the desk wearing a maroon button down with black jeans and his doctor’s coat.

“Well, took you three long enough. Welcome to Hell.” The Jihoon I knew was gone. In his place was the sarcastic and condescending Dr. Lee.

The three of us stood staring dumbfounded at the doctor. With an exasperated sigh he pulled a paper off his desk and read from it. “Congratulations….blah blah blah…..fancy words that are a waste of space….” He turned the page over as I looked to Seungcheol and Seungkwan for any type of clue as to what was going on. “Ah! Here we go. Welcome and congratulations. You three ‘doctors’; Dr. Blondie, Dr. Legs for Days, and Dr. Redbull have all been selected to be part of an elite Diagnostics Team for Mercy Seoul Hospital.”

He threw the paper flippantly back onto his rather cluttered desk. Jihoon stared at us expectantly. “Aren’t you supposed to be jumping for joy or some shit? This is a prestigious position. You get an amazing raise of four dollars an hour!” The sarcasm was dripping in his words as he sauntered to the front of his desk and leaned on it.

I wasn’t shocked at his words unlike my colleagues, however the question of why he chose me stood prominently in my mind. “Okay then. Love the enthusiasm.” He grabbed three files off his desk and tossed them to us. “First case.” I leaned against a bookshelf and scanned the file, listening intently as Seungkwan read the file aloud.

“Female, Seo Hyunri, 34 years old. She was admitted via the ER with symptoms of regular pneumonia with an abnormal fever.” My brain started working like putting faces to names, recalling disease after disease.

“Could be a clot in her brain. A clot in the right place could cause a fever.”

“Yes, the neurologist would think that.”

Jihoon looked at the three of us in frustration. At some point he had picked up the rubik’s cube on his desk and had started messing with it. “No. It wouldn’t cause one this high.” Seungkwan said flipping through the file. “Are we going to see the patient or…” Jihoon looked to Seungcheol. “What? No why would we need to?” Embarrassed by the question he shrugged and looked back at the file.

“Come on. Just say the first thing that comes to your mind.” Jihoon walked over to a whiteboard and in definitive messy handwriting wrote the symptoms in red marker. “Normal pneumonia?” Seungkwan asked. “Give her antibiotics or penicillin and she’ll be fine in a couple days.”

“While ER doctors aren’t the smartest, I doubt that they did not try antibiotics.”

“Late onset Tuberculosis.” The words fell out of my lips before I could think. Hesitantly I looked up to find Dr. Lee staring at me, his expression unreadable. “On the right track. What else?”

Scrambling I flipped through the file. “It says she works on a farm outside the city. If she’s not vaccinated, this time of year could make it easier for someone like her to catch it.”

“Still you would treat it with antibiotics.” Dr. Boo interjected. Jihoon nodded and stood up placing a complete rubiks cube on the desk. “Well then. Let’s take a field trip.”

The three of us stood staring at each other while he strode out the door.

“You’re supposed to follow me!” Scrambling the three of us rushed down the hallway to catch up with him. This was the opportunity of a lifetime to be taught and work with Dr. Lee. I wasn’t just going to let it slip away.

We entered a room with a middle aged woman lying on the bed. Jihoon confidently walked up to her and took her arm lifting it up. She was shocked, but stayed silent as he turned to us. “Abscesses. Something the ER quite clearly missed.” It clicked in my brain.

“Melioidosis…”

“Yes, good work L/N.”

“Blondie. Put her on ceftazidime. She should be better in a couple of days.”

With that he exited the room leaving the three of us standing awkwardly in our patients presence. Handing my file to Seungcheol with a coy smile I retorted, “You heard him, Blondie.” He sighed as Boo handed him his file as well. The two of us exited the room and parted ways.

On the way back to the lockers I was pulled into a patient room. The door closed and I looked to see Jihoon with a smirk. “You did good work today. I didn’t expect you to get it first.” I scoffed. That was the only kind of compliment he gave. Back handed.

“Why did you put me on the team? There are many other surgeons you could have chosen.”

“Yeah, but they’re not you.”

“Well I don’t want the reason I got this job to be because I’m screwing my boss behind closed doors.”

“Of course behind closed doors. People would see if they were open.” His arm came to rest on the wall beside my head, making the air very warm. “But that is the reason I was chosen.” He shook his head and looked down. “No. You were chosen because you are one of the smartest doctors in this hospital.” I raised my brow in disbelief, determined not to let him get to me.

“Okay, and you never agree with me. It helps to have a little push back sometimes.” I couldn’t help but let out a tiny laugh. His hand snaked its way up my hip and to the small of my back, drawing me closer. His lips touched the corner of my mouth and then traveled down to my jaw. It was then I noticed the beeping in the room.

“Jihoon, there’s a patient in here!”

“It’s okay. He’s in a coma we won’t bother him.”

He fervently pressed a heated kiss to my lips and I couldn’t help but melt. Every touch was like a lingering light that I could feel on my skin. Thankfully his pager brought me out of the trance.

“Fuck, Mingyu. Really? Now?” He turned it off and cupped my cheek kissing me again. It took all of my will power to push against his chest. “No… you should go. It could be important.” The words came out shaky and breath like. He scoffed and kissed me once more before exiting the room and closing the door.

My legs gave out and I sank to the floor letting out a heavy breath. “Holy shit…” What the hell am I doing?

All thoughts of Jihoon left my head when a 911 came through my pager and I sprinted out the door.

Masterlist

Requests are open my lovelies!!!

[softhaos]

SWIMMER!MINGYU

pairing – kim mingyu x reader genre – fluff + coach!reader + highschool!au author’s note – this was originally supposed to be a normally written oneshot but it never came out the way i wanted it to be so yeah here’s the bulleted version and it came out nicer!! enjoy!!

it’s safe to say that your high school swim team is one top tier swim team

you’ve won many championships in the past

and some of the past swimmers were skilled enough to snatch scholarships from top tier colleges

one even made it abroad and that says a lot

you’re lucky enough to be the current assisting coach for the swim team

okay truth be told the current swim captain – choi seungcheol – begged you to coach them because he knows you’ve got some experience

he was really desperate okay

because like,,,,,,

he literally begged you every day in the first two weeks after the new semester started

and he nearly went on his KNEES in front of the entire SCHOOL

yes,,, that’s how desperate he was

so you said yes before he actually went on his knees

none of the swimmers can deny that you know your stuff and know how to help them improve

but you’re also known for being strict af and if the swimmers value their wellbeing, they won’t talk back to you

it’s lowkey amusing seeing how you are feared of to a certain extent

but you’re only putting out that front so the swimmers will move their asses,,, well,,,,, seungcheol said himself everyone wanted to improve and needed your help

and you’re satisfied with almost everyone

keyword: almost

because there’s kim mingyu

you don’t have anything against him,,,, he’s a really nice guy,,,, but the thing is

instead of swimming his goddamn laps

he’s busy flirting with jung chaeyeon

not that you have anything against chaeyeon as she is your friend and you could care less about any of their love lives

it’s just,,,,,, mingyu should be swimming his laps!!!!!

yes he is a prodigy (somewhat) and is already naturally quick given his long ass arms and legs (those proportions should be illegal)

but that doesn’t excuse him from tRAINING FFS

he even said himself he wants to get a scholarship so you put in even more effort for his sake

because you’re positive he will stand a chance but only if he prACTICES

and so you always gotta pull mingyu back to the pool

and he’d whine around saying “just five more minutes please!!”

five minutes my aSS that’s what he said fifteen minutes ago too

in the end he’d swim the laps diligently

but lately,,,,, lately it seems as if he doesn’t really care

maybe ‘not care’ is the wrong term but he has other things in his mind too

and it’s quite obvious judging how he gets out of the water as soon as he’s done and rushes back to chaeyeon who shows up to practice regularly to cheer the swimmers on along with some others

(you still can’t believe the swim team has a fan club for the love of god–)

you don’t mind if some take off five minutes to talk to them but mingyu apparently has a different understanding of five minutes only

this guy is really testing your patience

he isn’t the only one you have to keep an eye on so you really can’t be his personal babysitter and see that he stays in the water 

and with the competition coming up in a few months

you really have no other solution except forcing him to stay after hours

which you do

so when seungcheol calls it a day

and everyone’s about to go change

you hold mingyu back

“mingyu, you’re doing extra laps.”

“what?”

“you want that scholarship? you gotta earn it. eight laps freestyle, now.”

tbh you’re expecting him to complain but ? he’s ? not ? complaining ?

sure, he’s baffled at first but then he nods and swims his laps??

and while he smiles whenever you’re pointing out some things just like usual, he goes on full serious mode when he’s swimming???

why is he a changed man all of sudden

besides the regular training four times a week you force him to stay behind after every time

and when you’re feeling stricter as usual you make him come on weekends too

but mingyu has never complained

all he does is smile and agree and follow your instructions,,, which surprises you pleasantly

however,,, you notice that he talks much much  m u c h  longer with chaeyeon during regular training

and you’re like ??? he does know that you only take your time to beat his ass in the evening because he does pretty much nothing during normal hours, right ???

but you’ve got every right to be confused and mad because you’re literally using your free time to play his personal trainer because he can’t get his crap together 

or he isn’t as serious as when it’s just you two in the hall

anyway, you’re pissed at him and everyone can see it

seungcheol can see it

chaeyeon can see it

hell, even the fan club notices your grudge

but not mingyu, this oblivious little shi–

“you really don’t have to go out of your way to train mingyu after hours, y’know,” seungcheol tells you while you’re busy timing junhui (who by the way, upped his game when it comes to butterfly)

“he’s half assing regular practice but not after hours which confuses me, but i don’t really mind staying late here.” you shrug and give jun a thumbs up after checking his time.

“that brat, i swear to god–“

“cheol, i can and will kick his ass myself so don’t do anything stupid!!!!”

you even have a little talk with chaeyeon

though you’re the one who initiate it,,,, you swear you don’t mean to pry

because you  d o n ‘ t  care

but some things need to be said you figure

“i’d really appreciate it if you and mingyu wouldn’t talk so much during practice, y’know? look, he’s got the best chances grabbing one of those scholarships but if he doesn’t get a grip, he can kiss them goodbye.”

“y/n, don’t worry, we’re not together and of course! i’ll make sure to keep an eye on the clock the next time!!”

and with that she sends you a wink and you’re like wait what

you never implied to know anything but okay?

a n y w a y s

bless chaeyeon for keeping her word

she still comes to practice but ignores mingyu every time he tries to start a convo with her

it’s a hilarious sight ngl

even seungcheol is cackling sjkhd

once mingyu gets it,,,,, he stops bugging chaeyeon and swims his laps

nonetheless he still insists on staying behind to practice more,,, and you don’t mind helping him out

in fact,,,,, it’s a lot of fun with just the two of you in the pool,,,, no it’s him in the pool and you’re observing from the sidelines

he really has nice shoulders

now here’s the tea

it’s become your thing to stay behind and do this one on one training

ofc you stay serious but can’t help but break into laughter every time mingyu hits his head against the wall when he’s swimming backstroke

fun aside tho

fast forward to the day of the competition

seems like all hard work was worth it

he got the gold medal in freestyle

and several offers from prestige colleges

even after the competition you continue your post-sessions

and while he’s playing around in the water you ask him

“so,,,,, already decided which college you’re gonna attend?”

he looks up at you with his adorable usual grin that you find so endearing

“yeah I already decided,,,,, I rejected them all!”

wait what

w h a t

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND KIM MINGYU WHAT THE ACTUAL–”

“I’m going to your college,,,, wouldn’t want to give up the best coach for any college”

that shuts you up,,,, you stare at him in disbelief and when the words finally sicker

“if this is a joke,,,”

“chaeyeon told me you’d find stuff like this romantic,, just forget what I said then” he suddenly mutters 

and you finally get why he’s been pestering chaeyeon for a while

now that you think about it,,, wasn’t chaeyeon the one who implied he should get extra hours of practice?

“,,,, well,,,,, she isn’t exactly wrong,,,,”

and suddenly he’s overly happy and grins at you and you finally notice that fond expression in his eyes

“does that mean I can ask you out?? and you’re not mad at all??”

“fyi, i’d always say yes to you but that doesn’t change the fact that i’m mAD YOU WASTED MY FREE TIME THE ENTIRE YEAR”

“,,,,, but I can make it up with a really great date?”

that makes you chuckle and you playfully smack his forehead

“swim the laps first and then we can talk about it”

fun fact: the date exceeded your expectation,,, mingyu really knows how to cook his food

[soontofustew]

my ideal cut experience

lolol no one asked for this but here it is anyway!!! i couldn’t not write about it, not when i have so many feelings (and this is one of the worst post concert depressions i’ve had eVER) so to not annoy y’all, i’m just gonna put all the relevant tea under a keep reading, so only those who want to read it can do so!!

IDEAL CUT WAS SO AMAZING SOBS ?? i got a cat A ticket, so i was pretty near the stage (about 6 rows away?) !! general comments first, wow the setlist was so good and they really looked so amazing on stage! their stage presence and vocals are so much more impressive in real life too??? the concert was supposed to be 2 hours but lmao guess what, the whole duration was 3 hours!! my bbs really did that. 

memorable moments:  - the man who did n0t come to play, choi seungcheol. seungcheol is my bias in svt but recently i’ve also been very into minghao. bUT oh no choi seungcheol really came to fuck up ur bias list. his slicked back hair??? and why must u keep looking into the camera and bite ur lips????  - woozi cut his hair shorter?? he looks so good with this grey hair :”) - chinA line spoke in chinese the whole concert!! could literally feel the joy radiating off them bc they could speak in their mother tongue and be understood! and they made so many jokes w each other im soft n sobbing - joshua and vernon caME out with the english version of rocket - the unreleased hhu song killed me (sukyo btw if y’all dk the song) - hoshi is the epitome of duality. one moment he’s all smiles n so cute, the next he has killed me 6 times over with his dance moves and how his overshirt keeps falling off so i can see his arms? - they all look so much healthier and less pale in person!! amazing how tan mingyu and wonwoo are ! loving it heheheh and surprisingly seungkwan is not as fair as i thought!! am in love w natural skin  - seungcheol rlly said “i will always love you” i haVE A VIDEO  - cheol also dropped his mic during adore u HAHAH if anyone saw after he lifted seokmin up during the bridge he slipped lolol - he also waved to my section n threw us hearts!! ok the recurring theme here is i am choi seungcheol trash and yes, i have a thing for rappers  - minghaO was so soft n omg :”) hello 2nd bias in svt pls stop wrecking me with your smiles esp during run to you  - i didn’t expect a perf of flower but i didn’t know how much i needed it  - als000, seungkwan was so funny the whole night! and he positively glows in real life wow cameras really do not do this man justice. and videos do not give his vocal ability the credit he deserveS - dino’s aegyo killed me  - they also did the encore of aju nice’s chorus 3 times??? what extra kings 

ok yes this is long n rambly but i legit cried otw home bc of their ending comments and how good the show was. seriously, compared to the other concerts i’ve been to, this really takes the cake. the sincerity in their performances and all their adlibs and how they had fun, only made me enjoy the concert so much more. it just felt more genuine??? idk. i’m so glad i got to meet these 13 lovable boys. 

[chillihansol]

Reckless Idiot ; S E U N G K W A N

[ bestfriend!seungkwan x nurse!reader ]

word count: 1180 genre: angst&fluff a/n: OMG i made it long bc i love you all and seungkwan and bc i feel like i havent posted for so long even tho i just posted last monday or sunday lol. thank you anon for requesting! and this is the real req! bc i posted a wrong drabble last night so i have to make a new one hehe. i hope yall like it!

21: “Can you at least look at me in the eye?” 50: “Are we friends or are we more than that?"

“Cheol?” I asked through the phone resting between my ear and shoulder as I turned the vehicle hard left.

“Y/N! You finally answered! Where in earth are you?” His voice on the other line was a mix of concern and impatience.

“I’m driving on my way home. I’m sorry I couldn’t pick up the phone earlier, there was emergency at the hospital because of the accident.” 

My shift was supposed to end two hours earlier, but a car accident happened near the hospital so I had no choice but to be the one in charge of taking care of the victims. It was unexpected because we usually don’t get car accidents at the middle of the night. 

“You little– why are driving and calling at the same time?” I flinched at the loud voice of Boo Seungkwan came from the phone. “We’re hanging up! Please go home safely, okay? We’ll be waiting for you. Bye.”

Are they on my apartment? “Seungk–” The sound of the phone hanging up interrupted me. I removed the phone from my shoulder and tossed it on the passenger’s seat. 

As I turned another hard left, from a distance, I saw the familiar black van parked in front of my apartment building. I am totally damned.

Loud footsteps were approaching when I turned the doorknob of the front door. As expected, group of male hormones greeted me right after I close the door behind. I prepared myself to get scolded but I was taken a back when I felt a pair of arms wrapped around my body.

“Yah, don’t scare me like that ever again!” Seungkwan exclaimed. He was panting from what I assumed that he was very concerned to me because of the accident. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?” 

“No, Seungkwan. I’m fine.” I replied, wrapping my arms around him as well.

He pulled away, cupping my face with his hands. “Can you at least look at me in the eye while you say that?”

I gave him a tired smile before speaking, “I’m fine, Seungkwan. I’m not hurt. Not even a single wound.” In this hallway full of seriousness, I chuckled at them. “Why are y’all so scared?”

“Yah Y/N, how dare you laugh?” Seungcheol snapped which made me realize that my action was a complete mistake. “Seungkwan was crying earlier when we heard about the news!” He raised his voice.

“Seungkwannie,” I cooed. I removed his hands from my face to hold them. “It’s fine. I’m alright. I’m not the one who’s involved in the accident.” 

“I thought it was you because your shift was supposed to end by that time. So when I called you and you didn’t answer, I immediately told the hyungs.” He said, trying not to spill the formed tears in his eyes.”I know how reckless driver you are.” He muttered which made the boys smirk.

I turned my gaze to the oldest hyung. “Yah Choi Seungcheol, how dare you laugh?” I mimicked his tone earlier.

“Yah I’m older than you!” He laughed out loud. “But Y/N, I’m sorry for raising my voice. We’re just really concerned.” He said in a serious tone.

“Yeah it’s fine, you remind me of my father when you raised your voice.” I stuck my tongue out. “And I really appreciate that you guys care about me, even though there’s only like,” I squinted my eyes, counting them in my brain. Seungcheol, Jeonghan, Dokyeom, Mingyu, and Seungkwan were the only people who thankfully broke into my apartment. “Five of you right now.”

“Please answer your phone Y/N if something happens like this ever again.” Mingyu pleaded, slightly pouting his lips. 

“I promise I will!” I chuckled at his cuteness. “And please remember that I can take care of myself. I am nurse, right?”

“A reckless nurse.” Jeonghan muttered. I stuck my tongue out at him as well. “Anyways, we’ll get going now. It’s pretty late and we’re sure that you need some rest.” 

“I’m staying, hyung.” Seungkwan said from my side. 

“Alright.” 

The rest of the boys gave me a hug before walking out. “We’ll see you soon, Y/N. Take care.”

“Will do!” I replied. 

I watched them as they climbed in their vehicle and gave them a wave before they drove away. I went back inside the apartment and Seungkwan was already nowhere to be seen. A smile formed my lips when I heard his singing voice through the wall as I tossed my shoes at the corner. I walked towards my bedroom and saw him busy on his phone and already lying down on my bed.

“Wow, your bed?” I asked sarcastically, sitting down on the mattress.

“Yeah, comfy right?” He replied with the same sarcasm. 

I looked at him intently. Seungkwan and I have been friends ever since we lived next door in Jeju. We were practically the typical childhood best friends. We both went to Seoul to pursue our dreams. Him being a singer, and I being a nurse. Ever since that, we were always checking on each other to make sure we’re doing fine. But the incident earlier was a different topic. Sure that I’ve been to minor incidents before, but Seungkwan never cried because of those. He would most probably be mad and concerned, but he would never cry. 

“Did you really cry earlier?” I asked him out of the blue.

“Yeah, I didn’t know what to tell your mom if something happens to you.” He said, tossing his phone on the bed which reminded me that my phone was still inside my car. I sensed that he’s lying.

“Seungkwan, you never cried because of me.” I said seriously, slightly kicking his leg with my foot. I shifted my position to face him better. “We could tell each other everything, right? We’re friends, right?”

“More than that.”

“Best friends?”

“I guess.”

“You guess?”

“Yeah.”

“Are we friends or are we more than that?” I noticed that he tensed on my question. “Are we more than best friends?”

“Ah really,” He sighed. “It took you so long to notice, huh?” He sighed. “I love you, dork.” He playfully kicked my leg too. “And I know you love me too, you can’t hide anything from me. I knew you too well.”

A giggle escaped my lips as I crawled next to him. I lied down, resting my cheeks on his shoulder with my arm wrapped around his torso. A pair of delicate lips were placed on my head and I felt butterflies inside my stomach.

“Go to sleep, idiot. You’re tired.” He softly said, running his fingers through my hair. “Reckless idiot.”

“Your reckless idiot.” I mumbled closing my eyes and finding myself slowly drifting to a nice and cozy sleep.

[kookiehao]

[SEVENTEEN] OT13 - the thread that binds us (1/?) - 7007 words

Title: the thread that binds us Author: kookiehao (arashianelf on LJ and AO3) Pairings: OT13!friendship, hints of jicheol Genre: Fluff, fantasy, angst Rating: G Summary: A person's life can be deeply affected by tiny little things that occur far away from them; the butterfly effect, it's called. However, sometimes it's things that occur closer to home that can change a person's life forever.

For Choi Seungcheol, it begins with this: an old man comes to visit in a small town on the outskirts of Daegu. Notes: I was sappy enough on my beginning notes when I posted this on AO3 over here, so if you really want to, you can read it over there HAHA please enjoy this :)

one | two | three | four | five

A person's life can be deeply affected by tiny little things that occur far away from them; the butterfly effect, it's called. However, sometimes it's things that occur closer to home that can change a person's life forever.

For Choi Seungcheol, it begins with this: an old man comes to visit in a small town on the outskirts of Daegu.

For a long break, he claims, tired of the hustle and bustle of the city life. His story is taken to be truth, and the townspeople would have gone on with their lives in peace if they hadn't caught a hint of one discriminating piece of evidence that the old man had tried to hide. Within hours, everyone knows what has happened.

The Cat has come to visit.

They gossip about who it might be. It's a small town, after all, and there's not many people turning sixteen. It could be that spoiled girl down the street, or that boy who loves to skateboard while running errands for his family.

No one expects it when the old man approaches the oldest boy from the Choi family the day before his sixteenth birthday, three days after he first stepped foot in this town. The Choi family is known for their friendliness and their hospitality, and their elder boy is the epitome of the good kid, the model student, the one everyone wants their kid to be.

Maybe he's secretly a burglar, the men and women gossip at the bar. The grocery store has had things stolen from it the past week, and so has the pharmacy. Maybe the good kid persona is just that, a mask hiding who the boy really is.

The Cat has come to town, and Choi Seungcheol is not the good kid that everyone thinks he is. The Cat's curse is never carried by a good person, after all.

There are a few facts in life that everybody knows to be true. A few examples: the sky is blue, the grass is green, and the Cat hates the Rat.

The story that everyone knows goes like this.

Once upon a time, the Jade Emperor, although having ruled Heaven and Earth justly and wisely for many years, had never had the time to actually visit the Earth personally. He grew curious as to what the creatures looked like. Thus, he asked all the animals to visit him in Heaven.

The Cat, being the most handsome of all animals, asked his friend the Rat to wake him on the day they were to go to Heaven so he wouldn't oversleep. The Rat, however, was worried that he would seem ugly compared to the Cat, and so when the time came, he didn't wake the Cat.

So, the Rat began his journey to Heaven bright and early, wanting to be the first as the Jade Emperor had also decreed that the years on the calendar and the months of each year would be named for the first twelve animals in the order they arrived to the meeting. However, halfway through his travels, he came across a river, which he would have to cross in order to continue on.

Stumped, for he would be easily swept away in the currents and hence could not attempt to swim across, he rested there until the next animal, Ox, came upon the river. Ox, being naïve and good-natured, agreed to carry him across, and as Ox neared the other side of the river, Rat jumped ahead and reached the shore first, allowing him to claim first place in the competition and the zodiac.

The other animals came in one after another after the Rat: the Ox in second place, followed by the Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and lastly, Pig.

The celebrations lasted a day and night, and the Cat reached Heaven early the next morning. he saw the remnants of the celebrations, and realised that the Rat had lied to him. Because of the Rat's actions, the Cat missed the meeting with the Jade Emperor and hence lost his chance to claim a spot on the zodiac.

In a fit of anger, the Cat stole the Jade Emperor's weapon while He was asleep, and with it, cursed the Rat to spend eternity as a Human. However, he was unable to control the power, and with his actions cursed all thirteen animals.

When the Jade Emperor saw what the Cat had done, he changed the curse so that the twelve zodiac animals would change forms on the first day of the month that was named after them, for two-thirds of the month, and the Cat, as punishment, would change every last third of every month.

Thus the story of the curse of the zodiac animals ends.

In present day, the Cat is shunned, and the twelve zodiac animals are venerated, for everyone blames the Cat for having the zodiac animals suffer through a transformation once a year.

‘The ahjummas are in a flurry today,’ Seungcheol thinks as he passes by the café where they usually gather to share gossip on the way home from school. True enough, the café is bustling with noise, the old ladies gathered round tables that have been pushed together and talking to one another over cups of tea and coffee.

Seungcheol walks down the streets he grew up on, enjoying the faint breeze in the air. As he walks, his mind turns to the question his mother had asked him before he’d left for school that morning. “What I would like for my birthday, huh,” he ponders out loud as he walks. It’s a question that he always has trouble answering, but he has to come up with something before his birthday in three days.

He meanders through the park, walking a well-worn path home, still thinking of what he wants as his birthday present. He looks up at the sound of a cane and footsteps, meeting the eyes of an unfamiliar old man.

“Won’t you sit with me, boy? Entertain an old man for a while?” the elderly man rasps, and Seungcheol checks his watch, nodding slowly. He joins the old man on his walk until they find a bench shadowed by a large tree, and they sit down together. Seungcheol fidgets awkwardly, wondering what he’s supposed to say.

“The ahjummas were gossiping about you,” he blurts out after a while, and the old man chuckles. “Unusual to have a newcomer in this town, huh,” the old man replies, and Seungcheol nods. “Most of the time, it’s only tourists, but you look local, so they’re wondering why you’re here.”

“Do you want to know why?” the man asks, and Seungcheol hesitates. His instincts tell him that something important is going to happen, and that he should trust this man, and whatever he’s going to say, but his brain tells him that he isn’t ready.

He nods slowly, and the old man smiles, fingers tapping at his cane in beat to the birds chirping in the tree behind them.

Jihoon breathes a sigh of relief as the taxi drives into town. He opens the group chat he has with the others, scrolling through the messages that he’d missed while anticipating the crossing of the border into the town just off the heart of Seoul.

To: three years is up!!

say moo: I finally made it through the town borders.

say moo: okay, who changed my name again? I represent an ox, not a cow.

say moo has changed their name to jihoon

I'M A CHICKEN: not me!

I’M A CHICKEN: thank god we can finally go back

i love bananas: ㅋㅋㅋ

jihoon: seungkwan, the one that says it isn't them normally is the person. >.> kwon soonyoung don't just laugh.

supposed to be tiny but not: it was me ㅋㅋㅋ

jihoon: you're not supposed to abuse your hyung privilege, jeonghan-hyung. anyway, I'm at the manor already.

supposed to be tiny but not: oh. you remember what we discussed? keep us updated, yeah?

jihoon: yeah, I do, and I'll try. anyway, I'm going now, just wanted to inform you guys.

supposed to be tiny but not has changed jihoon's name to say moo

i'm a horse and look like one: ㅋㅋㅋ

Jihoon locks his phone, taking a deep breath as the taxi pulls up to the manor. He pays the driver and thanks him after the driver helps him remove his luggage from the trunk, before turning to look up at the huge manor in front of him.

To his right, the plaque on the wall states in bold words: The Zodiac Manor.

He takes a deep breath and slowly approaches the tall iron gates, placing a hand on the seam between the two and pushing gently. He sighs in relief when the gates swing open under his hand, grabbing his luggage and pulling it behind him as he makes his way up to the front doors.

He pulls out a keyring with an ox keychain hanging from it along with a variety of keys, and separates one from the rest, inserting it into the keyhole. The door unlocks with a loud ‘click’, and Jihoon smiles to himself, pushing open the doors.

“Jihoon,” Taehyung greets. Jihoon startles, looking up from where he was busy keeping his keys, standing in the foyer. “Taehyung-hyung,” Jihoon replies, smiling a little, “Long time no see.”

“Yes, it has. Three years, on the dot, correct?” Taehyung nods, moving forward to help the smaller male with the luggage. “On the dot. We wouldn’t forget the date,” Jihoon replies, following after the male, walking the familiar route to his room.

He brushes his hand across the ox carving that acts as the nameplate for the wooden door that leads to his bedroom as he walks in, surprised to see how clean it is.

“You’ve been cleaning regularly?” Jihoon asks, surprised. Taehyung grins, boxy smile familiar and welcoming. He hums, nodding.

“Five of you doing cleaning all by yourselves? I heard that the housekeeping teams haven’t been coming by,” Jihoon’s incredulous tone sets Taehyung off, and Jihoon watches in befuddlement as the older man cracks up and laughs himself silly next to him.

“N-nah,” Taehyung gasps out, still giggling in bouts, “we had help.”

“Help?” Jihoon wonders, puzzled. Taehyung nods happily, huffing as he catches his breath from laughing so hard. “C’mon, I’ll introduce you!”

Taehyung leads Jihoon down the familiar hallways and into the kitchen, from which Jihoon can smell the divine smell of food a few hallways away. They reach the kitchen in no time at all, and Jihoon enters the kitchen.

For a moment Jihoon tenses, thinking it’s Seungcheol at the stoves, what with the height and the broad back and shoulders, but then the man turns around and smiles at the sight of them, giving Taehyung a mildly confused look.

“Jin-hyung!” Taehyung bounds over, pulling Jihoon along with him. “This is Jihoon, the Ox. Or he used to be, anyway.” Jihoon bows as much as he can when Taehyung introduced him, trapped as he is in Taehyung’s grip.

“Hello,” the man’s voice is warm, and Jihoon relaxes a little at his friendly greeting. “I’m Kim Seokjin, and I’m this one’s hyung. I hope you don’t mind that I took over the kitchen.”

Jihoon shakes his head, taking a step away from Taehyung as the older man releases him, replying affably. “It’s okay, Seokjin-ssi. We rarely used the kitchen when I stayed here, anyway. Cheol-hyung… he was the one that used it the most.”

Jihoon glances around, walking to the worn wooden table in the centre of the kitchen, running a finger along the grooves and shallow gouges in the wood.

“Just call me hyung, Jihoon-ssi. I have a feeling we’re going to be well-acquainted soon enough anyway, thanks to this one over here,” Seokjin tells him, knuckling Taehyung away from the pan where some chicken is cooking.

Jihoon laughs, nodding in acquiescence. “Call me Jihoon, then.” He startles a little when he hears a rattling sound coming from above him, and he looks up to see three familiar cats, one pure white, the second pure black and the last a chocolate brown with white markings. Jihoon watches as they stare unblinkingly down at him, and shivers.

“I’m the Cat, boy. Do you know what that means?” The old man says, watching the clouds roll by in the blue sky.

“Like… the one in the stories?” Seungcheol asks tentatively. The old man chuckles, the sound rusty. He sounds like he hasn’t laughed in ages, Seungcheol thinks to himself. “Not a story, kid. The Zodiac animals are all alive and kicking,” the old man tells him.

“That’s what this bracelet means.” The old man draws back his sleeves, exposing the bead bracelet to the sunlight. Seungcheol observes it. It’s old and worn, a bracelet of black beads except for a white bead in the middle. Looking closer, he notices a figure of a cat carved onto it.

“It’s the bracelet that tells people you’re the Cat, right? Why do you hide it?” Seungcheol wonders, before he realises what a stupid question he’s asking. He’s heard the story of the Zodiac animals so many times, heard all the opinions of the Cat that the town’s older folks had to offer.

The old man huffs a laugh at his expression, before sobering. “I’m going to ask you a question, kid, and it’s going to sound weird. I want you to answer as honestly as you can.”

Seungcheol nods slowly, wondering if he should leave now, before the old man asks whatever question he has. “Okay…” he draws out the last syllable.

“Have you ever felt like you’ve gotten along well with certain animals? Like, cats or dogs or whatever? Small town like this, someone has to have a pet, right?” the old man asks, and Seungcheol frowns.

“It is indeed a weird question to ask, harabeoji,” Seungcheol says, but thinks through the question seriously.

“My name is Park Jungsu, kid. You can still call me harabeoji, I don’t mind. At least someone will know my name and remember me when I’m gone,” the old man, Jungsu, apparently, informs him, before leaving him to think through the question.

“To answer your question… I would have to say yes, I guess? The stray cats around my house love me. But that’s only because I feed them at least four times a week. Jung-imo’s cat from next door loves coming over to me all the time as well.” Seungcheol answers the question after a while of thinking, and Jungsu nods to himself.

“Should never have doubted the cat’s sixth sense. Well then, kid, tell me your name first. If we’re going to be mentor and student for the next few months, I’m going to have to know your name,” Jungsu states, standing up with the help of his cane.

“I’m Choi Seungcheol- wait, what do you mean by mentor and student? Why would I be a student of the Cat?” Seungcheol stares up at the old man now towering over him, offering him a hand to get up, which he takes.

“You’re going to be the next Cat, kid. Seungcheol. That’s why I came to this town. I’m here to find the successor to the position of the Cat in the Zodiac.”

“Eomma?” Seungcheol’s voice is quiet. It’s his last night with his family, and he can tell his eomma wants to cry. It’s only been two days since his world was turned upside down, and he doesn’t want to leave his family on his birthday, but some things are just out of their control, as Jungsu-harabeoji told him.

His mother sniffles a little, turning to look at her older son with red eyes. He comes over to her and hugs her tight, committing everything to memory, knowing that this is probably the last time he’ll get to hug his mother.

“I know what I want for my birthday, now.” Seungcheol tells his mother slowly, and she smiles at him tremulously, breaking away from the hug to brush his hair out of his eyes. “Name it, son. Name it and I’ll do everything I can to get it for you.”

Seungcheol takes a deep breath, before telling her his birthday wish. She starts crying again. Seungcheol cries with her, knowing that in this moment, when it is just them two, he can shed the image of the older, more responsible son.

“I’ll do it,” she tells him in between sobs, and he desperately tries to wipe away her tears, even as his own slide down his face. “I’ll make sure no one forgets that I have a son called Choi Seungcheol, that he is the brightest, most lovable child that you can ever come across. I’ll tell Seungjin what a good older brother he has.

“And in return,” she tells him, grasping his face between her hands and wiping his tears away by rubbing her thumbs across his cheeks. “In return, always remember that you will have a family in us. Call us as often as you can. Send us as many letters as you want. I’ll always pick up, always reply to your letters.”

She smiles at him, her precious son that she had first held in her arms fifteen years, eleven months and thirty days ago, and cradles him to her chest as he cries his heart out. Her husband, his son’s father, watches over them from the doorway, tears glistening in his own eyes.s

The last memory Seungcheol has of his family is this: His mother, standing at the front porch, crying silently as she watches the old man bring her son away, never to be seen again, to live a life of loneliness.

He will never forget the stoic figure that was his father, watching from the window, gruff goodbyes echoing in his head. He would especially never forget the tiny boy that ran after him, only to be chased and stopped by his mother.

His younger brother, the one person he would never see grow up despite wanting to be there for every milestone.

The first thing the old man teaches him is how to hide himself, how to hide his bracelet when he gets it. The black and white bead bracelet is an instant recognition tool, one that will ensure that he is shunned in most communities.

“You’ll have to write this down somewhere,” the old man says, wondering if he should tell the boy this early on. Making up his mind, he continues. “You probably won’t need this information until you can leave the town to find your successor.”

Seungcheol frowns. “What do you mean?”

The old man sighs, looking older beyond his years for a moment, which considering how old he looks, is quite a feat. “Once you step foot into the town boundary, you’re never leaving until you have to find your successor.

“You’ll find out soon enough, but there’s a lot of history that I’m not proud of, kid. Some of our ancestors, the previous Cat-bearers, they did bad things. And now we’re the ones suffering for it.”

Seungcheol’s frown stays fixed on his face. “I’ll be… trapped?”

Jungsu nods, bracing himself in case the kid decides to run. It had been his first thought when he realised he would be trapped in what was essentially a gilded cage for the foreseeable future. The Cat couldn’t leave, and was plied with everything they needed except for the one thing so essential to mankind – freedom.

Unfortunately for him, his predecessor had been smart enough to tell him when they had entered the barrier dome. Seungcheol notes the way Jungsu eyes him warily and takes a deep breath, pushing his panicked emotions aside.

He had been chosen by the Fates, after all. It would be useless for him to panic and put unnecessary burden on Jungsu. “Let’s continue on our journey, harabeoji,” Seungcheol finally says when he feels that he isn’t going to react too much to what the old man had said.

Jungsu continues to eye him warily, and asks, “Not going to run, kid?” Seungcheol shrugs and shakes his head, explaining his logical thought process to the old man, who only shakes his head in reply. “I wish I was as mature at your age back then. First thing I did was run, when I was told. Smacked face first into that bloody barrier and gave myself a nice mild concussion.”

Seungcheol tries holding it in, really, he does, but the laughter leaks out of his sealed lips anyway. “Your predecessor told you only when you were trapped? What a mean person!” Jungsu huffs a short laugh as well, shaking his head at his childhood stupidity.

“Mean it may be, but he meant well. You can’t run from this curse. Sooner or later, with or without the bracelet, when the time comes, you’ll shift. It’s only a matter of where you are when you do. Fate will catch up eventually,” Jungsu says solemnly, and Seungcheol nods back seriously in return.

“Why do we have this bracelet, then?” Seungcheol queries, fingering the bracelet on his right wrist with his other hand. “The public wanted a way to identify the cursed, and our predecessor wanted something semi-fashionable,” Jungsu replies with a wry twist to his lips, and Seungcheol laughs again.

“I’m trusting you, kid. Don’t run off on me. I have a lot to teach you and I only have until you turn seventeen to get everything down. After that, you’re on your own.” Seungcheol nods in understanding, and replies, “I’m a fast learner, harabeoji. I’ll make sure to pay attention.”

Jungsu chuckles before gesturing for Seungcheol to follow as they continue walking. “I parked the car quite far off. Since I hadn’t been out in such a long time I thought I’d walk the rest of the distance,” Jungsu explains, gesturing to the parked car in the distance.

Seungcheol nods, and follows after the old man. “Let’s enjoy the breeze for a while longer, harabeoji,” Seungcheol says after a while, slowing his pace. It had struck him that this would be one of the last times, if not the last time, he would be able to enjoy walking on the fairly empty streets of the town he had grown up in.

Jungsu slows down as well, tension leaving his shoulders as the ongoing breeze ruffles their hair. “You’re right, Seungcheol-ah. Let’s take the time to relax.”

As the wind continues to blow, the two figures walk on, hair and clothes ruffling with every gust of wind, Seungcheol’s luggage dragged along behind them.

Jungsu starts the car as soon as he gets into the driver’s seat, having settled Seungcheol’s luggage in the trunk of the car and made sure that Seungcheol had belted up. After they are off, Jungsu starts talking again, and Seungcheol makes sure to listen closely.

“Now the house is more of a manor, really. I’ll guide you through the place when we reach, but for now all you have to know is that it and the lands surrounding it are huge.

“Given that Cat zodiac bearers can’t get a stable job due to the stigma surrounding us, nor can we leave the town the manor is situated in, the government is the one that pays for the bills. Electricity, water, grocery shopping, the government pays for us.

“Even then, it’s better not to waste taxpayers’ money. Don’t give them more reason to dislike us. Remember to turn off the lights that aren’t in use, don’t waste water, etcetera,” Jungsu says, watching as Seungcheol scrambles for a notebook and pen so that he can note down important information.

Once he’s sure that Seungcheol is prepared for the information dump he is about to unload on the kid, he continues. “The manor is really big, so it’s, as you would expect, a pretty big pain to clean. We have housekeeping staff coming back three times a week to clean the various parts of the manor.

“Normally, though, apart from the housekeeping staff, there’s five main staff living in the manor as well. The first is the butler. The man’s family is sworn to service to the manor since the first generation of zodiac bearers, and each generation’s butler is fairly close in age to the zodiac bearers.

“The one that will be helping you is Kim Namjoon, if I remember correctly. He’s a year older than you, and he basically runs the household so that you won’t have to worry about anything. There’s also a gardener, head housekeeper, chef, and the handyman.

“The manor’s been standing for as long as modern Korean history has existed at the very least, so there’s a lot to fix. They’re all, once again, paid by the government, and the families are all nice people,” Jungsu continues talking, paying attention to the road and occasionally glancing at Seungcheol to make sure that he has the important information down.

“I’m personally quite close to those of my generation – you kind of have to, over the years. Maybe you’ll make good friends there. The townspeople are generally neutral, but some can be nasty with their words. When we walk through the town I’ll tell you more about who’s who,” Jungsu tells Seungcheol, who nods and makes a noise of understanding.

“Okay to continue?” Jungsu asks, merging into a busy lane after emerging on a highway headed in the direction of Seoul. Seungcheol nods again, and Jungsu resumes speaking, Seungcheol scribbling down notes all the while.

“Where’s Jonghyun-hyung? Or Minhyun-hyung?” Jihoon asks, and Taehyung shrugs. “Out somewhere. Ever since Cheol left they’ve gone out every day.”

Jihoon raises an eyebrow. “Every day?” Taehyung nods, even as Seokjin remains silent. Namjoon enters the kitchen just as Taehyung says, “It’s almost time for them to return for the day.” His entrance effectively derails the conversation as Jihoon stands to hug the older man.

“Hello, Namjoon-hyung. How have you been?” Jihoon asks, walking with the man to the table where Taehyung is already seated. “Hectic as usual. The manor still has some places that need fixing up, so I need to find Yoongi-hyung,” Namjoon replies easily.

Jihoon makes a noise of understanding, before Seokjin turns from the stoves to ask him a question. “Why the sudden decision to come back, Jihoon-ah?” Jihoon pauses, flinching minutely, before replying slowly, thinking through his answer as he goes.

“We were… worried about Seungcheol-hyung. We haven’t heard from him in a while, so we decided to make the trip down to see if we could find him.” Taehyung frowns, noting a keyword. “We?” he questions.

Jihoon nodded, indicating that the usage of the term was on purpose. “The rest are planning on coming down as well. I was just the first one that was available.”

“Why now? Why not, say, two years ago?” Seokjin is the one to ask a question this time, and Jihoon tenses up. “There were… extenuating circumstances,” Jihoon says, unwilling to share more, and Seokjin is the one to frown, this time.

“Extenuating circumstances? For all twelve of you? And for three years, at that,” Seokjin points out, and Jihoon hesitates in answering the question, given that he doesn’t know how much they know and how much he wants to share.

They are thankfully interrupted by the return of Jonghyun and the others. “Have we exhausted all the possible locations?” Jonghyun’s voice echoes down the hallway, and Jihoon tenses even more, knowing what’s going to happen.

“For the day, yes we have. It’ll get dark soon, Jju-yah. We shouldn’t risk ourselves unnecessarily by stumbling around in the dark,” Minhyun replies, giving Jonghyun a side-hug. “Well, tomorrow we’ll try again, yeah? We’ll find-“ Minki draws to a halt as he realises they are no longer alone upon entering the kitchen.

“Jihoonie,” Dongho says warmly, and Jihoon smiles weakly at him, despite the sudden tension sinking into the room as the others catch sight of him sitting at the table. “Hyungs,” Jihoon greets them, standing up.

“Well, this is a surprise,” Minki says airily, “I wasn’t expecting any of you to return.” The five of them move to the table as well, pulling out seats and seating themselves, and Jihoon takes his seat again. Jihoon stiffens a little as the hidden barb flies true, and the tension increases, its weight resting heavily on Jihoon’s shoulders.

“Well, we’re all coming down. I’m just the first one to make it,” Jihoon replies, voice tense. The two unfamiliar men next to the three are quickly introduced as Dongho and Aron, but Jihoon remains tense, wary of anything they could say.

Seokjin is the one to break the tension again, announcing grandly, “Dinner is ready! Set the table, please.”

Taehyung and Minhyun move to do as they are told, and Jihoon takes the chance to ask Dongho in a low voice, “Dongho-ssi, where’s Jisung-hyung?”

Dongho makes a soft noise, replying in a low voice, “He’s busy in town, picking up some materials we’ll need for the fixing up of the house and some other things. He’ll be back soon. Also, just call me hyung.” Jihoon makes a soft sound of understanding, and goes quiet when dinner begins.

“So, Jihoon, I heard from Taehyung and the others that you’re a producer?” Seokjin asks, and Jihoon swallows his food quickly, ducking his head a little, “What songs have you produced? I may have heard of some of them.”

“I’ve helped to produce Pristin’s first and second albums,” he replies, naming an up-and-coming girl group that is steadily becoming more popular as time passes. “Oh, is that so? I’ll be sure to check them out later then,” Seokjin smiles.

“You’re a producer as well?” Dongho speaks up, and Jihoon turns to the built man, who grins. “I’ve produced my fair share of songs as well, how about we exchange a few tips and tricks later?” Jihoon, temporarily taken aback at the man’s friendliness, ignores Minki’s low mutter of ‘traitor’ and Minhyun’s sigh in reply, agreeing quickly with a smile on his face.

“Are there supposed to be others eating other than us?” Jihoon asks after a period of low conversation, Minki staunchly ignoring Jihoon, aiming the question at Jonghyun. The empty seat next to Taehyung and another next to Minhyun are laid out, due to pure habit.

“Ah, Jimin is normally here as well, but he’s off with Jisung-hyung to gather some stuff,” Jonghyun replies shortly, politeness taking over for a moment. Jihoon nods his understanding, and goes silent again, wanting to finish eating so he can leave the room and end the cold war currently brewing against him.

After he’s done, he stands up from his seat, moving his dirty dishes to the sink. “Ah, I’ll do it, you just sit and relax,” Aron speaks, making his way to the sinks with his own dishes. Bereft of anything to do, Jihoon excuses himself to return to his room to rest, catching the start of a furious hushed discussion as he is doing so.

Frowning to himself, he makes a note to figure out what the hyungs are hiding from him, make some headway into finding out what had happened to Seungcheol, and where all the cats have gone. But first, he takes out his phone as he enters his room, door clicking shut behind him.

He sits down on the bed, texting the group chat to update the others and ignoring backchat.

To: three years is up!!

say moo: there are new people in the manor.

say moo: met taehyung and the others again over dinner as well. things are tense. yoongi-hyung and jisung-hyung weren’t there.

say moo: i have a feeling they’re hiding some things from me. no idea what, though.

say moo: will try my best to find out about what cheol-hyung did to break the curse.

say moo: who the hell changed my name again im gonna find you and kill you slowly.

say moo has changed their name to jihoon

hiss hiss mf: hiding things, hm? interesting. who’s next available to head down? i’m still busy with some stuff in china. also, jihoon, you would know if you made an effort to read backchat.

orange is the new black: probably me. i’m almost done with my residency.

jihoon: alright, keep me updated. i’ll try and see what i can find out in the meantime.

jihoon: go fuck yourself junnie backchat is always at least 200 messages long.

jihoon: dongho-hyung just knocked on my door, i have to go. he’s a producer as well.

jihoon: bye for now.

i love bananas has changed jihoon’s name to say moo

orange is the new black: one of these days jihoonie is going on a murder rampage with that guitar of his and i will have to stop him.

orange is the new black: because I can’t be bothered to patch you guys up and I’m the only one with a medical degree amongst us.

orange is the new black: why did I ever think nursing was good.

hiss hiss mf: jihoon won’t go on a murder rampage until cheol-hyung is found so I would say we’re quite safe for now

orange is the new black: that’s what you all think.

Jihoon looks up from his phone as someone knocks on his door, locking his phone and throwing it on his bed as he stands up, ignoring the vibrations he can hear. “Who is it?” he calls, moving to the door.

“It’s Dongho, Jihoon-ssi. I wanted to discuss some things about a track I’ve been stuck on, see if you can help me fix it,” Dongho’s voice sounds, and Jihoon moves to open the door. “Call me Jihoon, hyung. Sorry for the mess, I’ve barely unpacked,” Jihoon says, gesturing for Dongho to take the chair as he sits on the bed, grabbing his backpack and pulling his laptop out of it.

Dongho pulls out the roller chair from the desk, placing his own laptop on his lap as he gets comfortable. “So, what did you need help with?” Jihoon asks.

After all that Jungsu had told him about the town and the manor on the drive down to his future home, Seungcheol isn’t expecting the sheer amount of cats wandering around town.

But then again, as he thinks about it, even before he had known he was the Cat zodiac bearer for his generation, cats loved him a lot more compared to the other kids.

They get out of the car on the outskirts of town, Seungcheol watching as numerous cats wander up and scent-mark him and Jungsu, winding around their legs. He kneels down to give those that wander to him affectionate pets, and looks up at Jungsu.

“There’s so many of them,” Seungcheol says, awed. Jungsu nods, and kneels as well, smiling down at the cats coming up to him, and replies,” When people abandon their cats, they all somehow make their way here if they’re able to survive the journey here. We have a veterinarian living in town just for the animals that wander in.”

They’re quiet for a while, showing the cats affection, when Jungsu says quietly, “When it’s time for me to go, I’ll join them.” Seungcheol turns to look at Jungsu again. “What do you mean?” Seungcheol asks, hands stilling.

He resumes petting the cats when one of them head-butts his hands, and waits for the reply to come. “I told you that I would only have until you turned seventeen to tell you all the information you’d need, no? When the time comes, I’ll shift into a cat and I won’t change back. That’s how the curse works.

“Even now, some of these cats probably have the same markings our ancestors had, like this one,” Jungsu says, gesturing to the tawny cat currently curled around one of his legs with white patches on its body. “Those are the exact markings my mentor had when he shifted.”

Seungcheol examines the cat from where he is, absentmindedly petting the cats around him. “You’ll lose your humanity?” Seungcheol asks quietly. Jungsu nods in reply, “For all intents and purposes, I will be a cat. I won’t be able to understand human speech or actions beyond what a regular cat knows, but some of the emotional attachment will remain.

“This cat,” here he smiles down at the feline that used to be the mentor that had essentially brought him up, “keeps me company most days when I’m wandering around town.” Seungcheol keeps quiet, digesting that information as he continues showering the cats with affection.

“Now, I didn’t stop the car here to be emotional. Come here, Seungcheol-ah,” Jungsu gestures for him to stand by the older man, and he does so slowly, pulling himself away from a pure white cat and giving it a few last scratches along its jaw.

“Right in front of us is the boundary line, kid. The moment we step across that line you see in the ground, we’re trapped in it until I turn into a cat and you have to find your successor. The edge of the cage, essentially.”

Seungcheol stares at the faint line in the road. Once he takes a step past that line, he will be trapped until he is as old as Jungsu. What a startlingly scary thought. Even so, Seungcheol sucks in a breath and says, “No backing out, harabeoji. I’m not running away from fate.”

Jungsu sighs and turns back to the car. “Truer words never spoken, Seungcheol-ah. Well, that’s all I wanted to show you. Let’s get back in the car and we’ll drive straight back to the manor. It’s almost lunchtime, and I’m getting hungry.”

They get back in the car with some difficulty, herding the cats away from the doors. Jungsu drives slowly, not wanting to hit any of the cats, watching carefully as the felines dart away from the path of the rumbling vehicle.

At the slow speed Jungsu is going, Seungcheol shivers as he feels something pass through him, which Jungsu notices quickly. “That’ll be the boundary line.” is the quiet explanation Jungsu gives the younger, and Seungcheol nods his understanding.

He’d gone past the point of no returning, now. There was no longer a choice of turning around and leaving.

A few minutes later, they drive up to a large pair of old iron gates, a plaque with the words ‘Zodiac Manor’ embedded in one of the brick walls holding the gates, and Jungsu presses the intercom near the plaque after rolling down the windows. “I’m back,” he sings, and there is a click as the gates open.

Jungsu rolls the window back up, slowing down so Seungcheol can appreciate the manor and its surrounding lands in its full glory. Seungcheol gasps as the manor comes into sight, and Jungsu drives right up to the gravel driveway in front of the front porch, upon which great oak doors are already opening.

“Welcome to Zodiac Manor, Seungcheol-ah. Your new home,” Jungsu says grandly as he switches the engine off, smiling at Seungcheol’s shocked expression. It was one thing to hear it being described, but nothing beat looking at and admiring Zodiac Manor in its full glory.

“Now come on, grab your things and I’ll show you around!” Jungsu says, getting out of the car. Seungcheol takes a deep breath, centers himself, and does as he’s told.

Jihoon sighs as the door clicks shut behind Dongho, noting the late time. They had worked late into the night until both of them were satisfied with the track, and Dongho had promised to put Jihoon’s composer alias, Woozi, on the credits for the song.

Sighing, he stands to crack his back, sighing as a resounding crack echoes throughout the room. He cracks his knuckles and then his neck, before finally closing his laptop. He moves to the desk to tidy up, and sets off to the music room, where he remembers there being a notepad of empty scores he can use that is hopefully still there.

The manor is quiet as he wanders from the west wing to the main building and up the staircase to the second floor, where he opens the door to the music room quietly. The door opens with nary a sound, and the room brightens when he turns the lights on.

He moves in search of the notepad he remembers, pulling out random books that catch his attention on the shelves against the walls of the room and weaving through the numerous musical instruments strewn across the room.

The books in the music room are entirely about different composers and other random stuff to do with music, though the main bulk of the books remain in the east library wing, and Jihoon catches sight of the notepad a while later.

He pulls the notepad out from the shelf, and takes the book next to it as well, seeing as it looks interesting. Frowning, he notices a weird protrusion in the back of the shelf that he had taken the book and notepad from, and reaches in to feel it.

He applies some pressure and pushes the panel into the shelf, and jumps when he hears a click and rumbling. He turns, book and notepad placed absentmindedly on the piano, and stares at the doorway now present instead of the fireplace and mantel.

To: three years is up!!

say moo: guys, i think i found something.

-~-~-~-

4 January 2015, Sunday

Everyone is gone. I’m about to do it. I just finished setting things up.

If you’re reading this, any of you, go and fulfil your dream if you haven’t done so yet. Live your life the way you wanted to, the way I never could, stuck in this house and town like I was. Don’t worry about me, yeah? I won’t have to worry about anything again.

I love you all. You guys are my family. I hope, if nothing else, you guys remember that.

Goodbye.

[chapter one end]

two

[fatgirlwritesscenarios]

Poolside

((This is not a request. This is just something I decided to put together because I realized that I hadn’t done anything for Seungcheol in a while. Also, this is dedicated to my beautiful curly-haired, plus-sized, women of color who are K-Pop fans, but don’t really get any representation in scenarios or imagines. We deserve love, too, ladies! More of these will be coming, ya’ll. Stay tuned!))

Pairing: SeungcheolxChubby-Black!Reader 

Genre: Fluff/The barest hint of angst

Word Count: 7,521 (Apparently I go hard for the leader) 

Summary: Summer days were on the verge of murdering you, but Seungcheol had a way of making it all better. All he wants in return is for you to be happy...to believe his confession...and to say yes. 

Winter had come and gone with Spring making its way out, allowing for Summer to settle in quite concretely. The blazing sun was kicking up its intensity on this particular Wednesday. The day was beautiful, but the heat left a lot to be desired, like constant air conditioning wherever you go. At the university, most of the students weren’t even entertaining the idea of long pants or long-sleeved shirts…and you were one of them.

“My god, this day is broiling hot, but this man is even hotter.” Laying down in the green grass and eyes glued to the phone screen held over your face, you mindlessly scrolled through Instagram.

“Who are you talking about?” your friend asked from beside you, her back pressed to the base of the tree and quite focused on her Statistics work.

The both of you had posted up under a shady tree in order to escape the early noon heat, the shade offering some reprieve, but not enough to keep from feeling sweaty and sticky. It was far better than being in the dorms, though. Well, at least the ones without air conditioning.

You lifted your phone up to show her the picture of Charlie Hunnam you had been staring at for five minutes. She glanced at it then snorted, shaking her head in amusement. “You and King Arthur,” she muttered, going back to her work, “What’s so enthralling about him?”

“It’s not King Arthur himself. It’s the guy playing him,” you corrected, swiping the tip of your tongue over your lips with a little giggle, “He’s just so…sexy.”

“Who’s sexy?”

That voice caused a small skip in your heart and your ears to tingle in embarrassment that he heard your choice of praise…and then a little more embarrassment when you saw who the newcomer was. Seungcheol was just tossing his bag against the base of the tree and sitting down next to you with a pout on his face. He looked quite delicious on this day with his disheveled hair sweeping in front of his dark eyes and silver earrings, his sleeveless shirt showcasing his arms.

He looked at you accusingly, nodding at your phone, “Who are you talking about?”

“My future husband,” you answered smoothly, focusing back on your phone and attempting to keep your heart from running away with itself. Thankfully, the darkness of your skin kept the blush burning just beneath the surface of your cheeks from showing.

He laid down next to you and you could just feel his cheeky grin, “Oh, so you’re talking about me then.”

“You wish, Choi. You may be cute, but you got nothin’ on Charlie Hunnam,” you retorted with a roll of your eyes, flashing that same picture of the King Arthur actor with his ice blue smolder and rugged appearance.

Seungheol pretended to scowl at the picture before nudging your bent knee with his fist, smirking at your giggles. Ever since the day the both of you met, this had been the dynamic of your friendship: playful teasing and platonic flirting. You weren’t exactly sure what it was about you that made him feel comfortable enough to flirt so shamelessly, but you didn’t question it. As long as it meant that you got to keep him in your life, you would play along…no matter how badly you wished it were real…no matter how much you actually liked him.

Seungcheol was the kind of guy that looked far too intimidating for his overall warm, charismatic personality. Women fell hard for his pouty lips and expressive eyes and then practically dropped to their knees when they discovered how sweet he was. The only other person who was similar in initial appearance was Kim Mingyu and he only seemed more intimidating because of his height. You were one of the few females lucky enough to be included in Seungcheol’s inner circle, to be a true friend to him, but you would be a liar if you said you didn’t have deep, intimate feelings for him as well.

Not that it mattered. Of all the women he could choose from, you doubted he would choose you and it wasn’t because you didn’t think you were attractive enough. On the contrary, you fancied yourself quite the beauty in your own way, as was everyone; you just thought you looked too…different for him, too unlike his type.

You turned on your side with his back facing him after he nudged you, listening to him whine about the actor while you laughed and continued to scroll through your feed.

“I didn’t know you were into white guys, Y/N,” he challenged and you could practically hear the pout he no doubt still had on his face; for one reason or another, he hated it when you showed interest in other guys. You just figured it was because it took away from the fun he had of always flirting with you.

“I didn’t know you would get so jealous over a Hollywood crush, Choi,” you shot back, turning over again when his hand gripped your hip and tugged you onto your back. Your skin burned where his hand had touched, feeling the imprint of his fingers and palm on your body…which was just great because it wasn’t like you were hot enough already.

“Of course I’m jealous. You’re making eyes at a blue-eyed medieval king that I can’t even compete with and ignoring me. Who am I supposed to flirt with now?” He didn’t appear to notice, but Seungcheol never removed his hand from your hip, simply sliding it across your stomach to let it settle on the opposite one.

Heat trailed wherever he touched and you squirmed with how good it felt, wishing you could tell him to touch you more. Since that obviously wasn’t an option, and a response was still needed to his childishness, you settled for rolling your eyes loudly and turning to look at him. Unfortunately, this was at the exact same time he decided to try and be cute and reached out to flick your forehead. You gasped and retaliated by smacking his stomach, Seungcheol curling up with a cry and laugh.

“First of all, I’m not ignoring you; kind of hard to do that when you’re practically in my ear. Second of all, don’t you get enough attention from literally every other woman on campus?” you asked.

“I’m not getting yours, though,” he countered.

“You’re so greedy.”

“Only for you, baby.”

“Drama king.”

“A queen needs a king.”

“Guess I’ll be hitting up King Arthur then.”

“Why do you hurt me like this?!”

“I just noticed that you two are wearing almost the exact same outfit.” Your bickering came to a momentary halt, you and Seungcheol looking up at your friend as she studied the both of you closely, “It’s kind of adorable.”

True to her observation, when you looked at Seungcheol’s outfit, you saw him clad in distressed, light-wash jeans, a white sleeveless shirt with a red, long-sleeved plaid tied around his waist and black Timberlands. It was identical to your own attire of distressed, light-wash girlfriend shorts, white tank top with a red plaid short-sleeve over it and black kicks. You blinked and Seungcheol smirked.

“It is adorable,” he agreed, finger the hem of your tank top, “We make a really cute couple!”

Your brain was jamming up and you couldn’t formulate a witty comeback quick enough. It wasn’t even the fact that he agreed with your friend- he had been making similar comments to you since day one. It was just the circumstance of the entire situation: the clothes, his touch, the sparkle in his eye that rendered you far too weak…those kissable lips, messy hair and strong arms! It was too much to immediately ignore. You wanted to be a cute couple, you wanted this to be true…you wanted him to say it and mean it. Hiding the grit of your teeth and the furrow of your brow, you sat up on your knees, facing him and your friend while stretching your arms with a deep sigh.

“It’s too hot to deal with you and your shameless flirting right now,” you said, tossing him an amused smirk to which he only grinned and winked while sitting up as well, “It’s too hot to do anything at all.”

You shook your curls with a groan, the tresses plastering to the back of your neck as the briefest of cool breezes teased you. Your dark skin still felt sticky with seat, your thick thighs slick and your tank top sticking to the pudge of your stomach. You didn’t notice, but your friend certainly caught Seungcheol drinking in every inch of you, admiring your beauty.

“You know the pool is open to all students now since it’s getting so hot. Why don’t you go for a swim?” she asked while you reached for your backpack.

“I’m so down,” you answered, checking the time on your phone and deciding you should start heading for your next class, “but I never have time during the day. Between all of my classes and my part-time job, I’m only ever free at night and by then, the pool is closed.”

She laughed at your disgruntled expression, shrugging her shoulders, “Guess you’re out of luck.”

“Shit out of luck, apparently,” you mumbled pitifully as you moved to your feet with your backpack pulled over your shoulders, “Anyway, as I suffer, I have to get going to my next class. I’ll see you guys later.”

Just as you turned to go, you felt a tug on the strap of your backpack that almost sent you toppling backward. Looking over your shoulder, Seungcheol’s smiling face met your gaze as he, too, stood up.

“I’ll walk you,” he stated, dusting off the back of his jeans of any grass.

You quirked an eyebrow and crossed your arms, tossing him a little grin, “Really? Is that so?”

He met your gaze with a flirtatious one of his own, “I have to make sure the queen makes it to class safely, don’t I?”

“Even though your class starts at the same time that mine does and is clear across the campus in the other direction?”

“A sacrifice I’m willing to make.”

Giggling and stepping closer to him, you dusted off bits of grass from his shoulder, “As tempting as the offer sounds, Choi…this queen says no.”

Instant pouting as his brows furrowed at you, “Why?! How come?!”

“Because I’m not trying to draw attention to myself by walking to class with you and 300 groupies!” you answered, putting your finger up an inch from his lips as he went to argue, “And don’t even bother trying to tell me that it won’t because it has and it will.”

You smiled sugar-sweet at him then patted his chest, “Stop pouting and get to class, Choi. I’ll see you later. Later, Y/F/N, enjoy the pool for the both of us.”

With that and a pivot, you were sauntering away, groaning in discomfort the minute the sun’s rays hit you full on once you left the protection of the shady tree. Seungcheol watched you go, pout still firmly in place and a deep sigh passing through his nose. Your friend’s laugh made him look at her, though she kept her gaze on her notebook.

“She’s not wrong, you know. There’s already a gaggle of girls over there trying to collectively work up the courage to approach you.” She pointed her pencil off to the left where, indeed, a group of six girls were huddled together, taking tentative steps towards Seungcheol and your friend, giggling amongst each other and fluttering their hands. Seungcheol quirked an eyebrow, but didn’t acknowledge them, giving his attention back to your friend as she continued speaking.

“With that being said, and noting the size of your little fan club, it’s no wonder you’re not getting anywhere with Y/N. She doesn’t think you’re seriously flirting with her, so you’re going to have to try a little bit harder, like actually confessing to her.”

He flinched at the emphasis as a deep blush dusted his cheeks, a frustrated sigh passing his lips, “I know, but how?”

“I don’t know. You’ll think of something,” she said, starting to pack up her things at this point and moving to stand up, “but it better be soon or else Y/N is going to come to the conclusion that there’s no future with you beyond friends and permanently friend zone you. Don’t want that now, do you?”

“Don’t threaten me like that,” he said, half playful and half serious even as she fell into full laughter at his plight.

“I’m just stating the facts, friend. Like I said, though – you’ll think of something.”

Once on her feet, she gave Seungcheol a friendly pat to his back and made her leave. He tossed her a small smile, eyes trained on the spot she once occupied and a deep sigh passing his lips. He rubbed the back of his neck in thought, knowing full well that your friend was right and he did have to make a move, a real move, before someone else got smart and started to pursue you, too.

Question again, though: how?

“Hi, Seungcheol! How are you today?”

Thoughts interrupted, he looked up to see the group of fluttering girls circling around him, obviously having found the courage to approach him at long last. He found it cute, but inconvenient, wanting only one girl’s full attention instead of six that only had a hand in spooking the one away. Regardless, he smiled at them, hiding how much he wished they would just disappear.

“Hi ladies. I’m doing well. How are you?” he asked in return.

“Well! We’re doing well!” one of them answered, a fair-skinned girl with a short hairstyle and cute round eyes that the others obviously chose as their spokesperson, “You…You look really handsome today.”

The others giggled and Seungcheol laughed a bit nervously, his dimpled smile causing them to swoon, “Ah, thank you. That’s kind of you to say. I have to get going now. You all have a good day.”

“Oh! Seungcheol!” He paused in his escape and looked at the girl expectantly. “A bunch of us are going to the pool later this afternoon. We were wondering if we’re going to see you there?”

It was like a lightbulb went off over his head! A 100 watt smile lit up his face and caused the girls to flutter more. Their hopes were dashed when he shook his head, though his smile never wavered.

“Sorry, but not this time,” he said, turning away, “I have to get to class now. Bye.”

He left the girls there to frown after him, Seungcheol making his way across campus with a bit of a skip in his step. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he mentally worked out his brilliant plan, though the first part would be trickier to accomplish than the rest. Regardless, he would get it done and by the end of it, he would either have a girlfriend or a broken heart. He hoped it would be the former.

*~*~*~*

It was around 9:30 PM and that Friday’s heat seemed to be carrying over into the night. Or maybe it was just your heat-trapping pod room with little breeze from the open window that made you feel like you were being baked. The desk fan barely provided any relief as you lay in bed, clad in your bra and short-shorts to minimize the feeling of suffocation. You supposed you could take a cold shower to relieve the heat.

“That may be my only option,” you mumbled to yourself, drawing your hands down your sweaty face, “It’s not like I have very many other choices.”

You let your arms fall back by your head, taking a deep breath…and groaning loudly as you rolled onto your stomach, “Ugh! This sucks!”

A sharp knock to your door pulled you from your pity-party as your friend and pod-mate burst in without waiting for your consent; not that it mattered much to you.

“Yo,” she greeted, making a beeline for your closet.

“Hey. Where’s the fire?” you questioned with a laugh, hearing her snicker.

“Don’t even joke like that. It’s hot as fire in here,” she retorted, rifling through your clothes.

You pulled yourself to sitting up with a sigh, messy curls wild around your head and your stomach making cute rolls while you slouched, “What are you looking for, anyway? None of my clothes even fit you. “

“I’m looking…for this.” She pulled your swimsuit out of your closet- a cute little tankini in blue and white- and tossed it on your bed next to you, “Put it on.”

Quirking your brow, you asked, “Why? Where are we going?”

“We aren’t going anywhere, but you are. Seungcheol is taking you out.”

You practically fell off the bed reaching for her, tugging on her arm before she could leave the room, “What do you mean Seungcheol is taking me out? Taking me where?”

She smirked at the hiss your voice dropped to, panic hidden in your tone, but flashing bright in your eyes. She could only guess, but she was about 80% sure your heart was about to start galloping away at the mere thought of Seungcheol seeing you in a swimsuit…and she wouldn’t be wrong.

“I have no idea where he’s taking you, but apparently it needs a swimsuit. You should hurry and change. He’s waiting in the living area,” she advised, laughing at your squeak.

After she left, you stood there with your mouth gaping like a fish, whipping around to stare at your swimsuit as if it were the culprit that put you in this situation. What was Seungcheol thinking? And where was he trying to take you? This wasn’t the first time he swooped in at some strange hour to kidnap you for an impromptu adventure- you two would often go on little foodie adventures if Seungcheol found a new 24-hour place. However, this was the first time an outing required such specific attire.

A searing blush tipped your ears, “Now I’m starting to regret buying this swimsuit…”

You fingered the material, remembering the day you bought it with the intention of flaunting yourself around at the beach with friends. It wasn’t exactly your plan for Seungcheol to be one of the first to see it on you; maybe after you broke it in and embodied the sexy confidence you wanted to have before he saw you. After deliberating for a second more, you huffed and started to change, unbuttoning your shorts and pulling them down.

“He’s going to see me at some point anyway. Why not tonight?” you mumbled, removing your bra and underwear before pulling on the swimsuit, tearing the tags off.

Within a few minutes, you were exiting your room with your shorts pulled back on and a loose red tank top with a cute design hiding the suit top. A small pouch holding your phone, keys and wallet was slung over your neck, resting by your hip.

You walked into the living area just as your friend was going into the kitchenette, spotting Seungcheol leaning against the wall by the fridge with a gym bag strapped over his chest. You noticed that he was already wearing swimming trunks the same color as your swimsuit along with a red sleeveless shirt, wondering how he kept managing to make anything you wore into a ‘couple’s outfit’ with him.

He had already been laughing at something Y/F/N said, but the second he saw you, his smile turned up a few notches.

“It took you long enough!” he teased, pushing off the wall to approach you, sliding his fingers to the back of your neck where they tangled in your curls, “What were you doing exactly?”

He manipulated your head by making you shake it back and forth until you whined and shoved his arms away, “Trying to figure out where you’re trying to take me that requires a swimsuit. The beach is almost an hour away and I would sooner take all core classes and get a full-time job next semester before I go swimming in a lake at 10 PM at night.”

He grinned, mischievous as always, and placed a finger to his lips, “It’s a surprise.”

You groaned, your head lulling back, “Choi, it’s too hot for your surprises! Don’t do this to me.”

“Hey! Why don’t you trust me?! Have I ever lead you wrong?”

He got you there. You sighed and relaxed your shoulders, casting him a softer smile, “No, you haven’t.”

“And I’m not going to start now, so trust me. You’re going to love it,” he assured you, dropping his hands onto your shoulders as his warm smile disarmed you.

You were hyper aware of how close the two of you were, the lingering scent of his cologne tickling your nose. It was moments like this that made you absolutely hate the dynamic of your relationship, to be so close for a kiss and yet not able to close the distance. It was killing you; softly and slowly, but definitely. You just nodded at him in answer and followed his lead when he turned you around by your shoulders to push you towards the front door.

“We’re leaving, Y/F/N! I’ll bring Y/N back safely!” he called out, the both of you slipping into your shoes by the door.

“You better!” she called back, you and Seungcheol sharing a laugh before closing the door behind you and stealing into the night.

The dorm building where your pod was located trapped the day’s heat as efficiently as your own room did, your skin gleaming with a sheen of sweat you obtained just walking through the halls. You were only too happy when you stepped outside and inhaled lungfulls of fresh air, no matter how warm it was. You quietly crept through the campus, passing by other students lounging in the grass in groups, obviously deciding it was better to laze around outside than to dehydrate in the dorms. Your heart jolted when Seungcheol smoothly slipped his hand into yours, clasping it securely and tugging you just a little closer to him. The gesture was so sudden, you had to take a few moments to remind yourself that this wasn’t real intimacy; Seungcheol probably didn’t even realize what he was doing.

Regardless, you didn’t pull away yet. You wanted to enjoy the feeling of his large hand encompassing yours for as long as possible. That lasted almost 10 minutes, the athletics building looming close and Seungcheol leading you around the back. The smell of chlorine hit your nose and you wrinkled it involuntarily while your brows furrowed.

“Are we at the pool?” you asked, Seungcheol releasing your hand and pulling out his phone.

“We are. Can you hold this and shine the light here?” He turned his phone flashlight on and placed the device in your hands, pointing towards the lock on the door you were approaching.

You looked between him and the door, dumbly holding the phone with the light shining on the lock while Seungcheol rifled through his bag. “Choi!” you hissed, anxiety bubbling in your chest, “You’re not seriously breaking into the pool, are you?!”

“Can’t break in if you’ve already got a key.” The silver of the key he pulled from his bag glinted in the light, a smirk touching his lips.

You were speechless, simply staring with your mouth gaping open even as he unlocked the door and carefully pushed it open. He stuck his head into the room, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness and checking to make sure the coast was clear. It was then that you finally found your voice, snapping your mouth shut.

“Seungcheol, where did you get the key?” you whispered, slightly concerned; this type of behavior wasn’t normal for him…not really…not breaking and entering, key or no key.

“I have my sources,” he mumbled ominously, deeming it safe and gently taking your wrist to guide you inside.

You were quiet, and thoughtful, as you followed in him, the flashlight only intensifying the shadows surrounding you once the door had closed. “…You stole it from Joshua, didn’t you?” you asked flatly.

He choked and you could almost make out the scandalized look on his face in the limited light provided, “Hey, what kind of man do you think I am? Of course I didn’t steal it!”

“So Hong knows you took the key that was entrusted to him by the swim coach to sneak into the pool way after hours?” you challenged, crossing one arm over your chest while the other held the flashlight steady.

“I didn’t say that.” He grinned at you, “But if it makes you feel better, this isn’t Joshua’s key. It’s a copy.”

“…That doesn’t make me feel better.”

“Aish, do queens always worry this much?” he teased, pinching your cheek ever so gently, teasing you and soothing you in the same gesture, “You said you would trust me, Y/N.”

Damn him and his puppy-dog eyes that he somehow managed to let melt into his voice, a whine reaching your ears and quieting any other concerns you had. For now. You obeyed when he told you to stay put while he went to turn the lights on, taking the phone with him and your eyes following the bouncing light as he left. The darkness seemed to swallow you whole and the heat only continued to make sweat trickle down the back of your neck. A few minutes later, the lights were flipped on, bathing the room in fluorescent white and highlighting the blue of the pool. As soon as your eyes landed on the water, you felt an incredible urge to jump in, to cool yourself down. You had been exceptionally hot all week with your only reprieve being a cold shower every night, but that could only do so much. You didn’t get to enjoy the pool like all of your friends did.

You heard a low whistle and your heart nearly dropped. Did someone catch you? Was it campus security? Were you about to get expelled? No, no you weren’t. It was just Seungcheol being impressed by the size of the near Olympic-sized pool.

“I knew it was big, but it doesn’t look this big when dozens of people are here at a time,” he mused, making his way back towards you and bumping your shoulder with his, “Don’t worry, Y/N, I won’t let you drown.”

You scoffed and side-eyed him, “That’s funny because you and I both know you would be the one drowning and I would have to save you.”

“If it meant that I got to kiss you, I would risk it.”

…What the hell? You were grateful that he wasn’t looking at you as he took his bag off because you went stock still, eyes staring wide at him like a deer caught in the headlights. That was a new kind of joke and you weren’t sure how to take it! He sounded so sincere, but his usual playful grin gave you doubts. This whole situation was just strange, even for him, and you were having the damnest time trying to figure out what was actually going.

“You ready?”

Blinking, you focused your attention back on Seungcheol just as he was pulling his shirt over his head. You got an eyeful of beautiful tanned skin, broad shoulders and a dark happy trail that you weren’t prepared to see. Your first thought was to look at anything but him, which you did, and your second thought was to wonder if he went shirtless often to get such an even tan.

“Uh, ready for what?” you questioned after a short delay.

He looked at you like the answer should have been obvious, “To swim.”

You snapped your eyes back to him, wide and surprised, “Are you serious?”

“Well, I didn’t bring you here to just stare at the water, Y/N. You said you wanted to go to the pool, but didn’t have any time during the day. So here we are: the entire pool just for you! Let’s enjoy it!”

He jumped in before you could protest, flinching as you were splashed. Seungcheol resurfaced a second later, shaking his head and raking his fingers through his hair. He stared at you expectantly and you stared back, feeling conflicted. On the one hand, you knew if you two were caught, you risked possible expulsion, and getting poor Joshua Hong in trouble as well. On the other hand…it was so hot! And the water looked so inviting! And Seungcheol was there shirtless and smiling up at you…

With your mind made up, and moving quick enough to keep yourself from changing it, you dropped your pouch on top of his gym back, took your tank top off and stepped out of your shorts. Your tankini with the caged bottoms was a…little tighter than you remembered it being when you tried it on at the store, but that didn’t keep it from looking any less adorable on you. The top didn’t quite reach all the way down to the bottoms, stopping just above your belly button and creating a soft looking muffin top. Your hips and derriere were almost too much for the bottoms to handle, but you looked cute and felt cute, your confidence radiating.

Seungcheol stared at you shamelessly, his eyes drifting up and down your figure, bottom lip caught between his teeth. He didn’t know what kind of swimsuit he expected you to have…but he wasn’t disappointed in the least by what he saw.

“Are we matching again?” he mused, head tilting to the side, “Were we wearing couple’s outfits again? We really do make a cute pair!”

“Shut up!”

He laughed as you stood at the edge of the pool, staring down into the small waves and ripples he made.

“Just jump!” he urged, splashing water at your legs.

You gave a short cry and a laugh, but jumped in anyway. The temperature difference was initially shocking to your system, shivers racing all over your body, but it was most welcomed as you began to feel cooler already. You popped back up and brushed your curls out of your face, beaming excitedly at your companion. Where you both had jumped in, the pool was deep enough to come up to your shoulders, but not so deep that you couldn’t stand up comfortably. Seungcheol’s laugh echoed around you and you barely had time to get your bearings back before his hands, strong and firm, were gripping your hips, lifting you up, and tossing you back. You shrieked before splashing under, resurfacing immediately after and gaping at him.

“Seungcheol, you jerk! You’ll pay for that!” you shouted with a wide smile, splashing a wave of water in his direction and taking advantage of his temporary blindness to jump on him.

You pushed on his shoulders to dunk him, the both of you sinking low. He wiggled free and rose up behind you, wrapping his arms around your middle to lift you and throw you back behind him. This horsing around went back and forth for a long time, your laughter bouncing off the four corners of the room. You eventually quieted down, opting to just float on your back to relax. You felt 10 times better, so much cooler; the sensation of melting now long gone. Seungcheol floated beside you, just as quiet and serene, his hand brushing against yours every now and then, but never clasping it like you wanted. Before long, you felt a shift in the water’s inertia and Seungcheol’s fingers tickling your stomach.

You giggled and curled up to avoid his assault, yelling at him to knock it off. Finding yourself close to the sloping stairs, you sat on the second step with Seungcheol at your side, goofy smile in place. He sat far too close than needed, his thigh almost flushed against yours, but you didn’t make any efforts to move away and neither did he. You just sat and looked at him.

“So…how did you manage to get a copy of Joshua’s key?” you asked him, your curious smile doing nothing to dispel how serious your question was.

He chuckled breathlessly and lifted a finger to curl your loose hair behind your ear, water still dripping from the ends of his own hair, trailing down his nose and cheeks. The soft gaze he fixed you with made you feel secure.

“He keeps them with his car and dorm keys,” he explained, shrugging, “I just asked to borrow his car yesterday, went and got a copy made, then returned the original to him.”

“Well, look at who’s a regular mastermind.” He beamed at your praise, even though you were obviously joking. “…You know we can’t do this again, Choi. There’s too much at stake if we get caught and Hong’s a good guy. I don’t want him to get in trouble.”

“Is he better than me?” You would have laughed his question off immediately had it not been for the sharpness in his eyes that gave you pause, the frown on his lips a little too real.

You managed a nervous chuckle, shaking off the butterflies and locking your eyes with his, “Oh yeah, definitely. He’s not crazy like you, that’s for sure. He would never make copies of a key he wasn’t supposed to have and break into the school’s pool for a late night swim.”

Seungcheol didn’t look the least bit guilty, curling his hand around your opposite thigh- the one not pressed against his- and pulling both legs to drape over his lap. He was really trying your resistance now, your cheeks flaring with fire.

“Joshua doesn’t have a girl in his life that makes him crazy,” he said, voice dropping into a deeper octave.

The hair on the back of your neck stood on end and you weren’t sure if the sudden stuttering of your heart was a positive sign…or possible heartbreak. “Oh? And you do?” you asked.

“Yes.” Your heart froze, teetering on the brink on shattering. His gaze never broke from yours, Seungcheol far too close for you to notice the pink staining his cheeks, “I have this girl who drives me mad. She’s insanely smart, hilarious, incredibly easy to get along with and so beautiful I can hardly believe it…in that order.”

“Oh. She sounds…amazing,” you whispered brokenly, believing the day had finally come where Seungcheol would find someone worth being in love with…and leave you behind.

“She is,” he confirmed as your eyes dropped to your knees.

“You should confess to her.”

“I am confessing to her.”

It took you a second to even register what he just said and long for you to actually look at him, his heavy gaze knocking the breath out of you. You were silent, your heart beating ridiculously loud in your ears and your cheeks burning a brand new shade of red you were certain he could see beneath your dark skin. Neither one of you said a word, Seungcheol waiting for your response and you waiting for this cruel joke to be over.

Finally, you forced a laugh and averted your eyes to the water, “You know what, Choi? This is really messed up. I know we flirt with each other and play around a lot, but this isn’t funny. You’re taking the joke too far.”

Rising up unsteadily, knees weak from hurt and embarrassment, you made to leave the pool. Seungcheol was faster, standing up so quick that water splashed loudly around him. An arm came around your waist to stop you, his hand cupping your cheek to tilt your head back and his lips sealing over yours. You were aware of Seungcheol and Seungcheol only, the heartbeat in your ears quieting down even though your heart itself was trying to break loose from your chest. You felt his lips moving fluidly against yours- as if he’s been doing this with you since the beginning of time- the lap of the pool water around your hips, his hand resting on the small of your back and the thumb of his other hand stroking your cheek.

“I don’t joke about my feelings, Y/N, and I never have. I’ve been flirting with you, seriously flirting with you, since the day we met. You’re the one who treated it like a joke.” You were almost embarrassed at being reprimanded; Seungcheol must’ve felt foolish and hurt every time you laughed off or dismissed his advances, but could he blame you?! It never once crossed your mind that he could have been serious with his flirting…but maybe that really was your fault for not believing you had just as much a chance as any other girl…maybe more so. He soothed you with a kiss to your cheek, silently telling you that it was alright, “Please believe me now, Y/N. I’m crazy about you.”

“You’re crazy about me?” you repeated, leaning into his palm.

“You drive me mad.”

“I drive you mad?”

“I love you.”

“You…” Pausing to swallow thickly while gazing at his gentle expression, “You love me?”

“I love you,” he said again, stroking your back, “And I want to kiss you again, but not before I know your answer. I need to know if you feel the same way or if I completely fucked our friendship up.”

You laughed breathlessly, the sinking feeling you were once suffering giving way to giddy butterflies. You prided yourself on knowing Seungcheol really well, on being able to read his expressions clearly when they didn’t pertain to you. Sincerity, honesty, and nervous desire- that’s what you saw on his face this time. Not a hint of malice or deceit.

He was telling the truth…he really wanted to be yours.

You slid your hands onto his shoulders, Seungcheol removing his own from your cheek to rest on your waist. Your smile was breathtakingly beautiful and he had to resist stealing a kiss regardless of your answer.

“How could I not have feelings for someone so willing to commit several crimes for me?” you responded softly, delighting in how tightly he held you, peppering kisses to your shoulder, “I never thought you would even notice me, Seungcheol.”

“You’re the only one I’ve ever noticed, Y/N,” he murmured, brushing his lips lightly over yours, “Say my name again?”

“Seungcheol?” A tingle raced up your spine when his giddy smile hit you.

“One more time?”

“Seungcheol.”

“Perfect. Always say my name, Y/N. Always call me and depend on me. I’m yours and I’ll take care of you…my queen.”

You didn’t need to reply. No more words needed to be exchanged. You were both finally on the same page and after all that time dancing around each other, hinting at feelings neither one of you were sure the other would acknowledge, you just wanted to savor and feel. Seungcheol slotted his lips to yours, kissing you deeply, groaning when your arms wrapped around his neck. You melted into him, falling into his taste, his scent, his touch.

You fell, and fell further, and fell further still until all that you knew was the taste of Seungcheol and the smell of chlorine all around you.

*~*~*~*~*

Another full month of sweltering heat passed and you were somehow able to survive it, though you weren’t melting any less. You were back under your favorite tree in between classes, the shade once more protecting you from the brunt of the sun’s rays. You were on your phone, as usual, mindlessly scrolling with a girlish grin on your face.

“My god, he never stops being hot,” you mumbled, lounging with your back pressed to the base of the tree.

“Who’s hot?” You looked up from your screen to see a very familiar man standing before you, his dark fringe curling in front of his eyes and intensifying the kicked-puppy look he was shooting you. “Who are you talking about?”

That question, that look, this whole situation brought with it an overwhelming sense of déjà vu, as did the next words out of your mouth.

“My future husband.” The answer came smoothly off your tongue, a mischievous grin on your lips as Seungcheol swung his bag down at the base of the tree and sat close beside you.

He scowled not-so-playfully and tossed a withering glare at you, “King Arthur again?”

You giggled, shaking your head, “Well, it is a king, but his name isn’t Arthur.”

You showed him your phone and the pout on his face immediately turned up into the brightest smile when his own picture stared back at him. His smile caused sunshine and rainbows to bloom in your chest as you leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek.

“You know you’re my only king, right?” you asked, snuggling into his side as he draped his arm around your shoulders; you didn’t even mind that his body heat was making you uncomfortably hot when you were trying to cool down.

He smiled and pressed a kiss to your temple, the apple of your cheek, the corner of your nose. You giggled and squirmed, positively giddy at the affection he showered on you. After that night at the pool, since he no longer had to hide his true feelings about you, he didn’t hold back. He was all cuddles and kisses all the time. You basked in the attention, still teasing him from time to time, but otherwise just soaking it all up.

He took your hand and brought it to his lips, kissing your fingers, “My queen only has classes today, right?”

You blushed at the title he so shamelessly referred to you by, second only to ‘girlfriend’. Nodding, you said, “All day, unfortunately. Last one ends at 7 PM.”

“My poor baby. How about I take you to dinner afterwards? You’re always starving after your night classes.”

“If you keep feeding me like this, I’m going to get fatter.”

“Then I’ll have more of you to love, won’t I?”

“Wow, look at all that cheese you just made! I can open my own shop now!”

Seungcheol retaliated to your teasing by locking his arm around your shoulders and tickling your sides mercilessly. You shrieked and tried to wiggle away, but he held you fast. You struggled for another minute until he finally let up and you found yourself straddling his lap. Flustered, your eyes shifted down to his chest shyly and you tried to move off of him, but he only tightened his hold on you.

“Seungcheol, c’mon. I’m heavy,” you implored, glancing around nervously for anyone that could be watching and possibly taking pictures of you two in such a scandalous position.

It was obvious he wasn’t bothered, his gaze meaningful and his eyes hooded. “Babe, I think you and I both know, from experience, that I’m more than capable of handling it,” he murmured, hands sliding down to cup your ass and tug you flush against him. You gasped, shoving his shoulder while feigning being scandalized.

“Clown,” you said in the face of his laughter, your expression melting into gentleness as he repositioned his hands on your hips and beckoned you down for a kiss.

He hummed against your lips and sighed once you broke awa. “I love you,” he whispered, breathless and loving.

You cupped his cheeks and responded in kind, “I love you, too.”

A few minutes passed, spent in cuddling and soft kisses, until you finally stood up and reached for your bag, “I have to get to class, Seungcheol. See you later?”

“I’ll walk you,” he offered, rising to his feet as well.

You narrowed your eyes at him and playfully punched his chest, “I don’t think so. Your class is at the same time on the other side of campus. I refuse to be the reason that you’re late.” Before he could argue, you leaned up and pecked his lips, “Go to class, babe. I’ll see you later.”

Albeit reluctantly, he bid you goodbye, your hand slipping from his hold. He watched you for a while, a dorky, love-sick smile adorning his handsome face. Even now, a month into your official relationship, he still couldn’t believe that you were his. Every day spent with you felt like a dream; every kiss a gift; every smile a blessing. He sighed happily and checked his phone. It was 3:45 PM; he had just over 3 hours before he could see you again, but he planned on texting you all throughout class until the time came. He knew it would drive you crazy to have him be so distracting, but he would gladly take it just to keep talking to you. Grinning to himself, he turned to walk in the opposite direction to his own class, already seeking your contact name and sending you a message.

‘I miss you already, babe.’

‘Oh my god! Let me at least get to class before you start doing this!’

[seventeen-central]

(Dis)like at First Sight - Seungcheol (S. Coups) Angst

 Request: Arranged marriage with hoshi or hiphop teams? Cold hearted, being a meanie stuff like that? Fluff ending please ❤

Word Count:1352

Genre: Fluff/Angst(?)

Member/Group: Seungcheol of SEVENTEEN

Summary: Every girl dreams of the day she gets to walk down the isle in a white gown, so how come yours felt more like a nightmare?

A/N: I’m sorry posts are kinda more spaced out now, I am back in school and preparing for my last exams in the next few months along with a few band competitions. I’ll probably post more on the weekends and a few times throughout the week.

 It’s strange how quickly emotions can fog up human judgement. Rage can turn to grief in mere seconds, which can cause anything to go south. You always hear about arranged marriages, yet its quite rare to meet actual participants in the old-fashioned act. Maybe if you and your surprise fiancé had known a bit sooner than a week before your wedding about what lied in your futures, he wouldn’t have been so mad about it. Yet here you are, in a bustling room of women, getting ready to marry somebody and close to tears. 

 Your hair was in a classic up do with a a sheet of lace veiled over your head. The cream colored gown that was wrapped around your figure accentuated points and curves you where never aware that you had, and your make up did wonders to compliment your skin tone. It’s amazing what a few thousand dollars can do to someone with the help of a mask of make up and fake happiness.

 “(Y/N), are you almost ready? Your father is waiting outside the entrance to the church, and the organist has already played eight songs!” Your soon-to-be mother in law called from outside the door. A stray tear dripped down your cheek as you clenched the skirt of your dress. You quickly checked to make sure that you’re make up was not running, then you finally stepped out the door to get into the limousine.

 Inside the church, Seungcheol’s family waited alongside yours. Long pieces of silky white fabric were draped along each pew, with a light red carpet splitting the room in half. Orchids in vases were scattered along the edges of the room, and a table near the entrance displayed a book for each guest to sign before going to sit in their spots. The sound of an ancient organ echoed through the room, the melodic ebony and ivory keys releasing a sound that reflected a joyous occasion. At the head of the alter, a not-so-eager Seungcheol stood with his hands crossed over his pelvis. His suit was neatly pressed without a single piece of lint or hair caught on the smooth black fabric, and his hair had been neatly styled. 

 “Is she going to show up?”

 “I heard that she is in love with someone else and is planning on ditching the ceremony!”

 “I bet she’s only in it for the money...” Bouts of gossip extended from both families mouths, some positive and some negative. Suddenly, the creaking of the large oak doors opening interrupted every conversation.

 You and your father took a step into the room, and every person seemed to stop breathing as they took in your appearance. Your (length) hair was neatly pushed back and adorned with a long lace veil, but the natural makeup you wore still was eye-catching even when semi hidden. Your long gown trailed for a few feet, and the pristine bodes was covered in sparkly jewels with the occasional pearl thrown in. They expected the best considering how wealthy the Choi family was, but even this exceeded their expectations. The only person that was not in complete awe of you was your soon to be husband, Seungcheol.

 As you reached the alter, Seungcheol stepped forward to let you shift from your father’s arm to his. 

“You look nice today, brat.” It was supposed to be a compliment, but his cold tone and icy features pierced very ounce of happiness in the words and almost made it sound like a threat.

 “Thank you.” You looked down, and the Minister began the ceremony.

 “I now pronounce you man and wife.” As soon as the words left the old mans mouth, cheers erupted around the room. Seungcheol’s iron grip latched onto your hand and you both turned around to walk out. Flower petals rained down on your heads as you left, but you couldn’t get over the overwhelming feeling of self-pity that had begun to sink in your stomach. Even when the door to the limousine was shut, nothing but cold stares were exchanged between you and Seungcheol.

 “How about you tell me a bit about yourself?” The mousy voice that left your mouth was almost alien to you, but Seungcheol nodded nonetheless.

 “My name is Choi Seungcheol, and I am 21 years old. I specialize and business, and my father arranged this marriage because he considers me ‘anti-social’ and thinks that I would otherwise be hopeless in finding myself a wife, and your father just so happened to make a deal with him. What about you?” His words felt like poison stings, but you decided to try and be kind anyway.

 “I am (L/N) (Y/N), a (Age) year old woman of all trades. Until recently, I was working part time to earn the money to help pay my family’s bills and hopefully get to open my own bakery one day. It’s nice to meet you, and I hope I can be a suitable wife for you.” A smile peaked through your lips, but Seungcheol simply avoided your gaze and looked out the window.

 “Sounds like you married me for the money, huh?”

 All evening, you and Seungcheol were busy introducing yourselves at the wedding reception. His family seemed to be fun of you, but his frosty ways didn’t change at all. After the ‘first dance’, you both quietly ate and sat next to each other as the party went on without you. After the last piece of cake was served and the last drop of wine had been drank, you and your new husband clambered over to the car that would escort you to the hotel you would be staying at for the night. The drive was a silent one, and nothing felt better than finally getting to step out of the tense space.

 The hotel room was quite simple. The walls and floors were matte nude tones, but each room contained utilities that were most likely more expensive than anything you had ever used in all your years of living.

 “This room is really nice-”

 “Shut up. I get it, you are coming from a poor lifestyle, but I’m not here to hold your hand. Don’t act like this is even love, and just stay out one my way.” His words brought tears to your eyes and fire to your cheeks. You let out a croaky gasp, and did something you never thought you would do; you hit him on the chest. It wasn’t hard or anything, but the force caused your knees to buckle and you fell into a heap on the floor.

 “You know what, Seungcheol? I’m trying to make the best of the situation, and you are making it super hard. Yes, I did agree to this to help my family, but that is what love looks like! You are a cold hearted bastard, and this isn’t how marriage works! At least try to be nice, and maybe one day we can learn to love  each other...” Sniffles left your mouth and you hugged your knees. The room was silent, but the growing worry that your pleas had fallen on deaf ears was ringing violently throughout your head.

 Never had you felt so alone with another person. But then again, never had you felt as shocked as the moment that Seungcheol actually crumbled to the floor and rested a warm hand on your shoulder.

 “You know what... I’m sorry. I don’t really know what marriage is like, but now I realize how hard this day must have been for you. I just... I want to tell you that I’m willing to try, I guess.” His thumb swiped over your cheek and collected your tears, and your watery eyes finally glanced up at him. For the first time that day, a small smile was apparent on Seungcheol’s face. You stared at him for a few seconds, then embraced him with all your strength.

 “Let’s try this. Together.”

[soundofseventeen]

Hogwarts Seventeen (Hyung Line)

Hi everyone! Erin here with a smol post for the day (maybe I’m writing this on impulse). Anyway I’ve been thinking on this for a LONG time and I couldn’t figure out a way to do it that was kinda... not every other Hogwarts comparison post. Therefore, I decided last night that I would try and do it based on each boys second house vs where I originally placed them! (Plus I believe that not everyone is just one house, so it’s fun to look at their second houses) OKAY ENJOY! 

Choi Seungcheol - Hufflepuff

Originally I place him in Gryffindor

But this boy shows a lot of Hufflepuff qualities

He consistently works hard to make sure that the team is protected and happy

Literally one of his main focuses is making sure that his boys are happy and healthy

He cares so much about everyone in his life

He wants to take care of everyone, especially the younger ones

He’s also insanely loyal

His long friendships with people show that

When something is important to him, he’s going to keep at it until it’s accomplished

Cares too much about what people think about him, sometimes letting it affect him

But is loved by literally everyone (nation’s bias-wrecker guys)

Yoon Jeonghan - Ravenclaw

Originally I place him in Slytherin

But listen

This boy is a smart cookie

He is the type to be super casual in classes and just answer questions like it’s no big deal

But then at night he works hard on his work and makes sure he’s caught up and knows what’s going on in classes

Definitely the type to help everyone around him if they’re struggling with something, no matter what they’re struggling with

Also the type to remember to check up on everyone a few days later just to make sure that they’re doing better

Cares for everyone but also makes sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to

Sometimes distracts them if he thinks they’re working too hard though

Basically he just wants everyone to be okay and will work to find ways to make sure that they are

Joshua Hong - Gryffindor

Originally I place him in Ravenclaw

He definitely has a lot more courage that I do

I mean

This kid just up and moved to a new country to start a new career

He had a dream and he just... actually went for it?? Wow

He’s also Seventeen’s gentleman

Therefore he fits the chivalry part pretty darn well

He’s definitely one to tease and pick on other members, sometimes just to be annoying

But will also step up when he’s needed

He’s the type to be protective of the people he loves

Works hard, but also the type to be easily distracted 

Especially when he’s tired

Wen Junhui - Hufflepuff

Originally I place him in Ravenclaw

We all probably know tho

He definitely could be a Hufflepuff

He’s a mischievous little kitten

Fairly impulsive, doesn’t always read into everything that he does (ie the face mask situation)

Not to mention the boys major love of food, like come on 

Also very much the type to only accept perfection from himself, so he works hard at absolutely anything he tries

If he knows someone is going through an issue, he will not leave them alone

Unless the person SPECIFICALLY says “hey I get more upset if people bug me, please give me space”

Will not leave them for anything

The second they start to feel better though

Returns to the usual jokes, pranks, and chaos that can only come from Jun

Kwon Soonyoung - Slytherin

Originally I place in Gryffindor

But chaotic is this boys middle name

He’s literally walking trouble sometimes

He’s the type to be fairly protective of the people he loves, but more focusing on that person than the thing that bothers them

Like if someone says something mean to his friends

His entire focus would be to make his friend completely forget about what happened

And he’s a pro at it

CONSTANTLY messing with people.

Honestly just wants to make them smile and forget the bad things in the world

Also does it to distract himself sometimes too

Honestly this bean puts too much pressure on himself too

Tries to always have his confident persona on though

Jeon Wonwoo - Slytherin

Originally I place in Ravenclaw

Then I was going to do Hufflepuff bc Wonu’s pretty soft sometimes

But listen

Boy would be an AMAZING Slytherin

He just has that confidence around him

Like he knows his great qualities and makes sure those are the ones that show through in his personality

Not to mention how educated this boy is

Protective as heck over the people he loves, but in an extremely subtle way

Rather than questioning straight out what’s wrong, just kinda waits until they come to him

But will do small things to make them hopefully feel a little better

Otherwise willing to roast anyone within 5 feet of him

There’s no in-between

Lee Jihoon - Hufflepuff

Originally I place him in Slytherin

OKAY SO TRUST ME HERE

He’s softer than he usually lets on

I mean there’s the obvious hard-working qualities we all see that

And he puts up toughness and get away from me vibes

But you also gotta see the fact that he’s EXTREMELY soft for all the boys

He finds his own way to comfort and take care of the people he loves

Also uses more subtle methods than just straight out

Just wants them to know that while he might not always look it, he really does care about them and their well-being and yeah

Puts so much pressure on himself oh my gosh and seems to be afraid of failure

Therefore is constantly reminded by people who love him that he’s amazing and he really has nothing to be afraid of

Maknae Line