#hyein: musings

[kiisaes]

art that I have accumulated

[kissedprint]

if your stage name were a perfume, what notes would it have?

[250418] 1:58 🦉💬

🦉: ah, this question seems fun… 🦉: i think i'm a rather sentimental person~? 🦉: and the members tell me i'm warm… 🦉: so… maybe hyein would be a warm scent? 🦉: something comforting… a scent that makes you think of a precious memory? or something that makes you feel cozy~? 🦉: i think hyein would have notes of vanilla, coffee, brown sugar, jasmine, and musk…  🦉: ah… but i'm always cutting and peeling fruits for the girls, so… maybe a hint of citrus, too~?ㅎㅎ 🦉: what do you think? does it suit me~?ㅎㅎ 🦉: but if bliss, the idol, was a perfume... she'd have pink pepper, raspberry, rose, and a little tonka bean~

[bombiikki]

𝖇utterflies 𝖎n 𝖙he 𝖗ain ⸝⸝ 𓂃₊ ⊹

⋆˙⟡ —  loser!haerin x popular!reader

♯ 𝖘ynopsis : as the popular kid at school, you were constantly put in the spotlight. but, you never liked it. you never felt truly seen by people and it was exhausting. walking in the rain was never a problem for you—you always carried your umbrella on you. so, why did you give it away to some girl you didn’t know the name of? and why did she make you feel human?

𝖈ontains : fluff, slowburn except i dont rlly know how to slow the burn, pianist x artist, theyre both each other’s muses, umbrellas and rain mentioned a lot, and butterflies, and a lil unwanted angst but idk how to write angst bc i js decided i didnt want them to be happy without a lil miscommunication first, miscommunication!

𝖜ord 𝖈ount : 20.9k

𝖆uthor's 𝖓ote : pretend everyine is aorund the same age please i forgot abt all the age gaps so 😿 does the synopsis even make sense?? also this was written over like 2 months while i was constantly in and out of falling asleep so i apologise if everything is lwk inconsistent or js badly paced 😓i was literallt one bad mood away from scrapping this entire thing

you walk through the damp streets of your neighbourhood, trying to find your way home through the heavy rain. with an umbrella over your head, you made a turn onto another street. why did you have to walk home today out of all days? you’re not so sure yourself.

you look out into the heavy rain, noticing a figure completely soaked in the rain. she has a school blazer over her head—you recognise it as your school blazer. you watched as the soaked girl continued to walk in the pouring rain, socks probably damp and cold. did you do anything about it? well, you couldn’t. the rain had begun to clear up as soon as you took another step forward. talk about bipolar weather. 

the sun shone brightly against the girl, but she didn’t turn around enough for you to see her face. you watched as she lowered the school blazer. a butterfly had come out of hiding and was now fluttering around you. you watched it with curious eyes as it fluttered towards the girl. though you didn’t have the clearest view, you watched as the butterfly seemed to have perched on the girl’s finger.

“the rain yesterday was insane!” yunjin exclaimed, wrapping an arm around your shoulder. you smirked as you ducked your head, the familiar weight of attention already crawling up your neck.

“i’m guessing you ran home as soon as you felt a single water droplet,” you snickered. yunjin scoffed, nudging your side playfully.

“i don’t know about her, but i did,” hyein grinned, rushing over to your side. you watched danielle approach from behind, her expression warm and gentle.

“did you make it home safe? didn’t trip in the rain?” danielle asked, genuine concern lacing her voice.

hyein looked at her with big eyes and a beaming smile. “yep! not a single scratch!”

yunjin shifted to your other side, diving into a conversation with hyein and danielle. you found yourself smiling automatically, even as your mind drifted elsewhere—tuning out the laughter and chatter that surrounded you.

the four of you wove through the crowded hallways, passing students who glanced your way like clockwork. some offered quick smiles; others whispered just out of earshot. you returned the polite gestures out of habit, but it all felt distant—like watching someone else’s life from the outside.

being popular wasn’t something you asked for. it was a label that stuck to you like static, a side effect of being that person—good looks, successful parents, and just enough charm to draw people in. you never resented it, but the constant attention was exhausting. every smile felt like a mask, every conversation weighed with expectation.

in those moments, you longed for quiet. the kind of silence where no one expected anything from you.

that’s when you noticed her—the outlier in the sea of eyes trained on you.

she had long, dark hair falling over her shoulders, feline-like eyes hidden behind thick glasses. unlike everyone else, her focus wasn’t on you. there was no curiosity, no recognition. just quiet exhaustion, reflected in the red tint around her nose and the pout of her lips. she didn’t look like she belonged to the noise of the hallway, and somehow, that made you notice her even more.

the bell rang, snapping you from your thoughts. you waved goodbye to your friends, slipping into your classroom with the practiced ease of someone used to being watched.

and yet, the girl followed—figuratively, at least. she sat in clear view from your seat, unknowingly pulling your attention back toward her. for once, your sketchbook wasn’t filled with vague ideas or forced inspiration. this time, your pencil found its own direction, tracing the sharp curve of her jaw, the subtle tension in her eyes, the softness of her lips.

she didn’t know your name. she wasn’t impressed by your reputation. you weren’t popular to her. you were just another student in a classroom. and for the first time, that thought made you feel human.

the girl got up to blow her nose, your eyes now avoiding her at all costs. you didn’t even know this girl’s name, but you were already enamoured.

the bell rang for lunch, and as you packed up your things, you could already feel the weight of expectation gathering around you like a cloud.

smiling faces, casual greetings, students brushing past just to be seen near you—it was always the same routine. polite nods, quick conversations, all shallow interactions that left you feeling more like a concept than a person.

you slipped through the hallways like a shadow, ducking away from the growing crowd. no explanations to your friends, no excuses—just a quiet retreat to the one place you hoped would offer silence. the library.

the moment you stepped inside, the pressure in your chest eased. here, surrounded by the soft shuffle of pages turning and the faint scratch of pens against paper, you weren’t anyone special. you were just you.

that’s when you saw her again.

seated by the window, framed by the steady patter of rain against the glass, she was completely absorbed in her book. the same girl with sharp eyes and thick glasses, her focus unwavering even as you quietly took a seat nearby.

she didn’t notice you. no sideways glances, no stolen looks—just silence. for once, you weren’t the center of attention. and it was peaceful.

your hands moved almost without thought, sketchbook opening to a fresh page as your pencil danced across it. the lines came easier this time—her focused expression, the furrow of her brow, the way her lips pressed together as she read. 

your pencil tapped absently against the table as you got lost in thought, and finally, she noticed. she glanced at you, not with recognition but curiosity.

“sorry if i’m bothering you with the pencil tapping,” you mumbled, offering a small, sheepish smile.

“it’s okay,” she replied, voice quiet but steady. “you weren’t bothering me.”

that was it. no forced small talk, no polite admiration. just a moment of shared quiet. for the first time in a long while, you didn’t feel like you had to perform. you didn’t need to be charming or likable. you could just exist. and that, somehow, was the greatest relief of all.

you were walking home, and it was raining once more, your feet splashing in the forming puddles of the streets. the rain was heavy, making everything foggy and dark. you turned a familiar corner to see a girl up ahead, completely soaked and maybe even shivering. 

you took a big sigh before running up slowly to the girl down the street. you slowed down as you tilted your umbrella over her head, tilting it away from your head. you felt small drops of rain hit your head, soaking you completely within a matter of seconds. the rain that hit your shoulders made them feel heavy and cold.

the girl under your umbrella turned around to look at you, moving a little closer and holding your hand to position the umbrella over the both of you. you watched her lower her soaked blazer from her head over her shoulders.

the girl with soaked dark hair looked at you with her completely rain-covered glasses. she took off her glasses and wiped them with her shirt before looking back at you—a glimmer of confusion in her eyes. you recognised those sharp eyes.

“how did you see with the rain all up on your glasses?” you chuckled. the girl in front of you shrugged slightly.

she stood in front of you with a blank stare on her face, watching as you seemed to warm up quickly. you could feel her body warmth radiating against yours due to the close proximity.

“you shouldn’t be out in the rain like that, especially without an umbrella,” you said, your small smile turning into a small frown.

“i walk home in the rain every day, it’s okay,” the girl said with furrowed brows.

you shook your head with a frown, noticing the slight red tint of her nose. “but you’re sick from the rain, aren’t you?”

as if on cue, the girl turned her head to the side to sneeze—sniffling before looking back into your eyes with tired eyes.

you felt the corners of your lips twitch into a soft smile. “so, are you going to take the umbrella or not?”

the girl looked at you with a confused look. “why would i take your umbrella?”

“because you need it to shelter you from the rain,” you said flatly.

you took her hand and brought it up to the handle of the umbrella, passing it over to her. you took her other hand and secured it over the other. you had wished to hold onto her hands for longer, they were warm despite the coldness of the rain.

“see? wasn’t that hard was it,” you smirked. the girl continued to look at you with a confused look, her eyebrows furrowing once more.

“what about you?” the girl asked.

“what about me?” you replied with a small laugh.

“how will you get home in the rain?” 

you looked out into the rain, then back to the girl in front of you. 

“i guess i’m gonna have to run,” you smiled softly, sighing at the situation you put yourself into. you just knew you had to take the warmest shower when you got home.

“i thought you said i shouldn’t be out in the rain without an umbrella. shouldn’t that apply to you too?” the girl said with a frown.

you nodded and opened your mouth, then you closed it again at your hypocrisy. you really didn’t want to run in the rain, but you had already given your umbrella to the girl in front of you—you couldn’t just take it back.

“well,” you began, “better me than you.”

you took your blazer off quickly and put it up over your head. you looked back at the girl with a small smile.

“i’ll be fine,” you said with a shrug.

the girl watched you as you stepped away from the shelter of the umbrella and into the rain, the rain immediately soaking up every inch of your body. she watched as you gave a small wave before running down the street.

turns out, raining in heavy rain with just a blazer for shelter did not stop you from catching a cold—even after taking a warm shower too. you took two days off of school before returning.

“catching a cold in the big ol’ 2025 is crazy,” yunjin snickered, messing up your hair from next to you.

it was lunch and you had decided to walk around campus with your friends, not feeling particularly hungry. other students had noticed your absence, bombarding you with questions in the morning. you greeted person after person with a tired but still wide smile, shrugging off your absence as nothing major. you didn’t want to continue dealing with people so maybe that was also a partial reason why you decided to walk around with your friends.

“whatever man. i didn’t have my umbrella,” you mumbled back, sniffling a little from what was left of your cold. 

“you didn’t have your umbrella?” danielle sighed. she shook her head slowly with concern in her eyes.

“ooo y/n’s in trouble with dani,” hyein teased with a grin.

you smiled softly, rolling your eyes and pushing hyein from the side. danielle looked back at you with her concerned eyes.

“why didn’t you have your umbrella?” she asked sternly.

“i gave it to some girl in my class. she was way more soaked than i was,” you shrugged.

your friends began whispering between themselves. all you could take out of it were the words “haerin” and “asked”. you looked up from the page to look at your friends with a confused expression.

“what are you guys whispering about,” you snickered.

you watched as yunjin wore a shit-eating grin before she began to talk. “the first day you were gone, this girl came up to us—her name was haerin. she’s friends with one of dani’s friends or something. but, she came up to us and asked about you. she had an umbrella in hand too.”

“oh, so her name’s haerin,” you nodded slowly, humming softly.

“is that all you got from that?” hyein giggled. you looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “that’s all i needed to know, no?”

“did you not know her name before?” yunjin laughed.

you lowered your head, mumbling a little “maybe” as yunjin continued to laugh at you.

“c’mon yunjin, stop laughing at y/n, ” danielle smiled. “we all gotta get to class soon too by the way—bell’s gonna go soon.”

the four of you began to walk to your respected classrooms right before the bell. you waved goodbye to your friends as you slid open the door to the classroom, finding a few students already sat at their desks—one of them being haerin.

you walked over to your own desk, noticing your umbrella sitting on top of it with a note.

“You’re terrible at following your own advice. Don’t get sick next time.”

you felt a small smile tug at your lips, your eyes finding the back of haerin’s head. she had her eyes locked towards the front of the class, her fingers tapping her desk rhythmically.

the warmth of late afternoon sunlight streamed lazily through haerin’s bedroom window, casting soft, golden patterns across the walls. the peaceful quiet was quickly shattered as hanni burst into the room, all energy and sunshine, her smile as wide as ever.

“hae! i feel like i haven’t seen you in forever,” hanni exclaimed dramatically, tackling haerin into the mattress.

“you see me every day, hanni. you’re literally impossible to miss,” haerin scoffed.

“yeah, well, you disappear into the library every now and then so,” hanni mumbled, a small pout plastered on her face.

minji followed in—dropping onto the mattress with a small bounce. her playful pout didn’t quite mask the mischief in her eyes. “can’t we miss our best friend in peace without getting judged for it?”

haerin rolled her eyes, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “nope. in fact, i should probably kick you both out now while i still have the energy.” she sat up, making a half-hearted attempt to shoo them toward the door.

hanni, swift as ever, caught the back of haerin’s shirt and yanked her back down with a disapproving look on her face. “absolutely not. you promised we could hang out today. breaking promises is illegal in this friendship.”

minji let out a laugh, watching as haerin surrendered and flopped back onto the bed with a dramatic sigh. the familiar comfort of their friendship settled over the room like a soft blanket—easy, effortless, safe.

they lay there, limbs tangled together in the lazy sprawl that only close friends could manage—the quiet hum of the world outside distant and unimportant. hanni broke the comfortable silence first, her voice softer this time.

“so, haerin. what’s going on with you lately?”

haerin stared at the ceiling, watching the light shift across the plaster. “nothing much,” she mumbled with a shrug. “why?”

hanni shot her a questioning glance, raising her eyebrow. “just checking in. you’ve seemed… distracted these past few days.”

there was a pause—a beat of hesitation—before haerin spoke again, her voice low but thoughtful. 

“it’s probably nothing, but there’s this girl.”

minji immediately sat up, her curiosity sparked. “a girl? you’re telling me you’ve been holding out on us?”

“it’s not like that,” haerin muttered, cheeks warming despite herself. “it’s y/n. the—uh—you know, the one everyone’s always talking about.”

hanni blinked, recognition dawning quickly. “like, y/n y/n? the popular girl who’s always with dani and stuff?”

“yeah,” haerin admitted. “she gave me her umbrella the other day when it was raining. completely soaked herself in the process and then just… left.”

the room went quiet for a moment, the weight of her words settling between them.

“that’s… weirdly sweet of her,” minji said, her voice cautious but intrigued. “what happened after that?”

haerin shrugged again, trying to seem indifferent. “nothing much. she��s missed the last two days of school—probably caught a cold from the rain.” her fingers stilled, the memory of their brief encounters flashing uninvited in her mind. “she doesn’t seem like everyone says she is. she seems real.”

hanni and minji exchanged a knowing glance that didn’t go unnoticed.

“what?” haerin asked, narrowing her eyes.

“nothing,” hanni said, a teasing smile creeping across her lips. “just—maybe—‘nothing much’ is actually something after all.”

haerin rolled her eyes, but the warmth blooming in her chest told her they weren’t entirely wrong.

“hey, just saying. if you wanna hit her up, i can set you up through dani,” hanni’s teasing smile only increasingly growing wider.

“having a popular friend must be fun,” minji rolled her eyes.

“do not classify danielle as just a popular friend,” hanni frowned.

another school day flew by quickly—the bell signifying the end of the day, students crowding the hallways and walking off campus. haerin was not one of these people. she found herself in the music room instead, drawn by the piano that was sitting untouched.

“let’s see if i remember how to play this one,” haerin whispered to herself. she placed her hands onto the keys and her fingers began to move slowly. 

haerin began to play the first few notes quietly, slowly building up the volume but still keeping it soft. haerin melted with the music, feeling at peace. she continued to play, softly and soothingly until she made a mistake—her hands pausing into place when she did. haerin mumbled out a curse before pushing her hair back.

“don’t stop there. keep playing, it sounded nice.” you said from behind her. haerin jumped a little before slowly turning towards the sound of your voice. as haerin turned her head, you stood against the closed door of the room. haerin grew a confused expression on her face. 

you smiled a little before slowly walking towards haerin. 

“can i sit with you?” you asked softly. haerin didn’t say anything but made space for you on the stool. 

you sat yourself onto the stool gently, haerin feeling the warmth of your body radiating despite the gap between the two of you.

“do you come here often?” you asked softly, placing your bag down by the side of the stool.

“no, not really. do you?” haerin asked you back. you nodded in response.

“i didn’t know you played piano,” haerin added. you saw a small smile on her face as you scratched the back of your head.

“hate to break it to you, but i don’t. i’m actually really ass at it,” you chuckled nervously. 

“you can’t be that bad,” haerin replied.

you brought your fingers up to the keys and tried playing as much as you remembered of ‘twinkle twinkle little star’. you watched as haerin winced everytime you pressed the wrong key. she adjusted her glasses up her nose bridge as you finished your little performance.

“so, you’re that bad,” haerin hummed. you chuckled softly at her comment, taking your fingers off the key. “why are you here then?”

a smile began to grow on your face. “well, i like to draw,” you said softly. “and no one really uses the music room. it’s peaceful to sit in this room and just—draw.” you reached down for your bag and took out your sketchbook as proof.

haerin nodded slowly at your response. “i should leave then—i don’t want to bother your drawing time,” she said with thin lips, getting up from the stool.

you went to grab her wrist, her head turning back to look at you in the eye. she tilted her head to the side in confusion. you quickly let go of her wrist, not wanting to seem overly pushy.

“sorry for grabbing you all of a sudden. i don’t mind if you stay—your playing gives a better atmosphere rather than me drawing in silence,” you said sheepishly.

luckily for you, haerin slowly descended onto the stool and placed her fingers on the keys. you moved yourself onto a spare chair off to the side, leaving haerin in front of the piano by herself. haerin felt her side grow colder without your warmth next to her. to say she liked having you in her personal space was not something she wanted to admit just yet.  you told her it was so she could have free reign over her space but you also wanted to give yourself some space to draw freely.

you brought a foot up onto your chair, your knee serving as the surface to hold up your sketchbook. you listened as haerin began to work her magic, a soft melody playing in your ears. the room was now filled with the sounds of your pencil scratching over the paper of your sketchbook and the sweet melody haerin was playing.

“what are you playing?” you hummed softly, still sketching away against the paper. haerin continued to play, not missing a beat, as she responded “gymnopédie no.1”.

“sounds fancy,” you chuckled softly.

“it’s french,” haerin hummed back softly.

a smile tugged onto your lips. you began to flip through the pages of your sketchbook. it was filled with little doodles, but there seemed to be a recurring theme of cats. there were multiple pages filled with sketches of haerin too, but you didn’t want to show anyone those sketches just yet.

you smiled softly as you found yourself sketching haerin at the piano. you doodled a few butterflies around the finished sketch, feeling butterflies in your own stomach as you looked up at haerin. she wore a soft smile as she played, the sound rich in your ears.

the sun hung lazily in the sky as lunchtime rolled around—its warmth spilling through the windows of an empty classroom tucked away from the usual chaos of the schoolyard. you always loved camping out in empty classrooms—they felt like your quiet place where the noise of expectations couldn’t reach you. 

the room buzzed softly with the hum of a distant lawn mower outside and the occasional creak of old wooden chairs shifting under familiar weight.

you sat cross-legged at a spot by the window, sketchbook balanced on your knee, pencil tapping thoughtfully against the paper. you were mindlessly sketching out the same face that blessed your thoughts. whenever you were lost in your own mind, you thought about that day in the music room a lot—the way you and haerin sat in the room in comfortable silence, and the way her lips curled up into a soft smile as she played. it had been a few days since that day but the memory still lingered in your thoughts—butterflies thrashing around in your stomach and cheeks growing warmer when you did.

across from you, yunjin, hyein, and danielle lounged in their own chairs, half-eaten lunches abandoned as their attention slowly shifted toward you. you didn’t notice the way their eyes narrowed in amusement as you absently smiled at whatever filled your page—until yunjin’s voice cut through the comfortable silence.

“okay, spill,” she said, leaning forward with a mischievous grin. “who is she, and why do you look like you just walked out of a rom-com montage?”

you didn’t even bother looking up, pretending to focus on a stray line in your sketch. “you’re imagining things. i’m literally just sketching.”

but hyein was quicker than you, snatching the book from your lap before you could react. she flipped through the pages with a sharp eye until a knowing smirk spread across her lips. “just sketching, huh? then why are half these pages full of the same person? wait… is this haerin?”

your stomach twisted as danielle leaned over to peek, her gasp filling the room with exaggerated drama. “no way. you? making a new friend? since when do you let anyone past the ‘i’m too cool for this’ wall?”

you snatched the sketchbook back, cheeks burning despite the indifference you tried to force into your voice. “she’s not just—ugh, it’s not like that. we just hang out sometimes. she plays piano, i draw. that’s all.”

yunjin raised her eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “yeah, just hang out. that’s why you’re blushing like we just caught you confessing to your high school crush.” her smirk softened into something gentler. 

“you never let anyone sit that close to you without acting like they’re invading your personal bubble.”

you let out a small sigh, leaning back in your chair and letting your gaze fall to the dust motes floating lazily through the sunlight. 

“it’s not a big deal,” you muttered. “she doesn’t care about—y'know—all this. she talks to me like i’m just another person, not someone to be put on a pedestal.”

hyein’s teasing expression faded into something more thoughtful. “not like the untouchable, super-talented, way-too-popular-for-her-own-good artist everyone else sees, huh?” her voice softened at the end, and it struck a chord somewhere deep in your chest. “must feel nice.”

you stared at the table for a second, the silence growing heavier around your next words. “yeah. it’s… weird. being around someone who doesn’t expect anything from me. she’s just there. no pressure, no expectations. just comfortable and quiet.”

danielle reached out and nudged your shoulder gently. “you know we’re not expecting anything from you either, right?”

you glanced up at her, and a small, genuine smile tugged at the corner of your lips. “i know. you guys are different. you’ve always been around. you’re home.” your voice dropped lower. “but everyone else? they just see what they want to see. haerin doesn’t do that.”

yunjin let out a low whistle, though her expression had softened into something almost proud. “so, she’s special then? the ‘cool, detached’ y/n finally found someone who doesn’t treat her like she’s made of glass?”

groaning, you buried your face in your hands, the heat in your cheeks impossible to hide now. “can we not do this right now?”

hyein let out a soft laugh, resting her chin in her palm. “too late. we’re invested. this is the most human you’ve looked in weeks.”

danielle’s voice, warm and reassuring, cut through the teasing. “just don’t push us away, okay? we’re happy you’re letting someone new in but we’re still your people.”

your heart softened, the teasing and warmth of your friends wrapping around you like a familiar blanket. “i know,” you said quietly, voice full of gratitude. “you always will be.”

the teasing faded, replaced by a comfortable silence, the kind that only exists between people who know you—really know you. you flipped your sketchbook back open, pencil poised over a fresh page, and let yourself sink into the ease of the moment. lines began to take shape on your page—but this time, it didn’t shape into a sketch of haerin. this time, you found yourself drawing yourself with your friends—flashing smiles drawn on all your faces.

the hallway buzzed with the usual end-of-day chaos as everyone rushed to their last class. you barely had time to react before your friends—yunjin, hyein, and danielle—were ushering you forward, practically steering you like a ship toward the classroom door. the room was nearly full, heads turning as they whispered something to you, their smirks just as loud as their voices were soft.

you could feel it—your cheeks growing warm, eyes wide as you tried to resist their playful shoves. but they didn’t let up, and soon enough, you were standing awkwardly just past the doorway, all too aware of the eyes on you.

“you better do it, y/n. i have eyes everywhere,” yunjin whispered like a villain in a cheesy movie, her grin sharp with mischief.

and then the real walk of shame began. instead of your usual seat in the back—safe, unseen—you were walking toward the front, stopping right next to haerin. you could feel every stare burning into the back of your head. why were they all watching you? what were they thinking?

as you sat down, your shoulders nearly touched hers. the whispers behind you grew louder, each one tightening the knot of discomfort in your chest. your body slumped, shrinking under the weight of it all.

and then you heard a soft voice. “oh, hi y/n,” haerin’s voice cut through the noise, gentle and a little confused.

“hi, haerin,” you mumbled, trying to keep your voice steady.

she tilted her head slightly, brows furrowed in quiet concern. “you okay?”

you nodded, pretending to focus on the teacher walking in, though your heart was nowhere near the lesson. your friends’ idea of strengthening your friendship with haerin suddenly felt more like social torture.

still, you figured if you were stuck here, you might as well do something. you ripped a piece of paper from your notebook and sketched a quick cat, its round eyes softening your own mood. under it, you scrawled the words:

“hai :3”

you slid the paper toward her and waited. haerin blinked, then unfolded it carefully. a small snort escaped her, her shoulders shaking with quiet laughter. she scribbled back:

“did all your penmanship go to your art? your handwriting is ballz”

“is that a compliment on my art? :D”

“maybe maybe not who knows it’s cool, i guess”

“COOL U GUESS? i see that you can’t escape my amazing eyes”

“u better write bigger before i steal ur eyeballs. i’m blind enough with these stupid glasses”

“well i think your glasses are cute”

you watched from the corner of your eye as haerin opened the paper. her blush was obvious, dusting her cheeks like soft pink watercolor. she scribbled fast:

“write bigger.”

“sorry!”

“so why were u being so somber like 5 min ago?”

you hesitated, then wrote back:

“i just lowkey hate attention and everyone staring at me was too much”

“that’s so real. being stared at never gets easier.”

“OMG U GET ME i thought u would’ve figured since i’m ‘miss popular’ i’d be used to it or whatever”

“you think too lowly of me. i see how uncomfortable you get around people. that’s not the face of someone who likes attention”

you stared at her note for a second longer than necessary—a small, genuine smile tugging at your lips. for once, you didn’t care if anyone else noticed.

“u’re cool haerin”

“thank you. i think u’re really cool too”

it was a gloomy day, the sky darkened with grey clouds, threatening to rain. you sat on a bench facing out into the field, losing yourself in your thoughts. your thoughts seemed to be on overdrive, yet they also seemed to be so cool and collected—you were thinking of everything, yet nothing at all.

it's too much. you should be used to this by now. smile, nod, laugh—don’t let them see it gets to you. there’s always noise. people calling your name, expectations hanging heavy in the air. you know the routine. the effortless charm, the carefully measured responses, the way you have to be on all the time. popularity is supposed to be a good thing, isn’t it? people want to be around you, want your attention, want to claim a piece of you.

but sometimes, it feels like you don’t belong to yourself anymore. do they even like you? or just the idea of you? you feel like you’re being watched, even when no one is looking. your every move—picked apart, analysed, turned into a story by people who don’t actually know you. admiration turns into expectation. you can’t slip up. you can’t afford to be anything less than what everyone wants you to be. what if you disappoint them? what if you’re not as interesting as they think?

and then there’s haerin.

haerin, who doesn’t look at you like you’re something to be impressed by. who doesn’t try to pull you into the spotlight or demand anything from you. around her, the pressure loosens just a little. you don’t have to perform. you can just be. but at the same time, that scares you. because if haerin is the only one who makes you feel real, then what happens if she leaves too?

you felt a drop of rain slide down from the corner of your eye and down your cheek. more raindrops continued to drop down on your cheeks—the sound of the rain falling against the ground soothing your emotions. you just hoped you could sit out in the rain for the rest of the day, to never be found and to have some time to yourself.

you leaned back on the bench, embracing the raindrops that fell straight onto your face. you closed your eyes to soak up the rainy atmosphere. that was until you no longer felt the rain hit your skin. you opened your eyes with furrowed brows to see haerin standing over you, umbrella over her head.

“for someone who told me i shouldn’t be out in the rain, you’re pretty bad at avoiding the rain yourself,” haerin chuckled. her small smile soon faltered as she saw your unchanging expression. you looked empty, like there wasn’t a soul behind your eyes.

“are you okay?” haerin asked, sitting next to you on the damp bench as she kept the umbrella above both of your heads.

she didn’t press you for an answer. she just sat there, silent, as if she knew you didn’t have the words to explain it. 

“finally got yourself an umbrella, huh?” you smirked softly. you heard a small chuckle from haerin as she continued to sit with you in silence.

you were quiet for a moment, staring at the ground before glancing at her. “how did you find me?”

haerin shifted slightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “saw you from the classroom.”

your brows knot together. “classes have already started?”

she gave a small shrug. “yeah.”

“then why are you here with me? shouldn’t you be in class?”

haerin looked at you, her gaze steady, as if the answer was obvious. “well, you looked like you needed company. i’d rather be here with you than in class anyway.”

your breath hitched slightly at her words. a warmth spread through your chest at her words, but you didn’t know what to say, so you just nodded. you turned your gaze back to the field, letting the soft patter of rain fill the silence between you.

the two of you sat in comfortable silence, the sound of raindrops filling the air. after a moment, haerin shifted closer, pressing her shoulder gently against yours. you let out a quiet sigh and leaned into her, letting yourself relax against her presence.

your hands brushed, fingers barely touching. without a word, haerin reached for your hand, her fingers lacing gently with yours. her grip was warm, steady—not demanding, just present. you almost flinched at the unexpected touch, but you didn’t pull away. something about it made your chest tighten in a way you didn’t quite understand. you squeezed back, grounding yourself in her quiet presence. neither of you spoke. you didn’t need to. 

the silence wasn’t heavy, wasn’t filled with expectation or pressure. it was just the two of you, sitting there with shoulders brushing, hands intertwined, leaning into each other as the world carried on around you.  

the rain continued to fall, steady and rhythmic, a quiet shield against the rest of the world. haerin never let go of your hand. she never asked you to say something. she was just there.

the two of you sat and watched as the rain slowed down. it was still present, but much softer. in an agreed silence, you both decided to run away to the music room instead of your normal classes.

the music room was quiet except for the soft hum of the rain against the windows. the air smelled faintly of old wood and sheet music, the piano keys reflecting the dim light from outside. you sat on the floor, your back against the piano, knees drawn up slightly. haerin sat beside you, legs crossed, close enough that your shoulders brushed.

“do you ever feel like… people see what they want to see?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

haerin turned to you, waiting. you hesitated before continuing. “like, no matter what you do, you’ll always be some version of yourself that they’ve already decided on?”

she nodded slowly, her gaze unreadable. “yeah.”

“it’s just… sometimes it’s exhausting,” you admitted. “everyone has expectations. everyone thinks they know me. and i feel like… if i stop being what they want, i’ll disappear.”

haerin was quiet for a moment, then she said, “you don’t have to be anything for me.”

you swallowed, your throat suddenly tight. “what if i don’t even know who i am when i’m not being something for everyone else?”

she thought about that, then said, “then you take your time figuring it out. and i’ll be here.”

you turned to look at her. her face was calm, but her eyes—her eyes held something deeper, something steady. she wasn’t saying it just to make you feel better. she meant it.

“has it ever been like that for you?” you asked. “like you’re expected to be someone you’re not?”

haerin hesitated, then nodded. “when i play piano. sometimes it feels like people only see me for that. they think i’m only the quiet girl who plays well. but there’s more to me than that. just like there’s more to you than what everyone else thinks.”

her words settled into your chest, grounding you. you looked down at your intertwined hands, at the way she held onto you like she wasn’t planning on letting go.

“thank you,” you murmured.

haerin squeezed your hand gently. “i see you. you don’t have to wear a mask around me.”

a quiet exhale left your lips. for the first time in a long time, the weight on your shoulders felt a little lighter.

haerin watched you, and something shifted in her expression—something almost imperceptible, but real. this was the moment she realized. that the way she felt around you, the way she wanted to stay, to understand you, to be the one you trusted—this was something deeper. this was something she couldn’t ignore anymore.

haerin seemed to feel more open towards you, like it was the most natural thing to just melt around you. your presence was a little intimidating—constantly surrounded by people and big names. but haerin knew better, she knew the language of your soul. she admired you and the melody that would ring in her ears every time you were near her.

haerin found herself in the music room, alone this time. she had no sheets to reference off of, just her heart and emotions. the thought of you carried her fingers around the keys. haerin played and she played, not stopping as she felt her soul overflowing at the thought of you.

then, a knock at the door. haerin turned around to see minji peeping through a crack in the door, her knuckles rested against the door.

“hey, can we come in?” minji smiled softly. haerin nodded, taking her fingers off the keys.

she watched minji step into the room, hanni following in from behind her. haerin watched as minji and hanni strolled into the music room, their expressions immediately turning mischievous as they took in the sight of her sitting at the piano.

“you’ve been playing without us?” hanni gasped dramatically, clutching her chest like she’d been personally betrayed. “the audacity.”

“not even a ‘hey guys, come listen to my soulful masterpiece’ text?” minji added, shaking her head in mock disappointment. “haerin, we thought we meant something to you.”

haerin sighed, already regretting letting them in. “i was just playing,” she said simply, fingers hovering over the keys before pulling away.

“you say that like you weren’t in here pouring your heart out or something.” minji teased, nudging hanni who nodded in agreement. “anyway, we wanted to ask you something.”

haerin raised a brow, waiting.

“you know the arts festival is coming up in a few months, right?” hanni started, plopping onto the chair beside her. 

“they’re making it a big deal this year. they’re expanding it to include all kinds of performances—visual art, drama, music, stuff like that. are you gonna do something for it?”

haerin hesitated, fingers brushing lightly over the piano keys. “i might not.”

minji gasped, seeming actually offended. “what? why not? whatever you were playing before was, like, stupidly good.”

haerin shrugged, eyes flickering down to the keys. “it’s… personal. it’s not meant for an audience.”

minji and hanni exchanged a look before minji smirked. “ohhh, so it’s meant for a specific pair of ears?”

haerin shot her a glare, but the slight redness creeping up her ears gave her away. “shut up.”

hanni grinned, leaning in. “so it’s y/n, isn’t it?”

minji turned to haerin, wiggling her eyebrows. “you’re playing just for y/n now?.”

haerin rolled her eyes, but her ears tinged pink. “it’s nothing special.”

“awww,” minji cooed, clasping her hands together. “our little haerin is a romantic.”

“gross,” haerin muttered, shoving hanni’s shoulder lightly when she giggled.

“no, that lowkey is really romantic of you haerin,” hanni said, grinning. “but fine, whatever. just know that you’re wasting a perfect opportunity. imagine the school watching you perform, totally captivated by your artistry, utterly—”

“no,” haerin cut in flatly, shaking her head.

hanni huffed. “fine, be mysterious. but speaking of performances, i heard something interesting.”

haerin glanced at her, waiting.

“dani told me that y/n has something big planned for the festival. like, really big. and you know how word spreads—people are already talking about it.” hanni leaned in dramatically. “apparently, it’s supposed to be some artsy masterpiece or something.”

haerin’s fingers unconsciously tapped against the piano, her mind flickering to you. you hadn’t mentioned anything about showcasing art. she wondered what you had in store.

“sooo,” minji drawled, nudging haerin with her foot. “if y/n’s doing something, shouldn’t you? just saying, it’d be cute.”

“oh, so cute,” hanni agreed. “a romantic piano piece to match y/n’s grand artistic display? imagine the tension, the longing gazes, the—”

“you two are unbearable,” haerin muttered, shaking her head, but a small smile tugged at her lips. she wasn’t going to perform—but now, she was even more curious about what you were planning.

hanni and minji exchanged another glance before hanni grinned. “wow. you really are down bad.”

haerin groaned, shoving hanni off the bench. hanni yelped as she tumbled onto the floor, but her laughter filled the room as minji doubled over beside her.

“okay, okay,” minji gasped between laughs, “but actually, what if y/n’s showcasing  something for you?”

haerin went silent at that. the idea had never crossed her mind before. hanni, still on the floor, smirked at her. “now that’s something to think about.”

the art room smelled like paint, faint traces of glue, and frustration—your frustration, specifically. you stared at the half-finished canvas in front of you, the colors all wrong, the lines stiff, the whole thing a disaster. you weren’t even sure why you cared this much—except, no, you did. because this was for haerin.

you sat at one of the tables, surrounded by scattered sketches, crumpled concept papers, and half-finished ideas that felt more like failures than progress. your head rested in your hands as you stared at your notes like they would magically form a coherent plan on their own.

"you know," yunjin started, chewing on the end of her pen, "you have, like, two months. why are you acting like this is tomorrow?"

"because it has to be perfect," you groaned. "i need it to be grand. i need it to be something unforgettable."

"who are you trying to impress?" danielle asked, smirking as she leaned forward. "or should i say, who are you dedicating this to?"

hyein gasped dramatically, putting a hand over her heart. "oh my god. y/n, is this a love confession?" she grinned, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"no, i don’t want to woo haerin," you muttered, slumping over your sketchbook. "i just want to show my appreciation for her kindness."

"uh huh. i didn’t even mention a name," hyein drawled, exchanging a look with danielle. “just appreciation. totally not a secret grand romantic gesture or anything."

before you could argue, the sound of voices outside the art room made hyein perk up. she quickly got up and moved towards the door, peeking out before shutting it slightly. 

"you’ve got an audience," she whispered. "why do people even hover around this room like it's a celebrity meet and greet?"

"because it is," danielle snorted, nudging you. "this is what you get for being you."

"can we focus, please?" you sighed. "ideas. i need ideas."

"what if you make a huge banner that says ‘thank you haerin’ and just drop it from the rooftop?" hyein suggested, grinning.

"or perform a full musical number dedicated to her with backup dancers and fireworks," yunjin added, clearly entertained.

"not helping! i’m a painter, not a serenader," you groaned, dragging a hand down your face. "i need something meaningful, something personal—"

before the conversation could go any further, the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. everyone groaned in unison before scrambling to gather their things. you grabbed your sketchbook and notes, shoving them into your bag with less care than usual.

"we'll brainstorm more later!" danielle called as everyone rushed toward the door.

but you were already gone.

weaving through the hallways, you dodged the greetings and voices calling your name, keeping your head down and focusing only on moving forward. you weren’t in the mood to be stopped, not when your thoughts were racing faster than your feet. but then—

"hey."

you skidded to a stop, nearly colliding with haerin in the middle of the hallway. her eyes met yours, calm as ever, but there was a flicker of curiosity behind them.

"hi," you breathed, trying to gather yourself. "uh—are you going to the art festival?"

"haven’t decided yet," she replied, tilting her head. "why?"

"because you should come," you said quickly. "i’ll have something ready for you. and i want you to be there to witness it."

haerin blinked. her expression remained unreadable, but you swore her eyes softened just a little.

"for me? what happened to miss l/n who didn’t like attention?"

"yeah—well—i wanted this to be different." you hesitated for a second before gathering the courage to continue. "and, um… would you want to accompany me personally on the day of the festival?"

she studied you for a moment, and for once, you couldn't tell what she was thinking. then, slowly, she nodded.

"okay," she said simply.

and just like that, your heart was racing for an entirely different reason. you felt butterflies begin to flutter in your stomach.

the powerpuff girls

hanni HAEEEE R U STILL IN RHE MUSIC ROOM? haerin yeah i am are u going to come bother me? cuz if u are then im not here hanni ok thats so rude i cant hang out with my bestie anymroe? haerin im ur best friend?? 😿😿 thats honestly really sad for minji minji yeah cuz why is hae ur bsf what abt me dude 😡😡 hanni hey haerin did u hear smth? minji OK WOW RUDE ASL hanni what r u gonna do abt it jump me? music room in 5 come if u dare 😒😒 haerin leave the jumping out of the music room please i dont need u jumping each other in front of my piano minji MAKE THAT 2 MINUTES

haerin exhaled slowly, setting her phone down beside her on the piano’s polished surface. the screen dimmed, swallowing the unread message she had been staring at for the past few minutes. instead of dwelling on it, she let her fingers drift over the keys, pressing down softly as she eased into a quiet, familiar melody.

the room was silent except for the soft, melancholic tune that filled the space the gentle notes barely had time to settle in the air before the door to the music room swung open with a loud bang.

“there's no way she likes you more than me! i’m—like—120% cooler than you,” minji’s voice rang out, cutting through the silence like a blade.

haerin sighed through her nose, her fingers freezing on the keys. she turned just in time to see minji stride inside, looking thoroughly indignant, while hanni trailed behind her with a triumphant grin, sticking out her tongue in response.

haerin didn’t flinch. she simply let her hands fall from the keys, turning her head just in time to see hanni stick her tongue out at minji before sprinting forward, practically throwing herself onto the piano bench beside her.

"haerin, who's your favorite?" hanni demanded, eyes wide with faux innocence as she leaned in uncomfortably close.

haerin blinked, tilting her head slightly as if actually contemplating the question. she let the silence hang for a moment before finally nodding to herself, as if reaching a conclusion.

"you both suck," she said simply.

hanni and minji turned to each other at the same time, expressions mirroring each other's perfectly—eyes widened, mouths slightly agape, pure betrayal written across their faces. hanni gasped, clutching at her chest like she had just been fatally wounded, while minji scoffed, shaking her head in betrayal.

“wow. uncalled for,” minji muttered, crossing her arms.

before either of them could launch into more dramatic rebuttals, the door burst open again, this time accompanied by the sound of rushed footsteps and a breathless voice.

“hey, haerin, i think i forgot my sketchbook here—”

your breath was uneven as you bent slightly at the waist, one hand braced against the doorframe. it was clear you had rushed over in a hurry, strands of your hair slightly out of place from your run. as you straightened up, your gaze landed on the two unfamiliar faces in the room. your eyes flickered between them for a second before a polite smile crossed your lips.

"oh, hey guys! minji and hanni, right?" you greeted with a smile.

hanni brightened immediately. "yeah! i’m hanni and she's minji! nice to meet you too, y/n. we've heard… a lot about you from hae."

haerin, who had been sitting quietly at the piano, tensed slightly. her expression barely changed, but you caught the way her fingers curled against her palm in warning.

you chuckled softly at the sight. “your friends call you ‘hae’?”

haerin finally met your gaze, her expression as blank as ever. “yeah. it’s stupid.”

"i think it’s cute." you mused. "when can i call you hae?" you tilted your head slightly, letting your smile linger. 

haerin let out a small scoff, rolling her eyes, but you didn’t miss the way her lips twitched ever so slightly—like she was fighting the urge to smile. minji and hanni exchanged looks again, subtle but not subtle enough to go unnoticed.

you cleared your throat, remembering the reason you had rushed over in the first place. "um… so, do you know where my sketchbook is?" you asked softly, scratching the back of your neck.

haerin didn’t respond right away. instead, she just stared at you, her eyes slightly narrowed in thought. then, without a word, she reached over to the side table, plucked up the familiar worn-out sketchbook, and held it out to you.

"you left it here last time. i figured you'd come back for it."

you took the sketchbook from her hands, flipping through the pages quickly before stopping at one in particular. you frowned slightly, tracing the lines of a half-finished sketch with your finger.

"i need this for the arts festival," you muttered more to yourself than to anyone else. "i was trying to come up with ideas earlier, but nothing feels right yet."

haerin watched you for a moment, taking in the way your brows furrowed in concentration.

"you have time," she finally said. "don’t force it. it’ll come to you."

you glanced up at her, something warm settling in your chest at the quiet reassurance. "yeah. maybe you're right."

“are you working on something for the art festival?” hanni asked, leaning in slightly as if trying to catch a glimpse of the sketches.

you hesitated for a second before snapping the sketchbook shut. “maybe.”

minji raised an eyebrow. “that sounds suspicious.”

you only smiled, tilting your head playfully. “it’s a secret.”

you could feel haerin’s eyes on you again, a quiet, unwavering presence. when you finally looked back at her, her expression was unreadable, but there was something about the way she was watching you that made heat creep up the back of your neck. the way haerin's eyes lingered on you made your heart skip a beat. there was something unreadable in her gaze—something soft, something knowing. before the silence could stretch on too long, you clapped your hands together.

you cleared your throat, suddenly feeling like you had overstayed your welcome. “i should probably head home.”

turning toward the door, you hesitated for a second before looking over your shoulder at haerin, ignoring the two lingering stares of her friends. you lifted a hand, fingers curling slightly in a casual wave.

"thanks for keeping this safe for me, hae. see you soon" you said, deliberately testing the nickname. then, with a slight smirk, you winked before stepping out the door. the soft click of the door closing left a lingering silence in the room.

hanni and minji slowly turned to each other, processing what had just happened. then, in perfect sync, they turned to haerin, their jaws slightly ajar.

“did haerin just bag a baddie?” hanni muttered, still staring at the door.

minji folded her arms. “wild.”

haerin let out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding. her fingers hovered over the keys, barely touching them, before pressing down on one—sharp, off-key, wrong. she didn’t correct it. instead, she sat there, unmoving, staring at the door long after you were gone.

it had been a week since the last time the both of you were in the music room. but today, as haerin walked down the familiar path home, she found herself thinking of you more often than usual. it was a quiet afternoon, the kind where everything felt almost suspended in time. the light drizzle from earlier had left a soft sheen on the pavement, and the air had that fresh, earthy scent that only rain could bring. haerin walked slowly, allowing the quiet to settle around her, her thoughts swirling like the leaves that occasionally brushed against her feet.

a butterfly suddenly caught her eye, its wings delicate and soft as it fluttered in front of her, moving almost lazily through the damp air. haerin stopped in her tracks, drawn to the butterfly’s graceful movements. it hovered for a moment, and she instinctively raised her finger, a silent invitation. after a few more moments, the butterfly fluttered toward her and gently landed on her finger. she held her breath, watching the small creature with a sense of wonder.

for a moment, the world felt incredibly still, the soft rain almost becoming a distant hum. haerin’s heartbeat picked up, not because of the butterfly, but because she could feel something—something familiar, and yet new—stirring in her chest. as she stood there, lost in the moment, a sound broke the silence. footsteps. steady and approaching.

“hey,” came a voice, warm and familiar, drawing haerin’s attention. she turned to find you standing a few paces away, a gentle smile already spreading across her face. the butterfly still rested on haerin’s finger, and your eyes softened as you looked at it. 

“seems like you’ve made a friend,” you said, her voice light and teasing, but there was something more in your gaze. something quiet, almost tender.

haerin’s smile softened, and for a brief moment, she forgot about the rest of the world around her. her attention was fixed on the warmth in your eyes, the way you stood just a little closer than usual, how your presence made the atmosphere feel heavier, yet lighter at the same time. the butterfly, seemingly sensing the change in the air, fluttered its wings and took off into the cool breeze just as the first few raindrops began to fall.

“aww,” you sighed, your shoulders drooping slightly, “that’s a shame.” 

you shook your head, but your smile remained. “i guess the rain really likes to see us together.”

haerin looked up at the sky, and the soft patter of the rain grew louder as it started to fall more steadily. you pulled out her umbrella from your bag, unfolding it with a flick of your wrist. you moved closer to haerin, holding the umbrella over both of you. haerin stepped in without a word, her shoulder brushing against yours as they began walking, side by side.

the rain was light, but there was a heaviness in the air, like everything was just on the edge of something. haerin was acutely aware of the proximity between you, of how the umbrella kept you just close enough, but not too close. you both walked in comfortable silence, the rhythm of your footsteps blending with the soft tapping of raindrops on the umbrella.

after a few moments, haerin broke the silence, her voice low and almost pensive. “did you know when it rains, butterflies seem to disappear?” she glanced at you—your gaze was focused straight ahead, a slight grin tugging at the corner of your lips. 

“they hide and seek shelter, because the rain affects their ability to fly,” haerin continued.

you chuckled softly, your breath misting in the cool air. 

“that’s like… common sense, though,” you teased, her voice light. but then, without thinking, your words drifted out, almost absent-mindedly. 

“well, my butterflies don’t disappear when i’m around you, even in the rain.”

haerin froze for a split second, her heart suddenly hammering in her chest. she looked at you—flushed a deep shade of red, clearly realising what you had just said. haerin blinked, trying to collect herself. 

“what did you just say?”

your face turned an even brighter shade of red, and you stammered. “huh? um, nothing! i… see you later, hae! i gotta—i have to… go home!” 

you thrust the umbrella into haerin’s hands and, before haerin could respond, you turned and dashed off into the rain, disappearing into the mist of water and air.

haerin stood there, rooted to the spot, the umbrella still in her hands as the rain began to fall heavier. she stared at the space where you had been, her heart still racing. did she really just hear that? did you really just say that? the words echoed in her head, and she couldn’t help but giggle softly to herself. 

“huh… so she’s really stuck with calling me hae.”

the umbrella, still in her hands, seemed to grow heavier by the second. haerin stood there for a moment longer, her mind spinning as the sound of raindrops drowned out everything else. maybe you were more like her than she realised. and maybe, just maybe, haerin was starting to understand why she felt so different around you.

as the rain continued to fall, she couldn’t help but smile to herself, a quiet, soft smile that she kept hidden under the umbrella.

you bolted inside, slamming the door behind you as you strip off your wet clothes, already cursing your decision to run home in the rain. great. now you’re soaked, and the chill is creeping under your skin. you hurried to the bathroom, throwing your damp clothes in a pile by the door and stepping into the shower. the hot water hit your back like a relief, a sharp contrast to the cold rain you just ran through. you let out a sigh, closing your eyes and letting the water relax your muscles, but your mind kept replaying the same moment over and over.

that moment with haerin, the way she was so close to you under the umbrella, how her fingers brushed against yours, and that stupid butterfly. but mostly that comment. "well, my butterflies don’t disappear when i’m around you, even in the rain."

you groaned inwardly, slapping your forehead, even though you knew no one can see you. ugh, why did you say that? you can't even begin to explain why it slipped out, but the warmth on your cheeks is making it pretty obvious: you’re so not over it.

when you finished your shower, you wrapped yourself in a towel and made your way to your room, settling down at your desk with a determined look. you needed to focus. you grabbed your sketchbook and opened it to the page you’d been working on. the art festival was coming up, and you’d decided that you were going to dedicate your project to haerin. she deserved it, right? after all, she’s the one person who’s treated you like you’re just you. not some celebrity, not some spoiled rich kid—just a person.

you started sketching out more ideas, but before you can really settle into the work, your phone buzzed on the desk. the groupchat.

“hey, what’s up?” you answered, trying to sound casual, but you could already hear the teasing tone in yunjin’s voice.

“so,” she drawled, “why are you making a painting for haerin again? honestly, i still don't get it."

you paused, flipping through your sketchbook to find the page you were working on. "well. i just wanna say thank you for treating me like a normal person, you know? not like some… god or whatever."

hyein snorted on the other end of the line. "so basic human decency, huh? is that all she did for you?"

"yeah, pretty much," you said, a little embarrassed but not backing down. "i mean, not everyone does that."

“wait, wait,” yunjin interrupted, her voice shifting to something a little more serious. “are you sure there’s nothing more to this? like, you’re not making this whole painting for her because you’ve got a little crush, do you?”

your face burned again. a crush? you knew exactly what she’s talking about, and the thought made your stomach do that little flip again, the one you definitely don’t want to think about. 

"ugh, no. it’s not like that at all. i’ve told you before—she doesn’t care about all the popularity, and that's—that's really refreshing, you know? i just want to repay her for making me feel like just another person. nothing weird about it."

“okay, so your grand gesture is painting a whole canvas for her and leaving it on display for everyone to see? cool, cool,” yunjin teased. "what’s next, are you going to hang it in the school hallway or put it on the main stage?"

you laughed awkwardly, trying to hide the fact that she’s kinda right. “yeah, well, it’s not like i need attention, you know? i just want people to recognise me for my art, not for my family’s money or popularity or whatever.”

“okay, but why is it your way of ‘repaying her’?" you heard from danielle, her voice cutting in.

you started doodling absentmindedly in the corner of your sketchbook, rolling your eyes. 

"well, i mean, just because my parents own a large company doesn’t mean i should be treated like some kind of charity case, you know? people are always like, ‘oh, y/n’s so lucky,’ and i want to show them who i really am. i want them to see that i have my own talents. something that’s mine. i want people to see my art, not my family’s reputation."

you felt the weight of your words. maybe you had never actually said them out loud like this before. it felt good to get it off your chest. danielle didn’t let you stew for long.

“and it’s not just for the fame, huh? it’s because there’s something about haerin that makes you feel like she gets it, right?"

"yeah," you said, quieter now, your focus shifting back to the sketchbook. “she does. and i want to be seen for who i am. not what people think of me. it’s like—art can do that. it’s my way of showing who i really am. it’s not about the attention, it’s about the expression.”

“and the ‘expression’ is for haerin, huh?” yunjin chimed in with a teasing tone. “sure, sure, we believe you.”

you sighed, leaning back in your chair, feeling the weight of your friends’ words but also feeling more grounded in your reasons. "can’t you just let me do something nice for once? this is important to me."

“oh, we’re letting you,” hyein said, speaking up. “but if this ends with you making heart eyes at her every time you see her, we’ll be here for that too.”

“as if she doesn’t already do that,” yunjin added.

you couldn’t help but roll your eyes, but the smile that tugged at your lips was a mix of embarrassment and warmth. 

“whatever, i’m gonna hang up on you guys if you keep talking about this.”

you heard all your friends express their protests before changing up the topic. they talked about nothing in particular and everything all at once. you didn’t need to focus too hard on the words—they were just there, comfortable in the background as you worked. the conversation flowed easily, like it always has, and the sound of their voices kept you grounded.

you realised that hours had passed before any of you say goodbye. it wasn’t a deep or life-changing conversation. there were no major revelations. but it didn’t matter. what mattered was the feeling of belonging that washed over you as you stayed on the call with them. their voices, full of familiarity and warmth, wrapped around you like a blanket. no pretences. no expectations. just a bunch of friends, talking until the early morning, as you lost track of time.

the time between planning for the festival to the actual day passed by in a flash. the festival was in full swing, and the atmosphere in the gym was a perfect mixture of excitement and the mild chaos of last-minute preparations. the walls were lined with bright banners, and tables were covered with an eclectic mix of artwork, ranging from paintings to sculptures, each representing the unique creativity of the students. the hall buzzed with voices, the sound of laughter, and occasional clinking of display stands being adjusted. amidst it all, you and haerin worked together, preparing for the final touches of the day.

"so," haerin glanced over at you as she adjusted a banner, "what exactly do you have prepared?” she glanced at you sideways, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. 

"it's a secret!" you grinned, nudging her playfully with your elbow. "but i promise it'll blow your socks away."

haerin raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, but she didn’t press further. you could tell she respected your desire for mystery. and despite the teasing, a warmth bloomed in her chest knowing that you had something so special in store. something just for her, even though you hadn’t outright said it. the two of you moved around the room, hanging up more banners, adjusting stands, and occasionally laughing at some of the more outlandish pieces. you were so caught up in the movement of it all, in the chaotic beauty of it, that the time seemed to slip away unnoticed.

"i’m sorry you had to get caught up setting up with me, hae," you murmured as you fixed a row of chairs, trying to sound casual.

she shook her head, not a hint of annoyance in her voice. "no, don’t worry about it," haerin replied easily, shooting you a soft smile. "this just gives me more time to spend with you." 

the words hung in the air for a moment, a subtle tension building between you. it wasn’t the first time she’d said something like that, but it still made your heart race. there was something in the way she said it, as though it was so easy to be with you.

the atmosphere around you seemed to shift as you both found yourselves in a rhythm, preparing for the festival together. it was simple, but it felt like an intimate dance—the kind of unspoken understanding that only existed between the two of you.

periodically, your friends would pop by to help, tease, and joke, and then just as quickly disappear again, leaving the two of you alone. there was an unspoken comfort in the silences that settled between you, the rhythm of the day and your company blending seamlessly into one long, warm moment.

the two of you stood on opposite sides of a large display, hanging up a last-minute banner with vibrant colours and abstract designs. as you worked, haerin's hand brushed against yours, and it sent a shiver down your spine. you tried to keep your focus, but her presence was magnetic—there was something about her that made everything feel a little more significant.

"are we done here?" you asked, tying off the final end of the banner.

"think so," she replied, eyes glancing over the space. "when’s your painting going to be displayed?" haerin asked, her gaze flitting over the pieces.

you grinned at her, watching the way her face softened when her gaze landed on yours. "it’ll be uncovered later," you replied with a wink, crossing your arms, "just be a little patient." your words were playful, but there was something deeper in them, a promise that this moment, the reveal of your art, would mean more than just a piece on display.

"so it’s like the main course, huh?" haerin laughed, but you could tell she was intrigued. "alright, i’ll wait." then, without missing a beat, she suddenly grabbed your hand, tugging you gently. “come on, let’s go kill time somewhere else.”

you blinked at her in confusion. "where are we going?"

"music room," she said, her voice a little too nonchalant. "i want to play something for you."

"why?" you raised an eyebrow, still unsure. "i mean, i did the painting because i wanted to. you don’t have to play something for me."

"oh, but i do," her smile deepened, something soft lighting up in her eyes "besides, it’ll be something just between us."

you let her pull you towards the music room, your thoughts swirling in your head. what did she mean by that? but you didn’t have time to dwell on it before you were both in front of the music room. 

the room was quiet, the kind of quiet that felt almost sacred. soft sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a golden glow across the grand piano at the far side of the room. haerin walked over to it, her fingers brushing the edge of the keys as if she were weighing her options. she glanced back at you, a soft smile on her face.

you watched her, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on you. she was so composed, so confident, and yet, something in her posture, in the way she touched the piano, felt fragile. it made you ache. you wanted to reach out, to tell her everything you were feeling, but the words stuck in your throat.

"you don’t have to play if you don’t want to," you said, but it came out too soft, too unsure.

she met your eyes, and for the first time, you saw something unfamiliar there—vulnerability. "no. i want to." her voice was quiet, almost shy, and it made your heart skip a beat. "i just—i need to."

she sat at the piano bench, turning slightly so she could face you more fully, but her fingers hovered above the keys, almost hesitant. you moved to sit beside her, watching her delicate hands press against the keys. then, the first note filled the space—a slow, haunting melody that seemed to reverberate through your chest.

haerin played like she was lost in the music. her fingers danced across the keys with ease, the soft, delicate notes flowing together in a beautiful, rising crescendo. the melody was slow at first, almost mournful, like a whisper of a secret. but as the piece continued, it built up, each note gaining strength, as if the music itself was reaching for something more. you watched her, entranced, as the sound seemed to echo the very feelings that had been growing between the two of you, feelings neither of you had dared to say out loud. as she played, you felt as though the music itself was speaking to you, telling you stories you didn’t have the words to express. 

you could feel the tension between you, the air thick with unspoken words, but all you could do was listen to the music. haerin was completely immersed in it, her eyes shut as her body swayed slightly with the rhythm, the emotion of the piece pouring through her in every note. but then, as if she could feel your gaze burning into her, her fingers faltered. the smooth flow of music stumbled, and a frustrated curse slipped from her lips. she froze, her hand hovering over the keys for a moment.

"sorry," she murmured under her breath, her voice laced with frustration.

she noticed you sitting so close to her, your eyes never leaving her. you hadn’t realised how intensely you were looking at her until she looked back at you.

her breath hitched, and for a moment, the world around you seemed to slow down. haerin’s gaze flicked from your eyes to your lips, then back to your eyes again, and she leaned in just the tiniest bit, as if drawn by some magnetic force. you felt your pulse quicken, and before you could stop yourself, you were leaning in too.

"that was beautiful," you said softly.

"but i made a mistake," she replied, still looking at the piano keys, clearly embarrassed.

"so what? everyone makes mistakes," you said, your voice reassuring but shaky. "it doesn’t take away from how incredible it was."

haerin looked up at you, her eyes locking with yours, and in that moment, the air between you two seemed to crackle with tension. her eyes dropped briefly to your lips, and you felt your own gaze drift to hers. without thinking, you leaned in, and before you could pull back, haerin was leaning in as well.

you kissed her—soft, tentative at first, as if testing the waters. her lips were warm, familiar, but there was an underlying uncertainty to it, a tension that neither of you could resolve.

but before it could deepen, the door creaked open. as soon as haerin pulled away, she avoided your gaze. her expression was unreadable—eyes darting to the piano, to the floor, anywhere but at you.

"hanni," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "minji—"

"they need you out there," hanni interrupted, her voice too loud, too insistent. "they’re about to unveil your painting, y/n."

your mind was still spinning from the kiss, your lips tingling, but reality crashed down like a wave. you stole a glance at haerin, searching for any kind of reaction, any sign that she felt the same rush, the same breathless urgency you did. but she just sat there, hands clenched into fists against her lap, shoulders tense.

"right," you said, your voice coming out hoarse. "i—i should go."

you hesitated, lingering for a fraction of a second longer, hoping—waiting—for her to say something. to stop you, to look at you. but she didn’t. you caught the way her fingers gripped the edge of the piano, the way her lips pressed together as if she were holding something back. you couldn’t tell if she was angry, confused, or just as scared as you were. she just nodded, barely, like she was bracing herself for something she couldn’t face. 

“are you—um—are you coming out too?” you stammered. you watched haerin finally look into your eyes with her own sharp ones—her eyes filled with uncertainty.

“yeah, i’ll be there. you can go ahead, i’ll catch up,” she nodded.

you stepped forward, taking one last look at her, but the moment was slipping away, just like the fleeting feeling of connection you’d had before the interruption. the entire walk back to the gym felt off. your heart was still racing, but not from excitement—something heavier sat in your chest. haerin’s voice echoed in your mind, the hesitation in her words, the way she looked at you like she wasn’t sure of what just happened. you wanted to turn back, to see if she was still sitting at the piano, still lost in thought. but you didn’t. instead, you kept walking, each step feeling like you were leaving something unfinished behind.

haerin sat in the music room, still frozen, her fingers lightly touching her lips. the softness and warmth of your kiss lingered there, and she couldn't quite wrap her mind around it. it felt like a dream, a beautiful one she wasn't ready to wake up from. the fact that it had actually happened hadn’t quite sunk in yet. you had left maybe a minute ago, disappearing out the door with hanni and minji, and haerin remained, staring off into space, lost in the memory of the kiss.

after a moment, she snapped out of it and realised she was supposed to be at the gym. a slight panic rushed through her, and she jumped to her feet, deciding to run there rather than take her time. she didn’t want to miss anything—your painting was going to be uncovered soon, and haerin wasn’t about to let that moment slip by.

as she entered the gym, the scene of the kiss flashed in her mind again, and a goofy smile spread across her face. she couldn’t help it. her chest was full of that warm, fluttery feeling, and she had no idea what to do with it, except smile. she took a moment to calm herself before walking further into the gym, where the crowd had already gathered.

haerin spotted hanni and minji, who were talking near the side. they waved her over, and she joined them. just as she was about to speak, hanni grinned, raising an eyebrow.

“so,” hanni began, her voice teasing, “what was that about?”

haerin’s smile widened, her cheeks flushing slightly. “we kissed,” she said, almost shyly, but there was a gleam in her eye. she couldn’t quite hide how happy it made her to say it aloud.

minji scoffed, but her smile was playful. “what happened to you not being a romantic?”

haerin shrugged, looking at both of them with a smug grin. “have you seen y/n? who wouldn’t be a romantic for her?” 

she said it with so much sincerity that hanni and minji fell silent for a second, exchanging a knowing look.

“fair enough,” minji muttered, but there was no denying the softness in her voice.

the crowd grew quiet as you stepped onto the stage, and haerin felt her breath catch in her throat. her eyes were fixed on you, watching as you made your way to the podium. she couldn’t help the way her heart skipped a beat. her friends' teasing faded into the background as she watched you, her gaze soft and full of something unspoken. she heard hanni and minji snickering at her reaction, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from you. she was in awe, a heart-shaped smile spreading across her face.

you began to speak, your voice unsure but steady. “i don’t really think my painting should be the main focus of the art festival,” you said, a nervous laugh escaping you. 

“there are so many other amazing pieces already up for display, and i—i guess it feels a bit strange to have mine displayed last.” you paused, glancing down at the floor for a moment before looking up again. 

“but i couldn’t imagine not showing it. it’s—it’s something i had to do.” you exhaled, as if gathering your courage. “this painting is an expression of myself, and i really hope people can see its meaning.”

you hesitated, muttering under her breath, “that probably sounded cheesy, but—well—here it is.” with a quick movement, you pulled the cover off the painting, and the crowd collectively gasped.

the room fell silent as everyone took in the masterpiece before them. the painting was grand—bold, intricate, and full of life. at the centre, the piano was fragmented, yet fluid, its keys fading into the background as though the music itself was still vibrating through the air. and beside it, almost floating, was a butterfly—its pastel green wings delicate and soft, blending into the canvas, as though part of the melody itself. it was beautiful, fragile, and full of meaning. haerin’s breath hitched in her throat. she knew instantly—this was your heart laid bare.

it was everything you had ever felt but hadn’t been able to put into words. the butterfly, fragile yet growing, spoke volumes about what they shared, what you had been too afraid to say, but haerin could feel it in the art. it was her. it was both of you. it was everything.

haerin stared at the painting, eyes wide with awe. she felt an overwhelming sense of pride—and something more—that she couldn’t quite put into words. she glanced at you, standing awkwardly at the front of the stage as the crowd admired the painting. your face was uncertain, but the warmth in her eyes couldn’t be hidden. haerin watched as your gaze flickered over the crowd, but your eyes never seemed to land on her. haerin’s heart sank slightly, but she tried to hide it, focusing instead on your words.

you bowed, stepping off the stage, your eyes scanning the crowd once more. they lingered for a moment, but haerin remained unseen. haerin watched you walk back toward your group of friends, the small pang of disappointment in her chest growing. still, she smiled to herself, proud of you and the painting. it spoke volumes, even if it hadn’t been fully understood yet.

hanni and minji noticed the way haerin looked at you, her gaze full of something—pride, affection, maybe more. haerin wasn’t sure. but she felt it.

it had been a few days since the festival, and you felt like you were floating in some kind of limbo. the day after the unveiling, you tried to shake off the sense of disappointment that settled in your chest, but it clung to you like a heavy coat. haerin hadn't been there, and you couldn’t help but think it was a sign. sure, your friends—yunjin, hyein, danielle—were by your side, trying to distract you, but it wasn’t the same. none of them seemed to get it, and it was hard to explain when they never truly saw you.

they all knew about your art, sure, but they didn’t know what it felt like to paint a piece of your heart and then expose it to the world. they didn’t know how it felt to try to show something raw and vulnerable to someone who was supposed to understand, only for them to disappear when it mattered. your friends tried, but you could tell they just couldn’t get it. yunjin kept cracking jokes about your painting like it was no big deal, and hyein was always pointing out how everyone else at school was talking about it. but none of it mattered.

you were starting to feel the weight of being popular again. people recognised you in the halls, always smiling, always asking for a piece of your attention. it wasn’t real. not the way haerin had been real. she hadn’t cared about the attention you got—hell, she hadn’t even cared about you being popular at all. she just... saw you. and now that she was gone, you felt like you were slipping back into the noise, back into the role you hated, the one where everyone just saw the image of you, not the person underneath.

but haerin—haerin was different. she’d looked at you with those quiet eyes that saw you, really saw you, in a way no one else had. she hadn’t been impressed by your popularity or your art; she’d simply been there, quietly present. and now, after that moment between you two, that kiss you still couldn’t quite process, you couldn’t help but wonder if you had misread everything.

you hadn’t talked to her. not once. and she hadn’t talked to you either. and it wasn’t like you could’ve just gone up to her and asked, could you? not with everything that was left unsaid. her absence during the painting unveiling had felt like a silent rejection, and you had done what you always did in those situations—shut down.

maybe it was easier this way. if she didn’t care, if she didn’t want to talk to you, then you could just go back to being what you always were: the popular girl who didn’t want to be popular. but it wasn’t working. not anymore.

the silence between you two was suffocating. every time you walked down the hall, you would catch sight of her, only for her to look away too quickly. she never tried to start a conversation, and neither did you. and every time you found yourself thinking about her, your friends would nudge you, pull you back into whatever they were talking about, but it never really reached you. your mind always drifted back to haerin.

you tried to focus on your friends, but every time you saw yunjin laughing or danielle trying to get your attention, it didn’t feel the same. they didn’t get it. none of them got it. you knew they cared, but it wasn’t the same as having someone who really understood you.

as you sat in class, you couldn’t stop replaying that moment—the way her lips had felt against yours, soft and warm. it made your chest tighten, but also gave you this kind of ache that you couldn’t shake. you wondered if it had meant anything to her at all.

you felt the tension build, especially whenever your eyes found her in the halls, only for her to look away, like she was hiding something. did she even like you? or had it all been a mistake? all you wanted was a sign. anything. just to know that you hadn’t misread it all, that she still wanted you in some way, even if it wasn’t the same as before.

your friends—yunjin and hyein—noticed the way your attention would drift whenever you were near haerin, but they didn’t push. they knew you were processing something, but they didn’t understand what. danielle, though, she seemed to catch on. she’d asked you more than once if you were okay, but you always brushed her off, not wanting to admit that the reason you couldn’t stop thinking about haerin was because you were scared of what it all meant.

the worst part was that you didn’t even have her number. if you could just text her, you might feel a little less lost. but you didn’t. you were just stuck, suspended in this endless loop of overthinking.

and that silence between you two? it was deafening. 

your friends noticed it, of course. they noticed how you’d look over at haerin when she passed by, your eyes flicking away too quickly when she caught you staring. yunjin would nudge you, a teasing smirk on her face. "you’re still thinking about her, aren’t you?" she'd say, but there was no real teasing behind it. more like concern, something you couldn’t quite shake off.

haerin’s friends, hanni and minji, were just as observant. they’d make little comments about how haerin would act when she looked at you, how she’d blush or smile a little too softly. 

hanni liked to joke, casually dropping your name in conversations just to see haerin’s reaction. "have you seen y/n’s new painting? it’s gorgeous. you should go talk to her about it," she’d say, her voice light, but there was an underlying edge, like she was pushing haerin without saying it outright. minji wasn’t as bold, but even she would raise an eyebrow whenever haerin would go quiet after hearing your name.

it was clear to everyone around you that something had changed. the playful teasing, the nudges, it had all turned into something more intense, something that wasn’t so easy to ignore anymore. but neither you nor haerin had made a move. you were both stuck in this limbo, waiting for the other to take the first step.

one afternoon, when the school day had just about ended, you found yourself in the art room, absentmindedly cleaning up your supplies. you didn’t expect to see haerin there. she had a few friends in the room, but it was mostly quiet, everyone packing up to leave. and then, just like that, it happened. the two of you were left alone in the room.

the silence was thick, but not in the comfortable way it used to be. it was different now, loaded with the weight of everything you hadn’t said, all the things that hung between you, invisible but undeniable. haerin stood at the other end of the room, fiddling with her bag, but her gaze would drift over to you every few seconds. you could feel it, even though she didn’t say anything. her eyes would meet yours for the briefest of moments before she quickly looked away, like she wasn’t ready to face what was right in front of her.

you wanted to say something, anything. but nothing felt right. your throat felt tight. haerin shifted, as if she was about to speak, but then she just didn’t. the words stayed stuck, unsaid.

finally, after what felt like forever, your phone buzzed in your pocket. you pulled it out, half-relieved to have an excuse to break the tension. it was from yunjin.

"you need to talk to her, y/n. you’re being ridiculous. just text her."

it wasn’t until later that evening, when you were sitting with your friends, trying to brush off the awkwardness of the day, that your friends began to really push.

“you’re being stupid,” yunjin said, not bothering to hide the frustration in her voice. “you’re making all these assumptions about haerin, but have you even tried talking to her?”

you stared at her, your heart racing in your chest. “what if—what if she doesn’t want to talk to me?” you muttered, more to yourself than anyone else. “i don’t want to make it weird.”

hyein rolled her eyes. “she’s keeping her distance,” she said. “but you’ve been avoiding her too, right? at this point, it’s already weird.”

the tension in your chest tightened even more. it wasn’t just in your head, then. the distance between you and haerin was real, and it was making everything feel more complicated. and as much as you hated it, you couldn’t ignore it.

you glanced over at haerin, who was sitting with hanni and minji, looking almost lost. the thought made you ache, but there was nothing you could do about it. not yet, anyway.

you hadn’t meant to shut them out, but somewhere along the way, you had. your friends were always there, always asking how you were, but you felt distant. not from them, exactly, but from yourself. it was like your mind was always somewhere else—somewhere that wasn’t here, somewhere where haerin might be. and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t shake that feeling. that yearning. but today, your friends weren’t letting you hide.

it started with yunjin. she had been quiet all day, but as soon as you were all sitting together in the corner of the cafeteria, she spoke up.

“y/n,” she said, her voice softer than usual, “you’ve been distant. we’ve been noticing it for a while now.”

you looked down at your lunch, trying to ignore the weight of her words, but you knew she was right. the silence stretched out, and the others—hyein and danielle—exchanged glances before hyein spoke next.

“it’s like we’re right here, and yet you’re somewhere else,” hyein said, her tone more frustrated now. “you’re not seeing us, y/n. you’re not seeing what we’re trying to do for you.”

you shifted uncomfortably, your heart sinking in your chest. "i don’t mean to—"

“we know you don’t,” yunjin interrupted. “but you’re letting all this focus on haerin take over. it’s like you’ve forgotten about us.”

danielle’s voice was calm, but it carried an underlying sadness. “we’ve always been here for you. from the beginning. even before everything with haerin. we’ve always seen the real you. the y/n who hates the attention, the one who feels lost in all the noise.”

your eyes were starting to sting, and you swallowed the lump in your throat. “i don’t know what you want me to say...”

“we just want you to see us too,” hyein said quietly. “we’ve been here for you, just like haerin was. and we’re still here. we’re still your friends, y/n.”

danielle reached across the table and placed a hand on yours. “you don’t have to carry all of this alone. we’re not going anywhere. and you don’t have to be this popular person all the time. you can just be you. the real you. the one we’ve always seen.”

the words hit harder than you expected. you’d been so wrapped up in what you had with haerin, in the way she made you feel seen, that you had forgotten the people who already did that. who had always done that, no matter how much you hated being in the spotlight. they didn’t see you as the image everyone else had built for you—they saw you for who you were. the real you.

for the first time in a long while, you took a slow breath and allowed yourself to really listen to them. they were here for you, through all of it. they had been the ones to see you for who you were before all this, the ones who didn’t care about the attention or popularity. they cared about you. the real you.

“i’ve been focused on the wrong things,” you murmured, your voice quiet but steady. “i think i got lost in everything with haerin—but i shouldn’t have.”

“you don’t have to apologise,” yunjin said gently. “we get it. but don’t forget about us. don’t forget about what we’ve always done for you.”

you nodded, a heavy weight lifting off your chest. they were right. you hadn’t been thinking of them, of their support, of everything they had always been for you. but now, in this moment, you realised how much you had taken them for granted.

danielle’s voice brought you back to the present. “you don’t need to have it all figured out. just take a step back, breathe, and start with us. everything will be okay. you’ll see.”

you felt the corners of your mouth twitch into a small, genuine smile. it felt like the first time in a while that something didn’t feel so heavy. maybe it wasn’t about fixing everything all at once, but taking things one step at a time.

“thanks,” you said quietly. “i’m sorry for shutting you all out.”

“it’s okay,” hyein said with a soft smile. “we’re still here. always.”

danielle gave your hand one last squeeze. “and when you’re ready, haerin will be there too. i’m sure she still cares, y/n. but before you try to fix whatever miscommunication you have with her, you need to pick yourself up first. you need to focus on you, because that’s what matters right now. take care of yourself, and everything will fall into place.”

the mention of haerin made your heart twinge, but danielle’s words were clear. you couldn’t keep waiting for her to make a move. maybe you had to make your own first step, not just with haerin, but with yourself.

you met their eyes, and for once, you didn’t feel so lost. your friends saw you. really saw you. and for the first time in a long while, that was enough. maybe it was time to start seeing yourself again too.

and maybe, just maybe, when you were ready, things with haerin would work out too.

after a few weeks of observing the tension between you and haerin, danielle and hanni decided to grab a coffee together, hoping to talk things through and figure out what to do next. they sat at a small table, the hum of the café providing a comfortable background to their conversation.

“so, how’s y/n doing?” hanni asked, stirring her drink casually. she’d been noticing the shift in you too—the way you seemed more present lately, but still distant when it came to haerin.

danielle leaned back in her chair, thinking for a moment before answering. “she’s better, i guess. a little more... herself, you know? not as withdrawn, but there’s still this underlying tension. y/n hasn’t forgotten about haerin. not by a long shot.”

“but she’s not actively thinking about her, either,” hanni observed. “it’s like... she’s in a better place, but still kinda stuck.”

“exactly.” danielle gave a small smile. “i told her to focus on herself first. she needed to get back to a place where she’s not defined by how everyone sees her. she’s doing better, but... i think there’s still some stuff she needs to work through.”

hanni frowned slightly, clearly deep in thought. “yeah... but haerin’s been pulling back too. she’s barely said anything about y/n lately. do you think y/n even notices that?”

“i’m sure she does,” danielle said, taking a sip of her coffee. “but y/n’s been avoiding haerin as much as haerin’s avoiding her. it’s like neither of them knows how to make the first move, but they both probably want to. they just don’t know how to get past the silence.”

hanni tapped her fingers on the table, her expression thoughtful. “i don’t know, dani. i think they’re both a little scared. it’s like they’ve convinced themselves it’s easier to just keep their distance than face whatever it is that’s standing between them.”

danielle nodded in agreement, looking out the window for a moment. “i get that. i told y/n that she needs to focus on herself first—on being okay without haerin. only then can she figure out if she wants to fix things with haerin or if it’s just too much now.”

“that’s smart,” hanni said, leaning forward with a grin. “you always know the right thing to say. so... do you think she’s ready for that? for talking to haerin again?”

“i think she’s getting there,” danielle replied, her voice soft but firm. “but it’s gonna take some time. she’s making progress, but it’s slow. it’s up to her to find the courage to fix things, not just with haerin, but with herself first. and i hope she gets there soon.”

hanni leaned back in her chair, looking over at danielle with a mischievous glint in her eye. “so... when do we make it happen?”

danielle laughed softly, shaking her head. “you’re not going to rush this, are you?”

“i mean,” hanni said, with a playful shrug, “they’re both just sitting there, waiting for the other to make a move. we can’t exactly push them, but... we could make it a little easier for them to see what they want.”

danielle chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “like... subtly, you mean?”

hanni grinned. “exactly. no one’s pushing anyone into anything. just a little... encouragement.”

danielle smiled, her tone warming. “i think that’s a good idea. they both need to realise that it’s okay to want this. and maybe... just maybe, it’ll give them the push they need.”

haerin had started noticing something she wasn’t sure she wanted to see: you slowly coming back to life. at first, it was just small things—laughing more easily with your friends, joining in on conversations, showing up more at events. the glow of your usual vibrancy, the thing that haerin had admired from the start, was beginning to return. 

it was hard not to smile at the sight of it, knowing that you was still able to find joy, even after everything that had happened. but there was a sting in haerin’s chest every time she saw it. she didn’t want to admit it, but it hurt to see you so happy—happy without her. it made her wonder if, somehow, the kiss and everything that followed had faded into the past for you, a fleeting moment that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.

haerin couldn’t help but feel like maybe she was being forgotten. you were surrounded by your friends, who adored you, who were always there to support you. but haerin? she seemed to be slowly disappearing from your world. the silence between the two of you was growing louder, and every time haerin tried to reach out—through a glance, a word, anything—it felt like you weren’t looking back anymore.

she had considered reaching out, countless times. but each time, something held her back. what could she say? how could she break the silence that had stretched on for so long? was it even right to reach out when you had been so distant? haerin told herself that she needed to respect your space, that she had no right to force herself into your life when things were so complicated. she didn’t want to make things worse, didn’t want to push you away further.

but the longer this silence dragged on, the more the uncertainty gnawed at haerin. she didn’t know what you were feeling, but she could feel the distance between you growing wider. and the worst part? haerin wasn’t sure if you even cared enough to fix things anymore.

hanni and minji, as usual, couldn’t ignore the tension in the air. they had always been the kind to tease, but their comments now had a sharper edge. haerin tried to laugh them off, but it was getting harder to pretend that everything was okay. the teasing started to feel less like fun and more like pressure. every time she looked over at you from across the room, she could practically hear their teasing echoes in the back of her mind.

one afternoon, while the three of them sat together, hanni casually dropped a bombshell that made haerin freeze in her tracks.

“you do realise she probably thinks you don’t like her, right?”

the words were so simple, yet they hit haerin like a tidal wave. she hadn’t even considered that, not once. all this time, she had been giving you space, afraid to overstep, afraid of making you feel suffocated. she hadn’t thought that her silence might be sending the exact wrong message. that you could be sitting there, wondering if haerin had forgotten about you, wondering if maybe the kiss hadn’t meant anything to her at all.

“wait... i never thought of it that way,” haerin murmured, her voice small, barely audible. she stared at the table, her hands suddenly feeling cold. “but... i don’t want to hurt her. i just—i didn’t know what to do.”

hanni and minji exchanged a look, their usual teasing smiles fading into something a little more serious. they could tell haerin was genuinely struggling, and it wasn’t hard to see that both haerin and you were caught in the same cycle of hesitation, unsure how to bridge the gap between them.

“you’ve got to talk to her,” minji said softly, her tone gentler than before. “you both need to figure this out, before it gets worse.”

but haerin just nodded absently, feeling her heart race. talking to you—was she ready for that? could she really break the silence without making things more awkward? all she knew was that, whatever she decided, she couldn’t keep pretending that nothing was wrong.

the café hummed with the quiet chatter of other patrons, the soft clink of cups and the low murmur of background music creating a cozy, familiar atmosphere. you sat at your usual corner table with your friends, a little less talkative than usual, your gaze flickering to the window every now and then. you felt like you were caught between two worlds—one that was more comfortable with your friends, and the other... still lingering with haerin, somewhere in the past.

the silence between sips of coffee felt heavier today, and finally, you broke it.

“i’ve been thinking,” you began, your voice tentative, “about talking to haerin. i mean... maybe i should just reach out, see if we can figure things out.”

the table went still. yunjin was the first to react, setting down her cup with a soft clink. her eyes studied you carefully, concern lining her features. “are you sure you’re ready for that?” she asked gently. “i know things have been a little... tense, and i don’t want you to feel like you have to do this just because it’s been a while.”

you fiddled with the sleeve of your sweater, looking down at the table for a moment before meeting yunjin’s eyes. “i don’t know. i guess it just feels like i can’t keep pretending like everything’s fine. things are... still kind of weird between us. i don’t want to keep carrying it around.”

hyein, who had been quietly watching you, leaned in slightly, her voice laced with a touch of hesitation. “so you’re thinking you’ll talk to her? like... now?”

“not right now,” you said quickly, shaking your head. “i don’t know... but soon, maybe. i just feel like i need to say something. it’s been so weird, and i don’t know how long i can just let it go.”

there was a long pause as yunjin and hyein exchanged looks. yunjin opened her mouth like she was about to say something, but hyein beat her to it, her tone thoughtful. 

“i get it, i do. but... are you sure that’s what you want, y/n? to fix things with her? or are you just trying to get closure so you can move on?”

you paused, your gaze flickering to the window again, unsure of how to answer. “i think... it’s both. i just want to know where we stand. i don’t want to keep carrying this weight if it’s something i can fix.”

danielle, who had been quiet until then, leaned forward, her voice warm but steady. “y/n, if you think talking to her is what you need to do, then i say go for it. i think it’s been a long time coming. you’ve been through a lot, and you’ve been really strong about this. but sometimes, it’s okay to reach out. if you think it’ll help you feel better, then do it.”

you glanced up at danielle, her words ringing in your mind. for a moment, you felt a little lighter, but also a bit unsure. “do you really think it’s okay? like... i don’t want to make things worse, you know?”

“it’s not about making things worse,” danielle said with a gentle smile, her voice soft and understanding. “it’s about giving yourself the chance to find peace. if you’ve been holding onto this for so long, maybe it’s time to finally say what’s been left unsaid. don’t keep letting it weigh you down.”

yunjin nodded slowly, though still cautious. “i get that. just... are you sure that now is the right time?”

“whenever you’re ready, it’ll be the right time,” danielle replied firmly. “there’s no rush, but don’t let fear stop you. if you’re feeling like you need to make the move, then do it. you’ve spent enough time focusing on everything else. maybe now is the time to focus on you—and whatever happens with haerin, it’ll work out as it’s supposed to.”

you sat back in your chair, feeling a little overwhelmed, but in a good way. the weight of the decision felt lighter, but still present. the silence stretched for a beat before you spoke again, this time with a little more certainty in your voice.

“i think... i think i’ll do it. i’ll talk to her. soon.”

there was a quiet moment as yunjin and hyein looked at each other, and then both of them gave small nods, though there was still a hint of hesitation in their eyes. “just make sure you’re really ready,” yunjin said softly. “you’ve been through a lot. don’t do anything unless it’s what you really want.”

you nodded, feeling the weight of your friends' concern but also their support. “i will. i’ll make sure it’s what i need.”

danielle leaned back in her chair, her eyes soft and understanding. “good. you don’t need to rush it. just... take your time, but don’t let this sit in your heart forever. it’s okay to go after what you need, y/n. even if it’s a little scary.”

you smiled, more to yourself than anyone else, the idea of talking to haerin suddenly feeling less daunting. “thanks, dani. i think i needed to hear that.”

“anytime,” danielle replied with a wink. “just... do what feels right for you. and when you’re ready, talk to her. but remember, you’ve got us. you’re not alone in this.”

there was a small pause, and then you sighed, feeling a sense of relief, even though the uncertainty still lingered. “i think... i think i’ll be okay. thanks, guys.”

yunjin smiled softly, squeezing your hand. “of course. we’ve got your back.”

as the conversation turned to lighter topics, you couldn’t help but feel a small sense of peace settle over you. you didn’t know what would come of talking to haerin, but you knew you had the support of your friends, and for now, that was enough. maybe it was time to take that first step, not just toward haerin, but toward something that felt like moving forward.

the school bell rang, the last one of the day. the hallways were crowded with the rush of everyone scrambling to pack up their bags and head home. the air was thick with the sound of shoes clicking against the floor and the bustle of excited chatter as people walked out of the building, eager to escape the day.

haerin stepped outside. the moment she stepped into the open air, she felt it—the rain. not just a drizzle, but a downpour, cold and heavy. she didn’t have an umbrella, and for a split second, she cursed herself for not checking the forecast. as she stood there, watching the rain blur the world around her, the people around her quickly unfurled their umbrellas, shielding themselves from the rain.

she stayed under the cover of the school’s entrance, waiting, hoping the rain would let up soon. but it didn’t. not even slightly. it was one of those rains that made you rethink your choices, and haerin stood there, feeling the frustration build inside her. she was waiting for something, anything, to change the stillness of the moment.

as she watched people bustle by with their umbrellas, her eyes caught a familiar figure. you were walking across the courtyard, your umbrella above you, and as soon as haerin saw you, it felt like a wave of relief washed over her, even though she wasn’t sure why.

you noticed her too, your gaze catching hers as you approached. she didn’t have to wait long before you were standing in front of her, the rain pouring down heavily around you both. you didn’t hesitate, your umbrella now wide open as you moved closer to her. 

"do you not check the weather forecast or something?" you joked, your tone playful, but there was something underneath it. something unspoken.

haerin looked at you for a moment, feeling the weight of your words hang between you. haerin’s expression was soft, the smallest of smiles tugging at her lips. there was a tension, a kind of silent understanding, but neither of you was ready to address it yet. she felt herself pull away slightly, but your offer, your gesture, felt like a chance—a chance to finally talk, to finally clear the air.

“you should’ve brought an umbrella, you know,” you said quietly, the smile on your face slipping into something more serious. “it’s best if we walk and talk, right?”

there it was. the invitation. not just for the walk, but for the conversation that both of you knew was overdue. the sound of the rain was loud around you, but somehow, the silence between you and haerin was louder. you could feel the weight of it, like an invisible wall that neither of you knew how to break. 

haerin didn’t reply right away, but after a second, she stepped forward, gliding beside you as you both walked into the rain. your umbrella hovered between the two of you, keeping you both dry, though you were leaning into each other just a little more than usual, like it was something that needed to happen.

the tension between you two was palpable at first, but it softened as you walked in silence for a while. the raindrops splashed against the pavement beneath your feet, and it felt like the world had quieted down just for the two of you.

as you walked together, the distance between you started to feel less about physical space and more about everything that had been left unsaid. “i guess we really do need to talk,” you said softly, the words finally breaking through the tension.

haerin glanced at you, her gaze unsure but warm. “yeah. we do.” her voice was barely above the sound of the rain, but there was something in the way she said it that made you feel like she meant it. like she was ready.

"i’ve missed this," you said softly, voice just above a whisper. "us. talking. being... together."

haerin glanced at you, her eyes warm but guarded. "me too. but... we’ve been avoiding each other, haven’t we?"

you sighed, your fingers tightening around the handle of the umbrella. “yeah. i’ve been so... confused. i didn’t know what to say. or how to fix things.”

"it’s not about fixing anything, y/n," haerin murmured, her voice just a little strained. “it’s about understanding, about... figuring out why we both acted like this.”

you nodded, feeling a knot in your stomach. "i just... i didn’t want to lose you. but i think i’ve been holding on to all the wrong things. and you probably feel the same."

haerin looked at you then, her gaze soft but steady. she didn’t say anything for a while, and you both walked side by side, each step bringing you closer to something you hadn’t been sure you were ready to face.

as you walked through the rain, the two of you close together under the same umbrella, the weight of everything that had been left unsaid slowly began to lift. there was a soft kind of tension in the air, but also an undeniable sense that things were finally on the verge of changing.

"i don't know what happened between us," haerin murmured after a few minutes, her voice barely audible over the sound of the rain. "but i felt like i had to give you space, y/n. i didn’t want to crowd you, especially after everything that happened. after the festival… i didn’t know how to act."

you nodded, your own thoughts swirling in a mix of confusion and guilt. "i thought… i thought you didn’t want anything to do with me anymore. i didn’t see you at the painting unveiling, and i guess i took it as a sign you were done with me."

haerin’s gaze flickered to you, and you could see the realization hit her. she stopped walking for a moment, looking down at the pavement before glancing back at you, her expression filled with something soft, vulnerable. 

"i wasn't avoiding you, y/n. i just thought… maybe i was overwhelming you. maybe you needed time. but i should’ve known better. i should’ve reached out. i’m sorry."

the words hung in the air between you two, and it felt like an unspoken weight had been lifted. you both stood there, drenched from the rain but finally able to breathe a little easier. 

"i should’ve reached out too," you replied, your voice thick with sincerity. "i didn’t mean to push you away. it’s just… with everything happening around me, i didn’t know how to deal with my own feelings. and the kiss… i couldn’t even explain it."

haerin looked at you, her expression softening even more. "you kissed me. and it wasn’t just a kiss. it felt like something… real. and i didn’t know how to handle that. i guess i was scared too." she sighed, her fingers brushing through her wet hair before she continued. "but i think i understand now. that kiss wasn’t just some impulsive thing. it was you telling me something. telling me you cared. and i guess i needed that more than i realised."

you stopped walking, turning to face her fully, your heart pounding. "is it really so unbelievable that i just... wanted to kiss you?" you asked, suddenly feeling incredibly shy. your face flushed as you looked at her, hoping she didn’t see the nervousness in your eyes.

haerin blinked in surprise before her lips curled into a soft, affectionate smile. her eyes were gentle, as if she understood everything you were trying to convey without you needing to say another word. "no. it’s not unbelievable. i just… i guess i was too caught up in my own fears to see it."

you looked at her, your blush deepening as her gaze softened. "i didn’t know if you felt the same, haerin. i didn’t know if you wanted me to kiss you."

haerin’s eyes softened, a tender smile forming on her lips. "you’ve always been my inspiration," she said quietly. "every time i play, it’s like the piano brings me closer to you. whenever i touch those keys, it’s like your presence is in every note. you inspire me to play more passionately. you’ve been with me in every song, even when you weren’t around. you’re like a fine melody—everyone hears it, but only i get to play it. only i know it."

you stood there, taking in her words. it was the most poetic thing anyone had ever said to you, and it made your heart swell with warmth. "i think it’s a little obvious, but you’re my inspiration too," you admitted shyly, your voice barely a whisper. "everything i do, every painting i make… you’re always in it. and i never wanted to admit it, but the butterflies still don’t go away when i’m around you"

her eyes widened slightly, but the soft, shy smile never left her face. 

"not even in the rain?" she whispered back, her voice filled with something so pure it made your chest ache with affection.

“not even in the rain,” you repeated. you looked at her, completely immersed in her words and presence. the moment felt like a soft, steady rhythm, and everything around you seemed to fade into the background.

"your performance for me," you said quietly, the memory of the intimate moment you shared in the music room coming back to you. "it was… amazing. so personal. it was like you were telling me everything without saying a word. it made me feel seen, haerin."

her cheeks flushed slightly at your words, but she just shook her head, her eyes sparkling with sincerity. "it was only for you. because you’re the only one who truly listens. the piano… it’s my way of showing how i feel, of expressing everything i can’t put into words."

you both stood there for a while, in the rain, just taking it all in. there were no more walls between you two, no more distance. everything felt open, and though the rain soaked you both to the bone, neither of you cared. you had finally reached a place where the silence was no longer uncomfortable. it was peaceful, knowing that you both felt the same way.

"i’m glad we talked," you said softly, smiling shyly at haerin. "i don’t think i could have gone on without knowing where we stood."

haerin smiled back, a tender warmth in her eyes. "me neither. and i’m glad it’s us, y/n. we’ll figure everything out together."

you nodded, feeling more at peace than you had in a long time. "together," you repeated, your voice a little more sure than it had been before.

the rain continued to pour, but you both knew that this moment was the beginning of something beautiful, something real. you walked for what felt like hours, the rain showing no signs of stopping, but you didn’t care. neither of you did. you were too wrapped up in the quiet comfort of each other’s presence, the absence of words speaking more than anything either of you could say.

after a while, you realised that you’d somehow walked all the way back to your place, your house looming in front of you. haerin didn’t seem to realise it either, her attention focused entirely on the conversation and, you imagined, on you.

"i... i guess this is where i live," you said softly, feeling a little silly for stating the obvious.

haerin looked around, surprised. "oh. i didn’t realise we walked this far."

you both reached the front door, seeking shelter from the rain. the downpour was relentless, the sound of it hitting the ground surrounding you both. you hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say next, the atmosphere thick with unspoken feelings.

you couldn’t help but smile back, the tension easing just a little. “you can come in, if you want. i mean, i’m not going anywhere, and... it’s still raining pretty heavily.”

haerin shook her head, offering a small smile in return. "i can’t. i should go home."

"are you sure?" you asked, your heart thudding in your chest. "it’s raining pretty heavily, haerin."

she glanced at the umbrella in your hand, then at you, a small, almost apologetic smile on her lips. "i’ll be fine. but... can i take the umbrella?"

"of course," you said, your voice quiet. "but... stay safe, alright?" you continued, the words coming out before you could stop them. but there was something in your voice, something deeper, that made haerin pause.

she nodded, giving you a soft smile. "thanks, y/n. i’ll be okay."

you stood there, watching as she turned to walk away, your heart suddenly heavy with something you couldn’t quite place. she was walking away, and you were standing there, feeling like something wasn’t quite right.

as she walked away, you stayed rooted in place, watching her disappear into the rain. there was something about this moment, about everything, that made you feel like the distance between you both couldn’t be bridged. your heart suddenly heavy with something you couldn’t quite place. she was walking away, and you were standing there, feeling like something wasn’t quite right. the weight of it all, the way she walked away, the fact that you were still standing there, unsure of what to do next, made you feel lost.

"wait! haerin!" you called out, your voice almost lost to the sound of the rain. 

you quickly stepped out from under the cover, the rain soaking you immediately. your heart was pounding in your chest, a mix of fear and something more intense—something that made you want to chase her down, to stop her before she could disappear completely.

when you reached her, you were breathless, drenched through, but you didn’t care. 

"you’re amazing, haerin," you blurted out, the words tumbling out before you could stop them. "you’re so... real. you don’t let anything get in your way, and i’ve just been... i don’t know, scared,” you said, your voice trembling with a sincerity you couldn’t hide. “i’ve been scared to tell you everything, to tell you how much you mean to me. but i can’t stand this distance anymore. i want to be with you.  i don’t want to lose you. i just—i need you to know how much you mean to me."

haerin was still, her expression softening as she watched you, a flicker of something in her eyes. for a long moment, you both stood there, letting the rain fall around you, feeling the intensity of the moment but not knowing what to do with it.

finally, you spoke again, the words slipping out before you could stop them. "can i kiss you?"

there was no hesitation in haerin’s gaze. she simply nodded, her eyes closing for a brief second, as if to gather herself.

you didn’t wait any longer. in one quick motion, you leaned in, and the kiss was everything. soft and gentle, but there was so much wrapped up in it. everything you hadn’t said. everything you had been too afraid to admit. and in that moment, it felt like the world had stopped spinning. all that mattered was you and her, and the way your heart was finally in sync with hers.

when you pulled away, the silence between you wasn’t awkward. it was calm, full of understanding, of something new beginning. you were both soaked, the cold water soaking through your clothes, but none of it mattered.

“i think i’m going to be okay,” you whispered, your voice barely audible above the rain.

haerin smiled softly, her eyes shining brighter than ever, a warmth that cut through the storm. "me too," she whispered back.

[jihyoruri]

❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ 𓍢 ATTENTION kang haerin x reader

♪ ❝you give me butterflies, you know?.❞ | yn and haerin from bubblegum 🫧

❀ yn finally getting haerin’s attention during how sweet & supernatural era 875k views

➩ INTRO… 📼( yn during debut era)

yn let out a quiet laugh as she flipped through the cue cards in her hands. “which member do you hang out with the most?” she read aloud, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

she looked up at the ceiling in thought, absently adjusting the over the top outfit she’d been styled in for the group’s photoshoot. “hmmm,” she mused, dragging out the sound as a small smile tugged at her lips, “I’ll say hyein. hyein and I hang out alone a lot.”

“but, like, I also hang out with everyone,” she added with a bubbly giggle, her bright energy filling the room. “except for haerin unnie. haerin unnie doesn’t talk to me.” she burst into laughter, her playful comment making the staff in the background chuckle along with her

turning to the camera, she clasped her hands together dramatically. “kang haerin, give me attention,” she pleaded, her tone equal parts playful and exaggerated. without missing a beat, she grinned and broke into song, “you got me looking for attentionnnn,” only to cut herself off with another laugh, unable to keep a straight face.

➩ CLIP #1 PLAYING… 📼

“I’m having so much fun filming today,” yn says to the camera, her eyes shining with excitement as she adjusts the collar of her white button up shirt. “I feel like jumping into the water... but I can’t swim,” she adds with a sheepish laugh.

“we actually finished filming like a three days ago but now we have to retake some stuff.”

leaning in extra close to the camera, she lowers her voice playfully, as if sharing a secret. “all my members like how sweet more, but me? I love bubble gum,” she declares with a cheeky grin before pulling back with a dramatic wink.

“sweet like bubblegum,” yn starts singing, breaking into a playful dance in front of the camera, completely lost in her own world. she doesn’t even notice haerin quietly approaching from behind until she casually links her arm with yn’s mid spin

yn lets out a surprised yelp, whipping around to face haerin, who’s laughing softly at her reaction.

“how did you get here?!” yn exclaims, her eyes wide with mock shock. she turns to the camera, pointing an accusatory finger at haerin. “she’s been popping up on me all day just out of nowhere!”

➩ CLIP #2 PLAYING… 📼

yn stood on the music bank stage, her bright smile shining as she waved enthusiastically at the fans in the crowd. she leaned over slightly, doing her best to engage in small conversations with them despite the noise and chaos of the venue.

completely absorbed in the fans' energy, yn didn’t notice haerin quietly sneaking up beside her.

haerin stood there, staring at yn with a patient yet expectant expression, waiting for her to notice. but yn remained blissfully unaware, too caught up in her interactions.

finally, haerin gave up and tugged lightly on yn’s arm. “oh!” yn exclaimed with a laugh, spinning around. “I didn’t even notice you!”

haerin rolled her eyes, the corners of her lips twitching upward ever so slightly before she turned and walked away to get in her position.

yn quickly trailed after her, calling out her name, while the rest of the members burst into laughter, amused by the duo’s antics.

➩ CLIP #3 PLAYING… 📼

yn and haerin sat side by side, chatting with fans and reading comments during the live. haerin glanced over at yn, who was fiddling with a flower clip in her hair, trying to get it to sit just right.

yn leaned forward slightly, squinting to read a comment aloud. “sawako and kurumi,” she said before gasping and breaking into a giggle.

“what?” haerin asked, tilting her head as she watched yn flash her a bright smile.

“guys, haerin’s never watched kimi ni todoke, so she won’t get it,” yn explained to the live with a teasing tone before turning to haerin. “they’re characters from the show, and fans like to ship them. they’re saying we look like them.”

“ship?” haerin asked, her brows furrowing in confusion as she gave yn a curious look.

yn covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. “it means they want them in a relationship,” she clarified, her words laced with amusement.

haerin’s eyebrows shot up in surprise before she leaned to the side, purposely taking her face out of the camera frame. yn couldn’t help but burst into laughter, leaning toward haerin as if to coax her back into view.

➩ CLIP #4 PLAYING… 📼

the camera captured yn and haerin as they walked out of the venue after the 2ne1 concert, their hands intertwined effortlessly. the two led the way, standing slightly ahead of the other members, who trailed behind at a more slower pace.

yn turned to haerin, leaning in to say something, but her words were drowned out by the commotion of flashing cameras and excited murmurs.

haerin’s expression shifted into a surprised smile, her gaze dropping briefly to their interlocked hands before returning to yn’s face.

suddenly, without a word, yn and haerin broke into a run, their laughter barely audible over the chaos as they made a dash toward the waiting van, their hands still clasped tightly together

while haerin made her way into the van she looked at yn who was still outside the van waving to the camera, she lightly tugged yn’s hand pulling her into the van, while the rest of the members walked towards the van.

as haerin climbed into the van, she glanced back at yn, who had paused to wave enthusiastically at the cameras. with a small, gentle tug on yn’s hand, haerin pulled her into the van, her expression unreadable but soft. moments later, the rest of the members arrived, casually following in behind them.

➩ CLIP #5 PLAYING… 📼

as the girls performed ditto on the tokyo dome stage, haerin’s gaze flickered toward yn, who seemed to be blinking back tears as she sang. the emotional weight of the moment was evident in the way yn’s voice quivered ever so slightly.

without hesitation, haerin reached out with her free hand, her movements subtle, yn noticed and turned to her, confusion flickering across her tearful eyes.

after a moment’s pause, yn hesitantly interlocked her fingers with haerin’s, her lips curving into a small, grateful smile.

haerin, however, kept her gaze steady, focused on the sea of glowing lightsticks that painted the arena in waves of color.

they danced with their hands interlocked, they only let go when the choreography forced them to, but the silent exchange lingered.

➩ CLIP #6 PLAYING… 📼

the girls were filming a variety show segment that involved cooking in teams. yn and haerin had been paired together, much to yn’s excitement and haerin’s quiet amusement.

“haerin, can you hand me the salt?” yn asked as she stirred the pot of soup.

haerin handed her sugar instead, watching silently as yn sprinkled it into the pot.

“wait” yn froze, staring at the container in her hand. “this is sugar!”

haerin let out a small laugh, her eyes crinkling slightly. “you didn’t check?”

“you sabotaged me!” yn cried dramatically, pointing an accusatory spoon at haerin.

the other members burst into laughter as yn huffed, but haerin simply took the spoon from yn’s hand, gently stirring the pot to fix the soup.

“don’t worry, I’ve got this,” haerin said calmly, earning a soft smile from yn as they continued cooking together.

➩ CLIP #7 PLAYING… 📼

during a break in rehearsals, yn sat cross legged on the floor, munching on a snack and scrolling through her phone. haerin walked over, and silently sat down beside her.

“want some?” yn asked, holding out her half eaten snack.

haerin hesitated for a moment before leaning in and taking a big bite. yn watched her with wide eyes before bursting into laughter.

➩ CLIP #8 PLAYING… 📼

while filming for a reality show, the members were asked to write letters to each other and read them aloud. yn, ever the sentimental one, had written a heartfelt letter to haerin.

“to kang haerin unnie,” yn began, her voice soft but laced with humor. “even though you scare me sometimes with how quiet and mysterious you are, I think you’re actually a big softie on the inside.”

haerin chuckled quietly, shaking her head as yn continued.

“thank you for always looking out for me, even when I don’t notice,” yn said, her tone growing more sincere. “you might not say much, but your actions speak louder than words. like when you secretly put a blanket over me when I fall asleep in the van.”

haerin glanced away, clearly a bit flustered, as the other members teased her.

➩ CLIP #8 PLAYING… 📼

yn stood in the kitchen, flipping pancakes. “ I’m making breakfast today… my members always say I’m bad at cooking but good at baking, so let’s see how this goes.” she laughed, tossing a pancake onto the plate.

just then, haerin appeared, looking sleepy. yn grinned and waved her over. “you want some?” she asked, breaking a piece of toast and offering it to haerin.

haerin took the piece, biting into it. “not bad,” she said.

“hey, progress!” yn chuckled.

➩ CLIP #9 PLAYING… 📼

yn and haerin strolled through a chic boutique, yn’s eyes lighting up as she spotted a cute pair of shoes. “oh my god, these are so cute!” she exclaimed, picking them up and holding them to the camera. “I want them…” she pouted playfully, glancing at the camera. “but minji unnie told me I need to take a break from shopping. she says I spend too much.”

haerin raised an eyebrow, looking at yn with a slight grin. “you do love shopping…” she teased, watching yn move to another rack, her excitement never waning.

yn sighed dramatically, her lower lip sticking out. “I can’t help it, everything’s so cute!”

haerin nodded her head reaching for the shoes. “I’ll get them for you,” she said, earring a squeal from yn.

[ryoshiwaah]

˖ ๋࣭݁ ⭑ Astronomy Lessons 🔭๋࣭⭑.

ᯓ🛸Warnings: a swear word, spelling mistakes and nothing else.

ᯓGenre: fluff, strangers to friends to situationship to idk.

ᯓ🔆Pairing: photographer!Minji x fem!reader

ᯓSynopsis: you're Minji's Sun, muse and best work of art.

ᯓStarring: Haerin as Minji's cousin & Hyein as your little sister.

ᯓ🛰️Word count: 2.9k

a/n: a one shot to feed you guys while we wait for my motivation to bring back Holidays, also the story is heavily inspired by 23.5 (watch it bc it's soooooo good and funny and fluffy), enjoyy!

If Minji was asked how much she loved the Sun on a scale of 0 to 10, she’d say 5, 5.5; sure it helped the plants grow, created the perfect light for photos and much more. The big star was fundamental to humans and the solar system, the whole thing was named after it too!

Spending half of her life in a darkroom thanks to her photography passion, Minji became sensitive to the sun’s light – She wore caps every day to cover her eyes, she bought so many that seeing her without one was odd, plus, she made space in her wardrobe just for them.

The photographer turned into some sort of vampire, worrying not only her poor mother but also her friends.

Though, she never got tired of, or annoyed at her Sun, you.

Minji basked into the light you emanated just by standing next to her, a warm feeling spread through her every time you got close enough for your shoulder to touch hers, or when you picked her up with your Vespa.

The scooter had a bright yellow color that reflected your personality perfectly: it was named “Sunny the third”. Lame, yes, but she found it cute.

“The third” part was added because that was your third scooter: you broke the first one by trying to race your dad’s car and ended up crashing into it, earning a 3 months grounding and a broken arm.

Sunny the second tragically died by the hands of a thief who, just like you, was a clumsy mess and crashed into a pole; the guy lit it on fire to hide the evidence but failed and burned his hand instead.

He was caught in the act and sent to jail for a week.

Let’s just say that now you guard your scooter from everyone and anyone, even the smallest insect will be “gently flicked away”.

Still, you didn’t miss the opportunity to help others, picking them up and driving them around. You were a kind soul that she couldn’t help but admire from behind her camera lens.

She noticed the way you went at a slow pace whenever she was with you, remembering the very first time she hopped on: tense, anxious – you name it.

Panicked screams left her lips when you speeded through the traffic, making sure to balance both of your weights.

The entire ride to school was chaos accompanied by laughter, your laughter, since Minji took her time to recover every now and then before starting to scream again until her lungs were empty.

After parking in front of the building, she immediately got off and thanked you way too many times before remembering she hadn’t introduced herself – “I’m Minji by the way, Kim Minji.”

“I never heard of you, new student?” You said after taking off your helmet, a bright smile on your face.

Your face matched your voice, sweet and adorable. Minji felt uneasy at how fast her heart was beating, it was a surprise her soul didn’t start levitating from how gorgeous you looked – gravity seemed to be pulling it down when you poked her cheek.

“Helloooo, Earth to Minji!”

“Uh- Huh? Yes. I’m new here.”

“Cool! My name is Lee Y/n, nice to meet you.”

From then on you noticed Minji being a constant presence in your life, not only in school but even in your own home: her cousin, Haerin, was a good friend of your little sister Hyein so every time they hung out, the photographer ended up tagging along.

Her parents forced her to go out, otherwise she would spend all day studying and taking pictures, which meant she locked herself in her darkroom and avoided social interaction with everyone.

Eventually things got always too girly for her, so you invited her over to your room, making the younger girls wonder what happened behind the four walls.

You spent your time watching Minji’s camera roll, gushing and praising her about the amazing photos she took; she would blush and tell you she wasn’t that good, but not so secretly loved hearing you compliment her.

The way your eyes lit up when she showed you the new photos she took, or how you would beg her to take a picture of you was hilarious.

“Oh pleaseee!” Your whine rang in her ear while she worked on the new composition, adjusting the settings of her camera.

“No, Y/n, my life already revolves much around you, stop asking.”

That made you slap the back of her head, a move that she expected since she mindlessly avoided it.

“That’s not true! We barely see each other anymore…”

“We saw each other yesterday and the day before, and the day before the day befo–”

“Okay! Okay! I get it geez.” You scoffed, bringing your knees over on the table you were sitting on, leaning against the wall behind you.

As Minji took pictures of the various objects scattered on the table, claiming that it was contemporary art, you just looked around the room of the photography club: all the artworks of the members were stuck to the wall, creating a cozy atmosphere.

Haerin’s main topic was cats, of course, your friend’s cousin was obsessed with the felines and took pictures whenever she saw one. But a few of them portrayed a girl with curly hair, smiling brightly at the camera.

Hanni’s side of the wall was funny and covered in polaroids, the dates written in red while the notes were in black, some of them were with loved ones, probably family members, some of herself and others of food.

“She could be an influencer.” You mumbled to yourself, before taking a look at Minji’s corner, skipping the other 3 columns of pictures before her.

You felt like witnessing the whole universe before you. 

There were photos of the moon, stars and constellations; Minji had connected the stars with a light blue pen and wrote the names in the corner. The only thing missing was a picture of the sun.

You knew she didn’t like being exposed to it, she had glasses because her eyes couldn’t adjust well to the light, so you guessed that was the reason why she didn’t have a photo of it.

Speaking of sunlight, the right side of your face started to feel hotter due to the light coming from the window. You closed your eyes, enjoying the warm feeling of the rays on your skin.

‘Click’

The familiar sound made you turn to Minji who was pointing the camera towards you, a faint smile making its way to her lips; you saw that expression tons of times, it was the same face she made after taking a good picture. The satisfaction etched in her eyes.

An inaudible gasp left your lips after realizing what happened: after months of begging, Minji finally took a picture of you with her camera, not her phone, her beloved camera!

You looked at the photographer with wide eyes, not knowing if you were dreaming or not.

“Minji?” You asked incredulously, as if she had grown a second head, your body shifting so it leaned closer to hers. Your faces were inches away, noses almost touching.

“Did you really just take a picture of me??”

“No.”

And then she turned back, working on her previous task.

“No? I heard the cick and you were pointing your camera at me.”

“Nope, I think being exposed to the sun kills your brain cells.”

“Wha–”

“Here.”

She interrupted you by sticking her cap on top of your head, changing the size from behind since your head was smaller than hers.

“There there…” She smiled, her dimples showing, as she patted your head. “You should be okay now.”

An exasperated sigh left your lips before you slumped back against the wall, now letting your legs loosely swing from on top of the table. You were rethinking the interaction because where on Earth did that make sense?!

Luckily for Minji, you forgot about the picture the next hour and were too bored to do anything at all, just wanting your friend to clock out from the club.

An hour later you two were out, your body feeling heavy from the sleepiness. “Note to self, never accompany Minji for club activities ever again.”

“Are you sure you can drive?”

Minji’s husky voice snapped you out of your daze. Already knowing where this was going, you reached into your pockets and tossed the taller girl your keys. She caught them with a fond smile before picking you up and sitting you on the scooter.

“I could have climbed it up myself, you know?”

Oh, how that sleepy voice made Minji feel all fuzzy and glad she was alive to hear it, a small thought made its way through her mind: what if one day she would be able to hear it every morning when she woke up… that’d be perfect.

She started humming happily while switching the cap she gave you with the helmet, securing it so it wouldn’t fall off.

“Happy?”

“Hmhm.”

“What made you happy?”

“A sleepy girl that I’m driving home.”

She said casually before thrusting forward and turning on the bike, taking off and heading to your house.

Your arms were secured around her waist and your head was resting on her back; it didn’t take long before you fell asleep, holding tighter on your gir– friend. On your friend.

“Saturn is Haerin’s favorite, I think it’s a basic answer.”

“And why’s that, my dear astronomer?”

It was a Friday night, Minji just crashed at your house like usual and you were discussing planets after staring at your ceiling for too long. It had the planets and some stars scattered around so the conversation started naturally.

“Nowadays Saturn is so mainstream, ugh, people like it for its aesthetic.”

“You’re too harsh, Y/n.”

“What? It’s your favourite planet too?”

Minji scoffed, gently pushing you away from her but you rolled towards her body, making sure that the side of your heads were touching.

“I’ll let you know that I don’t have a favourite planet… They’re just balls in space.”

“It’s like saying that your photos are just colored pieces of paper.”

Your hand wrapped around her wrist, making sure her finger was pointing up at the ceiling, towards Venus. 

“That’s Venus, Taurus’ ruling planet.” then you pointed to another one, making Minji shriek from the suddenness of the movement. “And that’s Mars, Scorpio’s ruling planet.”

You let her arm go, as it rests on the ground again. She’s silent for a few seconds, thinking of what your words meant. You talked about you two’s zodiac signs, there must be a reason.

“Uh… thank you for letting me know?”

You turned your head towards Minji, raising an eyebrow. Why was she acting like she didn’t know about the planets? Her photos were all about astronomy and space.

Plus, you didn’t spend the entire month trying to get all the names right just for her to be unaware of what you were talking about.

“You don’t get it?”

“I fear I don’t, sorry.” The look on her face turned into a sad one when she saw the hope slowly fading from your eyes, but then, a wholehearted laugh left her speechless.

All you could do was exactly that, laugh and slowly roll on the carpet as the realization hit you: all those hours studying to impress Minji were for nothing, because, apparently, the photographer barely knew what zodiac signs and ruling planets were.

“Your photos…” You began as the giggles began to quiet down, leaving you breathless and Minji scared she might have just watched you have a manic episode over heavens knows what.

“Moon phases, the constellations, the stars. I thought you knew all about astronomy.”

Then it hit Minji, it was like a lightbulb turned on in her peanut brain; she sat up and looked down at you.

“Don’t tell me you know all of this because you were trying to impress me.” 

She used the same tone a parent would use when scolding their kid, but decorated with a hint of amusement. Minji was incapable of imagining someone putting so much effort for her, but knowing that you, out of all people, did that, made her whole day and probably year.

In response you remained glued to the wooden ground, staring at the planets on your ceiling, hoping they could tell you what to do, now that your information was useless for the both of you.

“I learned all that for nothing!” You whined, your feet kicking the ground while you threw your little tantrum.

At first Minji chuckled, but then she thought about it and shook your shoulder, making you glare at her. 

“Teach me the secrets of astronomy, I want to understand, no matter how long it takes.”

The astronomy lessons went on for weeks. Even if they were only an excuse to spend more time together, Minji started learning for real, surprising you: not only she was a fast learner, but she was actually interested in the topic.

It was regenerating talking to someone who was so willing to listen, that’s why you never lost a chance to mention even the smallest detail.

You spent so much time together that Minji started to call you her Sun, while only in your mind you thought of her as your Moon; you’d stare at her hoping she would catch you and call you out on it, but instead, your best friend was always focused on the teacher.

Or, in general, something else that wasn’t you.

The probability that you and Minji weren’t aligned anymore made you doubt your own feelings towards her – You noticed it on a wednesday, while eyeing the lunch lady give out food to your sister and Haerin, the cat-like girl talked about her cousin’s birthday coming up.

Your train of thought drifted from the kimbap you were going to ask for, to the photographer, way too quickly.

“3 Kim Minji please…”

The lunch lady raised an eyebrow, already fed up with you. “You mean kimbap.”

“That’s what I said…”

With a roll of her eyes she almost tossed at you your 3 miserable kimbap and called for the next one in line. Confused but not in the mood to deal with old women, you decided to just walk away, food in your hands.

“You said my name, moron.”

The familiar voice startled you, almost making the rice rolls fall from your grip, but you weren’t so careless with food, thankfully.

“Did I– Oh shit, I did.” You blushed after recollecting yourself and your train of thoughts.

“You think about me so much it messes up your social interactions, what a loser.” 

“I overheard your cousin talking about your upcoming birthday and you popped in my mind, miss stubborn.”

“All excuses!” She grinned smugly, now getting in front of you. How she got so dangerously close you didn’t know, but damn she looked good: her hair was put up in a messy bun, while she had a jacket over her school uniform.

Her face was naturally beautiful, but what attracted your eyes were her plump lips.

Before you knew it, she pecked your forehead, stole the kimbap you started eating and ran away, leaving you in the middle of the canteen – a blushing, gay panicking mess, standing there with food in her hands.

The more time passed, the more you started to doubt your knowledge. It seemed like the Sun’s orbit changed, making it move around the now static Moon.

Your infatuation became stronger every day, and you couldn’t deny that Minji felt the same too. But when was she going to make a move, or maybe, when were you going to do something about the growing tension?

Haerin was tired of hearing her cousin ramble for hours about you, she swore Minji said your name so many times that she lost count, even of how many times she spaced out.

Things got worse when you bought the photographer a new camera for her birthday, making her promise to take more photos of you. And she did, of course she did.

If months before you had to beg her on your knees to even turn her camera towards you, now it was the complete opposite; it seemed like she had no other subject to snap photos of than you.

Of course, you thought she was just sticking to her word, her promise, but deep inside you were aware that Minji’s behaviour shifted since her birthday. None of them had the guts to confront one another, so the situation remained…questionable.

To her though, you’d become more than a simple Sun; you were art, her constant inspiration and muse, the deep feelings she nurtured for you could be seen in her photos and the dedication she put in them. 

She spent hours editing out and in anything that could make you the center of the picture, even if that meant learning how to use photoshop, she’d do it for you.

The only person that didn’t notice all of that was the protagonist of the works, you.

Only the ones stopping by for a visit could notice that Minji’s corner changed completely, displaying only certain photos, that of course were space related, carefully arranged around the best snaps she took of Y/n.

A detail, one that could blow up Minji’s aloof and careless facade, exposing her feelings to the world, was the little sentence written at the corner of the photo at the very center.

“My Sun”

Once again, the photographer found herself reconsidering her opinion about the protagonist of the solar system, seeing her reflection into the picture of the Moon that just like Earth, found herself orbiting around the Sun.

🗂️ NJZ masterlist

[7ndipity]

Baby Steps

Yoongi x Reader

Summary: Just a soft lil blurb about Yoongi and the reader sending their child off to their first day of kindergarten/preschool

Warnings: reader is referred to as mom in Korean, not proofread

A/N: Thanks to @vicky-chaos for this request. I added your other idea about the nicknames into this one bc I thought they were cute together, I hope that’s okay!

Masterlist

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

“Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?”

I’m sure, Yoongi.”

“But what if it’s too soon?”

“It’s not.”

“But what if-”

“Yoongi!” You laughed. “She’ll be okay, it’s just preschool, she’ll be back home in just a few hours.”

You knew whenever Yoongi started rambling like this, it was because he was nervous.

Yoongi was always typically the voice of calmness and stability in your relationship, helping keep your own worries and fears reigned in. But he was human just the same as you, and that meant sometimes his nerves and anxieties started to get the better of him.

That tended to happen the most where your daughter was involved.

Yoongi was the most dedicated dad to your daughter, Hyein. From the moment she was born, she’d had him wrapped around her finger, doing everything he could to give her the best of everything. Anytime she cried, he was immediately by her side. When she had to have her first shots, he ended up crying more than she did, though he denied it afterwards.

Now, as he held the four year olds tiny hand as she toddled up the steps of the school building, you could see that same concerned glint in his eye.

“Are you excited to meet your new teacher?” You asked Hyein, trying to brighten the mood.

“Mhm!” She nodded, hopping up the last two steps, her backpack, which was almost bigger than her, bounced about and caught the light, reflecting the sequins that spelled out her name. It’d been a gift from her Uncle Hoseok, claiming she needed a statement piece for her school looks.

“It’s okay if you’re nervous though, baby.” Yoongi said, fixing one of her sleeves.

“I’m not nervous! I’m gonna play with Jaehyuk and Jihyo!” She replied excitedly, referring to Jin’s twin boys who were her best friends and also in her class.

“See, she’s such a brave girl.” You grinned, kneeling down to smooth her hair a bit. “Can you tell daddy that it’ll be okay?”

“Appa, don’t worry!” She cried, hugging onto his leg. “It’ll be okay!”

He chuckled. “I know, baby, you’re right.”

The last of the students were beginning to file through the doors and being guided along by the teacher’s aids to their proper rooms, giving the three of you the que that the time had come.

“Okay, Sweetie, you better go.” You said, nudging her forward. “Have fun!”

“Okay! Bye Eomma, Bye Appa!” She called, running off to join the other kids.

You watched her bound through the door and out of sight, feeling a sharp pang of pride in your chest as you watched your little girl walk away so confidently. You really admired her total lack of fear or nervousness, something you hoped she kept with her into adulthood.

You glanced over at Yoongi, noting how his eyes were lightly misted over, making your heart twist all over again, this time in sympathy.

“Come on, Ajusshi, let’s go.” You teased him quietly, intertwining your hand with his and turning back towards the car.

He let out an annoyed huff at your choice of nickname. “Hey, you’re not that much younger than me. If I’m an Ajusshi, that means you’re an Ajumma.”

“Fine with me.” You agreed easily, not quite in the mood to properly tease him.

“She’ll be back in a few hours.” He echoed your earlier words, noticing your own growing silence.

‘Yep.” You nodded.

“I still can’t believe she’s old enough for preschool.” He mused, tracing your hand as you sat together quietly in the car. “It seems like yesterday she was learning to walk.”

“I know.” You agreed.

“Next she’ll be going to grade school next, and then high school, and then college-”

“Okay, take it easy there, you’re starting to sound like an actual Ajusshi.” You laughed, poking him in the side. “Let’s just deal with one phase at a time, yeah? Baby steps.”

He nodded slowly. “Baby steps.”

“We got this.” You gave his hand a light squeeze, earning a small grin from him at last.

“Yeah, we do.” He smiled up at you. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet, you’ll have to do this same speech for me in a bit when we get home when I start really missing her.”

“I’ll try to remember all the key points.” He chuckled, starting the car.

Taglist: @sopebubbles-replies @btsw1fe @this-must-be-my-tardis @whitefoxgirl @bethanysnow @coffeedepressionsoup @main-bangtansmauyeondan @feminympho @a-gayish-unicorn @dfqcsqueen @mother2monsters @comingupwithacoolnameishard @universal-travel-er @bo0o0o0ooo @captainorangegoose @k4ngelz

[httpsryu]

muse? pt. 3

pairing: kang haerin x fem newjeans!reader

summary: getting a new member way long after debut and before a comeback isn't really the best idea to haerin

category: enemies-to-lovers (?), kpop idol au

genre: slow burn, angst, and fluff

warnings: a bit frustrating and A LOT of jealousy

a/n: i appreciate all the love muse has gotten so far! tysm everyone :) pt.1 and pt.2 of muse

The second the leader entered the dorm with the rest of the girls behind her, she feels a sense of energy being off at the sight of seeing you sitting on the couch in the living room.

"Is Haerin not keeping you company?" Minji asks, setting down the food and cake on the countertop.

You look up from your phone, startled while wondering what time the others have gotten back. You let out a half smile, shaking your head.

"She did keep me company." You lie.

Great; the first day and you're already lying for the sake of someone who probably and surely doesn't even like you.

"I'll go call her to help set up." Danielle announces with a gentle smile, rushing towards the end of the hall where Haerin's and your room sat.

Minji hums with a nod, looking over at you with concern. She's worried that you're regretting the decision to come over here from SM.

"Y/N! Which hat do you like on me?" Hanni breaks the weird atmosphere, holding up a princess crown and a bear headband with a bright smile, scrunching her nose.

You let out a small giggle at how adorable your member is. Getting up from the couch, you walk to where Hanni is and tilts your head while thinking. Eyes constantly darting back and fourth between the two options before catching the other choices in the bag next to Hanni.

"You're so cute, Y/N!" Hanni scrunches her nose at how cute you look trying to concentrate.

"I think this one seems to match you well." You reach for the bunny ears in the bag, holding it up next to the Vietnamese with a content smile at how well it resembled her.

Hanni smiles, showing her gums as she grabbed it. "If Y/N says it matches me, I'll wear it."

"Minji unnie matches this bear headband." You speak with a small smile, handing it to the oldest who is checking off a few things to make the best welcome party.

The leader feels her ears flushed from you calling her 'unnie', grabbing the headband from you and clearing her throat afterwards. "Thank you, Y/N."

"Oh get up woman!" Hyein exclaims, making Minji choke back on her saliva before turning over to you. "Unnie, pick one out for me too!"

Strange.

You turn to the youngest, letting out a hum as you take a look at the remaining options. Before you could make a choice, Danielle emerges out from the hallway while dragging a lifeless Haerin along with her.

"Did we miss anything?" Danielle asks, noticing how Minji and Hanni have headbands on and seeing you look so cute focusing on what to pick for Hyein.

Hanni can only giggle in response. "My Y/N picked out my headband for me."

Haerin snaps her head at the 'my'.

MY?

The youngest excitedly nods. "And you should've seen how red Mi-"

"-Hyein-ah?" Minji glares, having the youngest exert a low pout on her lips.

The other Australian releases her grip from Haerin before prancing over to you too. "Omg!!! Could you pick one out for me too?"

The cat-eyed female could once again scoff and roll her eyes at how her members are acting right now.

What a joke, really.

The feline-like female can only watch with a bitter taste in her mouth as the other girls are fighting for your attention on helping them choose out a stupid accessory (besides minji who's still a bit flustered and taken aback from you calling her 'unnie').

"Let's start making the desserts and prepare the food!" Danielle suggests, having the others nod in agreement after all of them got assigned a headband from you. "That way, when we're finished eating, we can all have a sweet treat!"

Hanni gently held both of your shoulders from behind, motioning you to sit comfortably at the couch while promising that she'll make something delicious for you.

"Haerin, will you keep Y/N company?" Minji sternly commends.

The introvert could only hum with a small nod. What other option does she have?

Apparently, the cat-eyed female who thought others having you pick out a stupid accessory all of a sudden had a change of heart because she's already making her way to where the bag of party favors all sit in. She quickly turns around to take a peek at you, noticing that you, the person that they're throwing the party for doesn't have an accessory.

Looking down at a few options, the cat-eyed female grabs one.

"It matches you."

You blink a few times at the sight in front of you. Blankly looking at the hand, which is handing you a princess tiara.

Are you hearing her correctly? What happened to the Haerin earlier?

"Are you going to take it or just sit and stare at it?" The female who is barely older than you monotonously asks.

Fighting the urge to roll your eyes all the way to the back of your head, you grab it from her. Getting startled at the touch both yours and hers fingers had. Coughing to get rid of the weird air, you put on the tiara.

"Oh-you have some hair-"

"-Where? Here?"

"-No, a little more to your left-no, it's-I got it." The other leans down to fix the piece of hair standing out from you and putting it behind your ear. She stares at you afterwards, you and her make eye contact prompting her to back away.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she motions over to the bag of party favors. "You're not going to pick one out for me?"

"Huh? Oh, I can if you want me to."

From afar, Hyein is trying her best to hold back Hanni from barging over. "Do something! She's trying to make moves on my Y/N!"

"Haerin does like pretty girls." Danielle could only say, laughing at how Hanni is overreacting.

Haerin awkwardly sits away from you on the other side of the couch, a space evident between you two.

Her hands are laying on her lap as she attempts to concentrate on the screen in front of the both of you. She still can't believe you're 100% on board with debuting as a member of NewJeans.

What could this mean for her though? Could there be possibly a concept change last minute for the comeback all because of a newcomer? How will this affect NewJeans positively? When will ADOR announce to Bunnies that they're debuting a new sixth member after releasing countless of hits.

Haerin can admit you're pretty, yes. She's certainly not blind. However, everything just feels like an irrational choice. She's not happy with Min Hee Jin's decisions this time.

She wants to ask you why you chose to be apart of a rash choice.

"Y/N unnie!" Hyein runs out from the kitchen, scurrying over to sit right next to you, leading you to sit a bit closer to Haerin. "I think you're really cool."

The feline-like female furrows her eyebrows, wondering why the other girls are perfectly fine with this. She furrows her brows even more when seeing your eyes crinkle brightly, a perfect smile that could make anyone caught in your charms.

"Oh, Hyeinnie, I think you're more cooler than me." You gently say back to her.

The big baby shakes her head. "Min Hee Jin told us earlier that you've been a trainee since you were 6, is that true?"

6? Haerin can feel how tense you've gotten at the subject.

"Haha. I was casted at 5 and was wary about the idea. But they kept casting me til I finally gave in." You managed to say without sounding too exhausted about your now previous company, the place you grew up to as home.

Hyein nods, interested in your early life. "I see. I can understand why they kept casting you, you look like a star, Y/N unnie."

Oh please. Haerin wants to snort at the nonsense. A star can dance to a whole choreography without messing up every damn 5 seconds.

"Say that for today." Haerin mumbles under her breath lowly, enough for only her to hear.

"Hyein-ah! Quit bothering Y/N and help us set up the table for dinner!" Hanni yells from the kitchen, resulting in the giant baby to groan loudly in agony before getting up from where she sat.

Haerin laughs at Hyein's antics, shaking her head at the oldest's scolding.

You smile a bit at the feline-like female's laughter. Ever since you've gotten here this morning, it seems like Haerin has been in a weird mood and just doesn't like to smile. At least around you, that is.

"She's cute when she smiles." You "think" to yourself, returning back at the screen.

The female besides you quickly turns to look at you, meeting with your side profile instead.

Did you mean to say that out loud?

Haerin feels the back of her neck burning up at those words, she gulps not wanting to take any meaning into it before slightly shaking her head and going back to look at the same screen you were looking at.

Haerin isn't like the other girls; she won't let a pretty girl get to her like that. She's standing her ground on why you being apart of this team is such a bad idea.

Right? RIGHT!

Just in time, the other members finally got done preparing the food.

"Alright! Time to eat!" Danielle loudly exclaims, walking in carefully with a big pot of wonton soup (the other girls totally didn't search up your favorite foods) for this party.

You immediately stand up from your spot, wanting to rush over to help the Australian.

"Oh no! Sit down Y/N, you're our special princess." Danielle brightly smiles, setting down the pot on a thick coaster. "Rin, could you help Hanni out back in the kitchen?"

Haerin tenses, looking at her best friend with a bothered expression at the idea of having to do stuff FOR you. Prompting the Australian to mouth the word 'please' with her adorable puppy eyes, leaving Haerin to sigh and get off from her seat.

"Y/N-ah! You look so pretty with this crown." Danielle turns her eyes back to you, looking at you with immediate affection.

You smile back at the other, eye-smile crinkling. "Thanks, Jihye unnie."

The older can't help but to gasp again at you calling her 'unnie' with that cute eye-smile. Oh, how she understands what Hanni is talking about now. (you're very real).

"Hey! Bro! Bro! Back off my Y/N!" Hanni glares at her fellow Australian mate, with Haerin clenching her hands tightly around the soda bottles at the word 'my'. "I wont hesitate to throw these cups at you!"

The 05' just purses her lips while shaking her head, grabbing the cups from Hanni.

"Bro, I can hear your voice from the kitchen." Minji tiredly says, emerging out from the kitchen with another big pot of spicy rice cakes and Hyein accompanying her with bowls and plates. "Tone it down a notch before you scare our new member away."

New member. That word makes you happy.

On the other hand, the irritation that Haerin always keeps feeling is creeping at her head.

New member. Oh, how she wishes it wasn't true.

Seeing your new team all enjoy their food, you can't help but to smile gently at them all (not haerin though, she made you mad by not handing you a pair of chopsticks even though you asked).

"You know how we planned to eat desserts after?" Hanni yawns, stretching out her arms. "I'm too full and tired to."

The others nod in agreement.

"Okay. Let's pack them and take them with us to our schedule tomorrow." Minji suggests, darting her eyes between Haerin and you.

The Vietnamese knows the tricks up her friend's sleeves. "Last one to touch their nose has to clean up these dishes and pack the cookies away!"

Everyone INSTANTLY touch their noses, you and Hanni both being the last ones.

"Ahh~ I get to be with my Y/N!" Hanni jumps up in excitement, knowing she lost on purpose (she couldn't help herself)

There it goes again; the way Haerin's jaw clenches at 'my Y/N'.

And for some strange reason, she hates to be around you, yet alone stand near you. And yet, she likes to be near you. Like now, while the others fought over who got to sit next to you during dinner, the cat eyed female silently walks over to you, taking the spot everyone seems to only care about.

But it doesn't make any sense for Haerin and what she's about to do.

"I'll help Y/N clean and put away the cookies." She monotonously says. "After all, she is my roommate."

Minji pleasantly smiles at the feline-resmebling female, nodding. "Great, that works out then."

"Wait! No!" Hanni argues, standing up from the ground with her hands in fists. "I lost though?"

Hyein yawns, stretching out her arms. "Just let Haerin do it, it makes sense anyways. Aren't you tired anyways?"

"Yeah. Bro." Minji teases, sticking out her tongue at the younger.

Hanni dramatically "fumes", her nostrils flaring in anger. "Dani, hold me back before I do something regretful."

"Let's start cleaning up before something breaks like last time." Haerin gets up, collecting the pile of plates.

You blink, processing what your member just said. Break? Last time?

"We don't have all night." The other said from where she's standing, peering behind her shoulder to look back at you with an annoyed expression.

You can't help but to silently sigh, grabbing the rest of the plates and cups and shortly following the cat eyed girl into the kitchen.

"Just leave them on the counter." Haerin shortly says, turning the sink on.

You shake your head. "We're supposed to be working together?"

"Y/N! Haerin! We're going to get ready for bed now." Hanni yells from the other room.

"Don't forget! We have to wake up at 5 today for the reshoot!" Minji also yells.

Getting up at 5AM to do a reshoot on the concept photos rubbed Haerin in the wrong way. Why does she have to suffer her precious sleep for a stranger?

You notice how loud Haerin has gotten when it comes to the dishes all floating in the sink, causing all sorts of clatters and ruckus.

"Everything okay over there?" You ask, coming over to help her with drying the dishes.

Haerin tenses up, feeling anger creep up her neck. "Just back off, okay? I got this."

"I just wanted to help you?"

The feline-like female scoffs, inhaling and exhaling deeply. "I don't need your help."

"What's your problem?" You fume, looking at the plate in the other's hand.

Haerin shrugs, rinsing off the plate and placing it aside for her to dry later with a wipe cloth.

"Oh. I get it. You're still mad that I messed up during today's practice."

Haerin rolls her eyes, knowing you at least got one thing right today and it was the fact that yes, you did mess up and yes, Haerin did get upset about it. She is not going to sit here and watch you jeopardize her career that she's worked so HARD for. No, Haerin was not going to let that happen.

"Pack the cookies up." She unemotionally says, continuing to rinse the remaining plates trying to not let her anger take the best of her.

Not wanting to pick a fight, you obliged and went over to where the tray of cookies sat on the kitchen's island. Opening the container sitting besides them, you placed the heart-shaped cookies into it with a soft smile at how thankful you are for the members.

"Try not to screw it up for the rest of us during the reshoot, yeah?" Haerin dries the last plate up and places them in the cabinet. "I'm getting ready for bed, close the lights out after."

What the hell was that about?

Most importantly, what the fuck is up Haerin's ass for her to be so mean and rude all the time.

"I should've never left SM..." You couldn't help but to quietly mumble under your breath, regrets are finally sinking in to you.

"I wonder how Y/N unnie is going to look in the outfits." Hyein jumps up in excitement upon arriving to yours, Minji's and Danielle's dressing room.

Hanni nods in agreement. "I still can't believe they put me with you two and not them."

"Excuse me?" The youngest whips her head in instant speed, looking offended. "It's bad enough I have to share a room with you, you think I want to paired up with you, Hanni unnie?"

Haerin sighs, knocking on the door of the dressing room.

"Coming!" Danielle says from the other side, opening the door slightly and letting out a cute noise before widening the door to let her members in. "You guys look so good!"

Haerin smiles softly in response, linking her arm with Australian.

"Where's my Y/Nnnie?" Hanni walks in, scanning the room before taking a seat down on the couch.

Not that word again.

"She left real quick to get a drink with Minji unnie." Danielle replies, dragging Haerin with her to sit down on the couch in the dressing room. "But omg guys! She looks super pretty. Like she was already pretty when she first arrived, right? But after her hair got done, her makeup and her fit of clothing, AHH she looks amazing!"

The Vietnamese smirks, looking at the other Aussie. "Sounds like Jihye has a crush?"

"What? No." Danielle flat out denies.

However, Haerin stares at her best friend, confused as to why her face is suddenly all flushed bright pink.

"You sure?" Hyein asks, wondering about the actual truth. "Because if you do, you have two other girls fighting for her attention."

Danielle gasps, covering her mouth. "Omg, whoo?"

"Me!" Hanni retorts, rolling her eyes.

"And Minji unnie."

Haerin cannot believe it. She really absolutely can't.

'What are they on about?' Haerin cannot help but to think to herself.

"Whether you guys have a crush or not, we're a team so nothing is going to happen anyways." Haerin breaks the slight argue, unlocking her phone to interact with 'Bunnies'.

"Okay, whatever." Hanni replies, rolling her eyes again at the younger's 'nerd' talk.

A knock on the door leads the other four girls startled, wondering who it is.

"Hey Dani, we're back." Minji announces from outside.

Danielle quickly fixes her hair, releasing her arm from her best friend's, she gets up with a slight prance. Clearing her throat before opening the door.

"You guys took so long, I was starting to miss you." She frowns with a pout, earning a small giggle from you.

Haerin turns her head at the sound from you, she feels like she suddenly can't breathe at your appearance.

Dani was right.

"Y/N unnie! You look so pretty!" Hyein jumps up, darting towards you, Minji and Danielle.

Seeing Hyein, you smile and wave at her. Darting your eyes to the other two members sitting on the couch, Hanni waves back with a wink while Haerin stares at you before looking back down at her phone.

You conclude that the member is an iPad baby.

"Y/N, this bow matches you so well!" Danielle said, for what seems like the 6th time today.

She tries to look occupied with her phone but her eyes are constantly staring down at the way Minji's arms is linked with yours and how Danielle is fixing the cute bow in your hair.

"Are you excited for the concept photos, unnie?" Hyein asks, leaving you wide-eyes at the sudden question.

You start to walk, to take a seat and everyone follows you, wanting to know your answer. Most importantly, they want to know how you feel about being apart of the team, on the second day.

Something naturally must be pulling you close to Haerin, because somehow, sitting besides her just feels right, even if the both of you haven't come to terms yet with one another.

Haerin feels her body tense at the scent coming from you; she was always weak for pretty girls who smell good. God, the universe is starting to curse her, this has to be karma, right?

The cat-eyed female doesn't know if it's because of the way your hair is beautifully styled in waves; kind of similar to Minji's hair, or if it's because your eye makeup seems to accentuate your already natural features or if it could be the cute elf ears added to you for the concept. Something about you makes Haerin have a weird burning and itchy sensation in the back of her throat and it pisses her off.

"I am excited." You can't help but to feel grateful for how welcoming everyone, well mostly, are to you. "You all have been so welcoming, it feels like I've been here since day one, thank you all."

The Wasian female giggles, screaming as she squeezes your cheeks. "AHH, Y/N, you are SOO CUTE!"

"After we do solo shoots and group shots, we'll be in pairs." Minji announces, taking the piece of paper she was handed earlier in the morning from her coat pocket.

Her eyes read the pairs, a small little smirk is tugging on her lips. "Hanni and Jihye are paired up, Y/N and Haerin are paired up, and Hyeinnie and I are paired up."

The Aussie line sighs, relieved that they're partners but upset at how Haerin manages to be SO lucky to get paired up with you.

Haerin cannot help but to feel sort of smug and nervous irritated knowing that she's yet paired up with you again.

Everyone watches you as you pose in the water, holding a white rose in your mouth as you look over at the camera with a specific look in your eyes.

"She's a natural.." Minji couldn't take her eyes off of you and at how you being in front of the camera looks like such an every day thing to you.

Haerin understands now. She understands why SM kept casting you; you do have that star quality in you, you were born to be an idol. She gets it.

Just how much did Min Hee Jin went through lengths to snatch you from the basements of SM.

"You two are definitely going to kill this couple shoot." Danielle encourages her best friend, with a small 'fighting' symbol made with her fist. "I'm positive you two will lead one another well during the shoots."

Couple shoot?

"Good! Y/N-shi, each photo is coming out very well!" The photographer praises you, making you feel red about it which earns an orchestra of 'awes' from your members.

Even Haerin couldn't help but to let out a small smile at it.

Wait, what? Did Haerin just smile at you?

Why does the smile from her face makes you feel even more shy?

"She's all red from the water but somehow it makes the shots look even better." The director says to his assistant, who agrees with a fast nod. "Fans will love her, for sure."

Is he right? Would 'Bunnies' love you?

"Okay Y/N-shi, you're all set!" The upperman in the industry says with a proud smile, looking at you like you're his own daughter. "After Danielle-shi and Hanni-shi, we'll get your shoots with Haerin-shi."

Haerin feels her breath hitch at the thought of doing a couple shoot with you.

"Haerin-ah, go over to the dressing room with the stylists to get prepared." Minji places her hand on the feline female, indicating her to follow the two hair and makeup stylists. "Y/N will be with you shortly."

The younger nods with a half-smile, peering over to where the stylists wait for you and her. She gives another smile to the oldest member before walking off to the pretty unnies, hehe.

"Thank you! You've all worked hard." You bow to the staff and director, getting out of the water as you quickly scurry over to where your members were standing.

"Y/N! You did so good out there, oh my god!" Hanni wraps a towel around you to stop you from shivering.

Minji agrees, nodding continuously with a pretty smile. "You were really pretty, Y/N."

"You really know how to set a mood for the pictures." Danielle can't help but to compliment you, making sure her eyes meet yours.

Hyein jumps up and tackles you. "Unnie, you did amazing!"

"Hyeinnie, you're going to get wet!" You warn the girl with concern, but ultimately, you still hugged her back.

"Haerin already went over with her stylists to the dressing room to start getting ready for the pairing shoot." Minji informs you. "Just follow with your stylists and you'll meet with Haerin."

You hold the towel around your shoulders, nodding at the oldest's words. "Thank you, Minji unnie."

The leader widens her eyes again at 'unnie', but she manages to calm herself down, ignoring the way her ears are burning up. "Of course, Y/N."

The youngest snorts at the oldest, earning a small smack on the back from Minji. "OW!"

january 27, 2024; publishing date

Pt. 3 IS UP! thank you all for the love and support on muse, it's making me happy and excited to keep writing the mini series :) i'm SOOO SORRY for how late it is; been kind of going through it 😭😭

taglist: @ilovekimminji , @justme-idle , @kyuusberry , @masuowo , @iraa567 , @shycreationdreamland , @idunnofr , @imahybridicannotbekilled , @twicesserafim, @awkwardtoafault

[swandivers]

with @lovesholics! seoul museum of art, shin meekyung's celestial whisper exhibit.

jihan does not have the best relationship with faith.

he’s not a non-believer—he’s been in far too desperate of situations to be—but he doesn’t like to admit that he believes in something, someone. it makes him feel a bit pathetic. besides, it’s not like he lives to honor a god; he really only practices when things become overly bleak, and even then he keeps it to himself.

still, the religious theme of the pop-up exhibit affects him more than he had expected it to when he had extended an invitation to hyein. but that’s always how these things go for him anyway. one second, a sculpture is nothing; the next, it’s everything. he stands beside her now with his hands in the pockets of his slacks, doing his best to exude an aura of nonchalance. the smell of soap is overpowering—all the sculptures in the exhibit are carved out of it—but he finds that it only adds to the experience. clean, strange, off-putting. there’s a lot to think about.

he turns his head to look at hyein. he's smiling, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes and the effort of it all is tucked behind his mask, so the intention is lost. "god, i bet it took forever to carve these things," he muses. then, truly interested, he asks, "what do you think it means? angels carved out of soap."

[yerimbrit]

on my mind (all the time) : k. haerin

synopsis: is it love? and if it is, was it platonic? or romantic? does haerin even like girls? ...you give her a headache.

# : pairing ! nonidol!kang haerin x fem!reader

# : tags ! requested, haerin pov, self-discovery, bbangsaz mention, hanni appearance, complicated feelings, pining, but in a haerin way yk, so sorry this is short(er than most of my stuff), they're watching mean girls (2004) , THIS TOOK SO LONG, IM SORRY

# : wordcount ! 1.7k

# : warnings ! none

there is no name to put to these feelings that haerin holds for you. probably.

well, at least no name that haerin knows. she knows that it's different from what she feels for, say, danielle. or minji. or hanni, or hyein. she doesn't have it in her to play tom and jerry with you, because you amuse her, in a different way.

you're an interesting individual. (sometimes) high-energy. proud member of the go-home club. procrastinator. (haerin wonders how you still manage to get top marks in exams despite only studying the night before.)

there's just something about you that draws her in, seizing her attention with whatever you do.

"hello? earth to kang haerin, are you there?" oops.

when haerin looks up, she's met with hanni, who's sitting in front of her waving her hand back and forth. they're currently sitting in the new boba shop which opened two weeks ago. hanni's been begging everyone to go with her, but the other girls came up with excuses on the spot except haerin, who was zoning out at the time. this is not where she was planning to be on her saturday afternoon, usually reserved for her regular napping session.

but, well, there's barely anyone here and hanni opted for an even quieter corner and paid for haerin's slice of red velvet cake, so who was haerin to complain? the cake does well to make up for the energy she could've restored with her very-necessary-not-to-be-disturbed-4-hour-nap, anyway.

"thinking about y/n?" the older girl wiggles her eyebrows, but her smile drops at the sight of haerin's brow twitching, a telltale sign of something about to come out of her mouth that would have hanni regretting she ever spoke up.

"why worry about what i'm thinking, when you should be thinking about if minji's even picking up on your signs?"

the receiver of the comment pouts and blows her bangs out of her face. "i hate when you're right."

haerin takes another bite of her cake. done and dusted. this is a frequent interaction between the two—hanni is the only one who knows about her infatuation with you (though only because haerin accidentally said your name out loud as she was zoning out one day), and haerin is the only one hanni has confided in for her feelings for her best friend.

the only thing haerin hates about this is that it's hanni, of all people. hanni, who keeps insisting that whatever she's feeling for you is romantic. that part, she hasn't really figured out but she doesn't think it's romantic. or if she's interested in girls. haerin isn't the type to have many crushes, that or it was so minor that she doesn't remember. she wonders if the random boys she used to pick to be her "crush" count, because it was mostly to satisfy the nosey girls in her class that wouldn't take "no one" as an answer.

"she came over yesterday," haerin muses, taking the last bite of her slice of cake and setting the silver fork neatly on the empty plate. she stares disappointedly at the lack of sweet delights. hanni should owe her another slice for the unsolicited therapy session she's about to go through.

at hearing her words, hanni slams her hands on the table as she leaned forward. the fork is slightly pushed from its perfect position on her plate, and haerin frowns. +1 slice added to hanni's tab.

"and? what happened?" the girl asks after settling back down into her seat. the few people that were also in the shop are staring at the pair. she mouths a 'sorry' as she looks around, bashfully scratching the back of her neck. this, too, is one of the frequent happenings in haerin's life.

haerin takes a sip of her unsweetened iced tea. "nothing in particular. nothing that would interest you, anyway."

she gets a push to the shoulder from across the booth table. it doesn't make her budge, no, hanni is too soft on her for that, but it does make her frown. in retaliation, she steals a bite of hanni's castella, earning her another push to the shoulder.

"well, tell me anyway. i need all the details."

"it's not my fault you're, like, in love with me or something!" you passionately exclaim, following along with the movie. you and haerin are sitting on your bed, watching mean girls on your beat up laptop that you got from your sister. the movie has been one of your favorites even before haerin met you.

'it's funny,' haerin thinks, resting her head on top of yours when you lean on her shoulder. she's been thinking a lot since the last time she has seen you. she's so, so close to figuring out why her heart speeds up automatically at the sight of you, or why your smile is so much more contagious than usual. but... she just can't put her finger on it. 'what if hanni was right?'

she just needs one more push in the right direction to pinpoint the answer she's looking for.

"oh," haerin grins, "we're almost at my favorite part."

incredulously, you smile up at her. "regina's about to get hit by a bus."

"exactly."

you burst out into a fit of laughter, shaking your head. haerin is so peculiar.

you're always so sure of yourself. maybe that's why haerin's interested in you. she's never been unsure of herself until you showed up.

"you're so warm. and pretty," you look up at her through your eyelashes. "so pretty, kang haerin, did you know that?"

haerin is blushing. but she only nudges your shoulder.

you snuggle more into her neck. a warm feeling spreads through haerin's body, and it only furthers her confusion. you've always liked skinship with her, not that she minded. she's never admitted to it (declaration is unnecessary) but she does enjoy it. again, it's different from hugs from hyein, hanni and minji, or holding hands with danielle. your touch is electrifying. in a good way, of course.

"do you know what everyone says about you?" she mumbles, a smile overtaking her face as it is made clear that regina george's "death" is imminent. you smile as well at the sight of hers.

you bury your head further into her shoulder, the both of you reciting the lines, "they say you're a homeschooled jungle freak, who's a less hot version of me."

at one point, haerin's smile breaks and disperses into giggles, starting to uncontrollably laugh when the girl on the screen gets absolutely wrecked by the bus.

you stare dumbfoundedly at her, even though this has happened before. "there's seriously got to be something wrong with you."

despite your words, you let out a couple of giggles too, joining haerin in her fit of laughter. look at you two, bonding and laughing over the (not) death of regina george.

you watch the rest of the movie. you laugh as regina socks jock girls in the face with her lacrosse stick, boo when kevin gnapoor shows up with janis in tow, and bop your head along to the ending credits music. haerin observes you closely with a smile. 'so interesting.'

abruptly, you stand up and away from haerin's shoulder. she frowns at the loss of warmth, but watches you stretch out your arms and smile towards her. then, you offer out a hand.

"dance with me?"

you weren't expecting her to join you, but hum in content when she does. your hand is warm in hers as she allows herself to be pulled up by you. the credits song of mean girls isn't really a song to sway to, but you sway to it anyway.

"why are you looking at me like that?" haerin asks. your arms are wrapped around her neck, hers wrapped securely around your waist. you're so close that she can smell your lavender-scented shampoo.

"like what?"

"you're looking at me weird."

you bury your head into the crook of her neck. it's a bit awkward because you had to bend your knees to do it, but haerin lets herself bask in your warmth.

"...y/n."

your head is still buried in between her neck and shoulder as you smile. "hmm?"

haerin pauses, wondering if she should ask her question. "how did you know you liked girls?"

it's obvious you weren't expecting her to ask when you stiffen, and she's about to take back her words until you sigh.

"why?"

"i'm just curious."

there's another pause, and the silence is enhanced by the music on your laptop fading out. it switches to a more mellow song, and you start swaying again.

"i guess i've never really liked guys that way. and i realized that i've only ever had a crush on girls, but it never came to mind that i just wasn't attracted to guys. you know?"

you tap the back of haerin's neck with the tips of your fingers. haerin doesn't really get it, but she nods along.

letting out a lighthearted laugh, you slightly pull away to look the cat-eyed girl in the eyes.

"what i'm trying to say is that i've always known. but it's only recently that i've come to terms with it."

ah. there it is. an epiphany came to haerin, and her eyes light up. hanni was right. she's never been more sure of herself since meeting you. all the clues, connections, and reflection time has led up to this moment.

and without thinking, haerin blurts out, "i like you."

well! there's no going back now is there? "i wasn't sure if i liked you or if you were just a good friend. i didn't even know if i liked girls. but, i think i know now."

and now it's overwhelming, all five senses coming at her with full force. your lips are warm against hers, and they taste like lifesaver gummies. on your end, you can taste a hint of red velvet mixed with castella from earlier. haerin feels it all. your bangs falling over your face, the sound of your soft breathing in between kisses, the faint smell of your perfume.

the two of you go back to swaying to the beat. neither you nor haerin say anything, but all the words have been said through the kisses you shared.

...hanni's cake debt has reversed.

a/n : sorry if it is not what you were looking for; you can request again if you'd like!! i had a lot of fun writing this so thank you for suggestion :-) i'm also so very sorry this took me like three months and you had to wait that long 😭

[theversevision-rp]

[Updated] Casting Protocols

To: Verseprods, applicants

Subject: Updated Casting Protocols

Date: Jan. 12, 2024

By: Gianlorenzo

Updated Casting Protocols

TheVerse Vision follows a strict and meticulous process in casting to ensure that roleplayers are permitted to be one of the agency and share enough of an honest overview of their mindset and personality; so that the personnel have a scratch paper on to base their observations from whether the artist stayed consistent, true, or exceeded expectations from their performance during casting.

FILED BY GIANLORENZO AND TODIEFOR

Principal Policy Authors: Gianlorenzo, Windbythesea

Final Approval: Paradise Lost

Date Effective: January 2022

Date Revised and Revisions' Author: January 12, 2024, Gianlorenzo

Scope of Implementation: Verseprods, applicants, THEVERSEPLAY, Down The Universe

Conditions: Qualifications

Applicants should be eligible for application through passing the needed requirements and initial standards.

Must be a Filipino roleplayer.

The account used for the application should have a defining roleplay forte. According to the standards of TheVerse Vision, the general classification of roleplay fortes are In Character (IC), Original Character (OC), Canon, Alternative Universe (AU), and General Art - as long as the account takes after a roleplay account [has a muse].

Has a recognizable faceclaim, of any nationality, profession, or field. Self-drawn OCs and animated fictional characters are allowed. Deceased personalities (ex. Michael Jackson, Naya Rivera) and children as faceclaims are prohibited. Specifically, for children, prohibited are those who are non-celebrity; a faceclaim below 18 years old (in the current year the roleplayer is joining) is only acceptable if the person is an artist (ex. Leeseo, IVE. Hyein, NewJeans)

Willing to abide by community policies by being responsible, respectful, and active.

Applicants with a known history of issues in character will be automatically rejected or have a lower chance of being recruited, depending on the case. Examples of issues can be but are not limited to plagiarism, catfishing, bullying, seen with below-the-belt remarks in public, spying, unapologetic behavior, harassment, cheating, and too much inconsistency in activeness such as repeatedly joining in and signing out of affiliations. If rejection in evaluation is grounded in the cases mentioned above, the evaluators should have proof of actions projecting the cases to avoid ungrounded judgments.

If an applicant was turned down the first time for medium-level reasons such as lacking substantial answers, and applies again, the roleplayer will be given the right to an interview and evaluation as consideration for persistence and choosing the agency again. Roleplayers with known issues are excluded from this consideration. A roleplayer can reapply after not less than 25 days.

Returning members, or artists who would rejoin after previously resigning or being terminated from purge, are allowed.

Conditions: Requirements

A submitted application form with complete answers, written in English or Filipino, through TheVerse Vision’s pinned post, in its application section within the comments section. Forms with incomplete answers are automatically rejected. Forms submitted through a third-party person such as an officer or mutual in the group are not allowed unless the reply section is restricted.

Any timeline pinned post that expounds the roleplayer’s forte and disclaimer.

Conditions: Protocols and Process

Interviews are scheduled only on weekends.

The Casting Director has the right to turn down an applicant if the objectives of the interview are not met or there is insufficient depth, with three days to finalize the decision to which the applicant will be made aware of.

Applicants, if caught copying an answer from the Internet without citing it, would automatically be turned down.

1st step: application form, 50-50 chances. Submitting a form doesn’t guarantee consideration, as it would depend on whether the answers are substantial. 2nd step: casting interview, 50-50 chances. If the applicant’s form is considered by the Casting Director, the applicant will be invited for an interview that should be conducted in any official panel room of TheVerse Vision. Members of the management are in each panel room, but only the Casting Director or designated panelist for an applicant will share the floor with the interviewee. 3rd step: completion of requirements, if the verdict arrives as passed.

Returning members are considered not required to undergo a casting interview for the second time unless the returning member was formerly terminated due to sudden inactivity during their previous time in the group; only an application form. Members previously terminated for being involved in known issues or causing damage to the group are excluded from this consideration.

One applicant only per interview room. The applicant will be given a schedule to meet with the panelist but the duration to complete the interview is given 7 days. Failure to accomplish the interview [and requirements, if passed, will nullify the process.

If an applicant gives no response a day after being summoned to their last reply, they will be asked in the Interview Room if they wish to continue. If there is no response still, they will be temporarily removed from the Interview Room and be moved to Room 4 until their 7th due day.

Applicants who pass the casting shall receive an evaluation result or receipt.

Applicants applying to be an officer and passed the casting, but have no history in the group as a member would undergo 1-month probation first.

Conditions: Privacy

As stated in the application form, answers to the application form, a copy of the full interview, and responses in the contract record are to be documented as part of the management’s archival purposes to ensure everyone who applies and enters the group properly undergoes evaluation and process, and history tracking. Records are limited to Verseprods only.

Conditions: Free Pass

All of the measures above are applied in Free Pass phases except for the following changes:

Interviews can be scheduled on weekdays.

For officers, no probation period.

[evenvolkartadio]

HYBE TOWN GIRLZ

ㅤDue to tumblr new policy 𝐇𝐘𝐁𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 set up for roleplayer who use 𝐇𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭 as 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 and 𝒏𝒐��� 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 to 𝐇𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 as well as concerned the 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭 and our 𝐇𝐘𝐁𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 is built to be home and interacting each other roleplayer who use 𝐇𝐘𝐁𝐄 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭 as muse and we have METAVERSE as a concept. Est 2023.

Girls Member

Nana — None

Yehana — None

Sungyeon — None

Yurina Hirate — None

Girls Group Member

~ FROMIS_9

Saerom — None

Hayoung Have one slot

Jiwon — None

Jisun — None

Seoyeon — None

Chaeyoung — None

Nagyung — None

Jiheon — None

~ LE SSERAFIM

Sakura — None

Chaewon Have one slot

Yunjin Have one slot

Kazuha Have one slot

Eunchae Don't have slot

~ NEWJEANS

Minji Have one slot

Hanni Have one slot

Danielle Have one slot

Haerin Have one slot

Hyein — None

"short message"

Green = Still Available for 2 more slots

Orange = Only have 1 more slots

Red = Don't have more slots or all slot already taken

* For Boy Groups member list or slot taken or not you can see on this post ⤵️

[grriki]

THANK U 4 DA TAG RIRIII 🤭🤭

nationality — georgian

birth month — december

fav show — boy meets world n my silly little cartoons

current fav song — uno by muse

fandoms — engene, dive, tokki + more i cant remember!

fav idol — riki 🌺 hyein, wonyoung!

tagging @atrirose @odxrilove @junityy @cinnahoons

　　❀࿐　　⁺　.　　get 2 know your fav blogs!

nationality:　chindo + lao/thai

birth month:　january

fav movie/series:　my demon 🥰

current fav song:　siren by ateez

fandoms:　atiny, carat, briize, zerose, dive, onedoor, moa, nctzen, engene, fearnot, the b, ennve, zenith, once, army

fav idol:　xu minghao

my tags:

@yuzchaes @gigittamic @aericita @iluvrei @wonjuii

@y-unrei @i-kyujin @y-vna @jicito @jaewsss

@chuwerii @bambicito @hyelita @chaeneuu @tripleseu

@jimzittos @rkkuri @seulzitos @i-mmaculatus @im4yeons

@daddldee @wiotas @m00nbap @kisrui @7hyein

[wherethefireliliesgrow]

(5) 1005 days: roseate pink

Myoui Mina x reader

Part of the series: Palette

Previous chapter: (4) 1008 days: champagne gold

1005 days.

The past few days had flown by in a blur.

Dark rings shadowed your eyes, evidence of your restless nights since the encounter with Mina. But instead of sleeping, you turned to your art, bringing out your easel and palette after two long years to paint away your worries.

Thankfully, you had Chaeyoung's number. She, too, enjoyed drawing and sketching late into the night, so you would text or call her while you painted.

This morning was no different. You quickly covered your easel with a cloth and rushed out the door to work, already running late and in desperate need of a strong Americano.

As you stormed into the studio, an apology on the tip of your tongue, you found the team crowding around two new people. Quickly setting down your things, you joined the group.

As always, Seulgi was the first to notice your arrival. "Y/N, it's nice of you to finally join us," she said sternly.

"Sorry, I overslept," you kept your head low. It wasn't often that Seulgi got mad.

"Did you even sleep? Or were you busy thinking about someone?" Karina teased, pointing to your dark circles.

"Shut it," you elbowed the tall girl.

As this conversation took place, you felt a pair of eyes on you. Slowly raising your head, you looked at the two newcomers on your team.

"Those are our new interns, Hyein and Haerin," Karina answered the unspoken question. "Minji brought them over to help. We're stacked today."

You smiled warmly at the two girls, hoping to ease their nervousness as they were surrounded by seniors. Hyein smiled shyly back at you while Haerin stood emotionless, her big cat-like eyes boring into you.

"Um... why is she looking at me like that?" you muttered to Karina, feeling a bit creeped out.

"No idea," Karina shrugged. "She hasn't said anything yet other than a 'hi'."

Overhearing your conversation, Minji quickly nudged Haerin and scolded her. "Haerin, stop being weird."

Haerin said nothing, continuing to stare at you.

"Bro, stop," Minji tried again.

“…….” Haerin remained silent, her eyes fixed on you.

Finally, after what felt like hours, she blinked.

"She looks like me."

The whole team fell silent at her words, quickly moving their heads back and forth to look at you and Haerin, while Haerin continued to stare at you.

"Oh my gawd, you do look alike!" Danielle covered her mouth and jumped up and down excitedly.

"Hmm... I do see a resemblance there. Pale, long black hair, cat eyes. Especially the cat eyes," Seulgi mused, joining in on the conversation.

"Except Y/N unnie looks more like a raccoon these days," Hanni teased.

You laughed at this comment, feeling a bit weary these days.

"True, true. I might be Haerin's long-lost cousin or something," you joked, patting the staring girl on her head.

“…..”Haerin remained silent, causing an awkward pause.

"Umm... I... I have to go adjust my camera," you said, coughing awkwardly.

“……”

"Do you also like tomato frogs?" Haerin asked you suddenly, causing the whole team to fall silent again.

"Okay, I think that's enough talking for now," Minji quickly clapped her hands, signaling everyone to start preparing.

You let out a sigh of relief, but you could feel Haerin staring at you every now and then.

.

.

.

.

Mina was feeling frustrated, but she couldn't quite pinpoint why. It wasn't like her to want to get to know someone so badly. She was usually a shy person who kept to herself, but seeing Chaeyoung texting and giggling with the young photographer for the past two days made her envious.

She didn't seem to want to talk to me. Mina thought back to her interaction with you during the individual shoot. Although she enjoyed the feeling of your eyes on her, she wished you had spoken to her more.

"What are you brooding about, Minari?" Sana put her arms around Mina's shoulders, joining her in front of the vanity.

"Nothing, just nervous about the shoot later." Mina forced a smile and returned to applying face cream.

“Miyou Mina nervous about a shoot? Impossible,” exclaimed the Japanese member dramatically. “What can possibly make the angel in Twice nervous about a picture?”

“Hey! I thought I was the angel,” Tzuyu pouted in response.

“Sorry, let me rephrase,” Sana said playfully. “What can possibly make one of the angels in Twice, who is not Tzuyu, nervous about a picture?”

Mina stared at herself in the mirror, running her hands through her long hair in frustration.

“Not what, but who.”

“What did Jeno do this time?” Sana narrowed her eyes in annoyance, overly protective of her team members. She strongly disliked how Jeno treated Mina sometimes.

“No, it’s not Jeno,” Mina quickly interjected, knowing how her members reacted to her mentioning Jeno. They had just recently started dating, but Jeno somehow managed to piss off half the members the first time they met.

Just the name itself caught everyone’s attention, turning to look at her.

“I just feel that the photographer doesn’t like me much, but for some reason, I want to get to know her,” she admitted, flushing at the confession.

“Y/N?” Chaeyoung asked, joining in on the conversation.

“She definitely likes you! She told me she enjoyed your photo shoot the most. She said and I quote that you were ‘perfect’.”

The rest of the girls oohed at this, laughing at the way Mina’s ears turned bright red.

Gaining back her confidence, Mina promised herself that she would try to talk to you today.

.

.

.

.

The morning passed by quickly. The team finished the group photos for both Stray Kids and Day6, leaving only Twice, ITZY, and NMIXX for the afternoon.

Seulgi stood up, signaling the end of the lunch break, and you quickly finished the rest of your Americano, stretching your limbs.

From the corner of your eye, you noticed Haerin staring at you while doing the same with her coffee, her face scrunched in disgust at the taste. You couldn't help but laugh as you realized she was trying to copy everything you did since that morning.

"Did you know that coffee stunts your growth?" you joked with Haerin. "Don't drink too much."

Haerin stuck out her tongue in response. "This is my first time drinking it," she said.

"Then why are you so short?" teased Minji, never one to miss an opportunity to poke fun at someone's height.

Haerin remained silent, staring at Minji without blinking.

The tall girl flinched. "Okay, sorry," she said quickly.

Amused by the kids, you shook your head and got back to work.

The photoshoot with Twice was a bit…odd.

As Minji split the group into threes for the small group photos, you couldn't help but feel a knot form in your stomach.

With Karina behind the camera for this shoot, you were tasked with positioning the members and making minor clothing adjustments. It was a simple job, but it was made harder by the fact that you would have to be in close proximity to Mina.

Your heart was already pounding in your chest since this morning, and you were sure it would stop if you so much as brushed against her.

The first group, consisting of Momo, Jihyo, and Nayeon, took their photos with ease. But you couldn't shake the feeling that they were watching you, giggling as you adjusted their angles. Nayeon even wiggled her eyebrows at you teasingly when you fixed her dress and hair, leaving you flustered and confused.

As you moved on to the next group, consisting of Dahyun, Tzuyu, and Jeongyeon, you couldn't help but notice their fits of laughter when they saw you. Your eyes met Dahyun's in bewilderment, but she merely shrugged and gave you a dopey smile. The whole situation was weird, to say the least.

As Minji called for the last group, you took a deep breath and closed your eyes to calm yourself down.

Just act normal. You gave yourself a small pep-talk, trying and failing to convince yourself that you’re stronger than this. Stay professional.

Your pulse raced as the last group finally entered the studio, making your tattooed wrist sear with pain. You tried to control your breathing and calm your nerves, but it was no use. You swore Haerin and Hyein could hear the loud thumps of your heartbeat as you stood near the backdrop, waiting for the girls to enter.

As Chaeyoung, Sana, and Mina stepped into the room, your breath caught in your throat at the sight of Mina.

Her long black gown hugged her curves in all the right places, and her brown hair was styled in soft curls that cascaded down her back. Her dark makeup accentuated her almond-shaped eyes and full lips, making her look like a princess of an exotic country at a fancy ball. You couldn't help but stare at her in awe. Mina was angelic.

As your eyes met Mina's, you quickly averted your gaze and tried to act professional by smiling at the other girls. Chaeyoung gave an excited squeal and pulled you in a hug, her thin tattooed arms wrapping around you. Meanwhile, Sana smirked mischievously and nudged Mina, causing her to blush.

After the brief but slightly awkward greeting, Hyein directed the three girls to sit on the stools. Karina and Minji called out for adjustments, and you and Haerin sprang into action. You made slight tweaks to Chaeyoung's fluffy hat and adjusted Sana's position.

“Y/N, can you pull Mina’s fur sleeves to the front a little more?” Karina's apologetic tone revealed that she understood how difficult the situation was for you. Despite her playful teasing, Karina knew how much of a challenge it was for you to keep your secret hidden.

You walked over to Mina and leaned forward to adjust her sleeves, carefully avoiding eye contact.

The smell of her floral perfume overwhelmed your senses, and you held your breath as your shaky hands worked to make the slight adjustment. You were careful not to touch her skin since you knew that the soul mate connection would immediately reveal your secret to her.

You froze when you caught sight of the soulmate tattoo on her wrist. It was a small palette, with the colors black, white, grey, and yellow on it. The top right corner of the palette had your initials engraved on it. It looked like the palette your mother gave you when you were in preschool. The reason that got you into art.

You noticed that Mina was looking at you questioningly.

“I like your tattoo.” You commented, making her ears tinge red.

“Thanks.” She smiled her gummy smile and joked, “I got it out of the blue.”

Chaeyoung suddenly blurted out, "Y/N paints! She's really good."

Mina stuck her tongue between her teeth, teasing. “Really? You paint?”

“Y-yeah, sometimes.” You stammered in response, stunned by how stunning she was up close.

“I’m no painter, but I’d love to learn it.” Mina hinted.

“Neither is Jeno,” Sana snorted as she listened to the conversation. “But he pretended to know how when he first met you.”

“Stop it." Mina pleaded, her smile faltering. "Give him a chance."

Your heart broke at the thought of someone else being with Mina, but you knew you didn't have a say in her choices. You had no intentions of revealing your secret to her.

Clearing your throat, you quickly stood up straight again and called out to the photographer.

“Is this okay, Rina?” You called out to the photographer.

Karina gave you a thumbs-up and motioned you to move out of the frame.

“I’m sure he’s nice.” You assured Mina. “He’s a lucky guy.”

Mina flushed a roseate pink at your comment.

After walking away from Mina and over to the kids, you started berating yourself for what you said. All you wanted to do was go home and wallow in self-pity or perhaps jump off a bridge in embarrassment.

“Why is Mina so pink?” Karina asked after taking a couple of shots. “Someone call Danielle.”

Danielle quickly came on set to adjust Mina’s makeup, quickly applying more foundation as Seulgi nagged at her for applying too much blush.

“But… I didn’t add any blush.” The Australian muttered in confusion.

Sana and Chaeyoung burst into a fit of giggles at the mortified look on Mina’s face.

.

.

.

.

The rest of the day passed surprisingly quickly.

You had finally finished the entire JYP concert project and couldn't wait to spend the next week catching up on sleep (and nursing your broken heart).

Haerin had been staring at you nonstop, the Twice girls had been giggling at you for hours, Karina had behaved crazily during ITZY’s shoot, and Mina's close presence was enough to drive you insane.

You could still see the pink of her flushed cheeks whenever you closed your eyes, and honestly, it made you feel like you were being a creep. She was like a cherry tree during dusk, the warm glow of the setting sun caressing the roseate pink petals, accentuating her beauty even more. The gentle floral scent that surrounded her was enough to calm even the most restless souls, as if she had a natural ability to bring peace to those around her.

As you were finally drifting off to sleep, the loud ring of your cell phone jolted you awake.

Karina. Why was she calling you at this hour?

“Hello? What’s wrong Rina?” You answered in concern.

You couldn’t hear anything but a rustling sound and the sound of a toilet flushing.

“Karina? Are you okay?” you called out again, heart racing in worry.

After a brief pause, Karina finally whispered weakly into her phone.

“Can you come over? I don’t feel well. Please.”

“Text me your address.” You replied, getting out of bed and quickly grabbing some aspirin and juice before rushing over to her apartment.

Despite knowing Karina for a while now, this was your first time entering her house. She lived a few blocks away from you, in a large building near the Han River. You let yourself into her apartment as she instructed, and found her lying on the bathroom floor, sweating profusely.

You gently brushed away the black hairs stuck on her sweaty forehead.

“I’m sorry for making you come over this late.” She shivered as she curled into your lap. “Thank you for being here.”

“It’s fine Rina. Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling unwell today.” You took off your jacket and laid it over her, trying to comfort her. “I could’ve covered for you.”

“I thought I could handle it.” The tall girl said shakily, “But it’s getting worse.”

She slowly pulled up the sleeves of her shirt and showed you her wrist.

Her tattoo was covered in blisters, red and bleeding.

97

That was impossible. She was the same age as you, how could she only have 97 days left in her five years?

“How…what happened Karina?” you asked, panicked.

"I tried to have my tattoo removed earlier this week," she explained, putting her arms over her eyes to shield herself from the bathroom light. "This angered the fates, so they cut down my time to 100 days."

"Why would you do something like this?" Your voice shook, tears threatening to fall.

You were losing Karina sooner than you expected.

"I'm sorry," Karina broke down. "I'm so sorry."

“It’s okay, Rina. I’m here.” You stroked her hair, trying to comfort her while your ribs shook from the sobs you held within.

After a while, you moved to get up.

“I’ll go get some water and aspirin.”

She slowly sat up and hiccupped. “The kitchen is on the far right.”

“Where’s your medical box?”

“In the closet in my room.”

It took you a while to locate the mugs in her kitchen, breathing heavily near the sink as you tried not to cry. Your heart was heavy, and your mind was racing. Karina was already experiencing the symptoms of the curse, which would only get worse as time passed.

As selfish as it was, you hoped and prayed that Karina would change her mind and start looking for her soulmate. You just weren't ready to let her go yet.

With the aspirin and a cool glass of water in hand, you made your way toward Karina's bedroom. However, as you opened the door, a chill ran down your spine.

You dropped the glass in shock, shattering it on the floor.

There, perched on her bed,

was a worn pink teddy bear.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

[tzuyuscloud]

NEW JEANS MASTERLIST

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

READ THIS!!! I will only write platonic! Haerin, and Hyein. No Gf scenarios!!! THEY ARE CHILDREN !!!

Minji

Midnight ❄️

Iced Americano please ❄️

My Loser ❄️ 🫧

Hanni

Artist and the muse ❄️

Danielle

Haerin

Hyein

Saw Newjeans 08/03/23 🥹

[sanstropfremir]

To other anon, krystal wasn't her muse. It was hyein who min heejin was talking about in that interview. The interview is here:

https://beattitude.kr/issue-03/artistproject-minheejin-part2-eng/

oh i didn't realize there was a second part to the interview!

[kissedprint]

hyein likes saetbyeol. she may even go as far as referring to saetbyeol as a muse — considering some of the best work she’s done so far has been for saena. 

hyein likes saetbyeol, but she hasn’t had the chance to get to know her beyond the fleeting moments they’ve spent together in the studio. and maybe some of that is hyein’s fault—she’s, admittedly, not the best when it comes to small talk. when she’s focused on work, she’s even worse. but what kind of artist would she be if she didn't make an attempt to get to really know her muse?

from what hyein’s observed, saetbyeol is reserved; quiet. hyein would even go as far to say that saetbyeol seems. a total opposite from the bright persona she presents to the cameras, but hyein’s been in the industry for long enough to know that’s just the way things work. she’s heard the rumors of saetbyeol being less than pleasant to work with—but hyein hasn’t seen any of that, so she’s hesitant to believe it. sure, she might not know saetbyeol very well—but hyein likes to think she’s a good judge of character, and she doesn’t think saetbyeol is unpleasant. hyein doesn't get that impression at all. the impression she does get from saetbyeol is one that's all too familiar—a lost, lonely girl in need of a genuine, human connection.

hyein knows all too well what that feels like.

when saetbyeol enters the studio, hyein greets her with a warm smile. she dismisses her explanation with a wave of her hand; barely sparing a glance at the clock as she turns to face her. “you’re fine,” she answers warmly, a smile still present on her lips. she flips through the papers nestled in her hands until she finds her desired page—presenting the page to saetbyeol, a sliver of anticipation gracing her features. “i have a couple of songs that i’d like to hear your voice on. i think you’d be a good fit for them,” she explains, a crimson fingernail running along the top of the page as she points to the song’s title. “i think you’d be great for this one. honestly, i think you might be the only fit for it,” she admits, and a small laugh falls from her lips; feeling sheepish after the sudden admission. she clears her throat and passes the notebook to saetbyeol; still wearing an earnest smile. “something melancholic to suit the season, but we could still have fun with it. let me know what you think. we can change anything you don’t like about it.”

with @lovesholics!

saetbyeol lingers by the studio door longer than she should, hesitant to let herself in. she’s not really sure why. she’s spent the past couple of weeks looking forward to this, to getting to work with hyein again—but now, the anticipatory excitement turns into anxiety. there’s no reason to be anxious. she knows this. hyein is one of the nicest producers that she’s worked with so far, it’s just that last time they worked together she had been completely focused on the work. there was no small talk, no attempt to get to know each other; and that’s usually what saetbyeol wants out of a producer, but it’s not what she wants out of hyein.

in the end, it doesn’t matter. work’s work. hyein isn’t obligated to be a friend to saetbyeol, and saetbyeol doesn’t have the right to be upset if the session begins and ends without a single unnecessary word. she turns the doorknob slowly, takes a deep breath, and lets herself in.

“hi,” she greets with a slight bow of her head. she’s not used to this feeling, the urge to impress. she doesn’t like how it feels, but she listens to it nonetheless. she eases into the room, takes a seat and drops her bag at her shoes.

“sorry i’m a little bit late. traffic was crazy and my manager’s a nervous driver,” she explains sheepishly, lying through her teeth. on one hand, she’d actually driven herself due to the fact that she didn’t have any other schedules for the day—on the other hand, her lateness is not because of traffic; it’s because of how slow she’d walked through the building, even using the stairs to get here instead of the elevator. but these are things that she chooses to keep to herself.

“anyway!” an abrupt exclamation accompanied by her hands coming together. “what’s the plan for today?”