#i'm not even rly proud of this bc it's based off of smth i actually had to do !! ah the joys of university

[starshua]

c.sc ❥ deluge

seungcheol x reader; 100wtsily

word count; 1.1k

synopsis; a school project on a rainy day with none other than choi seungcheol himself ; drabble, fluff + based on wtsily prompt 35, “after you.”

✎ hello it has been roughly a year and seven months since i’ve posted any seventeen fic at all and i am. ashamed

You’ve probably never been this nervous in your entire life.

You knew taking this class was a mistake. It was going to be nearly impossible for you, what with the workload and the damage it would surely do to your anxiety. But still you pressed on, determined to grow even in the smallest of ways, and so there you were with what might have been the most ludicrous assignment you could have been assigned: write a speech about your classmate.

The document with all of your instructions sat waiting on your laptop screen, mocking you for your cowardice. Your speech was due in three days, and you haven’t even met with your partner to hold an interview, let alone actually constructed the damn thing. To your credit, you did attempt a meeting once before—last Thursday, after class—but he had been busy, or something.

In fact, he always seemed busy. He was involved with the school council somehow, though you weren’t quite sure about the details, and popped up just about everywhere on campus to lend a helping hand or deal with an issue. You didn’t want to blame him for being so unavailable—he was doing good work, after all, and he really was very sweet—but you were not going to sacrifice your grade in this hellish class just because he was nice.

“Hey, y/n!” he called, walking briskly through the double doors of the library. It was raining outside, and he was positively drenched, dripping wildly from head to toe. He took the seat across from you and shed his soaking jacket. You tried not to stare at the damp hair that clung to his forehead.

“Hi, Seungcheol,” you said. He was a little bit late, and though you attributed it to the rain, it still left a bitter taste in your mouth. “Let’s get started.”

“Oh, yeah, sure!” Swiftly, Seungcheol pulled his laptop out and set it down on the table. “D’you wanna go first? Since my speaking day is next week, anyway, and I already got a little on you last class.”

You nodded tersely. Seungcheol’s face didn’t change, but you caught the involuntary twitch of his jaw and knew he was a little peeved by your attitude. You didn’t mean to snub him, really, but something about him set you on edge. He was too kind, too helpful, too attractive, and you had a hard time believing he was so without fault.

“So,” you said, opening a blank document for notes, “tell me about yourself. Life story kind of stuff.”

Seungcheol obliged with little difficulty, and his eagerness shocked you. He was from a small town just a few hours north, he explained, and he came from a family that couldn’t really provide for him as well as they wished they could have. He came to school with an academic scholarship, and he worried a lot about his grades even though he didn’t really need to. He had two close friends his age—Jeonghan and Joshua—that he went on a trip with every summer. Last year they went to a scenic town on the coast and wrote songs on the beach, drunk on cheap wine and moonlit adventure.

You watched the way Seungcheol’s eyes lit up as he talked about his friends, describing their shenanigans like they meant the world to him. The fondness on his face when he spoke of his mother was heartwarming, too, and the stony indifference in regard to his father wasn’t lost on you. You were beginning to see the scars, the little bruises he hid behind convincing smiles and a good attitude, and it made him seem a lot more human than he had twenty minutes ago. His passion is what sold it, though; the spark in his laugh as he talked about his loved ones, his dreams, his future. He almost seemed to glow with certainty.

It may have been foolish, but you felt like the two of you were connecting. He was being very personal—much more so than the assignment required, and you were certain he knew that—and he seemed to want the same from you, if the probing in his watchful gaze was anything to go by.

“So, yeah. I’m really into music production and songwriting,” he continued. “My mom helped me get really into it—that’s how my parents met, actually—and I’ve been doing it for about six years now?”

You nodded to encourage him, typing dutifully. You were sure you had gotten enough material, but something in you didn’t want to let the moment slip away. It felt like you’d never see that look in his eyes again if he left now.

Besides, you told yourself, you still had to return the favor.

“Okay, can you tell me a little bit more about—?” you faltered. The lights above you flickered, and with them, the whole library went black. You made alarmed eye contact with Seungcheol in the darkness; he looked as unsettled as you felt. The room went quiet.

A moment passed. Like a stuttering breath, the lights struggled back on. Outside, the wind raged against the trees meant to shield you. Rain fell in heavy waves, and thunder screamed across the sky. You caught sight of something—perhaps an umbrella?—caught in the torrent, rocketing through the air like a lost missile. How had you missed the nasty turn the weather had taken?

“You wanna get out of here?” Seungcheol offered tentatively.

You didn’t, not really, but you also kind of wanted to be able to find your way back to your dorm, and that would only be easy before nightfall. “Sure.”

He stood and grabbed his backpack, slinging a strap over one shoulder. You hurried to put your things away, and after a moment, Seungcheol came to help you. It was honestly more of a hindrance than a help—such a mess of limbs and movement—but it warmed your heart all the same.

“So?” he asked, slipping his jacket on as the two of you edged closer to the library exit, “Where do you wanna go?”

“Huh?”

Seungcheol smiled fondly, almost like he found your reaction cute. Cute. The thought made your head spin. “To continue the interview? And maybe eat a little?”

“O-oh. My dorm?”

“Ooh, bold. Taking me home already?”

You fought a blush in vain. “I meant the study rooms on the first floor!”

He laughed. “I know.” The automatic doors dragged themselves open, and a fresh wave of rainwater smacked Seungcheol right in the face. He flinched but stood otherwise frozen. You coughed out a laugh. He eyed you teasingly and gestured toward the storm, blinking back droplets. “After you.”

You smiled. Adrenaline surging, you grabbed his hand and dashed off into the deluge, Seungcheol trailing raucous laughter behind you. It was freezing, and the two of you were soaked to the bone in seconds, but it was exhilarating all the same. His hand was warm in your grasp, and somewhere in the mess of rain and wind, you felt his fingers encircle yours.

Maybe this class wouldn’t be so bad.

[alessandrxs-a]

*      𝐇𝐒𝐇𝐐𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐊𝟎𝟎𝟓      :      𝒈𝒆𝒕   𝒕𝒐   𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘   𝒕𝒉𝒆   𝒎𝒖𝒏   .

001. name / age / pronouns

lina   /   21   /   she   &   her

002. which character(s) do you play?

ale   ,   amon   ,   omari      &      renee      !

003. nationality / ethnicity / timezone

british   /   caucasian   /   gmt

004. tell us a bit about your  ( home / current ) country / city / etc. your pick

i   kinda   moved   around   a   lot   as   kid   so   nowhere   was   rly   PERMANENT   except   from   i   was   born      &      mostly   raised   in   a   teeny   ass   town   in   yorkshire   where   everything   is   old   school      (      like   we   even   have   our   own   castle   ,   look   up   conisbrough      &      u’ll   bear   witness      )      but   currently   i’m   living   in   staffordshire   where   my   dad’s   from      &      there’s   literally   nothing   to   do   here      !      so   most   of   the   time   i   go   venturing   off   to   manchester   or   smth   bc   then   at   least   there’s   smth   to   do   askjdnasjk   but   yeah   ,   it’s   literally   boring   .   we’re   famous   for   potteries   though      !

005.  favourite color / fruit / season

mint   green   /   apples   or   strawberries      !!   /   summer   bby

006. favourite books + writer whose writing style you admire the most

this   is   seriously   so   hard   for   me   bc   i   love   a   lot   of   books   but   my   favourites   are   probably   a   toss   up   between   the   great   gatsby      (      we   studied   that   book   in   college      &      it’s   always   been   one   of   my   favourite   reads      )   ,   the   divergent   series   or   the   maze   runner   series      !      i   rly   adore   veronica   roth’s   writing   bc   i   think   it’s   so   simple   but   it’s   also   so   descriptive      &      so   easy   to   understand   .

007. what kinda music do you listen to + any fave bands / musicians

this   is   like   asking   me   to   choose   a   favourite   child   dkjnfddf   but   honestly   my   music   taste   differs      ?      but   to   give   u   a   taste   ,   i   rly   love   lauv   /   bazzi   /   LANY   /   the   1975   /   YMAS   /   all   time   low   /   fall   out   boy   /   selena   gomez’s   recent   album   is   BOMB   ok   change   my   mind   /   charlotte   lawrence   /   u   can’t   go   wrong   with   some   normani   /   the   weeknd   /   honestly   probably   more   but   i'm   doing   this   one   the   whim   ok   pls   don’t   yell   at   me   dkjnfdffdk

008. what are you doing for a living / what are you studying?

i   studied   english   language   ,   literature   ,      &      media   in   college   but   now   i   work   in   a   nursing   home      &     am   a   care   assistant   to   the   elderly      !

009. what’s your dream occupation?

right   now   i   would   say   my   end   goal   would   just   to   develop   my   career      &      eventually   get   into   nursing   ,   but   idealistic   i   would   like   to   publish   my   own   book   one   day   if   my   dumbass   can   commit   to   one   stupid   story   line

010. relationship status

single      &      i   couldn’t   be   happier   abt   it

011. coffee, tea or hot chocolate?

i   have   coffee   beans   coming   out   of   my   hears

012. dream holiday destination?

i’m   basic      &      jus   wanna   go   to   italy   ,   even   if   it’s   just   for   the   weekend   ,   PLS   .   but   also   america   or   australia

013. the thing you’re most proud about yourself

i   would   say   time   management   but   ik   that’s   a   lie   bc   i   can’t   stick   to   a   set   schedule   to   save   my   own   life   but   ig   i’m   very   dedicated      ?      i’ve   also   come   out   of   my   shell   in   recent   years   which   is   something   younger   me   would   cry   abt   before   doing      (      ur   girl   has   an   actual   PHONE   voice   now   .   without   STUTTERING   .   that’s   progress   my   dudes      )      so   i   guess   growing   into   myself      &     becoming   more   comfortable   in   social   situations      ?      idk   SKJDFKJNNK

014. tell us a bit about your family!

i   have   an   older   sister      &      a   little   brother      (     who’s   rly   my   half   brother      &      is   taller   than   me   ,   but   he’s   still   younger      )      !      i   have   a   lil   niece   called   eliza   -   mae   who   is   literally   a   little   shit   the   biggest   part   of   the   time   but   she’s   honestly   so   fucking   cute   my   heart   melts   every   single   time   i   see   her   .   i   live   with   my   mum      &      (     step      )      dad      &      we’re   a   pretty   close   family   who   torment   each   other’s   soul   cases   out

015. how long have you known your closest friend?

my   whole   life      (      it’s   my   mum   dfkjghkjf      )

016. superpower you’d like to have?

to   read   ppl’s   minds   so   i   can   channel   edward   cullen

017. celebrity you’d like to meet?

when   i   tell   u   i’ll   do   anything   to   meet   mbj   ,   i   mean   anything

018. guilty pleasures

binge   watching   tv   shows   that   i’ve   seen   ten   million   times   over   ,   mainly   tvd   bc   stefan   salvatore      ?      i   would   Die   for   him

019. pet peeves

ppl   talking   with   their   mouth   full   .   like   ur   lips   DO   close   ,   u   know

020. do you have any hobbies?

does   photoshop   count      ?

021. where would you like to live in the future?

honestly   probably   australia   ,   when   we   were   in   school   we   did   a   house   hunting   thing   in   TT      &      me      &      my   friend   would   jus   look   at   houses   in   australia   that   we   could   never   afford   🤷🏼‍♀️

022. tell us a story about a thing that recently happened to you! it can be a funny, scary, sad story, your pick!

idk   i’m   rly   boring   djkfndkjf   but   i   once   got   dragged   for   having   a   stefan   salvatore   based   discord      ?      &      then   i   changed   it   up   to   katherine   pierce      &      got   called   out   for   trying   to   be   sneaky   .   u   can   Never   win   #itried