#park seonghwa x mc

[seonghwaddict]

the lamb and the wolf — park seonghwa

in which all he wanted was someone to love in his dark, lonely world… and then you came along.

hades!park seonghwa x fem!reader. genre. strangers to lovers. fluff. smut. warnings. he’s literally obsessed with mc, ankle injury, alcohol consumption, mention of cannibalism as a metaphor for love but it’s not really explicit, mc is described as innocent, explicit sexual content mdni, oral (f. receiving), unprotected, soft dom!hwa, big dick!hwa, praise, creampie. wc. 7.2k. rating. mature.

lilo’s notes. i’ve been working on this for two-ish months and i’m so happy to finally share it. writing this was fun, i love writing men infatuated with their lovers <33 the letter he reads does not belong to me and comes from “Albert Camus, María Casares. Correspondence (1944-1959)” which is a collection of love letters sent between camus and casares. this particular one is letter #95.

listening to. from persephone, kiki rockwell // sunlight, hozier // liquid smooth, mitski // cinnamon girl, lana del rey // nothing’s gonna hurt you baby, cigarettes after sex

masterlist.

the realm of the dead was terribly dark and cold and, as the name would suggest, barren of life. for seonghwa, the ruler of the underworld who had spent thousands of years in the realm, this hadn’t been a problem before. yet, he couldn’t deny the temptation of the distant sounds of chirping birds and gentle breezes humming through the air above.

he was, of course, free to leave whenever he wished to but more often than not he was busy—ruling over the souls that had passed or meetings with nymphs and the other deities. there had never been an inclination to explore, but somehow he found himself taking curious steps out of the cave entrance to his world.

and that’s where he saw you.

you weren’t a long way away from the entrance to the underworld, idling in a meadow and picking flowers and berries in a woven basket. the sunlight glinted off your rich skin, glistening on you manicured nails as your hands tended to the plants. the slow wind wafted through your soft-looking hair, making it dance in the air. he was entranced by the way the skirt of your dainty silk dress flowed as you moved around, hypnotised by the ivory fabric folding and brushing against your ankle with every step. you were beautiful in every sense of the word—but not the soft and comforting kind. no, not at all. in fact, he was quite alarmed by the notion of being so infatuated with a mortal at first glance.

seonghwa knew he was doomed from the moment he laid eyes on you. he wanted nothing more than for you to glance his way, willing to split himself in half or carve his heart right out of his chest to get a second of your attention. you spoke to yourself softly, muttering about how pretty you thought the little branch of lilac you plucked out of a bush was.

oh, how lovely your voice sounded; even the sun would not compare to it’s dulcet warmth.

a brilliant idea crossed his mind, one that he knew would get you to fall right in his grasp. and minutes later, he was able to conjure up a disturbingly realistic illusion of a rain storm. he descended back into his realm and all he had to do was wait.

you, however, flinched as the first droplets hit you. looking around for shelter, you spotted a cave entrance just a little way ahead, scrambling to sit there and wait for the storm to pass. the ground and walls felt cold against your body, nothing to separate your skin from the dark stone but your gown that was now soaked through and clung to your body.

minutes after you had sat down, a vaguely familiar scent breezed past you and had your head darting to look into the deeper part of the cave. there was no way it came from outside, not a single house in sight as the dewy smell of rain overtook the meadow. so your next most likely assumption was that it came from inside the cave. you stared into the seemingly endless abyss, squinting into the darkness for signs of, well, anything other than rocks and dirt.

and that’s when you saw it. a brief flickering flame, metres away from where you were sat. in the seconds that it lit, you could faintly make out what looked to be a staircase, descending further into a cave. an intrigued hum left you as you pushed yourself up from the ground and walked to the strange stairs, basket of berries and flowers left behind. there’s a reason they say curiosity killed the cat.

it was significantly colder as you stood at the top of the carved stairs, staring as far as you could see before they winded around and further into the unknown. another light came on, this time around the corner the stairs disappeared behind. with a final look at the exit of the cave, you began your unknowing descent into hell.

the light behind you flickered before going out, leaving you in darkness until you passed by the next torch, mounted on the damp stone. you planted your hand on the wall, afraid you’d lose your footing as each flame only lit the foreign path temporarily. the deeper you went, the colder you got. by the time you thought the stairs were endless, you could see faint puffs of white air emerging from your shaking lips with each breath you took. shivers ran through your body occasionally, your wet dress not doing anything to keep you warm.

just when you were going to give up and turn around to return to the surface, you stumbled at the unexpected absence of yet another step. your faint wince echoed through the small space as you rolled your ankle, instinctively holding yourself against the stone wall. your hand slipped from the wall for a second, a pebble falling and rolling until it stopped with an odd “clink.” you looked up in confusion to see what made the pebble stop with such a sound. looking with wide, bewildered eyes, a black and engraved set of double doors stood a few steps ahead of you. had they been there the whole time?

maybe someone lived there, someone who could help you. your father kept you safe and sound for as long as you could remember, teaching you to always see the best in people, rendering you a little sheltered and much too kind. perhaps this is what made you so trusting as you forced yourself to walk to the doors on limping legs. both doors had beautiful metal knockers mounted on them. the rusted brass resembled three dog heads, a heavy metal ring hanging from the snout of the dog in the middle. more than mildly nervous and with cold, shaking hands, you reached forward and tentatively lifted the ring of the right door before letting it knock against the dark wood.

moments later it swung open, held by a tall, pale-skinned man with slim fingers. for a moment you forgot what you were there for, caught off guard by the sharp eyes that looked down at you. your warm breath swirled in the air as you finally pieced together a sentence.

“i’m sorry, sir, but… i-i really meant to leave but i hurt my ankle…” you spoke quietly, your voice an octave higher than it usually was.

his gaze softened, the light of a torch on the wall reflecting in his dark eyes, and he smiled down at you as he opened the door wider and stepped aside. “oh, you poor thing. please, come inside.”

seonghwa watched you walk past him and into this home he had conjured up just for your arrival. it was quite dark, illuminated by a fireplace and candelabras decorating shelves and tables. he didn’t care enough to provide more light, completely entranced by the way you kneeled in front of the hearth, hands outstretched to warm them by the fire. they looked so much smaller compared to his. seeing you up close made his heart skip a beat, he wanted nothing more than to lay his hands on your smooth skin, run them through your damp hair, pat the thin and wet flowing dress dry and keep you warm. droplets of the rain ran from the top of you head down your face slowly, occasionally getting caught in your eyebrows or the corner of your beautiful lips.

he wondered fleetingly if they felt as soft as they looked. another bead of rain made it past your features, trailing past your jawline and neck. his eyes tracked it but when it disappeared under the fabric covering your chest, he refused to continue looking.

you felt his presence standing beside you a moment later, drawing your eyes—your naïve, innocent eyes—to look up at him. he offered you a hand to help you stand.

“come, love, let me take a look at your ankle,” he smiled at you kindly, pulling you up helpfully as you took his hand. once you stood, you stumbled slightly, accidentally putting weight on your injured ankle and wincing. one of his arm quickly looped itself around your waist, holding you up against him so you wouldn’t fall.

his touch was gentle yet you felt a certain firmness to it, feeling as if his warm hand was searing through your cold gown. your cheeks burned and you looked away shyly, something that had him biting back a smile as he guided you to sit at one of the sofas. he was mildly surprised by how small and delicate you felt in his arms. you felt fragile. there was something so seductive about that, the thought of breaking you in the most intimate of ways. but soon he had to let you go. after you settled into the cushions of the seat, his movements caught your eye.

your jaw nearly dropped when you saw him kneeling on the ground before you. though you weren’t aware of it, something made you so special that you had a god getting on the ground on his knees in front of a mortal. his dark eyes found yours, voice as gentle as it had been the whole time.

“may i?”

when you gave him a small nod, not trusting yourself to say anything, his hand grazed your calf before gently wrapping around your ankle and lifting it to rest on his thigh. despite his intimidating and malicious role among the deities, he was softer with you than anyone could ever imagine. he slipped off your shoe but kept your sock on, dragging the ruffled trim just under your heel so he could inspect the swelling at your ankle. the ruffles tickled you as he moved it, eliciting the most melodic giggle he’d ever heard.

when he glanced up at you, a smile stretched your tempting lips and making your smooth cheeks swell as you looked back down at him. he couldn’t help but smile, endeared by everything you did.

“it tickles.” you explained through another giggle, looking down at him. as his gaze returned to your ankle, you took note of how close he was. if he leaned forward just a little he’d be able to brush his plump lips along your knees. he knew that, of course, since he planned it. every touch, every position, every word had been meticulously planned, it was no surprise to him how close be found himself.

well, other than you getting injured, everything had been planned.

his slender finger pressed against different areas of your swollen ankle with featherlight pressure, gauging where it hurt most. you winced occasionally, but a certain spot made you flinch and whimper.

“there?” he whispered, looking up at you. his gaze was still tender as he gazed at you, his fingers pressing against that spot again with just a little more pressure. you knew he needed to check if it was really that spot, but in reality he wanted nothing more than to hear those lovely sounds tumble from your lips. to his delight, you did just that, bottom lip quivering slightly with the sound as you nodded. his gaze fell to your lips and he imagined kissing you, sucking your lower lip into his mouth, but he refocused his thoughts on your injury quickly.

“how did you even hurt yourself like this?” his other hand moved to the knee of your uninjured leg, thumb brushing small circles soothingly.

“i missed a step on the stairs and rolled my ankle.” you frowned slightly, the cute downturn if the corners of your lips almost making him coo at you. you leaned forward to catch a glimpse of your ankle but it was hard to see in the dim light provided by the fireplace and various candelabras around on shelves.

“i see… how careless of you, dear,” he tutted, fingers tapping against your knee absentmindedly, “but it’s okay, don’t worry. it’s just a small injury… wait here for a moment while i go get something, alright?”

you nodded once more and he got up, disappearing through a doorway as your eyes traced over his figure. you looked around the room as you waited patiently. it was a simple sitting room slash entrance area at first glance, but upon looking closer you found there were many little breathtaking details littered around for those who cared enough to find them. intricately embroidered golden designs decorating the wine red carpet beneath your feet, the shelves lining the wall on either side of the fireplace stocked with worn books neatly.

silent brisk steps drew your eyes back to him as the handsome stranger returned, a little glass bottle and roll of bandages held in his hands. his cheeks warmed at the sight of you sitting there so pretty and obediently. seonghwa kneeled in front of you once again and brought your foot to the same position as before.

“i’m going to apply this,” he held up the bottle for you to see, a mysterious deep blue liquid swishing around inside, “it’ll be cold and it might hurt a bit, but i promise to be gentle, okay?” after you nodded silently, he uncapped the bottle and poured a bit into his hand. “i’ll need you to stay still and relax. can you do that for me, love?”

after you gave him a muttered ‘yes’ he flattened his palm over the swelling. true to his word, the liquid he had poured into his hand was icy cold and stung a little as he rubbed it in as gently as possible. if you had to describe the feeling, you’d compared it to hundred of pinpricks concentrated on one area. it was uncomfortable, to say the least.

your eyes squeezed shut and your hands dug into the couch beneath you. you felt his touch leave your knee but a second later his hand found it’s way to yours, slipping between your fingers for you to hold him instead of tearing up his couch. he squeezed reassuringly and his heart swelled when you squeezed back.

before you knew it, his warm voice filled the silence of the room. “all done. you can open your eyes now, darling, you did so well.”

you eyes opened slowly at his words and looked down. he was peering up at you with round caring eyes, making your stomach flutter. his hand on your ankle lingered before he pulled away so you could have a look at the bandages wrapped around it skilfully, his other hand still intertwined with yours.

“thank you…?” you trailed off, indirectly asking for his name. despite him being a stranger, you somehow trusted this handsome man with your life. perhaps it was because he had shown you nothing but kindness thus far, every one of his actions illuminating warmth and care.

“of course. the ointment works fairly quickly, so you should be free to walk around just fine for a few hours at least,” his lips tugged into a small grin. he thought you were so cute, too shy to be upfront about your interest in him.

he wasn’t blind, your increased heart rate below his touch didn’t go unnoticed by him. for a moment, he considered lying to you—introducing you to an identity that didn’t exist in fear that you’d run away from him once he revealed himself. however, soon enough he came to the conclusion that he wanted you to love him, not some made up caricature. besides, he didn’t have to tell you about his occupation just yet. “it’s seonghwa.”

you tested the syllables on your tongue and he could’ve sworn honey poured right out of your mouth with how sweet you sounded. he nodded encouragingly and you gave him your name. he decided it fit you and your serene disposition. you watched with a warming face as he lifted your hand to his lips, eyes locked on yours as he kissed your knuckles.

“pleasure to make your acquaintance, love.” he winked smoothly before standing from the ground, pulling you off the couch with him. his eyes glanced down at your dress. it was still wet but not nearly as drenched as it was before, though it still clung to your body, teasing him. “you must be uncomfortable. if you want, i probably have a change of clothes for you.”

you smiled at his invitation gratefully, nodding. “i’d love that, thank you.”

“down that hall,” he pointed in the direction he went earlier to get that odd liquid, “the second door on the right is a bedroom. you’ll find some clothes in the closet, i think they’ll fit you.”

you took a step towards the hall before stopping and turning around to look at him with a questioning gaze. it didn’t take a genius to figure out what you were thinking. he fumbled to find a convincing excuse, speaking slowly. “my, uh, sister used to live with me but she moved away recently, so her clothes are still there.”

the explanation satisfied you and he watched as you followed his instructions, eyes drawn to the way you hips swayed slightly with each step. you stepped through the door he told you to, yellow candlelight seeping into the hallway before you closed it behind you. but it didn’t close fully and left you visible through the sliver. he forced his eyes away when he caught a glimpse of you pulling your gown off yourself.

just as he said, you found many suitable clothes in the shelves of the wooden dresser. the room itself was quite plain, though the bed looked more than comfortable. there were many options, though all of them seemed to be dresses of some kind. long or short, dark or pastel, silk or cotton, and everything in between. finally you settled on a flowy white nightgown, the skirt brushing against your thighs. you pulled on some clean socks and slippers and dried your hair as best you could with a towel you found before stepping out to join him in the sitting room again.

but when you got there, he was nowhere to be found. looking around in confusion, you breathed a sigh if relief when you heard him call your name for another room, beckoning you to join him. upon entering said room, it quickly became apparent it was a dining room.

the walls were practically black, much like the rest of the house so far, and made the room appear much darker than it probably actually was despite the multiple candelabras on the long wooden table and the extravagant chandelier hanging from the ceiling. he sat at the chair on the left of the head of the table, a meal set in front of the head. he gestured for you take a seat in front of it. you obliged quickly.

his eyes roamed over your figure, lips parting in a soft exhale at the sight of your bare thighs. fleetingly, he came to the conclusion he wanted to bury his head between them, let them squeeze and suffocate him as he ravished you. before he could further entertain those thoughts, the squeak of the chair brought him out of his head.

“i figured you’d be hungry, so i made a little something for you,” he spoke as you got comfortable in the seat, pushing a glass of water towards you, “i hope it’s up to your standards, dear.”

you gazed down at the bowl of what appeared to be chicken soup with vegetables before looking back up at him. “you’re too kind, really, you didn’t have to do all this for me.”

he was more than delighted by your kindness and manners, looking at him so cutely with the candlelight dancing in your eyes magically. “no but i did have to. i can’t have you sitting here, injured and starved… plus, it’s nice to have company.”

“oh?” his final sentence piqued your interest, fiddling with the handle of your spoon. “you don’t get a lot of company?”

he really didn’t, other than the souls that made down here after their bodies passed on. but that’s a conversation for another time. he shook his head slightly, lifting a glass of wine you hadn’t noticed before to his lips. he let it sit in his mouth for a moment before swallowing it and returning his gaze to you.

“not very often, no…” he explained slowly, setting the glass back on the table with a quiet clink before folding his hands beside it, elegant as ever, “people don’t tend to come all the way down here and i don’t tend to invite people over.”

a frown tugged at you lips and you turned your gaze away, feeling slightly ashamed. “i’m sorry to have bothered your peace then, seonghwa.”

he tensed, hands gripping each other just a little tighter. why on earth were you ashamed, why were you apologising? he reached over and placed a hand over your free one, momentarily distracted by how soft it felt in his grip before he was quick to reassure you. “oh no, darling, don’t you dare apologise. you’re not bothering me at all, really. it’s been a long time since i’ve enjoyed someone’s company this much.”

“r-really?” you finally looked at him again, the warmth returning to his stomach as he faintly noticed one of the straps threatening to fall off your shoulder.

“really,” he reaffirmed, turning your hand over so he could hold it properly, “i should be thanking you, if anything.”

you averted your gaze once again, this time feeling shy rather than ashamed; a fact that had him grinning. soon enough, you began eating your soup, humming at the taste approvingly after the first taste. you conversed leisurely as you ate, jumping from subject to subject naturally as if you’d known each other for years. you asked him why he wasn’t eating with you, to which he said he’d already eaten and didn’t feel hungry. this was, of course, a lie since deities like him don’t need to eat anyway.

eventually, you finished, slumping back in your seat with a yawn. “that was absolutely amazing. thank you, hwa.”

the new nickname had his cheeks tinting a soft pink but he hid it quickly. he watched you yawn. somehow everything you did felt adorable to him, the urge to scoop you up in his arms to hold you tightly and kiss you softly growing stronger by the second. if he weren’t a man with unrivalled self-restraint and patience, he would’ve done it by now.

“someone’s tired, huh?” he cooed at you, crossing one leg over the other. “you should go sleep in the room you got the clothes from. i’d prefer for you to stay until your ankle is fully healed, just in case.”

you nodded slowly, another yawn ripped from your throat as you got up and stretched your arms over your head. the movement caused the skirt of your nightgown to ride up, his breath hitching as he realised if it went up any further head be able to see your lacy white undergarments you’d borrowed from the dresser too. he distracted himself with a chuckle, standing up and guiding you out of the dining room to the bedroom by the small of your back.

before you knew it, you were on your back on the bed of the bedroom that supposedly belonged to his sister. your dress fell over your body entrancingly, tempting his hungry eyes as he stood over you, adoring the way your hair laid on the satin pillow. you turned to your side and curled up with your knees pulled to your chest. he caught a glimpse of your lacy panties before they fell over the swell of your ass as if they hadn’t moved in the first place.

thoughts swarmed his mind, none of them appropriate. he imagined your legs wrapped around his waist, burying himself into the curve of your neck, sculpted for his face to fit right there. he longed to feel your soft curves against his fingers, not a single layer of clothing separating you.

“hwa?” the way you said his name made his thoughts snap to reality as his eyes found yours. the nickname sounded so wonderful with your voice, he wanted to bottle up the sound and keep it safe on a shelf for the rest of eternity. not only that, but the way you looked at him, lips parted softly with small breaths, cheeks flushed, and eyes looking wide and innocent. oh, how innocent you smelled to him. he was torn between preserving it and corrupting it.

“yes, love?” he whispered back, brushing a strand of your hair from you face as casually as possible.

“thank you… for everything,” you whispered, peering up at him with those same glittering round eyes, “i’ll be sure to repay you for your kindness when i can.”

“there’s no need, really. it’s nothing,” he chuckled quietly, gaze flitting all over your features—you fluttering eyelashes, the slope of your nose, the curve of your neck, the slight upturn of the corners of your lips. he took a deep breath as discreetly as possible, reminding himself that there was a chance he wouldn’t be able to convince you to stay with him, he shouldn’t get too attached just yet.

somehow, he held himself back from pulling you into his arms and kissing you breathless. he pulled his hand back after letting his thumb brush against your cheekbone for a moment.

“i’ll let you rest now,” he whispered, “sleep well. i’ll see you in the morning, love.”

you muttered a soft ‘goodnight, hwa’ in return before he was out of the room and shutting the door a second later.

the door clicked shut and you heard his footsteps getting more and more distant. you let out another quiet yawn, pulling the comfortable blanket over your body and up to your chin. your room was quiet, the silence oddly comforting. something about the place had that feel and despite being so far underground, it didn’t feel claustrophobic at all. you compared it to home, your parents always bickering with each other or taking out their frustrations on you. it felt nice to be in a quiet space again, and you briefly wondered if you could stay a little longer than another day.

your eyelids became heavier with each blink in the dark before they ultimately closed completely, pulling you into a deep sleep.

though you didn’t expect it to last so long, over a week passed and you were still staying with him in his little cave house. you didn’t mind, of course, since he took such great care of you. in the week, you’d grown closer, treating each other like lovers though neither of you brought it up. he’d let you sit in his lap and you’d let him brush his fingers through your hair.

you stirred awake, one day short of having spent two weeks with him. today was one of those days where he’d gone out to run some errands, trusting you enough to leave you alone. with not much to do, you usually sat in his little library or took a nap until the evening. this time you chose the latter.

some hair clung to the thin layer of sweat on your forehead, your blanket displaced and only covering half of your left leg, having kicked it off in your sleep. for a second you couldn’t remember where you were, but memories of the previous days returned quickly and you relaxed before sitting up and looking around the room. the candle had stayed on overnight, providing light in a place where windows really couldn’t exist.

there was no indication of the time other than a clock on one of the bedside tables. assuming it was functional and accurate, it was 10:24 in the evening. you hummed, surprised you’d slept so much when usually you’d be awake hours before that. with a quiet groan, you realised there was no point in going back to bed, pulling yourself off the mattress and to the door.

you reached for the door handle but paused, pulling back to check yourself in the mirror. not wanting to look like a mess in front of seonghwa, you readjusted your dress so it sat on your body properly and tried your best to make your hair appear less messy. only then did you tiptoe your way out of your bedroom and to the sitting room.

he was back already, sat on the couch and readings a book, back straight and one leg crossed elegantly over the other. he wore something different. instead of the loose white shirt, black slacks and black corset, he now wore a black vest that had sheer black sleeves with black slacks. the neckline of his vest dipped low, revealing the lean muscles of his chest. you forced yourself to look away, settling into the armchair across from him, separated by a long coffee table.

“i don’t bite, you know,” he spoke without looking up from his book, sounding amused that you sat so far away after how close you’d been the night before.

your daze cracked, chuckling as you stood and walking around the coffee table to sit beside him on his right. though you weren’t touching, a few centimetres of space between you, you could feel his body heat radiating off him. he glanced down at your exposed thighs briefly before continuing to read, or at least trying to. his eyes were stuck on the same line for a minute, distracted by the way you leaned your head on his shoulder to read with him.

he contemplated pulling you onto his lap, missing the feel of your weight against him like the night before. you had insisted for him to carry you to bed, pouty and tired, and when he did, he had a hard time letting go of you and ended up sitting with his back against the headboard with you snuggled safely on his lap until you fell asleep.

knowing you wouldn’t mind, he moved his right arm around your waist, slipping his hand down to your hip to make pulling you onto his lap easier. once you were there, straddling him so prettily, he let you rest the side of your head on his shoulder, your nose brushing against his neck as he tried his best to maintain his focus on his book. to the world he was a merciless king, but with you in his lap he was tender and caring.

you shifted your head, trying to look down at the book he was reading. your breath tickled him as you spoke. “what’re you reading?”

“oh,” he turned the book over for you to see the title. he let you read over, revelling in the feeling of your nose and lips accidentally grazing his neck. it tested every inch if his patience. feeling your heart beat against his chest and wanting so desperately to crawl into your ribcage, cradling your heart in his hands and peppering the beating muscle with kisses. he cleared his throat. “it’s a collection of poetry and letters.”

“you like poetry?” you giggled quietly and he swore he could taste the sweetness of it.

“i do,” he nodded, the tips of his ears dusted a rosy pink, “would you like me to read some to you?”

the offer made you feel giddy for some reason, glancing up at him with a grin as you nodded. you could only imagine how poetry would sound spoken by his divine voice.

seonghwa snickered at your excitement, flipping through the pages of his book to find something worthy of your ears. he stopped at a page near the end, his hand dropping back to your hip as he began reading. he traced a finger over your hipbone as he did, the light pressure making you squirm lightly in his lap.

“i have never surrendered myself entirely to anyone but you, and only recently. and to let my heart speak, when i am pressed against you, is an emotion and a peace that overflows all imagination.”

by the time he finished reading it, you were holding your breath, heart hammering against your ribs so hard you had no doubt he’d be able to feel it. the way he said it sounded less like a recitation and more like a confession, your stomach buzzing with anticipation as you sat up to look at him face to face, eye to eye, your hands resting on his chest.

your touch drove him to insanity. the soft press of your fingers against his vest, making it that much harder to hold himself back. he wanted to hold you against him forever. to inhale your scent so that his lungs would depend on you and only you. to touch you, to kiss you, to knit your flesh to his so you’d never leave him, to devour you, consume you. he wanted to do it all.

he could only whisper, “may i?”

his words echoed what he said before tending to your ankle two weeks prior, the day you first met him. that felt so long ago, a nostalgic smile tugging at your lips as you nodded.

his hand squeezed you hip gently while the other moved to cup your jaw, wasting no time in pulling your face to his. it was a slow, reverent kiss that filled every inch of your senses with warmth. your lips felt softer than he imagined. when your lips finally touched, your fingers curled into his vest, sighing against his lips softly.

he shuddered at the sound, pulling your hips tighter against him and pressing his lips against yours a little harder, your body perfectly molded to his as if that’s where you belonged. his tongue ran along your bottom lip, not pushing into your mouth, just tasting you enough to satiate his growing hunger. despite the way your hips rolled against him, guided by his hand and eliciting subtle gasps against his lips, he couldn’t help but still find you so sweet, so innocent, as you let him kiss you breathless.

in a way, you reminded him of a little lamb, hunted by a wolf. one could say you had tamed him. he could easily tear out your throat, add you to his collection of souls, yet he decided to kiss you instead. kiss you so softly your cheeks warmed.

the next time your eyes fluttered open, you somehow found yourself in your room, still on his lap as he sat on the edge. his kisses slowed, being replaced with repeated pecks before he pulled away fully to rest his forehead against yours, panting.

he sighed your name and for a second you felt the world stop, the sound making your head spin. “darling, please, let me taste you.”

your breath hitched at his whispered request, suddenly aware of your panties sticking to your wet core. wordlessly, you nodded and he manoeuvred you to lay on your back, making sure your head rested on your pillow comfortably.

he kissed your forehead, then your lips. from there he kissed his way further down over your nightgown—your jaw, neck, shoulder, collarbone, the valley of your breast, your stomach, hipbones, the top of your pelvis—all the while murmuring praises of how beautiful you were. his hands rested on your waist and moved down to your thighs, spreading them apart without resistance as he kneeled between them.

with a final look at your curious face, looking down and following his every action with your eyes, he dragged the end of your skirt up, revealing more and more of your smooth thighs and baby blue cotton panties. he thought they were cute as he let the dress bunch up at your waist, leaning down to kiss the little satin bow of your undergarments before hooking his finger through them.

he began dragging them down but stopped abruptly when you place a hand over his own, worried eyes darting to look at you. all you had to do was say the word and he’d stop.

“no one has ever… you know,” you blushed, too shy to say no one had ever eaten you out, only giving your lower half a meaningful glance.

relieved, he chuckled lowly and kissed the hand atop his. “you know i’ll be careful, darling. just relax, okay?”

once you relaxed as he told you to, he slipped his fingers between yours, using his other hand to slip your underwear down and off you, tossing them in a random direction before finally taking a look at the parts of you he craved the most. he nearly moaned at the sight of your folds, glistening in the dim light as your engorged clit begged for his attention.

leaning down to kiss your inner thighs first, his tongue slid between your folds, licking an experimental stripe from your hole to your clit, drawing a soft whine from you. he himself groaned at the taste, the sweet nectar that seeped from your body.

“fuck, you taste so good.”

your thighs quivered around his head as he pushed his face deep into your heat, lapping up your juices and sucking at your nub with the desperation of a starved man. each prod of his tongue had your breath shaking, whimpering, as he drove you closer and closer to the edge. before, you figured it would feel good, but not quite this delicious.

when you came, you came with a faint cry of his name, body arching of the bed. your hand that didn’t hold his moved to his hair at some point during his meal, tugging softly as your juices gushed out and you twitched from overstimulation, his tongue unrelenting and determined to swallow every last drop of your release.

he pulled away as you tugged at his hair, moving his torso up your body to kiss you. it was less a kiss and more feverish presses against each other, his tongue wandering between your teeth and making you taste yourself. you couldn’t taste much, but to his sensitive taste buds you were the sweetest thing he’d ever had.

his hips pressed against yours and your breath hitched, feeling the weight of his erection straining against his pants and nudging your aching clit. he pulled back from your lips, searching your eyes for any sign that you wanted to stop. but you only nodded encouragingly and he grinned, his lips moving to your neck as he helped you sit up so he could pull your dress off you and finally see everything he’d been fantasising about.

he detached his lips from your pulse point to pull it the rest of the way and toss it in a random direction, his eyes trained on your breasts. they were just as pretty as he imagined, nudging you to lay down again so he could take one erect nipple into his mouth and suck and lick and kiss it and around it.

“you look so pretty right now, love,” he muttered against your skin as he kissed his way to your other breast, his hands working on releasing himself from his pants while yours unbuttoned his vest, hands shaking with want.

you closed your eyes and leaned your head back against your pillow, your fingers gripping onto his bare shoulders as he dragged his tip through your folds, gathering your wetness. he kissed your cheek.

“tell me if anything hurts, okay?”

only once you breathed an ‘okay’ did he begin pushing in. he was blessed with a cock so big and perfect it hit every sensitive spot in your walls with precision as his length filled you slowly. his tip alone had you gasping softly, moaning incoherently as your eyes rolled back and fell shut, the stretch somehow pleasing you.

when he bottomed out, his eyes were drawn to the way he could see himself pressing through the bottom of your stomach, groaning as he passed his hand over the area and felt the bump. he stilled inside you, not moving until you told him so.

“p-please move, hwa.”

his pace throughout was relaxed, slow but not painfully slow, just enough roughness to his grinds to leave you breathless without tipping you over the edge just yet. it was when his hand slipped under your waist and angled you differently that you began feeling the familiar knot tighten in your abdomen.

he had a hard time stopping himself from releasing the moment he entered you, your walls hugging him so perfectly he choked back a moan with each stroke. everything about you felt as if you’d been made for him to worship, for him to indulge in. before you had come along, there was that occasional craving of romance, of wanting someone. he longed for someone to hold his hand, whose eyes replied to his so lovingly.

and there you were, beneath him, squeezing one of his hands while your dilated pupils showed him just how much you wanted him too.

you bit down on your bottom lip to hold back your sounds, something that made him chuckle and kiss the bridge of your nose. “don’t be shy, i want to hear you.”

his quiet praises made your face warm, letting out the softest of moans as his words shot straight to your core.

“you take me so well, love.” “you’re so precious and all mine.” “keep your eyes on me, darling.”

at some point his deep slow strokes grew needy and faster, pounding against your g-spot repeatedly as moans and whimpers of the two of you filled the room, hot breaths mingling with each other. your next orgasm crashed down on you with little warning, your walls squeezing around him as he muffled your sounds with his lips.

he came soon after that, filling you with his release after you had told him it was okay. his face dropped into the crook of your neck, cock twitching until his body slumped against yours.

after cleaning you up with a damp towel and slipping a new pair of panties over your legs, he joined you in bed once more and wrapped his arms around you. your legs tangled together and your chest pressed against his, your head tucked under his chin as you drifted back to sleep, lazy kisses placed onto the crown of your head.

he sighed softly and shut his eyes, filled with thoughts. now that he’s had you, he could hardly see himself letting go of you. but why would he? you were all he wanted and more.

networks. @cromernet @wonderlandnet @cultofdionysusnet @pirateeznet

permanent taglist. @ad0rechuu @sankatchu @mlink64 @yeosangsbb @seonghwasbbgirl @likexaxdaydream @dreamingofyeo @yalyallic @yunhoswrldddd @coffee-addict-kitten @thunderous-wolf @chngbnwf

[bvidzsoo]

Obliviate Me

✩‧₊˚ Obliviate ⇄ to forget [Latin] ✩‧₊˚

Author: bvidzsoo

Pairing: dark!Park Seonghwa x female reader

✩‧₊˚ Warning: smut, addiction, ptsd, mentions of war, violence, fights ✩‧₊˚ Word count: 27.6k ✩‧₊˚ Rating: nsfw ✩‧₊˚ Genre: Harry Potter!au, set in the forties/Grindelwald's time, lovers to enemies!au, tragic love!au ✩‧₊˚ Summary: ✩‧₊˚ Grindelwald's reign holds everyone under terror, and you decide you want to join the right side and put an end to it. But the stars seem to refuse to align for you and your lover as you find yourselves on opposing teams. Will your love prevail, or will you succumb to the darkness? ✩‧₊˚

A/N: My lovelies, I...I am bawling my eyes out ngl, I can't believe I wrote this. Bring a box of tissues with you before you sit down reading, I am already forever sorry if I cause anyone any heartache<3 I have proofread this, but it's past 1am and you might still find mistakes, so I'm sorry about that! There's little time jumps in here, so for a quick clarification, after each divider you'll find them back in the current time (which is still in the forties!). I probably had a lot more things to say, but I forgot and I'm sleepy, so I'll settle for this much: there are probably some inaccuracies to the Harry Potter canon events as I took some creative liberty so yeah, keep that in mind when reading; also Mingi and MC aren't related, they just share the same surname! I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into this oneshot y'all (as into everything I write LOL), so I hope you enjoy! I appreciate all of your thoughts, so please leave feedback, I love reading them!<3 (special shotout to @hwasbbyg because somehow I always have you in mind when I'm writing something Seonghwa related <3) divider

            Times were dire, both in the Wizarding World and the Muggle World. Supremist leaders with atrocious views unleashed attack after attack upon innocent civilians, creating more destruction than victory. My heart broke daily reading the newspaper, both the muggle and wizard one. It made my blood boil that two men, so different yet similar upon closer view, would play God and decide what was wrong and right. Who was pure and who deserved to suffer. Nobody was perfect, nobody will ever be. I couldn’t just sit idly at home and be the housewife many women dreamed of becoming after graduating. I wanted to make a name for myself, I wished to become strong enough to save the innocent, to take their side and advocate for those who were too scared or weak to do so for themselves. That is why upon graduating from Hogwarts, I became an Auror. The training was harsh and demanding, but it wasn’t anything I wasn’t ready to bear if it meant it would lead to saving millions of lives. I was sick of all the spilled blood and wailing on the streets, I wished to see peace and serenity, to go to bed without the fear of never waking up again. Four years have passed since I have left the confines of Hogwarts, since I was forced to face the horrors of the outside world, to fend for myself, and to become someone. It was hard and terrifying, but for once, I felt complete. I felt happy with where I stood in my life, I was proud of who I had become. And I knew that as long as Grindelwald isn’t stopped, I shall not rest even for a second.

The auditorium was small in size and stuffed, the benches placed in a circular shape around a platform that had a table sitting on it and a chair. It was deep down on the second level, far away from the Auror’s offices, hidden between the women’s and men’s restrooms. The auditorium wasn’t meant to be easily found and it was only used when a situation had turned dire, when an emergency meeting just had to be called. I had chosen to sit towards the back of the auditorium, closer to the exit as the air felt stale and warm inside the stuffed room, at least thirty aurors squeezed together towards the front of the room. My throat felt parched and my palms were sweaty as I had them placed in front of me, leveling my breaths as Theseus Scamander, the Head of the Auror Office, stood tall on the platform, a forlorn look on his face. Anyone who had picked up the newspaper earlier this morning must’ve seen the devastating news of the destruction caused to the small and welcoming wizarding village, Apo’s Nook. There was nothing left of it, just the ashes of ghosts that would haunt the land and the smoking foundations of destroyed homes that would never flourish again.

I felt a lump in my throat as Theseus sighed long and loud, eyes surveying the auditorium. It was deadly silent in here, everyone was either too mad or sad to say anything. The time was barely nine in the morning and we knew we had a long day ahead of us. This meeting was a top-secret one, whatever was said inside this auditorium would be never allowed to leave the confines of these walls. Only the best of the best aurors were called in, no doubt for a mission that would be challenging both physically and mentally. It wouldn’t be my first special mission, yet I couldn’t help but feel dread for what was to come. A tiny voice in the back of my head tried to whisper warnings this morning while I was getting ready to come to work, my gut twisting nauseatingly and making me more restless than I usually was. Something would happen here today that I wouldn’t like, and I couldn’t do anything about it.

“Good morning, aurors.” Theseus’ voice rang loudly in the quiet room and I gulped, feeling sweat collect on my nape, under my hair. I didn’t want to get rid of my jacket, finding the warmth it provided comforting, but I was sweating too much. Careful, not to make any sound, I wrestled out of the satin fabric and placed it onto the table in front of me. My dress was thick to protect me from the merciless winter, and it reached just below my ankles as the front had a V-cut that stopped just above the valley of my breasts, “I assume you all know by now why you’ve been called here.”

There was a collective murmur of confirmation to Theseus’ question and I gulped, patting my forehead free of any perspiration, “What occurred in the early hours of today’s morning is—terrible and unforgivable.”

I couldn’t help but let my eyes run over the aurors as Theseus’ voice shook with raw emotion. He was just as affected by the news as everyone else in the room. I fiddled with my fingers as my eyes finally fell on a familiar person, the tiniest smile slipping onto my lips. It brought little comfort and assurance to see my former professor in a place where I was surrounded by fearless warriors who were mere strangers to me, but would soon become my trusted companions. The only other two aurors that I did become friends with throughout the four years of working here were Song Mingi and Jeong Yunho, partners in missions and other aspects of life, and I haven’t seen them in over a month now. They were alive, and as safe as possible, but they were far away from our home, in a land colder and far scarier than what London was at the moment. They were close to the German border, spying on Grindelwald’s men having infiltrated themselves amongst them. They were our precious informants, their jobs far more dangerous than ours at the moment. I couldn’t help but pray every night to a God that listened, that the two people I started cherishing in such a short time would return to me in one piece and alive.

“Grindelwald has destroyed another village,” Theseus’ words snapped me out of my thoughts as Professor Dumbledore turned his head, gaze finding mine, “wizards and witches were killed once again because they refused to join his dark cause. This cannot go on anymore, I won’t allow it.”

Professor Dumbledore bowed his head slightly in a nonverbal greeting before he turned his head, looking at Theseus with an unreadable expression on his face. I gulped and subconsciously reached for the pocket of my coat, feeling around for the plastic holder in the shape of a tube.

“I was given full permission to construct a team that will directly take out Grindelwald’s men until he’s left with nothing, until he’s alone and powerless.” Theseus leered, face contorted into fury, “I shall task you with bringing down these disgraces one by one, dead or alive, I do not care as long they cannot help Grindelwald anymore.”

My fingers tightened around the plastic, my head turning when I saw a man stand up with a heavy-looking folder in his hands approach Theseus, “We have gathered all the information we could about Grindelwald’s most important wizards and witches, they are our main target. I want you all to look at these photographs closely, commit them to memory as each one of you will be handed one to capture and bring forth to the court.”

I watched from the back of the auditorium as the man opened the folder and placed it down on a table in the front row, starting to hand out photograph after photograph. Knowing that I sat way too far in the back, I rose to my feet and swiftly took the plastic bottle from my pocket, slipping it between my breasts so that nobody would see it. Pushing my hands behind my back, I walked down a few stairs until I reached the row that had more wizards sitting in it, grabbing a photograph that wasn’t being looked at yet. The picture was in black and white, but the face of the witch was clear. Something in my stomach coiled as I recognized her being my peer at Hogwarts, just a year above myself, and a Slytherin like I had been too. The man sitting next to me looked at me with a questioning gaze, and I passed him the photograph as he handed me another one, this one of an older wizard who had a cunning look in his eyes as he held a cigar between his teeth. Something was unsettling about his gaze as I leaned against the side of the table, passing it along as another then another photograph passed through my grasp as I committed their faces to memory. Some of these pictures seemed to have been taken recently, right at Apo’s Nook before it went up in flames. My jaw clenched as the witch in the next photograph was grinning widely as if she was taunting us, and I accidentally passed it to the man next to me a bit too harshly as he gave me a concerned look. I ignored him and took a deep breath, fingers itching to hold onto the plastic bottle hidden between my breasts. The news this morning had been too shocking, and I had no choice but to take two pills instead of one. It wasn’t healthy, but I did force my breakfast down my throat in hopes that it wouldn’t make me feel ill if I doubled the dose.

The next photograph that was passed to me was flipped upside down, and I sighed as I braced myself for another unfamiliar face to commit to memory, except that when I flipped it, my whole body froze, blood going cold. I tried to gulp, but I couldn’t due to the lump in my throat. My lungs contracted, and I desperately tried not to gasp as my fingers dug into the fragile paper and I fought the urge to rip the photograph into shreds. I knew this would happen sooner than later, but I realized how completely unprepared I was for it. The wizard in the photograph was smiling widely, the photo not recent at all, his round eyes turning upwards at the corners, his front teeth on full display. His hair had been freshly cut before the photograph was taken, yet it still fell in his eyes as he failed to style it—he was talented at many things, yet he never quite learned how to tame his wild hair. I could feel my hands start to shake the longer I stared at the face of my first love, my heart beating so fast my ears started to ring. I struggled to breathe and I knew I was turning pale as my lips parted, a quiet gasp leaving through them. It was enough to alert the man sitting next to me as I felt his eyes on me, but my body couldn’t react to anything as I crumbled up the photograph, throwing it far away from myself. I heard my name being called and words that sounded like they were asking if I was alright, but my vision had started turning black from the lack of oxygen. The room was too small, too stuffy, too warm; I couldn’t breathe.

Hands still shaking, I gripped my dress and lifted it above my ankles as I abruptly turned around, eyes settling on the exit desperately as I felt my feet take me up the stairs, running as I extended my hand way before I have reached the door to grab the handle. My heart was in my throat and the ringing in my ears was as loud as a kettle’s whistle, and I yanked the door open with all the force I could muster up due to the tremor of my whole body. The air of the hallway hit me hard, making me gasp loudly as I slammed the door shut behind me, feeling tears prick at my dry eyes as I flung myself forward, hands cushioning my crash as I flew into the wall in front of me, forehead banging against it. I needed it, I needed something painful to shake me out of my borderline psychotic state. I couldn’t take another pill so soon, I really just shouldn’t. I bit my lower lip as I struggled to take deep breaths, the tremors of my body worsening as my hands curled into fists, forcing me to close my eyes. The ringing in my ears had started to subside, but my heart was still beating way too fast and my throat was too dry. I really couldn’t take another pill just yet; however, my right hand was reaching for the bottle without wasting another second as I uncapped it and grabbed two pills out of it, throwing them back as my eyebrows furrowed, struggling to gulp them down at once.

I stood desperately waiting for the downers to kick in, the thumping of my head subsiding as the ringing of my ears went away completely, the tremors of my body remaining, however. I felt my muscles trying to relax, not even having noticed how tense they had become, and I gulped as I turned around to press my back against the wall, groaning as my head fell back. My throat had started hurting, the pills having scrapped it, but I couldn’t care less as my frantic heartbeat had finally started slowing down. I heard the door of the auditorium open, and my eyes opened as I watched my former professor approach me with a concerned look on his face. He held a plastic cup that he extended towards me, and I took it eagerly, downing the cool water as it finally soothed the ache in my throat. I crumpled the plastic in my fist, sighing long as I looked at Professor Dumbledore, wondering what was going through his mind having seen me in such a hysterical state.

“War is harsh,” As if reading my thoughts, his eyes twinkled with that familiar warm glint, “it affects everyone differently. You’ve seen things no woman your age should have, but you are a talented auror, Miss Song. However, I fear you won’t be amongst us for much longer if you continue abusing those.”

I felt shame crawl up my body as the professor’s eyes fell on the bottle, and I quickly hid it behind my back, “I’m sorry.”

I felt like a little child that was being scolded for doing something bad as I averted my gaze away from Professor Dumbledore’s, and sniffed as I noticed my heartbeat had finally returned to its natural rhythm.

“How are your parents doing, Miss Song?” Professor Dumbledore’s voice was soft, and I shrugged looking up at him.

“They are scared, as is everyone else.” I sighed, biting my lower lip, “I have moved them to the Wizarding World in hopes of keeping them safe, but nowhere is safe anymore, Professor.”

“It’s saddening, indeed.” The professor nodded, sharing my feelings of sadness that were slowly turning into despair, “But I think you did the right thing. The Wizarding World might not be the safest place at the moment, but it is a lot safer than the Muggle World.”

It was reassuring to hear the approval of my much wiser and smarter professor, and for a second, I believed that I had done something right for the first time in a long time. No matter how many dark wizards and witches I have captured, I never truly felt accomplished. It wasn’t enough, because I knew I could do better if sent on even more missions, and finally, the chance to fulfill my selfish desires while proving myself to be good and useful to my superiors, had come.

“Are you feeling any better now, Miss Song?” The professor’s eyebrows raised as I quickly hid the bottle back between my breasts and nodded, squaring my shoulders back. There it was, the condescending look of deep thought crossing the professor’s face as he looked towards the ground, humming lowly, “When it comes to the matters of the heart, it’s a slippery and unsure territory, Miss Song. You might think you are prepared to face whoever and take them out, but if you haven’t completely let go of them, your heart will outrule your conscious, your rationality. Even if you have long released the feelings you had once harbored for them, your more rational side might stop you, might hold you back from delivering the final blow.”

I felt tears trying to prick at my eyes as they snapped up, boring into Professor Dumbledore’s as he had a sad smile on his lips, “It’s difficult to forget your first love, Miss Song, no matter how deeply they have wronged you.”

The tremors in my hands haven’t disappeared and wouldn’t go away today, but they halted for a second as I gulped, throat feeling dry again, “He chose his path consciously, as I have chosen mine. Our beliefs have never truly aligned, it was just wishful thinking on my side, Professor. Love, an emotion I do not feel towards him anymore, isn’t stronger than my rational mind. If I would have allowed my heart to lead me throughout my life, I would be by his side now, wallowing in self-misery and pity for all the lives I allowed perish.”

“I have recognized your passion the moment you sat on the stool on the night of the sorting, Miss Song, you’ve known from the very first moment what you wanted and how to get it. I fear I haven’t met a Slytherin as determined and stubborn as yourself, Miss Song—”

“Not even Tom Riddle, sir?”

The professor’s expression suddenly became leveled, warm smile turning into a rather forced one, “I fear I cannot compare you to Tom Riddle, Miss Song.”

I hummed and smiled, memories of the younger boy bashing the professor for even the smallest inconvenience returning. I had never figured out where their distaste came for each other, but as it wasn’t my business, I never prodded more than necessary. I fixed my hair and made sure the little bottle couldn’t be seen as I glanced past the professor, feeling calm enough to join the aurors again, “We should head inside before they deem me unfit for this task, I would hate to miss out on this one, Professor.”

“They cannot afford to lose an auror like you.” Professor Dumbledore chuckled with a thoughtful look on his face as he led us towards the door, opening it for me like the true gentleman he was. I thanked him quietly as I stepped through the threshold, the lump back in my throat as the room went silent at once, everyone turning around to watch me and the professor as we descended the stairs. I went to sit at my initial spot, but Professor Dumbledore gently grabbed my elbow and veered me towards his seat, a witch making a place for me as she had an understanding look on her face.

“Is everything alright, Miss Song?” Theseus asked once the professor and I had taken our seats, the curious eyes of the other Aurors still watching me. I gulped and placed my hands on my knees, trying to hide the tremor behind the desk so that nobody would see it.

“Yes, Mr. Scamander, my apologies for storming out like that.” My voice was leveled as I forced my face to relax, and an easy smile appeared on my lips, “I felt a little ill this morning, I suppose it returned suddenly.”

“Right,” Theseus hummed, a smile matching mine on his lips, “that is reassuring to hear; however, I do wish for a quick recovery should it get worse.”

“Thank you.” I bowed my head as my hands fisted my dress, my heart rate picking up again as I felt the witch next to me gently rub my back. I wasn’t fond of being touched by strangers, but I didn’t have the willpower to ask her to stop. Finally, seemingly content with my half-assed lie, the attention wasn’t on me anymore as everyone went back to conversing with each other. Theseus cleared his throat and walked towards our table, Professor Dumbledore gathering the photographs as they were scattered around on the desk.

“While you were taking a breather, Miss Song, I have informed your colleagues that each one of them will be assigned a dark wizard to survey and consequently take down whenever the Office seems fitting.” I tried to gulp, my throat going dry once again. The witch was still rubbing my back and her touch had started burning my skin through my dress, making me fidget with my hands as I released the grip I had on my dress. I knew this was coming, but I didn’t feel ready. If I could’ve, I would’ve downed the whole bottle of pills, not minding if I would have been the one in need of a funeral.

“I see, Mr. Scamander, who had been assigned to me?” I felt the professor’s eyes take me in carefully as if I were a ticking time bomb, and the hand of the witch was finally away from my body, her sigh too loud as Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat.

“Records say you have been peers with Park Seonghwa at Hogwarts, yes?” I failed to inhale air as my lungs contracted, my worst nightmare lay right in front of my eyes and ears, “Professor Dumbledore, could you confirm this for me?”

“Yes, Mr. Scamander, Miss Song and Mr. Park had been my students barely four years ago.” My eyes burned as I blinked them fast, scared that tears would flood them as my hands shook more, itching to grab the bottle even if for little reassurance. The sedatives weren’t working as they should have, I shouldn’t be so wired up and nervous still. I figured I should buy something stronger; the muggles were more lenient when handing out sedatives than the wizards if you knew how to put on your best act.

“Indeed,” My voice was emotionless, and I knew my face was unreadable as Theseus’ eyes narrowed, “I know Park Seonghwa, but just merely. He was a great student I often had to compete with for the first place in our year.”

The longer Theseus’ eyes bore into mine, the more prominent the soft prodding in my forehead became. I knew what he was doing, way too familiar with the feeling of having my mind invaded. He was searching for memories of Seonghwa and me, of anything that could prove I wasn’t lying and that our roots didn’t grow deeper than a surface-level acquittance. It was laughable how easy it was to veer Theseus around my mind, to trick him into seeing only what I wanted him to see. He wasn’t a born Legilimens, I could feel he was less strong than the likes of Tom Riddle, who was a born natural in his talent, and so, I knew Theseus wouldn’t figure out that I—in fact—was a born Occlumens, the will of my mind stronger than his surface-level talent. I watched as a satisfied expression settled on his features upon viewing the images I allowed him to see, like the brief snappy exchanges between Seonghwa and me when we were in class, trying to show off to the professors, or the duels where we loved to flaunt our skills, or the brief acknowledgments in the hallway when we so happened to pass by each other.

“Very well, Miss Song,” Theseus muttered and then slammed a photograph down in front of me, a much younger Seonghwa smiling mockingly at me, “I trust you to do your best and bring him to his downfall. Mr. Park is an important asset to Grindelwald’s army; we need him gone.”

“He shall be gone, then.”

1943

            The classroom was full of vigor as everyone pilled inside, rather excited to see what Professor Merrythought had up her sleeve for us today. She had promised a dueling class sooner than later, and, as we happened to be ahead on our curriculum in DADA class, we got permission from Headmaster Dippet to go ahead and transform our usual classroom into a dueling ring. This year, the Slytherins shared most of their classes with the Ravenclaws, the DADA class being one of them. I let my eyes run over the crowd of the gathering 6th-year Ravenclaws on the other side of the classroom, pressed up against the wall much like myself and my housemates. Despite the majority of students being in their 6th year, Professor Merrythought found it essential that all students above the age of fourteen learn how to duel due to the imminent threat looming above our heads, both in the Wizarding and Muggle World. Therefore, it came as no surprise that younger students were ushered inside by Professor Merrythought, who had a grin on her face. Finding the person I had been looking for in the crowd, on the other side of the classroom, a tiny smile made it onto my lips as I found him already looking at me attentively. His dark hair, once again, fell wildly around his head in curls that looked natural, framing his boyish features as his round eyes sparkled with excitement. I chuckled and felt more elated knowing that Seonghwa was here, the chance of getting paired up with him was rather high as we were the top students of our year.

“Miss Song.” I flinched at the sudden intrusive voice in my head, always taken aback when I was addressed telepathically. I looked away from Seonghwa, eyes falling onto the boy—who despite being younger, was a lot taller than me—was now standing next to me with a stoic expression, ice-cold blue eyes boring into my darker ones. I chuckled and pressed a hand against my chest, always impressed by his skills despite his younger age.

“Mr. Riddle.” I greeted back with a grin, the small prodding at my forehead proof that our telepathic connection worked both ways. It was rare that Tom allowed me inside his mind, and even then, he knew how to guide me around his thoughts to show me only what he wanted me to see—a skill he learned from me, rather quickly. He had a natural talent for learning and achieving accomplishments that wizards and witches older than him struggled to garnish. He was an admirable student and a force to reckon with, I was never too eager when he challenged me to a friendly duel under the pretext of gaining experience by dueling a student who was as outstanding as himself—in reality, he only wished to show off and torment me in the confines of the Room of Requirements when the two of us would head over to study.

“Now, children,” Professor Merrythought clapped her hands together as she walked between the parting crowd of students, everyone watching her curiously, “as you may know, Headmaster Dippet had granted us another dueling session, and I am beyond excited to teach you new tricks that may as well save your lives in the future. The rules are the same as always, no serious spells aimed to harm, and no maiming, Madam Gorsemoor has far more important tasks than to heal some children who didn’t take the rules seriously, yes?”

Everyone muttered a ‘yes’ at once, and Professor Merrythought had a pleased grin on her lips as she pulled her wide shoulders back, her golden eyes surveying the crowd, probably counting how many of us were here. Usually, no more than twenty students were allowed inside the classroom as Professor Merrythought wished to watch and help everyone, not just those few she noticed lacking in their skill, “Can someone tell me what we’ve learned in our last class?”

Several hands shoot up high in the air, mine included, and I felt compelled to look over to the Ravenclaws, not surprised at all to see Seonghwa’s arm high up in the air, shoulders pulled back to make him look taller. I stifled a chuckle and faced the front of the classroom again, feeling Tom’s questioning gaze on the back of my head, but I paid him no mind.

“Mr. Lovegood, perhaps?” Professor Merrythought pointed at the platinum blonde-haired wizard from Ravenclaw, who stood on his tiptoes, about to bounce up and down to gain the professor’s attention.

“Diffindo!” He exclaimed, cheeks flushing instantly as the students from his house snickered, the Slytherins remaining uninterested, “I mean, Diffindo and Relashio.”

“Very well, Mr. Lovegood, thank you.” Professor Merrythought hummed, eyes narrowing as she looked over the crowd once again, her eyes stopping on me as I offered her a small smile.

“I must remind you that Diffindo is a spell that brings great harm if not death to your opponent, and inside this classroom, we shall not use it against each other. And even outside of it, I advise you use it wisely and level-headed only if the occurrence calls for it—”

“Like—if it were for Grindelwald to attack us?!” A younger boy—from Ravenclaw—asked, heads turning in his direction as he yet had to grow a few inches.

“Yes, that’s the likely scenario I had in mind.” Professor Merrythought muttered pleased, nodding at the curious boy with big round eyes. He reminded me of Seonghwa when we had just started our journey at Hogwarts, always eager to learn more and curious about how everything around him worked. Since then, his nature remained but he learned how to control it, how to make it less obvious how big of a nerd he actually was. Some would say he tries to impersonate the ‘cool guy’ archetype, but I know him too well to believe those silly ‘rumors’, “Well, before we learn something new, I’d like to see a duel from our best duellists.”

I gulped, feeling eyes bore into the side of my head as I looked over to Seonghwa again, finding his eyes on me already once again. He was smirking, round eyes fierce as we both knew who Professor Merrythought would call to the front for a demonstration, “Miss Song, Mr. Park, would you grace us with your presence?”

I heard Tom chuckle behind me, unamused, no doubt having known we’d be the chosen ones for this task. It was rarely not us, even Seonghwa and I knew it. I patted down the front of my robe, dusting it off, then squared my shoulders as I made my way through the crowd, getting a few pats on the back from people who I was familiar with. I had grabbed my wand out of my pocket, and Seonghwa and I made it to the front of the class at the same time. His smirk had turned cheeky as he held his wand in his hands elegantly, twirling it playfully as I took a few steps backward and then adjusted my stance.

“Miss Song.” Seonghwa’s voice was deep, tone almost seductive, and I couldn’t help but grin and narrow my eyes at him.

“Mr. Park.” My tone was confident and full of assurance because I knew I would win this duel. I usually did. Seonghwa was very good at dueling, but I was better since I was faster and more agile. I was also a little more talented at wandless magic than he was, I found it amusing whenever he’d exercise next to me, growing frustrated with himself way too quickly. Professor Merrythought clapped her hands and stepped back as Seonghwa and I bowed to each other, wands gripped firmly in our hands as we took our stance for the duel. I zeroed in on Seonghwa only, focusing on the movements of his body, eyes boring into his as if I would read his mind—I could, but I knew he hated it, and what I hated more was when I made him hurt. Seonghwa stood alert, his dark eyes boring into mine, a curious glint in them, laced with mischief and anticipation as he was patiently waiting for me to make my first move. He usually wasn’t the one to attack first, and we both knew that. We’ve dueled each other many times already, we knew each other’s tricks and weakest points.

“Stupefy!” I exclaimed, throwing my hand out, my wand pulsing with power as a light blue zap quickly shot towards Seonghwa, who expertly threw up his defense wall, nulling my attack with a pleased expression. I chuckled under my breath and raised an eyebrow as I threw my next attack at him, “Flipendo!”

Seonghwa huffed as another jinx was thrown his way, raising his arm high as he cast another shield in front of his body, eyes narrowing as he realized I was trying to get him to fly to the other side of the classroom. I knew he was wary of injuring himself, and unless I teased him a little bit at the beginning of our duel, I knew he would try to go easy on me. But I didn’t want easy and friendly, I wanted him to have no mercy and fight as if we were in a real fight, against each other, with only one winner standing tall in the end.

“Stupefy!” Seonghwa exclaimed, the same light blue zap flying towards me, making me easily block his attack as I threw my arms up, casting an invisible shield. Unlike Seonghwa’s, mine remained blue and violet ripples the tell-tale sign that there was something in front of me. Seonghwa narrowed his eyes, calculating his next move as I sent a hot air charm his way, which he dodged skilfully, his black hair falling into his eyes. Seonghwa chuckled and twirled the strands behind his ear, graciously raising his hand, not even looking my way as suddenly electric blue flames came barrelling towards my shield, making the students in the classroom gasp in surprise, but also fear. Someone had started clapping hard, and I knew it was Professor Merrythought as she enjoyed the show the most out of everyone.

Seonghwa was smart, and so, he knew the blue flames would demolish my shield without hurting me, and I could hear Professor Merrythought explain just this to the students who watched us with even more excitement in their eyes. Deciding to not verbalize my next spell, I winked at Seonghwa as I made the hand movement that was required for the Waddiwasi spell, Seonghwa realized a moment too late as, suddenly, crumbled up parchments floated around me for a second, before propelling towards Seonghwa with force and speed that left him defenseless. Seonghwa gasped as he turned sideways, the little balls of parchment crashing against the side of his body without causing any damage—physical because his ego was probably bruised—and the students started laughing as Seonghwa hissed, facing me once again with piercing eyes. I grinned and curtsied teasingly, enjoying the way his cheeks had flushed from embarrassment, his grip tightening around his black wand. His lips didn’t move, but his hand did, and I narrowed my eyes as for a second nothing happened, and then I felt invisible ropes binding around my body, trying to immobilize me as my eyes widened in surprise.

“Emancipare!” I yelped the counterattack of Brachiabindo, the defensive spell Seonghwa had used, and felt the ropes instantly disappear from my body. Seonghwa huffed, running his fingers through his rich curls, looking frustrated as he walked a few steps closer. It wasn’t like him to lose his wits when we were dueling, and so, this was the first sign that told me something was bothering him as he couldn’t completely focus on the task at hand. But this was an exercise, a duel in which we had to demonstrate to the other students, so I pushed my worries aside and cast my next spell, “Fulgari!”

Much like Seonghwa’s spell, it was another one that bid your arms together, however, the ropes weren’t invisible anymore but red and thick, painful, as the charm tied your wrists together tightly. But Seonghwa knew how to counterattack it, and the ropes dropped midair as a white light was cast from his wand. Knowing that we didn’t have much time anymore and that Professor Merrythought was waiting for one of us to disarm the other, I acted quickly, “Expelliarmus!”

However, Seonghwa’s simultaneous attack was silent as it shot from his wand, and our spells clashed in the middle, exploding with a loud boom after they’d tangled up for a few seconds. I gasped as the force pushed me backward, almost making me stumble to the floor. The hem of my robe had caught in the heel of my boots, and as I tried to manage the issue, I felt my mind being prodded at. Not even having to concentrate on the action, my mind instantly blocked the intruder out, my mind’s barriers strong and stubborn, no matter how insistent the intruder became. I knew who it was, in this classroom only Tom Riddle was so talented enough to use Legilimens wandless and non-verbally, but he was least of my worries as Seonghwa’s glare was deep, mouth moving before I could register his words, “Relashio!”

I gasped as my wand was snapped out of my hand, clattering to the floor, making the students roar with claps and cheers, Professor Merrythought not even trying to calm them down as she walked towards Seonghwa and me. I gulped, feeling my cheeks tinge pink at the amateur mistake I had made, the fact even more embarrassing as I was disarmed by such a pathetic spell. But this is what a duel encompassed, and I took a deep breath and released it slowly as I felt Professor Merrythought’s hand on my shoulder, pulling me next to her as she had grabbed onto Seonghwa as well.

“Brilliant!” She exclaimed lips pulled into a huge grin, “Simply brilliant, my students! You will make such fine Aurors, the department will be blessed upon your arrival!”

I muttered a quiet thank you and bowed my head abashed, missing the cold look that crossed Seonghwa’s face upon hearing our professor’s words. Then, when the class had finally settled down, Seonghwa and I were ushered back to our previous spots, Professor Merrythought taking the lead as she started explaining the new spell we’d be learning today. I felt the uncomfortable prodding once again, and a little frustrated, I turned around and snapped at Tom without considering my actions first, “Stop it, Riddle!”

My exclamation thankfully wasn’t too loud, but it made a few heads turn our way. I gulped and averted my eyes flustered as Tom grinned, crossing his arms in front of his chest, “My apologies, but I failed to gain your attention any other way.”

“I am trying to pay attention to the new spell, Riddle,” I muttered as I faced the front of the classroom again, feeling the younger boy step closer as he loomed over my shoulders.

“But you already know it,” He muttered, voice devoid of any emotion and I just sighed, nodding and confirming his claim, “Well, then, let me offer you some friendly advice.”

“The Tom Riddle offering me some friendly advice?” I teased, looking over my shoulder with a chuckle, “So you finally admit that we’re friends?”

“Well,” Tom cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable, “if you think of us as friends, we shall be that, Y/N.”

Tom hadn’t been keen on addressing each other casually in public, but he’s been calling me by my name rather often lately, “And your advice is?”

“Ah, yes,” He cleared his throat again, leaning just a little bit closer to whisper in my ear, “use more non-verbal spells next time and maybe even wandless magic too, Park seems to struggle to defend those. And, try not to lose focus so easily, getting disarmed by Relashio out of all spells is rather embarrassing, Miss Song.”

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms in front of my chest, watching Professor Merrythought’s wand as she drew the movement of the spell slowly for us to see, “Thank you for pointing out that Relashio isn’t even a disarming spell.”

It was rare to see any sort of positive reaction from Tom, but he snickered as I felt him take a step back to offer me more space as he was done with the conversation, “Meet me later in the Room of Requirements?”

But apparently, he wasn’t done with the telepathic conversation, “Yes, at the agreed-upon time, I won’t be late this time.”

“You better not be.” Tom’s voice sounded unimpressed in my mind and I rolled my eyes, hoping nobody saw it, “And tell your boyfriend to stop staring daggers at my head, I could disarm and harm him in just a few seconds—”

“Thank you, Tom, that’s enough.” I snapped, never too keen when he tried to bash Seonghwa and his skills—or lack of them as Tom had so often remarked, “And get out of my head, now.”

His chuckle was cut short as I raised the barrier once again, forcing Tom out of my mind. I knew it would be painful to him and I didn’t mind as lately he’s been trying to prod at my mind way too often. But being a born Occlumens came with its perks, no matter how much Tom tried to peek inside my head, he’d only be allowed inside as long as I let him. Having realized that he had some control issues, I didn’t let him know about that little piece of information, for my own peace of mind, really. Feeling like somebody was drilling holes into the side of my head, I looked over to the Ravenclaws, a little taken aback by the dark look in Seonghwa’s eyes and the sneer on his lips. He looked irritated, and as we made eye contact his expression hardened for a second before he looked away, ignoring me for the rest of the class. I had only sighed, paying attention to Professor Merrythought for the rest of the class.

            Once class was over everyone pilled outside quickly, eager for the short break before our next class would start. Wanting to speak to Seonghwa in private, I stayed back with the hopes that he’d do the same, but when Professor Merrythought noticed me and asked if I had wanted to speak to her, I realized it was just her, myself, and Lovegood in the classroom. I bid her farewell and then scurried outside, sighing long as I felt disappointed that Seonghwa had left without me even noticing it. He was mad at me, that was now certain, and we wouldn’t have the possibility to meet until dinner or our Prefect duties as this was the last class we shared today. I held the strap of my satchel bag tightly as I gnawed on my bottom lip, wondering whether I could use an excuse and search for him between my classes, when suddenly a classroom door was thrown open and I was harshly yanked to the left by my arm. I gasped as I stumbled, failing to keep up with the aggressive tugging, my back hitting a wall rather painfully as my heart had started racing, eyes widening as I felt warm lips pressing against mine. It took me a second to register what was happening.

I was face to face with Seonghwa, who had me pinned between himself and the wall, holding the side of my neck firmly with his right hand as his left one gripped my hip, fingers digging into the fabric of my uniform. His eyes were open and glaring at me despite his heated kiss, and it only made me flush more as I felt his tongue force itself between my lips while his fingers sneaked up towards my jaw, tilting my head up as he had to lean down, just slightly, due to our height difference. My heart hammered against my ribcage as the satchel bag fell from my shoulder, landing with a loud thud as I gripped his robe’s collar, the fabric a lot softer than mine. Seonghwa’s tongue lapped at mine fiercely, stealing my breath away as I felt his hand slip from my hip, trace the inside of my thigh as it slowly slipped underneath my knee-length skirt. I gasped and gently pushed him back, breathing hard as his right hand held my nape, fingernails pressing into my frail skin, “Seonghwa—”

“Did you have fun flirting with Riddle right in front of me?” His tone was harsh, voice raspier than usual, and I gulped, his hand slipping higher up underneath my skirt.

“Seonghwa, I wasn’t flirting with him.” My voice trembled as he leaned closer again, lips tracing the skin of my neck, feather-like, making goosebumps erupt all over my skin. My hands released the collar of his robe as they slipped higher up, circling his neck as my fingers got tangled in the wavy strands of his hair, “I’ve told you so many times that I’m not interested in him—”

“Well, you certainly don’t act like it.” I gasped as his sharp teeth sunk into the skin of my neck, making my stomach coil as his other hand stopped at my groin, caressing my flesh through my stockings, “I’m sick of seeing him prance around you like a lost puppy, my love.”

“He’s just a boy.” My eyebrows furrowed as Seonghwa’s head snapped up, a sneer on his face.

“Just a boy?” He scoffed and leaned incredibly close, lips brushing against mine as he spoke, “He’s barely one year younger than us, Y/N.”

Sighing loudly, I pressed a chaste kiss against his lips, seeing his eyes shake for a second, his anger dissipating slightly, “Yet I only see the little boy I guided to the Slytherin common room in his first year in him, my love, he’s nothing but like a brother to me.”

“He has no boundaries.” Seonghwa huffed, jaw clenching and unclenching as I kissed his cheek, right side and then left side, then pulled him slightly lower to kiss his forehead too. Seonghwa’s grip visibly softened, his finger rubbing circles into my hipbone under my skirt.

“I know how to put him in his place if he ever goes too far, which he has never done before.” I muttered reassuringly as I ran my fingers through his hair gently, knowing that he loved the ministration, “Abraxas is touchier than Tom will ever be, yet you make no scene when he’s with me.”

Seonghwa scoffed, gripping my chin as he tilted my head up again, “Because it’s clear he’s not interested in courting you, he’s touchy with everyone.”

I chuckled as I coaxed his lips towards mine, my eyes fluttering closed as Seonghwa’s lips gently, but firmly, pressed against mine, our lips playing a gentle dance as they moved at a calmer pace, following the other’s rhythm as I let Seonghwa take the lead, our lips slotting perfectly against each other. His breath hit my face as he nipped at my bottom lip, enjoying the way my lips chased after his again, capturing his bottom lip between mine as I felt his hand very slowly slip towards my crotch. I keened, pushing him back by the shoulders when he had started rubbing circles against my clothed core, “I need to get to the greenhouse, Hwa, we can’t do this now.”

“You can skip Herbology,” Seonghwa whispered as his lips brushed against my ear, I bit my bottom lip, eyes fluttering closed, “it’s not that important.”

Before I could succumb to the feeling of Seonghwa’s fingers teasing me, I gripped his wrist and pushed his hand away, blinking my eyes open, “I’m not going to skip classes because you want to have sex, Seonghwa. You can wait until tonight.”

“Yeah?” He grinned, round eyes glinting dangerously, “I can?”

“Unless you want to throw another jealous fit over the fact that I’ll be studying with Tom later on.” I mused and pursed my lips as Seonghwa’s expression hardened again. He was so easy to irk, his face hid nothing as I cocked an eyebrow in challenge at him.

“Right,” He muttered, clearing his throat, “You’ll be busy with Riddle this afternoon—”

“I’ll be busy perfecting my Legilimency, yes.” I raised my eyebrows at Seonghwa as he hummed and stepped back, detaching himself fully from me. I licked at my lips and ran my hands through my hair, trying to get rid of any knots that may have formed.

“Find me after you’re done patrolling, then,” Seonghwa adjusted his tie and then patted down his robe, “I won’t be coming to dinner tonight.”

“Something wrong?” I asked with furrowing eyebrows as I leaned down to pick up my satchel bag.

“No, I just need to catch up on some assignments, is all.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. I didn’t say anything as he caressed my cheek with his warm hand, “I love you.”

I smiled widely, turning my head lightly to press a kiss against his wrist, “I love you too, Hwa.”

            Despite the sun trying to shine some light on the dire streets of London, the ever-grey clouds were everlasting, casting a gloomy shadow over the streets and the people that ventured outside. Lately, it seemed to be safer to go out and enjoy the much-needed social interactions, but people were still wary of the imminent threat posing over their heads. You just never knew when the enemy would strike, making you look over your shoulder at any given moment. London wasn’t anymore what it used to be, but reconstructions have started and there seemed to be light at the end of the permeating dark tunnel.

My coffee’s steam reached my nose as I forgot of its existence, my eyes having fallen on two children who had their palms out and were timidly asking for money from the passerby people. My heart broke at the sight of such innocent lives having to suffer so much, unwanted scenarios clouding my mind. They could’ve lost their parents, or maybe they still had them, but the war made them homeless and this is was the best they could do. I hated how most people didn’t even cast a glance at the obviously suffering children, their clothes strewn in places, cheeks dirty with dust. They clung to each other, the boy taller by a head as he clutched the younger girl to his side, pulling her back when a postman paid them no mind as he barrelled down with his bicycle on the pavement. But before my anger could get the best of me, the bell to the small coffee shop chimed, and I looked over, heart settling at the familiarity of the man that was approaching my table. He wasn’t a coffee lover, not when we were mere teenagers, so I had ordered tea instead for him.

“Mr. Kim.” I smiled as I abandoned my cup and pushed my chair back, fighting the wide smile that tried to make it onto my lips. Kim Hongjoong and I haven’t been close during our days at Hogwarts, but due to a person that was present in both of our lives, we had the chance to share some fond memories. Hongjoong had always been a free spirit, unafraid to break rules here and there, trying to break free of the chains society placed on all of us. Even now, his hair was brushed back in an uncharacteristic way, the black ends tinged almost blonde. His clothes didn’t match in colour, his pants burgundy and his shirt a rather atrocious colour of yellow, the grey sweater thrown over it saving the outfit somewhat. His green coat was dark, and due to the colour of his pants, it made him look like a Christmas tree.

“Dear,” Hongjoong chuckled, his hug warm and comforting, arms circling my middle tightly, “are we back to being formal with each other now? Has it been that long since we left Hogwarts?”

I chuckled, arms tightening around him subconsciously as my chin pressed against his shoulder, eyes glazing over with sudden tears that took me off guard. I have missed the faces I have become familiar with at Hogwarts, the place where I was still innocent and in love with life, with the prospect of a bright future. A future that was now my present, neither bright nor innocent. I have never had many friends, keen on keeping to myself, and the life of an Auror made it hard to keep up with others. It was better for them; my field of work had no guarantee of me returning alive. And knowing that two of the people I considered my family, Mingi and Yunho, were first in line in harm’s way, made me prolong my hug with Hongjoong. It felt nice to be in a warm embrace for once.

“Four years and three months, more specifically.” I whispered as I reluctantly let go of Hongjoong, who gripped my bicep and gave it a reassuring squeeze before we both claimed our seats at the small round table.

“So, you’ve been counting,” Hongjoong muttered, looking down at his steaming hot tea, “as have I.”

I hummed, feeling a certain sad aura around Hongjoong as he carefully cradled the teacup in his hands, humming to himself as my eyes bore into the side of his head. I was curious of what was running through his mind, but entering it without his consent was a breech of privacy and the break of trust between the two of us. Picking his fragile mind apart would’ve been very easy. Finding what I was looking for would’ve taken only a few seconds and I could be on my merry way in no time, hunting down the man I was tasked to take out, but I was yearning for just a second of normalcy, for a second that could take me back to the past where I was happy, unafraid, in love.

“How is the Auror life, dear?” I smiled at the nickname, Hongjoong being the only person who’s ever addressed me so affectionately—besides my former lover, Seonghwa.

“Dangerous,” I sighed, raising my cup of coffee to take a small sip, “exhausting, and time consuming.”

“I’ve had to treat many Aurors since I’ve started working at St. Mungo’s, and each time I pray I do not come across you, dear.” Hongjoong’s expression was solemn, as if he was trying to repress memories that weren’t kind nor pleasant, “But you seem to be in great health, so I shall not worry so much anymore.”

I chuckled and placed the cup down, fingertips tracing the porcelain in order to keep my hands busy with something, “I’m rather agile, one of the best they have. But sometimes even I worry for my own safety, thank you for thinking of me so often, Hongjoongie.”

He smiled, reaching out to grab my wrist, “Sometimes I feel bad for the way things have ended between us—between the three of us, I mean.”

I gulped, the topic of Seonghwa inevitable anymore. But still, I tried to stall it for a little bit longer, trying to enjoy Hongjoong’s company for a little bit more before the real reason I was here would ruin our nostalgic reunion.

“Don’t fret on the past, Hongjoong, what’s lost is lost.” I gripped his hand with my right one, patting it gently, “How are the other nurses treating you at St. Mungo’s? I’ve heard there’s not many wizards working there.”

“The witches seem to love me,” Hongjoong chuckled, suddenly his cheeks red, “they praise me a lot and always fight on who gets to work with me. I’m treated nicely and they’ve accepted me rather quickly despite being a wizard.”

I gulped, knowing the tumultuous history of the Kim family, “And your parents?”

Hongjoong froze, eyebrows furrowing as he averted his eyes, “My mother is speaking to me again. My father…we know how he feels about me.”

“You’ve always done just fine without them,” I encouraged him, watching curiously as he grabbed my hand and flipped my palm upside down, “and if you need a friendly advice or just an evening spent drinking wine and reminiscing, you know were to find me, Hongjoongie.”

He chuckled, forefinger gingerly tracing the inside of my palm, making me shiver. It’s been long since someone had treated me so tenderly, ever since Yunho and Mingi have been sent onto their mission actually, “Have you cut yourself here?”

“Yes.” I answered surprised, “How did you know?”

“The skin is rougher here,” Hongjoong pressed his finger a little harder against where the cut was healed up, not even a trace of a scar, “Stop by St. Mungo’s when you have a little free time, I have the perfect potion to fix your skin. I’ve got quite the tricks up my sleeve now.”

As our eyes met, a beat of silence passed, then we both burst out in quiet giggles, pressing our hands against our mouths. Memories of all the failed potions made by Hongjoong resurfaced, most of those times Seonghwa or me being his test subjects. There were too few fingers on my hands to count the number of times Seonghwa, Hongjoong, and I had ended up in the Infirmary, on the brink of dying from dangerous toxins found in Hongjoong’s brews. And yet, we continued indulging in his shenanigans as he was too endearing to say ‘no’ to.

“I suppose you’ve stopped poisoning people now, right?” I raised an eyebrow, tone joking as Hongjoong bit his lower lip, cheeks flushing once again.

“No more failed experiments or potions that would send Slughorn up the wall if he were to know about them.” And once again, we started giggling behind our palms as Hongjoong seemed to finally loosen up, making me feel bad that I would soon deter the conversation to a delicate topic. But I didn’t have much time, I had to move fast if I wanted to catch Seonghwa when he least expected it.

“I suppose you meet all sorts of people at the hospital…” I trailed off as I grabbed my cup of coffee yet again and took a long sip, Hongjoong’s lips pursing as he traced the wooden design of the table.

“Yes, quite the personalities.” He mused, eyebrows raised slightly in question as I swallowed the coffee, biting my lower lip in hesitance.

“As a nurse your allegiances do not matter, you must save everyone—”

“That is correct.” Hongjoong’s tone had turned colder, his face losing its warm glow, a mask of indifference now replacing it. I sighed knowing that Hongjoong had probably caught on to where our conversation was headed now.

“I know you still keep in touch with Park Seonghwa.” I lowered my voice so nobody would hear us. Everyone knew who Grindelwald’s men were, I didn’t want to risk the chance of anyone overhearing our conversation, even if the coffee shop was only frequented by muggles. I chose this place for this specific reason, few wizards and witches ventured out into the heart of London, not keen of the life muggles lived here.

Hongjoong had frozen, jaw clenching as his cat-like eyes narrowed at me, “What does that have to do with me being a nurse at St. Mungo’s? Are you accusing me of something, Miss Song?”

I sighed, but I knew the jabbing was inevitable. Hongjoong had been very protective of Seonghwa even before our years at Hogwarts, “I am not accusing you of anything, I was just merely curious on who’s side you stand—”

“I stand on nobody’s side.” Hongjoong snapped, pushing his teacup far away from himself, glaring at it suspiciously. He must be wondering whether I had slipped Veritaserum in it, but I would never do that to him, “I stand on the side of the victims I must save, on the side of justice, and on the side that doesn’t harm but protects instead. Do you fathom there’s a side like that? One that does not harm, but only protects?”

“No.” I whispered, averting my eyes from Hongjoong’s intense gaze, visibly irritated, “We’re trying to do our best, I promise, but I cannot guarantee that innocent folk won’t be harmed in the process of stopping Grindelwald.”

“You’re just doing your job,” Hongjoong’s tone softened, “and so am I, and so is Seonghwa—”

“Seonghwa is killing innocent wizards and witches for a cause that is irrational, for a cause that aims to harm muggles that aren’t at fault for being the way that they are. This isn’t a job!” Hongjoong’s eyes widened as my voice gradually raised, never the type to lose my cool. My heart had started racing and I felt anxiety creeping up my chest, through my throat, making me chew on the inside of my cheeks. I scrapped at my hand, averting my eyes as Hongjoong’s stare became too much, making me feel like he was judging me. Maybe I have misjudged his character, maybe he is on Seonghwa’s side, after all.

“Y/N,” But his voice was soft and I felt his hand grip mine, gently stopping me from scratching my skin until it was raw and red, “I know how hard it was when you found out about Seonghwa’s ambitions and beliefs, and I know you still feel guilty and think you played a part in him becoming like this. But as someone who’s known him since he was a little boy, Seonghwa’s always dreamed of doing big things, of changing our world into the better. You couldn’t have stopped him even if you had known of his plans since early on—”

“Then help me.” I felt choked up as I looked at Hongjoong swiftly, eyes shaking as I gripped his hand. His eyebrows were furrowed and he gulped as my eyes glossed over, his words ringing through my ears. He was right, I have always felt guilty for not noticing the blatant signs of Seonghwa’s true beliefs. He’s never been kind to muggles at Hogwarts, he’s always made snide remarks about them, and he’s mentioned joining a cause one day that purified our Wizarding World. I thought he was simply aspiring to join the Ministry, like many others wanted. Instead, he decided to join the cause of a man who thought wizards were superior to muggles and wished to subdue them, and force them to live in fear for the rest of their lives, “I need to talk to Seonghwa, please tell me where he is. Hongjoongie, you’ll be helping a greater cause than yourself and even myself. I must find him and—”

“You’re an Auror, Y/N.” He cut me off sharply, yanking his hand out of my grip as he shook his head feverishly, “If you find him, then what? Will you interrogate him and lock him up in Azkaban for a few months until he gives in and admits to his mistakes? We both know that’s the last thing Seonghwa will do if he’s ever captured. You’ll kill him—”

“I won’t—”

“You’ll kill him, and I cannot set up my best friend for his death.” He snapped angrily, cheeks red as his eyes were tear-filled, “I cannot wrap my mind around the fact that you sought me out for such a feat. You should be ashamed of yourself, Miss Song, for even thinking that I would help you out with such an atrocious thing. I love Seonghwa more than anyone, you have deeply wounded me, Miss Song, I have expected more of you.”

“Hongjoong—” Heart breaking as he swiftly stood and left with a last piercing look, I slumped back in my chair and tried not to let the sob break through my lips, cheeks damp from the tears that fell down them. Yes, I have been a fool for seeking out Hongjoong, I knew he’d never give away Seonghwa’s location, but he was my first and last option in trying to find Seonghwa in a way that I could negotiate with him, try to deter him from his cause, save him from a harsh sentence. And I have failed, and now I’ll have to kill the man that I have never stopped loving.

Having lost my appetite for anything, I stood hastily and wore my dark coat, pulling on my gloves to protect my hands from the freezing air. I gathered my purse and clutched it tightly in my hands, storming out of the coffee shop as I felt around for my bonnet inside the purse. The heart of the city was buzzing with people as the hour was nearing noon, the loudness of it all irritating my ears as I tried to walk between the people to the closest Portkey leading to the Wizarding World. But just as I was about to cross the road, I felt a hesitant tug on my coat. Alarmed and ready to defend myself, I whirled around and searched for whoever had touched me, only to find the siblings looking up at me with pleading eyes. Tapping the tears off my cheeks quickly, I opened my purse and crouched down as I fetched the pastries I have bought earlier for breakfast.

“Have this,” I handed them to the little girl, who had a runny nose and whispered a ‘thank you’. I pushed around in search for the little muggle money I still had, and once I found it, I gave it to the boy who looked beyond grateful and even bowed his head in gratitude. Feeling helpless that I couldn’t do more for them, I grabbed the bonnet that I knew I wouldn’t wear again, and placed it onto the little girl’s head. It was big and it fell in her eyes, but she grinned as her brother tried to adjust it for her, making my heart swell, “Take care of each other.”

The two nodded with eyes glistening, and I gulped down the lump that’s formed in my throat and stood tall once again, hurrying away before I felt the overbearing need to break down in the middle of a muggle filled street. I would finish this mission even if I lost my life in the process of it, it didn’t matter, it didn’t matter because innocent children and innocent common folk were the one suffering the consequences of these tyrants that ruled over our worlds.

20th of December, 1943

             Slughorn’s Christmas parties were catalogued somewhat legendary and, thus, have always been talked about in the hallways of Hogwarts. Those who were invited mentioned it in excited exclamations and those who weren’t in whispers with envious tones. I had been part of the lucky few who got invited, being part of Slughorn’s Slug Club for a good two years now, and I couldn’t have been happier. These parties were perfect for mingling with socialites and people of importance in the Ministry and other fields that piqued your interest. I had been lucky enough to meet a few well-known Aurors tonight, but my utmost luck struck when, despite his drunken state, Professor Slughorn pulled me aside to introduce me Theseus Scamander, the Head of the Auror Office. The professor had rambled on about my abilities and how talented and knowledgeable I was in the Dark Arts, painting me as a very talented duellist to Mr. Scamander. He had been eager to listen to his former professor, giving me knowing glances and a dashing smile. I couldn’t help but blush a little, the Fire Whiskey I had—secretly—drunk with Abraxas getting the best of me. Unable to hide his amused smile anymore, Theseus had excused us with the pretext that we’d head over to the delicious candy bar and serve ourselves with chocolate frogs, to which our professor couldn’t object as, he, himself loved it.

“He’s quite the talker, isn’t he?” Theseus laughed as he gently guided me through the crowd of students and outsiders, his hand holding my gloved elbow. My dress was modest, adorning the emerald green of my house that I wore proudly. The neckline was a sweetheart design, sleeveless, and the upper part of the dress was moulded tightly against my body, a silvery fabric creating the illusion of a belt around my waist. From the waist, it flowed down to my ankles in a simple A-line, highlighting my long legs. I had a thin, sheer, shawl around my shoulders—but I have abandoned that at the dinner table as it had started annoying me—and instead wore my silvery satin gloves that reached just above my elbows.

“He certainly let’s go of himself when alcohol is involved.” I said quietly, earning a chuckle from Theseus as we reached the candy bar. It was hard to choose just one delicacy as the table was littered with at least fifteen types of desserts, and I watched as Theseus grabbed a plate rather eagerly.

“I couldn’t wait for the annual Christmas party back when I was a student here,” Theseus said as he started placing different delicacies on his plate, “the dessert was the best part of the night—apart from the Fire Whiskey.”

He glanced at me briefly and winked cheekily, making me chuckle as I averted my eyes with a shy blush on my cheeks. He chose a rose shaped tart that was filled with marzipan, and it reminded me of Seonghwa as it was his favourite dessert. Wondering where he was—since he had disappeared around half an hour ago—I searched the crowd while Theseus was busy filling his plate.

“Is it you who wants to be an Auror, or are your professors pushing you towards this job?” Theseus’ question earned my attention as I looked back at him, unsuccessful in my mission of finding Seonghwa.

“It is me.” I answered with a smile, fiddling with my fingers nervously, “I hate injustice, and I hate seeing our world get torn apart as Grindelwald is trying to ruin us. I want to help in stopping him, I want to be a figure that others can entrust their lives to. I want to protect the innocent, and I am not scared to sacrifice myself for others. And when he’ll finally be stopped, I will continue dedicating my life to help the right cause.”

Theseus hummed, his eyes softening as they quickly took in my form, a pleased look crossing his features, “You sound quite determined, and you look tough too. I have spoken to Professor Merrythought about any student she deemed fit for the role of an Auror, and I am positive she talked about you for almost an hour, Miss Song.”

I gulped, feeling warmth spread through my chest in happiness that I had been praised so extensively by my professor to a very important and prominent person in the Ministry, “I’ve still got two years until I graduate, but I hope to join you as soon as possible.”

“I cannot wait for that day to come, Miss Song.” Theseus grinned, grabbing the rose dessert, “I can already tell you’ll be great; you sort of remind me of myself, actually.”

“I do?” I asked with a surprised tone, feeling my smile get even bigger.

“Indeed.” Theseus hummed and then took a bite of the rose as I tried to contain my glee, my mouth hurting from smiling so widely. Suddenly, there was a presence next to me, and I felt a hand gently grip my shoulder, the hold familiar but rather cold. I turned my head and was met with Tom’s piercing-blue cold eyes looking down at me impassively.

“Mr. Scamander.” He greeted the Auror with a tight smile on his lips.

“Mr. Riddle.” Theseus was in the middle of chewing his dessert, but he quickly forced it down his throat and shook Tom’s hand.

“Do you mind if I steal Miss Song for a dance?” Tom’s voice was suddenly light, dripping with sweetness as his face morphed into a warm smile, “Have I interrupted an important conversation?”

“I have said what I wanted to Miss Song, if she wishes so, you can steal her for a dance.” Theseus winked, our gazes meeting as suddenly his thoughts flooded my mind. For a powerful Auror like him, it took me off guard to find his mind so defenceless. Perhaps he didn’t see a reason to guard his thoughts in the confines of Hogwarts, and before I could correct him that there was nothing between Tom and myself—as Theseus’ thoughts claimed—I was already whirled around and guided towards the crowded dance floor. The orchestra played a nice tune, slow but not to the point all you could do was step left and right. Tom placed his hand on the middle of my back as he held my hand in his other one, a respectable distance between our bodies as he started leading.

“Any reason you wanted to dance with me?” I asked with narrowed eyes, knowing for a fact that Tom never danced. He hated dancing or standing as close to somebody as we were stood right now.

“Hmm,” He hummed, his tone low and his voice pleasant to the ears as he spoke up again, “you looked like you needed a little saving.”

“Speaking to Mr. Scamander was pleasant,” I shrugged, holding onto Tom’s shoulder tighter as we narrowly avoided a drunken couple, “You could’ve tried to save me when I was talking to Professor Slughorn and the spouses that work at St. Mungo’s, instead. They are weird.”

“They are peculiar people, indeed.” Tom muttered, eyes falling on my face, “But they are incredibly smart and good assets to a team.”

“What team?” I asked confused, eyebrows furrowing. Tom was leading us out of the crowded dance floor, thankfully, more towards the side where we’d have more space and wouldn’t have to avoid every second drunken couple. A platinum blonde hair popped up in the crowd not far from us, and I stifled a laugh as Abraxas tried not to topple over as he was led towards the exit by his date.

“Well,” Tom started, eyebrows lightly furrowing as he mused over his words, like he didn’t know how to formulate his next words. That was unexpected from Tom as he was a good speaker, and an intelligent person, “let’s put it this way. You build an army of people that are magically gifted, but smart too, and you lead them to victory.”

“Why would you need this army?” I asked as I grew even more confused, “Are you talking about Grindelwald?”

“We can take him as an example, yes.” Tom chuckled, a smirk pulling at his lips as our eyes bore into each other’s, making me wonder for a split second if he was hiding something from me, “The people he has on his side aren’t just strong and powerful wizards and witches who excel at magic, they are also intelligent and strategize with him, leading him towards victory—”

“You think Grindelwald will prosper in this war?” I asked, feeling myself irked at such vile thoughts. Grindelwald wouldn’t win, I would become an Auror just to make sure of it.

“No, of course not.” Tom whispered, an easy smile adorning his lips and I felt his fingers gently rub against my knuckles. I sighed and looked away, surveying the crowd in hopes that I would finally find my lover. I missed him, I wanted to be by his side and dance with him, “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Of course.” I chuckled, but my eyes were still searching the crowd as Tom cleared his throat, turning us around so that I was facing the exit now. My eyes stopped on the familiar form of my lover, and my eyebrows furrowed in wonder as I realized Seonghwa was speaking to Rabastan Lestrange and his parents, “Are you?”

“I hate these events, actually, even the Slug Club, but if I wish to remain in the graces of our daft professor, I must—”

“I am really sorry for cutting you off like this, Tom.” I released my hold on Tom and took a step back, eyes hastily falling back on the Slytherin boy, “But I’ve finally found my lover, I hope you don’t mind.”

“Right,” Tom’s expression faltered, then returned to being cold as he nodded towards Seonghwa, “I’ll see you around. But, Y/N, did you know Park and Lestrange have been acquittances for quite a while now?”

My eyebrows furrowed as I bit my lower lip, wondering if Seonghwa had ever mention Lestrange to me, “Of course, there are no secrets between Seonghwa and I.”

I felt the slight prodding at my mind, but Tom got nowhere near my thoughts as I have carefully guarded them all night. I bowed my head slightly before I walked away from the dance floor, nearing my lover and the Lestrange family with a soft smile on my lips. Rabastan was the first one to notice me, and he loudly cleared his throat, eyes jumping between Seonghwa and my approaching form. Seonghwa stiffened and I tried to mask my confusion as I stood next to my lover, “Good evening.”

“Good evening, Miss…?” Rabastan’s father was a gruff man, scary-looking, and rather unfriendly as his voice was harsh.

“Song, Song Y/N.” I answered and offered him my hand before I greeted his wife, who looked stoic and glared at me viciously. But I remained unphased as I continued smiling.

“Song,” She muttered, eyes narrowing as she shared a glance with her husband, “your parents are quite prominent figures in the Ministry, aren’t they?”

“Yes.” I answered, not keen of talking about my parents. It was always about them, never about me. They’ve made their own reputation already, I wanted to make one for myself.

“Y/N is just as brilliant as her parents, if not more.” Seonghwa mused with a warm tone, lips pulled into a dashing smile as I felt his arm sneak around my middle and gently pull me into his side. My muscles softened as his familiar warmth and cologne embraced my being, making me look up at him with a small grin. Rabastan’s parents exchanged a glance as their son cleared his throat again, looking rather awkward.

“And you make a pair, I assume.” Rabastan’s father quirked an eyebrow, not looking very impressed by the prospect. Before I could answer, Seonghwa hummed lowly and I felt his fingers flex against my hips in a quiet request to remain silent. I bit my bottom lip, but adhered to his request.

“Yes, Miss Song and I had been quite the academic rivals, but I suppose in our fifth year we found common ground and discovered together we are more powerful, our knowledge forever expanding.” Seonghwa’s answer made my eyebrows furrow as I turned my head to look at him with a questioning gaze, but he continued looking at the Lestranges, who seemed pleased with his answer.

“Well, yes, she is a Slytherin like our son,” Rabastan’s mother said with a chuckle that was filled with vice, “but she might take after her parents, after all.”

Fed up with the cryptic conversation, I chuckled and flashed the Rabastans an apologetic smile before I cradled Seonghwa’s cheek in my hand and turned his head to face me, “May we dance? You’ve neglected me the whole night, my love.”

“My apologies,” Seonghwa hummed and kissed my wrist as I let my hand fall from his face, the two of us looking back at the Lestranges, “It was a pleasure talking to you and meeting you Mr. and Mrs. Lestrange, I shall see you around—hopefully.”

They nodded wordlessly as Rabastan bid us farewell, and I intertwined my fingers with Seonghwa’s as I led us back to the dance floor, the crowd a little more dispersed now than it has been when I was dancing with Tom. The orchestra now had started playing slow tunes, all the dancing couples swaying gently to the music. I sighed as I felt Seonghwa’s arms slip around my hips to pull me close in, my arms circling his shoulders as our bodies flushed together, my nerves and muscles easing at the familiar press of his body against mine. Seonghwa’s round eyes had a warm glow in them, his cherry-like lips pulled into a soft smile. I chuckled and fought the muscles in my body yearning to press a kiss against his lips, and instead let my eyes travel down to the early Christmas gift I had given him earlier this morning. Seonghwa and I would be going home tomorrow, meaning that we wouldn’t spend the holidays together like last year, when Hongjoong, his best friend, decided to stay at Hogwarts due to his horrible parents and Seonghwa and I decided to stay too, to keep him company. It was one of the best Christmases I have ever had.

My gift was something small, a thin silver chain necklace with a small star pendant hanging on it, representing the way I viewed Seonghwa. He was bright and beautiful, always glimmering in the darkness and guiding me through my hardships, helping me sparkle as bright as him. He was an inspiration and so easily lovable that sometimes I felt like I fell for him over and over again each day.

“I had no idea you knew Rabastan Lestrange?” I raised an eyebrow as Seonghwa sighed, our moves smooth as he twirled us around.

“Barely.” He muttered, dipping his head low, his breath fanning my face, “Did Professor Slughorn introduce you to Theseus Scamander? I saw you talking to him.”

“He did!” I beamed, Seonghwa’s eyes creasing as he smiled back at me, “I am so happy I met him tonight, he said he cannot wait for me to join the Auror’s Office.”

“Is that so?” Seonghwa hummed, making my eyebrows furrow in confusion. He didn’t look too eager, but he chuckled upon seeing my reaction, it didn’t sound amused, “With how eager Riddle was to whisk you away for a dance, I figured you couldn’t talk much to Mr. Scamander.”

“Seonghwa,” I sighed, interlacing my fingers around his neck as I tilted my head back, “can we not do this here? Can we just not talk about Tom for one second?”

“How can I not talk about Riddle when he’s openly trying to court my partner—”

“Seonghwa.” I snapped quietly as I didn’t want anyone to overhear our useless argument, “Tom hates every female that breaths around him withing a meter radius, can you please for the love of Merlin stop this nonsense?!”

“I cannot.” He hissed, eyes narrowing as our steps faltered, “You fail to see the issue at hand, Y/N, he hates every female but you. And I cannot stand that—”

“Why are you so jealous when I have never given you a reason to be?” I cut him off, eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.

“Because you’re mine and I cannot fathom losing you, I just—”

“Park Seonghwa.” I sighed, cupping his cheeks as I shook my head at him, “You are the love of my life, I have never loved anyone before you and I will never love anyone else but you. I don’t want anyone else that isn’t you, and I will never do. You are my star and the reason I live for, and I trust you with my whole being and have given all of myself to you. Sometimes—I just wish you trusted me as much as I trust you. When you act like this, you make me feel guilty and bad, like I don’t deserve your love and you.”

Seonghwa’s bottom lip was between his teeth and he released a long sigh as his hands sneaked back to grip my hips, “Only Merlin know how much I love you, Y/N, how much faith I have in you, and just how much I trust you. It’s this irrational fear that I will lose you if I make a wrong move that makes me act like this. I don’t even care about Riddle—or anyone else—if I have one fear, it’s that of losing the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I might be your star, but a star cannot shine without darkness. I need you, promise me you’ll stay by my side no matter what.”

“I promise to forever stay by your side, Hwa.”

            Hongjoong was a good friend to Seonghwa, righteous, and ferociously protective. But even Hongjoong could tell apart right from wrong, unlike Seonghwa. And when I had gotten home after meeting him at the coffee shop, in the haste of searching for my yellow bottle of pills as my hands had started trembling once again, I found a small rolled up paper nestled between the white tablets. Eager to swallow the sedatives, I held the paper carefully, and after downing two tablets, I unrolled the paper, eyebrows furrowing when I realized it was an address to a fancy place in high-end London, where socialites mingled to their hearts wishes—both muggles, wizards, and witches alike. Hongjoong would never help me in taking down his best friend, but he also knew I was offering his best friend the easy way out this time. I would let him flee if he promises to never show himself around Grindelwald—I would do that because it’s Seonghwa. Because I cannot imagine a life without him even if he’s not by my side, just the thought of knowing he’s out there breathing and living keeps me going.

The casino Hongjoong had given me the address of was fancy and elite, only those who had an invite could enter. But I had connections, getting in was the easiest part. And perhaps, feeling nostalgic after having seen Hongjoong, I yearned to see more familiar faces that reminded me of my innocent childhood, familiar faces that could help me forget that I haven’t heard from Mingi and Yunho in a week. They were alive, that much we knew, but we had no idea if they had been discovered or injured, or if they have gone low-key in order to have even fewer chances of compromising their mission. Nonetheless, when I sent an owl to an old-time friend, I did not expect to receive an answer this eager, at least not from this particular person. Having taken my time to tidy up and make myself presentable, I slipped my bottle of pills inside my purse, knowing that there were great chances I would be seeing Seonghwa tonight—that was the whole point of me going to the casino. I was restless all day long and I had probably already taken too many of them, but the tremors of my hands never once stopped, and I could feel my heart race all day long. It was unsettling, but I knew there was nothing more I could do about it but slip the bottle in my purse and pray to Merlin for a successful mission. If I managed to get Seonghwa on my side tonight, much would change—the war would change.

There was a light smog in the air of London as I neared the casino, the evening breeze pleasant for once as the cobblestones were slippery from the previous rain. There was a light drizzle in the air still, but the invisible shield I had casted around myself to protect me from it was doing its job fairly well to keep me dry. My fur coat kept me warm as the nature of my dress was more daring tonight, attention grabbing on purpose. As I neared the entrance of the casino, lit up brightly and bustling with ladies and gentlemen that had bright smiles on their faces, I noticed a tall figure looming to the side in the darker corner of the street. Heartbeat halting, I hurried my steps as I clutched the invitation tighter in my hands, eager to see the man’s face from up-close. It’s been a few years since we’ve seen each other, I didn’t think he’d actually join me tonight. I knew he had his own ambitions, what those were exactly, I couldn’t tell. He’s always been secretive, but he’s made quite the reputation for himself after finishing Hogwarts. He was a young promising man, eager to chase after his desires.

“Miss Song!” His voice had gotten deeper over the years, but remained as velvety as always. My lips pulled into a smile as I was finally close enough to see his face clearly, and I was taken aback by the obvious changes the years have brought to his once youthful face. His eyes were still as bright and blue, perhaps even icier than they used to be, but his cheekbones had become hollower, skin ashier. He looked good, but he looked ghastly.

“Mr. Riddle.” I came to a stop in front of him with a big smile on my face, and was taken aback by the arms that have wrapped around me in a hug. Tom had always hated physical contact, I wondered if the passing of years had changed that, “You’ve changed. A lot.”

“Hopefully in a good way.” He chuckled as he released me, smirking dashingly at me. I would be lying if I said my heart didn’t skip a beat. I chuckled and shook my head, taking in his even taller, but lanky, form.

“I suppose yes,” I hummed, realizing that there were no traces of the young boy I have once viewed as perhaps my little brother, “You’ve grown taller, I didn’t think that was possible.”

Tom and I chuckled at the same time as he reached out again, squeezing my lower arm, “And you look stronger than ever.”

I hummed and tried to hide the way my tremors only worsened at his words, wanting to tell him that I was on the brink of falling apart every day. I wasn’t strong, I was far from being strong, I just refused to give in to the darkness until I have fulfilled my purpose, then I could finally let go. Give in to whatever madness threatened to pull my thoughts to an everlasting field of blackness, the stars absent from the night sky. Stars that have long abandoned me, left me alone to fend for myself, to figure things out without a guiding light.

“Let’s head inside, I’m beginning to feel cold.” I muttered as Tom hummed, offering his arm for me to take as he confidently waltzed us towards the entrance, the bouncer smiling at us pleasantly as I handed over our invitation. It seems that he already knew Tom, who, it turns out, frequents this casino rather often. The question was on the tip of my tongue, whether he sees Seonghwa here often or not, but I didn’t want to know. It was better not to know. I couldn’t start questioning Tom’s morality right now, I had to stay focused on the task at hand, which was finding Seonghwa and trying to coerce him onto my side.

            The place was buzzing with all sorts of people, all seemingly eager to socialize and make lasting connections. The interior of the casino was vast and covered in red and black décor, giving it a sultry but eloquent touch. We had barely walked in when our coats and purses were taken to a garderobe for safe keeping. And before Tom could explain much about the place and the type of events that were held here, we were swarmed by quite a few wizards and witches, all very keen of talking to Tom, of holding his attention for more than five minutes. It seems like that hasn’t changed since Hogwarts.

I remained by his side and smiled, only spoke up when I was addressed to as I was too busy searching the room—the crowd—for the familiar face that I was here in the first place. I had opted to wear a long-sleeved dress as it was still cold outside, the velvet fabric feeling soft against my skin, keeping me perhaps too warm inside the parched room. The neckline of it was a deeper cut, just shy of stopping at the swell of my breasts, and I had decorated my long neck with emeralds that glinted prettily under the light. The dress was long, I had to be careful not to step on it with the heel of my high heels, and it was a poison green, tricky as under the light it glimmered green, however, otherwise it appeared black. I had pulled my hair away from my face and curled the strands, letting them fall free against my back as simple emerald earrings decorated my ears.

I was itching to hold onto something as I tried not to fidget with my hands, preferably to feel the comforting weight of the bottle of pills, but as they were hidden away in my purse, the only reassurance that I wasn’t completely defenceless lay hidden under my long dress, strapped against my shin was my wand. Over the years, I have learned to excel in wandless magic completely, but just knowing that I had my wand on me helped ease my nervous heartbeat. My eyes never stopped surveying the crowd, waiting to spot those round eyes and cherry-red lips.

“Aren’t you the Songs’ daughter, my dear?” I felt a lady gently touch my arm in order to grab my attention, and I averted my eyes from the back of a man who seemed to have a form similar to Seonghwa’s.

“I am.” I answered the older lady with a pleasant smile, trying to seem cordial despite my nerves.

“Oh, you are gorgeous.” She whispered, fingering the velvet sleeve of my dress, lips pursed, “You were a Slytherin, yes?”

“Yes.” I hummed, glancing side ways at Tom, wondering whether he could save me from this stranger, but he was busy speaking to who seemed to be the lady’s husband, “Does that matter?”

“Well, Slytherins are highly regarded in our society, we are prestige, you know?” The old lady smirked, and I gently pulled my hands behind my back, feeling uncomfortable that she wouldn’t stop touching my dress.

“I wouldn’t call ourselves prestige when most from our house turn towards the usage of the Dark Arts in inconvenient and illegal ways.” I grumbled, trying to hide my distaste as the older lady chuckled, eyes narrowing at me.

“So, you seem to share your parents’ beliefs, after all.” I heaved a long sigh, looking at the lady with a pressing glare. It was always about my parents, about sharing their beliefs. I was fed up with hearing that over and over again. What did people expect of me? To follow the ‘path’ of other Slytherins and join dark causes? Why did everyone have prejudices of us? And most of all, why did everyone assume all Slytherins were evil and would turn against what was right to do?

“My parents are mighty people and proud of their legacy.” My voice was harsh as I squared my shoulders back, the older lady’s eyes slightly widened, “My mother was a Hufflepuff and she raised me with compassion and fierce love that taught me how to differentiate wrong from right. My father was a Ravenclaw that is beyond wise his years and values knowledge above anything else, he taught me that there is no reason to live if you don’t learn constantly, if you don’t find a passion that you excel in. Excuse me if I find no joy in slaying those innocents around me, if I don’t enjoy tea parties organized to discuss who would and who wouldn’t live another day. You, and everyone else, should know basic human decency and stop playing the Gods you’ll never be. I am Slytherin proud of my heritage, and Merlin be damned if I let another one look down on me because of my parents, who have achieved things far beyond your capability in this fragile life that we live. So, if you happen to have a problem with me, or the fact that I am a Song, please, speak to be bluntly and not in riddles.”

The older lady’s mouth hung open in shock, and we have earned the attention of Tom and the man he was talking to, the two looking just as taken aback as the lady. Well, Tom didn’t look that much surprised, his frown told me of his distaste towards my words, and the swift glare sent my way signalled to me to shut up. But I didn’t want to, my nerves were on a high and if one more person mentions my parents and the fact that I am the ‘Songs’ daughter’, I shall repeat my speech proud and loud for the whole room to hear. It wasn’t hard to guess that it was infested with Grindelwald’s people, and my stomach churned as I felt Tom’s fingers sneak around my wrist, holding it so firmly I almost winced in pain.

“She’s opiniated.” Is what the old man said at last, eyes narrowed as he pulled his wife closer into his side, “Is this who you’ve looked up to at Hogwarts? The woman you’ve mentioned before?”

My breath stilled as I looked at Tom confused, feeling suddenly uncomfortable as I tried to untangle his fingers from my wrist but he wasn’t letting go. Was Seonghwa right all along? Was Tom trying to veer me away from Seonghwa while we were at Hogwarts? Had I been actually blind to Tom’s advances? But that mustn’t have been possible, I’ve heard Tom say multiple times that he wasn’t capable of feeling love for anyone, nor was he interested in maintaining any relationships, not even friendships.

“I apologize for her harsh words,” Tom bowed his head humbly, making my eyebrows furrow, “in her field of work she must be blunt and unfiltered, sometimes that slips into her everyday life too.”

I grit my teeth, but remained silent as the older man chuckled, eyes twinkling as he took me in. My face was a mask of impassiveness despite the urge to jinx both him and his wife. Deciding that I didn’t want to partake in this wretched conversation anymore, I turned my head and allowed my eyes to survey the crowd again. I heard Tom’s voice, but I paid no mind to what words were said. I knew the older couple walked away with a laugh on their lips, and I felt Tom’s eyes piercing the side of my head, but I was frozen. My tremors returned in the worst way, making my arms tremble as I tried to gulp but my throat felt dry, eyes glassing over the longer I looked at the familiar, yet so foreign face of my once lover. He was far from us, in the heart of the crowd as he tipped his head back, lips pulled into a charming smile as he laughed. The sound was swallowed by the cacophony created by the conversing people and the playing orchestra, yet I could hear its warm timbre as if he were right next to me.

He had also changed, became less boyish looking and turned sharper in angles he didn’t have before. His jaw was sharp and his nose tall, his round eyes void of the softness I was so used to receiving from him. His cheekbones were more defined than before, his cheeks having lost the baby fat I so loved pinching, and his black hair was longer than I have ever seen it before, framing his face, falling onto his forehead as his bangs were styled carefully. Gone were his wild curls that he always struggled to keep in one place. Park Seonghwa has changed since the last time I’ve seen him, and I was afraid I couldn’t recognize him anymore. Had Grindelwald stolen away even the last remnants of my lover?

“I can’t breathe.” I croaked out as I held onto my middle, my muscles so tense I was in pain as I tried not to double over and empty the contents of my stomach. I needed my pills, I had to take them before I would cause a scene. Suddenly, as Seonghwa’s eyebrows furrowed and his eyes turned sharp, vigilante, and found mine, Tom obscured my view of him, eyebrows furrowed in concern, yet I couldn’t actually see the concern in his eyes, or on his face.

“Let’s head over to the bar,” He said quietly, grabbing my hand and stopping the absent-minded scratching I had started doing, “water will do you good.”

I hummed, unable to will my legs to move, and felt thankful when Tom gently coerced me towards the bar, nestling my arm in his as he pulled me into his side, his cologne foreign. There was nothing comforting about his presence, unlike how Hongjoong’s had been, and I struggled to regulate my breathing and frantic heartbeats, telling myself that I was here on a mission and that I had to place aside any feelings I felt towards Seonghwa. I couldn’t compromise my mission this way, I was here to offer Seonghwa a way out. If I wasn’t able to keep it together for just one night, then why was I even here?

Too wrapped up in my mind, I didn’t hear Tom speak to the bartender, nor did I see the glass of water that was placed in front of me until Tom poked my trembling hands and pushed the glass towards me. I quickly took it and gulped down the cool water in a few sips, thankful that the ache in my throat was finally soothed. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I placed the glass back onto the surface of the bar, willing my muscles to loosen up as I licked my lips, Tom’s pressing stare becoming irritating. I exhaled slowly and opened my eyes, glancing over to Tom, voice raspy as I spoke up, “Thank you.”

“I’m here for you.” Tom muttered, grabbing my hand and making the hairs stand on my arms as I didn’t want to be touched. But I said nothing as I gulped and nodded once, focusing on my trembling hands as I knew Tom had noticed them, his eyes straying towards them. If only I could fetch my purse to take just one pill, it would help a lot right now. I sighed and had started pulling my hand away from Tom’s just as a person appeared right next to Tom, lean body leaning against the bar as his eyes were cold, narrow, and piercing.

“Good evening.” He spoke up upon making eye contact with me, and I forgot how to breathe all over again, “Miss Song, Mr. Riddle.”

“Mr. Park.” My voice was a mere whisper as our eyes bore into each other, mine desperately searching for a semblance of the man I used to love. But it was gone, innocence and youth long ripped from him, now only a shell of the dorky and geeky boy that used to recite poems to me that he found in muggle books. It broke my heart; it made me mad—it made my hands tremble even worse.

“Oh, and who are these?” A very thick accented female voice spoke up, her dark red lips pulled into a pleasant and friendly smile as her eyes rivalled Tom’s blueness. I gulped, eyes straying from her onto Seonghwa as he looked down at her, his expression softening as he placed an arm around her middle. I didn’t allow myself to feel anything upon seeing that as my eyes snapped back up to Seonghwa’s face, waiting for his next move.

“Old acquittances from Hogwarts.” He said easily, flashing the woman a quick fake smile, “This is Rhaena, she went to Beauxbatons.”

“Pleased to meet you!” Her French accent was irritating as she extended her hand to shake, eyes stalling on Tom for a second too long. I bit the insides of my cheeks, trying to reign in my scowl as Tom elegantly pressed a kiss against her knuckles, smirking at her with a charming gaze.

“My name is Song Y/N.” I introduced myself confidently once it was my turn to shake her hand, my handshake firm and perhaps too strong as Rhaena winced while my eyes landed on Seonghwa, my own lips pulling into an unamused smirk, “I must admit being introduced as mere acquittances leaves me with a distaste I didn’t think I’d harbour towards you, Mr. Park.”

Tom laughed loudly, watching Seonghwa with a challenging look as Rhaena turned and looked back at him with a quirk to her eyebrow, “My memories must be murky, my apologies, it’s been long since we’ve last seen each other, Miss Song. But I see you continue entertaining your old admirers—”

“Admirer is a strong word,” Tom cut him off with a chuckle, but it was far from being friendly as he glared at Seonghwa, “I merely admire Miss Song’s working etiquette, always have, ever since our time at Hogwarts, I suppose. Is it such a crime to look up to a strong, ambitious, and independent woman?”

I could see the spark of interest in Rhaena’s eyes the longer Tom talked, and it irked me. If she was with Seonghwa, why was she so openly interested in other men? Did Seonghwa not see? Did he not care? Seonghwa deserved better than a woman who couldn’t remain loyal to him.

“Ambitious with foolish ideas—” Before Seonghwa could finish his jab and break my heart more than it was already, Rhaena interjected, smiling widely at Tom. I knew he wasn’t interested in her, but it was scary how well he played his act of looking interested in the eager woman.

“I have always loved a man who is able to recognize the power his partner holds and worship her like a queen.” Rhaena’s lips pulled into a suggestive smirk as she licked her lips, eyes raking over Tom’s body, making me feel uncomfortable as I eyed the two. Tom chuckled under his breath but I noticed the way his jaw clenched and unclenched.

“You’re too daring for me, Miss Rhaena.” Tom settled with saying, making the French woman pout as she suddenly pressed herself to Seonghwa’s side, who was glaring at Tom’s blatant rejection.

“And Miss Song isn’t?” Seonghwa’s lips pulled into a vicious smile, face contorting into something sinister as he continued with an air of insignificance, “After all, Aurors take great pride in their work and never place anyone above themselves.”

“Miss Song knows the distinction between her personal life and her work.” Tom snapped back, grabbing the sleeve of my dress when I started shuffling on my feet, feeling uncomfortable by the exchange. I felt a little prodding in my mind and as I glanced at Tom, he was already looking at me with a frown. I nonverbally reassured him that I was okay, and finally admitted to him that I was here on a mission. He understood quickly and didn’t ask questions, only stated that he’d help me with whatever.

“So, you two are married, then? Rhaena kept on antagonizing us as our telepathic conversation was broken, and my eyebrows furrowed as I scoffed.

“Tom is an old friend that I have always been fond of, are you married to Seonghwa?” Perhaps my tone was too snappy, perhaps my words gave away too much. I gulped, realizing that my emotions were getting the best of me, making me ponder again whether I should just go ask for my purse to take another pill. Things were going horribly; this isn’t what I had planned for the night.

“No.” It was Seonghwa who answered, voice deep and laced with anger, “What are you doing here, Miss Song? I haven’t seen you at the casino before.”

“I’m here to accompany Tom as he’s told me he’s been feeling rather lonely on his visits to the casino.” I plastered on a fake smile, levelling my voice so that they wouldn’t be able to tell that I was lying. Even Tom seemed to be surprised as he hummed next to me in confirmation of said lie, tilting his head as he looked at Seonghwa challengingly, “It’s a nice break from my work that you seem to know so much of, Mr. Park.”

But Rhaena seemed to be stuck on a different part of the conversation, “Mr. Riddle, would you like to be my first dance partner of the night?”

I stiffened as Tom chuckled, giving me a quick glance before he nodded and extended his hand for Rhaena to take. She batted her eyelashes at him and pursed her lips as she waved at Seonghwa, walking off with Tom towards the dance floor. I gulped, eyes stuck onto them as I subconsciously started rubbing my left hand, nails digging into my skin painfully, scratching the skin as it left marks. My heart had started hammering against my chest, and I couldn’t face Seonghwa as I felt his piercing gaze bore into the side of my head. I knew why I was here; I knew what I wanted to say to him, but his hostile attitude wasn’t something I had expected, and now I felt like I needed to rethink and reformulate everything I had wanted to say to him.

Jumping at the sudden warm touch against my hand, I faced Seonghwa with wide eyes as he squeezed my fingers, stopping me from scratching my skin up more. My eyebrows furrowed as my hand tingled, leaving my throat dry once again as Seonghwa’s expression was blank, his round eyes having lost their beautiful and warm glimmer.

“Will you dance with me?” His voice was quiet, tone almost dejected, and I gulped as I nodded wordlessly. He didn’t release my hand, instead, he intertwined his fingers with mine as he led the way towards the dancing crowd, making my insides churn at the familiar feel of his larger palm pressing against my small one.

For a second, I felt like a teenager back at Hogwarts, dancing with Seonghwa under the moonlight to a melody that he so often hummed. But the bodies that nearly collided into mine did a good job of helping me repress the memory to stay level-headed, and instead, I straightened my back and finally remembered what I was taught when I was training to become an Auror. The mission was my number one priority now, and so, I repressed all emotions and slipped a neutral expression onto my face as Seonghwa stopped in the middle of the crowd and turned around to face me. He raised our intertwined hands and yanked me towards himself, taking me off guard as I stumbled into his body. He swiftly grabbed onto my hip and I steadied myself as I held onto his shoulder, turning my head away to gaze over it as Seonghwa’s eyes landed on my face. My heart was hammering against my ribcage, skin burning everywhere it touched Seonghwa’s.

It felt familiar being in his hold, warm and comforting, yet his body was tense and on-alert. Seonghwa was a smart man, he knew if I was here, other Aurors might be too, he was on the look-out in case he needed to flee. My body was tense too, but for different reasons. I was trying not to give in to the yearning of my consciousness after the warm body that I knew so well, the embrace that made me feel like the luckiest person on the planet, the lips that ignited my skin on fire wherever they touched. I have missed Seonghwa so much that sometimes I wondered if my impeding madness was imposed upon me by our separation.

“It’s unexpected seeing you here.” Seonghwa muttered carefully, voice void of the previous hostility. I gulped and nodded, having to agree with him.

“I was curious of this place.” That wasn’t a total lie, and Seonghwa could tell. I felt his finger graze against my knuckles, gently rubbing them, but I ignored it for my peace of mind—which I was already struggling with.

“And how do you like it?”

“It’s too pompous, fake, prestigious.”

“People are here to make beneficial connections, of course it’s fake.” Seonghwa’s voice had dropped low so that nobody but me would hear him. I hummed, licking my lips as I felt him pull me more into himself as we danced around in a small circle, his familiar cologne making my head spin. Even after all these years, he looked and felt like the Seonghwa I once fell in love with.

“Your hair is long now.” I had no idea why I said that but I couldn’t take it back now, and Seonghwa’s steps stuttered for a second, making me step on my dress.

“I’ve always liked it better like this,” He said once he cleared his throat, “I kept it short because my parents didn’t like it.”

“I know.” I whispered and closed my eyes, giving in to my body’s cravings as I felt Seonghwa’s hand slip lower, press firmly against my lower back as our bodies flushed together, making me let out a stuttered breath.

“And your parents, are they well?” I felt bile rise up in my throat upon the question that left his mouth. He knew about them, of course he did, it was his people who sent them into hiding. My parents had played an enormous part in discovering the identity of Grindelwald’s men and their hideout. Of course, they were being hunted by Grindelwald now. I wasn’t safe either, but I was an Auror now, a talented one, Grindelwald wouldn’t waste his time on somebody who could very well defend themselves against him and his army. At least, not yet. I’m sure my time will come too.

“You’re being a hypocrite right now, Seonghwa.” I snapped, hearing him heave a sigh.

“They’ve always been kind to me, I do not wish mal-intent towards them—”

“And towards others?” I snapped, eyebrows furrowed as I pulled my head back to be able to look him in the eyes, “Towards all the innocent lives Grindelwald has taken—you have taken?!”

Seonghwa gulped, jaw clenching as his eyes narrowed, “There’s nothing innocent about being oppressed and having to hide our true nature while those mudbloods continue living their lives carefree and in peace.”

“Mudbloods.” I whispered, shaking my head in disappointment at Seonghwa, “You’re a half-blood, Seonghwa—”

“Enough.” Seonghwa snapped, his grip on my hand turning just a little painful, “I do not want to hear whatever you have to say—”

“Well, that is hilarious, Seonghwa.” I chuckled humourless, eyes narrowing at him in annoyance, “You cannot silence me, you cannot tell me what to do.”

“I can silence you,” He gulped, eyebrows furrowing, “for forever, if I want to.”

I froze, feeling a chill run down my spine, and then I just chuckled. I raised my eyebrows at him, looking him in the eyes challengingly, “Like you’ve silenced all those unassuming folk living in those village you burned to a crisp?!”

Seonghwa’s face contorted in anger, his round eyes narrowing as they stared me down fiercely, a dangerous glint in them, “What had to be done was done. They refused to join our cause.”

“A cause that is wrong and harms others, Seonghwa.” My voice raised slightly as I had lost my patience, our faces leaning in close as we both breathed through our noses harshly, glaring down each other, “You’ve done so many atrocities that you’re afraid to face the repercussions, isn’t it? It’s still not late, Seonghwa, if you come with me tonight, I can make things less painful for you. I can convince the officials to lessen your sentence, I can make them reason with you. If you say you regret everything you’ve done and that you will strive to fix your mistake, they will—”

“I will never do that.” Seonghwa hissed and I felt his breath fan my face, “I stand by what I believe in, I stand by what I have done, Y/N. You are on the wrong side, and you all will pay.”

Body shaking from both anger and anxiety, I tried to inhale deeply and exhale, but my throat felt restricted, and the longer I remained in Seonghwa’s arms the more choked up I would feel. I needed to get away, to get away from the man that didn’t resemble my once lover. This wasn’t the Seonghwa I had fallen in love with, this was—a monster standing in front of me. I bit my lower lip, feeling them tremble as I tried to supress the desperate need to cry, I wouldn’t do it. Not here, not in front of him, not ever again. I have cried enough because of him.

Feeling unsafe and cold in his arms, I tried to detach myself from Seonghwa, but his hold only tightened as his eyebrows further furrowed, looking like he was fighting with himself, a turmoil going on inside his mind. My blood froze over when my eyes slipped from his face, falling onto the necklace that sat against his black shirt, sparkling underneath the dim lights. It was the star necklace I had gifted him. Shaking my head, I looked back up in his eyes, grabbing onto the collar of his vest as Seonghwa’s arms held me in a firm embrace, fingers pressing painfully so into my lower back, “Seonghwa.”

And when his eyes shook, I knew he had lost control over himself, over his emotions, over his mind. I felt my eyes fill with tears for breaking even the little trust that’s remained between the two of us as our eyes bled into each other, making it easy for me to push through his fragile mind’s barriers. It was frightening how dark his thoughts were, revolving around murder and strategies of taking down even more people, of converting even more wizards and witches for their ‘greater’ cause. It was terrifying how good of a manipulator Grindelwald was, the fatherly look in his eyes when he looked at Seonghwa, the praises that left his mouth addicting—the complete opposite of Seonghwa’s muggle father who would never understand our world. I felt a small resistance trying to build itself back up in his mind, but I was stronger—Tom’s lessons at Hogwarts had paid off, the Auror training only making my acquired skills stronger—and so, I pushed forward, searching for anything that would be of use for future purposes.

In my search, I stumbled past sleepless nights spent staring up at the ceiling, of tear-filled eyes and salty cheeks as a familiar man cradled Seonghwa to his chest, shushing him and reassuring him of a bright ending. I heard broken whispers of my name as he’d wake up in a cold sweat from a nightmare, of lustful touches that were turned down in a haste at last, and ear-piercing shouts that sent everything tumbling to the ground, shattering. And then, painfilled screams and pleas for mercy, people on their knees crying, mothers cradling their children to their chests as their houses burned down and—a piece of parchment that would’ve been blank if it wasn’t for the name of the town scribbled down on it, Grindelwald’s harsh voice commanding my once lover to make everyone perish, nobody spared. He didn’t need anyone on his side from that village, he wanted revenge. Revenge on my parents and on everyone who’s ever tried to mislead him and take him down. Mingi. Yunho.

Seonghwa and I gasped loudly as he finally managed to push me out of his mind, not that I wanted to see anything beyond this. I have seen everything I needed. I had to alert the aurors of the attack Grindelwald had planned on our hideout. My heart raced in fear for my loved ones, and suddenly, I became aware of the hands holding my arms painfully, making me hiss out in pain as I looked up at Seonghwa’s face, feeling my heart still as his eyes were filled with tears, shaking, mouth agape as he looked speechless. I knew he’d hate me for invading his mind without permission, but I had to do it. Our trust in each other has been long broken; I was doing this for the greater good. Seonghwa wouldn’t understand, but he didn’t have to. Despite being a monster, he did something good, he contributed to saving hundreds of lives by weakening his mental barrier.

“You-you—” His voice was shaky as his eyebrows furrowed, body starting to shake from anger, “how could you?!”

“You made me do this, Seonghwa.” I gulped, jumping when he grabbed my nape painfully so, yanking our heads so close to each other that our lips brushed together. I felt my knees grow weak, it would be so easy to press my lips against his now, to feel the soft and plush skin against mine, to devour him and taste him. He’s always felt like home, but would he still feel like it? “You gave me no choice, Seonghwa.”

He scoffed, sneering at me as I whimpered when his fingernails dug into the sensitive skin of my neck, “You’re a monster, they’ve turned you into a monster.”

“As they have with you.” I whispered, biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying, to keep myself from surrendering to Seonghwa completely. Seonghwa huffed, looking like he couldn’t believe what I have just said, eyes falling onto my lips as I tilted my head back, hands smoothing against his chest as my fingers ached from griping onto his vest so tightly. And my eyelashes threatened to flutter closed when Seonghwa angled his head just a little lower, his plump lips slotted perfectly against mine if one of us were to just tip our heads even the slightest forward.

But we were monsters to each other, the bogeyman of each other’s stories.

 1943

            I was close to finishing my patrolling duties, the Astronomy Tower my last stop before I could head back to the Slytherin common room and catch up on some much-needed sleep. Our examinations for the end of the year were nearing, more notedly, we only had one more week to catch up on every lesson before we’d be subjected to the long week of finals. It was stressful and I barely had any time for anything besides studying, so, much like others, I was cooped up in the library, scribbling down any necessary information that I might’ve missed during classes. Seonghwa and I only met up when we’d have breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the dining hall—unless one of us decided to skip due to not having studied enough that day. But that was alright, we both valued our studies and grades above all and, besides, we left little messages for each other in hidden places that we knew the other would patrol in the evenings after curfew.

The steps to the Astronomy Tower were steep and made of thick concrete, I pressed my palm against the stone wall for guidance and to feel safer as I was headed up to the tower. I had a slight fear of heights, which wasn’t too handy when I had to fly on a broom, hence why I never even considered playing Quidditch despite finding it cool and entertaining. Hongjoong could’ve probably brewed me a potion that made my fear halt but then again, I don’t know how smart it would have been to trust Hongjoong with even the simplest potions. He loved experimenting, and I had been on the receiving end of his failed brews one too many times. I am sure Madam Gorsemoor, herself, will banish me from this school if I turn up with an aching tummy to her Infirmary one more time.

I was panting by the time I reached the top of the stairs, all I had to do was round the corner and peek around it, then I could bolt back down to the Slytherin dormitories. However, just as I was about to do that, I heard hushed voices echoing around the stone walls. I couldn’t tell exactly what was being said as the voices were low, nonetheless, I did have to interrupt whatever was going on as I was a Prefect—I would even need to deduct house points if these were students and not professors. Squaring my shoulders and straightening my back to look more menacing than I actually was—with hopes of scaring off the students—I power-walked around the corner, only to freeze in the next second. Seonghwa stood leaning against the railing of the terrace, the wind howling loudly without the walls protecting us, and he was speaking to Rabastan Lestrange. My eyebrows furrowed as I noticed another figure sitting down, feet dangling over the ledge as he was leaned back on his hands, gazing up at the bright starry night sky, Hongjoong.

I didn’t understand what was happening, and I gulped as I carefully hid back around the corner, grateful that the three boys hadn’t noticed me. I peeked my head around the stone wall, still, and cast a wandless eavesdropping spell, Seonghwa and Rabastan’s voices suddenly tangible to my ears.

“So, what you’re saying is that your parents got everything ready for us?” Seonghwa’s usually warm voice lacked emotion now, and I could see that his eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

“Yes, all we have to do is give them the go.” Rabastan’s voice was harsh much like his father’s, and my eyebrows furrowed even more as I felt more confused than ever. What was this about and how did Seonghwa know Rabastan? What even was the purpose of this meeting after curfew? Was it worth it for Rabastan and Hongjoong to get caught and have house points reduced?

“But are you certain we’ve got enough people on the inside?” Seonghwa pressed on, sounding stressed, “Out of twenty-five people I have talked to, only ten wanted to join the cause.”

“Is he one of them?” Rabastan scoffed, tilting his head in Hongjoong’s direction as he remained ignorant of the two. I chewed on my bottom lip as Seonghwa glanced back at his best friend then shook his head slightly.

“Don’t worry about him,” Seonghwa muttered and Hongjoong gave him a lopsided smirk and a wink. Rabastan looked disgusted as he averted his eyes, glaring at Seonghwa now.

“If Grindelwald arrives and marches inside the school, we need to have enough students on his side to defend against the other fools, Park.” Rabastan hissed and my eyes widened, a tiny gasp slipping past my lips in shock, “He’s been planning this for way too long for you to mess it up—”

“And I have been planning alongside him just as much, Lestrange.” Seonghwa leered as he got all up in Rabastan’s face, his face contorted in anger. I had never seen Seonghwa look like that, I couldn’t believe this was real, that my Seonghwa was saying such things. What did he mean he’s been planning alongside him—alongside Grindelwald?! Was Seonghwa doing bad things behind my back? There had to be an explanation to all of this, this can only be a sick joke. Before I could react, Hongjoong tipped his head back, looking rather bored until we made eye contact. His eyes widened instantly and his mouth fell open as he struggled to scramble up as I shook my head at him ‘no’, but it was already too late.

“Seonghwa!” He hissed, and I watched as my lover looked over to his best friend with an irked expression on his face until he followed Hongjoong’s line of sight, our eyes meeting. I gasped, my heart racing in my chest as I whirled around and took off running, waving off the spell I had cast. I held onto the railing tightly as I tried to make my way fast down the stairs, struggling not to stumble and accidentally fall as I heard hurried footsteps echo behind me, laboured breaths leaving the person’s mouth. I didn’t dare look back to see who was following after me, but if they weren’t casting jinxes my way it meant that I was somewhat safe. At least as long as they didn’t reach the end of the staircase. The winding stairs seemed to suddenly never end as the wind howled in the distance the closer I got to the bottom, to the wooden door that was ajar as I had left it like that, the key to the door sitting in my pocket.

My lungs heaved for air as I finally reached the last stone step, letting go of the railing as I ran for the wooden door, screaming in fright when I felt a hand wrap around my bicep and yank me back before I could leave. I was whirled around and pushed against the door as I frantically tried to fight off the hands gripping my arms now.

“Y/N, it’s me.” The breathy voice was gentle, “My love, it’s Seonghwa.”

But that wasn’t comforting to hear anymore as my head snapped up, wide eyes staring at Seonghwa’s worried face. I gulped and gripped his forearms, pulling him closer towards me as our chests rose and fell quickly, “Explain.”

Seonghwa’s face blanched, skin paling as he gulped, his grip softening against my biceps, “I—what you heard isn’t—my love, let’s stay level-headed—”

“Is it true?” I snapped, jaw clenching as I couldn’t stand to hear him stutter, “What Lestrange has said, is it true, Seonghwa?!”

“Calm down first—”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” I screamed and fought his grip off, pushing him away from me. My hands had started trembling as I stared at him with disgust, trying to make sense of everything, “It is true?! Are you on-on Grindelwald’s side?!”

“Y/N,” Seonghwa froze, his expression suddenly faltering as he looked past me, at the wooden door, “Yes—Yes, I am.”

I felt my heart clench as tears flooded my eyes in an instant, and I was gripping Seonghwa’s shirt in a flash, yanking him down to be eye-level with me, “Tell me you’re lying. Look me in the eyes.”

Seonghwa’s jaw clenched and unclenched as he licked his lips, struggling to take a long breath as his eyes fell on my face, searching for something that he didn’t find as suddenly he looked resigned, “It’s not a lie, my love, I have chosen to support Grindelwald’s cause. We’ve been forced to suffer for too long, shunned into hiding while those creatures do as they please, while they live the lives we are supposed to live.”

I shuddered at his words and released him as if he had burned me, hugging my arms around my middle as I bit my bottom lip, a few tears having escaped my eyes, “You were there. At Lucy’s funeral, you were there, Seonghwa. She died because of Grindelwald. Her entire family—eradicated, burned down, because she was an innocent Muggle.”

Seonghwa’s eyes were filled with tears too as I had started crying now, hands shaking even more as I tried to wipe my cheeks dry, but the tears just kept flowing, “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?!” I snapped, voice shaking from the betrayal I was feeling, from anger, and from feeling like my heart’s been ripped out, “How could you look me in the eyes every single day, touch me, when you’ve been going behind my back and plotting such atrocious thing, Seonghwa?!”

“I wanted to tell you but you—you—” I took a step back as Seonghwa tried to reach out for me, watching the hurt expression on his face due to my rejection, “I knew you’d react like this; I just couldn’t tell you. You’d—ruin our plans.”

It felt like a punch to the gut hearing the love of my life say those things and I laughed, body shaking in despair and pain that this is the side my lover had chosen. The man I thought I would marry one day, give children to, grow old with. Yet here he stood in front of me, with tears streaming down his face—an abomination, just a mere shell of what he used to be, “Your father is a muggle, Hwa.”

His jaw clenched and he swiftly wiped his tears off his cheeks, taking deep breaths to calm himself down, “And he’s never been good to me.”

I gulped as I closed my eyes and willed my muscles to ease up a bit so that I could move again. I brushed my hair back as I blinked my eyes open, a little blurry from the tears that still threatened to spill out, but I sucked it up and nodded, ignoring my heart that was crying out for my mind to stop, not to say the words that would leave my lips soon, “Goodbye, Mr. Park.”

“What?” Seonghwa’s eyebrows furrowed as I grabbed the door handle behind me and bowed my head respectfully.

“Finish your Prefect duties and go back to your dormitory.” My voice was devoid of any emotion as I yanked the wooden door open behind myself, mind numb and silent for once, “I shall do the same, I won’t report this to Headmaster Dippet just yet.”

“Y/N, what are you—”

“I believe it’s Miss Song to you, Mr. Park.”

Seonghwa’s eyes widened as I stepped outside, hands trembling beyond normal as I had started feeling faint, “Y/N, no. No, you cannot leave me, I don’t—I cannot—please, Y/N, my love, please don’t. I cannot live without you, Y/N—”

The wooden door was loud as it slammed shut in my face, making my knees go weak as I tumbled to the floor, gasping for air as my whole chest felt on fire, tears wetting my cheeks before I could even try to stop them from escaping. The gut-wrenching sob that rippled through the hallway despite the wooden door that separated us made my skin crawl, my heart screaming at me to go back and take back everything I’d said to Seonghwa, but my mind knew what was right. My mind knew there was no further future for us, for Seonghwa.

He had chosen his path, and I have chosen mine.

            Like many knew, my work etiquette was beyond pristine and precise. I valued my missions above anything else, and so, I had wasted no time in reporting back to the Auror’s Office—to Theseus Scamander—about what I had found out at the casino. The attack that Grindelwald’s men—Seonghwa—was tasked to lead to avenge their leader. I could only hope that I was on time, that they hadn’t gotten to the village just yet, but with Seonghwa knowing that I had discovered their plans, it was probable that I was either too late, or they wouldn’t attack anymore. Either way, I was compromised and I needed to move, to go into hiding at one of our safe houses. I had requested to be placed close to Yunho and Mingi, in hopes that I could finally find them and speak to them. I missed them gravely, and slowly I had started feeling crazy without their safe and comforting presence around me.

But my mission wasn’t over yet, due to the weight of Seonghwa’s own mission, now I was tasked with killing him. It was a straight-up order, nothing could change their minds. Even if Seonghwa apologized and begged, they wouldn’t forgive him. In their eyes, he deserved to die—and I knew this. He did deserve to die, but I couldn’t ignore the growing lump in my throat and the coil of my stomach any time I tried to come up with a plan to lure him towards me. I was a trained professional, and I was tasked to kill a man. It would have been like second nature if said main wasn’t Seonghwa. I didn’t know how to proceed just yet, but I knew upon seeing Mingi and Yunho I would find solace in their presence and inspiration in their ideas. But one thing was certain, I would never be able to face Hongjoong again if my mission was successful.

I had woken up early in the morning to pack away my most important belongings, stuffing old polaroids deep into my satchel bag—the same one I had used at Hogwarts. At times when I felt nostalgic and missed the good old times, I would flip through the moving polaroids that had been taken at Hogwarts, many of them of Seonghwa and I, or of Seonghwa, Hongjoong, and I. Despite Yunho and Mingi having entered my life recently—three years ago, more specifically—the pictures of the three of us belonged in the same pile. Those two were like the brothers I never had.

I had taken my time to venture into the Muggle World and buy enough pills to last me three months in case I had to hide for a longer period of time, and I was already tempted to abuse the prescribed amount as I placed the third bottle away in my satchel bag, zipping it closed and placing it down onto the floor, next to my other bags. Now all I had to do was wait for the official that would fetch me and Apparate me to the safe house. Only a select few knew of its location, and I would be granted permission only once we have arrived to it. It didn’t help either that last night I was plagued with nightmares, the lack of sleep and the pills I had taken earlier this morning made me feel drowsy now, making me contemplate if taking a nap right now was smart or not. But I felt too restless to sleep, and thus, I couldn’t stop pacing around my main hallway, chewing away at my bottom lip. I was thinking of ways that I could deal with Seonghwa, desperately trying to find a way out in which he remained alive, when there were three firm knocks at my front door. I released a stressed sigh, grateful that the official was finally here and that I wouldn’t have to think about my issues for a little while.

I hurried over to the door, unlocking it quickly and yanking it open, freezing in surprise. The black cloaked figure was tall, head leaning down and obscured by a hood, making me wonder if the Ministry had changed up their customs and forgot to update me about them. But then, the person raised their head just until I could see their eyes, and I froze. Round eyes were narrowed into a ferocious glare and I gasped as I went to slam the door shut, fear striking my whole body as Seonghwa threw himself against my front door, pushing with all of his force to throw it open. I hissed as I leaned against the door heavily, refusing to give up, but Seonghwa gave it an aggressive push and I was sent tumbling back as I crashed into the round table placed in the middle of the hallway. He pushed the door open with his foot and unclipped his cloak from around his shoulders as he elegantly stepped inside, eyes cautiously glancing around, surveying the place. Perhaps he was looking to make sure I was alone.

I quickly snapped out of my initial shock and pushed off the table, heart beating fast as I ran around the table, going to fetch my wand which was placed atop the fireplace, but suddenly I felt my feet tangle together, sending me face first down onto the floor. I groaned as I narrowly avoided banging my head against the surface and rolled onto my back as I heard footsteps quickly approach. Staring up at Seonghwa wide eyed, his wand pointed at me, I narrowed my eyes and watched as the wand flew out of his hand at my non-verbal spell. His jaw clenched and I quickly jumped up to my feet, eyeing his wand, contemplating whether I should grab his instead as I knew he was never too good at wandless magic. I could only hope that was still true.

But as I lunged towards his wand, which had rolled underneath the table, Seonghwa lunged for me, arms wrapping around me and tackling me onto the table. I gasped as I collided against the surface painfully so, my shoulder digging into the sturdy wood as Seonghwa pressed my cheek with his hand against the surface without mercy.

“You’ve got a nice little cottage for yourself, Miss Song.” He sneered leaning down, “A little too daring for my taste. You didn’t even have wards set up.”

I huffed and grabbed his wrist with my left hand, which wasn’t trapped underneath my body, and yanked his hand off my face, kicking his shin hard with my leg, “I fear no one, Mr. Park. One doesn’t need wards when they live on the edge a Wizarding and Muggle town.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, my love.” I gulped at the once endearing nickname, and trashed around until Seonghwa’s hold loosened, “You made tracking you so easy.”

I chuckled as I finally wrestled my way out from underneath Seonghwa, “Perhaps I wanted to be found, my love, perhaps you just willingly walked into my trap, Hwa.”

Seonghwa froze for a second, face falling as I smirked and jumped up, hand curling around his neck as I threw him into the wall behind him, making him gasp at the sheer force I had used. I had never fought physically against Seonghwa, we had only duelled at Hogwarts. He had no idea what I was capable of in hand-to-hand combat. But I also had no idea how he fought, and I was certainly taken aback when I felt his knee raise into my stomach, making me suck in a sharp breath of air. My hand left his neck as I doubled over, fighting the urge to vomit as Seonghwa looked down at me with a dark look in his eyes. I felt fingers card through my hair and my head was yanked back as I groaned, looking up into his eyes with venom.

“You’re rather unprepared for someone who’s just lured me into their trap.” Seonghwa leered, leaning down, but before he could get too close, I stomped on his foot harshly, making him cry out as he let go of me, pushing me to the side. Regaining my balance, I dashed towards the fireplace to retrieve my wand and I heard hurried movement behind myself as well as we both turned around at the same time, wands held in each other’s direction threateningly. Neither of us moved nor spoke, our eyes boring into each other’s to see who would make the first attack. Based on experience, Seonghwa wouldn’t attack first, he would wait for me to do that, but I suppose times have changed us as I was forced to dodge an attack that almost made my fireplace explode into pieces. My eyes widened at the aggressive nature of Seonghwa’s attack and decided to return the energy. If he wanted to play dirty and use non-verbal magic, I could certainly match his energy.

I sent a Stupefy his way and watched in satisfaction as it took him off guard and sent him flying into the wall, breaking the small shoe rack that I have mounted myself. I smirked at Seonghwa, tilting my head with a challenging glint in my eyes, until I suddenly lost my footing again. It had seemed like he was fond of the spell. Seonghwa looked slightly dazed as I tried to regain my bearings, my head having hit the floor a little hard this time, but the duel must go on, I have gone through far worse things compared to this.

Sharp icy arrows were shot towards me as I scrambled backward, raising an invisible shield with my left hand as I sent blue fireballs towards Seonghwa using wandless magic. His eyebrows furrowed as he raised his own shield last minute, looking taken aback that I could use my magic so sharply while utilizing three methods at once. I knew he couldn’t when his eyes hardened again, giving me time to finally stand up and continue my attack with a spell that had birds materializing and diving for Seonghwa. He yelped and shielded himself, his barrier broken by the bird’s beaks as I shot another Stupefy at him, which he barely avoided as it crashed into the portraits hung onto the wall, sending them crashing to the floor.

I knew his next move before he even did it—I didn’t need to read his mind to know—as I raised another shield, dodging his strong Stupefy as it shattered my spell quite instantly. This duel felt childlike, as if we were testing each other’s patience, wanting to see who would give in first. It almost felt petty, like he was only teasing me because he was so certain that he’d win. I could count on my fingers how often he had beat me in a duel, and I knew for a fact that he still wasn’t better than me. Fed up with our useless fight, I decided to put an end to it as my eyes hardened, Seonghwa’s eyes narrowing upon seeing my expression. But before I could yell out Expelliarmus, I felt my right hand burn, the wand so hot that I had no choice but to drop it as I gasped, the tremors of my hands worsening as I looked back up at Seonghwa. He was smirking, thinking he had won the duel, but I raised my left hand and screamed, “Expelliarmus!”

He didn’t expect me not to give in right away, and so, his wand flew out of his hand as I whirled it against the wall, hearing a crack. My breath halted in my throat as my eyes widened in horror, watching as Seonghwa’s broken wand fell to the floor, his jaw falling open as he flinched. The apology was on the tip of my tongue, but the pure rage that had encompassed Seonghwa’s face made me shiver, and I dashed for the front door, trying to escape before his wrath could reach me. But had I miscalculated our distance, and as I grabbed the handle and tried to open the door, I felt a warm presence behind myself as the door was slammed back shut, my breathing loud in the silent room as my heart had started beating fast.

I was frozen, too afraid to move as I didn’t know what Seonghwa would do now. The man that stood behind me, stopping me from fleeing, was somebody I didn’t know. I could hear Seonghwa trying to level his breaths as his palm remained pressing against the door, his arm brushing against my hair. I tried to calculate my next move, work out what would be the smartest thing to do next, but his proximity made it hard to focus. I had seen him barely two days ago and his touch was still fresh in my mind, haunting my every waking moment, making me crave him like never before.

“Where’s Riddle when you need him, huh?” Seonghwa’s tone was poisonous, laced with hatred as I tensed, eyebrows furrowing.

“I don’t need Riddle,” I hissed, jaw clenching as my grip tightened around the handle, “I can protect myself; I don’t need anyone.”

“One would assume he’d be running here to save you like the lost puppy he was following you around at Hogwarts—”

“Tom has no part in my life!” My voice raised as I grew angrier, whirling around to face Seonghwa. I faltered for a second, finding him too close for comfort as he glared down at me, a dangerous glimmer in his eyes as I gulped, “I only used him to get an invite to the casino because I heard he goes there often—like you.”

Seonghwa’s careful mask cracked for a second as his eyebrows twitched, almost turning into a frown, but he caught himself and smirked instead, leaning down, “You think you can fool me with your pathetic lies?”

“Want me to show you?” I raised an eyebrow challengingly, knowing that it would only make Seonghwa angrier as he detested Legillimency, especially after I have used it on him at the casino.

He scoffed, leaning down closer to my face, “I should’ve killed you on the spot two nights ago—”

“Yet you didn’t,” I breathed out with a scoff, “like I haven’t told anyone about you and Lestrange’s stupid plan of bringing Grindelwald inside Hogwarts.”

“It wasn’t stupid—”

“You failed.”

“Because Riddle caused a scene, as always.” Seonghwa hissed, and I jumped when his fist made contact with the door above my head, making me melt back into the sturdy door, heart racing all over again, “I would’ve killed him a long time ago if Grindelwald hadn’t seen potential in him.”

Dread washed over me as I felt my stomach drop, “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t worry,” Seonghwa leered, tilting his head to the side as his glare made me feel sick to my stomach. He’s never looked at me like that, with so much venom and hatred, “your little lover refused his offer and Grindelwald decided to let him live for a little longer.”

“He’s not my lover.” I snapped, chest rising and falling quickly once again as I started getting angry. When would he understand that I could never look at Tom the way he thinks I did, “I have never harboured any romantic feelings towards Tom—I don’t even understand how my personal life is any of your business. You don’t see me talking ill of Rhaena or questioning her motives with you, Seonghwa.”

He paused as he gulped loudly, his hand slipping lower on the door until it was right next to my head, his wrist brushing against my cheekbone, “Rhaena is someone I work with, it’s all professional.”

“I do not care, Seonghwa.”

“You don’t, right.”

I gulped as suddenly an uncertain look crossed Seonghwa’s features, his eyes momentarily softening as I felt my whole body tingle as he stepped closer, his clothes brushing against mine. I felt my mouth go dry as my eyes roamed his face, palms turning into fists as I felt the sudden urge to reach out to him and touch him. Seonghwa placed his other hand against the door too, caging me in between himself and the sturdy surface. His eyebrows furrowed as his dark eyes bore into mine, bangs slightly obscuring his beautiful eyes as he exhaled slowly, closing the distance between our bodies. I shuddered and tilted my head back as he straightened up, my eyes landing on his plush lips as he parted them, tongue poking out to lick his dry lips. My whole body was buzzing as my eyebrows furrowed, my heart and mind fighting a never-ending battle as I couldn’t contain myself anymore and reached up, fingers reluctantly touching his cheek.

I wasn’t certain if he’d let me as his eyebrows furrowed even more, obvious that he was also struggling to make up his mind. But at last, I decided to be brave and cupped his warm cheek, my hand trembling against his soft skin. Seonghwa gasped quietly as his eyes widened, searching my gaze before his eyes fluttered shut, bringing tears into my eyes. I so desperately wanted to be engulfed by his familiar embrace, the warmth of his safe hug, the feeling of belonging, something I haven’t felt ever since we parted ways. Then, just slightly, as my fingers have started tracing his cheekbone, he turned his head and pressed a firm kiss against my wrist, alighting a vicious fire in my body.

“Seonghwa.” I had barely finished whispering his name when my lips were muffled by his, the familiarity of them making me moan as I threw my arms around his shoulders, clinging to him with desperation. Seonghwa inhaled loudly as he gripped my hips and flushed our bodies together to the point you couldn’t tell where he started and where I ended, and I pushed up on my tiptoes to better kiss him. His pace was sloppy and desperate as I returned the aggressivity of his own lips, fingers tangling in his dark and long locks, pulling on the strands and making him groan in the back of his throat. He leaned down and I felt his hands travel to my thighs, and I jumped before he could signal for me to, legs wrapping around his hips firmly as he pressed me back up against the sturdy door, moaning against my mouth when I finally parted my lips for his tongue to explore. He tasted like the old Seonghwa, he smelled like the old Seonghwa, he even felt like the old Seonghwa.

His body had gotten sturdier, stronger, and yet despite the desperate way he clung to me, fingers pressing into my cheeks or grabbing at my neck, he remained mindful of hurting me, of being gentle even in our desperation to feel each other, to love each other. His tongue lapped at mine eagerly, sucking my bottom lip between his teeth when he pulled back for a scarce breather, making me chase after his lips again as I couldn’t let go of him just yet. Our lips were swollen and covered in our mixed saliva, but I couldn’t care less as finally my thoughts were silent, my body and mind only focusing on Seonghwa. He gripped the back of my thighs and I made sure to hold onto him tighter as he pulled me off the door and started walking aimlessly around my cottage, having to pull away from my lips just slightly so that I could give him directions towards my bedroom.

Our clothes were quick to come off, even before we made it to the bedroom, and I found his once flawless skin now littered with scars, bringing tears to my eyes as he shuddered when I gently traced them with my fingertips. My body wasn’t perfect either, but it definitely harboured less scars than his, and it made me wonder just how many times he’s been in harms way with no guarantee that he’ll make it out alive. Before I could cry, Seonghwa’s lips were pressing against my cheeks, my forehead, my eyes, my nose, my jaw and chin, at last finding my lips as I was guided backwards onto the bed, pressing me down gently as he wasted no time getting on top of me. Despite the passing of time and being away from each other for four years, our bodies seemed to still know the other, our minds remembering every little thing that made the other tick, and it felt natural as we were guided by pure lust and desire for each other.

I had tried to remain composed and focused on Seonghwa, to give back just as much as I was receiving, but when he had settled between my legs, lips pressing feather-like kisses against my thighs until he drove me crazy and had me begging for more, I was a gone woman only able to focus on the immense pleasure his long tongue and plush lips brought, his fingers helping out when it wasn’t enough anymore. When my fingers yanked on his hair so hard that it made him whine, tongue lapping at my juices even faster, making me writ around until he held me down by the hips, Seonghwa knew I was close to unravelling, to coming undone on nothing but his tongue and fingers. But he pulled back, he always did, because he wanted to fill me up, to make me scream his name while I came undone on his dick. His lips kissed all the way up to my lips as I whispered his name over and over again, scratching down his back with my long nails, legs hooking around his hips as he wouldn’t lay on me just yet, tongue tangling with mine and making me taste myself as I reached down between us, grabbing his twitching member.

Seonghwa froze, moaning against my mouth as his eyebrows furrowed, rutting against my palm as I jerked my hand faster, until he was begging me to stop because he didn’t want to finish like this. And I did, I cradled his face in my hands as our eyes bore into each other’s, his dick finally lined up with my entrance as he slowly pushed inside, holding himself up by the forearms. It was painful, it was bittersweet, and it was the most pleasure I have felt in years, all in the arms of the man I had once loved—I still loved. My mouth had fallen open as I hissed in pain, eyebrows furrowing and eyes falling shut as Seonghwa kissed my wrists, whispering reassuring words, understanding that I haven’t done this since we went our separate ways.

But I didn’t need much to get accustomed to the once familiar feel of his dick splitting me open, stretching me out and making me feel filled to the brim, the only thought on my mind being him, Seonghwa. And I tried to swallow the noises that wanted to tear through my throat, but the harder Seonghwa slammed back in, the faster his hips thrust, I could only moan and whine, call out his name repeatedly as he fondled my breasts and made my back arch, hitting my sensitive spot over and over again. I grabbed onto his arms for leverage as he sat back on his heels, holding my hips up tightly as he pulled me down on each thrust to meet him halfway, making me curse out loudly as my stomach had started coiling, the pleasure building up until I couldn’t bear with it anymore.

“Seonghwa.” His name was nothing but a broken whisper as I bit my bottom lip, opening my arms, knowing that he’d understand my request. And he did, because he pressed himself completely against me, my arms going underneath his to hug him tightly as my fingernails pressed into his shoulder blades once again, painfully so, making Seonghwa hiss in pain and pleasure at the same time. He buried his head in my neck as he was panting, hips jerking messily as he was nearing his own undoing, much like I was. Our bodies were covered in a thin layer of sweat, chasing our own orgasms as Seonghwa’s right hand lowered between our bodies and started quickly rubbing my bundle of nerves, making me throw my head back and come undone in just a few seconds. His name left my lips like a mantra as I felt tears spring into my eyes from the overwhelming pleasure, body trembling as he stilled, and then I felt hot liquid spill inside me as he lazily continued to move his hips, making my body ache as it all felt too much.

“My love.” His lips brushed against my ear with one final thrust and then he stilled, body going lax as I was panting hard, trying to swallow but my throat felt parched. Seonghwa muttered something against the skin of my neck but I didn’t understand, and I turned my head to press kisses against his hair, his shoulder blade, and ultimately his lips when he raised his head. I instantly felt cold and like I was missing something as he rolled over and pulled out, his chest rising and falling just as frantically as mine. My heart was beating so fast that it felt like a vein would pop in my forehead and I felt Seonghwa’s fingers intertwine with mine. I gulped and looked over, finding nothing but a pained expression on his face and eyes that were overflowing with tears. I couldn’t hold it back in anymore, and let mine fall free as Seonghwa sniffed loudly, his beautiful black hair strewn across my pillow, the cloudy weather casting my bedroom in a dim light.

“I love you, Y/N,” Seonghwa’s voice was raspy and it trembled as he pressed a long-lasting kiss against my knuckles, “I love you so much, my love.”

I bit my bottom lip to fight the sob that threatened to rip through my throat and nodded, bringing our hands up to my cheek to nuzzle it against Seonghwa’s skin, “I love you too, Hwa, always have. Always will.”

But we weren’t meant to be since we were on opposing sides. And we both knew that as our tears stopped flowing, our fingers going numb from how tightly we held onto each other. Seonghwa sighed then released my hand reluctantly, making me bite back a whine as he sat up, running his fingers through his hair. Before he could get off my bed, I sat up hurriedly and threw my arms around him, letting out a long exhale as he returned the embrace, cradling my head against his naked chest. I wanted to grow old with him, I wanted to have children that would gift us grandchildren, I wanted us to never be separated again. And maybe Seonghwa wanted that too because his whole body trembled as we somehow found the strength to separate from each other, eyes yearning for something we’d never have.

I watched as he rolled over, then sat on the edge of my bed as I pulled my knees up to my chest, hugging my bare legs, looking for even the smallest comfort now that I knew I would let him leave, just this once. This was our final goodbye, the closure we never got. Once Seonghwa was out of my cottage, we’d play our parts, we’d be the enemies everyone thought we were. I was ready, and perhaps he was ready to. An easy smile settled on my lips as I watched Seonghwa lean down and fetch something, his back muscles tensing as he glanced back over his shoulder. My eyebrows furrowed upon the solemn look on his face and I went rigid as he turned his torso around, my own wand pointed at me. His voice was resigned, a whisper, pained.

“Obliviate.”

1944

            The train came to a screeching halt as we neared the next village, sending me back in my seat as I stared out the window, feeling bored as I knew nobody who shared the compartment with me. But that’s how it is when you don’t have friends of your own. It was alright, I had always done just fine on my own. As the train stopped and the doors opened, I watched the students who lived in this village get off, pulling their heavy luggage after themselves, greeted by their families who couldn’t wait for them to return home for the summer holiday. My chin was resting in my palm as I pursed my lips, finding it hard to enjoy my last train ride back home, never to return to Hogwarts. There was an ache in my chest that grew the longer I stared out the window, the longer I stared at the messy black-haired boy that had stopped close to the edge of the platform, gazing inside the train, dark and soft eyes landing on me unmistakably.

I gulped, feeling my heartbeat pick up the longer our gazes remained connected, confused by the ache in my chest that only got worse the longer we looked at each other. My eyebrows furrowed as I felt this sudden urge to reach out to him, to get off the train and run into his arms, to breathe in his familiar scent and feel his plush lips press against my skin, and his low voice whisper reassuring words into my ears. I didn’t know why I felt like that, I couldn’t explain the yearning of my own body as the boy’s once familiar face became hazy, unclear. No matter how hard I tried to look, I couldn’t see his features clearly. I couldn’t remember his name.

He became a murky memory in the back of my mind as the train whistled, signalling its departure, and as we took off, I felt the lurch of my heart and the coil of my stomach worsen as I jumped up from my seat, pulling the window open and scaring those sitting in the compartment with me. I looked out the window, head leaning outside as my eyebrows furrowed, the name of the boy on the tip of my tongue as I desperately tried to cry out his name—but I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know who he was. The alarmed cries of the people who rode with me snapped me out of my unexplainable actions, and I settled back into my seat feeling confused and embarrassed as I apologized.

I couldn’t tell anymore why my heart ached like I had loved someone with my whole being, with my soul, like I had sworn to remain by their side forever and even beyond. It confused me as to why I wanted to sob and scream after a boy that once was my guiding light in the darkness, my star. A face once familiar now became just the whisper of a distant memory that I couldn’t put my finger on, a nostalgic ache of a love that felt real, yet intangible.

The stars couldn’t shine bright without their darkness.

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❀ complete the forms if you're interested! ^^

[minkiverse]

PARK SEONGHWA FIC RECS

Poly!Ateez Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Kim Hongjoong - Jeong Yunho - Kang Yeosang - Choi San - Song Mingi - Jung Wooyoung - Choi Jongho

HWA TIME!! A man who is so earth shatteringly gorgeous of course gets written incredibly by atiny 😩 like this man is just art!! As always, I hope you enjoy and support these authors!!

Dividers by @iluvpooks

DISCLAIMER none of these works are mine and majority are MATURE 18+, please read all warnings before reading!!!

Key:

✨ - My Favs

🔥 - Smut (MINORS DNI)

⛈️ - Angst

💗 - Fluff

🍑 - Humor

SERIES

New Horizons - @fivestar-outlaw 🔥⛈️💗 Idol AU

this is just the cutest series!! like meeting him through animal crossing is the most adorable meet cute i want to cry 😭😭 we all deserve a lil bit of delusion as a treat asfgdssfgdf

The Way to His Heart - @edenesth ⛈️💗Joseon Period ✧ Arranged Marriage AU

im a big BIG fan of historical au's and i just loved reading hwa falling for the mc and then doing everything he can to destroy the people that hurt her 😩😩 that kind of devotion is just soooooooo attractive😍😍 it kinda reminds me of the anime My Happy Marriage (which i did not finish OTL) but if you enjoyed that i think you will love this~~

Wallflower pt. 2 pt. 3 pt. 4 - @tenelkadjowrites 🔥⛈️💗 Office AU

seonghwa is mc's nerdy coworker but boy can he fuck 😩😩😩 the smut in this is 🤌🤌 but honestly this fic is so much more than that and how the mc changes and grows as a person because of hwa's influence is so enjoyable to read i just love them 🥹🥹

Sans - @songmingisthighs ⛈️💗🍑 SMAU ✧ Childhood Friends AU

this author really knows how to break my heart 😭😭😭 definitely be aware of trigger warnings for some chapters!!! but this fic was also so wholesome?? like i just love the mc and how they grow from the events of the story 🥹🥹 SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO SAN AND WOO!!!!

ONE SHOTS/DRABBLES/ETC

sycophant - @ncteez ✨🔥 Business AU

there will always be boss x employee fics BUT this take on it 🤌🤌🤌 hwa is just so attractively straight forward and him teaching the mc on how to dom him is truly just so fucking hot i could scream 😩😩

Untitled - @thetypingpup 🔥 Hybrid AU

The Thing About Pretty Boys - @wonusite ✨🔥 Friends to Lovers AU

never say seonghwa can't fuck.... or maybe do bcs this man goes fucking feral 😵‍💫😵‍💫 i had like a full body physical reaction to how hwa is written in this fic 😩😩 like this is so filthy in the hottest way possible

Dune - @hongism 🔥 Outlaw AU ✧ Biker AU

Untitled - @orgverse 🔥 Sci-fi AU

Warning Signs EP. 1: The Showman - @mphountitled 🔥Rebellion AU

Everyday at the Bus Stop - @tenelkadjowrites 🔥💗

persistent desire - @bro-atz 🔥 College AU

Untitled - @k-hotchoisan 🔥

Red Dress - @wooyoungiewritings ✨🔥⛈️💗 Enemies to Lovers AU

i love a holiday/winter themed fic ok sue me 🫵🫵 its just COZY and this hwa drives me up the wall 😩😩 he's such a charming lil shit and the banter is soooooo good 🫠🫠 i looooooooove this couple!!!!!!!

Scattered bunny!seonghwa thoughts - @thetypingpup 🔥 Hybrid AU

Morning sex with Seonghwa - @k-hotchoisan 🔥

Untitled - @sxcret-garden 🔥

realistic sex with seonghwa - @byuntrash101 🔥

VIP Access - @hwashotcheeto 🔥 Idol AU

multiple??? - @lomlhwa 🔥 Hybrid AU

I Can See You - @daemour 🔥⛈️💗 Single Father!Hwa

Untitled - @thetypingpup 🔥 Hybrid AU

heavy and sticky - @k-hotchoisan 🔥

Untitled - @cheollipop 🔥

Untitled - @thetypingpup 🔥

belong to me - @ateezscupid 🔥⛈️ Idol AU

Untiled - @thetypingpup 🔥 Dragon!Teez ✧ Sugar Mommy AU

Untitled - @bombuni 💗

Honest (But Happy) Accident - @ad0rechuu 💗College AU

amazing grace - @yoongiseesawmp3 🔥⛈️💗 Church Boy!Hwa

Untitled - @thetypingpup 🔥 Bad Boy!Hwa

paradigm - @yoongiseesawmp3 ✨🔥 Bartender AU

switch!hwa nuff said 🤤🤤🤤 no but how this author does banter is just so good like idk even know how explain it because it feels so natural and charming and the smut is so fucking good like im in love with hwa and the mc ?????

The Heart's Filthy Lesson - @tenelkadjowrites 🔥⛈️ Toxic BFF!Hwa

Untitled - @hee0soo 🔥

Damnation of a Saint - @byuntrash101 🔥 7 Deadly Sins AU

My Little Empress - @holybibly 🔥 Historical AU ✧ Arranged Marriage AU

the lamb and the wolf - @seonghwaddict 🔥💗 Hades!Hwa

Make Me Water - @bangtanintotheroom 🔥 Friends to Lovers AU

Untitled - @thetypingpup 🔥 Cyberpunk AU

mirror mirror on the wall, who's the filthiest of them all - @almightyddeonghwa 🔥 Idol AU

boyfriend texts - @beenbaanbuun 🍑

[skrrts]

just a few more minutes (drabble)

✧ fem!reader x park seonghwa ✧ request: stay-at-home dad hwa & mc morning fluff ✧ genre: non idol, slice of life, fluff, family ✧ word count: 1k ✧ warnings: food/eating

Seonghwa always wanted to be a stay-at-home dad. However, it doesn't make it any easier for either of you when it's time for you to get out of bed and go to work in the morning.

✧ a/n: thank you to anon for the request 🤎

It was a blessing when your daughter finally started sleeping through the night, but you still had a habit of waking an hour or two before sunrise. Your body stirred slowly as your sleepy eyes caught a glimpse of the time on the clock next to your bed. Getting to work, even though it was only part-time for another six months, had been challenging.

You hated leaving your husband and child to drive to a busy office. Your employer was only slowly starting to introduce the opportunity to work from home, but the three of you had adjusted to it. You had the most amazing husband who always insisted he was perfectly fine reducing his hours to stay home and care for his little family.

His sleepy brown eyes greeted you, accompanied by a sweet smile that still made your heart flutter like on the first day of dating.

“Good morning,” he whispered, looking rather happy and relaxed as he snuggled closer, curling his arms around your figure. You leaned in to kiss him gently, “Hello there.”

Those little moments in the morning weren’t just the best boosts for the day but also the rare times for the two of you to enjoy alone. It wasn’t just your daughter; your friends and family always kept you busy.

Grandparents wanted to see their first grandchild, and San and Wooyoung volunteered to babysit but then needed someone to look after them when they got a little nervous about why a baby wouldn’t stop screaming.

“It’s Friday,” Seonghwa added, showering your face with little kisses, making you giggle.

“Thankfully. It means I have a whole weekend ahead with my big and small bear,” you smiled. Your husband had fallen in love with the storybook of a couple of bears having their first child. The excited expression on his face the day you brought home a little bear onesie, which your daughter actually seemed to love — unlike some of the little dresses she somehow managed to take off despite being less than a year old — was priceless.

Gentle fingers brushed strands of hair from your face, and this time, Seonghwa leaned in for a proper kiss, his hand resting against your cheek as you closed your eyes, simply taking in the feeling of being so close to one another. After that, the two of you cuddled a little, your head resting against his chest as he played with your hair.

“How about we pick you up? You’ll be done at twelve, yeah? We can go to the park, watch the ducks, and then do the groceries for the weekend together.” His voice was a soft whisper as you watched your daughter sleep peacefully in her bed.

“I’d like that. I should be able to wrap up in time; my boss loves going home extra early on Fridays — important business,” you rolled your eyes but smiled. Your head turned as you looked up at him, “Hwa~”

He tilted his head a little, “Hm?” First, you made a face before grinning, “You are the most amazing husband, you know? And yes, an amazing dad too!”

Seonghwa laughed, but he couldn’t hide the soft blush on his cheeks: “Somebody slept really well last night, with all these compliments today.”

Just as you were about to lean up for another kiss, the alarm went off. You sighed, hurrying to turn it off, but your daughter was already starting to stir; you could see her blinking.

“Time to shine,” your husband whispered as the two of you slowly slipped out of bed, stretching.

Seonghwa picked her up while you disappeared into the bathroom to take a quick shower and get ready for your short workday. By the time you made it to the kitchen downstairs, the girl was already smiling at you, comfortable in Seonghwa’s arms.

“Say good morning to Mom,” he smiled, and you leaned in to press a kiss on her cheek. “Good morning.”

There was a soft giggle, and you loved watching how he melted for her all over again.

There was never a day when Seonghwa didn’t look happy and proud of his daughter. There was no denying she would likely be a daddy’s girl; he would spoil her, but then, who could be a greater father?

“Now, let’s make sure mom gets her breakfast before leaving the house, yes? When you grow up, you’ll be more mindful and not claim that coffee is breakfast,” he playfully whispered to your daughter, who giggled as Seonghwa carefully placed her in the baby bassinet.

You pouted innocently, “It’s just so much more convenient, and the sooner I leave, the faster I can come back.”

But there was no escape for you. Seonghwa gently pushed you to the table, and you sighed, giving in and sipping innocently on your coffee. He really was the perfect man — from his looks to being the most caring person — but in return, he was quite strict when it came to fighting your bad habits.

“Open your mouth wide,” he said, raising the toast with marmalade, and you rolled your eyes but laughed, “Oh, is this practice for when our daughter is old enough to eat toast?”

Seonghwa winked, “Not so much, just making sure my wife remains strong and healthy.” You leaned in and took a bite, but before you could sit back, he took your hand and pulled you into a kiss.

“If you keep doing this, I really won’t make it to work,” you teased, but eventually, Hwa gave you an innocent smile, and the two of you finished breakfast.

Soon after, you were ready to leave for work. You picked up your car keys and watched as Seonghwa carried your daughter to the door, wearing the bear onesie. She would outgrow it in no time.

“Time to wish Mom a good day at work,” he told her, and you leaned over to place a soft kiss on her cheek, “Keep Dad on his toes for me while I’m gone.”

“Hey!” Seonghwa laughed and pressed a short kiss on your lips as well, “Don’t work too hard. We’ll pick you up; a nice long walk will be great once we’re done cleaning up.”

You opened the door and waved at them, “I’ll miss you, see you soon.”

Seonghea carefully took your daughter's small hand, waving back: "We will miss you mom!"

[bluemari23]

dancing like butterfly wings || park seonghwa

summary: you've been feeling a little down lately as you experience another flare up, and not wanting to feel like a burden, you try to to hide it from your soulmate.

pairing: seonghwa x reader

genre: fluff, soulmate au

warnings: some depressive thoughts, insecurities, mc going through it, disabled reader (POTS), mentions of vomit/vomiting

masterlist

for my disabled people who sometimes just wanna be taken care of ❤️

-----------------------------------

It wasn't like you always wanted to feel this way, incompetent and unable to do anything. You felt like a complete burden.

Even Seonghwa felt like he had to stay back with you, instead of going and exploring the city before the concert tonight with the rest of the boys.

You woke up feeling a little nauseous, until it was time to get up and then you had to run to the bathroom, hoping you didn't wake up your sleeping soulmate. He had a long night last night, having a concert and then doing a live with Hongjoong and Wooyoung.

He didn't get into the room until after two am, practically falling into bed beside you and pulling you into his arms.

You closed the door, hoping it would block the sound of you, but it didn't. You could feel the hand rubbing at your back as he holds your hair back with his other hand.

"Go away Hwa. I don't want you to see this." You cried out, frustrated with yourself and your body, thoughts moving back to why you couldn't have a normal body.

"Baby, why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well? Is that why you went to bed early?" He asked, trying to figure out if you were in a flare up or just sick, or both.

He hated seeing you like this, and always tried to do his best to help you prevent flare ups, but sometimes you couldn't prevent one. Noe even with all the preparation in the world.

"Please Hwa." You are practically sobbing now, but you had managed to stop throwing up.

Seonghwa moved you so you were lying against his chest, a warm wash cloth already in hand as he then helped clean you up and wipe away the sweat that accumulated on your forehead and brow.

It had taken a little while, and the ignoring of your pleading, to get you back into bed and curled up against his side. He had already messaged the boys about your condition and that he would be staying back with you.

You hated that your body decided that now was the time to attack itself, a flare up of your disability leaving your heart rate unable to lower and your blood pooling making you nauseous and unable to lay still.

"Alright, my love. I have your salty snacks, and your drink. How about we put a movie on, hmm?" Seonghwa looks down at you after pulling you back into his side as he gets back into the large, comfy hotel bed.

"Please Seonghwa, I can take care of myself. You've always wanted to explore this city. it's okay, I promise." You try to tell him, but he doesn't hear it.

"That's the thing, my love. You don't have to take care of yourself. Not anymore. Not when you have me." He squeezes your shoulder and places a soft, loving kiss to your temple before moving to grab the remote and look for a movie for the too of you to watch.

-*-*-

*knock*knock*

You both turn to the door, hearing voices and a small screech before the door opens, Wooyoung falling in with Yunho holding the door key and the rest of the boys peering inside.

"Guys? What's going on?" Seonghwa asks the boys, mainly looking towards Hongjoong who just looked at you both sheepishly.

"Well, we heard you weren't feeling well and wanted to cheer you up." Hongjoon responded, holding up a bouquet of your favorite flowers, already in a cute vase.

That's when you both noticed the rest of the boys were all holding different items or bags, with the legos in Jongho's grasp catching your eye.

You couldn't help the tears that threatened to fall from your waterline, seeing how much the boys cared for you.

You tried to sit up so you could get out of bed only for San to move forward, propping up the pillows behind you and preventing you from leaving the bed.

"No, it's okay! We'll just sit with you!" San grinned at you, making a small smile grow on your own lips. He sat down and put his bag on the bed, opening it to reveal your favorite takeout. You didn't even know they had it in this city.

"See, baby. You don't have to take care of yourself. We will do it."

[hwaslayer]

project: make you love me (jyh) | nine.

♣︎ spotify playlist | series masterlist

—summary: yunho can’t stand how you’re so wrapped up in the notorious campus fuckboy, park seonghwa. he would gladly love you the way you deserve, despite being shy, awkward and the complete opposite of seonghwa. thus, when he finds himself spending more time with you over literature reviews and random study sessions, he decides to take on the challenge to win you over.

—pairing: jeong yunho x f. reader x park seonghwa

—genre: (18+ - minors dni) strangers/friends to lovers, college au | fluff, angst, smut

—word count: 3.9k

—chapter content/warnings: cussing/mature language, competition day for the group!, flashback scene, yunho is slowly starting to pull out the cute pet names and heart eyes hehe, alcohol consumption/intoxication, chaeryeong being the cutest bff ever, feelings are being shared!!, seonghwa lol

Today is the day.

And you are nervous.

The competition isn't huge, but it means a lot to your team— it'll spread your name across groups, towns. Increase the likelihood of others wanting to join, wanting to invite, wanting to collaborate. Place yourselves in a higher place than last year. You all heard about the competition through Yeonjun, who picked up a flyer near the grocery store. It's a competition during the town's winter festival, something he felt like would be a good opportunity either way. There are three winners; each winner wins a certain amount of money awarded to help fund their group's events, competitions and fundraisers. On top of that, the competition was to be broadcasted on a livestream in order to encourage support from anywhere and everywhere.

There were designated drivers within the group, transporting members in different cars while all of you chipped in for gas. You had left bright and early in the morning in order to settle at the hotel before practicing and enjoying bits of the festival. 

It's been a whirlwind. 

Even though you're nervous, it's a beautiful day and you're happy to be here with your friends, your team. It'll be a good day.

It'll all turn out perfectly fine.

"Hey, are you guys good to go? We're ready to practice near the parking lot." You swing the door open to Hyunjin peeking into your room, eyeing everyone grabbing their things.

"Yeah, we'll be out in a sec." You smile at him, signaling for your roommates to head out the door.

Your group finds a secluded part of the hotel parking lot, taking this space to clean up and fine tune every single part of the piece. Every single beat, every single move— you, Yeonjun and Hyunjin precisely monitoring each member to correct any small mistakes and flaws. This goes on for about an hour, another hour spent to run the piece a few times until satisfaction. It's close to 2 hours before your team reaches this point, now allowing some time to walk around the festival before you're called to the stage to get ready for the competition.

Jongho points at a few vendors that are selling snacks, a few of you grabbing something small to eat— nothing too heavy before the performance. You and your friends snap a few pictures with your snacks in hand, sending one to Yunho as a way to let him know that the day has been good so far.

you: me! with friends! 

yunho: very cute. ☺️ let me know how everything goes. i'm rooting for you!

You smile at your phone just as Hyunjin calls for your group and motions for them to come towards the stage. There are a good amount of other groups present, but no one is hostile in any way, or overly competitive. It's all good vibes and it makes it much, much easier to get through the competition in one piece.

The MC comes onto the stage to start the competition portion of the festival, greeting the large crowd that has flocked to the area. He greets the panelists sitting near the front stage; a few of them being choreographers you are familiar with and have taken workshops with before. He lists all the groups in attendance, with your team being second to last to perform. 

You watch all the groups dance before you in awe, wondering how they move so gracefully, how they've pieced together everything so well. You always feel like you learn something new watching other dance groups, and you always feel so grateful to have the opportunities to learn from each other. Everyone is hyped up and bouncing along to the songs, having a good time being around people who love doing the same thing you do.

When it's time for your group to finally head up and perform, your nerves return. You stand in your position, eyeing the crowd that has grown tremendously with the other groups cheering off to the side. Your nerves switch to adrenaline quick when the music starts to play, getting into dance mode like everything depended on it. 

You love doing what you do.

You love dance.

You love being here with your friends and showing off your talents.

You wish Yunho was here.

But, little did you know that he caught the livestream as soon as he got back home from bringing his mom to her appointment— smiling in awe every time he saw you in view. Today, you seem much happier and you have a glow to you. Yunho is happy that you're happy and enjoying yourself. He really wishes he could be there in person so he could hug you and congratulate you as soon as you step off the stage, but this will do. 

He hopes you know that he does think of you, too.

You give it your all during the last few seconds, hitting the ending pose until the music cuts out. All of you cheer and hug for getting through another performance without any issues or injuries. As you step to the side to gather yourselves and take a breather, the final group heads on stage to close out. You all agreed that whatever happens today, you would leave happy and grateful for the opportunity to travel here and perform. 

They give the judges 15 minutes to decide their top three, and that might've been the longest 15 minutes you've ever endured in your life. While you all wait around, a few people from other groups introduce themselves to you and invite you to the club to hangout afterwards. Your friends agree it'd be a good way to close out the weekend trip, especially with the club not being too far from the hotel. At this point, the MC comes back on stage to announce the top 3 for tonight's competition. You aren't expecting anything, and you've drilled it in your head that winning didn't necessarily mean much— though, it would be nice.

It wouldn't take away from your passion and love for it.

"Second place goes to—" The MC pauses. "Common Ground!" Your team reacts with a bunch of yells and smiles as you make your way back up to the stage to take a photo with your trophy. You and Chaery hug each other off stage, squealing in excitement before hugging Soobin and Seungmin.

"Congrats, ya'll!" Yeonjun yells. "Time to celebrate!" He yells, making everyone erupt in more cheers on the way back to the hotel. A few of your friends head out to pick up some pizza for the group, while the rest of you shower and start getting ready for the club. Thankfully, Chaery forced you to bring a cute outfit just in case any celebrations were in store. You throw on a simple black, sleeveless short bodycon dress with your converse highs and leather jacket. You take another picture to send to Yunho, one that makes him ogle a bit at how beautiful you look.

you: going out soon 😬 gonna celebrate!

yunho: as you should, pretty girl. 😍 you look amazing.

You giggle just as Yeonjun calls for everyone to come to his room and start pre-gaming, all of you squishing around his room to pass along the shots.

"Let's fucking go!" Yeonjun yells. "Cheers!" He points his shot up in the air, giving everyone a moment to tap their cups against each other before downing the alcohol. The pre-gaming picks up quickly and one shot, turns to two, turns to three or five—

You are drunk, and you miss Yunho.

"Babe, let's go!" Chaery yells for you, slightly dragging you by the arm as the rest of your group walks out of the hotel. She loops her arm with yours, holding onto you tightly as you all [loudly] walk across the street to the club where the party is taking place.

"I'm going!" You pout, letting her keep you close.

"You're drunk, why aren't you as happy and giddy?! Where is my girl!" Chaery asks loudly, making you protest a bit in her arms. "What is it?!"

"Stop yelling at me." You look at her. "I'm fine! I just—" You pause and drop her arm from yours. "Nevermind."

"What is it?" It's her turn to whine, looping her arm with yours again so you guys can keep up with the group.

"I kinda miss him."

"Who?" She glares at you. "Y/N, who? You better not be talking about Park Seonghwa."

"No. Not him." She furrows her brows.

"Then, who—" She gasps loudly and hits Soobin behind her, causing him to yell an 'ouch' in return. "Oh my god! Jeong Yunho?!" She yells his name for the entire town to hear.

"Stop, be quiet! What's wrong with you!" She squeals. Speaking of Yunho— though Yunho loves to be home to help his mom and aunt, he only spends a night to make his way back early just so he can see you as soon as you get back. He has the whole thing set up in his head, and he hopes he can pull it off. It's really nothing big, but he does want to surprise you [in a way] and see you smile. 

That's all he wants.

"Where is he right now? Let's call him!" Chaery grabs your phone from your hand, instantly pulling up Yunho's number.

"He's at home, Chaery! Don't bother him—" Chaery screams when she hears Yunho answer on the other line with a deep 'hello,' making you smile from ear to ear even as you wrestle with her to get your phone back. "Chaery!"

"Yunho, you answered!" She looks at you. "He answered! He was waiting for your call, I think!"

"Give me the phone! I said don't bother him!" Yunho laughs as he continues to drive, hearing the commotion between you and Chaery [plus the background noise] echo in his car's bluetooth. "Yunho?"

"Hey. You okay?"

"Mm, yeah. I am just drunk." You emphasize the word, leaning your head on Chaery's shoulder as you continue to wait in line. "We are drunk. Sorry, Chaery called you."

"I see." Yunho laughs. "So, you weren't the one who wanted to call me?"

"I-I mean, yes, I did! But, Chaery physically hit your number because—" You pause, unsure if you should tell him you miss him. "Because she just did. Anyway. I'm here now!" Yunho bites on his bottom lip.

"I'm glad you are. Did you have fun today?"

"So much fun! I wish you came!"

"I know, I'm sorry. I'll make up for it, okay?"

"Okay, fine. I'll hold you to it." You giggle. "We won 2nd place! We get $250 to fund future group projects, events, fundraisers.. all that good stuff!"

"Congrats, Y/N! I knew your team would make it to top 3. I've been telling you." He smiles even though you can't see him. "You know, I caught the livestream."

"Y-you did?" You look at Chaery with those eyes, making her guess what the entire conversation is about. 

"I did. You guys really did amazing. You deserve it."

♣︎ FLASHBACK

Yunho rushes back into the house, constantly checking his phone and hoping he isn't late to the livestream. He plops onto the couch next to his aunt, reaching over to grab the remote from the coffee table.

"I'm watching the news!"

"Really quickly. Please?" He pouts a bit. She lets out a sigh and nods, giving Yunho the green light to bring up the Youtube app. He types in the channel, pulling up the livestream that has already started. He quietly curses to himself when he sees a group already dancing on stage— praying to the powers above that he hadn't missed your group yet.

He will do anything, just as long as they give him this one thing. He suddenly regrets ever checking out girls, for ever having crude, boy-ish thoughts. He's apologizing to the universe so hard he doesn't even realize how still and quiet he's being—

"Wow, you're really serious about this dance stuff. I've never seen you so focused." His aunt says, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"I'm waiting for my friend and her dance group to come on stage. If they haven't already."

"Her?" Is the one thing his mom pulls out of the entire sentence. He looks over at her and lets out a small sigh.

"Yes."

"Is this the same her?"

"If it is?" His aunt laughs.

"I'm just asking, Jeong Yunho."

"Sorry." He says with a slight whine, eyes lighting up when he catches familiar faces coming on stage. His eyes are scanning the entire group until they finally land on you. Yunho subtly nibbles onto his bottom lip to prevent himself from smiling too big, ears feeling hot and red. You're incredibly cute, and he's suddenly missing you. But even if he tries to hide it, it's obvious to his mom and aunt. They won't question it even though they thoroughly enjoy seeing Yunho crushing on someone this hard.

His eyes continue to stay glued on the tv, a small smile and 'woah's' slipping from his lips every now and then. Once the performance comes to an end, he gives off a tiny clap before exiting the app and getting up from the couch.

"I think I know which one she is." His mom says, making Yunho respond as he heads back up the stairs to his old room to start packing and gathering his things.

"No, you don't."  He teases.

"You can tell, huh? He's in love. He's definitely in love." His aunt adds, making his mom giggle.

♣︎ END

"You are.. too good to me." You sigh contently. "Seriously, how?"

"I'm just telling you the truth."

"Well, thank you. I appreciate that." You respond sweetly.

"Of course." 

"Wait. A-are you at home? Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I told Chaery not to—" 

"I'm actually heading to the apartment now. I'm just stopping for food first." He focuses on the lot ahead, pulling into a parking spot by his go-to restaurant near the apartment complex.

"Why'd you go home so early?"

"Because you're coming back early tomorrow." You feel the heat rise to your cheeks.

"You c-could've stayed—" You hiccup. "Woops. You could've stayed." You repeat to get your point across.

"It's alright. I just wanna make sure you get back in one piece." 

"You're the best. Really, Yunho. Youuuu're the best." You slur a bit, making him silently chuckle to himself as he switches the call back to his phone. He steps out of the car and heads into the restaurant, giving the lady at the front a quick smile of acknowledgment.

"Nonsense." She points at his to-go bag and he gives her a thumbs up, handing over his card. "Why don't you go enjoy yourself?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you about stuffs. Do you want me to go?"

"It's not that. I just want you to have fun with your friends while you're there. Celebrate your wins and all."

"But, we're in line waiting to get into the club. I can talk to you about stuff—" Suddenly, Chaery grabs your hand and drags the phone to her ear— not giving you time to respond or fight back.

"S-She—" Chaery hiccups. "She likes you, Jeong Yunho! That's what it is! God, she is so cute when it comes to you—"

"Hey!" You respond with a slight whine. "Stop. I wanna tell him." Your voice is louder on the other line. "Yunho?" You call for him again and Yunho melts. God, you are too adorable.

"Yeah?"

"Did you hear her?"

"Sure did."

"No." You pout. "No, act like you didn't hear it, okay?"

"You sure?"

"Yes. Let me say it." 

"Go for it, Y/N." He laughs a bit, signing his receipt before handing it over. He hears you clear your throat on the other line before you reply with a: 

"I think I like you."

"You think? That's a shame, because I actually do like you." Yunho teases. He hears you whine again and it's awfully cute— he wishes he could be there, but he knows he'll see you as soon as you get back.

The things he could do to you right now. Like hold your hand, kiss you. It makes him feel giddy inside. You make him feel giddy inside.

"N-no, no!" You hiccup. "I like you! I like you!" You repeat drunkenly.

"I'm just teasing, Y/N. It's okay."

"No seriously, I like you."

"I like you, too."

"I mean it." He can almost see the pout on your face. "I know I'm kinda drunk or whatever, but I mean this."

"I know." He smiles to himself. "I know you mean it. I mean it, too."

"Yeah?" You ask in relief, followed by a giggle. "Yay! I'm so relieved."

"Good. Have fun tonight, okay? And please be safe."

"I will. I wish you were here."

"I'm there in spirit."

"I will t-text you—" Yunho slightly pulls the phone away from his ear when he hears a bunch of ruckus and chaos. "Seungmin, oh my god! Wait! The line is moving too fast, wait— I'll call you or text you later, okay? They're literally dragging me through the door."

"Okay." He laughs when he hears Seungmin respond in the back with an 'am not.' "Be safe please."

"I will!" You loudly giggle before abruptly ending the call. Yunho looks at his phone before doing a slight head tilt, truly hoping you'll get to and from the event safely and in one piece.

"Must be so cute to be all over somebody's sloppy seconds." Yunho cocks a brow up as he diverts his attention to Seonghwa and San, who stand a couple of steps away from him. They seems to be heading into the same restaurant that Yunho just picked up his food from, clenching his jaw as Seonghwa proceeds to walk closer. 

"Right." Yunho lets out a small scoff. "Have a good night—"

"It's kinda funny. I didn't think she'd actually go for you." Seonghwa cuts him off and continues to try and taunt him. Yunho continues to clench his jaw, laying his eyes on him one last time before trying to brush past him. "Aw, that's incredibly rude of you to walk past someone who's talking to you."

"Hwa." San calls him lowly, hinting for him to let it go. Not the time, nor place. 

"No, you're right." Yunho steps forward. "I'm just not sure what you want me to say, Seonghwa. Sorry you can't recognize a good thing when you have it?" The smug smirk on Seonghwa's face dies, and he's back to glaring at Yunho.

"I wouldn't talk on shit you don't know about."

"You sure I don't know anything about it? Because last time I checked, she was in my car when you left her in the cold." Yunho maintains eye contact with him, even as San steps in and pushes Seonghwa towards the restaurant.

"Let's go." San taps his chest and continues to edge him towards the door, nodding when Seonghwa finally lets up and licks his lips.

"She'll be back anyway." Seonghwa mutters as he turns around and heads into the restaurant with San. Yunho rolls his eyes and heads to his car— shaking off the entire interaction so it wouldn't spoil his night.

I mean, why in the fuck would he let Park Seonghwa, out of all people, spoil his night? If anything, Yunho couldn't care less that he's triggered.

He should be, rightfully so.

Let's get back to the point.

You told Yunho you liked him, and he can't help but smile to himself repeating how cute you sounded on the phone. Drunk, yes; but Yunho knows you wouldn't feed him bullshit [sober or not].

He wants you to enjoy yourself tonight and have fun. He knows you've been working hard at school, during practice. You deserve it, you deserve all of it. He misses you, and can't wait to see you tomorrow. Even if that meant a quick walk around the complex before you settled down for the day.

"Yo. You're back." Yeosang says coming out of his room just as Yunho walks through the door.

"Whattup?" Yunho smiles, tossing his bag and keyto the side. "Got some food from HK. Want some?"

"Mm, yeah. Might take a bit in a few." Yunho nods. "Why are you so smiley?" Yeosang asks, making him laugh a bit.

"Maybe I'm just happy to have food?" Yeosang smirks and crosses his arms.

"You saw Y/N, huh?"

"She's at her competition." 

"Oh shit, that's right. Why didn't you go?"

"Had to be home to bring my mom to her appointment, so I wouldn't have made it in time." Yeosang nods. "I did hear from her and catch a bit of the livestream, though. They won second place. They're out celebrating right now so she's pretty drunk."

"Nice! At least her friends are there with her." Yunho nods. "Also kinda cute how she drunk called you, I'm assuming?"

"Yeah." Yunho chuckles. "She's cute."

"I'm saying, dude. You two would look really good together."

"Speaking of that, I ran into Park Seonghwa earlier while picking up the food."

"Oh, great. How was that?"

"He was just trying to get smart with me, but it's whatever."

"Aye man, his loss." Yeosang shrugs before taking a plate from the cabinet. "Have you decided if you're going to the party?" Yunho shakes his head.

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

"Parties are just.. not really my thing."

"I'll even go for a bit. I kinda want you to go and let loose, especially if Y/N is planning to be there."

"You don't have to do that." Yunho grabs his helping of food and pushes the containers towards Yeosang.

"No, seriously. I'll go. I haven't gone to a party in a minute, anyway. Might be kinda nice just to get out."

"Mm, yeah. Mingi keeps asking me about it, too." He does a slight head tilt. "He'll probably keep asking me until the day of."

"Option is there." Yeosang shrugs as he grabs his own helpings and starts to trek back to his room. "Anyway, thanks for the food! Think about it. Could be fun for one night." He gives Yunho another look before retreating back to his room.

Truthfully, Yunho has been contemplating about the party. He wants to go because he knows you'll be there, but he really can't stand them. He hates being in a stuffy room full of incredibly trashed people who know no boundaries.

But, this could be more time with you outside of school and he'll take what he can get.

So, maybe. Just maybe. Yunho will find himself at a party, trying to enjoy himself.

You.

And he's hoping Seonghwa doesn't become another fucking issue if he ends up going.

Though tonight, Seonghwa is the least bit worried about that party. He knows he'll be there, and it'll be the same thing— all the pretty girls trying to flock him and get his attention. He can't say he hates it because he doesn't. He can't think about all this right now because he hates what this has become, what you and Yunho have become.

And he's determined to be selfish, to get you back. He needs you to know just how much he misses you, needs you.

"Bro, what the hell was that about?" Seonghwa snaps out of his thoughts while San pays at the front, grabbing the plastic bag from the lady while thanking her.

"He just fucking irritates me."

"You never cared about Yunho before."

"Yeah, well."

"Yeah, well?" San furrows his brows at him as they walk out of the restaurant. "All this for Y/N and why? You made it clear you weren't gonna take it further with her."

"Things change."

"Things change genuinely, or because she's getting close to Yunho now?" No response. "Maybe you should let it go."

"What makes you think she's actually gonna take this further with him? He has nothing going for himself."

"I mean, she seems happy with him, Hwa. I'm not gonna lie." San shrugs.

"She's probably only feeling him because he wanted to be all knight in shining armor when she needed it the most. It's definitely not gonna last." Seonghwa shakes his head and gets into the car, slamming the door. "Whatever. I'm gonna get her back." San sighs, starting up the car without responding to the remark.

♣︎ taglist: @s-nsanshine @soupbinlily @tyongff-ff @jiminiscricket @g1g1l @staytinyinmybpack @woomyteez @gfksz @bitchwhytho @savluvsmingi @thisisntmyrightera @hyukssunflower @miriamxsworld @tmtxtf @kuromibabe04 @lmnhead @carrietwrites @tournesol155 @persphonesorchid @txt-yaomi @marsattacks @mxnsxngie @h-nji @mundayoonimnida @jalapeno-princess @nakiiko @asjkdk @kunikku @idkwgoh @kyeos4ng @agust-d2 @araknoid @bintificreads @primoppang @betray-the-light @aurorasjoongie @wineyoungie

[fivestar-outlaw]

New Horizons (Park Seonghwa) (Ch. 3)

Chapter 3: Scorpions

Pairing: Park Seonghwa x Fem!Reader

Words: 3.5K+

Warning(s): insecurities and discussion of insecurities, angst, someone's rude to MC :( (None of the guys), slight hurt/comfort, dumbdumbs in love but dont realize each others feelings

A/N: Here is chapter 3. I think this one is the second hardest to write (The fourth chapter is kicking my ass rn). I'm not sure how I am feeling about this chapter? I had like three/four different ideas for it. Sooo I did a 'spin the wheel' and went with what it landed on for this lol. I feel like this is the weakest chapter but it has some charm. Regardless, I hope you all enjoy <3

Reader is implied to be living in the US bc uh TIMEZONES ARE FUCKY and i didnt realize how reliant i was on mine (PST) when looking up KST

Summary: Attempting an all-nighter while playing Animal Crossing alongside your bias, you didn't expect your turnip prices to be such a high amount... nor did you expect Park Seonghwa to actually accept your offer to sell his turnips on your island.

Series Masterlist | Navigation

"I can't tell her, Woo." Seonghwa sighed.

Wooyoung nearly ripped out his hair at the very similar phrase he has heard you tell him before. The others all groaned as they lounged around in the recording room, 10 minutes before they needed to start recording and re-recording lines for their last song on the next album.

It was now February, two months since Seonghwa figured out his feelings towards you that night you fell asleep on video call. He immediately told Wooyoung the next day he had been right and ever since then, the younger has been trying to push Hwa into confessing. He even tried assuring the older male that you most likely returned his feelings without giving away you told Wooyoung you developed a crush on Hwa just a few days before Hwa told him.

Woo's mind thought back to his conversation with you a week ago.

"I don't think he likes me like that, Woo. No matter how much you tell me." He heard you say with a dejected tone through the call. He had snuck away on his own during practice, having the choreography down before the others. "I mean, I met him as a fan. I don't want him to think I offered him to sell turnips for this outcome."

"I don't think he assumes any ulterior motives, (Y/N)." He said softly. "He speaks fondly of you."

"And that's another thing. He is Seonghwa. He is the super kind, very lovable, handsome, and talented guy who loves to mimic his villagers, build Legos, and is an all around great person. It's hard not to fall in love with him... and then there is me. The average looking, college student working at the local bookstore. I feel so inadequate-"

"Hey. Don't speak like that about yourself." He scolded, his tone and facial expression serious. "You are amazing. You are beautiful. You've been a great friend and we all deeply appreciate and love you."

"Sorry." You sigh. "I just... I want to believe you, but it's hard, you know?"

"I get it, I do. Just... keep thinking on it, okay?" Wooyoung smiled sadly. He could see the self-doubt was still eating at you and his words didn't fully penetrate the self-conscious wall you built up. He just hoped you'd keep holding out long enough for him to try and push Seonghwa into confessing.

"Okay, why not then?" Yuhno asked, exasperated.

"It's clear she only views me as a friend. And I am fine with that."

"You don't know that for sure, hyung." San offered a kind smile.

"Are you guys sure (Y/N) likes me like that?" Hwa gave them each a pointed look. Everyone tried arguing that it was clear to them you did, though the only one who knew for sure was Wooyoung. "I... I truly come to appreciate her and every time we speak I feel like I am falling further and further for her. She is sweet, funny, gorgeous, and I feel my heart is always about to burst when talking with her..."

"He's a love sick puppy." Yeosang teased, making everyone chuckle. The eldest's face adorned a bright blush but he made no attempt argue against the notion.

"It's adorable seeing you crush so hard on someone, hyung." Mingi cooed.

"Why not try and talk to her now? It should be..." Hongjoong looked at the time, seeing that it was nearly 10am for them. "... about 6pm for her. Try gauging her feelings for you and bring up wanting her to visit next month for her spring break."

"I don't know..." The eldest unlocked his phone and had your contact pulled up. Wooyoung immediately moved spots and sat next to Seonghwa.

"Seonghwa-hyung, just go for it. We are all here cheering you on." Jongho smiled softly and the others nodded in agreement.

"And its not like your confessing now either. We've told you the signs, now watch for them." Wooyoung added. The others decided to join in on the call, hoping to catch anything that gave away you had feelings for their friend.

Seonghwa took in a deep breath before slowly exhaling as he pressed the call button. He felt two large hands on both shoulders pat him and give a firm squeeze as he slowly extended his arm to make sure everyone could be visible to some extent. He felt anxiety building up with each ring, waiting anxiously for you to pick up.

They all smile when you finally pick up. You were sitting at your desk, adding what looked like the finishing touches of your makeup on your face. You looked at the camera with a small smile before you looked down, picking up a tube of lipstick.

"Hello boys. Usually you text me before you start a call. What's going on?" You ask, eyes flickering to the phone again before you focus on your hand mirror.

Seonghwa felt Wooyoung nudge him off camera. "I wanted to check in on you, (Y/N), and they all decided to join me."

"Aw, really?" Your face seemingly brightened at the fact and the eldest could feel Jongho on his left excitedly tap his leg.

"Compliment her, Hwa." Hongjoong hissed into his ear, a toothy grin was on his face as an attempt to mask any suspicion.

"Did one of you say something?"

"O-oh it must of cut out." Seonghwa nervously chuckled. "I said you look amazing. Is there a special occasion going on?"

You got a bit bashful and smiled, though everyone could tell it didn't fully reach your eyes. "I got asked out on a date."

Seonghwa felt like he was punched in the gut.

But his face remained soft with a smile.

"Really? Who is the person?" He asked, his voice steady.

The others eyed him in concern but did their best to mask it while on video.

"His name is Charlie. He is in my English course this semester. We worked on some in-class assignments together a few times before he asked me out today."

"I'm happy to hear. Well, we better get going. We are about get to recording." Hongjoong could pick up some shakiness in Hwa's voice. "Have fun and please periodically message me, just to give me peace of kind on your safety."

"Thank you, Seonghwa, and I will." You gave them a wave goodbye before hanging up the phone.

It was silent in the room. Seonghwa slowly lowered his arm, resting his phone and hands in his laps. The smile he had dropped just as slowly as he took in a deep, trembling breath.

"Hwa, are you okay?" Hongjoong hesitated, placing his hand on his friends shoulder.

"Yes. I'm fine, Joong." He asserted, getting up from the couch.

"Are you sure?" San asked.

Languidly, the eldest turned to face the rest. Their breaths caught in their throats. His eyes were full of tears, his lips were quivering as he still maintained his smile.

"I told you guys I am just a friend to her. And I will be fine with that." He sniffled, one tear rolling down his cheek. He hastily wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. "Please, lets drop it and get work done today."

"Of course, hyung." Yuhno spoke with a comforting voice and stood up, wrapping an arm around the older males shoulders. "Lets grab some waters together." Carefully, the taller of the two led Hwa out of the room. The second the door closed, everyone exhaled.

"Maybe...Maybe we were wrong." Jongho mumbled.

"No we weren't." Wooyoung insisted, pulling out his phone.

"Wooyoung-" San tried to speak but the younger male kept talking.

"We weren't! (Y/N) told me herself she likes Seongwa!" The others watched as he called you, pressing speakerphone.

The phone rung a few times when they hear the line click.

"It's just me, (Y/N)." Woo gave the others a look to be quiet. "What was that? What do you mean date?"

"Exactly that, Youngie." You sighed, your voice sounding as if it lacked any confidence.

"But you like Seonghwa... You love him."

"... I do." The others in the room looked at each other in shock, their eyes wide.

"Then why did you agree to the date, (Y/N)?"

There was a moment of tense silence before you spoke again, starting your sentence off with a sniffle.

"Because I can't logically believe he likes me the same way. He just see's me as a friend and I just feel so inadequate to be on any level with him." You faltered. "I don't have any particular feelings for Charlie but I... I just wanted to try to get over loving Hwa."

"(Y/N)..."

"I need to get going Woo. I'll... message you tomorrow." Before he could say anything more you hung up.

The room was just as tense as before. No one knew what to say. Wooyoung pressed his lips tightly together as he kept his own tears at bay. When they heard the door open everyone else started getting up and getting ready to start recording. Seonghwa looked to have calmed down. Wooyoung refused to look at his oldest hyung until he could calm down.

---

After the video call with Ateez and the call with Wooyoung, you decided to try to to push any negative thought aside and finish getting ready. You put together a outfit that wasn't too fancy but still looked nice. You styled your hair the way you liked most for things like this. Overall, despite the heavy heart, you felt cute. You left your place with an Uber, figuring you may have something alcoholic to drink, with enough time to get to the restaurant on time, sending a message to Seonghwa letting him know you were heading there...

You glanced at the clock on your phone for the umpteenth time. It had been an hour since your uber dropped you off at the restaurant, 50 minutes since you were sat down at a table, and 35 minutes since that sinking feeling in your gut that you had been stood up started kicking in.

You sighed dejectedly as you finished paying for the meal you ordered. You may have been stood up but you weren't going to let that stop you from a nice meal. Luckily your waitress was kind and nobody paid you much mind. You felt that any pity sent your way would make you feel worse.

You slowly walked outside the restaurant, your phone out as you get ready to order another uber, when you heard loud cackling. Your head turned to the left and just a few cars down in the parking lot was Charlie in a car full of people. They were all laughing and looking at you.

It felt like a bucket of ice water was poured over you.

Ignoring them and the button to confirm the uber, you started walking in the direction of your apartment. You needed to get away. You could feel your chest tightening with humiliation and panic.

"Oh come on, (Y/N). It was a joke!" You heard Charlie yell but you just kept walking. You heard the car roar with life and could hear from their rolled down window various jokes directed at you.

They all cackled and decided that was enough teasing. Charlie then nearly squealed his tires as he drove away. The tears you kept at bay finally spilled over. You hiccupped as you glanced down at your phone. It was 8pm for you, which meant it would be around noon for him.

You didn't think, really. You just knew you needed to hear his low toned, comforting voice. You opened your phone and immediately dialed Seonghwa, pressing your cell to your ear as you walked back to your place. You felt pathetic but you knew you needed to speak to someone or else you would be a sobbing mess if you were left to stew.

---

It was lunch time in the canteen area at KQ when Seonghwa heard his phone ring. His brows furrowed when he saw your name on the screen. He finished his last bite and quickly wiped off any possible crumbs on his hands with a napkin.

"Didn't she leave for her date like an hour ago?" Mingi tilted his head, everyone else had a confused look.

Seonghwa pressed the green answer button and raised his phone to his ear.

"(Y/N)?" His voice with smooth and low. "You're calling me so soon-"

"Seonghwa..." He heard your voice trembling, making him freeze. His face must of gave away to the others something was wrong, as they stared at him intently.

"Hold on, (Y/N). Let me go somewhere private." He quickly got up fron his seat and wasted no time getting into the hallway where there were less people. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"I-I got stood up." You sniffled.

"What?"

"I sat there for an hour looking like a fool. And then... And then I went to leave and I saw him outside in his car with his friends." Seonghwa could feel his blood start to boil with anger. "They laughed at me. They made fun of me." He could hear you take in a shuddering breath.

"Where are you now?"

"I'm walking home..."

"How long until you get back?"

"Maybe... Maybe 10 or 15 more minutes?"

"Stay on the phone with okay? I want to make sure you get home safe." He needed to take deep breaths to stay calm. In the corner of his eye he saw the others leave the canteen, though they stayed back, giving him and you some privacy.

"I just don't get what I did wrong to-"

"You did nothing wrong, (Y/N). Don't start blaming yourself for some asshole's behavior." He glanced to his friends, feel a pinch of confidence. "You are a wonderful person. It's his loss."

There was silence for a moment.

"Did I interrupt work?" You asked in a small voice.

"No, I was just finishing lunch. Did you eat?"

"I had something small after I realized he wasn't showing up." Hwa felt some relief when he heard your voice getting steady. "I'll probably have some ice cream when I get home."

"It better not be mint chocolate chip." He joked and smiled when he heard you giggle. "You really did look amazing, by the way. You should send me and the group chat any selfies if you took any. I'm sure the others would like to see the full look."

"Really?" Your voice was meek.

"I would never lie to you... You truly look beautiful. You always do."

"Thank you, Hwa. I really needed to hear that, especially from you." He could hear your voice tremble again.

"Don't start crying because of me, jagiya." He gently teased, the petname slipping out seamlessly.

"Where are the others?"

"They are watching me down the hallway I'm in." He looked over and saw that they were still there. Wooyoung, San, and Jongho kept their eyes on him while the others were looking at their phones, occasionally looking back at the eldest.

"Am I keeping-"

"I want to be talking with you. They can all wait." Seonghwa huffed, which pulled a giggle from you. He was glad he was able to get you to cheer up, even if it was a miniscule amount. "They are very concerned for you though."

"You can tell them what happened. Woo will bug me when he can until I tell him."

"He is good at that isn't he?"

"Too good." You snort.

There was another moment of silence before Hwa spoke again.

"How close are you to home?"

"Uh..." You pause. "I'm pretty close. I'm passing the park thats nearby. I'll probably be there in two minutes."

"Good." He hummed. "I'm glad you called me."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Besides enjoying the sound of your voice, I am glad you felt comfortable enough during this vulnerable time to reach out to me. It warms my heart."

"I'm glad you answered."

"For you? Always. Well, unless I am on stage or Joong is lecturing us." He couldn't help but beam when he got you to laugh again.

"I see my apartment. I'm walking up to the door now." Hwa heard your keys jingle in your hand. "I'll let you go now. Thank you for everything, Hwa."

"It wasn't a problem at all. I'll check in on you when I have the time okay?"

"You don't have to." He faintly heard you unlocking the door and then heard the door close.

"I want to." He smiled. "Get comfortable, have that ice cream, and smile for me okay, (Y/N)? I'll talk to you soon. Have a goodnight in case you fall asleep."

"Have a good rest of your day, Hwa." There was a lingering pause before you ended the call.

Seonghwa let out a deep sigh, his face dropping into a scowl as he pocketed his phone. The rest of Ateez took that as a sign to approach him. They nearly froze when they saw the angry look on his face.

"I'm going to need one of you to stop me from buying plane tickets right now." Hwa muttered.

"What happened?"

"Why are you so upset?"

"Is (Y/N) okay?"

Were questions all asked at the same time.

"Let's get back to the recording studio first." Hongjoong offered. It took a lot of restraint for them to not run down the hallways.

The second that door closed to the studio, everyone turned to look at Seonghwa, who still looked pissed off. He sat down on the couch staring past the glass that viewed the recording booth. He needed to take a moment to calm himself down.

"Did something happen to our dear (Y/N)?" Wooyoung sat next to the older male, looking at him with desperate eyes.

"She called me crying, saying her date stood her up." Seonghwa finally spoke. Everyone let out shocked noises and some curses. "That's not even the worst of it. She said he and his friends were waiting for her to come outside to make fun of her."

Wooyoung pulled out his cellphone. "I'm buying you and I plane tickets."

"Count me in, I want to beat that guys ass for making her upset." San sat on the other side of Seonghwa.

Hongjoong quickly snatched Wooyoung's phone.

"Hey-!"

"You won't be making a spontaneous trip to her place and you all are definitely not going off to fight this guy." He said, using his captain voice.

"Come on, hyung. It'll be worth it." Jongho tried bargaining but quickly stopped at the look he got from their leader.

"Seonghwa." Seonghwa's attention was on Hongjoong's face after he called his name. "You already did most of your recording today. Unless you want to hang out with those who still need to record and need to re-record, or do some choreography practice with Yuhno, you should head back to the dorm and spend some time with (Y/N)."

"Thank you, Joong." Seonghwa smiled and gathered his belongings.

"We want to spend time with her too." Wooyoung whined.

"Too bad. You're assisting Yuhno after you re-record your lines." The eldest male smiled at his friends playful banter as he left the room.

He quickly fished out his cell and called you as he walked down the hallway. He was heading to his managers office to get home. He wasn't entirely sure if he had the confidence to confess right now, nor did he want to spring on a confession to you after the night you had... but he wanted to let you know he would be there for you. That he would never let you feel less than or alone. That stupid guy lost his chance and Hwa wanted to be the one treasure you. He was going to confess and tonight would be the start to his plan to do so.

"Seonghwa?" Your voice sounded confused when you quickly answered.

"Hongjoong is giving me the rest of the day off. Do you want to watch a movie with me? Or we can play Animal Crossing? Whatever you want, I want to do it with you." He took in a deep breath. "I'll even pick up mint chocolate chip ice cream and we can eat it together."

You laughed. "Sure, I would love that."

There was a pause in the conversation. Seonghwa was now waiting in front of the manager's office.

"I have a question for you, (Y/N)." He wanted to wait for later to ask his question but Seonghwa felt he had the confidence to ask now.

"What is it?"

"You said you took time off work for your spring break next month, right?"

"Yes, I have the Friday before that week off to Monday after it. Why do you ask?"

"Come visit me." He was shocked he got it out.

"What?"

"Come to Korea and visit me. I'll help pay for the flight and you can stay with us at the dorm. Is the issue with your passport?"

"My passport is fine." You sighed and took a moment before speaking again. "Are you sure, Hwa? Are the others okay with that? What about-"

"Everything will be fine. The others, our manager, and I have already discussed this in length and will probably want to discuss with you later."

"Well..." You didn't speak, which had Seonghwa feeling rejection would soon follow. "I would love to."

"...Is this a yes?"

"Yes it is." You chuckled. "I've been actually thinking of planning a visit after I graduate in May, but honestly, the sooner the better."

"Make sure to message the others about this, they'll be so happy." He smiled, unable to hide his excitement. "I am about to leave the office here soon. I will call you when I am back at the dorm."

"Get back safely."

"Of course. I will talk to you soon."

"And- Fuck!" You swore loudly.

"Is something wrong?" Worry seeped into his veins at how your voice sounded.

"I got stung by scorpion while island hopping."

Taglist: @stopeatread@hee0soo@pocketjoong-reads@seonghwaddict@tridkeys

[a-dream-bookmark]

a dream bookmark presents: APR 2023

regal (adj.)

of, resembling, or fit for a monarch, especially in being magnificent or dignified.

Welcome to A Regal Bookmark, our April 2023 recommendations list with the theme around royalty/nobility fics. From the start of the month, we have compiled a list of fics the community has given and prepared to give to you. Because this month has less traffic than usual knowing the start of people's activities in real life, we apologize for the lack of fics. Yet, no matter how many we got, we still post them to appreciate the writer and the work that is being recommended. Thank you so much and we would announce the theme for May 2023 soon!

Do you want to know more about us? Check this out!

The list is below the cut!

MEMBER'S RECS

ATEEZ

|| the duke and his general. by @baekhvuns | requested by @writingmochi

This fic has dark/mature themes

Pairing: seonghwa x reader

Genre: angst, royalty, romcom & smut.

Synopsis: two different personalities are pulled together by a string of threads, clash of class, opinions and feelings hover over the two of you. park seonghwa is the man you’re arranged to, while you lead his kingdom’s army.

What they said about the fic: one of my favorite fics from the op! i love how it reverses the trope because usually the knight/fighter is the male instead of the female. you can feel the slow burn between seonghwa and mc as they had the arrange marriage and learning to like each other. mc is such a badass in her own way especially in regarding to her dignity against seonghwa’s higher rank in the royal rank. i don’t wanna spoil much so i’m just gonna stop now

ENHYPEN

|| rewrite the stars by @jaylaxies | requested by @writingmochi

This fic has dark/mature themes

Pairing: prince!jay x princess!fem reader

Genre: smut, fluff, mentions of royal balls, wars, mentions of masquerade balls and marriage

Synopsis: you had only been dreaming of the suitor’s ball ever since you had turned nineteen, ensuring that everything would be perfect on that very day. it was like a fairytale how you met this charming man, who so gracefully asked you for a dance with him, soon taking you out for a walk in the royal rose garden, making you fall for his charms. however, how would you take it once you realize that he’s the prince from your rival kingdom whom you’ve grown to adore so dearly?

What they said about the fic: i love the world building and especially the ball scene where the two first met. the love at first sight when they accidentally couple up. wow!

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[potatomountain]

have you cross posted inherited demons on ao3? because i would love to download it onto my kindle if you have, the story is truly better than some published novels out there

I have actually! I'll have the link below so feel free to check it out! I guess i could add it to the masterlist too huh? haha

but thank you so much that means a lot to hear! I really want to be a published, and potentially best selling author some day <3

Inherited Demons (ateezXreader) (64932 words) by Cutiepiedoom Chapters: 18/? Fandom: ATEEZ (Band) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: ATEEZ Ensemble/Reader, Kim Hongjoong/Reader, Park Seonghwa/Reader, Jeong Yunho (ATEEZ) & Reader, Kang Yeosang/Reader, Song Mingi & Reader, Choi San (ATEEZ)/Reader, Jung Wooyoung (ATEEZ)/Reader, Choi Jongho (ATEEZ)/Reader Characters: Kim Hongjoong, Jeong Yunho (ATEEZ), Park Seonghwa, Kang Yeosang, Choi Jongho (ATEEZ), Jung Wooyoung (ATEEZ), Choi San (ATEEZ), Song Mingi (ATEEZ) Additional Tags: Demon Choi Jongho (ATEEZ), Demon Jung Wooyoung (ATEEZ), Demon Song Mingi (ATEEZ), Demon Jeong Yunho (ATEEZ), Demon Choi San (ATEEZ), Demon Kim Hongjoong, Demon Park Seonghwa, Demon ATEEZ, Demon Kang Yeosang, Demon Sex, Demon/Human Relationships, Eventual Smut, Eventual Sex, Polyamory, eight lovers, Yandere, Yandere Choi San (ATEEZ), Yandere Jeong Yunho (ATEEZ), Yandere Kim Hongjoong, yandere seonghwa, yandere mingi, yandere yeosang, yandere jongho, Family Member Death, Demons, lots of blood eventually, willadd tags as i go, just winging it, dealing with grief, Grief/Mourning, Comfort/Angst, lots of swearing, POV First Person, heartbreaker kang yeosang, Heavy BDSM, lots of kinks Summary: Reader insert first pov type oc. reader x Ateez. This was inspired by a fanfic i read on Tumblr (and they did it better tbh, its their pinned post) so go check it out: mint-yooxgi.tumblr.com "When my beloved Great Aunt Lilith passed away, I inherited all that belonged to her: her fortune, estate, and also the eight 'charges' that lived with her since the last time I saw her. Except none of that sounded right, I didn't even know she had others living with her after 4 years. I just wanted to uncover the hidden truths my beloved Aunt left me, but that was impossibly hard while dealing with the affections of 8 gorgeous men that didn't seem human at all." or mc inherits her aunts things only to find out Auntie made a deal with some demons and all those demons wanted was MC

[baekhvuns]

Exactly. I can 100 per cent say "Men who were written by women" (and actually stole my heart) award goes to you. I know I haven't met any of the guys neither do I know them personally but the least i can say is the way you write about them makes me feel connected to them as a person or at least as yn 👀.

Your fics are like movies fr.

Thank you for the tips rlly!! Im working on something and I might write it either among hwa and hj....or use it as hwa x yn.

Its a story abt a person who comes from a rich family but the parents do not let them pursue their dreams (the classic). So they move out and become independent, refuse taking any money, still struggling and stuff. Until one day out of nowhere someone kidnaps them and that someone is Park Seonghwa. ( I have a whole plot as to why he kidnaps the mc)

Its a kidnapper hwa au 😭 i promise I don't hv a thing for that. Bcz this is going to be comedic alr? And then hwa realises after spending so much time with the other person that he's falling in love (OH AND THERES A LOVE TRIANGLE) but surprise, surprise they can't be in a relationship Bcz....yk poor/kidnapper guy and a rich pampered kid. Ain't no way. (....now that I have re-read this....why is it kinda giving me bg vibes? 🧍)

But I'm still thinking if I should do it as a seongjoong ff ....or yn x hwa.

you’re too nice pls 😭😭😭 thank you jcbdkshjk i think one of the reasons why the characters are somewhat liked is bc they all have a realistic aspect to them! something that reminds someone of that special someone 👁👁 and they’re also mad funny which makes it even better fbfnwdh AAA THANK YOU 😭😭 hopefully i can write the yunho one to join those types of characters really fast

A KIDNAPPER AU???? HELLO??? MISS MAAAM WHAT WENT ON IN UR IMAGINATION??? ngl i think it would be really funny as a hwa x yn bc if he kidnaps the wrong person and has to deal w them all while trying to get the money from yn’s family >> but as hongjoong x hwa 👀 peak comedy

[seoultraveller]

[A/N: I am kind of writing this for myself (ngl) but I thought it would be interesting to see how something like this plays out. A multi-part AU where the characters are attending university in South Korea. The main female character is black/African-American but that will later become more of a factor as the story goes on. Seonghwa and the MC exchange letters through a book in one of the libraries on campus and without know each other, grow a connection through that. Hongjoong is the classmate and group partner of the MC but has no idea that they are exchanging letters to each other until further on in the story. This part is just a quick introduction to the characters and their overall placements in the story.]

Her Secret Scribe, His Winter Dream (1)

Pairing: Seonghwa x Black Female MC & Hongjoong x Black Female MC

Genre: College!AU

Word Count: 2,885

October 29, 2020 ~4:50am

Waking up at around 4:50am, Seonghwa notices that his textbook, notes, highlighters, and pen are all still neatly placed on his desk. He placed it there with the intent to get some early morning studying in before his shower and a little bit after his shower, just before he left for his first class of the day. He wills himself up from his warm, soft, and comfortable bed to walk to the bathroom to freshen up. On his way to the bathroom, he passes by his roommates partially opened door and takes a peek to see if he made it in last night. Or more like, early this morning. Poking the top of his head through the door opening Seonghwa sees his roommate. There lies Hongjoong, fully clothed, face-first, bag still hanging off of his shoulder, lying on top of his bed, and in the starfish position. All Seonghwa can do is shake his head at his friend, knowing how bad his sleeping habits are and how much is is hardly at the apartment nowadays.

After checking on Hongjoong, Seonghwa goes to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. Then he strips himself of his pajamas and gets into the shower. Showers have always been a bit of a meditative practice to Seonghwa. His average time is forty minutes but there are occasions where he has spent up to 50 minutes or an hour in the shower. He prides himself on his cleanliness, both in how he physically presents himself and the spaces that he exists in (apartment, bed, desk, etc...).

Once his shower is done, he wraps his towel around his hips and then makes his way to the kitchen. There he takes out four eggs, a container of rice, and some steak that he grilled left over from the night before. Next, Seonghwa fills up a pot with water, sets it on one of the eyes of the stove and puts the fire on 8 (one of the highest settings). After dropping the four eggs in the water he rinses his hands off and proceeds to his bedroom to get changed.

Never one to make to much of a fuss of what he wears, Seonghwa puts on an undershirt, then throws on a grey long-sleeved thermal and a pair of black jeans. Long black socks to warm his feet, and he takes out a sweater and a jacket to keep himself warm on his way to class.

It’s around 6:00am by the time he is finished getting dressed and now, he tends to the food that is set out in the kitchen. Reheating the steak and rice, turning off the fire underneath the pot and taking out two of the hard boiled eggs for himself. He puts it all in a bowl that he takes back to his room, and eats at his desk, while going over his notes.

Seonghwa broke up his study time into two 45-minute sessions, which allows him time to prepare a bowl for Hongjoong for breakfast (if he eats it) and make it down to his bus before it pulls up at 8:30am.

Having followed his schedule to a ‘T’ this morning, he was proud of himself for making it to the library before the morning rush and acquiring a desk, with a view, on the third floor before they were all occupied. Instead of pushing himself to study a bit more, since today’s schedule was not Seonghwa’s usual schedule, he decided to write a letter on the off-chance that he can bring comfort to someone during mid-term season. Instead of writing on bathroom doors, or in the dark corner of a desk, Seonghwa decided to write a letter. Writing a letter and stashing it in a random book. It’s getting a bit chillier in South Korea, so although it was a long shot, perhaps he can create a pen-pal through this and maybe even get close and intimate during this period as well. However, that is a very, very, very long shot.

So with romantic thoughts of meeting someone who shares a like mind or sees life from a different perspective, he writes.

“Dear Student that is Enduring Mid-Terms and an Incoming Winter,

We are nearing the beginning of a new month which could mean a fresh new beginning for some. It could also mean nearing the end of something larger, like the semester. I know that it’s mid-term season but I am unsure if it has ended for you. I could only pray that you stay warm as the winter will be harsh as it usually is, but I am sure you knew that.

I honestly thought I would have more to say... but obviously not. I figured a formal letter would be better to connect with someone during this time, then short, informal, and weird messages written aimlessly. Now, I’m getting embarrassed... Sorry.

No one will probably read this so...

With Care,

The Secret Scribe”

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

October 29, 2020 ~10:52am

Waiting in a hallway right outside the classroom, she, scrolls through her student email account on her phone and sees an email from her linguistics class. Linguistic Acquisition through Different Ages - LIA 3006. Although she knew, that to pass this class she must complete a project, she totally forgot that it had to be completed with at least one or two other people. A group project... “how despicable” she thought. The email that the professor sent, laid out the regulations of the project and even placed the class in neat groups of two or three. She was lucky enough to get paired with “Mr. Fashionably-Late because Staying Up to Work on My Art is More Important”. As the time got closer and closer to 11:00am, Hongjoong is still nowhere to be seen. She’s just praying that he comes through at least ten minutes into class and not twenty minutes before it’s over. However, she could only pray for such a thing.

At 11:11am on the dot, Hongjoong comes through the door quietly. Chest heaving up and down because he was sprinting through the campus and hallways to make it to class... not too late. She notices him out of the corner of her eye and does a slow eye roll as he tip-toes his way in her direction.

“Was that a look of displeasure on your face? Or are you just containing your excitement to see me?”, he whispers into her ear while trying to quietly slither down into his seat, quickly, while the professor has her back turned.

“You are one minute late past our deal, Hongjoong.” She scolds.

“So you will not share your notes with me from today?”, he asks while giving her a pout.

“There is nothing to share. She is still reviewing the content we learned two days ago before starting a new lesson.” She retorts.

“Why did you roll your eyes then?” He questions again, as if his academics are the last thing he cares about.

“Hongjoong- “, she starts. “If there is something that you two would like to share with the class, please come up to the front.” The professor cuts in.

The look of two deer in the headlights is what can be seen from the professor’s viewpoint. With mouths agape and eyes wide, the two whispering chatterboxes were rendered speechless.

The professor continues on, “Please stop whispering behind my back. Also, I need to speak with the two of you after class.” The two of them shake their heads rapidly affirming their professor’s request.

Their class is currently on the topic of children acquiring their mother tongue and how the brain develops as the children learn how to speak or bring attention to their wants and needs as they grow. A topic such as this excites her all the more because it ties into her study abroad research topic. Learning how to speak amidst all of the culture that one’s language is tied to really fascinates her. Seeing as how her major of study in her home country is Linguistics and she took Korean because of the small intimate nature of the class, she has wanted to do and learn so much more.

As the lecture winds downs to a close for this session, Hongjoong becomes more and more anxious about what the professor wants to talk about before letting them go. Then, he hears the professor harp on,

“As for the email I sent earlier today-“, Hongjoong’s ears perk up. “You will see that for the group project you will have two different options to choose from. It can be turned in as a 10-page research paper, or completed as a presentation. Your groups have been chosen for you, by me. Please consult me if you have any questions on the project or the partners that you will be working with.” After the professor gives her parting words to the class, her eyes fall onto the two little songbirds that had her interrupt her lecture earlier.

With a knowing look, they make their way to the front of the class with a downcast gaze. As if they were to be physically reprimanded. “You know that you two are partners for this group project.” The professor starts. “Hongjoong you must be a reliable partner. I set you two up together because I’ve noticed a great partnership between you two throughout the semester. Your partner is also fairing better than you are this term. You can learn a great deal from her, in fact, you can learn quite a bit from each other. I want you to succeed Hongjoong, and I know you can.” The professor softens her gaze and turns to his partner. “She’ll do everything she can to help, won’t you?” She shakes her head ‘yes’ then looks down again. Then the professor continues to finish, “well, that was all I needed to say. Any questions?” The two students shake their head ‘no’ and bid their professor farewell before leaving the class.

“Buddies until the Christmas break?” Hongjoong says as he winks at her.

“Group partners, more like.” She says back to him.

“Wanna talk about the project over lunch?” He asks.

“Ah- that sounds like a really great idea since we’re both free at this time, but...” she trails off, but then picks up again. “Where are your eating? On campus, or off? Just asking because I figured I should check out a few language and culture books to get some foundation on our project. I’ll meet you wherever you are.

His eyebrows raise at her go-getter attitude. “Sure. Meet me at the small Vietnamese spot two blocks down.”

“Got it.” She winks at him as they break apart.

She has her mind filled with countless ways to approach the project, while his is filled with hunger and images of a big flavorful dish filled with meat and vibrantly colored vegetables.

Before aimlessly searching around the library for what she needed, she looked up the language, literature, and culture and linguistic sections of the library. Literature happens to be in the basement, while language, culture, and linguistics just happen to be on the third floor. So, she sets off for the third floor.

Although quiet, the third floor is warm and the ambiance is calm. Compared to the rest of the library, this is the floor that most people like to be on, and she could tell, because there was not a place to sit. However, her journey to this floor was not for studying but a quick search. So she set off. The part of the library she set off to was a little empty, and not as cramped as the other parts but she liked it that way. The first book she pulled from the shelf had to do with children’s speech patterns and babies recognizing sound. Noticing that there was a folded piece of paper sticking out from the top, she flipped to that spot in the book thinking there might be valuable information on that page right from the start. Nothing out of the ordinary was written on the page. No sticky notes, no annotations or drawings, just words. Next, she took to opening up the folded sheet of paper and to her surprise, it read as a simple greetings letter.

A random letter in a random book. What was the point? Was this fate, or was it meant for someone else? She thought it was cute; with the well wishes to stay warm during harsh Korean winters, and the impending embarrassment of the writer, as well as the writer giving themselves a name. She fell for it. She fell hard. Almost immediately she began having romantic notions of trading love letters to someone in a new environment. However, romantic thoughts quickly left her as she thought it could also be a woman, instead of a man. There is nothing indicating the gender of the writer and she honestly feels a little bad for passing such a judgement so quickly. Her train of thought comes to a halt as she feels the buzzing of her phone indicating a text messsage coming through.

🎧 HJ: should i order ahead for you too?

HER: sure, you’re there already?

🎧 HJ: yeah

what do you want?

HER: something mild. not too spicy.

🎧 HJ: got it

when are you coming down?

HER: actually on my way now. see you in a bit.

🎧 HJ: 😉 😉

She rolls her eyes at his latest text. She puts the letter back in the book, skim a few other book titles, take them off the shelves and makes her way over to the check-out counter.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Now, sitting and eating in the small restaurant they begin talking about why Hongjoong is late all the time, their interests outside of the classroom, and plans for the Christmas break after the project is done.

Hongjoong reaches for one of the books and questions to himself whether she’s started taking notes already because he sees a folded sheet of paper sticking out at the top. While she is busy eating and busying herself with her phone, she doesn’t notice Hongjoong going through the book. Him being as perceptive as he is, notices that it’s a small note signed by a “secret scribe”. Did she know this was here? He asks himself. In fact, taking a closer look at the writing, the tone feels oddly familiar and so does the handwriting. Or maybe he is just thinking too hard about this. Either way, he tucks the note back in its proper place and continues with skimming through the index and other parts of the book.

Hongjoong brings her attention to him by breaking the silence. “Since you have four books, how about I take two to read and you take two?”

“Sounds good.” She responds. After making her choice of books to take, they set up a time to meet, outside of class, to get started on the project.

She makes her way back to the library, while Hongjoong walks through another part of the campus to work on his music. After making it safely to the library, she struggles to find a spot. Settling for the floor in the basement, she sets off to write a letter to the “secret scribe”.

“Dear Secret Scribe (?),

I came upon your letter by chance for a project but for some reason I feel as if I am imposing. As if I was not supposed to read it and respond, but here I am writing to you anyway...

My writing may look odd and the sentence structure may be weird, but it’s because I am a foreign student.

The weather is not too bad so far, however, I am doing my best to stay warm. The change of seasons in South Korea is very beautiful to experience. Not only can you see it and smell it, but you can also sense it. Does that make sense? Anyway, my mid-terms are over, I only had two. Now, I am working towards finals. The final project that I am working on is for my Linguistics class. Actually, I am a Linguistics major. What are you majoring in? Also, are you a man or woman? I am a woman if you were curious.

I truly hope that you are managing to stay warm and stress free as the semester is coming towards an end.

You’ll Be In My Thoughts,

Your... Winter Student... A Winter Dream

P.S. I kind of need to take this book with me for research, but I’ll keep it here for you until we can agree on a place to drop off our letters... Only if you would like to continue this correspondence... Your Choice.”

With that, she leaves her letter in the book and goes up to the third floor and places it back on the shelf that she took it from. Her heart is racing, but she doesn’t know why. He probably will not respond too quickly, she thinks to herself. “You did your part, now let it go”, she tells herself as she makes her way back to her apartment for study and research.

[halotopicecream]

Thank you!

Okay, it's another Seonghwa request please because I adore the man.

Dom!Seonghwa+ sub!reader+ love-making+ praise+ possessiveness+ reader is wearing nothing but a pearl necklace.

Seonghwa just seems like the type of man to love his partner wearing a pearl necklace during intimate moments.

Yk… I’ve never thought abt that until now… but I actually see it—

-𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫

𝐅𝐭: Park Seonghwa x afab!reader

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: smut, fluff

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐬: pwnp (porn with no plot), mc has female genitalia and boobs but no gender is specified, Seonghwa is soft but possessive but softly,

𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐨’𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐪: I’m sorry if this isn’t what you wanted☹️ if it’s not what you were hoping for you can just message me and I’ll re-write it for you. This is probably the softest thing I will ever write and I’m in love with it

Nsfw warnings under the cut

𝐍𝐟𝐬𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: unprotected sex, praise, dom!seonghwa, sub!reader, very soft sex, fingering, underwear ripping (idk the technical name), soft dirty talk I think, creampie, tummy bulge

Seonghwa never understood why seeing you wear that silly little pearl necklace made him feel the way it did, but it did. He felt a strange sense of pride seeing you wear it, knowing it was the first gift he ever bought you when you first started dating a year ago.

And the fact that you still had it, and wore it, made his heart jump and his chest swell with pride.

He could stop himself when he pushed you down against the bed, sealing your lips in a sweet, passionate kiss that left you both breathless.

He needed to taste you, to feel you close and remind himself and everyone around that you’re his. And the pearls around your neck did it some justice.

“Wanna strip for me love?” He whispered, peppering the hottest kisses down your neck until he reached your sweet spot, licking and sucking on the sweet skin while you writhed under his hot touch.

You shakily reached up to pull your t-shirt over your head, Seonghwa back away so you could easily pull it off and toss it somewhere in the room. Next we’re your pants, and Seonghwa helped you take those off too. He admired admired the dark spot on the center of your panties, grabbing your waist band and tugging them up to make the touch fabric push against your clit.

“My baby’s all soaked for me, even if I haven’t touched them yet.” He cooed, leaning down to let his demonic tongue run over your clothed center. Your underwear was squeezed right over your clit thanks to how he was pulling them up, and he let his tongue flick over the pleasure button before moving to press kissed against your inner thighs.

“I’m gonna make you feel so so good sweetheart, leave you so stupid for me everyone will know you’re mine.” He waisted no time ripping your panties off of you. The now torn fabric was thrown off to the side and you were left with wide eyes and a hung open jaw, eyes shifting from the now ripped underwear to your boyfriends eyes.

“Hwa! My underwear…”

“I’ll get you new ones baby, don’t worry. I always spoil you anyways don’t I? I’ll get you a new pair and a few extra ones just to make you happy, yeah?” He whispered into your ear, coating his fingers in your juices before pushing two of his infers inside.

You let out a soft whimper, digging your blunt nails into the soft skin of his shoulders while he worked you open. “You’re always so pretty for me love, no matter what I’m doing to you. Always take it so good huh? My perfect baby.” His pace was slow and calculated, scissoring his fingers in and out of you.

“A-anything for you Seonghwa. I love you so much.” You sighed, melting into the bedsheets and letting him take care of you. Seeing you like this; pliant, patient, needy, and so so relaxed was one of Seonghwa favorite things. Yes, he loved making a complete mess of you; indulging in the kinkiest things you were both into until both of you couldn’t cum anymore. But moments like these where you were just melting into each other, taking in the other and really feeling, we’re times he wouldn’t trade for anything.

You let out a soft moan against his lips, arching your back as his fingers pushed deeper and deeper inside of you. “Hwa, please I’m ready. Wanna feel you in me.” He loved how you begged. “Yeah? You sure baby?” His fingers kept the same languid pace, groaning when you clenching around his fingers.

“Yes, ‘m good. Please, make love to me.” God that sentence does so much more to him than he thinks it should. It’s so intimate, more intimate than tying you up like his little rope bunny and playing with you until your crying. This was you truly giving into him, wanting him and everything he had to offer. You wanted him to love you, not fuck you. To make you feel like the most special person in the world.

He always made you feel that way: special. But making you feel special and ducking you through four orgasms and making you feel special by whispering hoe much you mean to him while he gently rocking his hips into yours were two different things.

You loved both things, but they were oh so different in the best ways.

Seonghwa loved when you told him to make love to you. He got to take care of you, feel you as your heartbeats bear in sync with each other while you felt good together. You were all his. His to love and cherish and hold.

“Anything for you my love.” He snatched his shirt over his head, wanting no layer of clothing delegating him from feeling you against him in all of your wonderful glory. His boxers— which were the only bottoms he’d been wearing— were thrown somewhere into the room.

He lined himself up with your entrance, rubbing his tip against your hole for lubricant before pushing into you slowly. You shared a moan of complete pleasure, and Seonghwa lowered his body to have his chest pressed against yours, feeling your beating hearts sync up in utmost completion.

The ripples of your walls ran against his cock, sending him through several stages of euphoria. He bottomed out, sitting still to let you adjust to the stretch he always gave you. You lied there in each other arms for a moments, just enjoying and taking in the other before you gave him the go ahead to move.

Seonghwa buried his face into your neck, his lips right next to your ear so you could hear his pants and breathy moans. Each thrust of his hips was slow and calculated, basking in the tight warmth of your hole and letting you feel the stretch until he reached your stomach.

“So fucking good baby. Love having you like this, all mine to life and care for.” Maybe he had a bit of a possessive streak, but he really couldn’t help it. He pressed a kiss to the pearls lying around the base of your neck before kissing the skin under it, continuing his sensual pace.

Your moans and whimpers fed into his pleasure, his body hearing up against yours and he wanted nothing more than to make you his forever, to have evidence that you were forever and always his.

“Hwa… ‘m so full, can feel you all the way in my stomach.” You always found a way to find something new that got him going. He loved away from your neck to look down at your stomach, seeing the imprint of his cock moving in and out of you.

He almost came immediately at the sight of it, and it only pushed him to hit deeper and deeper inside of you. His cock was pushing into your stomach so feel that it as visible, no one else’s and no one would ever do it. Only him, and him alone.

You were his and he was yours, and as you promised: always and forever.

His hips picked up in speed, but only a little. He wanted to drag this out, to be inside of you for as long as he could manage. You wanted the same. The feeling of him being close and inside of you was the biggest comfort you were ever brought. So reaching your high wasn’t even on either of your minds; just the enjoyment of being close and feeling good together.

“God, fuck I can’t believe how tight you are for me. You make me feel so so good sweetheart, love being like this with you; close and giving you all of my love.”

“‘M getting close Hwa. Feels so good…” your voice was so sweet and soft. It make Seonghwa’s heart melt and his cock throb. “Me to baby, just a little bit long yeah? ‘M almost there.” And it was the truth.

His hearts felt so full the entire time, and the soft moans of please you let out and the way your nails would dig into his skin when he hit deeper then before sent his reeling. His thumb moved down to draw calculated circles against your clit, pumping his hips quicker than before so you would reach your highs rogether

The breathy moans and pants Seonghwa was letting out earlier we’re not reaplaced with sharp moans right in your ear, the sounds telling you how good he was feeling. “Fuck! I love you, I love you, I love you— fuck I love you so much!” His hips stuttered.

“Hwa— ‘m gonna cum!” You whimpered, holding onto him tighter as the coil in your stomach squeezed tighter and tighter. Seonghwa nodded, kissing your neck to ground you and himself. “Cum for me baby. Lemme know how good you feel.”

The coil snapped. Your legs shook with vigor and you tightened around Seonghwa’s cock, squeezing him so hard it was almost hard for him to keep moving. “God!” Seonghwa never stopped circling your clit until you are pasted your orgasm.

“I’m almost there baby. Doing so good for me, love you so so much.” His breath caught in his throat and the throbbing his of cock grew more and more. You held onto him for dear life, a second orgasm approaching without you even realizing.

“Inside me baby. Cum inside, fill me up please.” Your voice was high pitched and whiny, the request being the last thing before he was pushed over the edge, and you fell with him.

Your highs hit at the same time, Seonghwa pushing as deep inside of you as he could manage. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, broken moans spilling into your ears while you felt your whole body convulsing and shaking with the feeling of his chest shooting inside of you and coating your walls.

He thrusted his hips one, two, three more times before coming to a complete stop. The room was hot and musky with the smell of sex, both of your sweaty bodies tangled together as you enjoyed your post orgasm highs together.

Seonghwa rubbed your sides and you ran your fingers up and down his spin. “I love you so much baby.” He said, kissing behind your ear while you remained plugged up with his cum by his soft cock.

You giggled, kissing his forehead in return. “And I love you too Seonghwa. Always and forever.”

“Until the end of time, my love.”

©HaloTopIceCream 2022

[skrrts]

cut(e) like a diamond (oneshot) mature!

✧ fem!reader x kim hongjoong & park seonghwa ✧ genre: non idol, mature, suggestive, complicated relationships, drama ✧ word count: 14k ✧ warnings: paid companionship escorts, adult language, drinking, gentle chin grabbing, deep kissing, playful touches, flirting, nicknames (hun/honey, pretty one), matz flirting & kissing for the job, selfish!hwa, naive mc, she/her for mc, playing with emotions, sex mention, no smut, minors dni

Treasure is a high-class escort agency renowned for its wealthy clientele, glamorous location, and professional work environment. Their elite escorts enjoy financial security and are protected from clients who forget they are paying for companionship, not other pleasures. You quickly make it through the rigorous casting process. No one expected your feisty nature to struggle so much with staying sweet while instructing a client on proper behavior. Fortunately, the two top escorts at Treasure have taken a keen interest in ensuring you don’t lose your job just yet. While Seonghwa only cares about success and fun, Hongjoong seems to care about you.

a/n: i have written a lot of fluff lately & was in the mood to go for something more flirty. i admit this piece turned out to be much longer and plot-ish than intended. please make sure to read all the warnings, it's very different from my usual work and the pace is not perfect 🐿️

The clicking sound of your heels almost drove you insane as you threw your pouch on the free spot next to you, falling onto the luxurious white couch in one of the corners of the ‘get to know’ rooms, intended to give the client and escort a chance to explore their chemistry before final bookings were made. The escort received a fee, certainly smaller than what an actual booking would offer but it was still at least about what any part-time job would make within two weeks. The goal of everyone here was to have a fixed clientele, names who came to return only for you, and with that eventually, willingness to pay more combined with gifts that were all yours whereas a part of the payment went to the agency.

Treasure was the dream of dreams to many, the agency suited in one of the most luxurious hotel buildings in the city, taking several floors and the furniture and interior designed by big names. It was a place for lonely millionaires and future heirs alike, seeking company without the fear of waking rumors of an affair or blackmailing. Thanks to the incredibly difficult way in, the chances for a bad apple to risk the establishment's good name were beyond low.

In theory, there was no reason for them to worry about you. The background check had been perfect, really. A photography major student, incredibly good-looking and with good manners, from a family while not rich, being respectable and most of all, former teen star of the national gymnastics team.

They joked how you made it through the four-week-long casting almost too flawlessly but the issues were showing now. Two weeks in and this was your fifth possible client, a handsome man with a good name looking for somebody who would accompany him to expensive dinners and boring art exhibitions but just like the ones before, his way of talking was such a turn-off, the way his eyes kept slipping.

Of course, you had been aware of the truth. While you literally signed a contract agreeing there never would be any sexual endeavors with any client, it was part of the job to feed just a little into their imagination but somehow, this turned out to be harder than expected. If you did not find at least one client by the end of the month, that would be it. The top escorts had around fifteen clients and you wondered how they managed to meet with each of them giving them this unique feeling.

Maybe it had been stupid, for you to think that being a former gymnastics athlete knew how to portray something for an act of a few hours. 

“Bad apple again?” Yeosang’s voice led you to look up but you relaxed back into the comfortable seating right away. “Something like that…”

Yeosang only started to work here a few months before you but he already was considered quite popular. Most escorts preferred to stay for themselves, not necessarily because they thought of each other as rivals but much more because most led a rather normal life outside of this, the least your colleagues knew, the better. Yeosang had been quite open, he welcomed you and helped you a little to settle down, offered advice and an open ear.

“He suddenly leaned in and touched my cheek, I guess I just did not expect that meet and greets would mean they get touchy right away. It was unexpected and I slapped him,” you winced, remembering his face, the moment he stood up, yelled and left. The manager’s expressions when you managed to chase away yet another client.

“You are feisty, I am sure they had an idea when they offered you the contract,” Yeosang replied and crossed his legs, a glass in his hands as he listened to you. It was true, they noted how they enjoyed you were confident, saying Treasure was looking to expand on personalities a little. In fact, it was an agency mostly known for its male talents, only a few other women made themselves a name. 

“I only have one more week to get any customer. I was not scheduled in for the last week,” you sighed and looked over to him. It was a simple system: the top tier clients were given choices first, if none of the new possible clients interested them while having open spots, the others got their chance and those nobodies or clients with tricky occupations were often the only ones available to the newbies. 

“Don’t overthink it. I would say you are too tense, get home and relax a little. Your next one is scheduled in two days, yeah? I’d say, go shopping, think of your next one like a date. That really helped my nerves when I met my first client.” 

You gave him a long gaze, maybe he was right and you needed to get a feel for balance, and be yourself while still acting professional without for them to know it. “I will try that. Thank you Yeosang.” He offered you a smile and raised his drink in a toast to you. 

You did not bother to change into your casual clothes, instead only replaced the heels with your sneakers as you pushed the buttons for the elevator of the staff. Treasure was on the upper floors in a cityscape, meaning it was quite way down so you closed your eyes, relaxing against the metal wall. The elevator stopped already just one floor after yours but you did not bother to look who joined, just exhaling deeply and muttering to yourself. Now, you were looking forward to a hot bath and snacks. At least, even if you would fuck it up and lose it, you made enough with those fees to pay your rent for two months and cover groceries while thinking about what else to do. No! You needed to stop giving up so lightly.

“That’s a stunning dress, the shape really compliments you but I’d try a different color. Maybe dye your hair red, it would go well with your fiery personality, or what I heard about it. I believe, try cerulean should you give it a thought, but gold also could do it.” 

You looked up as you realized the stranger was approaching you. The other figure was taller, not only because his shoes had light heels but because his entire appearance was stunning, long hair styled back, a pair of elegant sunglasses sitting on top of his head. He wore satin loose pants and a black blouse offering quite a bit of view, a scarf around his neck, and a well-known brand for a bag.

Park Seongwa was infamous, if you worked in this industry there just was no way around it and you could not deny that he wasn’t the reason why you were here. It wasn’t like you were one of those love-drunk women who fell in love with strangers on Instagram, but his style was one of a kind and when you followed him, learning he worked as an escort, it was how you learned about Treasure. 

“While I am sure I’d look great in red, I am afraid they really think I am on fire then and not sure if this will be of much help,” you teased and somehow were quite pleased to see your reaction made him grin, likely enjoying it. A pity your clients did not seem to be as fond of somebody with a bite. 

“Give it a go, when I started, I went pink. It did not only make them remember me much easier but it helped slipping into the role,” Seonghwa hummed. “I am counting on meeting you on the monthly party then,” he winked before placing the sunglasses down and walked out of the elevator when you made it to the parking area.

The monthly party was held at the end of the month and was meant for escorts to meet, exchange stories, and just hang out. While it was not mandatory, many simply came for the gifts often handed out by sponsors of Treasure or satisfied clients. To go there, you needed to have at least three fixed clients, something that was rather impossible now.

To get where he was… you sighed deeply and walked out, making your way to your sad looking little car.

Your body felt stiff by the time you were finally allowed to move again. Your hairdresser really was a savior, he didn’t only volunteer to cancel another appointment for you but he really did a great work at making you look like a natural ginger. It had been simple when you said it was for work and you’d be fine with him taking photos for his social media platform while paying him extra, he was in.

“I am not sure who convinced you to go for this but bless them, it really suits you perfectly.” He brushed through the curly waves a final time before you finally were ready to go. That much to having enough for the rent for the next two months, the price was steep but you told yourself you’d simply have to make it worth it. “Thanks again, see you soon,” you waved and stepped outside.

It was a lovely day, and as you had no lecture or work today, why not make the most out of it? You stepped relaxed through the city, windows hopping or so was the intention. There it was, a green dress with a perfect cut, one that complimented rather than exposed your figure, the teal color would go perfectly with your new hair and you could see the image Seonghwea tried to paint into your mind quite clearly now. 

There was a deep sigh when you pulled on the persona you intended to portray as an escort: somebody confident and classy who could afford this. The saleslady was all over you, complimenting your figure and hair, the way you carried yourself, and was quite eager to show you the dress with a matching pair of heels. When you looked into the mirror, you’d not say this was another version of yourself, more like an upgraded representative of you on the days you felt glorious. 

“The shoes are awful and the accessories do not match well;” a voice announced and for a moment, the lady seemed a little insulted by it but quickly fell silent when she looked at the man. He was shorter than others but when it came to fashion, he was far above them. Boldness spoke of the expensive brand pieces that carefully had been updated to complement Kim Hongjoong’s infamous fashion style. A pair of glasses slipped down on his nose when his eyes lingered on your appearance and you felt a slight flush on your cheeks.

What was it with those male escorts suddenly showing up left and right after you failed to get a glimpse of them ever since the first casting round? 

“Let’s see, the red hair is meant to be the focus of the outfit. A beautiful face, why would you pair it with those golden shoes? It distracts in a bad way. Here, try those black ones instead, just the heel is a very nice brown to go with it and you do not need a necklace, instead a bracelet will do much better. Something bold, emerald colors.”

Hongjoong wasn’t only speaking from the perspective of a fashion expert, but you understood what he was doing. As an escort, you wanted the client to focus on your face when you were at a dinner date and emphasize holding hands by putting a small highlight on the wrist. 

He suddenly stood next to you, offering you his selection. “Try it,” he hummed and suddenly sat down at the armchairs meant for the shopping company. You swallowed (again) and replaced the shoes with the one he handed, the necklace was given to the saleswoman who mumbled something and within a few minutes, the outfit was completed. The only part that was not quite perfect was the missing makeup but you did not feel bothered with this other than lipstick when you left to get your hair dyed. 

“Twirl in a circle, let me see it,” Hongjoong’s voice was playful but commanding and for some reason, you gave in, doing just that. Fingers tapped together as he was thinking before shrugging out of his expensive leather jacket which had been altered with shining stones and a logo. 

“Put this on, pull up the sleeves so we can see your pretty wrists.” Again, as much as your heart was beating, you went along with it and the pleased grin said all that needed to be.

“Hwa will complain, he likes people more elegant but I think, since you are feisty and bold, you should riot just a little, even in fashion.”

Hwa? Was he talking about Park Seonghwa? You never knew there was a connection between the two high-class male escorts, as you thought before, everyone remained for themselves but then maybe, this was what they told you. The best of the best did not bother to spend any time with the lower ranks and with that, all you knew was heard-said.

As you were about to take off the jacket, he waved, pulling out a credit card: “Keep it. I feel you likely already spent a fortune on that hair, you should give me your hairstyist contacts in return, I quite admire their work. I will pay for her.”

The woman and you looked a little shocked but she hurried over, bowing and accepting it. Hongjoong was already on the door by the time you made it off the podium and wanted to say anything but he did not seem to care too much about it.

“See you at the monthly meeting, pretty one."

Seriously?

“An acquaintance of yours?” the woman asked as she carefully packed the shoes back into the box. You were still staring at the door before turning around: “Something like that.”

You couldn’t stop staring at the price at the end of the listings, the outfit was likely more expensive than your car. It never was the intention to get any of it. You would have been polite and acted as if you were not pleased with the quality, just left it with a dream of a dress you’d not be able to wear more than once with the same client. If you finally would have gotten one.

The makeup was on point as you looked in the mirror. It was today or never, really. The outfit was perfect and gladly, your pouch was just fine with it. The client today seemed a little more promising but you knew when was your last chance. Song Mingi was a famous influencer, handsome and likely well situated but those were not too popular with the escorts of Treasure, they were known to quickly cause rumors and you easily were shown as a random flirt. Still, there was no reason to reject him so he landed on the list of yours to go for.

The influencer booked the first meeting in the lounge, something that would mean being closer while also suited comfortably. A higher fee too because it meant this one was more interested in actually booking you. He was looking for somebody ‘classy and fresh’ who could accompany him to important sponsor events without making a fuss. He was quite handsome and tall, you had to admit that, admiring his appearance before approaching him. 

He was obviously surprised to see the changes of your appearance from the profile but his little grin indicated he was pleased about it. You smiled, offering your hand playfully: “Mister Song, a pleasure to meet you.” There was a playful smile on his lisp: “I appreciate you were available on such short notice.” 

You tilted your head, pointing towards one of the many comfortable corners of couches and chairs within the lounge: “Of course, shall we sit? It will be much more comfortable to discuss everything there.”

He followed you over, this was it, succeed or apply for a dull retail job. The voice of your trainer returned, for the camera and the jury, you needed to pose, made them think it was your personality. You placed the pouch on the chair, tilting your body slightly aside to allow your legs to cross and the wrists to show.

A waiter appeared and you gave the order for the two of you as it was handled at Treasure and you made sure he felt as if he had your full attention.

“Working with influencers is quite rare,” the client never knew you were fresh meat and he was the one rejected by the bigger people. “I was quite curious to see your name. I peeked through your profile. It’s impressive for a creator of DIY fashion to make it to a very requested model and own business owner. Now, how may I aid your goal?”

Urgh, you were too quick, you should let him talk about himself before you summarized it but he was either just as inexperienced as you or preferred it that way. 

“I put quite a bit of work in which is why this is important and I’d rather not risk it with impulsive behaviors. Yet, I need somebody that would look good on my side, authentic. I am about to get offered what you may call the deal of my life, and I need somebody that looks and acts the part without trying to ruin me a month later.”

He emptied half of his glass as his gaze was going over you again, your left feed waved slightly left and right when you took a much smaller and playful sip from your drink. “I perfectly understand and I gladly will prepare to take the role naturally. I quite feel our chemistry is very interesting, we will catch the right eyes.”

Confidence was important, you needed to balance it so it seemed natural, not nasty. 

“There would be two events, both of where you would be expected to play as my girlfriend but neither of them is in the public eye. I am very aware of Treasure’s guidelines and limitations, and of course, will follow along with them but I must be certain, you are comfortable with the basic exchanges of affirmations?”

Kissing, holding hands, being pulled on a lap and hands on the cheek, those all were, for an extra charge, part of the companion package offered for those seeking a partner, either for private or public, tho again, the more people ask of you, the higher the charge. This could be a big deal and your way into ranking up faster.

You could not overlook them, as Mingi was sharing a few more details, the two figures were impossible to ignore, one taller than the other but both outstandingly handsome. 

Park Seonghwa and Kim Hongjoong certainly knew how to catch the attention of everyone in the room, even the bartender cleared his throat before approaching them for their order when they settled down in the couch niche not too far from you and Mingi. 

No, focus! It did not matter why they were here when neither of them ever bothered to interact with staff anymore outside of their managers. It was just how good they were at their jobs. 

“I can promise you, there won’t be a reason to worry. If you decide to go with us, we will exchange contact data and we prepare everything, from the outfits to the details in the story. If you wish, we also can go on a date prior to the event, to ensure the chemistry display matches exactly your expectations.”

The man grinned: “Ah, you guys really are the best of the business, that sounds wonderful.” Mingi rose, so did you but when he reached out and kissed your hand, you froze again. Thankfully, he did not comment onto it, only nodded and left since all else first would have to be discussed with your leading manager. 

For a moment you stood there, trying to figure out if you finally did it when voices disturbed the silence.

“Honey, why don’t you come and join us?”

“I didn’t remember I offered you pet names, Mister Park,” you teased and turned around to look at the two beautiful men. It was good that the way how the client meeting went was giving you a bit of a boost in courage, as you doubted you’d have been able to do anything but stare otherwise.

“See, I told you, she’s quite feisty,” Seonghwa hummed, leading the glass with a colorful cocktail to his lips. Hongjoong crossed his legs, likely pleased to see you were wearing the outfit he had put together for you. “Quite so, I can see the appeal and why they haven’t kicked her out yet.”

You reached for your glass and tried to look all casually as you moved it in your hand like you wanted to see the quality of the wine. 

“A raw diamond, those are the best. They have the beauty of jewelry but weren’t bent by anyone, people forget to just look and not reach out,” Seonghwa continued as he leaned forward to put his glass on the desk.

What the fuck were they up to? You decided to remain confident in your spot.

“I appreciate all the advices given and … gifts but…”

“We want you to join us,” Hongjoong decided just to spit it out, Seonghwa chuckled by his side. “Joongie, if you say it like that, she’ll misunderstand.” The taller moved over, closing the distance to Hongjoong who was sipping on his drink.

“Well, I am afraid you are not wrong and I am not sure what you mean, Mister Park,” you answered and he rolled his eyes. “Please, let’s drop titles. We are all working for the same agency, we should go with names, Seonghwa and Hongjoong but feel free to be bold and go for nicknames.” 

His arm curled around Hongjoong’s shoulder and you could feel the heat in your cheeks, almost as if you were caught watching something you weren’t supposed to see. 

“Let me clarify it then,” Hongjoong nodded, painted nails tapping against the glass. “You see, Hwa and I have some clients we share and not in the fashion of, we see them on different days. No, they are the highest of the upper class and they pay quite a bit to have the company of the both of us at once. Expensive vacations, dinners in restaurants off to the public, last year, we received a penthouse as a Christmas gift. It might sound excessive to you but what your lower clients have too much in cash, they have in objects.”

Oh, he did not need to explain that. In some way, escorts were like sugar babes but with the freedom to simply stand up and leave by the time the booking was over, remember that based on the agency, able to reject anything, keeping the lines less blurred easily. Treasure was so famous and popular not just for the clients but also because it guaranteed the escorts this safety, if somebody broke the rules, the client was out and done. But of course, you knew reality was different, and at the end of the day, as long as it would not result in legal matters or scandals, it was up to the escort what they did in private settings.

“It still does not explain what it has to do with me,” you replied and placed the empty glass down on the table.

“Hwa prefers the pretty wealthy ladies, whereas I do not care too much about the gender of the client. Based on such preferences, one offers skinship, the other is eye candy. Of course, we are professionals and they know it from the start. Recently tho, more and more asked if we could not add something new to it. As a customer focused business, it is our highest goal to please our clients but Hwa and I have quite a few requirements.”

Hwa placed a slender finger against Hongjoong’s mouth, grinning at him. It was quite obvious that they were showcasing their undeniable chemistry and you could imagine how certain people would melt just for that, rich women in their 40s longing for the admiration of young men who would not betray them for her money. 

“It requires somebody who isn’t just pretty but also has wit and something unique. When we heard there was a feisty new escort who scared away clients, it caught our interest and what we saw today, no doubt you are just the perfect fit.”

Seonghwa allowed for his head to rest against the shorter’s shoulder, pairs of watchful eyes now on you.

“You want for me to become part of your high-class escort trio to please and possibly win more clients,” you summarized it.

Hongjoong nodded: “Well, I stand up for claiming uncut diamonds are the best but it does not mean, there is no work to do, not only because the one thing we cannot do for you is ranking up. However, if the deal with that influencer goes well, and a little bit of efforts from our side with the management, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Seonghwa sighed, sitting up and clapping his hands together: “But, you have two of the very best escorts in this city to your full exposure. The bases are all there, we just need to work on the details.”

Then, Seonghwa stood up and walked closer to you, you swallowed when his cool fingers gently grabbed your chin and made you look up. At least, this time you did not have the urge to punch another for doing this uninvited. 

“Think about it, hun. Let’s say, we pick you up in three days. If you decide to join, we consider it an agreement and in return, share all of our little secrets and tricks with you. If you do not, we accept your decision.” 

Seonghwa smiled sweetly before waving to Hoingjoong: “Let’s go, I got a nail appointment in fifteen.” Hongjoong laughed: “Ah right, now I am your driver again.” He brushed through his dark curls: “See you soon, Pretty one.”

All you could do was to turn around slowly, watching how they left you there, more confused than before.

When Seonghwa said he would send a driver to pick you up, you did not expect he meant to send you a booked car that would bring you to one of the city’s most exclusive buildings with lofts you doubted you would ever be able to afford in a lifetime. As you entered the spacious lift, you checked your makeup again, natural but complimenting your appearance. Your outfit wasn’t overdone, heels, jeans, an oversized button-up semi-tugged into the pants, half open with a tanktop covering too much view, sunglasses on top, and a stylish backpack.

You had no real idea what to expect but after thinking it through, you could not think of a reason why those two men would possibly try and trick you. Why not give it a try? It was not like you intended to work for Treasure forever, finish your major, then just enough to settle comfortably. This was the thing with starting your life with a sports career, once it was over, you needed to figure out where to go and people frowned when you told them how you were still a student at age twenty-five if not going for a medical or law degree.

When the door opened and Seonghwa smiled at you, you exhaled because it seemed you did not go all wrong with the wardrobe. He wore a knitted top that allowed gazes and you noticed how he only ever showed enough to take note of it after looking for a moment but never too much, it never looked thirsty but elegant. It was stunning to see a tall man wear shorts reaching above the knees and a pair of cowboy boots although likely because he only came back, as a hat was placed aside.

“You look great,” the nickname was close to slipping over his lips again when he corrected himself: “Y/N. Now, do you really mind it if I call you hun? We also could think of another name. I assume it is that each of us eventually finds a nickname we prefer to use for clients. Honey, hun, Joongie likes to go with all forms of pretty. Give it some time, you have one as well.”

His loft was stunning, as you took off your heels just because he did so too, you admired how it was both, classy yet comfortable, the small surprise was the array of shelves looking at Lego sets. 

“It’s my little escape from our kind of lifestyle,” he waved. “I read, you used to be professional in gymnastics. Still, something you do?” You took notice of how the man pulled out three glasses, indicating it seemed the other would join in as well but it remained empty while he poured clear water in, adding colorful ice cubes. 

“Not anymore, it was something of a passion growing up so I wanted to see where it would go but now, I feel more comfortable with my photography.”

Seonghwa chuckled: “Both are very beneficial for this kind of work. Your body control is stunning and a hobby that is easy to talk to. Thanks to Instagram, everyone feels like a photographer so you can easily entertain your clients with it. All you need is a good phone and some feel for frames.”

The man led you over to a comfortable arrangement of couches, his legs crossed as he sipped on his water, now observing your appearance, and the way how you followed him over. As you intended to sit down on the other side, he shook his head and waved you over.

You managed to swallow down the hesitation and walked over, sitting down by his side but your heart was beating when his arm curled around him. Park Seonghwa was a man of beauty unmatched and you wondered what would bring him into the world of a companionship escort, he easily could have become a model, a muse, anything really.

“I like this fashion on you, if anything I believe you need to try less and wear what you think suits you but go with what you enjoy, add a few experimental pieces but don’t worry, Hongjoong is great at that, he will guide you to perfection.”

He leaned forward to place his glass down before his now free hand reached out and held your chin gently again: “Relax, I will not ask you to do anything you are not comfortable with. Never forget, we escort are the ones in charge, like a performance. We choose what we let others see of us. Eventually, you will find clients who enjoy your temper but let’s say, you need to learn how to place it a little more proper, make it add to your charm but I feel there is something else.”

Sudden touch was still not something you had gotten used to, although you knew sitting like this was part of the job, for those who longed to have somebody play their significant other for a few hours. 

“Today, Hongjoong and I will show you a few tricks, of getting the best results without too much effort. If you are uncomfortable at any point, you will tell me, won’t you hun?” His thumb gently brushed over your chin again. All you could do was nod and it seemed to be the confirmation Seonghwa waited for to lean in and kiss you.

In your mind, you reminded yourself that this was all part of the job training. Sure, Hwa would also benefit from it if you were able to join their little team but you were doing this for that point alone. It was good to be kissed without a warning, clients would not ask either but none of those would be Seonghwa, the way how his presence made you feel was hard to explain. 

The kiss was tender at first, he was leaning in and his arm around your shoulder tightened to bring you in closer. You gasped when he was inviting you to push your tongue in but the moment was interrupted when the door was opened again and Hongjoong walked in, a pair of sunglasses dropped down on his notes.

“Should I go again? I did not know I’d interrupt a date,” he teased, voice a playful purr but it was enough to disturb the scene and Seonghwa withdrew. A small feeling of disappointment in your stomach was quickly ignored as you tried to put yourself back together. 

“Of course, not, we just were warming up a little, weren’t we hun?” Seonghwa winked over to you, all you could do was nod and distract you with your water. Hongjoong did not show whether he believed you or not, only humming as he walked over and placed down the bags. 

“Well, I brought gifts so I like to think, I can make it worth your time,” he seemed to have brought more clothes and you were a little excited but reminded yourself again, that this was meant to be a work environment and you’d just make a fool out of yourself if you suddenly acted like you all had been friends. It was hard to say just what this even was.

Unlike Seonghwa, the other male escort pulled out a bottle of what seemed to be fine wine and poured it into the prepared glass.

"Hwa is quite the expert, you see. I worked at Treasure first but he really was the one who walked in and showed me how to be most effective, including my own talents in my job," he turned around, the glass on his lips and when he placed it aside, you saw the lipstick on it.

“As already mentioned a few times, the goal is to give them as little as possible to get the most out of it. We show you a few tricks today. Of course, our clients, the ones we want to introduce you to, there will be a little more involved.” Seonghwa relaxed against the couch as he watched you with curiosity.

“Such includes, for the three of us to also exchange certain affections. I believe, us being such a great match in aesthetic will make it quite enjoyable us as well,” Seonghwa chuckled before he got up and walked over to Hongjoong. “Where shall we start, Joongie, what do you think? Y/N looks quite stunning, doesn’t she? I do not think we need any further lessons in appearance.”

The shorter man looked up and down, fingers tapping against his cheek as he grinned: “Agreed. How about we combine simple and extended lessons and then, waste no time? Concluding it with the most fun parts. I know you prepared well, Hwa, didn’t you?”

You had no idea what they were talking about but you found yourself relaxing, an odd anticipation taking over as they spoke. It was enjoyable to watch them, their bodies moving in a rhythm that really was outstanding chemistry, the way how their playful little gazes never failed and touched, so subtle, yet they made you wonder what it would be like, to see them kiss. Oh, you were not prepared just how fast all of that would become reality. 

“Of course, you know me. Now, I believe this is a good idea so let’s move to something more suited for practice, shall we handsome? Hun, leave your phone here, you will not need it,” Seonghwa waved, indicating to follow him. You quickly glanced at your phone before turning it on busy before you quietly stalked behind the two escorts.

 Seonghwa truly had the most stunning home, when he opened the doors, you were greeted not only by a large pool that did not seem to have an edge but a spacious outdoor area with couches, chairs, a bar that would make many lounges jealous and a large selection of perfectly placed plants. You recognized some of them from the man’s social media accounts. 

“As you rank up, wealthy clients love to take you to their vacation homes or spare apartments, often to places such as this, which offer them to relax and feed their imaginations. It will make a perfect practice ground,” Seonghwa explained and brushed his long hair back. 

“Hongjoong will be our lucky client today, watch us. We will show you how we often handle our clients, but you are encouraged to enjoy the show as well;” the man grinned and you bit your lip but winked: “I shall observe well.”

The escort was pleased with the answer as Hongjoong shrugged out of his jacket: “It will help because after that we will play a little bit of customer time.” Neither of the two needed to add how likely it would be the three of you at the end of all. No, they did not only intend to show you how they succeeded but also to test your chemistry as a trio, and see how you would fit in before a final decision was made.

The oldest walked over to the bar, opening the fridge to pull out a bottle of champagne, ice cubes and two glasses, pouring them elegantly in while Hongjoong settled down. This was the first time you really had the chance to admire the other man. He was shorter than the majority of male escorts and maybe even your friends but his confidence, his fashion style, it easily made up for it. His features didn’t lack anything at all, you loved how sharp they seemed, yet they held a certain softness, just like those lips.

No okay, what was up with you? First you were kissing Seonghwa a little too long and now you wondered what it would feel like to do the same with Joong. You swallowed, trying to focus and learn from your colleagues. 

“Mister Kim, it has been far too long, almost two weeks,” Seonghwa’s voice was playful, teasing the other as he walked around, offering him a glass before taking the spot by his side, legs crossed. His body language was stunning, there were all these little details. The way he moved to present the part of his face he preferred, one hand holding the glass to take only the smallest sips, leading them to plumb lips,, and sometimes his teeth were biting down on them while the other arm was allowed to rest against the bar counter, chin on the hand as he tilted his head slightly, his gaze playing with Hongjoong’s without needing any big works or showcase of skin. Not that there was not plenty to look at.

Seonghwa’s long hair fell naturally around his beautiful face, the top allowed for the collarbone to shine, especially thanks to the way he was sitting there. 

“I was quite busy, looking to expand my team,” the younger said, taking a larger sip before placing it down. “Oh? Did you find somebody fitting then?” the other asked casually, his leg moving all so slightly.

“Quite so, stunning young woman. I am working on a dress, I think it would look quite amazing on her. If anything, I find myself imaging how her long ginger hair falls over her shoulders as she puts on a pearl necklace that would go so well with it.” 

Your cheeks heat up when you notice he is talking about you, somehow you end up leaning forward without thinking about it, anticipation growing.

Seonghwa’s face changed, playing as he was a little disappointed to hear Hongjoong daydreaming about another. 

Of course, this differed from client to client, some really only longed for company, to talk about their day but you could imagine, the people who asked these two to add a third unlikely counted to such. They wanted more, the feeling for their lives to be like a book, surrounded by who they deemed pretty, indulging in imaginations.

“Oh? Should I be jealous? Here I was, thinking I am your muse,” he placed his glass aside, leaning forward. “Do I have to worry I will no longer receive an invitation?”

Hongjoong grinned as he grabbed Hwa’s chin the same way the older liked to do with yours, forcing to tilt the man’s head just a little: “I will not deny, I might find myself thinking about her all so often now but who could ever replace you, pretty star? There is only one of those, after all.”

Seonghwa chuckled, long fingers now reaching out to grab the other’s shirt, pulling him even closer: “Good, otherwise, I fear I’d have tried to win you back.” The last words were barely audible at your spot as their lips sealed in a deep kiss.

Hongjoong was leaning back, giving Seonghwa more room to lean in and the older escort gladly did so. You could see how his teeth bit and tugged on the other’s lips, hands resting comfortably on a slim waist and there was a loud gasp.

It was only now how you realized it was yours and it caught the attention of the two men. While Hongjoong was just smiling amused, Seonghwa seemed more pleased, he let go of the escort and slipped off the chair, moving over to you like a hunting cat.

“Oh, honey. We aren’t even done yet and you already do not like to split our attention?” he teased. It seemed an odd thing to say, he was more talking to you like a client rather than a co-worker trying to simply teach you a few tricks. 

“Sorry, I guess, I just did not expect you two would kiss like that,” you admitted and the tall man seated himself next to you. “If the client desires this little daydream, we will entertain it. As Hongjoong said, as for myself, I have a preference for the beauty of women but look at him, a gorgeous man, how could I not enjoy kissing him?”

While he was complimenting the other escort, his gaze was all on you, his body leaning in like he was telling you that he’d rather kiss you again and for a moment, at the edge of your gaze, you felt as Hongjoong’s expressions slipped.

It was hard to really tell because there he went again, kissing you and this time, Seonghwa did not hesitate at all. Instead, he pulled you closer, up onto his lap when his tongue was eager to meet yours but his arms remained around your waist without dropping too far up or bellow. 

This was the first time somebody kissed you like that without being drunk. Your ex always tried to get into it but you hated the taste of too much beer but Hwa tasted sweet, like a blurry summer vacation you always longed to get back to. Every soul longed for Summer but when it came, it never lived up to the expectation, the memory. 

Why were you thinking about that now? You should enjoy the kiss, who would not fucking do anything to kiss a man like Park Seonghwa? At least, he did not seem to notice that there was a small, doubting voice in the back of your mind. He likely just took your lack of enthusiasm as a sign of being nervous.

“I have to go,” Hongjoong suddenly said and you could see how Seonghwa frowned, not too pleased about the interruption once more.

“We are not done yet, Joongie. Where do you possibly have to go now?” 

There was a sign of hesitation, like he did not really want to tell but the older’s gaze was too demanding to simply ignore it. “I sent my article to another fashion magazine and they just replied that they’d like to see a few more …”

It was strange to suddenly see the confident man so shy, but the escort by your side just seemed to get more displeased as the conversation went on.

“Hongjoong, you do not still have this silly dream to become a creative director for a fashion magazine, right? We talked about it. You are far too old to get into this now, and why would you? There are at least ten more years of being an escort in for you, all the money you could need to set up a fruitful future and meet the right people. Why would you start working from the bottom?”

If you hadn’t been too busy trying to take all those pieces of information in, you’d have noticed how the other winced a little. Seonghwa’s sharp voice was not even trying to hide how little he believed in the dream of his fellow escort, even seemed to look down on it.

There was this itch in your chest, a familiarity you knew too well. It was the day when your family and your trainer gathered and you announced you’d not further invest in a career related to a sport you only explored so far because it felt like an exception. Photography, everyone could do that these days, they said.

Seonghwa used similar words earlier, but maybe he meant it.  

“Well, I will drive you,” you suddenly announced and slipped off from Seonghwa’s lap but the taller suddenly grabbed your wrist. “And why would you go?”

For a moment, it was impossible to read his gaze and Hongjoong was about to promise he was fine when you casually shrugged it off. You were the escort known to scare off customers, it would not be too suspicious.

“Hongjoong drunk two glasses of alcohol since he came here and it seems, I am the only one who is still sober. Is it okay if I leave my car here for the night, Hwa?” you asked sweetly, leaning in and placing a kiss on his cheek.

It seemed to calm him down and he chuckled: “Ah, so caring. Joongie is quite lucky, isn’t he? I have a keen interest in keeping my two favorite people both happy and safe. Let’s pick this lesson up another time then.” 

You exhaled and winked: “I am looking forward to it.” You blew him a playful kiss before moving towards the door: “Shall we?”

Hongjoong still seemed surprised about the way you acted all of a sudden, he moved over, placing a soft kiss on the escort’s cheek: “Thank you for hosting us, Hwa.” Without further note, he also walked out and followed you. 

While Hongjoong picked up one of the three bags he brought and his own phone, you got your backpack and pointed for him to lead the way.

“Are you sure? I just could call an uber,” he offered. Did you just imagine it or was he a little shy? You shook your head: “Nonsense, you will need your car and I am used to just getting home somehow. Don’t worry, about it.” You offered your hand to him and he placed a key in. As you made it to the garage, you quickly found it. While the car was definitely a higher-class model compared to yours, it was surprisingly reserved for a man of his style. 

You slipped into the driver’s seat and adjusted it while Hongjoong placed his stuff on the back seats before joining you, clipping the safely belt in. “Good to go, Miss Y/N;” he joked but his smile finally relaxed again.

You stared for too long, you knew that because Hongjoong mistook your surprise for disappointment: ”It’s not much…but it does it for me. I saved up most of the money I make, well the part I’d not need for appearance anyway.” There was hesitation in every word and you felt guilty.

His place was nothing like Seonghwa’s. It was about double the size of your own little apartment, instead of a living room, there was an office one would expect to see in a fashion show, like in this 2010 movie of the evil fashion magazine director. Finally, the other escort’s description earlier made sense and you stepped closer. It was so obvious how much passion and love for the detail Hongjoong put into every bit of research made for the most recent fashion shows, upcoming collections, or even just snippets he cut out of another magazine.

“That’s impressive,” you admitted, reminding yourself once again what you concluded just days ago: most escorts preferred to leave their private life outside of the agency’s doors. It made sense, that way you could protect your own little space like this and now you felt even worse because Seonghwa was mocking his own friend so much about this.

Were they even friends, or did you simply underestimate just how on-point their professional chemistry really was?

“Thank you, I… always liked fashion. I started to put together my own outfits and alter them when I was a teen but the truth is, I always knew I did not want to design it but talk about it, share my passion and my thoughts.”

That was something you could understand, you also felt more comfortable behind the camera rather than in front of it. 

“My parents, but especially my dad, they were all against this. What kind of career is it to write about clothing?” he imitated a deeper voice and you looked over to him. For a moment, the pain was so obvious on Hongjoong’s face that you finally fell out of this little cloud you had been in the past few days, the adrenaline of feeling like a princess, having been picked by the princes’ of Treasure to work with.

“If I wanted to chase my dream, I’d have to do it on my own. Anyway, there was a rent you had to pay and a student fee I certainly could not afford, not to forget that to write about fashion other than having a specific degree, you were supposed to show it. Working as an escort seemed like a great choice then, Treasure was just opening and the idea of making the level of money without having to sell yourself entirely was just much more tempting. I thought it might also open some doors.”

You had no doubt he was telling you all of this only because he likely had to swallow it down for so long, nobody that cared to hear about it.

“Well, turns out creativity, a degree and money mean nothing without the connections and I barely can ask my clients for help, can I? I keep applying but they want big names like…”

“Seonghwa,” you concluded and the other man nodded, walking over to the kitchen after shrugging out of expensive clothes, and filling two glasses with water. “A year ago, I was reckless… maybe naive. I thought that maybe he could introduce me to the people. Our pretty star is after all, also very successful on social media and unlike myself, he knows the people.”

The way how Hongjong bit his lip told everything and thinking back about the scene earlier, you could picture the rest. In a way, it even answered your own question, of why somebody like Park Seonghwa led the life of a high-class escort when he could be anything: because he wanted to. He got paid for being adored while able to play with people and all kinds of roles. The attention was different from the one a mere influencer received.

“I never brought it up again and just quietly sent more applications, this is the first answer I received at all that was not a straight rejection, so it’s important to me.” You had this silly urge to hug him when he offered you a glass of water almost shyly. 

Hongjoong had been nice and caring, and while there was no way around denying just how much you enjoyed Seonghwa’s attention as he mastered to make you feel adored like no other, you wanted to try and support this guy here. “I think it’s awesome, I mean, you walked such a tough way and here you are, still doing your best. If I ever can help you… not sure how but, let me know. Think of it as a token of graduation for the jacket, which I admit I wear a lot in my private time.”

To your surprise, he was grinning rather than seemingly shy. “Well, it suits you better most certainly, I have a few other pieces I think, you’d look amazing in. Although I feel for today, we have done enough.” You glanced at your watch and while you expected for this day to go different, you bit your cheek.

“Would you mind if I stay maybe another hour? I could call a friend of mine to pick me up and get me back to my apartment. She works nearby.”

The older blinked before nodding: “Of course, do you want anything? A snack maybe? Seonghwa is amazing but please do not let him talk you into diets, okay? You are literally PERFECT!” You blushed hearing this, and Hongjoong chuckled. “You know, natural blush does suit you well;” he winked, seemingly back to his more confident and flirty self.

“I … am okay, thank you.” You took the second glass and moved over to the couch, mumbling over it as you took a sip. Hongjoong was starting to place a few things aside while you texted your friend, asking if she could come here. 

The silence felt a little awkward so you tried to think of something until your eyes glanced over the photos. “You know, if you want some help taking pictures of your fashion pieces for that example you work on, I could help. I actually put all my savings into camera equipment, since I am working as a photography major. My focus is portraits but I have done some wedding shots when I enrolled in college, to cover some extra costs.”

The man looked up: “Oh that is right, Hwa mentioned it. Mh, this is pretty serious then, huh? I am glad.. don’t get me wrong, for somebody who has been with Treasure for so long and benefitting from clients… don’t get stuck there, Pretty One. There is more for you. Chase your goals, just take it as a kick-off.”

For a moment, it was like he was telling you to be wiser than him but neither of you said it out loud. All you could do was smile, touched Hongjoong worried about you after only knowing you for such a short time.

“I promise, I won’t.”

“You are looking hot,” Mingi whispered, a grin tugging on his lips as his arm curled around your waist. All you could do was look sweetly at him: “Well, thank you very much. I like to think the two of us make quite the couple.” Your first client was pleased with the reaction and he hummed, nodding in agreement. “Why don’t you get comfortable? I will go and get us more drinks. I am sure, the host should arrive any time soon now.” You offered him a nod and watched as the tall man rushed off.

Hongjoong really had outdone himself with the outfit, it was perfect and harmonized with your fake hair color and your eyes. He had shoved it into your hands after your friend picked you up and since then, you did not see him at all. Every time you went to Seonghwa’s place, he excused himself, text messages about a client that was needing more attention than all others. You could see how displeased the older escort was about it, leading to your confusion about maybe there being something else instead. 

You were disappointed about it but it was hard to tell why. Maybe you misread Hongjoong’s interest in working with you on his project and he only agreed to it to be polite. 

At this point, Seonghwa treated you like a year-old friend rather than a woman he met barely a month ago. He never stopped to shower you in compliments, but he also was anything but shy. The moment you stepped into his fancy apartment, he kissed you, playing with your hair and seemingly enjoying grabbing your chin gently to look at your face. His arms grew bolder, travling further down your waist, and whispering sweet nothings to your ear. There were gifts and alcohol and he took you shopping, rambling it was all part of getting you loose for your first client.

Mingi booked you after another meeting and today was finally the big day. Everything was perfect, or you told yourself so. The fashion influencer was anything but shy, he kissed you quite passionately twice already and maybe, Seonghwa had been right to simply do the same, making you no longer grow tense about the intrusion. At least, while being a flirt, Mingi was rather polite and he kept his hands exactly as far as you told him to be comfortable.

“He’s stunning,” a woman whispered. “But isn’t he an escort?” another asked and you looked up when the word dropped. “Who cares? If I’d have the money, I’d certainly also pay him,” she chuckled and your gaze followed along. The owner of the company, which was about to offer a big deal to Mingi, was a woman and on her arm was no other than Seonghwa. His shoes were made of fine leather, oversized pants made of expensive fabric, and his chest almost laid bare of not for a satin top cut deep. His hair was styled back and the jewelery added the rest to it.

He didn’t once mention that he would be here but then, why would he? This was his business and he never spoke about that with you unless he was given you tips. You really needed to turn on that pretty head of yours and start thinking rather than getting lost in the luxury and thrill.

The moment your gazes met, you knew it was too late. Seonghwa smiled sweetly, whispering to the woman who immediately looked at you and you were relieved when Mingi returned because they made their way over. “I think, this is the host,” you whispered, doing just anything in your power to remain professional.

Mingi swallowed, offering you a glass, and looking at you. You offered him an encouraging smile like a girlfriend would before he looked up, just in time for the two to arrive.

“Mister Song, I am most pleased you have made it,” the woman said and he shook her head, smiling lightly: “My pleasure, I was quite surprised to receive an invitation.” She smiled at him, a beautiful woman in her late 30s, full of confidence and beauty. For a second, you felt a little ashamed of how you seemed so much the opposite, maybe not in beauty but the success. You did not even really try for what you called your own dream…

“Well, I like to invite the unexpected. Those are much more promising. There is some time until food is served. Why don’t we walk to my office, and you tell me more about your current project,” she smiled before turning around to the escort. “Seonghwa, would you mind to stay with Mister Song’s company? I’d hate to steal him and leave her on her own.” 

The escort smiled sweetly: “Of course, it would be my pleasure.” Mingi leaned in, pressing a quick kiss on your lips: “I see you later, love. It won’t be long.” You tapped against his shoulder: “No worries, take your time.” As the two people walked away, you could feel how Seonghwa settled down next to you and you needed to swallow the question of why he did not tell you he’d come.

You froze when you felt his fingers playing with your hair. “Why so tense hun? That’s so rare for you now. All of our little explorations certainly have paid out, did they not? Look how relaxed you are, looking stunning, pleasing your client.” 

As you tried to reach for the drink Mingi brought you, Seonghwa was faster, leading it to his own lips. You blinked, confused about what he was trying to do. This was a job and you considered that he’d act the part but that was incorrect.

“What are you doing, handsome” you joked but Seonghwa threw the most tempting glances at you, leaving a shade of lipstick on the glass as he offered it to you.

“Paying all of my attention to my favorite flower. It is quite hard you know, you look very kissable today,” he purred and he knew exactly what kind of effect this had on you these days. 

Why?

What was it that you forgot all good sense and morals when he was flirting like that when you knew so obviously this was all Seonghwa wanted, attention, playing, pleasure. “Since my other favorite person seems to fancy the company of his paper pages and photos, I am most grateful to have you by my side,” he breathed to your ear. 

The memory flashed to your mind when you saw the two together for the first time at the lounge, how comfortable and confident they looked together but now, you wondered if Hongjoong simply played along because it was what Sweonghwa trained the both of you to do.

Admiration, a quickened heartbeat, the high of being given the attention.

“Why don’t we explore the property? She’s one of my most beloved clients and I know all the good little spots. It could be fun.” The way he formed the words indicated that this was the moment you both, craved and feared to come.

He was inviting you to be more, do more. The one difference to Hongjoong was the very fact the other had stated: Seonghwa loved beautiful women, and you were just that based on his words.

“Hwa,” you started innocently: “I do not think that would be a good idea. You said it yourself, ranking up is on me and if this one goes well, it will be much easier.”

His long fingers played with your hair and he was already so close, you could smell the expensive perfume, your mind remembered what it felt like to have the now styled-back hair tickling your face. You swallowed, your body reacted in a certain way.

“I will come up with a good excuse. They will be away for an hour at least, quite long for some bored poor partners being left behind. There is a quiet corner, I think you’d enjoy it, Hun.”

A smile of honey on his lips as he brushed over your cheeks, your heart beating loudly as you stared at him, body reaction, leaning in, imagination running wild. The idea of being pushed against the wall by the taller, feeling his fingertips ghosting all over your body, lips pressed against your neck, sensing how he slowly would trace down…

Your mind finally kicked in.

No. You promised Hongjoong not to forget your dream but somehow you knew, that once you started to give in to such foolish desires, there would be no way out of it. You knew yourself, you would keep finding excuses to stay with Seonghwa, stay an escort at Treasure, just as it took you years to finally stop with the excuses of why you kept going with a sports career everyone but you dreamt for you.

“You are quite good at tests, Hwa,” you chuckled and played dumb. If he read your body right, he’d knew and there was a hint of anger on his fair features, if only for a moment. “Ah, you got me there Hun. You did very well, Mister Song can be quite pleased with you.” For a moment he remained close, like he was waiting for you to change your mind but when nobody happened, Seonghwa lost interest and leaned back. 

It only took so long until others joined you, people mesmerized by Seonghwa’s presence who loved the attention and it was easy to excuse yourself at once. 

The deal went well and when Mingi returned, he apologized, saying he was invited to an extra event later on. You hurried to tell him it was just fine when he offered to book you a taxi. I the end, you regretted it because you had come here with him and there was no friend you could call to pick you up. How to explain why you were here, dressed like some internet celebrity? There only were two people who came to mind. Yeosang did not pick up but Hongjoong was on the line the moment you pushed his name.

“How did it go?” he asked, voice cheery but grew concerned when it was silence which greeted him. There was a moment when neither of you said anything as you realized you were holding back tears.

You felt so stupid because you finally asked what the fuck you were doing here, with your life, being something you were not.

“I will pick you up,” his voice was soft. He did not need to hear his answer, you could hear how he already grabbed his keys.

“It will be okay, just stay where you are, okay? Take a deep breath. First client and such a big event, it can be a lot. You did well, Y/N.” 

All you could do was whisper a Thank You before you ended the call, pulling off those high heels and waiting for Hongjoong in front of one of the city’s most expensive mansions.

You felt a little more collected by the time the familiar car appeared and you slipped onto the passenger seat. It did not change that brown eyes scanned you with worry and you forced a smile: “I am okay, I just overreacted a little. Thank you for picking me up.” Hongjoong looked different today but not in a bad way, more relaxed with jeans and a hoodie, brown waves loosely dancing around his face.

“Hey, there is no overreacting. If your emotions felt too much, that is very understandable and valid,” he tried to comfort you and you placed the heels on the floor as you looked at him. He likely still could see the hint of red in your eyes, although you only cried for a few minutes. “Do you want me to drive you anywhere? Home, or to a friend?” He was soft and did not pressure you to talk about it.

“Actually, do you think I could stay at your place… I have the habit of overworrying about nothing and styled like this,” you began but Hongjoong was quick to flash you a smile, understanding what you were trying to say. Nobody in your private circle was supposed to know. “Of course, the time is fairly good! I have mapped out my article and I can show you if your offer of working on those photos with me still stands.”

He really was giving it his all and you felt guilty how you were fleeing to him after it was Seonghwa you looked at for so long so openly while he was around, just now to cry about having rejected him. 

“That sounds awesome.” He nodded and the rest of the drive was done in silence, up until he unlocked the apartment once more, you left your belongings on the door and Hongjoong disappeared in his bedroom before coming back with a pair of more comfortable-looking clothes.

“There are towels in the bathroom if you want to freshen up. I guessed, it probably would be more comfortable, to wear something else. Not that you don’t look gorgeous,” he promised and you appreciated the thought, accepting it. “That sounds nice, thank you.” You walked over to his bathroom and were a little amazed. There was an entire corner purely dedicated to makeup. A mixture of big brand names but also more average every day products, fingers traced along then until you hesitated.

You were a damn lost case, weren’t you? Acting like that all day, just now to reach for his perfume and spray some of it on your wrist. You did notice how Hongjoong always smelt the same, unlike Seonghwa who rotated between different expensive fragrances based on his mood but the younger was more content, it was a comforting but exciting one.

“Ah, shush!” you scolded yourself before stripping and enjoying the shower, your hair finally no longer dying the water red as you enjoyed the feeling. Around twenty minutes later, you stepped out and there was a blush on Hongjoong’s cheek when he saw you in his clothes, one he tried to hide as he cleared his throat and pointed to the kitchen counter where a few sandwiches piled up together with hot cups of coffee and tea. 

“I wasn’t sure which of the two you like better but you should eat something,” he insisted and sat down on the other bar stool. You smiled and joined him: “Ah, Joongie, you take good care of me always, you know?” It was strange to admit considering you did not spend so much time together but he always was thoughtful of you and your wishes, and boundaries.

“Mh, I just know bad habits sneak in quickly, I want you to be comfortable and not worry about food.” You grabbed a sandwich and one of the coffee cups, taking a bite: “I promise, I love food too much to do so.” The little remark made him grin and for a while, you just remembered how nice it was to have company for a meal, spending them alone in your apartment most of the time these days.

“Okay, the theme is Spring, we are already dealing with Winter fashion, and the bases for the upcoming seasons are done, so I was thinking, we could do something with this vibe. I have a few friends we could ask to model for us,” he explained half an hour later as you followed the mood board and aesthetics he put together. 

“I can see the vision, we can make something cool out of it! There is this small library and a cafe I went to a few times, it could suit it really well, like coming out of a dark Winter in glorious outfits,” you suggested, Hongjoong grinned: “I see, somebody does like fashion. I knew it when we first met and you picked the best piece they had.” 

You grinned back: “Just a little. We had very strict guidelines for gymnastics but for events after, you wanted to impress a little, you know, sponsors and all of that.” Another reason why you thought this job was for you. Your parents really were right, you were a naive girl dreaming. As you bit your lips, you could feel Hongjoong’s hand and suddenly, he pulled you into a  hug.

“I always thought this helps when thoughts go too wild,” he whispered, searching for your confirmation this was okay and you could feel how you relaxed a little. “It does,” you whispered. For a few minutes, you just stood there like this before he pulled you over to his couch and settled down, allowing you to rest against him. How strange, you felt so content and comfortable with him although you only had known him for a short time.

“Hwa was there, wasn’t he?” Hongjoong finally dared to ask. “I should have known when I looked at the event when I prepared the outfit, I made the beginner’s mistake of not properly researching the owner, since your part was only to look good on your client’s side. I was unaware it was one of his clients, I am sorry.”

You slowly turned your head around to look at him: “Why would that be your fault?” 

There was a moment of hesitation before he sighed: “I know how Seonghwa is and I knew what he thought when we all met at the lounge. A beautiful woman with a temper, that’s something new to him, the way how quickly he had grown comfortable around you, I knew he had a particular interest. I guess, I just did not expect he’d go as far as to make his interest known while you were on a job. He could have waited or done it sooner, considering it’s mutual.”

Hongjoong spoke, he seemed to brood over the result when you just were surprised. “Mutual interest? What do you mean?” The other escort looked at you slowly: “Ah I mean … it is quite obvious you are fond of Seonghwa… It’s why I kept my distance, I thought giving you two more time would be appropriate… although I worried how deep his interest goes,” the last words were a whisper.

Maybe deep down, the future fashion director knew that Seonghwa was looking for fun and entertainment, a challenge, beauty but not love. As much as you enjoyed all of the glamour and attention, at the end of the day you were a dreamer looking for love. A helplessly romantic person.

“I cannot admit I am more than smitten with him. He’s gorgeous, not only his style but the confidence he shows, the way he lives… That’s a goal we all have a little but I think I finally realized that I’m not made for this kind of life but I promise you… as embarrassing as it is to admit… my interest in him was more … sensual than romantic.”

You could read the surprise on his face, blinking as he sighed deeply, a hand covering his eyes: “I really was a fool not to get that much and just leaving you on your own when you were all new, I…”

You reached out and stopped him, pleading: “It’s really not your fault. Please stop blaming yourself.”  Hongjoong suddenly seemed shy but also longing, there was something in his eyes that was quietly asking for permission: to be gentle, admired, and loved. You could hear your heartbeat loudly in your ears when you gave it to him.

Kissing Hongjoong really was different from kissing Seonghwa. His lips were just as soft but without any products adding taste, the way how he allowed an arm to rest around your figure was careful, gentle. He allowed for his eyes to close and gave the lead up to you entirely. The kiss was curious but far more innocent than any you ever exchanged with the older escort but maybe it was why it felt right.

Hongjoong was all that Seonghwa was not when it came to the time outside of the job. A switch that allowed for him to just be his natural self while no client and no colleagues were looking and you enjoyed it. 

As your lips finally parted, he blinked, a shy smile on his lips, admitting: “This was nice.” You returned it, smiling: “It was… mind if we do it again?” Hongjoong chuckled, the confident grin finally returning to his lips: “You may do so.”

Your companionship and chemistry felt more natural, like two people who told themselves being different sometimes was the only way to achieve their dreams, no matter how high the price but all you really wanted was to be who you were. 

It showed in the way how you melted into one, the whispers of sweet admiration, of careful exploration and always seeking to act entirely in each other’s comforts. Bodies flushed tightly together and breaths becoming one.

The memory of his bare skin, the way the dark sweaty hair clung to his face and his lips curled into a playful smile stuck with you even by the time you made it home. 

It would have been perfect, if not for a tall figure waiting for you there. Seonghwa still wore the same outfit he did hours ago but seemingly a little more tugged. His dark eyes were all over your form.

“So Joongie did pick you up after all. I almost guessed so, he seems to be quite keen, coming to your rescue,” he purred but his eyes failed to play along this time. It was hard to tell if he was simply annoyed or jealous. 

“He did, he borrowed me some clothes. I was a little tipsy so I decided to wait, don’t want the neighbors any more suspicious,” you joked but froze the moment Seonghwa grabbed your chin, this time less gentle than he usually did.

“You smell like him, so don’t try to lie to me, little flower,” he whispered. “How peculiar, you were so against the idea to be with me but it seems, not as much with him. Ah, maybe the mistake has been on me, I must have underestimated the softness the two of you share.” 

Finally, he let go, looking at you: “It seems, there is no much more I can teach you, hun. You did quite well today, your client was most pleased. What a pity our partnership did not come to happen but I had quite an enjoyable time.”

He turned around and you swallowed, although having been prepared he likely would ditch you just like that. At least, it was a reality check, one showing you that at the end of the day, you just were one pretty flower and he likely had more than plenty to fill the spot.

Maybe losing Hongjoong was much harder for Seonghwa, after working together for years.

As he turned around and walked to the staircase, he said: “Should you ever get bored of soft, you know where to find me.”

He winked, shoving something in his pocket before leaving. 

All you could do was staring in confusion as he left you standing there all alone.

“I can’t find my phone,” you sighed and looked at Yeosang. “I must have lost it somewhere. I honestly cannot even remember when I really had it last. I bought a new one but my stupid provider needs like a week to send me a new card for it.”

You sighed, relaxing over the bar. It had been a long two days. Without your phone, it wasn’t as if anyone could reach you but nobody came over either. When you parked, you saw Seonghwa who did not even give you the smallest of glances, like you did not exist.

“It’s insane how it still takes so long,” the other agreed, leading the drink to his lips. You came here to let the manager know you were unavailable until then and ran into Yeosang who invited you to a drink. You were thankful he did not seem to ask about Seonghwa at all, although there obviously had been some rumors, not only about him tho.

“Oh did you know, Hongjoong quit last night,” Yeosang shared casually but you suddenly found yourself sitting up.

“Wait, he did?! Why?!”

This seemed sudden, he said that he was expecting a call from that magazine to check with them if his idea would be appropriate but the idea he just stopped working for Treasure was a little rushed.

Maybe it was the idea how you were quietly waiting if just maybe, he’d show up here at the headquarters after not having come to visit at your place, although you slipped your address into his notebook.

“Well, he said he wanted to pursue another career, it was very surprising to everyone. He’s flying to the United States for an interview. That is what the manager told me anyway.”

Why would he leave so suddenly without telling you? Your stomach flipped when you thought the memories through. After confessing to each other’s softness, of sleeping together, the shy and excited smile and little kisses he gave you when you left, it seemed unexpected he’d just go.

Did you read too much into it?

“I have to go,” you breathed, grabbing your keys and rushing to your car. To your surprise, Seonghwa was leaning against it. You swallowed, not in the mood to deal with him but he made no indication to move away.

“Hwa, I have to go, Hongjoong just quit, I have to find him.”

“I wonder why that is,” he hummed before looking at you, sighing: “You really stirred more than I expected and not what I hoped for. Here I was, thinking you were a great addition to our duo, not that you would be the encouragement to chase his stupid dream. One he is way too keen on sharing with you, considering you know for how long?”

You swallowed, staring at him: “How do you know that?” The escort looked innocently before he held it up, your phone. “Advice for the future, you should hide your screen messages.” He must have pulled it out of your pocket after he waited in front of your apartment.

You grew pale when you snatched it and opened it, reading the messages you did not get to reply to.

Two Days Ago

Joongie: I really enjoyed our time together Joongie: or well, spending time with you Joongie: after having limited my circle to all those caring for money so long I forgot Joongie: so thank you for … liking me Joongie: I… kind of like you, I just wanted for you to know

One Day Ago

Joongie: hope you are feeling better! Joongie: that magazine just called me! and they actually got a free spot Joongie: not fixed but they invited me for an interview! Joongie: I know that’s a little insane, really, it only would be for three days Joongie: but want to come? I got a second ticket for you Joongie: it’s a bit rushed but yeah

Today

Joongie: I guess, I was a bit pressuring Joongie: I am sorry, I should not have thought so much into it Joongie: Make sure you eat a lot, okay? Take breaks Joongie: remember you matter more than clients Joongie: You are… perfect like this

Joongie: my flight leaves in an hour, I guess Joongie: if you ever need anything again, call me Joongie: it was nice meeting you, thank you for everything

You checked the time, the flight was about to leave in less than half an hour. The airport was around fifteen minutes from here.

“You really are hopeless,” Seonghwa sighed but you were in panic mode, ignoring him as you got into your car and drove off like a madwoman, praying to all the gods to please empty the streets for you. Hongjoong likely already turned on airplane mode as he only the Ai voice answered that call couldn’t be forwarded. 

You fought back tears, having been so foolish not just to go and show up at his place again, not even bothered to let him know you lost your damn phone. The fact that Seonghwa had stolen it, was likely to cause something like this. 

Now nothing mattered, when you slipped out of your car, you just grabbed your phone and after a second, you took off your heels, throwing them onto the passenger seat before you were running through the airport, gaining more than one questioning gaze from passengers who barely bothered to get out of your way.

You could not let Hongjoong go, not like this. It was really hard to tell what exactly he was for you, but he was on your mind often and you knew, your heart would regret it if you did not at least find the answer to the question. There was only one flight that matched the destination and it was already boarding.

You were panting and looking around, seeking the gate as you found it. Families, lovers, and friends still stood there, waving to their loved ones as they were about to go, following the guidance of the flight attendants.

There was only one figure that seemed hesitant, styled up not unlike the day you first saw him, a man in his mid-20s who had a style most would envy, pleasant but a little exciting without being too much. He held a small piece of luggage in his hand, the ticket in the other, and was looking out of the window.

“Hongjoong!” you screamed, you didn’t even try to do anything else.

You looked like a mess, your hair wild from running here, the blouse no longer tugged into the jeans and with slim socks mostly turned after chasing here. 

When he turned around, the surprise was written all over his face. 

“I will wait here for you”, you called out. “I am sorry,” you waved with your phone and he seemed to understand because slowly, finally that soft, shy smile spread over his lips. 

“Sir, the flight has to leave, if you wish to board, you need to do so now,” the stewardess announced.

Hongjoong was just looking at you, his grin relaxed and he sighed.

“Ah sorry for the struggles I will have to take one flight later. I forgot something important,” he replied and without hesitation, walked towards you.

a/n: apology to everyone hoping for a different ending, i just had too much fun writing hwa as the guy who really just doesn't care about feelings and enjoys playing with people. then, I'm also a hongjoong bias. he just deserved a bit of luv since hwa in this piece has lots of admirers who gladly will step up 😭

[enharcv]

go big or go home | park jongseong

pairing ‣ roommate!fem reader x roommate!jay ft park seonghwa (ateez!)

genre ‣ fluff but angst a little if you squint

warnings ‣ a LOT of kissing, petnames, skinship, mentions of sex, r rated jokes, mc and jay are big lovesick idiots, light cussing, not proofread

a/n ‣ drum rolls please! and that’s a wrap, this is the final part to the roommate series (hyung line only) thank you thank you so much for showing so much of support it means alot, really! i hope you enjoy this fic, also i apologize big time for the very late delay :( but enjoy! (p.s i wrote this before the album dropped so the title isn’t related to dd’s gbogh HAHHA)

"if you think i'm going on this date then you're wrong mom, now please end the call!" 

you love your mom, you really do but when she thinks getting on your nerves is her new hobby— you actually despise her. 

like right now, at how she's trying to make you attend a blind date when you could be watching a newly released netflix show, all wrapped up in your bed in absolute comfort— and maybe with jay too since he's your movie buddy crush.

"y/n, just this one time okay! i've already set this up, my friend's son will be there in half an hour—"

"mom, i didn't ask for this," you whine, stuffing your face into your pillows with your phone still stuck to your ear. 

"you're getting old y/n, and you still have no boyfriend or anything? how are you going to be on the same level as your cousins!" 

a loud sigh escapes your lips as you get up into a sitting position. you wish she could hear what she just said— she sounded insane.

"i don't get why do you have to compare me to everyone else it's so— you know what?" you pause, defeat taking over you at last. "there's no point in arguing with you so this better be the last time you're setting me up with anyone!" 

"this better be your first and last okay? no more after this because i will not go," 

"y/n my lovely daughter! that's a yes right? of course that's my daughter after all!" you could hear your mom jumping in excitement from the other end, it only made you disappointed and well, annoyed. 

why was she getting so much joy from setting you up with some random guy? the only thing you knew of this guy was the fact he's your mom's friend's son— and nothing else. 

"his name is seonghwa, i'll send you a picture and his contact via text okay dear? tell me how the date goes, bye!" 

with that, she ends the call leaving you in dilemma this time. every time you think your mom couldn't get any worse, she proves you wrong almost too quick for your liking.

as mentioned, she sends you a picture of the guy you're meeting later and it catches you by surprise— in awe actually, he was a lot better than the image you had of him in your mind. 

because holy fuck, did he look like he came out webtoon? 

maybe your date wasn't going to be too bad, you actually got excited about it— and maybe you didn't despise your mom too much this time. 

"y/n!" 

attacking you on your bed was the one and only park jongseong. 

"JAY IT HURTS!" you tap jay's back in pain at how he's sprawled out on top of you but as expected jay doesn't budge. 

"PARK JONGSEONG I’M SERIOUS!" 

this time listening to you, jay gets off and laughs at the sight of you. laying on your bed, squashed by him as you catch your breath. 

"you— you look so funny!" his nose scrunched up he lets out a louder laugh clutching onto his stomach. 

jay seems to be getting on the same page as your mom because how did he come running and jump on top of you and is now currently laughing his ass off, at you being squashed?

scoffing, you kick his ankle earning a loud yell from him and this time you're the one wheezing your ass off at jay whining in pain. 

"DO YOU HAVE A LEG OF A STEEL Y/N? WHAT THE FUCK?"

"you look so funny!" you mock him, chuckling at his stiffened, pissed expression. 

"don't mock me y/n, you'll regret it" jay scoffs in annoyance, sitting up as he leans onto the wall against your bed. 

"or what? you're not all that park,"

jay's lips tug up into a smirk, as he shifts his position as he leans in towards. 

"you think i’m, not all that, y/n?" he asks, getting closer to you. your heartbeat increasing second by second, making you nervous as your palms begin to sweat lightly. 

seconds go by and jay keeps on leaning in, so close that with just one more push his lips would be plastered on your cheeks. 

you should've actually spoken back to him because what he had going on was a trap.

in a heartbeat, your phone is snatched away from your hand along with jay who's now laid down on your bed scrolling on your phone. 

"you prick!"

if it wasn't so obvious already, this guy— is your crush. who also happens to be your roommate and you could say best friend if you chose to be nice. 

to give a little flashback it all started like every other friend to lovers- crush-. you were initially friends with jake, who's also your roomie. one thing led to another and that's how you met jay who's also jake's friend and happened to live with him. 

time skip, you were looking for a place around that time too and jake apparently seemed to have a room vacant in his apartment. taking that as a perfect opportunity, you moved in, and just like that everything just fell into place. 

getting close with jay and the rest despite being the only female in the unit was a given. what wasn't was the expected turn in yours and jay's friendship is what led to you catching a big fat crush on him. 

what could you possibly do when he was solely the reason after all. 

see, you wouldn't say jay's your ideal type but somehow he actually does tick off all the boxes in your case. 

first, his breathtaking visual. it's undeniable that jay is extremely attractive, his blonde hair is just the perfect cherry on top for you. you'd be lying if you said you've never been caught staring at him. 

you're actually wondering how is this man isn't a model or a celebrity, his looks are god-tier and you know it. 

it doesn't help that he also has a very good wide range of knowledge, he's a living encyclopedia you must admit. even though at times he can be the stupidest asshole you've ever met— but park jongseong is a smart guy. the straight A's in his grades and the high GPA score prove it all. 

his personality isn't any less either. a gold personality matching his every other charm is a home-run in fact. jay has a personality that exceeds every mom and girl's standards.  

he's kind at heart, humble despite being wealthy, he's an absolute sweetheart and the list goes on and on. 

you get the gist. 

so what you're trying to convey is that when god gives you park jongseong, the man of every girl's dream— who are you to say no, and how are you able to resist him anyway?

"well i hate to break it to you y/n but i am indeed all that."

yeah, maybe you can resist him now. 

jay has one flaw, and that is— he's too full of himself when he's around you. but you think that just means he's comfortable enough to be playful around you. 

it makes you smile or whatever at times, you must admit so. 

"what's this?" 

"what's what?" you lean in and lay down next to him as your phone screen comes into view as well. 

"oh," 

"who's this?" jay asks, handing you back your phone as he pulls you into his arms, snuggling against you. 

jay's arms were truly one of the best places you can ever be at, it felt like home. it's so natural that when you have a rough day, jay being at the doorstep of your room with his arms wide open for you— it's your only comfort. 

other than netflix of course, you just can't pick between jay and netflix if they were to be compared.

"that's seonghwa, my mum set up another blind date for me, i'll be meeting him later" you sigh, a frown on your face easily making jay's heart break. 

oh how much he hated seeing you sad. 

"go on," he says, running his fingers through your hair softly at a slow pace. 

"i told her to not do that anymore and that this is the last one she'll be setting up because im not going to any of those anymore— and she compared me with my cousins about how im getting old and they all have boyfriends already," you huff in annoyance as the phone call from earlier comes back to your mind. 

jay finds you huffing adorable, though. 

"im still in uni, how am i old? im not even pushing thirty yet, geez!" 

jay lets out a laugh at that, automatically making you smile at the sound of his laughter. 

did you mention how much you liked his laugh? it was so cute and addictive. his laugh can easily make your day. 

"yeah so, i'll go later and i don't know— i hope it works maybe my luck will finally work and i'll actually have a life that doesn't just revolve around school and binge-watching shows," you sigh. 

jay only gives you a small smile before he pauses, "wait no— i hope it doesn't work out," 

for some reason, that sentence seemed to be giving you hope that he might actually like you back and that he's actually stopping you because he's jealous.

"then i can't hang out with you anymore, you're going to be all up your seonghwa guy's ass then, all lovey-dovey!" 

right... he's jay after all. 

"who said so?" you scoff at him, punching his shoulder back lightly. 

"well isn't it obvious, that seonghwa guy is obviously gonna ask me to fuck off— which guy likes his girlfriend hanging out with another guy who isn't himself?" 

he's right, maybe dating seonghwa could be a bad idea because then you would lose jay. 

although at first, it seemed like a good idea to move on from jay at least since the feelings are clearly one-sided as of now— dating seonghwa has its cons after all for you and jay. 

if seonghwa is kind enough— actually it sounds impossible. jay's right, which boyfriend would like to see his girlfriend all up on another guy? 

especially when you and jay aren't even like other friends, you guys— have a way with your friendship. if anyone just saw you and jay at first sight without context they'd assume you both were dating at the way you both act around each other.

like now— what normal guy and girl, friends would be up in each other's arm making their stomach do flips at the slightest touch. 

not majority of course!

"so do you want me to drive you? the subways might be busy later since it's rush hour," jay asks you, breaking you out of your thoughts once again. 

"if you're not busy, then sure," you nod, giving him a smile. 

"im never too busy for you y/n," 

overthinking has to be one of your worst traits. 

and you mean it.

what if seonghwa is at a costly restaurant and you're not dressed for the occasion?

or what it's just a simple, casual dinner at a steak house or something like that and you're overdressed?

"you look just fine, y/n i don’t get why you're overthinking about it," 

you turn to jay who's giving you a frown while eyeing your outfit. 

"what if this is not his style? am i dressed too casually? is it too—"

"y/n!" hands-on your shoulder, jay leans down to your height and sighs at you. "you look fine, really— you look really pretty, i promise.  your blouse is perfect i love the color, your jeans in fine it shows off your ass really nicely too and your hair and makeup came out really well today!" 

just like that, effortlessly park jongseong has a blush creep up your face at the many compliments he gave you. although the ass one almost made you scowl but you didn’t since you were too occupied staring right at him to worry about that. 

"i will resent forever if you're lying, jay,"  you say, a frown tugs the smile off your lips. 

"im not, you're very pretty today babe"

if one thing park jongseong was good at, is that he knows way too well how to flirt. pet names are his special power, he's a master at using it. 

especially on you. 

even a baby from your favorite actor doesn't even have the insane effect that jay's baby has on you. 

"thank you," smiling at jay, you give him a hug in return for him assuring you that you indeed looked nice for the date. 

you were about to move away until jay tightens his grip around, making you confused as to why he isn't letting go. 

"jay? im going to be late, let me go—"

"stay still, don't move," jay says sternly which you obey quickly, saving the questioning for later since he sounded serious instead of his usual playful tone. 

jay eyes the blonde-haired man leave the restaurant that you both were a few walks away from. anger builds up in him when he sees the guy hands intertwined with a girl, big smiles plastered on each other's faces. 

what was he doing when he had a date with you in a few minutes? 

yep! the blonde was indeed, park seonghwa.

jay's anger only adds up when he thinks that the blonde might be two-timing you and the girl. just the thought of it is enough to make his heart break at the sight of you being absolutely devastated when you see seonghwa like that, with another woman. 

but then again, jay could be wrong. maybe that was his best friend? sister? cousin? but the gaze they held for each other was way too— intense to be simply stated as nothing. and jay knew that a little too well of course. 

he knows that gaze, he gives that gaze. if anything, any sane person would immediately know how jay looks at you, in two large hearts. 

jay looks at you in heart eyes. 

"jay?" 

you break him out of thoughts, immediately focusing his focus on the two pairs. 

jay's latter suspicion is solved when he sees seonghwa lean in and kiss the girl. his mouth falls agape at the scene while his blood boils. 

he’s a certified jerk now to jay.

but in reality, park jongseong was no different from park seonghwa. maybe the only difference between them is that seonghwa is already in a relationship, while jay on the other hand is in a very complicated friendship with you. 

if it wasn't so obvious already, you— y/n y/l/n is the absolute love of his life. ever since the moment, he laid his eyes on you, jay knew you were exactly the one his heart yearned for. 

in other words, jay guesses he can call it love at first sight. 

what could he possibly do when you're solely the reason after all. 

jay thinks you're exactly his ideal type and it's even better that you tick off all the boxes in his case. 

first, your pretty looks. it's undeniable that you're extremely attractive, your lovely smile is the perfect cherry on top for him. he'd be lying if he said he's never been caught staring at you. 

he actually wonders how you are single despite being every guy's dream girl, according to him. but jay also thanks every deity out there that you have bad luck with men cause then he wouldn’t have too much competition.

it doesn't help that you also have the heart of gold. jay at times wonders where are your wings since you're an angel sent from heaven at how kind perfect you are. 

once again, it’s what he says so.

your personality isn't any less either. you have the perfect and exact humor as him, he thinks that’s definitely a green flag. you're open-minded and he loves how you're humble and an absolute sweetheart. 

the times you're a stubborn brat with an attitude is an exception jay thinks so.

however despite that, jay can compliment you all day long no matter how long it takes ‘cause that's how amazing you are from his point of view. the list literally goes on and on, with all the compliments he knows in that encyclopedia brain of his, he can list it all out that describes you. 

which is only the good ones of course!

"park jongseong! are we just going to stand in the middle of the mall hugging?" you push him off yourself, huffing at his dazed state.

you wonder what he saw had him knocked out like that. 

just as you were about to turn around, jay immediately holds your hand, stopping you in place. 

"uh— y/n i think you should just take a rain check on this date!" jay says, chuckling nervously as he pulls you back next to him, with your back facing seonghwa and his girlfriend? so you don't see them. 

"what, why? seonghwa would be waiting for me," 

"no he isn't," you narrow your eyes at him as jay scoffs, "well, he looks like a loser anyway i don't think he'll even treat you well— let's just hang out since we're at the mall anyway," jay says, dragging you away from the two in a distance. 

"you're cannot be serious right now, is it because of my outfit?" you ask, frowning which immediately worries jay. 

"what? no! it's just- y/n, you said you're sick of this blind date thing," jay says, still trying to convince you. 

"yeah but seonghwa's the last one so why don't i just get it done with?" 

"uhm bad idea?" 

"what do you mean bad idea?"

"ahhhhhh y/n, just don't go— you can just tell your mom he came up with something and didn't come or something," 

"why are you so adamant about me not going to this date, you were okay with it minutes ago!"

"yeah but that jerk— ah, you know what," jay scoffs, having enough with arguing with you. 

"if you flunk this date, i'll do all your chores for you for a month straight," he says with a loud sigh as regret immediately takes over him when you stare at him in disbelief. 

you're silent for a moment, contemplating whether to take a rain check on seonghwa. who you probably will never see again or to take up your once in a lifetime offer where jay would do all your chores for a month straight. 

both of it had it's pros and cons. but you're a smart lady, so you pick your choice. 

"i don't know what seonghwa has on you but fine, i won't go on that date," 

jay's lips automatically grow into a smile, so big that it has him giggling like an idiot. jay squeezes your cheeks making you whine in pain. 

"that hurts!" you slap his hand away, soothing the burning sensation on your cheeks with a glare at him. 

"sorry," he apologizes and gives you a small smile immediately warming up your heart. all the things park jongseong does to you, oh lord. 

"you look cute though," jay says, placing his palm onto the back of your hand which was still on your cheek. "you look like you're blushing," well if that didn't make your face grow even redder.

you push his hands off and walk away in embarrassment, avoiding him so he doesn't see you all flustered. 

it doesn't go unnoticed by jay, of course, he definitely felt your face radiating heat and how your face flushed like insane when he said that. 

and, he knows— the effect he has on you. 

you think you shouldn't have trusted jay when you're forcefully lined up, ready to go into the pitch-black arena where the only source of light was the flashing neon lights on your vest and shoulders. 

when jay said to hang out you only thought he meant something like window shopping and dinner. but jay being the little shit he is, according to you— he ended meaning hanging out as in going to a laser tag and dinner. 

you weren't completely against the idea but the fact jay was so adamant on it only made you partially annoyed. 

and also, you think you're overdressed for the tag game, although jay convinced you that you weren't overdressed, you still had second thoughts. 

who shows up in a ruffled blouse to a damn laser tag game, not the majority of course!

the alarm goes off and your teammates rush into the arena, into complete darkness with the gun in their hands, including you. 

you walk at a pretty decent pace, in full caution— fully alarmed and careful in case the other team decides to jump out of nowhere and shoot you. 

a few minutes go by and no one is in sight, except for one of your team members who was announced out. you're starting to think maybe the only safe option if that you go find a hidden spot at the corner of the arena where no one can find you until the game ends. 

smart! 

deciding to go with that if you wanted to win, you start moving in the darkness towards the corner of the arena while keeping an eye out for the other team. 

“player B03, OUT”

"fuck, another one? we're definitely losing!" you hiss to yourself, while you make your way to the corner. it was taking way too damn long to your liking. 

you think maybe you should just run for it since you spot no one around. at this rate, the only thing on your mind was to protect yourself and win. 

your mission is short-lived when a hand pulls you from the darkness making you yelp, your voice loudly echoing through the silent arena. 

"keep it down princess, you don't want to lose do you?" 

"jay?" adjusting your eyes to the low light in the darkness enough for you to make out jay's figure, which was trapping you between a wall. 

"shh," he whispers, leaning in closer to you as he hears footsteps go by and off into a distance that's safe enough for you to speak without being caught. 

he looks around making sure his teammate is clear off the coast before he turns back to you. 

"you're still in the game, i thought you lost," jay says, mocking you, his hot breath fanning your skin lightly at the very close space between you both. 

"you sound so confident with it, well too bad i haven't" you smirk up at him with the snarky reply. 

jay only laughs lightly before his lips tug into a smirk as well, "i don't think you would've lasted if i didn't save you just now," 

... he was right. 

but you had other plans, you weren't going to let jay win this over you. sudden competitiveness takes over you when your finger slides into the trigger, ready to pull it and eliminate jay when he's about to speak again. 

however jay's a smart guy,  he knows you're about to make that exact move so he decides to pull something even more— amusing. 

jay closes the gap between you both as his lips capture yours, catching you by surprise that your grip on your gun loses almost immediately and falls to the ground. 

in a heartbeat, you kiss him back without hesitation. your heart is beating against your chest at a rapid pace but that couldn't be your main concern when jay's is kissing you like there's no other worry in the world. 

you wrap your arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. jay holds his gun on one hand while the other snakes around your waist and gives a little press on it which you gasp at. he takes that opportunity to insert his tongue in (where you don't find yourself stopping him)— instead, your tongue dances against his as you two make out in the darkness. 

a few seconds go by and you both finally pull away, catching your breath, forehead leaning against each other. 

and this was a first. 

you both did do skinship, in fact, a lot— holding hands, lingering touches etc was not familiar to you both. but the limit you both was simply no direct kissing and sex.

although you both were legal and healthy where you both could just have a thing or be friends with benefits— you both had an obstacle that can potentially ruin the friendship you both had. 

your feelings.

even if you both did chose to be friends with benefits, at some point your feelings would catch on and ruin it all. 

and the thing you both fear is rejection and losing each other. 

so you both decide to play it, safe. better safe than sorry jay thinks and so do you. 

but when this unexpected kiss takes place, you're both a big question mark, wondering what's going to happen now?

before you could speak up about it, the alarm goes off reminding the players there are only three minutes left before the game ends.

you take this as the chance to sprint off without a word, so you push jay away and pick up your gun, immediately running off but jay stops you. 

"y/n," 

you stop in your tracks, turning around to see him. he stares at you for a moment—

“player B02, OUT”

"JAY!" you gasp, when he pulls his gun and shoots you in swift with a smirk on his face which turns into a laugh when you frown in sadness as to loosing.

the game ends after a while, half of the players with big smiles on their faces since they won and the other half with a smile as well congratulating the winners but with a heavy heart since they lost. 

jay's big ear-to-ear grin doesn't leave his face when he leaves the game arena with a free voucher at fast food restaurant for winning. he approaches you as you wait by the entrance for him.

"here," jay says, handing you the voucher which you shove away.

"it doesn't make up for the fact that you cheated!" you scoff and walk off. jay catches up with you, laughing at your sulking state. 

"i didn't cheat, you just didn't focus," jay shrugs making you stop and turn to him with a glare. 

"right you expect me to focus after you kiss me like there's no tomorrow back there, jay" 

jay pauses, a blush creeps up into his face when the kiss from a while ago comes back into his mind. 

if he was going to be honest, that was probably the best kiss he's ever had and he's glad it's with you. 

"are we gonna talk about that kiss or n—"

"oh my god that looks fun, let's go there!" gripping onto your arm, he drags you into the photobooth that seemingly caught his eye.

whining at how he ignored your question, jay shoves you into the booth and gets occupied by the machine as he closes the small curtain. 

"jay, the kiss!" you grunt at him, begging for his attention so you guys can talk about the kiss and what were you both now that happened.

"what? you want another kiss?" he asks and raises his eyebrow leaving you absolutely speechless. 

WHY ISN'T HE FREAKING OUT? HOW IS HE SO CHILL ABOUT KISSING?

freaking out in your head wasn’t doing you any justice either because jay snickers at your reaction when you don’t reply and diverts his attention back to the machine, tapping away at whatever buttons to get the picture. 

"okay, here we go! y/n cheese!" jay says, and leans back next to you. 

the timer goes off on the big screen with lightning adjusted to his liking. 

'3'

'2'

'1'

"i like you,"

click! the first picture gets taken!

jay turns to you in absolute shock, staring at you with his jaw dropped to the floor.

'3'

'2'

'1'

"what?"  

click! the second picture gets taken!

jay asks, not blinking once as he awaits your answer.

'3'

'2'

'1'

"i said i like you, asshole" 

click!  and the last picture gets taken!

you sigh at jay's dazed state, knowing you just fucked up the remaining left crumbs of your friendship. putting your head in your hands, you whine. 

"forget what i said," and with a sigh, you get up to leave but jay stops you. 

"i like you too," jay says making you turn around in a heartbeat, eyes boring into his as your mouth falls agape as well. 

"what?" 

"gosh, we're both the stupidest fucking people ever aren't we?" jay chuckles, pulling your hand to sit back next to him. 

"i thought you knew i liked you!" you say.

"and i thought the same too, i was literally so obvious about it!" jay says, burning up in embarrassment.

"i was so obvious about it, you're the one who was so oblivious jay," you scoff, the conversation turning into a debate now. 

as expected, it's the both of you anyway. 

"oblivious? me? hey, you're the one who was so blind to all the moves i made on you!" 

"how would i know that? aren't you like this with everyone else too?" 

jay pauses, realizing that hit home a little too much. 

"well you're not exactly wrong but— it's your turn to hear it now y/n" 

"what the fuck?" you scoff at him, nudging his shoulder in disbelief. 

"just kidding, babe” he giggles and gives you the most endearing smile. "you're the only one i do all that with, and you'll only be the one i'll be doing that to,"

your stomach does flips, butterflies start to have a field day in there— jay really makes you feel like you're on cloud nine. 

"this may be the most ridiculous time to do it, nevertheless i think delaying it would end up in me losing you," jay starts, placing his hand on top of yours. 

"we both may be the most oblivious and stupidest people on earth, so stupid that it really took us this long to figure out this isn’t one-sided and confess— and well, i don't think i care ‘cause as long it's you im the stupidest with, im totally fine with that reputation," jay chuckles which makes you laugh as well. 

he really had a way with his humor although that was cringy, and hearing it from jay was totally sappy. but in the end, the effort is what counts.

"i hope you know that sounds so sappy," you laugh earning a wide smile from him. 

"miss y/n, im having a moment, confessing to my crush— now if you please, let me continue?" jay says, and you nod, the giggles leaving you were unstoppable. 

"right so where was i at?"

"being fucking stupid, with me" 

"oh yeah," he laughs before continuing. "nevermind i'll just skip the sappy part it's too long although i had this all memorized just for this moment,"

"no way,” you gasp. “you have a whole vow planned when you would confess to me?" 

"you're literally the love of my life y/n," 

"okay okay, i'll shut up" 

you both erupt in laughter as the atmosphere in the booth only gets, even more, hotter and the thick atmosphere of love in the air.

"so, y/n— i promise to treat you beyond the way you wish to be treated, in a good way of course. no one else can make me feel this way, except you only. i would drop the l word too, but i don't want to rush things— i feel so in love and on cloud nine whenever im you, i love that so much that the only place i only always want to go back to is between your legs," 

"JAY?"

"i was kidding, i was kidding," jay chuckles at your shocked expression. "i don't mind being between your legs, but your arms win my heart the best. your hugs are best if you don't know, y/n" 

"i thought you said you were going to skip the sappy part, not that i'm complaining though" you say, "it's rare to hear you complimenting me this much in one go,"

jay laughs, his smile growing even wider. 

"that won't be a problem any more love, you'll be getting unlimited of those from now," he says, grinning at you. 

"ahhh you're making me feel so— hey, stop it before i start sweating," you say, fanning your face lightly. 

"glad to know i make you feel like that," he says, "right so, here comes to the important part," 

you nod, anticipating the grand question. your heart beating against your chest, your smile growing ear to ear, your stomach doing flips. 

jay musters up all of the courage in him to finally ask you the question, his mind going back as he brings himself to speak.

go big or go home, right? jay thinks.

"with all of that, would you like to be my girlfriend? but before you answer— you know damn well i'm not taking any other answer except for yes or.... yes,"

"or is my answer," you say, laughing out loud along with jay. 

"HEY! I'M BEING SERIOUS!" 

"okay fine!" the laughter dies down as soon as you look at him, without any expression making jay nervous. 

yep, now it was hitting him— the nervousness. 

although you saying no was almost very low now, he couldn't help but be afraid of rejection again. 

"my answer is a yes," you say. 

jay's excitement flies through the roof as he pulls you into a hug, with no hesitation. you wrap your arms around him, returning the hug as you giggle into his chest. 

"fuck tell me this isn't a dream, i'll cry if it's a drea—"

you lean up and press a chaste kiss onto his lips, shutting him up immediately. 

you giggle at his state and press another kiss on his right cheek this time— his left cheek, his forehead, and his lips again. 

park jongseong is now a very very flustered, blushing mess. 

"you're look like a tomato, a cute one" 

"one more kiss i swear i'll be swayed to the peak and i will not recover from being a simp," jay says finally, breathless and the smile breaking out on his face proved it all. 

"just say you want me to kiss you," with that, you wrap your arms around his neck and pull him in into a proper kiss. 

jay smiles into the kiss, deepening it by pushing your head closer. 

despite the kiss being shorter this time, you were both still a big blushing mess and breathless by the time you both pull away. 

"one more?" 

"we just kissed!"

"y/n, i mean the picture" 

"oh," 

jay laughs at you, and pats your head softly. 

"if you want to.. then i won't decline your generous offer," 

rolling your eyes, you push him towards the machine. jay taps away on the machine again, pressing buttons for the picture. 

"alright here we go!" 

the timer goes off and jay pulls you closer by your waist with his arm around it. 

'3'

'2'

'1'

you both shoot up a peace sign, with two bright smiles as the flash goes off. 

click! the first picture gets taken!

"babe, come here," jay says, squeezing both of your faces next to each other as a laugh erupts between you two. 

'3'

'2'

'1'

two big smiles and laughs filled up the booth again as the flash went off again. 

click! the second picture gets taken!

"last one," you say, with your peace sign up again but is stopped by jay

'3'

'2'

'1' 

"hey, girlfriend!" turning to him, he connects his lips with yours as the flash goes for the last time. 

click! the final picture gets taken!

"you did well," jay says, smiling at you as he pulls away from you, leaving you into another blushing mess for the hundredth time tonight. 

jay takes the two photostrip from the box, one from earlier and another from just now. he wheezes at the first photostrip as you lean in to catch a glimpse as well. 

"you look so shocked, oh my god" you laugh, a whine coming from jay in embarrassment. 

"hey! don't make fun of me, you literally dropped a bomb on me!" 

for the first strip, the first picture is jay staring at you in shock as you just sit next to him with a frown, the second is the both of you just looking at each other in confusion while the last one was you staring at jay in shock while jay looks at you with a small smile.

the second strip, in the first picture you're both holding up a peace sign, the second one is both of you with your faces squished up next each others and the third one is you both kissing. 

"you look cute..... baby" you grin up at him, with the pet name you're using on him for the first time. 

"god, the things to do to me," jay falls back into the seat, with his hand clutching onto his chest earning a laugh from you at how dramatic he's being. 

"we should go, we've been here for too long" you say, gasping when you realise you both have practically camped in the booth. 

"holy shit, yes— wait, let me pay first," jay says, taking out his wallet. "head out first, I'll be with you soon," 

obeying him, you nod and exit the booth. cold air hits on you making a chill run down your spine.

the booth really was that heated huh?

smiling to yourself, you fish out your phone to check on your texts. 

wait, seonghwa..

you completely forgot about him until you saw his notification. clicking on the notification, you only sigh in relief.

good thing you didn't go anyway.

seonghwa 

hey uhm, i can't make it today so don't bother coming. 

your fingers move to type in but a little something else catches your attention— the familiar face in the crowd with a girl in his arms. 

"that jerk," you gasp staring at seonghwa and a girl laughing as they walk past a store from a distance. 

good thing you listened to jay and stood up on him. 

remembering about seonghwa, you're also reminded of the motive your mom even set that date up for. tapping on your phone again, you click on your mom's contact. 

taking a picture of the photostrip, you send it to your mom with the wide smile on your face.

mom 

you : thanks to seonghwa being a jerk, i got a boyfriend now so you don't have to worry anymore! 

[sent 1 attachment]

"sorry, the machine was acting up" jay approaches you, his arm wrapping around your shoulder oh so naturally. "must've been because my lucky pretty girlfriend wasn't with me," 

"you're so dramatic," you laugh, leaning into him. 

"whatever you say, babe” he says in a singing tone, “now let’s get that dinner!”

maybe for once, your mom's new hobby which's getting on your nerves didn't give off too much harm after all— and maybe missing out on your netflix show was worth it after all too.

now that you got the guy you've always wanted, vice versa for jay as well. stopping you on that date with seonghwa benefited two things for him. 

you didn't face a heartbreak

he's went big instead of going home that night.

read the rest of the series! : sunghoon (1), sunghoon (2), jake, heesung

[xtinyaurora]

Hii ˚‧*♡ॢ˃̶̤̀◡˂̶̤́♡ॢ*‧˚ Can you please do a Ateez reaction When s/o have a weakness for his black hair: (as if you get more nervous with them, you blush more, you stutter when talking to him or you will look at him more) please? Thank you 💖🥺

Ateez reaction: Y/N has a weakness for their black hair

————————————————————————

➼ requested?: yes

➼ genre: fluff

➼ pairing: Ateez x neutral!reader

➼ Word-count: 1,4k+

➼ Warnings: None? Maybe use of pet names and mentions of being hot / sexy, Y/N is really flustered

➼ Note: This is not based on their real behavior or meant to represent real life. This is simply a fan fiction and is only for the purposes of fun, it’s a hobby. Read at your own risk.

➼ A/N note: Sorry for taking so long to upload this. I am a bit stressed out these days, because I am in my exam phase right now. :( Hope you like it tho.

————————————————————————

Park Seonghwa

Your boyfriend was currently cleaning the dorm, you silently watching him from the couch. Of course you offered him some help, but he told you that he’s as good as finished, so there you sat, staring at him for over ten minutes now. To be more specific, you were staring at his freshly dyed hair. The black color made him look more sexy, making you flustered. You didn’t realize that you had your mouth wide open, until your boyfriend chuckled lightly saying „Baby, close your mouth before a fly gets in.” You immediately closed it and started blushing, making the hot male laugh a bit louder. Since it was the exact time he finished his cleaning, he made his way towards you, sitting on the couch and taking you into his arms. „I'm exhausted.“ you still starred at him, not realizing what you were saying „And sexy.” Seonghwa looked at you amused. „Oh, really?” That’s when realization hit you, making you blush even harder then before. Seonghwa of course enjoyed your current state, laughing yet again and kissing your forehead. „You’re cute when you get shy, I should keep this hair color for a bit longer.”

Kim Hongjoong

„A-and then we came b-back here.” You stuttered out, Hongjoong grinning at you. „Uhu. That’s nice, baby.” You gulped, looking at the floor. You knew that you’re as red as a tomato, your cheeks heating up with every passing second. Your boyfriend just looked too good to be true. Not only his outfit was stunning today, but his new hair color. You just loved how he could pull off anything and not only looking incredibly handsome but hot at the same time. „Yea... How about you, Joong. How was your day?” You asked, still looking at the floor. „Oh it was pretty cool, I went out with Yunho. We went to the cafe down the street and I got my hair dyed right after. Do you like it?” You only nodded, answering his question. „Really? How much do you like it?” You looked up, realizing what he was trying to do. „A lot.” He started smiling. „I'm glad that you like it.”

Jeong Yunho

Sweat dripped from his forehead, while he was dancing to the loud music. Since Ateez had a comeback, they all kept practicing all night and day. Your boyfriend dyed his hair back to black this time, making it hard for you to take your eyes off of the tall and handsome male. Of course he noticed how you immediately looked away when he was trying to make eye contact with you or how you stared blushing when he stroke his hand through his hair, pushing it back. God, you loved that look. He knew and he liked it. He stared to smirk to himself, planning what he could do next to get you even more flustered. „Baby, could you hand me my water, please?” said your boyfriend, you immediately getting up and handing it over. „Thank you, can I get a kiss now?” You eyes went wide but of course you did what he asked for, placing a tiny kiss on his soft lips. You wanted to go back to sit on the floor again but Yunho pulled you against his chest, half smiling and half smirking at you. „What’s up my tiny tomato, do you like my new hair color that much?” You got even more embarrassed by that and buried your face into his chest, making him laugh out loudly.

Kang Yeosang

Yeosang was finally the new MC for the music shows. You were more than happy for him, visiting him to support him. You arrived a bit later than planned because of the traffic, so Yeosang was already on stage, doing his job. When you looked at him, standing in the crowd area, you almost got a heart attack. You didn’t know that Yeosang had dyed his hair. The black color really suited him. You were so amazed that you stared at him, mouth a gap, eyes wide open. When Yeosang made eye contact with you and saw your reaction, he couldn’t hold back and stated chuckling a bit but quickly stopped since there where cameras filming him. He tried to focus, but with your flustered state, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. The others noticed how he started smiling like an idiot, constantly paying his attention to you rather than the cameras. One of the MCs low key addressed him, so Yeosang put back his stoic face, only smiling once in a while. The young boy was going to explode in any minute, not able to cope with your cuteness.

Choi San

„Annnd? Do you like it?” did your boyfriend ask you with a smirk in his face, winking at you. You silently nodded your head, looking at the ground. „Hey, look at me! My face is up here.” did he laugh out, hands touching your cheeks to pull your head up. A smile was now plastered on his face, fingers brushing across your light pink face. „What’s wrong, baby? Why so shy suddenly?” „Can you please stop teasing me? I'm getting even more embarrassed for drooling over a new hair color than just the fact that your way too close to me.” But what can you do, he just looks so good. Sans face lit up even more, his smile getting brighter. „Oh, come on! Don’t tell me you don’t like me being so close to you. I'm your boyfriend! I can be as close as I want to, bunny. And now give me a kiss and show me how much you like my new hair.”

Song Mingi

At first, you thought you would be the flustered one, but after complimenting your boyfriend, he started blushing and giggling. „Thank you, Cupcake. I'm glad that your like it.” You smiled back, reaching out to give him a hug. When you let go, to continue eating the sweets Mingi bought for you two, you noticed how his face started to get red. You immediately started laughing, him hiding his face behind his hands. „What’s wrong, Mingi-ah? Why so shy suddenly?” „I am totally fine! I-I just... I just didn’t excepted you to hug me, that’s all.” You started laughing harder. „What are you talking about, you usually don’t blush when I hug you.” He just shrugged his shoulders, avoiding eye contact with you. You stopped laughing, taking his face into your hands, turning it so he could look at you. „Mingi, you can tell me. What’s wrong?” He let out a sigh. „Do you think Atinys will like it? Like, will they think that I am hot?” Again, a bright smile creeped on your face. He is so adorable. „I am sure they will love it, my dorky baby.”

Jung Wooyoung

„I look hot, don’t I?” said the boy, wiggling his eyebrows. You just rolled your eyes and turned around, trying to hide your blushing face. „Hey! I am talking to you, tomato. Tell me that I look good!” He grabbed your shoulder, turning you around. „Can you leave me alone? You know that I think that you look good, so stop annoying me and let me live my life in peace.” He started grinning. „Of course I know that, but I want to hear it in a full sentence, with no stuttering or looking on the ground. Come on.” You rolled your eyes again. „Agh! Okay, fine. Wooyoung, you look soooo good with black hair! No one would ever be able to look better than you, no matter what color you dye it. You are just too perfect!” You let out a long sigh, cringing a bit from your use of voice. „Are you happy now?” The boy still had a smirk on his face, looking happy, yet satisfied. „More than happy! Thank you, butter cheeks.”

Choi Jongho

The boy couldn’t stop smiling. Your were trying to form a halfway understandable sentence for the past five minutes now. Let’s just say that you did more than fail. „Baby, if you want I can hang up so you can clam down a bit.” Laughed Jongho. „No! I... Uhm... I... want to look at you for a bit more.” Now a light smirk formed on his lips. „Oh? Okay then. But... can you talk to me probably at least? I have to go to bed in a bit, tomorrow will be a tough day.” You blushed while nodding your head. „Sorry.” He now let out a bright chuckle, shaking his head. „You don’t have to be sorry, bumpkin. It’s cute how you get all shy just because of my hair. I am glad that you like it.” Now you were the one smiling at him, not realizing that you were staring at him again. „Ah! If you want you can take a screenshot, so you can stare at me again, after we hang up. Or I can send you some pictures?” Annnd you stared blushing again.

[fivestar-outlaw]

New Horizons (Park Seonghwa) (Ch. 2)

Chapter 2: Wishes

Pairing: Park Seonghwa x Fem!Reader

Words: 3.2K+

Warning(s): Mentions of rude customers, MC is stressed(tm), use of time jumps

A/N: Chapter 2 is here! I hope you guys enjoy it. I think its my favorite of the four <3 Not much else to say other than tadaaa and thank you for the love for the first chapter.

Reader is implied to be living in the US bc uh TIMEZONES ARE FUCKY and i didnt realize how reliant i was on mine (PST) when looking up KST

Summary: Attempting an all-nighter while playing Animal Crossing alongside your bias, you didn't expect your turnip prices to be such a high amount... nor did you expect Park Seonghwa to actually accept your offer to sell his turnips on your island.

Series Masterlist | Navigation

You got out of your last class for the day in the afternoon and ready to get your shift done at the bookstore next. It was a warm Thursday but you were glad it was slowly starting to cool off. Shifting your bag your shoulder you pull out your phone and see you got a message while in class. You smile and press the kakaotalk app. Seonghwa had sent you a message.

'Good afternoon for you, (Y/N). I just woke up. I hope classes have been well.' Followed by a cute emote of a cat yawning in bed.

After inviting Seonghwa to your island to sell turnips and take Marshal, you two began playing together. This was initiated by him, saying that he wanted more Animal Crossing friends. You and him swapped gifts for a few days in the game when he asked if you'd like to message through kakaotalk and here you both were now. At first most of your conversations pertained to Animal Crossing but gradually it shifted to you two learning about each other and talking.

And not just over text either.

When Seonghwa learned you were learning Korean he offered to help you out with verbal conversations if you helped him with English. At first you wanted to decline since you knew he would be busy and the time zones would make it difficult. He talked you into it, however, saying on the weekend when he has a shorter practice day and on your Friday nights when you could stay up layer you'd both video chat to show the progress you've both made for the week. Though, soon that would lead to sporadic video chats when either of you had free time.

'Good morning to you. I just got done with classes and I'll be heading to work in an hour. :)'

You replied and a few moments later he responded.

'Want to have a quick video call before I need to leave for practice?'

'Sure, let me find a spot to sit at.' You quickly found a small picnic table in the shade under a tree and put in your earphones. You hit the video call button and wait for him to pick up.

The screen shifted and you see his face. He seems to be at his deak with his phone set up to perfectly capture his face. You could faintly hear his Animal Crossing game in the background. You couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Hey, Seonghwa. How did you sleep?" You greeted.

"Hello, (Y/N). I slept good." He smiled. "Were classes good today?"

"A bit boring. We just did lectures today and got a good chunk of reading to do for homework. Did you have breakfast yet?"

"I grabbed something small." You watch as he reaches over off screen and he holds up a bowl of cereal in one hand and an apple in the other. "I'll pick up more food when we get to the building." He lightly chuckled.

"Ah, yeah. I was running behind so I didn't have much to eat this morning." You saw him give you a playful scold. "But I'll be sure to pick up something at the café by my job. I have some left overs from last night that my roommate made for us that I am looking forward to after my shift."

"Oh, Redd is at my island and the real artwork is one I already have, the beautiful statue, do you want it?"

"That would be great, Seonghwa. I am missing that one. Man, it seems like Redd really likes visiting your island. He rarely ever comes to mine."

"Well, you've been having the better turnip-"

"Hyung!" Three loud, distinctive voices cut him off and soon you're seeing San, Mingi, and Wooyoung bust in behind him. Seonghwa was clearly flustered as he stared at you then looked back at the three men in his room.

You haven't gotten to speak to the other Ateez members before, nor were you ever begging or asking to. You'd let your friend decide when you'd be introduced to them. Seonghwa frequently mentioned the antics Ateez gets up to and he's mentioned that he has brought you up to them before. You were curious to see how this video call would go.

"Is that (Y/N)?" You see Mingi bend down into frame, looking at the phone. Wooyoung and San crowd around the elder male, who's ears were turning red.

"She is pretty, hyung." Your faces flushes with warmth when you hear Wooyoung not so quietly say. You smile though when you hear his words.

"It's nice to meet you finally. Seonghwa-hyung is always talking about you." San smiled brightly next to a mortified looking Seonghwa.

You chuckle, "It's nice to meet you three too! I hope you've heard all good things."

"Only good things. Hyung never shuts up about you." Wooyoung said playfully, rolling his eyes.

"Want to swap KaTalks?" Mingi asked while already pulling his phone out. San and Wooyoung quickly follow suit.

"Hey-!" Seonghwa tried to speak but the youngest in the room cut him off.

"We want to talk to and get to know (Y/N) too, hyung. And she can help us with our English. Right, (Y/N)?" Woo smiled at you and you can see a hint of mischievousness in his expression.

"Will the schedule Seonghwa and I have for those work for-"

"Yes, it would." San interrupts. "So KaTalk?"

You simply chuckle and immediately exchange numbers with them. You start to see notifications pop up on your screen of them texting you their names and emotes as well.

"Let's be friends." Mingi excitedly said with San nodding along.

"I look forward to talking to you guys."

"I look forward to talking to hyung's pretty friend-"

"Okay, out you three." Seonghwa cut Woo off and glared at the three of them as he stood up from his chair. You watch him shoo San, Wooyoung, and Mingi away, who were all very vocal in wanting to stay in his room and talk to you. You heard the door close loudly and then see Seonghwa sit back down in front of his phone. His ears, cheeks, and the sides of his neck were blushing.

"They seem fun." You tease.

"Try living with them. I'd never get peace if Woo was living in the dorm too." He rolled his eyes but still kept a soft expression. "I do love them despite the teasing."

"So you talk about me to them?"

"W-well, yeah. I consider you a friend and all-"

"Seonghwa!" Suddenly you heard Hongjoong's voice in the call. "Woo told us you were speaking to your game friend!"

You see Hongjoong and Yeosang flank Seonghwa and kneel on the ground while Jongho and Yuhno stand behind them, leaning down a bit to be in frame. The eldest male looked so embarrassed as they started to greet you and asking you to exchange numbers, making sure to tell you how much Hwa has mentioned you.

----------

It was late one Friday evening as you got home from work. You were feeling especially exhausted from dealing with rude customers and from staying up late the night before getting homework done. Your professors must be collaborating to make your homework levels as stressful as possible with all the assignments on top of the readings and the studying for finals next week.

And you swear customers must have planned to be the worst this week with their rudeness or staying in the store way past closing. Today alone you had a lady almost hit you with a book she tossed directed at your head and had a group of teens stay an hour past closing trying to see if they could stay in the store over night.

It hasn't been a good week. You've been so tired and drained, you've hardly been able to really communicate with Seonghwa or the rest of Ateez at all.

You slowly trudged to your room, saying hello and goodnight to your roommate on the way there. You wanted nothing more than to get into comfier clothes and sleep, but you knew your mind was too stressed to fall asleep immediately. Maybe some catching up on youtube or some Animal Crossing will help.

You close your room door and immediately toss your bag in the corner. You quickly grab some clothes to relax in before peeling off the outfit you'd been wearing all day. Almost instantly you felt some of the tension leave your body. You let out a sigh and roll your neck, stretching your limbs in hopes it'll help.

Your phone started ringing.

You look at the screen and see that it was Wooyoung wanting to video call.

Despite it two months since you got to officially meet the rest of Ateez, you were close with all the boys. Though, outside of Seonghwa, you talked with Wooyoung and San the most. Both were very sweet with you and you appreciated them and Seonghwa in integrating you into their friend group with ease.

You go and sit down at your desk and press answer, but didn't turn your camera on. You see Woo and San. They seemed to be outside somewhere, snacking on something. Both smiled.

"Ah, turn on your camera. We haven't seen or heard from you all week." Woo pouted. You really didn't want them to see how haggard you look, but you've come to learn you couldn't say no to him.

"Fine." You say, dragging out the word. You tap the button and see you are now on camera. Bother either could speak you sigh, "I know, I look like a mess. I just got home ten minutes ago."

"Weren't you supposed to get off an hour ago?" San's brows scrunch in concern.

"You look really tired, (Y/N). Are you taking care of yourself?" Woo's voice was gentle. "Have you eaten yet?"

"It's...been a hard week." You bite your bottom lip, feeling tears sting your eyes. "Just a lot of school work and then bullshit from customers. I'm just happy its the weekend tomorrow for me."

"Do you want to cancel the language catch-up lessons?" You felt your heart drop at Sannie's question. "Practice ended a few minutes ago, we just wanted a moment on the roof the relax. After we are done up here we are going back to the dorms soon, we can let the others know for you if that's the case."

"I'm sorry guys. I completely forgot." You couldn't help prevent the tears from finally spilling over.

"No, (Y/N), don't cry." Woo coos. You hastily wipe the tears and make sure to take steady, deep breaths.

"Don't worry about today, yeah? It's okay, we understand." San's kindness and his smile made you feel a little better. "The others will understand."

"Thank you both." You shakily say with a wet smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cry-"

"Don't apologize for that." Wooyoung tsk'd. "I wish we were there, I would be giving you a big hug right now."

"Me too, (Y/N)." Sannie spoke, his tone and face exuding sweetness.

"I wish you all were here too."

"Now go eat something. We'll let the others know about tonight." The younger male smiled.

"And we won't tell everyone the details either. Just that it was a tiring week for you." San assures. "Take care of yourself, (Y/N), and remember all of us are here for you."

"You both take care too. Thank you again."

They both smile and wave. The call ended and you let out a soft sigh, feeling a little better. You sit at your desk a little longer just to further decompress from the day. You were mindlessly scrolling on social media for a bit, letting your brain shut off.

---

Wooyoung and San returned to the dance studio a few minutes after their call with you ended. When they walked through the door they saw the others lounging around on the ground, some looking at their phones while others chatted.

"Woo and Sannie are back!" Mingi grinned and got up from the floor. "Now we can head home and talk to (Y/N)."

The two glanced at each other and then back at the others, who were getting up and grabbing their things to leave.

"We actually talked to (Y/N) while we were up on the roof." Wooyoung started. Seonghwa perked up when he heard they spoke with you. He and the others haven't heard much from you this week, which had them a bit worried.

"Is she alright?" The eldest couldn't help but ask, stepping closer to them. Everyone else looked at each other with knowing looks at his concern.

"She can't do the usual language lessons today. She told us she hasn't had a good week so we suggested she just rest tonight." San said. Everyone pulled out their phones and sent various supportive messages to the group chat you were in.

"That's too bad. I hope she is fine." Hongjoong crooned.

"She will be. Like we said, it was just a rough week." Woo nodded, his lips quirked up in a smile. "She needs rest."

"Let's get back to the dorms then." Hongjoong clapped his hands together.

Everyone let out several spunds of acknowledgment and started making their way out of the dance room to the garage to go home. Seonghwa lingered a bit, still looking at his phone before following the others at the back of the group. Wooyoung decided to move to the back with him to walk along side him.

"Are you messaging her?" The younger male asked.

"Yeah, she and I are going to video call and play Animal Crossing when we get back to the dorm and after she eats dinner." Seonghwa hummed, typing a few more things before putting his phone in his pocket.

"You care for her, don't you, hyung?" Woo's voice got lower so the others couldn't hear them.

"I do." Hwa smiled sincerely.

"Do you like her?"

"Of course I do. She's been nothing but a good friend."

"No, I mean as in you have a crush on her." Seonghwa looked to the younger males face, trying to discern if he was teasing him but saw nothing of the sort.

"No, I don't, Woo." The older male said softly. Wooyoung eyed him, but decided not to speak further on the matter. He could recognize Hwa was telling some truth, but he also could tell his friend wasn't completely aware of his budding feelings.

Wooyoung wasn't stupid and neither were the others.

Everyone else began picking up small things that gave it away. Seonghwa has gotten very happywhenever you two texted or video called. Whenever they took breaks during rehearsal, he'd immediately check his phone for any messages. He'd often laugh and tell the others a funny story you told him about your day before you told any of the others. Overall, he just seemed very happy.

And they were happy for him.

The boys were obviously wary at first and had expressed this to Seonghwa. He assured them that you've been nothing but genuine to him. And after them getting to know you on their own they came to that same conclusion. They just hoped Hwa could come to terms with his underlying crush and Woo hoped you could as well.

Only Wooyoung knew you had feelings for his oldest hyung and he hoped the two of you wouldn't drive him crazy.

---

The second Seonghwa walked through the door to his dorm, he immediately rushed into his room to wash up. He grabbed some comfier clothes and walked back into the shared space were Mingi and San were.

"I'll shower first." He smiled to them and didn't wait for an answer as he went into the bathroom. Mingi and San looked at each other before smiling while shaking their heads.

Seonghwa took the quickest shower he has ever taken. He felt less sweaty, clean, and relaxed from practice. He rentered his room and booted up his switch before he unlocked his phone. He sent a quick text telling you to call him when you were ready then got his phone set up for the video call. He did some fishing and bug catching as he waited.

When he heard the ringtone he quickly answered it.

You seemed to be lying on your stomach with your phone propped up at an angle, your switch in your hands. Seonghwa could see exhaustion clear on your face and he could see some puffiness to your eyes. Concern immediately filled his being.

"Hello, (Y/N). I'm sorry the week hasn't been kind to you." He crooned.

"How much did Woo and Sannie tell you?" There was almost a hint of worry in your voice.

"Only that it was a tiring week and you needed some rest." He gently smiled. "If... you want to talk about it, I am here for you. Only if you want to of course, don't feel like you have to share."

"It wasn't anything major. I've just been assigned a lot of homework, finals are next week, and customers have been a nightmare to deal with." You exhale. "I think today, though, stole the show with rude customers."

"What happened?"

"A lady tossed a book at me because we wouldn't accept it as a return and then some teens made me stay an hour late after closing because they wanted to hide in the store over night." You snort at the absurdity of it.

"I am so sorry its been hard for you. At least your weekend starts now."

"At least I get to play Animal Crossing with you. My mind hasn't been able to relax yet- Oh! And there is a meteor shower happening on my island!" Your face lit up and Seonghwa attempted to ignore the flutter in his chest. "Let me open up the airport for you so you can get some wishes too."

Seonghwa quickly had his avatar fly over to your island.

"Enough about me. How have you been, Hwa?" You lead him to a good vantage point on your island to wish on stars.

"The week has been good. We are practicing a lot for the various performances coming up and we've all been working hard. Sannie almost started a fire in the kitchen." He smiled when he heard you chuckle at that. "I'm glad to see you again, (Y/N)."

"I'm glad too. Sorry for being inactive-"

"You don't have to apologize for that. Life gets busy, we all understand. I just hope things in your life get less stressful for you."

"I'm already feeling better talking and playing Animal Crossing with you, Hwa."

"Good."

"Anything else happen this week? I know you can't say specifics but any antics with the guys?"

Seonghwa smiled as he focused on making his avatar make wishes. "Well, Jongho's been progressing nicely with his vocal training and practice. You didn't hear this from me, but he's been wanting to do a video call with you to show you that. Wooyoung and I did a home-cooked dinner for everyone on Wednesday this week. We all wished you could have joined for that. Hongjoong, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Yeosang engaged in a brief prank war from Monday to Tuesday. I had to put an end to it when the rest of us became collateral. And then Yuhno and San put together everyone in teams for a small free style dance battle..."

He was about to continue on but when he glanced back up at his phone, he saw that you had fallen asleep. His features soften at how adorable you looked, one arm supporting your head while the other outstretched with your Switch still in your loose grasp. He could faintly hear soft snores from your parted lips.

Seonghwa felt a tightness in his chest. He could feel his face and ears flushing with warmth. These are things that he has experienced lately when talking with you. His mind suddenly went back to Wooyoung's earlier question, making his eyes widen.

Oh.

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