#while listening to iu's through the night

[forlix]

𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞・l.f.

— five times you want to tell your best friend you love him and the time you finally do.

words・7.7k

pairing・idol!felix x gn!reader

genres・fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, best friends to lovers, mutual pining, slow burn w/a happy ending, 5 + 1 trope, idiots in love who are also afraid of love, you do the math

warnings・alcohol consumption, discussions of anxiety, lots of emotional vulnerability, like a surprising amount of crying icl

playlist・jazz bar by dreamcatcher・spring day by bts・through the night by iu・eight by iu ft. suga・house song by searows・not mine by day6

a/n・i borrowed the title of this beautiful day6 song for this fic; give it a listen if you can (especially while reading part four). happy late birthday, lix <333 thank you for being you

One. The door to the café opens with a soft jingle, bringing a chilly draft into the room and causing you to draw your scarf tighter around your shoulders.

Theoretically, you come here to study—but people-watching has become a simultaneous pastime. There was that couple with a pair of samoyeds, so fluffy that they looked like walking clouds; a mother and son, hunched over their croissants, arguing in a classic “don’t cause a scene in public” tone; an elderly woman in bicycle shorts asking for extra shots of espresso in the menu’s most caffeinated item.

And now, there is him.

“Hello,” the ashy-haired stranger says to the barista with a quick, polite bow. “May I have a medium caramel latte? Hot, with sweetener, please. Thank you.”

His voice reminds you of the notes of a cello, of the feeling of running your fingers through tufted velvet. When he turns away from the counter, he’s slipping a card back into his wallet, and you catch a glimpse of long lashes and a scattering of freckles. You cannot see his face, as it’s covered by a black mask, but that only propels the question further: who are you?

And perhaps it is destiny herself who hooks a gentle finger beneath the stranger’s chin and tilts his head upwards, because when he inadvertently steps into a patch of sunlight, his brown irises illuminate like molten amber, and they are fixed upon you.

You feel your lips part, your stomach turn. You don’t know if your cheeks are so warm because of your piping hot tea (your third one today) or because of the newfound eye contact with someone so ethereal.

But you are sure that the corners of the stranger’s eyes crinkle ever so slightly, as if his lips have just curved into a smile beneath his mask.

“Felix,” the barista calls, and you turn the name silently on your tongue.

Maybe you are exhausted from work and not thinking straight. Maybe you are more starved for change than you’ve ever been. Or maybe you’re just prophetic. But you think you sense forever in this man, with his freckled cheeks and pretty eyes.

That is the first time you want to tell Lee Felix you love him.

Two. The second Felix comes into your line of vision, you sense that something is wrong.

You hold up a hand in greeting, and the smile he returns is sincere but muted, as if it pains him to move, to breathe. He sounded weary on the phone earlier—can I see you tonight? Just for a bit—but only now that he’s in front of you do you see the extent of his fatigue, seeping into his sunken shoulders and lightless eyes.

“Hi,” he says once he’s close enough.

“Hey, you,” you answer, rising out of your seat. Instinctively, he extends his arms toward you, and you draw him into a hug that is fleeting and familiar. He smells faintly of laundry detergent and vanilla, and it makes something within you ache, like an oyster searching for its absent pearl.

When you pull away, your hands move to your best friend’s cheeks, cocooning his face so you can get a better look at him. Even under the sparse streetlights, you see that his eyes are slightly bloodshot, the shadows beneath them deep and sullen. Has he been crying? 

“Bad day?” You ask, your hands falling back to your sides.

“The worst,” he returns with a weak smile. 

“Wanna take a walk?”

“Yes, please. How long do I have you for?”

This is what you do when your schedules are too packed for you to make real plans: take strolls wherever is most convenient, for however long either of you can spare. Sometimes that’s five minutes, sometimes five hours. But you know that you need to be here for him tonight.

“As long as you need me,” you say.

You turn around to pick up your drinks (a decaf caramel latte for Felix and a black milk tea for yourself), and you don't see the way his smile comes back a little bigger the second time, the way his cheeks warm slightly under the moonlight.

There’s a small park a few blocks behind your apartment. Granted, it's not a very good park, with only a tiny, sad playground and very little foliage, but it is an excellent stargazing spot, due to it being so dark and desolate. You and Felix decide to head there now, your arms touching as you walk through the quiet residential area.

Ten minutes later, blades of grass are poking the back of your head, and directly above you is a sea of scattered stars, flickering like millions of faulty flashlights. Felix’s voice is leaden when he starts to speak, breaking the park’s fragile silence. He tells you about his fears, about how earlier today they overwhelmed him so much that he wanted to lock himself away from the world and throw away the key. He tells you about his dreams, about how even in his relentless pursuit of them they sometimes still feel as amorphous and unattainable as fragments of mist.

The way he always does when he’s around you, Felix spills parts of himself that he never thought he could entrust to anyone. And you don’t say a word, your knee leaning against his, listening, understanding. (But you wish you could tell him a lot of things: that you care for him more than you ever believed yourself capable; that you hope for his happiness more than your own; that you don’t have the words to heal him, but you would give anything to find them.)

By the time the two of you leave the park, it’s almost midnight, and the streets have fallen silent save for the occasional whoosh of car wheels on cement and the distant lamentations of cricket choirs. You’re making small talk now, and Felix is smiling a little easier. It seems your conversation worked in cheering him up; a temporary fix, you’re sure, like a bandaid where stitches should be, but seeing his eyes crinkle and hearing his laugh again is enough to soothe your worry for the rest of the night, at the very least.

“You’re sure you’ll be okay going back yourself?” You ask once the two of you reach the entrance to your apartment building.

“Yeah, of course.” Felix touches the back of his neck apologetically. “I’m sorry I kept you out so late.”

“Nonsense, Lix. I’m always here for you.”

Felix averts his eyes to his shoes, and you’re caught off guard by his facial expression: exhausted but contemplative, and possessing a sense of tenderness. It is a look that you don’t think you’ve seen before, and you feel your heartstrings pull at its unfamiliarity, its strange softness.

You say your goodbyes, but your "let me know when you get home safe" is cut short when you feel a hand catch your wrist, just as you’re entering the building.

How Felix doesn’t notice your frantic pulse beneath his touch is beyond you, but instead he parts his lips, and his next words resound in your mind as you try and fail to fall asleep that night.

“I can’t explain why, or how—but I feel braver when I’m with you, Y/N. I meant to tell you that earlier.”

And those three words rush to your mind fleetingly, like saltwater crashing against the shores of your mind. Even when the tide has subsided, they remain on the sand, waiting to be read aloud.

“Thank you,” Felix mumbles, “for everything.”

You don’t read out those words, of course. Instead, you reach up to squish Felix’s face and call him a sentimental dork, to which he rolls his eyes affectionately and bats you away, and the moment is over. But when you turn to go, your heart is pounding so loudly that your reply may as well have been a confession.

Three. You sink into your mattress, careful to keep your tea within your mug’s rim, and let out a hybrid of a groan and a sigh that is strikingly reminiscent of an old man lowering himself into a worn armchair.

You can’t remember the last time you had a cold this terrible. It feels as if your lungs took a plunge in a vat of wet cement and then rolled around in gravel immediately afterward. And it’s got you in the mood to do nothing but listen to the heavy drops of rain knocking against your window, curl up with a good show and a hot drink, and bask in your own congestion.

But then your phone, which you left in the bathroom, emits four deafening notification sounds, and you haul yourself back out of bed with a groan-sigh that’s twice as anguished as the last.

When you reach the hellish device, your best friend’s name greets you, and your ire dissipates momentarily.

From: Lix 🐣 Hey hey From: Lix 🐣 We still on for dinner tonight? From: Lix 🐣 Just gonna be me, Minho, Seungmin. Jeongin has a vocal lesson From: Lix 🐣 Please don’t play the “if Jeongin doesn’t go neither do I” card again I’ve had enough of it!!! ENOUGH

You let out a throaty laugh that sounds like one of Minho’s cats battling a hairball, heading back to bed.

From: Y/N 🌙 ahhhh i meant to text you earlier, but i have the worst cold From: Y/N 🌙 no clue how or why i caught it but i feel like fucking shit. it’d be a bad idea for me to come over right now From: Y/N 🌙 sorry :( can we raincheck in a few days? From: Y/N 🌙 (that way jeongin can come too!!!)

Felix dislikes this last text, and you snort into your tea.

From: Lix 🐣 Yeah, of course. Don’t apologize From: Lix 🐣 Do you need anything? You’re eating and sleeping well, yeah? From: Y/N 🌙 sleeping, YES.  From: Y/N 🌙 eating, not really 😅 but i don’t have much of an appetite anyways From: Y/N 🌙 don’t worry about me. i’ll be raring to go in a day or two

Felix starts to type a response, but the gray dots disappear after a bit, and you set your phone face-down on your nightstand. He probably has to get back to work, and you have to get back to your episode.

Slowly, the soporific fragrance of chamomile and the lull of relentless rain start to weigh on your eyelids, and you slump unconsciously into your makeshift fortress of blankets, your show playing to nobody.

Night has fallen by the time the door of your apartment clicks open, and Felix pokes a head into your dark kitchen, cautiously calling out your name. When you don’t respond, he slips inside and moves to your kitchen counter, where he unloads the bags in his arms. A spare key to your place dangles from the opening of his hoodie pocket. 

There’s a quiet knock on your bedroom door, another call of your name—infinitely softer this time, like how one would speak to a dove. But Felix finds you out like a light, even when he closes your laptop and puts it on your desk, checks your temperature with a gentle hand to your forehead. It feels normal enough to let you sleep, but warm enough that he brings a glass of water and two pills of ibuprofen to your nightstand, placed within your reach, should you wake up in the middle of the night needing them.

Using only the slivers of light coming in from the hallway, Felix allows himself to look at your sleeping form. Your breathing is callous but steady; your face pallid but peaceful. And if only you'd seen see the tiny, helpless smile that pulls at his lips; if only you'd heard the pulse protesting against his skin, yelling at him “do something about this, you fucking idiot, and do it soon."

But you don’t see or hear anything; you just speak, instead.

“Stay with me,” you whisper, and Felix’s hand freezes on your doorknob, his eyes widening in the darkness. “Please?”

There is a lengthy period of nothing, during which neither of you makes another noise; there is only the sound of your clock ticking, raindrops rushing against the windows, and Felix’s heart in his ears.

And then he moves.

“C'mere,” Felix murmurs once he’s lying down next to you, and you nestle into his embrace as easily as if you've always belonged there, your face burrowing into the crook of his neck, your arms winding around his waist, searching for him, asking for him.

Felix has always expressed his affection for people through touch, and you’ve gotten used to his constant hand on your shoulder, his leg resting against yours. But he thinks this is the first time you’ve initiated physicality outright, and he feels a concerned pang in his chest at your unexpected vulnerability. He lifts a hand to cradle the back of your head, running his fingers through your hair.

“Gonna get you sick,” you say with a wet sniffle, your voice muffled against him. And Felix presses a kiss to the top of your head, perhaps without thinking as much as he should have; but who can blame him for forgetting to think when he’s holding you the way he is?

“Don’t care,” he answers readily. “I'm not going anywhere.”

At some point before you fall back asleep, you think your mouth actually forms the words I love you, subtly and silently and into the fabric of his hoodie. But you resume your slumber before you can think more of it. (Felix waits until your breathing is steady again, checks your temperature one more time; and only afterward does he allow his eyes to close.)

The next morning, you wake to an empty bed and a Post-It note explaining that Felix had to run to a recording session: Check your kitchen! See u soon x. Accompanied by a small, messy doodle of a baby chick popping out of its egg.

Your face melts into a smile when you see that the fridge is chock-full of fresh groceries and the pantry has been restocked with your favorite snacks, including a batch of Felix’s world-famous sea salt brownies—accompanied by another note with another doodle, this time a crescent moon wearing your sneakers. Sugar is prolly bad for you rn. Pls have in moderation!

When you pull out your phone to thank him for everything, you see his remaining texts from yesterday—and you feel momentarily empty, as if only then noticing that you've been missing a fraction of your soul your whole life.

From: Lix 🐣 I’ll drop by tonight to check on you From: Lix 🐣 Wait for me, okay?

And he is right in front of you, just out of reach.

Four. “This isn’t a bad idea, right?” Chan asks under his breath.

“Nah, they’ll be fine,” Minho replies, clapping a hand on the leader’s shoulder. “Y/N will take care of him.”

A loud yelp comes from up ahead, and the men whip around quickly enough to crack a joint—only to realize that the noise was the opening note of DAY6’s “Not Mine,” and you and Felix have just launched into song so terribly and so loudly that it’s probably awoken the entirety of Seoul.

“And who’s gonna take care of Y/N?”

The two men look at each other for a moment before deciding they’re not interested in talking the two of you out of a disorderly intoxication charge. 

“Let me know when you get back!” Chan hollers after you, and they reenter the karaoke bar in a hurry.

The members decided to go out for karaoke after finishing promotions earlier that week, and Felix invited you to come along. And you might've gone a little overboard with the mango sake, but your level of tipsy is nothing compared to that of the blue-haired boy draped over you.

Felix is rather prone to hangovers, you’ve discovered from past experiences, so the moment he started speaking in some kind of nonsensical Korean-English mutation that not even Chan could understand, the members tasked you with taking him home early. Now, Felix has his arm around your neck, less out of affection and more out of a genuine requirement for support, doing his best to walk in a straight line. He hasn't stopped grinning for the last hour, and it doesn’t seem like he’s going to run out of energy anytime soon, not as long as there’s more of DAY6’s discography to butcher.

In spite of your foggy mind, you're well aware that your best friend has never been prettier. He sets the bar high as it is, but then you throw in the flushed lips and cheeks, the lopsided, ditzy grin, the wine-kissed complexion, and life becomes terribly difficult for you. It doesn’t help that alcohol amplifies his proclivity for physical contact—he's been attached to your hip all night, holding your waist, pulling you into incidental hugs.

Needless to say, your current situation is a bit precarious; but you don't know that. Not yet.

The two of you finish your disrespectful rendition of “Not Mine” just as you pass the apartment’s front desk, and it is only when you see the deadly look that the receptionist gives you over the brim of his glasses that you finally feel sober again. You have the sense to incline your head in apology. Felix, however, launches into “You Were Beautiful” without a care in the world.

You dig a pointed elbow into his ribs as you hit the up button, and his singing abruptly falters with a pained huff. "Ow."

“Take an intermission, superstar,” you say. “The receptionist looks like he’s ready to throttle us.”

“Ah, he would never. We’re tight,” he returns, and before you can stop him he’s lifting his head, raising his voice. “Have a good night, Mr. Seo!”

Your nose scrunches into an apprehensive wince—but instead, you think you hear a hint of a smile in the man's cool reply.

“You too, Mr. Lee. Keep your voices down, please.”

“Yes, sir!” You and Felix reply in unison. Felix gives you a smile that says I told you so before he nestles his cheek against your shoulder, and you shake your head. Nobody is immune to the boy’s brightness.

Entering the building seemed to be effective in calming Felix down. The elevator ride up is silent save for a bit of quiet humming, and you finally see a bit of sleep on his face when you open the door of his dorm and turn on the living room lights. He lets you escort him to his bathroom without a word.

“I’ll be here if you need me,” you say, reaching to pat his cheeks a couple times. “Be careful in there.”

“M’kay. Thank you," he says with a drowsy smile, and closes the door.

You pull out your phone and open up your messages with Chan, remembering his parting request.

To: Chan 🐺 we got back safe!! To: Chan 🐺 lix is gonna be okay. i'll take care of him

A few minutes later, a notification appears at the top of your screen; Chan left hearts on both of your messages and sent two in response.

From: Chan 🐺 Thanks, good to hear :) you get some rest too, okay? From: Chan 🐺 Bro tore that sake UP

You begin to type back a retort—give me a break it was basically JUICE—when you hear Felix call your name, his voice muffled through the bathroom door.

“What's up?” You answer.

“I think I’m...stuck.”

Now what the hell does that mean?

“Can I come in?”

“Mhm.”

You open the door, and your attempt to suppress your laughter fails with flying colors. Felix is well and truly stuck in his crewneck, the gray material swathed around his head, his arms positioned in some kind of advanced pretzel formation.

“You are a hot mess, Lee Yongbok," you sing, moving toward him, and he whines from inside his cotton prison.

“Please don’t kick me while I’m down.”

Grinning, you bring your fingers to the hem of his top and attempt to lift it over his head. He’s managed to tangle himself quite impressively, and the next few minutes are spent with you trying to extract him, like he’s that one nose hair that your tweezers have never been able to reach, all while he's moaning and groaning about the fabric catching on his earrings, about his joints not being able to handle this kind of pressure anymore.

He emerges from the crewneck a while later looking positively disgruntled. You toss the gray mass onto the counter, proud of your handiwork.

“So maybe I‘m a hot mess,” he concedes. “A little bit.”

“That's alright. We all have our moments,” you giggle. “Come on, let me help you with your jewelry.”

For a second, he looks like he’s about to protest—but the look you give him reminds him that his motor functions are currently on strike.

“Okay,” he mumbles adorably.

You position yourself a little closer to Felix and lift your hands to the nape of his neck, where the clasp of his chain lies. It takes you a few tries to undo it, and you end up having to use the mirror above the sink for guidance. Soon, there is a soft click. You set the chain down next to the crewneck before your hands return to the sides of his face, this time to tuck long, light blue strands behind the cuffs of his ears. Your fingers run over the curves of his silver earrings.

“Are these bothering you at all?” You ask nonchalantly. “I forgot you had so many piercings.”

In your peripheral vision, you see Felix’s lips move, but no sound comes out. Puzzled, you move your eyes to meet his, and it takes you one blink’s worth of time to understand the source of his speechlessness.

Somewhere between your reaching up to touch his necklace and the present moment, you’ve come incredibly, dangerously close to him. Close enough that you can count the freckles that speckle his skin like fallen stars, that you can feel the heat of his body against your own, that Felix’s eyes are nearly crossed trying to maintain eye contact with you.

Your heartbeat lodges itself firmly in your throat, and your thoughts evaporate into complete and utter disarray. There are three differently-worded apologies on the tip of your tongue within seconds. You immediately start to pray that he won’t remember this tomorrow morning. And your strongest impulse is to move; to get as far away from him as possible, before either of you does anything you'll regret.

But there is something that overwhelms your every instinct, and stops you from budging an inch. And that is the way Felix is looking at you, unblinking brown eyes filled with something that doesn’t have a name. It is the same tender expression that’d surprised you the first time you saw it, and it is with a spiraling stomach that you finally realize what that expression is.

You reach your conclusion a second after he does.

Felix’s hand lifts to cradle your jaw, his face moving closer to yours. Your foreheads touch, wisps of his hair falling over the bridge of your nose, your senses engulfed by the vanilla of his cologne and the touch of sweet wine on his breath. The scene is as delicate as a dragonfly’s tail dipping into a pond’s surface; even a minuscule disturbance would shatter this limbo instantaneously.

A part of you wishes that it would, but nothing does. There is only his pulse, perceptible through the thin cloth of his tank top, vehement beneath your fingertips—and your heart, naked and frail, sitting upon the palm of his hand.

Felix doesn’t push you away; he doesn’t kiss you. He does something far worse.

“I love you,” he whispers.

A few seconds. That is how long you stand there for, with every word of every language you know inaccessible, every qualm and doubt and source of anxiety that plagued your mind moments before now distant memories, every ounce of your energy channeled into keeping yourself upright.

But the few seconds feel like forever. The same way he has always felt like forever to you. The same way you imagined you would spend forever loving him, close enough for him to love you back, but far enough that he’ll never know the true nature of your affection: greater and truer than anything anyone would ever call friendship.

An urgent question suddenly surfaces in your mind: is he still drunk? He was falling up, down, and sideways minutes ago. Surely this was an intoxicated slip of the tongue. But you discern the slight tremble to Felix’s breathing and the intensity in his heavy-lidded gaze, all far too intentional, far too conscious to be wine-induced—leaving behind one impossible possibility.

You should be having your happy tears kissed from your face right now. You should be over the moon, relishing in the sensation of two stars aligning at long fucking last, the way you’ve dreamed of since the very first time you laid eyes on Felix.

But instead, you just feel inexplicably and profusely afraid.

You won’t remember the specifics of the next few minutes. You think you stumble away from him and whisper I’m sorry through watering eyes, though you don’t really know what for. He sputters something in return, his tone so desperate and confused that you feel your heart break to pieces on the spot. You apologize again, leave the bathroom, and move towards the apartment door as if your life depends on it. In your peripheral vision, you notice the crease of concern on Mr. Seo’s face when you stalk past him, tears now flying freely down your cheeks. You run into Minho and Jeongin when you step out of the building, and you see the worry that creases their faces, hear their voices calling your name. Jeongin's hand closes around your wrist—are you okay?! What the fuck happened?—but you do not, can not say anything, not right now.

And then you are alone again, and you briskly walk the two miles back to your apartment. Your mind and heart are every bit as foggy as the somber night sky that hangs over your head.

Five. When the two of you step out of the restaurant and into the evening, Felix turns around to face you, launching into his best tour guide walk.

“And, with that,” he says with a glowing smile, “we are nearing the end of our tour of Sydney.”

“Noooo,” you lament, reaching your arm out. Felix falls back into step beside you and links it with his, the movement like clockwork. Your jackets scrunch up together where your elbows bend. “Already?”

“Okay, the tour’s been going on for two days and you haven’t paid a cent for my toil. Don’t push your luck.”

Your laughter spills into the otherwise quiet avenue, the setting sun throwing shadows across the cement, but it always feels like midday when you have the brightest man in the world by your side.

When the two of you discovered you had a free weekend on the same days, Felix conjured up the idea of going home—and suggested that you go with him. You’d freaked out for a bit, but then Felix reminded you that his mom texts you on your birthday and that you’re on multiple different subscription plans with his sisters, and you collected yourself quite quickly. There was a lot of cheering over the phone when Felix informed his family that they’d finally get to meet you in person.

But such a fast trip to the other side of the world proved to be no easy feat. Felix took on the task of piecing together a travel plan that would cover most of his favorite spots in forty-eight hours. The last two weeks were filled with him fretting over the details and you fretting over him, asking time and time again if you could help with anything, only for him to shoo you away with a single hand and a pointed “you are my guest. Now leave me.”

With assistance from every other resource at his disposal, though, he pulled it off, and the weekend has been wonderful thus far.

“I think that was some of the best food I’ve ever had, seriously,” you hum. “I’ll be dreaming about those appetizers for the rest of my life.”

“I'm glad. It took a Socratic seminar to choose the place, after all."

(The Socratic seminar in question: a two-hour FaceTime call and an intense match of rock-paper-scissors between him and his siblings, aimed to decide on where Felix would take you for dinner the second night. Only for his mom to ignore all of their efforts and insist upon her own choice of restaurant instead—no ifs, ands, or buts.)

“We have to try your sisters’ recommendations the next time I visit, don’t we?”

“Yes," he returns, shuddering. "I think my family is done for if we don’t."

He has one place left to take you, and the two of you head there now, shoulder to shoulder, arm in arm.

A month has passed since that night.

You’ve tried with every fiber of your being to put the whole thing from your mind, of course to no avail. You see Felix’s flushed lips and gentle gaze every time you blink; you hear his “I love you” every time you’re alone, the words whispered in the wind and dragged over the earth, in tandem with your footsteps.

You wanted to fucking die of awkwardness in the few days following, but it was never an option for you to avoid Felix for long. The two of you still went on convenience store runs together; still met up for coffee before work; still continued your business as usual, against all odds. And you owed it all to Felix and how he knows you better than you know yourself. He didn’t try to talk to you when he sensed that you had nothing to say; nor did he try to bring you back when you felt miles away. He would just silently slip a pack of your favorite cookies into your grocery basket or order your drink on your behalf.

Felix had questions and wanted answers; there was no doubt about that. But he held his tongue, granted you as much space as you needed to come back to him. And you did, in your gradual, meticulous way.

You’re finally going to bring it up tonight. You’ve planned to since the day you confirmed the trip, and you hope that the final stop of the tour will be the perfect place to bite the bullet.

“We’re here,” Felix says.

The two of you have arrived at the bank of a wide river, and you’re at a temporary loss for words. To your right is a bridge that spans the distance of the water, and to your left is a stunning, panoramic view of the city of Sydney. Twilight has turned the buildings into dark silhouettes against the autumn sunset, and the water reminds you of a palette of oil paints with how it reflects the pinks and oranges in the sky.

Felix feels you tighten your hold around his arm, and he smiles when he sees the wonder in your eyes. He wishes he could see this place for the first time again.

“Not bad, huh?”

“No,” you murmur. “Not at all.”

“C’mon.”

Felix leads you to the center of the bridge, where he props his elbows atop the metal railing and looks over the water. You join him and pull out your phone, but no settings or adjustments render your camera capable of capturing the landscape's beauty.

(Until Felix throws up a peace sign and pokes his head into the corner of your frame. Then it stands a fighting chance.)

“What is this place?” You ask, your shoulder touching his when you also lean over the railing. “Why are we the only ones here?”

“Crazy, right?” Felix says proudly. “I dunno. I think it might be private property, or something. But it’s only a few blocks away from my house and on the way I used to take to school, so I used to come here all the time, always around this time of day.”

Felix’s gaze moves over the sky, oblivious to the fact that his eyes hold whole rainbows of their own.

“There was never anyone around, but I could still hear the birds chirping and the wind in the leaves. It felt like a corner of the world had been sealed off just for me. I’m glad to see that nothing’s changed.”

Some time passes, and Felix tells you more stories about this peculiar bridge: how he asked someone to formal and got rejected and came here to reflect on his actions; how he had to take two different buses every day because his school was so far away from his house, but he always stopped here to feed the families of mallards that came out to swim in the mornings, even if it meant he’d be late; how this was the last place he went to before moving to South Korea, because he knew he’d miss this nook of Sydney most.

Of all the places you've visited, you think this one will remain with you longest. As time elapses, the colors of the sunset augment and deepen, dyeing the world in ways that remind you of the aurora. And then there is the man, wearing a gentle smile to match his softened features, his voice to your ears what honey is to a sore throat, telling you about his past, letting you into yet another chamber of his soul.

You are in no way prepared to butcher the sanctity of this moment, but you know that you can only run for so long and so far. You owe it to him. You owe it to yourself.

When the sun’s final rays are clinging the faraway mountaintops, Felix lifts himself off the railing and stands up straight. “Ready to go home?"

And your hand finds his, the pads of your fingers cold against his skin. Felix is surprised at first, but then he sees the hint of sadness in your eyes and the tension in your shoulders, and he understands what’s coming.

“I want to talk to you about that night,” you say.

Felix doesn’t respond for a few seconds. But when he does, his voice is so soft and so infuriatingly kind that hearing it makes you want to sob.

“...you don’t have to, Y/N.”

“No. I do,” you return, startling even yourself with the firmness in your voice, "I don’t want to keep dancing around the topic, not when you’ve been waiting for as long as you have.”

You feel Felix’s gaze on your face, as if he’s trying to read between your lines, and then he yields with a slight incline of his head.

“Okay.” And the stage is yours.

You don't start talking right away, your mind reeling with the effort to organize everything you feel and verbalize everything you want to tell him. It isn’t until Felix gives your hand a gentle squeeze—you’ve forgotten that you’re still holding his—that you feel rooted in the moment again.

It’s Felix you’re talking to; your soulmate, your sunlight. Nothing you are about to say will ever change that. This, you believe with every fiber of your being. 

So you take a deep breath.

“When you said those words,” you begin, and the words sound alien in your voice, despite how many times you’ve rehearsed this conversation in your head, “I couldn’t process a thing. I was so happy, but I was so, so scared. I’ve spent the last month trying to figure out why I was so scared, and I can’t say that I know for sure yet, but I have a much better idea now, and—it’s a lot of things.

“For as long as I can remember, I have only ever been able to love profoundly and deeply, with everything in me. And over time, I led myself to believe that nobody would ever be able to understand or reciprocate my love, not in the manner I want most.”

You feel yourself starting to waver, but you find strength in his touch.

“But you changed that, Felix. You walked into that café that afternoon with your voice and your smile, and suddenly I’d found you—someone who experiences life the way I do, who loves the way I love. And every day since, I’ve been surrounded by you and your effortless warmth and your beautiful soul. It was only a matter of time before I started hoping, constantly and stupidly, that you would one day love me, the same way that I—”

Your voice catches in your throat like a heel slamming into car brakes, “love you” hanging so dangerously from the tip of your tongue that you’re stunned it doesn’t fall out right away.

“But that’s why I’m fucking terrified,” you go on. “When you told me you loved me, I felt like I could fly. But I also felt like I was falling—and maybe this is because I was still tipsy, I'm not really sure—but in that moment I saw a world where we weren't there to catch each other, where something had gone horribly wrong and I'd wake up one morning and you’d—you’d just be a distant memory.

“And that was the thought that shook me so badly: losing you. Leaving you.” You’re crying now, tears paving golden trails against your cheeks. “For whatever reason, that was the first thing that came to mind, and it broke me.”

You need to wrap it up, and fast, if your faltering voice and racing heart are any indication.

“I meant it when I apologized to you that night. I’m sorry, Lix. I’m sorry I made everything so fucking complicated. I’m sorry that I ran away. I’m sorry that I hurt you, or worried you. But I want you to know that I feel more for you than you will ever understand; I just need a little more time to put it into words. So, wait for me—”

Your eyes squeeze shut, and you finally cave, your last word coming out in a shattered rasp.

“—please.”

And the syllable has barely left your mouth when Felix lets go of your hand, only to bring his arms around you and pull you to his chest with such urgency that the breath momentarily leaves your lungs.

When you fall against him, you fall entirely apart. You have no idea where all the feelings are coming from, only that they’re suddenly overwhelming your every sense. And you start to cry, really cry, your fingers seeking refuge in his jacket, in his hair. 

The sun departs at last, and night starts to fall. You lose track of how long you remain in this position, shaking with hushed sobs, fighting to regain control of your emotions. But Felix stays with you through it all, muted tears of his own intermingling with yours in the material of his scarf. He holds you carefully yet fiercely, like you really will crumble if he lets go.

And he waits, because of course he does. He would wait lifetimes for you.

One. The way you thaw is like melting snow.

It happens under your nose for the most part, but it is slow, sure, and irreversible, and you open your eyes one morning only to realize that the world outside has changed—and so have you.

You roll over and pick up your phone. There are unread messages from Felix sitting in your notifications, probably confirming the plans you made to get coffee before work today, but you put them on hold for now. Instead, you open up your camera roll and find an album, labeled with a sun emoji and yellow heart.

You made this a few months after you met Felix, and you’ve doted on it since, in the sense that you update it almost every day. Funnily enough, though, you’ve never looked through the album just to look through it. Maybe because you’ve never had the time or felt the impulse, but more likely because you know that the album is a visual time capsule of your relationship with the most important person in your life—which has never been purely platonic for you, despite how hard you’ve tried to change your heart.

Looking through it would mean acknowledging your true emotions, something you’ve never felt ready for.

Now, you open the album without a second thought, a preemptive smile on your lips. And you find yourself swept out of your bed and thrown back inside each of the pictures you see, reliving the moments as vividly as if you’re watching them on film.

This is one of your favorites, taken during a late-night tteokbokki run to a small restaurant behind Felix's company building. Felix was laughing so hard at one of your stories that he could only take bites of his meal every five minutes. His face had broken into a dazzling grin, his figure blurring as he lurched forward in his seat, trying to pull his hood over his face in secondhand embarrassment. Snap. He is always handsome, extraordinarily so, but you think you love the way he looks here most of all: every guard of his lowered, carefree, happy.

Another is from the first time you met Chan. Nowadays, your interactions with the boys consist mostly of running into them at Felix's dorm and making friendly small talk. But it's always been different with the oldest member. The first time Felix introduced the two of you, you clicked straightaway, and you had to have spent four hours after dinner just talking, scouring the city for something cold to eat. By the end of the sweltering summer night, the three of you were perched atop a short stone barrier in a secluded corner of Seoul, right outside the best bingsu place in all of South Korea. Felix had leaned over to steal the last cube of mango from Chan’s bowl, to Chan's dramatic protest. Snap. And Chan is like a brother to you now; you will never be able to fathom how much light Felix has brought to your life, be it through him or the people he loves.

A computer screen displaying a League of Legends scoreboard, in which Felix has died more times than there were minutes of the game. Snap. You (not sober) in the center of Felix's living room, your body poised in what is supposed to be the chorus of “Queencard," Felix and Bin completely losing their shit on the couch. Snap. His head bowed in anguish over a bowl of brownie batter after he mistakes salt for sugar. Snap. A low-quality, tiny Felix on stage, the brightest grin on his face when he finally manages to spot you in the nosebleeds. Snap. Your dining table creaking under the weight of all the gifts he got you for your last birthday. Snap. Him and one of your best friends from home, arms around each other, peace signs thrown up, beaming. Snap.

There are countless more, and they are all so incredibly near and dear to you, all thanks to the freckled boy in each. 

You respond to Felix's messages (“be there soon!”), and then move to get dressed. There is a new sense of certainty in your gait when you emerge from your building and into the quiet morning.

The weather is lovely, the fresh sunlight cream-colored against a cloudless sky, the light breeze shuffling the new leaves about. A hound’s ears twitch when you hurry past its home; it is too drowsy to investigate your presence further. The only sounds in the air are the chattering of sparrows in the branches above you and the soles of your shoes, moving quickly across the sidewalk. The wonder in the world is more palpable to you today than it’s ever been.

Soon, the chalk-written menu and hand-carved wooden sign of your favorite café come into view, and you open the door. There are only a few customers inside, and you spot your person right away: his long, dark hair partially pinned back, his figure flattered by a black long sleeve and jeans. He has a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, as well as two drinks on the table before him: one caramel latte and one black milk tea.

When he hears the door jingle, he looks up, and the smile that melts across his face is so fond that you can’t believe there was ever a time when you doubted his feelings for you.

The way his loving smile mirrors onto your face is as inevitable and involuntary as destiny herself.

“Hi,” Felix says, rising from his seat.

“Hey, you,” you answer. “Wanna take a walk?”

And so you do.

You link arms, as always; you try each other’s drinks, as always; you manage to talk about everything and nothing all at once, as always. But when his company building comes into view, your footsteps come to a halt, and your hand fastens around the cuff of his sleeve.

“Hey, Lix—"

When his eyes meet yours, the sun hits them just right, and you have not known anything as clearly and certainly as you do right then.

“—I love you.”

Felix can only stare, his eyes so wide that you can see the whites of them all around, his straw falling from his parted lips.

Then, a smile starts to creep across his face like spilt syrup.

“Say it again.”

“I love you, Lee Yongbok.”

He sets his bag and drink down on the pavement. “Again, please.”

“I love you,” you repeat, starting to laugh. “I love you, I love you, god, I love you, Felix, so fucking much—”

Felix brings his hands to either side of your face, leaning his forehead against your own. And this time, there is no hesitation, no fear—only starlight when he tilts your chin up and finally, finally presses his lips to yours.

Butterflies erupt in your stomach, hordes of them flapping so fervently you feel as though you might take off into the air, but you seek out his elbows, then his shoulders, and then the back of his neck, anchoring yourself to the earth, to him. Felix kisses you like he will never be able to again, and it is all you can do to savor how the curve of his smile feels against your own; how he murmurs the words “I love you, too” in between breaths. He tastes like sugar and smells like shampoo. He feels like forever.

© 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐱 (est. 090323) · 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤? please consider reblogging, commenting, or sending me an ask to let me know; or, read my other writing here. thanks so much for the support ♡

[vlance]

♪Heart to Heart♪

Part Two

I’m right now frantically cleaning my recording studio because I forgot to clean it. Quickly putting away files and putting things in their places like putting guitars back up on the wall, putting away files and music sheets. As I was cleaning I hear a knock on the door.

“Coming!” I yell and while walking to the door I trip over the all the boxes of files and sheets. I get up again and open the door and try and act as cool as possible and lean on the door frame. Smooth real smooth I thought sarcastically.

“Are you okay did you fall” Yunjin asks me while chaewon just giggles.

“Uh no…..okay yeah maybe it’s just I forgot to clean my recording studio because we been practicing all week so I kinda tried to clean it very quickly today” I chuckled nervously admitting that I did fall and then open the door to let them in. “I’m sorry if it’s messy it won’t be like this next time” I blush slightly from embarrassment.

“It’s okay don’t worry Yunjin isn’t any better” Me and Chaewon both laugh and Yunjin just pushes her lightly.

“That’s not true”

“Yes it is”

“No it isn’t” They both argue and I just sit there looking at them with a smile on my face and laughing. They both stoped arguing and sat down on my couch.

“So what are you guys thinking for the special stage dance, singing, rap, a mixture” I asked and sat down on my chair and got on my computer.

“Well me and Chaewon are more on the vocal side and I know you’re lead vocal and sub rapper so I was thinking something more that incorporates our vocals” Yunjin explains to me and I just nod my head and keep scrolling through songs.

“Okay then do you guys wanna sing a ballad or we wanna incorporate dancing” I asked and turned to look at them.

“Well I think we should sing a ballad maybe something where Yunjin can play the guitar” Charwon suggested and looked at both of us.

“Yeah that sounds like a really good idea” I nodded and went on my phone to search for songs.

“You play guitar Y/N” Chaewon asked me. I looked up from my phone and nodded.

“Yeah I do I play both electric and acoustic but I also play piano” I smiled and looked at them

“That’s really cool then we should both play guitar together” Yunjin suggested and Chaewon nodded along with her.

“Yeah I think it would be nice to hear you both play guitar and sing” Chaewon clapped her hands together and nodded.

“Okay then let’s look for songs and if we find something that doesn’t really incorporate guitars we can do an acoustic version of the song and I’ll mix some other beats and instruments into it” They both nodded when I looked up at them.

“Any suggestions” I asked.

“Downpour I.O.I or You, Cloud, Rain by Heize” Chaewon suggested I nodded.

“Those are some good songs anything else” I asked.

“Holo or Only by Lee Hi or maybe even through the night by IU” Yunjin gave her input.

“Oh I love IU but….how about an English song” I looked at them and they both looked at each other.

“My English isn’t great but I would love to try one I know a couple songs I like” Chaewon said sheepishly.

“Then if Yunjin agrees we can do a song in English” I looked over at the said girl expectantly.

She gave me a nod “Yeah I would love too and Chaewon if you aren’t confident in your English we can always practice me and you” Yunjin looked over to her group member and gave her a pat on her shoulder.

“Yeah and I’ll gladly help you too” I gave her a reassuring smile.

“Thank you” She smiled at me and bowed slightly.

“Uhh how about Nobody by mitski” I turned to them and asked.

“Maybe” Yunjin says and I nodded and went back to looking.“Die for you by the weeknd” Charwon questions.

“God Aeri unnie listens to him too much I got tired of that song” I gave her an apologetic look.

“No it’s okay I know what you mean Yunjin plays certain songs so much I can’t stand it” Chaewon laughs slightly and Yunjin glares at her playfully.

“I like what I like okay…leave me alone” She laughs lightly and I laugh with her.

“Slow dancing in the dark by Joji” I suggest and look at them.

“I love Joji” Yunjin smiles at me.

“I think that would be a little too hard for me” Chaewon blushes nervously and looks away.

“That’s okay don’t worry…..how about an acoustic version of Heart to Heart by Mac Demarco” I suggest again and look at them.

“I could mix everything and stuff” I looked at them hopefully because we been here for a while just trying to pick a song.

“Yeah I like that song and an acoustic version would be perfect what do you think Chaewon” She looks at her member.

“Yeah you showed me that song not that long ago I enjoyed it, I think it’s perfect for us too” Chaewon nodded and I turned around and slightly cheered I could hear them laughing slightly.

“Perfect…then how about we get started on line distribution and I order us some coffee” I suggested to them and they both nodded. I ordered the coffee and while waiting we started to talk a little.

“You’re Japanese night Y/N” Chaewon asked.

“Yeah I am Yuta from nct is my brother actually” I said and they both nodded

.“How is it like being in the same company as your brother” Yunjin asked me and leaned back on the couch.

“It’s fun and kinda hectic but fun we get together with some of the other Japanese artists in SM and go out to eat Japanese barbecue together sometimes” I smiled remembering the times me, Yuta, and Giselle all went out together.

“That sounds like a lot of fun but I bet he can get kinda annoying” Yunjin laughs when my expression turns kinda annoyed.

“Oh definitely he always comes bothers me when I’m in the studio” I said and groan at the multiple times he’s bothered me “I’m surprised he hasn’t came today” They both laughed at my annoyed expression.

“How long have you been playing Guitar” Chaewon looks at me expectantly.

“For about ten years now I think” I nodded and smiled.

“What about you guys how were promotions for Unforgiven I remember seeing you while promoting Spicy” I asked them and leaned back in my chair.

“It was a lot of fun we got to see Eunchae mcing” Chaewon says excitedly.

“Yeah it was also fun to see Fearnots” Yunjin nods and smiles widely.

“I bet I always love seeing my’s when we preform I also love seeing the comments they leave on our TikToks or all the funny edits and videos they make of us it’s really funny to watch”

“Yeah they are so creative” Chaewon laughs. We continued to talk and our coffee arives and we talked more. We also got to discuss on who gets what in the song and when was the next time they could come to the company. While talking with them I get a text from Jimin asking to meet up with the Aespa members for dinner.

“Ahh I think imma have to go I’m gonna eat dinner with my members” I said and got up from my chair. I then get another text from Aeri saying I should invite them to dinner cause she wants to talk to Yunjin. “Are you friends with Giselle Yunjin” I asked her.

“Oh yeah we been friends for a bit” She confirms that they in fact both friends. That little rat never said anything to me.

“I see…would you both wanna join us for dinner” I asked hopefully.

“Yeah sure we have nothing to do and I’m hungry” Chaewon answered and Yunjin nodded.

“Okay then let’s go” I lead them both out of the room and we go down to get my manager to drive us there.

-note-another part in Heart to Heart finished and I really do hope you guys like this part. I’m enjoying and having a lot of fun writing it. I also wanted to thank you guys for liking Heart to Heart I didn’t expect this many people to read it.

[glitterrosesnzz]

okay so technically it's not the 25th where I am yet- its two hours until midnight- but listen the go ahead message came in and im far too hyped to wait so-

@casspikaeyaliker i was your assigned snalentine this year!!! i returned to my roots for this one shdlfkjssdhflksjs

Venti climbed in through the window of Kaeya’s office. 

“Good afternoon, Sir Kaeya!” He said, like this was a completely normal occurrence despite Kaeya’s incredulous look. “How are you doing today?” 

“...Fine.” Kaeya slowly answered, watching as Venti closed the window behind him, readjusting his clothes as he seemingly settled in. “To what do I owe the pleasure of having Mondstadt’s number one bard in my office?” 

“Psh, nothing much, what, can’t I just visit a friend from time to time?” Venti asked, “Oh, by the way, do you usually keep your door locked?” 

“Yes, and I normally keep my window locked as well-” 

“Do you mind if I stretch a bit then?” 

Now that was a follow-up question Kaeya hadn’t been expecting. Despite the innocent look on Venti’s face when he had asked it, something about it seemed… suspicious. Still though, Kaeya thought, subtly rubbing his nose against his sleeve, it wasn’t a request that screamed danger. 

“Sure, be my guest-” Kaeya cut himself up with a startled yelp, shooting out of his seat and pressing his back against the wall to be as far away from Venti as possible as a pair of white wings suddenly emerged from the bard’s back. “Hey!” 

“What’s the matter? You’re not scared of birds, right?” Venti looked slightly smug as he shook his wings a little, various loose feathers falling to the floor as evidence that his wings had not been let out in quite a while. “Unless… well, no, surely that’s not it? Certainly the feathers cannot be bothering you at this distance… or maybe, is our dear Calvary Captain’s nose a bit more sensitive than usual today?” 

Kayea almost imperceptibly tensed. Venti should’ve been right, the feathers shouldn’t be bothering him at this distance, but… he could already feel his nose begin itching, and he couldn’t tell if it was from the allergy or- 

…Venti had a very knowing look on his face. Kaeya sighed.

“How did you know?” He asked, slumping a little, allowing a little bit of how horrible he actually felt right now to slip into his posture as he ran a finger under his nose, trying to quell the slight itch before it could evolve any further. 

“Oh, well, a mysterious red-headed bartender mentioned that one of his… informants, happened to overhear a certain knight sneezing his head off in an alleyway last night.” 

Ah. So the person he had only barely avoided running into last night had been the famed ‘Darknight Hero’. Apparently Kaeya hadn’t managed to stifle his sneezes to silence as well as he thought he had…

…His damn brother didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut. 

“While that is an interesting story, that still doesn’t ex-... explain why you’re hh-here…” The tickle in Kaeya’s nose flared, and he rubbed at it a bit more harshly. Venti let out a laugh. 

“Well, it certainly won’t do to have you working while sick, would it? No, I’m here to take you home so that you can rest.” He said, crossing his arms with a smug look on his face that normally Kaeya would’ve responded to with some kind of sassy remark, but- 

“Hh-hiH’NGTsh-iu!! Heh- H’NTCh-uu!! Hh’ISHi-uu!” Ah, shoot, he hadn’t been able to stifle that last one, a small layer of frost covering the arm he had subconsciously raised to his face. The tickle still hadn’t gone away, the three sneezes simply being unsatisfactory for it, and Kaeya tried to resist the urge to just instantly sneeze again and get it over with. He failed. “H’ItCHhi-uu!! HhiH- …hH’iSShu!!

“Oh, wow.” Venti’s wings folded up and then vanished as though they were never there. “Diluc wasn’t kidding, you do sound horrible.” 

“Snf…It’s just a cold, it sounds worse than it actually is.” Kaeya said, ignoring the doubtful look Venti shot his way. “I can work through it-” 

“Kaeya, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but you’ve covered the entire floor around you in frost.” Venti said, pointing downwards, Kaeya following his gaze to find that he was right, the floor was now covered in a thin layer of swirling frost. “Not to mention the fact that the temperature in here dropped by at least two degrees, and it was already freezing in here when I came in. It’s a wonder that you haven’t noticed.” 

“It just doesn’t bother me that much.” Kaeya carefully stepped onto the frost, only slightly worried about slipping, trying to make his way back to his office chair. “Cryo vision and all. Like I was saying I can handle it- hH’IShh-uu!!” 

Damn. That one had snuck up on him. 

“Nu-uh, don’t think I’m falling for that one Sir Kaeya.” Venti said, “I’m going to be taking you home, whether you like it or not.” 

“But what about Jean?” 

“I got her permission earlier-” 

“Ah. Is that what the scream this morning was about? You came in through her window didn’t you-” 

“Enough talk about my choices in how to enter buildings.” Venti interrupted, “Jean says you can have the day off, so you’re. Going. Home.” 

Well. Kaeya honestly didn’t think he had the option to say no to that. 

“Isn’t this encroaching on my right to freedom?” Kaeya asked, as Venti stepped forwards to grab hold of his wrist. 

“You can be free when what you’re doing isn’t detrimental to your health.” Venti sighed, muttering something under his breath about how ‘you brothers are exactly alike’, which, Kaeya didn’t really get what he meant by that, but he figured he wasn’t exactly in the position to ask. Venti’s hand tightened around Kaeya’s wrist. “Hold on tight.” 

“You’re the one holding onto me- wait why would I need to-” Kaeya didn’t get the chance to finish his question, as a surge of anemo picked up around them, and, between one blink and the next, Kaeya found himself standing in the foyer of Dawn Winery. “This. Is not my apartment.” 

“No, but it’s still your home isn’t it?” Venti sounded way too certain when he said that, and, well, technically Kaeya couldn’t consider him wrong, but… Before he could answer, Venti’s expression suddenly shifted to a guilty one. “Ah… oops.” 

A stray feather, that must’ve been caught up in the teleportation winds, drifted down and just lightly brushed past Kaeya’s nose. But still, it was enough. 

“Hah-hH! H’NGtsh-uu!!” Kaeya freed his wrist from Venti’s grasp, quickly using his hand to stifle a sneeze. But of course, this cold of his wasn’t just going to accept that. “HihH’NtCh-uu!! Heh- hH’NGTchii!! ‘Ntch!!! Hih- hH-! H’ISHi-uu!! Hh’iTCHi-uu!!” 

“Jeez, you sound worse than you did last night.” 

Both Kaeya and Venti startled at the sound of Diluc’s voice, turning around to see him standing in the doorway. Kaeya sniffled, taking a second to rub a finger against his nose and insure that he wasn’t going to sneeze again before responding. 

“And how would you know that? I thought it was one of your, ‘informants’, that had seemingly overheard me last night.” 

Diluc almost imperceptibly stiffened, before relaxing. 

“After hearing what my informant told me, I went to check on you myself.” He said, turning to walk into the dining room. “Don’t think about it too hard. Adeline’s made your favourite soup, by the way. You should come and eat.” 

Well. Kaeya most certainly couldn’t say no to Adeline’s soup, now could he. 

[iuteamstarcandy]

[INTERVIEW] 230922 IU in Elle Korea Oct Issue (Part 1 of 2)

Q : You are full of good news for your upcoming 15th debut anniversary which will take place on September 18. Starting from the media art exhibition, you also had your “IU Concert: The Golden Hour” film premiere and now the fan concert which will be held for 2 days at KSPO Dome.

I have been really busy. Since there is not even a day for me to rest in September, I have been wondering whether I will be able to prepare the fan concert well or if I should delay the fan concert, but in the end, it will be the most fun if we celebrate the debut anniversary during the debut anniversary. It is a little bit too much, but I am doing my best to prepare for it.

Q : I think the meeting between Elle and IU which takes place today can also be a present for people who love you.

That’s true. Especially since I can show my new side whenever I have a photoshoot with Gucci. I hope that throughout September my fans will find it as a gift.

Q : You uploaded on your SNS, “Fan Concert? Although it’s my first time (doing this), I have a feeling that this is my expertise”. After preparing for it, do you think so?

Because of my “You Have Done Well” filming, I have to go back and forth between Andong, Jeju and Yeoncheon. Whenever I get to Seoul, I practise for the choreography and the ensemble, and it is really tiring? But when the practice session started, it became like a festival (laughs). We picked less popular songs that we ourselves like, boldly rearranged those songs that seemed like fans would probably have listened to a lot before and it is has been really fun while preparing for the fan concert.

Q : The fan concert was sold out during the pre-sale for fanclub members. You are an artist who is ahead of taking countermeasures to prevent organized ticket reselling or scalpers from reselling tickets for a premium. Is it a characteristic of yours that you need to solve a problem whenever it happens?

Although it will not be eradicated just because I step forward on this issue, I still think it's important to show my willingness to do something about it. As a result, we worked together with other companies to come up with some good ideas to deal with this.

(TL note: If you report a scalper and Edam Ent investigates and finds evidence that the person is indeed reselling the ticket, then Edam Ent will give you the ticket instead as a prize. If you already have a ticket to IU’s concert, then you receive an unreleased IU photocard instead as a prize.)

Q : During the media exhibition “Moment,” last summer, which was held to celebrate your 15th debut anniversary, you released a little bit of the guide recording version of your popular songs, like “Through The Night” and “Palette”. Is there any reason for that?

If I am able to record the guide version, I will usually record it by myself. Through this process, I have great affection for the song, because you can improve your song interpretation skills or your knowledge about music. After all, music is about discovering really good moments even if they are raw and sloppy. I thought it would be nice to show the guide recordings which I have collected and listened to by myself all this time, so I picked a few of them. I also thought it would be nice if I let people listen to just a teeny bit of the song that I prepared for my new album, so I also revealed the unreleased song. I am proud of the fact that everyone got really excited about it.

Q : You also created “Uaena’s Room” for the exhibition while thinking about your fans. To IU, what kind of a person is Uaena?

I have shown everyone a few times my ‘storage place’ where I collected all the items that I cherish. I re-created the storage place at the exhibition and then made “Uaena’s Room” which looks like a mirror image of it, as if this is a décalcomanie. It started with the idea that I think Uaena are people who are very similar to me. I don’t know what kind of life each Uaena has, but I feel that I know the attitude and focus that a person has when you like someone and how soft your heart becomes in that moment.

Q: It’s already been 2 years since you released <Pieces> at the end of your 20s. In the album introduction, you wrote ‘the pieces in between my 20s that I didn’t bother to take out’ and included 5 songs right? Which piece do you think is the odd one out?

Even when I was recording “Drama” which I wrote when I was 20, I worked on it while thinking, “Ah, I can’t make my voice sound like this anymore. If I do it now, it seems like I’m just pretending.” Yet, on the other hand, I’m not someone who changes much as a person. I also feel that the parts of me that are immature and lacking will not dramatically become more impressive (laughs).

Q: Do you feel pressured about releasing your new album?

During the course of preparing for this album, there was a point when I did a 180 degree u-turn. Having released albums one after another without any hiatus so far, this time I have not released my own album for about 2 years, so I think during this period of time, the direction of my thoughts has changed a lot. Now that my songs are taking shape one by one, I think 2 years passed by rather slowly (TL note: meaning 2 years has been a long time). I feel like I’m rich because I like how the songs turned out. I’m talking about my ambition here. I think this is a good time for me to say such things.

Q: You’re the idol of idols too. There are many KPOP artists who covered your songs, bought your merchandise and shared their concert reviews with their fans. Why do you think you have received so much love?

Staying faithful to music is something that I take pride in. I think it could be the closeness and happiness they feel towards someone they have been watching for a long time. As someone in the same industry, perhaps it’s the feeling of wanting to cheer on a senior who has been doing this for a long time. I’ll do my best to repay them with my gratitude when the moment comes.

Translated by IUteamstarcandy

Magazine source: JongHeon_IU0516

[to-my-luna]

a playlist with what scene i thought of in each song.

wherever u r - umi, v

slow mornings. hiding under sheets. walking in our garden. basking in sunlight. sharing coffee. see-you-later kisses before work. i-missed-you kisses after work. cooking dinner together. holding each other before falling asleep.

it's you - max, keshi

good morning kisses. sleeping in. going out to visit our favorite cafe. buying each other flowers. a picnic. cool breeze. eating sweets in the afternoon. golden hour. painting the sky and the clouds at sunset.

love. - wave to earth

long cold days apart. video calls every free time. wearing each other's hoodies. watching anime and movies together through gmeet. sleepy i love yous. hugging stuff toys to sleep. looking forward to being together again.

ligaya - mrld

stay at home dates. baking cookies. whipped cream at each other's faces. kissing on the kitchen countertop. building a fort in the living room. cuddling while watching tv.

you'll be safe here - adie

waking up after a nightmare. one waking up to the other sniffling. tight hugs. forehead kisses. gentle caresses. talking under the moonlight. quiet i love yous. humming a lullaby. falling asleep in each other's arms.

off my face - justin bieber

reading books together. stealing glances at each other. discarding them anyways to kiss and kiss and kiss. listening to music while napping on the couch. one waking up first and staring at the other, admiring.

urs - john-robert

coming home to find petals scattered on the floor. dim lighting. a table with candles lit and our favorite meals. early evening with indigo skies and city lights. cold wind. warm lips.

bloom - the paper kites

weekends and early mornings. birds chirping. sun peeking through curtains. pancakes for breakfast. watering plants. soaking in the warmth of sun and coolness of the air. sketching. painting. writing.

everlasting summer - seycara orchestral, hikaru station

a hot morning. popsicles. colorful wind chimes. taking a bite from the other's ice cream. sharing a milkshake. watering plants turns to water fights. sprinklers. hose. water balloons. laying down on the grass in the afternoon.

my love mine all mine - mitski

winding down in the evening. white bath robes and wine. facials. masks. bubble baths together. slow dancing under dim lights. midnight snacks. matching silk pajamas. cuddling in bed.

you'll be in my heart - niki

a week before parting. staying in all day. cooking. taking polaroid pictures. playing guitar and singing together. making bracelets. late night talks. breakdowns. promises. "i'll be back before you know it."

v - razz t, thomas rydell

seeing each other again. tight and long hugs. out all day eating everywhere and talking about anything under the sun. feeding each other. updating each other about everything they missed. holding hands and reassuring squeezes.

afterglow - leila milki

slow and intimate moments. undressing each other, taking our time. feather kisses. soft touches. quiet moans. silk sheets. pink cheeks. rose-colored marks. making love.

love wins all - IU

a bouquet. walking down the aisle. two long white wedding dresses. veils. exchanging vows. two rings.

easily - bruno major

honeymoon. drinking wine. house by the beach. night swimming. coconut trees. cocktails. drinking together and getting drunk. laughing, dancing, singing at the top of our lungs. messy makeouts.

naturally - sydney maxine

cold, strong winds blowing our hair everywhere. the beach at night. a bonfire. walking by the shore, hand in hand. hanging out watching the waves. sharing a tent. stargazing.

tingin - cup of joe, janine

spring in japan. strolls in the park. long coats and foggy air from our mouths. hot chocolate and coffee. taking the train. sharing earphones. eating local snacks from stalls. vintage cameras. cherry blossoms.

it could only be us - beyond the sun

roadtrips. singing with the speakers blasting. sun in our veins. shades, shorts, summer outfits. floaties. mango shakes. playing in swimming pools and splashing water at each other. funny inflatables.

nahuhulog na sa'yo - noah alejandre

getting ready for date nights. doing each other's makeup. going out later than planned because we looked too good, iykyk. arcades. window shopping. just walking, letting our feet take us wherever. ramen for dinner.

every summertime - niki

getting our own place. moving in. working. grinding. saving up to open a bakery, cafe, bookstore, flowershop, or whatever we want. vacations and trips. pets. our dream life

?

[bittertarot]

https://www.tumblr.com/yourbittertarottruth/740247024070541312/hello-i-hope-you-are-doing-well-you-are-having-a

Reading it while listening to Love Wins All (wanting this kind of love right now) really made me cry because that’s accurate on what I went through too ! The denial, the indifference, the sadness, the fear of being crazy but the need and wish to be loved and to love, etc. Your story is quite similar to mine. I had such a hard time believing in it for years and sometimes till these days I still think that maybe I was wrong, I interpreted things in the wrong way etc… but I try to change that, especially since he is aware of the connection too. Recently (I don’t know why but I might have started to doubt him), I had a dream where it was written on wood panel « Believe me ». That’s not the first time he asks me to trust and believe in him and our connection.

I could tell so many things about it but it would be very long (the connection is nearly 7yo).

I read the other ones you posted about your FS too and the cligny part is very much true, I don’t know if they would be like that the day we’ll meet them but I hope ! I wish you the best with your partner ! 🩶 personally for me, I just hope I’ll have a good partnership whether it’ll stay spiritual or it becomes physical (or both).

(I shouldn’t have read your posts and wrote this while listening to this song, I’m getting really emotional and nostalgic 😫)

That's... so strange. I've had "love wins all" by IU stuck in my head all of last night and even this morning whilst I'm writing, I even heard my FS sing it to me last night. His voice is angelic, goddamn. Anyways, your perspective on this situation and how both of our situations are similar is really fascinating to me! I don't know if what I want is love, if I'm truly indifferent to it, if deep down I just don't want to be disappointed, I don't know. I remember when I was younger thinking some guy would turn up to save me from my situation when it got really bad, even though it never happened. As I got older, I realised it was just wishful thinking and that I was an unrealistic person and stopped waiting for that person to show up, simply giving up. I know I need to be patient, that the universe will bring me what I need when I'm ready and have learned patience, it has been difficult, though. I'm really glad he's aware of your connection with him! Aww, the wood panel story is really sweet. I don't know whether he's physically/mentally aware of our connection. His energy very much knows I exist and is drawn to me and whatnot, but I doubt he actually knows I exist. Thank you, I appreciate it !! Same goes to you <3 I doubt he'll be clingy when I actually meet him (at first, at least). He seems to be more defensive in nature at first, so I don't hold any expectations for when we first meet one another. A lot of people are telling me that I can't avoid him, that we're "written in the stars" and I don't know how to feel about that. I'm still adjusting to all of this. I don't know whether I want this connection at all, physically, spiritually, etc. But I hope you get all that you wish for, both in love, careers, finance, etc <33 Ahh, I feel that a lot. I'm currently listening to the song whilst typing this, it makes it feel more nostalgic/sadder and I can't put my finger on why...? Is it just the vibe of the song, is it just because I heard him sing it to me last night? I'm not sure, but I look forward to discovering why !!

[aajjks]

TPOL!JK

having just finished her therapy session, chaeyoung is sitting and talking with her friend tina. yes, tina hwang who is excited to see her friend after such a long time. it’s because of tina that chaeyoung is able to access her phone and while she’s there, the two laugh and converse about all kinds of things. they even reminisce on the “good old days” from when they were nothing but little girls dreaming of becoming idols from their shared love of IU.

chaeyoung followed through on her dream while tina became a successful model but ever since the lawsuit, chaeyoung has slowly became irrelevant. she hasn’t released music in so long and though her fans continue to spread her relevancy through twitter, most of the media was too busy praising jungkook to even pay her any mind.

the longer she recovered mentally in the institution, the more she began have a more love-hate relationship with jeon jungkook. it’s strange how the two girls are still besties despite sharing the same man but tina would never let a minor inconvenience like jungkook tear them apart.

speaking of jungkook, he rings her phone and chaeyoung regrettably answers it too fast to her liking.

“Hello. It’s me” he says and his deep voice nearly has her melting to the floor. his voice alone tugs on her heartstrings despite the brewing hate she has towards him for taking her son away and ruining her life.

“yeah, i know it’s you” replies chaeyoung and tina immediately knows just who she’s talking to.

“I’m gonna make this really short. What is it that you want? And why did you bring namjoon into this?”

really? THAT’S why he called? chaeyoung can feel her blood boiling all over again. no, are you okay? no, how are you doing? she knows he’s doing this for your sake. it’s always, ALWAYS about you even when you aren’t here. good things he’s an idiot just like you are.

“look” chaeyoung softens her tone “i just…i just want to be able to see my son, okay? please. that’s all i want”

tina begs her to put jungkook on speaker because she wants to hear if he’ll take the bait. her voice sounds very convincing and sincere. she misses her son, which is true but she knows that he won’t let her have him.

that’s the thing. jungkook always, always has the last laugh. he tarnished her career and ruined her mentally. as much as she loves jungkook, truly, if she can’t have him then no one can. she won’t touch you because you aren’t the person who necessarily pushed a lawsuit against her but she’s sure with jungkook dead and gone, you’ll be in so much pain that she won’t need to do it herself.

“jungkook? can i please see jaemin? it doesn’t have to be everyday just…just one day out of the week, please? i’m allowed to have visitors now so, please?”

He laughs, cruelly.

Of course, he knows she’s putting on an act, it’s so obvious when she’s got that soft tone, “no.” He says simply, gritting his teeth because she’s trying to use his infant son as bait. And he knows what happened the last time he went to meet her.

“You’ve been in therapy for what? less than three months chaeyoung, I’m not that easy to fool, I saw the look inside your eyes last night… it’s revenge you want.” He snarls, Jungkook grips his phone tightly, he can’t believe he just wasted his time.

“You wanted so badly to give me a child, didn’t you? So you’ve done it, thank you now he’s mine. Go away and forget about him.” He’s warning her, calming his tone down, he can’t get too angry.

“Listen.. we can make a deal.” Jungkook switches to plan B. Of course he has to. “I can fix your career and your reputation, I’ll even fund it- I have a lot of connections in the entertainment industry yknow that.” He’s carefully putting his offer on the table, “You can go back to being the biggest kpop star you once were.. I know how much you loved it all..” it’s true, she adored being adored.

And he can make that happen for her, that is if she agrees to his terms and conditions. “But…. I want you out of our life for once and all.” Jungkook will resort to the last thing after this, because there’s no other way if she doesn’t agree.

He will have to kill her.

“You won’t see Jaemin, and won’t try to take him, you’ll be out of our lives. Because I swear to God if you aren’t, I’ll kill you. So what’s it gonna be?”

Jungkook waits for her response while he can’t wait to come home so you both can ready for your engagement party tonight.

[dreamsinfiction]

April 2024 recap (aka the month my social battery was truly spent)

Lol am already two months behind my recaps haha. It's okay, as long as it gets done, it's okay~

Highlights of April:

a. Got a better-than-expected PB 🥹 - Alhamdulillah! Honestly thought I was gonna get an average or get thrown under the bus with a lower than average PB since I already posted out of my previous dept. But yes, thankfully my efforts over the past year was (rightfully) recognised (because I was thrown a lot of shit in my last couple of months there hahaha)

b. Dad's birthday and impromptu Raya shopping - Brought the family to The White Label (before they closed the North Bridge Road outlet and reopened back at a Bugis hotel) for my dad's birthday and it was really nice seeing everyone enjoy a good meal out since it's so rare. TWL's food is really the best and the food didn't disappoint. The night also turned out to be an impromptu Raya shopping for the parents cos I convinced them to get matching baju with me and my sister. Getting older, it does make me feel warm inside when I was able to buy them the clothes that they want without worrying about the prices. Alhamdulillah for the little things truly.

The food was next level amazing gah.

c. Signed up for volunteering - This year I wanted to do more for the community and thought Ramadan was a good place to start. I did sign up with a volunteering organisation but I think it was oversubscribed and I didn't end up getting picked 😔. Need to be more intentional next year; maybe signing up with a smaller organisation will help my chances. If anyone knows of any lobang to volunteer for a meaningful cause, please let me know!

d. Raya! - This Raya was more meaningful for my family because my dad semi-reconciled with his siblings. It'll be too long to get into the reasons why they were fighting here but I'm just happy to see everyone trying to make nice as they get older. I guess it also helped that they have a common foe (maybe too strong a word but I can't wordsmith it right now) in my grandma and her very stubborn/toxic ways. They banded together and tried to manage her situation right. I really enjoyed visiting everyone and seeing how they're growing up (even though it's at the costs of my limited social battery hahaha)

Featuring a vary manja cat at Nek Muda's house heh.

e. Meeting up with Aunty Eny - Aunty Eny was here for Raya! And also for some medical check ups for Uncle Jim in the area. Even though we've not met up in a while (think the last time was early 2023) it still felt so easy and peaceful to chat and catch up. She also recently opened up a cafe back home in Glasgow so now my mom, sister and me are itching to go back and visit heh (summer 2025?😛)

f. IU in Singapore - OMG fangirl dream came trueeeee. I actually went to the concert alone (not a big deal for me, in fact I loved it more cos I could truly appreciate her music and bop along) in my baju kurung cos I came straight after visiting my cousin for Raya hahahaha. Also my seat was amazing like it was very near to the stage and I barely need to zoom for my videos. IU is amazing live - she's the same age as me but I don't know how she has the stamina to sing and perform for 3 hours straight with 2 encores?? K-pop concerts are putting Western concerts to shame hahaha. During the second encore, she straight up just asked the audience what song we wanted her to perform and she just sang it (to the horror of her live band quickly flipping thru their scores lol). Love it. Ngl, I did tear listening to her ballads which are my fave (Love Wins All, Through the Night)

g. Work stuff - Volunteered to do some extra CCAs! One was organising the monthly divisional meeting for the next quarter (Apr-Jun) + the quarterly HLS/teambonding activity. Doing it with Farah and I think our combination is the best - she comes with the wacky ideas and extroverted self while I help to rationalise everything/tone it down when needed and do the backstage stuff haha. I also volunteered to help out with the Volunteer Festival happening in July! Thought it would be good to have some brownie points on my appraisal this year and it seemed quite straightforward in terms of stakeholder management, ground ops, plus the location I volunteered for will be at Lot One hehe.

Phew my April was super packed; how did I even go through all that and come out in one piece lol. Till the next recap! Which should be quite soon since I'm so far behind in writing them down hahaha.

[a-moth-to-the-light]

when your alarms don't go off but you aren't exactly mad about it (dec 07, 2022)

It's been a little bit since I've done one of these! Life is hard, especially since I've been living in a triggered state for a little while now, but I appreciate getting to sit down and write, even if it's not too often!

Spotify Wrapped, 2

Today, we're talking about my Top Songs 2022 playlist, as created by Spotify! My comments, straight from my brain to your home heating system:

a. The lack of Bruce Springsteen here is surprising--I figured we might get "Lonesome Day" or "Land of Hope and Dreams" or "The River", all of which have been on my mind this year, in there somewhere, but the only Springsteen song on the list was "I'm Goin' Down" (though it was at #13, which is kind of awesome). It's a fantastic song that definitely matched my mood this year, so I'm glad it got represented-- but where's the rest of my Springsteen? How am I supposed to prove my fanboy status if Spotify does this to me :(

b. The artists tied for most songs on the list are Red Velvet & Bad Suns, each with five songs! Last year, only GFRIEND had five songs on the list--it's fun to have a tie this year! (And yes, one of those songs was "Mago"--even though we didn't know it was a goodbye song back then, there's something about it that just makes it the perfect way to finish off such a glorious career.) Perhaps most impressive is that all five Bad Suns songs are from only two albums total--I've actually only listened to two of their four albums, and yet I've already found so many classics!

c. There are four songs that have managed to make my Top Songs lists for three years straight now (my lists from 2018 & 2019 are very different, as my taste shifted a lot in 2020, so no songs have made it on more than three lists)--"As If It's Your Last" by Blackpink, "Bad Boy" by Red Velvet, "Blueming" by IU, and "Why So Lonely" by Wonder Girls (And "I Feel You" is back for its second year! Yay Wonder Girls!). Usually, when people gush about "Bad Boy" (as Reveluvs on YouTube are wont to do), I think okay, I don't really get it but I'm glad they're happy. I'm fully on team "Really Bad Boy", but apparently I like "Bad Boy" more than I thought I did. Also don't make fun of me for having "Why So Lonely" on here... yes I feel chronically empty inside and yes I need a passive-aggressive sadgirl anthem to help me through it and yes that hasn't changed in three years and probably never will! (lighthearted)

d. WHY WON'T SPOTIFY LET ME SORT THIS GODDAMN LIST BY ARTIST??!?!?!?!

e. Both songs from Sumni's Heart Burn single made it into my top 20!

f. UNNATURAL BY WJSN IS BACK FOR A SECOND YEAR AND SHE DESERVES IT SO SO MUCH

the day, in short

So I actually never fell asleep on Tuesday night, and I ended up giving up on trying to sleep around four a.m. and just heading to the gym when it opened at six! Then I had the glorious experience of age-regressing at the gym in the hell-hours of the morning: tottering around the track, watching the sunrise, and struggling to relearn how to put gloves on. Being a kid is tough, but it really did feel magical to enjoy the gym through a child's eyes, especially with the novelty of being there so early in the morning (we usually take our walks around the track right before dinner)!

After our first class, we got to take a nap! We always like falling asleep in the daytime so much better than falling asleep at night--the only issue is that people keep wanting us to do things during the day. sigh We ended up napping wayyyyy too long, though, oversleeping our alarm and missing a class (+ the start of our other class). This is what happens when we forget to take our sleeping pills--we don't sleep at all, and then, when we take one the next day, all the tiredness catches up to us. I'm pretty sad about missing those classes, since I was really excited for some of the stuff happening, but I'm glad I got such a nice nap--I'm struggling with emotion-management already, so trying to do so on even less sleep would probably have been even more hellish. My body knows what it needs; it really is looking out for me :)

And yes I know I'm switching between I & we here! That's a pretty common thing I do when talking about myself, so hopefully it's not too confusing! It just makes the most sense to me to use a mix of both, especially when I'm comfortable enough that I don't feel the need to mask! arm wave for emphasis

Quote of the Day

#tittyequality

-- not me this time, though this is probably something i would say (embarrassed)!

[tigerbear-thv]

KTH NEWS ISSUE NO. 3 (4th week of July)

V FASHION FILM for Celine on Esquire Korea

On the 29th, Esquire Korea surprised the world, on their Youtube channel and Instagram profile, with 3 short episodes of a Fashion Film with Taehyung as the main focus, modeling and looking absolutely handsome wearing Celine.

Each episode shows Taehyung in completely different outfits, them all connected by his unique gaze, along with a different captions given by the magazine:

(the links to the Instagram reels are linked on the names of the episodes)

Episode 1: The one who overwhelms time and space with just a step. The one comes right at us. Who could that be? We’ve met V who perfectly pulls off the Celine Homme Winter 2023. The very beginning of the journey is here.

Episode 2: The 54th outfit from the Celine Homme Winter 2023 runway. Fishnet top, leather jacket, and fur coat. These totally different material pieces reach out to be sensual through V. His very own language delivers Celine’s message clearly only with a look and gesture.

Episode 3: The red military jacket in the Celine Homme Winter 2023 seems to have been designed for V. This was the perfect match for the iconic one with the world on his palm. Let V’s look drag us into the world where he takes control.

The more extensive and clearer 4K video is available on the Esquire YouTube channel!

Along with that, Taehyung shared the reels from Esquire directly on his stories, provoking that in only some hours the 3 episodes surpassed 10M views!

Christmas Tree and Sweet Night

“Sweet Night” surpassed 320 million streams on Spotify

The song, composed by V for the k-drama Itaewon Class, achieved on its moment of release…

Perfect ALL KILL on the Korean music charts.

Hit number 1 on iTunes in 119 countries.

Entered and topped the iTunes Top Song Charts the US, UK and Japan.

Source: Starnews Korea (Trans: Thv Clouth on twt)

Talking about “Sweet Night”, after 607 days, it has now become the 27th longest-charting songs of all-time on Spotify South Korea surpassing IU's “Celebrity”!

"Christmas Tree" is now the most streamed K-OST in Spotify’s history, surpassing V’s own song "Sweet Night"

It’s Taehyung vs. Taehyung basically. I love this.

Anticipation for KTH 1 keeps growing!

K-Media reports that the anticipation from worldwide fans for V’s solo album and debut is growing, showcasing his enhanced skills with a distinctive blend of classical and lyrical influences, his unmatched baritone voice, and a wide range of musical styles.

Also, about the music itself that we can expect from his album, it was said that "It's different from BTS's music, it's hotter than the heat of summer.”

Source: Starnews Korea (Trans: Thv Perú and The Purple Herald, both on twt)

Taehyung here, there and everywhere

Eric Nam on Vogue Singapore

During the interview, Eric chose Taehyung as his ideal member if he could assemble a dream k-pop group. He said "We're going to take V because V and I go way back. V is just V. We don't really need to explain that".

Eric and Taehyung have been friends since 2016. In this picture you can see Eric Nam, Tae and Honne.

Also, in a podcast from 2019, Eric shared an anecdote about an occasion when Tae visited his home and requested Eric to cook for him. Consequently, he prepared pasta.

Kim Youngdae, a popular music critic, on KTH 1

The music critic revealed that he listened to a few tracks from Taehyung's solo album 2 months ago.

He expressed, “I believe you'll be pleasantly taken aback! It appears to be an exciting revelation from the vocalist known as V. While there are recognizable aspects of V's style, I must say, 'Ah.. you'll be amazed by the way it's presented.' Firstly, the music itself is exceptional. V's enchanting voice retains its charm. In BTS songs, there's a specific manner of interpretation, but in this album, it's refreshingly unrestrained and utterly natural. Now, here's the real surprise – this album stands out for a particular reason; it's not a collaboration.”

Source and translation: The Purple Herald on twt

Jeff Benjamin, Kpop Columnist at Billboard, posted about Taehyung’s Cartier ambassadorship as well as the anticipation of Taehyung’s upcoming solo album!

On his Twitter and Instragram, the columnist said about Taehyung

“V of BTS has been named the latest global brand ambassador for Cartier and face of the French luxury jeweler's new Panthère de Cartier campaign. The bold first shot of the campaign has been revealed, leading to reports that the Cartier website crashed and the $26,700 necklace that V models made of made of white gold, diamonds, onyx and emeralds has completely sold out

• ’V is a dancer, musician and art lover who has a solid personality and sense of making choices driven by his own creativity, and with only his own style and elegance. When it came to embodying the magnetism and aura of the panther, our choice naturally fell on V. He has the look and strength of character...a personality whose choices are guided by creativity as a dancer, musician or art lover, with this style and this elegance that belong only to him’ -Arnaud Carrez, Cartier International Senior VP & Chief Marketing Officer

• Previously, V had teamed up with Cartier for a 2022 cover of Vogue Korea in (one of my favorite shoots) with a spread that was simple yet sophisticated, youthful but timeless.

• This all comes as anticipation is higher than ever for V's solo album as the final bts member to release his own project under the label. Shouldn't be much longer now... but in the meantime, excited to see V add yet another luxury brand to his growing influence and arsenal. Congratulations!”

Source: Jeff Benjamin’s Twitter and Instagram

Appearing on JK’s “Seven” stage and it became a trend

V visited the SBS Inkigayo set on July 30th. On this day, when Jungkook appeared on Inkigayo to perform his solo digital single 'Seven', V made a surprise appearance on stage and danced together for a few seconds. However, this appearance was not broadcast on the main broadcast.

What's funny and curious about all this is that after appearing for only a few secs and off air, V became the number 1 trending topic on the Google searches for Inkigayo!

Source: twitter users and Newsen (trans: The Purple Herald on twt)

Daegu Metropolitan City hosted the “2023 Daegu International University Student Camp” from July 23 to July 28 where they included a BTS V mural in the schedule

This is the 17th year of the Daegu Government's program to promote international exchanges between overseas and local college students and foster pro-Daegu personnel from abroad.

Many young foreigners from the Asia-Pacific cities made memories by taking pictures in front of Taehyung's mural street.

Source: 파이낸셜뉴스 and 매일신문 (trans: KTH_Kcrew on twt)

Wins of the Week

Taehyung gets his 4th consecutive win in the category “Fan Choice of the Year - July” on SMA!

The voting done during the month of July on the apps of Fancast and Idolchamp closes with V on the 1st place for the 4th consecutive month, securing his 4th physical trophy!

NEHAN and BIHAN for the week 07/24-07/30

Taehyung has ranked 1st, in Japan, as…

The “Most Popular Kpop Male Idol” for 122 consecutive weeks with 18,488 votes.

The “Most Popular Korean Male Actor in his 20s” for 118 consecutive weeks with 17,498 votes.

Make sure to read, give a like, share and enjoy all the articles and accs who work hard for TaeTae

[niel-trbl]

Future

Best friends to Lovers!Kang Daniel AU

Note: for the times where you experienced 썸 (some) with your good/best friend and wished that when you do convey your feelings it would somewhat end up this way

“_______, are you done? we’re going to be late,” Daniel stood by the door, watching you putting on makeup

“hold on, i’m almost done! okay which one?” you held 2 lipsticks

“you know i like the red one on you” you smirked at his comment and proceeded to put on the wine red lipstick

“i don’t get why you’re putting on so much makeup. who are you trying to impress?” he gazed at you

“um my future partner? what if i meet him by chance at the wedding?”

“and you’re going to leave your best friend behind?” he pouted

“well…”

“omg you’re really considering it?! i’m leaving” you quickly held his arm, preventing him from leaving

“i’m kidding! c’mon Niel, how can i leave my dearest best friend?” you teased him, pinching his cheeks i wna do that tbh

this would be a good example of your everyday conversation with your best friend, Kang Daniel

you and Daniel have been friends since elementary school

how you first became friends was definitely interesting (?)

your class had to run rounds around school for gym

it was only your second round and you already felt tired so you decided to escape from running

as you were finding a hiding spot, you saw Daniel crouching down and playing with a cat

he got shocked when he saw you behind him

“don’t rat me out please!” he begged you

you then learnt that he too was trying to escape from running rounds that day

that was how you became close friends

both of you grew up together and been there for each other through every milestone, relationship, break up, etc. in life

basically you spent most of your time together, except for when he left for Canada (?) for a few years

it was truly the hardest time in your whole friendship and when he came back, both of you promised to never leave one another

your friend from high school, Doyeon, had invited you to her wedding so you decided to attend it with Daniel since both of you had no one to bring as your plus ones

daniel in a SUIT swoon

you finally arrived at the wedding venue, just in time for the couple to exchange their vows

“I see these vows not as promises but as privileges - I get to laugh with you, cry with you, care for you and share with you. I am blessed to not only be able to share, but to have you be a part of these great memories I am able to cherish forever…”

tears started forming in the corner of your eyes

you took a deep breath in attempt to hold it in but Daniel beat you to it by handing a tissue to you smooth move danik

you managed to mumble out a thanks in between of your sobs

he hushed you then let your head rest on his BUSAN TO MASAN shoulders

you wouldn’t know what you would’ve done without Daniel around

you quickly went ahead to the married couple to congratulate them right after the exchange of vows

“Daniel didn’t pop the question yet?” Doyeon sneakily whispered to you, while Daniel was conversing with her partner

“what? no, we’re not together,” you felt yourself blushed

“oh… i thought after high school, you guys would finally come around and share a future together. it would’ve been so nice to see that,” she said, holding onto your hand

once the ceremony was over, it was finally time for the banquet your favourite

of course Daniel went all out

you came to the table with a plate full of food but he came back with 2 plates and still went back for 2nd round

till this day, you wonder how is he able to consume so much food and still look so good drop em tips boi

“get me some too!” Daniel told you when you stood up to get dessert

you stood in line, with a plate in hand, waiting for your turn when someone approached you

“________? is that you?”

“Sungwoon? omg hey it’s been so long!” he gave you a side hug

you met Sungwoon during your internship, you both were rather close

however, whenever you brought up Sungwoon in your conversations with Daniel, he will immediately tune out

both of you would fight every time he does that, you knew he did so because he was jealous but you never understood why and he would never tell you the reason

Daniel saw Sungwoon’s hand resting on your waist a little too comfortably and he immediately tensed up

he didn’t want to make a scene so he calmed himself down before making his way to the dessert table to get you or more like to make Sungwoon take his hands off you

“babe do you need a hand with those?” Daniel slowly turned your attention to him, which caused Sungwoon to move back, away from you

“babe? wait what?” you were surprised by his choice of words

“ah i see… i’ll talk to you later _______,” Sungwoon walked away, clearly flustered by the situation

“Sungwoon wait- omg Niel are you serious? we were just talking! i can’t believe you!” you pushed him

“he was getting too close! what if he did something to you?” he quickly followed behind, catching up with you

“so what if he is? Daniel, you need to stop being so overprotective of me. I can take care of myself! You can’t just do that all the time. Sungwoon’s a really nice guy and now he’s probably scared to talk to me again coz of you. Forget it, I’m going home,” you stomped away from him

“wait, i’ll take you home. it’s getting late,” he ordered, which you quietly obliged to

the ride home was abnormally quiet

usually both of you would sing along to the songs on your playlist, making jokes and laughing

this time, the radio filled the silence, even so it felt uncomfortable

his grip on the wheel tightened even more, putting all of his focus on the road

you just looked out of the window, deep in thought about what happened earlier

he clearly was being jealous and you hated every time it happens

you aren’t going to stop hanging out with Sungwoon or anyone just so that he will stop being jealous, that would be unfair to you

but you just wish that he would stop it

you finally reached the carpark of your apartment building

you unbuckled your belt and reached for the door handle but Daniel stopped you immediately

“can we talk? i don’t want you to go home all angry”

“…”

“look i just want to apologise. i can’t help but feel jealous and i am sorry that i had to put you in that position,”

you still didn’t want to budge, you crossed your arms and avoided eye contact

he suddenly wrapped his arms around you, hugging you close

“i’m sorry! i didn’t know any better, kid,” he bopped your nose

you felt your heart beating quickly and the heat on your cheeks

you immediately tried to push him away but Daniel hugged you even closer in return

SOMEBODY STOP THIS MAN you are supposed to be angry at him!!!

“hey c’mon please? i’m really sorry about that. let’s turn that frown upside down,” he cupped your face and gave you your favourite eye smile, the one he knew you couldn’t resist i’d faint irl tbh

you can’t help it but to just gave in and forgive him

“just because i forgive you, doesn’t mean i’m not serious about it”

“i know, i’m sorry. i can’t help it,”

“but why? if it’s about them stealing me away from you then-”

“wHAT? NO! i mean yES. i mean- ah i can’t tell you now,”

“WHY! you always can’t tell me why and i want to know why right now”

“i just can’t, no not now please. i’ll tell you next time,”

“no i want to know it right now! can’t you just-”

“I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU OKAY”

silence filled the car once again

you were shocked coz you didn’t expect to hear those words

you had always thought you wouldn’t share mutual feelings coz he had never looked at you that way

and the girls he dated were in no way similar to you, all the more it made you think that you didn’t stand a chance

hearing those words from him made you flustered

“this wasn’t supposed to turn out this way. i wanted to bring you out and tell you how i felt. i even got tips from Doyeon’s partner on it!”

listening to what he had to say made you hide your face in embarrassment

you were so touched, you ended up sobbing into your palms

“wait, no no don’t cry, please. i don’t want you to cry because of me, that’s the last thing i ever wanted,” he held onto your hands

“is that why you couldn’t tell me every time i asked you?” he nodded quietly

“i’m touched by you. i never knew you felt the same way. thank you, for telling me,” you kissed his cheek

Daniel held onto your cheek then pecked your lips

“i’m still going to bring you out and confess to you like how i planned” he grinned to you

[jeanyeo]

이 밤 그날의 반딧불을 당신의 창 가까이 띄울게요 좋은 꿈 이길 바라요~

Picture reference: 헤드라이너

[nightlovers-stuff]

Diaboys' favorite Kpop groups/soloists

[Headcanon]

Sakamaki:

Shu: Shu says he doesn't like any of this idol stuff, but you can find him listening to IU's entire discography (his favorite songs are Eight and Through the Night) He also likes Taeyeon, but only songs like 11:11, rain, circus...chill songs in general

Reiji: he's really picky about what he listens to, so most of artists are inappropriate for him...but heize, Dean, IU and Lee-hi are the only exception

He probably listens to some tradicional Korean singer

Ayato: Ayato was reluctant at first, but now he really enjoys some groups like Nct, Big Bang, Exo, he only likes the old school era from BTS. He also likes girl groups like Red Velvet, G-idle(tomboy era!!!!) and Blackpink. Likes Sunmi and Chungha a lot

but he'll never admit it

Kanato: TWICE STAN!!!!!! He likes cute concepts. G-friend, Lovelyz and even Loona.

Guess what?

He also loves red velvet. ( russian roulette is his favorite era)

Laito: Girl's Generation and 2NE1 stan, also loves red velvet(ice cream cake is his favorite) and Mamamoo Sexy girl groups like Girl's day, exid(up&down), sistar. Enjoys soloist as wells: CL, Hyuna, Chungha and JAY PARK 💀

Subaru: He likes dreamcatcher, mainly because it's more like rock or at least pop rock, he also likes Day6 and The Rose. But this boy can be a secretly softie, he likes IU, Dean and bol4 too

Mukami:

Ruki: Dean, heize, IU, Lee hi, Crush, Baekhyun and even Kai, he really likes Exo.

Mainly chill songs

Kou: He likes pretty much everything. EXO, BTS, Big Bang, Ikon, shine, girl's generation (HUGE FAN) 2NE1( he suffered a lot with the disband)

He enjoys the old groups but also the new ones like txt, itzy, stray kids enphyen..

Azusa: This softie boy listens to whatever kou shows him. But he likes happy vibes like twice, seventeen, red velvet, oh my girl. LOVES BOL4

Yuma: Now...I don't think yuma would listen to music a lot, he's too busy working on his field

But he likes red velvet (I think all the boys like them), IU, Twice( imagine yuma singing "SHY SHY SHY" while he works on his field) but he also likes Zico, Monsta X and even Ateez

Kino: He's girl group stan, but likes all kpop groups, including male groups

Twice(knows all the coreographys), Snsd(likes tayeon a lot) blackpink ( jisoo is his bias), itzy (he can do the shoulder dance of wannabe), sunmi, stayc, everglow..

Male groups: Bts,exo, got7, Stray kids, ateez, txt...

He literally listens to any kpop song.

He went to Twice's concert in Japan and forced yuri to come along

[atzsslut]

requested by @yxnkigi in this post!

pairing : boyfriend ! hongjoong x fem ! reader

genre : fluff

warnings : although it’s fem reader, i think it can be taken as gender neutral (unless you are uncomfortable with fem pet names), not idolverse but he is a producer!

word count : 1.07k words

Perhaps it was cliche to say, but Hongjoong was your sun.

The cliche of it all only being increased since his name specifically meant "center of the world", just like the sun in to the galaxy. However, it wasn't like he minded whenever you called him that.

In actuality, he was rather giddy when he found out his name on your phone was "my sun".

Though he could argue for hours that you were the sun in the relationship, it would just end with him giving up to you because, whether or not you were in the mood to argue, nothing could beat your aggressive compliments towards him.

Strangely enough, he really liked it when you yelled "let me appreciate my own boyfriend" because he liked being reminded that you were his, and he was yours.

There were even times that you thought he was warmer than the sun. Coincidentally, just like right now.

You and Joong couldn't often be spontaneous, seeing that both of you were busy, but especially him since he was a rising music producer. But when you were met with a text of him saying that he would take you out today, who were you to deny him?

His hand in yours, walking down the gentle hill, wishing to feel the slight sharpness of the grass once you were sat down and your shoes were off, Hongjoong had decided that today was a good day for a picnic date in the park.

"Aren't you scared of bugs?" you mentioned, leaning closer to him as your other hand held the picnic blanket.

"Yes.." he trailed, leading the way. "Your point?"

"We're at a park, surrounded by a bunch of grass, and lots of trees. That equals maybe a few caterpillars, grasshoppers, and lots of ants."

"You know, darling. I would appreciate if you didn't try to freak me out and make fun of my incredibly rational phobia in my attempts to take you out on a nice day."

You let out a small laugh, liking the little grump that came with his complaint. It took you back to when Hongjoong found a bug in his coffee and almost yelled loud enough for the whole of Seoul to hear.

“That looks like a good spot.” you pointed out, rather surprised that no one had gone there.

The space was shaded well enough by a tree, and was near the part of the park where hundreds of beds of flowers were carefully taken care of by the gardeners.

You ran over ahead of Hongjoong, laying down the blanket as neatly as possible while he followed, trying not to shake the food-filled basket too much.

Finally reaching you, he set it down on the edge, only almost touching the grass as he watched you take your shoes off.

“Wanna lay down on my lap?“ he offered, flicking his shoes off carelessly.

You nodded with a look of joy on your face, never dreaming of passing up an offer like that. “You know me so well.” you commented.

“Of course.” he cockily admitted. Nonetheless, he was right.

“Want listen to some music?” you asked, pulling out his earphones (you offered to keep them in your bag to not have them get lost in the food).

“You know me so well.” he mirrored your words before, making you purse your lips and furrow your eyebrows as you carefully laid your body down on the blanket.

You scrolled through your phone, looking for a song to play. Your head was set on Hongjoong’s lap as he peeled a tangerine, careful to not get any sour residue near your eye.

And while he finally got the whole peel off, feeding one piece of tangerine into your mouth, you let out an excited “Mm!” when you found a good song.

Taking his earphones, you put one bud in his ear and the other in yours, phone carefully placed on your chest. Immediately as the song played, he smiled down at you, while you did the same looking up at him, knowing well how familiar the sounds were.

IU’s “Through the Night” played through buds, a song that you found to be a perfect definition of you and Hongjoong’s relationship.

Even if it was light out, the two of you could listen endlessly to the song. The easiness of the song’s flow exactly defined how easy it was for you to love him, and how easy it was for him to love you.

Whether you two were cleaning around your apartment, or simply wanting to sing it out, the song never seemed to bore either of you.

And it would always be remembered how you two had decided it was your song; it came up when you were scrolling, laying with Hongjoong on your bed as soft music played through the speaker on the nightstand.

Letting it play, one of the lyrics sang “Tonight, I’ll send you the firefly from that day. To your window. That means that I love you”.

He suddenly said that he would send a million fireflies to your window, and you only tried to one-up him and say you’d send infinity. That was when he first told you he loved you. Given, you said it back with just as much meaning.

Simple & straightforward—you never thought you could’ve found someone like Hongjoong, stumbling into your life and bringing no burdens to it.

You took his hand with both of yours, only a bit sticky from the tangerine’s pith, but not really minding it. Playing with his ring-decorated fingers, nails sloppily painted with chipped polish, you always liked how his hands felt in yours.

Having one ear not listening to the music, you could hear Hongjoong’s humming match up with yours. You weren’t the only one who noticed when your lover smiled, then looked down to use his free hand to gently graze your eyebrows.

It was subtle, not incredibly affectionate, but enough for you to understand that he just wanted to touch you. Feel you against his finger tips. Something he liked to do because he wanted to tell himself that you were real—that you were staying at this moment in time with him.

That you weren’t just a dream.

And through days and nights, you’d love to spend every mundane second with him. With a dance, conversation, or bare touch—Kim Hongjoong was your beginning and end. And you were his.

@yxnkigi i hope you enjoyed it! i apologize in advance if it's not exactly what you imagined, but i tried my best!

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ all the love, alex

[iuteamstarcandy]

[TRANS] IU ‘Palette’ Album Introduction and Song Introductions

ALBUM INTRODUCTION

Using small moments to make pretty paints, ‘this right now’ of ‘IU’ is densely filled.

The 4th full-length album of "IU" [Palette] is out!

IU’s fourth full-length album [Palette] has finally been released.

Starting with the first pre-released song "Through the Night", out on the 24th last month, IU lived up to her name by setting a record of ‘Perfect All-Kills’ one after another, starting with the first pre-released song “Through the Night”, followed by her second pre-released song, “Can’t Love You Anymore” with musician ‘OHHYUK’ who is of the same age as her.

IU’s fourth full-length album, [Palette], a new album released in a year and a half since her previous one, is her first full-length album in more than three years and just like the album name ‘Palette’, it contains a variety of music styles and stories, rather than specific genres or styles, as we can guess from the two pre-released songs.

IU’s fourth full-length album [Palette] allows us to discover another transformation of singer IU and the musical growth of producer IU as she worked hard on this album. In addition, in this album, she meets the best musicians of generations and genres such as Lee Byung-woo, Son Sung-je, G-DRAGON, sunwoojunga, OHHYUK and Sam Kim, expanding her musical spectrum, while coloring all her songs with the sensibility of IU and her unique delicate tone and lyrics, making it impossible to determine the musical limitations and colors of the album.

“In the moment when I open my eyes to the dreams I drew that became reality,

another new colour is added to my palette…

This moment is a dream I earnestly drew someday too.

I’ll turn this moment today into pretty paints and continue to draw my dreams’

- 2016 IU Concert ‘One Two Three Four’-

‘This right now’ of ‘IU’ is filled with pretty paints made of the small moments of the 10-year-old artist or 25-year-old ‘Lee Jieun’ and what kind of painting she will complete on this white ‘Palette’ with these new music and paints, is up to the listeners who have been waiting for her new album for a long time.

SONG INTRODUCTIONS

01 이 지금 (dlwlrma)

Composed by Kim Je-hwi

Lyrics by IU

Arranged by Kim Je-hwi

A pop jazz track that shows off a brilliant chord progression, this song was composed by Kim Je-hwi, who showed great chemistry with IU several times, including in “Through the Night” and “Heart” and the lyrics are written by IU. It's a song with the lovely message that nothing else but right now, here, we are amazingly shining and beautiful.

02. 팔레트 (Palette) (Feat. G-DRAGON) (TITLE)

Composed by IU

Lyrics by IU

Arranged by Lee Jong-hoon

Rap Making by G-DRAGON

This is a sensuous, yet cozy synth-pop R&B track of a genre that ‘IU’ has never tried before. It seems different from “Twenty-three” which was released two years ago, and calmly talks about “IU” herself. Having truthfully and boldly solved the confusion of two completely opposite sides co-existing in “Twenty-three”, IU is no longer confused this time and clearly points out what she likes and says, “I know myself a bit better now.” Moreover, with G-DRAGON featuring on this song, the song is not just about IU as an individual, but about the age of 25, or the beauty and splendor of youth. The sincere, soft and friendly message harmonizes with the soft synth sounds.

03. 이런 엔딩 (Ending Scene)

Composed by Sam Kim

Lyrics by IU

Arranged by Lee Jong-hoon

This is a R&B ballad track that boasts perfect harmony with vintage piano sounds and lyrical orchestral melodies. The melody of genius artist Sam Kim, who expresses emotions and sensations at the same time, meets the lyrics and vocals of IU, to create a completely new style. This is a song that describes the saddest moment of breaking up in love, which is easily relatable to men and women who have suffered a breakup, as the ending scene of the movie they made together.

04. 사랑이 잘 (Can’t Love You Anymore) (With OHHYUK)

Composed by Lee Jong-hoon, IU, OHHYUK

Lyrics by IU, OHHYUK

Arranged by Lee Jong-hoon

The first official collaboration between IU and Oh Hyuk was selected as the second pre-released song of IU’s fourth regular album and received great public attention even before its release due to the unique charm and chemistry of the two artists. In the song, which is an R&B track with minimalistic instrumentals, IU and Oh Hyuk participated in the lyrics and songwriting and by exchanging realistic and sensuous lyrics and melodies, they expressed the tense conflict between a man and woman who have lost the spark between them. As the Track Producer, the song’s completion was improved further with the involvement of composer Lee Jong Hoon, who also composed IU’s debut song “Mia”, along with “Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms”, “Leon” and “Twenty-three”.

05. 잼잼 (Jam Jam)

Composed by sunwoojunga

Lyrics by sunwoojunga, IU

Arranged by sunwoojunga, Seok Chul-yun

This is an electronic synth-pop track with a lively sound, like telling a joke. It was composed by the charming artist, sunwoojunga, who is coveted by all musicians and also composed a variety of music like “SPRINGIRLS”, “SOONI”, “It Rains” and so on. Also, IU and sunwoojunga worked together on the lyrics. It is an attention-grabbing song with a cynical and actually mournful contemplation about love.

06. Black Out

Composed by Lee Jong-hoon

Lyrics by IU

Arranged by Lee Jong-hoon

As you would notice from the title, it is an indie pop track with a strong smell of alcohol. A serious guitar solo, which is completely contrary to the playful bass and rhythm, becomes an ironic and attractive killing part to the song. Basically, it seems like nonsense, but when you think about what it was like when each of us got drunk.. “Sigh, it was even more serious..”

07. 마침표 (Full Stop)

Composed by Son Sung-je

Lyrics by IU

Arranged by Son Sung-je

This is a ballad track with a fresh combination of piano, string, flute and clarinet. It is also notable that from the start to the end, there is no fixed BPM (speed) and the performers and vocalists freely perform the song. Son Sung-je, a detailed artist who is already well-known for his high-quality music in the jazz scene, composed the song. Like a long suffering from the ache of a wisdom tooth that was suddenly pulled out, one resolves to put an end to all this, though it is still heartbreaking. With the restrained sounds of someone trying not to wail, it makes the song sound even sadder.

08. 밤편지 (Through the Night)

Composed by Kim Je-hwi, Kim Hee-won

Lyrics by IU

Arranged by Kim Je-hwi, Kim Hee-won

This is a folk ballad with an acoustic sound that goes well with the lyrical guitar melody and IU’s voice. Composer Kim Je-hwi, who has already collaborated with IU several times for songs like “Heart” and “My Old Story”, together with ‘New Face’ Kim Hee-won, participated in the songwriting and IU participated in writing the lyrics, showing off another great chemistry. It was released as the first pre-released song of IU’s full-length album last month and is well loved by listeners for a period of time for its delicate emotions, a unique characteristic of IU-type ballads.

09. 그렇게 사랑은 (Love Alone)

Composed by Lee Byung-woo

Lyrics by Lee Byung-woo

Arranged by Lee Byung-woo

This is a classic ballad that allows you to sense artist Lee Byung-woo’s experience with only the first three notes of the guitar. It is a wonderful conversation between the two artists, which brings out a tense atmosphere with almost 5 minutes of just one guitar and one voice. In fact, the recording each time is a ‘one-take’, which shows how hard both sides tried to collaborate for the recording. This is the only song on the album that IU did not participate in writing the lyrics, as Lee Byung-woo composed, wrote the lyrics and performed for the song.

10. 이름에게 (Dear Name) (TITLE)

Composed by Lee Jong-hoon

Lyrics by IU, Kim Eana

Arranged by Lee Jong-hoon, Hong So-jin

The song, which boasts the largest scale in both length and composition in the album and has been chosen as the second title track, is a pop ballad track with a magnificent sound that reminds you of the song "Secret," the first track of IU's second full-length album. The beautiful string melody unfolded under the direction of Korea's unrivaled string arranger Park In-young and the so-called ‘IU Band’ members, who always show fantastic teamwork at IU's concerts, performed together as if performing live, and the voice of IU that penetrates the grand sound without a single backing vocal. The comfort conveyed by that sole voice is so strong that it can reach anywhere. Lee Jong-hoon composed the song and IU collaborated on the lyrics with Kim Eana for the first time.

Translated by IUteamstarcandy

Source: Melon

[alpacaparkaseok]

Shut Eye

pairing/genre: idol!Yoongi x reader, fluff

premise: In a world where every night you meet your soulmate in your dreams only to forget their face and voice when you wake up, you’re now more desperate than ever to find them.

word count: 2.6k

a/n: I was listening to the piano version of ‘For Forever’ from Dear Evan Hansen while writing this...so maybe that explains it?? THIS IS SOOO CHEESY YOU GUYS

requested by anon - thanks for the fun request, hope you enjoy! a picture of your ask/request will be at the bottom of the post. Thank you!

_________________________________

You awoke with a gasp, the covers flung aside in an effort to grab the notebook and pen you kept handy on your nightstand. Not bothering to flip on the lamp, you used the little moonlight filtering in through your window to write down the events of your dream.

You spent most nights in the dreamscape with your soulmate, his face and voice a blurry mess in your mind. The two of you would talk for hours, that much you know. The general idea of the conversation would stick with you as well, but beyond anything else, you’d wake up with the same familiar feeling.

The specific brand of heartbreak that tends to accompany goodbyes. 

Tonight’s dream had been something entirely different, though. Try as you might, your mind can’t seem to conjure up the exact words your soulmate had so calmly whispered in your ear as you stood on a red carpet facing innumerable flashing cameras. However, one thing was for certain.

He was trying to send you a message. 

He was trying to find you out in this big world. 

You’ve made a bullet-point list now, with the words red carpet, famous?? and beautiful suit starting off the list. As the list continued on, you only grew more and more confused. Why did your soulmate choose that dreamscape? After years of the usual sitting room and long chats, something must have happened to make him change.

Frustrated, you scanned last night’s notes to see if anything out of the ordinary had happened. You nearly gave up before one of the final bullet-points caught your attention.

we talked about family

did we talk about our family??

Eyebrows scrunched and lips pouted, you wracked your brain for any recollection of the conversation from the night before. Indeed, you remembered waking up with the distinct feeling of discussing future baby names, but for the life of you, you couldn’t remember what he had said he liked. What you did remember was that it was a name that had made you laugh, and that he had been upset about it for the rest of the evening. 

Not too upset, though. He’d still quietly warned you in the way he always did when he knew he was about to wake up. Softly lacing his hand through yours, running his thumb over the back of your knuckles until in the blink of an eye he was gone. 

There had been several occasions when you’d woken up still feeling the ghost of his hand on yours.

The notebook in your hands glared up at you, an unwelcome reminder that you were nowhere near close to understanding the meaning of your most recent dream. 

Normally, you would have just let it go. But today was different. Today you woke up just knowing that he had meant something by the dream. The way he’d brought you out on that red carpet, your arm linked through his as he led you toward a group that was already posing for pictures-

Wait. A group? You’d forgotten that part. Another bullet-point was added to the growing list.

part of a group (friends?)

Your eyes drifted shut as you tried to remember any more details, the ways the cameras flashed seemed to impair your vision as you’d looked at the group that had smiled as you neared. One of them had made some extra space for you and your soulmate, and you’d nearly keeled over when you saw who it was.

But who was it?

You sighed, scribbling one last bullet-point before your brain quit functioning.

I recognized the friends - famous?

It was a bit discouraging to look down at the list and see so many question marks, but you paid it no mind as you tossed your notebook back onto the nightstand and found the strength to get up for the day. 

You’d just have to wait until the next dream.

•••••••••••••••••••••••

“I have no idea where this is going,” you admitted while staring up at the ceiling,  sprawled out on your bed. “But I just know that he’s trying to tell me something. You know?”

Your best friend, Ji-eun, just laughed on the other side. “I’m sure he was...but honestly, who knows? Maybe he just wanted a change of scenery.”

“Ugh. You’re no fun.”

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but no more fun for you tonight. I’ve got to go to bed. Got to wake up early tomorrow, remember? It’s a big day.”

“Oh, that’s right! Are you nervous?”

You’d nearly forgotten that your best friend was also one of South Korea’s most beloved singers. On most days, you forgot her stage name, too. 

“No, not really. I just usually hate having to sit there by myself, you know? There are so many groups, and them I’m just by myself. Looking beautiful.”

“Aww, poor IU, all alone.” You teased. “I’d go with you, but-”

In an instant, Ji-eun, or IU, squealed and you knew that she had an idea. “Yes! Come with me!! I’ll sneak you in! You won’t even have to worry about the red carpet- wait.”

You winced, having held the phone at a distance from your ear so as to not immediately lose your hearing. “Oh no, now what? You know I’m not fit for award shows, Ji-eun.”

“Didn’t you say that your dream was on the red carpet?”

You blinked. “Yeah.”

“Sooo,” Ji-eun dragged out, “Maybe you’ll see him.”

A wry laugh escaped you. “What makes you think he would recognize me even if he was there? Or that I would recognize him?”

IU made an indecisive noise. “Well, you already described his beautiful suit-”

“Hey, no teasing. It was absolutely gorgeous.”

“Exactly! If there’s a guy that shows up wearing that suit, then maybe that’s him! And, maybe he’s part of a group! You would recognize the group if you saw them, wouldn’t you?”

“You’re just trying to get me to come with you,” you drawled, ignoring the little spark of hope. 

“Obviously. Hey, you know that really pretty red dress you bought not that long ago?”

“Yeah.”

“Wear that, and work your dreamscape magic or something to help him remember the red dress. He’ll recognize you when he sees you tomorrow!”

With an eye roll you’re pretty sure Ji-eun heard through the phone, you groaned. “If he’s even there. If.”

“So you’ll do it?”

In the end, it was the memory of having to say goodbye every morning without even remembering who you were saying goodbye to that had you agreeing. 

••••••••••••••••••

Falling into your dreams had always felt more like waking up, the urge to stretch and run around almost too much to deny. Tonight, you entered the familiar sitting room that you’d frequented nearly every night for the past few years.

Your soulmate is waiting for you when you enter, his back turned to you.

A part of you knows that the two of you have been through this many times before. You’ve technically met your soulmate hundreds of times - maybe even thousands at this point. But every night, it’s the same little feeling of anticipation as you wait for him to turn around. 

Always wondering who it might be. Always dreading the moment you wake up and forget his face all over again, waiting for the next dream to identify him.

He’s in the black, lightly checkered suit that he wore last night, not a single strand of his black hair out of place as he turns around with wide eyes.

Your breath is momentarily caught in your throat as you suddenly recognize him, not only from the previous dreams but from nearly everywhere else in the waking world. 

“Hey,” Yoongi mumbles, a soft smile gracing his lips as he looks at you. “You look beautiful.”

You looks down at the red dress you’re wearing, the same one you’re planning on wearing at the award show. Nodding at his suit, you grin.

“Are you wearing that to the award show today?”

He nods, stepping toward you. “I wish you could go, I know that I’d be able to find you-”

“I am.”

Yoongi stops, his mouth slightly open. He takes a single step toward you. “You are? How?”

“Ji-eun is my best friend, remember?”

He takes a moment to recall that tidbit of information about you, nodding. “So...we’ll see each other.”

“I hope so.” You tilt your head. “But will you recognize me? It was so hard for me to remember any details after last night’s dream, I feel like it’s getting harder.”

“I think it is,” Yoongi agrees, striding over to you and grabbing your hand even as a light pink dusts over his cheeks. “But I don’t think I’ll be able to forget this dress.” With a wink that belies his shy nature, Yoongi leads you out onto the red carpet, where cameras are waiting. 

He walks you through the event, glancing at you every few seconds as though afraid that you’ll disappear at any moment. That’s certainly a valid concern - it’s happened plenty of times.

You’ve just made it to where the rest of the members are standing when you feel the tell-tale pull back toward reality. 

You’ll be waking up at any moment now. Most likely because of that pesky nest of birds that have decided to camp out just outside of your windows. 

Instinctively your grip on Yoongi’s arm tightens, and he turns to you. He can tell by the look in your eyes that you’re about to leave.

“What if it doesn’t work?” You blurt out, taking in every last detail of him. From the way his cheeks are still pink to the fit of his suit. 

Yoongi absolutely shocks you as he presses a chaste kiss to your forehead, pulling you a little closer. His breath that dusts over your ear feels so real as he whispers gently to you.

“We’ll find a way. I promise.”

•••••••••••••••••••

It was the same dream as the night before; the same infuriating goodbye that seeped into your bones as you hurtled awake. However, this time, you could have sworn that you recalled a puppy-dog gaze that was begging you to remember him as you left the dreamscape.

You’d worn the red dress you currently had on, the red lace falling just below your knees. A part of you remembered the way your soulmate had reacted when you’d waltzed into the dreamscape, the way you had casually linked your arm through his as you walked onto the red carpet.

Today you couldn’t find the energy to write anything in your full notebook, opting to bury your head in your hands.

“Who are you?” You groaned. The feeling of his soft lips against your forehead has you sighing, wishing that you could replay it all over again. After shooting a glare at the red dress hanging in your closet, you grabbed your notebook to write down one note before getting up.

We love each other

••��••••••••••••••••

Ji-eun - er, IU, instructed you to wait for her at the entrance to the photo-op portion of the red carpet. She would be busy doing little interviews before that, which honestly didn’t seem that appealing to you. 

Especially not when you were so nervous you thought you were going to throw up.

Staring down at your red dress, you nearly jumped out of your skin when there was a hand on your shoulder.

“Ha! You’re jumpy today,” IU teased, “I wonder why.”

“Oh good, you’re finished.” You ignored her tease, happy to get moving. “You look amazing.”

It wasn’t a surprise, but she still deserved to be complimented. IU looked absolutely ethereal in her flowy green gown, the two of you looking like some sort of Christmas ad. 

“You look great as well!” She motioned toward the carpet. “I think we’re just after this group. Ready?”

Armed with a smile and your best friend at your side, you ventured onto the carpet. It was easier than you though it would be; most of the time you were stepping aside to allow the photographers a clear view of IU.

You’ve nearly made it to the end when a fresh round of screaming picks up. 

There’s only one group that can command that much attention.

You couldn’t help but crane your neck as you see BTS walk onto the carpet, just a couple of groups behind you. Your eyes widened on their own accord when you saw them, unable to shake the feeling of having met them before. 

Of course, they pay you no mind. However, you couldn’t help but chuckle at the way Suga took a moment to get up on his tippy-toes, looking around. You went to point it out to IU, nobody paying either of you any mind as you walk off the carpet. You lost all ability to speak, however, as you took a closer look.

It’s the suit. 

The one that is checkered with a light gray, the one that fit your soulmate just right. 

It’s the black hair that’s perfectly styled. 

And as Suga turned to look your way, you didn’t miss the way his eyes caught on your red dress.

Almost like he had been looking for a red dress.

In the span of a single heartbeat, you made eye contact with the idol, the same question lingering in your eyes. 

For Min Yoongi, that’s all it took. 

Abandoning all precepts, he took off down the carpet, heading straight toward you. From the way the other members took one look at you and your red dress and immediately began speaking to those present, you knew that they’d been waiting for this. Knew that they weren’t planning on keeping this low-key, because there was no real way to do that. 

Not as Yoongi saw you and knew. 

You managed to take three steps toward him before he was before you, grinning with his gummy smile even as his ears turned red. 

“Quick,” Yoongi breathed out, reaching down to take your hands in his. “If it’s really you, tell me what name we can’t agree on for a girl.”

The question threw you off guard, making you laugh. But after a moment, you found with a gasp that you remember.

You remembered everything.

The way the two of you first awkwardly stumbled into the dreamscape at the age of nineteen. How you eventually opened up to each other, grew to care deeply about the other. 

You remembered the nights when the two of you were rambunctious and laughing at stupid stories Yoongi told you about the boys. 

You remembered the nights when you sat in silence, dreading the moment you would have to wake up.

And you remembered that just a few days ago, Yoongi had brought up family. You’d spent the night talking about how many children you’d want, how you’d raise them, what you’d name them.

And there was one horrible name that he loved and you hated, and neither of you were willing to budge on it.

“Ugh,” you groaned even as you smiled. “We are not naming her Pearl! It would make her sound like a pirate ship!”

The cameras flashed, which made Yoongi’s eyes glimmer as he laughed along with you. Then, without a care in the world except for knowing for certain that it was all real, Yoongi tugged you closer until your foreheads touched and all you could see were his dark eyes pulling you in.

“I told you we’d find a way.”

Hundreds of cameras flashed, documenting the moment and effectively labeling it a dream come true.

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