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yourkeeperoftherunners · 11 months

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Fam

Plot: Your exchange student “brother” from Australia is graduating. Unbeknownst to him, you and your mom have planned to surprise him after his ceremony. It may have been an unexpected meeting, but he considered you family after bonding with you.

Characters: High School Graduate!Felix (SKZ) x Former Exchange Student Host Family!Reader (female), including mentions of other SKZ members.

Rating: PG-13

Notes: Years ago on my birthday, I posted this drabble and it was my first Stray Kids writing ever. While I had a sequel kicking around in my head for some time, I never could get the details together with proper planning and time. My birthday gift to everyone who supported or visited this account.

Many thanks to @xiubaek-13 for answering all of my questions regarding graduation in the Australian high school system!

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“Talking to a secret girlfriend?”

Felix jerked his head up from his phone and looked over his shoulder to see that his sister Olivia trying to read his screen. He shook his head and pointed to the name at the top of the chat. The younger sister peered at the screen and sighed when she saw it was you, AKA the girl who was part of the host family when he went overseas for an exchange program in high school.

“She’s not my secret girlfriend,” Felix said, “She’s kinda like another sister from another country.”

“But you already have two sisters!” Olivia joked, pretending to look hurt. “Does Mum know?”

Before he could respond, the pair were interrupted by their parents, who were calling them to dinner. Olivia headed for the kitchen and Felix quickly shut his phone off and left it on his nightstand.

After he met you when you came home from college one weekend, it had been awkward at first, as you had not been warned about your mom taking in an exchange student while your brother was in Australia. Eventually, both of you found common ground in music and bonded over shared interests during the course of his exchange program. You weren’t always around, due to college, but you had started to stop home to visit your mom and him more often until his last day in your country. Now he was about to graduate from high school and you were finished with college and working a job in a radio station.

“Y/N, thanks for filling in for Jacob,” your manager said as he stopped you in the hallway. “If you’d like, we can slot you in for mixing on some of our newer programs.”

“Thanks,” you responded. “I’m definitely interested. Oh, before I forget, did you see my e-mail about vacation?”

He pulled out his work phone and checked the e-mails for the information. His thumb pressed your e-mail and he nodded as he looked up. “Yeah that’s fine with me. Jacob said he’s starting to feel better and we should have enough people to cover for you. Where you going?”

“Australia,” you shared.

“Funny, I always wanted to go,” your manager mused. “Don’t forget a jacket - it ain’t summer there – they get winter now. Real confusing from what I’ve heard.”

You gave a mock salute and walked to your desk to retrieve your bag. You pulled out your car keys and checked your phone for missed messages.

Mom

Hi honey, are you bringing your shampoo in your checked bag? I couldn’t remember if you said you were or if you were relying on the travel sized bottles. Sent 15:31 PM

Y/N

Hi mom, yes I’m checking my shampoo – we can share so you don’t have to waste room in your suitcase. Also packing the same lotion you use. Sent 19:07 PM

Do you need me to pick anything else up on the way home? Sent 19:07 PM

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“So who’s coming?”

“Mum, Dad, my sisters,” Felix mused as he ticked off the names of people coming to the graduation. “Nana and Granddad said they can’t make it, but that’s okay.”

“I really wish I could make it,” Chan sighed as he moved the phone to his other ear. “I’m really sorry about my schedule – work said I had it off, but then they tell me someone’s got an emergency and I have to cover.”

Felix shook his head and insisted it was fine. “It’s just high school, no big deal.”

“But didn’t you get, like, honors too or something?”

“It’s not a big deal,” Felix replied. “We can hang afterwards.”

“Auntie and Uncle taking you for dinner? Where you guys going?” Chan asked.

“Umm not sure actually,” Felix confessed. “They said it was a surprise, but that I’ll really like it.”

Chan paused and he crinkled his brows after hearing his cousin’s reply. Surprise dinner? To him that was a little odd – come to think of it, he couldn’t recall the last time his aunt and uncle pulled off some kind of surprise before. Not that they were bad at keeping surprises or something, but he didn’t think surprising people or their own kids was their style.

“Did we lose connection?” Felix asked.

Chan quickly apologized and explained he spaced out for a moment. “I’m sure it will be fun, wherever they planned dinner I mean. Hey, I’ll let you go – I need to work on a sample for Binnie. He’s trying to work on something for a deadline and wanted my help.”

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“You have the address right?”

You waved your phone around and with your free hand, you retrieved a physical print-out of the directions from your bag. “I know how you are about using my phone and the possibility of a bad signal or something, so I killed a tree and brought the directions on a printout.”

Mom relaxed when she heard your response and followed you to the rental car area to pick up the car. “It’s a shame we can’t attend the actual ceremony, but rules are rules. I heard that extended family were limited as well!”

“Think about it Mom,” you said as you searched for the shuttle to the rental car office. “If every student invited their whole extended family, they would run out of viewing room for the event. It’s not like back home where they sometimes rent a bigger venue to do the ceremony.” You found the stop for the rental car shuttle and waited near the attendant’s post for the next one to arrive.

Mom put her bag down next to yours and she checked her watch for the time. “We should have enough time to stop at the hotel, freshen up, and then get to dinner. Oh that reminds me, I need to text your father and brother about where to find the meals I left them.”

“Maybe tell them to open a window in case they burn the food,” you joked.

“Your brother did try to improve his cooking,” your mom reminded you. “His exchange mother told me she had him in the kitchen every night for dinner.”

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“I gotta admit, that was kinda boring,” Han confessed once the ceremony ended. He loosened his tie and looked over at Felix who was trying to find his family. “Doing anything afterwards?”

“Dinner,” Felix replied. “You?”

“Probably gonna eat at home and work on some tracks I’ve had in my drafts,” Han confessed. “Dad’s working late and Mom didn’t want to go out without him, so I said we can skip the fancy dinner.” He watched as Felix looked around for his family and nudged him. “You know they’re not here, right? I’m talking about your exchange student family, not your real one.”

“I didn’t think they could make it,” Felix confessed. “Y/N’s got a job and her mom’s got the brother back. Y/N’s dad travels a lot for work too, so yeah. I really didn’t see him all the time when I stayed with them.”

“Ah but I’m sure they’re happy for you,” Han added. “Hey, take pics of your food – I wanna live vicariously through you while I eat cold pizza at home.”

“Why not order fresh?”

“Don’t wanna toss the leftovers – it’s Domino’s!” Han protested.

Felix rolled his eyes and bid his friend goodbye as he pushed his way through the sea of students trying to find their parents and family. He spotted Olivia and made a beeline for the seating area where they were.

“Dad’s getting the car so we can just go to the restaurant,” Olivia explained. “Don’t ask me for spoilers – I don’t know and Rachel doesn’t either. We’re all in the dark about where we’re going for dinner.”

“Wonder what the big secret is with this place,” Felix murmured.

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“Felix was that Han next to you at the ceremony?”

“Um yeah Mum, he’s not doing anything tonight,” Felix explained. “Said his parents weren’t able to make plans, but he’s okay with it I guess.”

“Aww I wish we had known – he could have joined us,” Mrs. Lee sighed.

“I’m not sure they would have accommodated the last minute change to the reservation though,” Mr. Lee reminded his wife. “Hey, I’ll let you out here and I’ll go park. It should be under my name.”

Felix followed his sisters out of the car and Mrs. Lee headed to the entrance to check in. He held the door open for his sisters and a couple leaving the restaurant, then entered the restaurant. The place didn’t look familiar and the name didn’t ring a bell. He tried to recall if any of his friends talked about any hot restaurants they wanted to try some day, but gave up when none came to mind.

“Yes we can seat you now and when your husband gets here, we can direct him to your table,” the host explained. He picked up some menus and and asked the family to follow him. “Some of your party already checked in.”

What?

Felix frowned when he heard that comment and he hurried to follow the host. That couldn’t be right. His grandparents, aunts, and uncles couldn’t come today and even Cousin Chan wasn’t available. (Unless the latter lied and brought their mutual friend Changbin as a surprise.)

The host rounded the corner and stepped to the side while using his free arm to gesture to the table in front of him. Felix stopped short once he rounded the corner and he blinked when he saw who was sitting at the reserved table.

Your mom stood up from her seat and smiled warmly at Felix, before greeting Mrs. Lee and thanking her for the invitation. You pushed yourself out of your chair and started to make your way around the table, but were crushed by Felix running to give you a big hug.

“I thought you were working,” Felix half-whispered.

“Got time off and Mom had some travel points to use,” you explained. “Your mom invited us but wanted to make it a big surprise.”

Olivia nudged Rachel and shook her head. “Told you he replaced us.”

“What?!” Felix sputtered. “I did not!”

“I’m just his host family pen pal I guess,” you responded with a shrug. “Believe me, he talked a lot about both of you and how much he missed you. Wish I could have said the same for my brother, but yeah.”

Your mom threw you a cross look and you sighed as you mumbled that your brother was okay. “I’ll pretend I care about the little gremlin,” you sighed. You looked over at Felix’s sisters and added that they were lucky to have him as a brother.

The pair exchanged a look and Rachel pretended to look thoughtful. “Well come to mention it, we were thinking of trading him in–”

“Hey!” Felix protested.

“We’re only kidding Lix,” Olivia reassured him. “Come on, let’s order – I’m hungry.”

Felix took a seat next to you and cupped his hand under his chin. “So what’s new since I left?”

#Stray Kids Felix #SKZ Felix #Lee Felix #SKZ AU #yourkeeperoftherunners original #tw: exchange student #tw: international travel #number 3202

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 2 years

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Save You, Save Me

𑁍 Welcome to 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝐇𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥 & 𝐒𝐩𝐚 𑁍

Collab

While your friends thought it was worth making passes at the hot female lifeguard, your mind was preoccupied with the disaster of a wedding you were in town for. Chances were unlikely that you’d see her outside of the hotel you’re staying at, but what are the odds of you being seated next to the very lifeguard at said wedding?

Her job is glamorized all the time, but the reason why she took up the job has a deeper meaning.

𑁍 Lifeguard!AU x Hotel Guest!AU 𑁍 Pairing: Lifeguard!Yoo Jimin (aespa Karina) × Reader (Any gender), feat. Uchinaga Aeri (aespa Giselle), Jeon Somi, Pool Boy!Sehun (EXO Sehun) 𑁍 Genre: PG-13 𑁍 Warnings: Language, Lifeguard duties, Gossip, Mention of a dead sibling, Unpopular wedding, Guests disapproving of wedding, Mention of bad boyfriends, Mention of young kids bullying another kid 𑁍 Notes: All of the characters and storyline are fictional. The sister mentioned in this story is different from Karina’s real life sister. The couple getting married is slightly inspired by a friend’s relative who rushed their wedding, despite the families disapproving.

𑁍K-Pop Masterlist𑁍 𑁍EXO Masterlist𑁍

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“Are you there yet?”

“Hang on Mom,” you replied before opening the door on your rideshare’s car. You held the phone away from your ear as you thanked the driver.

The driver placed your suitcase on the curb and told you to enjoy your trip. You stepped around the car and lifted the handle on your suitcase, while your free hand brought the phone up to your ear again.

“Sorry I was thanking the driver. I made it to the hotel,” you shared as you headed to the entrance.

“You know me, mothers worry about their kids, even when they’re older” she replied. “So who’s getting married again?”

You paused at the entrance to the hotel and moved off to the side to continue your conversation with your mom. You let go of the handle on your suitcase so you could hike your personal carry-on bag higher on your shoulder.

“Sam’s sister Andi and I really don’t know her fiancé,” you responded.

There was a pause on the other end and your mom asked if you were close to Andi or something.

“Not really Mom,” you said, “It’s...kind of a long story and I wanna settle in after a long flight.”

“Fair enough,” your mom replied. “Thanks for the update. Try to have fun at the wedding, okay?”

“I’ll try,” you promised before hanging up. You pulled up your reservation on your e-mail app and retrieved your suitcase, prepared to make your way to the front desk to check-in.

“No way!”

You looked up from your phone and saw Aeri running toward you, arms outstretched for a hug. You hugged the young woman and asked how she was doing.

“You know me, hustling as always,” she replied as she pulled away. “What are you doing here? You here for–”

“The Wedding,” you interrupted her. “Yeah I am. Actually I was surprised to even get an invite.”

“I never thought I’d be getting a wedding invite this early in my life,” a guy responded as he approached both of you.

“Y/N, this is my friend Jay,” Aeri shared as she gestured to the guy. “We go to the same college. Jay, this is Y/N – we had a couple of classes when we were in high school.”

You shook Jay’s hand and addressed Aeri while holding up your phone. “I was about to check-in – I’m guessing you guys are all settled in?”

“I was going to check out the hotel’s amenities,” Jay replied. “I kind of thought this place was going to be just okay, but it’s actually kind of nice.”

“I just got my room key,” Aeri shared. “I gotta unpack my stuff and I’m waiting for my roommate to show up – you ever meet Somi?”

“Who?”

“Oh yeah, you might not have met her! Yeah, well you’ll meet her at the wedding or maybe before it. She’s flying in from Canada, but I think her flight’s delayed or something,” Aeri added. “Hey, you free tonight? We could all grab a drink or something at the bar here.”

“I should be,” you responded. “I’m going to check-in and freshen up before meeting you guys down here.”

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The front desk had no trouble finding your reservation and you were happy to head up, unpack, and brush your teeth after a very long flight. After you dragged a comb through your hair to look a little more presentable, you checked your phone and responded to Aeri about meeting at the bar in a couple of minutes to grab drinks and catch up.

You pocketed your wallet, ID, and room key in your jacket and kept your phone in your hand as you made your way downstairs, in search of the bar. You exited the elevator and scanned the entrance hall, noting the sign with the directions to the bar.

“How do you know the couple?” Jay asked as he came up beside you.

You turned your head to face him and raised a hand in greeting. He pointed to the bar area and you walked alongside him.

“I’m friends with the bride’s older sister,” you explained. “I didn’t really hang out with the bride that much – maybe we saw each other when I did some sleepovers at their house, but yeah. You?”

Jay looked around for Aeri and waved once he saw her holding two empty seats next to her. He glanced at you and shared that he was friends with the groom.

“We were in the same fraternity,” Jay explained. “I don’t know if you were in Greek life, but I swear not all of us are party animals who cruise by in class. Pretty sure Haruto and I were the only guys who didn’t end up smashed at the end of the frat parties and did well in our classes.”

“Nerds,” Aeri teased as you and Jay came closer to where she was sitting. She pushed two menus toward you and said she was waiting for you before ordering drinks.

“You could have ordered your drink, you know?” Jay remarked as he slid into the seat on Aeri’s left. He grabbed one of the menus and began looking at the options.

You took the other seat next to her and apologized for making her wait. She waved a hand to say it was nothing, then prompted you to share what you were talking about.

Jay looked up from the menu and nodded at you. “Y/N and I were talking about who we know in terms of the wedding. They said they know the bride.”

Aeri looked thoughtful and she murmured that she vaguely remembered the bride in a summer camp program she was in. “It was ages ago – not sure if it was her,” Aeri sighed. “But Haruto, yeah I know him and he’s cool. Except I don’t get why he’s getting married now. I mean, he’s not even done with college yet!”

You raised a brow at that comment and Jay and Aeri nodded in unison. That made you cringe as it dawned on you the significant age gap between the bride and groom in that moment.

“I have a feeling that look means something bad,” Jay remarked as he studied your face.

“I’m pretty sure Andi just turned 27,” you offered. “Back when I was hanging out with her older sister all the time, Andi was getting into all sorts of trouble, like sneaking out after curfew, dating guys who were really sketchy–”

“Sketchy? How sketchy we talking?” Aeri asked as she leaned forward.

You leaned back in your seat as you recalled some of the boyfriends that were disasters. “There was one guy who was illegally selling fake autographs and merchandise for 90s bands and singers at school, then there was a guy who hacked a teacher’s computer to change the grades on his friends’ tests, and the worst one was a guy who was planning to follow his favorite band in a falling-apart van all year. She almost went with him, until her granddad threatened to cut her out of the will.”

Aeri and Jay exchanged a look and it was your turn to ask about it. The former struggled to formulate what she wanted to say and Jay was silent for a few moments. Before you could ask them to explain themselves, the bartender came over to greet you and ask if you were ready to order.

You quickly looked back at the menu as Aeri ordered her drink and Jay pointed to something on the menu. You met the bartender’s eyes and selected a mocktail, something that looked interesting. Once the bartender excused himself to assemble your drinks, Jay seemed to have collected his thoughts and leaned against the counter as he looked at you from his seat.

“We love Haru, he’s a good guy,” Jay prefaced. “But he literally turned 21 not more than...what? 7 days ago? Also he’s had bad luck with getting girls. Not that he dated bad girls like the string of guys the bride had, but most saw him as ugly and nerdy. Or they only pretended to be nice to him because–”

“He’s the oldest son of an entertainment company CEO in Japan,” Aeri added. “When he got to college, he had a major glow-up and that’s kind of helped, but he didn’t really like any of the girls at our school. I mean, he doesn’t tell a lot of people who his mom and dad are, but some people do some sleuthing and bam! Then they wanna be besties with him, but he’s gotten good at shaking off the posers. Um Jay, did he tell you how he met this Andi chick?”

Jay shrugged and explained that Haruto had been mum on the details, other than he met Andi a month and a half ago and both decided they wanted to get married after a short courtship.

“What does Andi even do for work?” Aeri asked.

“Last I heard from her sister, she got a job as an entry-level secretary,” you shared. “Before that, she was working at a clothing store as a sales clerk, but she got tired of the random hours and schedules.”

“Is Andi...?”

“Here are those drinks for you,” the bartender announced as he placed them on the counter. “May I get anything else for you, or are you all set right now?”

Jay politely told him we were all set and the bartender excused himself to wait on some new patrons who joined the bar at the opposite end.

“If you’re asking if Andi’s a gold digger, no,” you shared. “Her family’s upper middle class and the guys she dated before weren’t rich or anything. She’s impulsive and thinks she knows best, but not a gold digger.”

“Maybe Haruto–”

“Nope, no way!” Jay insisted, shaking his head violently. “Haru wouldn’t get her pregnant before the wedding. I doubt it’s a shotgun wedding.”

Aeri raised her glass and swirled the contents around thoughtfully. She looked at Jay, then at you before raising her glass in a toast.

“Well, whatever the hell the reason is, here we are, catching up after all these years and surviving this hot mess in a couple of days! Cheers!”

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A few days later, Aeri suggested meeting at the pool to go swimming. You agreed and wandered down to the lobby, following the signs for the pool. You adjusted your sunglasses on your nose as you scanned the pool area for Aeri and Jay, who were supposedly holding a section of chairs for you.

You excused yourself as you maneuvered around some families and couples emerging from the pool and saw Jay standing by some chairs, while Aeri was busy chatting with a girl texting somebody. Jay spotted you and flagged you down.

“Hey Y/N, you made it,” Jay said. “We’ve got a couple more people joining us – my friend Alex is coming with his roommate Peter and Aeri, didn’t you say your friend Ryujin was here too?”

“Yeah, but she’s not staying at the hotel – I don’t know if she’s allowed to join us or not,” Aeri mused. She looked past the girl she was chatting with and raised a hand in greeting. “Oh before I forget, Y/N this is Somi, Somi this is Y/N.”

The girl looked up from sending a text and put her phone face down on her lap. She extended a hand and you shook it.

“Sorry, I’ve been asking some friends to see if they can figure out this guy,” Somi apologized.

“Who the groom?” Jay asked.

Somi shook her head and nodded at the lifeguard who was coming down from the tower. She raised her phone in one hand and explained that she was yelled at for trying to get his picture discreetly. “I’m 99% sure one of my friends knew this guy at some point and when I tried to snap a pic, this girl comes over and starts yelling at me to delete it or something. I mean, take a chill pill much?”

“Maybe it was his wife or some jealous fan girl?” Aeri offered.

“I didn’t get her name, but I sure wish I had,” Somi sighed with a roll of her eyes. “Pretty sure she worked here too. It’s not like this guy’s my type okay? He looks like a human version of Grumpy Cat or something. I get saving lives is serious business, but no need to put resting bitch face on all the time.”

Jay lowered his sunglasses as he watched the male lifeguard pass a young woman in a red one-piece who was headed to the lifeguard tower. The young woman climbed the ladder swiftly and took a seat in the chair, before placing a whistle around her neck.

“Looks like Mr. Grumpy Cat is gone and we have a new face on duty,” Jay noted.

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Eventually the others showed up and introductions were made. Somi stayed in her deck chair (Citing a recent injury to her ankle as the reason), while the rest of the group split off to enjoy the pool and the jacuzzi.

The female lifeguard kept a neutral expression on her face as she scanned the area for any dangers or potential troublemakers. There were a few times where she called out to the parents of unruly children to please tell their kids to not run, but otherwise she remained silent from her perch.

“You think anyone ever faked drowning?” Peter asked in a low voice.

“Oh come on, seriously?” you sighed. “That’s not funny.”

“I wasn’t trying to be!” Peter insisted. “Come on, she’s probably had a lot of people hit on her, right?”

“I mean, she is kinda pretty,” Aeri confessed. “But like she gives off ice model vibes to me.”

“Kinda pretty?! Have you seen those legs?” Alex cried out in frustration.

You and Aeri exchanged a look with each other and rolled your eyes as the guys in your group continued to stare at the lifeguard on duty.

Peter ran a hand through his hair as he stared up at the lifeguard chair. “Do I dare ask her for her digits?”

“Please, a girl that hot is probably taken,” Aeri snorted as she nudged Peter in the arm. “Also, you’re not the first guy who has thirsted over her.”

You were getting tired of listening to the guys argue with each other about the lifeguard’s relationship status and you decided to hop out of the pool to dry off and sit with Somi for a while. You carefully pushed yourself up onto the pool deck and rose to a standing position slowly, then made a beeline for the seats where Somi was hanging out.

She offered you a dry towel and you thanked her as you accepted it.

“Done with the pool already?” she asked.

“Actually over Alex and Peter trying to decide if they make fools of themselves in front of the lifeguard,” you remarked as you gestured to the pair who were moving toward one of the ladders.

Somi studied the lifeguard and murmured that she also looked a little familiar in a way. “I don’t think I know her,” she clarified, “but she reminds me of someone else I might have seen or known at some point?” She snorted as she watched Peter exit the pool and she nudged you to get your attention. “Looks like Peter’s going to be a moron and ask her out.”

You watched as Peter strode over to the lifeguard tower and he leaned against it while looking up at the lifeguard. You couldn’t hear what he was saying, but you looked up at the lifeguard who slowly moved her sunglasses lower on the bridge of her nose to get a better look at the person speaking to her. The lifeguard said something before turning her attention back to the pool and adjusting her sunglasses on her nose again. Peter walked away from the tower looking dejected and Somi shook her head in amusement.

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“Wait, you’re here?” Sam asked.

You cradled the phone between your shoulder and your ear as you put your shoes on to go grab breakfast. “Mmhm, why do you sound so surprised?”

“Andi never told me she invited you!” Sam huffed. “Oh I would have had you come stay at my place so you wouldn’t have to pay for your hotel!”

“Sam, it’s fine,” you reassured her. “Besides, it’s actually a nice hotel and I found out Aeri’s staying here too. But yeah, I’m surprised she wouldn’t tell her maid of honor–”

“Nope,” Sam replied in a flat tone. “Not even a bridesmaid.”

“Hang on, you’re kidding?!”

“No Y/N, I’m just a normal guest,” she responded. “Andi really made Mom and Dad unhappy with this rushed wedding and I think she demoted me to guest too because I hate that she’s marrying a barely legal guy who doesn’t have a job yet. Now I’m really pissed that she didn’t tell me that she invited you.”

“Why, it’s not like we are secretly friends – you know I’m YOUR friend, right?” you reminded her as you moved your phone to your other ear.

“Y/N, I think she dug through MY friend list and just invited a bunch of random people she kind of knows to this dumpster fest,” Sam growled. “None of her close friends are invited or one of them, I’m pretty sure got into a nasty fight with her before the wedding.”

You sighed as you straightened up and grabbed your room key and a breakfast voucher to put in your pocket.

“I’m sorry Sam, I had no idea,” you apologized. “Hey, I need to grab breakfast, but I’m sure we’ll see each other at the wedding.”

“Yeah, T-minus less than 24 hours,” Sam replied. “Go eat. See you tomorrow.”

You put your phone in another pocket and began heading down to the lobby, in search of the restaurant for the breakfast buffet. You were able to get onto an elevator without waiting and it only made 2 stops. Once it reached the lobby, you exited and looked around for the signs that pointed out the directions to the restaurant.

“STOP IT! STOP IT!” a girl’s voice wailed.

You snapped your head in the direction of the screaming and saw that it was coming from the pool area. Curiosity got the better of you and you walked quickly to the pool, spotting a small group of boys holding a young girl by her arms and legs and dangling her over the pool in the 5ft area.

“Hey!” a young man snapped as he strode over to the boys. He began to raise his whistle to his lips and the boys quickly dropped the girl into the pool before scattering in different directions.

As the boys scattered, the young man tried to grab a few of them and you quickly blocked one of them headed your direction. In the midst of the chaos, you saw someone dove into the pool and was swimming over to the little girl, who was struggling to stay afloat in the 5ft section.

“Move!” the boy complained as he tried to get around you.

“Where are your parents?” you demanded, using a harsh tone. “That wasn’t very nice what you did to her.” You continued to move from side to side to block the boy from getting past you, while the young man with the whistle was handing off the ones he caught to a security guard.

The security guard beckoned for another of his men to come help and the other guard grabbed the boy you were blocking. He thanked you, before escorting the troublemaker away.

“Hey Sehun, can you grab her a towel please?” a female voice asked as she carefully helped the girl sit on the pool deck.

From your viewpoint, you could see it was the female lifeguard from yesterday, who was trying to calm the scared little girl while her colleague grabbed a towel. Sehun passed over the towel and the female lifeguard unfolded it and carefully wrapped it around the young girl’s shoulders.

Sehun approached you and nodded, while murmuring a thanks. “Not sure we got all of them, but maybe some of them will rat out the rest,” he said. “I’m sorry about that, is there anything else you need?”

You gestured in the direction of the restaurant and explained you were headed there for breakfast.

“Ah, we’re only doing breakfast for another hour,” Sehun noted. “Thanks for your help. I think we’ve got this under control. If security has any questions, they may reach out to you. What’s your name?”

“Y/N.”

“Okay, thanks. Enjoy your breakfast,” Sehun said.

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“So she actually saved someone and I missed it?!” Alex complained the next day.

You rolled your eyes and added that it was in the morning before breakfast ended. According to Jay, some of the people including Alex went out and did some barhopping, choosing to sleep in the morning of the pool rescue.

“Yeah Alex, she was doing her job,” you deadpanned. “I helped wrangle one of the punks who threw the poor girl in.”

“Boys can be so cruel,” Somi sighed as she scooped some yogurt up with her spoon. She added some berries onto the spoonful of yogurt and put it in her mouth. A free hand reached for her napkin and she wiped her mouth with it. “I need to go – gotta start getting ready.” She pushed her seat back and grabbed her wallet and phone before saying goodbye to you, Alex, and Jay.

Jay shook his head and checked his watch. “I guess I should get my suit on and think about heading over to beat the traffic. Y/N, did you rent a car or did you do rideshare?”

“Rideshare,” you replied. “But we should probably carpool to limit the number of cars there. The couple said there wasn’t a lot of parking space.”

Alex and Jay exchanged a look and the former echoed that he remembered seeing something about limited parking.

“I rented a car, but I can only take 4 people,” Jay shared. “I haven’t asked if Aeri and Somi want to ride with me or not. So far it’s just Alex and Peter who said they are coming.”

You shrugged and replied that you could figure it out. You excused yourself to go get ready and decided to text Aeri about what she was doing for a ride.

Y/N

Are you riding with Jay? He said he’s got a limited number of seats in his car and Peter and Alex are already in 2 of the 4. Sent 10:30 AM

Aeri

Somi and I are riding with Ryujin – she’s picking us up. I know she has room for one more. You want in? Sent 10:31 AM

Y/N

Thanks, I’d appreciate that. Sent 10:32 AM

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

Once you arrived, you found an empty seat next to Sam and she greeted you as you slid into the chair next to her. She was leaning back in her seat with her arms crossed.

“Should I be a bitch and yell ‘I object’ when the priest asks if anyone objects to the union?” Sam asked.

You nudged her in the arm and she made a face. Both of you turned to the front and after a couple of minutes, the ceremony got underway.

Despite joking about it earlier, Sam remained silent throughout the wedding and reluctantly slow-clapped when the bride and groom kissed. She turned to face you and asked if you knew who you were sitting with at the reception. You shrugged and explained that you’d probably find out once you got outside to the tents where the reception was being held.

Both of you waited for the chapel to clear out before making it outside to look for your names on the placards at the respective dining sets. Sam found her spot and she checked the table to see if your card was on it, then met your eyes as she shook her head. You shrugged and decided to check the other tables to see where your placard was. After a minute, you found your placard on a table to the far right with Ryujin and some other individuals you didn’t recognize.

Ryujin flashed you a smile when she saw you were at the same table. You returned it as you took your seat and noticed that the placard to your left said Jimin Y. The card on your right said Tom. Once you were seated, you looked around at the other tables to see if people were close to being settled and you spotted a few who were still looking for their tables. One girl walked in the direction of your table and you had a funny feeling that she looked familiar for some reason.

“Oh Jimin, I didn’t know you were here,” Ryujin greeted the other girl. “How are you?” She stood up to hug the other girl and the pair chatted in Korean for a few minutes. When the bride and groom began to address the guests, Ryujin took this as her signal to take her seat again.

Jimin grabbed her chair and sat down next to you. You looked to your right, but saw that Tom wasn’t there, nor was there anyone looking around for their placard. Maybe he was a no show.

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After some announcements were made, everyone either got up to socialize, grab food, or dance. You were surprised there were no toasts for the bride and groom, but you had a feeling that the pair purposely avoided them for good reason. Ryujin had left her seat to do some dancing to the DJ’s picks and you returned from the buffet with a full plate.

Jimin came back with a plate and she flashed you a polite smile before she sat down and studied the contents. Then it dawned on you that she was the female lifeguard at the hotel you were staying at! You hadn’t recognized her at first, as she had always kept her hair tied back while working and you had only seen her with her sunglasses covering her eyes. (Or a scared guest in front of her that she was trying to calm down.)

“How do you know the couple?” Jimin asked after a prolonged pause.

You snapped your head in her direction and paused from trying some of the seafood. You put your fork down and replied, “I’m friends with the bride’s older sister. I’m still not sure why I got invited actually. You?”

Jimin tucked a strand of long dark hair behind her ear as she stabbed a piece of spinach and tomato with her fork. “I know Haruto’s sister. I used to babysit for her.” Her eyes drifted to your placard and she tilted her head. “Hang on, are you staying at Crimson Aurora Hotel and Spa?”

You nodded and she laughed lightly.

“Small world I guess,” she replied as she put her fork down. “I remembered your name because my colleague Sehun said you helped him catch some of the boys a few days ago. Thanks for helping out.”

“Oh it was nothing really,” you replied with a shrug. “Those kids were being horrible to her and they shouldn’t have thrown her in when she said no. I’m hoping they’re banned from the pool for the rest of their stay.”

Jimin chewed her bite and wiped her mouth with her napkin before nodding. “Yes, security took them to their parents and they’re not allowed to run around the hotel without a parent present. I’m pretty sure some of those boys are checking out soon because their parents had a short stay planned with us. None of them apologized to that poor girl though. She’s okay by the way – a little shaken, but she’s doing much better.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” you replied. “Also, I’m one of the people who was swimming a couple of days ago when the idiot tried to hit on you. I’m sorry about him – he’s a friend of one of my friends. We all told him it was a bad idea.”

The apology made Jimin shake her head and she turned to face you. “Honestly, I knew that was going to happen when I took the job,” she confessed. “And no, it’s not just men – I’ve had women flirt with me and one even faked drowning to try to get me to save her. I know I could have taken a different career or job elsewhere, but this place was pretty decent and the pay is better than a community pool.”

“Anyone on staff try flirting with you?” you probed, partly out of curiosity.

“Oh someone tried to pair me with the masseuse on staff and it was so awkward,” Jimin replied as she recalled the incident. “He’s old enough to be a brother and...yeah no. That’s too weird. I think most of the team sees me as a sister or something. I’m pretty lucky that everyone is so nice and doesn’t see me as ‘a hot girl lifeguard’ or something.”

You shifted in your seat so you could sit facing her. “I think that little girl was lucky you were there. I’m not sure Sehun would have been able to do much if he wasn’t trying to stop those idiots who threw her in.”

Jimin nodded with a faint smile. Before she could respond, you noticed the bride dragging the groom behind her towards your table. You made eye contact with the pair and politely congratulated them.

“Sooo glad you made it!” Andi gushed as she crushed you in a hug. She looked behind you and sighed dramatically when she saw Tom never showed up. “Figures, he was always wishy-washy.”

“I’m sorry what?” Haruto asked in confusion.

“Oh honey, wishy-washy – it means he’s indecisive!” Andi giggled.

Haruto smiled and quietly thanked Jimin for attending as well. You looked past him and saw that Peter and Alex were looking your way and were dramatically reacting to your seatmate.

You leaned in closer to Jimin and warned her that she might want to disappear for a bit.

“My idiot friends of friends are looking your way,” you warned her.

Jimin grabbed her clutch and thanked you, saying that she probably needed to head back anyways.

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

“Your flight leaves in 3 hours dummy – stop looking for the hot lifeguard,” Somi sighed as she dragged Alex toward the entrance of the hotel.

Aeri nudged Peter toward the entrance and reminded him that he too, had a flight that was leaving soon. The pair grumbled and bid the group goodbye before heading to the front to look for their rideshare to the airport.

“You going home too?” you asked Somi as she tugged her suitcase behind her.

She shook her head and explained that her mom’s family shared that they wanted her to visit for a few days. “They said my cousin’s traveling so I can use her room during the stay. It was really nice meeting you.” She stepped forward for a hug and then headed to the front to wait for her aunt to pick her up.

Aeri gripped her passport in one hand and said that even though her flight wasn’t for a couple of hours, she thought it was best to go to the airport early. “I bought some stuff I gotta declare to customs and I think I can get a tax refund on some of the souvenirs I bought. How much longer are you here for?”

“Tomorrow,” you confirmed. “I’m probably having lunch/dinner with Sam tonight, then I need to pack and get to the airport when it’s stupidly early tomorrow.”

“Ouch,” Aeri winced. “Well, always great seeing you Y/N. Don’t be a stranger – if you’re in my area, hit me up and we can hang, okay?”

“Thanks I will,” you replied. “Safe flight home, okay?”

Aeri nodded and she gave you one more hug, then headed to the front to call a rideshare. You decided you wanted to wander around the hotel a bit to kill some time, before you thought about changing into different clothes for your meet-up with Sam.

You passed the bar, then the pool, slowing down slightly as you passed the entrance to the latter. From your viewpoint, you could see Sehun was on duty, not Jimin today. You passed the restaurant and noticed that the staff were cleaning up from breakfast. Most of the guests were gone, except for one individual who was picking at the contents on her plate.

You didn’t mean to stare, but the girl turned her head and you saw it was Jimin. She flashed you a smile and asked how your stay was going.

“It’s been quite nice actually,” you admitted. “This is an incredible hotel – I might have to recommend it to my friends next time they’re visiting.”

Jimin nodded and she gestured to the chair across from her. “You wanna sit down? I’m off now and was trying to eat something so I have energy after my workout.”

“Um only if you want me to,” you replied.

“Please sit down,” she said as she gestured to the chair again. “How was the rest of the wedding?”

You sat down and slowly pulled your seat closer to the table. “You didn’t miss much,” you admitted. “Andi did the bouquet toss and everyone was fighting over it. Well, maybe not her sister Sam, but everyone else was. I didn’t join the madhouse – it looked too intense.”

Jimin tried to imagine the scene and she laughed as she stabbed some small wedges of melon on her fork. She ate the wedges and covered her mouth with her free hand. “I would have done the same. Those people can be scary when it comes to the bouquet toss. Were your friends unhappy that I left all of a sudden?”

“Ah they complained, but I said you had to get back,” you said. “Somi told them to stop looking for you before they left. Honestly, they looked like defeated puppies.”

“It’s not like I’m seeing someone,” Jimin clarified, “but I’m not into people using the lifeguard jokes and puns on me. They get tired fast. I sometimes wonder why Sehun doesn’t get more of them, but I wouldn’t wish that on him anyway.”

You flattened your palms on the table and agreed that many people seemed to blow the job out of proportions. “I’m guessing you have a love of swimming for one thing if you took this job.”

Jimin looked up from her plate and she slowly put her fork down. She waved her hand side to side slightly to indicate that was a small reason. “I like swimming, but that’s not the reason I took the job. Also didn’t take it because I wanted the perks that come with working for an upscale hotel either.” She looked around the dining room, seeing it was just the two of you. Slowly, her eyes met yours again.

“I don’t think I’ve told anyone else this before,” she began, “but I learned how to swim after I lost my sister.” She paused to let that information sink in. “My older sister, Karina, she was amazing. Prettier than me, cooler than me...it’s just, she couldn’t swim.” She began playing with her grapes on her plate and added that growing up, she and her family didn’t live very close to water.

“It takes an hour and a half to reach the coastline closest to us,” Jimin said, “and often our parents didn’t want to spend so much money on the transportation. We did a lot of things near home and maybe if we were good all year, we would venture up to Seoul once a year. We weren’t very old when Karina lost her balance and fell into Jusanji Pond during a day trip. My dad kind of knew some of the basic swimming strokes, but Karina and I never learned. She, she...” Jimin stopped abruptly and looked outside the window facing the pool.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” you murmured. “Were you close?”

“I think I annoyed her with all of the tagging along I did,” Jimin confessed. “But in a way, yes.” She played with her napkin and explained that she asked her parents for swimming lessons after the incident. “They were really shocked I wanted them and even Mom got scared, thinking it would be bad for me after what happened. But Dad said it was a good skill to have, so I learned at the community center by home.”

You remained silent as she described her backstory and pieced together what happened next. She probably got good and decided to get certified as a lifeguard. Then probably looked around for jobs and found the hotel.

Almost as if she could read your mind, Jimin added, “Originally it was just Sehun, but the hotel owner said he was expanding and improving the place, which means he needed more staff members. I’m one of the newer hires, but I told him that I was hard-working and would take the job seriously. Plus, I kind of needed to get away from home for a while. There’s too many painful memories back there, and here, I can do what I think I do best.”

“Help people,” you suggested. “You became a lifeguard to help people. Or that’s how I see it.”

Jimin slowly turned to face you again and allowed a warm smile to spread across her face for the first time.

“I like the sounds of that. Helping people.”

#aespa Karina #aespa AU #Yoo Jimin #Yoo Jimin AU #aespa imagine #Yoo Jimin imagine #aespa Karina imagine #tw: hotel setting #tw: death of a sibling #tw: lifeguard duties #tw: kids bullying kids #tw: bad flirting #tw: language #tw: wedding setting #tw: unpopular wedding #tw: badmouthing of newlyweds #yourkeeperoftherunners original #number 3187

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 2 years

Text

Bubbly Confessions

Plot: AU His best friend was tired of hearing him complain about you and why he couldn’t tell you how he felt. After learning what happens when Minho has a little alcohol in his system, he decides to meddle for the right reasons.

Rating: PG-13 (Light drinking, tipsy behaviors, light flirting)

Characters: Lee Know (Stray Kids) x Reader (any gender), Han Jisung (Stray Kids), plus mention of other members and

Notes: Happy 2022 everyone! This is inspired by clips of Lee Know drinking soju during Idol Dictation Contest 2 and becoming very touchy-feely with the other cast members. I thought it would be fun to write a sweet, fluff story with his behaviors after a little alcohol. In this one shot, he is not an idol and is working a regular job. If people meddling in others lives or using alcohol to loosen up friends bothers you, please do not read this story.

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Han is resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he watches and listens (halfheartedly), to the older boy complain about a dating app you joined a few weeks ago. Part of him figures that it wasn’t your choice, as Hyunjin and Changbin had been talking about actually trying to go on a few dates, instead of waiting for someone to find them randomly. He could see Changbin gathering you and Hyunjin together and insisting that the three of you do this together and if things didn’t work, they were going to delete the app and be done with it.

“It’s not like Y/N,” Minho continued. He threw his hands up in frustration and sighed a bit dramatically. He looked around the restaurant and flagged down their waiter. “Excuse me, could we get some soju for the table?”

The request made Han’s eyes widen and he sat up straighter as he watched the waiter head to the bar. His eyes darted back to Minho’s and he asked if the elder was okay. “I don’t think you should drink while ranting. Besides, I actually didn’t think you were into it, you know, because you were trying to keep fit for work?”

Minho nodded and replied that Han usually liked a little soju with the kimchi soup they were eating. “You can have most of it Hannie, I only want a little. A little is okay though, right?”

Before Han could respond, the waiter came over with two short glasses and a bottle for the pair.

“Do you need anything else?” the waiter asked. “More meat? Dessert?”

“Maybe the check,” Han added. “Thank you.” He made a grab for the bottle and opened it carefully. He slid one glass closer and poured a small amount, intending to give it to Minho.

“Yah Hannie, I want a little more,” Minho whined.

Han nodded as he poured a tiny bit more into the glass, then slid it over to the older boy. He then filled his glass and put the bottle down as the waiter returned with the check.

“Take your time,” the waiter replied before leaving.

Han thanked him and tried to read the total on the receipt, but Minho tugged it over to his side and insisted he would pay tonight.

“But last time you paid–”

“You listened to me rant Hannie, thanks,” Minho said. He put his card in the holder and left it on the edge of the table. Then he retrieved his glass and took it in both hands.

Han took that as a signal to grab his glass and the pair turned to the opposite side to drink. Out of the corner of his eye, Han noticed how fast the alcohol went down his elder’s throat and he quickly made a grab for the bottle, claiming he wanted a little more.

“So, I think it’s Changbin that made Y/N get that stupid dating app,” Han added. “You know how he was moaning about being single and no one understanding that he’s actually a softie and not this scary, tsundere a-hole? He kind of didn’t want to be the only one getting it, so he made Hyunjin and Y/N get it too. You know, like a team effort thing?”

Minho put his glass down and blinked as he processed this revelation. It made a lot more sense now. Changbin sometimes could talk big about doing things, but often he needed encouragement or support if it was something unfamiliar, like signing up for a dating app. As for Hyunjin, the guy had no shortage of admirers, but most were surprised that he was quite shy and not the cocky ice prince they envisioned. You on the other hand, weren’t looking for love, or that’s what you told him not too long ago, but you were the type of person to say yes if it meant helping a friend out.

“Maybe Binnie will find someone and stop annoying us with his complaining,” Minho mused. “But I can’t imagine someone with Y/N. I mean, some of those people on those apps can be–”

“You mean, you can’t see them with anyone but you?” Han asked in a low voice.

Minho tilted his head in confusion and Han bit his lip, trying to hold back a laugh. The older boy only had a small glass (not super full) of soju, and his ears were already turning red.

“Huh? I never said that,” Minho replied.

“But you’re not happy about Y/N downloading a dating app,” Han persisted. He leaned forward and scanned his elder’s face, which was starting to flush with a bit of color in his cheeks.

The older boy scrunched up his nose and leaned back in his seat. “Oh stop Hannie, it’s not about me, it’s about Y/N! Also, why are you staring at me like that?”

Han shrugged as he refilled his glass and raised it to his lips, an idea brewing in his head.

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

Squirrel Boy

Hey sunbae! Can you come pick me and Minho up?

We both drank soju and it’s not smart for us to walk home in the dark, you know? Sent 19:21 PM

Y/N

Do I wanna know how much you guys drank? Sent 19:23 PM

Squirrel Boy

Hyung had a little and I mean maybe a glass and a half. I drank about most of the bottle, but not all of it! Swear! Sent 19:24 PM

“Who are you texting?”

“Y/N sunbae,” Han replied. “I thought it was safer we get a ride home, versus trying to stumble home in the dark.”

“We could have called rideshare,” Minho insisted. “They’ve got a lot going on at work right now and I don’t wanna bother Y/N.”

“They said it was fine,” Han said. He spotted your car and flagged you down, waving his arms wildly to get your attention.

You pulled over and unlocked the car for the pair. Han directed Minho to the passenger seat, while he went to the back.

“Thanks again Sunbae,” he said once he closed the door. “You can drop me off first.”

“Of course, although I swear the evil part of me should charge you for making me change out of my sweats to come get your drunk asses,” you joked.

Han pouted and insisted that both of them weren’t drunk. “We had some soju but we’re not drunk, drunk, you know? Hyung drank the least.”

Minho nodded and turned toward you with a smile. He reached out and patted your cheek and said that you didn’t have to change clothes just to come pick them up. “Hopefully we didn’t wake you. If we did, you should make Hannie buy you a treat.”

You turned around in your seat and looked at Han with an accusatory look.

He held up his fingers to indicate that Minho drank 1.5 glasses tonight. “I swear that’s all he had Sunbae! Honest!”

You shook your head as you turned back to the front and started driving.

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

“Thanks Sunbae!” Han yelled as he headed for the house he shared with several boys.

You waited until he got inside safely, before plugging in Minho’s address and starting the drive over to his apartment complex.

“He didn’t force you to drink, did he?” you asked Minho.

Minho shook his head with wide eyes and said that he ordered the soju. “Y/N, we had kimchi soup and grilled meat. I know Hannie likes a little soju with those foods, so I ordered it. I only had a little.”

“All right then,” you sighed as you flicked your turn signal on. You changed lanes and turned right onto the street where Minho lived. You slowed slightly and asked where Minho wanted to be dropped off.

Minho fiddled with his seat belt and he pointed out the visitor lot near the front of the building. “You should come up, we haven’t chatted in a while.”

You snorted and began pulling into an empty spot. “Minho, we text all the time, remember?”

“But that’s a text Y/N,” he said. “I meant, a real conversation, face to face.” He gestured between the two of you, and you noticed his cheeks and ears were slightly flushed. In all of your years of friendship, you had never seen Minho drink, but you knew he chose to abstain from the stuff when he could. Now, you had a feeling you knew the real reason why.

“Fine, we can talk,” you said. “But no more alcohol for you Mr., okay?”

He nodded and did a silly mock salute, which made you laugh as you turned off the car and unbuckled your seat belt.

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

“Soonie, Doongie, Dori,” Minho called out. “I’m home. Say hi to Y/N, your mom.”

“I think you mean your mom is their mom,” you corrected him with a grin as you removed your shoes at the door.

Minho turned around and shook his head with a confused look. “No, you’re their mom. Dori always looks at me when I say your name and Soonie always rubs up against you when you visit. He’s always busy paying attention to you when you come over, not me.”

The trio of cats wandered out from their spots and Soonie ran past the other two to greet you. He brushed against your legs, before rubbing his head against them with a content purring noise. Dori slowly made his way over to your outstretched hand and allowed you to scratch him behind his ears.

“See? You’re their mom,” Minho insisted as he gestured to the cats.

“Are you sure it was only a glass and a half you drank?” you asked. “I know you complained about red wine when we first tried it years ago, but I didn’t think a glass and a half of soju would get you this tipsy.”

“It was! I’m not a liar Y/N,” Minho said with a pout.

You straightened up and walked over to Minho and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I wasn’t calling you a liar Min, I guess I didn’t realize that a little bit of alcohol can make you a little more cheery.”

Minho tilted his head slightly and slowly cupped your face in both of his hands. “I don’t think you’re wearing makeup now, right?”

“Nope, I changed clothes and drove over to save you and Han,” you said, adding in a little laugh at your last remark.

“Oh, well you look nice,” Minho declared. “Your skin looks so clear too.”

You smiled and carefully removed his hands from your face, before looking around his apartment, trying to figure out what to do. “Are you tired Min? I don’t have to stay very long if you have a big day tomorrow.”

“You can stay Y/N,” he said. “Do you want to sit down? I wanted to chat more, if that’s okay.”

“Sure,” you replied as you followed him to his couch in the living room. He took a seat on one end of the couch and you sat down on the other end.

“Hannie told me that Changbin made you and Hyunjin download some dating app,” Minho said.

You shrugged and replied that Changbin really didn’t make you get the app per se. “Look, Changbin got nervous about what to put on his profile so he wouldn’t attract the wrong kind of people,” you explained. “Also, the app he picked kind of gets a bad rap for being mostly used for casual flings. I’m not really going to check the app – I only downloaded it and made a profile to make Changbin happy. He doesn’t have to know that I didn’t actually check for matches, unless you tell him or something.”

Minho straightened up and saluted you. “Scouts honor. I won’t tell him. Sorry, I was kinda surprised you downloaded the app because you’re not really looking for something, right?”

“No I’m not looking for something, at least not with a stranger,” you admitted. “But enough about me, how are you?”

Soonie jumped up onto the couch and walked onto your lap, before settling down and nudging your hand for pets. Doongie brushed up against Minho’s legs and the latter scooped up the cat in his arms.

“Work is busy but good,” he admitted. “I’m sorry for being so nosy about the app thing. It was kind of a surprise to hear that.”

You pet Soonie’s head and dismissed Minho’s concerns about the app situation. “No don’t worry about it. I get it. I’m surprised Binnie didn’t try to get you to join the app, seeing as he keeps going on about the three of you being single.”

Minho scrunched his nose and declared that he didn’t want to join an app. You almost laughed at his reaction, especially with Doongie starting to struggle in his arms.

“Yah Doongie, what do you want? You want me to pick you up, then you want me to put you down. Fine,” Minho sighed as he put his cat on the floor. “But seriously, it’s too much trouble for me right now. I’ve got my cats and my job and I don’t want someone who thinks that I’m a certain type of guy. Actually someone at work told me he had issues with some women only saying yes to him because of his looks and his star sign. Literally these people claimed that they only cared that he could be a match based on something as small as that!”

“Star sign fishing is a thing?”

“Is that what they call it?”

You shrugged and confessed it was what you were calling it. “I get that it is appealing for some people, but I guess it can alienate possible friends and partners if you insist on a specific criteria limited to a few signs.” You gave Soonie some scratches behind his ears and he stretched out across your lap, before he decided to jump off the couch to do something else.

Your eyes drifted over to Minho and you allowed a soft smile to spread across your face. The flush in his cheeks and ears had lessened, but you had to admit it was kind of endearing to see him this adorably happy and touchy after a little soju.

“Y/N, what is it? Is there something on my face?” Minho asked with a curious look.

You shook your head and murmured that he didn’t have anything on his face. “I learned that my friend Minho is a happy, slightly touchy-feely person after a glass of soju. It’s kind of adorable.”

Minho tilted his head and smiled sweetly at the compliment. “I’m adorable?”

“Of course.”

#SKZ Lee Know #Lee Know #Stray Kids AU #Lee Know AU #SKZ AU #Lee Minho #tw: drinking #tw: tipsy behaviors #tw: happy after drinking #tw: light flirting #tw: mention of a dating app #yourkeeperoftherunners original #number 3161

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 3 years

Text

Save the Best for Last

Plot: AU Free. Chocolate. Cake. Three magical words for him, but he’s too late to grab a slice of the newest slice from his favorite cafe. Little did he know that eventually, his patience would pay off.

Rating: G

Characters: Student!Han (Stray Kids) x Reader (any gender), plus mention of ITZY and other Stray Kids members

Notes: This is a sort of sequel to Slice of Happiness. You do not have to read it to understand what is happening in this one shot. The cake mentioned is inspired by a chocolate cake that a restaurant at Disneyland used to offer.

Happy Birthday Han!

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“Is it just me, or is the line for that cafe you like longer than usual?”

Han craned his neck and pouted when he saw the line for the local cafe was a few blocks from the entrance. Usually in the morning it was busy, but there was never a line this long.

Seungmin stood on tiptoe and tried to see what was happening. After a few seconds, he decided to run up ahead to ask people what the line was for. He excused himself and made his way across the street, while Han spotted Chaeryeong squeezing through the door with a box in her hands. Lia followed behind her and apologized to the people trying to get in as she squeezed by them to exit the cafe.

Han raised a hand and waved at the girls, who spotted him and quickly jaywalked across the street to say hi. “What’s the line for?”

Chaeryeong carefully opened her box to reveal a tall slice of chocolate cake, placed flat on its side. The sight made Han’s mouth water and the girl quickly shut the lid on the box.

“Sorry Oppa, but I waited in line for this,” Chaeryeong shared. “I was one of the first people to get in line once the Tweet went out.”

“Tweet? What Tweet?” Han demanded.

Lia pulled out her phone, opened the Twitter app, and flipped her screen around to show Han.

A Spot of...

Change is good! Wanna try our brand new Supreme Chocolate Layer Cake free? Starting at 14:30 PM, you can grab one free slice per party to try. First come, first serve until we run out! 12:47 PM

“It’s some freebie,” Seungmin sighed as he rejoined Han. “Man, people do some weird stuff for free food.”

Han dramatically pointed to Chaeryeong’s box and the girl quickly opened it to show Seungmin what the freebie was.

“Oh my God, that thing’s huge!” Seungmin murmured when he saw the large cake slice. “What was that? Like 17 layers?”

“21,” Lia corrected. “The head baker said it’s 21 layers of cake, frosting, and ganache.”

Han’s face twisted into a look of pain and frustration and he threw his hands up. “Why did I have to be in Ethics until 3:30?”

“Maybe you can get in line?” Seungmin told him.

The girls shook their heads and explained that the cafe was already running low on slices by the time they left. “They only made 8 cakes total for the giveaway,” Chaeryeong shared. “When Lia and I were leaving, they were putting out the last two cakes and I’m pretty sure the rest of the line is going to be turned away.”

Seungmin patted Han on the shoulder and told his friend that maybe he could get a cheesecake slice instead. “You love their cheesecake.”

Before Han could agree, he felt his phone buzz in his back pocket and he pulled it out to answer it.

“Hannnie! Dori’s acting dazed and I need someone to watch Soonie and Doongie,” Minho rambled on the other end.

“Hyung I can’t – I have study group with Hyunjin and Felix!” Han protested.

“You guys can study at my place and I’ll buy you food,” Minho offered. “Please?”

Han’s shoulders sagged and Seungmin could tell that the cheesecake situation was going to have to wait. The former reluctantly agreed to ask his study group to change the meeting place to Minho’s apartment and he hung up.

“I’m done for today – you want me to get you a slice?” Seungmin offered.

Han shook his head and muttered that he needed to go call Felix and Hyunjin about the sudden change to the study group location.

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

“HEY! Get down!” Hyunjin snapped as he tried to get his notebook away from the cat.

Doongie walked closer and Hyunjin fumbled with his notes as the cat walked across the table where Hyunjin’s books were spread out. The cat stretched and stood on top of a heavy textbook for Art History, which made Hyunjin scowl in displeasure.

“Can’t we lock them in hyung’s room?” Hyunjin grumbled as he glared at the cat.

Han shot his friend a look and Felix tried to coax the cat to move off the book. Eventually Doongie moved off of the book and came over for scratches from Felix.

Hyunjin retrieved his textbook and dusted the cover off quickly. “Hannie, why couldn’t we do this at the library? Hyung could have asked someone else to babysit his cats. Kkami wouldn’t do this to me if I was studying at home.”

“He doesn’t want his cats to be left alone,” Han sighed with a shake of his head. He removed and replaced the beanie on his head as he tried to focus on his notes he took for the unit that the group was studying tonight. But his head was filled with the bitter disappointment of missing the free chocolate cake from his favorite cafe and now this disaster of a study group session happening in his friend’s apartment.

Felix looked up from petting Doongie and asked Han if Minho promised them food for watching his cats. The mention of food made Hyunjin perk up and he looked over at Han with a raised brow.

“You forgot to tell us that part,” Hyunjin remarked.

“I’m sorry!” Han groaned. “Minho-hyung said we can order food and he’ll pay for it. We are allowed to use his UberEats account.”

The other two grinned and they began checking their phones for dinner ideas. Han closed his notebook and shook his head in frustration.

Was this day over yet?

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

After Minho came back, the guys parted ways and began heading back to their respective apartments and dorms. Han chose to walk back, as Minho’s apartment was close to campus and he felt like getting some fresh air.

Once he crossed the street, Han glanced to his right over at A Spot of... Cafe and saw the lights were out, save for one by the door. He slowed down and turned toward the cafe, squinting when he saw someone emerge from the back.

The person came toward the door and he saw it was you, the co-owner and head baker of the cafe. He slowly raised a hand to greet you and you met his eyes from across the street as you pushed the door open.

“Hey stranger,” you greeted him. “You’re out late – classes going okay?”

Han smiled and nodded as he jerked his head in the direction of Minho’s apartment. “Had to do some studying and cat-sitting at the same time today. Chaeryeong showed me that amazing chocolate cake you were giving away – really wish I could have tried it.”

You held the door open to the cafe and asked, “Still have room for dessert? I have one cake left.”

Han’s eyes widened and he shot you a confused look. Either he was tired or he just heard that you had a cake left, despite Chaeryeong saying that you only baked 8.

“But, but I thought you only made 8, or at least that’s what my friend told me.”

You moved so your back was propping the door open and crossed your arms over your chest. “Ah that was kind of a lie,” you admitted. “I had 8 planned, but turns out I had enough ingredients to make one more. It was still cooling when the promotion was happening and I didn’t get a chance to do the decorating and frosting until a half hour before closing. You want a slice? It’s free by the way.”

The young man checked both ways before running across the street to the cafe.

“Sunbae, you had me at chocolate cake.”

#Han Jisung one shot #Stray Kids Han #SKZ Han #Happy Han Day #Han Jisung #SKZ AU #Stray Kids AU #cw: cake #cw: cafe setting #yourkeeperoftherunners original #number 3147

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 2 years

Text

Unparalleled Service [BTS J-Hope]

Plot: “I can’t believe you’re giving into this ugly trend!” Your best friend insists on blowing her tax refund on an ugly pair of trendy platform sneakers that everyone and their cousins seem to be wearing. You wished you could talk some sense into her about her questionable shoe taste, seeing as a $900 pair is outrageous. “I know they’re heavy, but trust me, they’re really comfortable,” the ginger-haired clerk chirps with a smile.

Rating: PG (Language)

Characters: Balenciaga Retail Clerk!Hoseok (J-Hope) x Reader (Any gender), Erin OC

Notes: Part of the Unparalleled Service series I’ve planned. I own nothing except for the idea and setting. Inspired by the author’s personal encounters with the rare friendly or welcoming clerks in high end brand boutiques. I always think back to the Run!BTS episode where the members had dress each other in their own clothes and everyone commented how heavy J-Hope’s Balenciaga sneakers were.

If you file taxes and are expecting a refund this year, spend or save wisely!

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

Erin

Guess who got a tax refund? Sent 11:28 AM

Y/N

Hmmm... Sent 11:30 AM

Maybe it’s you? Sent 11:31 AM

“Y/N, are you taking lunch now?”

You snapped your head up and and nodded as you turned to face your manager. With your free hand, you gestured to the clock on the wall and explained you started your lunch break 3 minutes ago.

“Do you need my help with something?” you asked your manager as you pocketed your phone.

Your manager shook his head and explained that he had a question for you, but it could wait. “It was about a report,” he said. “I couldn’t remember if you were handling it this week while Sandra’s on vacation or the intern was.”

At the mention of her title, the intern stuck her head out of her cubicle and waved a hand. “I’m handling it Sir. I’m almost done with compiling the data and I’ll send it before the day’s over.”

Your manager thanked the intern and excused himself, before telling you to enjoy your lunch. You thanked him and saw that Erin had sent more messages, one including a picture.

I’ll read them later, you thought.

After the day ended, Erin called you and apologized for texting you during work hours.

“I’m so sorry Y/N,” she said. “I completely forgot that you usually don’t take lunch until noon. You didn’t get in trouble, did you?”

“I actually took an early lunch today, so no I was fine,” you replied. You put her on speaker as you took at look at the texts and pictures she sent you earlier. The photo took a moment to load, but you immediately recognized the shoes she sent you.

“I know what you’re going to say,” she began, “but I budgeted out my expenses and I have plenty of money to keep me afloat if I wanna use my refund for something fun.”

You sighed as you moved the phone to your other hand. “You could go to a thrift store and find a similar pair of platform sneakers that a Spice Girl probably wore in the 90s.”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Erin replied. “I’m serious, I wear sneakers and I want an upscale sneaker. Not an Air Jordan, not a running shoe –”

“What’s wrong with the Gucci Ace sneakers?” you interrupted her.

Erin scoffed and she shot back that everyone was wearing those. “They’re too basic and I don’t like that they’re so flat!”

But they’re cheaper than these ripoffs of the 90s sneakers, you thought. You were glad Erin couldn’t see you rolling your eyes now about her potential purchase.

“Look, I want to try them on in store and make sure I like them or that I know my size,” Erin explained. “It’s safer than hoping I’m getting a real pair on a resale site. There’s been a lot of fakes lately.”

“True,” you sighed. “Are you asking me to join you at the Balenciaga store at that really snooty mall in our area?”

“Please and thank you,” Erin replied.

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

Erin picked you up on the weekend and brought you your favorite morning beverage, prepared exactly the way you liked it. She passed over a bag with breakfast sandwiches and encouraged you to take one to enjoy during the drive over.

“Thanks for coming with me Y/N,” she said as she focused on the road ahead. “I know these aren’t your favorite shoes, but I’d like an honest opinion and you wouldn’t lie to me about how they really looked. Maybe I’ll hate them.”

“Or maybe you’ll find something else you love,” you offered.

You finished your breakfast and Erin continued to drive until she spotted the freeway exit for the mall. She carefully moved over and headed for the exit ramp. Once she stopped at the light, she turned left and moved into the lane for the parking structure.

“What else is here at his mall?” you asked as you kept your eyes peeled for parking spots.

Erin named some top luxury brands and department stores off the top of her head as she pulled into the parking structure and slowed down to look for empty parking spots. You pointed out one spot and she put on her directional and turned the wheel to move into the space.

“Do you have a back-up idea in mind? I mean, in case you don’t buy the shoes?” you asked.

“I’m considering something from Off-White’s line – not the Nike collabs because they’re impossible to get, but they have regular sneakers from their own line. Could also look at Louis Vuitton too...” Erin trailed off. “But start at Balenciaga first.”

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

Why is there a line? you thought as you both approached the store. Scratch that, two lines – one on the left, which was longer, and the one on the right, which was shorter.

“Appointments versus walk-ins,” Erin explained as she pointed at the right side, then the left. “I booked an appointment – most people were saying it’s faster that way.”

��Smart,” you murmured as you followed her to the line on the right side of the entrance.

A clerk with a tablet approached the line and began checking with everyone for the times of their appointments. When he got to you and Erin, Erin mentioned that she booked a 10:30 AM appointment with whoever was available.

“Perfect, thanks for getting here early,” he replied. He tapped something on the screen of his tablet and said that someone would be out to help us shortly.

You thanked the clerk before he moved onto the next party behind you, and Erin peered into the shop through the window. You turned your head to look, trying to see past the mannequins wearing the hoodies with the copycat political slogan on the left chest and holding tiny trapezoid-shaped bags in their hands.

“Miss Erin?”

The both of you looked to the left and saw that a clerk was standing on the other side of the rope. He extended a hand and Erin shook it as the clerk introduced himself.

“Hello I’m Hoseok, but you’re welcome to call me Hobi,” he said. “Please follow me inside. Can I get you two anything to drink?”

Erin shook her head and you politely declined as you followed Hobi into the store.

Hoseok walked a few steps past the front and turned to face both of you. He clasped his hands together and asked if you were both here shopping for something in particular.

You gestured to Erin and explained she wanted those big platform sneakers.

“I’m interested in getting a luxury sneaker, but I didn’t want to buy them without trying them on in person and getting opinions from Y/N,” Erin added.

“I’m not shopping for anything – I’m really here for moral support and advice,” you chimed in.

Hoseok flashed a thumbs-up and led you to the shoe department in the store. He pointed out some cushy chairs that were unoccupied and asked Erin for her sizes.

Erin took a seat and shared her shoe size, while you took the other seat and briefly scanned the shelves to see what else there was.

“Is there anything else you want to try on, or just the sneakers?” Hoseok asked.

“For now, just the sneakers,” Erin confirmed.

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

Hoseok disappeared in the back for a few moments and returned with several boxes of shoes for Erin to try on. He opened the box for her main sneaker size and removed the paper stuffed inside one of the shoes, before presenting it to Erin.

She thanked him and began to put it on, adjusting the laces to fit perfectly. Out of curiosity, you picked up the other sneaker to take a closer look at the details and did a double take when you felt how heavy the shoe was.

“Whoa, that’s...” you trailed off, not wanting to come off as rude.

Hoseok tilted his head and nodded slightly as he turned to face you. “They are heavy, but they are comfortable. I actually own a pair and I wear them a lot.”

Remembering you had Erin’s other shoe in hand, you passed the mate over so she could try both on together. After she tied them tightly, she stood up and walked over to a mirror to get a better look at herself.

“They are heavy, but the insole is cushy,” she murmured. She stared at herself in the mirror, slightly twisting her feet to the side so she could see the side profile. “Ah man, I really don’t know. I love how comfortable they are, but I’m not sure I love how they look on me, you know?”

You studied Erin and looked at the sneakers, compared to her proportions. “I’m not in love with them on you honestly. I mean, you complained about a handbag being too heavy before you put your stuff in it, remember?”

Hoseok looked at Erin and added that it was her decision in the end. His eyes scanned the shoes on the walls and he added that the speed runners were also a good choice and a bit more forgiving for all people and styles. He removed a lid off another box he brought out and presented Erin with the sneaker in question.

Erin returned to her seat and began changing the shoes out for the speed runners. She held one of the speed runners in one hand and the platform sneaker in the other. “Definitely lighter.”

“I’ve seen girls and guys wear this style and they said it’s easy to pair with a bunch of looks,” Hoseok added. “I brought the black because it’s classic, but we do have some seasonal colors available.”

“Okay I know you haven’t seen yourself in the mirror yet, but I think these are more you,” you told Erin once she had both shoes on.

Erin looked down at her feet and hurried to the mirror to take a look. She looked at herself straight on, then looked at the side profile. “I think these are the ones,” she replied.

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

“They’re cheaper too,” you commented in a soft voice as Hoseok left to wrap up Erin’s shoes in a shopping bag with tissue.

“It’s a good thing,” she replied. “You see anything you can’t live without?”

You shook your head and crossed your arms over your chest. Even though the speed runner sneakers were pricey, it was definitely better than seeing Erin struggle with the heavy triple s sneakers.

“Hey, there’s a Playstation hat!” Erin declared as she pointed to the scarves and and hats. “Come on, try it on!”

You shrugged and walked over to the wall where they were located, carefully removing one to try on.

Hoseok returned with Erin’s sneakers in a branded shopping bag and he presented her with her credit card and receipt. “Here you are Miss Erin,” he said. “Thank you again for your purchase and let me know if there’s anything else I can help you and Y/N with.”

Erin accepted the receipt and card and put them away, before looking past Hoseok to see how you looked in the cap. Her eyes lit up and she called out to you, saying that you should buy it.

“No I really don’t think so,” you confessed. “It’s cool, but I really shouldn’t be spending my money right now.”

Hoseok glanced over his shoulder and he flashed you a thumbs-up when he saw you in the hat. “I really like it on you. Do you want me to hold one for you? I can hold it for 48 hours and you can let me know. Erin’s got my card if you decide to get it.”

“Yeah put it on hold – Y/N probably wants to walk around and think about it,” Erin spoke up.

Before you could protest, Hoseok was making a note about the hat and Erin was giving him your cell phone number and name.

“Okay sure,” you sighed as you removed the cap. “I’m guessing this is a popular one?”

“I’m actually surprised we got more,” Hoseok confessed. “A lot of our collab hats have been flying off the shelves and it’s hard to get more stock in. I’ve already told five other clients we can’t get more NASA hats.” He held out a hand and you passed over the cap you tried on.

“Well, you have 48 hours to think about it,” he noted. “Text or call me once you make a decision. I think it’s a good staple and everyone wears dad caps now.”

You thanked him and walked alongside Erin as you exited the store.

“It’s a lot of money,” you reminded her.

“But you looked fire in it and Hoseok was cute,” she added with a smirk.

“I’ll think about it, okay?”

“You’re not just saying that to shut me up?” she asked.

“No, promise.”

#BTS J-Hope #BTS J-Hope imagine #BTS AU #BTS J-Hope AU #yourkeeperoftherunners original #number 3155

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 3 years

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MARVEL AU: Han Jisung (Stray Kids) as Squirrel Girl Boy

Please do NOT repost anywhere!

#Stray Kids Han #SKZ Han #Han Jisung AU #SKZ AU #Stray Kids AU #MARVEL AU #Han Jisung #He's called himself a squirrel a few times.#The cheeks.#yourkeeperoftherunners original #number 3152

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 3 years

Text

Watermelon Season = Happy Ghost

Plot: AU Summer means longer days, hotter temperatures, and seasonal fruits showing up in store. You came home after a grocery run and got distracted by some calls from your workplace and your mom. Remembering you forgot to put away the groceries, you wander into the kitchen to discover that your ghost roommate has helped himself to his favorite summer fruit.

Characters: Ghost!Hyunjin x Female Reader, plus brief mention of other Stray Kids members and ITZY members

Rating: PG (Minor language, ghost elements, ghosts eating)

Notes: My birthday gift to my readers – thank you again to those who casually stumbled across this account and those who decided to follow.

This is the same universe as Roommate, but it is a standalone story and does not require one to read the original. Based on vLives and mentions that Hyunjin loves watermelon, I thought this would be a cute, summer blurb to knock out as the weather gets warmer. All elements are fictional and I do not own anything, other than the concept. If you’re in a part of the world where the weather gets warmer in June/July/August, stay cool and hydrated!

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

I’m turning the A/C on STAT, you thought as you lugged your bags of groceries over to the front door of your condo. Your arms started ache slightly from the weight and you tried to walk faster to your door.

The bags were temporarily set on the ground as you dug around in your pockets for your keys and you inserted the one for the front door into the lock. Once it was unlocked, you twisted the handle and pushed the door open wide as a rush of cold air blew across your face. Looks like Hyunjin thought to turn on the A/C before you got back.

“I’m home!” you called out as you picked up the grocery bags and carried them inside. You looked around for your roommate as you made your way to the entrance of the kitchen. The sound of the front door closing made you turn and look toward the front. “Thanks Jinnie.”

He nodded and threw the locks before making his way over to you. He noticed the bags and tried to peer at the contents. “Hey Y/N, I was guessing you were getting food or something. Um, did you remember to grab more coffee? I heard you saying that you were low on your favorite coffee beans.”

You hoisted the heavy bags onto the counter with a groan and nodded. “Yeah I bought 2 bags – they were on sale at the grocery store and my rewards membership allowed me to take an additional discount off.”

The ghost allowed an amused smile to cross his lips and he slowly clapped for you. “You’re being smart. I know my parents would be proud of you for saving where you can.”

You began to put groceries away and noticed that your roommate was looking a little lighter than usual. You figured it had to do with the fact that he hadn’t consumed any of your food with you, due to the fact that you had made a few meals out of a ratatouille that your mom gave you on Wednesday. You learned quickly that if any dishes had vegetables, especially eggplant, the ghost would refuse to touch it.

“You’ll be happy to know–” you began, only to be cut off by your phone ringing. The ringtone made both of you jump and you stopped what you were doing to find your cell phone.

It was in your messenger bag and you saw the name on the screen.

“Work,” you mouthed to Hyunjin before answering it. “Hello?”

“Hi Y/N-unnie, it’s Yeji,” Yeji began, “I’m sorry to bother you, but do you have the contact information for Mr. Park? My address book in my e-mail program isn’t working and I don’t have any e-mails from him that I can pull from.”

You glanced over at the bags of the groceries and quickly tried to recall if there was anything that needed to be put away immediately. The meat maybe – although you were planning to start cooking it right away. Some of the fruit, like the strawberries and apples would need to be refrigerated. Were you missing something?

Hyunjin noticed you were trying to assess the groceries and he quickly reached into the bag closest to him and unpacked the contents. He waved you away as Yeji asked if you were still there.

“Unnie, are you still there? I’m really sorry for calling so late, but I really wanna send this out before I go on vacation,” Yeji apologized.

“Hi, yes I’m still here – sorry Yeji,” you said. You walked into your room and fired up your laptop computer. “Let me check my e-mails and I’ll forward you his address. Give me a few minutes – my computer is waking up now.”

She breathed a sigh of relief on the other end and thanked you. “This is the last e-mail I need to send out and then I’m going home.”

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

Hyunjin moved empty grocery bags to the front hall once he finished unpacking them and he returned to the kitchen to unpack more. He came across the bag containing meat and fresh pasta, which told him that you were cooking something that didn’t have eggplant in it. He silently cheered as he put the meat in the appropriate drawer of your fridge and placed the pasta on a shelf where you could see it. The fresh tomato sauce was placed next to the pasta and he removed the empty grocery bag from the counter.

It wasn’t his business to pry, but the voice he heard on your phone sounded an awful lot like his cousin Yeji. But maybe it was a coincidence – he couldn’t hear the voice very clearly because it was a little muffled.

As he returned to the kitchen after putting the grocery bag with the others in the front hall, he pulled the third to last one closer and peered inside. He did a double take and his eyes widened when he saw the contents.

It was all filled with fruit – strawberries, apples, bananas, a kiwi or two, and he thought he saw some mandarins in a little net bag. While he knew you liked fruit too, he had a feeling that some of the extra quantities were intended for him to make up for the last couple of nights. You had apologized to him and asked if he wanted something else. He declined as he didn’t want to waste food or be an inconvenience to you. While he did try the ratatouille, he quickly spit out the mouthful he got, due to the majority of the bite containing eggplant.

Hyunjin beamed as he put away the fruit that required refrigeration, making sure to neatly store them in the appropriate drawers you liked to use for fruit.

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

Once your work e-mail was up, you located the contact information for Mr. Park and forwarded it to Yeji. To ensure it arrived, you stayed on the phone until she confirmed she received it.

“Thank you so much Y/N-unnie!” she gushed. “I will bring you back a nice souvenir from my vacation okay?”

“You’re welcome and Yeji, no need to do that,” you reassured her. “You should be relaxing and enjoying your time off.”

Yeji copied the e-mail address and pasted it in the Recipient line for her e-mail. She scanned the body of the message one last time and hit Send. “Done! Thanks so much Unnie, have a good night!”

You hung up and closed your laptop gently. Before you could head out to the kitchen again, your phone rang again, this time, it was your mom.

“Hi honey, do you have a minute?” your mom asked.

“Sure, really quick though – I need to make dinner,” you replied.

You heard her turning pages in her planner and she paused when she found what she was looking for. “I couldn’t remember when you said you had your big presentation – was that a single day or multiple days?”

You put your phone down on your desk and opened your laptop again to check your work calendar.

“Give me a second to find my calendar,” you said.

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

The ghost had one more bag to unpack and he already arranged most of your reusable grocery totes in the front hall. He finished arranging the bananas and mandarins in a serving bowl neatly and placed the bowl near the toaster.

He turned his attention to the last bag and heard the contents roll as he pulled the bag closer. He looked inside and gasped when he saw what it was – a single watermelon about the size of a basketball. Using both hands, he reached into the bag and lifted it out carefully.

He doesn’t think he shared with you that this was his favorite fruit of all time, but he’s thrilled that you brought one home. It had been a while since he enjoyed fresh watermelon, especially given that his old university seemed to avoid offering anything beyond bananas, subpar oranges, flavorless Red Delicious apples, and maybe the occasional strawberries. Maybe the last time he had it was when he was alive and home for the summer? He can’t exactly recall, but it’s been too long and he really missed the taste of the large round fruit.

Hyunjin strained his ears and his shoulders sagged when he heard you talking to someone else, this time, your mother. While dinner was probably going to happen shortly, he knew it would take some time to cook the meat with the sauce and the pasta.

His eyes darted to the knife block, then back to the watermelon in his hands.

It’s not very filling, he reasoned. Just a wedge or two.

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

“Thanks honey – I’ll make sure to avoid the whole week,” your mom confirmed. “Can’t wait to see you soon. I need to confirm with dad on what dates he can do, but we’ll let you know once we book flights and a hotel.”

“I’m excited to see you guys too,” you said. “I need to cook dinner. Have a good night Mom!”

You hung up and noticed your phone was low on battery. You reached down for your charger and connected the cord to the phone. Once the screen reflected that it was charging, you left your phone on your desk to charge and returned to the kitchen.

“Thanks Hyunjin, I’m sor–HYUNJIN!”

The ghost looked up from his partially eaten wedge of watermelon and looked sheepish.

Your eyes went to the counter, where the watermelon sat on a large cutting board, now in slices. Most of the fruit was left, save for two missing wedges.

“Sorry?” he said in a small voice. “I love watermelon and it’s been a really long time since I’ve had it fresh?”

Your roommate looked less light than he did earlier and you shook your head, amused by the sight. You put your hands on your hips and laughed.

“I guess I should have bought a second one if you’re gonna go through the one I bought,” you mused. “Why didn’t you tell me that it was your favorite?”

“I didn’t know you were going to bring one home!” he insisted.

“They were in season and on sale,” you said. “I guess I’ll buy two next time I go to the store. It’s okay, at least it’s being eaten. But I think there should be enough left to make the sorbet for the potluck next week – if you don’t finish it this weekend.”

“Hey!”

“It’s okay Jinnie, eat it all – I’ll buy more this weekend.”

#Stray Kids Hyunjin #Hwang Hyunjin #SKZ Hyunjin #SKZ AU #Stray Kids AU #Hwang Hyunjin AU #ghost AU #tw: ghost antics #cw: food eaten by a ghost #cw: groceries #cw: cooking meals #yourkeeperoftherunners original #number 3133

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 3 years

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MARVEL AU: Lee Minho (Lee Know) as Black Widow

Please do not repost anywhere!

#Lee Know #Stray Kids Lee Know #SKZ Lee Know #Black Widow #MARVEL AU #SKZ AU #tw: Red Room Marvel #tw: spy training #tw: spy behaviors #tw: training youth to become weapons #tw: brainwashing #I did see Black Widow a second time and red haired Lino got me thinking.#It fits because he is slick but a bit reserved. Cunning and sharp.#yourkeeperoftherunners original #number 3136

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 3 years

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MARVEL AU: Kim Seungmin (Stray Kids) as Matt Murdock/Daredevil

Please do NOT repost anywhere!

#Kim Seungmin #Stray Kids Seungmin #SKZ Seungmin #SKZ AU #Stray Kids AU #MARVEL AU #Seungmin AU #Seungmin is very sharp and scholarly.#But he can be a wild card in games.#Daredevil is considered a bit of an anti-hero because of what he does outside of the law.#Plus Seungmin has a wit and slightly sarcastic nature like Matt.#yourkeeperoftherunners original #number 3153

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 3 years

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MARVEL AU: Hwang Hyunjin (Stray Kids) as Wiccan

Please don’t repost this anywhere!

#Stray Kids Hyunjin #SKZ Hyunjin #Hwang Hyunjin #SKZ AU #Stray Kids AU #MARVEL AU #Wiccan fan art #MARVEL fanart #yourkeeperoftherunners original #All those times he's worn a headband.#He gives off magic vibes.#number 3145

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 3 years

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aespa AU: Spy Quartet

Giselle as the Interrogator. Calm, sly, and calculating, she has a talent for making anyone crack.

Winter as the Quartermaster. Sharp-shooter. Proficient in multiple weapons. Never misses.

Ningning as the Hacker. Curious. Sharp. Can break down firewalls and protections in seconds.

Karina as the Field Agent. Alluring. Eloquent. Chameleon in any situation.

This is a fan-edit and concept. It does not represent the band aespa, idols, or their company SM Entertainment. Please do not repost anywhere! (If you wish/are interested in making a fanfiction/chatbot/bulleted list inspired by this graphic, please do share with me! I’d love to see the end result!)

#aespa #aespa fanart #aespa edit #aespa Karina #aespa Ningning #aespa Winter #aespa Giselle #yourkeeperoftherunners original #The teasers gave me a spy vibe in a way.#That would be a cool concept – quartet of female spies that work together with a specific skill set.#number 3091

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 3 years

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MARVEL AU: Yang Jeongin/I.N. (Stray Kids) as Speed

Please do not repost anywhere!

#Stray Kids I.N.#Yang Jeongin #MARVEL Speed #SKZ I.N.#SKZ AU #Stray Kids AU #MARVEL AU #tw: separation from family #The glasses and hair from Maknae on Top sealed the deal.#Plus I could see him using his super speed to annoy the hyungs.#yourkeeperoftherunners original #number 3144

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 3 years

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Talk + Vodka = Truth (Marvel AU)

Plot: AU The Avenger caught the blonde stalking him for the past few weeks and he wants answers.

Characters: Hawkeye/Ronin!Changbin (SKZ) x Yelena Belova!Felix (SKZ), plus mention of Black Widow!Minho, Kate Bishop!Yeji, and other MARVEL characters

Rating: PG-13 (Language, spy behaviors, the Snap/the Blip, Red Room, assassin work, death, drinking, mention of PTSD)

Notes: This one shot is based on the MARVEL x SKZ moodboards I’ve been making for fun. The story is set between the events after Black Widow, Avengers: Endgame, and before the Hawkeye Disney+ show. If you’ve not watched the first two films and wish to avoid spoilers, please skip this story. Additionally, the contents of this one-shot are fictional and were created for fun.

Happy Birthday Changbin!

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“You sure you’re old enough to be here, Kid?”

The blonde rolled his eyes, before reaching into his jacket to produce an ID.

The waiter and the man seated across from him watched as the ID was handed over. The former scanned the front and sighed as he passed it back to the blonde.

“Sorry, guess The Blip screwed you over - you look young for your age,” the waiter apologized. “What can I get you?”

“Vodka,” the blonde replied. “How much for the bottle?”

Changbin raised a brow and stared at the young man seated across from him. This guy could put away a whole bottle of vodka? It didn’t seem right, plus that was pretty unhealthy to be drinking that much.

“Let me check with the bartender on that,” the waiter said. He turned to face Changbin and asked if he wanted the usual.

“Unless he intends to drink the entire bottle, I’ll take whatever vodka he wants,” Changbin responded.

The waiter excused himself and went to check on the vodka situation.

“Drinking a whole bottle of vodka in one go is bad for your liver,” Changbin noted as he folded his hands in front of him.

The blonde snorted and quipped that Changbin sounded like his brother. The comment made the Avenger raise a brow and he straightened up in his seat.

“The bottle is gonna cost you $35, tip not included,” the waiter announced when he returned.

Before Changbin could grab his wallet, the blonde beat him to it and placed a crumpled $50 into the waiter’s hand. “Keep the change.”

The waiter unfolded the bill and immediately left to grab the bottle and some glasses for serving. The place wasn’t busy for the early to mid-afternoon, but Changbin had a feeling the waiter wasn’t used to getting a larger than average tip during this time. The pair watched as the waiter returned within seconds with the bottle and two glasses.

Changbin flashed the waiter a light smile and told him to take it easy. He slid the bottle closer and opened it, before pouring some of the contents into one glass and nudging it across the table. “So, wanna tell me who the hell you are and why you’ve been stalking me for 2.5 weeks?”

The blonde barely had the glass raised to his lips when he heard the questions. He looked up from his glass and parted his lips slightly in shock. This made the Avenger snicker as he poured some vodka into the other glass for himself.

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About a month and a half after burying Tony and Minho, Changbin noticed that the same blonde guy would show up in various places around the same time. The guy tried to be less obvious with disguises and using remote ways to track him, but after working with Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. for years, the Avenger’s picked up on people attempting to trail him.

Earlier today, he sensed he was being followed and urged his new protege to take Lucky and get somewhere safe. Sure Yeji gave him lip for trying to protect her, but the last thing he’d want is for her to get killed, thanks to someone hunting for him. Once the young woman had left with the dog, he hung around the area and pulled his bow on the blonde, who had a regular sidearm pointed at him. For a while, he tried urging the blonde to drop the gun before he shot first, but the blonde remained defiant with his gun pointed at the Avenger. What made them stand down was the sound of a siren and the blonde looked a little concerned when he heard the alarm.

Changbin made up his mind and told the young man to follow him so they could get under cover somewhere to finish the matter. He chose this hole-in-the-wall place that he visited at times during The Blip, often sitting and brooding over his missing family in between kills.

The blonde swore in Russian and put his glass down. “All right Old Man, I’ll make this easy for both of us. Name’s Felix. My employer told me you killed my brother and that I’m supposed to bring you in. But before I do that, why did you do it? He was telling me before The Blip that the Avengers were his real family, not me or our parents.”

Changbin tilted his head as he looked closely at the blonde across from him. If the kid wasn’t an assassin, he looked like the good kid you’d find in a suburban neighborhood, probably playing sports and making lots of friends. But the Russian, the mention of his brother again – wait, was this...?

“Min,” he offered in a soft voice.

The blonde nodded sharply and he picked up his glass again. “He’s dead, thanks to you. I’d like to know why you killed him, before I decide if I wanna bring you in dead or alive.”

The Avenger stiffened when he heard the accusation. His partner told him to go for counseling after fighting Thanos, as he was suffering terribly from losing Tony and Minho. Talking to the counselor about Minho was hard and the former couldn’t convince him that it wasn’t his fault that Minho insisted he sacrifice himself for the Soul Stone. Telling his kids that their Uncle Min wasn’t coming home was horrible, as they asked where he was and talked about their favorite memories of the red-haired “uncle” they had come to love.

“Do you know anything about Thanos and the Infinity Stones in that goddamn gauntlet he wore?” Changbin asked after prolonged silence.

When Felix shrugged, Changbin sighed and pushed his glass away as he recounted the attempts to stop Thanos from killing Vision for the Mind Stone, losing everyone he knew, then trying to get the stones again to undo what happened 5 years ago.

“It was the shrinking guy’s idea, some kind of time heist,” Changbin said. “Minho and I went to some planet in space, while the others went elsewhere in time for the other stones. We get there, this creepy red skeleton guy tells us that one of us has to sacrifice ourselves –”

“So you chose my brother?”

“YOH! I wasn’t done talking, you little shit,” Changbin snapped as he narrowed his eyes. He took a deep breath and groaned as he tried to explain what happened next. This was the hard part whenever he went to therapy – it was difficult to talk about Vormir without getting choked up and replaying the images of Minho using a stun function in his cuff to distract him, and Changbin trying to grab his hand to stop the former spy.

“Damn it, I told him I was supposed to do it!” Changbin yelled as he slammed his fist on the table. “He actually tried to keep shit together after The Blip. Me, I, I lost it. I lost my whole family. My partner. My kids. All while we were at home, having a normal day. Then I went out and I hunted down every bad guy, every gang, every criminal organization, everyone that survived and didn’t deserve it!”

The Avenger hung his head and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep it together without crying. He could hear Minho’s voice, urging him to let go of his hand on Vormir.

“Let me go.”

“No. Please don’t.”

“It’s okay...”

The blonde took small sips from his glass as he watched and listened to the Avenger. Despite hating his time in the Red Room, he has to give his instructors some credit for teaching him the art of lying and reading a target’s body language. Based on what he’s seeing right now, the Avenger is telling the truth and Minho actually sacrificed his life to save the world. Which means, his employer lied or she exaggerated the story a bit, just to force him to cut his time off short. It wouldn’t surprise him – Val refused his request for a pay raise before handing over Changbin’s information for his next assignment.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m working for a female version of Dreykov, Felix thought. He put his glass down and stared across the table at the Avenger.

“Surprisingly, I believe you,” Felix replied. “Last time I saw my brother, he was going on about how he was trying to do good and forget about...yeah, well he was telling me how great things were with the Avengers before the Accords.” He played with his glass and tilted his head slightly. “You weren’t...dating my brother, were you?”

Changbin jerked his head up at the question and he paused for a few seconds, before laughing loudly. The blonde shot him a quizzical look and Changbin shook his head as he tried to compose himself.

“Oh man no, no way. Min was my colleague and sometimes, he thought it was funnier to ignore most of the shit I said,” Changbin said. “I swear he did it to piss me off, but other than that, we were friends.” He propped his elbow on the table and looked thoughtful as he recalled their mission in Budapest.

“He ever tell you about Budapest?”

Felix nodded and recounted his story of running from Dreykov’s project, otherwise known as Taskmaster, while protecting a serum to remove the brainwashing effect on the other Widows. “He makes me bleed out a bit, then we’re crammed in an air vent. An air vent. Think I saw tic-tac-toe games scratched inside the vent.”

“Wait, in the subway?”

“You mean it was the same vent you two hid in after you tried to kill Dreykov?” Felix asked. “That must have been...”

“Oh that was a weird three days!” Changbin laughed. “He got so annoyed by me complaining that I was hungry and said I was too loud. Once we got outta Budapest, he complained on the Quinjet that it was amazing I had someone in my life at all. But wait, what do you mean by ‘tried to kill Dreykov’? I thought Min said it was a hit – I saw the building go up in flames after the guy’s daughter went in. Don’t tell me that guy’s your employer.”

Felix made a face and he picked up his glass again.

“We’re going to be here a while...”

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