"It just so happens that it's our first time living today" - Cheers to Youth ♪
Hi, welcome to my blog! You can call me Sakura (she/her). I'm just a silly carat that loves this group with my heart and soul. Massive fan of SVT and Utaites, as well as a bunch of other random things. I'm OT13, with BSS as my bias line. Nice to meet you ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-!
requests: open (read rules); status: semi-active
All edited headers on this blog will be made by me unless stated otherwise (the pictures are not mine though) :D
dividers by cafekitsune
Masterlist ❤︎
Tags:
#sakura✧writes
#sakura✧rambles
#sakura✧reblogs
#sakura✧recs
#sakura✧housekeeping
Fairly self explanatory :D
Rules:
This blog will almost always be SFW; At max will be a tiny bit suggestive but that's it
Do NOT be rude; I write for fun and to the best of my abilities. If you don't like my work, then just move on please
Please don't ask to be moots! I need to mention this because me not being moots with you does not mean I don't like you. I'm just socially drained and also this is a side blog. BUT if we become moots organically that's great ദ്ദി◝ ⩊ ◜.ᐟ
Feel like I shouldn't have to say this, but please don't repost my work! I work hard on what I make and I really do not want people reposting it somewhere else.
What I do and don't write:
I write...
Fics (long and short)
Drabbles
Reactions
Not SMAUs yet but I'd love to try!
I do NOT write...
Smut (feel like this can be implied from this blog being SFW, but still)
Anything incestuous in nature, major age gaps, noncon & dubcon, poly relationships, cheating, abuse, gore, & probably more. No hate to people that do write these things, but it's not for me (¬_¬")
Favorite tropes ʚ(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )ɞ:
enemies to lovers (a classic for a reason)
childhood friends to lovers (give me the yearninggg)
best friends to lovers (specifically when they're both incredibly dumb about the other person)
academic rivals to lovers (love love loveeee this one)
fantasy aus (very silly and magical)
Request rules:
Do NOT request anything that I mentioned I don't write
Be respectful
If you request a oneshot/fic, please know that it'll be short. I do write long fics, but not for requests
Be patient with me. Writing can be tiring at time, and requests might backlog
Fairly obvious, but I do NOT own Seventeen, nor do I claim that my writing reflects how the idols act in real life. I just take inspiration from the personalities they display to us and write things. Please don't take anything I write on this blog to heart.
Once again, very nice to meet you all ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂)⸝♡ Hope to have a fun time here ₍₍⚞(˶>ᗜ<˶)⚟⁾⁾!
Tags: 1.5k words, Joshua x reader, a bunch of fluff, yeah that's it
a/n: yayyyy, I'm alive. Posts will be irregular for a while cus I don't have a lot of motivation rn :l. Anyways, enjoy :D
Your day has been oddly lucky for once. There was no line at your usual coffee shop, you'd managed to get a seat on the train, and best of all, you hadn't had the misfortune of running into Joshua Hong yet.
Now for most, a conversation with Joshua Hong would make them jump so high that they'd make a hole in the ceiling. After all, what wasn't there to love about the pretty gentleman?
Plenty. There was plenty to dislike, at least in your opinion. For one, he was a horrible tease. For someone who acted so kindly on the surface, he sure was a devil if you got too close. Also... well the teasing was bad enough to make him obnoxious.
You sit down on your desk, hoping to idle around for a couple of minutes before actually working when you feel somebody tap your shoulder. Before you can react, you feel someone's breath tickle your ears.
"Your shirt is untucked in the back," he whispers softly.
You snap your head around, and you end up crashing it into Joshua Hong's face. He instantly backs off, holding both of his hands to his now bruised nose.
"Serves you right," you say, clutching your own head in pain.
"For what, giving you a kind warning?" He does his best to keep his tone neutral, but the playful glint in his eyes gives away his intentions.
"Ah yes, because I loveeee having you right up in my ear as you give me outfit support," you drawl as you quickly tuck your shirt in.
"Well, judging from how red the tips of said ears are, I'd say you do like it," he teases.
If you weren't in a professional setting, there's be no doubt that you'd have hurled at least ten separate things in his direction. But you do want to keep you job, so you settle for an annoyed huff and turn back towards your black monitor screen.
You continue to stare at it for a couple more seconds, dreading the moment you'll actually have to start working.
"Are you ever going to turn it on, or…?"
You turn around to find Joshua still standing there, clearly amused with your situation. You do a quick scan to find something to critique him on, but all you can find is that he looks even more pretty today than usual.
"Why're you still here? Don't you have work to do?" you ask annoyedly.
"Don't want to hear that from the person contemplating their life in front of a black screen," he counters.
You try to find a response for that one, but you come short. "Yeah well, I'll turn it on soon. So you can go now." You shoo him off with your hand, but he continues to stand their stubbornly.
"If you're gonna be like that all day, why don't you spend your lunch break with me?" You stare at him as if you're waiting for some sort of punchline, but he simply stares at you.
"Why in the world would I ever do that?" you question. While you and Joshua were closer than you'd like to admit, it never went further than short banter and complaining sessions as the two of you worked overtime. Spending time with him voluntarily was completely foreign to you.
"Because when you're on lunch break, you pull out something from that bag and stay hunched over at your desk. At least if you come with me, you'll get some fresh air." He props his hand on his waist, and for a second he almost looks like a nagging mother.
You try weighing your options to look for a reason not to go, but the only one you can think of is spending time with him. And when compared with rotting at your desk all day, it isn't really much of a con at all.
"Fine," you sigh. "At the very least, can we go at my usual time?"
"Works for me," he agrees. He starts heading for his desk, before turning back one more time. "See you there~" he sings, blowing you a kiss before disappearing behind a cubicle's walls.
You sit there stunned for a couple of minutes, your brain completely crashed and your cheeks flushed. Perhaps the most annoying thing about Joshua's teasing was that you were unbelievably weak to it. Realizing that you've been staring at a wall for a while like an idiot, you hastily turn around and boot up your laptop.
This is going to be a long lunch break.
________________________
The time to leave comes far too quickly. After what feels like only an hour of work, you can hear people shuffling out of the office to either get their food from the office cafeteria or eat out. You almost pull out your food right then and there before you spot a very familiar someone strutting towards you.
"Ready to head out?" Joshua asks.
You nod, quickly getting your plastic-wrapped sandwich out of your bag and heading out the door with him.
The walk to wherever he's taking you is relatively quiet. Both of you are too consumed with your thoughts, so instead the sound of the breeze keeps you company.
Suddenly, Joshua stops and plops himself down on a bench. It's situated under a massive tree, and yet the leaves seem to very conveniently fall everywhere but on it. "What are you waiting for? Sit down," he says, patting the spot next to him.
You sit down and quickly begin unwrapping your food. While you might've not felt the time passing, your stomach clearly did because it was five seconds away from growling.
"That's a rather nice sandwich," he comments. "Great amount of vegetables."
You chuckle quietly, finding yourself seeing him as a mother again. "Thanks, mom."
"Hey, I prefer the title of husband," he protests with a smile.
"Well, too bad you're not getting that one any time soon," you say flippantly.
"Hmm, we'll see," he answers vaguely.
You can see Joshua pull something out of his bag from the corner of your eye, but you're head is spinning with too many thoughts to notice.
Joshua? Getting married? Well I guess it isn't too out of the question. I mean, he's always been popular, and he's never really shied away from all of it. Does that mean he's seeing someone right now? Is it someone in the office? Wait, why do I care so much about this anyways?
The thoughts continue to whirl through your mind when something cold suddenly touches your cheek.
"Here, for you." Joshua holds a can of soda in his hand and waves it in front of your eyes. You take it gratefully, opening the seal after a bit of struggle.
"Where'd you get this? We didn't stop anywhere," you ask as you take a small sip.
"At the office vending machine," he says, popping his own open with far more ease. As he takes a sip, you notice a drop trail down from his lips to his neck.
"Thanks. I'll pay you back–"
"Nope. Consider this your payment for finally leaving that dreary cubicle of yours." He takes a bite of his food, which you notice is rice with some sides.
"That looks good," you compliment, ripping off a piece of your sandwich.
"Oh? You think my cooking looks appealing?" he asks with his signature teasing tone.
"That's not from your girlfriend?" The words tumble out of your mouth before you can stop them.
You feel like crawling into a hole and rotting there, but Joshua just looks at you with confusion. "What girlfriend?"
Now it's your turn to look confused. "I mean, you said that you might be a husband soon…"
He looks at you for a second, before bursting out into laughter. "Oh, no, that's not–" He starts cackling again, before finally calming down enough to talk properly. "That's not what I mean when I said that."
"It's not?" You suddenly feel a rush of blood rise to your face, the truth of the situation becoming all too clear.
"No, no, not at all. To answer your question, I'm not in a relationship," he clarifies.
"Oh…" you trail off. "Wait, what did you mean by that then?"
He stares at you, slightly dumbfounded. "Come on, you're smarter than that."
You try to recall the conversation, tracing back what you'd been telling him. And then, it strikes you like lightning, and your face lights on fire for the third time today.
"There you go," Joshua teases with a smirk on his face, which only makes your face even warmer.
"Hurry up and eat, we're going to have to leave in about 8 minutes," he says, going back to his food as if nothing ever happened.
You scarf your food down as fast as you can, trying to drown out your thoughts. But they surface up regardless, asking the same treacherous question.
OT13 reaction to their s/o doing the “walking past my bf to see if he recognizes you” trend
Request: Have you seen those like ”walking past my husband/bf to see if they recognize me” trend like the wife/gf walks past their man in public to see if they recognizes [(idk if that’s the right spelling but who cares?)] them I’m wondering how SEVENTEEN will react if their s/o did that no rush btw take your time, cutie
A/N: one of the few trends that i’ve actually seen XD saw it a few times on yt shorts lol. and oh! this was SO SO SO HARD. i questioned my sanity a few times as i wasn’t able to assign them. i will love to hear you guys takes tho. i felt like idk svt [i don’t] and felt lost and sad. pls help me become their bestie so that i can write better reactions for yall /jk
Contains: fluff
doesn’t even let it play out — seungcheol, joshua, mingyu [am confused]
he clocks you before you even reach/pass him. doesn’t matter if you changed your hair, your clothes, your height, your whole vibe. he knows your walk. he’ll smirk the second you pass and call out something stupidly affectionate/silly like, “you done testing me?” or “you know i’d recognize you anywhere, right?” or “what are you doing again?” absolutely ruins the trend on purpose and looks proud and smug about it and taunts you /jk for even thinking you could sneak past him.
the double take — jeonghan, jun, wonwoo, woozi, minghao
he walks past you. one step, two. then stops. something in his brain goes wait. turns around with that confused, almost offended squinted 🤨 look like the universe just glitched and it’s our fault. once he realizes it’s you, his expression goes normal and baffled immediately. “why are you here?” and you ask why he didn’t recognise you and he’s like, “i did and that’s why i looked back,’ perfect logic if you ask me. you then explain the trend and hes like, “why did that work on me…” lowk pouting but he knows his that’s why i looked back statement is solid. he’ll pull you closer in a hug to recalibrate, and randomly say that you shouldn’t be allowed to look like that in public. starts complimenting how good you look/your makeup looks/outfit and then go out togetherrrrr. oh it turned out to be a whole scenario lol.
falls for it and almost misses you — dokyeom, seungkwan
it’s a lil different than the previous grp as he fully misses it at first. then someone laughs behind that sounds extremely familiar to him or his brain finally catches up and suddenly he’s spinning around like, “WAIT— is that YOU??” absolutely dramatic about it. “you walked RIGHT past me.” makes it everyone’s problem and demands affection as compensation. secretly loves that you did it and will bring it up again later like it’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened. won’t bring up the fact that you tested him and he almost failed and if you bring it up, you get a sulky bf for the next two hours.
total fail, zero awareness — vernon, hoshi, dino
he does not notice at all. you could walk past him twice but he’s in his own world. probably thinking about something random or staring at his phone with headphones on [i at least imagine vernon like this]. when you finally tap him or stand directly in front of him, he blinks like he’s been rebooted. “oh— hey.” he still doesn’t realize what just happened. you explain and laughs, apologizing but still chuckling. insists it’s not you — it’s just that his brain sometimes lags... which is true. will let you redo the trend because he feels bad.
pretends to fail just to mess with you — jeonghan [i feel like he needs this category]
he absolutely notices but he keeps walking just to see how long you’ll wait. then you finally react, he turns back with a smile like, “what? i was waiting for you to say something.” enjoys watching you get flustered way too much and pouting. he loves your pout and will kiss it [drtxtrcrtxrtxret im malfunctioning rn uihiugiswewse. i want him]. zero guilt.
You grant your boyfriend 27 wishes for his 27th birthday.
tags: 1.15k words, fluff, even more fluff, they're very very silly
a/n: Happy birthday to our darling talented otter! I love Dino so so much <3 I hope this fic does him some justice. dividers by cafekitsune
You felt, frankly, stupid. You had woken up at six in the morning to a. bake a cute birthday cake and b. to put on a wizard hat and a cape. You would ask yourself how you got yourself into this prediciment, but of course you already knew the answer to that. A couple weeks ago, you had joked to Chan that you would be his wish granting magician for his birthday. Except he took it seriously, and well, you had to play your part properly right?
So, with a shoddy plan and an impulsive purchase, you now looked like a knockoff purple wizard from Ebay. Objectively, you could've dressed up as a cute fairy. And in hindsight, that definetely was the play. But it was too late now, so you picked up your wand and looked at yourself in your mirror.
"Could be worse," you mumble, although whether or not it could actually be worse is up to debate.
Suddenly, you here the sounds of Chan waking up from his slumber, so you quickly do a check-over of yourself (although is that really neccesary if you're dressed as a wizard?) and walk out of the room.
"Hey darling, good morni–," Chan starts, before noticing your outfit. He looks down and up, down and up, and them promptly bursts out into laughter.
"What even are you doing?!" he asks, still clutching his sides from pure amusement.
"I am your court magician, my liege. I can grant any–"
Your dramatic monologue is cut out by him laughing again, crouched down on the floor in fetal position as he desperately tries (and fails) to pull himself together.
"My- my liege?! Hold on, say that again, I need a video to laugh at later," he cackles.
You gently swat his hand away from the record button, looking at him with faux anger. "I'm a court magician, not a jester. Now, tell me your first wish."
"Aren't you just a genie then?" he questions.
"No, I'm a magician. Instead of a measly three wishes, I can grant 27. Now, on with it," you explain, steeling yourself for his first wish.
He puts his hand on his chin, nodding his head up and down as if he's in deep thought. Finally, he snaps his fingers as an idea comes to his head. "For my first wish, I would like to request you do your full introduction again so that I can record it."
You look him dead in the eyes, but he already has his phone out with a proud smirk on his lips as he silently gestures you to begin.
This is going to be a very very long day.
────୨ৎ────
Lee Chan should never be granted a power such as wishes, you think. Sometimes, they're innocent. Tell him how amazing he is, hold his hand for 5 minutes, give him ten kisses. But other times, you end up with wishes that make you feel like collapsing into a bush would be a kinder fate. The fifteenth wish was the later.
"Carry me," he tells you with a large grin on his face.
"My liege, maybe we can reconsider–"
"Come on, at least try~" he whines.
You sigh, trying to figure out if there's any way you can weasel yourself out of this situation. You're proud about many things, but your arm strength is something you'd rather never talk about. The chances of you succeeding are essentially negative. But a wish is a wish, so you give it a try.
"If my back breaks, that's your fault," you grumble. You wrap your arms around his waist, holding on tightly, before pulling upwards.
His body doesn't even budge a centimeter. In fact, he might have even sunk deeper into the ground.
"There. I tried," you deadpan.
"Come on, you can try a couple more times. Please~" He looks at you with his pouty lips and unfortunately, you cave.
"I'm counting this as another wish," you sigh, getting into position to pick him up again.
"Fine, have it your way," he accepts.
The first attempt, he doesn't move at all once more. The second time, you grip him stronger and you almost manage to lift him.
"One more try," you grunt, more determined than ever to succeed. Finally, you manage to get his feet to hover over the ground and even manage to get half a spin in before you drop him back to the ground.
"See, you did it!" he cheers, giving you a high five and a kiss on the cheek.
"You're impossible," you complain, but the small smile pulling on the corners on your lip is apparent to anyone.
"Yeah, but you still love me," he teases.
"That I do."
────୨ৎ────
At promply 10:04 (it was supposed to be at ten but it took you longer than you thought to set up), you bring out his birthday cake and set it before him.
"Happy Birthday Chan!" you exclaim, setting the cake on the table, all twenty seven candles lit up in a beautiful circle. "Quickly, blow them out, before the house burns down."
He takes a deep breath in, puffing his cheeks up like a hamster, before blowing them all out in one go.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Chan, happy birthday to you~"
You cut a slice of the cake and feed it to him, giggling when a little bit of the cream sticks to his lips.
"Here, let me wipe this off for you," you say, gently brushing your thumb on his lips as you push the cream off.
"I still have one more wish you know." He looks at you with an immesurable amount of love, but also the tiniest bit of something else muddled in with it.
"Well, what do you wish to use your final one for, my liege?"
"Can you–" he stops, as if he's unsure if he should continue, before proffesing, "Will you stay with me next year as well?"
You bonk him on his head with your wand, which brings a confused groan out of him. "That's a foolish wish. You don't need some magic spell for that. You're stuck with me whether you want me or not."
He looks at you with shock, before he begins to giggle again.
"What's so funny now? I was serious you know."
"Nothing, I just thought to myself that I'm so lucky to have a girlfriend that would dress up as a wizard and do all of this for me," he says softly, a smile blooming on his lips as he looks at you again.
"Of course you are. Now, what's your final wish?"
He nods his head up and down in thought again one more time, before giving you a sly smirk. "Be a wizard for me next year again."
pairing: dino x reader
synopsis: The final part of your psych experiment is an “emotional exit interview.” Chan’s answers are suspiciously romantic. Yours might be worse.
wc: 3.6k (a lil short then usual huu)
genre: Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Co-workers??, Academic AU
warnings: Anxiety, Emotion Distress, Emotional Vulnerability
a/n: Happy birthday to Misterr Cha Cha!! This is apart of the Kiss Me, It’s for Academia Series!! All other parts of the series will come out on each respective members birthdays!!
The email arrives at 8:04 a.m, which feels targeted.
SUBJECT: FINAL EXIT INTERVIEW – REQUIRED FOR PROGRAM COMPLETION
FROM: The L.O.V.E. Project (Longitudinal Observation of Vulnerant Emotions)
Thank you for your participation in the Kiss Me Psychological Attachment Study.
Please report for your Emotional Exit Interview within the next 72 hours.
This interview is mandatory and will conclude your involvement in the program.
You stare at it long enough for your coffee to go cold.
Emotional Exit Interview.
That sounds less like a form and more like a threat.
You forward it to the group chat without thinking.
—
[<3 PROJECT STUDY GROUP CHAT]
SEUNGKWAN: oh this is going to be catastrophic
VERNON: why is it called emotional
SEUNGKWAN: because they’re about to emotionally ruin all of you
JUN: is this where they erase our memories
SEUNGKWAN: if they erase chan’s i will riot
YOU: it’s probably just a questionnaire
SEUNGKWAN: famous last words
—
You close the app and pretend the tight feeling in your chest is indigestion.
It is not.
It’s the knowledge that this is it. The study is actually ending. No more “accidental” proximity, no more scheduled interactions that give you excuses to sit next to Lee Chan without admitting you want to.
And lately, Chan hasn’t been sitting next to you at all.
He’s been drifting. Quiet. Polite. Which is somehow worse than if he were awkward. At least awkward would mean he still cared.
You see him across the campus café an hour later, hunched over his laptop like he’s trying to disappear into it. His headphones are on, but the screen is blank.
You hesitate.
Then you go over.
“Hey.”
Chan looks up too fast, like he was waiting to hear your voice and mad at himself for it.
“Oh—hey.”
He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“How long have you been here?”
“Just a bit,” he says. “I was… uh. Studying.”
There is nothing open.
You sit anyway, because sitting across from him still feels like something you’re allowed to do.
“So,” you say, trying for casual. “We all got the exit interview email.”
“Yeah.” His fingers tighten around his cup. “I saw.”
“It’s kind of dramatic, right? Emotional exit interview. Like they’re breaking up with us.”
He laughs. Or, he tries to.
“Yeah. Totally.”
The silence stretches. You fill it badly.
“Seungkwan already thinks it’s going to ruin us.”
Chan glances away.
“I mean… he thinks everything will ruin us.”
There is a pause, and something in that word—us—feels heavier than it should.
“Have you… scheduled yours?” you ask.
“Yeah. I got a time.”
“Oh.” You shouldn’t feel disappointed. You do. “When?”
“Ten minutes before yours.”
You didn’t tell him when yours was.
Your heart stutters.
“Oh.”
“Admin sent me the full roster,” he adds quickly. “So I’d know when the rooms were free.”
Right. Of course. That’s normal.
Nothing about this feels normal.
“Cool,” you say. “So. Uh. We’ll be… emotionally exiting together.”
He finally looks at you.
For a second, his face is open. Bare. Like he might say something important.
Then he closes it.
“Yeah,” he says quietly. “I guess we will.”
Across the room, Seungkwan is openly staring at you both like he’s watching a slow-motion car crash.
You ignore him.
Chan stands.
“I should go,” he says. “I have… stuff.”
You nod. “Right. Yeah. Stuff.”
He hesitates, like he wants to reach for you and doesn’t think he’s allowed.
“See you,” he says instead.
“See you.”
He leaves.
Your chest aches in a way that feels deeply unscientific.
—
Later that night, a new file appears in your inbox.
[CASE FILE 7-A: PARTICIPANT BEHAVIOR SUMMARY — LEE CHAN]
You definitely aren’t supposed to read it.
You do anyway.
Participant demonstrates elevated emotional responsiveness to Y/N.
Indicators include prolonged eye contact, increased proximity, and protective verbal behavior.
Emotional detachment observed following announcement of study termination.
You scroll.
Possible fear response related to attachment loss.
Your throat tightens.
Fear of losing you.
You close the file like it burned you.
—
[L.O.V.E PODCAST – EPISODE 19 (UNRELEASED CLIP)]
recorded later that night
SEUNGKWAN: I’m telling you, Chan is acting like he’s pre-grieving.
JOSHUA: Maybe he just doesn’t like goodbyes.
SEUNGKWAN: Or maybe he’s in love.
VERNON: statistically probable.
—
You don’t hear this yet.
What you do hear is your phone vibrating.
A text from Chan.
CHAN: hey
CHAN: did you… read the case file?
Your stomach drops.
YOU: no
YOU: should I have?
There’s a long pause.
Then:
CHAN: no
CHAN: it’s stupid
CHAN: sorry
You type and erase three replies.
Finally:
YOU: we’re okay, right?
The dots appear.
They disappear.
They appear again.
CHAN: yeah
CHAN: of course
It doesn’t feel like the truth.
The exit interview is in three days.
And something about the way Chan said of course sounds like he’s already saying goodbye.
—
The waiting room is designed to feel neutral.
Neutral walls. Neutral chairs. Neutral lighting.
Like nothing emotional has ever happened inside it.
You sit in one of the plastic chairs with your phone in your hands, not looking at it, because Seungkwan promised not to text during Chan’s interview and you don’t trust him enough to risk it.
A red light glows over the door across from you.
RECORDING IN PROGRESS.
Chan is in there.
Saying things you’re not supposed to hear.
Your knee bounces. You stop it. It starts again anyway.
Ten minutes.
Ten minutes between whatever Chan is saying and whatever you’ll be asked.
You wonder if he’s lying.
You wonder if you are.
—
The red light clicks off.
Your heart is pounding so hard you’re sure someone can hear it.
The door opens.
Chan steps out.
For one terrifying second, he looks like he might cry.
Then he sees you.
“Oh.”
His voice breaks on the word.
“Hey,” you say.
“Hey.”
You stand. He doesn’t move closer. He doesn’t move away. He looks like he’s suspended between both.
“You’re up,” he says softly.
“Yeah.”
A thousand things sit between you, none of them said.
“I, um,” Chan starts, then stops. “Good luck.”
You want to tell him something, before its too late, but the door to your interview opens.
And whatever you don’t say now might be too late.
“Thanks,” you whisper.
He watches you go in like he’s watching something disappear.
—
The door closes behind you with a soft, final click.
The room is smaller than you expect. One table. Two chairs. A recorder in the center like an unblinking eye.
You sit.
The red light turns on.
RECORDING IN PROGRESS.
INTERVIEWER: Please state your participant ID.
You do.
It sounds strange out loud. Like it belongs to someone else.
INTERVIEWER: This is your Emotional Exit Interview for the Kiss Me Psychological Attachment Study. You may stop at any time. Do you understand?
“Yes.”
Your voice doesn’t shake. You’re proud of that.
INTERVIEWER: Did you complete the full duration of the experiment?
“Yes.”
INTERVIEWER: Did you adhere to all assigned interaction protocols with your partner, Lee Chan?
You think of him smiling at you over coffee. Of the way he says your name.
“Yes.”
A lie that feels small enough to get away with.
INTERVIEWER: Were you instructed to simulate romantic and emotionally intimate behavior with Lee Chan?
“Yes.”
INTERVIEWER: Did you do so?
“Yes.”
The interviewer’s fingers hover over their keyboard.
INTERVIEWER: Did you develop emotional attachment to Lee Chan beyond the scope of simulation?
Your chest tightens.
“No.”
The word sits between you and the table, fragile.
INTERVIEWER: On a scale from one to ten, how emotionally affected are you by the conclusion of the study?
“Three.”
Another lie. Bigger this time.
INTERVIEWER: You appear distressed.
“I’m fine.”
They tilt their head slightly, like they don’t believe you.
INTERVIEWER: I will now play selected audio clips from the study to evaluate emotional congruence. Please listen and respond honestly.
The recorder clicks.
Chan’s voice fills the room.
CHAN (recorded): “You don’t have to be perfect with me. You can just be you.”
Your throat closes.
Another clip.
CHAN (recorded): “I like it when you laugh like that. It sounds like you’re not scared.”
You swallow.
Another.
CHAN (recorded): “Hey… are you okay? You’ve been quiet. Did I do something?”
Your hands curl into fists.
INTERVIEWER: Please describe your emotional response to these recordings.
“They’re… familiar.”
INTERVIEWER: Do they make you uncomfortable?
“No.”
INTERVIEWER: Do they make you miss him?
Silence.
“I don’t know.”
INTERVIEWER: Your biometric readings indicate increased heart rate and cortisol levels.
You laugh weakly. “Guess I’m bad at tests.”
INTERVIEWER: You are not being tested. You are being measured.
That’s worse.
They slide a document across the table.
EMOTIONAL DISCREPANCY DETECTED — SUBJECT Y/N
Verbal denial does not align with physiological response markers.
You don’t look at it.
INTERVIEWER: Do you believe Lee Chan cares about you?
“Yes.”
The truth slips out before you can stop it.
INTERVIEWER: Do you care about Lee Chan?
You hesitate.
The room feels too small.
“Yes.”
INTERVIEWER: Then why did you deny emotional attachment?
Because if you say it out loud, it becomes real.
Because real things can leave.
“I was scared.”
The interviewer doesn’t respond.
They just turn off the recorder.
INTERVIEWER: This concludes your Emotional Exit Interview.
The red light goes dark.
Your heart is still racing when you step back into the hallway.
Chan is gone.
So is the chair where he was sitting.
Only Seungkwan remains, staring at his phone with the expression of someone who has just learned something dangerous.
“Oh,” he says when he sees you. “Uh. You should probably… find Chan.”
“Why?”
Seungkwan looks up.
“They just flagged his file.”
Your stomach drops.
“For what?”
“Withdrawal request,” he says quietly.
“From the entire program.”
And suddenly, the exit survey isn’t about data anymore.
It’s about losing him.
—
The Podcast Makes It Worse
Seungkwan shouldn’t be allowed near a “Publish” button.
Unfortunately, nobody ever took his laptop away.
You find out about the episode the same way you always do: your phone starts vibrating like it’s trying to escape your pocket.
The hallway outside the research wing is suddenly full of voices, phones held up, people whispering, gasping, swearing under their breath.
“Is this allowed?”
“Did he really say that?”
“Oh my god.”
Seungkwan stands in the middle of it all, pale and trembling with adrenaline.
“Seungkwan,” you say. “What did you do?”
“I— I didn’t edit it,” he blurts. “I swear. I was just going to clip something funny and then he started talking and then— and then it felt wrong not to let people hear it.”
“Hear what?”
Your phone buzzes again.
A text from Vernon:
VERNON: so chan just emotionally destroyed the entire internet
Another from Jun:
JUN: he said y/n’s name like it was sacred
Your stomach twists.
You finally press play.
—
[L.O.V.E PODCAST – EPISODE 20]
“He Wasn’t Supposed to Mean It”
Chan’s voice fills your headphones.
“I wanted them to choose me when it wasn’t part of a test.”
Your chest aches.
“I don’t want this to end if Y/N is what it’s ending.”
People are crying in the comments. Strangers are rooting for something you haven’t even admitted out loud.
“Where is he?” you ask Seungkwan.
Seungkwan swallows. “He asked admin to pull him from the program. Fully. That means—”
“No,” you say. “Don’t say it.”
“If he leaves under withdrawal, he won’t be allowed post-study contact. Not even for… like. ‘Closure.’”
That word feels cruel.
“He didn’t even wait for me,” you whisper.
Seungkwan looks miserable.
“I think he thought you didn’t want him.”
That’s not fair.
You never said that.
But you also never said the opposite.
Your phone buzzes again.
This time, it’s Chan.
CHAN: hey
CHAN: i’m sorry you had to hear it like that
You’re already running.
YOU: where are you
The typing dots appear.
Disappear.
Appear again.
CHAN: it doesn’t matter
CHAN: i just didn’t want to make this harder for you
Your breath shakes.
You shove open the door to the old observation wing — the one everyone stopped using after the study went remote.
It’s dark. Quiet.
“Chan?” you call.
For a second, there’s nothing.
Then—
“I’m here.”
He’s sitting on the edge of the testing table, shoulders hunched, like he’s trying to fold himself smaller.
You stop a few feet away, heart pounding.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He laughs weakly. “Tell you what? That I fell in love during a psych experiment like an idiot?”
“You weren’t an idiot,” you say. “You were honest.”
“And you weren’t,” he says softly.
The words hurt because they’re true.
“I was scared,” you say. “I didn’t think—”
“I know,” he interrupts. “I know you were scared. That’s why I’m leaving. I don’t want to trap you in something you didn’t choose.”
Your chest tightens.
“Chan—”
“I’m not mad,” he says quickly. “I just… I needed to stop pretending.”
Silence stretches between you.
Then you take a step closer.
“I am choosing,” you say. “Right now.”
He looks up.
And for the first time since this started, there’s hope in his eyes.
—
The observation room smells faintly like disinfectant and old coffee.
It’s where everything began — the first surveys, the first awkward sitting too close, the first time Chan looked at you like you were something worth being gentle with.
Now he’s sitting on the edge of the table, hands braced at his sides like he’s holding himself in place.
“I’m choosing,” you repeat. “You.”
Chan stares at you like he doesn’t trust his ears.
“You don’t have to say that because of what I said on the recording,” he murmurs. “I didn’t mean to pressure you.”
“I’m not,” you say. “I’m saying it because I don’t want to lose you.”
He swallows.
“I thought… when you said you didn’t feel anything in your interview—”
“I lied.”
The word comes out small but solid.
“I was scared. I didn’t want it to be real if it was just going to end.”
Chan lets out a shaky breath.
“I would’ve stayed,” he says. “If you’d told me. I would’ve stayed.”
You take another step closer.
“I’m telling you now.”
For a moment, he looks like he might break.
“You don’t understand,” he whispers. “I was already grieving you. That’s what it felt like in that room. Like they were asking me to say goodbye to someone I wasn’t done loving.”
The word loving lands between you.
You don’t flinch from it.
“I’m not done either,” you say. “I never was.”
Chan’s hands tremble.
“Y/N—”
You reach for him.
Not because a prompt told you to. Not because a researcher is watching. Just because you want to.
Your fingers curl into his hoodie.
“I don’t care what the study says,” you whisper. “I care about you.”
Something in Chan gives way.
He leans forward, forehead pressing against yours.
“You’re not supposed to do this,” he breathes.
“I know.”
“Nothing about this is ethical.”
“I know.”
“Then why does it feel like this is the only honest thing I’ve done all day?”
“Because it is.”
He kisses you.
Soft at first. Like he’s afraid you’ll disappear if he’s not careful.
Then harder. Desperate. Real.
Somewhere behind you, a monitor starts flashing.
PROTOCOL VIOLATION DETECTED
Neither of you pull away.
EMOTIONAL CROSS-DEPENDENCY CONFIRMED
Chan laughs into the kiss, shaky and relieved.
“We’re breaking it,” he murmurs.
“Good,” you say, and kiss him again.
—
Later, the door opens.
Two researchers stand there, stunned.
Chan doesn’t let go of you.
“I’m not withdrawing,” he says calmly. “We are.”
You squeeze his hand.
A tablet beeps.
[CASE FILE UPDATE: EXPERIMENT TERMINATED DUE TO MUTUAL EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT]
For the first time since this all started, you’re not being observed.
You’re being chosen.
—
They move you to a different room.
No two chairs on opposite sides of a table this time — just a couch, slightly crooked, like someone tried to make it feel less like a lab and more like a place where humans might sit.
Chan stays next to you.
He doesn’t let go of your hand, even when the researcher clears their throat.
“This will be a joint exit survey,” they say. “Given the circumstances.”
Chan snorts. “That’s one way to put it.”
The recorder clicks on.
INTERVIEWER: Please state your names for the record.
You do.
Together.
It feels like a promise.
INTERVIEWER: Did you develop emotional attachment to one another during the Kiss Me Psychological Attachment Study?
“Yes,” you say.
“Yes,” Chan says, at the same time.
INTERVIEWER: Was that attachment beyond the scope of simulation?
“Yes.”
No fear in your voice now.
INTERVIEWER: Do you regret that attachment?
You look at Chan.
He looks at you like the answer has always been obvious.
“No,” you both say.
The researcher pauses.
INTERVIEWER: Would you like to continue contact after the study concludes?
Chan squeezes your hand.
“Yes.”
INTERVIEWER: This concludes your participation in the Kiss Me study.
The red light turns off.
For once, it feels like an ending that opens into something instead of closing it.
—
Outside, Seungkwan is waiting with his phone held up.
“Smile,” he says. “The internet needs closure.”
Chan groans. “You’re evil.”
“I’m correct.”
You laugh — actually laugh — and Chan looks at you like he’s memorizing the sound.
Later, when the campus empties and the lab lights go dark, you and Chan walk out together.
No clipboards. No cameras. No pretending.
Just him, and you, and a future that isn’t being measured.
“Hey,” Chan says quietly. “Can I still call you?”
“Always.”
He smiles.
Not like a participant.
Like someone who finally got what he was brave enough to want.
—
[BONUS: THE FINAL EMOTIONAL EXIT INTERVIEW]
Participant: Lee Chan
Status: Withdrawn (Emotionally Compromised)
Please answer all questions honestly. Your responses will be used for academic analysis, emotional closure, and—where applicable—public embarrassment.
1. Please state your name for the record.
CHAN: Lee Chan.
(His voice is clear. Too clear. The way it gets when he’s nervous and trying not to be.)
2. Did you complete the full duration of the experiment?
CHAN: Yes.
3. Did you adhere to the interaction protocols outlined in your consent agreement?
CHAN: …Mostly.
(A faint, brittle smile in his voice.)
INTERVIEWER: “Mostly” is not a valid data point.
CHAN: Then yes.
4. During the study, were you instructed to simulate romantic behavior toward your assigned partner, Y/N?
CHAN: Yes.
5. Did you do so?
CHAN: Yes.
6. Did you develop emotional attachment to Y/N beyond the scope of simulation?
CHAN: Yes.
(No hesitation.)
INTERVIEWER: Was that attachment within the expected parameters of the experiment?
CHAN: No.
INTERVIEWER: Please elaborate.
CHAN: I knew it wasn’t supposed to be real. But it didn’t feel fake. Not with them.
CHAN: They listened to me. They made me feel… steady. Like I didn’t have to perform all the time.
CHAN: And then I started wanting things I wasn’t supposed to want.
INTERVIEWER: Such as?
CHAN: Them. Outside the study. When there weren’t any cameras or prompts telling us what to do.
CHAN: I wanted them to choose me when it wasn’t part of a test.
INTERVIEWER: Did you believe Y/N shared this attachment?
CHAN: I… don’t know.
(He exhales, shaky.)
CHAN: They cared. I know that. But caring is safe. Loving someone isn’t.
7. At what point did your feelings become “non-experimental”?
CHAN: The first time Y/N laughed and I realized I wanted to be the reason they were happy even when no one was watching.
CHAN: I think that’s when I stopped being a participant and started being a person.
8. Were you aware this emotional attachment could compromise the integrity of the research?
CHAN: Yes.
CHAN: But I was more afraid of compromising my heart.
9. Describe Y/N using three words.
CHAN: Gentle. Brave. Everything.
10. If Y/N were not part of this study, would you still want them in your life?
CHAN: I would want them more.
CHAN: Without the cameras, without the prompts, without the fear that this was temporary.
CHAN: I would want them in all the ordinary, terrifying, forever ways.
11. Did you feel emotionally safe with Y/N?
CHAN: Safer than I’ve ever felt in a room designed to observe me.
CHAN: Safer than I felt being alone.
12. What are you afraid of losing now that the study has ended?
CHAN: Y/N.
CHAN: The sound of their voice when they say my name.
CHAN: The way they look at me when they think I’m not looking.
13. If you could say one thing to Y/N without it being recorded or analyzed, what would it be?
CHAN: I never wanted this to be fake.
CHAN: I wanted it to be us.
14. Do you regret participating in the L.O.V.E Psychological Attachment Study?
CHAN: No.
CHAN: I just regret that it gave me something real and then tried to take it away.
15. Did the approaching termination of the experiment affect your emotional state?
CHAN: Yeah.
CHAN: It feels like someone’s taking something away and telling me I’m not allowed to miss it.
16. Do you wish to continue contact with Y/N after the study?
CHAN: Yes.
CHAN: I just… don’t want this to end if Y/N is what it’s ending.
17. Are you aware that continued contact is not guaranteed and may be restricted?
CHAN: I know.
18. Final statement (optional):
CHAN: I am not withdrawing because the study failed.
CHAN: I am leaving because it worked too well.
CHAN: It showed me the person I want to love,
CHAN: and I refuse to pretend they were just an experiment.
"just like a supernova, bright and pretty. just like you."
genre: romance, fluff, established relationship
au: non-idol
includes: fluff (i have no way to measure how much it is), nerding out about celestial bodies, CUDDLYYY, its dk that says a lot, reader has trouble sleeping
word count: 1.1k
a/n: im back?? i think?? i stared out my window and started to think about stargazing and space stuff... i became an insomniac so this is kinda based off my actual situation aha... argh this is so cuddly i thought dk would suit it hehe pls enjoy
your eyes opened with a comforting arm resting over your torso. it took a moment before the blurriness from your eyes faded away. you turned your head to look at the clock behind you.
02:35.
you turned your head back to see your boyfriend, seokmin, sleeping soundly. for a moment, he looked like a baby golden retriever taking a nap. you smiled at the sight of how he was wrapped around you, feeling the warmth of his body against yours. you tried to go back to sleep, closing your eyes to drift back to slumber.
you opened your eyes again, and turned your head again, looking at the clock for the time again.
02:41.
how have you woken up twice already? you tried again.
02:43.
and again.
02:44.
you sighed. sleep— was definitely not coming to you tonight. instead, it was starting to get on your nerves. you stared at the ceiling, blinking a few times to make sure you weren’t just in a crazy time loop of a dream.
it wasn’t.
you sighed again and looked at your boyfriend that was now sleeping in a fetal position, still faced towards you. now he really looks like a baby. that somehow got you to soften up.
you turned your body towards the window, looking up towards the night sky. you thought, maybe you should take a breather outside, since you really couldn't sleep.
you gently lifted yourself off the bed, carefully making sure you didn't disturb seokmin's beauty sleep. you made sure he was warmly wrapped in the blanket that was covering the both of you moments ago. you slowly slid open the glass door to the balcony and sat on the floor, looking up into the sky.
the dark sky with hints of dark blue and grey, lit up with tiny specks of light. stars. a few planets scattered here and there. in your head, you were thinking which of the few planets it could be. venus? saturn? jupiter? the moon was almost completely dark too, with just a little sliver of light at the bottom of the circle.
"a crescent, huh?" you whispered.
you consciously stared at the brightest star, thinking of how much longer until it stopped shining like that. maybe it was at its peak? had it just started living? or perhaps it was about to die out?
it wasn't long until you heard a voice behind you.
"baby?"
you snapped out of your daze and flicked your head to the direction of the voice. your eyes landed on a sleepy seokmin sat up on the bed, fingers rubbing his tired eyes. you could almost see question marks float around him as he looked at you, seemingly growing in concern.
"i'm sorry baby, did i wake you up?" you softly questioned.
you were sure he was sound asleep before you got up.
"no, i just woke up. can't sleep?" he tilted his head in the slightest bit in reaction to you, being displaced from the bed.
"yeah. i'm just looking at stars, seok."
he got off the bed, pulling the blanket along to cover both of you as he sat down next to you.
"ooh! okay tell me what you've seen so far, i wanna know what you think about today's painting!"
his eyes lit up, watching you in anticipation for your debrief from your observations so far. you softly giggled to yourself, thinking about all the times he called the night sky a new painting.
"if you think about it, every time you look at the sky, its a new arrangement of the stars and planets, and the moon is never the same either! wouldn't that be a new sight every time?"
you noticed the clock from the corner of your eye. 02:47.
"okay seok, buckle up."
you start by pointing out the shapes the stars made when aligned together, moving your finger in the air, as if drawing on the night sky. the way his eyes followed your hand, occasionally shifting to look at your expression as you passionately explained the thoughts in your head, it said a lot about how he feels about you every day.
all of a sudden, you became aware of the warmth of him against your side, and you wrapped up in the warm blanket, and you noticed your heart suddenly beating a little faster. you also caught a glimpse of him being lost in your eyes.
you smiled and pulled on his cheek lovingly.
"ow!! what was that for!" he yelped.
you giggled and said, "you were looking at me so lovingly, were you even listening?"
“i was! to be fair, i do love you a lot!” he retorted, his lips pouting in accusation.
truth be told, you couldn't care less if he was listening or not, you just wanted to tease him, and you were grateful enough for his company. it also helped that he was the living embodiment of the emoji ":(" in that moment, and that made him seem even cuter at that point.
you talked more, as he made sure to pay close attention to your words, and as the night sky continued moving and getting brighter, you noticed his face getting sleepier by the minute, head resting on your shoulder.
"baby?" you whispered.
"mm?"
"have you ever wondered what happens to stars after they die?" you questioned.
that seemed to have woken him up a little.
"well, i think they explode and become something pretty, if i remember correctly..." he sat up and scratched his head, evidently trying to recall what he learnt from his physics classes when he was younger.
"supernovas? i think that's what they're called." he looked at you.
you paid attention to the small lesson he was giving, except with a tinge of warmth and a hint of a sleepy spell.
"i heard they're really bright!! and pretty!! and when i mean bright, i mean really, really, bright. like, brighter than that one!" he exclaimed, pointing at that bright star you were staring at earlier on.
"that's really nice, seok." you warmly replied, lying your head on his lap now.
"just like you."
"hm?" you widened your eyes, clearly taken aback by his sudden statement. that definitely took you by surprise.
"i'm saying, i think you're brighter than that star over there. just like a supernova, bright and pretty. just like you." he says, pinching your nose playfully.
time slowed down. his words felt like they were lined with so much meaning behind them, and the way his lingering stare looked into your soul, you thought that it was exactly what it felt like.
after a while, you found yourself wrapped up in his arms again in bed, and at least this time, you felt a lot warmer inside, definitely sleepier, and most definitely more loved than any person in the world.
tags: 960 words, fantasy au, princess! reader x knight! seungcheol, angst, fluff, ambiguously happy ending
a/n: inspiration struck and I grasped the spark (pun intended). dividers by cafe kitsune.
The city was lit ablaze, the enraged cries of the people echoing through the citadel's walls. You sit there silently from the top of your tower, watching them march through the streets with their pitchforks raised high. There's no rage, no fear, only acceptance. In the end, it was your retribution for watching them suffer from the sidelines.
"Your Highness," you hear someone murmur softly behind you.
You don't even need to turn around to know who it is, to instantly recognize the only fool that would honor his duty even as the kingdom was being razed to the ground.
"Hello, Seungcheol. I imagine the people will reach the castle in about an hour. You should escape while you still can. Or maybe, take my head and put it on a pike. I'm sure they'll–"
"Your Highness!" he exclaims, not willing to hear more of your foolish thoughts. "Come with me. We can leave through the servant's gates."
"Leave where?" you scoff. Your gaze rakes over your home, watching old memories burn into ash. The stores you loved, the people you adored, now all looking at you with the same, white hot rage. "There's nowhere to go. At the very least, I'll take a final stand and accept my fate."
"You're being ridiculous," Seungcheol huffs. "The kingdom doesn't despise you, only the king. Plus, a neighboring country will accept you easily."
The flames grew even stronger outside the window, curling in the wind but never diminishing. It was ironic, how quickly the night changed. Only a week ago, you'd snuck in to watch the peasants dance around the bonfire in celebration of the successful harvest. Now, they wielded that same flame against you, most likely hoping to burn you down to the bone.
"They don't hate me, but they won't leave me alive. After all, a monarch is a monarch. And even if I do escape, there's nothing there that I care about. My kingdom, my home, all of it will be gone." The words taste like lead in your mouth, but you spit them out anyways.
"Then come with me," he begs. "Come to my old home. It's far from the main city, a place where nowhere will look."
You turn to gaze at him, and you finally realize the state he's in. His hair is messy, his armor thrown on as if he didn't have a second to spare. But the part that truly shocks you is the fresh gash on his arm, blood trickling down from the wound.
"Seungcheol! What happened?" you fret, eyes glancing around the room for some sort of bandage or treatment.
"Nothing. Simply took a bit of effort to reach your room," he admits. "But I'm fine."
You look at him with anger and worry, unsure of which emotion is prevailing at the moment. He talks about his wounds as if they're a trivial matter, something insignificant in front of you when in reality it's the other way around. "Saving me isn't worth your life, Seungcheol. Not when you have so much to live for."
"Maybe I do," he says. "But none of that will have any meaning if I let you perish here."
He drops down on one knee, his eyes now at your level where you're sitting on the floor. His gaze is filled with adoration and care, and a part of you wishes that this scene could unfold differently. Where instead of a city lit ablaze, you were at a place where the sun shined warm. Where he wasn't suited in his armor and wounded, but instead in a pristine suit brought from the old tailor's shop and straightened with care. Where instead of pulling out his sword and laying it in front of you, he held out a ring to you instead. But such dreams were not befitting of a princess, and so you squash them out as fast as you could.
"You're my queen," he tells you softly.
"I'm a princess," you correct, even though you know the title won't last much longer.
"I never said you were a queen. I said you were my queen," he professes. "I'll follow you to the bitter end, and far beyond. Even if the whole world is nothing but ashes, even if everyone stands against you, my sword will always fight for your honor."
You can feel the tears blooming in your eyes, but you hold them back as you pull yourself to your feet. You pick up his sword, nicked and damaged from protecting you countless times, and you rest the tip of the blade on his shoulder.
"In that case, I will knight you again. Not as a princess, not as a future ruler, but as me. The girl that you've been protecting for the last ten years, as foolish as she is. Do you accept?" You can feel your breath shaking, the silent fear of his refusal striking your heart.
"I do, now and forevermore." There's not a drop of hesitation in his voice, and your knees almost buckle in relief.
"Well then, take me to your home," you say. "Show me that there is something worth living for beyond the flames."
He looks up at you again, the same adoration in his gaze, but now laced with something more intimate. You know what it is. You've always known, and so has he. It was an ill kept secret between the two of you, hinted at through quick glances and brushes of the fingers. But you ignore it for the moment, because first you must survive.
"I will dedicate my life to that purpose," he breathes, his voice resolute and filled with warmth. "Now come on my darling lady, let us escape in the quiet of the night."
Before I talk about the actual event, I just wanted to say thank you so so much for all the support on this blog ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂)⸝♡ I started it thanks to encouragement from my wonderful moot @sh0jun & I'm so glad I did. I hope you all will continue to like my writing in the future :).
Event Details:
It's essentially a drabble series. I'll be writing one 1-2k fic per member about them well, falling in love. The length isn't really set in stone, more of just a basic guideline to base expectations off of. If I have more ideas for a certain one, it might be longer.
I am accepting requests for this event ദ്ദി˶•̀֊•́)✧!
Obviously I can't write them all, and I'm not even sure how many requests I'll get. If I don't get requests for certain members, I'll just think of a prompt myself. As for how I choose which request, it'll really just be the one I have good ideas for.
PLEASE ONLY ONE REQUEST PER PERSON <3 My requests are open regardless, so you can send it in later down the line if you want. But please only send in one for this event. PLEASE FOLLOW MY NORMAL BLOG RULES WITH REQUESTS!!
Also quick announcement, but due to me working on some longer fics for this blog, my writing will be slower until I finish the 2 I'm working on right now. I'm still here, just working in the background.
Anyways, thank you all so much for all of the support once again! I hope this event is a fun one :3
Before I talk about the actual event, I just wanted to say thank you so so much for all the support on this blog ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂)⸝♡ I started it thanks to encouragement from my wonderful moot @sh0jun & I'm so glad I did. I hope you all will continue to like my writing in the future :).
Event Details:
It's essentially a drabble series. I'll be writing one 1-2k fic per member about them well, falling in love. The length isn't really set in stone, more of just a basic guideline to base expectations off of. If I have more ideas for a certain one, it might be longer.
I am accepting requests for this event ദ്ദി˶•̀֊•́)✧!
Obviously I can't write them all, and I'm not even sure how many requests I'll get. If I don't get requests for certain members, I'll just think of a prompt myself. As for how I choose which request, it'll really just be the one I have good ideas for.
PLEASE ONLY ONE REQUEST PER PERSON <3 My requests are open regardless, so you can send it in later down the line if you want. But please only send in one for this event. PLEASE FOLLOW MY NORMAL BLOG RULES WITH REQUESTS!!
Also quick announcement, but due to me working on some longer fics for this blog, my writing will be slower until I finish the 2 I'm working on right now. I'm still here, just working in the background.
Anyways, thank you all so much for all of the support once again! I hope this event is a fun one :3
How Seventeen would tell you that they love you in their day to day lives.
a/n: soft soft fluff. That's all. Dividers by cafekitsune.
Seungcheol
Says it a casually intimate way. When you wake up, when you laugh, when you do something nice for him, ecetra. It's not a grand gesture with a ceremony, but rather words he can't help but express so often due to the amount of love he has for you. He doesn't care if you're in public or at home; if he loves you, then he'll tell you so. Often accompanied with a kiss or a bear hug because he can't contain his cuteness agression.
"Have I told you I love you today?… 50 times? Well, here's one more to the list."
Jeonghan
He says it softly, as if not to disturb the world around him. He treats the words as if they're made of glass, each syllable slow and pronounced. For him, they're special, an earnest way to tell you how he feels beyond all of the teasing and jokes. When he's outside, he'll lean down and whisper it in your ear before giving you a quick kiss on the cheek. Often accomapnied with him lazily resting his body on yours.
"I love you. Awww, are you blushing? Sorry, sorry~ I'll pretend not to notice next time."
Joshua
He says it with pure earnesty. Every morning, he'll make sure to wake up even 5 seconds before you just so that they'll be the first words you hear when you open your eyes. He'll send you messages throughout the day when he can't be with you, and tell you it in person when he can. He doesn't say it every second of the day, but rather in moments when he feels greatful for you. So you know, every second of the day. Often accomapinied with a soft smile.
"I know I've told you this a lot already, but I truly do love you from the bottom of my heart."
Jun
Often makes a fun little buildup before he says it. After all, his love language first and foremost is acts of service. He'll brush his fingers against yours, tuck your hair behind your ear, press a kiss on the palm of your hands. Then, after he feels like he's shown you adequetly through actions, he'll finally say it. The language he says it with varies, but the tone is the same: soft and loving. Often accompanied with a pepper of kisses afterwords.
"I love you. Now get over here! I have kisses to give."
Hoshi
He says it loudly, as if bursting your eardrums makes it more special (it does). The only time he'll quiet down is if you're at a place where being loud isn't allowed. In that case, he'll do the loudest whisper possible. It'll get him some side eyes, but it's worth it. Half of the time he doesn't even try to be loud, it's just what happens when he's expressing his love for you. Often accompanied with a silly smile and a warm hug.
"I LOVE YOUUUUU! …Too loud? I love you!!!! How about that?"
Wonwoo
He says it quietly, as if the words are too special to be heard by anyone else. He isn't neccesarily shy, but rather reserved. He believes that those words should be for you and you alone. If you're at home, he'll murmur it softly just loud enough for you to hear him. If you're outside, he'll whisper it to you. Often accompanied with a small squeeze of the palm.
"I love you. …Nothing, just felt like telling you."
Woozi
He says it sparsely, as if the words contain some sort of magic. Unlike the others, he is shy. He won't openly admit it, but it's pretty obvious with the ways his ears turn red. The most common way he tells you is through the songs he writes. Sometimes though, he'll say the words quietly, simply because he can't contain how much he loves you. Often accompanied with a shy grumble.
"I love you. Don't make a big deal out of me saying it."
Minghao
He says it elegantly, which is honestly is a word that can be used to describe anything he does. He'll tell it in a way that makes you feel like the most special person in the world no matter where you are. Sometimes, he'll tell you it in Chinese, just to show you some love in his mother tongue as well. Doesn't shy away from telling you in public either. He'd rather tell you at home, but sometimes he simply can't help himself. Often accompanied with a soft smile.
"I love you far more than anything else this world could ever offer me, and I'll do so forever."
Mingyu
He says it excitedly. The words slip out of his lips before he can register them, and he always has a massive grin on his face whenever he tells you. Sometimes he'll say it so fast that he'll fumble the syllables, which makes both of you laugh. Doesn't care where you are, will always tell you how he feels no matter what. Often accompanied with a massive hug.
"I loveee you! …I say that too often? No I don't! Well, I'll just say it even more then."
Dokyeom
He says it with so much warmth that suddenly the sun feels dim. For him, the words are simply the cherry on top. He shows you how much he loves you every minute of the day, from cooking you food to making you laugh. But sometimes, it doesn't feel like enough. So he'll tell you with words, making sure that every bit of love he has is poured into each syllable. Never cares where he is, will always say it the same way regardless. Often accompanied with a massive grin.
"I love you!! …Why so suddenly? Because I love you so much, I just had to say it."
Seungkwan
He says it without any sass or bite. Instead, he says it with a soft, quiet tone. He's always acting dramatically, putting on some sort of skit or another. So when he shows his affections for you, he makes sure that they go beyond all that. Because you're the person who loves him, for well, himself. He won't say it in public often, but when the two of you are alone he'll tell it to you oh so lovingly. Often accompanied with a soft kiss.
"I love you. Thank you for always being with me."
Vernon
Says it so casually that you thought he was telling you the day of the week. It's not that the words don't mean anything to him. On the contrary, it's because they're so important that he says it as such. He wants you hearing them to be a normal occurence, something not neccesarily unique but rather an ingrained part of your life. He doesn't tend to say it too often in public, but will do so on special occasions. Often accompanied with him holding your hand.
"I love you. …What's that face? You want me to say it again or something?"
Dino
He says it in a clumsy but endearing way. He might fumble his words, miss him timing, but he'll always make sure you know how much he loves you. The words aren't too rare, but not too common either. However, the two times he'll say it without fail is when you wake up and when you go to sleep. For him, he wants you to begin and end your day knowing that he loves you. Often accompanied with a quick kiss somewhere on the face.
In a world where you felt alone, you found comfort in the one person who never left.
tags: 2.4k words, angst, angst with comfort, fluff, friends to lovers, confession scene, reader is depressed, Jeonghan is the best
a/n: I started writing this fic when I was really stressed and tired with everything in my life, and it honestly is a sort of comfort to me, so I hope you guys like it. dividers by cafekistune
The feeling crept in quietly, twisting its way around your heart. You didn't notice it at first. The world seemed to move on like normal, your time seemingly unchanging. But then, people started drifting away. Friends and acquaintances disappeared from your life for no other reason than 'they moved on'. Everyone else was pulling their feet forward, leaving you behind.
It makes sense, you'd told yourself. Change was inevitable, but that didn't mean it was the end. But then, the messages grew silent. The calls less frequent. Nobody seemed to care enough to even fake meet ups. In the end, there was nothing but silence.
You open your eyes in the morning, blearily looking to check the time. Everything around you seems to be grey. Not a new discovery, but one that took a little while to settle in every time you managed to open your eyes. It had been days, maybe weeks, since you felt like there was any color in your life. Not that there had been anything to look at other than the same four walls of your room. You snap out of your daze and looked at the clock. You can't afford to be late today. After all, you had plans… except you didn't. You hadn't had plans with friends for ages. The feeling suddenly seems to squeeze your heart tighter. 'We'll keep in touch', they said. Lies. In the end, only one of them ever messaged you again. You can feel the tears prickling in the corners of your eyes, but you refused to let them drop. Because the instant you did, you would have to face the throbbing in your chest, acknowledge the fact that maybe everything wasn't okay.
Suddenly, your phone buzzed on the nightstand. You pick it up, eyes still blurred with tears, expecting it to be a spam email. But instead, you see a message. A message from the one person who never left.
Jeonghan
Hey
Wanna go to the local coffee shop?
We haven't been there in a while
------
You read the message once, twice, but it still doesn't seem to set in. You blame it on the tears blending the words together, but in reality you just can't seem to accept the fact that someone actually cares.
------
You
Can't
Sorry
Don't feel well
Jeonghan
You need any medicine?
I can pop over to the pharmacy and get it
------
"'Pop over', yeah right. That'd take you at least twenty minutes," you mutter under your breath. You wince at the edge in your own voice, but you can't bring yourself to care enough to calm down.
It could've have been an easy task for him, sure. Except his car had broken down two days ago, and it was still in the repair shop. And for some reason, whoever had designed your area had thought that it would be amazing to have the closest pharmacy to be a ten minute walk one way. So no, not a quick trip. You fumble your fingers over your phone screen to type a reply.
------
You
That is NOT a quick trip without your car
Also, I'm not sick so I don't need it anyways
Jeonghan
What is it then?
Come onnnnn, tell me
I won't judge
You
How do I believe that?
------
What did I just do what did I just do what did I just do-
You delete the message as fast as you can, hoping by some miracle that Jeonghan didn't see it. This was your issue, not something you wanted to burden him with.
But luck never was on your side.
------
Jeonghan
You know I saw that right?
Are you home rn?
You
Why
Don't you dare come over
I didn't give you the spare key for this
Yoon Jeonghan do NOT
Jeonghan
I'll take that as a yes then
You gave me the keys yourself
So that's on you
See you in 8 min
------
"Shit, shit shit, you IDIOT! Why'd you type that?? Now he's worried, and he's coming over!"
You pull yourself out of bed, hoping to make yourself look somewhat presentable, before instantly sinking back into the mattress. The room was, for lack of a better word, a mess. Every single light in the room was turned off, except for the soft rays of sunlight streaming through the windows. Unwashed clothes piled up in corners, plates were stacked to form a tower, and one part of the floor was stained with soda that you spilled and you couldn't bring yourself to clean up. Not even a miracle could save this place.
You decide to at least look in your vanity mirror to see if there's anything you can fix easily, and you almost gag at the sight. Your hair was greasy from bed rotting for the last 3 days and your eye bags could probably carry your groceries home. You looked disgusting, felt disgusting, probably smelled awful too.
"No wonder everyone left. Who would want to be friends with a depressed piece of trash like me?" you mumble.
More than anything, you felt stupid. You were making such a big deal out of something that everybody else seems to consider normal. Not only could you not bring yourself to care for your own body and surroundings, but now you were worrying other people too.
I really am the-
Before you could finish the thought, your door is slammed open and you're met with the sight of Jeonghan in all of his glory. His hair is now longer than you remembered, with the ends almost reaching his shoulders. His makeup is immaculate, not that he really needed it. And his smile. He walks into the room with such a large grin that it could light up the whole world. He looked like an angel, forced to descend into the hell that was your room.
"Ta-dah! I'm here~!" he exclaims, doing his signature salute. His eyes glance around your room, silently acknowledging the filth. But instead of saying something, he slams the light switch on, navigates through the mess, and tackles you into a hug.
"Jeonghan! I'm filthy, you shouldn't touch me right now," you protest, wriggling against his grasp.
"I don't care about that. You're my friend. You do need a shower, but you need a hug first," he says softly, tightening his grip.
The instant he utters those words, everything seems to stop. The world is suddenly bursting with vibrancy, countless colors dancing all around the room. You can finally see the new beige cardigan Jeonghan was wearing, the fake pink flowers in your window vase, the slight yellow tinge of your light bulb. You can smell the lavender cologne that Jeonghan wore, the one that he only put on for special occasions. You can finally feel the warmth of his body, the comfort of his hand rubbing circles on your back.
It's all too much, too fast. Everything seems to spin around you, making your head hurt. You feel your body tremble slightly, your chest beating faster and faster. The world seems determined to make you act on the one desire you wished to fight.
Ever so silently, a tear rolls down your cheek. And another, and another. Soon, there is a whole torrent of them, staining Jeonghan's outfit and your blanket. And yet, they continue to flow without rest, a desperate release of everything you'd been trying to hold together.
"Shh, it's okay. It's been hard, hasn't it?" Jeonghan comforts.
The tears begin to fall even faster, but he doesn't let go in the slightest. In fact, his grip tightens around you, holding you together as you fell apart into pieces.
If somebody asked how long you had cried, you don't think you could answer. Time blended into a mix of tears and comfort, the clock's ticking long forgotten. But those tears eventually quieted into sniffles, and then nothing at all.
"There there. Are you okay now?" he asks, tentatively letting go of you so he can meet your eyes.
You try to respond with words, but all that came out was a choked sob. So instead, you nod your head weakly in a desperate attempt to convince him.
"Think you might need to go to acting school," he teases, pulling you back into his embrace.
You stay like that for at least another five minutes, basking in his warmth. Finally, you reluctantly pull yourself away. "I-I'm fine now," you stutter.
He still held a bit of doubt in his eyes, but he lets you go.
"If you say so. Do you want to go take a shower now?" he asks gently.
You almost nod, before freezing at the state of your room. Even if you were feeling better, it was still atrocious. You feel your face burning with shame, embarrassed that Jeonghan had to see that.
"I have to clean-"
"I'll do it," he interjects. "You take care of yourself first. I'll manage the rest."
You try to protest, but one look at the earnest worry in his eyes clamps your mouth shut.
"…Okay," you concede silently, pulling yourself up.
The water runs down your back, finally washing off the dust and grime that had accumulated on your skin. You feel… nice for once. The feeling feels foreign, but warm nonetheless. A part of you still ached, wondering if you even deserved any of this. But you can't bring yourself to care right now, because Jeonghan is waiting for you right beyond the door.
When you open your door, you almost can't recognize your room. The floor is shiny, the trash is thrown out of the room, and your bedsheets is changed to a fresh one.
"Sorry, I would've done your laundry too, but I wasn't sure if you'd be comfortable with it," Jeonghan says, putting the final pillows on your bed in place.
"No, this is more than enough" you assure him. "Thank you Jeonghan. Truly."
"That's what friends are for, no?" he tells you sincerely.
That's what friends are for, huh. His words are well intentioned, but they still pour salt in the wound.
You try to keep your face natural, but Jeonghan instantly realizes something is wrong.
"Hey, don't do that," he scolds softly. "Don't go and bottle everything up again. Tell me what's wrong."
You look at him, and the ache in your heart grows even stronger. There's something so unbelievably gentle about him that makes him look unreal, something far too good for someone like you. You shouldn't burden him with your silly concerns. And yet, there's a part of you that desperately wishes to hold onto him and never let go.
“I don’t know how to explain this without sounding ungrateful,” you blurt out.
"I'm fairly certain you won't sound ungrateful, but tell me anyways," Jeonghan assures.
"It's just," you explain. "I feel… worthless. I mean, look at me. I'm an absolute mess. The only reason that this place looks as good as it does now is because you helped me. On my own I'm… useless."
"Don't say that about yourself," he says. "You're kind. You're funny. Remember when I nearly got arrested for pulling a prank in that supermarket? You were the one that proved I was innocent. Just because you're going through a rough time doesn't make you any less of an amazing person."
"Then why am I left alone?" you choke out. "How come it's always me putting in effort into staying friends? How can I tell that it's not because I'm unlovable?"
By the end, you're out of breath. You can feel the tears falling again, but you don't even have the strength in you to wipe them away. Slowly, you lift your head to look at him, and you freeze. He looks hurt, betrayed almost, and you instantly regret everything.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. You're an amazing friend, the best I've ever had. This wasn't about you it was just-" you ramble, trying to erase the pain in his eyes.
"It's not that," he says quietly. "It's not about something you said about me. It's about something you said about yourself."
He takes a deep breath in, steeling himself for the words that will leave his mouth next. "How could you ever think of yourself as someone unlovable?"
"Be-because," you stammer. "It's always been that way, hasn't it? No confessions, friendships held together with sheer determination. It's just… I don't know."
"Look me in the eyes, okay?" Jeonghan asks. When you do, you can see the slight shine in his irises, the tremble of his lips. He looks vulnerable, and yet oh so beautiful. "You're not unlovable at all."
"How do you know that?" you scoff.
"Because I love you," he confesses. "I've loved you ever since that time we both picked the same drink at the cafe. I've loved you ever since you helped me rebuild the legos that Seungkwan broke. I've loved you ever since you held me while I sobbed after watching that sad movie at midnight. So, no, you're not unlovable. Because from the moment the stars shined above your smile until now, I've loved you more than I could ever describe."
He's the one who's out of breath now, but you can't help but look at him with anything but shock. It didn't make sense. Jeonghan liked… you? But you could see it in his eyes, the way he stood straight even though his knees shook. And in that moment, you could think of nothing else but how lovely the man in front of you was.
"I… love you too," you profess. "I've loved you for a long, long time. I just never thought…"
"Well, I do love you. And I'll love you forevermore," he promises.
The two of you look at each other for a little longer, before joining together in an embrace. The world feels all warm and fuzzy, as if there really is a tomorrow worth living for. You know that your scars still remain, and that they'll take time to heal. But now, you're no longer alone.
"I love you, I love you, I love you," you murmur as you nuzzle into his chest.
"I love you too," he breathes. "Now, let's get some proper food in your stomach, hm?"
Sorry it’s my first time requesting so it might be too much of asking for a one shot which is not literally a one but can you make a Jeonghan x fem reader ( their staff member ) orrrrrr Hoshi / HAOHAO x backup dancer in one shot like from the start with rising tension and lots of fluff , love annddd breaking of professional boundaries
Plssss I love your way of writing so please write one if it meets your taste and please consider it !
Thankuuu Hannihae 🫶 Horanghae 🫶 Mianhaee~~~~~🐸🫶😂
Itinerary - Jeonghan
Jeonghan has questions about his itinerary, and by some chance you're the lucky staff member that gets to answer them.
tags: 1k words, coworkers to ???, fluff, even more fluff, reader is awkward
a/n: So sorry this took so long T^T Also it's not a full fic, it's a drabble. Idk sorry. Did my best tho :D Also "Hannihae, Horanghae, Mianhae" got a laugh out of me lol. Dividers by cafekitsune.
The meeting was coming to a close, the final decisions for next month's schedule set in stone as everyone picked up their documents and laptops. You soon follow haste, making a precarious pile of papers and files before carrying them out of the room. You start walking towards your desk, making sure not to drop anything, when you hear someone to you.
"You look like you need some help there," the voice says.
You turn around and see Jeonghan standing there, his arms crossed and a small smile dancing along his lips.
"It-it's fine. I'm not that far anyways, so I can carry it," you stutter, desperately trying to keep your makeshift tower from falling.
"…You're not very convincing, you know that? Here." He picks up half of the pile into his hands with one swell swoop, and you can finally stand straight.
The two of you walk in silence for a little bit, before Jeonghan starts curiously shuffling through the papers. "What are these for anyways?"
"It's your group's schedule for the next month," you explain. "The next couple of GoSe episodes, dance rehearsals, ecetera."
"Hmm, why don't you explain it to me?" he asks playfully.
You look anywhere but directly at him, mumbling, "The schedule will come out in an hour or two. And I'm not the best one to explain it."
"But I don't want the best person to explain it. I want you to explain it."
Thousands of little voices start screaming inside your head, warning you that you shouldn't, that it wasn't professional in the slightest. But one voice whispers "Why not? It's just the itinerary".
Wordlessly, you fish out your keycard, open up one of the staff doors, and beckon him inside.
"Ooooh, are you kidnapping me? Can't say I've had this experience before," he teases.
"Ah, no, that's not what I-" you ramble, desperately trying to explain yourself.
He giggles at your flustered state, amused as he watches your hands wave around in frantic gestures. "It's fine, it's fine. Come on, show me the schedule."
You give up on forming coherent sentences, instead sitting down at the table inside with a sigh. You expect him to sit across from you, or perhaps somewhere else. But instead, he plops into the chair next to you in all his glory.
"So I can see the documents," he explains.
You give him a side-eye, clearly not satisfied with his explanation, but you let it slide. You slowly shift through all your papers, trying to find one of the later editions of the drafts.
"Um, not this one… No… Oh, here!" you pull out some papers that are stapled together with a triumphant look on your face.
Jeonghan claps for you, and you can't help but give him a mini bow. "By the way, some of this is probably wrong. This is just the most accurate version I have."
"That's fine," he replies, leaning in to take a closer look. His hair is tickling your shoulders, and he smells like… vanilla?
"Ah, um, anyways!" you exclaim awkwardly. "First, we have the first episode of the new GoSe season. It's a cooking episode."
He raises an eyebrow at you, clearly skeptical. "You do realize that Mingyu will end up doing all the work for whatever team he's on, right?"
"That's why he's not on a team," you explain. "The twelve of you will be divided into three teams of four, and Mingyu will help each of them for 30 minutes each."
He hums thoughtfully, nodding his head in agreement. "That makes sense. What team am I on?"
"It'll be randomized," you say, mindlessly re-ordering some of the documents spread across the table.
"All right, let's pretend it wasn't randomized then. Who'd be in your ideal team?" he questions.
You can see the playful glint in his eyes, waiting to see what your answer will be. He tries to keep a straight face, but the corners of his lips quirk up regardless. In the dim yellow lighting of the room, he looks far too pretty to be real.
"S.Coups, Mingyu, Joshua," you reply, avoiding eye contact.
"Aww, that's boring. You wouldn't want to be on a team with me?"
"It's the safer team," you argue. "I wouldn't really want the punishment."
"Hey, I can cook too!" he protests.
"Uh huh," you say, clearly not convinced despite the confidence in his voice.
"Okay, fine, maybe I can't," he concedes, resting his head on his hands. "But wouldn't it be funner on my team?"
For an instant, time seems to freeze. There are countless different answers you could give, almost all of them breaking professional boundaries. In fact, you shouldn't have even invited him into this room in the first place. And yet, why can't you bring yourself to regret it?
"Yeah, I suppose it would," you whisper.
The two of you end up talking about the schedule a little bit longer, Jeonghan occasionally dropping outlandish suggestions that you shut down in an instant. The conversation begins to flow more naturally, with you dropping a couple of jokes and him giggling along. You're about to talk about one of next week's dance practices when your phone buzzes.
"Shoot, I was supposed to be at my desk ten minutes ago." You start gathering all of your papers frantically, silently wishing that you won't get scolded to hard when you get there.
"You'll see the rest of the schedule soon," you tell him, your hand already on the doorknob.
"Wait!" he exclaims. "When will you talk with me again?"
You falter, unsure of what to say. "I don't know. If you need help with your itinerary, then most of the staff members will be able to help."
"But when will you talk to me again?" he asks again, his tone genuine.
The voices start screaming in your head again, but the words spill out of your mouth to quickly for them to stop it. "Whenever I need help carrying another stack of documents."
How Seventeen would react when someone else is hitting on you and you're clearly uncomfortable.
a/n: I didn't like this one at first, but I kinda got into it so ig I like it now??? Idk. Dividers by cafekitsune.
Intimidates the other person into backing away - Hoshi, Woozi, Wonwoo, Vernon
He wraps his hands around you, assuring you that you're safe, before giving the other guy a glare so cold it could freeze hell. The only words they have to say are "this is my girlfriend" before they scamper off. Hoshi, despite his usual cheerful mood, looks at the person with a quite rage that you don't think you've seen before. His mouth is taut, eyes burning, but he doesn't try to attack. After all, he doesn't want you being dragged into some sort of conflict. After the other person finally takes the hint, Hoshi looks you over twice to make sure he didn't hurt you. His face goes soft, pressing a kiss to your cheek and asking if you're okay. Takes you a nearby store to buy you some water before continuing any of your plans. If you're not feeling up to it, he'll take you home instantly, no questions asked. Woozi looks like he's two seconds away from putting his work at the gym to use. You can see his ready, his hands balled into fists, but he calms himself because he's in front of you. Once the other person is gone, he asks if you're okay, checking you over regardless of whether you insist that you're fine. He gives you a hug, holding you tightly so that you know that you're safe. Once you're truly fine, he takes you home and gives you his card so you can have some nice retail therapy. Wonwoo isn't aggressive, he's more… cold. He looks at the person as if they're nothing but fine dust lining an old kitchen counter. Once it's just the two of you, his face instantly softens as he looks you over to check for any signs of harm. After he confirms you're not hurt, he asks if you're truly okay. Makes sure that you know that there's nothing wrong with canceling and just heading home. If you say that you're fine, he'll watch you carefully the whole day. But if you ask to go home, he'll take you as fast as he can and play games with you until you feel better. From an outsider's perspective, Vernon looks almost calm. His face doesn't betray any emotion, his stance relaxed. But you can see the ever slight clench of his jaw, the barely controlled anger boiling underneath. After the other person finally leaves, you notice the way that his shoulders lower as he turns towards you. He asks if you're fine, making you agree to it thrice before he believes you. If you tell him you're not fine, then he'll take you home and binge watch movies with you for however long you need.
Acts like a gentleman, until he isn't - Jeonghan, Joshua, Minghao, Dino
Acts gently, making sure that you're okay first and foremost. His plan is to leave quickly, making sure to get you to safety ask fast as he can. But the other person starts making a scene, and suddenly they're no longer as gentle. Jeonghan looks at the person with anger, veiled thinly behind his coy smile. "I said, she's my girlfriend. Now back off." Not even waiting for an answer, he grabs your wrist and begins to walk away from the scene. If the person is mad enough to chase after the two of you, he's not truly against violence. But by some way or another, he'll manage to avoid it. Once it's just the two of you, he'll take you to a nearby bench and sit you down. Checks you over for any signs that you're hurt, before sighing in relief and plopping down on the bench next to you. Whether or not you tell him you're truly fine, he'll insist on going home just in case, using his tactical excuse of being tired after the encounter. Joshua is almost baffled by the other person's audacity to continue pushing after the boundaries were clearly marked. "Get away from her, now." His tone is so cold that the person instinctively backs off, and he uses the chance to escape the situation. After it's just the two of you, he'll triple check you for any signs of injury before making sure you're fine emotionally. If you are, then he'll make sure to be extra gentlemanly throughout the date. But if you're not, he'll take you home right away and cook you a nice meal. Minghao has this flat look on his face, finding the situation almost laughable if it didn't put you in actual harm. "Do you not have ears? I said she's my girlfriend. Now leave her alone." Makes sure that the person clearly learns their lesson and leaves before taking you to safety. Asks if you're fine, taking you through breathing exercises to calm down any remaining fear. If you feel fine afterwards, he'll trust you not to push you're own limits. But if you're not, he'll take you home and make you some nice chamomile tea. Dino is frankly, confused. Did the other person not hear him or something? "I told you, she's my girlfriend. Get away from her, she's clearly not comfortable." The other person might try to play it off, but Dino doesn't care enough to hear out their excuses. He takes you away from the scene immediately, finding some nearby shop to enter and shake the person off. Once he's sure they're gone, takes you outside and makes sure you're okay. Even if you said you were fine, he wouldn't be fine with continuing the plans the two of you originally had. Would end up taking you home and relax with you for the rest of the day.
Pulls you behind him before confronting the other person - Seungcheol, Jun, Mingyu, Seungkwan
Instantly become a protective barrier before doing anything else. Doesn't matter if they're intimidating or not, they're first job is to put a wall between you and the other person before confronting them. Seungcheol, with all of his muscles, is an incredibly effective barrier. The person is already backing off, but he makes sure that they give you a proper apology before they run off. They mutter something incoherent before sprinting away, clearly not up for a fight. After, Seungcheol immediately makes sure that you're okay. Once he sees that you're fine physically, he calls over a taxi and takes you home. Insists that the reservations don't matter, and that you're well being is the most important. Once the two of you are home, he cooks you a proper meal at home to cheer you up. Jun instantly steps between you and the other person, looking at them with rage. Regardless of their reaction, Jun will make sure they leave you alone one way or another, whether through sheer intimidation or threatening to call the police. Once they're gone, Jun will check to see if you're okay. He doesn't want to push you, no matter how much he was looking forward to the date. Will pepper you with kisses regardless of how you're feeling, just so that you feel loved. If you're fine, he'll continue with the initial plan, though he'll be more cautious. If you're not, then he'll take you home and watch some tv with you. Mingyu is probably the most effective barrier in existence. His height and muscles instantly make the person run away before he can even demand an apology from them. Turns into a massive puppy the instant they're gone, looking you over for wounds with a clearly worried look on his face. He's another that wouldn't be able to continue the plans regardless of how you feel, and would end up taking you home. For him, he wants you to truly feel safe first and foremost. After you get home, he'll cook so much food for you that you'll have leftovers for weeks. While Seungkwan might not look intimidating, he makes up for that with how aggressive he can be. Shouts so loudly that you can see the person physically regretting their decisions. "Yah, apologize to her!" They end up muttering some sorry apology before walking off, and Seungkwan just ends up sighing in annoyance. After they're gone, he instantly turns towards you. Whines about how worried he felt as he checks you over, making sure you're okay. If you try to lie about being fine to him, he'll instantly notice. If you're truly okay, he'll continue with the plans the two of you had. But if not, then he'll take you home and mindlessly scroll through reels with you.
Solves the solution with pure chivalry - Dokyeom
Dokyeom is the one person I can't see becoming truly aggressive. He steps into the situation calmly, even if he's a nervous wreck on the inside. Clearly tells the person that you're his girlfriend, and asks them to leave you alone. If they do, then that's one less struggle for him. But if they don't, he'll make sure they leave without escalating the situation. "Once again, she's my girlfriend, and she's clearly uncomfortable. If you don't leave now, I'll call the police." His tone is cold but calm, making sure not to provoke the other person while also clearly setting the boundary. Finally they back off, and he converts into full worry mode. He checks you over so many times that you can't even count. Even if you reassure him that you're okay, he can't fully bring himself to believe it. If you truly insist that you're fine, he'll continue your plans, although he'll be watching you very carefully the whole day. But if you betray even the slightest sense of discomfort, then he'll take you home instantly and watch funny sitcoms with you until you're laughing so hard you forget everything else.
like not a request but ur blog is soooo pretty i think i found a new fav author 🤭🤭
AHHHHHH TYSM!!! Ngl getting all the formatting right was rough so I'm glad that you like it! Also new favorite author?? Not sure if I'm worth that praise but once again thank you so much T^T This compliment has me uncontrollably giddy thank you for making my day <333
You tell your boyfriend 28 things you love about him for his twenty eighth birthday.
Tags: ~1.5k words, fluff, even more fluff, very tiny suggestive at end
a/n: Happy birthday to my darling, beautiful, one of a kind talent, hardworking, wonderful tangerine <3 I love Seungkwan so so much and he's one of the main reasons I love Seventeen today. Happy Birthday Seungkwan :D dividers by cafekitsune, @sh0jun
The morning was a peaceful one, with birds chirping outside the window as the two of you stirred woke up. Seungkwan's hair was sticking up in different directions, random strands coming together to make a little nest on his head. His eyes were drowsy, his mouth parted slightly open from confusion of where he was. And yet, surrounded by the soft morning glow, he still looked like the most beautiful man to walk the earth.
"Happy Birthday Kwannie," you whisper, as if the slightest disruption would shatter the magic of the morning.
He turns to look at you, still slightly bewildered. He looks you up and down, taking in every detail, before smiling softly.
"Good morning, Dear."
The two of you get ready slowly, a change of pace from the usual days where both of you are rushing out of the house. It feels like time itself is taking a breath, allowing this special day to last a little longer.
You walk into the living room with him, before you stop in realization.
"Oh no," you mutter under your breath, quickly realizing your mistake.
Seungkwan turns around, confused as to why you're standing there in shock. "What's wrong?"
"I-I forgot to make breakfast." You turn away shamefully, suddenly very interested in the spacing of the floorboards. His birthday only happened once a year, and you were already making mistakes.
"Hey, it's okay. If you'd gotten up early to make it, I wouldn't have gotten to wake up with you on my birthday. So it's fine, alright?" He wraps his arms around you, and you melt into his embrace.
"Okay but… we still need something to eat," you tell him, wiggling out of his grasp.
Seungkwan walks back into your bedroom, seemingly looking for something. When he returns, he's holding his phone in his hand with a rather proud look on his face.
"Delivery time~! I have a bunch of coupons saved, plus my birthday ones, so it'll essentially be free," he sing songs.
"But… I didn't want your first meal today to be delivery," you pout.
He stretches your cheeks, pinching them and spinning them around as you look at him with slight annoyance.
"Whet arye you dowing?" you ask, your words being messed up from Seungkwan refusing to let go.
"Who gave you permission to be this cute, huh? It's only fair that you get punished," he says, finally freeing you from that torment. "Anyways, it doesn't really matter to me, as long as I'm with you."
He sees you still sulking, and he gives you a quick kiss on the lips. "How about this, you can make lunch, hm? We really do need something to eat for breakfast though."
"Fine," you concede, plopping on the couch in defeat.
Seungkwan walks over and sits down beside you, resting his head on your shoulders as he searches for options.
"Hmmm, what to get, what to get. Probably need something healthy, so I don't ruin my diet," he mutters as he scrolls.
You instantly yank the phone away from him, and he looks at you with playful anger in his eyes.
"Hey! What was that for?" he asks.
"No diet today. It's your birthday, eat what you want," you insist, holding the phone as far out of his reach as you can.
He looks at you for a little longer, debating the logistics of whether or not he could get it back from you, before sighing and laying down on your lap.
"Fineeee. Order some hotteok then."
You press the order button in triumph, then set the phone down on the table.
"What do you want to do while we wait?" you ask.
He ponders for a little bit, before sitting up straight. "What about we open the gift I got you? Unless you forgot about that too," he teases.
"Hey! For the record, I did not," you pout.
"Good job, good job," he says affectionately, ruffling your hair.
"Let me just go get them." You walk back to your bedroom to get the gift, crouching down to open the very last drawer. Inside, there's a badminton racket wrapped in paper decorated with oranges. He'd been complaining about his current one for a while, so you'd decided to get him a new one. And underneath it is a carefully sealed letter with your name signed on it.
You walk back into the room, handing him the racket first. "Happy Birthday again, Kwannie."
He opens it up with excitement, pulling it out of the paper and its case. "This is perfect! Way better than my old one," he says, swinging it around.
You smile, your heart filled with joy from the way that he looked at the racket with pure wonder.
"Glad you liked it," you giggle, taking a photo of him swinging the racket around.
He puts it back in his case, gently setting it aside, before asking, "So? What's that you're hiding behind your back?"
You flinch, not expecting to get caught that fast. "It's for later."
"Aww, come on. The hotteok is going to take another 8 minutes anyways. Please?" He looks at you with his round, sparkling boba eyes, and you give up.
"Fine, here," you say, thrusting the letter into his hands.
He looks at it, slightly shocked, before carefully opening it. He pulls the paper out, making sure not to damage anything.
"Dear Seungkwan," he begins, reciting the words from the page.
"Ahhh stop stop stop! Don't read it out loud," you panic, covering your ears.
"My girlfriend wrote me a letter for my birthday! Of course I 'm going to read it out loud. In fact, I'm going to frame it on the wall," he declares.
He pulls your hands off of your ears, refusing to let you escape, before reading the letter again.
"Dear Seungkwan,
I love the way that you always make me laugh.
I love how you always help the people around you.
I love how much effort you put into your work, even when nobody is looking.
I love how you always notice when something is wrong.
I love it when you laugh loudly at a joke I made.
I love it when you hold me tightly after a hard day.
I love listening to your voice when you sing.
I love how you try to cook for me, even if the end result isn't always perfect.
I love the little audio messages you leave me throughout the day, just so I don't feel alone.
I love how you always support me no matter what.
I love how you never waver on your ideals.
I love it when you show me your new choreography, all excited and proud.
I love how you remind me to always take care of myself.
I love how adorable you look when you eat good food.
I love watching you play badminton, doing your best and having fun.
I love how you never force me into doing anything.
I love the way you empathize with others.
I love how you treat everyone with genuine kindness.
I love how beautiful you look without makeup.
I love it when you treat a gift I give you like a precious heirloom.
I love how you don't leave me alone, even when things get hard.
I love when you give me compliments, no matter how large or small.
I love how much energy you display on stage.
I love seeing you proud of yourself, finally acknowledging your own achievements.
I love the way you always strive to be better.
I love how you never treat others rudely for the mistakes they make.
I love it when you smile brightly.
I love you.
-From, your love".
His eyes pass over the letter again, absorbing every word on the page, before pulling you into a kiss. The kiss is slow but passionate, both of you refusing to let go of each other. He tastes like oranges, sweet and refreshing as his lips press harder against yours. When he finally pulls away, his face is slightly flushed and you're both out of breath.
"I love you. I love you so so so much. I can't believe I'm lucky enough to date you," he professes, his eyes filled with adoration.
"I love you too, Seungkwan," you say softly.
His lips draw closer towards yours again, but suddenly the doorbell rings.
Seungkwan sighs, dragging himself away from you to go answer the door.
"Hotteok delivery?" asks the man outside the door.
"Ah yes, that's us." He takes the food as he thanks the delivery person, before clicking the door shut.
But instead of opening it up and getting out some plates, he sets it on the table and joins you back on the couch.
"We can eat that later," he says. "But first, why don't we finish what we started?
Thanks for reading, and Happy Birthday Seungkwannie!!!!
pairing: seungkwan x reader
synopsis: When your psych professor assigns you and Seungkwan to run a “relationship simulation podcast,” you both commit to the bit way too hard. Listeners start shipping you. You start panicking.
wc: 5.1k
genre: Fluff, Slowburn, Romance, Friends to Lovers, Academic AU
warnings: Emotional Vulnerability, Anxiety Around Being Observed, Blurring of Professional/Personal Boundaries, Public Confession, Secondhand Embarrassment
a/n: hello guys!! Happy birthday to Misterrr Boo! This is apart of the Kiss Me, It’s for Academia Series!! All other parts of the series will come out on each respective members birthdays! (yes ik thats a longgggg time but it works out for me when dk and vernon double up and i’m still lowkey in a block rn). Please enjoy!!
The assignment is projected onto the lecture hall screen in bullet points so clean they almost feel like a threat.
Around you, the room reacts in fragments—groans, laughter, the scrape of chairs as people lean toward their friends. Someone behind you whispers no way. Someone else already sounds excited, which feels like a personal insult.
Your professor keeps talking, hands folded serenely. “You’ll be paired randomly. The goal is to simulate a romantic relationship across multiple recorded sessions, analyzing communication strategies, attachment styles, and conflict resolution in real time.”
Simulate.
You write the word down in your notebook and underline it twice, like that will keep it contained.
“Think of it as method acting,” she continues. “But with peer-reviewed reflection.”
You do not like method acting. You like clear boundaries. You like variables you can isolate. You like distance.
Your phone buzzes as the pairing list drops in the class group chat.
You don’t open it right away. You already know how this goes. Fate, statistically speaking, has a sense of humor.
When you finally look, your stomach drops anyway.
Partner: Boo Seungkwan
You stare at the name until the letters blur.
Across the lecture hall, Seungkwan is already halfway turned in his seat, eyes scanning faces with bright curiosity. He spots you faster than you’d like, expression lighting up like he’s just been handed a microphone.
He mouths, Oh!
You give him a polite nod. Professional. Neutral. You have done group projects with him before. He’s funny. Loud. Disarmingly attentive in a way that makes people forget what they were saying mid-sentence. You have always categorized him as manageable from a distance.
This assignment removes the distance.
After class, he catches up to you on the stairs, backpack slung too casually over one shoulder.
“Hey,” he says, already smiling. “Guess we’re in a relationship now.”
You stop walking. Slowly turn to face him.
“Simulated,” you correct.
“Right. Obviously.” He grins wider. “Still. I think we’ll be great. I’ve always wanted to host a podcast.”
“That wasn’t—”
“I even have a mic,” he continues. “Well. Two. Long story. I can send you specs.”
You blink. “We don’t need—”
“Commit to the bit,” he says gently, like he’s offering advice, not setting a trap.
You inhale through your nose. Exhale.
“This is an academic assignment,” you say. “We need to maintain analytical distance.”
Seungkwan nods seriously. Too seriously. “Of course. Strictly educational romance.”
You do not like the way he says romance like it’s already a shared joke.
—
You agree to meet in one of the media rooms two days later. Neutral territory. Soundproof. No windows.
You bring a notebook, your laptop, and a printed outline of possible discussion prompts. He brings coffee for both of you without asking how you take it, and somehow gets it right.
“That was a guess,” he says, setting it down. “Statistically.”
You eye him. “You don’t know my coffee order.”
He shrugs. “I observe patterns.”
You pretend that doesn’t make your chest feel warm.
He sets up his equipment with practiced ease, movements confident but unhurried. When he puts the headphones on, something about him shifts—posture straightening, voice settling into a lower register, like he’s stepping into a version of himself meant to be heard.
“Okay,” he says. “Pilot episode. We should keep it clean. Intro, premise, disclaimers.”
“I can do disclaimers,” you say immediately.
He laughs. “I figured.”
You clear your throat and read from your notes. “We should emphasize that this is a simulated exercise. Not reflective of real emotional states. Consent to participate, boundaries established—”
“—no emotional harm intended,” he finishes. “Though statistically unavoidable.”
You glare at him. He grins back, unrepentant.
He reaches over and presses record.
The red light turns on.
You feel it instantly. The awareness. The strange gravity of being observed, even if no one is listening yet.
Seungkwan’s voice shifts again, warm and bright.
“Hello, and welcome to Interpersonal Dynamics: A Case Study,” he says. “I’m Seungkwan.”
There’s a pause. He looks at you expectantly.
You swallow. “And I’m—” You stop yourself. Adjust. “I’m his assigned partner.”
He snorts, laughter caught in his throat, and you kick him under the table.
“Sorry,” he says, still smiling. “Go ahead.”
You try again. “I’m here to co-host this podcast as part of a psychology assignment examining romantic relationship simulations.”
“Very romantic introduction,” he says fondly.
You ignore him.
—
[PODCAST TRANSCRIPT — EPISODE 1: PILOT]
SK: So, for context, we are not actually dating.
You: Correct.
SK: This is a controlled simulation.
You: With academic oversight.
SK: And ethical guidelines.
You: Multiple.
SK: But for the sake of the assignment, we’ll be engaging in hypothetical scenarios as if we were in a relationship.
You: Emphasis on hypothetical.
—
You move through the questions methodically. Attachment styles. Conflict preferences. Love languages, which you both agree are conceptually flawed but useful as a conversational shorthand.
Seungkwan answers easily, expansively. He talks with his hands even though no one can see him. You find yourself relaxing despite your best efforts, responding more naturally than you’d planned.
At one point, he asks, “What do you think is the most important part of a healthy relationship?”
You open your mouth with a rehearsed answer ready—communication, boundaries, mutual respect—but it stalls halfway out.
“I think,” you say slowly, “it’s being willing to be known. Even when it’s uncomfortable.”
There’s a pause.
Not a dramatic one. Just long enough to register.
Seungkwan doesn’t joke. He doesn’t fill the space.
“Yeah,” he says quietly. “I agree.”
Your chest tightens. You look down at your notes, suddenly very interested in your own handwriting.
—
Afterward, you listen back to the recording together. It sounds… good. Too good. Polished in a way that makes your skin itch.
“You have a nice voice,” Seungkwan says offhandedly.
“That’s irrelevant.”
“Listeners will care.”
“There are no listeners,” you say.
He hums noncommittally.
You upload the file to the class forum with a clinical description and five disclaimers. You do not listen to it again.
That night, your phone buzzes.
A notification from the forum.
Comment on Episode 1: Pilot
You hesitate. Then open it.
“Why do they sound like that?”
You stare at the screen, pulse quickening.
Across campus, somewhere you don’t let yourself imagine, Seungkwan is probably laughing.
You close the app.
You tell yourself it’s just a simulation.
And you absolutely, definitely do not replay the moment he said yeah in your head as you fall asleep.
—
You find out the podcast is doing numbers in the least dignified way possible: a notification pops up while you’re brushing your teeth, toothpaste foaming in your mouth, phone balanced dangerously close to the sink.
Interpersonal Dynamics: Episode 1
New comments (17)
You choke a little. On toothpaste. On panic.
Seventeen is not a reasonable number. Seventeen implies listening. Voluntary listening. Replaying. Possibly with headphones.
You spit, rinse, wipe your mouth with the back of your hand, and immediately open the app like touching the evidence will make it less real.
The comments are… enthusiastic.
“Wait this is for a class??”
“Why does he sound like he’s already in love.”
“The way they pause for each other omg.”
“This is NOT academic.”
You scroll too far. Faster. Your chest tightens with something dangerously close to vertigo.
Someone has timestamped your answer.
Someone else has replied with a heart.
You lock your phone and press it face-down on the counter like it’s misbehaving.
This is a breach of scope. A contamination of variables. A classic case of unintended audience interference.
You text Seungkwan.
You: The podcast has comments.
SK: I KNOW 😁
You: This is not appropriate.
SK: It’s kind of appropriate.
You: It is academically compromising.
SK: It’s engagement.
Three dots appear. Disappear. Appear again.
SK: Professor emailed me.
You: ???
SK: She says we have “strong organic interest” and wants us to continue the series instead of a one-off.
You: That was not part of the assignment.
SK: It is now 🎙️
You stare at the emoji. You hate that it makes your stomach flip.
—
The next recording session is scheduled for ninety minutes.
You bring a revised outline. He brings snacks this time, neatly arranged like he expects company.
“You didn’t have to do that,” you say.
“I know,” he replies. “But listeners like mouth sounds.”
“There should not be listeners.”
“Too late.”
He presses record before you can object.
—
[PODCAST TRANSCRIPT — EPISODE 2: COMMUNICATION STYLES]
SK: Welcome back.
You: This episode is a continuation of our simulated relationship study.
SK: Please remember that we are not dating.
You: Correct.
SK: However—
You: —however, we will be answering some audience-submitted questions for comparative analysis.
SK: Because apparently people had… thoughts.
—
You grit your teeth at audience-submitted but let it go. You agreed to this. You told yourself it was data.
Seungkwan scrolls through his tablet. “Okay, first question. Anonymous listener asks: How do you handle jealousy in a relationship?”
You answer first, because you have prepared.
“Jealousy is typically a response to perceived threat,” you say. “Ideally, it’s addressed through reassurance and transparent communication rather than control.”
Seungkwan nods thoughtfully. “See, that’s very healthy.”
“And you?” you prompt.
He shrugs. “I think jealousy happens when you care. I don’t think it’s bad, necessarily. I think it becomes bad when you pretend you don’t feel it.”
You pause. “That wasn’t very academic.”
He smiles. “We’re simulating.”
The word lands heavier than last time.
Halfway through the episode, something shifts.
It’s subtle. The way he angles his chair closer. The way he starts looking at you when he talks instead of the mic. The way you stop checking your notes as often.
A listener asks: What’s one thing you appreciate about your partner?
“They listen,” you say finally. “Without trying to fix things.”
Seungkwan stills. Just a fraction.
“And you?” you ask, needing the focus off yourself.
He doesn’t hesitate.
“They challenge me,” he says. “They don’t let me get away with being shallow.”
Your chest does something inconvenient.
—
After the recording, you pack up faster than necessary. The room feels smaller than before.
Seungkwan watches you, expression unreadable.
“You okay?” he asks.
“Yes,” you lie. “We should probably limit audience interaction going forward.”
He nods slowly. “If that’s what you want.”
There’s something in his voice—careful, restrained—that makes you regret how cold you sound.
As you leave, your phone buzzes again.
A new comment.
“They’re so soft with each other it’s actually stressful.”
You close the app.
You tell yourself you’re imagining the way Seungkwan said if that’s what you want like it mattered more than the assignment ever could.
—
The professor calls it immersive simulation.
You call it a logistical nightmare.
“You can’t just escalate the assignment because people are enjoying it,” you say, arms crossed, standing outside her office with Seungkwan beside you. “That introduces bias.”
She smiles serenely. “Bias is unavoidable. Awareness is what we’re measuring.”
Seungkwan hums. “That’s kind of hot.”
You elbow him. Hard.
Your professor clears her throat. “For the next phase, I want you to simulate relational stressors. Conflict. Miscommunication. Repair.”
You feel Seungkwan’s shoulder tense beside you.
“And,” she continues, “you must remain in character.”
“In character?” you echo.
“Yes. You cannot break the simulation on-air. The data depends on authenticity.”
Authenticity.
You leave the office with a pit in your stomach.
“This is getting out of hand,” you mutter as you walk down the hall.
Seungkwan is quiet for once. “Yeah,” he says. “It is.”
You stop. Look at him.
He meets your eyes, expression unreadable. “We can still do it safely,” he adds. “We just… have to agree on boundaries.”
You nod, relieved. “Exactly. Boundaries.”
You do not discuss what happens if those boundaries fail.
—
The third recording is scheduled later than usual. Night. The media building is mostly empty, lights dimmed to a tired yellow.
Seungkwan doesn’t bring snacks this time. You don’t bring your outline.
“Let’s just talk,” he says, fingers hovering over the record button. “Like we’re supposed to.”
You hesitate. Then nod.
The red light turns on.
—
[PODCAST TRANSCRIPT — EPISODE 3: CONFLICT SIMULATION]
SK: So. Hypothetically, we’ve been arguing more lately.
You: Hypothetically.
SK: About time. And priorities.
You: And communication expectations.
SK: Right. You feel like I’m not taking this seriously enough.
You: And you feel like I’m overanalyzing everything.
—
It starts controlled. Civil. Almost boring.
You dissect conflict styles like specimens under glass. Avoidant versus anxious. Demand-withdraw patterns. Repair attempts.
Then Seungkwan leans back in his chair and exhales sharply.
“Okay,” he says. “Can I stop pretending for a second?”
Your stomach drops. “We’re not supposed to—”
“I know. Just—answer me honestly.” He looks at you, not the mic. “Do you actually trust me in this?”
The room goes very still.
You should redirect. Reframe. Use theory as a shield.
Instead, you say, “Yes.”
The word comes out soft. Unprotected.
Seungkwan swallows.
“Then why does it feel like you’re always halfway out the door?” he asks.
You open your mouth. Close it.
“That’s not part of the simulation,” you say finally, too sharply.
He flinches. Just a little.
“See?” he says quietly. “That.”
Silence stretches. The mic picks it all up.
—
[TRANSCRIPT NOTE: 12 seconds of silence]
—
You feel exposed. Cornered. Angry in a way that has nothing to do with an assignment.
“You’re leaning into this,” you say. “You like the attention. The comments. The way people think they know us.”
“Us?” he repeats. Not mocking. Hurt.
“You know what I mean.”
“No,” he says. “I don’t. Because you never say what you actually mean.”
Your heart is pounding now. This is no longer theoretical.
“You want honesty?” you snap. “Fine. I think this is dangerous. I think pretending has consequences, and you’re acting like that doesn’t matter.”
Seungkwan laughs once, breathless. “I think you’re pretending it doesn’t matter because it already does.”
The words hang between you, heavy and undeniable.
The red light is still on.
You reach forward and stop the recording.
The room feels too quiet without the hum of it.
Neither of you speaks.
Finally, you stand. “We should take a break.”
Seungkwan nods. He doesn’t look at you.
“Yeah,” he says. “Probably.”
—
The episode goes up anyway.
You don’t remember uploading it.
The transcript is messy. Incomplete. Someone leaves a note in the margins:
[Audio levels spike at 23:41. Emotional content unclear.]
The comments are worse than before.
“That got REAL.”
“Why does it sound like a breakup.”
“Someone check on them.”
You close your laptop with shaking hands.
Your phone buzzes.
A message from Seungkwan.
SK: I’m sorry.
SK: I shouldn’t have pushed.
SK: I didn’t mean to make you feel trapped.
You stare at the screen for a long time.
You type. Delete. Type again.
You: It’s fine.
You: We just need to keep this professional.
Three dots appear.
Disappear.
That night, you lie awake replaying his question over and over.
Do you actually trust me in this?
You don’t know when the simulation stopped being hypothetical.
You only know that whatever this is now, it’s already left the lab.
—
You wake up to an edit.
You don’t know who made it. You don’t know when it happened. You only know because it appears on your timeline with a neutral caption and a runtime of forty-six seconds.
“they don’t know they’re in love yet.”
The audio is slowed. Just slightly. Enough to stretch the silences until they feel intentional.
Your voice. Steady, careful.
Seungkwan’s. Softer than you remember.
Someone has looped the twelve seconds where neither of you speaks and layered it with faint background music. It has thousands of views.
You feel sick.
You don’t go to class that morning. You email your professor something vague about feeling unwell and don’t mention that your stomach hurts because strangers are dissecting your breathing patterns.
Your phone buzzes again. And again.
You ignore everything except one message.
SK: Have you seen it?
You don’t answer.
You show up to the next recording because not showing up would make things worse. Because avoidance has consequences. Because if you pretend this is still academic, maybe it can be contained again.
The media room is brighter than you remember. Or maybe you’re just more aware of it.
Seungkwan is already there, sitting on the edge of the table instead of his chair. He looks tired. Quieter.
“I reported the edit,” he says immediately. “For what it’s worth.”
You nod. “Thank you.”
Silence settles. Not the charged kind. The careful kind.
“Do you want to stop?” he asks finally. “We can talk to the professor. Say it’s compromising the integrity of the study.”
You hesitate.
Part of you wants to say yes. Wants to shut this down, retreat, reclaim your voice from people who think they know what it means.
Another part of you—treacherous, honest—knows that stopping wouldn’t erase what’s already there.
“No,” you say. “We should finish.”
Seungkwan watches you closely. “Okay.”
He doesn’t smile.
—
[PODCAST TRANSCRIPT — EPISODE 4: EXTERNAL PRESSURES]
SK: Today we’re discussing parasocial dynamics and their impact on relationships.
You: Specifically, how external audiences can project narratives onto private interactions.
SK: Hypothetically.
You: Hypothetically.
—
You choose the questions this time. You avoid anything that feels too sharp, too personal.
Then one slips through anyway.
What scares you most about commitment?
You feel Seungkwan’s gaze flick to you, quick and uncertain.
“You don’t have to answer that,” you say quickly. “We can reframe.”
He shakes his head. “No. It’s relevant.”
He leans forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped.
“I think,” he says slowly, “I’m scared of being the only one invested. Of caring louder than the other person.”
Your throat tightens.
“That fear often stems from anxious attachment,” you say automatically. “It can be mitigated through—”
“I know,” he interrupts gently. “I’ve read the papers.”
You stop talking.
For a moment, you forget the mic is there.
—
Later, a listener asks: Do you think your partner avoids emotional vulnerability?
Your answer is measured. Polite. Safe.
“I think some people use intellectualization as a defense mechanism,” you say. “It doesn’t mean they don’t feel deeply.”
Seungkwan’s mouth curves, just barely.
“Do you think that’s bad?” he asks.
You meet his eyes.
“No,” you say. “I think it means they’re protecting something important.”
The silence that follows is different from the last one. Not sharp. Not painful.
Just heavy.
—
After the recording, you pack up slowly. Deliberately.
Seungkwan hovers near the door. “Hey.”
You pause.
“I’m not trying to push you into anything,” he says. “On or off the podcast.”
“I know.”
“I just don’t want to pretend this is nothing if it isn’t.”
You swallow. “And I don’t want to pretend it’s everything when it might not be.”
He nods. “Fair.”
For a moment, you think he might reach for you. He doesn’t.
Outside, your phone buzzes again.
A new comment, already climbing.
“The way he waits for them to speak first every time.”
You lock your screen.
You don’t tell Seungkwan that you noticed it too.
You don’t tell him that the scariest part isn’t being watched.
It’s being understood.
—
The problem with live audiences is that they breathe.
You notice it the moment you step onto the small stage set up in the lecture theatre—rows of seats filled, lights dimmed just enough to make faces indistinct but present. A low murmur ripples through the room, the sound of anticipation made physical.
No pause button. No cutting room floor.
Seungkwan is beside you, close enough that your arm brushes his when you sit. He smells like laundry detergent and nerves.
“You okay?” he murmurs, not looking at you.
“Yes,” you lie automatically.
He nods, like he expected that answer.
The professor gives a brief introduction about methodology and observational value. No one is really listening to her. They’re watching the two of you.
Seungkwan adjusts his mic. The familiar red light turns on, brighter than ever.
“Hi,” he says, voice steady. “Welcome to our final episode.”
You swallow. “This recording is live. There will be no edits.”
A ripple of excitement moves through the audience. Someone laughs softly.
—
[PODCAST TRANSCRIPT — EPISODE 5: LIVE SIMULATION]
SK: We’re here to talk about repair.
You: Specifically, how relationships navigate uncertainty.
SK: And what happens when there’s an audience.
You: Which there is.
SK: A large one.
—
The questions come in through a moderated screen, projected faintly behind the audience. You answer the first few smoothly. You’re good at this part. Framing. Deflection. Precision.
Seungkwan keeps glancing at you like he’s checking in, like he’s making sure you’re still there.
Then a question appears that makes your stomach drop.
Is this still a simulation?
There’s a hush. Even the room seems to lean forward.
You laugh, light and practiced. “That’s a complicated question.”
Seungkwan doesn’t laugh.
He inhales slowly. You feel it, somehow.
“I don’t think it is,” he says.
Your head snaps toward him.
The audience gasps—not loudly, but enough. A collective intake of breath.
“Seungkwan,” you say under your breath.
He keeps his eyes on the mic. On the truth.
“I mean,” he continues, voice warm but unsteady now, “it started that way. But at some point, I stopped pretending my reactions were hypothetical.”
Your heart is pounding so hard you’re sure it’s audible.
“This isn’t—” you start.
He turns to look at you fully. Not the audience. Not the mic.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he says gently. “I just don’t want to lie anymore.”
Silence crashes down.
—
[TRANSCRIPT NOTE: audience noise detected. Applause begins at 31:12, then fades.]
—
You stand abruptly.
“I think we should take a break,” you say, voice tight.
The professor looks startled. The audience murmurs.
Seungkwan nods immediately. “Okay.”
You walk offstage without looking back.
Behind the curtain, the world feels smaller. Too quiet after the roar of being seen.
Your hands are shaking.
A moment later, Seungkwan joins you.
“I’m sorry,” he says immediately. “I didn’t plan that. I just—”
“I know,” you interrupt. “That’s the problem.”
He winces. “Yeah.”
You press your back against the wall, breathing hard. “You can’t just… confess in front of people.”
“I wasn’t asking for anything,” he says softly. “I swear. I just needed to be honest.”
You close your eyes.
“That honesty costs me,” you say. “It costs me control.”
He goes very still.
“I didn’t realize,” he says.
“I know,” you reply. And you mean it.
There’s a long pause. The muffled sound of the audience waiting.
“We have to finish,” you say finally.
Seungkwan nods. “On your terms.”
You look at him. Really look.
For once, there’s no performance in his face.
“Okay,” you say.
—
Back onstage, the energy has changed. The audience is quieter now. More reverent.
You answer the remaining questions with care. With honesty that doesn’t bleed. Seungkwan follows your lead, never interrupting, never pushing.
When it ends, there’s applause. Loud. Earned.
You don’t bow. You don’t smile.
You leave as soon as it’s over.
That night, the episode uploads automatically.
You don’t listen.
You lie in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying the moment he said I don’t think it is.
Not because he said it.
But because some part of you believes him.
And you don’t know what to do with that yet.
—
The final transcript is released three days later.
Not the audio—the transcript.
You notice immediately because it’s longer than the others. Annotated. Clinical in a way that makes your chest ache.
PSYC312 — FINAL SUBMISSION
Relationship Simulation Podcast
Episodes 1–5: Compiled Transcript with Observational Notes
You don’t open it at first.
You make tea. You reorganize your desk. You reread an article you’ve already highlighted to death. You do everything except the thing that feels like it might undo you.
When you finally click the file, it opens to a table of contents.
There are timestamps. Footnotes. Emotional markers.
You scroll.
—
[OBSERVATIONAL NOTE — Episode 1]
Early conversational synchrony established. Speakers mirror cadence and pause lengths within first 7 minutes.
You swallow.
—
[OBSERVATIONAL NOTE — Episode 3]
Extended silence (12 seconds). Elevated heart rate detected in Speaker B. No verbal repair attempt made.
Speaker B is you.
You keep reading.
—
[OBSERVATIONAL NOTE — Episode 5 | LIVE]
Confession occurs without prompting. Speaker A demonstrates risk-taking behavior consistent with secure attachment tendencies.
Speaker A is Seungkwan.
Your throat tightens.
At the end of the document, after the analysis and grading rubric, there’s an addendum.
Post-Production Reflection (Optional):
At what point does a simulation become a lived experience?When does observation fail to remain neutral?Is authenticity possible without consent from all participants?
You close the file.
Your phone buzzes.
SK: Have you read it?
You stare at the message. Then type.
You: Yes.
Three dots appear almost immediately.
SK: I’m outside the library.
SK: Not to ambush you.
SK: Just… if you want to talk.
You hesitate.
Then you grab your jacket.
—
He’s sitting on the steps, elbows on his knees, phone in his hands. He looks up when you approach, eyes soft with something like hope he’s trying very hard not to lean on.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hey.”
Neither of you sits right away. The air between you feels delicate, like any wrong movement might snap it.
“I want to apologize,” he says quietly. “Properly. Without a mic.”
You nod. “Okay.”
“I shouldn’t have said what I said live,” he continues. “Even if it was true. I didn’t think about what it would cost you.”
You exhale. Slowly.
“Thank you,” you say. “For saying that.”
He nods, relieved but still careful. “I also don’t regret feeling it. Just… the timing.”
That makes you smile despite yourself. A small one. Brief.
“I read the notes,” you say. “The annotations.”
He grimaces. “Yeah. Me too.”
“They made it sound inevitable,” you admit. “Like this was always going to happen.”
Seungkwan looks at you then—not searching, not performing.
“I don’t think it was inevitable,” he says. “I think it was a choice we kept making. To listen. To stay.”
You consider that.
“I’m not good at being watched,” you say finally. “I don’t like when people decide who I am before I get to.”
“I know,” he says softly. “I think that’s why I wanted something that wasn’t for them.”
The words settle between you, gentle and terrifying.
You sit beside him on the steps.
“I don’t want to do this,” you say carefully, “if it feels like a continuation of the podcast. Or like something people get to analyze.”
He turns fully toward you. “Me neither.”
“No audience,” you continue. “No simulation.”
“Just us,” he says.
You look at him. Really look at him. No mic. No transcript. No comments section waiting to interpret your breathing.
“Just us,” you agree.
He hesitates, then asks, “May I?”
You nod.
He leans in slowly, giving you time to change your mind.
You don’t.
The kiss is soft. Brief. Real in a way nothing else has been.
When you pull back, he laughs under his breath. “Wow.”
You smile. “Yeah.”
A week later, a final upload appears on the podcast feed.
No intro music.
No episode number.
No description.
Just a title:
Episode 7: Off the Record
It’s two minutes long.
There’s no talking. Just muffled laughter. The sound of someone saying wait— and someone else shushing them, fond and close.
Then silence.
The comments are locked.
For the first time since this all began, the story belongs to you.
—
The strangest thing about it all is how quiet your life becomes once the podcast ends.
No notifications. No clips. No strangers parsing your pauses like scripture. The absence feels loud at first, like walking out of a concert and realizing your ears are ringing because they don’t know what silence is yet.
You keep reaching for your phone out of habit. You keep expecting commentary.
There is none.
Seungkwan texts you mundane things now.
SK: did you know the campus café changed their muffin recipe
SK: tragedy honestly
SK: are you free later?
You stare at the last message longer than necessary.
You: Yes.
No qualifiers. No disclaimers. Just yes.
—
You don’t talk about the podcast at first.
You sit on the grass behind the psych building, legs stretched out, sharing earbuds because Seungkwan insists on showing you a song that “makes sense emotionally but not academically.”
You lean into his shoulder without thinking.
He stills for half a second. Then relaxes.
“That okay?” he asks quietly.
“Yes,” you say. Again, just yes.
It feels like learning a new language. One without footnotes.
—
People still look at you sometimes. Whisper. You hear your name paired with his in passing, curiosity trailing behind you like static.
But without content to feed on, the noise starves.
The story moves on.
And so do you.
—
The grade comes back two weeks later.
A+.
There’s a handwritten note at the bottom.
“An exceptional exploration of boundaries, consent, and authenticity. Thank you for trusting the process.”
You snort when you read it.
“Trusting the process,” you mutter.
Seungkwan laughs. “We survived the process.”
“That implies it’s over.”
He glances at you sideways. “Is it?”
You think about it.
About the way he waits for you to speak. About how you don’t feel like you’re performing when you’re with him. About how the word simulation feels distant now, almost funny.
“No,” you say. “I don’t think it is.”
He smiles. Soft. Unbroadcasted.
—
You do one last thing together for closure.
Not for class. Not for listeners.
You sit in the empty media room after hours, lights off except for the soft glow of the control panel. The equipment is powered down, cords neatly coiled like it’s all gone dormant.
Seungkwan presses record out of habit, then stops himself.
“No,” he says. “Not even that.”
You nod. Relief spreads through you.
You sit there anyway. Talking. Laughing. Letting moments trail off unfinished because no one is there to demand resolution.
When you leave, the room stays silent.
—
Later, much later, you’ll hear people refer to the podcast like it’s a legend.
“You know that one where they accidentally fell in love?”
In a life where you feel far to busy to enjoy what you've been given, Seokmin assures you that you'll be together until the one hundredth and first spring.
Tags: 873 words, slight angst, comfort, lots of fluff
a/n: This is inspired by that one line in Dk's new solo Rockstar <3 Love that song so so sooo much. Go stream Serenade album!!! dividers by cafekistune, @sh0jun
Time always seemed to slip through your fingers, slipping through the cracks of your busy life. You were always told that you should enjoy your life, see everything the world has to offer. And you want to, you really do. But everything seems to pile up on your shoulders, and you're forced to keep on working.
Seokmin was late today, so you were enjoying a couple extra minutes in the park alone. You inhale the spring air, letting it set into your lungs. It feels fresh, chock full of new beginning just waiting to be found. The flower petals flutter down and dance in the wind, pulling you out of your burnt out haze to enjoy nature. One of the petals flutters down slower than the others, twirling through the air a couple of times before landing on your shoulder. You gingerly pick it up and examined it in the sunlight. The petal is a beautiful snow white, with the slightest indentation of its once lively veins. But it's time was up, and now it would simply rot on the ground.
Slowly, fear began settling in your veins. How many springs had you refused to look up and admire the world around you. How many flower petals had fluttered past beyond your gaze, falling to the ground year after year? You could never bring those years back, those moments. What if you were wasting your life? What if-
"…Y/n? Y/n~!" you snap out of your daze and look up.
Standing in front of you is Seokmin, slightly out of breath and yet just as beautiful as ever. He'd dyed his hair blonde recently, and that combined with his smile made him seem brighter than the sun itself. He was wearing a coffee brown coat, buttoned up almost to the top. He never fastened the topmost button, said it made him 'too stiff'. Surrounded by the fluttering petals and the beautiful spring view, you almost mistook him for a fairy prince.
"Ah, sorry, didn't realize you were here already," you apologize, straining yourself to make a sheepish grin. But the terror was making your head spin, and you couldn't fully hide your discomfort. You realize you'd missed time with him too, the one you love the most of all, and it suddenly all hurts so much more.
"It's fine, it's fine! I was the one who was late anyways, so I should apologize instead." His voice was lighthearted, holding no malice whatsoever. He's about to crack a joke when he sees the sadness swirling in your eyes, the slightest tremble in your lips as you try to hold yourself together.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asks worriedly. He rarely sees you like this, in such a raw state of panic.
"It's fine… I was just thinking," you murmur, looking anywhere other than his eyes.
He measures his words, scared of silencing your voice. "You know," he says softly. "I don't have anything against you thinking. But if you want to think with me, I'm always here to listen."
His words pierce their way straight into your heart, unlocking the floodgates of your emotions. The words spill out along with your tears, the syllables slurring together as you desperately try to explain yourself.
"It's just that… I feel like I've wasted my time. I've missed so many moments, so much time with you. And I don't know if I can make up for it." The last words come out with a sob, the tears falling down faster than ever.
Seokmin wraps his arms around you, surrounding you in his embrace as he pats your back. "It's okay, it's okay…" he whispers softly.
Slowly the tears recede, leaving only a couple of trails that you quickly wipe away.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to cry on your coat," you say embarrasedly.
"Don't be. I'd rather have your tears be on my coat then locked up in your heart." His voice is so earnest, so full of love, that you feel like breaking out into tears again.
"You know, it's okay that you've been busy right?" he asks tenderly. "It's okay that you've missed days, haven't had time to have fun. It's not what your life should be, but it's okay."
You look into his black eyes, and you feel like they hold the answer to all of your problems. They're warm and rich like coffee, and you can't help but sink right into them.
"Yeah. Thanks Seokmin," you respond warmly.
"Anytime!" he beams. "And anyways, we'll have countless more springs together."
"How many?" you joke, trying to lift the mood.
"After the hundredth winter, we'll welcome the hundred and first spring together," he responds earnestly. His smile is soft as a cloud as he looks at you with adoration, and you believe every word he says. Because if there's anyone in the world that would stay with you, through the best and the worst, forever and ever, it would be Lee Seokmin.
"Until the one hundred and first spring, and even beyond that," you whisper, linking your hands with his. And as the two of you begin to walk and discuss other things, you can't help but notice how beautiful the white flower petals are.
