when life gets particularly overwhelming, your boyfriend is always there to distract you.
genre: established relationship, hurt/comfort, burnout, kisses and hugs, sweetie understanding perfect boyfriend sangyeon
notes: reader is lowkey me during the time i was gone and busy with school ,, 💕 this is for @winterchimez since we’re both going through sangyeon withdrawals 😞😞
word count: 3.9k
One, two… three…
Your hand lifts up before it comes back down onto the soft sheets of your bed. You hum to yourself. Well, it’s a start, you think before taking a deep breath and counting once again.
One, two, three.
You lift your arm this time. But you find yourself frowning at how it feels like it’s been weighed down by heavy, stubborn weights. You let out a frustrated groan as your head falls back onto the headboard. Shutting your eyes momentarily, you try to find some sense of peace, anything to help get rid of the stupid pounding in your heart, much more burdening than your heavy limbs that refuse to move. Yet, the darkness that you see only makes it worse.
You blink your eyes open and stare at the wall of the bedroom. Your gaze wanders across the blank space until it lands on a small photo, framed and perched perfectly so that it’s one of the first things you see when you wake up. It’s a picture of your boyfriend, Sangyeon, leaning in and pressing a kiss to your cheek. You’re smiling and so is he. Your eyebrows furrow as you try to recreate that same smile, yet your face feels numb.
Then, you lift your head slightly to stare at the mess of the bed you created over the span of just a day. There’s a book, thrown off to the side, with only a few pages read. Then, there’s your computer, still at ninety percent because you only used it for a good thirty minutes. Your phone is beside you. It’s open to one of your social media apps yet you liked one single post so far.
You’ve tried everything to be somewhat productive, to do something with the free day that you have. You wanted to distract yourself from your racing mind yet nothing has worked and you continue to feel awfully restless.
To be frank, your week full of stress and despair is over. The countless assignments that you needed to turn in, the group project that didn’t get done until the very last day, the coworker who had belittled you… technically, it was all over. You should feel relieved, really, but instead you feel agitated and unable to relax. It’s almost like the adrenaline that has coursed through your body during that week still hasn’t left, leaving you anxious, almost paranoid.
You blink back a few tears and let out a low sigh.
There’s nothing you can do.
So you just wait.
Wait for what? You wonder.
Your eyes land on that picture again. Maybe… Sangyeon? He is coming home soon, after all. Your heart skips a beat at the thought, but it settles back into its normal pace soon after. You would hate to bother him, especially because he was supposed to be practicing today.
The image of his worried face is what leads you to slowly lift your body out of bed. It’s difficult and heavy, but you manage to do it. You yawn and stand up, your muscles feeling tight. Maybe you should find something else to keep you busy so that when Sangyeon comes home, he won’t notice your previous state.
You nod to yourself and walk out of the bedroom, setting your mind on organizing the kitchen drawers. But, as soon as you begin walking down the hall, you find Sangyeon exiting the bathroom, his hair slightly damp as he dries it with a towel.
You freeze.
Huh.
You were so deep in your thoughts that you didn’t even hear him come home and wash up.
Sangyeon notices you almost immediately, and just as quickly, his eyes light up. He sets the towel down nearby and walks over to you like an eager puppy. Your heart thumps, which is a little funny because the two of you have been dating for a while, long enough to move in together and spend every lovely morning and evening as a pair.
Then, he immediately pulls you into a hug, scooping you into his arms as he nuzzles into your neck. Your breath halts for a second before you melt into his hold. Though it takes all your strength to try not to burst into tears right then and there. He smells good, fresh from a shower and just like home.
A few moments pass before Sangyeon leans away and gives you a quick kiss.
“I missed you,” he whispers, his voice full of warmth. He always says this. He could spend a mere hour away from you, and he’ll still tell you about how much he was thinking of you. His hand comes up to your hair, and he soothingly strokes his fingers through it. “How was your day, beautiful?”
Your chest feels tight as you look away. “It was great,” you lie. “Quite boring actually. I’ve done literally nothing today.” Well, that isn’t a lie.
Sangyeon only smiles wider. “Relaxing is also good, you know.” His eyes soften, and he swipes a thumb under your eye, as if he’s noticed how tired you are. “I’ve noticed how hard you’ve worked this past week.”
You give him a weak smile and shake your head, already feeling nervous about burdening him with concern. “That’s just… how it is. There’s nothing to worry about.”
That doesn’t seem to help, as Sangyeon only gives you a careful look. But, he doesn’t mention it anymore as he says, “If you say so.”
The two of you just stare at each other, almost awkwardly and unsurely. Your heartbeat picks up, anxiously, your mind racing about how he’s noticed and he’s going to be bothered.
Sangyeon almost always notices when you’re feeling off. It’s almost like some sort of superpower. He can tell you’re uncomfortable at a social event, and he’ll subtly pull you closer to him. He can tell when you’re tired, and he’ll offer his shoulder for you to lean on.
It’s pretty clear that he’s noticed now.
But he’s not saying anything about it.
It’s perplexing, but at the same time, you feel a little relieved, knowing that if you started talking about it at this moment, you’d probably burst out into tears.
“Well, gorgeous,” Sangyeon speaks up with a soft tone. “I’m free for the rest of the evening. Anything you want to do?”
You let out a sigh, your chest lightening. Then, you think for a moment. Is there anything you wanted to do? You give him a shy look. Really, you just wanted to spend time with him, however that may be.
Sangyeon laughs, giving you a teasing look. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“Hm?” You step away with a small smile. “What am I thinking?”
Your boyfriend shrugs, but you can tell he’s eager to say it. He’s always eager to give you attention, no matter the circumstance. When he’s working at home and you stop by to give him a kiss, again, like an eager puppy, he’ll excitedly turn his head and ask for another one. If he’s tired and it’s late at night, but he sees that you’re still up working, he’ll stay with you. Sometimes, he’ll watch you with an admiring face, which makes you a little nervous at times.
He steps forward and leans in. “You want to be with me.”
You roll your eyes, ignoring the hot feeling that spreads across your face. “Of course I do. We’re dating.”
“That’s true.” Sangyeon gives you a proud look.
“Well, is there anything you want to do?”
“I want to be by your side, my gorgeous.” He grins.
“Doing what?”
He pauses and gives you a sheepish look. “I didn’t get that far in my plans.”
You burst out laughing as you reach for the nearby towel and begin to finish drying off his hair. He leans into your touch as he looks at you with complete endearment.
“I’ll think of something, just give me a moment.”
You smile at him. “Take your time, mister.” You continue to dry his hair as you take the opportunity to admire your boyfriend’s handsome face up close. It doesn’t help that he looks adorably focused, thinking of something to do with you. Sometimes, you wonder how you’ve gotten so lucky.
“Ah,” he breathes. You pause, letting your hand fall to your side, still holding onto the towel. Sangyeon looks down and takes it from you, setting it on the bathroom handle before taking your hand in his. “Well, you know how I went to practice my singing today?” He asks with a smile.
You nod because yes, he always likes to relay his plans for the day to you before he leaves the apartment, which you find endearing.
“Mhm, what about it?”
“I took some videos of the new songs I was practicing. They’re on my phone, and I need to monitor them. If you want to… with me…” He gives you a hopeful look. He’s shy as well. He’s always shy when it comes to his singing, which is a little baffling because his voice is beautiful. In fact, it was one of the main reasons why you had such a large crush on him.
“Of course,” you answer. Just as shyly, you lean up and press a soft kiss to his cheek before whispering into his ear, “I’d love to.”
Sangyeon gives you an excited look. “Just… don’t judge if my voice cracks. Some of the songs were kind of out of my range.”
You giggle as he tugs your hand and leads you in the direction of your shared bedroom. But, just as you’re about to reach the door, you freeze and your breath hitches, remembering that you’ve left all your failed attempts of distracting yourself–the book, computer, your phone, probably a few unopened snacks–on the bed.
Sangyeon notices your hesitance and instead of asking what’s wrong, he opens the door, peeks into the room, and turns back to face you. He gives you a gentle, soothing smile before leaning in and pressing a kiss to the very tip of your nose. Then, without a word, he enters the room and proceeds to pick everything up off the bed. He puts the book back on its shelf, sets your computer and your phone on the bedside table, and places the snacks on the desk.
You watch, completely shocked, as he sits down on the bed and gestures to you to join him.
“I…”
Sangyeon grins. “What are you waiting for, darling?”
You let out a shaky breath at the nickname before carefully walking over to the bed, sitting next to him. You gulp nervously. “Sorry for not cleaning up.”
“It’s no problem at all. I’m always going to be here.” For you. “To help you clean up.” But, you know what he really means.
You nod quietly and sit back against the headboard, trying to forget the fact that previously, you’ve sat here for hours, wallowing in a feeling that you couldn’t even describe. You watch as Sangyeon pulls out his phone and turns on the first video.
“Are you ready?” Sangyeon asks, a shy smile on his face.
“Always.”
“Don’t expect too much.”
You giggle. “Okay, handsome.”
Intrigued, you scooch closer, and Sangyeon welcomes you, leaning his shoulder against yours. In the video, he’s in the studio, looking at what you assume is a screen with the lyrics. He sings beautifully into the microphone in his hand. You can already feel your chest lighten as you admire him, his everything–from his lovely voice, handsome face, and soft gaze. He messes up the lyrics a few times, yet that only makes it more perfect. He’s perfect.
The first video comes to the end and Sangyeon nervously turns to you. You look up at him and give him an encouraging smile.
“So… what did you think?” He asks with his soft voice, one that you know is capable of making any song sound beautiful.
“I think… it was beautiful as always.”
It’s adorable how Sangyeon brightens up, and you can tell he’s feeling proud. Soon enough, his smile softens, and he looks at you as if trying to read your expression for something more. You gulp and look away, praying he won’t notice that you were just a mess when he wasn’t home. You can see that hint of concern in his gaze as clear as day.
But then, to your surprise, he leans in and kisses the very top of your forehead.
“You’re beautiful as always.”
Your eyes widen, and you can feel your cheeks start to redden. You clear your throat and turn to look down at your lap.
“Thank you,” you mumble. “I’ve… heard that a lot already.”
You feel a finger under your chin, nudging you to look back up. He hums teasingly as your eyes meet his. “From only me, I hope,” he says with a slight raise of his eyebrow.
You roll your eyes. “Yes, only you.”
“Good,” Sangyeon replies. Then, he swipes to the next video.
Again, you watch, though your eyes begin to droop as you focus more on listening to your boyfriend’s voice, like honey, and so full of emotion. It’s a love song too–the words he’s singing seem to be directed towards you. It doesn’t help that he’ll look away from the screen and instead, straight at the camera, making your heart flutter foolishly.
Soon enough, the video ends, and you realize that you feel relaxed. Your body doesn’t feel stiff, rather, it melts against Sangyeon’s side. Your breathing isn’t fast either. Instead, it’s slow and perfectly in sync with your lover beside you. It’s a slow rise and fall, and you start to feel warm inside.
Sangyeon turns to you, even leaning a little forward so that he can get a good view of you. He always does this, saying that you’re “too beautiful not to stare at.”
“Good?” He asks, his voice a calming whisper.
“Mhm.” You give him a shy smile. “Keep going.”
“As you wish, beautiful.”
You laugh quietly as you lean your head against his broad shoulder, taking your first, long and full breath of the day. You can’t help but smile contentedly as your boyfriend shows you the rest of the videos he’s taken. Sometimes, you can feel him cringe at one of his own mistakes. Other times, he’ll mention a particular lyric that reminded him of you. One time, he pressed a kiss to your lips for the fun of it.
It’s calming–so calming that you can feel yourself dozing off. Just as your eyes are about to shut, you hear a loud clatter come from his phone. In the video, you see that something small and shiny was just knocked off the table.
You widen your eyes momentarily before smiling fondly at the way Sangyeon gives the camera an apologetic look before ending the video.
“I forgot to delete this one,” Sangyeon grumbles to himself. “This song was hard to sing anywa– oh!” He interrupts himself before turning to you. “I completely forgot. That thing… it was a keychain that I bought for you.”
“Oh?” You look up at him with surprise.
Sangyeon looks adorably excited. He always loved to surprise you with gifts after all.
“I can go get it for you right now… if you want?”
You nod with a soft smile.
And so, Sangyeon gets off the bed, and that’s when you feel his comforting warmth leave you like a candle flame being abruptly blown out. You try to ignore the odd hitch of your breath, but it soon becomes clear that that feeling has come back. It’s hard to describe still, but it’s a mix of restlessness and hopelessness. Suddenly, you’re reminded of everything that’s gone wrong these past few days. Your eyes frantically dart around the room, remembering everything that you’ve failed to do today as well.
You regret that nod.
Desperately, and without even thinking, you reach out and grab hold of Sangyeon’s hand. You feel yourself tremble, and your heartbeat is picking up again.
“Wait,” you whisper, looking up at him. You’re already feeling your throat close up, embarrassingly enough. Sangyeon turns around in response, and his expression is full of worry.
“Hm?”
“I…” Your voice cracks, and you feel mortified. What were you thinking?
And that’s when you feel the tears begin to well up in your eyes.
You can just barely hear the small intake of breath that Sangyeon takes in at the sight. Quickly, he’s already kneeling down at the side of the bed, looking up at you with soft, gentle eyes. His gaze is full of concern as he watches the tears begin to dribble down your face.
“Y/n,” he whispers. “You can tell me what’s wrong. If you’d like to. I’ll listen, always.”
“I thought you already noticed,” you whisper.
Sangyeon’s eyes widen before he reaches over for your hand, taking it in his. “I did. But I didn’t want to pressure you into telling me what’s wrong. Not until you’re ready.”
You can’t help but cry more at his words. Still embarrassed, you try to turn your head away to hide your face, but Sangyeon’s quick to cup your cheek. With a small frown, he helps to wipe your tears with the pad of his thumb.
“I–” More tears escape. “I don’t even know what’s wrong.”
“So why are you crying, sweetheart?”
“It’s just–” You let out a frustrated sigh. “All the stress is over. There shouldn’t be more of it, not after– after last week. But the whole day, I’ve just… constantly felt restless. And sometimes I think about what’s already happened in the past, and then I get sad and–” You let out another sob. “It’s dumb.”
Sangyeon’s quiet. But, only for a moment, because he’s already getting up and sitting back down on the bed. Throughout all of this, his hand doesn’t leave your cheek as he holds you like you’re the most precious person ever.
“It’s not,” he finally says. “Not at all.” And he doesn’t say more after that. You feel strong arms wrap around your body, pulling you into a hug. It’s gentle, almost hesitant, as he makes sure you’re comfortable with it.
But when you melt into it, that’s when he holds you tighter. Your head rests against his chest, and you feel a few more tears escape.
“I know you’ve had a hard time,” Sangyeon mumbles, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “And even though it’s over, I’m sure it takes a bit to heal from it. There’s nothing wrong with that, my darling.” You feel a soothing hand begin to stroke your back. “But know that I’m here for you. Whenever you need, hm? Just call for me.”
The tears drip down your face, yet you feel yourself relaxing more and more.
“I’ll do anything,” Sangyeon continues. “I can help you clean up, take a walk with yo–”
“I just like being with you,” you huff with a sniffle. “You being here already makes me happy.”
Sangyeon squeezes you, something he likes to do when he finds you cute.
“That’s all that matters to me. You being happy.”
You try not to burst out into tears once more as you lean away and look him in the eye.
“What about you?” You ask, your voice trembling, full of emotion and love. “Are you happy?”
Sangyeon gives you a smile, his eyes sparkling as he looks at you and only you. “Of course I am. Because I have you, darling.”
You feel your face contort as more tears escape the corners of your eyes. Though these particular tears are not of sadness, not anymore. They’re more of… overwhelming love.
“So,” Sangyeon starts, brushing away a stray strand of your hair with a fond smile. “Is there anything else I can do to make you feel better?”
You scrunch your nose and try not to shy away from the expression he’s giving you. It’s full of affection and admiration for you. With a shake of your head, you reply, “I already feel better. But…” You give him a small smile. “Do whatever you think will work.”
Sangyeon’s gaze immediately falls to your lips, and you can already tell what he’s planning to do. He grins, and you can see that familiar twinkle in his eyes. “I’m no professional, but I think–” He suddenly leans in and presses a quick kiss to your lips. He pulls away with a hopeful, love-drunk gaze. “This might work,” he whispers before leaning back in, this time to kiss you on the cheek. You can’t help but giggle as he seems to lose an internal fight because soon enough, he’s pressing small kisses all over your face.
“Sangyeon–”
You can’t control the laughter that escapes you as he keeps on kissing you all over. At some point, he leans away and simply admires your happy expression with a fond smile of his own. Once you notice, your laughing dies down, and you begin to feel shy.
“Hey, pretty.”
You give him an embarrassed look but still respond with a teasing, “hi, handsome,” making your boyfriend smile even wider.
“I missed you so much,” he mumbles. “And–” Another kiss, this time on your lips again. This one is deeper, full of want, and the drying tears on your cheeks are now long forgotten. “I love you,” he whispers, his bottom lip brushing against yours.
You smile widely. “I love you too.”
“Mmh,” Sangyeon hums, looking at you with smugness. “You know I tell everyone about how lucky I am to have you, right?”
You gasp, your cheeks starting to burn. “You do?”
“Of course. I’m the luckiest man in the world,” he replies like it’s the easiest thing to say. His hand slides around your waist as he pulls you in for another kiss. “So don’t hesitate to tell me when you’re feeling down, hm?” His eyes soften. “Because I adore you. I’ll do anything to help you.”
You nod. You feel happy, now that he’s in front of you, showering you with endless love.
Yet again, Sangyeon has another surge of affection because he’s suddenly collapsing back on the bed and pulling you down with him. The two of you are face-to-face, and it’s then that you’re reminded of just how sleepy you are, your eyes drooping.
“Don’t leave,” you whisper.
“I would never. I’ll stay here in bed with you for as long as you’d like, darling.”
You smile to yourself. Then, you hum mischievously. “But… what if you have to use the bathroom?”
Sangyeon sighs, and he presses a kiss to the very top of your head. “Go to sleep already.”
You only giggle in response. “What if someone rings the doorbell?”
Sangyeon, whose eyes are already shut, shushes you as he holds you closer.
“What if it’s the police?”
“Y/n.”
“What if–”
He peeks an eye open adorably before he kisses you to finally make you stop talking. You smile against his lips and you don’t say anything more after that. With a sigh, you relax into his hold as the two of you drift off into sleep.
Miraculously, there is something better than staring and admiring that lovely picture of the two of you, framed on the wall. And that is waking up in the morning to the sweet and forever love of your life as he gives you a bright, lovely smile to start the day.
YUMI IM GOING TO CRY THIS IS EVERYTHING I WANT IN A SANGYEON FLUFFY YET COMFORT FIC 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 no cs reading this + the one i wrote recently ahhh i love how we both literally have the same braincells bcs yes hes absolutely a sweetheart like that he always knows how to make you feel comfortable he only needs a split second to know that you're not okay and he's the one who's always making you feel all safe and secured AAAAHHHHH💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔 OH MY GOSH I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM I DO YOUR HONOUR PLS BRING HIM BACK TO ME ASAP 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
ALLYYY ILYYY 💕💕 TYSMM 😭😭😭 im glad we both agree on how sangyeon would act when he notices these types of things 😚😚 i too miss him 😞😞 IM so happy you enjoyed hehehe!!! thanks so much for supporting as i was writing this (very slowly 💀)!!
when life gets particularly overwhelming, your boyfriend is always there to distract you.
genre: established relationship, hurt/comfort, burnout, kisses and hugs, sweetie understanding perfect boyfriend sangyeon
notes: reader is lowkey me during the time i was gone and busy with school ,, 💕 this is for @winterchimez since we’re both going through sangyeon withdrawals 😞😞
word count: 3.9k
One, two… three…
Your hand lifts up before it comes back down onto the soft sheets of your bed. You hum to yourself. Well, it’s a start, you think before taking a deep breath and counting once again.
One, two, three.
You lift your arm this time. But you find yourself frowning at how it feels like it’s been weighed down by heavy, stubborn weights. You let out a frustrated groan as your head falls back onto the headboard. Shutting your eyes momentarily, you try to find some sense of peace, anything to help get rid of the stupid pounding in your heart, much more burdening than your heavy limbs that refuse to move. Yet, the darkness that you see only makes it worse.
You blink your eyes open and stare at the wall of the bedroom. Your gaze wanders across the blank space until it lands on a small photo, framed and perched perfectly so that it’s one of the first things you see when you wake up. It’s a picture of your boyfriend, Sangyeon, leaning in and pressing a kiss to your cheek. You’re smiling and so is he. Your eyebrows furrow as you try to recreate that same smile, yet your face feels numb.
Then, you lift your head slightly to stare at the mess of the bed you created over the span of just a day. There’s a book, thrown off to the side, with only a few pages read. Then, there’s your computer, still at ninety percent because you only used it for a good thirty minutes. Your phone is beside you. It’s open to one of your social media apps yet you liked one single post so far.
You’ve tried everything to be somewhat productive, to do something with the free day that you have. You wanted to distract yourself from your racing mind yet nothing has worked and you continue to feel awfully restless.
To be frank, your week full of stress and despair is over. The countless assignments that you needed to turn in, the group project that didn’t get done until the very last day, the coworker who had belittled you… technically, it was all over. You should feel relieved, really, but instead you feel agitated and unable to relax. It’s almost like the adrenaline that has coursed through your body during that week still hasn’t left, leaving you anxious, almost paranoid.
You blink back a few tears and let out a low sigh.
There’s nothing you can do.
So you just wait.
Wait for what? You wonder.
Your eyes land on that picture again. Maybe… Sangyeon? He is coming home soon, after all. Your heart skips a beat at the thought, but it settles back into its normal pace soon after. You would hate to bother him, especially because he was supposed to be practicing today.
The image of his worried face is what leads you to slowly lift your body out of bed. It’s difficult and heavy, but you manage to do it. You yawn and stand up, your muscles feeling tight. Maybe you should find something else to keep you busy so that when Sangyeon comes home, he won’t notice your previous state.
You nod to yourself and walk out of the bedroom, setting your mind on organizing the kitchen drawers. But, as soon as you begin walking down the hall, you find Sangyeon exiting the bathroom, his hair slightly damp as he dries it with a towel.
You freeze.
Huh.
You were so deep in your thoughts that you didn’t even hear him come home and wash up.
Sangyeon notices you almost immediately, and just as quickly, his eyes light up. He sets the towel down nearby and walks over to you like an eager puppy. Your heart thumps, which is a little funny because the two of you have been dating for a while, long enough to move in together and spend every lovely morning and evening as a pair.
Then, he immediately pulls you into a hug, scooping you into his arms as he nuzzles into your neck. Your breath halts for a second before you melt into his hold. Though it takes all your strength to try not to burst into tears right then and there. He smells good, fresh from a shower and just like home.
A few moments pass before Sangyeon leans away and gives you a quick kiss.
“I missed you,” he whispers, his voice full of warmth. He always says this. He could spend a mere hour away from you, and he’ll still tell you about how much he was thinking of you. His hand comes up to your hair, and he soothingly strokes his fingers through it. “How was your day, beautiful?”
Your chest feels tight as you look away. “It was great,” you lie. “Quite boring actually. I’ve done literally nothing today.” Well, that isn’t a lie.
Sangyeon only smiles wider. “Relaxing is also good, you know.” His eyes soften, and he swipes a thumb under your eye, as if he’s noticed how tired you are. “I’ve noticed how hard you’ve worked this past week.”
You give him a weak smile and shake your head, already feeling nervous about burdening him with concern. “That’s just… how it is. There’s nothing to worry about.”
That doesn’t seem to help, as Sangyeon only gives you a careful look. But, he doesn’t mention it anymore as he says, “If you say so.”
The two of you just stare at each other, almost awkwardly and unsurely. Your heartbeat picks up, anxiously, your mind racing about how he’s noticed and he’s going to be bothered.
Sangyeon almost always notices when you’re feeling off. It’s almost like some sort of superpower. He can tell you’re uncomfortable at a social event, and he’ll subtly pull you closer to him. He can tell when you’re tired, and he’ll offer his shoulder for you to lean on.
It’s pretty clear that he’s noticed now.
But he’s not saying anything about it.
It’s perplexing, but at the same time, you feel a little relieved, knowing that if you started talking about it at this moment, you’d probably burst out into tears.
“Well, gorgeous,” Sangyeon speaks up with a soft tone. “I’m free for the rest of the evening. Anything you want to do?”
You let out a sigh, your chest lightening. Then, you think for a moment. Is there anything you wanted to do? You give him a shy look. Really, you just wanted to spend time with him, however that may be.
Sangyeon laughs, giving you a teasing look. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“Hm?” You step away with a small smile. “What am I thinking?”
Your boyfriend shrugs, but you can tell he’s eager to say it. He’s always eager to give you attention, no matter the circumstance. When he’s working at home and you stop by to give him a kiss, again, like an eager puppy, he’ll excitedly turn his head and ask for another one. If he’s tired and it’s late at night, but he sees that you’re still up working, he’ll stay with you. Sometimes, he’ll watch you with an admiring face, which makes you a little nervous at times.
He steps forward and leans in. “You want to be with me.”
You roll your eyes, ignoring the hot feeling that spreads across your face. “Of course I do. We’re dating.”
“That’s true.” Sangyeon gives you a proud look.
“Well, is there anything you want to do?”
“I want to be by your side, my gorgeous.” He grins.
“Doing what?”
He pauses and gives you a sheepish look. “I didn’t get that far in my plans.”
You burst out laughing as you reach for the nearby towel and begin to finish drying off his hair. He leans into your touch as he looks at you with complete endearment.
“I’ll think of something, just give me a moment.”
You smile at him. “Take your time, mister.” You continue to dry his hair as you take the opportunity to admire your boyfriend’s handsome face up close. It doesn’t help that he looks adorably focused, thinking of something to do with you. Sometimes, you wonder how you’ve gotten so lucky.
“Ah,” he breathes. You pause, letting your hand fall to your side, still holding onto the towel. Sangyeon looks down and takes it from you, setting it on the bathroom handle before taking your hand in his. “Well, you know how I went to practice my singing today?” He asks with a smile.
You nod because yes, he always likes to relay his plans for the day to you before he leaves the apartment, which you find endearing.
“Mhm, what about it?”
“I took some videos of the new songs I was practicing. They’re on my phone, and I need to monitor them. If you want to… with me…” He gives you a hopeful look. He’s shy as well. He’s always shy when it comes to his singing, which is a little baffling because his voice is beautiful. In fact, it was one of the main reasons why you had such a large crush on him.
“Of course,” you answer. Just as shyly, you lean up and press a soft kiss to his cheek before whispering into his ear, “I’d love to.”
Sangyeon gives you an excited look. “Just… don’t judge if my voice cracks. Some of the songs were kind of out of my range.”
You giggle as he tugs your hand and leads you in the direction of your shared bedroom. But, just as you’re about to reach the door, you freeze and your breath hitches, remembering that you’ve left all your failed attempts of distracting yourself–the book, computer, your phone, probably a few unopened snacks–on the bed.
Sangyeon notices your hesitance and instead of asking what’s wrong, he opens the door, peeks into the room, and turns back to face you. He gives you a gentle, soothing smile before leaning in and pressing a kiss to the very tip of your nose. Then, without a word, he enters the room and proceeds to pick everything up off the bed. He puts the book back on its shelf, sets your computer and your phone on the bedside table, and places the snacks on the desk.
You watch, completely shocked, as he sits down on the bed and gestures to you to join him.
“I…”
Sangyeon grins. “What are you waiting for, darling?”
You let out a shaky breath at the nickname before carefully walking over to the bed, sitting next to him. You gulp nervously. “Sorry for not cleaning up.”
“It’s no problem at all. I’m always going to be here.” For you. “To help you clean up.” But, you know what he really means.
You nod quietly and sit back against the headboard, trying to forget the fact that previously, you’ve sat here for hours, wallowing in a feeling that you couldn’t even describe. You watch as Sangyeon pulls out his phone and turns on the first video.
“Are you ready?” Sangyeon asks, a shy smile on his face.
“Always.”
“Don’t expect too much.”
You giggle. “Okay, handsome.”
Intrigued, you scooch closer, and Sangyeon welcomes you, leaning his shoulder against yours. In the video, he’s in the studio, looking at what you assume is a screen with the lyrics. He sings beautifully into the microphone in his hand. You can already feel your chest lighten as you admire him, his everything–from his lovely voice, handsome face, and soft gaze. He messes up the lyrics a few times, yet that only makes it more perfect. He’s perfect.
The first video comes to the end and Sangyeon nervously turns to you. You look up at him and give him an encouraging smile.
“So… what did you think?” He asks with his soft voice, one that you know is capable of making any song sound beautiful.
“I think… it was beautiful as always.”
It’s adorable how Sangyeon brightens up, and you can tell he’s feeling proud. Soon enough, his smile softens, and he looks at you as if trying to read your expression for something more. You gulp and look away, praying he won’t notice that you were just a mess when he wasn’t home. You can see that hint of concern in his gaze as clear as day.
But then, to your surprise, he leans in and kisses the very top of your forehead.
“You’re beautiful as always.”
Your eyes widen, and you can feel your cheeks start to redden. You clear your throat and turn to look down at your lap.
“Thank you,” you mumble. “I’ve… heard that a lot already.”
You feel a finger under your chin, nudging you to look back up. He hums teasingly as your eyes meet his. “From only me, I hope,” he says with a slight raise of his eyebrow.
You roll your eyes. “Yes, only you.”
“Good,” Sangyeon replies. Then, he swipes to the next video.
Again, you watch, though your eyes begin to droop as you focus more on listening to your boyfriend’s voice, like honey, and so full of emotion. It’s a love song too–the words he’s singing seem to be directed towards you. It doesn’t help that he’ll look away from the screen and instead, straight at the camera, making your heart flutter foolishly.
Soon enough, the video ends, and you realize that you feel relaxed. Your body doesn’t feel stiff, rather, it melts against Sangyeon’s side. Your breathing isn’t fast either. Instead, it’s slow and perfectly in sync with your lover beside you. It’s a slow rise and fall, and you start to feel warm inside.
Sangyeon turns to you, even leaning a little forward so that he can get a good view of you. He always does this, saying that you’re “too beautiful not to stare at.”
“Good?” He asks, his voice a calming whisper.
“Mhm.” You give him a shy smile. “Keep going.”
“As you wish, beautiful.”
You laugh quietly as you lean your head against his broad shoulder, taking your first, long and full breath of the day. You can’t help but smile contentedly as your boyfriend shows you the rest of the videos he’s taken. Sometimes, you can feel him cringe at one of his own mistakes. Other times, he’ll mention a particular lyric that reminded him of you. One time, he pressed a kiss to your lips for the fun of it.
It’s calming–so calming that you can feel yourself dozing off. Just as your eyes are about to shut, you hear a loud clatter come from his phone. In the video, you see that something small and shiny was just knocked off the table.
You widen your eyes momentarily before smiling fondly at the way Sangyeon gives the camera an apologetic look before ending the video.
“I forgot to delete this one,” Sangyeon grumbles to himself. “This song was hard to sing anywa– oh!” He interrupts himself before turning to you. “I completely forgot. That thing… it was a keychain that I bought for you.”
“Oh?” You look up at him with surprise.
Sangyeon looks adorably excited. He always loved to surprise you with gifts after all.
“I can go get it for you right now… if you want?”
You nod with a soft smile.
And so, Sangyeon gets off the bed, and that’s when you feel his comforting warmth leave you like a candle flame being abruptly blown out. You try to ignore the odd hitch of your breath, but it soon becomes clear that that feeling has come back. It’s hard to describe still, but it’s a mix of restlessness and hopelessness. Suddenly, you’re reminded of everything that’s gone wrong these past few days. Your eyes frantically dart around the room, remembering everything that you’ve failed to do today as well.
You regret that nod.
Desperately, and without even thinking, you reach out and grab hold of Sangyeon’s hand. You feel yourself tremble, and your heartbeat is picking up again.
“Wait,” you whisper, looking up at him. You’re already feeling your throat close up, embarrassingly enough. Sangyeon turns around in response, and his expression is full of worry.
“Hm?”
“I…” Your voice cracks, and you feel mortified. What were you thinking?
And that’s when you feel the tears begin to well up in your eyes.
You can just barely hear the small intake of breath that Sangyeon takes in at the sight. Quickly, he’s already kneeling down at the side of the bed, looking up at you with soft, gentle eyes. His gaze is full of concern as he watches the tears begin to dribble down your face.
“Y/n,” he whispers. “You can tell me what’s wrong. If you’d like to. I’ll listen, always.”
“I thought you already noticed,” you whisper.
Sangyeon’s eyes widen before he reaches over for your hand, taking it in his. “I did. But I didn’t want to pressure you into telling me what’s wrong. Not until you’re ready.”
You can’t help but cry more at his words. Still embarrassed, you try to turn your head away to hide your face, but Sangyeon’s quick to cup your cheek. With a small frown, he helps to wipe your tears with the pad of his thumb.
“I–” More tears escape. “I don’t even know what’s wrong.”
“So why are you crying, sweetheart?”
“It’s just–” You let out a frustrated sigh. “All the stress is over. There shouldn’t be more of it, not after– after last week. But the whole day, I’ve just… constantly felt restless. And sometimes I think about what’s already happened in the past, and then I get sad and–” You let out another sob. “It’s dumb.”
Sangyeon’s quiet. But, only for a moment, because he’s already getting up and sitting back down on the bed. Throughout all of this, his hand doesn’t leave your cheek as he holds you like you’re the most precious person ever.
“It’s not,” he finally says. “Not at all.” And he doesn’t say more after that. You feel strong arms wrap around your body, pulling you into a hug. It’s gentle, almost hesitant, as he makes sure you’re comfortable with it.
But when you melt into it, that’s when he holds you tighter. Your head rests against his chest, and you feel a few more tears escape.
“I know you’ve had a hard time,” Sangyeon mumbles, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “And even though it’s over, I’m sure it takes a bit to heal from it. There’s nothing wrong with that, my darling.” You feel a soothing hand begin to stroke your back. “But know that I’m here for you. Whenever you need, hm? Just call for me.”
The tears drip down your face, yet you feel yourself relaxing more and more.
“I’ll do anything,” Sangyeon continues. “I can help you clean up, take a walk with yo–”
“I just like being with you,” you huff with a sniffle. “You being here already makes me happy.”
Sangyeon squeezes you, something he likes to do when he finds you cute.
“That’s all that matters to me. You being happy.”
You try not to burst out into tears once more as you lean away and look him in the eye.
“What about you?” You ask, your voice trembling, full of emotion and love. “Are you happy?”
Sangyeon gives you a smile, his eyes sparkling as he looks at you and only you. “Of course I am. Because I have you, darling.”
You feel your face contort as more tears escape the corners of your eyes. Though these particular tears are not of sadness, not anymore. They’re more of… overwhelming love.
“So,” Sangyeon starts, brushing away a stray strand of your hair with a fond smile. “Is there anything else I can do to make you feel better?”
You scrunch your nose and try not to shy away from the expression he’s giving you. It’s full of affection and admiration for you. With a shake of your head, you reply, “I already feel better. But…” You give him a small smile. “Do whatever you think will work.”
Sangyeon’s gaze immediately falls to your lips, and you can already tell what he’s planning to do. He grins, and you can see that familiar twinkle in his eyes. “I’m no professional, but I think–” He suddenly leans in and presses a quick kiss to your lips. He pulls away with a hopeful, love-drunk gaze. “This might work,” he whispers before leaning back in, this time to kiss you on the cheek. You can’t help but giggle as he seems to lose an internal fight because soon enough, he’s pressing small kisses all over your face.
“Sangyeon–”
You can’t control the laughter that escapes you as he keeps on kissing you all over. At some point, he leans away and simply admires your happy expression with a fond smile of his own. Once you notice, your laughing dies down, and you begin to feel shy.
“Hey, pretty.”
You give him an embarrassed look but still respond with a teasing, “hi, handsome,” making your boyfriend smile even wider.
“I missed you so much,” he mumbles. “And–” Another kiss, this time on your lips again. This one is deeper, full of want, and the drying tears on your cheeks are now long forgotten. “I love you,” he whispers, his bottom lip brushing against yours.
You smile widely. “I love you too.”
“Mmh,” Sangyeon hums, looking at you with smugness. “You know I tell everyone about how lucky I am to have you, right?”
You gasp, your cheeks starting to burn. “You do?”
“Of course. I’m the luckiest man in the world,” he replies like it’s the easiest thing to say. His hand slides around your waist as he pulls you in for another kiss. “So don’t hesitate to tell me when you’re feeling down, hm?” His eyes soften. “Because I adore you. I’ll do anything to help you.”
You nod. You feel happy, now that he’s in front of you, showering you with endless love.
Yet again, Sangyeon has another surge of affection because he’s suddenly collapsing back on the bed and pulling you down with him. The two of you are face-to-face, and it’s then that you’re reminded of just how sleepy you are, your eyes drooping.
“Don’t leave,” you whisper.
“I would never. I’ll stay here in bed with you for as long as you’d like, darling.”
You smile to yourself. Then, you hum mischievously. “But… what if you have to use the bathroom?”
Sangyeon sighs, and he presses a kiss to the very top of your head. “Go to sleep already.”
You only giggle in response. “What if someone rings the doorbell?”
Sangyeon, whose eyes are already shut, shushes you as he holds you closer.
“What if it’s the police?”
“Y/n.”
“What if–”
He peeks an eye open adorably before he kisses you to finally make you stop talking. You smile against his lips and you don’t say anything more after that. With a sigh, you relax into his hold as the two of you drift off into sleep.
Miraculously, there is something better than staring and admiring that lovely picture of the two of you, framed on the wall. And that is waking up in the morning to the sweet and forever love of your life as he gives you a bright, lovely smile to start the day.
SUMMARY: in which husband sangyeon comes home late at night to comfort you about being the best mother for your daughter
PAIRING: husband!Sangyeon x f!reader
GENRE: established marriage, fluff, angst, hurt/comfort
WARNINGS: pg-13, kissing, crying, self-doubt, mentions of sickness
WORD COUNT: 1,526
A/N: my sangyeon depression is getting worse each day pls bring him back 😔❤️🩹 thank you @jinkoh @kyaroscuro for encouraging me to write this ily both sm 🫶🏻
The soft lavender scent filled the air when Sangyeon opened the front door and entered the apartment.
It was already way past midnight at this point, and he felt bad for coming back home this late. Being able to juggle being an idol and a dad was no easy task, but he has always made sure to split his time properly to spend time with his family as well.
Unfortunately, practice ended much later than usual as he was preparing for the upcoming new album with his group and couldn’t join you for dinner. Seeing how all the lights dimmed down with only the little dumpling-shaped lamp on the counter in the living room shining in the dark meant that you had gone off to put your little daughter to sleep first.
With that, he gently placed his backpack on the floor before quickly washing his hands as he slowly made his way to your daughter's room. Slowly, he pushed open the door to see both of his princesses sleeping soundly on the bed—his little one laying on her back with her arms stretched out above her head while his beautiful wife laid her hands on your daughter’s belly.
A smile instantly formed on his lips as he slowly hovered over both of you—being very careful not to wake both of you up as he gently bent down to plant a kiss on both of your foreheads. What he didn’t realise was that you weren’t too deep in your slumber, and you immediately started squirming around before you opened up your eyes to see your beloved husband on top of you.
“You’re back,” you groggily replied before sitting yourself up to give him a little peck on his lips. “I’ll heat up some leftovers for you in the kitchen.”
Both you and Sangyeon took little steps to avoid waking up your daughter as you headed out of the room. He closed the door behind him but left it slightly ajar so that you could hear if your daughter started to cry. Instantly, Sangyeon plopped down onto the dining table as he stretched his back, which resulted in a crack that filled the quiet area.
“Someone’s getting old, isn’t he?” You teased, muffling a little giggle while you heated some fresh dumplings you made this morning on the steamer.
“Cut me some slack. Our new choreo is one of the hardest we’ve ever had to learn in all these years of being in the group. Hell, we only have less than a month left for our schedule comeback,” he sulked while massaging his shoulders.
“There, there. I’ll give you a little massage before we sleep later with your favourite body oil,” you reassured him while placing the heated-up dumplings and the culinary before him.
The moment the food arrived on his plate, his eyes sparkled, and he quickly decided to dig in—clearly forgetting that it was a literal soup dumpling that caused him to burn his tongue. You chuckled at the sight of your silly little husband, and you quickly grabbed one tissue to wipe off the dripping soup down his mouth.
Just when you were almost done cleaning him up, Sangyeon suddenly grabbed hold of your wrist, stopping you with whatever you were doing to look up bewildered at him.
“Your eyes are swollen,” he said firmly before he moved one of his fingers to gently stroke your undereyes, which were clearly puffy from whatever had caused it.
Your heart skipped a beat, and you tried your best to avoid the topic altogether. “O-Oh no! The steam was coming out as I was heating up the dumplings for you. I probably stood a little too close to the stove-”
“Y/N. You know you’ve always been a horrible liar, right?”
You should’ve known Sangyeon could read you like an open book. After all these years together, he’s memorised your every habit and detail. One thing’s certain—you underestimated just how easily his sharp eyes could see through the darkness and catch the truth behind your puffy ones.
Slowly, you heaved a little sigh before slumping your shoulders in defeat and looking down at your lap. “Little one has gotten a high fever this afternoon, and I rushed her to the doctor.”
Sangyeon's eyes immediately widen upon hearing the news, so much so that he puts his chopsticks down and pushes his dinner aside before gently holding his hands in his. Before he could even ask for more details, you finally started sobbing and started blurting out all the chaos that happened earlier today.
“I-It was so scary- All of a sudden she was breathing heavily and her entire body was heating up rapidly and I didn’t know what to do- I quickly dashed out of the door and ran to a nearby hospital- and then- and then-” you choked on your tears until Sangyeon began rubbing your hands with his thumbs, causing you to look up at him.
You expected him to get all frantic and upset because his little princess got caught up in this chaos while he was away. You figured that any parent would have reacted the same way, and he would start grueling you with hundreds of questions about how it all went. Or worse, start giving you a lecture about how you didn’t take good care of your daughter and how you could’ve prevented her from getting sick.
But instead, there were only those soft, concerned eyes that were watching you patiently. He didn’t interrupt nor rushed you—he just listened. And when you were done, Sangyeon simply pulled you into a hug.
Rubbing your back and planting a kiss on your forehead, he simply asked: “But you two are okay now, right?”.
You didn’t know why that was more than enough to break you down badly, and you tightened the hug to bury your face in his now wet-soaked shirt, trying your best to muffle your voices not to wake your daughter up.
You simply nodded to respond to Sangyeon’s question before letting yourself completely loosen up in his embrace—making you feel like you’ve swapped roles with your daughter instead.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Sangyeon gently asked, and you could tell that there was a little hesitation in his voice, knowing that he wasn’t going to ask questions that would make the situation worse.
“I-I didn’t want to bother you at work…you’re so busy with the new album and such…and I feel like I haven’t done enough as a mother-”
“Woah, stop right there, miss.” Sangyeon immediately pulled you up before resting his forehead against yours. “What makes you think you’re being a bad mother?”
You sniffled. “I mean- You’re the breadwinner of the family. You’re talented, and you literally do everything in the house—fixing broken pipes, playing with our daughter, taking her to nursery despite your busy schedule. I just feel like I’m never doing as enough-”
“Lee Y/N. Why did you think I chose you to become my wife?”
“Huh?”
“Because you’re literally the best one that’s out there that I know I’ll have a blast creating this perfect family with. You’re admirable and courageous, and you’re always pushing yourself to the limits in everything you do.”
A teardrop suddenly fell from the corners of your eyes with your mouth agape from hearing those unspoken words by Sangyeon for the very first time. Sure, he has always been a sweet talker and has given you plenty of praises throughout your relationship, but this one just hits differently.
With that, he rubbed off that little teardrop with his thumb before pinching your cheeks slightly to tease you a little before continuing with his carefully chosen words.
“Family always comes first for me, and I would think that’s what every parent would say out there. So never feel like you’re alone in this. Even if I were busy with work, I would drop everything in a heartbeat to return home to my family.”
“Don’t be silly, you can’t just ditch your job and run,” you argued as you wiped off another teardrop on your sweater.
“I can, and I will. You and little one are literally the reason I exist, and you both come first before anything else. So don’t shoulder this all alone again, are we clear?”
You snorted at the last few words. “What are you? My parents?”
“I’m your beloved husband whom you love dearly, so yes you will listen to me,” he winks before earning a little slap on his shoulder.
“What was that for!”
Before he could say a word, you leaned in and pressed your lips to his—quietly soaking in the weight of everything you’ve shared, treating this as a silent thank-you for all he’s done and all the moments you’ve built together.
Sangyeon responded just as tenderly, deepening the kiss as his thumb traced your lower lip, coaxing it down to gain a little more access to his liking. Then, he slowly pulled back, brushing his nose against yours with a soft, lingering touch.
“I love you, Y/N. And I would give up anything to be with you for the rest of my life.”
PAIRING » tbz kim sunwoo x fem!reader
TROPE/AU » established relationship au!, non-idol au!, the slightest friends to lovers (from their backstory)
GENRE » sunwoo is so whipped for you, fluffy fluff fluff fluff, the slight tinge of angst, non-sexual undressing (reader is on her period and sunwoo is lovely and helps you change!), sunwoo being so in love with you, caring boyfriend kim sunwoo, reader blushing because sunwoo is so whipped for you, sunwoo reassuring you that staining the bed and his clothes that you're wearing is not a big deal at all, kim sunwoo is whipped for you (...did i say that already—), fast proofread once!
WORD COUNT » 1593
ESTIMATED READING TIME » ~6 mins
WARNINGS (lmk if i missed anything!) » reader is on her period, emotional rollercoaster for the reader (period hormones), descriptions of blood, undressing (non-sexual!)
navi/masterlist!! 🤍
thank you for reading @deobienthusiast, @sohnric !! 💕
...also i'm so soft for this scenario 😭
Maybe it’s the love instinct that woke him up.
Sunwoo isn’t one to wake up in the middle of his slumber, content with the rest he would be awarded after the long days of yawning and the tears that would spring to his eyes whenever he did so. Maybe he woke up because his bed was warmer than usual with your presence next to him, hiding your face into his chest while you let out soft snores from your slightly gaped lips, unaware of the affectionate gaze falling upon you.
Though the sleep is still in his eyes, he couldn’t help but coo at your sleeping figure. The corner of his lips pulled into a smile, content with how peaceful you looked after yesterday's long crying session. His fingers brush the hair strands that inconveniently block your side view, taking multiple attempts due to how gentle Sunwoo is being to keep you asleep.
“You’re so beautiful,” he confesses with a forehead kiss.
You respond with a few shuffles making his eyes slightly widen, his whole body automatically staying still. Light groaning and mumbles fall out of you and your eyes still haven’t opened, your brain pushing you closer to the chest that acted as a barrier with the sunset. Sunwoo chuckles when you exhale in satisfaction with his hand on the back of your head to bring you closer.
“You’re too cute.” He’s so in love with you, his heart combusting with every small thing you do. “I’m so thankful you’re mine.”
If you were fully conscious, you would have responded with words or at least gestures that would convey the same meaning as the ones he just said. But unfortunately, the stomach of your muscles constricts and the crease between your eyebrows truly alerted Sunwoo, the feeling of drowsiness completely gone.
“Sun…woo…” The pain pulls you of out his hold, your hands flying to your abdomen as if you’re trying to keep the body part together from falling out.
“What? What’s wrong?” His body immediately sits up, one hand on your sweating forehead, the other clenching one of your hands on your lower body. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m here.”
His eyes answered his growing anxiety, the colour seeping through his bedsheets. At first, his eyebrows knitted in confusion as he recalls seeing the tracker on his phone; you’re a few days early, it’s happened before but never this early. His body springs into action first, jumping on his feet to carry your whimpering body to the bathroom.
“Bubs.” He tries to distract you from the pain. The cover of the toilet seat clangs against its tank, Sunwoo slamming it open to get you to sit properly. “Tell me what I can do to help. Do you need anything?”
You try your best to answer but only incoherent words strung out of your shaking lips, eyes twinkling with tears due to the kicks and pushes on your whole lower body that is slowly spreading and growing worse by the second. With no proper response given, Sunwoo could only frown at your situation. His knees try to be comfortable against the cold tiles, eyes observing your every motion.
He would take your pain away if he could.
The way your body curls in front of him, arms tightly wrapped around your middle and the way the sweat trickles down your nape, making your body temperature spike uncomfortably. A curse is heard from your boyfriend when your sobs grow louder.
“It’s never hurt this much before.” And he’s never seen you in this much pain before. “I hate this…”
“I know, I know.” Sunwoo validates your feelings. He offers his comfort with the circling motions on your knees. “Should I get you a heat pack? The chicken and corn soup from down the streets? Warm water?”
“I-I don’t know…” You shook your head. “I’m sorry I stained your sheets and clothes…”
“Hey…” Sunwoo shakes his head firmly, “That stuff doesn’t matter to me, okay? Don’t even think of those insignificant things right now.” Sunwoo kisses the tip of your sweaty nose, reassuring you further.
Just like on cue, a lightbulb flashes on top of his head, recalling an episode that his sister told him about when she was having her own time. The realisation didn’t go past you and you just watched lifelessly when he ran out of the room to grab your spare underwear and the new pack of pads from the bottom cabinet.
“S-Sunwoo?”
You know that Sunwoo has always been a caring boyfriend. Observant and always keeping an eye on you in case you need any sort of hand. When you were both just friends, he had always held your hand whilst crossing the street or given you a pack of tissues whenever you started your meal—mind you you were already in high school at this point.
It's always sent your heart fluttering, your face flushed and your arms around his whenever he's by your side.
Just when you thought that Sunwoo couldn't get any more observant, the way he peels the pad from its plastic cover, scrunching the piece of paper that covered the adhesive and patting the cotton on the right side of the fabric, he shows again that he still has love to give you.
That he still loves you ever since he laid his eyes on you and shows that the words are true.
Sunwoo turns around, his hands on the waistband of the clothing, proud of his best work. For a second his gesture made your eyelids collect the tears that have been threatening to fall, and Sunwoo strides to you once more.
“I can see your thoughts, bubs.” Kneeling once more, his hands came up to stroke your cheeks, “It's not disgusting okay? It's part of your life to have periods.”
Sunwoo offers to at least have you change into some fresh clothes, his plan including helping you change out of your dirty underwear that is making you squirm and sensitive. The shake of your head renders Sunwoo hopeless, slowly seeing the arising panic start to show in your eyes.
“No…” It's when you realise once again just how much the time of your month renders you useless. The pressing of your arms on your stomach becomes stronger in hopes of relieving some pain. “I can't let you see that…that'll be too much…”
“I won't even look at your garment! I'll keep my eyes on you the whole time and I'll just throw it in the bathtub okay?” A thumb is thrown to the side to indicate the direction. “I can't let you be in pain and be uncomfortable like this, bubs.” A soothing press on the lips gets your mind back in place, and feel more connected to the present.
Your tired eyes open, greeting a pair of fond ones, Sunwoo scrunching his nose up cutely and bopping the tip of his nose with yours mischievously. The sound of your laughter relieves him, eventually urging him to press another peck to your lips.
“Promise you won’t leave me after this?”
“Stupid girl, I won’t leave you!” He shakes his head with the brightest smile on his face. “There’s no way I would do that to you.”
Sunwoo coils his hand tightly with yours, his thumb running over your skin before he lets out an exhale followed by an ‘okay’. You nod to him, understanding the meaning behind his words. He puts his hands gently on your hips, another series of circular motions over the fabric of his stained shirt. Gentle and slow—it makes your emotions bounce all over the small bathroom, crying and thankful for the forehead kiss he gives once more.
“I won’t look okay?” You smile, genuinely trusting his words.
You scrunch your (boyfriend’s) shirt to your waistline from the side to let Sunwoo hook the item of clothing underneath. The shirt still covered your private parts, it being oversized enough to keep that part of yourself hidden. Sunwoo keeps his eye contact with your half-lidded eyes, making silly faces to cheer you up—his eyes tell a different story though.
“Done!” He flicks the tinted clothing to the bathtub away from both of your eyes. “Alright?” Checking on you.
“More than alright.” A wave of relief washes over you as soon as the clean cotton piece snaps on your hips. You stretched the ache of your ached back, straightening up and relaxing your posture. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He rises from his knees, cupping your face between the palms of his hands. “You’re so adorable.” Squishing your cheeks despite the complaints you gave him with the red hues on your skin.
But your mind runs back to the white sheets of his bed behind the door and your lower lips juts in guilt. Before you could even say anything else, Sunwoo places your chin between the pads of his thumb and pointer, tilting your head slightly to accommodate for the height difference.
“I’ll change it.” Whispering against your lips. “I’ll get you some warm water so you just rest your body for a bit more and I’ll change it.”
Apologies wouldn’t work on him. You know that’s not what he wants this to be. “Thank you. Cuddles after?”
Like a delighted child, excited with the mention of his favourite thing to do with you, Sunwoo skips out of the bathroom and you hear the plush of the pillows and duvet that plops on the floor amongst the other rowdy things.
“You can compensate with as many cuddles and kisses as I want when I’m done!”
navi/masterlist!! 🤍
tags (send a dm/ask if you would like to be here!): @deoboyznet 📢❤️ @k-labels 💙🤍 @k-films 🤎🎞️ @kflixnet 📺🍿 @heemingyu
when you notice a new and cute barista working at your favorite cafe, disappointingly, your first impression is that he's just a flirt. but, once his eyes land on you, he's an absolute mess, unable to come up with a single pick-up line.
genre: cafe au, loser barista sunwoo, reader who likes to tease, flirting (sometimes successful), flowers and iced chai lattes <3, confessions, getting together, kissing
notes: surprise!
word count: 6k
There’s a certain ambience that you’ve always adored when it comes to cafes. There’s the familiar hiss of the coffee machine as well as the soothing chatter of the customers–you like to eavesdrop on some of their conversations for the fun of it. Then, there’s the warm lighting and the gorgeous decorations such as vases full of well-kept plants.
Oh, and there’s a really cute barista right there behind the counter.
A new barista, one that you’ve never seen before. You’ve been coming to this cafe for years, so much that you’ve even become close friends with the staff and have practically tried everything on the menu. Well, except for the experimental concoction that Eric, one of the baristas you do know, attempts to convince you to try. You’d much rather not be poisoned, thank you very much.
But this barista, whom you can’t even get a glimpse of his nametag from where you’re standing, is… well, if you can’t say cute again, then he’s certainly a captivating sight. His hair curls slightly at the ends, falling over his face in the loveliest way. His eyes are bright and caring as he listens to the customer’s order.
And then you feel your heart skip a beat at his smile. He smiles gorgeously. Perhaps you’ve never seen such a perfect man in your life. He even scrunches his nose slightly as he converses with the woman in front of him. You shut your eyes momentarily and take a long, deep breath.
You wonder if this is what love at first sight feels like.
Still, the cute barista with an even cuter smile is so close yet so far–with the only barrier being… the line of people in front of you. Normally, you wouldn’t mind waiting, but this–this is kind of important.
You’re snapped out of your thoughts when you hear a high-pitched laugh. You look up, wondering if it oddly came from that man when you realize that it’s actually from the customer he’s talking to. The woman is giggling uncontrollably as the barista tells her a joke. She even covers her face, as if she’s flustered, and then he–he winks.
You can see the sparkle in his eyes as he watches the customer’s shy reaction before he waves her goodbye to pick up her drink on the other side of the counter.
You feel your hopeful smile drop.
The next customer arrives, and you watch carefully. It seems normal at first as she tells him her order. But then, that very same charming smile appears on his lips as he seems to be complimenting her hair. And just like some sort of cycle, that customer starts giggling too, even reaching over to lightly punch him on the shoulder. And instead of questioning her action, he only seems to grow more confident.
You turn to the side and catch a glimpse of Eric, staring in absolute disgust. You start to join in on the same expression.
So he’s one of those types of guys–the type to flirt with whoever comes his way without paying attention to their actual feelings. You sigh, disappointed. What were you expecting?
Suddenly, your phone lights up. It’s a message from a friend that you were supposed to meet at this place.
i can’t find the cafe :(
You stare in disbelief at your phone before typing back.
??? ok, i’ll stand outside so you can see me
You take one last glance at the barista, who’s now flirting with yet another customer. You roll your eyes before leaving the line, exiting the cafe with slumped shoulders.
–
“So where’s this cute barista?” Younghoon says, much too loud for your liking, as the two of you enter the cafe together this time.
You shush him, afraid that he’ll hear, especially as the line has pretty much disappeared. “I said he’s cute, but you do know he’s one of those,” you frantically reply in a hushed tone.
Younghoon stares at you, clueless. “What do you mea–”
You shake your head. “Let’s talk about this later. He’ll probably hear…” You turn towards the counter, only to realize that he’s gone. You blink. “Huh. Nevermind. I guess he got fired for flirting too much.”
–
The next day comes and the thought of that gorgeous barista has left your mind. Well, momentarily until you walk through the door of the cafe and see him standing right there. You gasp and turn around almost immediately.
Then, you catch your reflection in the window and you clear your throat, straightening up. You scoff to yourself. What am I thinking? You know what he’s like. There’s no way you’re going to try to engage anything now, knowing he’d probably flirt with you just like he did with those other customers.
You fix your clothes and walk up to the counter, albeit a little cautiously.
The man still doesn’t look up from the cash register as he speaks, “What can I get for you today?”
You stand silently, staring at him, trying to get a proper glimpse of his face for… research purposes, of course. Once he notices your silence, that’s when he decides to look up.
And his whole facial expression changes. No longer does he have that confident look in his eyes and a smile on his face like you saw him yesterday. Instead, his eyes are wide, dumbfounded as he searches yours.
You blink, staring back.
His gaze travels across your face before he suddenly clears his throat and looks away. It’s almost like he’s embarrassed… from mere eye contact.
You peer at him suspiciously before finally responding. “Could I get an iced chai latte?”
He continues to look at you without a single word. The only thing that’s similar is the sparkle in his eyes. It’s almost like he’s admiring you. But there’s no way. You’re just a stranger that he’s just met.
Still, you give him a small smile.
That certainly doesn’t seem to help as you start to notice his ears turning red.
“Yes,” he chokes out, rushing to put the order in.
You look at him, your small smile turning more into a wider, fond one. He’s… different today. He’s not that charming, flirty guy anymore. Rather he’s– he’s a mess. And you have no idea why.
“Is that all?” He fumbles before taking the card from your hand. The tips of your fingers brush against his skin, and his eyes widen even further.
“Mhm.” You grin before finally taking a glance at his nametag. “Sunwoo.”
He pauses before looking up. Then, he tries to school that charming smile on his face, and he even attempts to give you a flirty look. But you can easily see past him. “You know my name?”
You raise an eyebrow before pointing to the name card that’s attached to his apron. “Well, I know it now.”
“Oh,” he breathes. “Right.” The tips of his ears are bright red now as he hands you the receipt. “It was nice meeting you…” He looks at you questioningly.
“Y/n,” you reply with a quiet laugh.
Sunwoo smiles, and this smile is much more genuine than all the others that you’ve seen. He gives you a kind look and an awkward wave. “It was nice meeting you, Y/n.”
You smile back.
“See you around, Sunwoo.” You give him a playful look before leaving to pick up your drink, completely missing the way he lets out a shaky breath before practically collapsing over the counter.
–
“He’s different.”
Younghoon wiggles his eyebrows. “How so?”
You hum, perplexed. “It’s like he couldn’t think properly when he saw me.”
“I say that is love at first sight.”
You sputter. “Absolutely not!”
–
Two days pass, and you finally have time to stop by the cafe again. And just as you expected–or, hoped–Sunwoo’s standing behind the counter again. He seems to be distracted by the nearby window, but once he hears your footsteps approaching, his eyes almost light up immediately, much like an eager puppy.
“Hey, Sunwoo,” you say.
“Hey,” he responds, his voice soft as he looks over your outfit. “That color suits you.”
“Does it really?” You smile.
He nods quietly.
“Thank you,” you say, a little flustered. The two of you simply stare at each other, almost stupidly. Of course, you’re the first to snap out of it. “Another iced chai latte, please?”
Sunwoo swallows thickly as he puts in the order once again. As you give him your card, you notice that he looks like he really wants to say something, but you’re not exactly sure what his intentions are.
A few moments of silence pass before he finally takes a deep breath and—
“I’m sorry.”
Your mouth falls open. That’s certainly not what you were expecting.
This barista that you’ve just met a few days ago is already apologizing. For what, you have no idea.
“Is there… is there no iced chai latte left?” You ask dumbly.
“Oh no,” Sunwoo laughs nervously. “I just– here.” He hastily gives you the receipt. “I think I came off weird the first time we met.”
“Ah,” you breathe before letting out a soft laugh. “You mean when you stared at me instead of taking my order?”
“Yes. That.”
“Hm,” you hum, amused. “Well, I wasn’t exactly weirded out if that’s what you’re wondering. I’m just curious.”
Sunwoo gulps. “A-about what?”
“I mean, why stare at me like that? I’ve seen the way you flirt with customers. What’s different with me?” You tilt your head teasingly.
“I just…” He glances off to the side, and that’s when you notice Eric standing in the back, cheering him on. “I thought you were pretty,” he whispers.
Suddenly, it’s your turn to feel embarrassed, heat rushing to your cheeks almost immediately. Still, you remain composed. Well, much more composed than how Sunwoo is right now. He’s a mess. Again.
“You could have told me that.”
“I did, just now.”
“I mean back then.”
“I was nervous,” he blurts out.
You burst out giggling, thoroughly enjoying the way he’s growing more and more embarrassed by the second. After catching your breath, you continue, “Well, I’m flattered. You’re cute yourself.”
Sunwoo gazes at you with wide eyes before looking away immediately. “Thank you,” he mumbles as he glances at you with a small, shy smile.
You grin before giving him a quiet wave. Just as you’re about to head off, Sunwoo suddenly stops you.
“Are you… are you coming back tomorrow?”
You widen your eyes and turn to him. You weren’t planning to, but now, noticing the way he has this adorably hopeful look on his face, you smile and give him a nod. “If you’d like me to.”
“I do. I’d really like that. A lot.”
You can’t help but laugh again. He really is an absolute mess.
–
Just as promised, you visit the cafe the next day. It’s a beautiful day, and as you walk in, you try not to get too distracted by the sunlight hitting the slope of Sunwoo’s nose. You clear your throat, ignoring your heart beat picking up, as you approach him.
“Isn’t the weather beautiful today?” You ask with a bright smile.
Sunwoo’s eyes soften as he looks you over before he nods. “It certainly is.”
You’re not sure if he’s really talking about the weather.
“Anyway…” You continue, leaning your hip against the counter. It’s almost embarrassing how eager you are to keep talking to this barista whom you’ve assumed was just a flirt. But now… he’s so much more than that. He’s sweet and honestly brightens your day more than the sun ever could. “How’s your day been?” You stutter momentarily. “I–I mean I know you’ve just been working but I’m still curious, you know–”
“Red.”
You pause and slowly turn your head towards Sunwoo, baffled.
“What?”
Sunwoo stares back, eyes adorably wide. “What?”
You bite your lip, holding back the laugh that threatens to escape you. “You just said that your day was red.” You glance out the nearby window. “The sky is blue as far as I’m concerned.”
“Oh.” Sunwoo, clearly embarrassed, reaches for a nearby towel and starts vigorously cleaning the counter, trying to avoid eye contact as much as possible. You observe him with amusement. “I thought– I just meant–” He sighs, dropping the towel in defeat before looking back up to you. “Red suits you.”
You widen your eyes and look down, remembering that you are, in fact, wearing red today. A small smirk appears on your lips as you give him a fond look. “That’s not what I asked, Sunwoo.”
“What did you ask?”
“How was your day?”
“Better now that you’re here.”
“Oh,” you breathe. And that laugh that you’ve been trying to hold back for so long finally escapes. You can’t control it as you feel yourself smile wider and wider. Sunwoo is silent, seeming to watch you giggle at his attempt at flirting. Once you catch your breath, you notice the way he’s looking at you like he could melt any moment.
Now that’s what makes your cheeks heat up.
But you won’t mention that.
“You’re quite the flirt aren’t you?” You finally say as Sunwoo continues to look at you with this… adorably hopeful look.
“I’m trying,” he mumbles.
“It’s a good attempt,” you joke. A pause. “Keep at it.”
He looks up at you, eyes sparkling. “Is it working?”
“Nope.”
His shoulders slump, and he gives you a sulky look. Oh, how you love to tease him. In truth, it kind of is working, but not in the typical way that flirting usually affects people. It’s more like you find him cute simply because he’s trying.
“Well… I’ll see you around?” You ask.
Sunwoo gives you yet another sulky look. “Tomorrow?”
See, you really weren’t planning to come to this cafe every day but now… because of him, you guess it’ll just have to be a new routine. You try not to think of the iced chai lattes that will start building up on your credit card bill.
“Sure.”
–
The next day, as you walk into the cafe, you’re wholeheartedly disappointed to find that Sunwoo is nowhere to be seen behind the counter. Eric seems to be busy trying to fix the broken coffee machine. With a sigh, you’re about to turn around when suddenly, you feel a poke on your shoulder.
You jump, whipping your head to the side, only to find Sunwoo standing right in front of you. Yet again, your heart skips a beat as you notice his true height, and oh, he’s much more handsome up close.
It takes you a few more seconds to finally think of anything to say, too mesmerized by this stupidly cute barista standing before you.
“Shouldn’t you be behind the counter?”
You feel yourself cringe on the inside. That’s all I could think of?
Sunwoo grins and shrugs. “I’m on break.”
“Actually,” Eric suddenly calls out. “He saw that you were coming and decided to take a break.”
You turn to look at him, silently questioning if it’s true. Sunwoo’s reddening ears are enough of an answer.
“Well…” You think for a moment before giving him a shy look. “This is great! Because I have something I want to show you.”
Sunwoo doesn’t get a chance to answer as you lead him out of the cafe and towards a nearby patch of grass, lined with round stones, just on the side of the building. You have no idea where this miniature garden came from, but it’s become one of your favorite things ever.
Some flowers have begun to bloom, signalling the coming of the new spring season. They’re colorful, just as you’ve always liked it. The two of you crouch down, observing as they sway against the light breeze.
You turn to look at him, only to realize just how close your faces are. Sunwoo’s gaze is soft as he observes your features with a small smile.
“I… know we’ve only recently met,” you begin, your voice hushed for some reason. “But I just wanted to show you this. I always keep an eye on these flowers, waiting for them to bloom. It’s always so beautiful.”
Sunwoo listens intently, yet it’s clear he’s also very distracted, admiring you. You can see the gears turning in his head as he opens his mouth. “Just–”
“Just like you.” You beat him to it. “Is that what you were going to say?”
Sunwoo gapes at you before groaning, letting out a frustrated, “yes.” He narrows his eyes. “You’re no fun.”
You laugh, bumping your shoulder against his playfully. “Flirting doesn’t work on me.”
“I figured,” he sighs as the both of you stand up.
You’re about to head back into the cafe when Sunwoo suddenly calls your name. You turn around, surprised.
“So what does work?”
“What?”
Sunwoo gives you a hopeful look as he steps closer. His hair blows messily in the wind, and your hand twitches to pat it down.
“If flirting doesn’t work, then what will?” He asks, his voice quiet.
You give him a teasing smile. “I’m not sure. You’ll just have to experiment.” And then you’re quickly turning around, rushing back into the cafe.
Sunwoo rolls his eyes fondly as he follows after you.
–
You learn new things all the time. For example, you’ve learned that Sunwoo’s not only an awkward and endearing mess, but he’s also a very, very determined person. Almost every day that you visit the cafe, he’s come up with some “genius” plan to win you over. It’s like he has some sort of mental checklist, trying new things in hopes of making you smile and perhaps, make you flustered in the process.
One day, you left the cafe with both an iced chai latte and… a flower.
–
You stare in shock at the flower in Sunwoo’s hand. It’s pretty, that’s for sure, with its light purple petals. He holds it out to you with a nervous look on his face.
“Giving gifts now?” You ask, biting back a smile.
Sunwoo nods, and you notice the way his hand shakes ever so slightly. Oh, he really is nervous.
“Is it working?”
“Maybe,” you tease as you gently take it from him, ignoring the spark as your fingers graze each other. “But why this particular one?” You ask, observing it closely in awe.
Sunwoo hums. “It reminded me of you.”
Then, he reaches over and takes it from your hand. You stare in both disbelief and offense. You were pretty sure the flower was meant for you. You’re about to scold him when suddenly, Sunwoo brings the flower up and tucks it into your hair. His touch is gentle as he carefully brushes away any strands that are in the way.
You feel yourself freeze, unable to think until finally, Sunwoo leans back, observing you with an admiring look.
“The color suits you too.”
You’re speechless for a moment before you quickly compose yourself. “Hey, Sunwoo.”
Sunwoo seems to be mesmerized by you as he continues to foolishly smile. “Hm?”
“I’ve noticed something.”
“And that is?”
“You always notice colors when it comes to me.” You recall the countless times that he’s said that a color suits you, whether it be because of your outfit or a pin in your hair. You’re pretty sure you could wear every color that exists and he’d still say the same thing. “Why?” You lean slightly over the counter, peering at him mischievously. “I’m curious.”
Sunwoo’s cheeks are tinted pink as he stares at you. He seems to think for a moment, as if trying to come up with the best answer possible.
“Because…” He adjusts the flower in your hair. “You already catch my eye. You always do. I just think that every color only makes you even more beautiful.”
Your breath catches in your throat as you lean away in surprise. You sincerely hope that you’re not blushing right now because his words certainly… You blink profusely. There’s no way the flirting actually worked on you. You blink again. Was it even flirting? No, he was being genuine.
You look at him, only to find that Sunwoo’s equally as embarrassed. Then, he asks that very same question again.
“Did it work?”
“No,” you lie, unable to control the slight tremor in your voice.
And you expect him to sulk, but instead, he’s giving you a knowing look. He’s smiling now, too. Oh god, he’s noticed.
“Are you sure?” He teases. “Because it seems to have affected you quite a bit–”
“Not at all,” you sputter, hurriedly taking the flower out of your hair. You give him a weak glare before turning around and hurrying out of the cafe.
Oh, and the flower still sits in your vase, becoming the first thing you see every morning. But, you wouldn’t dare tell Sunwoo that.
—
A week passes and the cafe has started to become your most frequently visited place. For no particular reason at all!
The relationship you have with Sunwoo only grows sweeter by the second. Every conversation you have leaves you smiling for hours after. Besides his horrible attempts at swooning you, you adore his naturally sweet personality. He always listens, even when you go off random tangents. There was one time that you were particularly tired and Sunwoo had noticed right away. He lowered his voice into a gentle tone and you could see in his eyes the way he would subtly check if you’re alright.
The vase that you have has slowly started to grow with a colorful collection of flowers, all of which he would say “reminded me of you.” If a flower dies, he would help replace it with a prettier one.
Your heart pounds over and over again when you’re with this ridiculously cute barista.
One day, you walk in, only to see him chatting with a customer. She’s gorgeous, you notice, and that’s when you feel a weird feeling in your chest, as if your heart is twisting.
You watch silently, seeing the way Sunwoo smiles at her and laughs.
Now obviously, it’s not like you two are dating or anything. Perhaps feeling jealousy is just a normal occurrence.
Suddenly, the woman turns around and glances at you. She gives you a sweet smile before turning back around. You watch in disbelief as she leans closer and whispers something into Sunwoo’s ear before walking away to sit down at one of the tables.
With a low sigh, you approach the counter.
“The usual,” you mumble, unable to look the man in the eye.
“Y/n. I have to tell you something.”
Your heart picks up, and you look up at him.
It barely registers, the way he reaches over and gently tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. He gives you a smile, one that makes your breath hitch.
“I think I have a crush on you.”
You widen your eyes and jerk back. “W-what?” You stammer, unable to control the heat that creeps up your neck. “You— you can’t just start a conversation with that! Are you okay?”
Sunwoo nods but you can tell he’s suffering inside, so incredibly embarrassed. He’s unable to look you in the eye as he asks once again, “Did it work?”
You stare incredulously.
Then, he glances to the side frantically, as if to beg for help. You can see it in his gaze as if he’s trying to say, hey, this is not working like you said it would!
You narrow your eyes, wondering who he’s even looking at. “Was it… did Eric put you up to this? You know you should never ask him for any advice.”
“No,” he groans. “It was her.” He nods his head towards that very same woman from before. You look back and see that she’s still sitting there, watching the scene before her unfold with an amused look on her face. “My sister,” Sunwoo continues.
You gape. His sister? Slowly, it dawns on you. “Did you… ask her for advice? About me?”
“No,” Sunwoo scrambles to say. He winces when he notices the way you’re looking at him unimpressed before he sighs. “Maybe. I was hoping her idea would work.”
“Good try.” You smile knowingly. Honestly, you think it’s adorable how he even went to his sister for help. Still, you find yourself a little confused.
Sunwoo’s still looking at you with hope. It’s almost like he’s waiting for an answer.
Instead, you choose to ask a question.
“Did you mean it?”
“What?”
“Did you really mean what you said?”
Sunwoo looks at you in disbelief. “I mean—“ He stops and sighs. “Okay. I need to do this properly. Just give me a chance.” It seems like he’s speaking more to himself than you and now you’re even more confused.
“What are you planning this time—“
Sunwoo reaches over and grabs your already prepared drink because yes, he prepares them in advance for you now. You watch as he picks up a pen and writes on the side of the cup before handing it to you.
You take it, your hand brushing against his briefly—something that the two of you sort of, maybe, do on purpose sometimes.
“See you later, Y/n.” He gives you a nervous smile.
You feel like you have just been played. How could he say that he has a crush on you and then act like nothing happened?
Holding the drink in your hand, you exit the cafe. You’re about to call Younghoon and complain about this whole situation when you suddenly remember that you saw Sunwoo write on the cup. Curiously, you hold it up and read the message he’s left behind.
my break is at 1 tomorrow. walk with me?
p.s. i meant it by the way.
He even drew a small cat winking. It was slightly messy but a good effort.
You read the words over and over again before you feel a stupid smile grow on your face. You bite your lip as a pathetic attempt to stop it as you turn around to see through the window, Sunwoo, head in hands as he rambles to his sister about how he had absolutely messed up.
You sigh fondly.
Oh, how you can’t wait for tomorrow.
–
You arrive exactly before one and you don’t bother to order a drink this time. No amount of caffeine can compare to the energy you feel as you walk in and see that Sunwoo isn’t behind the counter, but rather waiting for you right at the door.
He smiles, always so eager to see you.
“I was hoping you’d read my message.”
You roll your eyes. “How could I not?”
Sunwoo scrunches his nose slightly before gesturing to the door–the one that you just entered through. “So…” He tilts his head unsurely. “Would you care to join me?”
“For a walk?” You ask in a teasing tone.
“For a walk.”
“Of course,” you giggle as the two of you leave together, hands brushing just the slightest.
It’s a beautiful day–the sky is clear, the temperature is just right, and there’s a really, really cute barista right next to you. He’s cute in all sorts of ways. He has big eyes, full lips, and a heart-stopping smile. His hair ruffles adorably in the wind. He rambles about mundane things and gets happy when you respond. He also likes to listen to you quietly, looking at you as if you’re the sole person in the world.
“Would you consider this a date?” You drop the question out of nowhere, just as the two of you turn the corner.
Sunwoo almost trips. Though once he regains his balance, he turns to you and opens his mouth. Then he closes it. He just chooses to quietly nod instead.
You can’t help but smile widely. “I consider it a date too.”
Sunwoo’s eyes widen in pleasant surprise before he grins.
And that’s all there is to it.
Not a single response.
“Sunwoo,” you say, eyeing him carefully. “The silent treatment is not a good method of flirting. It won’t work.”
You watch as Sunwoo stares at you, like he’s planning something–he’s always planning something. And then, in a split second, he suddenly leans in and presses his lips to your cheek before pulling back almost immediately.
“Oh–” You look at him in utter surprise, feeling your skin heat up quickly.
Sunwoo gives you a shy look. “Did that work?”
“No,” you lie. You can still feel it–his lips on your skin, so gentle and full of care. “I can’t believe you did that before we held hands.”
“I can do that too,” the man scrambles to say as he reaches down and grabs your hand, intertwining your fingers. “Anything else?”
You feel like you’re going to faint, and so you stop in your tracks, looking at him helplessly.
Sunwoo notices your confusion, and his eyes soften before he steps closer. “Y/n,” he whispers.
“Hm?” It’s your turn to avoid eye contact.
“I’ve realized something.”
“That you have a crush on me?”
“I’ve realized that a long time ago,” Sunwoo replies with a small smile. “What I mean is that…” He sighs, defeated as he looks down at the ground. “I’m a horrible flirt, especially around you.”
You let out a loud laugh at that. “I’m glad you’re self-aware.” You pause, thinking. “But you know… my first impression of you was that you were a flirty guy. A pretty good one at that.”
Sunwoo shakes his head. “I was practicing.”
“Practicing? For what?”
“For you.”
You gape at him. “Sunwoo.”
“I saw you a while ago. Before we met and while I was training for this job. You walked by, I saw you through the window, and… I couldn’t take my eyes off you. And–” He groans, so clearly embarrassed. “When I asked Eric, he said that you often come to the cafe so I thought… if I practiced, I would be prepared for you.”
“You–” you gawk at him. “What about those people’s feelings? That’s cruel.”
“I call it customer service.” Sunwoo grins. “Though I’ve been lacking ever since I met you. You’re all I think about.”
“Still, if you wanted to practice, you could have practiced on me, not them.”
“I’ve been trying,” Sunwoo whines. “It doesn’t seem to work on you though…” He trails off, and he gives you a knowing look. “Wait, are you jealous?”
“What?” You immediately exclaim. “No! No, I just— I think it’s a bit odd that’s all.”
“Well, if you’re wondering…” Sunwoo steps closer. The two of you are hidden behind a cherry blossom tree, away from any prying eyes. You don’t even know how you ended up there, much too focused on the way Sunwoo’s looking at you with a gaze full of warmth and fondness. “Practically every customer can tell that I really, really like you.”
You scowl. “This is not as romantic as you think it is.”
“But it seems to be working.” Sunwoo brushes a thumb across your cheek, and you’re sure you’re blushing right now. He slowly moves his hand to cup the side of your face. “Does this work as well?” He asks with a nervous smile.
You nod quietly, eyes wide.
“What else can I do to make you realize how much I like you?”
You swallow thickly, your gaze falling to his lips. Sunwoo seems to notice immediately and he smiles.
“I can do that too,” he whispers, looking at your lips as well.
You’re going to lose your mind.
“If you would like, of course.” He gives you a patient, questioning look. Your heartbeat is ridiculously fast, and you can feel your palms grow sweaty. Since when was he… so good at this? These past few weeks, he’s been an absolute loser. So why is it that now he’s doing this so naturally all of a sudden?
“I…” Instead of giving a full response, you simply shut your eyes and wait.
You can hear the soft rustle of the tree’s leaves, as well as Sunwoo’s quiet hum. And soon enough, you feel a soft pair of lips press against yours. It’s a small peck as he leans away immediately. Your eyes flutter open, and you can see that he’s looking at you with wide, adorable eyes.
He lets out a shaky breath as he tilts his head, much like a puppy.
“Did it wor–”
“Yes,” you breathe out as you lean up and kiss him again. The poor man lets out a surprised sound, but he’s quick to return it, smiling against your lips. He even giggles, making your heart feel like it’ll burst.
You kiss him like you’ve been waiting for it, cherishing the moment. Sunwoo kisses you like he adores you. Which, you’re sure he does.
Reluctantly, he pulls away, giving you a lovesick gaze. “Does that mean you like me too?”
“What do you think?” You smile. “I always have.”
“Really? Wait then–”
“It’s always worked,” you continue, laughing softly. “You know I’ve just been teasing you this whole time. Your flirting… it kind of sucks, but–” You lean up again, this time to press a kiss to his cheek before whispering into his ear, “I like that you try.”
“I like you,” Sunwoo stupidly blurts out.
“I know.” You laugh. “I like you too.”
“Oh,” he breathes out, looking like he’s gone weak in the knees. “This is amazing. The whole time, I thought I was messing up and weirding you out and–” Impulsively, he leans in to kiss you again. This time, it’s more passionate as he uses both his hands to cup your face. He moves his lips slowly, as if he’s trying to memorize what you prefer. One of his hands moves down to your waist as he deepens the kiss ever so slightly. “You’re beautiful,” he whispers as you break apart, breathless.
You smile softly. “Thank you. And you’re a great kisser.”
“So it worked,” he jokes.
“Always.”
“But…” He shyly reaches down for your hand. “Are you sure? I could always kiss you more so that you can make sure.” He gives you a foolish smile.
You groan. “Sunwoo.”
“Hm?” He seems to be in a daze, focused solely on your features, admiring each and every one of them.
“You know I like you as you are. There’s no need to flirt with me,” you explain.
“Ah,” Sunwoo sighs, and he grumbles. “So what you’re saying is that you like when I’m a mess.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. If you want a kiss, you can just have it.”
“Good to know,” he mumbles as he leans in, taking your advice and kissing you again. “Because I can’t help being a mess when I’m around you.”
“And that’s okay,” you giggle, getting slightly cut off as Sunwoo kisses you over and over again. His lips are soft as he captures your bottom lip between them. You feel the cherry blossom petals fall around the two of you. You peek your eye open and see that one has landed on the top of Sunwoo’s head, making you giggle against his lips before you shut your eyes again and allow yourself to fall.
Well, not literally.
But fall for him? Most definitely.
Suddenly, that’s when you remember something.
“Hey, Sunwoo,” you mumble. “When does your break end?”
Sunwoo freezes and he widens his eyes as he pulls out his phone and reads the time. He gives you a sheepish look.
“Ten minutes ago.”
You gasp, shoving him away, much to his disappointment. “Sunwoo!” You scold. “You need to go back to work. Enough of being a loser, please.”
“But–” Sunwoo doesn’t even try to deny the fact that you had straight up called him a loser. Instead, he pouts. Yes, he pouts at you with sad eyes.
You won’t lie and say that you almost gave in.
You reach up and fix his hair, messy from the light breeze. Then, just to satisfy his sulkiness, you give him a quick kiss on the lips before lightly pushing him away. “Seriously. You can’t get fired already. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”
His eyes light up at the sound of the word “tomorrow.” He nods and gives you the cutest smile you’ve ever seen. “Okay, Y/n.”
You laugh softly as you watch Sunwoo walk down the sidewalk. But rather, he’s more… skipping down the sidewalk. He even stops to scream into his hand before continuing, acting like nothing’s happened.
See this, this is the type of Sunwoo you adore.
–
Epilogue
Sunwoo is a horrible flirt.
It’s like one of those facts that you can just never get around. If you ever give him a smile, he will absolutely melt and even hide behind whoever’s next to him, whether that’s his sister or his fellow coworker, Eric. If you tell him that he looks handsome, he’ll try to compliment you back, but his words are incomprehensible with how flustered he already is.
He blushes, especially on the tip of his ears, endearingly so. You like to give him a quick kiss just to see them deepen in color.
Sunwoo is a horrible flirt.
Yet he still tries to this day.
No matter how many times you tell him that he doesn’t need to tell you a cheesy pick-up line or pull out a crumpled rose from his pocket, he just keeps on trying. You have no idea why. To tell the truth, you think it’s kind of cute. But, don’t tell him that or else he’ll probably lose his mind.
He just always claims it’ll work one day.
“Did it hurt when you fell from the sk–”
“No.”
Sunwoo sighs as he scooches closer to you on the bench that the two of you are sitting on. He leans his shoulder against yours as he looks up to the setting sun. You lean into him as well, smiling with contentment.
“Please indulge me,” he asks with a pleading look. “Let me win just this once.”
You scrunch your nose and shake your head. “It’ll never work.”
He narrows his eyes and gives you a teasing look right after. “I thought you said it always did–”
You stutter and slap a hand over his mouth.
“I lied.”
“Sure.”
You stay quiet, too embarrassed to say anything after.
So… sometimes, his efforts pay off. Rarely. Don’t get his hopes up too much.
But besides all that, Sunwoo shows a lot more of his true self.
And that is– he is an absolute clingy mess.
He’s almost always hugging you, holding you close in some way. He claims he’s doing it just because he’s missed you. But you two see each other almost every day.
If you tease him, he’ll get shy.
He’s shy, but he’s never shy enough to tell you that you look pretty, that a certain color suits you, that he really wants to kiss you right now.
“I kind of look like a mess,” you grumble, looking at him incredulously.
“Please,” he whispers, stepping closer. “I don’t mind. Besides, to me… you look gorgeous.”
You can’t help but give him a small smile. “Well, if you’d like to–”
“I do, I really do,” he replies desperately as he walks forward, kissing you like he means it. Yes, he’s always a good kisser, it’s almost sickening how he manages to make you feel like your floating with how he always cups your jaw and moves his lips in such a sensual way.
He likes it when you tug his hair when the two of you are kissing.
But don’t go too much into it or else he’ll get shy again.
Sunwoo is both a horrible flirt and a clingy mess.
But perhaps, that’s why you like him so much.
–
It’s a cloudy, almost depressing day as you walk into the cafe. That’s when you get stopped in your tracks, realizing that there’s a gigantic line. You groan internally, feeling a sense of déjà vu, reminding you of when you first set your eyes on that cute barista who’s now your boyfriend.
You squint your eyes and spot a pink tulip that Sunwoo’s set aside, one that he’s probably going to give to you once you eventually reach the counter.
You expect him not to see you as he converses with the customer in front of him with a charming smile. But then, he looks up and he notices you almost immediately. He always manages to find you in any room, no matter how many people there are.
Ok my new phone is a slay because it lets me have my notes app open as a little floating app WHILST I HAVE TUMBLR OPEN IN THE BACKGROUND AHHHHH WE ARE SLAYING-
1. OK CONSIDERING MY 10 MINS ISH VOICE RECORDING OF...YEAH- BASICALLY THE FIRST FEW SCENES IS ME. I RELATE. THAT IS ME. ME I TELL YOU-
2. Sunwoo and him believe in love at first sight ahhhh 🥰
3. Man is whipped and we love WHIPPED LOVESICK MEN-
4. Don't stare at me too much Sunwoo 😚 ... I'M NOT YOUR STRONGEST SOLDIER-
5. READER WHAT A CONFIDENT TEASE WE LOVE THAT
6. Sunwoo LOOK UP BRO-
7. HELPPPPDJDJD YUMI YOU MADE HIM SO LOSER CODED 😭🥰🫶💞
8. The iced chai latte shouldn't even be on the bill because yk...barista boyfriend things-
9. "Flirting doesn't work on me." SURE.....SURE I BELIEVE YOU 1000%- (me speaking to myself as I am reader-)
10. "You'll just have to experiment" REEEEEEEEEEEE-
11. Please we all know that man has a mental checklist consisting of every single possible way to flirt-
12. FLOWER HAIR TUCK OMG SKDHDJDJD I'M GONNA SOB YUMI
13. "I just think that every colour only makes you even more beautiful." IS CRAZYYYYY 🦋 🦋 🦋
14. Reader in denial 🤝 Sunwoo getting more confident
15. "...cafe...become your most frequently visited place. For no particular reason at all!" Def not! Not for a lovesick raccoon ykyk-
16. DAMN SUNWOO OK STRAIGHT UP CONFESSING-
17. OMG YUMI YOU PUT THE PRACTICING THING AHHHHHHH THIS IS SO SUNWOO CODED
18. Reader being confident like...maybe I need to learn a thing or two from them /hj
19. KISSY KISSY KISS KISS TOO CUTE
20. Sunwoo loser, sunwoo lovesick, sunwoo cutie BEST SUNWOO AGENDA
21. NOT THE FALLING FROM THE SKY PICK UP LINE PLEASEEE 😭😭😭
Yumi this is the fic that I've been needing RAWRRRRR thank you so much for coming back and dropping this loser sunwoo agenda 🥹🫶💞🥰
ilysm izzy thank u for always encouraging my loser sunwoo writing bc to me he’s always been like that behind all the um flirting 😝 AND YES!! your wonderful ideas while we were chatting certainly inspired me LOL😚
tysm for reading and we will be discussing more ideas in the future 🙂↕️🩷
OMG YUMI 妹妹 YOURE BACK1?!?!? NO CS IZZY TOLD ME ABOUT YOUR COMEBACK AND I WAS LIKE HUH AHHHHH IM SO SO GLAD YOU'RE BACK AND I HOPE YOU'VE BEEN WELL 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭💓💓💓💓💓💓💓
AHH ALLY i am!! sort of 😝 a little busy but i really wanted to get back into practicing writing 💕 after a very long writers block 😞
BUT i have been very good!!! i also hope you’ve been well and i missed uuuu!!! 😭💕🩷
when you notice a new and cute barista working at your favorite cafe, disappointingly, your first impression is that he's just a flirt. but, once his eyes land on you, he's an absolute mess, unable to come up with a single pick-up line.
genre: cafe au, loser barista sunwoo, reader who likes to tease, flirting (sometimes successful), flowers and iced chai lattes <3, confessions, getting together, kissing
notes: surprise!
word count: 6k
There’s a certain ambience that you’ve always adored when it comes to cafes. There’s the familiar hiss of the coffee machine as well as the soothing chatter of the customers–you like to eavesdrop on some of their conversations for the fun of it. Then, there’s the warm lighting and the gorgeous decorations such as vases full of well-kept plants.
Oh, and there’s a really cute barista right there behind the counter.
A new barista, one that you’ve never seen before. You’ve been coming to this cafe for years, so much that you’ve even become close friends with the staff and have practically tried everything on the menu. Well, except for the experimental concoction that Eric, one of the baristas you do know, attempts to convince you to try. You’d much rather not be poisoned, thank you very much.
But this barista, whom you can’t even get a glimpse of his nametag from where you’re standing, is… well, if you can’t say cute again, then he’s certainly a captivating sight. His hair curls slightly at the ends, falling over his face in the loveliest way. His eyes are bright and caring as he listens to the customer’s order.
And then you feel your heart skip a beat at his smile. He smiles gorgeously. Perhaps you’ve never seen such a perfect man in your life. He even scrunches his nose slightly as he converses with the woman in front of him. You shut your eyes momentarily and take a long, deep breath.
You wonder if this is what love at first sight feels like.
Still, the cute barista with an even cuter smile is so close yet so far–with the only barrier being… the line of people in front of you. Normally, you wouldn’t mind waiting, but this–this is kind of important.
You’re snapped out of your thoughts when you hear a high-pitched laugh. You look up, wondering if it oddly came from that man when you realize that it’s actually from the customer he’s talking to. The woman is giggling uncontrollably as the barista tells her a joke. She even covers her face, as if she’s flustered, and then he–he winks.
You can see the sparkle in his eyes as he watches the customer’s shy reaction before he waves her goodbye to pick up her drink on the other side of the counter.
You feel your hopeful smile drop.
The next customer arrives, and you watch carefully. It seems normal at first as she tells him her order. But then, that very same charming smile appears on his lips as he seems to be complimenting her hair. And just like some sort of cycle, that customer starts giggling too, even reaching over to lightly punch him on the shoulder. And instead of questioning her action, he only seems to grow more confident.
You turn to the side and catch a glimpse of Eric, staring in absolute disgust. You start to join in on the same expression.
So he’s one of those types of guys–the type to flirt with whoever comes his way without paying attention to their actual feelings. You sigh, disappointed. What were you expecting?
Suddenly, your phone lights up. It’s a message from a friend that you were supposed to meet at this place.
i can’t find the cafe :(
You stare in disbelief at your phone before typing back.
??? ok, i’ll stand outside so you can see me
You take one last glance at the barista, who’s now flirting with yet another customer. You roll your eyes before leaving the line, exiting the cafe with slumped shoulders.
–
“So where’s this cute barista?” Younghoon says, much too loud for your liking, as the two of you enter the cafe together this time.
You shush him, afraid that he’ll hear, especially as the line has pretty much disappeared. “I said he’s cute, but you do know he’s one of those,” you frantically reply in a hushed tone.
Younghoon stares at you, clueless. “What do you mea–”
You shake your head. “Let’s talk about this later. He’ll probably hear…” You turn towards the counter, only to realize that he’s gone. You blink. “Huh. Nevermind. I guess he got fired for flirting too much.”
–
The next day comes and the thought of that gorgeous barista has left your mind. Well, momentarily until you walk through the door of the cafe and see him standing right there. You gasp and turn around almost immediately.
Then, you catch your reflection in the window and you clear your throat, straightening up. You scoff to yourself. What am I thinking? You know what he’s like. There’s no way you’re going to try to engage anything now, knowing he’d probably flirt with you just like he did with those other customers.
You fix your clothes and walk up to the counter, albeit a little cautiously.
The man still doesn’t look up from the cash register as he speaks, “What can I get for you today?”
You stand silently, staring at him, trying to get a proper glimpse of his face for… research purposes, of course. Once he notices your silence, that’s when he decides to look up.
And his whole facial expression changes. No longer does he have that confident look in his eyes and a smile on his face like you saw him yesterday. Instead, his eyes are wide, dumbfounded as he searches yours.
You blink, staring back.
His gaze travels across your face before he suddenly clears his throat and looks away. It’s almost like he’s embarrassed… from mere eye contact.
You peer at him suspiciously before finally responding. “Could I get an iced chai latte?”
He continues to look at you without a single word. The only thing that’s similar is the sparkle in his eyes. It’s almost like he’s admiring you. But there’s no way. You’re just a stranger that he’s just met.
Still, you give him a small smile.
That certainly doesn’t seem to help as you start to notice his ears turning red.
“Yes,” he chokes out, rushing to put the order in.
You look at him, your small smile turning more into a wider, fond one. He’s… different today. He’s not that charming, flirty guy anymore. Rather he’s– he’s a mess. And you have no idea why.
“Is that all?” He fumbles before taking the card from your hand. The tips of your fingers brush against his skin, and his eyes widen even further.
“Mhm.” You grin before finally taking a glance at his nametag. “Sunwoo.”
He pauses before looking up. Then, he tries to school that charming smile on his face, and he even attempts to give you a flirty look. But you can easily see past him. “You know my name?”
You raise an eyebrow before pointing to the name card that’s attached to his apron. “Well, I know it now.”
“Oh,” he breathes. “Right.” The tips of his ears are bright red now as he hands you the receipt. “It was nice meeting you…” He looks at you questioningly.
“Y/n,” you reply with a quiet laugh.
Sunwoo smiles, and this smile is much more genuine than all the others that you’ve seen. He gives you a kind look and an awkward wave. “It was nice meeting you, Y/n.”
You smile back.
“See you around, Sunwoo.” You give him a playful look before leaving to pick up your drink, completely missing the way he lets out a shaky breath before practically collapsing over the counter.
–
“He’s different.”
Younghoon wiggles his eyebrows. “How so?”
You hum, perplexed. “It’s like he couldn’t think properly when he saw me.”
“I say that is love at first sight.”
You sputter. “Absolutely not!”
–
Two days pass, and you finally have time to stop by the cafe again. And just as you expected–or, hoped–Sunwoo’s standing behind the counter again. He seems to be distracted by the nearby window, but once he hears your footsteps approaching, his eyes almost light up immediately, much like an eager puppy.
“Hey, Sunwoo,” you say.
“Hey,” he responds, his voice soft as he looks over your outfit. “That color suits you.”
“Does it really?” You smile.
He nods quietly.
“Thank you,” you say, a little flustered. The two of you simply stare at each other, almost stupidly. Of course, you’re the first to snap out of it. “Another iced chai latte, please?”
Sunwoo swallows thickly as he puts in the order once again. As you give him your card, you notice that he looks like he really wants to say something, but you’re not exactly sure what his intentions are.
A few moments of silence pass before he finally takes a deep breath and—
“I’m sorry.”
Your mouth falls open. That’s certainly not what you were expecting.
This barista that you’ve just met a few days ago is already apologizing. For what, you have no idea.
“Is there… is there no iced chai latte left?” You ask dumbly.
“Oh no,” Sunwoo laughs nervously. “I just– here.” He hastily gives you the receipt. “I think I came off weird the first time we met.”
“Ah,” you breathe before letting out a soft laugh. “You mean when you stared at me instead of taking my order?”
“Yes. That.”
“Hm,” you hum, amused. “Well, I wasn’t exactly weirded out if that’s what you’re wondering. I’m just curious.”
Sunwoo gulps. “A-about what?”
“I mean, why stare at me like that? I’ve seen the way you flirt with customers. What’s different with me?” You tilt your head teasingly.
“I just…” He glances off to the side, and that’s when you notice Eric standing in the back, cheering him on. “I thought you were pretty,” he whispers.
Suddenly, it’s your turn to feel embarrassed, heat rushing to your cheeks almost immediately. Still, you remain composed. Well, much more composed than how Sunwoo is right now. He’s a mess. Again.
“You could have told me that.”
“I did, just now.”
“I mean back then.”
“I was nervous,” he blurts out.
You burst out giggling, thoroughly enjoying the way he’s growing more and more embarrassed by the second. After catching your breath, you continue, “Well, I’m flattered. You’re cute yourself.”
Sunwoo gazes at you with wide eyes before looking away immediately. “Thank you,” he mumbles as he glances at you with a small, shy smile.
You grin before giving him a quiet wave. Just as you’re about to head off, Sunwoo suddenly stops you.
“Are you… are you coming back tomorrow?”
You widen your eyes and turn to him. You weren’t planning to, but now, noticing the way he has this adorably hopeful look on his face, you smile and give him a nod. “If you’d like me to.”
“I do. I’d really like that. A lot.”
You can’t help but laugh again. He really is an absolute mess.
–
Just as promised, you visit the cafe the next day. It’s a beautiful day, and as you walk in, you try not to get too distracted by the sunlight hitting the slope of Sunwoo’s nose. You clear your throat, ignoring your heart beat picking up, as you approach him.
“Isn’t the weather beautiful today?” You ask with a bright smile.
Sunwoo’s eyes soften as he looks you over before he nods. “It certainly is.”
You’re not sure if he’s really talking about the weather.
“Anyway…” You continue, leaning your hip against the counter. It’s almost embarrassing how eager you are to keep talking to this barista whom you’ve assumed was just a flirt. But now… he’s so much more than that. He’s sweet and honestly brightens your day more than the sun ever could. “How’s your day been?” You stutter momentarily. “I–I mean I know you’ve just been working but I’m still curious, you know–”
“Red.”
You pause and slowly turn your head towards Sunwoo, baffled.
“What?”
Sunwoo stares back, eyes adorably wide. “What?”
You bite your lip, holding back the laugh that threatens to escape you. “You just said that your day was red.” You glance out the nearby window. “The sky is blue as far as I’m concerned.”
“Oh.” Sunwoo, clearly embarrassed, reaches for a nearby towel and starts vigorously cleaning the counter, trying to avoid eye contact as much as possible. You observe him with amusement. “I thought– I just meant–” He sighs, dropping the towel in defeat before looking back up to you. “Red suits you.”
You widen your eyes and look down, remembering that you are, in fact, wearing red today. A small smirk appears on your lips as you give him a fond look. “That’s not what I asked, Sunwoo.”
“What did you ask?”
“How was your day?”
“Better now that you’re here.”
“Oh,” you breathe. And that laugh that you’ve been trying to hold back for so long finally escapes. You can’t control it as you feel yourself smile wider and wider. Sunwoo is silent, seeming to watch you giggle at his attempt at flirting. Once you catch your breath, you notice the way he’s looking at you like he could melt any moment.
Now that’s what makes your cheeks heat up.
But you won’t mention that.
“You’re quite the flirt aren’t you?” You finally say as Sunwoo continues to look at you with this… adorably hopeful look.
“I’m trying,” he mumbles.
“It’s a good attempt,” you joke. A pause. “Keep at it.”
He looks up at you, eyes sparkling. “Is it working?”
“Nope.”
His shoulders slump, and he gives you a sulky look. Oh, how you love to tease him. In truth, it kind of is working, but not in the typical way that flirting usually affects people. It’s more like you find him cute simply because he’s trying.
“Well… I’ll see you around?” You ask.
Sunwoo gives you yet another sulky look. “Tomorrow?”
See, you really weren’t planning to come to this cafe every day but now… because of him, you guess it’ll just have to be a new routine. You try not to think of the iced chai lattes that will start building up on your credit card bill.
“Sure.”
–
The next day, as you walk into the cafe, you’re wholeheartedly disappointed to find that Sunwoo is nowhere to be seen behind the counter. Eric seems to be busy trying to fix the broken coffee machine. With a sigh, you’re about to turn around when suddenly, you feel a poke on your shoulder.
You jump, whipping your head to the side, only to find Sunwoo standing right in front of you. Yet again, your heart skips a beat as you notice his true height, and oh, he’s much more handsome up close.
It takes you a few more seconds to finally think of anything to say, too mesmerized by this stupidly cute barista standing before you.
“Shouldn’t you be behind the counter?”
You feel yourself cringe on the inside. That’s all I could think of?
Sunwoo grins and shrugs. “I’m on break.”
“Actually,” Eric suddenly calls out. “He saw that you were coming and decided to take a break.”
You turn to look at him, silently questioning if it’s true. Sunwoo’s reddening ears are enough of an answer.
“Well…” You think for a moment before giving him a shy look. “This is great! Because I have something I want to show you.”
Sunwoo doesn’t get a chance to answer as you lead him out of the cafe and towards a nearby patch of grass, lined with round stones, just on the side of the building. You have no idea where this miniature garden came from, but it’s become one of your favorite things ever.
Some flowers have begun to bloom, signalling the coming of the new spring season. They’re colorful, just as you’ve always liked it. The two of you crouch down, observing as they sway against the light breeze.
You turn to look at him, only to realize just how close your faces are. Sunwoo’s gaze is soft as he observes your features with a small smile.
“I… know we’ve only recently met,” you begin, your voice hushed for some reason. “But I just wanted to show you this. I always keep an eye on these flowers, waiting for them to bloom. It’s always so beautiful.”
Sunwoo listens intently, yet it’s clear he’s also very distracted, admiring you. You can see the gears turning in his head as he opens his mouth. “Just–”
“Just like you.” You beat him to it. “Is that what you were going to say?”
Sunwoo gapes at you before groaning, letting out a frustrated, “yes.” He narrows his eyes. “You’re no fun.”
You laugh, bumping your shoulder against his playfully. “Flirting doesn’t work on me.”
“I figured,” he sighs as the both of you stand up.
You’re about to head back into the cafe when Sunwoo suddenly calls your name. You turn around, surprised.
“So what does work?”
“What?”
Sunwoo gives you a hopeful look as he steps closer. His hair blows messily in the wind, and your hand twitches to pat it down.
“If flirting doesn’t work, then what will?” He asks, his voice quiet.
You give him a teasing smile. “I’m not sure. You’ll just have to experiment.” And then you’re quickly turning around, rushing back into the cafe.
Sunwoo rolls his eyes fondly as he follows after you.
–
You learn new things all the time. For example, you’ve learned that Sunwoo’s not only an awkward and endearing mess, but he’s also a very, very determined person. Almost every day that you visit the cafe, he’s come up with some “genius” plan to win you over. It’s like he has some sort of mental checklist, trying new things in hopes of making you smile and perhaps, make you flustered in the process.
One day, you left the cafe with both an iced chai latte and… a flower.
–
You stare in shock at the flower in Sunwoo’s hand. It’s pretty, that’s for sure, with its light purple petals. He holds it out to you with a nervous look on his face.
“Giving gifts now?” You ask, biting back a smile.
Sunwoo nods, and you notice the way his hand shakes ever so slightly. Oh, he really is nervous.
“Is it working?”
“Maybe,” you tease as you gently take it from him, ignoring the spark as your fingers graze each other. “But why this particular one?” You ask, observing it closely in awe.
Sunwoo hums. “It reminded me of you.”
Then, he reaches over and takes it from your hand. You stare in both disbelief and offense. You were pretty sure the flower was meant for you. You’re about to scold him when suddenly, Sunwoo brings the flower up and tucks it into your hair. His touch is gentle as he carefully brushes away any strands that are in the way.
You feel yourself freeze, unable to think until finally, Sunwoo leans back, observing you with an admiring look.
“The color suits you too.”
You’re speechless for a moment before you quickly compose yourself. “Hey, Sunwoo.”
Sunwoo seems to be mesmerized by you as he continues to foolishly smile. “Hm?”
“I’ve noticed something.”
“And that is?”
“You always notice colors when it comes to me.” You recall the countless times that he’s said that a color suits you, whether it be because of your outfit or a pin in your hair. You’re pretty sure you could wear every color that exists and he’d still say the same thing. “Why?” You lean slightly over the counter, peering at him mischievously. “I’m curious.”
Sunwoo’s cheeks are tinted pink as he stares at you. He seems to think for a moment, as if trying to come up with the best answer possible.
“Because…” He adjusts the flower in your hair. “You already catch my eye. You always do. I just think that every color only makes you even more beautiful.”
Your breath catches in your throat as you lean away in surprise. You sincerely hope that you’re not blushing right now because his words certainly… You blink profusely. There’s no way the flirting actually worked on you. You blink again. Was it even flirting? No, he was being genuine.
You look at him, only to find that Sunwoo’s equally as embarrassed. Then, he asks that very same question again.
“Did it work?”
“No,” you lie, unable to control the slight tremor in your voice.
And you expect him to sulk, but instead, he’s giving you a knowing look. He’s smiling now, too. Oh god, he’s noticed.
“Are you sure?” He teases. “Because it seems to have affected you quite a bit–”
“Not at all,” you sputter, hurriedly taking the flower out of your hair. You give him a weak glare before turning around and hurrying out of the cafe.
Oh, and the flower still sits in your vase, becoming the first thing you see every morning. But, you wouldn’t dare tell Sunwoo that.
—
A week passes and the cafe has started to become your most frequently visited place. For no particular reason at all!
The relationship you have with Sunwoo only grows sweeter by the second. Every conversation you have leaves you smiling for hours after. Besides his horrible attempts at swooning you, you adore his naturally sweet personality. He always listens, even when you go off random tangents. There was one time that you were particularly tired and Sunwoo had noticed right away. He lowered his voice into a gentle tone and you could see in his eyes the way he would subtly check if you’re alright.
The vase that you have has slowly started to grow with a colorful collection of flowers, all of which he would say “reminded me of you.” If a flower dies, he would help replace it with a prettier one.
Your heart pounds over and over again when you’re with this ridiculously cute barista.
One day, you walk in, only to see him chatting with a customer. She’s gorgeous, you notice, and that’s when you feel a weird feeling in your chest, as if your heart is twisting.
You watch silently, seeing the way Sunwoo smiles at her and laughs.
Now obviously, it’s not like you two are dating or anything. Perhaps feeling jealousy is just a normal occurrence.
Suddenly, the woman turns around and glances at you. She gives you a sweet smile before turning back around. You watch in disbelief as she leans closer and whispers something into Sunwoo’s ear before walking away to sit down at one of the tables.
With a low sigh, you approach the counter.
“The usual,” you mumble, unable to look the man in the eye.
“Y/n. I have to tell you something.”
Your heart picks up, and you look up at him.
It barely registers, the way he reaches over and gently tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. He gives you a smile, one that makes your breath hitch.
“I think I have a crush on you.”
You widen your eyes and jerk back. “W-what?” You stammer, unable to control the heat that creeps up your neck. “You— you can’t just start a conversation with that! Are you okay?”
Sunwoo nods but you can tell he’s suffering inside, so incredibly embarrassed. He’s unable to look you in the eye as he asks once again, “Did it work?”
You stare incredulously.
Then, he glances to the side frantically, as if to beg for help. You can see it in his gaze as if he’s trying to say, hey, this is not working like you said it would!
You narrow your eyes, wondering who he’s even looking at. “Was it… did Eric put you up to this? You know you should never ask him for any advice.”
“No,” he groans. “It was her.” He nods his head towards that very same woman from before. You look back and see that she’s still sitting there, watching the scene before her unfold with an amused look on her face. “My sister,” Sunwoo continues.
You gape. His sister? Slowly, it dawns on you. “Did you… ask her for advice? About me?”
“No,” Sunwoo scrambles to say. He winces when he notices the way you’re looking at him unimpressed before he sighs. “Maybe. I was hoping her idea would work.”
“Good try.” You smile knowingly. Honestly, you think it’s adorable how he even went to his sister for help. Still, you find yourself a little confused.
Sunwoo’s still looking at you with hope. It’s almost like he’s waiting for an answer.
Instead, you choose to ask a question.
“Did you mean it?”
“What?”
“Did you really mean what you said?”
Sunwoo looks at you in disbelief. “I mean—“ He stops and sighs. “Okay. I need to do this properly. Just give me a chance.” It seems like he’s speaking more to himself than you and now you’re even more confused.
“What are you planning this time—“
Sunwoo reaches over and grabs your already prepared drink because yes, he prepares them in advance for you now. You watch as he picks up a pen and writes on the side of the cup before handing it to you.
You take it, your hand brushing against his briefly—something that the two of you sort of, maybe, do on purpose sometimes.
“See you later, Y/n.” He gives you a nervous smile.
You feel like you have just been played. How could he say that he has a crush on you and then act like nothing happened?
Holding the drink in your hand, you exit the cafe. You’re about to call Younghoon and complain about this whole situation when you suddenly remember that you saw Sunwoo write on the cup. Curiously, you hold it up and read the message he’s left behind.
my break is at 1 tomorrow. walk with me?
p.s. i meant it by the way.
He even drew a small cat winking. It was slightly messy but a good effort.
You read the words over and over again before you feel a stupid smile grow on your face. You bite your lip as a pathetic attempt to stop it as you turn around to see through the window, Sunwoo, head in hands as he rambles to his sister about how he had absolutely messed up.
You sigh fondly.
Oh, how you can’t wait for tomorrow.
–
You arrive exactly before one and you don’t bother to order a drink this time. No amount of caffeine can compare to the energy you feel as you walk in and see that Sunwoo isn’t behind the counter, but rather waiting for you right at the door.
He smiles, always so eager to see you.
“I was hoping you’d read my message.”
You roll your eyes. “How could I not?”
Sunwoo scrunches his nose slightly before gesturing to the door–the one that you just entered through. “So…” He tilts his head unsurely. “Would you care to join me?”
“For a walk?” You ask in a teasing tone.
“For a walk.”
“Of course,” you giggle as the two of you leave together, hands brushing just the slightest.
It’s a beautiful day–the sky is clear, the temperature is just right, and there’s a really, really cute barista right next to you. He’s cute in all sorts of ways. He has big eyes, full lips, and a heart-stopping smile. His hair ruffles adorably in the wind. He rambles about mundane things and gets happy when you respond. He also likes to listen to you quietly, looking at you as if you’re the sole person in the world.
“Would you consider this a date?” You drop the question out of nowhere, just as the two of you turn the corner.
Sunwoo almost trips. Though once he regains his balance, he turns to you and opens his mouth. Then he closes it. He just chooses to quietly nod instead.
You can’t help but smile widely. “I consider it a date too.”
Sunwoo’s eyes widen in pleasant surprise before he grins.
And that’s all there is to it.
Not a single response.
“Sunwoo,” you say, eyeing him carefully. “The silent treatment is not a good method of flirting. It won’t work.”
You watch as Sunwoo stares at you, like he’s planning something–he’s always planning something. And then, in a split second, he suddenly leans in and presses his lips to your cheek before pulling back almost immediately.
“Oh–” You look at him in utter surprise, feeling your skin heat up quickly.
Sunwoo gives you a shy look. “Did that work?”
“No,” you lie. You can still feel it–his lips on your skin, so gentle and full of care. “I can’t believe you did that before we held hands.”
“I can do that too,” the man scrambles to say as he reaches down and grabs your hand, intertwining your fingers. “Anything else?”
You feel like you’re going to faint, and so you stop in your tracks, looking at him helplessly.
Sunwoo notices your confusion, and his eyes soften before he steps closer. “Y/n,” he whispers.
“Hm?” It’s your turn to avoid eye contact.
“I’ve realized something.”
“That you have a crush on me?”
“I’ve realized that a long time ago,” Sunwoo replies with a small smile. “What I mean is that…” He sighs, defeated as he looks down at the ground. “I’m a horrible flirt, especially around you.”
You let out a loud laugh at that. “I’m glad you’re self-aware.” You pause, thinking. “But you know… my first impression of you was that you were a flirty guy. A pretty good one at that.”
Sunwoo shakes his head. “I was practicing.”
“Practicing? For what?”
“For you.”
You gape at him. “Sunwoo.”
“I saw you a while ago. Before we met and while I was training for this job. You walked by, I saw you through the window, and… I couldn’t take my eyes off you. And–” He groans, so clearly embarrassed. “When I asked Eric, he said that you often come to the cafe so I thought… if I practiced, I would be prepared for you.”
“You–” you gawk at him. “What about those people’s feelings? That’s cruel.”
“I call it customer service.” Sunwoo grins. “Though I’ve been lacking ever since I met you. You’re all I think about.”
“Still, if you wanted to practice, you could have practiced on me, not them.”
“I’ve been trying,” Sunwoo whines. “It doesn’t seem to work on you though…” He trails off, and he gives you a knowing look. “Wait, are you jealous?”
“What?” You immediately exclaim. “No! No, I just— I think it’s a bit odd that’s all.”
“Well, if you’re wondering…” Sunwoo steps closer. The two of you are hidden behind a cherry blossom tree, away from any prying eyes. You don’t even know how you ended up there, much too focused on the way Sunwoo’s looking at you with a gaze full of warmth and fondness. “Practically every customer can tell that I really, really like you.”
You scowl. “This is not as romantic as you think it is.”
“But it seems to be working.” Sunwoo brushes a thumb across your cheek, and you’re sure you’re blushing right now. He slowly moves his hand to cup the side of your face. “Does this work as well?” He asks with a nervous smile.
You nod quietly, eyes wide.
“What else can I do to make you realize how much I like you?”
You swallow thickly, your gaze falling to his lips. Sunwoo seems to notice immediately and he smiles.
“I can do that too,” he whispers, looking at your lips as well.
You’re going to lose your mind.
“If you would like, of course.” He gives you a patient, questioning look. Your heartbeat is ridiculously fast, and you can feel your palms grow sweaty. Since when was he… so good at this? These past few weeks, he’s been an absolute loser. So why is it that now he’s doing this so naturally all of a sudden?
“I…” Instead of giving a full response, you simply shut your eyes and wait.
You can hear the soft rustle of the tree’s leaves, as well as Sunwoo’s quiet hum. And soon enough, you feel a soft pair of lips press against yours. It’s a small peck as he leans away immediately. Your eyes flutter open, and you can see that he’s looking at you with wide, adorable eyes.
He lets out a shaky breath as he tilts his head, much like a puppy.
“Did it wor–”
“Yes,” you breathe out as you lean up and kiss him again. The poor man lets out a surprised sound, but he’s quick to return it, smiling against your lips. He even giggles, making your heart feel like it’ll burst.
You kiss him like you’ve been waiting for it, cherishing the moment. Sunwoo kisses you like he adores you. Which, you’re sure he does.
Reluctantly, he pulls away, giving you a lovesick gaze. “Does that mean you like me too?”
“What do you think?” You smile. “I always have.”
“Really? Wait then–”
“It’s always worked,” you continue, laughing softly. “You know I’ve just been teasing you this whole time. Your flirting… it kind of sucks, but–” You lean up again, this time to press a kiss to his cheek before whispering into his ear, “I like that you try.”
“I like you,” Sunwoo stupidly blurts out.
“I know.” You laugh. “I like you too.”
“Oh,” he breathes out, looking like he’s gone weak in the knees. “This is amazing. The whole time, I thought I was messing up and weirding you out and–” Impulsively, he leans in to kiss you again. This time, it’s more passionate as he uses both his hands to cup your face. He moves his lips slowly, as if he’s trying to memorize what you prefer. One of his hands moves down to your waist as he deepens the kiss ever so slightly. “You’re beautiful,” he whispers as you break apart, breathless.
You smile softly. “Thank you. And you’re a great kisser.”
“So it worked,” he jokes.
“Always.”
“But…” He shyly reaches down for your hand. “Are you sure? I could always kiss you more so that you can make sure.” He gives you a foolish smile.
You groan. “Sunwoo.”
“Hm?” He seems to be in a daze, focused solely on your features, admiring each and every one of them.
“You know I like you as you are. There’s no need to flirt with me,” you explain.
“Ah,” Sunwoo sighs, and he grumbles. “So what you’re saying is that you like when I’m a mess.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. If you want a kiss, you can just have it.”
“Good to know,” he mumbles as he leans in, taking your advice and kissing you again. “Because I can’t help being a mess when I’m around you.”
“And that’s okay,” you giggle, getting slightly cut off as Sunwoo kisses you over and over again. His lips are soft as he captures your bottom lip between them. You feel the cherry blossom petals fall around the two of you. You peek your eye open and see that one has landed on the top of Sunwoo’s head, making you giggle against his lips before you shut your eyes again and allow yourself to fall.
Well, not literally.
But fall for him? Most definitely.
Suddenly, that’s when you remember something.
“Hey, Sunwoo,” you mumble. “When does your break end?”
Sunwoo freezes and he widens his eyes as he pulls out his phone and reads the time. He gives you a sheepish look.
“Ten minutes ago.”
You gasp, shoving him away, much to his disappointment. “Sunwoo!” You scold. “You need to go back to work. Enough of being a loser, please.”
“But–” Sunwoo doesn’t even try to deny the fact that you had straight up called him a loser. Instead, he pouts. Yes, he pouts at you with sad eyes.
You won’t lie and say that you almost gave in.
You reach up and fix his hair, messy from the light breeze. Then, just to satisfy his sulkiness, you give him a quick kiss on the lips before lightly pushing him away. “Seriously. You can’t get fired already. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”
His eyes light up at the sound of the word “tomorrow.” He nods and gives you the cutest smile you’ve ever seen. “Okay, Y/n.”
You laugh softly as you watch Sunwoo walk down the sidewalk. But rather, he’s more… skipping down the sidewalk. He even stops to scream into his hand before continuing, acting like nothing’s happened.
See this, this is the type of Sunwoo you adore.
–
Epilogue
Sunwoo is a horrible flirt.
It’s like one of those facts that you can just never get around. If you ever give him a smile, he will absolutely melt and even hide behind whoever’s next to him, whether that’s his sister or his fellow coworker, Eric. If you tell him that he looks handsome, he’ll try to compliment you back, but his words are incomprehensible with how flustered he already is.
He blushes, especially on the tip of his ears, endearingly so. You like to give him a quick kiss just to see them deepen in color.
Sunwoo is a horrible flirt.
Yet he still tries to this day.
No matter how many times you tell him that he doesn’t need to tell you a cheesy pick-up line or pull out a crumpled rose from his pocket, he just keeps on trying. You have no idea why. To tell the truth, you think it’s kind of cute. But, don’t tell him that or else he’ll probably lose his mind.
He just always claims it’ll work one day.
“Did it hurt when you fell from the sk–”
“No.”
Sunwoo sighs as he scooches closer to you on the bench that the two of you are sitting on. He leans his shoulder against yours as he looks up to the setting sun. You lean into him as well, smiling with contentment.
“Please indulge me,” he asks with a pleading look. “Let me win just this once.”
You scrunch your nose and shake your head. “It’ll never work.”
He narrows his eyes and gives you a teasing look right after. “I thought you said it always did–”
You stutter and slap a hand over his mouth.
“I lied.”
“Sure.”
You stay quiet, too embarrassed to say anything after.
So… sometimes, his efforts pay off. Rarely. Don’t get his hopes up too much.
But besides all that, Sunwoo shows a lot more of his true self.
And that is– he is an absolute clingy mess.
He’s almost always hugging you, holding you close in some way. He claims he’s doing it just because he’s missed you. But you two see each other almost every day.
If you tease him, he’ll get shy.
He’s shy, but he’s never shy enough to tell you that you look pretty, that a certain color suits you, that he really wants to kiss you right now.
“I kind of look like a mess,” you grumble, looking at him incredulously.
“Please,” he whispers, stepping closer. “I don’t mind. Besides, to me… you look gorgeous.”
You can’t help but give him a small smile. “Well, if you’d like to–”
“I do, I really do,” he replies desperately as he walks forward, kissing you like he means it. Yes, he’s always a good kisser, it’s almost sickening how he manages to make you feel like your floating with how he always cups your jaw and moves his lips in such a sensual way.
He likes it when you tug his hair when the two of you are kissing.
But don’t go too much into it or else he’ll get shy again.
Sunwoo is both a horrible flirt and a clingy mess.
But perhaps, that’s why you like him so much.
–
It’s a cloudy, almost depressing day as you walk into the cafe. That’s when you get stopped in your tracks, realizing that there’s a gigantic line. You groan internally, feeling a sense of déjà vu, reminding you of when you first set your eyes on that cute barista who’s now your boyfriend.
You squint your eyes and spot a pink tulip that Sunwoo’s set aside, one that he’s probably going to give to you once you eventually reach the counter.
You expect him not to see you as he converses with the customer in front of him with a charming smile. But then, he looks up and he notices you almost immediately. He always manages to find you in any room, no matter how many people there are.
HELP 😭 ill be so honest i didnt even realize it was near april fools when i posted this but now i think the timing was hilarious HAHA but i promise this is not a prank and im not just popping in as a joke! i do intend to stay a while so IM HAPPY TO SEE U TOO 🩷💕!! i hope youve been well <33
WELCOME BACK YUMI MY FAVOURITE WRITER IN DEOBIBLR 🥰🫶 use this ask as an answer to the request I sent and surprise everyone 🤭 THE QUEEN IS BACK ‼️ WITH A SUNWOO 🦝 FIC TOO 😍
omg my izzy!!! <333 tysm for keeping up with me after all this time and always being so encouraging 💕💕 and yes HELP 😭 its sunwoo again your favorite 😝 have fun ^^
when you notice a new and cute barista working at your favorite cafe, disappointingly, your first impression is that he's just a flirt. but, once his eyes land on you, he's an absolute mess, unable to come up with a single pick-up line.
genre: cafe au, loser barista sunwoo, reader who likes to tease, flirting (sometimes successful), flowers and iced chai lattes <3, confessions, getting together, kissing
notes: surprise!
word count: 6k
There’s a certain ambience that you’ve always adored when it comes to cafes. There’s the familiar hiss of the coffee machine as well as the soothing chatter of the customers–you like to eavesdrop on some of their conversations for the fun of it. Then, there’s the warm lighting and the gorgeous decorations such as vases full of well-kept plants.
Oh, and there’s a really cute barista right there behind the counter.
A new barista, one that you’ve never seen before. You’ve been coming to this cafe for years, so much that you’ve even become close friends with the staff and have practically tried everything on the menu. Well, except for the experimental concoction that Eric, one of the baristas you do know, attempts to convince you to try. You’d much rather not be poisoned, thank you very much.
But this barista, whom you can’t even get a glimpse of his nametag from where you’re standing, is… well, if you can’t say cute again, then he’s certainly a captivating sight. His hair curls slightly at the ends, falling over his face in the loveliest way. His eyes are bright and caring as he listens to the customer’s order.
And then you feel your heart skip a beat at his smile. He smiles gorgeously. Perhaps you’ve never seen such a perfect man in your life. He even scrunches his nose slightly as he converses with the woman in front of him. You shut your eyes momentarily and take a long, deep breath.
You wonder if this is what love at first sight feels like.
Still, the cute barista with an even cuter smile is so close yet so far–with the only barrier being… the line of people in front of you. Normally, you wouldn’t mind waiting, but this–this is kind of important.
You’re snapped out of your thoughts when you hear a high-pitched laugh. You look up, wondering if it oddly came from that man when you realize that it’s actually from the customer he’s talking to. The woman is giggling uncontrollably as the barista tells her a joke. She even covers her face, as if she’s flustered, and then he–he winks.
You can see the sparkle in his eyes as he watches the customer’s shy reaction before he waves her goodbye to pick up her drink on the other side of the counter.
You feel your hopeful smile drop.
The next customer arrives, and you watch carefully. It seems normal at first as she tells him her order. But then, that very same charming smile appears on his lips as he seems to be complimenting her hair. And just like some sort of cycle, that customer starts giggling too, even reaching over to lightly punch him on the shoulder. And instead of questioning her action, he only seems to grow more confident.
You turn to the side and catch a glimpse of Eric, staring in absolute disgust. You start to join in on the same expression.
So he’s one of those types of guys–the type to flirt with whoever comes his way without paying attention to their actual feelings. You sigh, disappointed. What were you expecting?
Suddenly, your phone lights up. It’s a message from a friend that you were supposed to meet at this place.
i can’t find the cafe :(
You stare in disbelief at your phone before typing back.
??? ok, i’ll stand outside so you can see me
You take one last glance at the barista, who’s now flirting with yet another customer. You roll your eyes before leaving the line, exiting the cafe with slumped shoulders.
–
“So where’s this cute barista?” Younghoon says, much too loud for your liking, as the two of you enter the cafe together this time.
You shush him, afraid that he’ll hear, especially as the line has pretty much disappeared. “I said he’s cute, but you do know he’s one of those,” you frantically reply in a hushed tone.
Younghoon stares at you, clueless. “What do you mea–”
You shake your head. “Let’s talk about this later. He’ll probably hear…” You turn towards the counter, only to realize that he’s gone. You blink. “Huh. Nevermind. I guess he got fired for flirting too much.”
–
The next day comes and the thought of that gorgeous barista has left your mind. Well, momentarily until you walk through the door of the cafe and see him standing right there. You gasp and turn around almost immediately.
Then, you catch your reflection in the window and you clear your throat, straightening up. You scoff to yourself. What am I thinking? You know what he’s like. There’s no way you’re going to try to engage anything now, knowing he’d probably flirt with you just like he did with those other customers.
You fix your clothes and walk up to the counter, albeit a little cautiously.
The man still doesn’t look up from the cash register as he speaks, “What can I get for you today?”
You stand silently, staring at him, trying to get a proper glimpse of his face for… research purposes, of course. Once he notices your silence, that’s when he decides to look up.
And his whole facial expression changes. No longer does he have that confident look in his eyes and a smile on his face like you saw him yesterday. Instead, his eyes are wide, dumbfounded as he searches yours.
You blink, staring back.
His gaze travels across your face before he suddenly clears his throat and looks away. It’s almost like he’s embarrassed… from mere eye contact.
You peer at him suspiciously before finally responding. “Could I get an iced chai latte?”
He continues to look at you without a single word. The only thing that’s similar is the sparkle in his eyes. It’s almost like he’s admiring you. But there’s no way. You’re just a stranger that he’s just met.
Still, you give him a small smile.
That certainly doesn’t seem to help as you start to notice his ears turning red.
“Yes,” he chokes out, rushing to put the order in.
You look at him, your small smile turning more into a wider, fond one. He’s… different today. He’s not that charming, flirty guy anymore. Rather he’s– he’s a mess. And you have no idea why.
“Is that all?” He fumbles before taking the card from your hand. The tips of your fingers brush against his skin, and his eyes widen even further.
“Mhm.” You grin before finally taking a glance at his nametag. “Sunwoo.”
He pauses before looking up. Then, he tries to school that charming smile on his face, and he even attempts to give you a flirty look. But you can easily see past him. “You know my name?”
You raise an eyebrow before pointing to the name card that’s attached to his apron. “Well, I know it now.”
“Oh,” he breathes. “Right.” The tips of his ears are bright red now as he hands you the receipt. “It was nice meeting you…” He looks at you questioningly.
“Y/n,” you reply with a quiet laugh.
Sunwoo smiles, and this smile is much more genuine than all the others that you’ve seen. He gives you a kind look and an awkward wave. “It was nice meeting you, Y/n.”
You smile back.
“See you around, Sunwoo.” You give him a playful look before leaving to pick up your drink, completely missing the way he lets out a shaky breath before practically collapsing over the counter.
–
“He’s different.”
Younghoon wiggles his eyebrows. “How so?”
You hum, perplexed. “It’s like he couldn’t think properly when he saw me.”
“I say that is love at first sight.”
You sputter. “Absolutely not!”
–
Two days pass, and you finally have time to stop by the cafe again. And just as you expected–or, hoped–Sunwoo’s standing behind the counter again. He seems to be distracted by the nearby window, but once he hears your footsteps approaching, his eyes almost light up immediately, much like an eager puppy.
“Hey, Sunwoo,” you say.
“Hey,” he responds, his voice soft as he looks over your outfit. “That color suits you.”
“Does it really?” You smile.
He nods quietly.
“Thank you,” you say, a little flustered. The two of you simply stare at each other, almost stupidly. Of course, you’re the first to snap out of it. “Another iced chai latte, please?”
Sunwoo swallows thickly as he puts in the order once again. As you give him your card, you notice that he looks like he really wants to say something, but you’re not exactly sure what his intentions are.
A few moments of silence pass before he finally takes a deep breath and—
“I’m sorry.”
Your mouth falls open. That’s certainly not what you were expecting.
This barista that you’ve just met a few days ago is already apologizing. For what, you have no idea.
“Is there… is there no iced chai latte left?” You ask dumbly.
“Oh no,” Sunwoo laughs nervously. “I just– here.” He hastily gives you the receipt. “I think I came off weird the first time we met.”
“Ah,” you breathe before letting out a soft laugh. “You mean when you stared at me instead of taking my order?”
“Yes. That.”
“Hm,” you hum, amused. “Well, I wasn’t exactly weirded out if that’s what you’re wondering. I’m just curious.”
Sunwoo gulps. “A-about what?”
“I mean, why stare at me like that? I’ve seen the way you flirt with customers. What’s different with me?” You tilt your head teasingly.
“I just…” He glances off to the side, and that’s when you notice Eric standing in the back, cheering him on. “I thought you were pretty,” he whispers.
Suddenly, it’s your turn to feel embarrassed, heat rushing to your cheeks almost immediately. Still, you remain composed. Well, much more composed than how Sunwoo is right now. He’s a mess. Again.
“You could have told me that.”
“I did, just now.”
“I mean back then.”
“I was nervous,” he blurts out.
You burst out giggling, thoroughly enjoying the way he’s growing more and more embarrassed by the second. After catching your breath, you continue, “Well, I’m flattered. You’re cute yourself.”
Sunwoo gazes at you with wide eyes before looking away immediately. “Thank you,” he mumbles as he glances at you with a small, shy smile.
You grin before giving him a quiet wave. Just as you’re about to head off, Sunwoo suddenly stops you.
“Are you… are you coming back tomorrow?”
You widen your eyes and turn to him. You weren’t planning to, but now, noticing the way he has this adorably hopeful look on his face, you smile and give him a nod. “If you’d like me to.”
“I do. I’d really like that. A lot.”
You can’t help but laugh again. He really is an absolute mess.
–
Just as promised, you visit the cafe the next day. It’s a beautiful day, and as you walk in, you try not to get too distracted by the sunlight hitting the slope of Sunwoo’s nose. You clear your throat, ignoring your heart beat picking up, as you approach him.
“Isn’t the weather beautiful today?” You ask with a bright smile.
Sunwoo’s eyes soften as he looks you over before he nods. “It certainly is.”
You’re not sure if he’s really talking about the weather.
“Anyway…” You continue, leaning your hip against the counter. It’s almost embarrassing how eager you are to keep talking to this barista whom you’ve assumed was just a flirt. But now… he’s so much more than that. He’s sweet and honestly brightens your day more than the sun ever could. “How’s your day been?” You stutter momentarily. “I–I mean I know you’ve just been working but I’m still curious, you know–”
“Red.”
You pause and slowly turn your head towards Sunwoo, baffled.
“What?”
Sunwoo stares back, eyes adorably wide. “What?”
You bite your lip, holding back the laugh that threatens to escape you. “You just said that your day was red.” You glance out the nearby window. “The sky is blue as far as I’m concerned.”
“Oh.” Sunwoo, clearly embarrassed, reaches for a nearby towel and starts vigorously cleaning the counter, trying to avoid eye contact as much as possible. You observe him with amusement. “I thought– I just meant–” He sighs, dropping the towel in defeat before looking back up to you. “Red suits you.”
You widen your eyes and look down, remembering that you are, in fact, wearing red today. A small smirk appears on your lips as you give him a fond look. “That’s not what I asked, Sunwoo.”
“What did you ask?”
“How was your day?”
“Better now that you’re here.”
“Oh,” you breathe. And that laugh that you’ve been trying to hold back for so long finally escapes. You can’t control it as you feel yourself smile wider and wider. Sunwoo is silent, seeming to watch you giggle at his attempt at flirting. Once you catch your breath, you notice the way he’s looking at you like he could melt any moment.
Now that’s what makes your cheeks heat up.
But you won’t mention that.
“You’re quite the flirt aren’t you?” You finally say as Sunwoo continues to look at you with this… adorably hopeful look.
“I’m trying,” he mumbles.
“It’s a good attempt,” you joke. A pause. “Keep at it.”
He looks up at you, eyes sparkling. “Is it working?”
“Nope.”
His shoulders slump, and he gives you a sulky look. Oh, how you love to tease him. In truth, it kind of is working, but not in the typical way that flirting usually affects people. It’s more like you find him cute simply because he’s trying.
“Well… I’ll see you around?” You ask.
Sunwoo gives you yet another sulky look. “Tomorrow?”
See, you really weren’t planning to come to this cafe every day but now… because of him, you guess it’ll just have to be a new routine. You try not to think of the iced chai lattes that will start building up on your credit card bill.
“Sure.”
–
The next day, as you walk into the cafe, you’re wholeheartedly disappointed to find that Sunwoo is nowhere to be seen behind the counter. Eric seems to be busy trying to fix the broken coffee machine. With a sigh, you’re about to turn around when suddenly, you feel a poke on your shoulder.
You jump, whipping your head to the side, only to find Sunwoo standing right in front of you. Yet again, your heart skips a beat as you notice his true height, and oh, he’s much more handsome up close.
It takes you a few more seconds to finally think of anything to say, too mesmerized by this stupidly cute barista standing before you.
“Shouldn’t you be behind the counter?”
You feel yourself cringe on the inside. That’s all I could think of?
Sunwoo grins and shrugs. “I’m on break.”
“Actually,” Eric suddenly calls out. “He saw that you were coming and decided to take a break.”
You turn to look at him, silently questioning if it’s true. Sunwoo’s reddening ears are enough of an answer.
“Well…” You think for a moment before giving him a shy look. “This is great! Because I have something I want to show you.”
Sunwoo doesn’t get a chance to answer as you lead him out of the cafe and towards a nearby patch of grass, lined with round stones, just on the side of the building. You have no idea where this miniature garden came from, but it’s become one of your favorite things ever.
Some flowers have begun to bloom, signalling the coming of the new spring season. They’re colorful, just as you’ve always liked it. The two of you crouch down, observing as they sway against the light breeze.
You turn to look at him, only to realize just how close your faces are. Sunwoo’s gaze is soft as he observes your features with a small smile.
“I… know we’ve only recently met,” you begin, your voice hushed for some reason. “But I just wanted to show you this. I always keep an eye on these flowers, waiting for them to bloom. It’s always so beautiful.”
Sunwoo listens intently, yet it’s clear he’s also very distracted, admiring you. You can see the gears turning in his head as he opens his mouth. “Just–”
“Just like you.” You beat him to it. “Is that what you were going to say?”
Sunwoo gapes at you before groaning, letting out a frustrated, “yes.” He narrows his eyes. “You’re no fun.”
You laugh, bumping your shoulder against his playfully. “Flirting doesn’t work on me.”
“I figured,” he sighs as the both of you stand up.
You’re about to head back into the cafe when Sunwoo suddenly calls your name. You turn around, surprised.
“So what does work?”
“What?”
Sunwoo gives you a hopeful look as he steps closer. His hair blows messily in the wind, and your hand twitches to pat it down.
“If flirting doesn’t work, then what will?” He asks, his voice quiet.
You give him a teasing smile. “I’m not sure. You’ll just have to experiment.” And then you’re quickly turning around, rushing back into the cafe.
Sunwoo rolls his eyes fondly as he follows after you.
–
You learn new things all the time. For example, you’ve learned that Sunwoo’s not only an awkward and endearing mess, but he’s also a very, very determined person. Almost every day that you visit the cafe, he’s come up with some “genius” plan to win you over. It’s like he has some sort of mental checklist, trying new things in hopes of making you smile and perhaps, make you flustered in the process.
One day, you left the cafe with both an iced chai latte and… a flower.
–
You stare in shock at the flower in Sunwoo’s hand. It’s pretty, that’s for sure, with its light purple petals. He holds it out to you with a nervous look on his face.
“Giving gifts now?” You ask, biting back a smile.
Sunwoo nods, and you notice the way his hand shakes ever so slightly. Oh, he really is nervous.
“Is it working?”
“Maybe,” you tease as you gently take it from him, ignoring the spark as your fingers graze each other. “But why this particular one?” You ask, observing it closely in awe.
Sunwoo hums. “It reminded me of you.”
Then, he reaches over and takes it from your hand. You stare in both disbelief and offense. You were pretty sure the flower was meant for you. You’re about to scold him when suddenly, Sunwoo brings the flower up and tucks it into your hair. His touch is gentle as he carefully brushes away any strands that are in the way.
You feel yourself freeze, unable to think until finally, Sunwoo leans back, observing you with an admiring look.
“The color suits you too.”
You’re speechless for a moment before you quickly compose yourself. “Hey, Sunwoo.”
Sunwoo seems to be mesmerized by you as he continues to foolishly smile. “Hm?”
“I’ve noticed something.”
“And that is?”
“You always notice colors when it comes to me.” You recall the countless times that he’s said that a color suits you, whether it be because of your outfit or a pin in your hair. You’re pretty sure you could wear every color that exists and he’d still say the same thing. “Why?” You lean slightly over the counter, peering at him mischievously. “I’m curious.”
Sunwoo’s cheeks are tinted pink as he stares at you. He seems to think for a moment, as if trying to come up with the best answer possible.
“Because…” He adjusts the flower in your hair. “You already catch my eye. You always do. I just think that every color only makes you even more beautiful.”
Your breath catches in your throat as you lean away in surprise. You sincerely hope that you’re not blushing right now because his words certainly… You blink profusely. There’s no way the flirting actually worked on you. You blink again. Was it even flirting? No, he was being genuine.
You look at him, only to find that Sunwoo’s equally as embarrassed. Then, he asks that very same question again.
“Did it work?”
“No,” you lie, unable to control the slight tremor in your voice.
And you expect him to sulk, but instead, he’s giving you a knowing look. He’s smiling now, too. Oh god, he’s noticed.
“Are you sure?” He teases. “Because it seems to have affected you quite a bit–”
“Not at all,” you sputter, hurriedly taking the flower out of your hair. You give him a weak glare before turning around and hurrying out of the cafe.
Oh, and the flower still sits in your vase, becoming the first thing you see every morning. But, you wouldn’t dare tell Sunwoo that.
—
A week passes and the cafe has started to become your most frequently visited place. For no particular reason at all!
The relationship you have with Sunwoo only grows sweeter by the second. Every conversation you have leaves you smiling for hours after. Besides his horrible attempts at swooning you, you adore his naturally sweet personality. He always listens, even when you go off random tangents. There was one time that you were particularly tired and Sunwoo had noticed right away. He lowered his voice into a gentle tone and you could see in his eyes the way he would subtly check if you’re alright.
The vase that you have has slowly started to grow with a colorful collection of flowers, all of which he would say “reminded me of you.” If a flower dies, he would help replace it with a prettier one.
Your heart pounds over and over again when you’re with this ridiculously cute barista.
One day, you walk in, only to see him chatting with a customer. She’s gorgeous, you notice, and that’s when you feel a weird feeling in your chest, as if your heart is twisting.
You watch silently, seeing the way Sunwoo smiles at her and laughs.
Now obviously, it’s not like you two are dating or anything. Perhaps feeling jealousy is just a normal occurrence.
Suddenly, the woman turns around and glances at you. She gives you a sweet smile before turning back around. You watch in disbelief as she leans closer and whispers something into Sunwoo’s ear before walking away to sit down at one of the tables.
With a low sigh, you approach the counter.
“The usual,” you mumble, unable to look the man in the eye.
“Y/n. I have to tell you something.”
Your heart picks up, and you look up at him.
It barely registers, the way he reaches over and gently tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. He gives you a smile, one that makes your breath hitch.
“I think I have a crush on you.”
You widen your eyes and jerk back. “W-what?” You stammer, unable to control the heat that creeps up your neck. “You— you can’t just start a conversation with that! Are you okay?”
Sunwoo nods but you can tell he’s suffering inside, so incredibly embarrassed. He’s unable to look you in the eye as he asks once again, “Did it work?”
You stare incredulously.
Then, he glances to the side frantically, as if to beg for help. You can see it in his gaze as if he’s trying to say, hey, this is not working like you said it would!
You narrow your eyes, wondering who he’s even looking at. “Was it… did Eric put you up to this? You know you should never ask him for any advice.”
“No,” he groans. “It was her.” He nods his head towards that very same woman from before. You look back and see that she’s still sitting there, watching the scene before her unfold with an amused look on her face. “My sister,” Sunwoo continues.
You gape. His sister? Slowly, it dawns on you. “Did you… ask her for advice? About me?”
“No,” Sunwoo scrambles to say. He winces when he notices the way you’re looking at him unimpressed before he sighs. “Maybe. I was hoping her idea would work.”
“Good try.” You smile knowingly. Honestly, you think it’s adorable how he even went to his sister for help. Still, you find yourself a little confused.
Sunwoo’s still looking at you with hope. It’s almost like he’s waiting for an answer.
Instead, you choose to ask a question.
“Did you mean it?”
“What?”
“Did you really mean what you said?”
Sunwoo looks at you in disbelief. “I mean—“ He stops and sighs. “Okay. I need to do this properly. Just give me a chance.” It seems like he’s speaking more to himself than you and now you’re even more confused.
“What are you planning this time—“
Sunwoo reaches over and grabs your already prepared drink because yes, he prepares them in advance for you now. You watch as he picks up a pen and writes on the side of the cup before handing it to you.
You take it, your hand brushing against his briefly—something that the two of you sort of, maybe, do on purpose sometimes.
“See you later, Y/n.” He gives you a nervous smile.
You feel like you have just been played. How could he say that he has a crush on you and then act like nothing happened?
Holding the drink in your hand, you exit the cafe. You’re about to call Younghoon and complain about this whole situation when you suddenly remember that you saw Sunwoo write on the cup. Curiously, you hold it up and read the message he’s left behind.
my break is at 1 tomorrow. walk with me?
p.s. i meant it by the way.
He even drew a small cat winking. It was slightly messy but a good effort.
You read the words over and over again before you feel a stupid smile grow on your face. You bite your lip as a pathetic attempt to stop it as you turn around to see through the window, Sunwoo, head in hands as he rambles to his sister about how he had absolutely messed up.
You sigh fondly.
Oh, how you can’t wait for tomorrow.
–
You arrive exactly before one and you don’t bother to order a drink this time. No amount of caffeine can compare to the energy you feel as you walk in and see that Sunwoo isn’t behind the counter, but rather waiting for you right at the door.
He smiles, always so eager to see you.
“I was hoping you’d read my message.”
You roll your eyes. “How could I not?”
Sunwoo scrunches his nose slightly before gesturing to the door–the one that you just entered through. “So…” He tilts his head unsurely. “Would you care to join me?”
“For a walk?” You ask in a teasing tone.
“For a walk.”
“Of course,” you giggle as the two of you leave together, hands brushing just the slightest.
It’s a beautiful day–the sky is clear, the temperature is just right, and there’s a really, really cute barista right next to you. He’s cute in all sorts of ways. He has big eyes, full lips, and a heart-stopping smile. His hair ruffles adorably in the wind. He rambles about mundane things and gets happy when you respond. He also likes to listen to you quietly, looking at you as if you’re the sole person in the world.
“Would you consider this a date?” You drop the question out of nowhere, just as the two of you turn the corner.
Sunwoo almost trips. Though once he regains his balance, he turns to you and opens his mouth. Then he closes it. He just chooses to quietly nod instead.
You can’t help but smile widely. “I consider it a date too.”
Sunwoo’s eyes widen in pleasant surprise before he grins.
And that’s all there is to it.
Not a single response.
“Sunwoo,” you say, eyeing him carefully. “The silent treatment is not a good method of flirting. It won’t work.”
You watch as Sunwoo stares at you, like he’s planning something–he’s always planning something. And then, in a split second, he suddenly leans in and presses his lips to your cheek before pulling back almost immediately.
“Oh–” You look at him in utter surprise, feeling your skin heat up quickly.
Sunwoo gives you a shy look. “Did that work?”
“No,” you lie. You can still feel it–his lips on your skin, so gentle and full of care. “I can’t believe you did that before we held hands.”
“I can do that too,” the man scrambles to say as he reaches down and grabs your hand, intertwining your fingers. “Anything else?”
You feel like you’re going to faint, and so you stop in your tracks, looking at him helplessly.
Sunwoo notices your confusion, and his eyes soften before he steps closer. “Y/n,” he whispers.
“Hm?” It’s your turn to avoid eye contact.
“I’ve realized something.”
“That you have a crush on me?”
“I’ve realized that a long time ago,” Sunwoo replies with a small smile. “What I mean is that…” He sighs, defeated as he looks down at the ground. “I’m a horrible flirt, especially around you.”
You let out a loud laugh at that. “I’m glad you’re self-aware.” You pause, thinking. “But you know… my first impression of you was that you were a flirty guy. A pretty good one at that.”
Sunwoo shakes his head. “I was practicing.”
“Practicing? For what?”
“For you.”
You gape at him. “Sunwoo.”
“I saw you a while ago. Before we met and while I was training for this job. You walked by, I saw you through the window, and… I couldn’t take my eyes off you. And–” He groans, so clearly embarrassed. “When I asked Eric, he said that you often come to the cafe so I thought… if I practiced, I would be prepared for you.”
“You–” you gawk at him. “What about those people’s feelings? That’s cruel.”
“I call it customer service.” Sunwoo grins. “Though I’ve been lacking ever since I met you. You’re all I think about.”
“Still, if you wanted to practice, you could have practiced on me, not them.”
“I’ve been trying,” Sunwoo whines. “It doesn’t seem to work on you though…” He trails off, and he gives you a knowing look. “Wait, are you jealous?”
“What?” You immediately exclaim. “No! No, I just— I think it’s a bit odd that’s all.”
“Well, if you’re wondering…” Sunwoo steps closer. The two of you are hidden behind a cherry blossom tree, away from any prying eyes. You don’t even know how you ended up there, much too focused on the way Sunwoo’s looking at you with a gaze full of warmth and fondness. “Practically every customer can tell that I really, really like you.”
You scowl. “This is not as romantic as you think it is.”
“But it seems to be working.” Sunwoo brushes a thumb across your cheek, and you’re sure you’re blushing right now. He slowly moves his hand to cup the side of your face. “Does this work as well?” He asks with a nervous smile.
You nod quietly, eyes wide.
“What else can I do to make you realize how much I like you?”
You swallow thickly, your gaze falling to his lips. Sunwoo seems to notice immediately and he smiles.
“I can do that too,” he whispers, looking at your lips as well.
You’re going to lose your mind.
“If you would like, of course.” He gives you a patient, questioning look. Your heartbeat is ridiculously fast, and you can feel your palms grow sweaty. Since when was he… so good at this? These past few weeks, he’s been an absolute loser. So why is it that now he’s doing this so naturally all of a sudden?
“I…” Instead of giving a full response, you simply shut your eyes and wait.
You can hear the soft rustle of the tree’s leaves, as well as Sunwoo’s quiet hum. And soon enough, you feel a soft pair of lips press against yours. It’s a small peck as he leans away immediately. Your eyes flutter open, and you can see that he’s looking at you with wide, adorable eyes.
He lets out a shaky breath as he tilts his head, much like a puppy.
“Did it wor–”
“Yes,” you breathe out as you lean up and kiss him again. The poor man lets out a surprised sound, but he’s quick to return it, smiling against your lips. He even giggles, making your heart feel like it’ll burst.
You kiss him like you’ve been waiting for it, cherishing the moment. Sunwoo kisses you like he adores you. Which, you’re sure he does.
Reluctantly, he pulls away, giving you a lovesick gaze. “Does that mean you like me too?”
“What do you think?” You smile. “I always have.”
“Really? Wait then–”
“It’s always worked,” you continue, laughing softly. “You know I’ve just been teasing you this whole time. Your flirting… it kind of sucks, but–” You lean up again, this time to press a kiss to his cheek before whispering into his ear, “I like that you try.”
“I like you,” Sunwoo stupidly blurts out.
“I know.” You laugh. “I like you too.”
“Oh,” he breathes out, looking like he’s gone weak in the knees. “This is amazing. The whole time, I thought I was messing up and weirding you out and–” Impulsively, he leans in to kiss you again. This time, it’s more passionate as he uses both his hands to cup your face. He moves his lips slowly, as if he’s trying to memorize what you prefer. One of his hands moves down to your waist as he deepens the kiss ever so slightly. “You’re beautiful,” he whispers as you break apart, breathless.
You smile softly. “Thank you. And you’re a great kisser.”
“So it worked,” he jokes.
“Always.”
“But…” He shyly reaches down for your hand. “Are you sure? I could always kiss you more so that you can make sure.” He gives you a foolish smile.
You groan. “Sunwoo.”
“Hm?” He seems to be in a daze, focused solely on your features, admiring each and every one of them.
“You know I like you as you are. There’s no need to flirt with me,” you explain.
“Ah,” Sunwoo sighs, and he grumbles. “So what you’re saying is that you like when I’m a mess.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. If you want a kiss, you can just have it.”
“Good to know,” he mumbles as he leans in, taking your advice and kissing you again. “Because I can’t help being a mess when I’m around you.”
“And that’s okay,” you giggle, getting slightly cut off as Sunwoo kisses you over and over again. His lips are soft as he captures your bottom lip between them. You feel the cherry blossom petals fall around the two of you. You peek your eye open and see that one has landed on the top of Sunwoo’s head, making you giggle against his lips before you shut your eyes again and allow yourself to fall.
Well, not literally.
But fall for him? Most definitely.
Suddenly, that’s when you remember something.
“Hey, Sunwoo,” you mumble. “When does your break end?”
Sunwoo freezes and he widens his eyes as he pulls out his phone and reads the time. He gives you a sheepish look.
“Ten minutes ago.”
You gasp, shoving him away, much to his disappointment. “Sunwoo!” You scold. “You need to go back to work. Enough of being a loser, please.”
“But–” Sunwoo doesn’t even try to deny the fact that you had straight up called him a loser. Instead, he pouts. Yes, he pouts at you with sad eyes.
You won’t lie and say that you almost gave in.
You reach up and fix his hair, messy from the light breeze. Then, just to satisfy his sulkiness, you give him a quick kiss on the lips before lightly pushing him away. “Seriously. You can’t get fired already. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”
His eyes light up at the sound of the word “tomorrow.” He nods and gives you the cutest smile you’ve ever seen. “Okay, Y/n.”
You laugh softly as you watch Sunwoo walk down the sidewalk. But rather, he’s more… skipping down the sidewalk. He even stops to scream into his hand before continuing, acting like nothing’s happened.
See this, this is the type of Sunwoo you adore.
–
Epilogue
Sunwoo is a horrible flirt.
It’s like one of those facts that you can just never get around. If you ever give him a smile, he will absolutely melt and even hide behind whoever’s next to him, whether that’s his sister or his fellow coworker, Eric. If you tell him that he looks handsome, he’ll try to compliment you back, but his words are incomprehensible with how flustered he already is.
He blushes, especially on the tip of his ears, endearingly so. You like to give him a quick kiss just to see them deepen in color.
Sunwoo is a horrible flirt.
Yet he still tries to this day.
No matter how many times you tell him that he doesn’t need to tell you a cheesy pick-up line or pull out a crumpled rose from his pocket, he just keeps on trying. You have no idea why. To tell the truth, you think it’s kind of cute. But, don’t tell him that or else he’ll probably lose his mind.
He just always claims it’ll work one day.
“Did it hurt when you fell from the sk–”
“No.”
Sunwoo sighs as he scooches closer to you on the bench that the two of you are sitting on. He leans his shoulder against yours as he looks up to the setting sun. You lean into him as well, smiling with contentment.
“Please indulge me,” he asks with a pleading look. “Let me win just this once.”
You scrunch your nose and shake your head. “It’ll never work.”
He narrows his eyes and gives you a teasing look right after. “I thought you said it always did–”
You stutter and slap a hand over his mouth.
“I lied.”
“Sure.”
You stay quiet, too embarrassed to say anything after.
So… sometimes, his efforts pay off. Rarely. Don’t get his hopes up too much.
But besides all that, Sunwoo shows a lot more of his true self.
And that is– he is an absolute clingy mess.
He’s almost always hugging you, holding you close in some way. He claims he’s doing it just because he’s missed you. But you two see each other almost every day.
If you tease him, he’ll get shy.
He’s shy, but he’s never shy enough to tell you that you look pretty, that a certain color suits you, that he really wants to kiss you right now.
“I kind of look like a mess,” you grumble, looking at him incredulously.
“Please,” he whispers, stepping closer. “I don’t mind. Besides, to me… you look gorgeous.”
You can’t help but give him a small smile. “Well, if you’d like to–”
“I do, I really do,” he replies desperately as he walks forward, kissing you like he means it. Yes, he’s always a good kisser, it’s almost sickening how he manages to make you feel like your floating with how he always cups your jaw and moves his lips in such a sensual way.
He likes it when you tug his hair when the two of you are kissing.
But don’t go too much into it or else he’ll get shy again.
Sunwoo is both a horrible flirt and a clingy mess.
But perhaps, that’s why you like him so much.
–
It’s a cloudy, almost depressing day as you walk into the cafe. That’s when you get stopped in your tracks, realizing that there’s a gigantic line. You groan internally, feeling a sense of déjà vu, reminding you of when you first set your eyes on that cute barista who’s now your boyfriend.
You squint your eyes and spot a pink tulip that Sunwoo’s set aside, one that he’s probably going to give to you once you eventually reach the counter.
You expect him not to see you as he converses with the customer in front of him with a charming smile. But then, he looks up and he notices you almost immediately. He always manages to find you in any room, no matter how many people there are.
ahhh omg its so nice to finally see u again on my dashboard.. but i hope ure doing well ❤️
ahh! hello ☺️ im not here for long, but happy to see you too! though i do miss a lot of friends i made here, im doing much better right now 🫶 hope you’re doing well too ^^
first of all, i want to say thank you so much for being here and always showing your love for a blog that i randomly started on a whim. it has grown into something that i’ve always held dear. i’ve learned a lot and also have been able to make so many kind friends!!!
but, i regretfully have to say that i will not be writing for this blog or be active here from now on :(
i’m happy that the fun has lasted as long as it has >_< please stay safe and healthy 💗 love you! mwah!
(under the cut) if you want a bit of an explanation:
i think the most important reason, is that i lack inspiration to write here anymore. i no longer find enjoyment in this writing style and i have not followed tbz for a while now, so the past several fics i’ve been going off blindly what i remember of them. to me, my best writing comes from my inspiration and interest. those things have not been present for a number of months, meaning if i were to be completely honest, i struggled to write a lot of my recent works.
therefore, i have decided this because not only do i lack the inspiration to keep this blog up and don’t feel satisfied with myself, but i also believe that if i did, i could not offer you my best and would constantly disappoint. maybe this is only for an indefinite amount of time or it may be forever, i’m not sure what the future holds. either way, i’m sorry but please know that i will always cherish the experience of this blog and of being able to interact with you!
germansingergirl
yousharknotpass
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