todays bird
pixel skylines
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
trying on a metaphor
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noise dept.
祝日 / Permanent Vacation
Discoholic 🪩
Keni
we're not kids anymore.
Kaledo Art
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
One Nice Bug Per Day
Cosmic Funnies
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
tumblr dot com
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JBB: An Artblog!
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blake kathryn
seen from Canada
seen from Malaysia
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Brazil
seen from Germany
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Switzerland
seen from Spain
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seen from Malaysia
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seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
@dcrlingyou
hello !! its been AGES since i've opened tumblr dfgdjsf BUT i am back!!! will be focusing on caratblr! so i'd love to find some carat moots on here :> blog is currently under construction as i try to get a hang of things again (everything on here feels BRAND NEW?!?!!!)
Domestic Boyfriend AU | K.M.G
Pairing: domestic bf!mingyu x gf!reader Summary: a headcanon of mingyu being your domestic boyfriend! (y'all had just started dating and he's LOCKED IN) Warning/s: very domestic mingyu Notes: i have a minwon fic coming up so im just warming y'all up! it's gonna be angsty, so here's smth fluffy :)
by some miracle, mingyu was able to ask you out on a date after his many, many tries
the date went absolutely well, so you went on more dates. he asked you to be his girlfriend after 6 dates, but you said no. the man was PERSISTENT so you eventually said yes after he told you that he had a "vision".
as soon as you said yes, mingyu had no plans in slowing down bc for him, you were IT. the first time he saw you? dating apps: deleted. girls on his instagram: unfollowed, blocked, and chats were deleted. contacts: exes and situationships were deleted. he was very committed to you even before you knew it.
in mingyu's mind, you're already married
grocery shopping dates "We also need to get stuff from my list." Mingyu says, pushing the cart. "What's on your list?" "Ingredients for tonight's dinner. I'm cooking, so just relax."
sends you furniture links at 2AM "Let's go to IKEA." "We don't live together, Gyu." "Not YET ;)"
cooks for you constantly! You're craving truffle pasta? He's already out buying truffle oil and stuff. You want fries and have no patience in ordering? He's making fries FROM SCRATCH!
talks about "our _____" casually "Our kitchen should be very clean all the time, and I want a kitchen island that's huge." "Our bathroom should have one of those fancy showers that has a 'rain' setting so I can act out emotional drama scenes when I shower." "Our kids are gonna be so cool because we're cool... but you're also very awkward so I hope they only get a little bit of that."
gets extremely excited over mundane couple things "I got us matching house slippers!! Aren't they cute?!" "I don't care if we have different phones because I bought us matching cases!!" "My mom gifted us matching bathrobes and mugs. You can't leave me now because my mom likes you for me, and I like you very much. These robes are so cute!! Let's use all of this on our at-home spa day!"
sends you apartment listings just for "looking", but already calculated commute times for both of you
absolutely the type to stand behind you while you cook, just to hug your waist and bother you,
keeps buying “extras” for his apartment because “you’re here all the time anyway”
gets proud over domestic things. it genuinely feeds his ego. fixing a cabinet? changing a lightbulb? fixing the sink? checking your car? suddenly, he's the man of the house "I'll do it, babe. I'm THE man, after all."
owns an apron that somehow screams boyfriend material
would 100% argue with you in ikea over aesthetics and then apologize by buying you dessert afterward
keeps pictures of you on his fridge like a husband who misses his wife at work. actually, he keeps your pictures everywhere: his wallet, his phone case, by the door (so he can kiss it before he leaves), on his nightstand, and on his bathroom mirror so he can flex his muscles in front of you or just talk to you while doing his skin care routine
if you stay over multiple nights in a row, he starts referring to his apartment as “home” for both of you "Just move in here already!! Or we can get the apartment down the road. It's so pretty!"
definitely the type to say “this reminded me of you” every time he buys random home items
if you jokingly call him your husband once, he thinks about it for the next three business days "Cheol hyung, she called me her husband... I can't function!" *when he picks you up from a party* "Hi, it's me; the husband! I'm ready to pick up my gorgeous wife!" "Let's get married NOW"
secretly loves when people assume you live together already because honestly? in his mind, you practically do "Seokmin thinks we live together, isn't that crazy? Actually, you know what? It isn't."
one day you realize he’s been building a life around you so naturally that neither of you even noticed when it started happening "Mingyu?" "Yeah?" "Let's move in together." "Oh hELL YEAH! You won't regret it, babe. I'm calling the agent about that pretty apartment down the road. We need a place that's new and fresh if we want a fresh start for our new chapter together. God, I love you so much."
a/n: now im jealous of y/n
what does being a father mean? | choi seungcheol
🌕 pairing: husband!dad!seungcheol x fem!reader 🌕 genre/content: parent au, idol au 🌕 warnings: suggestive babymaking at the end LOL 🌕 summary: Seungcheol thinks about the best gift he's ever received 🌕 a/n: you ask for more dad seungcheol, i deliver! 🌕 dad!seungcheol series: a chance encounter | mess | snow
You smile at your husband as he walks around to your side of the bed and places a glass of water on your nightstand. He then immediately proceeds to climb on top of you to get to his side of the bed instead of going around again.
You laugh while shoving Seungcheol off of you.
“Babe, you’re heavy,” you groan when he stops moving and lies his whole body on you.
“Funny, you weren’t saying that the other night,” he teases with a cheeky wink.
“Ugh, you’re nasty!” you laugh, successfully pushing him off of you.
He rolls next to you and gets under the covers so he can pull you into his chest. Not before pressing a kiss to your forehead.
This is his favorite part of your nighttime routine. Just a quiet moment before bedtime before…
“Daddy!”
He spoke too soon.
You and Seungcheol watch as your six year old son comes running into the room holding a book and his big black bear plushie.
Seungcheol reluctantly lets go of you so he can pull his son into his lap.
“What’s up, buddy?”
“Daddy, what is the best gift you’ve ever gotten?”
Seungcheol pauses for a moment to deeply think about life’s greatest gifts, even though he already has an answer.
Getting approached in the street by Pledis for an opportunity that would blossom into something bigger than he could’ve ever imagined when he was in middle school.
Building an incredibly strong relationship with the twelve other members of his group over twenty years. They’ve taught so much about what it means to work hard, have fun, and be kind.
Having a flourishing career that has allowed him to make his own music with his friends, travel to many parts of the world with unique cultures, meet people who love and support him beyond words, and pursue opportunities that take him outside of his comfort zone.
The day in September when he went to the animal shelter and saw a small white dog, whom he ended up adopting. Kkuma taught him responsibility and gave him a reason to go home every night. And it was Kkuma who led him to … you.
You. You are the love of Seungcheol’s life. While he loved his career, it was incredibly difficult to maintain romantic relationships. He was always away, always trying to be better, always careful with his every move, and after a few failed relationships, he stopped trying. But then he met you and knew he had to give love another chance.
And here you are years later, married with two children.
With a quick, dimpled smile at you, Seungcheol adjusts his son in his lap and pretends to think out loud.
“Hmmmmm,” he ponders with a finger to his chin and his eyes to the ceiling.
“My favorite gift?”
Your son giggles, holding his bear close while he waits for his dad to answer.
“The best gifts I’ve ever received are you and your sister!” Seungcheol exclaims with a poke to his son’s tummy.
While your son tells his dad how pleased he is with this answer, you take a long look at your husband.
Yes, he’s handsome and has a nice body and nice arms, but this is who you fell in love with. Seungcheol, who would insist you go back to sleep when your son was a newborn and crying at 2 in the morning. Seungcheol, who changed diapers and read bedtime stories and bought mountains of toys. Seungcheol, who did it all over again when you had a daughter a few years later. Yes, you loved Seungcheol as a husband, but you have loved him even more as a father.
He wears his heart on his sleeve, out in the open. He teaches your children to be kind and grateful. He reminds them how much he loves them.
You don’t think you could’ve picked a better man to be the father of your children.
Your son leans over to give you a hug good night and you watch Seungcheol carry him to bed.
Fatherhood looks good on your husband. But you always knew that.
When he comes back a few minutes later and gets into bed, you get closer and grasp his face in your hands and kiss him. He’s surprised at first, but he instantly takes over and lays you down on your back so he can kiss you harder. When you pull apart, you’re both breathing heavily. His eyes have gone a shade darker. He licks his lips as he looks down at you, thinking about where he wants this night to go. You wrap your arms around his neck and whisper how much you love him.
He leans over and turns off the light.
— "i can't pay rent this month", lee seokmin.
[a/n] dramatic ass seokmin my beloved <3
jeonghan version.
casualties of chemistry - choi seungcheol imagine
helllooooooo ~ i feel like it's been so long?😅 i'm just so happy i was able to write again, and sorry it took some time. i rewatched descendants of the sun and got inspired. you'll get it when you read this. hope you like it and see you on the next part!🤍
for my other svt fics, check them here
All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2026 . Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.
(pic not mine, credits to rightful owner)
The fluorescent lights of the convenience store buzz overhead loud enough to make your headache worse.
Your scrubs are hidden beneath your coat, but the exhaustion still clings to you like a second skin. Twenty-one hours awake. Two trauma surgeries. Your shoulders ache as you stand in front of the drink fridge debating whether caffeine at 1:17 a.m. is self-care or self-destruction.
Probably both.
The cashier is half asleep behind the counter. The entire store smells like instant ramen and rain dragged in from outside.
Then
“Give it back, asshole.”
A younger voice. Nervous. Angry.
You glance toward the back aisle. four teenage boys crowd around another kid near the cup noodles section. School uniforms half worn properly, faces carrying that dangerous mix of boredom and ego.
One of them is holding a backpack above his head while the smaller boy tries to grab it back.
“Hyung, seriously,” the smaller one mutters “Stop.”
The tallest teen laughs “Then say please.”
You sigh quietly. Apparently the universe saw your exhaustion and decided you weren’t suffering enough tonight.
You shut the fridge door. The slam makes them look over.
“Hey,” you call out, voice flat from fatigue more than fear “Give him his bag back.”
The boys blink at you. “Now.”
The tallest one smirks “Yah, noona,” he says lazily “Just go home.”
You should. You absolutely should.
Instead you fold your arms.
“I’m giving you exactly five seconds before I decide to become extremely annoying”
The smallest boy looks like he might cry from relief someone intervened.
The taller teen scoffs “Why do adults always act like—”
“Four seconds.”
“You think we’re scared of—”
“Three.”
Another one snorts “She’s crazy.”
You’re too tired to even deny it “Two.”
The tallest boy starts walking toward you instead. Your eyes narrow.
“Kid,” you warn “I work in trauma surgery. Do you know how little teenage intimidation affects me after seeing a man arrive with a knife through his thigh?”
That actually makes two of them hesitate but the leader keeps coming.
“Scary,” he mocks “What are you gonna do? Lecture me to death?”
You open your mouth when suddenly someone bumps lightly into your shoulder from behind.
Not hard hust enough presence to announce itself.
Instantly the air changes.
There’s a man standing beside you now. Tall. Broad enough to block half the aisle light. Black jacket. Black cargo pants. Combat boots darkened by rainwater. One gloved hand holding what looks like keys.
And his face—
God.
Sharp eyes. Strong jaw. Cold expression carved perfectly still. Not just handsome.
Dangerous almost.
The kind of man people instinctively move around. One glance from him and the entire mood in the store drops ten degrees.
The tallest teenager straightens immediately. You notice it right away, that shift.
Predators recognizing a bigger predator.
The man doesn’t even look at them fully at first.
He looks at you. His gaze flicks once over your tired face, your hospital ID hanging from your coat pocket, then toward the boys.
Calmly, he asks, “Problem?” His voice is low. Controlled.
Military. Or something authoritative because that much aura can’t be tied to a desk all day.
One of the boys immediately shakes his head “No, hyung.”
The man finally turns toward them completely. It’s subtle, but you catch it.
The posture. The alertness. The kind of stillness that screams trained.
“Are you bothering her?” he asks
“No.”
“Bothering him?” He nods toward the smaller teenager, they all stay silent which was answer enough.
The captain—because there is absolutely no way this man isn’t somebody’s terrifying superior officer somewhere—takes one slow step forward.
That’s it. One step and the boys immediately crack.
“Sorry!”
“We were leaving anyway—”
“Let’s go, let’s go.”
The backpack gets shoved back into the younger boy’s chest before the group practically trips over themselves escaping the store.
The bell above the door jingles violently as they disappear into the rain.
Silence settles. The younger teen bows rapidly at you both.
“Thank you,” he blurts before hurrying out too.
And just like that, it’s over.
You exhale slowly. Your adrenaline crashes almost immediately after. The man beside you finally looks down at you properly.
Up close, he’s even worse.
Broad shoulders stretching beneath dark fabric. Wet black hair pushed back carelessly. A faint scar near his jaw.
While his eyes linger on the dark circles beneath yours.
“You shouldn’t confront groups alone,” he says
You stare at him then laugh once in disbelief.
“Excuse me?”
His eyebrow lifts slightly “I’m serious.”
“And I’m serious when I say I’m too tired to tolerate being scolded by Batman”
For the first time, his expression shifts. Barely.
“You do this often?” he asks
“What? Interfere when kids are acting stupid?”
“Yes” You shrug tiredly and walk toward the fridge again.
“I’m an ER doctor. My entire career is built around interfering when people are acting stupid.” you continue.
You grab two canned coffees without thinking. When you turn around, he’s still watching you like he’s assessing every movement automatically.
Definitely military.
You hold one coffee out toward him.
“A peace offering since you apparently saved me.”
“I didn’t save you.”
“No?” You tilt your head “Those boys looked one second away from peeing themselves.”
“They were kids.”
“Mm. Terrified kids.”
He takes the can from your hand finally. His fingers brush yours briefly. Warm despite the cold rain outside.
“Choi Seungcheol,” he says after a moment.
“Military?” you ask. He raises a brow at your question so you continue,
“You’re too scary to be an office worker, you’re dressed in all black and let’s not get started on your combat boots”
That earns a chuckle from him.
“Military, Captain. And you? Doctor?” he points at your ID and scrubs under your coat
You nod once “Y/N.”
“You’re just Y/N?”
“You’re just Captain?” Another almost-smile. Dangerous how attractive that becomes on his face.
The cashier awkwardly clears his throat from the counter like he’s been witnessing a drama unfold in real time.
You both walk up to pay.
“You’re getting off work now?” Seungcheol asks
“At this point I basically live at the hospital.”
“What kind of doctor?”
“Traum, ER, general surgery.”
That finally gets a real reaction from him. A slight widening of the eyes. “You do emergency surgery?”
“Mhm.”
“That’s rough.”
You snort softly “You say that dressed like you came straight out of a classified mission.”
His gaze flickers toward you “Something like that.”
You pay for the coffees When you step outside, the rain has softened into a drizzle. Streetlights reflect gold against wet pavement.
You pull your coat tighter around yourself.
Then notice the black motorcycle parked near the curb. Of course he rides that.
Seungcheol catches you looking “You disapprove?”
“I know the statistics of how many injuries per month are caused by that very vehicle” you say honestly then look at him, head to toe” It’s annoyingly fitting.”
He actually laughs this time, low. Brief. It changes his whole face. You hate how handsome it is.
“You parked far?” he asks
“A block away”
“I’ll walk you.”
You immediately shake your head “That’s unnecessary.”
“At 1:30 in the morning?”
“I can handle myself.”
“I know ” The answer comes instantly. Certain and somehow that makes you pause because he really means it.
Then he gestures down the sidewalk “Come on, doctor.”
Captain Choi Seungcheol looked at you like he already knows you’re capable of handling yourself.
He just doesn’t want you doing it alone tonight.
=
It’s been a few days.
To Seungcheol, you were supposed to be one of those strange late-night encounters people forget after a week.
A tired doctor. A convenience store. That should’ve been it.
Except he remembered things annoyingly well.
Your name. Your face. The hospital ID hanging from your coat. The way you looked half dead but still stepped in front of a group of idiots without hesitation.
And apparently that information decided to stay lodged in his brain.
Which is why he’s currently standing inside the samer hospital he saw printed on your ID badge at nearly noon on three hours of sleep, staring at the giant directory board near the lobby while his best friend talks endlessly beside him.
“I’m telling you, it feels way better already,” Minho says while flexing his shoulder dramatically beneath his hoodie “I think the medic overreacted.”
“You got stabbed.”
“It barely pierced.”
Seungcheol gives him a flat look.
Minho grins shamelessly “You worry too much, Capt”
They’re waiting outside OPD wing after Minho insisted he was “completely fine” for three straight days before finally admitting he couldn’t lift his arm properly.
The hospital around them moves like organized chaos.
In the thirteen minutes they’ve been standing there, Seungcheol has counted at least nine staff members rushing past.
Nurses pushing carts. Residents jogging with tablets in hand. A doctor speed-walking while eating half a sandwich and reading scans simultaneously.
It reminds him too much of command centers before operations.
Everyone moving with purpose. One mistake meaning disaster.
Life and death.
Just cleaner here. More fluorescent lighting. Less guns.
“You’re not even listening,” Minho complains
“Hm.”
“I said after this we should eat samgyeopsal.”
“You say that every day.”
“Because it’s always a good idea.”
Seungcheol’s attention drifts again toward the ER hallway visible from the waiting area. Your hallway he assumes. He wonders briefly if you’re down there right now yelling at residents.
Then, all of a sudden
“Clear the way!”
The voice cuts sharply through the corridor. Immediate.
Everything shifts instantly. Nurses move aside. Orderlies straighten. People clear space without hesitation.
Seungcheol turns automatically toward the sound snd sees you.
For one suspended second, the entire hallway narrows into a single scene. A trauma bed flies through the corridor surrounded by staff.
You’re on top of it. Actually on top of it. Kneeling over the patient while the bed moves at full speed.
Your bloody gloves press down hard against someone’s chest.
“BP crashing!” Your voice slices through the panic perfectly steady.
“Resume compressions.”
You’re still wearing dark blue scrubs, sleeves shoved to your elbows. Blood streaks across your forearms. There’s something smeared near your jaw you clearly haven’t noticed.
But your face… your face is terrifyingly focused. Locked in.
The same way Seungcheol has seen soldiers during active operations. Pure training taking over.
He watches your hands move with brutal precision.
Compression. Count. Check. Compression. Count.
“Move!”
The bed rushes past. You don’t even notice him standing there. You’re too busy keeping someone alive.
And somehow that hits him harder than expected. Beside him, Minho goes unusually quiet.
“…Whoa.”
The trauma team disappears through double doors. Silence returns slowly afterward.
Distant announcements overhead.
But Seungcheol still stares at the doors. His military career has put him in firefights, covert extractions, hostage situations.
He knows pressure. He knows adrenaline.
Minho lets out a low whistle “Your doctors here are insane.”
Seungcheol’s eyes stay on the trauma doors.
Almost twenty minutes later, he sees you again. You come walking down the corridor slower this time, peeling off bloody gloves with tired movements.
There’s another doctor beside you speaking quickly about scans “…possible splenic rupture but neuro says pupils reacted after—”
“I know,” you interrupt while signing something on a clipboard mid-walk “Page me the second CT is uploaded.”
Then you finally look up. And stop.
Your eyes land on him instantly. Recognition flashes then confusion.
Captain Choi Seungcheol stands near OPD hall looking offensively calm in all black while your hospital looks like it’s actively collapsing around you.
You blink once “What are you doing here?”
His gaze flicks over the blood on your scrubs “You work like this every day?”
You look down at yourself briefly
“Oh” You rub absently at the stain near your jaw and fail to remove it entirely “Pretty standard Wednesday.”
“It’s Friday,” Minho says helpfully. You stare at him.
“…I genuinely didn’t know that.”
That finally makes Seungcheol huff out a laugh. Small but you notice it immediately.
Annoyingly attractive.
The other doctor beside you looks between the three of you curiously before muttering something about checking scans and walking off.
Then it’s just you, Seungcheol, and the very energetic stranger beside him. Minho brightens immediately.
“I’m Minho,his co-worker, bestfriend, confidante, drinking buddy” he says enthusiastically, immediately you wonder how a man like him is friends with a man like Sengcheol but also it makes total sense.
“OHHH wait you’re the convenience store noona!”
You freeze. Slowly turn toward Seungcheol.
“…You told your friend about me?”
“I mentioned a doctor.”
“He absolutely did not just mention a doctor,” Minho says instantly “He remembered your full hospital name from your ID badge—”
“Enough.”
You look back at Seungcheol with narrowed eyes. He doesn’t even look embarrassed.
If anything, he looks mildly annoyed his friend exposed him.
“So,” you say slowly “Captain Choi Seungcheol remembers details, huh?”
His gaze meets yours steadily “Yes.”
And for some reason, with alarms ringing somewhere deeper in the ER and your pulse still running on adrenaline that single word affects you more than it should.
You glance down at the chart in your hands, then back at them. That’s when you notice both men staring at you.
You blink. Then laugh tiredly.
“What?” You gesture vaguely to yourself “Need stitching up too?”
Minho looks alarmed for half a second before Seungcheol points toward your face.
“There’s blood on your chin,” he says
Automatically your hand flies there “…Ah”
Your fingers come away red. Right. You probably look horrifying.
You huff a laugh “I look like a crazy person right now.”
“You look like you fought someone.”
“I kind of did.”
Your answer comes so naturally both men go quiet for a beat. Then you shake your head slightly and look back at Seungcheol.
“But seriously,” you say, “why are you here?”
His expression stays calm as ever “Not me” Then he points beside him.
“Him.” Minho immediately waves enthusiastically again.
You stare at him for one second before laughing despite yourself and waving back with your bloodied hand.
“That’s somehow more concerning.”
“He’s dramatic,” Seungcheol says flatly
“I heard that!”
“You were meant to”
You snort softly then somewhere deeper in the ER, an alarm suddenly starts blaring. Immediately your posture changes.
Doctor mode again.
Your head turns toward the sound before your brain even catches up. One of the nurses appears around the corner.
“Dr. Y/N, they need you in Trauma 2”
“I’m coming.”
You look back at the two men.
“Well,” you say while already walking backward “try not to stab yourselves again.”
“It was one time,” Minho protests
Then you disappear back through the swinging ER doors.
For a few seconds Seungcheol keeps staring after you.
The automatic doors swing shut.
Silence.
“Oh my god.”
Seungcheol doesn’t look away from the hallway “Don’t”
“So someone has a crush.”
That finally makes him turn. Slowly. Dangerously.
Minho grins wider immediately “You remembered her hospital, her department, her name, the fact she works ER—”
Seungcheol elbows him hard in the ribs
“OW—yah!”
“You talk too much”
“You absolutely like her!”
“I met her twice”
“Exactly.” Minho points dramatically toward the ER doors “And you already got the brooding military man stare going on.”
“I always look like this.”
“That’s somehow worse.”
Seungcheol exhales through his nose and looks back toward the trauma wing again despite himself.
Minho nudges him again with a grin “You should ask for her number next time”
“There won’t be a next time.”
Right then, one of the ER doors swings open again. You walk out halfway, scanning a chart while speaking to a nurse beside you.
Then absentmindedly, you look again towards their direction and you lift your hand and wave once in their direction before disappearing again.
Minho bursts out laughing instantly.
“Oh you are finished”
=
Two months passed. Eight weeks. Which, in your life, feels more like Eight hours.
Trauma cases blur together. Overnight surgeries become afternoon consults become thirty-minute naps in the call room before another emergency rolls in.
You forget meals. Forget what day it is. Forget to answer texts for three days straight.
But somehow you don’t entirely forget Captain Choi Seungcheol.
Mostly because that would require forgetting a face carved by some genuinely unfair higher power.
Not that it matters. You saw him twice and honestly, you assume he forgot about you too.
Military men like him probably disappear for months at a time doing things you legally shouldn’t ask about.
Then Wednesday evening happens.
Oddly calm for once. No active traumas. No screaming. You’re sitting at the nurse station reading through post-op charts while sipping coffee that tastes vaguely like burnt regret.
One of the nurses pokes her head around the corner.
“Dr. Y/N? OPD asked if someone can check a laceration. They’re short staffed.”
“Mhm. I’ll do it ” You grab the chart absentmindedly while walking.
Male. Thirty. Forearm injury. You barely register the name. Your eyes are too focused on lab notes as you push aside the curtain.
Then freeze.
Oh.
Captain Choi Seungcheol sits on the examination bed in a black compression shirt with the sleeves pushed up.
You haven’t seen him in two months and somehow he still manages to look unfairly intimidating in fluorescent hospital lighting.
His gaze lifts immediately when you walk in. There’s a split second where genuine surprise crosses his face.
“There you are,” he says. Like he’s been expecting you specifically.
You blink once “…Why are you in my hospital bleeding again?”
The corner of his mouth twitches slightly “It’s not serious.”
You glance down toward the blood-soaked gauze wrapped around his forearm
“Mm,” you hum dryly “And I’m the queen of England.”
He actually huffs a laugh at that. You set the chart down and move closer. Only then do you notice the faint exhaustion beneath his eyes.
Like he hasn’t slept properly in days. Deployment, your brain supplies immediately.
You pull on gloves “What happened?”
“Scratch”
You slowly look up at him then deliberately peel back the gauze and immediately stop.
“…Captain.”
“It looks worse than it is.”
You stare at the deep graze tearing across his arm. Your eyes narrow slightly.
“That’s a bullet wound.”
“Barely.”
“Bullet wounds count as scratches now?”
“It grazed me”
“By definition, that is still being shot”
His eyes stay on your face while you work. Calm. Observant.
“You know what a bullet wound looks like?” he asks you, the question is casual but there’s something underneath it.
You continue cleaning the injury carefully “Apparently I do”
“You sound experienced”
You shrug one shoulder “Volunteer work overseas during residency”
“Where?”
“Borders near conflict zones mostly.” You pause. “Refugee camps. Emergency field hospitals”
You continue inspecting the wound.
“You?”
A faint smile touches his mouth “That’s classified”
You snort softly “Of course it is.”
“But yes,” he says after a second “Conflict zones”
You nod once like that explains everything because somehow it does.
You’ve seen soldiers before. Not polished recruitment-poster versions ,the exhausted kind, men who scan rooms before resting. Men who downplay injuries because pain becomes background noise eventually.
Captain Choi Seungcheol fits into that category too easily.
You disinfect the wound and he doesn’t even flinch.
“Either you have insane pain tolerance,” you murmur, “or your nerves are damaged”
“I’ve had worse.”
You glance at him briefly. That sentence unsettles you more than it should.
You begin stitching carefully. The room grows quieter.
Outside the curtain you hear distant announcements overhead, nurses chatting faintly, rolling carts passing by.
Inside just you and him.
“You disappeared” you say before thinking The words slip out accidentally.
Why did you say that?
But Seungcheol doesn’t look surprised
“Deployment,” he answers simply
“For a 8 weeks?”
“Longer than expected”
Your eyes flick toward him again. “And you came back straight to the hospital?”
“You’re here”
The answer comes so naturally you almost miss the implication entirely.
Your fingers still. Slowly you look up and he’s already watching you completely serious.
Your heartbeat does one very annoying thing against your ribs. You clear your throat and go back to stitching.
“You flirt terribly for someone this handsome”
That finally earns you a real laugh. Low and warm and rough around the edges from exhaustion.
“You think I’m handsome?”
You don’t even look up “I think you’re bleeding on my examination bed.”
“That wasn’t the question”
You tie off another stitch tighter than necessary. He doesn’t complain.
“You survived covert deployment missions,” you say coolly “You’ll survive not getting compliments.”
“Mm.” but he’s still looking at you like he already won anyway
You finish the last stitch and snip the thread cleanly.
“There,” you murmur “Try not to get shot again for at least a week.”
You peel off your gloves and toss them into the bin before leaning back slightly against the counter.
Now that the immediate task is done, the room settles into something quieter.
More dangerous somehow because Captain Choi Seungcheol looking at you while not actively bleeding is significantly harder to ignore.
Your eyes drift back to his face unintentionally.
Sharp nose. Strong jaw. Tired eyes. And apparently dimples.
You blink once.
Hold on.
He has dimples? You narrow your eyes slightly at him like this is personally offensive.
“What?” he asks
“You have dimples.”
That actually catches him off guard for half a second then he laughs softly again. And there they are. Deep enough to completely ruin your composure.
Oh, you’re in trouble.
You look away first before your dignity fully evaporates.
“So,” you say casually while writing notes on his chart, “safe to assume a man with a dangerous job like yours is single?”
His eyebrow lifts “That’s your professional medical assessment?”
“Absolutely.”
He leans back slightly against the bed, arms folding carefully to avoid the fresh stitches “And what’s the diagnosis based on?”
You pretend to think about it seriously. “Emotionally unavailable tendencies. Mild insomnia. Chronic work obsession.”
“Sounds familiar.”
“It should.”
He watches you for another second before the corner of his mouth lifts again “Safe to assume a woman with a job like yours is also single?”
“Would you like me to confirm or deny?”
His eyes sharpen immediately at the challenge.
“I’d like an answer.”
“Mm ” You tap the pen lightly against the chart “Maybe I enjoy keeping mysterious military captains stressed”
“You think I get stressed?”
“You came into a hospital with a bullet wound and called it a scratch” You tilt your head. “That’s either confidence or brain damage.”
“That’s not an answer either.”
“You’re persistent.”
“You’re avoiding.”
You stare at each other for one suspended second then your pager suddenly explodes to life against your waist.
Of course.
You close your eyes briefly. The hospital truly refuses to let you experience peace for more than twelve consecutive seconds. You glance down at the screen and sigh.
“Trauma consult,” you mutter
Seungcheol watches the immediate switch happen again. The way your entire posture changes instinctively the second work calls.
Like someone flipping a switch.
You grab another pair of gloves from the counter.
Before leaving, you pause by the curtain and look back at him.
“Come back in three days,” you say “I’ll check the wound.”
One of his eyebrows lifts slowly then that smug little smirk appears.
“A date then?”
You stare at him. Honestly stare.
Because the audacity.
Then, against your own will, you feel yourself smiling.
“Don’t flatter yourself, Captain”
“But you’re asking to see me again”
“Medically”
“Mm.”
“And if you reopen those stitches before then,” you continue while backing toward the door, “I’m charging you emotional damages”
His gaze follows you effortlessly.
“What if I come back without reopening them?”
You pause then point at him once.
“That,” you say, “depends how charming you manage to be in three days”
And before he can answer you disappear through the curtain again.
Leaving Captain Choi Seungcheol sitting alone in the examination room with fresh stitches, a slightly racing heartbeat, and the sudden realization that he is absolutely coming back in three days.
=
Three days later, you accidentally spend fifteen whole minutes staring at yourself in the hospital bathroom mirror.
Which is ridiculous. Actually ridiculous.
You’ve gone to work looking half dead for years. You’ve stitched arteries together after thirty-hour shifts looking like a raccoon dragged out of a hurricane.
And yet today you actually combed your hair properly. Your usually rushed bun is neat for once, not held together by stress and blind faith.
You even put on the faintest lip tint. Nothing dramatic.Just enough to make you look less like the hospital crypt keeper.
And the perfume— god. You haven’t touched that perfume in months.
One spray. That’s it.
You blame sleep deprivation. Clearly your frontal lobe is failing.
The second you walk into the ER station, Head Nurse Yang narrows her eyes at you immediately.
Ms. Yang has worked trauma nursing longer than you’ve been a surgeon.
Nothing escapes her. Not fear. Not exhaustion and apparently not lip tint either.
“Hm,” she hums suspiciously
You don’t look up from the charts in your hands “What?”
“Something’s different”
You keep your voice perfectly casual “Huh?”
Ms. Yang continues staring.
“I don’t see it,” you say quickly
“Mhm.” That single hum holds seventy years of judgment.
You ignore her mostly because if you acknowledge it, you’ll have to admit you spent ten entire minutes deciding between two shades of lipstick this morning like a lunatic.
The ER stays surprisingly manageable through most of the afternoon.
A motorcycle accident. Two fractures. One drunk guy insisting his traffic cone was “emotionally supportive.”
Standard Wednesday.
By around three, you’re finishing notes at the nurse station when one of the younger nurses approaches with an amused smile.
“Dr. Y/N?”
“Mhm?”
“Your patient is here” Something in her tone makes your eyes narrow immediately.
“My patient?”
The nurse tries—and fails—to hide her grin.
You look up and there he is. Captain Choi Seungcheol stands near the ER entrance in dark jeans and a black long-sleeve shirt rolled to his forearms.
No tactical gear this time.no visible injuries beyond the healing stitches beneath his bandage which honestly makes him worse somehow.
Because now there’s nothing distracting you from the fact he looks unfairly good standing under fluorescent hospital lights.
His gaze lands on you instantly. His eyes sharpen slightly.
You stand slowly from your chair.
Behind you, Ms. Yang suddenly makes a tiny noise of realization “Oh.”
Traitor. You ignore her with dignity. Mostly.
Seungcheol walks over calmly, hands tucked loosely into his pockets
“You look different,” he says immediately
You cross your arms “You sound like Head Nurse Yang.”
Your stomach betrays you in the most embarrassing way imaginable by flipping slightly. Professionalism. Remember professionalism.
You clear your throat “Did you reopen the wound?”
“No.”
“Fever?”
“No.”
“Pain?”
“Manageable.”
You nod once “Good. Follow me.”
You lead him toward one of the smaller examination rooms, painfully aware of at least three nurses watching with open interest. The second the door closes behind you, the atmosphere changes.
Quieter.
You gesture toward the examination bed.
“Sit.”
You step between his knees to unwrap the bandage carefully, and immediately realize this was a tactical mistake because now he’s close.
Way too close.
You catch traces of clean soap and something woodsy beneath it. Your perfume probably mixes with it in the tiny room.
Fantastic.
You focus on the wound instead. The stitches look good. Healing cleanly. No infection.
“You listened,” you murmur while inspecting the skin
“I follow orders sometimes”
“Liar”
A soft laugh rumbles from his chest. You glance up instinctively… big mistake because he’s already looking at you.
Not your hands. Not the wound. You. Your fingers still briefly against his arm.
There’s a beat of silence.
“You wore perfume”
Your eyes widen slightly. Oh, he’s observant-observant.
You recover quickly “You noticed?”
“You walked in and three nurses looked at you like they’d discovered hospital gossip for the next month”
“I’m transferring departments.”
He laughs quietly again and there are those stupid dimples. You finish rewrapping his arm carefully.
“Captain, if you flirt while I’m holding scissors, that’s on you”
“I think you like me.”
You look up slowly “Oh?”
“You haven’t denied it once.”
The confidence on this man.
Honestly.
You tie off the bandage tighter than necessary. He doesn’t even react.
“You military men are exhausting”
“And yet,” he says calmly, “you wore perfume”
You finish securing the clean bandage around his arm carefully, fingers smoothing the tape against warm skin.
“Alright,” you say, slipping back into your practiced doctor voice before this room gets any more dangerous. “Keep it dry and clean for another week. No heavy strain on the arm.”
“Yes ma’am.” Your hand pauses for half a second against his wrist.
Oh.
Oh that voice should genuinely come with a warning label. Low. Smooth. Obedient in the most deliberate way possible.
You recover professionally. Mostly.
“Don’t lift anything stupid,” you continue calmly
“Yes ma’am.”
Your soul briefly leaves your body. You clear your throat and refuse to acknowledge the fact your ears suddenly feel warm.
“Also,” you say while reaching for the chart a little too quickly, “if the wound opens, if you get feverish, dizzy, increased pain, redness—come back immediately.”
“Yes ma’am.”
You finally look up at him properly. His expression is completely composed. Like he knows exactly what he’s doing.
And the worst part? He absolutely does.
You narrow your eyes slightly “You seem very pleased with yourself right now”
“I’m following instructions.”
“You’re weaponizing manners.”
One corner of his mouth lifts. Those stupid dimples appear again.
You need the universe to stop giving this man additional attractive features.
For public safety.
You finish scribbling notes onto his chart before setting the clipboard aside.
Then casually—very casually—you say:
“And for the record…”
His gaze lifts immediately. You peel off your gloves slowly, tossing them into the bin.
“I can actually look like this,” you gesture vaguely toward yourself, “on a good day.”
There’s a beat of silence. Seungcheol looks at you fully then.
His eyes move over your neat hair, your glossed lips, the perfume he already noticed, the version of you that exists outside blood stains and overnight exhaustion.
Then he breaks into a smile. Warm enough to completely transform his face.
Dimples and all.
“Here I was,” he says softly, “thinking you were going on a date”
You raise an eyebrow immediately while reaching for the discharge forms.
“I thought this was one.”
Silence. Then Seungcheol smirks. Slowly. Like he enjoys watching you land hits back just as much as giving them.
Dangerous man. Absolute menace.
You sign off the chart and step outside the room where the assigned nurse is very obviously pretending not to eavesdrop. She startles slightly when you hand her the paperwork.
“Discharge complete” you say with suspicious professionalism.
“Yes doctor,” she answers equally suspiciously.
You turn back toward Seungcheol as he stands from the examination bed.
You pull a business card from your coat pocket and hold it out to him.
“My direct line,” you say
His eyebrows lift slightly as he takes it.
“You know,” you add casually, “for whenever there’s emergency anything.”
His thumb brushes over the card once while reading your name. Then he looks up at you slowly.
“Emergency anything?”
You cross your arms lightly “Bullet wounds. Concussions. Poor decision making.”
“What category is asking you to dinner under?”
Your breath catches for the tiniest second.
This man.
You tilt your head “Depends.”
“On?”
“How good the restaurant is.”
He chuckles quietly “Yes ma’am.”
And there it is again.
That damn yes ma’am.
You genuinely have to look away for a moment just to preserve what’s left of your composure.
Behind you, the nurse suddenly makes a choking sound suspiciously similar to holding in laughter.
Traitor.
You point toward the hallway before your dignity fully collapses.
“Out,” you say firmly. “Before I prescribe bed rest permanently.”
Seungcheol starts walking backward toward the exit, eyes still on you.
“Dinner Friday?”
“You’re very confident for someone recently shot.”
“You gave me your number.”
“For emergencies.”
“Meeting you sounds medically necessary.”
You actually laugh then. Real enough that a few nurses glance over curiously.
And Seungcheol notices that too. The fact he made you laugh and something softer flickers across his face for half a second.
Then he taps your card lightly against his chest pocket.
“I’ll text you, doctor.”
And somehow that simple promise feels far more dangerous than any bullet wound ever could.
=
Friday arrives surprisingly fast.
Mostly because your week disappears under consults, surgeries, and one forty-eight-year-old man who somehow managed to fracture his wrist trying to “race” his nephew.
But eventually—
Friday.
Your actual rest day.
Which feels fictional.
You wake up without an alarm for the first time in weeks and stare at your ceiling in confusion for a solid thirty seconds.
Then your phone lights up.
Seungcheol: 7pm. Don’t be late, doctor.
You smile before you can stop yourself.
The entire afternoon becomes embarrassingly unfamiliar territory for you because apparently you no longer know how to prepare for things outside hospital shifts.
You stand in front of your closet way too long. Reject three outfits. Reject four more and eventually settle on something simple but nice enough to make you feel human instead of clinically exhausted.
You even do your hair properly this time instead of throwing it up in survival mode.
When Seungcheol texts offering to pick you up, you refuse immediately. Mostly because the thought of him seeing you standing outside your apartment nervous makes you want to launch yourself into traffic.
So instead you agree to meet there.
The restaurant he picked is one of those impossible-to-book places tucked between city streets glowing warm with hanging lights and low music.
Packed even on a Friday evening. The kind of place where conversations melt together softly and plates constantly clink against tables.
Then the restaurant doors open.
And there he is. Black button-up. Sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms. Dark jeans. Hair slightly damp like he showered quickly before coming.
You hate how immediately your stomach flips.
His eyes find you almost instantly across the restaurant.
Then soften like seeing you relaxes something in him automatically.
God help you.
He reaches the table and pauses just long enough to look you over openly.
“You look pretty.”
Straight to the point. No hesitation. You blink once at the sincerity of it.
Then recover enough to smirk lightly.
“You clean up well yourself, Captain.”
“I tried.”
“I can tell.”
His dimples appear briefly when he pulls your chair out for you.
Oh you’re doomed. Absolutely doomed.
Dinner starts easily after that. Too easily.
Conversation flows without effort somehow.
You learn he drinks coffee black enough to qualify as chemical warfare. He learns you once fell asleep standing up during residency and scared an intern half to death. You tease him for being terrifyingly observant. He teases you for pretending not to care while clearly caring a lot.
The food arrives eventually and thankfully lives up to the hype.
At one point you’re halfway through laughing because he admitted Minho once accidentally set off an alarm during training—
Then his phone rings.
Everything changes instantly.
You see it happen in real time. His posture straightens before he even answers.
Eyes sharpen. Expression hardens.
Soldier.
He checks the caller ID once and immediately stands.
“Excuse me.”
You nod quietly. He answers the call a few steps away from the table.
“Yes sir.”
Pause.
“I understand.”
Another pause.
“I’m on my way.”
By the time he hangs up, his jaw is tight. And when he looks back at you—
There it is.
That look.
You know it immediately. Too well.
You’ve worn it yourself after interrupted dinners, canceled holidays, sleepless nights.
Duty first. Always.
The guilt of leaving. The frustration of having no choice.
He walks back over quickly “Y/N, I—”
You smile before he can finish “Go.”
His expression tightens further
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s—” “Seungcheol.”
That makes him stop. You lean back slightly in your chair, softer now.
“I get it.” And you do.
Completely.
Because trauma surgery isn’t kind either. You’ve left meals untouched. Missed birthdays. Walked away from people mid-conversation because somebody somewhere stopped breathing.
You know what it means when lives depend on you showing up.
You’ve lived it. So you just smile gently and say:
“Duty calls.”
Something in his expression shifts at that. Like relief mixed with something heavier.
“We can reschedule,” you continue lightly. “Seriously. It’s fine.”
For a second he just looks at you like maybe he expected disappointment or anger or someone who wouldn’t understand this part of him.
Instead you simply hand him an easy out. No guilt attached.
“You sure?” he asks quietly
You nod once “Go save the world, Captain.”
A breath of a laugh leaves him. Then he reaches for his wallet immediately. You open your mouth to protest.
“Don’t,” he says. You close it again. He pays quickly, apologizes to the waiter, then turns back to you one last time.
“You’ll text me when you get home?” There it is again. Even rushing toward danger, he’s still making sure you’re okay first.
You smile softly “Yes, Captain”
He stares at you for one second then laughs despite himself.
“Troublemaker.”
“Go.”
Reluctantly, he does. You watch him disappear through the restaurant doors.
A few moments later you hear it, the deep rev of his motorcycle outside. Then it fades rapidly into the night as he speeds away toward whatever emergency dragged him from dinner.
And strangely enough you don’t feel upset.
Disappointed maybe. A little. But not because of him, mainly because you wanted to spend more time with him.
But mostly you understand him now maybe more than either of you expected.
=
Thirteen weeks pass after the interrupted dinner. 91 Day.
Thirteen long, busy, exhausting weeks.
At first, you check your phone more than you should. Not obsessively. Just… enough to annoy yourself.
A part of you knows better.
Captain Choi Seungcheol warned you from the start without really saying it outright.
Covert assignments. Deployments. Disappearances.
The kind of job where silence sometimes means safety.
Then two days after your date, the news breaks.
Some international incident overseas. Nothing detailed. Just enough military presence mentioned for your stomach to twist unpleasantly.
You stare at the television mounted in the hospital cafeteria longer than necessary.
Then force yourself back to work because that’s what both of you do, apparently.
You throw yourself into surgeries. Into consults. Into twenty-hour shifts and caffeine and organized chaos. And eventually you stop expecting texts.
Stop glancing at your phone every hour.
You accept it quietly.
This is what being involved with someone like him means.
Long silences. Uncertainty. Waiting without asking questions.
Still, sometimes late at night between cases, you think about him.
About dimples and smug smiles and black motorcycles disappearing into the dark.
And annoyingly enough—
You miss him.
Which feels absurd considering technically you only had one almost-date.
Tonight the ER is chaos again.
Not trauma-level chaos. Just deeply irritating chaos.
A group of men got into a massive fight outside some nightclub and now half of them are crowded into emergency bays drunk, bleeding, loud, and incredibly uncooperative.
One has a broken nose. Another possibly fractured ribs. One guy keeps trying to flirt with nurses while actively vomiting.
You’re already tired.
Now you’re tired and annoyed.
“Sit still,” you say sharply while trying to examine a cut above one patient’s eyebrow
The man smells aggressively like alcohol.
“I’m fine,” he slurs
“You’re bleeding on my floor.”
“You’re pretty.”
“And you’re concussed.”
One of the nearby guards snorts quietly. The drunk patient suddenly jerks his arm away.
You grab for gauze before it falls and the man shoves you unexpectedly.
Everything happens fast.
Your balance tips backward instantly. You’re already mentally calculating how badly this floor is about to hurt when a solid arm catches you around the waist before you hit the ground.
Firm. Steady. Immovable.
You inhale sharply. The familiar scent hits first.
Soap. Leather. Cold night air.
Then warmth.
You look up immediately.
And your heart nearly stops.
Captain Choi Seungcheol stands behind you in full uniform. Not casual clothes. Not civilian. Uniform.
Dark tactical gear still dusted faintly with dirt like he came straight from somewhere far away.
Broad shoulders. Heavy boots. Black gloves.
And his face—Jesus. He looks terrifying. Cold enough to freeze the entire room.
The guards straighten instantly.bEven the drunk men go quieter.
Seungcheol barely notices any of them at first. His eyes scan you rapidly instead.
“You hurt?” The question comes immediately.
Your brain short-circuits slightly because he’s here. Actually here.
You blink once “I’m fine.”
His hand remains firm at your waist another second longer like confirming it himself. Only when he’s certain you’re steady does he move. Then suddenly you’re being guided gently behind him.
Protected instinctively.
The shift is so natural it almost startles you.
Seungcheol steps between you and the drunk patient completely.
The room changes instantly.
The drunk guy straightens defensively. “Who the hell are—”
“Sit down.”
The command slices through the ER. Absolutely lethal underneath.
The man actually hesitates.
Seungcheol’s gaze locks onto him steadily “You assaulted medical staff.”
“I barely touched—” “You put your hands on a doctor while intoxicated inside an emergency department.”
“You will sit down,” he says evenly, “and you will cooperate with treatment.”
The drunk man scoffs weakly. “Or what?”
Behind Seungcheol, you almost sigh. Poor idiot.
Because you’ve seen that look before now. The hypercontrolled one. The one soldiers get when violence becomes an option they’re actively suppressing.
Seungcheol tilts his head slightly.
“Or security removes you,” he says calmly. “And I become significantly less polite.”
Then immediately the drunk man sits.
One of the guards coughs suspiciously like he’s hiding laughter. You cross your arms behind Seungcheol, trying very hard not to look affected.
Failing horribly.
Because good lord.
There’s something deeply unfair about this man appearing out of nowhere looking like a military recruitment poster designed specifically to ruin your emotional stability.
The patient mutters curses under his breath but stays seated now.
Seungcheol waits another moment before finally turning back toward you. And instantly his expression changes again.
Softer.
Like the terrifying soldier disappeared the second he looked at you.
“You sure you’re okay?”
You stare at him.
Seven weeks. No messages. No calls. Then suddenly he’s here catching you mid-fall like some absurd action movie entrance.
Your brain struggles briefly.
“You vanished,” you blurt out before thinking.
His eyes flicker slightly “I know.”
The answer is quiet and annoyingly sincere.
You open your mouth then another patient across the room starts yelling.
The universe truly hates timing.
Seungcheol notices immediately and huffs the tiniest breath of amusement.
“You’re busy.”
“You think?”
His gaze lingers on your face a second longer.
Then lower. To your wrist. Very gently, he adjusts the sleeve of your coat where the drunk patient grabbed you like he’s making sure you’re unharmed without making a scene about it.
Your pulse betrays you instantly.
“I just landed,” he says quietly. “Came straight here.”
Before you can answer, one of the nurses suddenly appears beside you looking between both of you with absolutely shameless curiosity.
“Doctor,” she says carefully, “Trauma 1 needs you.”
Of course they do.
You exhale through your nose. Then look back at Seungcheol.
He steps aside immediately.
“I’ll wait,” he says.
And for the first time in three exhausting weeks you smile without even trying to stop it.
Seungcheol stays near the edge of the nurses’ station after you leave him there, broad shoulders still carrying traces of travel and exhaustion from deployment.
He should probably report back first. Should probably head home. Should probably sleep after nearly twenty hours in transit.
Instead he’s standing in a crowded emergency room at almost midnight watching a trauma surgeon terrify grown men.
His eyes follow you automatically. Always finding you no matter how chaotic the room gets.
You move fast.
A nurse meets you halfway with charts already open and you barely glance down before issuing orders.
“Get repeat vitals on Bed 6.”
“Where’s radiology?”
“Page ortho again and tell them if they ignore me this time I’m dragging them down here myself.”
“Yes doctor.”
Another patient starts yelling about pain medication. You don’t even look up from stitching a split lip.
“You threw a chair at a paramedic fifteen minutes ago,” you say calmly. “You can survive five more minutes.”
The patient immediately quiets.
One of the residents beside you mutters, “Scary.”
You hear it “Then stop forgetting chart updates.”
“Yes doctor.”
Seungcheol almost laughs because there it is again.
That switch. The same one he saw the first day in the hallway when you were covered in blood kneeling over a crashing patient.
The terrifying competence. You become sharper under pressure. Like chaos organizes itself around you instead of the other way around.
It’s familiar to him. Too familiar. In military operations, the best leaders aren’t the loudest. They’re the calmest when everyone else starts panicking.
And youu command this emergency room exactly like that.
People move when you speak because they know you know what you’re doing.
A drunk patient suddenly grabs at a nurse’s wrist aggressively.
Seungcheol straightens immediately on instinct. But before he can move you’re already there.
“Hands off her.” Your voice cuts through the room cleanly
The patient scoffs drunkenly “Relax sweetheart—”
“Security.” The single word lands like a gunshot. Two guards instantly move forward.
The patient starts protesting immediately but you don’t even spare him another glance, already turning back toward your nurse.
“You okay?”
The nurse nods quickly. You squeeze her shoulder once before continuing down the row of beds like nothing happened.
One of the security guards near him notices where he’s looking and chuckles quietly.
“Dr. Y/L/N is usually scary,” the older man says knowingly.
Seungcheol’s eyes remain on you. You’re currently arguing with a resident twice your size while simultaneously putting pressure on someone’s bleeding shoulder.
“Mm.”
The guard grins. “Whole ER’s terrified of her when she gets like this.”
Across the room you snap your fingers toward another doctor “You. Gloves. Now.”
“Yes doctor.”
The guard laughs harder “See?”
But Seungcheol just watches you. Really watches you.
God.
To everyone else in this room, you probably do look intimidating.
Untouchable almost.
But to him you’re the prettiest thing he’s seen in weeks.
Maybe ever.
And that realization hits him with genuinely embarrassing force because Captain Choi Seungcheol has spent years avoiding attachment.
It’s easier that way.
His work requires distance, disappearing without explanations, accepting that one day he might not come back from deployment at all.
People like him don’t build stable relationships.
He learned that early. Yet here he is. Standing in a hospital ER watching you bully drunk patients and overworked residents with stars practically in his eyes.
Hopeless. Absolutely hopeless.
As if sensing him watching, you glance up suddenly from across the room.
Your eyes meet his immediately and your whole face changes. Just subtly softer around the edges.
Enough that he notices his chest tightens unpleasantly.
You mouth something that looks suspiciously like: You okay?
Seungcheol nods once.
Your gaze lingers another second before you’re pulled away again by a nurse waving scans at you urgently.
The security guard beside him whistles low.
“…Oh.”
Seungcheol doesn’t bother asking what that means.
Because honestly? He knows. For a man trained to read threats, surveillance patterns, battlefield movement… It’s humiliatingly obvious.
Captain Choi Seungcheol is completely done for.
By the time he gets back to base, it’s nearly 3 a.m. Technically, his day should’ve ended hours ago. Instead, he spent the last several hours lingering in your ER while pretending he wasn’t waiting specifically for your shift to end.
You noticed, obviously.
Around midnight you finally walked over to him still carrying charts under one arm and said, “You know normal people go home and sleep.”
“I was making sure nobody pushed you again.”
Your eyes softened immediately at that. Which honestly felt more dangerous than any deployment he’s survived.
Eventually around two in the morning, your shift finally ended and for the first time since knowing you, Seungcheol saw you genuinely exhausted.
Actually exhausted.
Your steps slower. Eyes heavy. Hair half falling from your bun. You still tried to argue with him outside the hospital though.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Absolutely not.”
“It’s 2 a.m.”
“I’m not getting on your death machine.”
He blinked once “Death machine?”
“Your motorcycle”
“That hurts my feelings”
“It should”
He almost laughed right there in the parking lot. Then finally sighed and held up his keys.
“I took the car tonight.”
You stopped, narrowing your eyes suspiciously.
“…You own a car?”
“I’m capable of normal civilian behavior occasionally”
“Debatable.”
The drive starts quiet. Streetlights passing across your tired face in brief golden flashes.
At first you try staying awake. You really do. You ask him something about whether military cafeterias are actually as bad as people claim.
He asks if all surgeons survive entirely on caffeine and spite.
You laugh softly at that. Then gradually your replies get slower. Quieter. By the fourth red light, he glances over and realizes your eyes are barely open anymore.
“You can sleep” he says quietly
“M’not sleepin”
“You just lost a fight with your seatbelt five seconds ago”
“No I didn’t” You immediately drift sideways against the window.
A minute later you mumble, barely coherent “Address…” You unlock your phone halfway, fail, then eventually just type your apartment address into the dashboard navigation with sleepy determination.
After that? Done. Completely out cold within five minutes. No hesitation. No worry. Just trust.
It hits him strangely hard because people don’t usually fall asleep around him that easily. But you, you simply curled slightly into the passenger seat and slept. Like some exhausted part of you already decided he was safe.
Seungcheol drives slower after that. Careful over speed bumps. One hand steady on the wheel while city lights blur past the windshield.
At one point you shift in your sleep, face turning slightly toward him.
And God. He’s done for.
Absolutely catastrophically done for.
When he reaches your apartment building, he debates waking you immediately.
Instead he sits there for a second. Just looking.
Your face finally relaxed without hospital stress tightening your features. Soft breathing.
You look younger while asleep. Nothing like the terrifying trauma surgeon ordering residents around an ER.
Eventually he reaches over carefully.
“Y/N.” You make a tiny sound but don’t wake
His mouth twitches.
“Doctor.” Still nothing.
Then finally,
“Pretty girl”
Your eyes crack open instantly. Seungcheol nearly laughs at your betrayed expression.
“You’re evil” you mumble sleepily
“You drool when you sleep”
“I hate you”
“Sure”
You grumble under your breath the entire way to your apartment entrance while half asleep.bHe waits until you unlock your door safely.
Only before stepping inside, you turn back toward him.
Hair messy. Eyes barely open.
Beautiful.
“Text me when you get back” Then you disappear inside before he can even answer properly.
And now hours later, Seungcheol closes the office door inside the base quietly, exhausted down to the bone.
He tosses his keys onto the desk. Rolls tension from his shoulders.
Finally alone or so he thinks.
“…So”
Seungcheol freezes instantly.
A figure emerges from the darkness of the office couch like an actual demon. Minho sits there with the most evil grin imaginable and a convenience store drink in hand.
Seungcheol stares “How long have you been there?”
“Long enough”
“You’re creepy.”
“And you,” Minho says while pointing dramatically, “are in love.”
Seungcheol immediately starts walking toward the coffee machine instead
“No.”
“Captain Choi Seungcheol voluntarily drove a woman home in his car instead of disappearing into the void after deployment.”
“She was tired”
“She fell asleep in your car?”
Silence. Minho gasps loudly. “Oh my GOD she fell asleep in your car”
“She works thirty hour shifts”
“She TRUSTS you”
“She was exhausted”
“You looked at her while she slept, didn’t you?” Seungcheol pauses for one fatal second. Minho screams.
“YOU DID!”
“Keep your voice down”
“You’re smiling!”
“I’m not”
“You literally have heart eyes right now.”
Seungcheol rubs one hand down his face tiredly whiich unfortunately only confirms everything further.
Minho jumps off the couch immediatel “This is insane. Captain Emotionally Unavailable actually caught feelings.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You drove slower because she was sleeping, didn’t you?”
Silence again.
Minho points aggressively. “Pathetic”
“She asked me to text her when I got back.”
That shuts Minho up immediately. Then slowly his grin returns ten times worse.
“Oh,” he says softly “Oh you’re both gone”
Seungcheol exhales heavily and pulls out his phone despite himself.bOne unread message already waits there.
you: did u get back safe or did the military finally lose their best employee
His chest does something deeply embarrassing. Minho watches his expression carefully then cackles loud enough to wake the entire base.
Minho is still laughing when Seungcheol finally drops heavily into the office chair.
Outside the office windows, the base is mostly quiet at this hour. A few distant footsteps. Radios crackling somewhere down the hall.
Meanwhile his best friend is having the time of his life watching him suffer.
“So,” Minho says while dragging a chair over dramatically, “tell me everything”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Liar”
Seungcheol leans back and closes his eyes briefly.
Instant mistake.
Because immediately he thinks of your face.
Hair falling loose in the ER. Sharp eyes over surgical masks. Soft sleepy expression in his passenger seat.
“See?” Minho points aggressively. “You’re doing it again!”
“Doing what?”
“That thing where you stare into space like you’re hearing wedding bells.”
Seungcheol opens one eye slowly “I can still have you transferred.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I absolutely would.”
“You’re too happy lately.”
That makes Seungcheol snort quietly despite himself.
Happy.
Strange word. Not one he usually associates with himself. His life is schedules and classified files and deployments that end with blood on tactical gloves.
Not… this.
Not waiting outside emergency rooms just to drive someone home.
Minho studies him for another second before suddenly asking:
“So how is it? she looked extra scary tonight?”
And annoyingly enough Seungcheol knows exactly what he means. He exhales slowly and drags one hand down his face.
“She does this thing,” he says before stopping himself.
Minho immediately lights up. “OH MY GOD THERE’S A THING.”
“Shut up.”
“No continue.”
Seungcheol stares at the ceiling for a second, Trying and failing to sound normal.
“When she’s focused,” he says quietly, “everything else disappears ”
His mind flashes back instantly.You standing in the middle of the ER chaos while everyone moved around you.
Blood on your gloves. Sharp voice cutting through noise. Completely locked in.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
Alive.
You're pretty when you're focused, in your element.
Then another image surfaces. You asleep in his passenger seat. Head tilted slightly toward him.
Trusting him enough to completely let go.
His chest tightens again at the memory.
And he can't help but think you're even prettier when you're like that, relaxed, void of any stress, just you.
Then the worst or best one really. The most dangerous one.
You looking at him. Not doctor-to-patient. Not teasing. Just… looking at him softly after recognizing him in that ER tonight.
Relief hidden in your eyes. Like you were genuinely happy he came back safe.
And that— that one nearly kills him.
“The prettiest,” Seungcheol says finally, voice quieter now, “when she looks at me.”
Silence. Absolute silence.
Then Minho slowly lowers his drink onto the desk “…There you go again.”
Seungcheol blinks once “What?”
“Floating away”
“I’m sitting right here”
“No,” Minho says dramatically while pointing at him, “physically yes. Spiritually? You’re holding hands with her in a sunflower field”
That actually makes Seungcheol laugh.
Minho stares at him in disbelief afterward then shakes his head slowly.
“I have never,” he says firmly, “and I mean never ever seen you like this.”
Seungcheol falls quiet again. Because honestly? Neither has he. He’s spent years carefully detached from people. Not cold just practical.
His job taught him early that attachment complicates survival.
You leave easier when nothing waits for you.
But now there’s suddenly a trauma surgeon with messy handwriting and terrifying leadership skills occupying his thoughts at three in the morning.
A woman who understands duty instead of resenting it. Who patched bullet wounds without flinching. Who fell asleep in his car like she trusted him instinctively.
And worst of all… he wants more.
More dinners.
More late-night drives.
More sarcastic comments thrown at him over coffee.
More of you looking at him like he came back.
Seungcheol exhales slowly through his nose “…This is bad.”
Minho immediately points at him again. “That is the face of a man already planning marriage.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
Seungcheol shakes his head once, but there’s no real denial left in it now because somewhere between the convenience store, the ER hallways, and you asleep in his passenger seat…
Captain Choi Seungcheol fell hard.
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌END OF PART ONE❌❌❌❌❌❌❌
ALWAYS
✦ pairing: Vernon x reader
✦ genre: soulmate au, fluff, found family, angst, accident, hospital
✦ word count: 4.1k
✦ note: tell a friend to tell a friend, she's baaaaaaaaack!! I've rewritten this a thousand times, give me all the feedback you have, I'm desperate to hear what you think cause: ugh I love them!!
✦ reading order: Hoshi ✦ Jun ✦ Jeonghan ✦ Woozi ✦ Minghao ✦ Dino ✦ Wonwoo ✦ Dokyeom ✦ Seungkwan ✦ The article ✦ Scoups ✦ Joshua ✦ Vernon ✦ Mingyu ✦
Vernon had always been known as a very nonchalant and chill guy to all those who knew him.
What most people didn’t know was that he in fact loved deeper and protected those that he loved more than people usually noticed.
The love he showed people was quiet.
He showed it when he was a child whenever he took his sister's hand when they crossed the street. He showed it in how his door was always open if she had a nightmare or how he would help her with eating her vegetables when their parents looked the other way.
He showed love to his parents by listening to what they told him, he showed it to his friends when they were bullied and he stood up for them.
And when you and your family had moved in next door he had shown love by memorizing every single thing that you loved. Everything from the white flowers in his mothers garden, to the kind of chocolate you would always pick out from a bowl of sweets before anything else.
Vernon showed love in a lot of different ways, and he had known from the moment he met you, that he loved you.
The two of you had always understood each other, unlike most people you were not put off by his quiet nature. Instead you saw it as a safe place to be yourself, which had always meant you would talk his ear off with whatever had caught your attention that day or week.
And his favorite pastime was to listen to the things you had discovered and the things that brought you joy.
It didn’t matter to him that people didn’t understand him or his soul, because as long as you did, he knew that he would be okay.
As he had grown older his thirteenth birthday had started to loom over him as a dark cloud, it held so much promise and so much anxiety. So when he had woken without any kind of mark he had been a little disappointed at first.
But when your birthday had come and gone and no mark was on your skin either he clinged to the hope that the two of you were in fact each other’s other halves.
The days following he had started to notice that he hurt himself more often than usual, which was weird because the pain usually seemed to come at times where he was certain he did in fact not stump his own toe.
And when he started to notice the bruises on your legs seemed to match where he hurt himself that hope in his chest grew, and despite that he grew more and more certain for each passing day, he never spoke up.
When Vernon had left his home behind to train under Pledis the two of you had hugged each other goodbye with tears in your eyes. And you had squeezed his hand thrice.
“It means that I miss you, and that I love you” you had said with a blush on your cheeks.
His heart had felt like it was about to explode right then and there. All he did was return the three squeezes and as soon as he had, he had caught you as you once again threw yourself into his arms.
The training was hard, it took stamina, motivation and a tough skin. The guys were all kind, and as the days passed they all got closer and closer.
When the talk of their soulmate marks finally came he had chosen to keep you to himself, not because you were a secret, they had all heard the stories of his best friend back home, but he was not ready to share the hope in his heart with anyone yet.
He was not ready for anyone to pressure him to confess the feelings he had. He was not ready for anyone to push him down a hole of despair if he was wrong. So instead his brothers knew you as his best friend.
It took years before anyone finally noticed how his eyes shone brighter when he talked about you, and how he had a special smile and laugh reserved for whenever he talked to you.
Joshua had been sitting in the studio while Minghao was in the booth, quietly observing his younger brother as you had been talking to one another on a facetime call. It had become a weekly occurrence after you had moved overseas. One he had explained as just wanting to keep in touch with an old friend, when Mingyu had asked with suspiciously raised brows.
As the time difference finally caught up to you, and you had fallen asleep, Joshua had seen how Vernon's hand had reached out to gently caress your cheek on the screen before silencing the call to not disturb your sleep.
“You love her” he had said with a quiet voice.
Vernon's head had quickly turned towards his brother in a panic, cheeks reddening as his brain tried to come up with an excuse for the action.
Joshua had only smiled at his brother. “Is she your soulmate?” He had asked as he crooked his head a little to the left.
Vernon had coughed once. “I don’t know”
“She’s your best friend, how can you not know?”
He shrugged once as he completely left Minghao behind in the booth, leaving the man as one giant question mark when no music and no direction came his way.
“We’ve never discussed it. I’ve never had the heart to talk to her about it, because what if she’s not? It would be devastating knowing she belonged to someone else, that she wasn’t mine…”
He looked down at his hands, completely avoiding his brother's gaze. Then the door opened and Minghao stepped in, and just as he was about to scold his producer for the day, he physically felt the tension in the room, and locked in.
“But what if she is?” Joshua said as he moved over on the couch to make room for Minghao.
Vernon buried his head in his hands as he took a deep breath.
“Leave him Joshua, love is difficult enough, and I’m sure he has thought over every scenario more than a thousand times”
He quickly looked up at his two brothers with raised brows. “How did you know?”
Minghao only laughed. “You’re not exactly subtle you know? If it helps I’m pretty sure the feelings are reciprocated”
That sentence made him smile as he leaned back in his chair and once again looked at your sleeping face on his phone screen.
“They say you can physically feel a pull in your chest when you meet your soulmate, do you feel that with her?” Joshua asked.
He nodded. “I’ve felt that with her since before I got my mark, but it’s been so long I’m not sure if it’s something I’ve made up or if it’s actually there”
Minghao nodded before he once again stood up. “You won't know until you tell her”
Much like Vernon you were terrified that a confession would lead to you losing your best friend, because what if his mark was different from yours? It would be the biggest heartbreak.
So instead you had been subtle with your interest in him. You complimented for his music, which only seemed to make him pursue it more and suddenly he told you that he had taken your advice and had started producing and writing music.
You complimented his clothes one time and now it seemed that his entire closet was only filled with polo shirts and jeans.
You had thanked him one morning for staying on facetime with you even though you had slept for hours, and now he refused to be the one to hang up.
It was these small things that always made you wonder if he did in fact love you the way you had always loved him.
From the very beginning there had been a pull there, something that made you look twice whenever you heard his voice. A pull that made you know he had entered a room before he made himself known.
When his mark came he said nothing, and when yours came he didn’t say a single thing either. For a while you wondered if that meant he didn’t want it to be you, but he only seemed to give you more attention from that day.
When he moved away a part of your heart had moved with him, it felt as if you weren’t quite whole, and when you moved overseas that feeling had taken up more and more space in that uncomplete heart of yours.
But those three squeezes you had given his hand when he had left, was now a part of your daily routine, because he had started to pinch his own hand thrice afterwards, an action you felt everyday.
When the guys started to find their other halves Vernon started to yearn for you even more than he had done before.
Both Minghao and Joshua had been slightly annoyed with him at first, his other half was right there, loving him just as he loved her, yet he refused to do anything about it.
Their annoyance had however disappeared as soon as they had found their other halves. Which had led to that exact moment of him now waiting for you in an airport.
He had invited you to stay with him a few weeks after Joshua had found his other half. You had some time off, and he missed you so terribly that he had personally bankrolled your entire trip.
Despite all of your protests, you had let him spoil you, because you too wanted to see him.
Vernon wasn’t one to run to you in the airport, instead he stood in a corner with crossed arms, and the second you were within reach he had pulled you as physically close to him as he could.
Letting the smell of you engulf him as he took a minute to breath you in, all the while he tried his best to convince that little heart of his to calm down.
It was as if a part of his soul had returned to him, as if he for the first time in a year could take a full breath.
As the two of you pulled away from one another, he gently took your suitcase and with your now free arm you grabbed onto him as if you had done it every day of your life. You felt him stiffen beneath your touch, and for a second you considered if it was too much too soon.
But as soon as you started to let go of him, he captured your arm with his own, and you soon felt the two of you relax into each other's touch.
You had decided on the flight that this was the trip where you found out just who he was to you. If he was your other half, if he was your person.
The two of you talked all the way back to his apartment, and due to all the late night and early morning facetime calls there was no real awkward silence. You just picked up the conversation right where you had left it.
When you got there your stomach made a loud sound and you went straight for the kitchen, and slowly started pulling ingredients out of the cupboards all the while he sat down at the kitchen island to keep you company.
It was so natural being with him. It was a feeling of being both safe and feeling utterly excited all at once.
His phone made a sound. Have you confessed yet? the message read from Joshua.
He quickly shut his phone off, it didn’t matter that you were too occupied with making dinner and couldn’t see it.
No, he had planned all of this out. Tonight he wanted to just enjoy the two of you together, and tomorrow he would take you on a trip down memory lane, a trip through your friendship with one another, a trip through every major emotion he had ever felt towards you, and then he would…
He felt the gust of wind coming from the door of the fridge as you slammed it shut. But before he had a chance to even look up and figure out just what you were doing, he felt the pain.
The pain of four of his fingers being caught in the door of a fridge. He winced from it, and without even thinking about it he was right there by your side in a second.
“Are you hurt?” he scanned your face, as he saw how the tears welled in your eyes.
His own hurt hand came to caress your cheek, and dry the tears away.
“What the hell are you thinking darling?” His eyes searched yours for answers as you didn’t answer him with words.
Your tears just kept falling, so in the end he just pulled you into his chest as he gently let a hand run through your hair.
He heard you mumble something into his chest, he hummed slightly to make you repeat your words as he adjusted his stance so he could hear you without letting you go.
“You felt it…” It wasn’t much louder than a whisper, but it was enough for him to stiffen.
He pulled you away from his chest and looked down at those still tearfilled eyes.
He took your hurt hand with his, and kissed the exact places the door had made contact. His own eyes had filled with tears so when he looked at you, his eyes mirrored his own.
“I’ve felt everything, every tiny bit of pain, every sumped toe, every corner or door frame you have walked into. I’ve felt all of the pinches and squeezes that come in three that you’ve sent my way. I’ve felt every bit of it, and I’ve hoped and hoped that it was you sending all the pain to me, so that I one day could feel the world's greatest pleasure of finally calling you mine”
Your arms flung around his neck and he pulled you closer than ever before, fully ready to claim as much as you as you allowed.
It wasn't that this scenario was particularly funny, but the sheer relief of finally being able to express how you felt freely knowing that he felt the exact same, knowing that he always had.
He lifted you up from the ground and set you down on the kitchen table.
He kissed you left cheek once. Then your right. He nuzzled his nose against yours before finally looking at you with those eyes. Those dammed eyes.
He kissed your lips once, quick, then once more. For every kiss they became longer and more passionate, and before you knew it he had laid you down on the surface and were crawling over you as his lips claimed every bit of skin he had access you.
The sounds you made were the most beautiful thing he had ever heard, and he knew now that he would never run out of inspiration ever again.
The two of you had spent the entire night entangled in one another, catching up on years of intimacy.
Your head gently rested on his chest, as his hand gently caressed a shoulder. He was silent, just looking at the ceiling.
“How am I ever gonna leave you tomorrow?” The question wasn’t really aimed at you, but you twisted around and rested your chin on him as you took him in.
If you could, you would take a mental picture of him like this. Eyes shining, messy bed head and a subtle shine on his skin.
You smiled and he returned it before his hand left your shoulder for your hair and he gently started playing with it.
“We’ll have a lifetime to catch up on those few years we missed”
You physically saw his pupils dilate. “Say that again”
His voice was quiet, gentle.
“You will have a lifetime with me”
Vernon was anything but exhausted when he was finally back in the practice rooms of the HYBE building.
It was as if this had been the boost he had been missing. He was more energetic and more vocal than he had been in quite a while.
Joshua and Minghao had both given each other a knowing look when he had entered that morning with a smile on his face and that well known spark in his eyes. There was no doubt that your visit had gone the way they had all hoped that it would.
The two of you had made a plan, that you would stop by around lunch time and that he would finally introduce you to all of his brothers as his other half.
All thirteen of them had known and met you through both calls and facetime, but this would be the first time that you would actually meet.
He got more and more excited the closer the time came. And when he got the text message that you were officially on your way, that well known smile of his, was on full display.
“I’m assuming that everything went well?” Joshua said as he leaned against one of the walls, close to the corner where Vernon had fled to, to respond to you.
“Yah, hyung… It was everything and more than I could’ve dreamed of” He looked up from his phone and smiled.
Joshua returned it. “So when are you gonna introduce her to everyone?”
“She’s on her way, should be here soon. I just have to get her, her pass and everything so I might need to step out for few minutes”
His older brother nodded. There was pride blooming in Joshua’s chest, pride that his brother finally showed his love what he had held in his heart for so long.
“What did she say about the grand gesture?” He asked with a raised brow.
Vernon only smiled. “We never really got that far” it was almost as if he was taken back to that moment once again, as if he was reliving it once more.
His eyes glassed over, and he silently bit his lip.
“Damn” Joshua said, and luckily for Vernon it was enough to snap him back to reality.
He felt it then, those three little pinches on his hand. He smiled and as he opened his mouth to speak the pinches continued.
It was panicked, desperate. His smile stiffened and his eyes lost all of it’s spark, to him it felt as if time itself were moving in slowmotion.
“Something’s wrong… Josh, find her”
Then the pain hit his body, instant, out of the blue and overall all consuming, and everything became dark.
Something heavy was laying on his legs when he finally woke up, he moved and heard a silent whine as whoever the person was hugged him tighter.
He opened his eyes to find Chan there, silent but grateful tears streaming from his eyes.
“Hyung, how are you feeling?” He said with a sad smile.
Vernon didn’t respond, instead he searched every part of his soul for that small light that was you, and it was still there that thread of light that connected the two of you.
Jihoon laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. “Take your time little brother, we got you”
And as Vernon looked around the room he saw half of his brother's eyes, all worried, some red, some tired.
Minghao ran a hand through his hair gently. “She’s okay, she’s in the next room”
Vernon tried to speak but his throat was too dry to get a word out.
“A car ran a red light, two streets over, Joshua was there before the paramedics, he and the rest haven’t left her side since”
It felt like a weight lifted off of his shoulders. You were safe, you were okay.
“Ho-how l-lo” Was all he managed to get out before Seungcheol came with a glass of water.
“It’s only been one night, the last update we got was that she was still out like a light”
He tried to sit up but his entire body was sore and hurting.
“I need to get to her” he said with a groan, if this was how he felt, he knew you were feeling so much worse.
It was his job to take care of you. His job to protect you. As much as he treasured his brothers for looking out for you, he needed it to be him.
“You need to rest” Seungkwan said as he dried his nose.
“Are all of you seriously telling me you would not run to your soulmates had you been in my situation?” He couldn’t help but laugh, but the sound was hallow, almost cold.
The six men looked between them, a silent conversation that ended with Seungcheol getting a wheelchair.
It took them so long to get him out of bed and over to the chair, and as soon as he was in it he was out the door.
Mingyu opened the door to your room with a little smile and a pad on his back. He was by the side of your bed in less than a second.
He reached out and grabbed your lip hand, and then the 12 members of Seventeen watched as their brother fell apart.
“Don’t you dare never waking up from this, don’t you fucking dare” he said between the kisses he placed on the back of your hand.
Seokmin turned his eyes up to the ceiling to not let his tears fall.
“She’s a fighter, she’ll come back to you” Jun said as he gently stroked his brothers back with soothing strokes.
“You are mine, and I am yours. In every life before this and every life after”
He gently raised a hand to remove a strand of hair from your face.
“You promise?” A hoarse and low voice said.
“Oh thank fuck” it was the only thing he could think of saying, he could hear how the room shifted then, how his brothers left the room to give you the privacy you both deserved.
It didn’t matter that his body ached every time he moved, nothing mattered except you.
He gently moved you enough so that he could fit on the bed you were laying on.
He could feel your body ache as you stretched your arms to hold him.
Every move he made was slow and focused on hurting you as little as possible.
“I’m so glad you’re okay” he whispered into your hair as he breathed you in. Despite the very distinct hospital smells, you still smelled like you always had. You still smelled like home.
“I’m never leaving you - if we go we go together”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s a little morbid, don’t you think?”
He could feel your smile. “Maybe a little, but if you ask me I think it’s a brilliant plan”
As usual he had to agree with you.
As you recovered he never left your side. He was there to hold your hand through ever test and scan.
There was no doubt in your mind that the hospital staff couldn’t wait until you were discharged, but he refused to let you leave before they had checked everything twice.
It meant that your first meeting, your first awake meeting, with all his brothers happened in a hospital room.
“Joshua” you said with a huge smile as he stepped forward with an otherworldly beauty on his arm. “I remember you”
Joshua had gotten to you so fast that you could actually remember seeing his face before you passed out.
He nodded. “Yeah, don’t think I’ve ever moved as fast as that day” the woman next to him rested her head on his shoulder.
“My hero” she said as she pulled him close to her.
Vernon nodded. “Mine too”
Your soulmate gently kissed your temple.
The guys had competed for second place, and had boasted proudly of just how they had taken care of you and Vernon the days after the accident.
Their bickering was entertaining, and absolutely hilarious. Vernon had to send them out multiple times because they made you laugh so hard that your whole body physically hurt.
The girls had been stoked that they now had a 12th sister to talk to, and each and every one of them had given you a little gift as welcome to the group.
Your heart felt full of love, and despite the room being filled to the brim most days it had everything to do with him.
Through it all he was there, right next to you, loving you, as he always had, as he always would.
✦ taglist: @ijustwannareadstuff20 @zaycie @lveegsoi @hellaboredd @loudpeachdetective @why4anne @why-did-i-just-do-this @ramyeonzwithspam @floating-moon-dust @skyearby @acourtofmoonlightandstars @stormy1408 @tunafishyfishylike @sol3chu @blvengene @fics-lovebot @fangirl125reader @fabulousarepo4 @tunafishyfishylike @meowstake @chaseyui @ateez-atiny380 @reiofsuns2001 @dcrlingyou @dy-kyeom @unusuallyshy @littlemoonfairy02 @melovehao @kwonhs96 @juju-227592 @strwberrymuffins @mute-chaos @girliepop-is-in-the-house @pansexual-and-eating-pancakes @wonznme @uncndtnllvr @plumpot17 @shegotheruby @huiimoon @user-0703 @my-neurodivergent-world @vwintershire @storyschanging @imhereonlytoreadxoxo
✦ as always; please comment, like, share, reblog all of that. It what's keeps me going and keeps me writing. My asks are always open for feedback or if you just wanna give me a little praise.
versace on the floor | lee jihoon
SYNOPSIS. Within the elite world of the music industry, you and Jihoon’s relationship has always been private. But when the two of you are in the spotlight, the restraint he guards so honourably begins to unravel, especially when you weaponise a certain Versace dress against him that he could only imagine slipping off your skin and onto the floor. Inspired by Bruno Mars’s song and Woozi’s cover of Versace on the Floor. PAIRING. music producer!lee jihoon x soloist!fem!reader GENRE. smut (minors dni 🔞), fluff, suggestive, established relationship WARNINGS. cursing, jihoon is shamelessly down bad for reader, jihoon owns a penthouse (as he should), they're a literal power couple istg, reader being a MENACE, idk i love when men fold cuz of their women, terms of endearment (love, baby, sweetheart, etc), kissing, making out, strip-teasing 😼, body worship, praise/dirty talk, thigh grinding, handjob, desperate to soft loving sex, unprotected piv sex, missionary, creampie, multiple orgasms WORD COUNT. 5.9k
notes: lee jihoon.... oh i have missed u. this draft had been rotting since early 2025 until i finally picked it up now :) i hope u all enjoy <3
Jihoon is getting a little antsy.
He’s been standing in the corner of this vast, intimidating, goddamn ballroom for what feels like a millennium. He’s surrounded by a sea of people, all adorned in their finest silk dresses and tailored suits, dripping in jewelry that glints prettily under the golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The air is practically drowning with the scent of expensive perfume coming from all different directions, yet all of it does nothing to ease the restless twitch in his limbs.
The party is hosted as a formal gathering of the best music producers, artists, and lyricists all over the country𑁋a grandeur invite-only exclusive event where industry elites mingle over champagne glasses and engage in business talk; an event where connections are made and silent deals are struck beneath the surface of polite conversation.
Jihoon isn’t much of a socialite. He never has been. Just the occasional mingling, small talk, forced laughter𑁋it’s exhausting. He knows he should be making rounds around the ballroom, shaking hands with others and slipping his name into the right conversations. But instead, he’s mainly here because of you.
He’s supposed to meet you here tonight. That was the plan. You had texted an hour prior that there was a good chance you may be running late because of a last-minute meeting with some producers. But you’re nowhere to be found, not yet, at least. And Jihoon is starting to feel like an absolute fool, lingering in the background and scanning the room like a robot programmed to do so for any sign of you.
He checks his phone again. No new messages. Just the last one you sent over an hour ago warning him you might be late. Jihoon sighs, slipping the device back into his pocket of his dark ruby-red tailored suit, his fingers tapping impatiently against his glass of champagne.
Then, as if on cue, as if the universe finally decided to take pity on his doubts, he spots you.
Emerging out of the throng of people, you arrive like a vision, stepping through the grand entrance, your satin gown catching against the chandelier’s glow. It hugs your figure in all the right ways𑁋the colour a deep, wine red cascading down the floor like molten lava, shimmering with every step you take. Jihoon’s throat tightens. He would recognise that dress anywhere.
He had bought it for you.
Versace. The moment he saw it on display, he knew it belonged to you. It was bold yet elegant, sultry yet refined𑁋the perfect balance, a happy medium, just like you. And now, seeing you dressed in it while walking toward him like you own the entire damn ballroom, he thinks he might actually lose his mind.
You’re breathtaking.
And by all means you know it.
Jihoon even swears the entire party itself comes to a halt the second your presence walks in, the world narrowing to only you. He doesn’t miss the way heads turn as you pass, the way men and women alike steal curious second glances in your direction, admiration and envy hanging in the air. Some elites greet you with murmured acknowledgments, others even call out to you for your attention, yet you don’t stop moving forward, your focus solely fixed on finding him.
He feels a slow burn of pride settle in his chest at the thought. Let them look. They could admire you all they wanted𑁋but at the end of the night, it would be him taking you home.
Your gaze flickers almost frantically across the room, sweeping over dozens of faces that you’re either somewhat familiar with or a complete stranger to, until they finally land on him.
Jihoon sees the exact moment you spot him. Your lips part slightly, the relief in your shoulders easing away. A slow, knowing smile of recognition graces across your features, and damn, if that doesn’t power his heart into overdrive and dries his throat completely. Even the noise of the party seems to quiet a fraction.
Your heels clack against the floor as you cruise over toward him, and Jihoon tightens his grip on the glass in his hands. However, with a noticeable smirk to your lips, you snatch the glass from his grasp to take a brief sip of your own.
Jihoon hears the threats of the floor wanting to swallow him whole.
“Hi, stranger,” You coo, a teasing quip to your voice.
Jihoon simply lets his eyes rake over you once more, before shaking his head.
“You’re late,” he says firmly, though it’s not filled with any disappointment.
“But I’m here now, yeah?” You muse, ghosting your fingers over the lapel of his shirt, smoothing out an invisible wrinkle there. “You clean up well. Red looks good on you.”
Jihoon chuckles at that, heat spreading up to his ears. “Tried to match with you tonight.”
You hum, placing the now half-empty champagne glass on the nearest tray a passing waiter carries. “Good choice, love.”
Instinctively, his hand makes its way to plant at your hip, lightly tracing the curve of your waist with utmost delicacy. You’re standing even closer to him now, the scent of your sweet and floral perfume washing over him like a drug𑁋one that he’s addicted to.
You politely greet a few passersby as they stroll past you both, your voice light and effortless, but Jihoon isn’t giving a single ounce of his attention to them. Right now, his attention is entirely on you and you only. He doesn’t miss the way your fingers brush over his waist and the way your body leans into his just a little more than necessary if other partygoers accidentally walk too close in your space.
It’s fucking unfair.
Because all he can think about is how easy it would be to abandon this goddamn party and take you back to his place, how easy the dress would slip right off your shoulders and pool down to your feet, leaving in you nothing but that smug little smirk you’ve been shooting him since the beginning of time. God, it’s ridiculous how easily it is for him to be wrapped around your finger. You could ask him to burn the whole ballroom down, and he just might, if it meant keeping that look in your eyes all to himself.
Your fingers playfully skim along the collar of his shirt, teasing the fabric as if you’re debating whether to adjust it or not. Jihoon can’t help but swallow the lump that chokes his throat. You’re close𑁋too close, and yet, not close enough.
“You’re quiet,” You acknowledge lowly, tilting your head slightly. “Did the party drain you before I came?”
“Mmh. Something like that,” he mutters.
“You’re always so tense at these things, baby. You gotta let loose a little, you know?” You drag your hand to plant firmly on his chest, and you feel the rapid beating of his heart against your touch. “Indulge in the moment. You know you’re one of the most popular producers in the industry right now, right? My boyfriend’s the hottest topic these days.”
Boyfriend. His chest inflates at that. He loves it when you say that, even after all this time. The word had rolled off your tongue so naturally, so effortlessly, yet it still has a way of rendering him completely useless. It’s a reminder that he belongs to you. People’s eyes may be on him tonight, but he only has eyes for you. Always.
The chuckle that leaves you when you finish speaking is downright sinful. Jihoon isn’t sure if you’re aware of just how much of a menace you are, or if this is all part of your evil plan𑁋either way, he’s irrevocably fucked.
Ever since the news broke out two years ago of your relationship with him, the media had gone in an absolute frenzy. Articles were quickly released digging into your shared history and news reporters had bombarded the two of you any chance they got. Because who would expect Lee Jihoon, the reserved, no-nonsense producer, to be dating you, one of the music industry’s most beloved darlings? It was a pair no one saw coming. A pair that no one had expected.
And the two of you would simply grant them the same answer: that yes, you’re in love with each other. That you got closer because of your similar occupations and mutual friends. That your shared love for music had turned into something deeper.
(On rare occasions, you’d fondly note how Jihoon was actually the one who made the very first move at the very beginning.)
The media called you both a “power couple”. The fans called it fate. The tabloids and netizens called it scandalous.
Jihoon called it home.
“I think they’re watching us,” You whisper in amusement.
Jihoon doesn’t even have to look up to know that you’re right. He can feel the weight of almost everyone’s stares around the two of you, hear the hushed whispers of those who are more invested in your relationship then they have any right to be. But he doesn’t care𑁋not when your fingers slide down his suit so slow, languidly, playing with the silk fabric as if you’re toying it with delicacy.
“What a shame,” You continue, voice lowering a fraction as you lean in dangerously close to his ear, whispering words only he would know. “If only they knew how much prettier you are without anything on.”
Jihoon stiffens. His breath hitches. And the smirk to your face only grows impossibly wider.
“You’re enjoying tormenting me, aren’t you?” he asks, his fingers tightening ever so slightly around your waist, grounding him.
You huff out a giggle. “Maybe a little.”
“Careful.”
“Oh?” You quirk a brow. “Careful of what, love?”
Jihoon lets out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You know exactly what.”
Your grin turns wicked, full of promise and innocence. “Do I?”
A muscle in his cheek twitches at that, making him glance around warily, yet nobody else has seemed to notice. He could kiss you. Right here, right now, in front of everyone here. He could crowd you against the nearest wall and steal the breath from your lips, let his hands map the expanse of your body, feel the silk of your dress and the warmth of your skin beneath it. He could make you regret teasing him like this. He could, and he will.
You know it too. That’s why you’re grinning and touching him like that, tracing the lines of skin that you’ve memorised all too well in private, revisiting territory that only belongs to you as if you’ve already won the game you started in the first place. Yet you also know that Jihoon wouldn’t let you get away with that easily.
But the whole world knows how much of a private person Jihoon is when it comes to things like this𑁋your relationship included. No matter how much you tempt him or how much you push his buttons every damn day, he somehow always manages to keep his composure. At least in public. On top of that, his reputation among the music industry precedes him quite intimidatingly.
The lights of the ballroom suddenly dim down a pitch. The music playing smoothly transitions to a sweet, syrupy tempo. A sensual song fills the gigantic space, beckoning for other couples to abandon their champagne flutes on passing trays and drift to the vastly open dance floor. You don’t even have to turn to Jihoon, instead, you let your hand do the talking by sliding it down his chest to interlace your fingers together.
You give him a small, permissive smile and a gentle tug to his hand. Jihoon hesitates briefly, before he lets you lead him. He follows you because of course he does.
Behind you, he catches the way the crowd naturally parts wordlessly. Perhaps it’s the way you carry yourself like the room has always belonged to you, or the fact that everyone knows who you both are𑁋separately legendary, untouchable together. Or maybe it’s because the sight of Lee Jihoon allowing himself to be willingly pulled onto the dance floor is so rare it feels like witnessing something illegal. But Jihoon knows the majority of that answer is due to you.
When you reach the middle of the dance floor, you turn to face him. Above you both, the glow of the chandelier seems to soften the deep red of your dress. Jihoon’s gaze drops for half a second, yet again tracing over the way the satin clings to your frame perfectly, before dragging back up to your face.
One of your hands finds the nape of his neck, while the other presses right over his heart as you begin to move with slow rolls of your hips. Jihoon’s own hands instinctively find your waist, pulling you in until all the space between your bodies is erased. The silk of your dress is cool against his palm, yet your skin underneath burns with desire.
“You hate dancing,” You whisper, lips brushing the shell of his ear.
“I hate dancing with anyone else,” Jihoon corrects gruffly, grip tightening a fraction on you.
The words hit like a spark to gas. A pleased hum comes out from the back of your throat. The two of you continue to move together as if you’ve done it a hundred times before. The song playing in the background is practically white noise at this point, lyrics seemingly all about skin and surrender𑁋and it is absolutely not helping Jihoon right now. Especially not when there are over a hundred witnesses and he could feel every single stare on him like static on his skin.
But he doesn’t give a flying fuck about any of that right now. Not right now when he’s holding you and all he could think about is writing his name on every inch of you later if you’d let him, because you’re the only song he knows how to play.
“What are you thinking about right now, baby?” You prod him quietly.
A grimace forms at his lips. “You wore this dress on purpose, didn’t you?”
“You’re the one who bought it for me,” You counter back teasingly. “If I’m wearing it on purpose, that just means you wanted to see me in it on purpose, too.”
Jihoon would never verbally admit how right you are about that, but you can read it on his face. The exact moment he saw the dress on display at the store, his brain short-circuited for five seconds of picturing you in it instead. He bought it on impulse. No second thoughts or hesitation if it costs more than peoples’ rent nowadays. He doesn’t give a damn about the luxury of it. All it matters is if you feel beautiful wearing it.
It seems like he accomplished his mission.
You lean in a little closer. “What do you say I put on a little show for you tonight?”
“A show?” He comes to a fleeting standstill. “What kind of show?”
“A show where I’m the star…” You start, playfully dragging out each word with purpose. “...and you’re the audience. Or a participant, if you’re good.”
Jihoon’s eyes darken at that, his head nearly falling off his neck as he lets out a low, disbelieving laugh that you can feel vibrate into your hand that’s still on his chest. Around the two of you, the other couples around you are still blissfully unaware of the fire that’s growing in the middle of the dance floor.
“You’re killing me,” he mutters, voice almost getting swallowed by the sudden crescendo of the background music and noise. “You’re really fucking killing me here, sweetheart.”
“Good,” You whisper tauntingly. “You’ll be desperate enough for tonight then.”
You guide his hand on his waist lower, just barely an inch and enough to press your hips flush against his. You feel the hard, insistent line beginning to strain against his pants when you roll your body just once into his. A quiet, choked sound escapes out of him, barely audible over the music, but you hear it like a secret meant only for you.
“Jesus,” he breathes, his forehead dropping to rest against yours for a second. “You can’t𑁋fuck. Not here.”
“Then take me home, baby,” You say, eyes turning pleading. “Please.”
Jihoon doesn’t waste more time after that. He takes your hand and begins to weave you both through the crowd, not bothering with any goodbyes or with signing any more deals tonight.
The world can wait, but he can’t.
When the door to Jihoon’s penthouse shuts behind you with a loud, decisive click, that’s when you already know the rest of the world is locked out. It’s enough to snap the final thread of restraint.
The sounds of your sighs and his groans echo through the space as you keep kissing him on the journey to his bedroom. His hands are everywhere on you all at once: one cupping the back of your neck to angle your head just the way he loves it, while the other is sliding down the smooth satin of your dress, gripping it so harshly as if he’s two seconds from tearing it off you. You stumble together down the hallway, neither of you willing to break down the kiss for more than a singular breath.
Every few steps he presses you against the nearest wall. The taste of the champagne earlier lingers on both of your tongues. As your back hits the cool surface for the third time, you smile breathlessly against his lips, giving his tie a playful tug.
“Careful with the dress, love,” You chide huskily. “You paid a fortune for it.”
Jihoon bites the inside of his cheek. “Right now I’m regretting every damn penny if it means I can’t get it off you faster.”
Finally, he drags you into his massive bedroom, shutting the door behind him with his foot. The beautiful city skyline of Seoul spills inside through the high floor-to-ceiling windows, painting the room in soft waves of neon and moonlight that contrast beautifully with the deep red of your dress, but neither of you is paying any attention to the view. He continues backing you up until your legs hit the bed behind.
He’s pressed up so close to you now that you feel the hard line of his cock straining in his pants. He offers a small grind of his hips against yours, making you let out a soft, satisfied sound. His lips roam down to your jaw before dragging to your neck. Your fingers thread through his hair, tugging light as he sucks a mark right below your ear.
When he pulls away, his hands immediately find the zipper on the back of your dress. But before he can tug it down, you stop with a hand pressed to his chest.
“Ah-ah,” You tut with a shake of your head, stepping back a little to create some space between your bodies. “I said I’d put on a show for you, didn’t I?”
Jihoon’s eyes flash at that, but he remains where he is standing, letting his hands hover near your waist as if he’s aching to touch you. “You’re really going to make me wait? Even after how long I’ve been hard since that stupid party?”
You roll your eyes, figuring you might as well give him the benefit of the doubt at least once tonight. In response to that, you spin around so your back is offered to him. He swallows down a lump in his throat as his gaze roams over your figure.
“Take it off for me,” You say coyly over your shoulder. “Slowly.”
Jihoon doesn’t even hesitate. His hands find the zipper again, then slowly but surely, he leisurely drags it down your spine, watching the way the satin starts to unfurl like a rose in bloom. His knuckles graze over the warm skin of your back as he continues, and he has to bite back a groan from how soft you feel under his fingertips.
The dress loosens around your shoulders, the rich wine-red fabric slipping off just enough to reveal the delicate line of your spine he’s worshipped so many times. His breath grows heavier, jaw clenched so tightly he’s surprised it doesn’t crack, chest rising and falling like he’s fighting the overwhelming urge to rip off of you in one go.
When the zipper reaches the bottom, just above the curve of your ass, you give a slight shrug of your shoulders that encourages the rest of the Versace dress to pool down to your ankles in a red heap of useless fabric. You step out of it carefully, kicking it to the side, leaving you in nothing but a pair of tiny matching lace bra and panties and the strappy heels that make your legs look endless.
“Jesus Christ,” Jihoon breathes, stepping up to you from behind. “You look… fuck, you look unreal.”
A sly smile crosses over your face as his hands wander over your sides. You let him worship you a bit, letting out soft sighs of pleasure as he presses hot, open-mouthed kisses to the nape of your neck and down to the newly exposed skin of your shoulders. His palms come up to cup the swell of your breasts from behind, thumb preciously gliding over the lace covering your nipples until they harden from his touch.
“My perfect girl,” he murmurs against your skin. “Always so soft for me…”
Yet before he could spin you around or push you onto the bed like you know he wants to, you turn in his arms yourself. You place both hands to his chest and gently push him until he sits down on the massive bed instead. His dark ruby red suit jacket is already half-off, the first few buttons of his shirt unopened and the tie loosened. He gazes up at you with eyes blown wide of desire, lips parted as he stares up at you like you’re the only thing that exists in his universe.
“Sit still, baby,” You tell him impishly, positioning yourself in between his spread thighs. “No touching unless I say.”
Jihoon groans, reluctantly obeying by digging his knuckles into the sheets by his side. “You’re really enjoying this power trip, aren’t you?”
“Immensely,” You reply with a sweet smile, though it’s far from innocent. “Be good for me and keep those hands right there, yeah? I wanna play with you first.”
He watches closely as you reach behind your back to unhook the clasp of your bra, teasingly letting the straps fall off your shoulders one by one, before finally dropping the fabric to the floor, leaving your breasts bare to his greedy gaze. His breath stutters audibly, cock twitching visibly in his pants as his eyes devour every delicious inch of you in front of him.
Next, your hands drift down to the waistband of your panties, tugging them slightly but not fully peeling yourself out of them yet. Jihoon has already seen you spread out plenty of times before, yet the way you’re teasing him tonight and pushing his buttons to the limit makes it feel like it’s the first time all over again.
“Tell me what you’re thinking about right now,” You murmur, sliding your panties down another agonising inch, enough for Jihoon to catch a teasing glance of your mound and the shadow between your thighs.
Jihoon’s throat works visibly as he swallows, his knuckles white as he grips the sheets impatiently. He forces his eyes close for a moment, as if that might somehow help him regain any control, but it only makes it so much worse. The beautiful, addictive image of you is burned behind his eyelids and seared permanently into his brain.
“I’m thinking…” he starts, voice rough and gravelly. “…that if you don’t let me touch you in the next ten seconds, I might actually lose my mind.”
You hum amusedly. “You need to be more specific, baby.”
“God, you’re so…” He purses his lips into a tight line, looking like he might actually spontaneously combust any second. “Wanna taste you so badly… feel you clench around my fingers, my mouth, my cock… I don’t even care which one first. You’re driving me fucking insane standing there like that.”
The rawness of his honesty sends a thrill of heat directly down to your core. You love it when he’s like this𑁋the most reserved and composed music producer unravelling just because of you. Biting your lip, you slip the rest of your panties all the way down, tossing it uselessly into the pile where your dress is. The room falls into a thick silence the second he finally sees you completely naked.
Jihoon looks like he’s been struck dumb. The dim lighting of the room highlights all the curves he’s been dying to map with his mouth, dark eyes dragging down your body and back up again. As he lingers on the gift between your legs, his tongue darts out to wet his own lips. Even from where he’s sitting, he can see how worked up you are.
“Please,” he whines, the word sounding almost foreign to his tongue𑁋Lee Jihoon doesn’t beg, but in this moment, he’s seconds away from it. “Let me touch you.”
“Not yet.” You say, stepping in between his legs. Then you swing a leg over his right thigh, settling your bare cunt directly onto the firm muscle. Jihoon’s eyes widen as he watches you begin to grind your slick folds over the fabric of his pants in a slow, lazy rhythm, soft moans escaping out of you and filling his ears like a song on repeat.
The friction is immediate, sending sparks of pleasure shooting up your spine as your clit drags over his thigh, leaving a damp spot on the ruby red fabric. His hands twitch violently at his sides, desperate to touch you, to feel you, but he keeps them planted on the bed just like you ordered, despite the way his thoughts are trying to reprimand him otherwise.
As you continue to grind on him, you reach between your bodies to drag down the zipper of his pants, finally freeing his cock out of its confines. It springs out thick and heavy, flushed at the tip and leaking steadily for you. The sight makes your mouth water and your cunt clench around nothing, but you tell yourself to keep focus𑁋you want to play with him a little first.
Jihoon lets out a shaky groan as your fingers wrap around his length, his hips instinctively twitching in your grasp. He’s burning hot in your palm, and you give him one firm stroke from the base to the tip, letting your thumb swirl over the head to spread his precum.
“You’re dripping all over me,” he rasps, his head falling back as you continue to rock against him. “Can feel how wet you are, sweetheart… making a pretty mess on my thigh…”
“You like that, baby?” You whisper hotly, lips grazing the shell of his ear as you grind down particularly hard on him. “Me riding your thigh while I jerk you off like this?”
“I𑁋fuck, yeah𑁋keep grinding your pretty pussy on me… just like that...”
You chuckle against his jaw, pressing a soft kiss to his warm skin before picking up the pace. Your hips move down faster, grinding down with more pressure; and at the same time, you continue to stroke his cock with the same speed you’re grinding at, making him flex his thigh to give you the friction you’re looking for.
His large bedroom fills with the sounds of your combined desperate gasps and sighs. If someone were looking in from another building at the same high level where his penthouse is, they’d be watching the music industry’s most beloved couple getting lost in one another. They’d see the usually reserved Lee Jihoon reduced to putty while his girlfriend strokes his cock like she owns him so shamelessly. The thought of it only motivates your movements even more, sending pleasure coiling tightly through your body.
“Slow down𑁋shit𑁋I’m not gonna last,” Jihoon warns, but the way his hips are subtly bucking more into your hand tells you he doesn’t actually want you to slow down. “Stop teasing and let me fuck you properly.”
That only makes you tighten your grip on him, the wet sounds of your hand gliding up and down on his dick bouncing off the walls and completely hypnotising you.
“That’s the plan,” You mutter, nipping lightly at his jaw before soothing the spot with your tongue. “I want you desperate before I let you fuck me.”
The laugh that leaves him is straight up pained, a shudder running through his entire frame, his cock throbbing heavily in your palm. You can tell he’s getting close, so you speed up a little more while grinding your clit in dirty circles on his thigh. Your simultaneous orgasms continue to build up together like layers upon layers on a perfectly composed track.
“I’m close,” he warns again raggedly, thrusting up measuredly into your hand. “Gonna cum all over your hand, baby. You want that?”
You nod desperately, your own hips faltering in rhythm as you feel your peak coming closer and closer. “Cum for me, Jihoon. Let go for me.”
Just from that, a guttural groan leaves him as he spills all over your fingers in thick, hot pulses. You keep stroking him through it, watching his thighs shake beneath you. The sight of him falling apart sends you right over the edge as well𑁋your orgasm crashing into you with barely any warning, a sharp cry of his name ripping out of your throat as you ride the last waves of release on his thigh.
For a few long moments, the only sounds in the room are your heavy breathing and the distant hum of the city life outside. Jihoon’s eyes are hazy and half-lidded as he watches you practically slouch into him, your body trembling slightly from the release. Then, finally, he lifts one of his hands from the sheets to settle onto your hip, thumb tracing soothing circles over your skin.
“You’re dangerous,” he murmurs while still catching his breath. “My dirty tease.”
You let out a breathless laugh, allowing your head to fall onto his shoulder. “Mmh… You love it, though.”
“Too much,” he admits with a faint smile.
One of his hands comes to gently cradle the back of your neck, guiding your head back up so he can kiss you. It’s slow and deep, not as frantic as before, yet heavy with everything he hasn’t said yet tonight. When he pulls back, his gaze grows dark again.
“My turn,” he says simply.
Before you could tease him any further, Jihoon moves fast. In one smooth, powerful motion, he grabs your waist and flips you onto your back on the bed. The surprised gasp that leaves you dissolves into a laugh as he cages you between his arms, his weight forcing you down onto the mattress.
You feel the heat spreading down to your core as you watch him sit back to shed the remains of his clothes. His ruby red suit jacket is tossed carelessly away, then the loosened tie, half-buttoned shirt, and pants follow quickly after. The city lights streaming in paint over his beautiful bare form with slivers of neon and silver. His cock brushes your thigh, hardening again even after earlier.
He doesn’t give you time to admire him for long before he’s kissing you again.
“Gonna fuck you properly now, yeah?” he mutters into your mouth.
Jihoon’s hand slides down your body possessively, before gripping your leg and hooking it over his hip. The head of his cock nudges your entrance, sliding through the residual wetness from your previous orgasm.
You arch up into him, trying to pull him closer, but he holds back just enough to make you whine.
“Jihoon𑁋”
“Shh,” he hushes, nipping at your bottom lip. “You made me wait all night. Now I get to take my time with you.”
When he finally, finally, pushes himself into you, it’s with a deep thrust that buries him to the hilt, making you dig your nails into his shoulders. A sharp moan tumbles out of the two of you at the same time. Your sensitive walls stretch perfectly around his length, his breathing ragged as he holds still for a moment to let you adjust.
“Fuck.” Jihoon’s forehead falls onto yours. “Always so tight… so perfect for me, sweetheart.”
Jihoon fucks you like he’s been starving for it all night. It’s raw, possessive, but always filled with undying devotion. His eyes stay solely locked on your face as he continues driving into you while gripping your thigh to keep you close, open, his.
“I love you,” he confesses between thrusts. “Love how you feel… love how you drive me crazy… love that you’re mine only… my beautiful muse…”
Each word of praise is emphasised through each thrust into you. He doesn’t rush. Even in the heat of it, there’s something so purely soft wrapped in how he doesn’t speed up or selfishly chase after his release. He keeps it all entirely focused on you, watching every flicker of pleasure that crinkles your features like it’s more beautiful than any lyrics he’s ever written. No words can ever replace the fact that you’re the only melody he’s ever wanted to listen to.
When your orgasm washes over you, it’s gentle yet overwhelming, a heavenly cry of his name as the climax rolls through your body. Jihoon follows right after with a low, heartfelt groan, tightening his arms around you as he spills inside of you one final time. He keeps himself buried within you, littering gentle kisses to your eyelids, cheeks, and the corner of your mouth𑁋each one a silent I love you.
The two of you take a minute to breathe before he pulls out of you, a quiet hiss leaving you from the loss. Then he pulls you into his arms and tucks you closely into his chest. The scent of sex wafts through the air, the skyline casting a dim glow across the room, but nothing feels as warm as being held by him.
Outside, the city keeps glowing. But inside, the world has narrowed down to just the both of you: your bodies tangled together like overlapping verses, and the deep wine-red Versace dress lying forgotten on the floor like a beautiful afterthought, exactly where it belongs.
And love… everywhere else.
perm taglist (open) ʚɞ
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Sweaty Boyfriend Problems
pairing: Mingyu x reader fluff / teasing / domestic chaos
🎧Paper Rings
“I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with paper rings.” “Uh-huh, that’s right.”
Milli says ✍🏻✨
okay so this fic was directly inspired by the ULTIMATE shirtless mingyu running picture because WHY was he looking like that?? like sir??? you cannot just run around shirtless looking like a greek statue and expect carats to be normal about it.
also today only i saw that clip from their ongoing concert talk where they said that mingyu sweats a lot because of his metabolism while on the other hand our Diva boo apparently doesn’t sweat that much which is honestly such a funny contrast.
also imagine being mingyu’s girlfriend , you shower you come out smelling like fresh laundry and then suddenly a giant sweaty puppy boyfriend appears and ruins everything
anyway moral of the story:dating mingyu means you are never safe after showering. ever .rip to the reader but she survived, barely.
The apartment smelled like shampoo and warm steam.
You had just stepped out of the shower, skin still warm from the water, hair damp and loosely tied in a messy bun that was already falling apart. The mirror in the hallway was still foggy from the humidity drifting out of the bathroom. Everything felt clean the soft cotton of your oversized shirt, the soft shorts , the cool floor under your bare feet, the vanilla scent of your body wash lingering around you.
Peaceful.
Fresh.
Sanitary.
Exactly the kind of atmosphere you liked after a shower.
You were halfway through making coffee in the kitchen when you heard the front door unlock.
Your brain processed the sound automatically.
Mingyu.
And then you heard it.
Heavy breathing.
Not the normal “I walked upstairs” breathing.
No.
This was the I just ran ten kilometers and fought for my life breathing.
Your head slowly turned toward the hallway.
“Oh no,” you whispered to yourself.
The door opened.
And there he was.
Kim Mingyu stood in the doorway like a human furnace.
Shirtless.
Hair messy and slightly stuck to his forehead.
Chest rising and falling from the run.
And most importantly
Sweat.
So much sweat.
Not the cute aesthetic K-drama sweat.
No.
This man looked like he had just walked straight out of a rainstorm.
His shoulders were glistening. His collarbones had little trails of sweat running down them. Even his arms looked damp. His skin was flushed from the run, his cheeks slightly pink, and his hair was darkened from moisture.
For a moment, he just stood there.
Then he spotted you.
Fresh.
Clean.
Smelling like soap.
His eyes lit up immediately.
A slow, evil grin spread across his face.
Your stomach dropped.
“No,” you said immediately.
He took one step forward.
You pointed a finger at him like a warning sign.
“Kim Mingyu. Don’t.”
He tilted his head.
Still smiling.
“You just showered,” he said, voice slightly breathless.
“Yes.”
“And you smell nice.”
“Yes.”
“And you look very clean.”
“Yes.”
You narrowed your eyes.
“Don’t even think about it.”
There was a pause.
And then
He started running.
“MINGYU—”
You screamed and immediately bolted in the opposite direction.
The apartment erupted into chaos. Bare feet slapped against the floor as you sprinted down the hallway like your life depended on it.Behind you came the thunder of Mingyu chasing you, laughing like a maniac.
“COME BACK HERE!”
“NO!”
“I JUST WANT A HUG!”
“YOU ARE WET!”
“I AM NOT WET!”
“You are DRIPPING!”
You glanced back once and immediately regretted it.
He was gaining on you.
Of course he was.
He had legs the length of a small highway.
You darted around the couch like a criminal escaping police.
“Mingyu I swear to god if you touch me–”
“I’m going to hug you!”
“DON’T!”
“You look too clean!”
“THAT IS THE POINT!”
You made another desperate attempt to escape, running across the floor toward the bedroom, but before you could reach the door —
Two large arms wrapped around your waist.
You gasped.
“No—!”
Too late.
Mingyu lifted you off the floor like you weighed absolutely nothing.
Your body froze.
For one moment, the apartment went quiet.
And then you slowly looked down.
Your arms.
Your shirt.
His chest.
The sweat.
You turned your head very slowly toward him.
“…Kim Mingyu.”
“Yes?”
“You are sweaty.”
“A little.”
“A little?”
He grinned.
And before you could react —
He buried his face directly against your cheek.
“GYU—!”
You shrieked as his damp face pressed against yours.
It was warm.
And slightly wet.
“STOP—!”
He rubbed his face against your cheek like an affectionate golden retriever.
“You smell nice,” he mumbled happily.
“MINGYU!”
You tried to wiggle away, but his arms were wrapped around you like steel bars.
He pressed another dramatic kiss against your cheek.
Then your forehead.
Then your other cheek.
“GYU YOU ARE MARINATING ME.”
“I’m sharing.”
“THIS IS NOT SHARING.”
He laughed loudly, shoulders shaking.
“You were too clean.”
“I JUST SHOWERED!”
“I ran ten kilometers.”
“That sounds like a personal problem.”
Mingyu nuzzled his face against your hair again, completely ignoring your suffering.
You groaned.
Your fate was sealed.
There was no escaping.
After another few seconds of struggling, you finally stopped moving.
Your arms dropped to your sides.
Your soul left your body.
Mingyu paused.
“…Did you give up?”
“Yes.”
He blinked.
“That was fast.”
You stared into the distance with the expression of a cat being aggressively cuddled by its owner.
“I have accepted my fate.”
“Wow.”
He looked almost impressed.
“You’re just letting me do it now?”
“Yes.”
You sighed dramatically.
“If I struggle, it only makes you stronger.”
“That’s true.”
“You are like a sweaty demon.”
He snorted.
But now that you had stopped resisting, his teasing slowly softened.His arms loosened slightly around your waist, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he rested his chin on your shoulder. You could still feel the warmth of his body behind you, still slightly damp from the run. “You really smell good,” he murmured.
“That’s because I used soap.”
“Interesting concept.”
You rolled your eyes.
“You should try it sometime.”
He gasped in fake offense.
“I literally just came back from exercising.”
“And you decided the first thing to do was assault me.”
“I hugged my girlfriend.”
“You contaminated your girlfriend.”
He laughed again, squeezing you gently.
“Now you have to shower again.”
“I hate you.”
“You love me.”
“…Unfortunately.”
He kissed the side of your head softly this time.
Not teasing.
Just warm.
Comfortable.
For a moment, neither of you moved.
Then Mingyu suddenly spoke again.
“By the way.”
You sighed.
“What now.”
“You should run with me tomorrow.”
You turned around slowly.
“Absolutely not.”
“Why?”
“I like living.”
“You’ll build stamina.”
“You’ll build sweat.”
“That’s the point.”
You stared at him.
Then you slowly pushed his chest away.
“I’m going to shower again.”
He followed you immediately.
“Together?”
“NO.”
“Please?”
“MINGYU GO AWAY.”
He laughed all the way down the hallway as you shoved him toward the bathroom first.
SVT - How The HipHop Unit would be as your Sneaky Link
Note from author: I SAID THAT I AM UNDECISSIVE AND I MIGHT COME BACK SO PLEASE DO NOT THROW ROCKS AT ME FOR IT. I HAD THIS IN THE PIPELINE AND I WORTE EVERYTHING AT 2 AM ON A THURSDAY NIGHT BECAUSE I SAW A MINGYU EDIT AND IT TRIGGERENT ME. I AM SORRY GUYS, I SWEAR I DO NOT WANT TO PLAY WITH YOUR FEELINGS 🫶🏻😭😭😭
Summary: HipHop Unit as your sneaky link but they end up falling in love
Warnings: None, just my delusions 🤟🏻
1️⃣ S.Coups:
Ah, yes. Those muscles were never just for decoration.
You lost count of the number of times Cheol had tossed you across the mattress in the heat of it all, careless, breathless, grinning like a man who had no idea his own strength. There were nights you nearly collided with the wall, your laugh swallowed by his mouth before you could protest. He would always mutter a half-hearted, “Sorry, sorry,” only to drag you back by the waist like gravity itself answered to him.
It always began the same way.
A meaningless night out. One drink too many. Music too loud. His hand resting a second too long on your lower back.
Then the passenger seat of his car, windows fogging, your pulse hammering in your ears as much as in your throat. His lips at your jaw. His voice low and reckless.
“No feelings, Y/n,” Cheol would murmur between heavy breaths, forehead pressed to yours, as if saying it softly made it less sharp. “I really can’t commit to anything.”
And then his mouth would claim yours again before you could answer properly, before you could ask why his hands held you like you were already something more.
“Mhm,” was all you ever managed, your fingers curling into the fabric stretched over his back, nails digging into muscle through that thin, tight gym t-shirt. You told yourself it didn’t matter. That you didn’t care.
That was phase one.
Booty calls at 2 a.m. Random Ubers. Blacked-out vans you never remembered ordering. Sneaking out before sunrise, or sometimes not bothering to leave at all.
“You literally saw me this morning,” you laughed one evening, kicking off your shoes in the hallway of his apartment. The door had barely clicked shut before his eyes were devouring you. “Couldn’t be bothered to put on a shirt?”
He was leaning against the wall, shirtless, toned, hair messy like he’d run his hands through it too many times. He looked unfair. He always did.
“I don’t even know why I bother putting these boxers on,” he muttered, pushing off the wall and catching your wrist. In one motion he pulled you into him, mouth crashing against yours. “You’ll just take them off anyway.”
He was already tugging at the zipper of your jeans before the kiss even broke.
Nothing ever moved slowly in Cheol’s world. He lived in impulses. In heat. In want.
And he would be damned if he admitted how quickly “want” started turning into something dangerously close to “need”.
It showed in the small cracks.
“Why not? It’s Friday. You don’t work tomorrow.” His voice came through the phone, slightly distorted, slightly impatient. You could picture him pacing his living room, hand in his hair. “I can pick you up myself.”
“I can’t,” you sighed, adjusting the strap of your bag while waiting for your train ticket to load. “I told you, I’m going to Busan with friends. The train’s super early.”
Silence.
“What friends?” he asked finally, the words slower now. Tighter. “You never told me.”
“Yes, I did. Like five times.” Your tone sharpened despite yourself.
Another pause. You could almost hear his jaw clench.
“What am I supposed to do without you the whole weekend?”
You laughed, because that’s what you were supposed to do. Keep it light. Keep it casual. “I don’t know. Get a weekend replacement.”
It was a joke.
It was always a joke.
But he didn’t laugh.
And when you came back from Busan, sun-kissed and smiling, he kissed you like he was trying to erase the thought of anyone else even looking at you. Like he needed to remind himself, and maybe you, who you went home to at the end of the night.
It only got worse after that.
The week you were busy with work and couldn’t see him, he pretended not to care. Texts stayed dry. Calls got shorter. But when you finally stayed over again, he didn’t sleep.
You woke up once at 3 a.m. to find him staring at you.
“What?” you mumbled, half-asleep.
“Nothing,” he said quickly, brushing hair out of your face. “Go back to sleep.”
At some point, it became so bad that he invited you over just to cuddle. No rushed hands. No teasing. Just you tucked into his side while some movie played unnoticed on the screen.
He didn’t even try to kiss you.
And that scared you more than anything.
Because Cheol didn’t do slow. He didn’t do soft.
Yet here he was, fingers tracing lazy patterns on your arm like he was memorizing you.
It crept up on him quietly, the realization that the thought of you with someone else made his stomach twist. That imagining another man’s hands on you felt like losing something that was never officially his.
He told himself to relax.
It was casual. It was supposed to be nothing.
Until it wasn’t.
Monday afternoon.
He came home earlier than usual, keys tossed into his usual corner, shoes kicked off carelessly. You were still there from the night before, sitting at his kitchen table in one of his hoodies, typing away on your laptop.
Domestic. Comfortable. Too comfortable.
He paused for a second, just watching you.
Then he walked over, leaned down, and pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head. The kind that lingered.
He sat across from you.
“Did you eat yet, babe?”
The word slipped out so naturally that it didn’t even sound wrong.
But the second it landed in the air, everything froze.
Your fingers stopped moving. His breath caught.
You looked up slowly.
He looked like he’d just realized he stepped off a cliff.
“Oh shit.”
And for the first time since this whole reckless, breathless, no-strings arrangement began… neither of you laughed.
2️⃣ Wonwoo:
With Wonwoo, comfort always won over long-term investment.
He didn’t believe in building something complicated when something easy was already right there, warm, willing, and wrapped around him.
Which is how you ended up pressed against the foggy bathroom mirror at some stranger’s apartment party, your breath clouding the glass as much as the shower steam still lingering in the air. Your legs were locked around his waist, heels digging into his lower back, and his hands were gripping your hips, no, your ass, like you were the only stable thing in the room.
“Be quiet,” you whispered against his mouth, trying to suppress a laugh and a gasp at the same time. “Someone could hear us.”
“It’s not like you’re making it easy for me to stay quiet,” Wonwoo murmured back, smiling into the kiss before pushing closer, harder, like the risk itself was part of the thrill.
Wonwoo was the safest option for something unsafe.
No strings. No jealousy. No late-night emotional interrogations.
You couldn’t make it tonight? “Cool. I’ll just hop on the game.”
You weren’t feeling well halfway through? “That’s fine. I was planning to leave early anyway.”
You needed to blow off steam in the middle of the day? “Give me twenty minutes.”
Everything was simple. Convenient. Effortless.
The sex was great. The expectations were zero.
At least, that’s what both of you told yourselves.
Wonwoo never talked much about feelings. He knew that about himself. It wasn’t something he was proud of, just something he accepted. Emotions stayed locked somewhere deep in his chest, only slipping out in the quiet intensity between sheets and tangled limbs. It made it hard to tell when he was upset or just… hungry for you.
But there was one thing Wonwoo did exceptionally well.
He listened.
And when Wonwoo listened, he memorized.
By month four, he had your coffee order down to the exact milk ratio and syrup pump count. He scheduled it to be delivered every Wednesday morning because that was the day you started work extra early and never had time to stop at your usual cafe.
He knew that every odd week, Thursday nights were reserved for sauna and spa time with your sister. He never texted you then.
He knew you loved late-night walks when your brain wouldn’t shut up, so he would always “randomly” crave something from the convenience store at 2 a.m., dragging you outside in mismatched pajamas, messy bed hair, and t-shirts that smelled unmistakably like each other.
He paid attention.
More than someone who “didn’t care” ever should.
“You know, Won,” you muttered one morning, phone wedged between your ear and shoulder as you fumbled through your bag for your house keys. “It’s the first Wednesday in, like, three months that I didn’t get your coffee delivery.”
He let out a muffled laugh on the other end.
“That’s not true.”
You paused mid-rummage. “Huh?”
There was a brief silence. Then.
“You’re being really loud with that key bowl.”
You froze.
“Is it that loud you can hear it through the phone?” you asked, a small smile tugging at your lips.
“So loud,” he replied evenly, “that I can hear it through the door.”
Your brain short-circuited.
You shoved the door open, and there he was.
Standing in your hallway like he belonged there. Holding your coffee in one hand and a small pink-and-white birthday cake in the other.
“Special delivery for the birthday girl,” he said casually, like he hadn’t just rearranged your entire nervous system.
He set the cake down before you could even process it, one hand sliding to the back of your head to pull you into a messy, almost impatient kiss. It wasn’t graceful. It wasn’t perfectly timed.
It was real.
And maybe that’s when it started feeling different.
Wonwoo first got suspicious of his own feelings when he stopped racing for the door after spending a few hours in your bed. When leaving started to feel… inconvenient.
When your shower stopped feeling foreign because somehow half of his toiletries had migrated there. His razor. His face wash. That stupid expensive shampoo he swore he couldn’t live without.
When he realized he slept best at 2 a.m. on random Tuesdays, only if you were wrapped around him, your leg thrown over his, your breathing slow and even against his chest.
He noticed how quiet his apartment felt without you.
How loud his thoughts got.
It probably truly clicked for him one night on your couch.
You were mid-makeout, half-laughing, half-distracted because you were still in your corporate uniform. Blazer tossed somewhere on the floor. Pencil skirt hiked up just enough so you could sit comfortably in his lap, your hands tangled in his hair.
It was supposed to be the same as always.
Easy. Heated. Thoughtless.
But his hands didn’t move automatically this time. They lingered at your waist. Tightened.
He pulled back just enough to look at you.
You were flushed, lips swollen, eyes dazed.
And suddenly it didn’t feel casual anymore.
The words slipped out before he could catch them.
“Are we…” he started, voice lower than usual, almost uncertain. “Are we still pretending that this has no feelings attached?”
The room went still.
No party noise. No late-night convenience store hum. No easy escape route.
Just you. And him. And something that had quietly grown roots while neither of you was looking.
For the first time since this started, it didn’t feel simple.
And maybe that was the problem.
3️⃣ Mingyu:
Honestly? It would’ve been suspicious if it hadn’t happened.
Mingyu was a catch, everyone knew it. Half your friend group had mentioned it at least once, some subtly, some not at all subtle. And it wasn’t just the job. Or the status. Or the fame that followed him like a permanent spotlight.
It was the fact that he was devastatingly attractive and painfully aware of it.
Tall. Broad. Built like he’d been sculpted with too much time and intention. The kind of man who walked into a room and tilted its axis without even trying.
And yet, you didn’t fall for the face first.
You fell for the cockiness.
Not arrogance. Not quite.
That playful, teasing self-assurance that made him smirk like he knew exactly what effect he had on you, and enjoyed watching you pretend it didn’t.
“You’re staring,” Mingyu murmured one night, fingers sliding beneath the hem of your shirt, slowly helping you pull it over your head.
“Then stop giving me something good to stare at,” you shot back, letting him reach behind you for your bra clasp while your hands wandered shamelessly over his bare abs.
He laughed softly at that, low, pleased. He loved it when you pushed back.
The thing about Mingyu was that he was a flirt.
With everyone.
And that was half the problem.
You never quite knew whether he wanted to pin you against the nearest wall or if that was just how he treated every dancer in the crew. The lingering touches. The eye contact that lasted a beat too long. The casual compliments delivered like secrets.
That confusion? That tension?
It’s how you ended up in his bed.
But Mingyu, despite all that teasing bravado, was the most open-hearted man you’d ever met.
Two weeks.
That’s all it took for him to start smiling at your texts. You could hear it in his replies. Feel it in the way he answered faster. The way he’d double-text without shame.
He was the definition of wining and dining you. Not once did you leave his place after some impulsive make-out session without being fed. If you tried to sneak out early, he’d stop you with a soft frown.
“Wait. You didn’t eat properly.”
And suddenly he’d be in the kitchen, shirtless, hair messy, cooking something at 1 a.m. like it was a sacred duty. If you insisted on leaving, he’d pack leftovers into a container and shove it into your hands.
“For later,” he’d say casually.
But there was nothing casual about the way he watched you walk out the door.
The problem?
Mingyu got attached fast.
And it terrified him.
You noticed it first in public.
He stopped giving you attention during practice. Stopped teasing you in front of the others. Stopped letting his hand linger.
But you saw it.
The way his jaw flexed when another dancer placed their hands on your waist a little too long. The way he bit the inside of his cheek so hard, you were surprised he didn’t bleed.
Somehow, every time you joined dance practice, your legs mysteriously stopped working for the next three days.
Coincidence?
You doubted it.
Mingyu was discovering a side of himself he didn’t know existed, possessive, territorial, irrational.
He’d tell you everything was fine. “No strings attached,” he’d say with that easy smile.
Meanwhile, he’d be at home pacing his living room because he declined your invitation to come over. He told himself he was playing the long game. Creating space. Keeping things cool.
Then he’d throw himself onto his couch and groan into a pillow because he missed you after exactly twelve minutes.
From your perspective?
He was acting normal.
Too normal.
This was Mingyu. He had options. Endless ones. It felt delusional to think there was something forming between you that he couldn’t get somewhere else, easier, simpler.
That was, until he developed an unexpected amount of audacity.
It started small.
Drinking from your water bottle during practice without asking. The dancers noticed. His members noticed. A few raised brows were exchanged.
Then there was the “Oh, you should come over tonight, Wonwoo’s coming for a short video game session.”
Wonwoo was, in fact, there.
For about twenty minutes.
Or the way Mingyu would obnoxiously call out in the company hallway, loud enough for everyone to hear:
“Did you like the pasta I made you last Monday?”
The first time he did that, you nearly tripped over your own feet.
He was testing the waters.
And you didn’t even know how to swim.
It didn’t truly hit you until the dinner.
“Everyone’s going,” he’d said casually. “All the dancers.”
You should’ve known.
The moment you walked into the restaurant and didn’t recognize a single familiar face from your crew, your stomach dropped.
Instead, it was his members. Sitting comfortably. Laughing. A few girls you could only assume were their partners.
It wasn’t a casual group outing.
It was intimate.
Intentional.
You sat down slowly, hyper-aware of the way Mingyu’s thigh pressed against yours under the table.
“Mingyu,” you whispered, leaning closer to him.
“Yeah?” He paused mid-sip, glass hovering in the air, eyes already on you.
“Why am I here?”
You held his gaze this time. No teasing. No deflection.
He didn’t look embarrassed.
He looked amused.
“Just testing something, babygirl,” he murmured, a sly smile tugging at his lips before he leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to your lips.
Testing something.
And when you glanced around the table again, you realized what it was.
He wasn’t hiding you.
He wasn’t keeping you casual.
He was seeing how you fit.
And the worst part?
You didn’t know if you were more terrified that he might pull away…
Or that you desperately hoped he wouldn’t.
4️⃣ Vernon:
“You are killing me here,” Vernon muttered against your mouth, the words barely formed as your fingers fumbled with the zipper of his jeans.
“You’re not making it easier with all this useless talking,” you shot back between kisses, breath hitching as his hands tightened around your waist.
Vernon was many things, but subtle wasn’t one of them.
You hadn’t even properly kissed yet, hadn’t even gotten past that first electric press of lips, before he laid everything out like a contract he needed you to sign.
“I don’t do relationships,” he said, voice steady but eyes anything but. “I’m not available around the clock. And don’t expect me to text you.”
His gaze searched yours with something wild and restrained at the same time. Hunger, yes, but also caution. Like he was daring you to flinch.
“Vernon?” you said.
“Yeah?”
“Can you just fucking kiss me, for God’s sake?”
That was all the permission he needed.
He crashed into you like he’d been holding back for years instead of seconds.
Two months.
Two months of late nights and early exits. Of reading the room instead of reading texts. Of reacting to his replies to your Instagram stories because that was the closest thing to a direct line you had.
You didn’t even have his number.
Booty calls came in the form of a fire emoji reacting to your mirror selfie. Or a casual “You out?” sent at 1:13 a.m.
And you went. Almost every time.
It wasn’t until month two that you finally graduated from Instagram to iMessage.
No buildup. No small talk.
Just a text from an unknown number:
‘Wanna come?’
That was it.
You stared at it for a full minute before your heart made the decision for you. Bag packed. Keys in hand. Engine running before you could talk yourself out of it.
You never stayed the night during those first four months.
And he never asked you to.
Vernon was efficient. Direct. Almost clinical in the way he kept things contained. He didn’t blur lines. Didn’t let silence feel like mystery, it just was what it was.
You always knew where you stood.
Nowhere permanent.
Until tour.
You knew it was coming. You’d always known he would leave eventually. It was part of the deal, don’t get attached to someone who lives in airports.
You expected a casual goodbye at best. Maybe a “See you when I’m back.” Maybe nothing at all.
You got nothing.
No explanation. No closure. Just distance.
Five days into tour and your phone stayed silent. You saw him post on his close friends story, random backstage clips, blurry hotel room ceilings, a half-finished cup of coffee. Proof he was alive. Proof he was fine.
But not a single message for you.
You told yourself you didn’t care.
You told yourself this was exactly what you signed up for.
Then, at 3:07 a.m., while you were deep in mindless scrolling, your Spotify notification lit up your screen.
Ver0807-09 added you to a shared playlist.
You blinked.
Maybe you were hallucinating from lack of sleep.
You opened it.
There was only one song.
Next to You – Bryson Tiller.
Your stomach dropped.
Your heart skipped so violently it felt like it stumbled over itself. The silence of your room suddenly felt too loud.
Three minutes later, your phone buzzed again.
‘Can I call please?’
Please.
Vernon didn’t say please.
You didn’t even wait for it to ring.
You called him.
The line connected after two rings.
“Hey,” you said softly.
There was a small pause. A breath. Then…
“Hey, stranger.”
His voice was tired. Rough around the edges. Like he hadn’t been sleeping much.
On the other side of the world, in a hotel room that didn’t feel like his, Vernon wasn’t confused about what was happening to him.
He knew exactly when it started.
It started the moment he chose not to say goodbye.
Because uninterested Vernon would’ve tied it up neatly. Would’ve told you it was fun while it lasted. Would’ve left you with something definitive so neither of you had to wonder.
But he didn’t.
He left without closing the door.
Because if there was no goodbye… then nothing ended.
For him, it stopped being “just a hookup” the day he caught himself wanting to text you at 2 p.m. for no reason. The day he saw something funny online and saved it, not for later scrolling, but for you.
It was when he started measuring time zones instead of just cities.
When he didn’t wash his grey hoodie because you wore it once and it still smelled like your perfume. He’d pick it up absentmindedly, press it to his face, and pretend he didn’t know why his chest tightened.
It was when hotel rooms felt emptier than usual.
When crowds didn’t distract him the way they used to.
When “I don’t do relationships” started sounding less like a rule and more like a lie he told himself to stay safe.
Back on the call, neither of you spoke for a moment.
“You added me to a playlist,” you finally said, trying to keep your voice steady.
“Yeah.”
“One song?”
Another pause.
“I couldn’t think of anything else that made sense.”
Your throat felt tight. “You could’ve just texted.”
“I didn’t know how,” he admitted quietly. “I’m not good at this.”
This.
Feelings.
Missing you.
The terrifying realization that somewhere between late-night texts and not staying over, you had become the only person he wanted next to him in a city full of thousands.
“You said you don’t do relationships,” you whispered.
“I know.”
“And you said not to expect texts.”
“I know.”
Silence stretched again, but this time it felt different. Not empty. Just full.
Full of everything he didn’t know how to say.
“I miss you,” he said finally, like it cost him something. Like he was handing you the last piece of his pride.
And suddenly the rules he’d set on that first night felt flimsy.
Because the man who didn’t do relationships was calling you at 3 a.m., from another country, asking please.
And for the first time since this started, you realized.
Maybe the scariest thing about Vernon wasn’t how detached he seemed.
It was how deeply he felt once he let himself.
When I Kissed the Teacher
Pairing: Kim Mingyu x fem!reader
Genre: fluff, humor
Summary: Mr. Kim has a crush, to his students that much is clear. It's also clear that you like him too. What happens when a group of meddlesome ten year olds decide to play cupid for their two favorite teachers?
Warnings: science teacher mingyu, grammar teacher reader, meddling students, crushes, flirting, lots of candy and coffee
Length: ~5.2k
Note: it's here! thank you to @gyuwoncheol and @gyuswhore for beta reading and to my lovely @tomodachiii for fact checking my knowledge of primary school lol
read more here
This blog is intended for 18+ only! Minors/blank blogs will be blocked!
Turning from the white board, Mingyu faces the room full of weary children. Mondays are hard. Early mornings are hard. Learning the difference between reptiles and mammals first thing on Monday morning is downright torture. But it’s nothing a little bribery (read: candy) can't fix.
"Alright class, today we're learning about animals! Who remembers what a mammal is?"
Mingyu barely finishes his sentence before a sharp knock interrupts.
“Mr. Kim,” you seethe from the doorway.
Mingyu turns around immediately, eyes wide in fear at your tone. “Yes?”
“Can I speak with you? In the hallway?”
The class of ten year olds “ooooh” as their teacher trails after you like a kicked puppy. If they weren't awake before they sure are now. He shoots a silencing look back before dipping out the door where you wait, foot tapping impatiently.
“Would you like to explain where all my printer paper went?”
Mingyu tries to play dumb. “I don’t know?”
“Oh really?" You blink. "Because I found the box in the workroom and guess what was on the printer? More of your worksheets for your class!”
“How do you know they were for my class?”
You don’t answer, in favor of shoving the animal themed coloring sheets into his chest harshly.
“Listen, anyone could have…” He trails off under your withering glare.
“If you need paper, ask!”
Mingyu burns under the reprimand. “Oh, like you asked to use my paints last month?”
“That was an accident!" you argue, eyes wide. "And I replaced them.”
“Alright, then I’ll replace the paper I took.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
With a curt nod, you turn to leave; unaware of the blushing cheeks and heart eyes following your retreating form. But the gaggle of elementary students waiting for Mingyu's return see them clear as day; their fits of shrill giggles and whispers falling on deaf ears as he shakes off the stars clouding his mind.
Mr. Kim, their goofy science teacher, has a crush. And like children are wont to do, they hatch a scheme to help him out.
—
“Alright. Do we remember the difference between fragments and sentences?”
The classroom ripples with tiny voices shouting “yes” with varying degrees of confidence. Their last quiz grades are proof they haven’t quite grasped the subject yet but that’s why you’re planning for an intensive review with them today.
“Awesome! So our warm up today should be a piece of cake. I’ll help with the first one so let's all look at the boa—”
A knock at the door cuts you off. Mingyu stands in the threshold, looking positively mischievous.
“Sorry to interrupt, Ms. y/l/n. But can I speak with you in the hall?”
Forcing a smile, you respond. “Certainly. Class, why don’t you all work with your desk partner on the worksheet and when I come back we’ll go over the answers?”
They break into groups, chattering about everything but the work you’ve assigned; most notably the way Mr. Kim beams as you follow him outside. However, once you’ve crossed beyond the border of the brightly decorated room, twenty pairs of ears strain to hear why Mr. Kim interrupted their morning lesson.
“What's this about?” you ask.
Mingyu smiles, eyes shifting to the floor. “Here's the paper I owed you.”
“You’re kidding.”
Three hefty boxes are stacked next to your door. It’s far more paper than Mingyu used for his color sheets, and more than you’d probably need for the rest of the semester.
“I thought you could use extra since you’re too stingy to share.”
“I’m not stingy!” You scoff.
Mingyu simply flashes another self-satisfied smile before heaving a box into his arms and carrying it into your classroom. He could certainly carry all three boxes at once; anytime there were desks or anything else remotely heavy to be moved, Mingyu did so with ease. But the kids don’t think anything of the way he so obviously drags out the torture.
The kids watch Mr. Kim weave through the maze of tables towards the back of the room.
“Lia, can you open the door for me please?”
The little girl jumps from her desk and bolts for the supply closet, braids bouncy with each step.
“In here okay?” Mingyu asks.
Blinking from your stupor, you turn back to your desk as you answer. “Yeah, it’s…whatever.”
Your class stopped their work to focus on the unfolding drama between their two favorite teachers. They don’t know why you can’t seem to stand their science teacher, and it’s anyone’s guess why Mr. Kim has decided to interrupt their grammar lesson for something so silly. But it’s clear that whenever you two meet an argument is clear to follow. And in the guidebook of elementary school, if you like a girl, you always argue with them.
So enthralled in your silent battle of wits with the peppy man, you miss the two girls plotting in the corner.
Hana turns to her friends with breakneck speed. “Did you see the way Mr. Kim smiled at her?”
“He’s so in love,” Arin sighs dreamily.
“And Miss y/l/n is blushing! We should help them.”
Their whispers are cut off when you clap. “Alright! Back to work!”
Mingyu lingers by the front until you forcibly shoo him away, huffing at the permanent smile stretched across his lips even when the door slams in his face.
“Meet at the tree during recess.”
The two girls nod and return to their worksheets.
A new week comes with new challenges. Today’s is the universe’s determination to make your life as difficult as possible.
Your alarm didn’t go off, your shoddy dryer left you with damp clothes, and your car battery decided a short strike would be a great way to start the freezing morning. There was barely time to wash your face with cold tap water let alone put on makeup or style your hair. To top it all off, the green lunchbox with leftovers from your favorite restaurant sits on the shelf of your fridge which means the crumbled granola bar at the bottom of your purse will finally see the light of day.
Flicking on the lights, you rush to prepare for the day. By the grace of god your first period is planning time so no students witness your near breakdown from the absolute shit storm of the morning. Not much is to be done since you already organized everything you needed Friday afternoon but the tense events of the day leave you feeling off. Not even a cup of coffee with the creamer you reserve for days like these helps the overwhelming unease rippling in the back of your throat.
Your allotted private time washes by and before you know it, a gaggle of students filters into your room, giddy on holiday spirit and sugar. The first five minutes of class are spent reminding them their butts belong in chairs at their own stations, that the warmup is for them to complete on their own, and if they aren’t feeling well enough to do classwork they need to go to the nurse.
Twenty minutes into the lesson and the worksheet for their quiz on Friday finally manages to capture their attention. A few students struggle but most are sailing through. Its the same material as last week just with a new puzzle for them to complete once they have all the correct answers.
“Alright, who can tell me what word fits for number six?” you ask.
The attentiveness you’ve sweated to cultivate all morning dissolves when a volunteer knocks to distribute candy-grams.
“Delivery!” a young woman sings as she enters, dressed in red from head to toe with heart shaped sunglasses and a sparkly headband. Her wicker basket flows with candy bars wrapped with shiny ribbon and cardstock penned with confessions.
The shrill symphony of oohs and ahhs as the kids receive pieces of candy raises the vein on your temple.
“And for Ms. y/l/n!” the young woman sing-songs, heart headband bouncing as she approaches your desk.
The cardstock reads one of the cheesy messages the school provides for the Valentine cards they sell as a yearly fundraiser.
‘I like you a choco-lot! - your secret admirer’
You throw it into a drawer in your desk, oblivious to the crestfallen faces of two little girls watching with rapt attention.
“I don’t think she likes chocolate,” Arin whispers.
“No. Remember during Halloween? She said her favorite candy is Twix. She gave Gabi an extra point on the spelling test when she brought in her halloween candy and gave them to her.”
“Well maybe she’s mad because it wasn’t a Twix!”
“Maybe. But Mr. Kim didn’t react to the note on his desk this morning either,” Hana huffs. “But he was late so maybe he didn’t see it.”
Your second attempt to put class back on track falls flat. Instead of group review, kids come up to your desk one by one to check their answers while you nurse your headache until the bell dismisses everyone to their next destination. Another crop of students flood the seats, emotions running high from who did and didn’t receive candy in their last class. Two students end up arguing about who knows what and then proceed to break into frustrated tears.
You bite your tongue to stop from doing the same and put on one of the movies you reserve for days like these.
When Mingyu walks into your room after school ends and all the kids are dismissed for pick up, you give him a look that sends him turning around and exiting the way he came without a word.
Tuesday brings a better attitude. Mostly because you get to take all of your class to the library for silent reading. But the homemade stirfry sitting in your lunch box in the teacher’s lounge helps too.
Your second period kids spread out through the room, some sprawled across the worn rugs on their bellies while others curl up in the much coveted bean bags; a few choose to hide between the imposing bookshelves, crowded on all sides by the smell of old paper.
With an overly sweetened latte sitting in one hand, and a new novel in the other, you perch at the long table near the librarian's desk to ‘supervise.’
“How did you manage to get a copy of The Gate? I couldn’t even get the pre-order before it sold out.” Elise, the librarian, asks.
You smile into your coffee cup before responding. “Eh, I know a guy.”
“You do? I thought you didn’t date?”
“I don’t.” You nod. “But it doesn’t mean I don’t have connections.”
“Well whoever your ‘connection’ is, send them my way when you're done with him.”
You pretend to ponder before answering, “I’ll think about it.”
Snapping your book shut, you rise to gather the kids to return back to class. It takes several minutes as a few refuse to join the line until their current chapter is finished and Kai pulls out the puppy dog eyes, begging to stay all day to finish his book.
You corral them out the door with promises of more reading time on Friday if they behave well the rest of the week. Some roll their eyes but most nod enthusiastically at the opportunity to skip on their weekly quiz.
Unlocking the door, you unpack your things and find a basket of Valentine’s on your desk to be passed out. Almost all the kids receive at least one, some find two or even three heart shaped sugar cookies on their desk. Your heart squeezes when some of the students decide to divy up their cookies and gift them to the students who didn’t receive a note.
The last cookie at the bottom of the basket has a note with your name on it and a message in the same swirly script as yesterday’s.
We go together like milk and cookies. - your secret admirer
As far as cheesy Valentine’s go, you’ve seen worse. But free snacks are free snacks and the confection tastes great dipped in your coffee.
Your fourth period class focuses on their worksheets, silently deciphering the reading and ticking of questions. You promised whatever group finished first with the most right answers gets a special Valentine treat; full sized candies and extra credit on Friday.
Whatever it takes to keep them focused while you work through grading everything for your other classes.
You don’t notice the man waiting at the door until one of your kids greet their science teacher; a ripple of tiny ‘Hi, Mr. Kim!’s following.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Mingyu announces from the door. “But, ugh, the volunteer accidentally gave me this.”
“Oh! Thanks Min—Mr. Kim.”
You take the can of orange soda from his hand and skim the note.
I have a ‘crush’ on you. - your secret admirer
None of the students can read the note from their seats but you and Mr. Kim look equally bashful.
“What are you guys working on? Mingyu asks, hoping to diffuse the tension.
A cacophony of voice race to explain their assignment. Mingyu pretends to understand, smiling at their enthusiasm and grabbing a worksheet for himself.
He plants himself in one of the tiny plastic chairs next to your desk meant for ten year olds rather than a grown man of his size. It’s comical the way his knees brush his chest and any small move across the slippery seat threatens to land him on the floor.
Reviewing the sheet, Mingyu announces, “Alright, how about if you guys finish your work before me, we can have a pizza party in my class on Friday?”
More screams bounce off the walls.
“You guys can’t finish if you’re talking to Mr. Kim,” you remind them.
The room descends into a cozy calm; the sound of pencils on paper, your keyboard clicks, and the soft jazz from the computer speakers blending together.
You don’t look up to grab the answer key from the corner of the desk, Mingyu huffing from his seat at being caught.
“No cheating,” you smirk under your breath.
“Creative strategy,” he argues.
Instead of answering you shake your head and continue to focus on your own tasks.
Ten minutes and twenty emails later, two groups of students rise and approach your desk at the same time.
“We finished first!”
“No, we did!”
“Guys,” you interrupt them. “I’ll grade them both and whoever has more right wins. Besides, Mr. Kim owes you a pizza party anyway.”
The entire class cheers at the news while Mingyu playfully pouts. Maybe if he hadn’t given up on his worksheet to snoop through the basket full of snacks on your bookshelf, he wouldn’t be eating his own words.
The second group of students to approach your desk ends up victorious. You mark down their candy orders to pick up on your weekly grocery shopping trip on Thursday night before sending them to back up their belongings so you can all head to the cafeteria.
“What’d you bring for lunch?” Mingyu asks as he walks with you to the teachers lounge to retrieve your lunch boxes.
“Pasta salad.”
“Wanna trade?”
“What’d you bring?” you ask, handing him the black grocery bag you know carries his lunch.
“Pasta salad.”
You roll your eyes and kick the fridge shut.
—
After lunch you have another free period. The printing room is empty so you take advantage and make enough copies for the rest of the week. Perhaps Mingyu wasn’t wrong to bring you three boxes of paper.
Lugging the stack in hand, you turn down that hall only to find a familiar face standing guard outside your classroom.
“Arin? Why are you in the hallway? You should be in class.”
“I was just…going to the bathroom!”
“Really? Because there's a bathroom right outside Mrs. Lee’s classroom if I remember correctly.”
“It was gross!”
Considering Mrs. Lee’s classroom sits on the main hallway and intersects with two other grades, it probably looked more akin to a battlefield than a restroom at this time of day.
“Okay…but hurry back. And I’m gonna let Mrs. Lee know what took you so long so she isn’t worried.”
You side step around her but she moves right into your path. And then again. And again.
“Arin, what are you doing?”
“Sorry, Ms. y/l/n. I don’t feel good. Can you walk me to the nurse?”
Crouching to her height, you rest the back of your hand against her forehead. Arin never admits she doesn’t feel well even when she’s tinged green and hacking up a lung. It’s the perfect admission to keep you from peering past the threshold of your classroom and blowing the entire operation.
Until a loud crash and high pitched scream breaks the silence of the hallway.
You jump back up.“What the—”
“Wait!” Arin shouts, throwing her arms and legs wide to block your path like a three foot tall ‘X’.
“Arin, what is going on?”
“Mr. Kim said animals make themselves bigger to be scarier,” Arin says, tiny face scowling.
“And why are you trying to scare me?”
Another bang echoes out the classroom forcing you to pick the little girl up by her armpits and carry her inside with you. She slips from your hold as you stare with a wide mouth at the scene. A desk is pulled up to the board allowing Hana to balance atop it as she scribbles across the chalkboard.
Wil you be my Valintin? - Mr. K
“Hana! What are you doing?”
“Arin!” Hana huffs indignantly.
Arin opens her mouth to respond but the look on your face silences both girls. You help Hana down from the desktop before crossing your arms in front of you and taking a deep breath.
“Sit. Now.”
They trudge to the seats next to your desk; heads hung low, tears brimming in their eyes. Neither has been on the receiving end of such a reprimand before; they’re usually your best behaved students.
You allow them to stew in silence as you right the two chairs Hana knocked over. She doesn’t look injured which is a relief but your nerves are shot from the perplexing situation. Hana and Arin can be troublemakers but they’ve never done anything like this before.
Once you're certain the urge to yell at them is quelled you approach your desk and take a seat. You watch them expectantly. Arin chances a glance up and swiftly looks back to her lap while Hana focuses on the picture at the edge of your desk, blinking away tears.
“Girls,” you sigh. “What were you doing in here?”
“Ms. y/l/n,” Arin blubbers.
Presenting the tissue box, you wait several moments while they both dab their eyes and blow their noses before speaking again.
“We just thought…” Hana starts, glancing at the other girl.
“Thought what?”
“Mr. Kim’s in love with you and we wanted to help!”
“I see.” You nod. “Did Mr. Kim tell you that?”
They look at each other before shaking their heads ‘no.’
Your temple throbs from the situation. A measured breath through your nose sends the girls into a frenzy.
“We can tell!”
“You’re perfect for eachother!”
“And did Mr. Kim ask you to sneak into my classroom while I wasn’t here?”
“No ma’am,” they mumble in unison.
It dawns on you that the two girls have been behind all the gifts you’ve received this week.“Are you two behind all the Valentine’s I’ve gotten?”
“We were just trying to help!” cries Arin.
Moving to crouch in front of them, you wait until they both look up at you.
“It’s very sweet what you were trying to do and I’m sorry I yelled at you. But you can’t sneak out of class. What if something happened and you got hurt climbing the table?”
“I’m sorry,.” Hana says.
“Me too.”
You pass them more tissues to wipe their noses.
“How about we get you two back to class?”
“But what about Mr. Kim?”
“Yeah! He needs to know how you feel.”
“That’s between Mr. Kim and I. Understand? Those are grown up things.”
The repulsion painting their faces forces you to bite back a snort. Instead you offer your hands, pinkies extended towards them both.
“How ‘bout this? I promise to talk to Mr. Kim if you two promise no more meddling. Okay?”
All three of you share a smile as you intertwine their pinkies with your own.
“Now,” you say whilst jumping to your feet. “You are supposed to be in Mrs. Lee’s class. And you are supposed to be at the library.”
Escorting them both back to where they belong, they can’t help but giggle when you pass Mr. Kim’s room and he waves. The question is clear on his face but you shrug your shoulders.
You’ll explain everything later.
You smile knowingly at the corner of the classroom where two little cupids sit as the volunteer brings you a lollipop with a note reading ‘I’m a sucker for you.’
Part of you feels guilty they pooled their own money together to supply you and the teacher next door with treats all week in an effort to play matchmaker. But another part can’t help but laugh. And when you get the chance to tell Mingyu what they’ve planned you’ll no doubt laugh harder.
But because the universe somehow knows you lied to your students the day prior you find your reckoning in the cafeteria.
It was Mingyu’s fault. Or at least that’s what you argue. You barely made it three steps inside the room before the large man bulldozes you; sending his lunch and your own down your fronts in a palette of greens and browns.
His eyes widen in horror as a slice of tomato peels off your shirt and flops to the floor. “I am so sorry!”
“Seriously?” you choke.
The entire school watches with baited breath. Students and teachers alike watch with abject horror as you skirt around the taller man and flee with shaking shoulders and your chin dipped into your chest. Mingyu gapes like a fish as you run by, frozen in place. As hundreds of eyes settle on him, he realizes they all saw how he drenched you in salad and coffee.
Mrs. Lee dismisses him with a nod, silently agreeing to watch his class so he can trapeze out to his car and find something suitable to wear.
—
Mingyu watches the game of kickball unfold across the field, keeping an eye on the rowdier students as they pick teams. But even from a distance he recognizes one face is notably absent.
He finds Kai slumped on a bench at the far corner of the playground using a stick to draw lines in the dirt at his feet.
“Hey, buddy. You feeling okay?” Mingyu asks.
Kai never misses a game of kickball. Even when his arm was in a cast at the beginning of the year, he insisted he only needed one good arm to play defense and neither to play offense. Kai’s mom simply laughed at Mingyu’s concerned email and said her son was exactly like his dad and there was no stopping him if he was set on something.
So to have the little curly haired boy isolated on the far edge of the field is serious cause for concern.
Kai looks up briefly at Mingyu’s approach before returning to his mud art. “Mr. Kim, have you ever liked someone?”
“Liked someone?” Mingyu drops onto the bench next to him.
“Like,” the little boy inhales trying to explain himself. “Like a girl?”
Mingyu snuffs out his chuckle at Kai’s innocent question. “Yeah, why do you ask? Do you like a girl?”
“I–My friend does!”
“Okay,” Mingyu nods.
“And he doesn’t know how to tell her.”
“Well that's tough.”
“How’d you tell the girl you liked?”
“Well,” Mingyu drops to a whisper. “Once upon a time, I had a crush on this girl. And she was the prettiest girl I ever saw. Smart and funny too.”
“Did she run fast?”
The question confuses Mingyu at first but then he remembers he’s talking to a ten year old and the rules of attraction hinge on who gets the swing the highest and jumps off.
“She ran really fast,” he nods. “And she made me so nervous I couldn’t talk to her. My palms got all sweaty and my face turned red.”
“That happens to m—I mean my friend!”
“And it feels like there's a bunch of frogs jumping around your stomach?”
“Yeah,” Kai nods. “So how’d you tell her?”
“Well one day, I finally decided to introduce myself. Walked right up to her, opened my mouth and…poof.”
“Poof?”
“Poof.” Mingyu hangs his head. “I forgot everything I was gonna say to her.”
“What happened after that?”
“She waited a few minutes and then said ‘okay, I’ll meet you at 6:30 for dinner.’”
“She knew you liked her?”
Mingyu nods gravely before imparting his most sage wisdom. “Girls are very smart, Kai.”
“So I should try and tell her I like her?”
“Your friend should at least try,” Mingyu shrugs.
Kai blushes, having been clearly caught. “But what if she doesn’t like him back?”
“That’s okay. It just wasn’t meant to be.”
“Thanks, Mr. Kim. You’re the best!”
“You’re welcome, buddy.” Mingyu gives him a fist bump before shooing him back towards his friends. “Now go play kickball, the boys need your help.”
Kai runs off but a new presence fills the vacant seat on the bench.
“I thought we agreed to keep our romantic life a secret at work.”
Mingyu smiles sheepishly before turning to look at you. “Oh, you heard that?”
“Yeah, I heard,” you smile. “They already think you have a crush on me.”
“Smart kids.” He says, enjoying the way the worn sage button up swallows your figure.
Mingyu loves when you wear his clothes, he told you this morning when you stole his favorite jacket. Which is why you both took almost twenty minutes to gain your composure after he spilled an entire tray of food on you.
Mingyu swears he didn’t do it on purpose. How could he have known you were coming through the door at that very moment? But he’d do it again if it meant seeing you in one of the spare shirts he keeps in the truck again. Even if it meant he’d also sustain minor coffee burns.
“They think I have a crush on you too.”
You watch the way he traces your collar bone, catching the twinkle of the diamond pendant resting at the hollow of your throat; his birthstone. It was the first piece of jewelry he bought you when you started dating almost a decade ago.
You hadn’t taken it off since the day he gave it to you with shaky hands and red ears.
“Do you?” He asks.
“Do I, what?”
“Have a crush on me?”
“Oh Gyu,” you coo at him. “I have the fattest crush on you.”
“Damn right you do.”
Sitting outside with an entire audience of other teachers and students doesn’t allow either of you to fall into the familiar comfort of adorning kisses or airtight hugs. But Mingyu’s pinky brushing yours in the ample space between your figures is enough for now.
Friday is Valentine’s day which means all the kids don red and pink outfits and prepare for a day of candy filled fun. You spent all morning helping the art teacher set up paint stations. Why she cashed in on the long owed favor with such a simple task was beyond you but the monotony is a nice change from the chaos you’ve experienced all week. When second period rolls around, you shuffle back to your classroom; welcomed by the line of students waiting outside your locked door.
“I swear! I saw Mr. Kim and Ms. y/l/n at the grocery store last night.”
“Hana, Ms. y/l/n said its grown up business. Maybe you just saw people that look like them,” Arin shrugs. “And I don’t wanna get in trouble again.”
“It had to be them!”
They quiet down as they walk past your figure, smiling like cherubs when you greet them.
Students file in one by one, shrill voices echoing from excitement. Most cheer about their pizza party with Mr. Kim later that afternoon, a few squeals about the set of Valentine’s their parents sent with them to handout.
Your ears catch a few other snippets of conversation as you wait for the stragglers to make it by.
“Oh my gosh those are so pretty!”
“Those look like the flowers my mommy likes!”
Curiosity gets the better of you, forcing you to step into the room and see what the kids are talking about.
An explosion of pink camellias resting on your desk. Huge blossoms with pale pink petals spill over the sides of the vase, slips of greenery sprinkled throughout. Approaching your desk, the floral aroma fills your nose. The blooms feel like soft velvet under the pad of your finger tracing the largest one in the center of the arrangement.
Who on earth?
As if on cue a mop of black hair peaks in from the hall. Mingyu eyes the bouquet and the pleased look on your face before allowing his own to break into his infamous smile.
“Just wanted to make sure they got here safe,” he calls.
You whip your head up, eyes wide and mouth open at the can of worms he just spilled.
“What?” Mingyu asks innocently. “Can’t a man buy his fiancee flowers?”
He disappears with a wink but his laughter at the chaos he’s stirred up can be heard miles away.
“MISS Y/L/N YOU’RE MARRIED?” Mark screams.
Another shrill voice answers, “Fiancee means they’re almost married, idiot!”
“You lied to us!” Arin and Hana chorus.
Dropping into your chair, you hide your burning face in your hands. Coincidentally it also hides your shy grin from the hoard of ten year olds jumping in their seats at the news.Mingyu is in so much trouble.
A few weeks before the new school year starts, a group of nearly eleven year olds crowd into the pews of the massive church at the center of town. Stained glass reflects patterns over the marble floors, casting them in a rainbow of colors.
Some sit on their hands to calm the adrenaline pumping through their tiny veins. Others rock back and forth in an effort to watch Mr. Kim strut down the aisle in a fancy looking suit.
But all of them gasp when you turn the corner.
You look like a real life princess in your wedding dress, floating towards their science teacher waiting at the altar with tears and a smile matching your own.
When you and Mr. Kim kiss, the girls squeal and the boys blush.
Several rows ahead sits a small group of older students, who’ve long graduated elementary school and are headed to college in a few days. They exchange satisfied smiles and pat themselves on the back for getting their favorite fourth grade teachers together all those years ago.
Maybe now your new classes won’t try playing Cupid like they do every year given Mr. Kim finally married their favorite teacher.
-
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ON MY TONGUE | w.jh (part two)
IN A UNIVERSE filled with soulmates, you never wanted one, never wanting to be tied down to a stranger for the rest of your life. However, fate always seems to work against you and gives you the worst soul mark you could ever have: a soulmate who seems to have a taste for spicy foods, something that you have a distaste for.
PAIRING: idol!jun x food journalist!fem!reader GENRE: Strangers to Lovers, Fluff, Angst, Eventual Smut (in Part Two), Enemies to Lovers (One Sided), Romance AU: Soulmates TOTAL PT 2 WC: 26k WARNINGS: mentions of food and eating, mentions of parents divorce, profanities, self-doubt, periods, anxiety, stress, MDNI, sex without protection (wrap before you tap please -> reader is on pill), soft dom!jun, dirty talk, oral (f.receiving), grinding, slight dry humping, missionary position, fingering, cumming, creampie, slight overstimulation (not really because jun is a sweetheart) PLAYLIST: songs for red, love jun
LIV'S NOTES... hello everyone! (this will be a bit of a long note - hence the smaller font) thank you so much for all the love on the teaser as well as part one of the fic! seeing everyones reblogs, likes and comments made me really happy because the amount of love has been amazing <3 as we reach the conclusion of Red and Jun's story (for now) i hope you guys enjoy! reblogs and likes are greatly appreciated hehe <3
do fill up the form if you want to be apart of the taglist <3 options there can be chosen if you want to be apart of my perm taglist or just for the soulmate works <3
also i think that 'thank you's are now in order as we wrap this up hehe: ♡ to @hopecutie: for being the first to beta-read this whole idea and for freaking out over every single screenshot that i've sent to you and for helping me get jun and red to where they are today and for sprinting with me (and for beta-reading this part) ♡ to @gentleisa: for loving this idea so wholeheartedly and for providing me with answers when i wasn't sure about certain things <3 and for sprinting with me hehe ♡ to @cherrymayz: one of my biggest hype women, for writing that essay about part one that spurred me to complete this and for freaking out whenever i sent sneak peeks ♡ to @luvrung: for sprinting with me and for always being so supportive of this idea (and freaking out over jun with me) and for always loving the little sneak peeks i've sent as well hehe ♡ to @jakedustry: one of the lomls who wrote that amazing jeonghan fic that gave me so much motivation to finish and for beta-reading the smut scene and giving me confidence that it was good <3 ♡ to @mellowgyu: my biggest supporter who has semi-beta-read both parts, freaked out over every screenshot i've sent and for being the best hype woman i could've ever asked for <3 thank you for all the video calls and just freaking out over jun and red hehe <3
with that, i introduce you to the last (for now) part of jun and red's story <3
PART ONE (WC: 26.2K)
WRITTEN IN THE STARS MASTERLIST | MAIN MASTERLIST | NAVI
THE CHINESE BUFFET - Week 6 out of 16
As per your agreement with Jun, you find yourself back at Mrs Yang's restaurant for the third time almost three weeks after your last meeting. The two of you had been texting back and forth, trying to find a day between his busy schedule and a free day in yours.
You were already a third of the way through your itinerary and you were getting a little sick of all the Korean food you were constantly eating. You had decided to move all your Chinese restaurants to the day you were going to hangout with Jun so that you could experience it for the first time with a 'connoisseur' — as he referred to himself as, making you roll your eyes, hearing the smug tone even though it was a text message.
The two of you had agreed to meet at Mrs Yang's place before heading to the three restaurants for the day that Jun had curated from the list of places you sent beforehand, plus a few that he highly recommended as a 'connoisseur' (cue the eyeroll again).
You tug your coat on tighter as a gust of wind breezes past you, making you shiver as you wait outside the restaurant, a little earlier than you were supposed to.
You startle, hearing the bell chime behind you to see Mrs Yang poke her head out of the restaurant, her face full of worry. "Goodness dear." She says, spotting the shiver that erupts through your body as she comes out of the restaurant. "Please wait inside for the boy." She chastises, tugging you into the comfort of her shop. "It's way too cold today to be waiting outside."
Your teeth chatter slightly as she pushes you into the chair of the table closest to the window, so that you can see when Jun arrives. She waddles into the kitchen before reappearing with a teapot and two teacups, the same ones that Mr Yang had brought out on the first day you stumbled across the restaurant.
She sets them in front of the two of you before pouring the steaming liquid into the respective cups, her hands slightly wobbling from the weight of the teapot. Mrs Yang pushes your teacup closer to you, a look in her eyes, almost as if she was warning you that there will be arguments if you refuse.
Luckily for her, it was too cold today for you to even want to argue with the older lady, opting to graciously accept the hot cup of tea whilst thanking her in the process. The two of you engage in some small talk, finishing almost the entire pot of delicious tea when a car pulling up interrupts the two of you.
You hear a door slam before Jun appears, his head poking through the restaurant door as he locks eyes with you, panic swirling a little in them. "I'm so sorry." He apologizes, coming into the restaurant. "I lost track of time and was a little late."
You blink, glancing at the clock to see that Jun was about ten minutes late but you didn't notice, deep in conversation with Mrs Yang. You turn back to him, giving him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it." You say, brushing it off as you stand, wrapping your scarf slightly tighter around your neck. "I was in the hands of some really good company." You say, gesturing towards the elderly woman.
Jun lets out a laugh as Mrs Yang gives you a warm smile, no doubt happy with your statement. "The pleasure was all mine, dear." She says sweetly making you give her a smile of adoration before turning back to Jun.
Jun was dressed in an ensemble of black layers that were definitely fit to keep the cold out and the heat in. Same could be said for his Supreme beanie that was covering his ears that you were sure, were as pink as he cheeks are at the moment.
He snaps you out of your analysis of his outfit by grabbing your laptop bag from your chair before giving you a tantalizing smile. "Shall we?" He asks, gesturing towards the door. You feel heat rise to your cheeks a little, trying to will yourself to calm down as you nod.
"We shall." You say, giving him a grin back as the two of you bid Mrs Yang goodbye before stepping out of the restaurant, into the blistering cold.
Mrs Yang watches as Jun opens the passenger door for you, helping you slide into the car before gently placing your laptop bag in the backseat. Mrs Yang feels warmth spread through her chest as she watches you laugh at something Jun says, a cheeky smile on his lips as he slips into the driver seat.
Warm arms wrap around her center, knocking her out of her trance as she leans into her husbands embrace as he leans down to put his head on her shoulder.
"Do you think they'll figure it out?" Mr Yang asks his wife in Cantonese, as the two stare lovingly at the two of you. "They're getting there." Mrs Yang replies, placing her hand on top of her husband's arm. "We just need to wait for fate to do its thing." She adds, smiling as she watches Jun drive off.
THE SPICE OF THE GOLDEN DRAGON - Week 6 out of 16
"Here we are!" Jun announces, opening the door for you as he helps you to get out of his car. You step out of the car and stare at the shop in front of you, your jaw dropping as you whip your head to look at the idol.
"How did you get reservations here?" You ask, instantly recognizing the name of the restaurant. "Don't you need to book a place here at least three months in advance?"
Jun shrugs. "I know the chef."
You gawk at him. "How?"
"We met on some reality show during one of my schedules in China, we got along really well and he told me to call anytime I wanted to eat his food, so…" He trails off, gesturing to the restaurant, "here we are!"
You blink at the idol. "You're really pulling out all the stops to change my mind, huh?"
Jun gives you a cheeky smile. "Of course. If you can only do it once," He winks at you, "you should do it right."
You feel your cheeks warm slightly at the gesture before you internally curse yourself and clear your throat, trying to get your composure back.
Jun notices the slight flush and his cheeky grin grows more. "Aww, do I make you nervous Red?"
You felt your cheeks flush even more at the question before a scowl appears on your lips as you grab his hand. "C'mon Casanova." You quip out, dragging him towards the restaurant as he laughs, following your lead. "We got a bet to settle."
The bet was something that Jun suggested two days ago during one of your 'arguments' with him.
Over the span of the three weeks, you realized that Jun had another side to him. Yes, he was really nice and sweet, like all the various articles and his fans paint him to be but he was also a massive tease. From the day he got your number, it felt like he became a gremlin in your messages. He loved to make fun of you, always had a witty reply to your sarcastic remarks and he knew which buttons to press to get answers out of you.
You were becoming fond of him— a bit too fond, you think. He told you about his soulmate and how much he believes in the idea of it, that fate chose someone for everyone and that it was right. You, on the other hand, could care less about the idea which was where some of the arguments were.
Jun couldn't fathom that you don't even want to meet the person who is meant to be your other half. Likewise, you couldn't fathom how badly he wanted to meet this person who he knows nothing about and could be a serial killer for all he knows. Nevertheless, the two of you were stubborn and not willing to confess your reasons for why you two were the way you were, which led to the bet.
Jun: I bet you that you wouldn't be able to finish even half of the spiciest mala tang that I've ever eaten
You had frowned, reading the message, knowing that you had no reason to accept the stupid bet. You wanted to save your tastebuds at least a little bit of their dignity. Then the three typing circles appeared again and Jun sent another message.
Jun: Bet your soulmate can't handle it either if you want to give him a taste of his own medicine
That sealed the deal for you as you immediately send him a 'You're on' as a response to which he replied with a devil's emoji. You let your mind wander for a while longer before you type a response as well.
Red: But if I'm doing one, you need to do one too
Red: I bet you that you won't be able to eat a whole red velvet cheesecake from Le Petite Treat
You watch as your message statuses changes from delivered to read before Jun's three typing bubble pop up.
Jun: And you're telling me you can?
Red: [Two Images Attached]
Red: Done it twice and will do it again
Jun: You scare me
Jun: You're on
That was how the two of you ended up here.
You sit across from Jun, your leg shaking a little apprehensively as you wait for your order. While you were doing research for your assignment, this place had popped up as soon as you had typed out 'Mala tang in Seoul' as the top restaurant there was.
They had stellar reviews for their mala, marketing it as fine dining quality where every ingredient that could be ordered, was of the best quality and curated per individual. You had breathed a sigh of relief after doing more research and finding out that the wait list had stretched to the end of the year, meaning that you won't have to torture yourself to try it and give it a 'positive review' but, it seemed fate had other plans for you.
"Nervous, Red?" Jun asks, snapping you out of your trance as you continue to bounce your knee under the table. You glance at him, trying to will your palms to be less sweaty as the aroma of the food makes your nerves spike slightly. You could smell the spice coming from the other customers' bowls a few tables away.
"Do I even need to answer that?" You deadpan, making the idol laugh as he shakes his head.
"You could cave now, save yourself from killing your own tastebuds and just share the reason why you don't believe in soulmates."
You narrow your eyes at the mischievous grin that spreads on his lips, his words egging you on making your leg stop shaking. "And let you take an easy win?" You scoff. "No chance."
Jun's eyes glint as he shrugs, his grin only growing wider. "Suit yourself."
His word make you tense again as your leg starts to shake again, rattling the table slightly as you chew your bottom lip. You take in your surroundings to try and distract yourself from the oncoming spice doom.
You jolt when you feel a warm hand rest on your knee, glancing towards Jun who has a reassuring smile on his face. The sight makes your brain blank almost entirely. "Remember our agreement," Jun says gently, giving your knee a reassuring squeeze. "You can order as many drinks as you want, drink as much water as you need to. Anything goes, remember?"
You feel your cheeks flush a lot more as you take in his gentle words and sweet smile, feeling your heart race suddenly. You blame it on the nerves of trying the spiciest mala tang that Jun has ever tried. You flash him a weak smile as a response before a strange determination etches onto your face.
"I'll conquer this!" You say, slightly more sure of yourself and making Jun let out a laugh.
Twenty minutes later, you regret saying those words aloud as you stare at the big bowl in between you and Jun, your face paling slightly. When you had arrived, Jun took the initiative to order for the two of you to share, the deal being that you both had to eat half each. If you manage to finish your half of the bowl, Jun would have to share a reason for why he wants his soulmate. If you don't, you will have to spill instead.
Gazing into the hot fiery soup, you were sure that this was going to play into Jun's favour.
"Alright," Jun says, snapping you out of your daze into the fiery liquid as he places a giant glass of milk tea in-front of you. "Here is your lifeline." He says, a cheeky grin on his face before placing his down on his side of the table. "And here is mine." With that, he slides back into his seat as he leans against the table, locking eyes with you.
"Are you ready for the challenge of your life Red?" He says, his voice low, as if he was a wizard, asking you if you were ready to embark on the most dangerous mission of your life.
Which this might be.
You take a deep breath before nodding, determination glinting in your eyes.
"No time like the present." You mumble to yourself before picking up your chopsticks and let it dip into the liquid of impending doom, slightly wincing at the way the red oil sticks to it. You use your other hand to push your small bowl closer to the shared bowl and start to dig around.
You dish out a portion of noodles as well as a couple of the side ingredients before gingerly pulling the bowl closer to yourself.
Jun interrupts you, mid-movement by clearing his throat making you glance at the idol who motions for you to bring your bowl closer again. You raise an eyebrow before doing as he asks, pushing your bowl closer to the shared bowl again.
You watch in horror as he puts his spoon into the bowl before dishing out some of the red soup into your bowl. You pale as he pushes the bowl back to you, a cat-like grin on his face.
"If you can only do it once, you need to do it right." He repeats his earlier words, the grin widening as you grimace at him before reluctantly tugging the bowl back to where it was.
Jun wastes no time, adding an extra dash of chili oil into his small bowl before digging in, slurping up a little bit of the instant noodles with a few pieces of vegetables. You feel your own tongue start to burn as you stare at him, almost as if you could also taste the spice on your tongue as you watch him eat without a care in the world. He notices your stare making him raise his eyebrow playfully before he gestures to your bowl.
"Eat Red." He says before he gives you a cheeky smile. "Unless you're conceding already."
Your eye twitches as he eggs you on, before picking up your chopsticks and spoon and digging into the bowl. You push some instant noodles into your spoon and get some of the soup before shoving it into your mouth, a sign of defiance against Jun's provoking statements.
To your surprise, there was no immediate regret of something burning on the tip of your tongue, only the burst of amazing flavours and the tanginess of the soup with a hint of spice. You stare at your bowl, a little shell-shocked, not expecting to like the flavours on your tongue.
Jun watches your reaction, an adoring smile on his lips before it grows even wider as you begin to eat more of the food, tasting every ingredient that the chef carefully curated and prepared for the two of you.
"Good?" He asks, as you chew on a fishball. You nod with excitement as you swallow to reply.
"It's not that spicy either! This is one of the best ones that I've ever had."
Jun gives you another grin before putting some more ingredients and noodles into your bowl, filling it. You let out a chirpy 'thank you' before going back to digging in making Jun's heart flutter slightly at the sight.
He freezes a little at the feeling. Why did he feel this way? He shakes his head, snapping out of his trance before telling himself that it was the chili oil making him feel this way. Maybe he added just a dash too much of it into his bowl.
Ten minutes later, you relax into your chair, sipping on your milk tea as Jun polishes off his last remaining bits of food before wiping his mouth with a tissue. "Guess that means I lost then." He says, sighing dramatically as if he was terribly wounded by loosing. You roll your eyes, releasing the straw from your mouth.
"Shut up." You quip out, placing the cup gently on the table with a soft 'thud'. "I can practically hear the smile in your voice."
Jun's eyes glint with a little mischief and smugness. "I don't know what you're talking about!" He exclaims, his dramatic flair increasing by the second as he places his hand on his chest, feigning ignorance making you let out a scoff before reaching over to slap his shoulder.
He lets out a giggle at your actions making a small smile appear on your face as you roll your eyes at him again.
"You're so dramatic. No wonder you're an actor."
"And a good one as well." He says, giving you a wink. You huff, shaking your head before getting down to business.
"Alright Casanova." You say, the sarcasm rolling off of your tongue as you cross your arms on the table. "Spill."
Jun lets out a laugh, shaking his head before crossing his own arms on the table, mirroring you.
"Alright." He sighs out. "I've always been the biggest fan of soulmates, if you couldn't tell." He gives you a side-eye making you breath out a laugh, urging him to continue.
"I grew up in a slightly broken home." He starts, his voice softening. "My parents got divorced when I was two years old because they weren't soulmates. They were set up by a couple of their friends due to them having similar soulmarks but after a few dates, they realized that they weren't each others half."
He shifts slightly, leaning more onto his crossed arms. "Despite that, they really loved each other and decided to try and defy fate. They were happy and they had me… and life was great, perfect even. Until my father found his actual soulmate."
He pauses, letting you slowly digest his words as your heart starts to silently ache for the man sitting in front of you.
"Despite still being in love with him, my mother knew that she couldn't hold him back from his happiness — his true happiness. As much as she wanted to hold onto him, she knew she couldn't because sometimes the best act of love is to let them go, which is what she did." He lets out a bitter laugh, no form of humour in it.
"Being a single mother wasn't easy, she had to work many different jobs a day just so that she could still keep me and sustain the simple lifestyle we had." He recounts the amount of times his grandmother had told him that he should be thankful for his mother, that she worked day and night just to provide for him. "She was the strongest, always making time to pick me up from school, always being the first to sign up for the parent's activities with their kids and she was always the loudest cheerleader during the school concerts."
You smile fondly at that, imagining a young Jun on stage and his mother cheering in the back for him. "She sounds lovely."
Jun nods. "She is lovely." He agrees. "Which is why fate was kind to her and brought her actual soulmate to her. They met in a supermarket that was actually quite out of the way for the two of us. She went to pick up some sauces that day. We ran out of them and the supermarket closest to us were sold out. She could've waited another day, she could've also made do with other ingredients but this dinner was important because…" He trails off, his eyes glazing over more as he recounts the memory. "It was my birthday that day." He whispers making your eyes widen.
He notices your expression and smiles. "She said that I was her lucky charm and that no matter what happens, she never regrets being with my father and having me. Because of me, my step-father and her were able to meet each other and start a life that they didn't think was possible."
He takes a deep breath before locking eyes with you again, his eyes shining with determination and steadiness. "I believe that even if our soulmates are 'assigned' to us, that we still choose them in the end anyways, not because that's how it works, but because they are meant to complete us, that we feel a little lost without them." He breathes out, making your own breathing hitch slightly at his words, feeling a soft deja vu in them. You realize that they were slightly similar to the words Mrs Yang had told you, the first day you walked into her restaurant.
"But what happens when you meet the one and she doesn't want you as much as you want her?"
Jun pauses at that, the cogs in his brain turning as he tries to figure out a way to respond to you. "Then, I'll let her go." He says softly making your eyes widen once again. "I may believe in soulmates and I may believe that fate only gives you one but, my job is already tough enough for every girl I interact with. For my soulmate? It might get even worse."
Jun grimaces at the thought, slowly shaking his head before continuing. "I want her to choose me like I chose her."
You heart thuds against your chest as Jun finishes his story before giving you a weak smile. "What do you think?"
You were silent for a beat. "I think that whoever your soulmate is," you breathe out, feeling a small pit in your stomach. "Will be thrilled that it's you."
He gives you a forlorn, lovesick smile. "You think so?" He breathes out, the question falling from his lips in the softest tone as you nod.
"Trust me, I know so."
Jun's grin widens even more, meeting his eyes as he places one of his palms on your knee again, giving it a small squeeze. "Thank you." He says, before giving you a small shrug. "Not many people know the story, it feels nice… to share it with someone other than my members."
A soft smile creeps onto your face before you place your hand ontop of his that is on your knee, giving it a light squeeze. "Thank you for trusting me enough to share."
He gives you a devastating smile, making your heart skip. You clear your throat, internally frowning at the feeling before attributing it to the milk tea, probably too much sugar.
"Shall we go?" You ask him, slightly tentative that he might need an extra few minutes because of everything that he confessed. To your surprise, Jun stretches in his seat, slowly perking up before the mischievous grin is back on his lips. "Let's do it."
He gives you another wink before helping you to stand up. "So the scores are Jun with 0 point and Red with 1." He starts to commentate as if he was watching a soccer game.
You roll your eyes before a small smirk appears on your face. "We'll see how you deal with the cheesecake, pretty boy."
THE SICKENING SWEET OF LE PETITE TREAT - Week 6 out of 16
As Jun pulls up to Le Petite Treat, you swear your stomach was slightly protesting against you for even agreeing to eat the spiciest thing that Jun has ever tried. The food wasn't as spicy as you thought for sure, but that didn't mean that your stomach was as prepared as it should be for how much mala you ate, delicious or not.
"Remind me to never accept a bet from you on spicy food ever again." You mumble as Jun opens the car door for you. "The aftermath is so not worth it, even if I win the bet or not."
Jun laughs at that as he helps you out of the car with your laptop bag swung across his shoulders. "Well, we're supposed to be giving our soulmates a taste of their own medicine but in this case," He glances towards the pastel coloured sign where 'Le Petite Treat' was written across of it in cursive font. "I think my soulmate will enjoy this more than I will."
A pit forms in your stomach at his words and the wistful tone he uses as he smiles to himself at the idea of his soulmate. You can't help but envy her, this girl that Jun already loves with his whole entire being when he hasn't even met her yet.
"I'm sure your soulmate ran for water as soon as he tasted the mala though." Jun jokes, giving you a small nudge making you snap out of your thoughts. You roll your eyes, a small smile appearing on your face at the thought of some middle-aged man running and gasping for water.
"I hope he did, but knowing how spicy his mala normally is and how I could eat this one." You shake your head. "I doubt that he actually went for water."
"Or, he helped you to train your tastebuds and you are able to eat spicier food than you think."
You ponder about it for moment before you freeze and give him a side-eye. "Are you trying to stall so that we don't need to eat the cheesecake?"
Jun's eyes comically widen as he places a hand on his chest, feigning shock. "How dare you accuse me of such things!" You roll your eyes at his dramatic antics before tugging his arm. "C'mon pretty boy, we did your thing, now we need to do my thing."
He lets out a groan as you pull him into the confectionery shop. As soon as you enter, you are greeted with the amazing smell of sweet baked goods. The smell of chocolate, icing and a bunch of other sweet smells waft into your nose making you sigh, immediately feeling yourself relax.
However, you felt Jun tense up as the smells hit him, his arm in your hand becoming slightly stiff as he looks around the room a little apprehensively.
You give him a glance, a smirk appearing on your lips. "Scared, pretty boy?" You ask, repeating his words from earlier. He peers down at you, blinking before shaking his head, a weak smile on his face.
"Me?" He lets out an 'pshhh' sound, blowing air out of his mouth as he shakes his head. "More like you should be scared of what you need to share when I win this bet."
You raise an eyebrow, at how queasy the idol looks, definitely not a fan of the sweet smells. "Oh really?" You say, loving how the tables have turned as you were the one now goading the man on.
"Alright then, let's find a table."
The hostess leads the two of you to a quiet corner at the back of the sweet shop, giving you two glasses of water and two menus before taking out a notepad and asking what you guys would like. Jun places your laptop down on the seat next to him as you order two red velvet cheesecakes, one for each of you.
Jun's eyes nearly bulges out of his head at the order, his face paling a little but silently waits for the hostess to leave before exclaiming. "One for each of us?!"
You raise an eyebrow at his small outburst, a smirk appearing on your face again. "That was part of the deal, wasn't it?" You say, feigning slight innocence at how much you were enjoying watching the man who was normally so sure of himself, sweat at the thought of a mere red velvet cheesecake. "You can concede now if you want." You say nonchalantly as you shrug. "I can always tell the hostess that we want to share just one cheesecake."
You watch as Jun swallows, his adam's apple bobbing before composing himself with a shake of his head. "No no." He mutters, grasping his cup of ice water as if it would act like a lifeline in this predicament he found himself in. "We agreed one cheesecake and I keep my word."
As soon as the cheesecakes were placed in-front of the two of you, your mouth immediately waters as how beautiful the cheesecake was. Jun, however, looks visibly shaken as he swallows, eyeing the cake as if it was a death sentence.
"It's huge." He mumbles, a little in awe and a little in terror. You hum out, excitement coursing through your veins before taking your fork carving the side of it, getting the perfect first bite. You place the fork in your mouth and chew before letting out a sound of satisfaction, the cake tasting as good as you remember it to be.
"Gosh." You say, nearly tearing up at how creamy and rich the cheesecake was and how the red velvet flavour added a depth to it that elevated it's taste profile.
Jun watches in awe as you continue to dig into the sweet dessert without a care in the world. He smiles fondly at the sight— you look really cute like this.
You had told him extensively about the different food that you love and he wonders whether you would look this cute when you eat those different foods as well. Whether your body will do its little shimmy or whether you will start humming to yourself, like you are doing right now.
Watching you enjoy the cake, felt like enough of a meal for Jun, it was as if he could taste the cream cheese and chocolate just from watching you eat alone.
He freezes at the thought, his eyes widening by a fraction, clocking what he was doing. He shouldn't be looking at you like that, not when you have your own soulmate out there probably looking for you. Hell, not when he has his own soulmate that already has his heart.
"Are you conceding already, Casanova?"
Your question snaps Jun out of his trance, eyes wide as he feels his heart rate pick up from the way you're looking at him, a tiny smirk on your face as you use your fork to gesture towards his untouched plate of cheesecake.
He immediately shakes his head and picks up the fork before gingerly cutting it into the cake, feeling how crumbly and dense it was from just his fork going through it. He was about to take a bite when you stop him.
"Wait, you need to get the perfect bite!" You say, a frown on your face making Jun blink at your expression, his heart clenching slightly as he realizes that this might be the cutest expression you've made so far.
You take his fork from his hands and repeat what you did with your cake, carving it at the edge perfectly so that it has a perfect ratio of both the cake and the cream cheese. You pridefully smile to yourself, no doubt proud for achieving the perfect bite a second time, before holding out the fork for Jun, your eyes glittering with excitement as his eyes flit between yours and the fork.
He takes the fork from your outstretched hand and places it into his mouth before he apprehensively chews on it. His eyes widen at the taste, glancing between you and the cake as if he could not believe he was eating cheesecake.
"Good, right?" You ask, excitement buzzing off of you as you repeat his words from earlier. The brunette man nodded, digging into the cake more as you laugh before requesting two iced earl grey teas for the two of you, something to cut through the sweetness.
The two of you indulge in a little bit of small talk through eating cake and before Jun knew it, he finished the cheesecake in record time. He astounded himself at the sight of his empty plate and you give him a knowing smile, continuing to sip on your tea.
"That was…" He trails off, trying to find the word.
"Earth-shattering?" You suggest, making the older man laugh as he nods.
"I was going to say life-changing but earth-shattering works too."
The two of you share a laugh before silence envelops you, and you smile at each other, your heart fluttering at the interaction before you clear your throat.
"I guess it's my turn now huh?"
Jun eyes you for a moment before gesturing to his empty plate, a teasing smile on his face. "I mean, I think I've eaten my fill of cheesecake for the year for you." He says, his smile widening as you roll your eyes. "Regardless of how delicious it was, I would hope that it means that it's your turn to share."
You scoff, rolling your eyes again at the idol's cat-like grin before taking a deep breath to compose your nerves.
"I actually come from a family that idolizes the idea of having a soulmate." You start, twirling the straw around in your drink nervously as Jun rests his elbows on the table, listening attentively. "My parents were high-school sweethearts. They went to the same school, were in the same circle of friends and they're the same age. Which meant that they had it slightly easier than everyone else, that finding their 'One' was easy because their soulmate was just a person in the classroom next door."
You take a deep breath. "However, because of how easy it was, that was all they ever talked about when my siblings and I were growing up. They thought that turning eighteen was even more important than turning twenty-one because that was the start of your life, that the soulmark depicts how the rest of your life would go and for a moment, we all believed it, but I was always a little doubtful."
Jun's eyes soften as he sees how vulnerable you look at the moment, wanting nothing more than to reach over and put his palm on your knee again, but he stops himself because this was your moment.
"People would say, 'Oh, that must mean you're also excited to meet your soulmate' or 'Do you ever think about what soulmark you're going to get? I bet you do!'." You say, pitching your voice slightly, mirroring all your family members and friends who have shared that consensus with you. "I always played along, gave them a weak smile and laughed whenever they would bring it up but I never felt like that. I kept thinking that something in me will change one day, that the thought of having a soulmate would excite me… but it never did." You say softly, stopping your ministrations on the straw and just stare into the abyss of the clear liquid of your tea.
"I couldn't get over the fact that I would be bound to a stranger for the rest of my life. I couldn't get over the fact that I would need to keep dating over and over again, trying to see if I would find 'The One'." You shake your head. "I could never get over the fact that I would never have the choice, that I would never have a say in this person that I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with."
You let out a bitter laugh. "And hell, it's terrifying being bound to this person because there's so many 'What Ifs' that I think we overlook just because of this magical phenomenon. What if your soulmate lives in another country? Are they just supposed to move just because your life is here? Do you move instead? What happens if both of you are not willing to change for the other? What happens if your soulmate is a psychopath?" You stop yourself mid-ramble, catching your breath.
"I believe that idea of soulmates is nice, I too want to be unconditionally loved by someone and I think it's human nature for us to want that." You shake your head. "But I think that it's more complex than that and we breeze over it because we think that love is enough… until the inevitable crescendo comes down when the spell breaks."
"What if the crescendo doesn't happen? That you're already planning a contingency plan for something that hasn't even happened?"
You peer up from your glass, locking eyes with him as you chew on your bottom lip, contemplating his question. "Then I guess he will need to deal with me being like that for the rest of my life."
You let out a sigh, clasping your hands together as Jun watches your leg bounce slightly, a habit he notices that you do whenever you're nervous or thinking. "I think we're always too willing to go the extra mile for our soulmate but I'm not going to just change myself just to fit my soulmates ideal type because I need to be loved. There's already such a fine line when it comes to soulmates that I think if you change yourself just so that you can fit into the mold of the perfect person for your soulmate, that you would end up resenting them." You shake your head. "And fated or not, I don't think that's how love is supposed to work."
Jun feels a pit in his stomach as you wrap up your story, a perspective about soulmates that he never even thought about before. "I'm sorry." You breath out, fiddling with your fingers as you huff out a nervous laugh. "Didn't mean to trauma dump everything on you."
Jun immediately shakes his head before grasping your hands into his hand, pausing your ministrations. "Don't ever apologize for that." He gently chastises, squeezing your hands reassuringly as you blink at him, eyes wide. "I think it's so brave that even with all those thoughts, you sought out to find this guy. That despite not knowing who he was, you were willing to at least give it a shot to find him. Hell, you even traveled nine hours and researched all the places he could've eaten at just so that you could write a proper story about him."
"Nine hours and forty-five minutes to be exact." You swiftly correct him, your mouth moving before you could even comprehend that you were going to say that. Jun huffs out a laugh, shaking his head.
"However long it took." He says, his smile softening. "It shows commitment and if this guy doesn't realize that and forces you to move here anyway?" He shakes his head, a frown appearing on his lips. "Then he doesn't deserve to be your soulmate, Red. He doesn't deserve you and you have the choice to say no."
Your heart quickens at his words, feeling a few butterflies in your stomach."Really?" You whisper, making the idol nod, his eyes boring into yours with a fierce determination.
"Really."
The two of you were silent for a moment. "Damn Casanova, never thought you would be so good with your words."
Jun huffs at the small teasing smile on your face. "Well, you gave me the name Casanova for a reason." He shrugs, peeling his hands off yours. "Might as well live up to that name huh?" He finishes, tossing a wink your way making you scoff, standing up and grabbing your tea in the process.
"Think we need a tie-breaker now." You say, changing the subject as Jun slings your laptop bag across his shoulders. "Since the scores is Red with 1 and Jun with 1."
Jun raises an eyebrow at that, feeling amused by your goading and challenge in your tone. "Oh, I guess we will need to plan for another day of bets and repercussions then."
Your smile fades into one of slight adoration as you soak in his words, not quite ready for whatever this is to end.
"I guess we do."
THE MINT OF REALIZATION - Week 12 out of 16
"I still can't believe you haven't tried this cafe yet." Jun exclaims, waving one of his hands animatedly, the other on the steering wheel. "It's literally two streets down from the JYP building."
You roll your eyes at the idol's dramatics. "You say that as if I go to the JYP building every day."
"Your brother does."
You scoff at his reasoning. "Yeah but that doesn't mean that I do, Casanova." You shake your head. "I'm not the idol."
You glance at Jun, seeing the small smirk on his face that he's trying very hard to suppress, making you let out a sigh of exasperation at the man's antics. Through the last few weeks of this unlikely friendship, you learned quite a lot about Jun, including his tell when he's messing with you, just to get a reaction out of you.
This was one of the instances.
The flurry of the last few weeks was ultimately a blur for you.
Besides trying out an abundance of food — which may be a bit of an understatement— you would often lounge in your brother's room as the two of you halfheartedly watch a movie together while working on your own work respectively. Chris who was either constantly scribbling down lyrics into his notebook or mixing a new track of his whilst you were writing your daily reports to Minho and Lina or texting Nari who was having the time of her life.
Nari had somehow met her soulmate during her third day of her trip. It turns out that he was a chef and the owner of a really popular restaurant in Milan. You had congratulated her, your chest spreading with warmth for your friend but you couldn't help but feel something in the pit of your stomach as well.
You scolded yourself, the first time you felt it, the dread hitting you in your stomach so hard that it was hard to focus on anything else that day. You realized that the more time you spent with Jun, the more you were opening up to the idea of actually trying to find your soulmate.
It terrified you to no end because how could someone change your opinion on soulmates faster than anyone else ever could?
The long answer that you could figure out that it was because it was Jun. Jun, the one who always talks so lovingly about his soulmate. Jun, the one who told you that 'If you expect disappointment, then you can never really get disappointed' was not the right way to 'approach someone who's soul was the puzzle piece to your own'. Jun, the one who made you believe that you had a choice when it came to your soulmate and that it was up to you if you wanted to choose them or not.
The short answer? Well, you aren't sure if you're quite ready to admit that to yourself just yet.
"Still doesn't change the fact that you've committed a serious food journalism crime!" Jun quips back about the cafe, snapping you out of your thoughts to scoff at the boy's words.
"Don't make me hit you, Wen Junhui."
Jun gives you a cat-like grin, knowing that your words hold no malice as he parks the car in a secluded spot before he grabs his mask and cap from the side pocket of his door.
"C'mon Red." He says before the two of you hop out of his car and walk to the cafe.
This cafe was something that Jun had suggested as a palette cleanser of sort. The bets that the two of you had continued on since the Golden Dragon and Le Petite Treat, the two of you sharing facts about yourself, your families or worst dates that the two of you have ever been on.
At some point, losing the bet didn't feel like losing at all because it meant that the two of you shared something new with each other.
"Remind me what our bet is for today?" You ask him, trying to keep up with his brisk walking.
"I didn't plan one for the agenda today." Your eyebrows furrow as you abruptly stop walking, making the idol pause as well, giving you a look with his eyes as you frown at him. "What?"
"Then why did you suggest the place today if you didn't have a bet?"
The man blinks at you and gives you a shrug. "Just wanted your company, I suppose." You blink at his statement, caught a little off-guard as he continues. "Besides, you have what? A month left in Seoul? I thought I should at least take you to one place that doesn't scream 'Chinese Food'."
His eye lines crinkle as you roll your eyes, a small smile on your face before gesturing for him to lead the way again.
The two of you stop in-front of a red and brown dainty shop, with gold cursive letters 'Ri's Delights' written on it that you've seen on some travel website before. Jun pushes the door open, the bell-chiming as he does before he tilts his head, gesturing for you to go in.
You thank him before your jaw drops at how pretty the infrastructure of the shop is. Full of potted plants and hand painted works. It was the definition of a cozy cafe.
The hostess greets the two of you with a warm smile before ushering both of you upstairs and to a private corner of the cafe. Jun sits opposite from where the door is facing as you take the seat across from him.
"Would you need anything else Jun?" The hostess asks, making you blink at her as Jun shakes his head, removing his mask and giving the hostess a cordial smile. "No thank you Ri, how's the business going?"
Ri, the hostess, gives the idol a tired smile. "Oh you know," she waves her arm in a few circles. "Same old, same old."
"Trying not to get mobbed by tons of angry fans?"Ri grimaces before nodding. Jun gives her a sympathetic smile. "Mingyu says thank you for the newest brownie recipe by the way, he made it the other day and it was one of the best brownies he's made."
Ri smiles at that, flushing slightly at the compliments. "I'm glad! Ask him to send some pictures over!"
Jun hums out an 'I will' as she looks between the two of you, a knowing smile on her face. "I'll bring up your refreshments soon."
Jun gives her another warm smile, thanking her before she leaves the two of you and goes down the stairs. Jun removes his cap once she's out of sight as you turn to him, your eyebrows furrowing.
"You come here that often?" You ask, your tone one of disbelief making Jun chuckle and nod.
"Minghao, Mingyu, Soonyoung and I come here a lot." Jun reveals, carding his hand through his hair as he smoothens it out more. "Mingyu and Seungkwan found this place when they were filming some stuff at the JYP building with Twice and introduced it to all of us. Vernon and Seungkwan come here a lot together but if the rest of us are in the area, we normally stop here to get refreshments."
You hum out a sound of understanding as he continues.
"Ri's the owner of the cafe. She built this cafe for most idols to get away." He gestures to the tables around you that were also empty, a contrast to the lively atmosphere that downstairs was filled with. "The second floor is the 'idol only' floor for idols to meet and chat and whatnot so that we don't get mobbed by fans."
"Oh." You say, a small smile on your face. "That's really sweet."
"She also makes one of the best red velvet cakes and americanos. Mingyu really loves them and always begs her for new recipes."
At that, a bigger smile appears on your face as you lean on the table. "Now, that's something that I can get behind."
"Good." Jun says, his signature cat-like grin appearing on his lips. "Because I already ordered them beforehand so they should be up soon."
Ri swiftly returns with the cake and iced americanos, making your mouth salivate slightly at how amazing the cake looks.
"Wow!" You exclaim, looking at how fluffy the cake looks. "This looks amazing."
Ri gives you a smile of satisfaction as she flushes a little. "Thank you, I hope the two of you enjoy."
She leaves the two of you again. You take a bite of the cake before freezing, your eyes almost bulging out of your head.
"Oh my gosh." You mumble to yourself before taking another perfect bite and internally groan. "This is so good."
Jun gives you a smile as he proceeds to dig in as well, humming as the flavour of the cake hits his tastebuds.
"I only eat the cakes from here because Ri doesn't put in as much sugar as the other places. It's not overly sweet or overly bland, it's just right."
You nod, a smile on your face as you slice the cake with your fork, scooping out more cake.
"I'm surprised your brother didn't even think to bring you here honestly."
"Chris loves sweets but cake is more of my thing, I wouldn't be surprised if he comes and orders those chocolate brownies that I saw in the display."
The conversation flows easily between the two of you as the two of you sip on your drinks and eat the delicious dessert, opting to another another slice to share.
"How's your article coming along?" Jun asks, as he stacks the two finished plates on top of each other, pushing them to the side so the two of you would have more space.
You take a sip of your americano before placing it in front of you. "Almost done with it actually."
Jun's eyes widen as a delighted smile appears on his lips. "Do I get any sneak peeks as your Chinese food connoisseur?"
You give him a cheeky smile before shaking your head. "No can do connoisseur, you can only see it when it's been published."
Jun frowns at that, a pout appearing on his face. "Fineeee." He drawls out, taking a sip of his americano as he sighs. "Guess I'll just wait like everyone else."
You nod, giving him a toothy grin. "Good."
"Are you excited to go back to Brisbane?"
You pause, contemplating the question as silence envelops the two of you.
"Yes and no?" You answer, playing around with the condensation on your plastic to-go cup. "I would love to see my parents again and get back to the nice daily routine of being in Australia but…" You trail off, eyeing the boy in-front of you who has an unreadable expression on his face. "I think I'll miss some things."
The weight of your words lay heavy on the table in-front of the two of you. Jun's eyes flitting around your face before giving you a small smile. "Will I be one of those things?"
You visibly freeze at his words, your mind blanking as he stares at you, a little apprehensively, unsure if he said the wrong thing or not. Your eyes soften at the look before messing with the straw of your drink.
"Maybe one of the bigger things." You softly admit, locking eyes with him. "I mean, how will I know what Chinese food is actually authentic in Brisbane without my connoisseur?"
Jun's lips break out into a grin before he bursts out laughing, which causes you to giggle as well, the two of your giggles filling the atmosphere of the second floor. The laugher settles and a comfortable silence fills it as Jun's cat-like smile softens.
"I'm going to miss you too." He mumbles making a warmth coarse through your veins as you feel your heart beat slightly faster at his words.
Jun gives you a devastating smile before staring out the window at the sun, slowly sinking in the horizon. You feel your heart stutter as you pale when you realize why everything felt so right with him, why everything felt so comfortable.
You like him.
You were falling for a guy that will never be yours, a guy who is undoubtedly so in love with his own soulmate. The way he talks about her, remembers the little facts about her. You feel your heart sink more as you go over every single instance in your head, wondering how and when you had started to fall for him.
However, instead of one moment, a couple of them play in your head. The day at the Golden Dragon and Le Petite Treat being one of them. Have you really liked him for this long?
"Are you alright?" Jun asks, snapping you out of your thoughts as he looks at you, his face filled with concern. You nod, wincing a little at how fast you do, hoping that it didn't look too awkward, as if you were hiding something (which you were, but let's not talk about that).
If Jun notices, he doesn't say anything, stretching slightly as he glances at the time. "We should go soon." He says before showing you his lockscreen, the time shining at you. "Remind me where I need to drop you off again?"
Your mind was a little hazy and out of sorts after you realized that you were falling for the idol so you blink, trying to regain your composure and what your plans were after you were hanging out with Jun.
"Erm." You blink again before it clicks in your brain. "I got dinner with Chris and his members at the Korean barbecue place."
Jun lets out an 'ah' before nodding. "The one that just opened right?"
You nod, your brain still slightly muddled as you sip your drink, draining it of its contents to try and screw your brain back on and clear the fuzziness.
You feel your heartrate start to slow down as you calm yourself down. Just four more weeks and you can put this behind you, is what you think as you dig through your purse, the aftertaste of the coffee starting to bug you.
You pull out a pack of mints as Jun sips on his americano. You shake the tin, getting one into your hand before popping the mint into your mouth, letting it rest on your tongue.
The freshness of the mint ignites your senses as you start to feel the haze fade off.
Jun who was still sipping his americano delightedly, immediately frowns as he tastes mint on his tastebuds making him pull back from his straw as his eyebrows furrow in confusion at his drink.
Jun looks up at you, his mouth opening to ask you to try his coffee when he sees you pop another mint into your mouth, the taste of freshness getting stronger as he blinks at you. You hum a little to yourself as you stare out the window at the sunset.
The pieces suddenly click in Jun's brain as he continues to stare at you. The sunset casts a soft-ray through the window, immediately brightening your features as Jun can't help but gawk at you.
You are his soulmate.
His heart thuds in his chest as he realizes this, but quickly snaps out of it as your phone starts to ring. He glances at it, seeing your brothers name before you pick it up and start talking in English to him.
He catches some words here and there from the little English he knows but his mind was definitely racing as he thinks of whether he should bring it up. His thoughts halt when you end the phone call with a simple scoff and a 'see you later' before turning back to Jun, a apologetic grin on your face.
"That was Chris." You say, letting out a sigh as you rub your temples. "Apparently one of the members skipped lunch so they're on their way to the restaurant now."
Jun's eyes widen as he catches your drift. "Oh!" He say. "You need to go now?"
You give him a small nod, chewing at your bottom lip as you sigh again. "I'm really sorry."
Jun brows furrow, seeing the look on your face before shaking his head. "What are you apologizing for?" He asks softly, fixing you with a sincere gaze that makes your heart thud a little faster in your chest.
You open your mouth, trying to get some words out when your phone buzzes on the table, a message from Chris popping up on your home screen.
Jun glances at it before standing up, grabbing his mask and hat in the process. "We should go." Jun says as he places his hat back on his head and swiftly loops the masks over his ears.
If you weren't still a little out of it, you probably would've realized that Jun was also acting strange but you didn't comment on it, still lamenting on the fact that you had a crush on an un-dateable guy.
Jun pays and shares a few words with Ri before she bids the two of you goodbye with a cheery smile on her face.
The silence in the car was a little awkward.
You only realized it after Jun hadn't said a word the entire drive making you run a million scenarios in your head, wondering if you did something to make Jun angry or upset with you because he hasn't said a word since the cafe.
No teasing remark, no witty quip, it was just silence.
When Jun pulls up to the restaurant and puts his car into park, he tries to quieten his thoughts and compose himself as he turns to you but you surprise him when you go.
"I'm sorry!"
Jun blinks, a little flabbergasted at your outburst as you continue to ramble.
"I know we were supposed to have a more fun day today before you have to leave in two weeks and you know, I promised that we would have time together until dinner but then Chris calls and then we have to cut it short and I—"
"Woah." Jun says, halting your hands that was animatedly swinging around, his eyes wide as saucers. "What are you apologizing for?"
You chew your bottom lip, composing yourself slightly at the warmth of Jun's hands. You take a deep breath. "Well, we're supposed to have a little more time before I go and—"
Jun shakes his head, effectively cutting you off. "I had fun today." He assures you, giving you his signature smile. "This also isn't goodbye just yet, we're still meeting at Mrs Yang's in two weeks right?"
Right, you almost forgot that Jun was going on a schedule in China for two weeks, press for his new upcoming movie.
You nod, giving him a smile. "Two weeks." You assure as he gives you a devastating smile, staring into your eyes.
"Two weeks." Jun repeats, his tone soft before his eyes flit around your face. The action makes your heart flutter slightly as you watch his every action. You pause on his mouth as he darts his tongue out to swipe nervously at his bottom lip.
You feel the air around the two of you change, becoming slightly charged as you two look at each other. You swear that everything tunes out as your senses narrow on his breathing, his pretty honey eyes which you swear flicker down to your lips. You feel his hot breath fan your face, the gap between the two of you getting smaller and smaller.
You watch as his pupils dilate slightly, getting a little darker and you swallow, noticing his eyes follow your movement. You feel both your breaths mixing as the two of you lean closer, his hands slowly coaxing yours to move down, hitting the stick of the car but neither of you acknowledge it, too engrossed in each other.
The moment breaks when your phone rings, making the two of you jolt away from each other as you feel your chest begging for air, unconsciously holding your breath the whole time you and Jun were doing that dance.
You glance downwards at your phone on your lap, seeing Chris's name on it and clear your throat as you compose yourself, feeling all your thoughts come back to you.
"I should—" You say, gesturing wildly towards the car door, wincing slightly at the awkwardness of your tone.
Jun, however, doesn't seem to notice, distracted by his own thoughts. "Yeah." He mumbles, not meeting your eyes. "I'll see you later."
"Yeah." You breath out, grabbing your purse. "Thank you for… you know." You wave your arm around, hoping that Jun catches your drift.
The man swallows before giving you a cordial nod. "Yeah… no problem."
You fling the door open, hopping out as quickly as you can, pausing for a bit before ducking your head in as you clear your throat again, hoping that would cleanse the air of its' awkward energy. "You— Er… Have a safe flight."
Jun visibly swallows before giving you a weak smile. "Thank you, have a good— er… dinner."
You mirror his smile before closing the door and brisk walking away from the car to save yourself from even more embarrassment. You briefly hear the car pull away, hearing the tires screech against the road.
Once you're sure that Jun has left, you lean against a wall beside the restaurant, trying to compose yourself as you feel your heart thud against your chest. You place your palm over it, willing it to calm down as a million thoughts race through your head, but one prominent thought overshadow the rest.
You're absolutely completely fucked.
THE WAY THE CHEESECAKE CRUMBLES - Week 14 out of 16
Between the multiple interviews and press conferences, Jun felt that his auto-pilot feature was in need of a definite upgrade after these two weeks. It was definitely working overtime to make sure that Jun didn't fall in deep into this new feeling of want. He was distracted half the time during the press conferences, doing his best to give full answers during the interviews and he really wanted to pay attention to everything the director was saying.
But he couldn't.
He thoughts were just consumed by you.
You with your little shimmy after eating anything red velvet or cake related. You with that ethereal smile that he swears will heal any illness or bad day. You with your witty remarks and banter that he was going to miss so much.
After realizing that you were his soulmate, he went home and laid in bed, waiting for his brain to tell him that it's a dream, something to wake up from. However, the impending doom never came and he was just there.
The moment he realized it, it felt like everything had suddenly pieced together. How your stories had aligned, how the two of you didn't realize it because you guys somehow always ordered the same foods. How the two of you got along so well together, how the two of you were so comfortable with one another. How that one particular day at the cafe, he forgot his mints in his car and how it had slipped his mind that his soulmate didn't like coffee on her breath but you popped one anyway and he tasted it, on his tongue.
But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was how fate decided to be a little shit and only make it known to him, a month before you were leaving and he was going to be gone for two weeks.
And after that moment in the car, he didn't know where the two of you stood. He whips out his phone, drafting message after message but all didn't seem to be the right thing to say. What could he even say in a moment like this?
'Hey, I know we almost kissed in the car but I don't regret it, do you?'
'Hey, so funny thing, I think you might be my soulmate… Thoughts?'
'So I know you hate your soulmate but what if it was me?'
Jun groaned into his pillow, feeling the pit of dread in his stomach swirl as he felt slightly nauseous with anxiety.
He felt like he was going insane.
Which is why, after (barely) wrapping up the promotions for his new movie, he was on the first flight home and knocking on Minghao's door.
Minghao opens the door looking slightly disheveled, his eyes glassy with sleep as he blinks at the man who was standing before him before glancing at the watch that his member was wearing.
"Why the fuck are you at my door at 2:30 in the morning?" Minghao deadpans, not bothering to lace his tone with fake politeness as Jun rolls on the balls of his feet, biting his bottom lip.
"I found my soulmate two weeks ago and it's Bang Chan's sister."
Minghao visibly freezes at that. Jun watches as his friend almost starts buffering in real time, blinking at him in disbelief.
"What?" Minghao dumbly blurts out, unsure if he heard Jun correctly or not.
Jun tries to calm his racing heart as he repeats the words for Minghao, slower now.
Minghao stares at his hyung before letting out a sigh and gesturing for the boy to come in. Minghao pushes Jun to the bathroom, lending him some clothes to shower into so that they're comfortable and in the right state of mind to have this conversation.
Twenty minutes later with two pu'er teas in either man's hand was definitely a way to start a conversation.
"Let me get this straight." Minghao starts, slowly connecting all the dots in his brain. "You found out the girl is your soulmate because she eats mints after she drinks her coffee and you tasted the mint on your breath?"
Jun nods.
"And then you drop her off at the restaurant where she was meeting her brother, only to almost kiss her then disappear for your promotions for two weeks with zero contact with her at all?"
Jun nods his head again. Minghao presses the bridge of his nose, his eyes fluttering shut.
"And because of some bet that you made with her, she ended up telling you about how much she doesn't like the idea of soulmates and how much of an asshole her soulmate is for his choice of food and how irregular his eating times are?"
Jun nods again, his head getting slightly tired from the movement as he watches the cogs move in Minghao's brain.
Silence envelops the two as Minghao thinks, opening his eyes before shaking his head at the older man. "Damn." Minghao mutters out, unsure of what to do in this state. "I don't know if you guys are stupid or just plain oblivious."
Jun's head snaps up to meet Minghao's eyes, flabbergasted. "What?"
Minghao lets out a sigh before pulling out his phone, fiddling with it for a while before flipping it around to show Jun. Jun leans in closer, noticing that Minghao had a group chat opened. "Look at the name."
When Jun eyes flit to the name, his eyes widen before he fixes Minghao with a look of disbelief.
"You can't be serious."
"Believe me," Minghao starts, letting out a tired sigh. "I wish I was joking. Bang Chan named the group."
Jun's jaw drops. "How many people are in this group?"
"Just three of us, Vernon, Bang Chan and I." Minghao makes a face. "And Seungkwan who was just a little nosy after hearing about your date from Ri."
The group which included Minghao, your brother Bang Chan and Vernon (plus Seungkwan after countless begging) was named 'When will their tastebuds hit them in their face?'It was a valid name, very on brand but it was still weird nonetheless.
"It wasn't a date." Jun weakly replies, making Minghao's eyebrow raise as he lets out a scoff.
"That's what you take away from our entire conversation?"
Part of Jun wants to say 'yes' but he knows Minghao well enough to see that his patience was wearing a little thin, especially since it was almost 3:30am in the morning.
"So, what do I do?"
Minghao stares at Jun for a beat. "Are you planning to tell her?" Minghao asks softly, making Jun gnaw on his bottom lip, contemplating.
"I don't know." Jun answers honestly, his voice low and uncertain. "She already had a hard time accepting the fact that she has a soulmate and she spent so long resenting me…" Jun hesitates, feeling the pit in his stomach deepens more as he clutches the cup tighter in his hands. "What if she doesn't choose me?"
Minghao's eyes soften as he looks at the older man, watching the way his quiet resolve begins to crack after all these years. Jun has been through so much. He went from almost not having a soulmate to having one but now isn't sure what to do about it.
"I think you should tell her." Minghao gently says, watching Jun grip the mug tighter at his words. "You said it yourself, you're going to give your soulmate the chance to choose." Minghao says, his words soft as he tries to reason with Jun. "So let her choose."
Jun hesitates before locking eyes with Minghao, anxiety swirling in his orbs, a giant contrast to Minghao's comforting steady ones. "And if she doesn't choose me?" Jun asks, repeating his words from earlier.
Minghao places a reassuring hand on Jun's shoulder.
"Then you need to make good on your word and let her go."
"So you figured it out."
Jun blinks at Mrs Yang, his jaw dropping as the elderly woman nonchalantly utters the statement.
"You knew too?!"
Mrs Yang snorts at Jun's outburst and nods, pouring herself and the gawking man two cups of tea before placing the kettle back down on top of the stove.
Jun had opted to leave Minghao's house and come to the restaurant earlier to try and get Mrs Yang's opinion on what he should do in this situation. He was lucky that he decided to do that because right after he entered the shop, it immediately began to pour.
The rain was loud, clashing with the old Cantonese song that's flowing through the speaker, no doubt one of Mr Yang's favourites as Jun has heard him sing it a couple of times during his late night escapades.
"I've known since that day that you came in right after she left because you were craving Mr Yang's beef noodles."
Jun is speechless as Mrs Yang sips her tea, blinking at the older woman in disbelief. "How come you didn't tell us?"
She gives him a slight look of disappointment as she shakes her head. "That's not how soulmates work my dear boy." She says, her voice low. "You're supposed to figure it out when you need to figure it out."
Jun feels a frown takeover his features. "Well, a little heads-up would've been nice."
Mrs Yang rolls her eyes at the younger boy's words, taking another long sip of her tea as she urges Jun to do the same. "Are you going to tell her?"
Jun swallows the tea, feeling it's warmth coat his inside before he shrugs. "I don't know if I should, she's leaving in two weeks and I don't want her to stay just because of this."
Mrs Yang's eyebrow raises at the boys words.
"So you're making the decision for her?"
Jun hesitates. "No, I'm not giving her the equation in the first place." Jun tries to reason. "I just think that maybe she's right… we aren't right for each other."
Mrs Yang's eyes widen at the boys words. "So instead of being honest with her, you're just going to let the poor girl believe that her soulmate is still out there? Because you fear that she will choose you?"
Jun darts his hands outwards. "No! Well… Yes but only because—"
"You're my soulmate?"
Jun's eyes widen as he whips around to see you standing there, a crushed look on your face with your umbrella by your side as small droplets of water stick in your hair, no doubt because of the heavy wind that was around.
Jun glances towards Mrs Yang who was pale herself as her eyes flit between the two of you, unsure of what to do or say in this moment. You must've came in and they didn't hear it because of how heavy the rain was.
"Red, I—"
"And you weren't going to tell me?"
Jun feels all the words leave his brain at how broken your the words sounded as they left your mouth, a tone that he has never heard from you before. He opens and closes his mouth like a fish out of water before reaching out for you but you take a step back and let out a bitter chuckle.
"I knew it." You mutter to yourself as Jun takes another step towards to, your name urgently but softly escaping his lips.
"Wait, please listen to me—"
You look up at him, your eyes brimming with tears as you shake your head. "I think I've heard enough." You bitterly say before you bolt out the door.
Jun curses before dashing after you, not caring that it was pouring outside. It seemed like you didn't either as you just continue to run away, rain pelting against your skin and hair as you didn't even bother to open up your umbrella.
Jun catches up to you and grabs your wrist in his hands. "Red, please let's talk about this."
You let out a scoff, tugging your hand away as the rain drenches the two of you more. "What is there to talk about Jun?" You ask, your words laced with venom. "It's an open and shut case, you don't want me. End of story."
Jun winces at your words, feeling his hair get wetter and wetter the more the two of you stand here. "Please, let's just go inside and talk, I promise I'll tell you everything—"
"How can I even trust you?!" You exclaim, silencing him as your fiery eyes bore into his slightly broken ones. "You lied to me." You spit out, feeling a sob rising up your chest. "You said that you would give your soulmate the choice to choose but you made the decision for me anyway."
Jun's heart breaks slightly as he tries to approach you and encase you in his arms but you easily shrug him off, pulling away from him more. "Please, just let me explain—"
"You knew about my struggles Jun." You whisper out, your voice somehow cutting through the loud roar of the rain. "You knew about my thoughts on soulmates. You knew how much I've struggled with this and how much I wanted to have the choice."
"Red, please- I—" Jun tries to beg but you silence him.
"Yet, you still chose to make the decision for me." You whisper out, the thoughts solidifying in your head.
Jun felt like he was going to get down on his knees. "Red! Listen to me—"
"You know what the worst part is?" You interrupt, your voice hard as you stare into his once comforting eyes that were now filled with pain. "I wanted it to be you. I kept asking fate for a sign that it was you but it never came and the only time that it came," You shake your head, barking out a bitter laugh, "I find out that you never wanted it to be me in the first place."
Jun's face visibly crumbles at your words, rainwater sliding down his face as he takes a step forward. "Red that's not—"
You hold your palm up, freezing him in place as you take a step back, away from the comfort of the man who you've gotten to know over the past two months. "Don't—" You bite out, your voice cracking slightly as a fresh set of tears prick your eyes, mixing with the rain that had dampened your hair and soaked your clothes.
"Don't call me that." You all but curse at him, your tone broken as the childhood nickname that once brought you peace, just sounded tainted coming from him. "In fact, don't call me at all."
"Red wait—"
You shake your head and take another step back, willing yourself to look at the man who you wanted to give your heart to.
"Goodbye Wen Junhui." You say, your tone hard as you lock eyes with his begging ones. "I hope you're happy."
With that, you turn away, tears pouring down your face as Jun stands there frozen, mourning the one thing that he always wanted as he watches you slip through his grasps again.
THE TEA OF ACCEPTANCE - Week 15 out of 16
After the night in the rain at the restaurant, you had been… off. Chris noticed it whenever you would hesitate while writing your daily reports, how you unconsciously crossed off the sweeter treats on the menu and ordering the sour and spicy foods instead and how you space out every time you even glanced at that damn Seventeen hoodie and sweatpants.
It was getting out of hand.
He knew about your fight with Jun, finding out all the small details from Vernon, who had heard it from Jun himself. While he was frustrated with the older man for lying to you, he couldn't help but also understand where the man was coming from.
You had told Chris about Jun after you spent the day with him at the Golden Dragon and Le Petite Treat, opting for your older brother to find out through you instead of some paparazzi site if the two of you weren't careful.
He had been apprehensive about it at first but his doubts went away after he realized how much happier you were, how you had started humming while typing your articles, how you opted to at least try the spicy food before dismissing it completely and how you were always smiling at your phone.
Chris had suspected that Jun had been your soulmate for a while, putting the two together after meeting up with Vernon a few days after to ask about Jun's soulmark. Vernon had divulged all the details he could making Chris's mouth dry up as he compared the details to your soulmate journal, which he had 'borrowed' from your bag.
Like Mrs Yang, Chris opted to let the two of you figure it out yourselves, thinking that the two of you would come to the conclusion sooner or later.
That really blew up in his face.
He knew that the two of you were hurting now, Vernon and Minghao's never ending messages were a key factor as the three continuously updated each other of the heartbroken half's condition. Chris knew he needed to give you space, but with you leaving in a week and your article not even halfway finished, time was of the essence.
This needed to be solved and fast.
However, he knew that if he tried to even talk some sense into you, that you would avoid him like the plague and shut him out even more.
Which is why with the help of Vernon and Minghao, Chris came up with a plan.
When you wake up from yet another bad night, dark rings under your eyes. You nearly fall off the edge of Chris's bed when you realize that Chris was standing at the foot of it, his arms crossed with a worried expression on his face.
"God." You bite out, giving your older brother a glare. "Do you need to scare the ever-living daylights out of me so early in the morning?"
He ignores your question and tosses you some clothes that were on the dresser. "Get dressed, we're going out."
The clothes smack you in the face, throwing you backwards, making you groan out in pain before shooting daggers at your brother after peeling them off your face. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see." And with that, he walks out of the room, shutting the door behind him as your eyes twitch in annoyance.
After lots of coaxing and pulling, Chris finally got you into the car (after almost tossing you over his shoulder). You let out unhappy noises every few seconds in the car, in hopes that you can annoy him enough so that the two of you would turn back.
"You know, the more you make those sounds, the faster I'm driving." Chris says, giving you a side-eye before his eyes refocus on the road. "You forget that we stayed in the same house for majority of our childhood, I know all the tricks in your book."
You sulk when he catches on, turning to look out the window as you lean against it. He turns into a familiar street making your eyes narrow before stopping outside of the familiar neon sign that has plagued your thoughts for the first few weeks of your trip.
"Why are we here?" You ask your older brother, your voice quiet as you notice that the restaurant was closed due to the sign.
Chris puts the car into park before turning to you, his arm slung over the steering wheel of his car, while the other rests lazily at his side. He eyes you for a beat, trying to gather his thoughts before he speaks.
"I know that you and Jun are going through a rough patch and I know that you're stubborn to the point that whatever I say will not get through to you." Chris softly admits, his expression one of remorse as you meet his eyes with your puffy ones.
You feel a surge of guilt, opening your mouth to respond but he halts you by raising his hand. "Let me finish Red."
You close your mouth before giving him a curt nod, urging him to continue. "I know Jun broke your heart. I also know that by keeping it from you for two weeks, it feels like he betrayed your trust but since neither of you want to talk to each other, I brought you to the next best source."
Chris gestures to the restaurant, making you turn your head as well to see Mrs Yang coming out of the restaurant.
"I can't tell you to forgive him or force you to because that wouldn't be fair to you, so Vernon and Minghao suggested that I bring you to the woman who helped to raise all of them and knows them for their hearts. Vernon and Minghao offered to meet you as well to help but they thought that maybe you would be more comfortable listening to her instead."
Chris's eyes soften as you meet them again, as he reaches to grab your hand, to give it a small reassuring squeeze. "However, this choice is all yours. You can choose to take the leap and hear what Mrs Yang has to say or," Chris shrugs, "We can leave right now and I'll help you tell Jun that you want nothing to do with him."
Your mind races with a bunch of jumbled up thoughts as you look between your brother and the older woman waiting outside her restaurant. Your eyes drift towards the soulmate art that you can see through the window, the art of love that brought Mr and Mrs Yang's souls together and your breath hitches as you make your decision.
"Pick me up in two hours."
Chris smile softly at your answer as he nods, withdrawing his hand from yours but not before giving it one last warm squeeze.
You step out of the car, slamming the door shut behind you as you dig your hands into your pockets, the cold pricking your skin despite the hoodie that you were wearing.
"Red?" You hear Chris call for you, making you turn to face your brother who had a sentimental look in his eyes. "I'm really proud of you."
You feel a warmth spread through your chest as you nod, giving him the most sincere smile you muster in days. The sight makes him grin before he gives you a wave and pulls away.
You take a deep breath to compose yourself before turning to walk towards the lady who had a sympathetic smile on her face. She loops her arm through yours.
"Come dear." She gently guides you to the restaurant. "We have much to discuss."
You sit there, in a comfortable silence as Mrs Yang appears with the same two teacups and teapot, placing it in front of the two of you.
She silently pours the tea for the two of you. "We have green tea today." She says, pushing your teacup closer to you. "I hope that's okay with you."
You nod, taking the cup into your hands, soaking in the warmth as you mutter out a small 'thank you' before taking a sip of the tea, feeling the warm liquid flow down your throat comfortingly.
"Not open today?" You ask, trying to keep the mood light. Mrs Yang nods, placing her own cup down after she takes a sip.
"We have a booking tonight for another Lim gathering so Mr Yang and I opted to just close the restaurant for the afternoon." You hum out, digesting her words.
Silence fills the room as the two of you sip your tea, Mrs Yang letting you settle the turmoil of feelings in your head and only approach the elephant in the room on your cue.
"When I was growing up, my parents always talked about soulmates as if it was this lovely feeling that they felt when they turned eighteen but it just never felt right to me." You say, feeling slightly tense in your chest. "I always tried to believe in them, I really did but I never felt any excitement or that rush to find them. I just felt…" You trail off, trying to find the word.
"Empty?" She offers making you snap your fingers, saying the word that you were thinking of. "Yeah," You swipe your tongue against your bottom lip, wetting it slightly, "Empty."
You take a sigh before you continue. "And then I met Jun and all those doubts of how I would react when I met my soulmate just slowly became less loud. He reassured me that we all had a choice, that we have the right to say no to our soulmate." Your voice softens, recalling his words that fateful day. "But then he went back on his word as soon as he realized it was me and he just decided that I didn't have that choice anymore."
Mrs Yang is silent for a beat, digesting all the words that you have just poured your heart and soul into as you watch the gears in her head turn.
"You know," She starts, leaning against the table, "I hated Mr Yang when we first met."
You feel your eyes widen as you blink at her, your jaw dropping open a little. That had to be the most bizarre thing that Mrs Yang has said in the last two months that you've known her. You think about all the small loving interactions that you've seen her do with her husband and your jaw goes slack, dropping open more as you swear your brain starts to buffer.
She laughs a little at your reaction. "Close your mouth dear." She teases lightly. "You'll catch flies." That makes you snap your jaw close but the expression on your face doesn't morph, still slightly surprised.
"When Mr Yang and I first met." She starts, her face morphing into one of wistfulness and nostalgia. "We were barely thirteen. He moved in next door after his parents had moved from Beijing due his father's job. My parents had always warned me about boys from the bigger cities so I avoided him like my life dependent on it." She shakes her head, recalling the stories. "I still remember the first time he saw me and how his eyes had widened. He had told me that he felt a certain pull towards me that he had never felt before. So, he began to try and get my attention by trying to walk me to school one of the mornings."
You felt a small smile appear on your face as you imagine a young and hopelessly in love Mr Yang, chase a younger Mrs Yang who wanted nothing to do with the man. "But as he was walking with me, he was so excited that he accidentally pushed me into the river that was ten meters away from the school gate."
You let out a gasp at that as she nods her head, her eyes crinkling as she shakes her head. "I was furious, called him a stupid boy and told him to never come near me again." She lets out a huff as she crosses her arms. "Of course, he was very stubborn and he didn't listen to me. He kept trying to get my attention, tried to sit next to me in class and asked to walk me everyday until I agreed because he wore me down."
You let out a soft laugh, thinking about how Mr Yang lovingly begged his future wife to let him walk her to school.
"And then everything changed when we turned eighteen and the mark on our arms had appeared. I was furious with the universe for pairing me up with the most insufferable boy that I've ever met."Mrs Yang admits, shaking her head as she recounts her brazen younger self. "I didn't even give him a chance but he never wavered, he always tried to get my attention and he always tried to change my mind." She says softly, her tone turning slightly sad as she takes another sip of her tea.
"One day I fell really sick and he visited me everyday, tending to me, telling me jokes. My parents knew that he was my soulmate because I complained about him every chance that I got so when he begged them to let him take care of me, they did because they knew that he was sweet." Mrs Yang says, looking at the tea in her cup as a soft sad smile appears on her lips.
"When I asked him why he was being so nice to me when I was nothing but terrible to him, he just gave me a loving smile and said that even if he would never be my one, I will forever be his. He said that he knew how trapped I felt when I couldn't make the decision myself, to choose who I want to love for the rest of my life."
Your heart clenches as Mrs Yang looks over at the weaved art that she told you about the first day you were here and smiles at it, her eyes filled with love and adoration. "So after that day, I felt that pull he was talking about and decided to give him a chance and…" She trails off, gesturing to the beautiful restaurant that she built from the ground up. "This was the fruit of our labour."
You look around the restaurant, letting her story sink in as she turns to look at you, her eyes soft as she reaches for your hand. She pats your hand gently before squeezing it tight making you turn to lock eyes with her as she gives you a sweet smile.
"Jun and the rest of the boys have been coming here since they were young teens, because the old Pledis building used to be down the street from here." She says, gesturing to the right of the left of the restaurant, the same street you ran down on your second day here. "They always came in here, excited to tell Mr Yang and I whenever they had some kind of sign from their soulmate." She chuckles a little, reminiscing the old memories, a small forlorn smile on her face.
"But Jun was the only one who didn't get a sign." She admits softly making a pit form in your stomach at her words. "My guess was that because you hadn't turned eighteen yet, the soulmark was not as prominent for him as it was for you when you turned eighteen." She says softly making you recount your eighteen birthday and how ready you were to curse out the boy who was ruining your tastebuds.
"He was here, the day you turned eighteen. He came in after a hard day of practice with Minghao, Chan and Soonyoung and while he was silently watching them, you doused his tastebuds with water while he was eating his mala tang." She softly laughs to herself as she shakes her head. "You should've seen the adoring look on his face when he realized that he found you, that you came to him and that because he never stopped yearning and wanting you that fate gave you to him."
You feel your heart race as you digest her words, a small pit of guilt swarming in your stomach making you slightly nauseous as you take a sip of your tea, hoping to calm your inner turmoil.
"I'm not saying that you should forgive him, my dear." Mrs Yang says, her voice gentle. "But sometimes people make stupid decisions when they're scared and afraid to lose the one they love the most. He didn't want you to give up your life for him and move here and he was also afraid that you would forsake him if you knew that it was him. He wanted you to keep the happy memories of him instead of the bad one that you had of him." She pauses for a moment, contemplating her next words before saying. "He loves you so much that even if you never choose him as your one, you will always be his."
Her words struck you at your core as you feel a set of tears brimming your eyes. Jun had been nothing but loving and supportive. He cracked jokes with you and always made sure you were comfortable and was so in tune with you.
You probably should've realized that he was your soulmate too. The fact that you were so comfortable around him even though you slightly despised him when you first met him. The way that he always knew what you needed before making it known to him. The fact that he could make your heart flutter, with just that signature smile of his.
The undeniable pull that you've had to Mrs Yang's restaurant and the fact that you met him the same day— what are the chances of that happening?
In that moment, everything clicked together, the puzzle pieces suddenly aligning as you feel your heart lighten.
"I'm in love with him." You whisper out, loud enough for Mrs Yang to hear, as the realization hit you hard and fast. "That's why it hurt so much when I thought he didn't choose me."
Mrs Yang's eyes glaze over slightly as you look at her, a watery smile on her face as she sees that you've made your decision. "Then you need to tell him, my dear."
A million fresh new thoughts race through your head, figuring out a way to tell Jun when one thought strikes you and you freeze, a small smile creeping on your face. "I got it." You whisper out before looking at the older woman in front of you. "But I'm going to need your help."
SUNFLOWER SEEDS OF WISDOM - Week 15 out of 16
Jun collapses on the floor, his energy completely drained as he stares at the ceiling, feeling numb to everything around him. He glances at the clock and lets out a sigh when he realizes that he still has an hour before all the members come in.
Sleep had been hard for Jun the past few days. He felt like his heart had just shattered into a million pieces since that day you left him in the rain. He had tried to text you and call you multiple times but you had blocked him on everything that was available. Vernon and Minghao told him to give you time, that you just needed space to deal with everything but you were leaving in three days. He thought of showing up at the airport, to try and catch you before you get on your flight. However, he didn't know any of the details of your flight because he was supposed to be leaving for China that same day, to start filming a new movie that he was starring in.
He lets out a groan as he places an arm over his eyes, feeling the sense of dread coarse through his veins as he sighs. Jun nearly jumps out of his skin as he hears the someone slam into the practice room door, a very loud groan of pain ringing out from them after it.
Jun frowns, sitting up as he hears the person fumble for the door handle. He walks towards it, to help open the door for whoever it was, before the door swings open as Minghao, Vernon and Seokmin step into the room.
Minghao has his hand on Vernon's shoulder, carefully guiding the younger boy who was wincing, into the room while Seokmin trails behind them, dark rings under his eyes with a frown on his face.
Jun's eyebrow raises at the three of them before glancing back at the clock again, thinking that he read the time wrong. However, only five minutes had passed since he last checked it. He turns back to them, a frown on his face. "What are you guys doing here?"
Minghao looks between the two of his companions, one in pain and the other in a bad mood before sighing. "Vernon got a message from Bang Chan today about something that his sister published." Minghao says before gesturing to Vernon who Jun didn't notice had his phone out in his other hand which was on speaker, no doubt his soulmate on the other end.
"He was on his way over to tell you when his soulmark hit and he walked into the door while his soulmate was trying to guide him."
Jun feels his heart race at the mention of you but winces when he notices how much pain Vernon was in and how glassy his eyes were, a sign that his soulmark is currently active. "Does he need to see a doctor?" Jun asks, a little cautious of the younger member.
A snort rings through the phone. "He'll be fine." Vernon's soulmate chirps making Vernon glare at his phone. "He's just a big baby who didn't give me enough time to tell him where to go before charging at the door like a Matador who has seen a red cloth."
"For the last time Tupaki," Vernon says, his tone on edge with a slight hint of pain, no doubt from hitting his head into the door. "The Matador is the person holding the cloth, not the bull."
Tupaki, the nickname that Vernon had given his soulmate puzzled Jun to no end, the reference entirely going over his head whenever Vernon tried to explain it to him. His soulmate, however, always seemed to express a lot of displeasure at the nickname. This time was not any different. Tupaki let out a scoff at Vernon's words before letting out her own quip through his phone.
"At least I don't have shitty movie taste like you, Alien." Vernon lets out a scoff at her retort.
"At least I have better comebacks, Tupaki." Vernon deadpans as he starts to blink, his eyes becoming less hazy as they begin to focus on Jun and Minghao standing in-front of him.
"I think our visions are switching back." Vernon notes making his soulmate scoff over the phone.
"Thank you Captain Obvious." Vernon let out a scoff at her deadpanned remark, shaking his head at her antics.
"Just thanking the stars that I don't need to watch whatever B-grade movie you're watching anymore."
"Aww," She says over the phone, her tone dripping with faux honey, "and here I thought you love it when I show you taste that you could never have." Vernon lets out a snort at the comment before the glaze in his eyes disappear.
"You wish Tupaki." Vernon says, hovering a finger over the end call button. "I'll see you during our monthly movie review."
"Not if I die first from whatever movie you're choosing next." She says back making Vernon shake his head as he ends the call.
He turns to Jun, Minghao and Seokmin who are staring at him, making him scratch the back of his neck, a little sheepishly.
"Sorry about that." Vernon states, immediately using his phone to find the article. "Let me find the article for you… one sec."
Jun's heart races as he sees Vernon key in your publisher name into the blog and began to scroll before Jun looks over at Seokmin who looks more deflated than usual. He turns to Minghao, a frown on his face.
"Is Seokmin alright?"
Minghao glances at Seokmin before letting out a tired sigh. "It's not Seokmin." He says. "Sunflower's been stuck in his body for the whole night, and I think she was getting a little overstimulated by all the lines she needed to record on his behalf. So I suggested that she come with us to get out of the house."
Jun lets out a hum of understanding. "Are they going to swap back soon?" He asks, watching Sunflower sit down and lean against the mirror, muttering a few curses to herself.
"I hope so." Minghao says. "Sunflower has a test for her classes later today and if she doesn't change back, Seokmin might fail her paper." Jun shudders at the thought of the last time that happened and how Sunflower nearly killed someone in Seokmin's body during the week they were doing promotions for Seventeenth Heaven.
He really hopes that Seokmin had been studying Sunflower's material for her Masters properly.
"Found it!" Vernon exclaims making Jun and Minghao jump slightly as he abruptly appears beside the two of them, your article plastered on his phone screen. Vernon grimaces a little as he holds his head again making Minghao sigh.
"Let's go get your head checked." Minghao says before giving Jun a glance as Vernon sends the article Jun's way. "Read the article and keep an eye on Sunflower."
With that, the two of them leave the room, leaving Jun with Sunflower who looks like she has a dark cloud over her head. Jun walks over to her before taking a seat next to her, giving her a small glance.
Sunflower, who looks more tired than ever in Seokmin's body just glances back at him before going back to stare at the uneven floorboards.
"How are you feeling?" Jun asks Sunflower gently.
Sunflower huffs out a sigh, playing with the strings of Seokmin's hoodie. "I love Seokmin but…" She shakes her head."I hate being in his lanky body, it's so disorientating every time we swap bodies."
Jun gives her a sympathetic smile as she continues to fiddle with the strings, tying it into a small bow before releasing it and repeating her actions. Sunflower had been around since Seokmin turned eighteen, immediately acting different the morning of his birthday.
It took a while for the two of them to work out a system that worked especially with Sunflower running her own business and doing her Masters. However, they made it work despite being almost polar opposites of each other.
She glances at his phone, seeing the link that Vernon had sent to him. Gesturing to it, she asks, "What's that?"
Jun peers downwards at his phone for a beat before meeting her eyes again, a sad smile on his lips.
"My soulmate's newest article."
Sunflower lets out a sound of acknowledgement. "Ah, the food journalist?"
Jun gives her a look. "You know about her?"
Sunflower tiredly nods, messing with the strings of Seokmin's hoodie again. "Minnie and I have a journal where we update each other of important things so that if we swap for long periods, we know what's going on and we don't get jumpscared."
Hearing the endearing nickname fall from Seokmin's mouth took a little bit of getting used to but Jun smiles all the same.
Jun would say that he was one of the closer ones to Sunflower, having always kept an eye on her whenever Seokmin and her swapped souls. She was quiet and she didn't like being around the louder members that much — ironic, Jun used to think, seeing as her soulmate is Seokmin — so he always ended up near her and in her bubble, just to keep her safe.
"Is it bad that I'm worried to open up the article?"
Sunflower tilts her head, pondering it over before shaking her head. "To be honest, I think it would be a problem if you weren't worried about it. The article is about you after all."
Jun chews lightly on his bottom lip, staring at the link as if it was about to explode and blow him to bits. He blinks when he sees Seokmin's hand, outstretched towards his phone before he looks up at Sunflower, who has a neutral expression on Seokmin's face.
"Give it here."
Jun blinks at her again, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. The girl let out an impatient huff.
"If you're too scared to read it, let me do it first." She says glancing between him and the phone. "Then I'll let you know if you should read it or not."
Jun's eyes widen as he gives the girl a soft smile. "You'll do that for me?"
Jun watches her eyes soften slightly as she nods. "You're always doing nice things for me." She says softly. "The least I could do is repay the favour."
Jun's chest warms at her words before passing the phone to her without a second thought. Sunflower leans back against the mirror and presses the link. She levels the phone with her eyes as she begins to scroll.
Jun chews on the inside of his cheek, feeling his nerves increasingly spike with each passing moment. After what feels like an eternity, she abruptly turns back to the nervous man who jumps, upon seeing her swift movement.
Her expression is unreadable as she passes the phone back to him without a word.
Jun glances between her and the phone before gingerly taking it into his hands. "So?" He asks, softly with a bated breath, a little afraid of her answer.
Seeing the apprehension on her face, her eyes soften a fraction before pushing the phone closer to Jun, a gesture for him to read it.
Jun feels his heart race in his chest before glancing back at his phone, seeing that Sunflower had scrolled all the way back up before giving it back to him. He takes a shaky inhale before he begins to read, his mouth going dry as he reads the title.
"The Taste to my Soulmate's Heart"
Jun composes himself a little, swallowing before he scrolls down to see a picture of the Chinese restaurant that he has been going to since pre-debut. Mr and Mrs Yang were standing outside the shop, loving and adoring smiles plastered on their faces.
He reads as you write about the love story between the two and how they built this restaurant from the ground up for those who sought comfort in terms of food. He feels his breath hitch when he reaches the soulmate portion.
As for how this couple is connected to my soulmate, the first food I tasted on my eighteen birthday was from this shop. I could've sworn that my soulmate hated his tastebuds from the moment he accosted mine with the Mala tang that he ate from this shop but as I got to know him, I realized that he was trying to share a part of his life with me, intentionally or not.
My soulmate lived in China for most of his adolescent life before moving to Korea, to pursue something of his teenage years. He found this restaurant with the rest of his friends and it became a sanctuary for them.
Now, if you have read my previous few articles, you would know that I'm not a huge believer in the soulmate theory. But during my second day in Korea, I ran into this restaurant to save myself from the rain and had the best Chinese food that I've had in years. It felt familiar yet comforting but I couldn't place where I had tasted it from.
It turns out, after I left, I tasted the same taste again and my soulmate had apparently went into the restaurant a couple minutes after I left, seeking the same comforting Chinese food because I had it.
We met coincidentally two weeks later because I felt an undeniable pull to the restaurant. I had absolutely no reason to be there but cancelled my plans for the day and went anyway, curious as to what this tug was all about. Standing outside the restaurant, I contemplated going in, a little anxious about why I felt this pull when he appeared behind me and started teasing me as if it was second nature.
I should've known that he was my soulmate then but we started to make a few friendly bets here and there and we started to meet up more and got really used to each other's presence. We were on different ends of the soulmate scale, he was super in love with his while I was apprehensive about mine.
However, because we were being complete idiots, we ate the same foods almost all the time, so we didn't realize that the puzzle piece for our soul was actually sitting across from us, giving the other shit about our different taste preferences.
He loved spicy and sour food while I love my sweet food.
He loves his soulmate to bits while I hated mine.
On paper, we sound too different to work but as Mrs Yang told me during my interview with her:
'Soulmates aren't meant to be similar to you. They are meant to be the one that completes your soul, fill the gaps so that the two of you feel complete when you are together. Independently, you will survive without each other but being together, makes everything feel as if it was meant to be.
As if it was written in the stars themselves.'
So my soulmate, if you're reading this, 如果你还愿意接纳我，我选择你.
Jun feels his heart stop as he reads the last few words that were written in his native tongue, meant just for him. He lets out a sound of disbelief, feeling his heart start to race as the message speaks to him.
'If you're still willing to accept me, I choose you.'
You choose him.
If you still choose me, meet me at the special place. The place where it all started.
Jun feels his heart drop as he reads that, he was going to be busy for the next few hours with practice and he also has the jacket shoot later for the upcoming album. He frowns even more as he begins to rack his brain, thinking of a way that he can do everything.
Sunflower, who has been eyeing him the whole time, frowns a little as she notices his face paling. "What's wrong?" She bluntly asks, snapping Jun out of his inner turmoil as she peers to look at his phone screen, noting where he was in the article. "Isn't the article good? She chooses you."
Jun eyes the girl in Seokmin's body. "You can read Chinese?"
Sunflower snorts, her eyes narrowing at the older man. "You basically just read your soulmate professing her feelings for you and you choose to focus on that?"
"Yes." Jun blurts out without thinking, his nerves getting the better of him.
Sunflower closes her eyes, letting out an exhale through her nose as she mutters low curses to herself before she fixes her eyes on Jun, a slight glare in them.
"Are you not going?"
Jun hesitates, thinking about the amount of events that he has today and shakes his head. "I can't."
He really really wants to.
It's all he can think about right now.
He wants to leave the practice room and run to you and tell you how sorry he is and how he's been in love with you even before he met you. How he doesn't like sweet things, but he always loved it when he tasted it from you. How upset he felt during the week where you had your pettiness streak and felt like everything was his fault. How he loves you so much that it feels as if it was inevitable the second his tastebuds were sanitized by the water you gulped on the day of your eighteenth birthday.
But he can't.
Sunflower gives Jun a blank stare.
"Get out."
Jun blinks at her. "Excuse me?"
She rolls her eyes, seeing the expression on his face before wrapping her arm around Jun's to yank the two of them to their feet. Jun stumbles slightly, caught off-guard at the abruptness of her actions as he blinks at the girl whose expression didn't waver.
She lets go of his arm, letting out a huff of exasperation. "如果你还愿意接纳我，我选择你."
Hearing perfect Chinese leave Seokmin's mouth stuns Jun but he quickly recovers as she shakes her head at him. "Jun, for as long as I have known Seokmin, you were the one who has been so in love with your soulmate even when you didn't know you had one. You yearned for her, wanted her and chose her every single time that you could. While others went to seek their soulmate out, you were patient and you never once pushed the girl of your dreams into your arms. You waited for fate to do its thing."
She gestures to the article. "And this is fate giving you the biggest sign in the universe that it's time to take action." She shakes her eyes, her eyes softening as she looks at Jun. "Fate already brought her to you at the restaurant, gave you the courage to keep talking to her and gave you the mint sign which is how you discovered it was her in the first place."
She pauses at her last statement. "Even though the two of you were quite blind about it for a while and they quite literally had to shove it in your faces."
Jun scoffs at her words, opening his mouth to retort but she ignores him and continues to talk.
"My point is," She starts, pressing a finger on Jun's phone to scroll to the Chinese words that have been spiraling in his head. "You've been waiting for her your whole life. Are you really going to let her slip through your fingers again?"
Jun felt his breathing stop at her words, hitting him straight in the chest as he feels his blood run cold at her stern words and stare.
She was right and he needed to leave right now.
Sunflower's eyes soften, noticing Jun's gaze slowly grow more determined by the second.
"Go." She pushes again, gesturing to the door. "Before it's too late."
Jun's tongue darts out to wet his lips as he hesitates. "But what about—"
She holds up a hand, interrupting him before he can spiral again and shakes her head. "I'll tell Seungcheol." She assures him, as if he could read his mind. "You and I both know that he would've told you to do the same thing."
Jun feels his heart warm at the assurance before nodding as Sunflower all but chases him out of the practice room. "Now, get out of here."
She throws him his bag which he catches with ease as he turns to run out of the room but Sunflower stops him with a call of his name.
"Yeah?" He asks, turning to her.
She stares at him for a beat before a rare smile appears on her lips. "Go get her."
Jun returns her words with a soft smile, his heart racing as he is fueled with adrenaline. He nods, bidding the girl in Seokmin's body goodbye before racing to Mrs Yang's restaurant to find you, because at the end of the day:
He's always chosen you.
SUGAR, SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE - Week 15 out of 16
You think that waiting for Jun to arrive, is scarier than the day you were waiting to hear back about your internship application. Your older brother told you that Vernon had already delivered the message of your article to Jun and you just needed to wait for him to arrive.
You are about ninety-nine percent sure that Jun will arrive but that was about two hours ago.Jun still hadn't turned up and you were sure that you were going to burn a hole into Mrs Yang's entranceway if you keep pacing like this.
Mr Yang and Mrs Yang were closed for the day, opting to give you and Jun the space the two of you need to sort through the miscommunications and feelings.
"Deep breaths." You mutter to yourself, trying to will your heart to slow down. "It's only Jun. A person you spent the past few weeks with, he isn't a stranger."
He also is your soulmate but you're trying very hard not to think about that right now.
A million thoughts race through your head as the minutes continue to tick by.
What if Jun didn't read the article at all?
What if Jun read the article and he hated it?
What if he didn't choose you in the end anyways because of what you said to him the other day?
What if—
The bell chime cuts your thoughts off as your head whips to the door to see Jun standing there, his hair slightly disheveled, beads of sweat sliding down his face as he pants, his gaze unfocused until they land on you.
Your heart beats faster in your chest as you feel nerves prick your skin as you look at the man who appears as if he had just ran a marathon.
"Did you run here?" You ask, a little in disbelief as Jun shakes his head 'no'.
"Drove here but then," he pants, bending down a little to catch his breath, "my car got stuck in a jam so I parked and ran here"
"But why—"
"I couldn't risk letting you slip through my fingers for the third time."
His answer makes your heart stutter as he looks at you with so much love and adoration in his eyes.
Silence envelops the two of you as you feel your brain blank as it hits you that your soulmate is right in front of you. The
"Red." Jun whispers out as he reaches for you, his breathing beginning to steady but his heart still racing with adrenaline. "I've never wanted someone as much as I've wanted you. My whole life, I've been searching tirelessly for you and I always waited for the universe to give me a sign of something or anything, just so that I knew that you were there."
He steps closer to you, gently taking your hands into his. "But the moment I got you in my arms, I was a coward." He says, slightly bitter at himself. "I let you go without giving you the chance to choose because I was afraid. I was afraid that you wouldn't want me, that you would resent me for putting you through so much pain because of my food preferences and my irregular schedule."
He let out a shaky exhale. "I was afraid that I wasn't going to be good enough for you. That I wasn't worthy to be yours."
Your breath catches as he admits that, slowly pulling your hands into his as he looks at you, his eyes filled with vulnerability. "But I can't let you slip through my fingers again when I want you so much that it hurts." He whispers, his eyes boring into yours.
"I choose you, Red." His hands tighten around yours. "Please say that you'll choose me as well."
You feel your heart skip a beat as you step closer to him, a small smile on your features as you feel the undeniable pull towards him, the one that you weren't sure of before but are now.
Mrs Yang's words from two weeks ago flow back into your mind as you stare into the eyes of your soulmate.
The feeling was always pulling you towards your other half, the one that is meant to complete your soul, to fill in the gaps that you didn't know were there in the first place. You're the sweet to his spice and you match each other so well that you know that it's meant to be.
Jun feels his nerves spike, feeling slightly tense, the longer you keep him waiting. So he does what he does best, he starts to ramble.
"I mean, if you still need time to consider it, you can take your time and think. I know I dropped a bomb on you by confessing that I'm basically in love with you and you should take all the time you need before you make a decision because I clearly want you to make the right one and—"
You interrupt him by giggling as you stand impossibly closer to him, a sweet smile on your face as you stare into your soulmate's eyes with your twinkling ones. Jun feels his mind blank from any thoughts of the tangent that he was just on as he peers down at you, feeling your breath on his face. He feels his cheeks and the tip of his ears heat up from how close you are to him, as he swallows, hoping to bring one working thought back into his brain.
You gaze into his eyes, making your decision. "I love you, Wen Junhui." You admit softly, your smile never wavering. "I unconsciously chose you the first day we met but I'm making the choice to choose you now, forever and always."
Jun's eyes widen as he feels his heart stop at your words, an immense surge of feelings flowing through his body at your words.
"Really?" Jun softly asks, his eyes flitting between yours, one to the other before they flicker to your lips for a split second.
You feel your heart rate spike at his gaze before nodding. "Really."
The air between the two of you changes as Jun's hands release yours before he cups your face. Your breath hitches as you lean into his touch, sighing slightly at the warmth of his hands.
"Can I kiss you?" He mumbles, afraid to break the moment. You gently nod, not wanting to break the moment either as he lets out a shaky exhale before leaning in closer. You close your eyes, feeling his breath against your mouth before he presses his lips to yours in a tentative kiss.
You let out a soft hum as adrenaline begins to course through your veins. You wrap your arms around Jun's neck, pulling him close. You feel as though your soul is on fire, for finding the one that you are meant to be spending the rest of your life with and choosing them to do it with.
You think Jun feels the same as he lets out soft groan before deepening the kiss, slipping his tongue into your mouth. You let out a whimper as you begin to taste double, tasting the mint that you normally have after your coffee on his tongue and lingering in your own mouth. Hearing the noise you made, Jun lets his hands slip down to your waist, pulling you flush against him as he kisses you with slightly more vigor.
The two of you slowly pull apart for air, panting slightly as you rest your forehead against his, both your eyes still closed.
"Thank God for that mint I had before you came in." You blurt out, breaking the moment making Jun let out a soft laugh as the two of you slowly open your eyes. A warm but teasing smile appears on Jun's lips as he gazes into your eyes, his pupils slightly dilated.
"I think we had it at the same time then." He shyly admits. "Because I had one on my way over as well."
You giggle at the realization, biting the inside of your cheek to prevent yourself from smiling too hard. Jun notices though, making his smile widen as he leaves a quick kiss on your forehead.
The moment slows as the two of you stare at each other, silence enveloping the two of you.
"Do you need to go back to practice?" You ask softly, feeling your heart sink slightly as you remember Chris's message about Vernon telling him that Seventeen were having practice today and a jacket shoot later.
Jun's eyes soften, hearing the anxious tone in your voice before shaking his head. "No." He answers, giving you another peck on your forehead. "You got me all to yourself for the rest of the day."
You blink at him in surprise. "Oh." Your eyebrows furrow. "What about your dance practice for your comeback and your jacket shoot?"
He blinks, eyebrow raising. "How do you know about that?"
"Vernon told Chris who told me."
Jun lets out a sound of understanding before shaking his head. "Sunflower said she will take care of that for me."
You raise an eyebrow at that. "Who?"
"DK's soulmate."
"You mean we aren't the first to meet each other?"
Jun lets out a soft laugh at how cute you look, a small pout on your face at the fact that the two of you weren't the first to find each other in the group. He shakes his head, the smile on his lips never wavering.
"I think we met nine years too late if we wanted to be the first." He states making you let out a hum of understanding. "Although," he starts with a teasing smile on his face, "I fear you might've killed me if we met back then due to how much you hate my taste in food."
You let out a snort at the teasing words, feeling your eyes roll before you can stop them.
"Not my fault you accosted my tastebuds any chance you got."
Jun lets out a belly laugh at your words, nuzzling his face into your hair making you smile as you lean against him. He pulls you into him again, rocking the two of you as he hugs you tight, giving you a few kisses on your cheek and hair making a giggle bubble out of you.
"I love you." He breathes out, pulling away to gaze into your eyes as a lovesick smile appears on his lips.
You feel your heart flutter at how handsome he looks, saying the three words that meant everything to you. "I love you." You reply, pushing yourself up on your tip-toes to give him a kiss which he promptly accepts, humming as he kisses you back.
The kiss this time, is more sure, the two of you slightly more confident as Jun deepens the kiss immediately, pulling you impossibly closer to him, loving the way your lips feel against his.
The two of you continue to slowly makeout until your lungs scream for air, making you pull apart from your soulmate. He chases your lips making you giggle.
"I think we should leave, pretty boy." You mutter, giving him a teasing smile.
Jun opens his eyes, a little glassy as he refocuses on you, blinking as the tips of his ears turn a little pink, giddy at the nickname.
"Oh?" He asks, a small smirk appearing on his face. "And go where?"
You let out a hum, feigning ignorance as you exaggeratedly think. "Maybe your house?"
"Huh…" Jun hums, catching on to your antics as he leans closer to you, your breath hitching as you feel his hot bated on on your lips. "And what shall we do when we're at my house, baby?"
Butterflies erupt in your stomach at the nickname making you swallow, composing yourself before saying.
"I think I have a few ideas."
The second the two of you step foot into Jun's bedroom, Jun pins you against his door, his mouth on yours as he pulls you in for a searing kiss. You gasp as you fist his shirt, feeling your legs starting to buckle from the intensity of the kiss. He slots his tongue into your mouth, a muffled groan escaping him as he slides his tongue against yours, tasting the remnants of the mint the two of you had earlier.
It's filthy, the way that Jun's spit mixes with yours in your mouth as the two of you continue to roughly make out. Unlike the first kiss the two of you shared earlier, this is different. It is charged and full of all the emotions that have been building up over the last few months.
Jun's hands wander down to your thighs as he parts them, urging for you to jump as he catches you and wraps your legs around his waist, not breaking the kiss once. You let your hands roam upwards to his hair as you begin to tug at it gently, making the man let out small whimpers that make your heart race impossibly faster.
You find yourself getting wetter as the make out session gets more heated and let out a soft whimper when Jun presses himself flush against you, letting you feel how strained he is through his sweatpants.
The whimper snaps something in him as he starts to slowly grind himself against you, making you gasp as you detach your lips, your eyes rolling at how good he felt against you, your head tilting back into the door.
Jun wastes no time attaching his mouth to your neck, giving you open-mouth kisses before he locates your pulse point right below your ear, making you let out a soft moan. He hums in satisfaction before sucking on it lightly, making you see stars.
He continues to suck and nibble at the spot, no doubt leaving a mark before licking one long stripe upwards, from your collarbone to the pulse point, groaning slightly.
"God, baby." He says, his voice wrecked with want. "Can you taste what I taste when I do that?" He asks. You let out a whine, feeling yourself getting wetter at the words leaving his mouth. You let out a whimper in response as Jun keeps nibbling on your neck, addicted to the sounds that leave your mouth and the taste of your skin.
He pushes off the door, carrying you to the bed before gently dropping you on top of his plush mattress, giving you a front row seat to how wrecked he looks.
Jun's hair is disheveled from your constant tugging, his cheeks flush as his dilated pupils stare at you, full of want, need and love. He tugs his shirt over his head, leaving you to ogle at the sight of his toned body. You knew that Jun's body was toned, being an actor and an idol meant that he had to have the physique of a God, but seeing it in front of you is a different story.
Jun notices your ogling and smirks. "Take a picture baby, it'll last longer."
You immediately feel your cheeks heat up at his teasing remark, slapping both your palms over your face, shielding yourself from Jun. The man laughs, leaning down to press kisses to your knuckles and fingers as he gently peels the hands away from your face.
"Don't do that, baby." He whispers through his kisses. "Want to see my pretty soulmate as I cherish her."
You feel your chest warm up at his words as you lock eyes with him, a soft smile on his face as he gives you a slow kiss.
"There's my girl." Jun whispers out, before his hands make their way down to the ends of your shirt, his eyes flitting to yours, asking for permission to remove it.
You give him an eager nod before you're just left in your lacy bra. When Jun sees the sight, he lets out another wrecked groan before leaving kisses all over your exposed skin.
"You're so gorgeous, baby." Jun whispers, the pet name sending a wave of butterflies through you as he continues to kiss everywhere that he can. "Can't believe that you're my soulmate."
He unhooks your bra with your permission before sucking on your right nipple as his left hand massages your left one, making you moan out as you clench the bedsheets, feeling slightly stimulated by his hand and mouth. He does the same with your left one, alternating between them as you feel yourself getting stickier and stickier where you need him the most.
"Jun." You breath out, moaning a little as he hums against your breasts, the vibrations stimulating you a little more. "Please." You beg, though you aren't sure what you're begging for.
Jun hums again, seemingly catching your drift as he releases your nipple from his mouth with a pop. You whine a little at the loss of contact but feel his lips trail down your body, leaving kisses in its wake, each kiss leaving you a little squirmier than the last.
His hands fiddle with the waistband of your jeans as he continues to kiss the area around your stomach as he looks at you through lidded eyes. "Can I take these off, baby?"
You chew your bottom lip before nodding, making Jun shake his head as he clicks his tongue.
"Use your words, baby." He says, his tone soft but slightly dominating making your head spin slightly.
"Please." You whimper out, squirming a little. "Take them off please."
Jun's signature grin appears on his face. "So polite." He coos. "When you ask so sweetly like that, who am I to refuse you?"
He makes quick work of your jeans after he says that, pulling them down your legs, tossing them to some corner of the bedroom before he leans down and you swear his pupils dilate even more seeing how soaked you were.
His tongue swipes across his bottom lip as he blows against your core, making you let out a whimper before as you squirm a little more.
"Is all this for me love?" Jun asks, slightly condescending as he uses a finger to rub you over your panties, making you moan as you nod furiously.
"What did we say about words baby?"
You feel yourself clench on nothing at his words, a soft whine leaving your lips. "All for you Jun." You whimper out again, feeling his finger rub you a little faster, making you squirm a little more. "All just for you."
Jun hums, delighted at the way you're responding to him before he hooks a finger and pulls your panties down, leaving you bare in front of him. He lets out a groan as he leans closer to your core as you hold your breath in anticipation.
"You don't have to, you know." You breathe out, hoping that he isn't doing this just because he feels obligated to do so. Jun looks at you through hooded eyes, using his strength to spread your thighs wider for him, holding them in place.
"Trust me when I say this, baby." He says, pressing kisses against your inner thigh, making you feel goosebumps appear along your skin. "I really want you to taste how sweet you are on your tongue."
Without another word, Jun's mouth is on your core, making your eyes bulge as you let out a gasp. He lets out a groan at your taste, knowing that this will be the only sweet thing that he eats for days after this. He flattens his tongue as he alternates between slow circles around your core before dipping his tongue into your clit, fucking you with his tongue.
You feel feral as you taste yourself on your own tastebuds, feeling yourself fucked dumb without even getting fucked yet as Jun continues his ministrations on your pussy. Your hands fly to his hair, tugging harshly at it and making him groan, the vibrations sending waves of pleasure through you as you moan more, your voice getting louder and louder as you get closer and closer.
You let out a cross between a gasp and a moan as you feel Jun sucking against your clit as he pushes one finger into your weeping cunt. You start to squirm even more but Jun holds you still as he pushes yet another finger in.
"You can take another finger, can't you, baby?" He asks, stretching you out as you let out a whine.
"Yes, I can." You gasps out, your eyes fluttering shut at the pleasure, making Jun let out a hum of approval.
"That's my girl."
He leaves you breathless as he curls his finger in you and begins to hit that spongy spot that has your eyes rolling back into your head and seeing stars.
You feel the bed start to rock, whipping your eyes open to see Jun humping the bed slowly, turning you on a little more at how turned on he was from just eating you out. You feel him suck harder on your clit as he starts to thrust his fingers in and out of you faster.
You feel your mind blank as you feel the pressure start to build up, slowly going to snap. Jun realizes that you're about to cum as you clench around his fingers and your whines start to get louder, humming in delight against your pussy as he speeds up his ministrations.
"C'mon baby." He says, pulling away from your clit slightly to lock eyes with you, his eyes dark as he gives you a cat-like smirk. "Wet my tongue and cum on my face. Want you to taste how sweet you are too."
The dirty talk plus him going back to harshly suck on your core, is what pushes you over the edge, you tug on his hair hard as you cum making the idol groan as he laps up every single drop of your elixir.
He continues to slowly suck, prolonging your high before you begin to squirm a little from the overstimulation. Jun leaves one last kiss on your cunt before bringing you in for a messy kiss, making you groan as you continue to taste yourself on his tongue and on yours.
He pulls away to look at you, staring lovingly into your eyes. "Are you sure?" He asks, motioning to the next step. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to."
You shake your head, pulling Jun down for another sweet kiss. "Please." You murmur, nibbling his bottom lip gently, sending a shiver down his body.
Jun gives you a nod before he pulls away to pull down his boxers and pants, leaving him bare in front of you making your mouth water at the sight of him. His cock hard and swollen and leaking with pre-cum.
You reach for him, letting your hands glide along his cock as he lets out a shaky breath, a shudder running through his body as you slick his cock with his own pre-cum.
"Baby." He raggedly breathes out. "As much as I want to cum in your hand, I need to be in you in the next five seconds or I will die."
You let out a soft laugh at his dramatics. "You better get to work then."
Jun lets out another shaky exhale as he nods, going to dig through his bedside table when you stop him by shaking your head. He looks at you, concern in his eyes as his eyes flit between yours.
"I'm clean." You simply say. "Are you?"
Jun nods making you let out an easy smile. "Then we have no problems." You breathe out making Jun nod.
He pulls you in for another kiss, slower this time as you feel him press against you, rubbing himself against you making you gasp before he starts to slowly push into your messy folds. The slow push is torturous making the two of you groan as he detaches his lips from yours.
"Fuck." Jun drawls out, his eyes squeezing tight as he continues to push in. "You're so tight baby." You didn't bother responding with anything other than a moan as he stretches you deliciously, making you tug him closer.
Jun pauses for a moment, letting you get used to his size before you beg him to move. He obeys, sliding out till his tip is the only thing inside you before thrusting back in making the two of you moan. He continues at a steady pace, leaving the two of you panting and wanting more of each other.
"That's it, Red." He pants out, nibbling against your neck as you whine against him. "You are truly made for me." He babbles, his mind going feral at the sight of you, his soulmate beneath him. He used to dream of this. Dream of how good it would feel to have his soulmate pressed against him, but nothing could compare to the real deal right now.
"Look at how well you take my cock, my pretty soulmate." He whispers out as he speeds up his thrust, a hand slipping between the two of you to rub at your clit, making you spasm slightly as you feel the familiar build up again.
Jun notices and speeds up, his thrusts hitting that sweet spot inside you relentlessly making your whines and moans get louder. "Come around my cock baby." He whispers into your ear. You moan, tugging him impossibly closer as you hook your legs around his back, your mind blank of anything other than his cock that is thrusting in and out of you.
"Jun—" you breathe out, teething on the edge. "About to—"
You moan again but Jun catches your drift nodding. "Come for me baby."
At his words, you release, spasming on his cock making him let out a groan before he spills deep in you. He continues to thrust, prolonging the pleasure between the two of you before he leans down to capture your lips together again.
The kiss turns the atmosphere from heated to sweet as you feel the adrenaline start to dissipate, feeling your breathing start to even out as he softens in you. Jun pulls out after a few minutes of making out, making you let out a low whine as he leaves the room.
He returns a couple of minutes later with a glass of water and two towels. Jun cleans you up gently, making you look at him adoringly as he places the towel on his desk before pressing the glass of water to your lips.
"Drink baby." He says softly, making you smile as you obey, taking small sips of the water. He gently urges you to finish the glass before placing it on his bedside table. You look at him, a lovesick smile adorning your lips as you watch him quietly fuss over you before he realizes your gaze is on him.
He gives you an adoring smile back before giving your knee a tap. "How about a bath, baby?" He asks softly, tracing small circles lightly on your knee.
You let out a hum of contentment before nodding. "Join me?" You gaze up at him prettily through your eye lashes making his heart melt before he nods, a lovesick smile appearing on his face.
"Of course."
He leaves you in the comfort of his bed to run the two of you a bath, which smell pleasantly like him, a mix of spiced herbs with a hint of the ocean. A smell that you hadn't noticed you loved till today.
Jun laughs when he returns, seeing you entangled with his pillow and sheets, a fond smile on his face as his heart feels like it's about to burst from how cute you are being.
He untangles you before hooking an arm underneath your knees and placing his other arm underneath your back to pick you up bridal style. You let out a squeak as he does as you immediately wrap your arms around his neck to anchor yourself, feeling your face immediately flush at how easily he picks you up.
"I can walk myself y'know." You mumble as he carries you to his bathroom.
Jun lets out a quiet laugh at the redness of your cheeks. "I know, baby." He says, with so much adoration in his tone. "Just want to treat you the way you deserve to be treated."
You feel your cheeks heat up more at his statement, making you bury your head into his neck, not wanting him to see your face.
The idol laughs before kissing the top of your head as he reaches the bathroom. He helps you to stand up before sitting in the tub first and urges you to come in after.
Your legs wobble slightly as you enter the tub, but you still manage to get into the tub without any issues, your back flush against Jun's chest. He makes quick work of cleaning the both of you, wanting nothing more than to spend the day entangled in his sheets with you.
The thought makes him giddy as he rinses the last bit of soap off of the two of you before fussing over you as you attempt to dry yourself.
"Let me." He says gently, plucking the towel from your hands and begins to dry you off.
You smile at Jun's quiet fussing, your heart full as you stare at the boy adoringly. Your soulmate for the rest of your life.
No more than seventeen minutes later, the two of you are back in Jun's bed with fresh sheets, tangled in each other's embrace.
You sigh, snuggling closer into Jun's chest as you breathe in the scent of him and the sheets, loving how domestic this feels.
"Red?" Jun softly asks. You hum against him, peering upwards to find him already looking down at you, a nervous expression on his face making you frown.
"What's wrong pretty boy?" You ask him, bringing your hand up to cup his face. Jun leans in closer to your hand, closing his eyes as he lets out a sigh in contentment.
"What's going to happen now?" He wonders quietly, the question simple and plain yet holds so much anxiety of what the future holds for the two of you.
He feels your hand freeze on his face, making his heart sink into the pit in his stomach.
He had been wondering about this since the two of you were in the tub, enjoying each others embrace. He tried to push the thought away, wanting to live in the moment. But, as he looks at how well you cuddle into him, how the two of you fit together like long-lost puzzle pieces and how this feeling just felt so right…
He couldn't help but voice the question that had been plaguing his mind.
"Junnie." You whisper out, making his heart stutter at your use of a new nickname, no doubt feeling the tip of his ears turn a little pink. "I was going to wait till maybe after our nap to talk about this but seeing how nervous you look right now…" You trail off, letting your eyes flit between both of his. "I guess I can tell you the surprise now."
Jun blinks at your words, a surprise?
You push yourself up, sitting slightly more upright against the headboards as Jun does the same, mirroring your body posture. He watches you fiddle with your fingers, a nervous tick that he knows by heart now, after seeing you do it for the better part of your three months together.
You wonder how you should start this conversation, Jun had caught you off-guard because you only received the news from Minho this morning after your article had gone live. This meant that you hadn't really had the time to prepare how you wanted to say this but as Jun looks at you like you're his entire world.
You realize that it doesn't matter.
You take a deep breath. "After I finished writing the article a few days ago," you start, seizing your nervous tick as you place your hands on the sheets in front of you, "I talked to Minho and I told him that I found my soulmate, so we talked about my future in the company."
Jun feels his heart sink at your words and interrupt you before you can continue.
"Red." He whispers, taking your hands into his as he rubs slow circles on your knuckles with his thumb. "I don't want you to give up your job for me." He admits quietly. "As much as my heart yearns for you to stay, I can't— won't ask you to do that. I know how much food journalism means to you and I know how much you enjoy and love doing it so, please don't give it up for me."
Your heart flutters at his words, feeling warmth spread through your chest at how thoughtful Jun was. You bring your joint hands up to your lips, pressing small kisses on his knuckles.
"I love you." You whisper out, locking eyes with the man that you love. "But you don't need to worry about that."
Jun's eyebrows furrow in confusion as he tilts his head to the side. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that during my call with him, he gave me some good news." You give Jun a sweet smile. "The magazine planted a new branch here in Korea a month ago and they offered me the Senior Journalist position for the food column."
Jun's eyes widen at your words, feeling his heart race. "You're serious?" He asks, his tone filled with hope and a little apprehension, unsure if he heard you correctly or not. Your smile widens as you nod, feeling your heart flutter at how cute Jun looks.
He immediately pulls you into a hug, making you laugh as he holds you tight against him.
"That's amazing news, baby." He whispers making you snuggle into him more. Jun notices your slightly sluggish movements and wraps his arms around you, slightly tighter, to bring the two of you downwards to lay on the pillows.
"This does mean that I need somewhere to stay though." You say, nerves spiking a little at the thought of leaving Brisbane, it was not just a necessary step for your relationship with Jun but also for your career. Jun pulls away, a soft smile on his face.
"We'll figure it out together." He says softly, brushing a stray strand of hair behind your ear. "When do you start?"
"In two months." You hum out, feeling yourself get a little sleepy. "I'll be leaving this week to go back to Brisbane to start the moving process but I've already pre-booked my next trip back in a month and a half to start settling in. Chris said that I can stay with him in the meantime while I look for my own place."
"I could probably take my break next month to help you with the packing." Jun offers softly. "Our promotion shoots would've wrapped up by then so I can afford to take a week to help you."
You peer upwards, smiling at the mad as you give him a gentle nod. "I would love that." You whisper.
Jun hums. A comfortable silence filling the air as the two of you enjoy each others embrace.
"So, pre-booked huh?" Jun asks, a teasing smile appearing on his lips, breaking the wholesome moment. "You were that certain that I was going to choose you?"
You roll your eyes at his words. "Says the one who has been in love with me since the start." You give him a pointed look. "I can still call Minho to tell him that I changed my mind."
Jun laughs before attacking you with kisses, kissing different parts of your face over and over making you squeal as you try to push him and his ticklish kisses away.
"I'll stop if you promise me that you aren't going to do that." Jun mutters between his assault of kisses making you laugh a little, feeling slightly out of breath from wrestling in his strong grip.
"Fine!" You breath out, squirming a little as you try to push him away with your hands on his chest. "I concede."
Jun's smile widens into a cheeky grin. "That's my girl."
You roll your eyes, biting back a smile from the endearment, watching Jun's eyes soften.
"Be mine?" He asks softly, bringing one hand that was situated on your waist up to grasp your hand on his chest, slowly intertwining your fingers.
Your heart races before you nod, giving him a sweet smile. "I'm yours."
As you cuddle closer to Jun, your chest flush against his, you can't help but sigh as you soak in your boyfriends warmth and how your heart feels so much fuller now, fueled by the mountain of possibilities for the future.
Because, you choose him as much as he chooses you.
"Red." Jun whispers out making you hum in acknowledgement, your eyes feeling slightly droopy. "I need to admit something to you."
Your eyebrows furrow before you look up at your soulmate, your eyebrow raising as he gives you a sheepish look. "What is it?"
Jun sucks in his bottom lip, chewing it before releasing it. "Remember that day we went to the Golden Dragon?" You nod, your eyebrow still raised, urging for him to continue.
"And how we were supposed to eat the highest level of spice which was ten?"
"Get to the point pretty boy."
He hesitates, running a hand down your bare back, as if trying to appease you before his revelation.
"I may have lied and ordered spice level three instead."
He feels you freeze in his embrace, digesting the information that you did not conquer spice level ten, but three.
"You ordered three… instead of ten?"
Jun chews his bottom lip before he nods. The two of you lay there in silence as Jun feels his heart race a little more, his eyes flitting between yours as he tries to read your expression but fails.
"Jun."
He sharply inhales, awaiting for you to chew his head off.
"Yes baby?"
"You owe me a red velvet cheesecake tomorrow."
"… Yes baby."
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨two new constellations have been added୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
©livmarauder2026 And with that, we've come to the end of (for now) jun and red's soulmate story! Thank you guys so much for reading hehe and I'm so excited to share more of this universe with you guys! If you did enjoy, a reblog and a like would very much be appreciated <3 thank you! If you would like to join the taglist for this universe, please comment down below! (only blogs that are 18+, which means have age or age indicators will be added to the taglist, thank you!)
⋆⭒˚.⋆ TAGLIST: @choco-scoups @luvrung @cherrymayz @hopecutie @caratchronicles @fancypeacepersona @belladonna-is-alive @txtsoobean @reiofsuns2001 @huiimoon @ultrapinkvoidbouquet @vwintershire @nidda13 @yethoughts @cottonfluffclouds @binnielovie @jeanjacketjesus @ateez-atiny380
ON MY TONGUE | w.jh (part one)
IN A UNIVERSE filled with soulmates, you never wanted one, never wanting to be tied down to a stranger for the rest of your life. However, fate always seems to work against you and gives you the worst soul mark you could ever have: a soulmate who seems to have a taste for spicy foods, something that you have a distaste for.
PAIRING: idol!jun x food journalist!fem!reader GENRE: Strangers to Lovers, Fluff, Angst, Eventual Smut (in Part Two), Enemies to Lovers (One Sided), Romance AU: Soulmates TOTAL PT 1 WC: 26.2k WARNINGS: mentions of food and eating, profanities, self-doubt, periods, anxiety, stress PLAYLIST: songs for red, love jun
LIV'S NOTES... firstly: HAPPY CARAT DAY to everyone who celebrates <3 this fic is genuinely a love letter to all my friends who have heard stories of red and jun! due to some unforseen circumstances, the fic is out a little later than i intended it to be but it's out! the fic also turned out to be slightly longer than i intended which means that it's split into two parts! part two will be out on the 21st of February 2026. official masterlist for the universe will be out then as well hehe! so, please enjoy the first part of the first installation of Soulmate Series: Written in the Stars. BIG THANK YOU to my love @mellowgyu for helping me to beta-read this monster, be a constant support in my corner and fix mistakes with me <3 i love you so much
PART TWO (WC: 26K)
WRITTEN IN THE STARS MASTERLIST | MAIN MASTERLIST | NAVI
THE SWEET LINGERING OF 2014
When Jun turned eighteen, he celebrated it in the practice room surrounded by his twelve brothers who were undoubtedly more excited than he was. Being the fourth oldest in the group, it was almost like there was a routine now when their members were about to have their soulmark coming of age. He doesn’t quite remember how they established the tradition but it was probably something that Seungcheol, Soonyoung and Jihoon had done – as the overall leaders.
He remembered when Seungcheol had turned eighteen and Jun felt overwhelmed for him; it wasn’t the easiest being the oldest of the group and being the person that everyone looked up to. Turning eighteen was sort of a milestone for them, to know what to expect when they too turned eighteen someday.
He remembered how Seungcheol had blown out the candles on top of the cake set out for him by the staff and looked around as twelve pairs of eyes stared at him.
“Do you feel anything, hyung?” He remembered Seungkwan, who was normally scared of the older boy asking, making Seungcheol shake his head before he paused mid-shake.
Seungcheol's brows furrowed as he let out a groan, holding his head in his hands as the members scrambled around him, asking him what was wrong. “I just got a sudden headache.” Seungcheol managed to mutter out before Jun saw the staff noting it down onto their tablet.
That was the start of the routine: with Seungcheol getting the Pain Soulmark, Jeonghan celebrating next and getting a number written on his wrist and Joshua who thought he was markless, had shrieked in the toilet finding a faint silhouette of a handprint on his chest.
Jun fiddled with his fingers as they wrapped up practice in the green room, looking at the cake that the staff had prepared as the rest of the members were buzzing with anticipation, more specifically Soonyoung.
“Jun!” Soonyoung exclaimed, making the former jump in surprise as the energetic boy grabbed both his shoulders. “Are you excited?”
Jun opened his mouth to respond but Soonyoung had already breezed past. “I can’t believe you’re getting your mark today and I’ll be getting mine in 5 days time!”
Jun blinked as Soonyoung continued to ramble on and on about how excited he was for the mark and how he couldn’t wait to meet his other half. He managed to tune the boy out as he glanced towards Chan and Minghao at the side who were staring at the older boy with amusement and unamusement respectively. The latter glanced at Jun, raising an eyebrow, silently asking if the older boy was okay. Jun let out a tentative smile and nod, not wanting to alert the younger boy of his nerves.
Jun watched as Minghao’s eyebrows furrow, seemingly not believing him but lets the topic drop as the staff gathered the boys, placing the cake in front of Jun. Jun glanced at the cake, nerves pricking the edges of his skin before he felt someone brush up against his side. He turned to see Minghao sitting to his right, placing a hand on his with a reassuring smile, stopping the unconscious fiddling of fingers that Jun was doing.
“Don’t be nervous.” Minghao whispered to him in their native tongue. “You’ve been waiting for this day for ages.”
He was right.
To say that Jun was excited to get his mark, would be an understatement. Ironic, he thinks, even as he grew up in a slightly broken home where his parents had gotten divorced when he was two years old. His father and mother got married knowing that they weren’t soulmates, almost as if they were trying to game the system. His mother told him that they were happily married for a while before his father had found his actual soulmate and that was the end of their marriage. He remembered her comparing it to a ticking timebomb. They loved each other but they didn't complete each others' souls.
He remembered how much pain she was holding even as she decided to raise him on her own, challenging every social norm as a single mother before fate finally brought her soulmate to her. Bumping into each other at a supermarket that was actually out of the way from where his mother normally goes, a true meet cute if you asked him.
Fast forward many years later, they’re happily married and Jun has never felt more loved.
He snapped out of his thoughts as the members began to sing happy birthday, making him give a small smile as he made a wish and blew out the candles right as the clock struck twelve.
“Do you feel anything?” Soonyoung burst out before yelping as Jihoon smacked the back of his head, hissing at him to calm down. Jun began to search his limbs for marks, words or anything that would be an indication that he has a soulmate. Coming back blank made his heart sink. He couldn’t be markless, could he?
He felt Minghao press more into his right side, a hug it seems as he watched the members quieten down upon seeing his reaction.
He takes a sharp inhale. “I don’t feel anything.” he softly said as he fiddled with his fingers, silently cursing himself.
He wanted to be strong for his younger members, especially because he knew that the thought of being markless scared the maknaes more than they’d like to admit, especially Chan.
He plastered on a fake smile, swallowing his emotions before taking the plastic knife and cutting into the cake in front of him. “It’s fine,” he muttered out. “It might be something that can’t be seen or felt… I think I just need to be patient.”
The tension in the room was palpable. The members glanced at each other as Jun pretended not to notice, his heart wrenching slightly as he wished that he could cut the tension with the knife in his hand.
Jun felt himself going on autopilot, continuing to cut the cake as his head swirled with doubts. Why didn’t he get a soulmark? Was he just not fated to have a soulmate? Was there something wrong with him?
He felt his spiral halt when he felt arms drape around his shoulders, as someone leaned on him. He peered up to see Seungkwan hanging off him, almost nonchalantly. Seungkwan raised an eyebrow at Jun’s staring before nudging him, urging him to continue to cut the cake.
Before he could, the knife was plucked out of his hand making Jun peer up to see Seungcheol, who nudged Jun out of the way to sit in front of the cake.
“Move.” Seungcheol said, nudging Jun away again as he continued cutting from where Jun left off.
Jun blinked at the older boy before a plate was shoved into his hands. “Eat your birthday cake Jun!” Jeonghan singsonged, sticking a fork into the cake. “You know it’s bad luck if the birthday boy doesn’t eat his own cake first?”
Jun managed a weak smile at the older boy before he noticed words appear on Jeonghan’s arm: a sign from his soulmate. Jeonghan glanced at it, a small smile on his lips before placing his arm behind his back, away from prying eyes.
“Oops, made the missus mad.”
“You shouldn’t even be lying so much in the first place.” Minghao muttered, bringing a piece of the cake to his mouth. “The poor girl probably has so many numbers and words staining her skin everyday.” Jeonghan flicked his forehead, making the younger boy yelp before turning back to Jun.
“Better eat up, otherwise the lie would be for nothing.” Jeonghan said pointedly, but Jun could hear the faint fondness in his tone that could've been missed if they hadn’t spent the past two years training with each other.
Jeonghan took a plate before skipping towards the other end of the room, no doubt to tease (read, infuriate) his soulmate by lying so that he can talk to her. Jun peered at the cake in his hands before looking around the room to where all his members sat.
Seungcheol, who was cutting the cake while talking to Joshua, who was helping him to plate them whilst nodding, invested in their conversation as he passed the plate to Jihoon without even looking at him. Jihoon then passed it to Mingyu and Chan, who were sitting in the corner eating the cake with Vernon and Soonyoung. Mingyu, Chan and Soonyoung were talking animatedly while Vernon watched them, smiling at their comments.
He peered to the other corner of the room where Jeonghan, Wonwoo and Seokmin were, cracking jokes before his eyes ended up at Minghao who was leaning against him and Seungkwan who was hanging off of him. He watched as Minghao fed Seungkwan a piece of cake before feeding himself some and Jun smiled fondly as his thoughts calmed down.
Maybe he wasn't destined to have a soulmate but fate was kind enough to send him something else, something better. It sent him twelve brothers who really knew him in their heart and they really knew his soul. He felt the lingering of something on his tongue, some sweet thing that he couldn't name as he felt his heart swell at the information that he had just digested which made his smile grow even wider and softer.
Minghao nudged him. "Are you okay?" he asked softly in their native tongue as Seungkwan turned towards him as well. Jun nodded, using his fork to cut through the cake and placed it into his mouth tasting the sweet cream of the cake before turning to the two younger boys and giving them a smile.
"Never better."
However, even as the taste of the cake faded, Jun remained oblivious to the sweet taste on the tip of his tongue.
THE ACCOSTED MALA TASTEBUDS OF 2016
The moment the clock struck midnight on your eighteenth birthday, you swore your soulmate hated his tastebuds.
To your parents, turning eighteen was on par or even more important than turning twenty-one. Soulmates was all your parents ever talked about, how they were friends turned lovers when they both had turned eighteen. Their only wish was that you and your siblings could experience the same. So, when you were on the cusp of turning eighteen, they pulled out all the stops.
“Mum,” you started, staring at the wall of decorations and table filled with presents that looked like it was one more present away from collapsing on the floor. “I think you might have gone a tad bit o–” Your older brother immediately covered your mouth before you could finish your sentence. “—outdone! She meant outdone mum! It looks amazing!” Your brother finished for you, giving you a side-eye that said ‘proceed with caution’ which made you roll your eyes at the older boy.
Your mum breezed at your brother's comment. “Thank you dear! Just trying to make sure your sister gets the same party that we did for you last year!” She exclaimed as she made her way to the storeroom to possibly get more streamers.
You silently mourned all the lost trees before turning to your brother, crossing your arms. “You didn’t need to step in Chris.”
“And let you ruin mum and dad’s best day ever?” He scoffs, rolling his eyes at you. “Yeah right.”
“You do know it’s my birthday right?”
“Yeah but you don’t care as much about this as them, so let them have it.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Unlike your parents, eighteen really didn’t mean that much to you, you were going to be bound to a stranger for the rest of your life which meant that the next few years of your life would be going on dates, questioning if this was the right person or if the soulmarks match up and if they didn’t, it was inevitable that there's either no second date, or a break-up.
You practically didn’t really believe in soulmates either. Why did the universe have to decide who was the best person for you to match with? Why couldn’t you make the decision yourself?
“Besides,” Chris continued, taking a seat on the streamer draped couch. “You are their one shot right now at proving their stories are true.”
“You’re talking as if you aren’t turning nineteen and that Hannah and Lucas are not going to have the same celebration when they turn eighteen.”
“But,” Chris pointed at you to emphasize his point. “You’re their only shot right now.”
You narrowed your eyes at your brother. "And whose fault is that huh?"
Chris feigned an offended look and exasperatedly gasped as you plopped down onto the couch next to him. “What?!”
You smacked his shoulder as he let out a yelp. “Don’t ‘what’ me,” you said, continuing to hit him despite his protests. “If you didn’t decide to join the label, you’d probably have found your soulmate by now!”
Your older brother Chris was also known as Bang Chan to the rest of the world. Having been musically talented since young, it was almost inevitable that he would end up becoming an idol in Korea. That meant crushing your parents' dream of him finding his soulmate early as he was still a trainee and that meant that dating was a huge no-no.
You were happy for him, you truly were. Being his younger sister, you had first dibs on listening to all his garage or attic produced music and you couldn’t be more proud of what your brother has achieved, especially with his upcoming debut.
What you weren’t happy with was the fact that while your parents were struggling with the news, Chris had the awesome idea to throw you under the bus in his stead. He stated that it was the reason you were born a year after him, making you the perfect candidate to live out their stories which turned their attention onto you.
You felt like throwing him under an actual bus as soon as he had suggested that.
“I’m sor- ow - sorry, can we plea– OW, stop assaulting me with the pillow!” Chris yelped out as you kept hitting him with the pillow. “I should be using things other than pillows for the pressure you put me under, its too much!” You spat out, hitting him a few more times before he caught the pillow and ripped it out of your grasp.
“Okay! Okay! I get it.” Chris said, dodging your movement of getting the pillow back. “I’m sorry for putting you under this much pressure but,” He shot you a look. “Aren’t you even a little bit curious as to what your soulmark is.”
“You know about my thoughts on soulmates Chris.” You said softly, sinking back into the couch as you eyed the decorations sprinkled across the family living room. “I just hate that my life feels like it's predetermined just because of this person that I am supposed to spend the rest of my life with.”
You couldn’t bear to look at your brother although you could already feel his eyes on you as silence enveloped the living room. “Maybe you aren’t scared of the person,” Chris started slowly, making you raise your head to meet his eyes, “but more of the uncertainity that comes with it.”
His tone was soft but his words were firm and hit harder than you thought it would. He had a point, he always did. “Don’t be scared, the universe decided them for you, whoever it is, they are meant to be half of your own soul. I was scared when I got my soulmark too.” Chris said softly, his fingers tracing the half tattoo on his forearm. “But they will love you for who you are, and what you will become. You’re amazing and they will definitely see all those trademarks too.”
Your nerves dissipated little by little as your brother's words sunk in. “Thank you Channie.” you breathe out as you give your brother a side hug. He gave you a side smile, hugging you back as he used his other hand to ruffle your hair.
“Can’t wait to see who will actually match this gremlin energy of yours.” He joked which made you let out a scoff, playfully giving him a small smack on his side as he continued to laugh before he abruptly quietened.
You peered up at him and your heart sank a little as you watched him stare at the half tattoo, his eyes filled with hope and longing. You felt a little guilty for chastising your brother so much, unlike you, he didn’t have a choice of taking steps to finding his soulmate unless he meets her at the label or through shoots. He would need to actually wait for fate to take the reign and bring her to him.
You reached out and grasped his hand, giving it a tight squeeze. “You know,” you started slowly, giving him the time to lock eyes with you. “I read somewhere that if you trace the soulmark, your soulmate can feel that you're thinking about them.”
Chris stared at you, his eyes widening slightly. “Did you just quote a soulmate myth?”
You felt your cheeks heat up slightly as you attempted to glare at your brother. “Don’t push it.”
His face broke out into a mischievous grin. “Look at you, Miss I-Don’t-Believe-In-Soulmates.”
You groaned at his words as you gave him a shove. “Shut up!”
He chuckled a little more before looking straight at you, his grin softening into a soft smile. “You really think she can feel it?”
You mirrored his soft smile. “I’m sure she can Channie. I’m sure you’ll feel it when she does it too.”
Chris gives you a smile back before bumping your shoulder. "So, tell me about the internship!"
Your grin got wider at that, making you sit up straighter, fully facing your older brother.
Ever since you could remember, food had been a big part of your life, almost like how music was apart of your big brothers. Like how producing and music came easy to him, baking came easy to you.
Baking had been your safe space for as long as you could remember. When you were younger, your mother had been trying to bake a red velvet cake for Chris's seventh birthday. Being six and looking up to your mother, you wanted to try it as well. Your mother relented after you had begged her multiple times and was shocked when you were a whiz in the kitchen.
You could crack eggs, take measurements as if it was written in your blood and mix with the hands of a master baker. You were a natural and that was where you fell in love with it.
From that experience, was where you earned the nickname, Red. Part of it was because you were a whiz in the kitchen, but the main reason was because your parents had caught you, dead in the night, the day after your brother's birthday, stuffing your face with the remaining cake. With all the frosting all over your mouth and having eaten almost half of the remainder, it was endearing to say the least.
As you grew older, you opened a food blog, upon Chris's request as a way for him to keep tabs on your food journey even when he was in Korea doing his music. You learned how to take proper pictures, what were the right words to use for describing the food you were making, how to hook people to the blog as well as how to put a touch of yourself in all the baked crafts that you created.
Which lead you to this exact moment.
Two months ago, Gourmet Traveler posted that they were looking for an intern for the summer break that was willing to learn all that they had to offer. Being a huge fan since you were young, you spent many late nights perfecting your CV, perfecting every blog post that you had as well as preparing a video to state why you were the perfect fit for the role.
You spent the better half of your exam period, checking your emails for a response and upon seeing the ad receive almost over 2000 applicants, you were almost sure that you didn't get it. You were a bit upset at first, it was definitely your dream to get in but Chris called you, gave you a pep talk about how they didn't know what they were missing and it made you feel a lot better.
However, when you were lazing around on call with Chris, animatedly talking about the plans you guys had when he came back for your birthday, a 'ping' was heard from your laptop. You lazily walked over to it, clicking as you hummed, listening to Chris talk about how you guys should go get frozen yogurt when he was back. You giggled and was about to agree until your eyes landed on the new email that just came in titled 'Congratulations' which was from the magazine company in-charge of Gourmet Traveler.
Your eyes widened as you open the email, screening through the email before letting out a squeal, startling your brother who dropped the phone on his face with a 'thud'. You heard him let out a muffled curse as he was about to start scolding you, but you immediately turned the camera around to the acceptance letter making his own eyes widen as you both started shouting together.
Which lead you to this moment.
"It's so fun!" You squealed out to your brother, squeezing his hand tighter. "They brought me along to interview one of the new home bakers the other day and let me put in some of the questions that I thought we should ask!" You say, recalling the look on your managers face when he had approved the ideas. "I also got to write my own mini-section for the article coming out this weekend!"
Your brothers eyes widen at that. "Red!" He shouts out, "That's amazing!" He nudges you with his shoulder. "I guess we know what we're doing this weekend!" His eyes sparkle, full of pride, as he pulls his hand away from yours, starting to count.
"We need one for each of us as a keepsake, we also need to buy one extra for us to keep in a frame." He rambles, listing it off on his fingers. "OH! I'm sure Dad, Mum, Hannah and Lucas would also like a copy! And the guys! They were so happy when you got the internship so that's," His eyes widen, "Fourteen copies!"
You laugh, choking slightly on your own saliva from laughing so hard as you shove your brother.
"You're such a dumbass!"
Chris lets out an exasperated gasp. "How can you say that?!" He shoves you back, "Is it wrong for me to be proud of my baby sister?"
You roll your eyes, the smile never leaving your face as he grabs your hand again with a sincere smile on his face.
"Seriously though," He starts, looking at you, his eyes shining with pride, "I'm really proud of you Red."
Your heart swells, squeezing your joint hands before the lights turn off making you jump with a small yelp. You turn towards the kitchen to see your parents bring out a cake with the candles already lit, slowly singing happy birthday. A smile made its way onto your way as you glanced at the clock.
23:58pm
You took a deep breath as your parents put the cake in front of you, your brother's hand anchoring you as he gave it yet another squeeze before letting go for you to have your moment. Your heart thundered in your chest as you looked at the beautiful homemade red velvet cake in front of you that makes a smile appear on your face.
“Make a wish darling!” Your mum exclaimed, snapping you out of your thoughts as she clapped her hands together.
You glanced at Chris who had a reassuring smile on his face before glancing back at the cake and closing your eyes, briefly making a wish before you opened them and blew out the candle right as your house was filled with a ding.
Your parents looked at you expectantly, eyes wide as you shifted nervously under their intense gazes.
“Do you feel anything Red?” Your dad asked, shifting excitedly on his feet. You nervously checked the underside of your arms before moving to your legs and shaking your head.
“I don’t–”
As soon as you said that, your face started burning up as a sharp burning numbing sensation hit your tongue making you gasp out. You immediately shot out of your seat as the sensation took over your tongue, making tears start to well up in your eyes. Chris was out of his seat, eyeing you, his face filled with shock.
“Red?! Are you alright?”
You wanted to scream at him, saying that of course you weren’t alright but sarcasm was definitely not the right approach while you were midway dying from the burning sensation.
“Water!” You managed to choke out, urgently gesturing to the water jar sitting on the family table. Chris immediately grabbed a glass, pouring like his life dependent on it, turning around to pass it to you. You grabbed it out of his hand and inhaled the water, feeling the burning sensation start to subside with each gulp you took.
Chris had given you a few more glasses before the spice fully subsided as you collapsed back on the couch, your eyes slightly rimmed with tears and slightly red. You watched your parents nervously glance at each other as Chris passed you a tissue paper to wipe the stray tears from your eyes.
Your tongue felt numb from the spice that had overtaken all your senses as a sourish aftertaste soon followed making you smack your lips as your face scrunched up slightly in disgust of the aftertaste. Swirling more water in your mouth in hopes to get rid of the taste, you turned to your parents.
“What was that?” you croaked out to them as they were shifting slightly uncomfortably from where they’re standing.
Your mum cleared her throat. “Well, sweetheart,” she started, as you watched her brain slowly piece the words together, “it seems like you have a taste soul mark.”
You froze, your hand stopping from dabbing at your eyes, looking between your parents for confirmation as to whether either of them were joking. When all you were met with was seriousness, you felt a heavy sigh flow up from your throat as you frowned.
“You gotta be fucking kidding me–”
“LANGUAGE!”
THE RED OF RED VELVET OF 2016
Jun felt himself collapse on the floor as soon as the video stopped recording. Catching his breath, he jumped slightly, hearing a soft 'thud' beside him before chuckling to himself at the view of his starfished team leader.
Minghao walked over to the two and sits down opposite Jun, an unamused expression on his face as he shakes his head at Soonyoung's antics.
"One of these days," Minghao muttered out, "You're going to hurt yourself really bad by collapsing like that." Soonyoung, who was still starfished on the floor, lets out a grunt in acknowledgment at Minghao's words but makes no further comment.
Chan who was the only one left standing after the intense practice, ran a hand through his hair as he kept slowly rehearsing the moves, slowly correcting himself, little by little. Jun watched in adoration, as their maknae continued to nail the choreography with ease.
Being in the performance unit was definitely something he was meant for but it didn't make the extra dance practices or intense choreography easier to get the hang off. Sometimes he was envious of the other two units, the hiphop unit just needed to look like they were having fun on stage and the vocal unit just needed to look ethereal. Them, on the other hand, needed their choreography to look flawless which meant extra practices and extra dances to remember.
Chan continued to hum the beat of 'Highlight' before walking over to his three hyungs, plopping down in between Jun and Minghao. "I think we're almost ready for the music video recording." Chan chirped up making Jun smile, despite still catching his breath. He was always envious at how much energy their maknae had, even after all those extra steps, Chan looked like he wasn't even panting.
Soonyoung sat up slowly. "Yeah and then tomorrow we need to figure out how to do the 13 member version for the concerts."
Minghao lets out a low groan. "You couldn't wait to drop that news tomorrow or something?" Minghao chastises lightly. "Couldn't just let us have the peace for the night?"
Soonyoung clicks his tongue. "As performance leader," he gives Minghao a cheeky grin, "I cannot."
Minghao rolls his eyes at the older boys antics. "Can't believe you're older than me." He muttered. Soonyoung lets out a scoff, about to retort when Minghao notices Soonyoung's eyes sparkle a little before changing, the dark brown slowly turning to a maroon red.
"Your eyes changed colour again." Minghao nonchalantly points out, gesturing towards his eyes making Soonyoung's eyes widen, any remarks dying, as he whips out his phone to document the change.
"Are you any closer to figuring out what it means?" Chan asked Soonyoung, who was still typing ferociously onto his phone. Soonyoung absentmindedly shook his head.
"No," He muttered out, still engrossed as he scrolled through his notes. "It's driving me insane! Like I can't believe I have a soulmate and I can't even communicate with them like Minghao can, all I have is the darned colour changes. Its almost as if the universe just doesn't want me to find—"
Minghao slaps the back of Soonyoung's head before he has the chance to continue making the older boy yelp in pain. Soonyoung shoots glares at Minghao, "What the hell was that for—"
Minghao raises a finger, silencing the boy before gesturing to Jun who was sitting there, quietly with his legs crossed. Soonyoung's eyes widen in understanding, gnawing on his bottom lip. "Sorry Jun." he mutters out making Jun glance up and shake his head slowly, a weak smile on his face.
"It's alright." Jun said softly, shrugging a little, "I'm used to it."
Even after two years, Jun was still the only one unsure if he had a soulmate or not, everyone else had gotten something on their 18th birthday except Chan whose birthday hasn't passed yet and was just a few months away. With every new soul mark that the group celebrated, Jun's hopes dimmed more and more.
After being told to not give up two years ago, Jun had done everything in his power to figure out what soul mark he had. He went onto his ipad in between practice sessions, just to read up on published articles of late blooming soul marks. He picked up some books in the library about the different types of soul marks that have been documented so far, each more unique than the last. Hell, he even tried to force the soul mark to happen by pinching himself after seeing Seungcheol's soul mark or even doodling on himself after seeing Seungkwan's but drew blanks everytime.
Maybe he was really unlucky and he really was going to be the only one without a soulmate.
He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the three younger boys share a glance, a silent conversation between them before shooting to their feet, shocking him.
"I think we're done with practice today." Soonyoung states, stretching a little before holding out a hand for Jun to grab. Jun stares at the hand, side glancing to the two other younger boys before looking at Soonyoung, his eyebrows furrowing. "Don't we have another hour of practice today?"
It was true, the staff had booked the the practice room for eight hours today and left them around two hours ago, trusting that they would practice till the time was up. Soonyoung was normally the one in charge of the timings, being the performance leader and never let the group end earlier for any circumstance even with Chan's constant whines of wanting to end.
Soonyoung raised an eyebrow. "Well," he clicked his tongue, "I was being nice and offering but if you're that concerned," his eyes twinkled with a mischievous sparkle, "You can stay and practice by yourself."
Soonyoung starts to slowly pull his hand back, making Jun's eyes widen, grabbing onto it and pulling himself up. "No thanks." Jun chirped out making Soonyoung roll his eyes, a small smirk making it's way onto his face.
"C'mon." Soonyoung said, putting an arm around Jun's shoulder before glancing at his other two members, a smile on his face. "Let's go to get some food."
The four of them walked out of the practice room, up the stairs and onto the street which was buzzing with ambient noises. They talked about everything under the sun, random little tidbits and inside jokes filled the moments until they stopped at a familiar neon signage.
Jun blinked, not even realizing they had ended up outside his favourite Chinese restaurant. His eyebrows furrow before looking towards the other three boys, one eyebrow raising in question. "I thought you guys wanted to try the new Korean jeon place that was having that one for one deal?"
Soonyoung simply shrugged. "We changed our mind." Jun stared at him in disbelief, clearly not believing his answer but was pushed through the doors of the restaurant by the tiger boy before he could press even further.
"Good evening— Oh! It's you four!" The owner of the restaurant greets them, with a warm smile on her face as the four boys bowed, mirroring her expression. "Where are the other noisy nine that are normally with you all?" She teased, as the boys took their seats at one of the tables near the window of the store.
"Are the four of us not enough aunty?" Soonyoung whines out, making the old lady laugh as Minghao and Chan roll their eyes at their older hyung while Jun just shakes his head, a little embarrassed at their leader's antics. She pat Soonyoung's head. "Enough, enough," She says, soothing the boy. "It's just livelier when all thirteen of you are around."
Mrs Yang, as she told the boys to call her, was a lady in her sixties who had opened this restaurant after she moved from China twenty-odd years ago. Mrs Yang had opened the restaurant with her husband after they had been unable to find jobs in the corporate world and opted for their restaurants to be a 24/7 shop for those who just needed the comfort of a hot bowl of food.
The boys has stumbled across the restaurant before their debut, looking for food at the weird hours of the morning. She had welcomed them with open arms and for Jun, this place was like home far away from home.
Jun enjoyed the food so much that he found himself coming back to the restaurant whenever he felt down or just needed a hot meal that wasn't out of his budget. When Mrs Yang had learned about their debut, she purposely made a special menu for them that cost less than what other patrons paid.
Seungcheol and Jeonghan tried to argue with her about it but she was stubborn to say the least as she threatened them with the idea of lowering the prices for the thirteen of them even more.
She rounded the table to Jun and Minghao's side. "How are my two favourite boys?" She asked, in their native tongue making the two look at each other, a knowing smile on their faces.
"We're good." Minghao replied in Chinese before gesturing towards Jun, "Jun here really wanted to eat your food today."
Mrs Yang looks right at Jun, meeting his gaze before analyzing him.
"Thinking about her?"
Jun gave her a weak smile before looking back at the menu, analyzing it as if he didn't already know what he wanted. The night of his eighteenth Birthday, Jun sneaked out of the shared dormitories, needing to clear his head from the day. Having had practice the whole day, Jun didn't really have time to dwell on the fact of his soulmate and threw himself into the practice, making sure his moves were perfect and didn't really rest the whole day.
The other boys were worried, for sure. He saw the small glances that they gave each other when he was the first back on his feet after the breaks, they saw how he sweat a little harder than the rest of them and how he was unusually quiet, not a single mischievous comment coming out from his mouth.
Minghao and Seungkwan didn't leave his side for majority of the day and when Minghao had appeared in their shared room in his sleepwear with Chan no where to be seen, he knew that the members had a small meeting about him.
That's how he found himself back at the restaurant, drinking a hearty bowl of beef noodle soup, sitting opposite Mrs Yang. The restaurant was always quiet in the dead of the night. Mr Yang working hard to prepare the next set of ingredients needed for the wave of 5am customers who typically worked the night shift while Mrs Yang minced chili for their special chili oil, cut spring onions for garnish or plucked the heads off of bean sprouts.
Tonight she was doing the latter, slowly making her way through mountain in the left while she disposed the headless ones on her right, the heads throwing them into the plastic bag beside her.
She hummed along to an old Chinese song that flowed through the speakers of the restaurant that Jun recognized. It was one of his grandmother's favourite songs that used to play in the house when he was younger. It was at times like this that he missed his home in China and the food only amplified it more. He swallowed his emotions as he downed the last bit of his noodles, placing the bowl on the table with a soft 'thud' alerting Mrs Yang.
She gave him an easy smile, peering into the bowl, "Wahh," She said, the smile on her face growing bigger, "I guess we don't need to run the bowl through the dishwasher with how clean your bowl is."
Jun let out a weak laugh at the joke, sparing her a glance before going back to stare outside the window as he watched one or two cars whizz by.
Mrs Yang's eyes soften watching the forlorn boy who looked like he was close to breaking. She looked towards the kitchen where Mr Yang was standing, glancing between the two of them with a curious look twinkling in his eyes before gesturing towards her making her nod.
Jun was brought out of his thoughts when Mr Yang placed a small serving of a dessert that Jun wasn't expecting to see was placed in-front of him. His eyes widened, before looking between the older couple, his jaw dropping, "Nian Gao?" Jun sputtered out, making the older couple's eyes twinkle with delight.
"Happy birthday my dear boy." Mrs Yang said softly as Mr Yang placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Didn't think we would forget your birthday did you?" Mr Yang asked, his eyebrow raising, "We're old but not that old." Jun immediately shook his head, panicking slightly making Mr Yang let out a hearty laugh as Mrs Yang tsked at her husband, hitting his hand lightly.
"Don't disturb the poor boy like this on his birthday." She chastised her husband but there was no malice in her tone making Mr Yang laugh harder. Jun stared at the couple, longing in his veins, smiling a little sadly at the sight before looking down at the sticky cake in front of him.
The couple shared another glance at Jun's silence before Mrs Yang reached over the table and grabbed his hand that was resting there. "Want to talk about it?" She asked softly.
Jun swallowed. "I don't think I have a soulmate." He lowly admitted, his heart clenching slightly. The older couple were quiet for a beat at the confession before Mrs Yang's eyes hardened slightly on the boy. "That's nonsense."
Jun blinked at her stern words, "Everyone has a soulmate boy." She said, sternly locking eyes with Jun, "The minute you stop believing in that is when your soul doesn't long for them anymore or it feels complete without them next to you."
She raised an eyebrow at the young boy, "Do you truly feel like that?"
The question knocks the wind out of Jun's lung as he finds himself staring at her, his mouth open and closing like a fish before he shakes his head, clearing his thoughts. He really thought about it, her words striking him hard.
"I don't," He manages to answer making Mrs Yang nod her head. "Then she's still out there, longing for you as well."
It's crazy how those few simple words made Jun's doubts all disappear but she was right. If he didn't have a soulmate, he wouldn't feel this upset about not having something he didn't have in the first place. He wouldn't feel like something is missing from his life.
Mrs Yang gave Jun's hand a small squeeze. "Blow your candle already my dear boy." She said, pulling her hand back, "Make a good wish."
Jun smiled at the older couple who stared at him, their eyes filled with adoration and pride before he made a wish. He wished upon every single star in the sky that he would find her.
That's how they ended up here, the Yangs' had been helping Jun out by giving him hope and also checking with all their soulmate doctors that they knew. They always had something new to give Jun but with the search getting harder and harder each day, they were coming up short during his last recent visits.
"I always am." He answered, a reply to Mrs Yang's question, "I don't think she ever leaves my mind."
Mrs Yang gives the boy a sympathetic smile, reaching down and giving his hand a squeeze, "Good, as long as you don't give up on her." She says, her words a little fierce before turning to the younger Chinese boy.
"And you?" Mrs Yang asked. "Has she communicated with you?"
Minghao gave her a small smile. "We're trying," He mutters back softly, tugging at his sleeves to show the dark words of his soulmates thoughts on his arm, "Hard with the time difference and the language barrier but Shua hyung and Vernon have been helping me."
Mrs Yang gives the boy a toothy smile at that. "Good boys." She says, her smile widening at the thought of Joshua and Vernon. "I'll pack some extra food later for you to bring to them." The two boys give her an appreciative smile and thank her in Chinese before Mrs Yang clapped her hands.
"Right!" She said in Korean, getting the rest of the boys attentions, "I got a treat for you boys tonight." She gave them a wink with a promise to be right back before disappearing behind into the kitchen where she talked in fast Cantonese with her husband.
The four boys glance at each other before laughing to themselves as the couple loudly talked to each other. Not even twenty minutes later, the table was filled with various different dishes that the older couple whipped up making the four boys salivate.
"Dig in!" Mrs Yang said, clapping her hands as the boys eagerly began to dig in. "Woah!" Soonyoung gasped out after taking a spoonful of soup, "This is so good." Mrs Yang nods, her smile filled with pride, "It's Mala Tang," She said proudly, "Mr Yang and I thought it would be good for us to add it to the menu since Minghao and Jun mentioned liking it."
Jun took a sip of the soup and let out a sigh of contentment. "Really tastes like home Mrs Yang."
"I'm glad." She says, giving him a huge smile and patting his head gently.
They share stories with Mrs Yang about their recent practice and their upcoming concerts, Soonyoung sometimes getting out of his seat to dance the dance for her making Minghao shake his head at his antics as Jun and Chan laughed at their leader.
She clapped her hands as Soonyoung finished his one man show of 'Highlight'. "Bravo!" She cheered as Soonyoung took an exaggerated bow making Chan laugh as Minghao sighed and Jun smiled in between bites.
He quietly listened to Soonyoung animatedly tell Mrs Yang about his ideas for the thirteen member version of the song, placing more chili oil in his mala tang spoon as the clock struck 10pm. He took a sip of the soup, loving the spice and numbness on his tongue before it totally dulled in record speed, replaced by the strong taste of water.
Jun jumped in surprise, confusion flooding his features as he stared at the spoon as if it had offended him, which it did. "What in the world?" Jun wondered aloud before placing more chili oil into the soup before taking another spoonful of the soup and put it into his mouth.
Minghao who heard his murmurs, glanced at him, his eyebrow raised. Jun felt the numbness and the spice hit his tongue again before it was once again doused with taste of water.
"Not spicy enough for you?" Minghao asks teasingly as Jun frowned at the bowl getting the attention of the other three people at the table.
"No," Jun started, confusion still etched into his features, "I keep tasting water for some reason after drinking the soup."
Minghao's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What?" He asked. Jun shrugged, "The mala taste of numbness and spice is there for like a second but then it gets overwhelmed by a really strong water taste." Jun said, taking another sip of the soup. He scrunches his nose in confusion as he tasted more water, the more he clicked his tongue.
Soonyoung at the other end of the table made a face before his eyes widened in realization as he turned to Mrs Yang who smiled as the gears turned in her head at Jun's words.
"Look's like your soulmate has finally found you." Mrs Yang said, making Jun tilt his head in confusion before it hit him. Chan and Minghao let out gasps as it hit them as well. Jun felt his heart thunder in his ribcage as his eyes widened.
Soonyoung rushed out of his seat, rounded the table and hugged the boy, squeezing him tightly as Minghao reached over to grab Jun's hand, "I told you so." Minghao said, in their native tongue, squeezing the boys hand.
Jun felt tears swarm his vision as his taste buds came to life, tasting the sweet taste of cream cheese frosting and chocolate cake on his tongue.
Red Velvet Cake.
He had finally found you.
10 YEARS LATER
"Fuck." You curse under your breath, running through the city in your heels was surely not the way you wanted to start your morning. It wasn't like you meant to sleep through all three of your alarms, you had stayed up to the early hours of the morning, working on your newest article for the magazine.
After you had graduated from high school, your old manager during your internship had called and offered you a position with the magazine after loving your work so much. Hence, you were known as the culinary and food expert at the Gourmet Magazine.
"Hey Mina," You greet as you brisk walked through the company glass doors. Mina, the receptionist looks up from her computer before giving you a bright smile, greeting you with your name as you gave her your card to scan you in.
"Long night?" She asks, glancing at the time on her computer making you give her a weak smile as you shrug, "You know how it is when we're wrapping up articles." You answered tiredly, making her nod her head sympathetically.
Mina had been the receptionist at the company since you started working full-time here. She was always around and she somehow always had the brightest smile on her face. She was also one of your closer friends in the company, always having an extra coffee for you whenever you were working late and always brought you donuts or other forms or sweet treats. She was quite literally your life saver.
"I hope the article goes well," She says softly, passing you back your card as you give her a warm smile, thanking her before she open the gantries for you. Your heels click on the marble floor as you press the button for the elevator, taking it up to the fifth floor.
You briskly walked in, dumping your stuff on top of the table of your cubicle before sinking into your chair, letting out a sigh of relief as you check the clock. Five minutes to spare, you roll your shoulders, finally catching your breath before a head peaked over your cubicle divider.
"There you are," Nari teased making you roll your eyes, a smile on your face as you came face to face with your cubicle sharer. "Was wondering if you were going to make it for the special meeting today or not."
You huff out a scoff, "And risk getting my ass handed to me by Minho?" You mutter back, shaking your head, "He would kill me if I missed the meeting."
Nari rolled her eyes at that, "As if." She scoffed, "You're literally his favourite journalist in the field. I think he would rather choke on his own guts before chewing yours out." You scrunched your nose at the image, "Gross." You said making Nari laugh.
Nari had joined the same time as you as a fellow intern for the food magazine. The two of you had solid portfolios and because management couldn't choose, they decided to offer both of you the spots. You and Nari became friends pretty quickly even though she was a year older than you were and the two of you chatted about everything under the sun. After the internship was over and the two of you finished high school, you were both on boarded together and have been working as cubicle besties since then.
Your phone buzzed making you glance at it before fishing through your bag for your laptop and the hard copy of your article and column for the week. "C'mon, you menace." You called to Nari, "Let's go see what Park wants before he hands us something bad for being late."
Nari appears beside you in record speed with her own laptop and hard copies in her hand, "He loves us too much to actually do that." She says, a mischievous grin on her face making you roll your eyes. "Well, let's not actually give him a reason then."
The two of you continue to chat as you made your way into the meeting room, where your magazine manager, Park Minho already stood. Beside him, sat his personal assistant, Lina who had a frown on her face as she was typing up a storm on her laptop in front of her, her fingers flying across the keyboard at record speed.
As you and Nari pushed open the glass door, Minho looked up before grinning at the sight of you two, "There are my two favourite food journalists!" He announced, doing an exaggerated arm opening movement making both you and Nari roll your eyes at his antics.
"Don't let Terry hear you say that," Nari teased, as she took a seat at his other side. You flashed Lina a grin who flashes you one back, tiredness etched into it before she went back to typing on her computer.
"Well, if Terry's articles and food columns actually hit 1500 views over the weekend," Minho began, eyeing the two of you with an easy grin on his face, "He shall get that spot then."
Your eyes widened as you looked at Nari who had a similar look on her face before looking back at your manager, "We hit 1.5k views?" You asked in disbelief making Minho nod as he flashed you both grins of pride, "Yep! Just over the weekend!"
You and Nari high-five each other, the smiles on your faces not dimming, "Was this what this meeting is for?" Nari asked, her eyes still sparkling making Minho shake his head, "Firstly," He pointed towards the papers on yours and Nari's computers, "I need to collect your columns and articles for this week."
The two of you share a look before passing them to him, he flipped through them briefly before passing them to Lina who tucks them into her file beside her. "Secondly," He starts before gesturing towards the projector screen, "The higher ups have been super impressed with the work that you both have been putting in and they recently wanted to offer you an assignment that is specially catered to the two of you."
You and Nari glanced at each other before looking back at the screen as Minho changed it to the next slide. Upon reading the words etched onto the slide, you felt your blood run cold.
"Food for the Soul: A Soulmate Assignment?" Nari asked, her tone ecstatic as you just stared at it with your mouth open. Minho nodded his head eagerly, seeming not to notice both your expressions as he continued, "Since both of you have a soul mark related to food cravings or taste, the higher ups thought that they wanted to create a series where you look for your soulmates through the foods and see if you can find them."
He flips to the next slide, "Of course, the trip is also fully-paid, you just need to inform Lina and I of the location you think your soulmate is in and we will get you the accommodations as well as give you money for you to spend to write the series."
Minho finally turns to you and Nari who have different expressions etched onto your faces as you just stared blankly at the projection screens, "Of course, we have to work out a timeline, what your series will actually entail but this is the basics of the assignment." Minho finishes, with a satisfied grin on his face as he takes a seat back into the rolling chair of the meeting room.
"Any questions?" He asks making Nari shake her head with a huge smile on her face before he turned to look at you who still stared at the board, a million thoughts running through your head. You felt faint.
After the incident of your eighteenth birthday, you held a huge dislike for your soulmate and his taste buds. You were aware that you and your soulmate definitely didn't live in the same country with the amount of times you would wake up with the taste of Americano on your taste buds before you even had your first cup of coffee and the amount of times you would eat your late dinner with the taste of toothpaste on your tongue.
At the start of your journalism journey, it was difficult to say the least. For every single assignment, you had to work around the times when your soul mate was having his meals so as to not have it clash with the food that you were writing your reviews for.
You had learned that the hard way when you were tasting the cakes of the newest rising bakery in town, only to almost spit out the delicious creamy cakes when you taste the sour and spicy taste of some fish dish that your soul mate was having. Safe to say, you worked your absolute hardest to give the bakery the best review it could ever get and business was still booming to this day.
You had tried to make a schedule for when your soul mate eats his meals and he was consistent for a while but within a month or so, that schedule will change sporadically throughout the month leaving you to just shred the schedule and go "fuck it", to try to find other workarounds. Which of course, there weren't.
This lead to your certain distaste for him and his taste buds as he never really had anything sweet and opted for every single spicy or sour food he could find his hands on. However, as much as you didn't like him or the idea of him, he was… sweet sometimes.
He must've gotten a schedule down for you, because unlike his outrageously sporadic schedule, you kept your meal times to a certain range in the day and it only strayed sometimes when you were in the middle of assignments or on work trips.
Because for the week during your periods, he ate milder stuff and kept to a proper schedule like it was clockwork. More sweet stuff than spicy or sour and sometimes he would sneak a chocolate during the middle of your day which made you smile as you taste the creaminess on your tongue.
You would be nice as well and eat something spicy during the week after, during one of your meals as a quiet 'thank you' to which he always replied with either another sweet chocolate or something sweeter. Still, that didn't mean you were okay with having a soul mate, he was normally a blip in your imagination until your tongue tastes something unfamiliar which makes you frown and curse him out even more.
Now you were expected to make a series to force yourself to find him? The biggest assignment of your career where you get to travel for 3 to 4 months and it was all to find someone that you didn't want in the first place.
You gnawed on your bottom lip before feeling Nari nudge you, snapping you out of your thoughts. You eyed her before realizing that all three of the people in the room were staring at you. You cleared your throat before straightening up, flashing Minho a weak smile.
"Sorry, spaced out there for a moment." you say, looking between him and Lina, "What did I miss?"
Minho gives you a curious look before clearing his throat as he gestures back to the presentation, "Well, I was just saying that you and Nari have a week, you can brainstorm with each other or separately and decide what your game plan is and where you think your soulmate is."
He peers at his watch before tapping it with his fingers, "Right, Lina and I need to run for a meeting with the Chief." He said, standing before pushing his chair and shooting the two of you a bright white smile, buttoning his suit jacket. "If you two have any questions, just shoot them into my inbox!" He says cheerily as Lina stood by his side, her signature frown still on her face as she gripped her laptop and files like they were her lifeline, which they probably were.
With that, he gives the two of you a wave before stepping out of the room. Nari turns to you as soon, her excitement radiating off of her. "I can't believe this!" She all but squeals as she grips your hands in hers, her eyes twinkling.
"A paid assignment to go find our soulmate!" She said, her tone dreamy as her eyes glazed over a little, "It's almost like a dream come through!"
You manage to give her a weak smile. "Yeah." You mutter out, your eyes moving downwards to stare at the scratch marks on the wooden table as the faint taste of kimchi fills your tastebuds.
"A dream come true, alright…"
You stare at blinking cursor on your screen, the blank document reflecting the opposite of every single thought in your brain before you groan out in frustration. You push your laptop off of your lap and onto your bed as you sink further into the pillows.
It had been almost a week since you had your meeting with Minho and you were nowhere close to drafting up that working plan for him about finding your soulmate. You felt like a zombie the past few days, sure you were present in the meetings, there for your discussion sessions with Nari but it felt as if you were on autopilot for all of them.
You half-heatedly listened to Nari as she explained to you her idea. Nari, like you, had a food related soul mark but for her, it was related to what her soul mate was craving at different times. They didn't taste each others food, but whatever her soul mate was craving, Nari found herself craving the same thing. It didn't matter who craved it first, the two of them ended up having the same meals anyway.
If you had gotten that soulmark instead, you felt that it wouldn't make a difference because he would've craved an immense amount of spicy and sour food and you weren't sure that your tastebuds could handle more than one meal of spice or sour foods a day. It just wasn't in your system to have it.
As she animatedly told you her plan, how she thought that her soulmate was situated in Italy, he always had a certain craving for different Italian foods such as pizzas and pastas and how he seemed to also crave a certain Italian wine.
You envied her a little bit, she had a plan and she wanted to meet the man that was part of her soul. You on the other hand, felt a pit in your stomach whenever you felt someone ask you about your soulmate.
You had been on a few dates here and there, with people who hadn't found their soulmate yet either but nothing ever truly stuck. You were committed to your work and you definitely didn't stand in the other persons way when the date eventually went eastward when they found their respective one.
"Don't worry," They used to assure you as they paid for your drink. "I'm sure he's out there looking for you as well."
You weren't sure about that. As much as you haven't been trying to find your mysterious man, he also wasn't making it easy to pinpoint where he was on the map. Your parents had given you a journal for your birthday, something cheesy with stars on it and titled it 'Your Soulmate Journal' for you to document everything related to your soulmate for you to find them. They had also given one to your brother for him to document the certain feelings he felt when he touched the mark or whether it glowed brighter and in which direction.
You used it to document the food he ate instead. Sometimes if you wanted to wing the assignments, you used the food journal of his tastes to get ahead, to get the variety that you normally wouldn't eat yourself. It worked for a while but at the end of the day, you felt guilty for your soulmate. You didn't want anything to do with him but you were using him to get ahead, so you stopped and just documented what he ate, trying to find a pattern, just to satisfy your parents every time you saw them for Sunday dinners, just to say you were trying.
You glance at the journal on your desk and sighed, getting up to take it before flipping through it.
18/9/2017 Loser boy ate the spicy numbing food again. Been talking to Minho and Nari about what the foods were to try and get more info. Admittedly, maybe he has taken the hint from the amount of water I keep dousing my tongue in after he eats the food, but he's been getting a milder one. Either that or I'm getting better at eating his god-awful spicy food.
25/12/2018 Found out what the hell that spicy food is. Nari came into work and brought an extra portion of lunch for me today. It smelled good but as soon as I tasted it, it felt like my tastebuds were tasting him. She told me its something called Mala tang, something she had discovered in the city and it was to die for. I agree with her on that considering I nearly died from it during my birthday but I didn't mention that to her. I thanked her as my stomach did flip flops as I ate quietly. The food wasn't bad but considering my low spice tolerance, I definitely can't eat this everyday. My question to my loser boy, why the hell do you?
You grimace as you recalled the last memory before flipping a few more pages.
10/6/2019 Is today his birthday? It could be a coincidence but he had cake just now. Not that he hasn't had cake before. But it's always on this specific day. I flipped through the last three years of entries and I think it is. He had three different kinds today… Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry, all filled with cream. It felt like he ate a lot more sweet stuff today than normal. Maybe he was trying to communicate with me?
18/10/2021 I fucking hate him. I thought I had his schedule down, but I somehow woke up at 4am in the goddamn morning, because he decided to eat Mala Tang again. He put extra spice this time though. Is he doing it on purpose? I would normally only taste mint now but I'm tasting so much food, its annoying. I've tasted Mala Tang, some kind of sweet and sour pork and some kind of black pepper beef. I fucking hate him. I hate that he made me hungry at 4am in the morning.
29/6/2022 God, hes been eating at weird timings again. The last time it was like this, it lasted for a few months where I'd wake up with different food tastes in my mouth. What does he work as? A food taster? Some moonlighter? Why does his food schedule go haywire every few months? The only conclusion I can come up with is that he travels a lot. There's no other explanation. Unless he hates me which I can't blame him because I hate his tastebuds.
You flipped through it more until you came to the most recent one which was a tally.
Tallied results: Korean food - 6890 times Chinese food - 3568 times
You internally groan, just looking at the first two. You weren't stupid. He was definitely in Korea from the amount of times he had eaten Korean food over the last few years that you had documented. But he seemed to take a liking to Chinese food, considering that he eats Mala at least twice a week from your count.
You glance towards the framed polaroid on your desk and frown a little more. The picture of you and your older brother Chris, stares back at you making you sigh. You had an inkling for years that your soulmate was in Korea, which was why you never really traveled there with a fear of running into him on the street, breaking this little bubble that you were keen to keep.
You knew that Chris was disappointed. Your parents traveled there to visit him as least once every quarter with your siblings but you never went. It started with small excuses at first, like you can't take leave from work, you needed to finish the article, you were traveling for a work trip, et cetera.
Chris also hummed in understanding but you could see the look in his eyes that he knew you were lying to him and that you were keeping something from him. He just didn't press you enough to figure out what you were hiding from him.
You stared at the polaroid for a beat longer before sighing and pulling out your phone. Checking the time and doing the mental math, you went into facetime and hovered over the call button on his contact. You pulled your bottom lip between your teeth before deciding 'fuck it' and hitting the button.
His ringtone rang once. Twice. Thrice.
As you started to second guess yourself and hovered over the disconnect button, the ringing stopped and changed to 'connecting'.
Your eyes widened but before you could calm your nerves, Chris appeared on your screen with makeup on with a concerned expression on his face.
"Hi-" You managed to say before Chris interrupted you.
"Are you hurt?" He asked, urgently making you stop and frown, "What—"
"Is something the matter?" He asked again, before rattling even more. "Did something happen with mum and dad? Wait- no then you would've called an ambulance first. Is it Hannah? Or Lucas?"
"Chris—"
His eyes widened, "Oh my god! Did you just get fired?? Is that why you look so worried?? Do you need money??"
"Chris." You called, getting a little more frustrated but he payed you no mind as he continues on rambling.
"Well, we didn't plan for this but we can go to Plan Contingency B! Where you move to Korea with me and then we can figure out the rest of the stuff. Let me call my manager and then we can have you situated her—"
"Christopher Chahn Bahng!" You exclaimed, making him pause at the mention of his full government name, looking at you as his face pales even more.
"Oh god! Is it worst than that?" You wanted to slam your head into the wall at your brothers expression.
Before he could launch into another spiral of rants, you spit out, "Chris, I need to talk to you about my soulmate."
At that, he freezes, his jaw dropping open.
You never talk about your soulmate willingly since your eighteenth birthday. Your parents or siblings always had to pull it out of you whenever you met up with them for dinners or on calls. You never brought it up first, considering it to just be a small blip in your life, much to your parent's disdain.
You stayed silent, letting the initial shock sink in as well as letting his brain process.
"Chris?" You call out softly after counting to hundred in your head, "Can I continue?"
Chris closes his mouth, taking a swallow before nodding, "Er, yeah." He clears his throat as he sat up straighter, "Sorry, I wasn't expecting that."
"Neither did I when you started your full rant about contingency plans." You quipped back making a small flush appear on his cheeks, "When you call me in the middle of the night after my concert —which you normally never do, a brother can worry."
Your eyes widen at that, "Oh shit!" You mutter out. He shakes his head and holds up his free hand before you could even begin to apologize, "You can apologize by telling me what's got you awake at 1am in the morning when you have work tomorrow."
You took a deep breath before you told him about everything, the assignment, how you thought your soulmate was in Korea and how conflicted you were about everything. Chris just listened, never interrupting you as he shuffled around his hotel room, dressing down for the night after the concert. The only times he spoke was to ask a few questions here and there, just to clarify and piece the story together better.
"So," You breathe out, finally catching him up on everything, "What do you think?"
Chris was quiet for a moment, his makeup now fully removed as he sunk lower into his bed, "Is that why you haven't wanted to visit me the last few years?" He asks, softly. Your heart drops at the question before you give a small nod, "I knew the chances of me bumping into him were small but," You shook your head, "I just didn't know if I wanted to meet him yet." You hesitate a little before admitting, "Or if I was even ready to meet him."
Silence enveloped the room as the two of you digested everything that you had talked about before Chris sighs over the phone and runs a hand through his hair.
"I understand." He finally says, giving you a small smile and a shrug, "It was your anti-soulmate defense system talking," he says, a slight tease in his tone before it drops, "But this might be a good thing you know?" He says gently, "You were going to have to face him eventually and meeting him might give you a better piece of mind Red. You need to give him a chance."
You nod, rubbing your eyes, "I know," you mutter out, "I just didn't think it was going to happen so soon."
Chris nodded, empathetically, "I know Red," he whispers out, "But running away from him isn't going to work forever. I think this might be the universes way of telling you to face your fears."
You heave out a sigh before rolling over onto your back, your hand reaching out to grab your pillow before cuddling it, "I didn't think that my biggest assignment of my career was going to revolve around him Channie." You softly admit making him frown as he stared at you through the phone.
"I'm sorry Red."
You shake your head as you feign a brave smile, "It's okay." Your voice wavering slightly as you try to reassure him (and yourself). "I need to finish typing up my game plan."
Chris visibly hesitates and opens his mouth to say something but rethinks it and just nods.
You bid him goodnight and was about to hang up when he calls out to you.
"Red?"
You raise an eyebrow, "Yeah?"
He chews his bottom lip, "Would you like to stay with me when you come?" Your eyebrows furrow at the suggestion, "Is that even allowed?" You ask making him shrug, "I probably need to talk to my manager about it but Jeong-in probably won't mind if you bunk with me plus…" He trails off, hesitating slightly making you raise an eyebrow, "Plus?"
"It'll be nice to live in the same house again, that's all." Chris softly says making your heart clench slightly at the tone of his voice making you relent, "Alright." You relent, giving him a small smile. "Check with your manager and we can plan from there."
Saying that the next few weeks felt like a fever dream would be the understatement of the century.
If you weren't at home, you were at work pulling different all-nighters to wrap up the remaining projects, interviews and articles you were assigned to write before this assignment. If you weren't at work, you were at your parents house having family dinner where they would ask you countless amount of questions about your proposal which you always answered halfheartedly or with an awkward edge in your tone.
If you weren't at your parents house, you were at home, writing and rewriting your soulmate assignment proposal as if it was the last thing you will ever work on— which it might be if Minho kept asking you to rearrange or add more things to give your assignment a little more pizzaz.
As if it wasn't bad enough, the icing on the cake was that your soulmate's eating schedule had changed for the umpteenth time, which caused you to have zero appetite to eat upon tasting whatever spicy or sour poison your soulmate had chosen to have right before you woke up.
You know you shouldn't be blaming your soulmate who was none the wiser about the situation that you found yourself in but you couldn't help it. Not when suddenly, your whole life just revolved around him.
Your work, your family dinners, hell, even your sleep schedule dependent on him. So, by some act of pettiness (and sleep deprivation), you decided to fight back with an ample amount of sweet things whenever the first drop of spice or sourness hit your tastebuds.
You retaliated with that for a few days until it seemed that he picked up that you were angry with him which he answered by eating cleaner food, food that didn't linger in your mouth which made your heart clench slightly, feeling guilty that you had taken your angst and frustration out on him.
So when Nari's jaw drops open upon seeing what you were eating during a normal Tuesday lunch, a week before you fly off, you sort of feel the urge to crawl into a hole and rethink your lunch option.
"Are you eating Mala?" Nari asks, her eyes fixated on the instant noodles you were about to shove into your mouth. You stare at her, your mouth agape, the food about to enter as you peer down at your lunch option before looking back up at her and shrug, using the chopsticks to put the food into your mouth.
"Wanted to see what the hype was about." You state as nonchalantly as you could even though you could feel your cheeks burn, as if you were caught doing something forbidden. "Plus, he was nice during hell week for me."
Nari stares at you as if you had grown a second head, "Did your period come early?" She finally asks, making you choke on your food as you stare at her, absolutely flabbergasted by her comment.
"No—" You choke out, taking a few sips of water to calm yourself down before continuing, "You can't ask me that in the middle of work! What the hell Nari?"
"Well!" Nari sputters out dropping her lunch on the table as she takes her seat opposite you, "I have the right to question if you're acting strange!"
You roll your eyes at her dramatics, picking up one of the ingredients with your chopsticks, "You're crazy." You mutter out, eating the ingredient making her narrow her eyes at you. Knowing that she heard you, you return it with a teasing smile making her scoff at your antics.
"Are you ready for next week?" Nari asks, opening up her lunch, a stir-friend special from the Chinese place down the road. You swallow your food before nodding as you take a sip of your water, "Yeah, just wrapping up the article on 'Milan's Bistro' and the special column on my take of 'Charles Boyle's Pizza Ratings' for the Writer's Takes, which should be published this Friday if Minho gives me the green light." You say making Nari chuckle slightly at your column for the 'Writer's Take'.
"Did you start rating some pizza places out of twelve then?" She asks making you give her a mischievous smile, "Of course," You exaggerate, "What kind of connoisseur would I be if I didn't use his famous metric system as a fellow food enthusiast?"
Nari laughs at your words making you laugh along with her before the two of you converse about her columns and articles she has left.
"Did Minho finally agree with your proposal?" She asks you towards the end of your meal. You hummed out a 'yes' making her let out a sigh of relief, "I thought he would never accept it." She states, recycling her takeout container as you let out a tense exhale.
"I didn't think he would either." You mutter out, turning to the water cooler to refill your bottle. "Can't blame him though, this proposal was definitely the worst one I've written by far for all the assignments that I've done."
Nari frowns at your words, "Don't say that." She sternly says making you shrug, unapologetic, "It's fine Nari, really." You assure her as you plaster on a small smile, locking eyes with her concerned gaze, "My heart just isn't into this assignment as much as it should be and he knows that, which is why he was pushing me to give it my all."
"Still," She argues, her frown deepening making you shake your head, "It's something to not want to find your soulmate but being forced to find them for the sake of your job." She shakes her head. "I'm sorry that you have to go through that."
You felt guilt sink in a little at her words.
You had shared your experience with Nari around your fourth brainstorm session when she was concerned about why your document was still semi-blank. You had hesitated to share with her but after taking a glance at her concerned face, you told her everything.
Still, after everything that had been going on, you realized that you weren't as against meeting your soulmate as you thought you would be. How he was thoughtful when he shouldn't be. How he always knows when you were heading to bed by eating a little sweet treat before you brushed your teeth to give you just that little burst of serotonin. How he always knew when you were having a hard day by the amount of coffee that you drank and would pop a mint before you did because he noticed that you did that everytime you had finished your coffee, not liking the lingering taste in your mouth.
It almost felt like he was apologizing for all the times he knew you were pissed off at him because of his irregular eating schedule. However, you were still a woman of your word and having to dedicate your life to someone who was written for you in the stars, just didn't sit right with you.
So you just gave Nari a shrug. "It's alright." You mutter out, grabbing your water bottle before walking with her out of the break room. "Who knows," You start, a joking tone in your words as you try to break the tension, "Maybe he's right and I will believe in soulmates after this."
As soon as Chris whips the door open for you, you collapse into his open arms, not caring whether it came off as clingy as you breath in your brothers comforting scent.
He jumped at first but slowly relaxed into your arms as you feel him let out a chuckle as he wraps his arms around you. "Long flight?" Chris asks lowly making you nod into his chest.
"Forgot how long it takes to get to Seoul from Brisbane."
He chuckles at that as you pull away, making him step aside to let you step into his shared apartment. You walk in and sigh, feeling the days weight lift off your shoulders as your brother carries your luggage in, before shutting the door close with a soft thud.
You take in your surroundings noticing how homely the apartment felt despite not having a lot of memorabilia around the living room area.
"Nice place." You call out as Chris made his way back into the shared area, right after dropping off your luggage in his room.
He shrugs, almost nonchalantly before he walks into the kitchen. "We try," He says simply as he whips the fridge open. "Want something to eat?" He asks, looking straight at you making you nod.
He pulls some stuff out of the fridge as you slide into a chair at their kitchen island.
"Where's Jeong-in?" You ask, noticing that his door was open and his lights were off.
"He's at the recording studio tonight." Chris says, ripping a packet of ramyeon open. "He wanted to get a bit of recording done for the new album."
You let out a hum of acknowledgment before you unlock your phone, answering a few messages from your parents as well as Nari and Minho who asked if you had landed. You continue to scroll, opting to answer a few work emails that were not as pressing, leaving the pressing ones for tomorrow instead.
"Checking your new article statistics?" Chris asks as he places a bowl of freshly made raymeon in-front of you making your stomach growl. Your mouth waters slightly as you nod, taking the chopsticks from him after placing your phone facedown on the counter.
"The article has 859 views concurrently and counting." You chirp happily, taking a bite of the noodles and humming contentedly. Chris watches you with slight amusement on his face as he leans against the counter. "Wouldn't have expected anything less from you Red." He says, his voice full of pride making you give him a sweet smile before continuing to scarf down your food.
The two of you indulge in small talk as you finish your food, him talking a little about his new album and giving you a few sneak peeks.
Him asking how the flight was, while you complain about the amount of non-direct flights from Brisbane to Seoul.
"It's a little insane." You say, placing your chopsticks on the rim of the bowl before pushing it to the side. "You would think that there would be more direct flights."
He chuckles, picking up your dish to rinse it off before placing it into the dishwasher. "Now you know how I feel." He teases lightly, wiping his hands on the cloth next to the sink. "You can't tease me anymore for how dead I look after every flight when I come visit now."
You roll your eyes at his words. "Fine fine." You relent, slipping out of the chair as you grimace slightly, feeling icky from the amount of traveling you had done. "I really need a shower."
Chris nods. "Your towel is on the blow up mattress in the room." He starts as he gestures to your room for the next few months. "After you shower, we can discuss about your plans for the week and how to get there."
You give him a quick hum in acknowledgement before skipping towards his room to wash the airport smell off of you. Twenty minutes later, you hum one of his songs under your breath before drying your hair as Chris scrolls through the places you had listed for your soulmate assignment.
You shut the hair dryer off before collapsing on his bed as he continues to analyze your itinerary. "So," You begin, stretching a little, "How's the itinerary?"
Chris nods, giving you a smile. "It's good but that's a lot of places to get through this week." He gives you a small look. "Are you sure you're going to be able to get through all that food tomorrow?"
You let out a sigh, trying to collapse further into the pillows. "I'm only allowed to be here for three to four months Chris." You shake your head. "I just want to narrow the places first so that I will have an easier time with the article."
"But this looks like a food suicide mission Red." Chris lets out, pointing towards the places that was listed on your spreadsheet. "You wrote that you have to get through nine restaurants tomorrow and it's definitely not cheap."
"This coming from the ever loving leader of Stray Kids, a premier fourth-generation Kpop phenomenon." You mutter out making your brother scoff as he pushes the laptop off of his lap. "I'm serious Red, don't you want to space it out a little more or remove some of the items on your list at least?"
You shake your head. "Again, I can't do that Chris." You say, feeling a little more frustrated by the second, "The timeline is already unbelievably short. Not to mention I need to write an article that means something to my soulmate. Which means I need to find the guy, and go, 'Hey, I don't quite want a soulmate but for the sake of my job, I need you to spend the day with me so that you can tell me about your favourite food and then we can go our separate ways.'" You rant as your brother watches you with an unreadable look on his face.
"How am I meant to do all that in four months if I take my time?"
Chris watches you for a beat, analyzing you as you go through your spiral before sighing and pulling you into his embrace. "Sorry." He mutters out as he wraps you slightly tighter in his arms. "Forgot how much pressure you're under to do this."
You let yourself breath a little, feeling his words hit home as you relax into his embrace. "It's okay." You finally let yourself say, slightly muffled due to his clothes, "I'll figure it out."
"You always do." Chris mutters out as you nod into his chest. "Wanna watch a movie?" He asks softly making you nod.
"Breakfast Club?" You ask, pulling your head away from his chest as he frowns.
"Again?" He groans out, as you give him a small frown in return. "What's wrong with the breakfast club?" You whine out as he shakes his head.
"I swear we've watched that movie at least once whenever we see each other." Chris quips back. "Are you not sick of the movie?"
"It's a classic."
"Deadpools a classic, but you don't see me asking to watch it whenever you bring up movie night."
You snort. "As if! I've seen you watch that at least twice whenever you're back home with us." You wave your hand a little animatedly, "Plus how is Deadpool a classic? It's a superhero movie."
"Superhero movies can be considered a classic."
"It's not old enough to be considered a classic you buffoon, although you could be from how old you are."
"How dare you?! I'm only a year older than you."
"A year closer to death you mean."
"I'll show you death."
THE BEEF NOODLES OF FATE - Week 1 out of 16
When Chris suggested that you should have a driver with you today, you had refused and told him that you wanted to explore Seoul independently and away from the spotlight which might be hard if you went in a JYP issued car.
The two times you had come with your family to see your brother's concerts, you realized how many of them knew when you would be arriving due to the cars that were sent to pick you up from the hotel. It gave you the shock of your life, seeing the amount of people waiting for you outside your hotel, wanting to get a glimspe of your brother.
Due to the fact that you were working on an assignment that caused you more migraines than any other ones, you knew that you needed a quiet day.
Now, however, you were regretting not taking up his offer.
You had forgotten to charge your phone when you had arrived home yesterday and left the apartment with low battery, only realizing after you had gotten onto the train which had been a hard walk already.
You tried to minimize your use of your phone as much as you could but by the 7th location, your phone had inevitably died.
Which leads you to where you are now.
You let out a small groan as you continue to walk down the street, looking for any signs or indicators that could get you out of your predicament. Chris mentioned that he was going to be working late at JYP and wouldn't be home till the early hours of the morning.
You had asked the lady at the restaurant for directions but unfortunately, due to your minimal sense of direction, you had gotten lost somewhere.
Judging from the clock at the 7th place you went to, you would guess that it was roughly around 10pm. Meaning that if Chris were to save you, he would only be able to in three to four hours depending on what time he gets home and realizes that you aren't there.
You hope that it was the former rather than the latter.
"At least it can't get worst than this." You mutter out to yourself before feeling something prick the edge of your skin making you look up to see that it is starting to drizzle. You let out a huff as you felt the rain pelt against your hoodie, dampening it. "Just my luck." You sarcastically mumble to yourself before you sprint down the street.
It starts to rain heavier as you try to look for a restaurant or shop that's open this late at night before you spot one in the distance. The neon sign of the restaurant acting like a beacon as you run towards it, feeling the rain soak you a little more.
A bell chimes as you enter the shop, a gust of warm air hitting you making you shiver slightly as the glass door shuts with a soft clang behind you.
You huff out a sigh as you take in your appearance, seeing the rain had drenched you from top to bottom. You were glad that you had decided to wear darker colours today before you left Chris and Jeong-In's dormitory. The smell of delicious Chinese food fills your nose as you look around the restaurant, your eyes widening at how cozy the interior looks despite it looking slightly run down.
"Oh hello!" A voice chirps out beside you making you turn to see an elderly Chinese lady with a warm smile on her face. You give her a sheepish smile as you watch her take in your appearance as a frown overtakes the smile on her face.
"Goodness!" She yells out, looking at you with wide eyes. "You're drenched dear."
You feel a small flush rise to your cheeks, opening your mouth to speak but are interrupted by her dragging you deeper into the restaurant. She makes you sit at one of the tables before disappearing behind the counter and speaking some fast Mandarin— or was it Cantonese, to the person in the kitchen before returning with a set of fresh clothes and a towel.
Your eyes widen as you stand up, sticking your arms up to try to stop her when she shoots you a stern look. "Don't argue with me on this." She says with a hard look making you shudder before taking the clothes from her with a soft 'thank you'.
She waves her hand as if it wasn't a big deal before pointing towards the kitchen doors. "There's a small bathroom just through there and up the stairs." She says, her warm smile back on her face. "If you get lost, just call for Mr Yang."
You give her a curt nod before awkwardly walking towards the kitchen through the hanging curtain. You see an older man, sitting on the stool there who shoots you a warm smile and points you towards the way you need to go making you bow before sprinting towards the tiny bathroom.
You change and dry your hair in a couple of minutes, looking at the fresh set of clothes which appear to be a K-pop groups merch, noticing the logo as you inspected it before putting it on. They must be real big fans of Seventeen to be having a hoodie and sweatpants of the group.
You walk out of the kitchen to see Mrs Yang already seated at the table you were at, a bowl of steaming hot soup in front of her. She notices you and gives you a warm smile. "Sit." She simply says. "A hot bowl of soup would be good for you, to make sure that you don't fall sick."
You feel your cheeks heat up slightly in embarrassment as you awkwardly take the seat opposite her as she takes the clothes from your hands. "I'll put these in the dryer for you so that you can rewear them before you leave dear." She says and was off behind the kitchen curtain before you could even protest.
You stare at the delicious food before tentatively digging in. Through your experience with your soulmate, Chinese food was a big staple of what you tasted almost weekly so this food should give that familiar taste.
You blew on the soup before taking a sip making your eyes widen at how amazing it was, feeling yourself get almost hungrier from just that sip. You immediately dig into the food, feeling the amazing flavours hit your tongue as you began to scoop more noodles and beef slices into your spoon.
You think you finish the food in record time as Mrs Yang appears again, a proud satisfied smile on her face as she looks at the clean bowl.
"Wow!" She exclaims as you place the bowl down with a small thud. "You remind me of a boy I know, he really loves our beef noodle soup as well!"
You give her a warm smile, feeling the soup nourish and warm you up. "I can see why, it's really good." You say softly. "Please let me know how much it is later."
She shakes her head and gives you a small wave of her hand before she takes a seat opposite you. "There's no need." She says, her warm smile never fading. "We just wanted to warm you up because you were absolutely drenched by the rain. Plus, seeing the way you enjoyed eating our food is enough payment for us."
You blush a little at her words before you take in more of the restaurant, the soft accompaniment of the raindrops hitting the pavement and the soft melody of the old Mandarin song accompanying your little analysis.
Mrs Yang abruptly stands up, startling you slightly as you watch her waddle her way over to the front door. She flips the sign to 'close' making your eyes widen as you scramble to stand up. You pause when you hear her let out a really hearty laugh, turning to fix her with a face of confusion.
"Where are you running off to dear?" She asks, a teasing smile on her face as you feel your cheeks slightly warm at that. "Erm," You point towards the sign, "Aren't you closing?"
She laughs again, waving her arms as she gestures for you to sit. "The dryer hasn't finished it cycle yet." She points out. "Are you planning to leave without your clothes?"
Your eyes widen in realization, your jaw dropping slightly as your brain races for an excuse, an explanation, particularly anything at this point. However, before you could embarrass yourself even further in-front of the old lady, she speaks again.
"Plus, Mr Yang and I don't get many customers when it rains." She says softly, reaching you to push you gently back into your chair. "We used to get these four rowdy boys coming in whenever it rains but they're too busy with their music or whatever."
You smile a little at her nostalgic tone. "Do they live in the neighbourhood?" You ask making her smile larger, her eyes wrinkling with the smile crinkles as she nods. "Something like that."
You glance at the corner of the room where the digital clock was and deflate slightly. It was only 11:45pm, which meant that Chris would probably only be home in an hour or two before realizing that you aren't there and would only roughly pick you up in three hours.
"Why the face dear?" You hear Mrs Yang asking as you meet her gaze, a frown on her face. "Well…" You trail off slightly, contemplating how to put your predicament into words without embarrassing yourself even more as you glance towards your dead phone on the table.
Mrs Yang notices your glance and makes a sound of understanding. "Ah!" She exclaims making your gaze land on the older woman. "Do you need to charge your phone dear?" She asks making you hesitate slightly before nodding slowly.
She waddles over to you with her arm stretched making you tentatively put the phone into her wrinkly hands. She calls for her husband in Mandarin making the man peer his head out through the kitchen curtain with his head tilted.
She says a few words to him in Cantonese making him gives her a firm nod, an easy smile on his face before disappearing through the curtain again. In less than five minutes, he reappears with a tea pot and two tea cups that he places on your table. The smell of the tea makes you feel slightly warmer inside as you watch Mr Yang pluck the phone from his wife's hands and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek before taking your phone to the cashier counter to charge it.
You smile a little to yourself at the fond interaction as Mrs Yang takes her seat opposite you again. Mrs Yang pulls the teacups in front of the two of you before pouring the tea slowly. She places one in-front of you making you thank her quietly as you take a sip, the warm liquid filling you up as you feel warmth spread throughout your chest.
The Mandarin song changes to a slower one that has Mrs Yang humming along to it, sipping the tea with absolute delight on her face as the two of you sit in a comfortable silence. You let your eyes flit across the room once more, seeing all the different types of memorabilia dotting the walls making a small smile appear on your face.
"I really love the interior of the place." You note out simply. "Feels very much like home."
Her grin widens even more at your words as she eyes the place that she and Mr Yang built up.
"When Mr Yang and I came here thirty years ago, we felt a little homesick while looking for a job." She says, her eyes slightly glazing over as she eyes a picture behind you of a younger version of the two of them, standing in-front of the restaurant on opening day.
"After we had given up, we decided to open this restaurant instead." Her expression morphs into a wistful as she retells her story. "So when we were constructing this place, we took inspiration from our old house back in Chengdu. A few of the pieces on the walls are some of the items we brought along with us."
She points to a beautiful cyan bamboo weaved hat that was hung near the entrance of the restaurant, that looks slightly vintage but had multiple beautiful roses on them. A bunch at the side was blue, the opposite side was red while there was one giant one painted in multiple shades of purple.
"That was the first craft that Mr Yang and I made together." She says, her smile wide as she recounts the memory. Your mouth drops open slightly as you stare at the work, slightly in awe. "It's really beautiful," You say, admiring the line work of the art a little more. "I really love the roses."
If possible, her smile widens even more at your words as she nods with a slight bit of pride on her features. "Mr Yang and I spent hours hand-painting them after our wedding. He wanted the two of us to work on something together that represents the two of us."
She pulls up her long sleeves. turning her arm closer to you for you to see. You lean in closer, squinting slightly before your eyes widen in realization as you stare at the rose tattoo etched onto her arm.
The rose was almost a splitting image of the ones painted on the bamboo craft, the only difference being that it was a singular rose and the rose was split into half, one half a crimson maroon whereas the other side was a vibrant blue. You let your eyes trail along the line work of the ink, noticing that the colours diverged seamlessly together almost as if it was intentional, leaving in its trail a beautiful shade of purple.
You meet Mrs Yang's gaze, a little more starstruck as she gives you a prideful smile.
"It's beautiful." You whisper out, taking one last glance at the tattoo before leaning back against your chair. Mrs Yang stares at the tattoo for another beat before rolling her sleeves down and looking back at the bamboo craft on the wall.
"It was one of the only things we brought along with us from our house in Chengdu." Mrs Yang says, her tone full of nostalgia. "We brought a lot of other stuff as well but," She shakes her head slowly, "It's one of the only things that represent the both of us as soulmates."
You quiet down at her words, your heart clenching slightly as you digest her words. She turns to you, her expression morphing into one of curiosity. "How about you my dear?" She asks softly, her eyes glinting a little. "Do you have a soulmate?"
You feel your heart rate pick up slightly at the question, unsure of how much you wanted to share with this lady that you just met. However, upon looking at the steaming cup of tea in front of you as well as the empty bowl beside it, you realize that a little truth never hurt anyone.
"I haven't met him yet." You say softly, after swallowing your nerves and wiping your sweaty palms against the borrowed sweatpants. Her features soften at your confession as she reaches out to tug your hand into hers, giving it a firm squeeze, shocking you slightly.
"I'm sure he's out there, yearning and longing for you as well my dear." She says softly.
Her words make your mouth go try and your heart thud faster against your chest making you give her a nervous laugh. "I don't know." You say, slightly awkward as you glance towards your joint hands. "I think we're a bit too different for each other to be each others halves."
You feel Mrs Yang stiffen slightly at your words making you glance up to meet her eyes, an unreadable expression on her face as she takes you in, her eyes scanning your facial features. You feel slightly uncomfortable at her calculating gaze but as soon as you want to mention it, her expression drops to something softer as she gives your hand a squeeze again.
"Soulmates aren't meant to be similar to you dear." She says softly. "They are meant to be the one that completes your soul, fill in the gaps so that the two of you feel complete when you are together. Independently, you both will survive without each other but being together," She pauses, glancing towards the bamboo craft hanging near the door making her smile, "makes everything feel as if it was meant to be, as if it was written in the stars."
You feel your breath hitch at her words as she stares softly at you, her wistful smile never wavering as you feel your heart beat slightly harder in your chest. She pauses, as if she was waiting for your response making you swallow hard as you open your mouth to try and sputter a response together.
Before you could, Mr Yang's footsteps interrupt you and his wife making the two of you turn towards the older man who has your phone in his hand. He reaches your table in two big strides, a small smile on his face.
"Sorry to interrupt." He says, glancing towards your joint hands making your cheeks heat up slightly as you gently pull your hand away from his wife's grasps. He clears his throat before sliding your phone across the table, speaking as you pick it up to turn it on.
"You were getting a call from someone named Chris a couple of minutes ago." He says, resting a hand on his wife's shoulder as your eyes widen before glancing towards the time on your device, noticing that only an hour had passed.
You open your phone quickly to see a bunch of missed calls and text messages from your older brother as well as a few from his roommate making you let out a sigh, knowing you were going to get an earful from the older one as soon as you got home.
As if Chris could read your thoughts, your phone immediately rings, a picture of you and him appearing on the lock screen. You hesitate for a beat before sliding your thumb across the screen and putting the phone to your ear.
"Hell—"
"WHERE ARE YOU?!"
You flinch slightly at his sudden outburst, pulling the phone away from your ear as his voice booms out through the phone as if you had him on speaker. You glance in disdain at your phone as he continues his rant about safety and how he was about to lose his mind before you give Mr and Mrs Yang a sheepish smile.
"Sorry." You mumble out making Mrs Yang lets out a small laugh, waving her hand. "It's no problem dear." She says, glancing at the phone as your brothers voice continues to flow through it. "Family member?"
"Older brother." You say, a slight bit of disdain in your voice as Chris continues to rant, not knowing that you were only picking up on every fifth word of every sentence he was spouting.
You give them one more smile, gesturing for a second before standing and walking towards the door of the restaurant. You compose yourself a little before putting your phone back to your ear.
"— and I can't believe you didn't even think to bring the powerbank that I got for you for your birthday! Do those presents mean nothing to you, I swear to GOD—"
"CHRIS!" You yell into the phone, making him pause mid-rant as you inhale slowly. "I'm sorry for not picking up the phone or bringing that brick of a power bank that you got for me for my birthday." You apologize, gnawing on your bottom lip.
"I'm safe and would really love a pickup please." You say slightly softer this time. Chris was silent for a moment before a loud groan fills your ears. "I'm five minutes away Red." He says, his tone still slightly tense.
You blink at that. "What?" You say, a little taken aback by his statement. He scoffs and you imagine him rolling his eyes as he mutters something to himself.
"You forget that I have your location on my phone huh?" He says as you hear the buzzing of the car in the background, not knowing how you didn't notice it before. "I checked your location when I was in the office, realized that you weren't home so I left early to come get you after I couldn't reach you."
You felt guilt creep into your veins as you process his words and let out a small sigh, knowing how much you worried him. "I'm sorry." You say again, softly and more sincere this time. Chris lets out a sigh on the other end. "You're safe." He says, repeating your words from earlier, "I'll be there in three minutes, just wait outside for me."
The two of you hang up after you agree before you turn back to the elderly couple. Mr and Mrs Yang stand near you with your bag and another in their hands making you blink as Mr Yang passes you your bag while Mrs Yang passes you a large paper one.
You take it from her slightly tentative as you peer inside to see your clothes plus a couple of takeaway boxes making your eyes widen. You whip your head up to meet their gazes, your jaw dropped open as you try to sputter for a way to say that you didn't need this much food.
Mrs Yang halts you by raising her hand and giving you a stern look.
"Don't worry about it dear," She says, "We made too much food and from your phone call with your hyung, it seems like he might be hungry as well, so share the food with him."
"But the clothes—"
She waves you off again. "Please keep them!" She says before muttering a little lower, "Lord knows we have too many." She has a small knowing smile on her face as she glances up at her husband who laughs, sharing an inside joke from what you could tell.
"Are you two big fans of Seventeen?" You ask, not being able to help yourself as you glance between the two of them. The elderly couple let out another laugh at your confusion before Mrs Yang waves her hand. "Something like that." She says, a similar tone used when she said those same words just an hour before.
A horn outside the shop breaks the warm atmosphere making you look outside to see Chris's car. You turn back to the elderly couple.
"Thank you so much for everything." You thank making the couple give you a warm look as Mrs Yang steps forward to grab your hands into hers.
"I hope you come back soon dear." She says, her eyes glinting with sincerity as she gives your hands a squeeze. "We would love to feed you again and learn more about you."
You feel your chest warm slightly at her words before giving her a small nod as a smile crosses your face. "I will." You whisper out, giving her a small nod before she lets your hands go. You walk out of the restaurant and head to Chris's car but not before giving the elderly couple another wave.
Chris's cologne immediately fills your nose as soon as you shut the door before turning to your older brother who looked slightly more disheveled compared to when you left this morning.
Before he could open his mouth to chastise or fuss over you, you beat him to it.
"Thank you for picking me up and I'm sorry, I should listen to you next time and take the car and I will bring out the pink energy brick out with me tomorrow as well."
Chris blinks at your apology before a huff escapes him, he shakes his head and places his hands on the wheel again.
"You're so lucky that I'm more relieved than mad." He says, his tone still slightly tense with an undertone of tiredness. You give him a small smile before turning to place your bags in the backseat.
"We should come back to this restaurant sometime." You say as Chris puts the car into drive and slowly pulls away from the restaurant. "I think you would like their beef noodle soup."
You see Chris sneak a glance at you, a glint of confusion in them. "I thought you didn't like Chinese food?"
You shrug, looking out the window as the streets whizzed past. "Maybe I was too quick to judge." The double meaning in your sentence wasn't lost on you. Mrs Yang's words lingering in your thoughts as they play over and again.
Were you really too quick to dismiss this person who is meant to be your other half?
In the midst of her cleaning, Mrs Yang's eyebrows furrow as she hears the bell chime again, signaling that a customer has just arrived. She glances towards the door, her expression never changing until she spots the four that she has been feeding religiously for the last ten years.
"Aigooo." She coos out as soon as the tallest of them comes closer to her, dressed in a black hoodie with a luggage behind him. "I thought you all were only going to be back the day after tomorrow?"
Jun lets out a laugh as the elderly woman pulls him into a hug, accepting it by wrapping his arms around her tightly and giving her a shining smile. "Our schedule ended early." He cheekily says, his grin never wavering. "We were craving some food that tastes like home so we asked the driver to bring us here instead of back to our homes."
Soonyoung, Chan and Minghao stand behind him, with matching grins on their faces as Mrs Yang pulls each of them into a hug. Mr Yang, hearing the commotion steps out of the kitchen, his eyes and smile widening as he sees the four familiar boys.
"Wow!" He exclaims, bringing each of them in for a hug. "You boys look like the airport didn't even affect the four of you."
The four give him a sheepish smile before the elderly couple shoos them into the center table, eager to feed them.
"What can I get for you boys today?" Mrs Yang asks, her eyes glinting as she looks between the four boys. Soonyoung, Chan and Minghao share a teasing glance, before Chan turns to Mrs Yang.
"Mrs Yang," he singsongs out, "I hope you have your amazing beef noodle soup today!" He ends his sentence with a glance towards Jun, a smug grin on his face as the other shrinks slightly, a little flushed.
Mrs Yang glances between the two of them before turning her gaze to the tallest one.
"Did you miss our food so much that you brought the three boys along with you again?" She questions, a teasing smile on her face.
Jun flushes slightly at the accusation, lifting up both his hands to wave them as he lets out a sheepish laugh. "No no." He says, trying to defend himself through his laughs.
The other three collectively roll their eyes before Soonyoung turns to Mrs Yang, a shit-eating grin on his face. "Jun's soulmate was actually the ones who brought us here."
Mrs Yang's eyes widen as her hand flies to cover her open mouth before she turns to Jun. "Oh my gosh!" She exclaims. "You met her already?"
Jun shakes his head, scratching his nape as he fixes her with a semi lovesick grin. "She was having some Chinese food earlier." He says, his grin turning more lovesick by the second. "I tasted it when she was eating and it felt like she was enjoying it. It tasted almost like your beef noodle soup."
Mrs Yang freezes at that, but Jun doesn't notice as he keeps rambling on. "So, I thought that she was trying to tell me that maybe she was thinking about me or something." He says, the tips of his ears turning pink. "I thought maybe if I have it here, we would end up having the same dinner so that she knows that I'm thinking about her as well."
Jun locks eyes with the older lady who immediately composes herself, a small grin appearing on her face that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Well." She starts, clearing her throat as she glances at the four of them. "You've come right on time! Mr Yang just made a new batch of beef soup with amazing tender slices."
She claps her hands. "I'll bring them out for you four!"
With that, she scurries into the kitchen, her heart racing as she runs through the words that Jun has just relayed to her.
It could just be a coincidence right?
She leans against the metal counter, processing the information when her husband glances over at her. He frowns, noticing her spacey look.
"Lo-po?" He asks, the endearing name rolling off of his tongue as he steps closer to his wife, intertwining their hands together. "Are you alright?"
Mrs Yang looks up and gazes into her husbands eyes, hesitating slightly before nodding slowly.
She feigns a small smile. "I'm alright lo-gong." He analyzes her face, frowning slightly.
"Are you sure?" He asks, bringing his wife closer. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Mrs Yang nods her head as she squeezes his hands in reassurance. "I'm fine dear." She glances through the kitchen curtain, looking at the tall boy who was laughing at something his members said, his grin bigger than it had been in months.
"I just hope that fate brings the two of them together."
THE SCALLION NOODLE MEETING - Week 3 out of 16
Two weeks later, you find yourself back in front of the glowing neon sign. You didn't know how or why but you felt a pull to this place that you couldn't explain.
You had tried to keep yourself busy the past two weeks. You visited almost all the different places on your list, eating tons of delicious food that tasted vaguely familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Most of the time, you went by yourself during the non-peak hours, favouring the smaller crowds so that you could have some time to yourself and be able to document the flavour profiles correctly. Other times at night, you went with Chris who was determined to stick by your side as much as possible.
Today, however, you ended up cancelling all the restaurants on your agenda and you just unconsciously made your way here.
For two weeks, her words had been playing on repeat in your head. You found yourself thinking about the person who she meant, the person who was connected to your very soul. Somehow, you had started to yearn for him as well but you were stubborn, you wouldn't allow yourself to.
You continue to stare at the neon sign, unsure of whether you should go in when a voice interrupts your inner monologue.
"Are you going to stand there the whole day?"
You jump at the sound of the man's voice, whipping around to see a guy in a black hoodie, wearing a mask that obscures his face, the only thing visible being his eyes.
"God." You mutter out, glaring slightly at the man. "Do you normally sneak up on strangers and scare the daylights out of them?"
The man blinks at you before letting out a small laugh.
"Only when they're standing in-front of a Chinese restaurant, contemplating every single life choice they've ever made."
His sarcasm makes you roll your eyes. "Gee, thanks."
He gives you a shrug, his eyes glinting playfully. "You're welcome." If you could see under his mask, you were sure that he would be smirking at you. "So," The man says, glancing between the neon sign of the restaurant and you. "Why are you standing outside the restaurant as if you're contemplating life choices?"
You let out a huff, crossing your arms. "And why would I tell you, a complete stranger that?"
He shrugs. "Maybe you need someone to work through those life choices with."
You let out a huff, about to retort when the bell on the door rings and a bunch of different conversations flow out of the restaurant. You turn to see Mrs Yang, wide eyed as she stares at the two of you. You feel your face flush slightly, as if you've been caught red-handed but you hadn't done anything wrong.
"Why are the two of you standing outside and arguing?" She asks, apprehension in her voice making you give her a sheepish smile as the guy scratches his nape.
"We weren't arguing Mrs Yang." The man says, glancing in your direction before looking back at her. "We were just… talking."
He glances at you, hoping that you would catch on. You turn to Mrs Yang, nodding with an awkward smile on your face. "Yeah, just talking."
Mrs Yang glances between the two of you, entirely not believing a single word the two of you says but she nods anyway.
"Well, come in." She says, sternly as she opens the glass door wider, ushering the two of you in. "It's way too cold to be talking outside."
You and the man scurry into the restaurant, which was packed like sardines. "I'm sorry but it seems like we only have one table left." She says, apologetically as she gathers the menus for you and the man. "Mr Lim and his family are having a gathering today at the further side of the restaurant which means that we had to close off a certain section."
She glances between the two of you, clutching the menus in her hand. "Would the two of you be okay with sharing a table?"
You visibly freeze at the suggestion, eyes wide as you blink at the woman. She wants you to share a table with the insufferable man who made fun of you, five minutes ago? You didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the suggestion.
"I'm okay with it as long as she is." The man says, eyes locking with yours making your heart nearly bounce into your throat. You want to protest, to say anything against this suggestion but as you lock eyes with Mrs Yang again, the words die on your tongue.
You analyze her for a beat, taking in her dark rings under her eyes, how frazzled her hair looks compared to the first time you met her and felt a pit of guilt at the bottom of your stomach. You internally sigh, composing yourself and hoping that you will not kill this man with your chopsticks as you share a table with him before giving her a nod and the best smile that you can muster.
"Sure." You breathe out, glancing at the man again with a few daggers in your eyes as you give him a sickly sweet smile. "Let's share a table."
That's how you find yourself in a secluded corner of the restaurant, awkwardly sitting across the man, a menu in hand as you try your hardest to not accidentally kick the stranger in his legs. When you came the first time, you didn't notice how small the table was until this lanky man sits across from you.
You drag your eyes down the menu, contemplating what to order as you try to ignore the burning sensation at the left side of your head. The stranger had been staring at you since Mrs Yang had shown both of you the table before leaving, slightly frazzled as she went to attend to the Lim's gathering.
When you couldn't take it anymore, you let your eyes whip towards the stranger who jumps slightly as you abruptly lock eyes with him, a fiery intensity in them. "Why are you staring at me?" You hiss out making the stranger blink as he leans back against his chair.
"Trying to see if you made your decision yet." He says, fiddling with his mask. "It's going to be rush hour soon so we would have to wait a lot longer if you haven't."
You feel your eye twitch slightly at the admission. "Well, I'm sorry." You mutter out, eyes turning back to the menu, "it's only my second time here so I'm a little unsure of what to get."
You feel the man tug your menu down from your face, making you lock eyes with him again. "Want a suggestion?" He offers, making your eyes flit from one of his to the other, trying to gauge if he was joking. When it's clear that he isn't, you sigh, a little tired from the interaction before nodding.
"Sure." You say, placing the menu on the table and crossing your arms. "What could go wrong?"
A lot actually.
You find yourself thinking as Mrs Yang places a bowl of fried chicken in front of you seasoned with more red peppers than you have ever seen in your life. You feel your hands start to clam up and become sweaty as you inhale the spices through your nose.
"Dear." Mrs Yang tentatively says, seeing your face. "Is everything alright?"
You try to compose yourself as you wipe your hands on your jeans before locking eyes with her and giving her a weak smile.
"Yeah," You mumble out as you quick glance at the food again, "I'm alright."
If Mrs Yang weren't convinced, she doesn't say anything and just leaves you to stare at your food as your tablemate analyzes your reaction.
"You look like you've seen a ghost." He bluntly states making you whip your head up to lock eyes with him.
"The food looks spicy."
"I would hope so, it's spicy chicken."
You frown at that and stare at the amount of peppers on your food again, wondering if you could will them to disappear the longer you stare at them.
"You can't handle spice." He states, the cogs in his brain turning as he watches you gnaw on your bottom lip, looking at the food apprehensively. "You should've told me that you can't handle spice."
"Well, I didn't expect to be accosted by your recommendation." You bite back, giving him a small glare even though you know it's not his fault. The stranger however, doesn't take it to heart as his eye lines crinkle at your words, a sign that he's smiling under his mask.
"Are you too scared to try it?"
You frown at his words, feeling your eye twitch as he eggs you on, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"It's hard to take you seriously when you're still wearing your mask." You say, hoping to change the topic as you cross your arms. "Why are you even wearing that anyway? Are you a celebrity or something."
He hums at your question before tugging his hood downwards, covering a little bit more of his forehead. "Something like that." He says making you stare at him, quizzically.
"What does that even mean?"
He sighs before locking eyes with you. "How about we make a deal."
You squint at him. "You're just trying to change the topic."
"You did that too a moment ago."
He got you there.
You sigh, unfolding your arms as you lean against the table. "I'm listening."
"I'll order us something different and pay for our meal if you promise to not tell anyone that you saw me here."
You raise an eyebrow at that. "What's stopping me from ordering what I want anyway and letting you starve because you refuse to take off your mask?"
He's silent for a beat as he blinks at you.
"You have a point."
You resist the urge to roll your eyes at the stranger, who leans back in his chair.
"But," He starts, crossing his arms, "I think you're smart enough to not pass up a free meal."
You contemplate his words for a second. You know he's egging you on, he's done nothing but be playful and egg you on since the moment he scared you outside the restaurant. By right, you should refuse, let the insufferable stranger suffer while you eat the Yangs' tasty food in front of him.
Which is why, it surprises you and him when the words that follow after was, "Fine, I'll bite."
His eye lines crinkle again before he waves Mrs Yang over and says something to her in Chinese. The elderly lady looks between the two of you, an unreadable glint in her eyes before she nods at the lanky stranger and takes the two plates of spicy chicken away.
"You speak Chinese?" You can't help but ask, making him nod.
"I'm Chinese." He says simply reaching to the side to get the jug of water that Mrs Yang brought earlier.
"Oh." You mutter out, feeling slightly embarrassed as he pours the water into your empty glasses. "I couldn't tell."
He waves you off. "It's alright, you can't really see my face and I gave you no indication whatsoever so," he shrugs, "it's not a big deal."
You feel slightly better, relaxing a little as you watch him tug his hood down again.
He cautiously looks around making a frown appear on your face. "You don't have to tell me who you are if you're uncomfortable by the way." You say making the stranger lock eyes with you as you feel a small pit in your stomach at the way his eyes keep glancing around. "I could always request for another table if you're uncomfortable."
He hesitates for a second before shaking his head. "No, a deal is a deal."
You open your mouth to retort but he moves before you can, looking downwards before bringing his fingers to his ears and plucking off the mask as if it was second nature.
When he looks up, your eyes widen as you immediately register who he was.
"You're Jun from Seventeen." You state, looking at his features as he gives you a sheepish smile.
"Surprise?" He mutters, a weak laugh escaping his lips. You stare at him for a little longer, watching his confident facade shatter slowly as he looks at you with a little more apprehension after he realizes that you knew who he was.
"It all makes sense now." You say as everything clicks in your head.
The man in-front of you frowns in confusion. "What?"
"I came here two weeks ago, drenched in the rain and Mrs Yang gave me a hoodie and sweatpants from your group to change into." You say, as your eyes flit around his face, taking in his features. "I thought they were big fans of your group but you probably gave it to them."
He stares at you for a minute. "Are you a detective or something?"
You let out a snort, as you try to keep your growing smile off of your face. "I'm just observant."
"A little too observant."
"Well, sue me then."
You roll your eyes as Jun gives you a mischievous grin.
Mrs Yang appears at the corner of your eye making you turn towards the elderly lady as she places two new bowls in-front of you two. She eyes the two of you, noticing the lack of Jun's mask before a knowing smile creeps onto her face.
Your eyebrow raises at her expression but before you can ask, she bids the two of you a good meal before rushing back to the Lim gathering.
You look down at the bowl, noticing the lack of any red peppers or flakes making you smile as you notice the bowl only had what looks like tossed noodles with a sauce, topped off with spring onions and a fried egg. The smell of the spring onions floods your nose making your mouth water slightly.
"Scallion oil noodles." Jun says as he passes you a chopstick from the side box. "Mr Yang cooks them really authentically, it's one of my favourite dishes from here."
"And here I was thinking that you like to put your own taste buds through hell for fun." You mutter out making Jun roll his eyes. You use your chopsticks to place the food into your mouth as you take tentative bites.
The immediate flavour explosion in your mouth makes your eyes widen as you taste every single ingredient on your taste buds. You stare at the noodles, a little shell shock before you shove a few more bites into your mouth.
You can't fathom how you've never eaten anything like this in your few years of being a food journalist. You've definitely tasted this flavour profile before, no doubt from your soulmate but eating it and tasting it is definitely two different things
Jun who has also eaten the noodles, gives you a smile as he chews, watching as you happily slurp up the noodles, satisfaction written all over his face.
"So," He starts, taking a sip of his water, "Since you know who I am, I think it's only fair that I know your name right?"
You give him a side-glance, in between your bites before your eyes narrow slightly as you swallow your food. "I think there's a certain irony to your statement with you being a very famous idol."
Jun gives you a small pout. "C'mon." He says, the pout deepening. "I'm already paying for your meal, the least you could do is give me your name."
You want to retort that the meal was the expense of keeping his secret but as you watch his pout deepen a little more, you internally curse before giving him your name.
He repeats your name with ease as you feel your heart skip a beat upon him pronouncing your name. You furrow your eyebrows at the pinch in your chest before shrugging it off as just a weird prickle, maybe from the amount of oil in the noodles.
"Do you like the noodles?" Jun asks, gesturing to your bowl that is already half empty.
You nod, taking a few more bites of the springy noodles, humming contently. "I don't really like Chinese food but this is really good."
The idol freezes at your words, his chopsticks halfway to his mouth as he looks at you, his eyes wide, noodles forgotten. "You don't like Chinese food?" He asks, a little baffled as he just continues to stare at you as if you just said something really incriminating.
You shrug, swallowing the noodles before taking a sip of your water. "Just had some bad experiences with Chinese food." All because of your soulmate but you left that part out, not wanting to divulge in that with a complete stranger, even if he was famous and known for being kind-hearted and a good person.
Jun eyes you for another second, a gentle curiosity swirling in his eyes. "Then why did you come here? They only serve Chinese food here."
You hesitate a little at his question. You knew it was coming but you couldn't tell the idol that you came here because of an unexplainable pull, you would sound a little strange and kind of crazy. So, you settle for half of the truth.
"I wanted to come back and repay Mr and Mrs Yang for their kindness. I was going to actually pay them the money for the meal that they gave me last week."
Jun fixes you with a look of amusement and a slight smirk before shaking his head.
"You clearly haven't seen Mrs Yang's stubborn side if you think you can just repay her back."
You frown at his statement. "What makes you think she won't accept the money?"
Jun fixes you a look as his eyebrows raise. "Did you offer her money two weeks ago after she fed you?"
"Yeah but—"
"Did she accept the payment or did she fix you with one of her motherly stares that got you to shut up?"
Your silence answers him, making him laugh as he shakes his head. "Trust me." He says, using his chopsticks to cut the fried egg into smaller pieces. "Pigs will fly before she accepts your money."
You roll your eyes at his words, a small smile on your lips as you shake your head before continuing to eat your food. The two of you eat in silence, occasionally making small talk about the food as Jun shares with you a few small anecdotes about how Mrs Yang and her husband was a few years ago. The stories make you laugh as he recounts them with an exaggerated passion, his hands moving around animatedly here and there.
"So what do you do?" He asks, polishing off his food as he grabs a tissue paper from the container at the side. "Other than stand outside Chinese restaurants and contemplate your life decisions."
You scoff before taking a sip of your water to cleanse your palette. "I'm a food journalist."
His eyes widen. "Wow! That's really cool!"
Your brows furrow. "Says the guy who is apart of one of the biggest boygroups on the planet." You say, animatedly moving your arms. "Plus, aren't you also an actor?"
He chuckles, shaking his head. "I mean it, you must be a really good food journalist if you got sent here for an assignment."
Your eyebrows furrow even more as you stare at the man, shock running through your veins. "What? How did you know that?"
He gestures to your handbag. "You still have the tag from the airport hanging off the third zipper."
You turn and internally curse as you see the white string and tag from the airport. You feel your cheeks heat up as you rush to rip it off, crumple it and place it into your bag to try to save yourself from a little embarrassment. You clear your throat before looking back at the idol who was trying very hard not to laugh, even with his hand over his mouth.
You send him a narrow glare (or at least try to) as you point at him. "Don't laugh."
"I'm not! You can't even see my mouth!"
"Your eye lines tell me otherwise!"
That makes the idol crack up, his eye lines crinkling more which makes you freeze, realizing just how pretty he is.
You weren't blind by any means, the minute he took off his mask, you could tell that he was good-looking even without the full-face of makeup. With your brother in the industry, you had watched every MAMAs award show that he had been apart of and with Seventeen up there as one of the bigger boy groups, you've definitely thought that they were good-looking, especially Jun who always looked like he belonged on the stage.
The idol finally calms down, his smile not leaving his face as you shake yourself out of your thoughts. "So, what's your assignment about?"
You freeze at the question, gnawing lightly on your lip as you give him a once over, wondering if you should be honest or not. He notices the look on your face, his eyes softening. "If it's too personal, you don't need to tell me." He says, his voice reassuring as he gives you a soft smile. "I just think it's really cool that you get to travel and just eat food, I think one of my bandmates would kill to do that."
You feel a small smile creep onto your lips as you relax slightly, hearing the awe in his words. "Let me guess, DK?"
He laughs, nodding. "Or maybe Hoshi." He says, leaning his elbows on the table, his posture relaxing as he realizes that you were more comfortable now as you let out a laugh.
"Sounds like him."
His smile widens "So, I assume you're somewhat familiar with my group then, if you're able to make associations like that."
You feel a bit of warmth on your cheeks as you clear your throat. "Well, my brother's involved in the industry as well, so after a while, you kind of have to know who is who after watching all the different concerts and award shows."
His head tilts at that, a look of curiosity flashing across his face. "Oh!" He says with a slight understanding, "Is your brother an idol too?"
You nod, a small sense of pride settling in your chest as you pick up your phone before turning it to face him, a picture of you and Chris as your lock screen.
His eyes widen in realization. "You're Bang Chan's sister?" He asks, gawking a little as you nod.
"Wow, I've only ever heard about your younger sister, Hannah." He says, his smile widening a little more. "What a small world, Vernon, Mingyu and Minghao always talk about how cool your brother is."
You smile a little more, thinking about your brother who was probably working his ass off in the studio right now and having the best time. "Yeah, he's the coolest."
His smile widens, grabbing the water jug to refill his empty cup, leaving you with your thoughts. You think back to his previous question, wondering if you should answer it or not. Jun has been nothing but honest with you since the start of your meal, even honouring his side of the deal even if he didn't need to. You would've stuck by your words if he had decided to not shown you and asked Mrs Yang for another table instead.
Your mouth made the decision for you before you could even comprehend it.
"I'm doing a soulmark assignment."
Jun freezes mid-pour as he turns to you, his eyes wide. "Oh, that's pretty cool." He says, nodding slightly. "Have you already met him?"
You shake your head, using your chopsticks to move your food around, letting it sop up the scallion oil. "The assignment was about to write about the places that we think our soulmate has been to based on the soulmark we're given."
His eyebrows furrow. "That's pretty vague."
You let out a snort. "You're telling me."
"Is the goal for you to find them at the end of it?"
You shrug. "All I know is that I'm here for four months, a tight schedule for sure to figure out which restaurant means the most to my soulmate." You say, the tone of your voice turning slightly bitter towards the end as you say 'soulmate'.
Jun notices, fixing you with a small curious grin. "I take it you're not the biggest fan of your soulmate?"
You slouch slightly, letting out a sigh. "Let's just say that our flavour preferences make us very very different people."
"You have something against his food preferences?"
"I have something against the fact that he's trying to kill my tastebuds in the process."
"Is he the reason why you have a grudge against Chinese food?"
You lift up your hand in mock defense. "Hey, I don't have a grudge against Chinese food." You point out, making Jun's expression morph into one of amusement. "I just have a grudge against my soulmate who puts chili oil on almost everything, as if the food needs that extra bit of spice."
Jun lets out a laugh before shrugging. "Can't say I fault him for it, chili oil is definitely one of the best things ever."
You snort, placing your last bit of noodles into your mouth, chewing then swallowing as you polish off your food. "I'm sure the two of you would get along great." You sarcastically remark making Jun laugh again.
"So, what are you a fan of?"
You ponder for a moment. "I'm a big fan of sweet stuff like cake, ice-cream, macaroons. Oh! Affogato as well." You watch Jun make a face as a shudder goes through his body making you raise an eyebrow at the man. "Not the biggest fan of sweet stuff?"
Jun immediately shakes his head. "Can't say that I am. Sugar makes me feel really ill sometimes, especially if there's too much of it. My soulmate is the biggest cake fan though, she really loves eating it."
You smile at that. "Sounds like we would get along great as well."
Jun laughs, smiling at the implication of the two of you meeting each others' soulmate when his phone rings. He glances at it before his face pales and his eyes widen.
"Shit." He mutters, staring at his phone for another beat before wiping his mouth quickly and slipping his mask on in record speed. The actions make you jolt as you blink at the idol who was moving at the speed of light, shoving his wallet and phone into his pockets.
"What?" You ask, finding your voice as he reverts himself to his pre-meal mode. He looks at you, his eyes softening a little from the panic that was in them moments ago as he pulls down his mask.
"I forgot I have practice in half an hour, so I need to get going now." A small frown appears on his face as he finishes his sentence, looking a little crestfallen that your time together was coming to an end. You blink at him, before glancing at the time, your eyes widening as well as you realize that you and Jun had been eating and talking for almost two hours.
"That makes two of us then." You say, a laugh bubbling in your throat as you pack up your stuff. "I forgot that I got an interview with the owner of a restaurant for my assignment in half an hour as well."
Jun lets out a laugh at the realization as he stands, towering over you slightly as he fixes you with a cheery smile. "Guess we aren't so different after all."
You roll your eyes as he pulls his mask back up before gesturing for you to move first. "After you."
You give him a polite 'thank you' before the two of you head to the front counter where the cash register was. Mrs Yang's eyes flit between the two of you, the same knowing smile on her face.
"How was the food my dears?" Jun's eye lines crinkle again. "Amazing as always Mrs Yang." He says before gesturing to you. "I think our food journalist will definitely be putting it in her article."
You let out a small scoff, giving him a quick side-eye before looking at Mrs Yang, your expression changing to one of adoration. "The food was lovely Mrs Yang. Please help me thank Mr Yang for the food as well."
She waves you off, a wide smile on her face despite how tired she looked from the chaos of the rush hour. "It was our pleasure to feed you." Her eyes flit between the two of you again. "Both of you."
You think back to your words to Jun a while ago and take out your purse from the depths of your handbag. "Before I forget, please take this Mrs Yang." You say, producing a few bills. The older woman fixes you with a stern look as she shakes her head.
"Dear, I already insisted the last time that you don't need to pay me." You open your mouth to protest but she holds up her hand again, her eyes narrowing slightly as her
Your mouth snaps shut at that as you slowly put the bills back into your wallet making Mrs Yang's stern expression instantly drop, replacing it with a prideful one, knowing that she has successfully won the argument again.
Mrs Yang - 2, You - 0
You glance at Jun who fixes you with a look, his eyes glinting as if to tell you 'I told you so' making you roll your eyes as Jun passes a few bills to Mrs Yang, paying for your meal and his. Mrs Yang hands him the receipt before reaching to the counter behind her and taking the plastic bag that was seated on it.
"Before I forget," She starts, giving the big white plastic bag to Jun, "I packed a few things for you and the boys to enjoy."
Jun's eyes widen as he takes the bag from her with zero protest, almost as if Mrs Yang trained him to just accept everything she gives to him — which she probably did, considering how long they've known each other.
"Thank you so much!" Jun says as he peers into the bag, his eyes flitting from one box to another. "You really didn't have to."
Mrs Yang waves him off. "Nonsense." She states. "If I don't feed you guys, God knows that you all will starve by how much dancing you all do."
Her comments make you let out a laugh which you try to cover up as a cough as Jun gives you a side-glance. He looks back at her, his eyes softening more. "Thank you."
She gives him a smile of adoration before turning to the back counter once more and producing a smaller white plastic bag which she holds out for you. Your eyes widen, about to protest again but falter as soon as you see the expression on her face.
You sheepishly take the bag from her, peering inside to see a few food containers filled with some scallion oil noodles, a few servings of spring rolls, a meat dish as well as a box of stir-fried vegetables.
"For you and your brother."
Your heart squeezes at her words, feeling warmth spread through your chest as you try to swallow your emotions. You look up, giving her a soft smile. "Thank you so much."
She mirrors your smile. "It's no problem at all my dear, I hope we see you again soon."
You nod, your grin growing wider. "I'll bring my brother with me next time." You reassure her. "He was raving about how good the beef noodles were, made a lot of his friends jealous."
She laughs as you recount the video Jeong-In had sent to you when your brother brought Mrs Yang's beef noodles to work and was just making a show out of it in-front of his members. They looked like they were seconds away from chasing your brother down the hallways of JYP if he made a single new sound and talked about how good it was and that he wasn't sharing.
"I guess I'll see the two of you soon then." Mrs Yang says as she walks to open the door for the two of you. "I hope you two enjoyed each others companies."
You and Jun glance at each other before you turn back to Mrs Yang. "It was definitely an experience."
Jun narrows his eyes at your words. "But I was an angel."
You scoff. "And I'm a multi-billionaire." You say, the sarcasm just rolling off your tongue making Jun shake his head and walk through the door.
The two of you bid Mrs Yang goodbye once more before she closes the restaurant door behind her. You turn to Jun, a little awkwardly as you shuffle your handbag onto your shoulder.
"Well, it was nice meeting you." You say, giving him a smile. "I hope you don't sneak up on me the next time we cross paths again."
Jun laughs, shaking his head a little before locking eyes with you and giving you a wink. "It'll only happen if you contemplate life outside a Chinese restaurant again."
You roll your eyes, not bothering to keep your smile off your face this time as you give him a wave before making your way to the right of the restaurant. You scroll to your itinerary when Jun calls out your name, making you turn to face him.
Your eyebrow raises as he looks at you, blinking as if he didn't realize that he called out your name, until it rolled off of his tongue. Before you could question further, Jun jogs over to you and hands you his phone. You take it before your eyes widen at the 'new contact' page staring right at you.
You blink before looking up at him, your eyes still wide as saucers as you fix him with a look of confusion. "What?" You ask as you stare at him, completely dumbfounded by his actions.
He shrugs, using his free hand to scratch the back of his neck. "I had a lot of fun talking to you today and," he hesitates slightly, "I want to try to change your mind about Chinese food before you meet your soulmate."
You narrow your eyes at him. "What's the catch?"
His eyes widen as he lifts both arms in surrender, the big plastic bag rustling as he does so. "No strings attached, I promise." He says, absolute assurance in his voice. "I just know what it's like to be on the receiving end of the taste mark and my soulmate has been quite pleasant with their food preferences so…" He shrugs. "Let me at least try to convince you that your soulmate isn't all that bad."
You blink at him again, slowly digesting his words before looking down to peer at the cursor, pulsing as it awaits an input.
"You don't need to!" Jun suddenly exclaims, his free hand starting to wave animatedly as he starts to ramble. "I just thought that I should introduce you to better Chinese foods that will give you a better impression of the person before you meet them and brush them off completely. I mean, as someone with a taste mark as well, I also know that food sometimes doesn't taste as it seems and—"
You interrupt him, mid-ramble by grabbing his free hand and placing his phone back into it. Jun blinks before looking at his phone to see that you sent a message to yourself after inputting your contact into it.
He turns back to you as you give him a small smile. "I'm in if it's more free food."
He blinks before huffing out a laugh, shaking his head. "Don't think that was part of the deal." He ends the sentence with a teasing chastise tone of your name making you shrug.
"Too bad, it was." You cheekily reply before adding. "Also call me Red."
Jun tilts his head to the side. "Red?" He repeats, the word rolling nicely off of his tongue. "Why Red?"
"I'll tell you when we meet the next time but, I figure it easier to call me that than my actual name, lesser syllables."
Jun eye lines crinkle, a sigh that he's smiling under his mask before nodding. He glances towards his phone before taking a few steps backwards. "I guess I'll see you soon Red."
You nod, flashing him a smile. "See you soon Jun."
PART TWO (COMING SOON - 21 FEB)
©livmarauder2026 If you would like to join the taglist for this universe, you can comment or drop a dm into my inbox! Thank you so much for reading hehe and I'm so excited to share more of this universe with you guys!
⋆⭒˚.⋆ TAGLIST: @choco-scoups @luvrung @cherrymayz @hopecutie @caratchronicles @fancypeacepersona @belladonna-is-alive @txtsoobean @reiofsuns2001 @huiimoon @ultrapinkvoidbouquet @vwintershire @nidda13 @yethoughts @cottonfluffclouds
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨WRITTEN IN THE STARS୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨IN A UNIVERSE where your other half is decided for you, thirteen boys who were all brought together by fate, yearn for their soulmate in many different ways with unique soulmarks. However, because life is never a fantasy and fate loves to play games, they go through many different obstacles and heartaches just to be able to love the one meant for them.
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨UNIVERSE DETAILS: This universe features individual stories that are written by the stars for each member of Seventeen. Each Seventeen member has a unique soulmark that is shared with their own reader and each reader has a nickname that is personalized to them. It isn't necessary to read all the stories or read them in order but the stars recommend that you do for the best experience. Each reader's storyline and personality are unique so reading them in order gives them a little bit more character and it's easy to get confused with who is who. Every time a soulmate is found, a constellation is updated— which is a little footnote that you will see at the end of each story.
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨UNIVERSE RATING: This universe is 18+, which signifies that MDNI. Most of the stories will contain explicit material that is not for minors to interact with, any blogs without an age indicator or have one that says they are a minor will not be added to the taglist and blocked.
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨UNIVERSE WARNINGS: Suggestive content, smut, profanities, mentions of insecurities, stress and anxiety, sometimes hurtful words are said, lots of hurt → each fic will have their own personal warnings at the start so please read them before you proceed.
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨COUPLES' PLAYLISTS: songs for red ★ songs for sunflower ★ songs for tupaki ★ stars are still aligning...
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨COUPLES' MOODBOARDS: jun & red ☆ seokmin & sunflower ☆ hansol & tupaki ☆ stars are still aligning...
MAIN MASTERLIST | NAVIGATION
༘⋆STAR SUMMARY: IN A UNIVERSE filled with soulmates, you never wanted one, never wanting to be tied down to a stranger for the rest of your life. However, fate always seems to work against you and gives you the worst soul mark you could ever have: a soulmate who seems to have a taste for spicy foods, something that you have a distaste for.
༘⋆SOULS ALIGNED: idol!jun x food journalist!fem!reader
༘⋆CONSTELLATION: Part One (26.2k) ★ Part Two (26k)
༘⋆SYMPHONIES: songs for red, love jun
༘⋆stars are still aligning... (coming soon)
©livmarauder2026 Please comment on this post if you would like to be added to the taglist for this universe! (only blogs that are 18+, which means have age or age indicators will be added to the taglist, thank you!) Thank you for reading <3
Cherries
✦ pairing: Seungcheol x reader
✦ genre: soulmate au, fluff, found family
✦ word count: 3k
✦ note: i told you the series would continue as soon as ‘sunstorm and eclipse’ was out (also please go read that she is my baby, and if enough of you like it I will make a prequel)
✦ reading order: Hoshi ✦ Jun ✦ Jeonghan ✦ Woozi ✦ Minghao ✦ Dino ✦ Wonwoo ✦ Dokyeom ✦ Seungkwan ✦ The article ✦ Scoups ✦ Joshua ✦ Vernon ✦ Mingyu ✦
When Seungcheol was little he liked to fantasize about his other half, he liked to picture how you would look and sound. To him you were the most beautiful person in the entire world, he knew you would be, even back then when the two of you hadn’t even met yet.
And because of that it was even more devastating when he woke up on his thirteenth birthday and there was no mark. There was nothing. No feelings, no pain, no voices nor music. There were in fact no mark.
It devastated him, to a degree that he could feel his heart actively break more and more in his chest as the days went by.
He kept waiting, but nothing appeared, and little by little, the young boy started to give up on ever meeting his other half.
When he became a trainee in Pledis, he kept the info to himself, there was no need to let the strangers know that he was missing his most important part.
Until they one day sat down and shared it all, every single one of the 12 boys and men around him had offered him support, everyone certain that he did in fact have a mark, it was just hidden more than most.
He never told any of them, but he prayed that they were right.
Like Seungcheol you were just as excited for your mark, and you were equally as devastated when it didn’t appear. It was like a literal knife in your heart, one that kept twisting whenever one of your friends finally found theirs.
You still smiled of course, you had been raised to be polite and kind, but it was nothing short of bitterness that coated your tongue. Pure jealousy and heartbreak.
One day in class one of the girls had arrived with a little tattoo on her wrist, she had then marched up to one of the boys in your class, all to present him the little star, one that matched his own so perfectly. That had been a tough pill to swallow.
So instead of showing the world the frown and the tears that threatened to spill, you had instead drawn it on the back of your hand.
Seungcheol had been sitting somewhere in the Pledis building when he felt a warmth on the back of his hand, one he had never felt before. And when he had looked, a tiny little :´( had appeared.
He had jumped from the chair, heart beating out of his chest as he tried to communicate with those of his members that were close.
His voice was unable to speak, his mouth was dry and his brain was malfunctioning. So instead of actually speaking, he just stood there and shook his other hand.
It had taken Wonwoo a few seconds to decipher what it was their leader so desperately was trying to tell them. But as soon as he gave the desperate man a pen, he calmed down.
He sat there and stared at the back of his hand, wondering what to write, what to draw, and in the end he ended up with something as simple as a heart. To show that his belonged to you, and that he was there by your side.
It had taken the two of you a while to figure out that you couldn’t use words to communicate, it had to be drawings and symbols. But you had still managed to figure out that he was from Korea, which of course meant you had tried learning the language straight away.
Seungcheol would send a little drawing of a flag your way whenever he was travelling, letting you know what he was up to. When he injured his leg he had managed to draw a stick figure on his arm with a broken leg to convey the message that he was out of business.
That day was the first time you had kissed your wrist with lipstick on, and he had seen the imprint there, and had kissed it back. His heart was breaking a little, because it had been years, and the two of you were nowhere near figuring out who you were, or how you were to find one another.
And then it happened, the article came out. Now he only needed to figure out how he got you to read it.
“How do I tell her which article to read?” He said as he sat there looking more like a giant question mark than a man.
Jeonghan rolled his eyes. They had been at this for hours, and they were nowhere closer to figuring out just how to communicate the name of the article to you.
So far all they had come up with was a newspaper and a flower, but when they had tried googling themselves, nothing even slightly familiar had come up.
Seungcheol laid his cheek on the table in front of him. You had to find it now, the article was trending and twitter was collectively losing its mind. This was his chance.
Joshua stood up from the couch. “You two are so impossible to be around” he said as he took the little brush from his friend's grasp.
He drew a newspaper, a microphone, a small seventeen and a flower.
“There, it should not be that hard if she googles article, singer, seventeen and flower”
Joshua smiled at the older man before he returned to his spot on the couch. A hangout session with the three eldest was nothing new.
They loved spending time with one another, there was an understanding between those three, that the other ten didn’t always understand. And they didn’t need to.
Seungcheol nodded. “Okay. I mean, yeah. She’ll get it. Of course she will”
“Of course she will,” Jeonghan echoed.
There was excitement brewing in his chest, but also nerves, because there was still a chance that this just wouldn’t work.
“What the hell does that mean?” You said as you stretched out your arm to your best friend.
She laughed in response. “Why are you asking me? He’s your soulmate” she bit down on a dumpling, before she made a dramatic gesture of complete and utter satisfaction.
“Is that a book or a paper… Hell it might even be a magazine?” You crooked your head to the side.
“The 17 and the flower is easy enough” You pulled out your phone and typed “17 flower” into your search engine. Nothing popped up.
“Maybe it’s ‘singer’? The microphone I mean”
You pointed her way before adding it to the search, and as if you had said the magic word, there it was; an article about the group Seventeen and their soulmates.
“Holy shit” you said before you stood up from your seat. “Holy shit!” you yelled a little louder.
“Dude we’re in public” was all you got in response.
Your eyes welled with tears as you felt your hands starting to shake. You read the whole thing while you were still standing up. There was no time to sit down, no time to collect yourself, all you could do was read.
Your friend rose from her seat and came to plop you down in your chair, luckily for her it worked, because people had started to stare.
As soon as you finished the story you forwarded it to her.
“Aw, I like that, flowers… That must be such a beautiful mark!” she said.
The two of you had moved on to twitter, the home of fangirls and fandoms.
“Okay… So there’s four of them left on the market apparently”
“The man market” Your friend said as she stuffed Japchae into her mouth with a satisfied groan. You sent her a look, and all she did was smirk in return.
“So who’s left?” she asked as she leaned forward over the table, desperate to take a look at the four men available.
“There’s Joshua, Vernon, Mingyu…” you said as you scrolled through the pictures.
“Oh, wow!” Your friend said as she snatched the phone from you. “I would not mind sinking my teeth into that man”
You rolled your eyes as you scrolled to the last person on the list. “And then there’s the leader, Seungcheol”
Your cheeks heated up, and your mouth went completely dry as you looked at the man on your phone.
There was no doubt in your mind that it had to be him, none of the others made your heart beat out of your chest, nor did they make your hands clammy.
“I think…” you said as you looked at your bestie, she only reached out for your arm.
“Yeah, so do I!”
He was beautiful, tall and wide, with a smile that would make any woman forget what she was thinking.
But the beauty and the fame would definitely be an obstacle, you needed to figure out how to get to him.
First you needed to let him know that you had received his message
Seungcheol had been sitting and staring at his arm for about an hour, and nothing had happened. There had been no response from you.
It killed his spirits, and he had ended up sending the guys home, so that he could just wallow in his own self pity.
His friends had patted him on the back, and told him to keep his head held high, that he at one point would be able to crack the code.
He had dropped down on the couch hiding his face in his hands when that well known warmth spread on the back of his hand.
He was prepared for a question mark, or any other indicator that you in fact hadn’t been able to figure out who you were.
After a few minutes he had decided he might as well get it over with, sooner rather than later. He slowly sat up and looked at the back of his hand, then he shot up from the couch with a roar.
Because right there on the back of his hands were two cherries, and around it was drawn a heart. It was his symbol, which could only mean one thing, you had finally found him.
You had done your research about your man, where he liked to hang out, and where he frequented. It was a little weird, and deep down you felt a little bit like a stalker.
Yet you had no idea how else you were meant to stumble upon him. It was impossible to get a meeting with him, and to get inside of the Hybe building had proven absolutely impossible.
Nothing had worked. So instead you had just been roaming the city.
You were currently sitting in a small café not far from your airbnb, cozying up to yet another coffee in your soulmates city.
The last few days had been nothing short of amazing.
You had made it clear to him that you would be there, that you would be looking for him and you hoped that he too would be out and about, looking for you as well.
When you had sat down at the cafe you had pulled out the little pen you always carried and drawn a little coffee mug on the inside of your wrist.
Hoping that he would go out and get a cup himself, hopefully at the little shop where you had been cooped up for the last hour or so.
But he had not come. There was a little bit of disappointment in your heart, even though you knew that it would most likely take more than that for the two of you to meet.
You slowly got up from your seat, and went to thank the kind lady for a wonderful cup of coffee.
You didn’t notice the man who entered, so instead you walked straight past him and out the door.
Like most of his brothers Seungcheol had taken a few days off as soon as he had gotten the memo that you would be in town.
He visited all the places that he loved, that he knew carats knew as well, yet you were nowhere to be found.
Tomorrow was his first day back, preparing for their comeback, and he hated that he might have to return empty-handed, without a beauty on his arm.
The little coffee mark on his wrist had sent him on one last adventure, but the café he had chosen was empty, except for the woman who had walked straight past him.
Whoever the woman was she had smelled of cherries, and for some reason the smell alone reminded him of you.
Just as he was about to follow her out the door, the lady behind the counter asked him what he would want, and the thought of the cherry smelling woman was quickly out of his mind once again.
You had just exited the shop when the sky above opened and the rain started pouring.
A curse left your lips as you made a mental note to remember to pack your umbrella.
Luckily there was an awning outside the shop to keep you dry while you tried to call a taxi to take you back to your little apartment.
It did feel like kind of a waste to pay someone to drive you, when it would only take you ten minutes to walk.
But you also refused to spend the last few days of your trip being sick and therefore make it even more diffucult to meet that other half of yours.
You pulled out the pen once again and drew an umbrella with a cross over followed by a sad smiley, hoping that he would get the memo.
Seungcheol felt the warmth spread on the inside of his wrist once again, and he couldnt help but smirk at the little drawings.
He had been smart enough to check the weather forecast before he left his apartment, so as soon as he had secured his coffee he pulled his own umbrella from his jacket pocket, ready to enter the now wet world of Seoul.
Maybe he just needed to walk around and look for a woman who had forgotten her umbrella?
He smiled before quickly drawing a heart and a smiley, urging you to go on.
As Seungcheol excited the shop the familiar smell of cherries washed over him, and the woman who had just been inside of the cafe, now lingered outside.
He was just about to ask what she was waiting for, when he spotted her looking at her right wrist.
And on her skin in ink, was the exact conversation of little figurines that was mirrored on his own.
Seungcheol felt how his heart started beating, how his mouth went dry, and how he for the life of him suddenly became unable to speak.
Instead he just stood there, opening and closing his mouth again and again, hopeful that the words would come to him.
They didn’t, instead he looked down to the umbrella he had in his hand, and decided to utilize it.
The man had stopped much like you had, and had no doubt decided that staying put would be better than going out into the rain and getting wet.
You stood there and admired the little encouragement your soulmate had decided to send your way, a small smile on your lips.
Then you felt a small push, and as you looked out of the corner of your eye, you saw an umbrella.
You turned towards the man with a puzzled look.
And there he was.
His smile was awkward and nervous, and if you looked closely it was clear for anyone to see that the legendary leader of Seventeen was shaking like a leaf in a storm.
You stood there and just stared at him, as your heart was beating out of your chest and as you could feel your entire being warm up.
He was here, he had found you, umbrella in his hand and everything.
A tear fell from your eyes, and before you had the chance to even blink, the man had closed the distance between the two of you and pulled you into his chest.
And there, in the warm embrace of your soulmate, you had finally found your place in the world.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you” he whispered into the crook of your neck.
You laughed a little as you pulled yourself closer to him, as close as physically possible. It led to him releasing a hum that managed to ease your anxiety straight away.
“You are a hard man to find, Seungcheol” you said with a small laugh that he quickly returned.
He pulled away from you and finally took you in, the beauty of you. You were perfect, beautiful and fierce. He couldn’t wait to get to know you better.
One of his hands snaked up around the back of your neck. It was firm, yet gentle enough that you could get away if you wanted to. He squeezed gently and saw how your eyes sparkled as you smirked at him.
"Want to get out of here?” He asked as he raised a brow, and you quickly nodded.
His arm snaked around your shoulder as he pulled you as close to his side as humanly possible.
He was never letting go of you.
Seungcheol had spend all night getting to know you, talking until the two of you fell asleep in each other's arms.
He had woken you up with a peck on your nose, then on your forehead, on your cheeks and in the end he just kissed you all over.
You had laughed before finally giving him one, so intimate and passionate it would end up making him late.
The leader was excited when he told security that you would need a badge for the building. He was happy when you pulled him a little closer when you got close to the practice room.
And he was proud when he finally pulled open the door to meet his members, only to be scolded by each and every one of them for being late.
He didn’t care one bit. He just stood there and smiled, until he pulled you in after him, and the room erupted into the well-known chaos that was the boys introducing the group to their soulmate
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PDA Between Us
SEVENTEEN OT13 x Reader
(Public vs Private — the soft, the subtle, the “don’t look at me like that in public” type of love)
⚠️ Warnings
Established relationships
Non-explicit physical affection (kissing, cuddling, lap sitting)
Light possessiveness (protective energy, not toxic)
Fluff overload
Public vs Private dynamics
Slight teasing
🎀 Genre
Fluff
Romance
Domestic
Idol AU
Slice of Life
Soft Relationship Dynamics
Request: open 🍃
Seungcheol (S.Coups)
In Public: His hand is always at your lower back. Protective. Grounding. Not overly touchy, but present. If someone bumps into you, his hand tightens slightly. He won’t kiss you in front of cameras — maybe just a forehead tap if no one’s really looking.
In Private: Different man. Pulls you onto his lap. Nose pressed to your neck. Random kisses on your cheek while you’re talking. “Why are you so cute at home but so calm outside?” you tease. He smirks. “Because at home, you’re only mine.”
Jeonghan
In Public: Acts innocent. Slight teasing. Light finger brushing. If you’re sitting next to each other, his pinky will hook around yours. Like it just happened. Totally not intentional (it is).
In Private: Clingy. Head on your shoulder. Legs tangled. Will randomly kiss your hand mid-conversation. “Don’t move,” he murmurs when you try to get up. “You’re heavy.” “And you love it.”
Joshua
In Public: Gentle touches. Soft smiles. He looks at you like you hung the moon but keeps distance because he’s respectful. Maybe a quick hand squeeze before walking away.
In Private: Forehead kisses every five minutes. Pulls you close while watching movies. Slow dancing in the kitchen. His love language is quiet physical reassurance.
Jun
In Public: Awkwardly cute. Will stand close but doesn’t initiate much unless you do. If you hold his arm, he melts but pretends he’s cool.
In Private: Suddenly bold. Back hugs while you’re cooking. Random cheek kisses. Sometimes he just stares at you and then goes, “Come here,” and pulls you in like he practiced that line for hours.
Hoshi
In Public: Energy boyfriend. Might sling an arm around your shoulders. But he’ll read the room — if it’s formal, he behaves.
In Private: Chaos. Kisses your face repeatedly just to annoy you. Pretends to bite your shoulder. Then suddenly gets soft and buries his face in your neck when he’s tired.
Wonwoo
In Public: Minimal PDA king. Stands close. That’s it. But if you’re cold? His jacket is already around you.
In Private: Hands everywhere. Not inappropriate — just constant touch. Your thigh. Your waist. Your hand. He likes physical presence. If you try to move away while cuddling? He just pulls you back without looking up from his book.
Woozi
In Public: Very controlled. Might adjust your hair. Quick side hug. That’s it.
In Private: Surprisingly affectionate. Lets you sit on his lap in the studio. Soft kisses when he thinks you’re asleep. Low voice murmuring, “Stay a little longer.”
DK
In Public: Bright boyfriend energy. Will proudly hold your hand. Doesn’t care who sees. If you laugh, he beams like he won something.
In Private: Big cuddler. Wraps you up like a blanket. Kisses your cheeks dramatically. But when he gets shy? His ears turn red if you initiate.
Mingyu
In Public: Confident but respectful. Hand on your waist. Protective stance. Leans down to hear you better — way too close.
In Private: Carries you randomly. Kisses your forehead, your temple, your hands. When he’s tired, he rests his whole body weight on you like a giant puppy.
The8 (Minghao)
In Public: Subtle but intentional. His fingers lightly trace your wrist. If someone looks too long at you, his arm is suddenly around you.
In Private: Very sensual but calm. Slow touches. Gentle brushing of your hair behind your ear. Pulls you into quiet moments instead of loud affection.
Seungkwan
In Public: Acts like PDA is embarrassing. “Why are you holding my arm?” But doesn’t actually move away.
In Private: Very affectionate. Will kiss your forehead and pretend it was an accident. Talks nonstop but holds your hand the entire time.
Vernon
In Public: Chill. Might rest his hand on your shoulder casually. Doesn’t make a big deal out of it.
In Private: Leans into you a lot. Head on your chest. Quiet kisses when he thinks you’re not paying attention.
Dino
In Public: Trying to look mature. Holds your hand confidently. Protective but subtle.
In Private: Playful. Tickles you. Pulls you close suddenly and gets shy after initiating.
ardent. (kim mingyu x reader)
theme: first kiss
with: betrothed prince
word count: 3.2k
warnings: some ostracisation and slut shaming, angst if you squint
৻ꪆ fifth installation of the CANDY FLOSS collection
There are many in this castle who are jealous of you. You are very acutely aware of this.
For one, you are not royal blood. You come from generations of a family that has served the royals. A nobleman’s daughter. You have lived and grown up in the castle, among peers and royals, so you are in no way a commoner. But no matter what, the distinction will remain. You are not of the royal bloodline, and that is a fact no one can change.
Everyone was shocked when His Royal Highness, the Prince Mingyu, chose you as his bride. An icy chill spread over the King’s Court, and you heard the gasp your mother let out from right beside you. Your father, who stood before Mingyu’s, had gone rigid, face stoning at the King’s declaration. It took him a complete five seconds before he nodded and bowed deep. On any other day, this kind of delay would be considered disrespect, but even the King let it slide this time. It was a life altering and unprecedented decision, especially when the Prince had been propositioned by many countries, Princesses and their fathers vying for his attention to tie their bloodlines together. Yet, he had chosen you, a nobleman’s daughter. Not a royal, not even close. No one in your bloodline had ever even married into the Royal family.
The whispers began immediately, even as you sat there. You could hear them, ears catching the doubt, the shock, the multiple theories. Your eyes found the profile of the Prince, the tall, imposing presence of him, broad shouldered and straight as an arrow, standing behind his father. He didn’t move a muscle. Your mother discreetly placed her hand on your knee, but her grip was vice-like, making a shock of pain zip up your leg. Her implication was clear; What did you do?
But you didn’t do anything. You had no direct contact with the Prince. You were fast friends with his advisor, Yoon Jeonghan, mostly because Jeonghan was also a nobleman’s son, but you generally didn’t mix with anyone else who formed the Prince’s immediate circle of friends. They were all boys, for one, there weren’t a lot of women in the castle that weren’t the Queen, her daughter, their Ladies in Waiting and older Noblemen’s wives. You spent a fair amount of your childhood alone, as your mother didn’t want you mixing with anyone else, lest you catch allegations of an immoral woman. And yet, you caught them anyway.
You hear them now, ever since the earth shattering announcement in the King’s Court earlier this week, relating to your betrothal to the Prince. The maids were talking about it loudly and sharply in the kitchens the day after, hushing when they saw you but exchanging furtive looks until you left, before starting again. You know of Prince Mingyu’s popularity. They all positively adore him. Ever since he became of age, there have been talks of a princess, whoever he might choose to marry. Everyone expected royal blood, a neighboring kingdom, a beautiful foreign one. Not you, an invisible lingering shadow already present in the castle.
You shut yourself up in your room.
And as goes with things like this, you are labeled an enchantress. You’ve trapped him, apparently. You’ve used beguiling, terrible charms to lead the Prince astray. Your mother, a Lady in Waiting for the Queen, dreads all her sit-ins, torn up by every covert remark that cuts through her like razor blades. Following the announcement, she had cornered you in your room, demanding to know what you had done. You swore on your life, on the life of your father, that you had exchanged barely two words with the Prince all your life, and it was only then that she believed you. It didn’t make everything any less painful.
One week after the announcement, you corner Jeonghan in the stables.
He’s with his horse, patting her softly and talking to her as if she’s a person, like he always does. You found it very amusing, Jeonghan has always been a bit eccentric. It’s one of the reasons he is your friend, a rare person who is close to you. Right now however, you feel none of your usual adoration for him.
“I need to speak with you immediately.” You bite out, voice quiet enough to be a hiss. Nobody knows you are down here. You haven’t left your room much in the last week, afraid of people’s remarks and sharp stares. You’re still partially reeling with the knowledge that you are to be engaged to Mingyu soon. But you need answers. Jeonghan is Mingyu’s closest companion.
He turns when he hears your voice, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s been a while, your future Highness.” His voice is heavy with mirth. You clench your jaw at the title.
“Why?” You blurt out. It’s your only question. “I’m nothing to him. So why?”
Jeonghan sighs softly and settles on a large stack of hay inside the stable. He pats the spot next to him. You hesitate, but standing up is only making you more visible, so you oblige, dropping down next to him.
“You are not nothing to him.” He gently delivers. “He has liked you for as long as I can remember. Even when we were mere children.”
Your hands clench into fists. Your heart races. You stare resolutely ahead. “He never expressed anything to me.”
A light laugh. “Should he have?”
You know the answer immediately. No. It would have made everything so much worse. If anyone in the castle ever saw you and Mingyu together, even for a brief second, you would be labeled worse things than whatever equivalent of the word ‘harlot’ is floating around the castle right now.
“Mingyu is a good man. An obedient son. The future heir. He wanted to do this properly, make it as painless as he could.”
You fiddle with the skirt of your dress. “It still hurts.”
You can see Jeonghan nod in your periphery. “I know. And he knows too.”
There is a small silence before Jeonghan speaks again. “Please see him. Let him fix this. He wants to speak to you desperately. He’s been asking me to talk to you, but you haven’t left your room. He won’t do it unless you allow it.”
You fidget, a little guilty. You’ve been too preoccupied by the weight of everything. Actually speaking to the Prince hadn’t crossed your mind. Your heart races at the thought.
“Fine.” You finally say. And that’s all you give Jeonghan, nothing else. If the Prince wants this, he will have to work for it. You stand, not saying anything more as you turn and hastily exit. Jeonghan has a grin playing on his face, but you don’t spot it.
The next morning, a large spread of breakfast arrives at the door of your room, along with an array of the most beautiful arrangements of flowers you have ever seen. You watch with a gaping mouth as your maid wheels, yes, wheels, the whole thing in. The aroma of delicious, warm food wafts into your nose. You’re still in your night dress. In fact, your maid had woken you up mere minutes ago, claiming she arrived at your door only to find servants arranging everything right outside at that very moment.
“My goodness.” She murmurs, thumbing at the petals. “These gardenias, they are seasonal. Only planted in the Queen’s special walking grounds. Your Prince must have gone to great lengths for this, my lady.”
Your heart races and your face flushes. Your Prince.
The castle is abuzz with talks of the gesture for the rest of the day. Up until this moment, everyone half-believed Mingyu was forced into this, but this gesture from him says otherwise. You don’t leave your room, riddled with anxiety and now with a certain sensation of shyness. But your mother is positively aglow. You know this means a lot to her, the Prince’s clear gesture is a statement. You feel more at ease seeing her like this, and silently, you’re grateful to the Prince for doing what he did.
He doesn’t stop.
He apparently knows you are not leaving your room much, because he sends supper that evening as well, amid the same kind of flourish. This time, you hear the commotion, and you open the door to find maids plating the warm meal. One of them beams at you, a younger girl whose hands shake a tiny bit as she realises you are watching. You don’t understand her apprehension at first, but then it dawns on you that she thinks she is serving the future Queen. The older woman works silently, mouth tight in a way that tells you she is not amused.
Strangely, you aren’t very worried about her lack of enthusiasm now.
You’re quick to realise that your panic and negativity is ridiculous. His Royal Highness the Prince chose you. He has made clear his adoration of you. You should be nothing but thrilled. Your father certainly is, and your mother is also coming around now that the sneers are dying down, already arbitrarily planning your betrothal ceremony and wondering how grand it will be. Mingyu is the only prince. So it will be quite an event, she is sure.
The thought makes something giddy curl up in you.
With your next gifted meal, you receive an invitation. It is embossed with gold lettering and smells like delicate lavender. You read it with eager eyes, holding it gingerly in shaky hands.
The Prince requests your company at supper the next day.
Your mother positively screeches, a gesture that makes your mouth drop. How unladylike of her. On any other day, this behavior from you would result in an admonition. But you find it heartwarming and let her plan for the event, wrangling your maid and both of hers into it so they can work on how best to doll you up for it.
By your own admission, you look very good.
The dress is midnight blue, a color the Prince often prefers for his own drapings and finishings, according to what your mother has to say. It is accented with gold in certain places, and it’s clearly the most glamourous thing you have ever worn. You let everyone pamper you, lathering you with lotions and perfumes until you feel fresh and light as air. You watch your reflection, and wonder for a brief second if Mingyu will like it. Everyone is claiming confidently that he will. You feel nervous.
Jeonghan is the one to escort you to the balcony where supper is set up. He raises an eyebrow when he sees you, eyes softening as he smiles. He waits until you are both out of eye and earshot of everyone else, down the hall. Then he speaks.
“Mingyu is a very lucky man.”
You flush at his words, trying to tamp your smile. “Hush.”
He laughs.
He escorts you up one floor of stairs to the large terrace overlooking the Prince’s private gardens. Towards the end of the staircase, your nose is hit with the delicate scent of flowers. When you reach the opening, you quietly gasp.
The space is decorated with a wide array of flowers, deep red roses mixed with white, arrangements all coming together in the most elegant way. Between them is a scattering of candles, enough to illuminate the space now that the sun is slowly getting ready to set. In the center of the space, a table is set for two, clean and shiny cutlery already laid out, candlelight dancing over the pristine white tablecloth. But your eye catches something else. Something far more breathtaking.
The Prince stands by the stone railing of the terrace, turning when he hears your footsteps. He’s wearing the same color as you, midnight blue, fitted perfectly on his broad shoulders and chest. The buttons are carved with the Royal family crest, golden and shiny. His hair looks silky soft, brushed neatly away from his forehead on one side while falling delicately over the other side of his face. The candlelight gives his cheeks a soft glow.
Your heart skips.
“Good luck.” Jeonghan mumbles, and it makes you start. You forgot he was there. Before you can say anything, he’s gone, and the Prince is walking towards you, posture so graceful it looks like he’s gliding. He steps closer to you, offers you his arm and a small smile. Your breath hitches.
“My lady.”
You place your hand gingerly on his forearm. He guides you out. You feel like your tongue is rubber, you can’t speak. You hope against hope that your knees don’t give out.
When you are seated, the maids slowly start serving your first course. You wait patiently, looking down at the plates to avoid looking at the Prince’s face, who you can feel is already staring at you. When they leave, silence descends on the table.
“I think I should start with an apology.” He says, and his words are shocking enough for you to look up. His eyes are bright but warm, and he does look remorseful.
“Whatever for?” You can’t help but ask. He gives you a sheepish smile.
“I did make things very difficult for you with that announcement.”
Oh. You shift a little and shake your head, trying to wave his apology away. “It was brief. And there really wasn’t much else you could do.”
He hums, picking up his spoon. “I could have warned you somehow that it was coming.”
Well, you suppose he could have.
“You have more than made up for it.” You reply, taking a sip of the soup. It’s warm, and absolutely delicious. The Prince glances up with a quizzical look.
“The meals.” You clarify. “That you sent. I’m grateful.”
He lets out a gentle laugh and shakes his head. You watch how his hair moves with it. You wonder what it would feel like under your touch. Scandalised, you dismiss the thought immediately.
“That was minimal.” He comments, oblivious to your internal struggle. “You deserve much more.”
You can feel your face heat at his words, arm faltering a little. Your heart soars. You try to tamp down your smile as you focus on the soup.
Conversation is less stilted after that. The Prince is endlessly curious about you, asking you questions about yourself, getting to know you. He listens attentively, eyes trained on you so intensely that you find yourself stumbling over your words a few times. You are a nobleman’s daughter, you have been trained to be poised and composed. But this is different. His mere presence is heavy, all encompassing, and while he’s so gentle, so kind, just being around him makes you nervous.
If he notices, he doesn’t show it. He makes little jokes when the conversation demands it, and he tells you fun anecdotes about Jeonghan as well, things you previously didn’t know. You find yourself getting more and more charmed by him, your heartbeat erratic but calm at the same time, slowly filling with joy as you imagine a future with him as your husband.
How did it end up being you? How is that possible?
Before dessert and tea, Mingyu asks the maids to hold off a bit, and instead asks your permission to take a walk in the gardens. You eagerly oblige. You’ve enjoyed the view from one floor up, but you would love to be among the greenery. He offers you his arm again, and you are less apprehensive about taking it. The sun has fully set, but the moon and stars illuminate your path, as well as the many candles still gently trembling on the railings. He leads you down the stairs to his right, to the cobblestone pathway that cuts through the magnificent stretch of land. A quiet but wide stream runs through the grass, and you walk alongside it. The air is cool, but the Prince radiates warmth. Your arm where it presses into his side tingles.
“Do you like it?” He asks as he watches you eye everything. You nod vigorously.
“I do. Everything is beautiful.”
He smiles. “I’m glad. They will be yours soon.”
Something gnaws at your mind again. You remember your conversation with Jeonghan.
I’m nothing to him.
You are not nothing to him. He has liked you for as long as I can remember.
“May I ask you a question?”
He nods, turning to you as you continue your slow stroll. You take a deep inhale.
“Why did you choose me?”
He seems barely fazed, not skipping a beat before answering. “Because you are dear to me. I want you to be my Queen.”
You feel your cheeks heat. You can’t help but look up at the Prince. He says it like it’s an everyday fact. A rule of law.
“Why me?”
He stops walking, bringing you to a halt as well. You watch confusion dance over his face. “I don’t understand.”
You blink, feeling incredulous. “You could have had anyone.”
His eyes soften, as if he finally comprehends. His movement is slow as he reaches up, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear. His fingers brush your skin, and you feel it tingle under his touch. This close, you can smell his earthy perfume. Delicate, but sure. Regal.
“I didn’t want anyone.” He whispers, his fingers lingering over your cheek. “You are above all others for me. My heart is yours.”
Your breath stills at the intensity of his confession. It is ardent, strong and sure. He means it, you can tell. In that moment, you truly believe the depth of his devotion. All these years, you might have not seen him, but he has seen you.
You don’t stop him when he leans down. It takes him one more step to close the distance completely. His hair brushes just so over your forehead, his nose bumps gently against yours. Subconsciously, your lips part.
“May I?” His breath hits them. You feel a shiver run down your spine. You give him a barely perceptible nod, but he feels it, and the next moment, his lips are resting on yours.
It’s slow, cautious, barely there. He’s testing the waters, you can tell. But your eyelids flutter shut, and in a brazen move, you press just a little bit harder. He hums in approval, and takes it as a cue to tilt his head just so, slotting your lips perfectly into his. You can feel your face light up with a fire, your heart kicking painfully at your ribs, but you let him guide you. His hands find your waist, planted respectfully there, not wandering. You keep yours tucked between your bodies, one on his chest and the other on his arm. His lips move carefully, like he’s savoring every sensation. You are too. Underneath your palm, you feel his heart pound. Your own settles when you realise he feels nervous too.
He pulls apart just enough to swallow a gulp of air. You open your eyes almost unwillingly, wanting to stay in this moment forever. But he’s already looking, and there’s a flush high on his cheekbones, the tips of his ears a deep pink. Your chest feels warm, full, and you hope to stay in this moment with him forever, under the evening sky, the gentle sounds of water trickling behind you.
You don’t stop him when he kisses you again.
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who in svt would malfunction if they see their chubby!s/o in a body-fit dress wherein her tummy kinda shows 👁️👁️
seungcheol, soonyoung, dokyeom, mingyu and chan
seungcheol stares for a while and then blushes. he gets a little, just liiittle bit jealous though.
soonyoung absolutely malfunctions, and when he get back to his senses he's all over you.
dokyeom goes 404 error and stutters as he tries to tell you how good you look. poor dude, he whines afterwards.
mingyu lets out a scream as soon as he sees you. has his hand on you the whole time, it's crazy.
chan giggles and then apologizes for doing it so - but everytime he looks up from head to toe he giggles again. congrats, you turned him into a soft, in-love teenage boy.
