â He's always seeking some form of reassurance a few minutes before performing; his members will find him cuddling you and burying his face in your neck, muttering "Y/n.. I'm scared.." His tone playful as he giggles breathily against your skin.
â His arms are wrapped around you 24/7. No matter the circumstance or situation, his koala instincts kick in and he can't resist to do a classic 'arm around the waist' move.
â Martin is gentlemanly. Very. Not only to you, but to his members as well. One single shiver from you and his jacket is draped on your shoulders, immediately. You're tired of walking? He'll carry you. Too sleepy to eat? He'll feed you with the patience of a mother. "Say 'aah'.." He mumbled as he fed you a piece of food, wiping your mouth gently with a tissue afterwards.
â He enjoys having you in the studio with him as he records his line for an upcoming song or produces a new beat for their music, his eyes twinkling with joy as he watches you enjoy his various songs and projects.
â He'll ruffle his hair in your presence often, knowing you find it cute when he looks all disheveled.
â He loves annoying you; poking you any chance he gets, sighing loudly on purpose, singing his heart out to a song you despise and wiggling his eyebrows as he sees your pissed expression. At some point, he gets too annoying and you move away from himâwhich makes him pout like a baby. "Y/n.. Where are you going?" He taunts. "I was joking... It's satireee.." (i have a feeling he unironically says 'it's just satire' lmao)
â Martin falls asleep anywhere, especially on youâhis head often resting on your shoulder, stomach or thighs. He wonât hesitate to take a nap on you.
â He gets flustered pretty easily and immediately lets out a nervous giggle as he does.
â He loves getting his hair played with by you, he swears you have a âmagic touchâ. Martin wonât even ask, heâll just lay his head down on your thighs and look up at you expectantly. Once your fingers run through his soft strands of hair, a small smile is plastered on his face and his eyes are shut. âThat feels really good..â He muttered softly.
â Comparing hands with you is something he does a lot, it amuses him to see the size and height difference between the two of you and makes him adore you even more.
ITâS JUST A SHAME, THATâS ALL â THROUGH THE LENS FROM OUTSIDE
âȘ pairing : ot5 cortis x 6th member reader
âȘ summary : a continuation to part one , part two , and part three. life's been different without you but what a loss is to a family, it's a new job for someone else.
âȘ other notes : if the last part drove me insane, this one demolished me. i hope you guys like it because i really did try my best. creds to @/norvixa6 on tiktok for the analog horror imagery. also this is barely edited it's like 4 am but i tried my very best to check any typos.
âhow has it been two months already and still the same information since the first week ?!â your mother screams, hands slamming down on the table. âmaâam please calm down,â officer park tries to deescalate the situation. âno, my daughter went missing two months ago and all any of you do is twiddlÆe with your thumbs instead of looking for her !â your mom cries. âwe are doing everything in our power to find y/n, not a day goes by when we arenât.â
tears start running down your momâs face, there hasnât been a single day where sheâs had a moment in peace. her whole life halted by your disappearance. âi promise you, we will find y/n,â officer park gently pats your mom on the back, handing her a box of tissues. âwe have a new detective working on the case, we are not giving up.â from a few feet away, your brother watches in silence. heâs grown used to how your mom constantly cries.
the car ride home is uncomfortably silent, your brotherâs become the chauffeur of the family. your mom hasnât been able to drive since you disappeared. home isnât any louder. your shoes are still by the door, slowly collecting dust. your jacket still hangs over a chair, one your mom forgot to move when you forgot it after your last visit. now no one moves anything, how can they ? âmom go lie down for a bit, dinner is on me,â he says, mimicking the same soft tone she used on both of you as children.
âhow about we get thai takeout instead ?â she suggests, a lump forms in your brotherâs throat. ââŠyeah of course, whatever you want, iâll let you know when it gets here,â he forces a smile, nodding. your mom makes her way upstairs before calling out, âoh and chul, if thereâs anything new, let me know please.â chul nods, âyeah i will.â but he knows deep inside that there wonât be any updates, itâs just a waiting game with no prize to win.
chul spends most of his days like he did before everything. he attends his classes at his university, works as a cashier afterwards, and goes home to sleep. nothing about his routine has changed yet it feels 10 times more tiring. he can distract himself from thoughts about you during the day but as soon as night falls, everything hits him like a truck. he doesnât cry, but heâs lucky if he gets three hours of sleep. he hates himself for just thinking of this but a part of him has grown to resent you.
not because you ran away, no that would have been easier because at least you would have told someone. but what is he supposed to think when you suddenly disappear ? he knows what the company said, but he doesnât care. he knows you, he knows his sister, you wouldâve never left. though he knows that making a claim against a multimillionaire company with no proof would only result in loss, financial and emotional.
and with the way finances are going, heâd rather not start anything. almost immediately after you disappeared, the company cut off any source of income, claiming that you had breached the contract. royalties you had been receiving for years even before debut were all cut off. with a mix of momâs medicine, her medical bills, mortgage, groceries, and miscellaneous bills, chul tried his best to pick up as many shifts as possible.
not because theyâre about to go completely broke, but because life was starting to become less comfortable. itâs weird to think that the youngest person in the family was the one responsible for most finances. when mom stopped working after her chronic pain became worse, you told her not to worry about it, that youâd take care of it. now instead of just worrying about his tuition payments, he has to make sure expenses donât fall through the roof.
one night, chul stares at your bedroom door before opening it. he winces at the creak, remembering how youâd complain that he never oiled the hinges. he walks in, closing the door behind him. he doesnât bother turning on the light, just sits on the floor next to your bed, letting his back feel the plushness against your mattress. even though you hadnât lived at home in a long time, your room still looks the same as it did years ago.
the only difference now is that youâre not coming home at all. his hands dig into his hoodie pocket, revealing three things. nicotine gum, nicotine patches, and cigarettes. before you even debuted, chul had the habit of smoking cigarettes on a weekly basis. it helped with his stress as much as he didnât want to admit he was addicted to it. youâd immediately cover your nose when he walked by, harshly scolding him. âyouâre so disgusting chul,â heâd just roll his eyes, âwell itâs a good thing youâre not the one doing it huh ?â
it would always end in an argument, until one day when he stopped altogether. âyou know, second hand smoking is also bad, how am i supposed to sing if iâm breathing in your smoke ?â chul raised his eyebrows in confusion. âi smoke with the window open, what the hell are you talking about ?â âthat doesnât matter, that shit penetrates the walls !â you stomped your foot in frustration. âyou wonât even live here in a month, youâre moving to the dorms.â
âokay then if itâs only a few weeks until i leave, quit for now and then you can continue ruining your lungs,â you crossed your arms. âare you worried about your lungs or mine ? make up your mind.â âiâm worried about all of us ! you know mommy canât be breathing it in either,â you stated, flailing your arms. chul hummed, you made a good argument. so he finally made the decision to go cold turkey.
âokay, just until you leave, iâll stop smoking and i promise that any future smoking will be done outside, how does that sound ?â chul smooshes his cigarette into his ash tray. you blink at him before smiling brightly, âreally ?!â chul rolled his eyes, âyes really.â you immediately wrapped your arms around him, squeezing him tightly. âi knew you loved me !â your voice muffled against his shirt. âdonât get ahead of yourself,â he awkwardly patted your back.
itâs been almost three years since that conversation and since then, chul hadnât smoked. the first two weeks without smoking were absolute hell, just the aspect of not having anything to wind down after a hard long day sent cold shivers down his spine. yet, he kept his promise, doing everything to fill that void. his oral fixation was satisfied when he shoved a chapstick between his lips, a little gross but it sufficed.
after you left, he challenged himself to try one more month of not smoking, just to prove to himself and to you that he wasnât addicted. eventually that challenge became his lifestyle, clean lungs and no lingering smoke smell on his clothes. but now chul looks down at the floor in front of him. âfuck,â he curses to himself, biting his cheek hard enough to make it bleed. he just needs something real, anything to make that ache go away.
he picks up the gum packet, reading the instructions on the back, effective in 10-15 minutes. âwho the hell waits that long ?â he drops them on the floor again before grabbing the patches, turning it over, effective in 2-4 hours. âare these fuckers trying to kill me or something ?â he scoffs, throwing them on the floor, this time with more force. he sighs, turning his gaze to the pack of cigarettes. he canât, he canât just give it all up right nowâŠbut he needs it.
âjust one,â a wobbly smile forms on his face, shaky hands ripping off the plastic wrapping. then- BUZZZZ. âshit,â chul jolts, dropping the pack. he reaches again into his pocket, now pulling out his phone. itâs an unknown number listed under the police department. he immediately answers, âhello ?â an unfamiliar voice speaks, âgood evening, is this chul l/n ?â chul sits up straight, reaching for the nicotine gum. âyes, this is him.â
âmy name is detective kang hyeok-jin, i was assigned to your sisterâs case about a week ago,â detective kang introduces himself. âi know it can be very frustrating and repetitive to answer the same questions but iâd like to get some details about y/n so i can understand her disappearance as best as i can.â chul shoves three nicotine gums into his mouth, face contorting in disgust. âyeah of course, iâll answer anything if it helps you guys find my sister.â
across town, a sleep deprived hyeok-jin asks chul several questions. he writes them down in messy handwriting, just enough for him to understand. âthank you mr. l/n, this was very helpful. iâll dedicate myself to finding your sister,â hyeok-jin grips the phone tighter. âyouâre not the first one to say thatâŠbut i hope that youâll actually help,â chul sighs into the phone, obviously tired out by these two past months.
âiâm sorry to hear that, i know it hasnât been easy for your family, iâll do everything i can to get her back,â hyeok-jin sets his pen down. a small pause comes from the other line âyeahâŠthank you for calling anyway.â even though they arenât face to face, hyeok-jin can sense the hesitation and defeat in chulâs voice. âiâll let you rest then, iâll keep you updated on anything and everything, please save my number into your phone, and have a goodnight.â
âalright, thank you, goodnight,â without another beat, the line is cut. hyeok-jin lays his phone face flat onto his desk, rubbing his hands over his face. heâs been looking over this case for only a week and heâs beyond confused. everything that should be there is there but your case file is small to say the least. the longest document is the companyâs statement and proof that you breached your contract and could even be sued.
everything else is justâŠthere. âhey boy, you should head home, youâve been here two hours overtime,â lieutenant baek sun-woo calls out to him. âiâll go home soon ! i was just reviewing the case you gave me,â hyeok-jin gives his supervisor a tired smile. âdonât you have a wife and a kid to get home to ?â the lieutenant asks. âi actually donât have a girlfriend sir,â that statement is immediately welcomed with an up and down stare, âwell that explains a lot.â
hyeok-jin tilts his head in confusion, but doesnât have enough time to reply before lieutenant baek bids his goodbye. âgo home before any chance of having a girlfriend disappears completely.â hyeok-jin forces out a laugh, âyes sir !â a few minutes later, the office falls completely silent, the only sound coming from the light over his head. hyeok-jin looks back down at your case, furrowing his eyebrows. missing person report. photos of the cctv footage. company statement. lack of witness statements.
the more he thinks, the more heâs confused. he flips through the interviews of different people you were close with, your family, your members, even workers from your favorite stores. they all said the same thing : you would have never left out of your own will. except for one person. when asked by the police if it seems likely that youâd run away, edwards martin stated âi would like to say no but y/n has always been a complicated person, so iâm unsure.â
hyeok-jin leans back in his chair, it wouldâve made sense if everyone or most people had the same idea of you but to only have one person, specifically the last person that saw you ? âhey youâre not heading out yet ?â a familiar voice grabs his attention, itâs officer kim. âiâm about to leave, was just looking over some things,â he smiles at her. âgood, donât overwork yourself,â she nods, walking closer to him. âactually since youâre here, were you at the scene during the investigation with that one idol ?â he asks, pushing the case file to his friend.
âno, i was off that day but i did hear some things about it, why ?â she flips through it. âit just seems weird, almost like it wasnâtâŠthoroughly investigated, everything is so short,â he hesitates on his words, not wanting to overstep a line. âi canât say much about it honestly, missing person cases are always weird to handle especially when her company is contradicting it as a whole,â officer kim frowns. âyeahâŠiâll look more into that, thanks though,â hyeok-jin sighs, grabbing the file from her.
âalso, shouldnât you also be going home too ?â he asks officer kim. ânormally yes but they changed me to night shift, just until one of the guys gets back from paternity leave,â she shakes her head. âoh i see, well make sure to stock up on energy drinks and coffee,â he cracks a joke making officer kim snort. âwill do, thanks, now go home and sleep before your brain gives out,â she clears her throat, giving him a small wave. âthanks, have a good shift !â once left alone again, hyeok-jin exhales. heâs tired and confused but he does know something, tomorrowâs a new day.
when chul wakes up, he groans in pain. how did you even sleep on your bed every night when you were little if itâs harder than a rock ?! your unicorn plushie is directly under his neck, your lion plushie is tucked between his armpit. he sits up, rubbing his eyes. on your nightstand is his nicotine products, unopened patches, opened gums, and half unwrapped cigarettes. he looks around your room now that the sun is peeking beyond the curtains. it almost makes him sick, he hates being here during the day where he can see the remnants of your memory as a child.
almost immediately, he fixes your bed before grabbing his things and leaving the room. he thinks heâll die if he stays in there for another minute. when he goes downstairs, he sees mom, buttoning up her bright pink vest. âmom youâre already leaving ?â he asks, grabbing her purse. âearly bird gets the worm honey,â she smiles, looking at him. âseeing you go out like this every day worries me,â chul expresses his discomfort.
ânot knowing where your sister is worries me,â she ends his argument. âplease be safe then, and donât stand or walk for too long,â hyeok-jin gives the older woman a tight hug. âwalking is good for me, you know that,â she shrugs him off, walking to the front door. momâs been avoidant lately, less affectionate and more sad, not on purpose but because her mind is clouded by worrying about you. he wishes everything could be normal again.
when lieutenant baek invites hyeok-jin out for lunch, he almost refused. it was weird, not in a suspicious way but he had never had a supervisor buy him lunch. yet here he is, stuffing his mouth with meat. âso hyeok-jin, you came from jeju island right ?â lieutenant baek asks him. hyeok-jin nods, swallowing his food. âhow come you came to seoul ? iâd die to live on jeju,â the lieutenant chuckles, sipping a bit of his soup.
âi heard seoul is a good place for detectives to grow,â he replies, awkwardly smiling. âreally ? i heard there was a lot of crime there,â he shakes his head at his superiorâs words. âno, we just have a lot of tourists and most of them are respectful but thereâs a handful that just ruin it for everyone. and even then a lot of the crimes are straight forward, a little burglary here, a little fight there, itâs all very simple,â he sighs.
âno wonder youâre going all in for this missing girl case,â the older man chuckles. hyeok-jin places his chopsticks down, wiping his mouth with a napkin âactually i wanted to talk to you about that.â the lieutenant looks at him, eyebrow raised. âwhyâŠdid you put me on y/n l/nâs case ? i appreciate it of course, itâs an honor but itâs a big case for a newcomer no ?â he asks, looking off to the side. lieutenant baek hesitates to answer before exhaling.
âitâs a big case but itâs also a dead end.â hyeok-jinâs puzzled by his answer. âwhat do you mean ?â âyou know how you had simple cases in jeju ? itâs similar to this oneâŠwhether her family and friends want to admit it or not, the girl probably ran away. thereâs no proof otherwise and itâd be hard for her company to fake something like that so boldly.â lieutenant baek explains his thinking, itâs clear by now that heâs set on this idea.
hyeok-jin shifts uncomfortably in his seat, unsure of what to say. âwhen you have your children, youâll understand that this is the type of things teenagers do when theyâre pent up,â his superior attempts to reassure him. âit doesnât make sense though-â âplease donât think too much about it kid, digging into it will only waste your time.â hyeok-jin shuts his mouth, beginning to become irritated.
âbesides letâs say worst case scenario, the company was involved since apparently thatâs folks favorite theory, sheâs probably living a good life down low. i mean, think about it, people do a lot for money, money talks and money runs the world.â the older man waves off the situation. instead of arguing and possibly losing his job, hyeok-jin calms himself down âif you say soâŠâ
chulâs day was uneventful to say the least, the same long and boring routine. school and work, nothing to celebrate but nothing to complain about. that is until he had to pick up momâs medicine. he walked in and out of the pharmacy three separate times, waiting for his check for that week to hit his bank account. when it finally does, heâs only left with a few thousand won afterwards, even with the coupon the pharmacist offered.
as fucked up as it sounds, heâs glad that only a few people know that heâs your brother. he canât imagine the looks of pity and people whispering under their breath âpoor guy, it must suck being himâ or even âwow heâs an idolâs brother but he could barely afford medicine.â heâd probably die out of the embarrassment. when he reaches home, the sunâs already gone down.
heâs about to reach for his keys, but having the habit of checking if the door is unlocked gets to him first. surprisingly, itâs open. chul furrows his eyebrows, did mom forget to lock it ? he quietly steps inside, just in case somethingâs happening. âi wouldnât possibly be able to accept that,â chul hears mom talking in the kitchen. âitâs really okay donât worry, youâre basically my second mom,â oh itâs martin.
chul stands outside of the kitchen, listening quietly to the conversation. ây/n isnât here but i know she would have wanted me to help,â martin tries to persuade mom on something. âbut itâs so much moneyâŠâ mom sighs. âexactly, and iâm guessing chulâs been paying for your medicine, so think about it like this : iâm not only helping you, iâm also helping him,â so thatâs what this is about, momâs medicine.
chul remembers the first time you met martin. it was during a hot summer day in august, both of you were sweaty in boiling heat. martin had approached you, offering to push you on the swing after seeing you fail to get momentum which later led into a game of tag. it was cute and wholesome. what chul didnât expect was for this to blossom into a friendship, the kind every kid desires to have.
as years passed and both of you grew, martin still chased after you, almost like a person running alongside a butterfly. wherever you went, martin soon followed. he liked martin for the most part, especially because you also never had a bad thing to say about him. when chul found out youâd be in the same group, he was relieved youâd have a best friend beside you and also someone he trusts fully.
chul steps back when he hears footsteps approach the doorway. martin is startled back when he sees chul, âyou scared me sorry,â he laughs, a smile forming on his face. ânice to see you too,â chul nods, leading him to the front door. âoh by the way,â chul stops martin just as heâs about to leave. âthe police assigned a new detective to y/nâs case.â martin doesnât turn around, he pauses for a second.
âis that so ?â he asks in a low voice. âyeah,â âthatâs good,â martin nods, âlet me know if they say anything new.â chul hums, âi will donât worry, goodnight martin,â with nothing more to say, martin opens the front door and leaves. chul doesnât blame martin for acting weird, everyone handles bad situations differently. he knows itâs been hard on martin, he can only hope the members are all united on this.
itâs been a month since lieutenant baek took hyeok-jin for lunch. over three months since youâve been gone. hyeok-jin knows that his lieutenant told him not to dig around but can he just stay still ? unfortunately however, hybe and bighit have not cooperated whatsoever. not outright refusing, rather just not responding at all. phone calls to higher ups in the company lead to an hour wait only for the call to suddenly hang up.
he doesnât have any luck getting paperwork from them either despite the multiple attempts of contact. public records were extremely shortened and difficult to find. itâs just been a full month of frustration and lack of response. he crumbles up a piece of paper, throwing it into the trash can next to his desk. âwhy even have a phone number if no one fucking answers,â he grumbles to himself. he leans his head against his hands, letting out an exasperated sigh.
hyeok-jin thinks of the lunch with his lieutenant, trying to remember every word from that conversation. he doesnât think lieutenant baek meant any harm, but the conversation still bothered him. he thinks of something the lieutenant said at the end of their conversation. âmoney talks.â he doesnât have anything else to go off of, just hopes and dreams. his fingers tap against his desk, eyes landing on his computer.
he remembers something his professor said years ago âif you canât follow people, follow the money.â so he leans forward, clicking through different government sites. âif no one wants to talk to me or answer my questions, i guess iâll ask the numbers.â itâs his very last hunch, otherwise heâd be just like the past detectives that were handed this case. he canât give up this easily without checking every end of a clue, he promised your brother that heâd try his best.
chulâs morning started off extremely rough. he was already late for his class, one which he had a test for. mom screamed at him for no reason other than the fact that itâs officially been three months since you went missing. he doesnât blame her or argue back, he just wishes that she could see heâs also struggling just as much as she is. âiâm sorry mom,â he apologizes even though he has no reason to.
mom cries, âjust go to school, i want to be alone,â she sniffles. âokay, i love you,â he leaves before she can say anything else. he runs the fastest he can to his university, missing the first half of his class. he apologizes to the professor, earning a harsh scolding. âiâm so sorry, can i still do the exam please ?â âitâs your time, not mine,â she rolls her eyes, handing him a copy of the test and a scantron. he exhales in relief, sitting down at his seat. he takes a deep breath, putting his pencil to the paper.
grades are put into the system almost as soon as class ends. chul fails the test horribly. not barely, horribly. he got a 15 on it, the worst heâs ever done on anything. itâs so bad he even agrees to have lunch with his friends, anything to try and cheer himself up. but all his friends seem to ask him about is how his family is doing. before you debuted, he had commented to his friends that his little sister was going to be in a kpop group, a mistake he now realizes.
âweâre fine,â chul bites into his sandwich, one his friend had bought him a few minutes ago. âbro if you ever need our help, weâre here for you,â his friend with glasses says as the others nod. âhave you, you know, been online lately ?â his other friend with dyed hair asks, earning a shove from chulâs favorite gym bro. âi donât like reading any of that shit, just jobless nobodies saying shit about my sister,â chul shakes his head.
âthatâs good man, i seen a lot of shit a-and i donât think your sister was like that but like i donât know people be talking,â dyed hair rambles on. chul ignores him, not wanting to continue talking about you. âdo you think talking about her will do you some good ?â glasses asks in a softer tone. âif he doesnât want to talk about her then letâs not force him,â gym bro comes to chulâs defense. chul gives him a small smile before looking back at his sandwich.
quiet fills the table until dyed hair breaks it with a scoff. âiâm sorry but i have to talk about it, your momâs out there protesting that nothing is being done for your missing sister but you donât want to talk about it ? instead of defending her ? do you know what people are saying about her ? that she ran away, not to mention theyâre also saying she was the yoko ono of the group-â chul stands up, chair scraping against the floor.
âshut your fucking mouth.â chul warns his friend, the others shocked by his sudden demeanor. âjust because your girlfriend goes out and fucks a new guy every weekend doesnât mean my sister was like that. what do you want me to say huh ? oh i think my sister got kidnapped ! oh i think my sister might have been trafficked ! oh i think my sister might be dead ! itâs been three fucking months and i know nothing, sheâs all i think about !â chulâs voice breaks at the end.
âand from what it seems, you donât know anything about me, let alone my sister so the next time you say anything about her, iâll beat you to a pulp,â chul warned dyed hair before grabbing his backpack and leaving the cafeteria. no one calls out for him or chases to stop him, not that he was expecting that to begin with. he soon leaves campus, jittery and overwhelmed. chul can feel tears brim his eyes, vision becoming blurry.
as soon as heâs off school grounds, he dumps his backpack out. pencils, notebooks, folders, even his laptop falling onto concrete ground. he frantically reaches his hand into his bag, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and his lighter. heâs hyperventilating at this point, on the brink of having a panic attack. fuck being sober, fuck anything and everything. he puts the cigarette between his lips, lighter shaking in his hand as he lights it.
the first drag burns his lungs, almost like the first time he smoked. in 10 seconds, his heart rate and breathing slow down. but even when chul releases the smoke from his mouth, the ache in his soul and tears in his eyes donât disappear, it only makes things worse. he thinks of you and how angry you would be at him right now. he reaches for his phone, trembling fingers scrolling through his contacts, pressing to call.
âmartin,â chulâs voice is wobbly as the younger boy answers the phone almost immediately. âhey whatâs wrong ?â martin asks, hearing quiet sniffling on the other hand. âi know that you might be busy but i really need to talk to you,â chul cries into the phone. âiâm on break, i have to go back soon but what happened ?â âtodayâs y/nâs three months since she went missing and everyoneâs just talking about her like sheâs gone forever and i donât know what to do anymore, i just fucking smoked after quitting for three years,â he sobs, cigarette burning between his fingers.
âand you of all people know y/n wouldnât have ran away,â he continues tethering between anger and heartbreak. when chul allows martin to talk, martin is silent to the point where chul think the call ended. âhello ?â âiâm sorry chul, iâŠi canât say much, iâŠâ chul doesnât know why martin is responding so weirdly. âwhat are you saying ?â âi-iâm saying that i donât know, everythingâs just soâŠconfusing- iâm sorry i have to go, i need to get back to practice,â martin cuts the conversation short.
âwhat ?â chul asks, softly hiccuping. âi put in the money for your momâs medication, iâm sorry i canât say anymore, bye,â before chul can respond, martin hangs up. chul looks down at his phone, âthanks anyway,â he mumbles to himself, tears running down his face. this isnât the boy you talked so positively about. this isnât the boy heâs known since martin was 12. chul canât recognize martin anymore, the real martin would have fought for you.
that night, hyeok-jin stares at the papers in front of him, heart thumping against his ribs. the numbers didnât add up. mixing or falsified tax records. training expenses that never existed or seemed exaggerated. payments to shell companies. contracts rewritten after signatures had been made. he was right, there was more than what meets the eyes, thereâs years of fraud. how has no one noticed this ? âŠdid they ever notice this ? his discovery is soon cut short when he hears running footsteps down the hall.
he snaps his head to the side, seeing multiple officers dashing. âdetective kang !â officer kim sprints into the room. âyou need to come with us right now,â she looks completely out of breath. âwhat happened, whatâs going on ?!â his stomach drops as he gets up from his seat. âone of the cortis membersâŠhe had an accident,â she struggles to catch her breath. hyeok-jinâs confused, what does that have to do with him ?
âi mean is he okay ? but iâm not a cop so why do i-â âthatâs not the reason why you have to come along,â she interrupts him. âwe found y/n.â hyeok-jin freezes, eyes widening, âfound ?â his friend nods. so many thoughts cross his mind yet he can only ask one question. âis she alive ?â his voice comes out quieter than intended. officer kim looks at him, her parted lips let out an exhale before pressing into a thin line.
SYN . It's a well known joke in the group that Juhoon's got a thing for Martin's older sister. But when the time comes when your boyfriend actually starts slacking off, Juhoon wastes no time to swoop in and take his chances.
âïž . last but not least of sweeter than the cookies jju <3 btw did u notice that even drunk our SWEET juju never misspelled his yn noona's name đ«Łđ«Ł
-> part one , part two , part three , part four (finale)
PLUS NOTE đ it's finally over guys! thanku sm for those of u who have given this smau sm love â€ïž love u all and i hope u continue to enjoy my works >< don't forget to checkout my shelf for more !
SYN . It's a well known joke in the group that Juhoon's got a thing for Martin's older sister. But when the time comes when your boyfriend actually starts slacking off, Juhoon wastes no time to swoop in and take his chances.
âïž . ok i said this will be the last part AND I MEANT IT but tumblr stupid ahh img restriction đ€Źđ€Ź AND i also don't wanna rush it too much ykk?? hope u guys dont mindd omgg also dw tho i'll post the next part tmrw asap!!
â ïž . underage drinking (sorta accidental?) idk if it's a big deal to drink underage or nawt but we all do lowk lol. js pretend they like never drink underage before in here alrrrr
-> part one , part two , part three , part four
PLUS NOTE đ cortis js won their very first daesang im so friking proud and happy omfg đđ oh cortis u deserve all the fame and appreciation <3 also lowk cliffhanger LOL #goodluckjju and yn folded under ZERO pressure lolll
James was settled comfortably in the corner of the sofa, his posture relaxed as he scrolled through his phone with one hand. His other arm was draped lazily over your legs, which were stretched out across his lap.
You, on the other hand, were secretly plotting. Under the guise of casually browsing your phone, you swiped past your actual apps and opened the camera, positioning it discreetly to capture his face for a harmless prank.
"Oh my god," you gasped aloud, letting your voice drop into a tone of utter, simulated disbelief.
James paused mid scroll. He didn't look up immediately, but his thumb hovered over his screen before he finally raised his eyes, his eyebrows lifting slightly. "What?"
"Martin just matched with me on Tinder," you said, executing the delivery with perfect, wide eyed shock.
Jamesâs eyes widened instantly. For a split second, a look of pure, amused disbelief flashed across his features. "Wait... Martin? My best friend, Martin?"
You nodded solemnly, leaning into the lie to keep him on the hook.
"Six foot three, wasian Martin?" he clarified, his voice climbing an octave as he tried to process the mental image of his buddy on the app.
"Yes, that Martin," you confirmed, letting out a small, breathless laugh at his reaction. "What other Martin do we even know?"
James burst into a sudden, genuine laugh, shaking his head. "No way. I just... I literally cannot picture him on Tinder. That is wild." He stared blankly at the wall for a second, trying to wrap his head around the scenario.
But as the initial hilarity of the thought began to fade, his expression slowly shifted. The amusement melted away, replaced by a sudden, sharp realization.
His eyes snapped back to you. He slid your legs off his lap and stood up, towering over the couch. "Wait a minute. How the fuck do you even know he's on Tinder? Are you on Tinder? Why the fuck are you on Tinder?!"
You immediately looked away, pretending to scramble for a cover story while trying desperately to suppress the giggles bubbling up in your throat. "No! Uh... Seonghyeon. Yeah, Seonghyeon just texted me. He said he saw it on Martin's phone."
James squinted, his gaze scrutinizing your face. "You and Seonghyeon barely talk," he pointed out, his voice dropping into a suspicious, low register.
He took a decisive step closer, reaching out to grab your phone to see the evidence for himself. You reacted instantly, pulling the device back against your chest.
When he reached for it again, you curled yourself into a tight, defensive ball in the corner of the sofa, tucking the phone securely between your stomach and your knees. You squeezed your eyes shut, fighting a losing battle against a fit of laughter.
"Y/n, let me see the phone," James insisted, his hands gently but firmly reaching in to try and pry your defensive posture apart.
You cracked completely, a loud laugh escaping you. "James, chill! Seriously!"
Before you could scramble away, James easily scooped you up in one swift motion, lifting you completely off the cushions. He playfully dropped you back onto the soft sofa, the sudden bounce startling you just enough that your grip loosened. The phone slipped from your hands, sliding off the edge of the cushions and landing face down on the area rug below.
"No, James, stop!" you cried out, still trying to play the part of the panicked girlfriend.
With his jaw set in mock seriousness, James ignored your protests and reached down, picking up the phone. He flipped it over, fully expecting to see a dating profile active on the screen. Instead, he was met with the active camera app recording the rug, the lens pointing down at the floor.
A heavy, massive sigh of pure relief escaped his chest. He tossed the phone onto the cushions beside you and crossed his arms, staring down at your laughing form. "You think you're funny, huh?"
You nodded frantically, tears of laughter pricking the corners of your eyes.
Slowly, James stepped forward. He uncrossed his arms, extending his hands with his fingers lightly twitching in a gesture you recognized instantly.
Your eyes went wide, your laughter turning into genuine panic. "No, baby, I'm sorry! Please, please don't!"
Ignoring your pleas, James lunged forward, tackling you back into the cushions. His fingers immediately found your sides and armpits, sending you into a fit of breathless, helpless shrieks and wild squirming.
He hovered over you, a victorious, bright smile on his face as he watched you try to wriggle out of his grasp. Only when you were completely out of breath did he finally relent, keeping his hands resting lightly on your waist.
The room fell quiet, save for the sound of your heavy breathing. James hovered there for a moment, his gaze softening as his eyes traced your face. Slowly, he leaned down and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to your lips.
"Don't do that again, understand?" he murmured, his thumb gently caressing your side through your shirt.
You looked up at him, still slightly dazed from the laughter, and nodded. "Okay."
He shifted, sitting back down beside you on the sofa. You immediately slid over, resting your head against his shoulder with a contented sigh. "You know I'd never actually do that to you, right?" you added softly, pressing a quick kiss to the fabric of his shirt.
James nodded, resting his chin on top of your head. "Yeah, I know. It was just scary for a second."
You smiled, leaning up to kiss his cheek. He looked down at you, his expression fond, before leaning in to press a kiss to your forehead. But as he pulled back, you noticed the sudden, mischievous glint returning to his brown eyes. A slow smirk crept onto his face.
"You know I'm getting you back for this, right?" he whispered.
You groaned loudly, already dreading whatever elaborate revenge scheme his competitive brain would cook up.
Defeated, you dramatically let yourself slide backward, flattening yourself completely against the sofa cushions. James just laughed, the warm, steady sound filling the room as he pulled you back into his side.
âïœĄâ§ËàźàčâĄàčàźËâ§ïœĄâ
Sidenote: I don't know whose gonna actually read this note but I do wanna notify anyone who does read my fics that I will be slowing down with publishing my fics as now I just gotta job recently and I will be going back to college soon so a lot of my time will be occupied so imma try and put out what I can before then. Thank you. :)
donât mind me Iâm just thinking about how crazy it would be to have a devoted servant who you trusted above all others and who was happy â honored, even â to spend their life kneeling at your feet like a loyal dog. and then one day it turns out that your servant is actually God, like capital-G God, making you not just Godâs favorite, but the object of Godâs worship: a holy figure to the literal divine.
SYN . It's a well known joke in the group that Juhoon's got a thing for Martin's older sister. But when the time comes when your boyfriend actually starts slacking off, Juhoon wastes no time to swoop in and take his chances.
-> part one
âïž . . . wait omg u guys absolutely ate the 1st part up ily??? i hope this pt wont disappoint lolll also guys pls tell me i ate w the ig stories cuz i had to edit them to look like he reposted her story đ€đ»
âïž . . . u guys down for pt 3? it's gonna b the last part m if so comment #goodluckjju cuz he's about to be a victim of yn n wonhee's evil duo agenda LOLLLL
SYN . It's a well known joke in the group that Juhoon's got a thing for Martin's older sister. But when the time comes when your boyfriend actually starts slacking off, Juhoon wastes no time to swoop in and take his chances.
-> part two
âïž ... whoop! my first ever juhoon fic lolz lemme know watchu think this is inspired by shinee's replay
âïž .. part 2 any1? comment #teamjju to root for our man and get tagged for the 2nd partđ€đ»
ITâS JUST A SHAME, THATâS ALL â THROUGH THE LENS OF CORTIS
âȘ pairing : ot5 cortis x 6th member reader
âȘ summary : a continuation to part one and part two. cortis tries their best to continue living normal lives without the core part of their group. can they manage without you ?
âȘ other notes : my god this part drove me insane. i like it overall and oh my days you guys are so funny in the comments, i love yall. any asks pertaining to part two will be answered later, very sleepy rn, gn everyone, enjoy :))) and creds to @/martiny.e , @/cortis.mp3 , and @/sa7easoee on tiktok for the analog horror imagery.
keonho stares down at his phone, sighing as he sends you another text. itâs been three months since youâve âdisappearedâ and you still havenât answered a single message. this isnât like you at all, you wouldnât just up and leave everything and everyone behind. guilt writhes in his stomach every time he thinks of the cctv. if you quit, maybe he could have talked you out of it. and if something else happened ? âŠhe would have stopped it.
james tries to piece everything together but nothing makes sense. you left the group without any reason to, and yet the cctv shows differently. the company said something else. and the more he thinks about it, every conclusion leads to five questions. as the oldest, he tries to shoulder everyoneâs emotional burden. but what about him ? how can he rest when questions continuously fill his mind. you would have been there to help him.
juhoon took it the hardest. you were the first person who accepted him into the group without hesitation, and in a blink of an eye, youâre just gone ? even though he has four other people to rely on, he feels so incredibly lonely without you, without his twin flame. thereâs many nights where he silently cries himself to sleep. and with every day that passes, the pit in his stomach only gets deeper.
seonghyeon feels like a swan without its cygnet. even though you were older than him, he tried his best to take care of you no matter what. he always wanted a big sister, and at some point you became that. he still buys your favorite snacks from the corner store you always complained smelled like ass. he just canât figure out if you miss them too. if you do, then why do you never answer the phone ?
about two months ago, staff came in and took all of your things. they ripped your bedsheets off of the companyâs bed, something keonho tried his best to fight, which only earned him a harsh scolding. your notebooks that were alphabetically placed in the shelf above your bed were all trashed, your thoughts, ideas, and feelings going with them too. most of your clothes were shoved into storage boxes before staff labeled them as âemergency.â
âwhat the fuck are they doing,â seonghyeon curses outside of the dorm, biting his nails. âtheyâre taking her stuffâŠall of it, theyâre acting like she never lived here,â keonho frowns. juhoon stays quiet, his fists clenching repeatedly. james tries to reason with the situation, âwhat if theyâre just storing it until y/n comes back for it ?â he winces at his own words, what kind of explanation is that ? âthatâs bullshit and you know it,â seonghyeon snaps.
âeverythingâs in those books,â juhoon finally speaks up. âshe wrote songs in those, y/n would want to keep all of them,â he continues, looking away from the open front door of the dorm. âsomethingâs wrong, i-â âokay thatâs enough,â martin claps his hands and interrupts. âguys i know this has all been hard for us but the company already said y/n left and weâŠhave to understand that,â martin becomes the voice of reason.
ây/n never answers my texts, i just want to know if sheâs okay,â keonho whispers, voice cracking at the end. âletâs just give her as much space as she needs, iâm sure sheâs trying to keep a low profile for a while,â martin reassures him, a wobbly smile forming on his face. âthatâs not who y/n is, she would have at least told us.â a scowl forms on seonghyeonâs face.
james sighs, he obviously doesnât agree with any of this but heâs also unable to do anything. about an hour later, everything that represented you, was now suddenly gone. the empty space only grew. the mug that james uses every morning before practice. the clothes that seonghyeon âaccidentallyâ stole from your side of the closet room. the bed that keonho laid on when he missed you. the presence that juhoon longed for every day.
when james glances over to martin, the taller boy is just staring ahead. a smile is on his face but thereâs no real emotion behind it. as much as james hates to admit it, martinâs been weird. not his typical weird, a weird that james has been logging for the past month. his rushed explanation for how he left you alone to go to the bathroom the day everything happened. the way he reacts when someone mentions you.
the way martin has continuously gotten snappier after you disappeared. thereâs just somethingâŠodd about him. james hates himself for entertaining a darker idea of involvement. because how can he even think of pointing the finger at martin ? martin isnât like that, if anything, heâd blame himself for going to the bathroom instead of just going with you to the corner store. martin cares about you. he loves you.
present day, the dorm becomes more glum as days pass. the boys are good coworkers, they hype each other up during dance and vocal practice. they put on a happy face for the camera whenever they film vlogs. they continue to work as just five. but as soon as the dormâs door shuts closed, silence fills the air. martin really tries to get everyone to hang out, maybe watch a movie, play games, do anything. it never works.
between james and juhoon, juhoon tends to take the first shower as james cools down in their room. keonho and seonghyeon play around before they retire for the night. to martin, it feels like everyone has their duo except him. heâs lonely and he hates it. with no one to hang out with, martin starts walking around at night right before midnight. hoodie over his head, a face mask on, gaze tilted to the ground.
every time he goes out, he ends up in the same place. the fence behind that one thai restaurant you used to love. he never goes in, he just leans against the fence and looks up at the moon, wondering if youâre also thinking of him. despite what happened, martin loves you and he likes to think that deep down, youâd still love him too. but thatâs just what he believes, itâs the only way he can sleep at nightâŠ
one night, juhoon wakes up at around three in the morning. he tosses and turns but nothing works. with a frustrated sigh, he sits up, staring into the darkness. across the room, james is sleeping peacefully, juhoon envies him. with no way to sleep again, juhoon quietly gets up and heads for the living room. since you disappeared off the face of the earth, someone has started leaving the light on, no matter the time.
no one admits to it but juhoon has a sneaking suspicion itâs james. he even heard him say under his breath âjust in case y/n comes back.â whatever the reason may be, no one turns it off. juhoon flops on top of the couch, grabbing the remote. he immediately clicks on netflix, grip tightening when he notices your profile isnât on there anymore. did the company delete it ? isnât that a little too much ?
he huffs, clicking his own profile. he flips through various movies and shows before stopping at one, when life gives you tangerines. your favorite show, the same one you watched with juhoon when it first came out. he remembers holding back tears whilst you cried like a baby in every episode. juhoon presses on it, leaning back against the couch as the soft melody of the opening theme starts.
but even before it can finish, he closes his eyes. it felt almost like a spell, luring him to sleep. itâs weird, he never felt sleepy when you guys watched it. but his grip on the control loosens before he falls into the arms of slumber. his dream is just a flash of different pastel colors, muffled voices, and some visible faces. he dreams that the six of you go feed ducks but his feet end up turning into duck feet.
everyone fades out except for just you and him. youâre laughing so hard that you pee on yourself. you end up crying and when juhoon goes to comfort you, he tumbles over himself with his new feet. your laugh returns as he falls face first into the ground. he canât help but laugh too but then, your laughter just stops. he looks up at you from the ground, youâre not there anymore. whereâd you go ? in real life, juhoonâs eyelids flutter, catching small glimpses of his blurry surroundings.
he squints at the bright tv screen, blinding colors enough to make him look away. his vision keeps drifting in and out of focus until it lands to something motionless. martin is already standing in the hallway. just watching him. âshit,â juhoon curses, jolting himself completely awake. his eyes go wide, heart immediately accelerating. âoh sorry,â martin apologizes, walking closer. âhow long were you standing there ?â juhoon rubs his eyes.
âonly like five seconds,â martin answers, a gentle smile forming on his face. âi thought i heard the tv and wondered if someone forgot to turn it off so i just came to check,â he explains himself, pointing at the tv. âohâŠokayâŠâ juhoon rubs his eyes, he knows of martinâs nightly walks and sleep problems, it makes sense. âgo back to bed, maybe you can sleep again,â martin encourages him. âyeah, iâm going,â juhoon mumbles, grabbing the tv remote.
he pauses when life gives you tangerines, noticing itâs only been 12 minutes since the episode started. juhoonâs barely been on the couch, did martin really just arrive right now ? juhoon shakes off any thoughts, turning off the tv before walking away. martin follows behind him, turning off the living room light. âoh leave it on,â juhoon stops in his tracks, pointing to the light switch. âwhy ?â martin raises an eyebrow.
âi- i donât know, just in case, you know, y/n comes at the crack of dawn or something,â juhoon shrugs. martin pauses before sighing âif you say so.â he passes by juhoon, going into the bathroom. juhoon swears he saw martin roll his eyes, it canât just be his imagination. but with nothing else to do, he returns to his and jamesâ room. he quietly pushes the door open before shutting it closed.
james stirs, making juhoon wince, he didnât mean to wake james up. but juhoon takes advantage of this moment, âjames ?â he whispers. james hums, turning over to face juhoon. âcan i talk to you about something ? hasnât martin been weird-â james suddenly pressed a finger to his lips. juhoon albeit confused, stops talking. james lifts his finger and points at the gap underneath the door. juhoon faces towards where his older friend is pointing.
the shadow of a pair of feet. not moving, just standing on the other side of the door. juhoon feels his heart skip a beat, waiting to breathe. eventually, a small shuffle can be heard before the pair of feet are no longer in sight. juhoon exhales, chest hurting. âwas that ?â james nods. âheâs been doing that a lot lately, just making rounds around the dorm,â james bites his lip, obviously disturbed. juhoon realizes that maybe an eye roll isnât must to report on.
a few days later, the five of them are in a practice room. thereâs not much going on so seonghyeon decided to mirror his phone the projector screen. âoh my god bro delete that !â james laughs at an embarrassing picture of him sleeping with his eyes open. juhoon chuckles at the selfies he took on seonghyeonâs phone. keonho keeps trying to take seonghyeonâs phone, wanting to scroll through the whole gallery. martin watches his friends, happy that theyâre smiling.
eventually seonghyeon clicks on an old dance practice video. youâre falling asleep standing up, only taking one little stumble, keonhoâs giggles can be heard in the background. âi remember y/n swore she was just resting her eyes,â james smiles at the video. âshe needs a good sleep schedule, all of us do,â juhoon adds. âguys can we stop talking about y/n ?â martin interrupts everyone. seonghyeon turns back to face him, âwhy ?â
âbecause it makes me uncomfortable,â martin shakes his head. âbut why ?â âbecause it feels like every conversation we have leads back to y/n, itâs already been three months,â martin lets out a frustrated sigh. âthree months is nothing compared to years of friendship, y/nâs our best friend and nothing is going to take that away,â seonghyeon scoffs, disconnecting his phone from the projector.
ây/n was my best friend too, and i loved her a lot, but even i have to admit she wasnât a saint,â martin twists the subject. âwhat are you talking about ?â juhoon joins the conversation, now baffled. âitâs likeâŠwe talk about something, it leads to y/n, and then we talk about how amazing she was without acknowledging the times she made our lives hard,â martin explains himself. âwhat times ?â james asks, furrowing his eyebrows.
âshe argued with everyone, are you guys forgetting that ?â martin insists, thinking everyoneâs had amnesia. âno she didnât,â keonho defends you. âshe literally did, it was always y/n starting arguments with staff,â martin throws his hands into the air. âno she didnât martin, she never started anything, yes she argued when we were being treated unfairly but y/n wasnâtâŠaggressive.â james shakes his head, confused by what martin is getting at.
âand what about the time she got into a physical fight with our choreographer ?â martin doubles down. âare you forgetting the times heâs hit her ?â seonghyeon makes a face at martin. âyouâre remembering her wrong,â juhoon states but it only makes martin roll his eyes. âam i ?â he sarcastically laughs. âyeah, because none of the things you described represents y/n.â keonho answers without hesitation. âsure, disregard me like you guys always do,â martin ends the conversation, leaving the practice room.
about a week later, keonho groans when he opens the fridge, a whole lotta nothing. âthereâs never anything in here !â he slams it closed. âthere is, you just donât want to cook,â juhoon says, mixing in a flavor packet into his buldak noodles. âdo you want me to make you something ?â seonghyeonâs standing over the stove, making a few fried eggs. âno, i miss y/nâs cooking, your food tastes like ass,â keonho makes a disgusted face.
âyou still eat it though,â seonghyeon gives him a look. keonho pouts, opening the fridge again. ânothingâs going to magically appear keonho,â james shimmies behind him to sit on the counter. âiâm so hungry,â keonho whines, almost ready to throw a tantrum. âwell how about we order takeout,â martin enters the kitchen. âfirst time you have a good idea,â keonho immediately agrees with martin.
âwhatâs everyone in the mood for ?â james asks the busy kitchen. âwell i was the first hungry one, so i say thai food,â keonho nominates. âugh no iâm tired of thai food,â martin rolls his eyes, earning a side eye from junoon. âwe havenât eaten it in months, iâm down for some thai,â seonghyeon ignores martinâs complaints. âso am i,â juhoon agrees. âanythingâs good for me,â james shrugs, leaving martin the odd one out.
âso my opinion is worth nothing ?â martin frowns, crossing his arms. âummm itâs 4/5, and if y/n was here, itâd be 5/6, democracy wins, sorry mr dictator,â keonho teases him. âthis shit is so unfairâŠâ but no matter what their leader says, the boys still order thai food. once it arrives, it smells like heaven on earth. they crack the lids open on every container, some food even spilling out. soon enough, things settle down, food filling their mouths instead of words.
james suddenly snorts, earning weird looks from his friends. âsorry i just remembered the time martin ordered kebab and everyone was ready to jump him but y/n said sheâd eat our portions even though she hates it, just to make martin feel better,â he shakes his head as seonghyeon and keonho snicker. juhoon smirks, shoving some food into his mouth.
martin groans, rolling his eyes. âyou guys might hate me but y/n was always my right hand, she was funny,â he laughs. âyou mean is,â keonho corrects him. martin looks at him, nodding, âyeah, is, thatâs what i said.â âno you didnât,â seonghyeon shakes his head. âokay is this âride martinâs ass as hard you canâ week or what ?â martin drops his chopsticks angrily. âthey were just correcting you martin,â james tries to defuse the situation.
âno itâs not correcting me because y/nâs gone, sheâs not here and sheâs not coming back,â martin angrily states. âhow the fuck would you know ?â seonghyeon points his chopsticks at his leader. âbecauseâŠbecause, i just know,â martin shrugs, attempting to calm himself down. âwhat does that mean ?â keonho pries. âit means that she left and that she left us, can we just stop talking about this ?â martin pushes away his bowl.
âmartin, i think itâs good that we talk about y/n,â james looks at him. âno hyung, itâs not, itâs soâŠnot good and itâs been three months so can we let the y/n topic go already ?â martin frustratedly runs his hand through his hair. âsheâs not a topic, sheâs a person who was our best friend since we were both 12 and lived with us,â seonghyeon furrows his eyebrows. âexactly, so why are you acting like talking about her is a crime ?!â keonho supports his maknae duo.
martin scoffs, feeling cornered, âbecause nothing is going to change regardless andâŠâ he trails off, not finishing his sentence. âsays who ?â seonghyeon challenges him. âsays me, okay ?â the room becomes quiet, food long forgotten. with a shaky sigh, james speaks up, voice trembling as he does so. âmartin, do you know something about y/n that we donât ?â
the only thing that can be heard for the next few seconds is the whirring of the AC. âdo you think i do ?â martin asks james, no malicious tone behind his words. james hesitates, this isnât something he can turn back on, an accusation so grave. and yet, he admits it. âyeah, i think you do.â juhoon, seonghyeon, and keonho snap their heads to james, confused, shocked, and in disbelief. martinâs gaze turns to his unfinished food, making him nauseous.
martin doesnât know how to answer. he knows he can lie, he knows that but at this point, would it mean anything ? âmartin ?â james asks again. martin keeps staring at his food, unable to face anyone. âbro are you good ?â seonghyeonâs voice wobbles. âdid something happen that night ?â keonho asks and itâs martinâs final straw. his shoulders shake as he starts crying, tears dropping onto the table. âiâŠâ he starts but heâs unable to finish before he hiccups out a sob.
james leans forward in his seat, âmartin, i need you to tell us the truth, did something happen to y/n that night ?â martin squeezes his eyes shut, lip quivering. ââŠyeah.â for a second, nobody reacts, nobody says anything, nobody breathes. âwhat ?â a lump forms in seonghyeonâs throat. âiâŠi canâtâŠi triedâŠi didnât,â his hands go up to his hair, tugging at it harshly. âdid you do something ?â keonho whispers, martin immediately shakes his head.
ânot meâŠâ martin mumbles, starting to sit straight in his seat. âthen who ?â james pressures him, making martin cry even harder. âthem, the company, everyone knew,â everyone stiffens, martinâs known something for three months, and still said nothing ?! âdid you know something was going to happen ?â james continues, attempting his best to remain his cool. martin nods, âbut iâŠi t-tried to warn her b-before the concert.â
âwarn her about what ?â seonghyeon slams his fist against the table, making martin flinch. âthat they were going to take her away,â martin rushes his explanation. âtake her where ?â keonho asks, chair scooting back with a loud scrape. âi donât know, they didnât tell me that !â martin sobs, becoming obviously overwhelmed by the swarm of questions. âis she okay ?â james asks, eyes full of worry. a pause comes as martin freezes âi donât knowâŠâ
juhoon, who has been quiet this entire time asks a single question. âis she alive ?â martin finally looks up, meeting eyes with juhoon. âi donât knowâŠafter it happened, they never said anything else,â martinâs eyes are full of remorse as juhoonâs eyes fill with anger. âwhat happened martin, after you left with her, what happened to her ?â juhoonâs voice rises, clearly tired of martinâs tears.
martinâs breathing becomes uneven, his vision becoming blurry. he canât hide, he canât run, heâs ruining everything. he wipes his snotty nose, realizing that the earth canât just suck him whole into the ground. âiâŠi led her down to the parking garageâŠand i wanted her to leaveâŠand i tried, i swear i tried to help herâŠbut they saw us and she tried to run but they caught up to herâŠand just put her in the back of a van,â martin blurts out, ending his statement with a suffocated gasp.
nobody says anything. james covers his mouth in shock, seonghyeon stares at martin in disbelief, keonho looks down at his trembling hands, and juhoon shakes his head, tears filling his eyes. âso sheâs just gone ?â keonho looks up, breaking the silence despite being scared of the answer. âi donât know,â martin whispers. âstop fucking saying that, you were the last person who saw her !â seonghyeonâs voice breaks.
âi know ! donât you think i feel guilty that i didnât help her ?!â martin cries before realizing what he said, his eyes widening. âwhat do you mean you didnât help her ? you could have helped her ?â james questions him, âno- i mean like, no i did-â martin stumbles over his words, attempting to find a quick explanation, a way to defend himself. seonghyeon slams his hands on the table, âdonât you fucking lie to our faces martin, either tell us the truth or i swear to god-â
martin takes a deep breath, looking at his members one by one. an uncomfortable expression forms on his face before he closes his eyes. ânone of you get it. iâŠi wanted to help, i swear i did, but i thought about the five of us, of our effort and hard work. and i realized that if one person could take the fall, we would be okay.â keonho scoffs in his face, âthe five of us ? itâs either the six of us or none of us. why do you get to decide whats right for the group ?â
âbecause itâs my job as the leader to look out for the group keonho. i wonât allow anyone to hurt us,â martin tries to use his authority. âbut you wonât protect us as individuals ? just the groupâs reputation ?â seonghyeon bitterly laughs. âno, thatâs not what i meant, iâm saying that instead of us getting ruined by someone, i chose the route where our hard work wouldnât be just ripped away from us !â
ây/n is apart of us martin, she trusted you and you still didnât protect her or even at least tell us,â james scolds him, face contorting into disgust. âwhat would that have done ? y/n is gone because it was a sacrifice the company and i had to make for the greater good.â martin reasons, now refusing to back down. âsay that again,â juhoon stands up, hands clenched into fists. martin grinds his teeth, âit was for the greater good.â
with that, juhoon launches himself across the table, crashing straight into martin. martin falls back on his chair, thudding loudly on the floor. juhoon starts throwing punches into martinâs face. âyou lied to us-â punch âyou lied to her momâ punch âyou lied to the policeâ punch. âjuhoon stop !â james pleads, attempting to pull him off of martin. seonghyeon and keonho almost immediately backed away from the scene, not knowing what to do.
âhe fucking deserves it !â juhoon yells, feeling martinâs nose break under his knuckles. âs-sop phluse,â martin begs, spitting out blood, weakly thrashing from under juhoon. but juhoon only continues, grabbing martinâs collar to smash the back of his head onto the hardwood floor. âyou let them do this to her, you fucking asshole !â juhoon screams, struggling against jamesâ grip. and suddenly- CRACK.
( people in my taglist, although it is not highly suggestive, please don't read if uncomfortable though nothing here is taken out of boundaries or anything more than kissing and is written through mood & feeling. thank you cuties ! )
you like to say yours and james' patience runs strong during friend group events, knowing that you'll eventually see each other right after but you didn't know that seeing him enter with a whole new look will lead to your patience loosening.
the moment him and his friends entered with their usual grand enterance, you remained still-faced until you met his stare, and you swore the calm persona you carried through broke apart.
you almost talked your thoughts out loud, your words came to a halt mid conversation with your friend, that when you tried to regain consciousness, your words began to stutter.
"having a hard time?" your friend joked, laughing at your stutter. you forced out a laugh with a shake of your head, "i think it's the alcohol." you muttered, scratching at your neck.
"right." she replied with a nod, suspicion running through.
"i'm so fucked." you groaned, leaning your head back against the refrigerator. your whole body heaved a deep sigh, the grip on your cup becoming loose.
the thought of james and all of a sudden ran through your head, the composure that you usually have became undone and he had only walked through the door.
this wasn't the person who you thought you were.
"are you okay?"
you snapped back into your thoughts, eyes flashing wide open as you felt a hand grip onto your shoulder, "you almost fell there, let's take a break on drinking, yeah?" your friend rushed hurriedly, grabbing the cup from your hand and placing it back onto the counter.
"no i'm fine i just â i drank too fast, ill go back to the couch." you smiled innocently, like you weren't just stress sweating a minute ago. "okay but if this happens again, we're dipping out of here."
"i'm fine." you reached out of her grip, fixing your hair as you made your way towards the couch.
you stepped in slowly, trying to avoid contact with everyone â specifically james. you felt your heart pounding, as you walked to one of the empty spots on the couches and by mind you sat next to james without intent, but just because it's a habit.
you sighed, running your hands down your bare thighs from nerves, feeling the warmth of james right beside you.
james noticed the small movement, raising an eyebrow at your impulsive breathing and your hands slowly rubbing up and down your legs like you tried to hide your nerves with comfort.
"you okay?" he leaned down, whispering against your ear, eyeing the people beside him.
"yeah im okay," you replied quietly. you looked over towards him, scanning his face. james met your gaze, staring deeply into you, "then why are you nervous?" he teased, a smile coming across his face.
your eyebrows furrowed, "i'm not nervous."
james saw the flutter in your eyes, the breaking in your voice, your voice getting quieter as the sentence progressed. he already knew the reasoning behind all your actions.
he hummed, "i believe you." he leaned back on the couch, shamelessly letting an arm rest behind you.
you shut your eyes, your arms coming to a cross, your heart only beating faster and faster. you already knew this night wasn't going to last the way you anticipated.
you sat beside james the whole time, easing off with conversations between you and your own friends, zoning out into spaces, anything to try to get james off of your mind.
james did the same thing â like usual; made conversations with his own friends, but his arm still rested behind you like it was a normal friendship action to do. good thing nobody questioned about it.
you really thought your composure regained itself with the distractions, with the ignorance of his arm behind you â though his hand got closer to closer to your shoulder as time went on and you never noticed until you felt the warmth of his hand on your shoulder, his fingers grabbing around the blade of it.
nobody noticed it â most likely too immersed in the different topics that were thrown around the room, but you sure did. your breath hitched mid conversation with your friend, the same stuttering happening all over again.
james smirked to himself, feeling the glow of your skin get hotter by his gesture, but he continued on with his conversations, despite the tension only getting deeper internally.
you tried laughing it off, giggling at whatever your friend had just said, regardless if it was humorous or not, you just needed to distract yourself harder.
but his hand dragged down the sole of your shoulder, reaching down to your elbow, then raising it back up to your blade, resting it there once again.
you bit your lip, letting out a deep breath, as you removed your gaze from your friend.
her voice came to a stop, as you snapped your head towards her, nervous that she may have caught on. "are you okay?" she titled her head.
"yeah?" you replied, confused.
"oh you just looked away from me randomly, i thought something happened again." her lips slanted, worry written all over her face.
you looked at her dumbfounded, not sure if she was being sarcastic or if she was completely oblivious to the hand that was currently rubbing up and down on your arm.
"are you drunk?" you questioned.
"no?" she furrowed her eyebrows, "why would you think that?"
you looked at her up and down, "just - just continue. i'm listening."
"i'll just talk to you later." she rolled your eyes, "or i'll talk to someone else that won't look away from me mid conversation." she huffed out a breath, crossing her arms in the meantime.
you looked over to james, watching the way he scrolled on his phone. "what the fuck are you doing?" you leaned in closer, yelling out quietly.
he met your gaze, "i'm on my phone." he replied blankly, "what are you accusing me of?"
"look at where your hand is and tell me what i'm accusing you of?"
"i'm touching my girl?"
you closed your eyes, "look where we are. if someone sees this you're fucked."
"i don't think they know regardless." he looked around the room, "they're all drunk. also, your friend didn't even catch it. i could make out with you right now and nobody would know."
you rolled your eyes, smiling hard, blush seeping through your cheeks, "don't talk to me like that, you're already doing this."
he chuckled, "i can talk to you however i want cause i know you wouldn't mind."
your tongue met the inside of your cheek, scanning his face once again. you felt your breath becoming rapid, your stare getting lost into his face, words coming blank to your mind.
"i'm going back to the kitchen." your voice came out soft, shaking your head away from any thoughts getting further the more you looked at him.
he smiled, "i'll be waiting for you"
"please don't be." you joked, rushingly getting up from your seat, making your way over the ruckus on the floor.
james watched you as you walked away, both of his arms coming to the top of the couch.
you let a hand run down your forearm, letting out another deep breath that was held in for a long time. you swore that you were going to be out of oxygen as the night approached, he was making you feral by this point.
and he knew.
you arrive to the kitchen, immediately resting your hands on the counter as the breeze from the semi opened window right above the sink settled in, causing you to squint your eyes at the air.
you ran a hand through your hair, letting it sit for a bit before running it through completely, your mind completely bombarded.
his looks remained unchanged in your mind, he has always looked good but never this good to the point you felt feelings you never felt before.
you were always patient, always composed to everyone, nobody knew about your relationships simply because you knew how to handle one privately â but now, you fell like a whole different person.
he knew what he was doing, he knew how you felt and he just wanted to see how far you could go.
you heard shuffling come from behind you, soft footsteps approaching behind you. you looked up at the reflection of the window and your lips immediately came to a smirk, dipping your head back down to stare down at the marble.
he stared at the back of your head the whole time, now resting his back against the counter beside you as he now stared at your side profile.
he dipped his hands in the pockets of his sweats, "you're acting different than usual." he finally broke the silence, lowly.
"you know what you're doing james," you huffed out a breath, raising your head up to look over at him, "i know what you're doing." you added on.
"what am i doing?" he raised an eyebrow. "don't act stupid cause you never do this in front of people." you replied back in an argumentative tone.
"don't get messy with me." he replied sternly, watching your change in demeanor, "i don't like when you start arguing with me."
you remove your hands off the counter, moving closer to him before coming to a stop right in front of him.
his hands stayed flat against the counter, looking at you up and down, watching you carefully. his mind fought the urge to bring his hands towards you, but he wanted to see where you'd take this.
you brought your hands onto his lower stomach, gliding it up until it landed onto his collarbone, meeting his gaze.
he watched you deeply, "don't start this."
you smiled, "you started this." you titled your head, bringing obvious tease onto the scene.
his heart fluttered, letting out a breathy chuckle. he finally brought his hands onto your waist, bringing you in closer until both of your chests glued together, "but i don't like when you do it."
you pouted sarcastically, your hands sliding up to his cheeks, bringing his face closer.
he immediately looked down to your lips, then back to your eyes. he chuckled once again, with a shake of his head, rising his head up a bit, "you're fucking crazy."
"how am i crazy?" you smiled. he licked his lips, heaving a breath, "you're doing this to me knowing that there's people out there."
you hummed, "now you know how i feel." you nodded slowly, "but you're only saying that because you know i won."
"won wh â"
you brought his face back down, planting a quick, lingering kiss onto his lips. you pulled back smiling, and he chased to meet your lips again, but your head retracted back before he could.
"don't get ahead of yourself, maybe someone's watching." you laughed, sliding his hands off of you. you turned on your heels, now leaving him to sulk in the kitchen.
he tried to reach out for your arm, but your legs were faster than him. he placed both of his hands back onto the counter, throwing his head back with a small smile.
you made your way back to the living room , scanning the scene; everyone got worse, multiple cups stacked onto the table, some of them sleeping on the floor â it was a mess.
you stopped in your tracks when you felt a sudden spark reappear in your stomach as your eyes gazed over the spot you and james sat in prior, now empty, yearning for your name.
your mind replayed the moment that happened seconds ago, the shift in tension, the closeness, his stare, his presence â the confidence you had before, is now gone.
you moved forward into the room, grabbing your car keys off of the coffee table.
"where are you going?" one of the boys asked, sitting up straight like you leaving was the end of the world. "home?" you squinted your eyes.
they groaned, "it's only like ten pm though."
"yeah and i'm going home." you rolled your eyes, brushing your top, getting ready to head to the enterance.
"no you're not." you heard a voice call out, the room falling silent. you turned around, only to meet james standing right by the couch.
oh's, flooded around the room, some of them trying to hold in their laughter at the sudden remark from james after being quiet for so long.
"he's serious too." one of his friends added intently, too engaged in the sudden change of tension.
you rolled your eyes once more, "i'm going home."
"why?" james questioned.
your mind froze, searching for an excuse, "i'm tired and i have a cat to feed." you turned back around, ready to head out.
"no don't go home!" one of your friends picked herself up from the couch, running straight to your arms, indulging you into a tight hug, "you can't go.." she mumbled into the crook of your neck, the cup in her hand only getting deeper and deeper into your stomach at that point.
"you're so fucking drunk." you patted her back, laughing while trying to pull back but she only emerged forward after every movement, pain now striking in, "your cup..." you said softly, panic scattering your body.
everyone rised up from the couch as they saw your expression shift to panic, trying to remove her from the scene.
"i told you to hold her down, she's so drunk." one of the other girls yelled out to the guy that sat beside her. "she left me!" he yelled back.
you opened your eyes, catching james in the corner of your eye, standing there almost like he was admiring the scene. "you going to help or what dude?" you yelled out loud.
"your girl is calling for you bro." one of his friends teased, patting his shoulder as he dragged the girl back onto the couch.
you stare wide eyed between the two of them, your eyebrows furrowing as your chest heaved up and down, "what the fuck is wrong with you." you yelled out, grabbing your stomach in the process.
"this is why im leaving, all of you guys are a mess." you turned on your heels but instead of rushing to the enternace you settled yourself into the bathroom that was down the hall.
you weren't even in pain anymore, it was more fury than anything. you knew the relationship was secretive but you had just gotten hurt and he had stood there in awe the whole time.
it got to you when you realized his own friends cared more about you than him and it genuinely upsetted you and that almost made him become fully erased from your mind â just like what happened in the kitchen scene.
you planted your car keys onto the counter, flatting the top of your hair down, fixing the flyaways as it got progressively messier when they tried removing your friend.
"what the hell bro?" you whispered to yourself, trying to fix anything that had gotten ruin physically.
the door suddenly opened, leading your movements to a halt.
"listen â" the sudden entry started.
you groaned deeply, "there's no listen. get out." you faced toward the door, peaking through the creek of the opened door, "please leave me alone." you whined when you realized who it was.
he didn't listen, instead he opened the door further, making you push away from it, leaving no room to push him away any farther.
"i know you're mad at me." he whispered, closing the door behind him. "of course i'm mad at you, you didn't even protect me."
"i didn't know what to do. and you know how she is, she's crazy." his tone remained calm, the lack of anger laced in his voice,
"still, it was a whole glass cup and you stood there." you sighed in disbelief.
"realistically, everyone was already up to help you â"
"but i wanted you to help me." you cut him off, slightly harsh.
he sighed, fingers running through his hair.
just by that moment, you felt the anger flush away within a second, your eyes beaming into him, erasing your thoughts completely.
you sighed back â not from disbelief of the situation this time, but more so from the same feeling you had felt earlier when he entered.
the new look, the way his whole persona changed just by a small detail. it almost made you not want to argue anymore â the feeling fuming its way back into you once again,
"i don't like how you're acting today." you crossed your arms, "you never, ever do this during a group hangout. it's like you dyed your hair and knew how i was going to act."
"or maybe you put a spell on me." you added on.
he laughed, stepping closer to you, "that's exactly it. i just know you so well."
"is this really the day you want us to expose â our whatever we have â to everyone in this house right now?"
"well that depends on how obvious you make it."
you rolled your eyes, arms coming down to your side in defeat, "you made it more obvious than me."
"i just wanted to show you some love." he mumbled, stepping even more closer, watching you with a look that made your heart beat fast.
"stop," your lips forming into a slight pout that eventually turned into a smile.
he chuckled, not even bothering with a reply as he brought a hand to your waist and the other one on your chin, bringing your face closer to his.
you looked in between his lips and his stare, sweat bawling up on the palm of your hands, your nervous system getting intense, the heat now running through your body.
your brought your hands up to the back of his neck, unintentionally bringing his face even closer to your own, lips only inches away from being touched.
"i knew you weren't going to stay angry at me." he mumbled, his breath fanning your lips. "shut up." you whispered, as you were the one who finally closed the distance.
his lips immediately took charge, the hand that was on your chin fell down to the other side of your waist, pulling you in even closer.
it was the usual soft kiss he always gave you, the passionate one that went on for hours and never got too intense â the one that screamed the patience you had for each other, never rushing the moment.
he titled his head, bring you in deeper into the kiss. your hands glided to his chest, soft breathing filling up the room.
the sound of chatter, the sound of bottles clinking, the sound of the hum from the tv fell into the back of your mind as it remained on james, feeding into the moment.
it seemed like the same way for him as he slowly controlled the kiss more intensely; his hand moving to the sole of your back, rubbing up and down, as the other reached the back of your thigh.
you caught onto the signal as your legs wrapped around his waist. he guided you onto the counter in a swift motion, both of his hands landing back onto your waist as you sat down on the edge of the marble.
your arms wrapped around his neck, shoving him deeper into the kiss to the point where he was hovering over you on top of the counter, the back of your head almost meeting the backsplash on the wall.
he broke away from the kiss, his breath still heavy on you, "you trying to make me sit up here with you or something?" he chuckled with humor, but the heat on his face, the slight purse of his lips didn't make you find the comment funny, only wanting more.
"not my intention." you replied blankly, eyes scanning back down to his lips, as you brought him back with no hurry.
"damn." he mumbled to himself against your lips, your lips now becoming more intense â the mood now feeling more like love than anything else.
"yo james what the fuck are you doing in there?" a muffled voice was heard from behind the door, alongside with some harsh knocks, the loud noise forcefully making you two break the kiss.
"dude." he whispered, "this is dangerous love." he shook his head, his head falling to the crook of your neck.
"you better go otherwise we're gonna expose ourselves." you managed to let out, despite the fact that your face was flushed and the flyaways that were once up were now stuck to your forehead.
"at this point, i don't even care." he met your gaze, "hide in the shower, i'll leave first."
"yeah go help the drunk one out there otherwise she'll shove a cup into you too."
he shook his head with laughter, "i love you." he planted a kiss onto your cheek, before sliding off of you.
you watched him intently, "also keep the blonde it looks nice â really nice on you." you smiled, kicking your feet that hung off the counter, watching him clean himself off.
"wait did you just say i love you?"
ness ËËË YOO JAMES WORK!! who cheered cause i did. the blonde hair got a hold on me for awhile and i was down to write something for him... i can't write anymore help me
synopsis ; You and Martin were inseparable as kids. but ever since he got a girlfriend, you decide to put your feelings aside and cut him off, focusing on your own idol career.
But now that he's also debutedâmeaning that you'll be seeing him often in the building, Martin refuses to stop bugging you he finally finds out why you ghosted him in the first place.
ss count ; 25 pictures
warnings ; profanity
taglist ; open until june 10 !
a / n ; changed the title cuz i think the original one was a little too wild. . .
MASTERLIST | OO2. | OO3. | OO4.
so who do y'all think juhoon was sneak dissin on twt? also what do you think soojin is planning?
this shi lowkey kinda toxic but its martin so we ball !
pushed my love aside, ooh, hopelessly devoted (to you)
Ë⊠z. yufan x f!reader
alternatively titled: âlife of a party girl.â
&&. where you are a bit sick from alcohol and james is a lot sick from love <3 fluff. intoxicated reader. yearner best friend!james. pre-relationship. college au.
all content is purely fictional !
james was never really one to go out. heâd make an appearance at the occasional party â mostly when you dragged him out â but for the most part he was content to spend his friday nights getting dinner with friends and then turning in semi-early to watch k-dramas with his family when he was home for the weekend or read a book in the peace and quiet of his dorm on campus â which was exactly what he was doing when his doorbell rang about two minutes ago.Â
now, heâs standing at the door watching your friends giggle and hold each other up. youâre at the center, like always, and barely able to stand on your own two feet or wipe that grin off your face.Â
his arms open immediately without a second thought when they gently nudge you forward, wrapping around you with careful but firm strength as he props you up against his body.Â
âcouldnât get her home,â they manage through drunken giggles, âshe didnât wanna go ânywhere else.âÂ
your friends begin to imitate the way youâd drunkenly chirped his name earlier, their giggles escalate to raucous laughter that has james feeling sympathy for his neighbors who surely hate him right about now.Â
âthanks for bringing her back safe,â he says, ever the gentleman even if heâs cringing a bit internally at the interactions that are sure to await him tomorrow. still, even at his neighborsâ expense, itâs better youâre here safe than waking up alone in your dorm extremely hungover.Â
your friends linger another moment and james stands there, waiting with you in his arms. his eyebrows raise in the slightest, but they just giggle some more and smile at him knowingly without saying a word. heâs sure thereâs some reason for it, but at that exact moment you begin to lean forward against him as your legs start to falter from exhaustion. as much as heâd love to find out what the big secret was, he has bigger things to worry about â  like keeping you from falling over.Â
james flashes an apologetic smile. âah, sorry, i gotta get her to bed. you guys get home safe, okay?â
he waits another moment, just until theyâre safely on their way, to close the door and half-lead, half-carry you to his bedroom.Â
he listens to you yap on about your night while he sits you down on the bed to remove your makeup and clean up your face. he waits patiently with his back turned to let you change  haphazardly into the pajamas heâd lent you so many times before (his old, faded blur shirt and sweatpants heâd outgrown). and by then your eyes are barely open and your yawns are stretching your flushed face and the entire time he has to bite his lip to keep from beaming at how, even falling-over-drunk, you are definitively the most adorable person heâs ever known.Â
youâre already laying back against his plush pillows when he turns back around after youâre done. james huffs out a fond laugh as he leans over you to tuck the duvet up to cover you.Â
âwent a little overboard, huh?â
you shake your head, nuzzling your face further into the pillow.
âmm-mm.â
âno?â he teases. âyou couldnât even get home.â
âdidnât wanna. missed you the whole time i was out.â
you yawn again and james thinks he could die from how cute you are. he settles in on your other side, leaning back against the headboard. you gravitate to him like a magnet, burrowing into his side with your head practically in his lap. he sweeps the hair from your eyes, touch lingering on your face. your skin is warm under his fingers.Â
your eyes are closed now. james thinks youâve fallen asleep until you murmur the softest, barely-there, âlove you, jjami.â
god, if only you knew.Â
james is your best friend. james has also been in love with you for probably the majority of the time heâs been your best friend. but for now, heâs content to sit by you and brush his fingers through your hair while you fall asleep in his lap, having you safe here in his bed resting easy beside him.
heâll tell you another time. (perhaps one when you werenât half-asleep and too many drinks in). right now, this is enough. you are enough for him, always.Â
tumblr user mytwinsung try not to post james chao every day challenge level impossible đ <3
ITâS JUST A SHAME, THATâS ALL â THROUGH THE LENS OF MARTIN
âȘ pairing : ot5 cortis x 6th member reader
âȘ summary : the prequel to part one. martin's seen you time and time again get smart with staff, it's no wonder that something was bound to happen, at least in his opinion.
âȘ other notes : credits to @/vrtxveil on tiktok for the cortis analog horror imagery. i tried my best to tag everyone, i'm so sorry if i missed your name. there will be at least two more parts, maybe even three if people want me to continue this ! i apologize if this feels rushed, but pay attention :)
âno one can know, do you understand ?â martin looks up at the groupâs manager, eyes wide. he nods regardless, adamâs apple bobbing as he swallows whatever saliva he has in his throat. martinâs always been an obedient rebel. heâll express himself in many ways, fighting for what he believes, but heâs a fierce listener, loyal to no end. that was his first mistake.
youâre not like martin. yes youâre passionate about your interests and expressive about your feelings, but youâre hot headed. not perfect by any standards, a little rough around the edges but thatâs what makes you, well you. you donât hesitate to call out anyone whoâs disrespectful or shady, confidence booming in your voice. thatâs exactly why hybe and bighit liked you. liked.
martin wishes he could be a little like you. aggressive and self assured. heâs almost positive youâd make a great leader if it werenât for your constant attitude. not to the boys, never to them, but to the company itself. when your makeup artist tells you your complexion looks sickly ? you say itâs the lack of food the staff provides.
when your fashion designer pinches at extra skin, you swat their hand away immediately. martinâs even heard you say âfuck bang pd,â in a fit of rage. i mean how could something so pretty have a mouth like that ? but he still thinks that you would have made a better leader than him. someone who actually stands up for the group rather than just submit to whatever the company says.
heâs never even seen you afraid ! so locked in on your own beliefs that no one will even tilt you another way. there was a particular time where a male staff member tried to put their hands on you, in which you immediately fought back, not caring for any repercussions. it ended in james and your manager pulling you off the man, martin couldnât move from how caught off guard he was.
despite that, it wasnât all that surprising coming from you. except for the following set of your words : âif anyone ever tries to hit me again, iâll tell everyone the lies and shit youâve covered up.â everyone tensed up immediately, going silent. you werenât referring to a specific person, youâre saying it in general, knowing thereâs cameras in the practice room. what did you know that the other five of them didnât ?
maybe thatâs why this had to happen. if you only kept your mouth shut, this wouldnât have happened. whyâd you go out of your way to ruin something thatâs fine ??? are all thoughts martin has of you. but he loves you, even with all of your flaws. platonic or romantic, does it really matter ? so he lets you in on one piece of information, in hopes that youâll get away fast enough.
it was the day of THE concert. you were in a better mood than usual, excited for the stage outfit your designer picked out for you. hell, even your makeup artist complimented your skin today. it seems like people are finally listening to you ! everything seems fine until you notice martin fidgeting more than usual.
it confuses you, martinâs typically not like this. heâs the one hyping everyone up, and itâs not like this is the groupâs first concert, youâve done this dozens of times before ! so when the time is perfect, you pull him aside, thankfully the hallway is quiet and empty. âare you okay ?â you ask the taller boy, furrowing your eyebrows. âme ? yeah iâm good,â he smiles, a little too wide.
âyou said weâd be each otherâs person if one of us is upset,â you cross your arms as martin shifts uncomfortably. suddenly, he looks to the right of him, then the left, before pulling you harshly into the womenâs bathroom. you automatically fight back, shocked as to whatâs happening. âmartin what are you-â he covers his mouth before shushing you, tears in his eyes.
âdonât say a single word, just listen to me,â he whispers, your eyes going wide with anger. âsomethingâs gonna happen after the concert, i canât say for sure what but i know that itâs tonight, you canât be alone with anyone,â martin explains in a haste. and for the first time in all of the years heâs known you, fear fills your eyes. he releases his grip on you before stepping back. youâre still frozen in place as worry washes over you.
âwhy ?â you ask in a small voice. martin scoffs and shakes his head, âwhy else ? you blow up at everyone, you mouth off staff and even almost beat our senior choreographer up !â you look at him confused, âwhat are you talking about ? mars this isnât my fault, you know why i-â the rest of your words drown out as martin rubs his face.
âit doesnât matter what you think anymore, itâs about what they think of you y/n,â he groans, obviously agitated by the situation. âthen help me,â you step closer to him. he shakes his head, âi canât, the company, theyâll-â âmars iâm your best friend, and i have been for years,â you cut him off. martin looks at you, seeing tears starting to form in your eyes. he couldnât remember the last time you looked this small.
martin thinks before sighing, âokay.â a breath of relief leaves your mouth. âbut donât tell the others, youâll only worry them,â he clarifies, making you nod. âi know, just please donât let anything happen to me,â you plead. he looks into your tearful eyes, nodding. thereâs only so much he can do without attracting suspicion.
throughout the night, martinâs eyes keep flickering towards you. he doesnât even care if fans speculate his watchful gaze. you on the other hand try your best to keep your composure during the concert. youâre typically a firecracker on stage, full of emotion and energy. but this time, your performance is lackluster to say the least.
martin wouldnât even be surprised if netizens got on your ass about it. but even though the same fearful thoughts consume your mind, martin sees you let out a wobbly laugh at jamesâ silly jokes. he sees you clumsily throw a water bottle to juhoon. he sees you tightly hug seonghyeon, not pulling away first. and he sees you fix keonhoâs microphone. even in a crisis like this, you still take care of others.
after the concert, martinâs stuck to your hip, adrenaline still pumping through everyoneâs veins. the other four for a different reason than you and martinâs. eventually youâre all led into a different room to rest before you all go back to your hotel. you take your shoes off, feeling your big toe pulse in pain. you look at the inside of the shoe, a size smaller than your regular size.
you hadnât even noticed before, you just took the pair from your stylist without a second thought. your gaze shifts to your socks, several holes made. did you make those ? you grind your teeth before taking them off, now barefoot. seonghyeon immediately covers his nose, earning a playful slap from you. you canât help but to think, is everyone in on this ?
ây/n,â you snap your head at the manager, his face cold. âcan you come with me for a second ?â you try to hide your expression as best as you can. âfor what ?â you ask, slowly standing up. the other five boys stare at the manager, waiting his response. âtechs need your in-ears,â he states, how do you even get out of this situation ? âi can take it for her, i need to turn mine in too,â martin interrupts.
âwould have been better if she just came but sure,â the manager walks away. you sigh, giving martin a thankful look. âwe need to go,â martin whispers, taking your in-ears. you look at your members, ânow y/n.â you nod, martin tries to usher you out of the room but is stopped by james. âwhere are you two going ?â you look at your older friend, making a random excuse.
âjust gonna get some stuff from the corner store before we go,â you lie. âi want to go !â keonho excitedly says, getting up. âno stay, itâd be too obvious if you came along,â martin shakes his head, keonhoâs signature pout forming. âalright, but can you bring that one brand of chips i like ?â he asks, sitting back down. âyeah of course, weâll be back, i swear,â you smile before leaving.
almost immediately, martin is dragging you behind him. âwait wait wait !â you trip over your feet in an attempt to slow him down. âwhat ?! thereâs no time to wait !â martin whisper yells. âyou need to promise me something,â âhuh what ? why ? promise you what ?â he rambles nervously. âif anythingâŠif anything happens to me, promise me that you wonât let them say i was the one who ran away, that i was the one who quit.â
martin looks into your dilated eyes. oh, youâre being serious. ânothingâs going to happen-â âpromise me,â you demand of him. ââŠokay, i promise that iâll defend your honor no matter what,â he reassures you. he wraps his arms around you, bringing you for a hug. you shut your eyes, heart beating fast, you can even hear it thump in your ears. it doesnât help that your hands and feet feel so cold from anxiety.
âi donât even have my shoes or socks on, how did those dummies believe me ? you mumble, which martin laughs at. âitâs okay, iâll let you use mine, just tie them extra tight,â martin offers. âbut first, we need to get to the parking garage, donât ask questions, letâs just go before anyone gets suspicious,â he continues, this time you actually listen and start to make your way downstairs.
you basically run down a flight of stairs, in a hurry to wherever martinâs taking you. once youâre halfway in the parking garage, martin stops before gripping your shoulders. âyou need to leave this way, security is always here for these types of events, this is the only place i know that doesnât have anyone.â âwhere am i supposed to go ?â you lift his hands from your shoulders. âanywhere y/n, it doesnât matter, just not-â martin pauses.
âshit !â he pulls you behind a car, crouching cautiously. a door is swung open, bouncing off the wall. you cover your mouth with your own hand, looking at martin with fear. he brings up a finger to his lips, staying completely quiet. a loud sigh can be heard before a familiar voice. âmartin, i know youâre here with her, donât make this difficult, just stop,â the manager states, his shoes can be heard clicking.
âthink of the group martin, do whatâs right.â martin freezes, fuck they already know. now itâs his turn to think. he needs to protect you, but heâs never disobeyed anyone before. youâre his colleague, but youâve done wrong. youâre his friend and someone he sees every day. what can he do to help both sides ? whatâs the right choice ? what should he do ? martin turns to you, tears are streaming down your face, heâs never seen you like this.
âmars iâm begging you, donât do this to me, iâm your best friend, please,â you cry, grabbing his hands. a moment of silence goes by before martin squeezes your hands. a single thought of realization shoots through his head. james. juhoon. seonghyeon. keonho. himself. years of training, the five of themâŠor just you. âyeahâŠsheâs here,â martin abruptly calls out, standing up, pulling you with him.
you shriek a âno,â before using all of the force you can muster to shove him away before standing up and running from behind the car. you sprint down the parking garage, bare feet against the hard concrete. the more you look back, the closer the people chasing you get. you finally arrive to the gate, mashing every button to get it to lift up. you drop to the floor, crawling underneath the gate.
your hopes however are cut almost instantly. someone pulls your ankles back harshly, you cry out, your knees scraping against the ground. âno, please, i havenât done anything !â you shout as a man lifts you into the air, leaving your blood soaking into the concrete. you screamed for your life, pleading that someone, anyone, would help you. âmartin please !â you continue to fight.
martin stays still in his place, paralyzed as he watches you struggle against a man twice your size. eventually, youâre hauled into a van, one you hadnât even realized was there before, and even then your cries for help continue. martin just stares, hearing the engine start before it pulls off. itâs quiet again, a quiet that lingers in his soul. why did you trust him ? he told you not to trust anyone. he warned you, he tells himself.
he tried to warn youâŠhe tried to tell you to be careful, didnât he ? martin lets out a shaky sigh as a single tear drops from his face. âyou wonât have to worry about her anymore, the problem is gone,â the manager places a hand on martinâs shoulder, causing him to flinch a little. martin stares at his shoes, before the manager says his final set of words for this situation.
