genre: astronaut!au, 1960′s au, angst, fluff, some suggestive content but nothing too crazy, adventure, husband!au, father!au
warnings: death, near death experiences, a lot of crying, emotional baggage
author’s note: hi again!! so im back with a new fic!!i wanna start off by saying that this fic is not meant to belittle anyone’s accomplishments, even though it is based on real events this work is pure fiction, and should be taken as such. I hope you guys like this fic and i know its very long so if you get to the end just know that i love haha thank you!! also, its very possible that tublr will crash if this is opened n mobile so im sorry about that
synopsis: ever since he was a young boy, mark’s dream was to be the first man on the moon. along his journey to accomplish his dream, he finds there are many hardships would have to face in order to succesfully complete his mission and come back home to the love of his life.
popping in to say that while i’m so sad by mark’s departure, i’m also so incredibly moved by mark’s words in his letter.
there’s a particular courage in walking away from the thing that built and shaped you and in being able to leave something so grand and safe to find something bigger than your current self. most people never do that. i am incredibly moved that he has chosen that journey: to leave the thing that made him, so he can become the person he know’s he was always meant to be.
his departure isn’t him just leaving, but it is him also modeling a kind of self-trust people hardly ever have. people often think courage is that cinematic moment where someone stands up and declares their new path to everyone, but, truthfully, it is often a quiet, fearful, and private decision where you turn it over in your head a million times and have a million conversations over the same topic over and over again with loved ones before you decide you’ll eventually have to loosen the grip on what’s defined you to find what’s waiting for you.
letting go of something big isn’t just courageous either, it’s painful, lonely, and disorienting, and i can only imagine what it feels like when the life you’re letting go of is what’s been the majority of your life AND career.
i don’t mean to sound parasocial. i am, in full honesty, just recognizing the weight of someone making a life changing decision in full view of the world and admiring the courage it takes to do that. as someone who understands the courage it takes to walk away from personal experiences, this has given me the opportunity to watch someone name a truth i’ve been developing for a while now. shout out to mark lee, i truly believe when you choose yourself, you’ll find where you’re meant to be.
When a 19-year-old giant puppy tries to ditch his 'kid' image to woo his childhood crush next door by following the instructions of 'How to be a Nice Guy by Myung102' (Spoiler alert: it failed successfully).
Romantic Comedy, Slice of Life, Fluff, Coming-of-Age (lite)
Childhood Friends to Lovers, Neighbors AU (BOY NEXT DOOR), Puppy Boy x Noona! Reader, Failed Rizz, “How to be a Nice Guy” Gone Wrong, Secret Crush, Teasing Dynamic
Warnings: Extreme levels of secondhand embarrassment (but he’s cute so that’s fine)
WC. 3.7K
(But i used apple music idk?)
Woonhak wasn't just a high school boy who liked to act older than his age anymore.
At least, that was what he thought.
On his high school graduation day, he clearly felt like he was stepping fully into adulthood—and if you asked him, he was pretty sure it made him look a whole lot cooler.
After all, he was the first in his friend group to get accepted into a university through early admissions with his portfolio, while the rest of his peers were still burying their heads in books preparing for the Suneung exams every single day.
All his hard work as the ultimate activities guy over the past three years had finally paid off. Now, he was a freshman at a prestigious university majoring in Practical Music—something his mom could proudly brag about to the auntie next door (assuming that auntie even wanted to listen to his mom ramble).
But no matter what he did, the massive wall blocking his newfound adult confidence still wouldn't go away—or to be specific, 'the daughter of the auntie next door'.
House numbers 405 and 404, which belonged to the same owner.
It was a brown-roofed house, much like any other in the neighborhood, but transformed into a warm share-house with a great location, a good atmosphere, and good-looking neighbors (like Woonhak).
As the eldest son of house 406 next door, all Woonhak could do was stare at the white Pomeranian that coincidentally always wandered around when he came out to water his mom’s plants. (It also remained a mystery how Nyang-Nyang—a dog named 'Meow'—managed to sneak over the fence to see him and return home without ever raising suspicion).
Back to Woonhak’s massive wall: the girl next door, who, as far as he could remember, used to be his childhood playmate.
The only definition Woonhak, in his mature adult years (a college freshman...), could give her was 'Angel'.
Beautiful - Check.
Smart - Check.
Kind - Check.
Sweet smile - Check.
Out of reach - Check.
(Never even glances his way - Check).
Well, maybe saying that wasn't entirely fair, since the real reason was that his angel had moved out to live in a dorm closer to her university. Taesan, the eldest brother from house 605 who helped guide him into his current major, often teased him, saying Woonhak was exactly like Nyang-Nyang—always stretching his neck, waiting for the owner (of his heart) next door every single day.
Zero respect for his adulthood, seriously.
But then, one Saturday morning, everything changed. The house next door, which normally only had two familiar tenants, was suddenly bustling with noise. Nyang-Nyang barked so loudly that Woonhak almost regretted secretly sharing his snacks with the dog the day before. Curiosity got the better of him, and he peeked through his bedroom curtains facing the house next door.
And he almost ascended to heaven. He could die with no regrets right then and there. He had finally seen his angel... (Don't tell anyone, Taesan hyung would definitely mock him).
Because the person standing in front of the house, the absolute center of attention, was Y/N.
The angel of little boy Woonhak (who is now fully grown) laughed and crouched down to catch Nyang-Nyang, who was barking happily and jumping into her arms. The late morning sun reflected off her hair, making her smile shine even brighter.
Woonhak practically slammed the curtains shut.
He almost died.
His heart was beating way too fast to keep standing there watching.
One afternoon that same week, his younger sister baked her first cake and invited friends from the neighborhood over—Taesan hyung, who happened to be the older brother of one of his sister’s friends, was among them.
Taesan, noticing Woonhak acting suspiciously out of character (thanks for caring, but please don't next time), pointed an accusing finger at him after leaving the kids to chat in the backyard while they played PS5 in the living room.
Woonhak brushed it off (obviously), but he couldn't outsmart his favorite older brother's sidekick—Leehan hyung from house 201.
"Oh right, Y/N is back. Yesterday my mom made me go help her move her stuff."
Woonhak flinched. Taesan burst into laughter. Leehan looked completely confused by the extreme reactions of the two guys next to him.
"Hyung, can you stop laughing? You're going to choke on the cake and die in my house," Woonhak muttered, though deep down, he kind of wished that exact scenario would happen.
Taesan, still wiping away tears of laughter until Leehan started to piece together what Woonhak desperately wanted to keep hidden, finally calmed down.
"So why did Y/N come back, Leehan hyung?" Woonhak asked.
"I think she's here to look after the share-house. She's on a long break, and her aunt is going on a trip, something like that."
Woonhak nodded, trying hard to ignore Leehan’s knowing gaze. As long as Leehan hyung didn't say anything else, he wouldn't hold it against him.
Just as he was about to take his frustration out on the PS5 controller, a shout calling his name came from the backyard. He didn't have to guess; his sister walked in from the kitchen carrying a few small, cute cake boxes, issuing a command that looked more like a plea in an older brother's eyes.
"Oppa, can you take these cakes to the older kids next door for me? This white box is for Y/N unnie. Please share the rest with the others in the house."
"Why don't you go yourself?"
"Because Taesan oppa— I mean, I haven't finished washing the dishes yet! Just do it for me, please!"
Woonhak didn't object (his heart was practically doing flips of joy), but looking at the kid's eyes, he knew she had conspired something with Taesan, who was still smirking. Before he could say another word, his sister dashed back into the kitchen amidst the giggles of the younger girls.
And that was why he was standing here... in front of the familiar house, with the familiar Pomeranian staring at him through the fence, its tail wagging furiously.
He had already pressed the doorbell, and a sweet voice had already answered. While waiting, Woonhak suddenly felt like everything about himself was in the way—his towering 185 cm height felt awkward, his long, lanky arms and legs didn't seem to know where to go (not to mention the figures of Taesan and Leehan spying on him from the fence, which were definitely an eyesore).
Footsteps rustled before she appeared—familiar hair, a slightly changed silhouette from his memories, and that exact same smile coming into clear view.
"Oh, it's Woonhak! Long time no see. Have you been well, 'little boy'?"
He couldn't even remember how he smiled back, what he said, or what expression he made.
That very first sentence in years kept echoing in his head until he returned home to face Taesan’s exasperating, mocking smile.
"So, how'd it go?" Taesan asked, even though he literally knew everything because he eavesdropped. Cold-blooded.
"I'm just a little brother..."
His mood was the one going cold now.
"I'm a grown man now, why is it like this?"
He kept mumbling to himself until Taesan had to shoot a look asking for backup...
His pathetic state must have been truly unbearable. Jaehyun hyung from house 102, who happened to be walking by (because his sister had called him over to grab some cake), got reeled in by Taesan and ended up having to help.
And that was how the 'How to be a nice guy' masterclass was born.
Step 1 - Be a gentleman
"I'm already polite, though."
The ultimate filial eldest son, well-mannered, and mature—who else could it be but Woonhak?
Taesan snorted too loud at that statement that Jaehyun and Leehan had to quickly hold Woonhak back before he grabbed something to whack his older brother.
"I mean, if you don't want Y/N to see you as a kid—then don't act like a kid."
"Easy for you to say, hyung" Woonhak scoffed.
When did he ever act like that? Woonhak believed he had outgrown his 'cute kid' phase since he was 9, or at least since he got a younger sister. He was acting like a proper, grown-up older brother. What were they even looking at?
"That's called being pretentious."
And controlling his temper to not smash the TV remote over his Taesan hyung's head was another sign of Woonhak's growth. I guess?
"Calm down, little bro. Think about it slowly," Jaehyun started. "Have you ever seen Y/N show interest in someone who acts like a little kid? (Of course not, because she hasn't been home in ages). Plus, fundamentally, women like guys who are 'gentlemen'."
Woonhak paused to think. Even though the person giving advice had zero credible achievements in this field... looking at the other two guys in the room, he realized he didn't have many options.
Taesan? - Scrap that.
Leehan? - He wouldn't dare compare himself to a guy who could just stand still and have the whole neighborhood fall for him.
Jaehyun? - Yeah, not very reliable... but what choice did he have? (None)
"Oh, right. I made plans to walk the dogs with Y/N this evening. Do you want to come along?"
Leehan suddenly became a much better option when he brought that up. Woonhak’s eyes sparkled as if he had found the light at the end of a very dark tunnel—
"But what is Woonhak going to do? He doesn't even have a dog. Is he going to help you walk Koni?" Taesan chimed in, mentioning Leehan's small Shih Tzu, instantly wiping the smile off Woonhak's face.
"Hey, there's always a way."
Because of Leehan’s words, backed by Jaehyun’s instigation, Woonhak was now standing here.
Awkwardly walking behind the beautiful older girl next door who was holding Nyang-Nyang’s leash, while his hands gripped the white eco-tote bag he had snatched from her when he ambushed her in front of her house.
Obviously, the basics of being a gentleman—carrying the bag.
Even though the tote bag he was holding was light as a feather, and the expression on her beautiful face was nothing but confusion—Woonhak was quite impressed with his execution of this step.
Smooth, flawless, and handsome.
She definitely had to feel a flutter in her heart.
Leehan carried his little princess Koni in another direction, seemingly giving him a chance to make a move. Nyang-Nyang, acting like a perfect wingman who remembered the guy who secretly fed him snacks, chose to run slightly ahead. Man, everything was falling perfectly into place.
A gentle breeze, the afternoon sun softening, the cool shade of the trees—paired with the newly rebranded 'Gentleman Woonhak'. Come on, who could resist this?
Y/N turned back to look at him when the boy next door didn't catch up, but she paused when a light breeze blew a stray leaf into her hair—as if right on cue. Instinctively, he reached out to gently brush it away for her.
If he wasn't flattering himself too much, her heart had to have skipped a beat...
...If it weren't for the sound of dogs barking right behind Woonhak, instantly diverting the girl’s attention toward the source of the noise. Along with the young man who casually strolled into the scene with terrible timing.
'Riwoo', the owner of two Pomeranians just like Nyang-Nyang, named Daebak and Jjang. He half-ran after his four-legged friends who eagerly greeted Y/N. Woonhak vaguely remembered that Riwoo hyung, the son from house 303, was close friends with Y/N. He just didn't expect them to be so close that they could chat so naturally after not seeing each other for so long.
Woonhak unconsciously stepped back. Once again, that sweet smile wasn't meant for him, yet it looked just as beautiful as ever.
"Do you think Riwoo is a gentleman?" Jaehyun, standing as an 'outside observer', asked out loud, completely forgetting how much those words would crush the giant puppy listening.
"He is a gentleman. He's probably the ideal son-in-law for all the moms around here," Leehan replied while holding Cony, looking worriedly at his beloved younger brother.
Jaehyun finally seemed to catch on and quickly added, "This won't do. Emergency Step 2, Woonhak! Don't lose your confidence. You get what I mean?"
Leehan scratched his head. Probably too late for that. Right now, Woonhak looks as sad as the five dogs in this park combined, hyung...
Step 2 - Don't lose your confidence
"Stick your chest out, Woonhak!" Jaehyun hissed through his teeth from behind the bushes, making pushing motions with his hands as if trying to physically boost the giant kid's morale. "Remember, rule number two is confidence! Walk right in there, act like you're having an adult conversation. Show her you're on the same level as Riwoo!"
With no other choice (and refusing to have his spotlight stolen any further), Woonhak took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, put on his most mature, serious face, and marched right back to the young woman and older guy who were deeply engaged in conversation.
"What are you guys talking about?" Woonhak interjected, forcing his voice to drop an octave lower, standing right in the middle of them.
"Oh, Woonhak." Riwoo smiled warmly—the kind of smile that made mothers all over South Korea want to sign over their property deeds to him. "Y/N and I were just talking about the new cafe in front of the neighborhood... Do you drink coffee, Woonhak?"
Coffee? The adult vocabulary hit Woonhak right in the face. He normally only drank banana milk, but to maintain his 'manly' facade, he nodded confidently.
"I like drinking light roast Americanos. The fruity acidity really wakes me up," Woonhak lied with a straight face (while internally cringing at the bitter thought of it).
Y/N raised an eyebrow, looking at the giant kid with a mix of surprise and amusement. "Wow, you've really grown up."
"I told you I'm a grown man, Noona." Woonhak smirked, thinking to himself, I look so cool right now. Girls are definitely screaming.
Riwoo chuckled softly, finding him endearing. "That's great... Oh, right! Woonhak, could you hold Daebak and Jjang's leashes for a second? I need to tie my shoelaces."
"No problem. Piece of cake." Woonhak confidently reached out and took the leashes of the two Pomeranians. Left arm holding the eco-bag, right arm holding the dogs. He struck a pose like a pet magazine model.
Everything was going perfectly... if it wasn't for Nyang-Nyang, who was playing far away, suddenly spotting his best buddies Daebak and Jjang.
"Woof!"
Nyang-Nyang launched himself forward at top speed. Daebak and Jjang, seeing their friend, instantly bounced up in response.
"Hey, hey! Wait! Sit, guys, sit!" Woonhak's eyes widened in panic as three hyperactive furballs began doing laps around him.
The leashes started wrapping around Woonhak's long legs with lightning speed, almost like they were programmed to do so. He tried to step out of the trap, but his 185 cm frame combined with the tangled mess of ropes caused him to lose his balance completely.
"Whoaaa!"
…
The confident young man fell straight back, landing ungracefully on the grass. The eco-bag flew up and landed squarely on his forehead, while the gang of three Pomeranians rushed in to lick his face like they had just won a war.
"Woonhak!" Y/N cried out in panic, quickly crouching down to check on him, a mix of shock and suppressed laughter on her face.
"I'm... I'm fine, Noona..." Woonhak mumbled, lying spread-eagle on the grass, his confidence shattered into a million pieces.
Before Y/N could help pull the giant kid up, a smooth, deep voice interrupted.
"Jaehyun? Leehan? What are you guys doing in those bushes?"
Riwoo, who had just finished tying his shoes, wasn't looking at Woonhak, but was squinting at the low bushes behind them, where two large men were desperately trying to shrink themselves out of existence.
Jaehyun flinched, offering a dry smile and a wave. Leehan, who was holding Koni (and covering his little princess's eyes so she wouldn't see the pathetic scene), widened his eyes as if waking up from a trance.
"Ah... right!" Leehan exclaimed loudly. "I was supposed to be walking with Y/N today!"
"You goldfish!" Jaehyun smacked his own forehead loudly. "You came with her, but you stood hiding with me?!"
The absolute bust of the advisory squad made Y/N burst out laughing. Riwoo slowly shook his head at his friends' chaotic energy before turning back to pull Woonhak to his feet, helping brush the grass off his shirt.
"I think... you should throw Jaehyun's 'How to be a nice guy' course in the trash," Riwoo said deadpan, though his eyes were full of fondness.
"Y-you knew about that, Riwoo hyung...?" Woonhak went pale, feeling like the biggest idiot in the neighborhood.
"Step 3, Woonhak... Just be yourself. Trying to be someone else is exhausting."
Riwoo's words flicked a switch in Woonhak's brain, but the person who truly left him stunned was the young woman standing next to him, laughing until her eyes crinkled.
"Finally, someone said it!" Y/N beamed, showing zero surprise. "I saw you trying to keep a straight face and force your voice down since we left the house, Woonhak. It was making me feel uncomfortable."
The 19-year-old's eyes went wide. "N-Noona, you knew...? That I..."
"Of course I did!" She reached out and pinched his tall nose affectionately. "Ever since that first day I came back and we bumped into each other at the fence. You looked like a deer in headlights, stood completely frozen, and babbled nonsense for ages... I easily guessed, right?"
The mirror of his secrets shattered completely... Everything was ruined! All that practicing, all those consultations with his older brothers... The person he trusted the least turned out to be the most dangerous one! (Thank God he didn't trust Taesan too much. Those emo villains are never to be trusted anyway).
"And besides, Taesan can't keep a secret to save his life," Y/N added, holding back a laugh.
"Come on... Y/N Noona!"
Woonhak whined loudly, all traces of his formal, polite tone vanishing into thin air. He reverted completely to the slightly spoiled, overly affectionate voice of a teenage boy. His thick eyebrows furrowed, his lips jutting out in a pout without realizing it. "You knew, and you just let me act like a crazy person this whole time! You're so mean!"
The sight of the giant 'puppy' throwing a tantrum because he got caught made Y/N laugh brighter than she had all day. She reached up and ruffled his perfectly styled hair until it was a messy, natural bird's nest.
"I just wanted to see how long you could keep the act up." She gave him a sweet, gentle smile that made the onlooker's heart skip a beat. "But you know... I think the normal Woonhak is..."
"..."
"A whole lot cuter."
It felt like the whole world stopped spinning. The cool breeze blowing through the park did absolutely nothing to cool down the heat rushing to Woonhak's face. He pressed his lips together, desperately trying to hide a massive smile, but his ears, which were burning bright red all the way to his neck, betrayed him entirely.
Back in the bushes...
Jaehyun, who was still squatting, rolled his eyes, so annoyed he wanted to throw leaves. "Wow... now she's complimenting the giant puppy. When it's me, all I get is yelled at.”
Leehan nodded slowly in agreement. "True... the only person who sees that girl as an angel is an absolute fool."
Woonhak’s bedroom window was in a prime location—as mentioned before.
It caught the perfect amount of morning sunlight, and it aligned perfectly with Y/N’s bedroom window.
He walked out, ruffling his damp hair from a shower (obviously, after rolling in the dirt like that), only to find the young woman sitting on her balcony, resting her chin on her hand and absentmindedly petting Nyang-Nyang.
That beautiful smile could bring the dead back to life.
And Woonhak was resurrected once again.
A smile sweeter than the sugar in his sister’s cake, a smile that shined brighter than the moon tonight—directed entirely at him. (Check - give this one about ten checks. Bonus points).
"When are you going to say it?" Woonhak called out.
The owner of the sweet smile tilted her head, looking amused, pretending she didn't know why the kid was greeting her with that sentence.
"Don't play dumb—tell me what's on your mind."
The distance between the two houses meant he couldn't whisper it like he wanted to, but the fact that his loud voice reaching her carried a hint of a whiny, spoiled tone didn't bother him at all.
"Adults don't whine, Woonhak," she replied with a teasing smile.
"I'm still a kid. I'm allowed to whine. You said so yourself."
"When did I ever say that?" She laughed, letting Nyang-Nyang hop back into her bedroom without stopping him.
"Don't you make me wait—say what's on your mind—just say that you love me already, Noona"
"Do I?"
Just as Woonhak was about to pout and throw another tantrum, that sweet voice replied right on cue.
"Yes, I do."
Woonhak was so overjoyed he almost made the terrible decision to jump across the balconies to reach his angel (though if he missed, he'd definitely be meeting real angels in heaven). But he was suddenly stopped in his tracks by the sound of a guitar strumming and a very familiar singing voice coming from not too far away.
"I love you baby, baby, baby 외쳐대느라 내 진심을 동네방네 다 알아! (I shouted it out so loud, now the whole neighborhood knows my true feelings)"
Followed by an ad-libbed shout that was unmistakably the main rapper: "니가 좋아! (I LIKE YOU!)" It was so loud it made both of them flinch.
While Y/N tried to lean out to find the source of the noise, Woonhak, from his angle, had a crystal-clear view of exactly who was standing in front of the share-house where the person across from him lived...
"JAEHYUN!! SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP!!"
And that was the exasperated response to the serenade, courtesy of one of the tenants of house number 405...
A/N
Ah.. hi? Welcome to my new series (again…) I have no idea what to put here lol. Anyway, this idea came out of nowhere while I was in the laboratory. Who needs science when you have a sudden urge to write, right? Hope you like it! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡
I'm sad to say that I will no longer be adding to the queue for this blog.
I have been running this blog for over 5 years now and I love it very dearly. Over the past year it has become something that I can't sustain any longer within my day to day life.
genre: astronaut!au, 1960′s au, angst, fluff, some suggestive content but nothing too crazy, adventure, husband!au, father!au
warnings: death, near death experiences, a lot of crying, emotional baggage
author’s note: hi again!! so im back with a new fic!!i wanna start off by saying that this fic is not meant to belittle anyone’s accomplishments, even though it is based on real events this work is pure fiction, and should be taken as such. I hope you guys like this fic and i know its very long so if you get to the end just know that i love haha thank you!! also, its very possible that tublr will crash if this is opened n mobile so im sorry about that
synopsis: ever since he was a young boy, mark’s dream was to be the first man on the moon. along his journey to accomplish his dream, he finds there are many hardships would have to face in order to succesfully complete his mission and come back home to the love of his life.
Wooseok: When I die and y’all go through my search history, you’ll be disappointed to find mostly just definitions for very common words that i wasn’t sure i was using correctly.
Hongseok: not to sound like a medieval peasant but, cheese and bread. garlic and butter. a menagerie of spices. potatoes. that’s what life is all about right there.
ppl still behaving like the jinho unfollowing hui thing was some deep dark secret or crazy drama like jinho isn’t just like that. he didn’t talk to hongseok for MONTHS in 2018. when he’s mad he makes sure you know it 😭 that’s how you know he cares lmao
