Love Begins
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shark vs the universe
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sheepfilms
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@i08mars
i call that FaSHioN — abt me.
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All over you
PAIRING: bf!martin x older!reader
SYNOPSIS Martin has a habit of ending up next to you. Not beside you in any grand way, just close. He says your name like it's something he likes having in his mouth. He asks for things he already knows you'll give. And somehow, every time, you let him, because you've tried to imagine the alternative and you don't like how it feels.
A/N: this is literally my VERY FIRST fic ever idk what came over me sorry if it's bad i wrote it in like one sitting and did not proofread but hope y’all like it 🥹🫰
"Noona"
He says it like it's a secret he enjoys knowing.
Not loud, not teasing, just close to your ear, low and deliberate, the way he says it when he wants something and knows you can't say no to that particular word in that particular voice.
"Noonaa, I’m calling you."
"Martin i hear you." You said.
"I finished my readings."
"Good for you." You said.
"I finished them an hour ago."
You turn a page. The café you've claimed as your study spot is warm and smells like brown butter and espresso, rain tracing long fingers down the window beside you. Martin is across the table, textbook shut, chin propped in his palm, watching you with that expression he gets patient and a little helpless, like you're a problem he's already decided he doesn't want solved.
"Noona," he says again.
"Martin, I have thirty more pages." You said.
"Your coffee's cold." He said.
You reach for it. He's right, it's cold. You make a face. He looks pleased with himself in a very small, very annoying way.
"I would've gotten you a new one," he says, “but I didn't want to leave."
You look at him over the rim of the cup. "Why not?"
He shrugs. It's the kind of shrug that means you know why.
You do know why.
You set the cold coffee down and look at him properly. There's a faint crease on his cheek from where he'd been resting on his hand earlier, during the hour he claims to have been studying. His sweater is slightly too big. He looks soft in the warm light, a little sleepy, and entirely focused on you.
"Come here," you say.
He moves before you finish the sentence. He pulls his chair around to your side of the table and sits close enough that your arms press together, and then he leans down and kisses your cheek, so soft it barely lands, like a question, and then your temple, and then he stays there, face turned into your hair.
"Hi," he mumbles.
"You're such a baby," you say, and you mean it with your whole heart.
"I'm a baby who finished his readings."
"Mm." You reach up and pat his cheek. He catches your hand and holds it there, eyes closing briefly.
"What do you want?"
"Nothing." A pause. "You."
"Martin."
"I just want to sit here." He says it plainly, without performance. "Is that okay? I'll be quiet."
It is so deeply okay. It's always been okay. You've told him this a hundred times and he still asks, still checks, and you've come to understand that's just how he loves with this particular carefulness, this ongoing, gentle requesting of permission even when the answer has never once been no.
You go back to your reading. He stays.
He's quiet for exactly four minutes. You know this because you count.
"Noona."
"Yes, Martin."
"You're the prettiest person in this café."
"There are like eight people in this café."
"You're the prettiest person in the building."
"The building has four floors."
"You're the prettiest person I've ever seen," he says, easy as breathing, and you feel your face go warm from the ears down.
You keep your eyes on your page. It doesn't help. "Sweet-talker."
"It's not sweet talk if it's true."
"That's exactly what a sweet-talker would say."
He laughs quietly, that small, real laugh he has, barely any sound to it, more felt than heard when you're this close. He turns his head and presses a kiss to your shoulder. Then another, slightly higher. Working his way up with no urgency, unhurried, like he has all the time that exists.
Your collarbone. The curve of your neck. The soft place below your jaw.
"Martin," you say.
"Mm." His lips brush your cheek. Your nose. The corner of your mouth.
You turn your head and catch him properly.
He goes still, always does, that half-second where he just receives it, like he hasn't expected it even now, even after all this time and then he kisses you back slowly, both hands coming up to cup your face with a tenderness that makes your chest ache. He tastes like the latte he finished an hour ago. His thumbs trace your cheekbones.
When you pull back he keeps his forehead against yours, eyes still closed.
"Noona," he says, very quietly.
"What."
"I really love you."
You look at his face, the ink smudge on his knuckle, the small scar above his brow, the way his lashes fan out when his eyes are shut, and something in you settles warm and permanent.
"I love you too," you say. "Now let me study."
He smiles. Leans back. Opens his textbook.
Forty seconds later his knee finds yours under the table and stays there.
You let him. You always let him.
You'd miss it if he stopped.
I SWEAR I HAVE SEEN NO WRITERS FOR SANTOS BRAVOS ILY (looking forward to da kenneth and kaûe fics 😋😋😋)
IKKK i hate how no one writes for them bc they’re one of my ults!! i have a req for kenneth but none of kaue so if you’d like to req smn, you’re free to! 💗
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. ˚ .ㅤUntil Morning (pt.2)
ㅤㅤㅤ 𝖲𝖸𝖯. ͏͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏͏⸻ ͏ ͏͏ ͏͏ ͏ One night, Juhoon gets accidentally locked inside a 24-hour convenience store with a night-shift worker. With no way out and hours to wait, they pass the time talking, working, and sharing ramen, turning an awkward situation into something unexpectedly intimate.
⠀⠀𝗉𝖺𝗂𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀.⠀ㅤidol!Juhoon x fem!reader
a/n.⠀ㅤHeyy, pt2 finally posted and also last os so i can lock in on the "if only" fic!
ॱ * ۪ ❤︎ᮬႚ . * ۪ ♡゚ * ۪ ♡゚ႚ ۪ * ۪ ❤︎ᮬႚ .
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 𝗉revious
II. (chapter) ͏͏ ͏ ͏͏ two & final ͏͏ ͏: Before You
Juhoon set his chopsticks down for a moment.
"So..."
Y/N looked up from her ramen.
"Hm?"
"You never asked what I do."
She shrugged.
"Didn't really feel important."
"Really?"
"If we were going to spend the rest of our lives trapped in here? Sure."
She took another bite.
"But we've only got, what... three hours left?"
"...Four."
"See?"
He let out a quiet laugh.
"You're a difficult person."
"I've been called worse."
He rested an elbow on the table.
"So."
She looked at him expectantly.
"What do you think I do?"
Y/N studied him with exaggerated concentration, her eyes traveling from his hoodie to his shoes before returning to his face.
"Hm..."
She tapped her chopsticks against the rim of her cup.
"You definitely don't work retail."
"...How can you tell?"
"You still have hope in your eyes."
Juhoon laughed, nearly dropping his chopsticks.
"That's... harsh."
"It's accurate."
She pointed at him.
"Your turn."
"My turn?"
"Guess mine."
He looked at the employee vest she was still wearing.
"...Convenience store employee."
She stared at him for a second.
"...You're terrible at this."
"I panicked."
A snort escaped her.
"Try again."
He thought for a moment.
"...College student."
"Part-time convenience store employee."
She nodded once.
"See? That wasn't so hard."
He smiled.
"I got lucky."
"You did."
She leaned back in her chair.
"But you..."
Her eyes narrowed again.
"I can't figure you out."
"Oh?"
"You don't look like an office worker."
"...No."
"You don't look like someone who does manual labor either."
"No."
She frowned dramatically.
"...Just don't tell me you're an idol."
For the briefest moment...
Juhoon's smile froze.
"...Why?"
Y/N shrugged.
"Nothing personal."
She stirred her ramen absentmindedly.
"I like music."
Another shrug.
"I just don't really get why people act like idols are perfect."
Juhoon stayed quiet.
"They smile all the time."
She rested her chin in her hand.
"They're always polite."
"They always say the right thing."
She scoffed softly.
"Nobody's actually like that."
Juhoon looked down at the steam rising from his cup.
"...Yeah."
"It sounds exhausting."
He didn't answer right away.
When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter.
"...I think it probably is."
Y/N simply nodded, completely unaware that she'd just described the person sitting across from her.
The empty ramen cups ended up stacked neatly on top of each other before Y/N tossed them into the trash near the employee counter.
Neither of them moved for a few seconds afterward.
There wasn't much of a reason to.
Outside, the city remained wrapped in darkness, the occasional headlights sweeping across the metal shutter before disappearing just as quickly. The rain had started again sometime during dinner, soft enough that it barely made a sound against the windows.
Inside, everything stayed exactly the same.
The steady buzz of fluorescent lights.
The hum of refrigerators lining the back wall.
The faint smell of coffee and instant noodles lingering in the warm air.
Juhoon glanced at the clock.
2:07 a.m.
Still hours to go.
"...Guess we should get back to work," he muttered.
Y/N looked over.
"I was wondering how long it'd take you to accept your fate."
"I accepted it an hour ago."
"Liar."
She pushed herself out of her chair, stretching until her shoulders gave a quiet pop before grabbing another unopened box from behind the counter.
"Come on."
He sighed dramatically as he stood.
"I can't believe I'm volunteering for unpaid labor."
"You're not volunteering."
She handed him the box.
"You're being exploited."
"...Somehow that's less comforting."
"It should be."
The next hour passed in an oddly comfortable rhythm.
One of them would open a box.
The other would stock the shelves.
Sometimes they'd switch without saying anything.
Sometimes Juhoon would place something in the wrong spot, and Y/N would silently move it back the second he walked away.
He noticed every single time.
"You know I can see you doing that, right?"
"I'm fixing your mistakes."
"They're artistic choices."
"They're inventory violations."
He clicked his tongue.
"I feel judged."
"You should."
At one point she caught him lining up bottles by color instead of brand.
She stared.
"...What are you doing?"
"It looks nicer."
"It looks unemployed."
He laughed so hard he nearly dropped the entire case of sports drinks.
The longer they stayed trapped inside the store, the stranger the situation became.
Not stranger in a bad way.
Just... normal.
As though stocking shelves with someone you'd met barely two hours earlier was something people did every Tuesday night.
The awkwardness had disappeared somewhere between organizing the snack aisle and arguing over whether pineapple-flavored candy should legally exist.
Conversation came and went naturally now.
Sometimes lasting only a sentence.
Sometimes disappearing completely for several minutes while they worked side by side.
Neither seemed bothered by the silence anymore.
It no longer felt like the silence between strangers.
More like the quiet that settled between people who had grown unexpectedly comfortable in each other's company.
By the time they finished reorganizing the drink refrigerators, another pile of flattened cardboard boxes had formed near the storage room.
Juhoon picked up the stack, balancing it awkwardly against his chest as they headed toward the back together.
Halfway there, his eyes drifted toward Y/N.
She never checked her phone.
Never reached into a pocket to look at the time.
Never absentmindedly glanced at a notification.
Thinking back on it...
She hadn't touched one all night.
He'd assumed it was because she'd been working.
Now he wasn't so sure.
Once they dropped the boxes beside the storage door, curiosity got the better of him.
"...Can I ask you something?"
She looked up from the box she was flattening.
"You just did."
"You know what I mean."
"I do."
She rested the cardboard against the wall before dusting her hands together.
"So ask."
"...Earlier."
He nodded toward the pocket of her hoodie.
"You really don't have a phone?"
Y/N shrugged.
"Not anymore."
"You never replaced it?"
"No money."
He frowned slightly.
"What happened to the old one?"
She was quiet for a second.
Then, as casually as if she were commenting on the weather, she answered,
"A girl smashed it."
Juhoon blinked.
"...Smashed it?"
"Against the floor."
"...Why?"
"She was annoying."
He gave her a look.
"...I don't think that's how the story started."
"It wasn't."
The corner of her mouth twitched.
"She kept talking trash."
"And?"
"I told her to shut up."
"And then?"
"...Then we fought."
Juhoon couldn't help raising an eyebrow.
"You get into fights often?"
She tilted her head, pretending to think.
"...Often enough."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"I appreciate the honesty."
"My parents don't."
She leaned back against one of the shelves, folding her arms.
"They figured that if I was going to keep acting like a problem..."
She gestured vaguely around the convenience store.
"...I could earn my own money."
"So this job..."
"...Is my punishment."
She shrugged again.
"They said if I wanted another phone, I'd buy it myself."
Juhoon glanced around the brightly lit store.
"That's... rough."
"It could be worse."
"How?"
"They could've made me work mornings."
He laughed.
"You really don't take anything seriously, do you?"
"I do."
Her smile softened, just enough to notice.
"I just don't like looking like I care."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Juhoon realized that was probably the most honest thing she'd said all night.
And somehow...
He believed it.
The silence that followed didn't feel uncomfortable.
It settled naturally between them as Y/N bent down to grab another unopened box from the floor.
She sliced through the tape with the small box cutter tucked into her apron, folded the flaps open, then nudged the box toward him with the toe of her sneaker.
"There."
Juhoon looked inside.
"...Ramen again?"
"The universe has decided you're the ramen guy."
"I was hoping for a promotion."
"You've actually been demoted."
"...I didn't even know that was possible."
"It is when you keep stocking them backwards."
He sighed with theatrical disappointment before picking up the first cup.
This time, he stopped to check the label.
Made sure it was facing the right direction.
Then carefully placed it on the shelf.
He stepped back with an exaggerated look of satisfaction.
"There."
Y/N glanced over.
A beat passed.
"...Not bad."
His head turned so fast she almost laughed.
"...Was that a compliment?"
"I wouldn't get used to it."
"I knew there was a catch."
She walked past him, adjusting one cup less than an inch to the left.
"There."
He stared at it.
"You moved it."
"I improved it."
"You moved it."
"I perfected it."
He let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head as she continued down the aisle with the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips.
Without either of them noticing...
The store had stopped feeling like a place they were trapped in.
It had quietly become a place where the night was passing far too quickly.
Juhoon stood there a moment longer than necessary, staring at the cup he had just placed so carefully, as if it might suddenly rebel and tilt itself out of alignment out of spite.
Y/N walked past him without comment, but the faintest trace of amusement lingered in the way she adjusted the next stack of noodles. Not a smile exactly. More like the idea of one, briefly passing through.
They fell back into work again, the kind of rhythm that didn't ask for permission. Boxes opened. Shelves filled. Time blurred at the edges until it stopped feeling like something you measured and started feeling like something you moved through.
At some point, Juhoon realized he had stopped thinking about the clock altogether.
That alone felt strange.
He had lived by schedules for so long that even silence usually came with an internal countdown. But here, between fluorescent hums and the soft rustle of cardboard, time was behaving differently. Less like a ruler. More like water slipping between fingers.
Y/N crouched near the lower shelves, tossing empty packaging into a growing pile. Juhoon worked a few steps away, but their movements kept overlapping in small, accidental ways. A box passed too close. A shoulder brushed lightly when they reached for the same item. Neither of them moved away quickly anymore.
That fact, somehow, felt louder than anything they had actually said.
Then it happened without warning.
The lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
The refrigerators gave a low, uncertain hum, like something waking up confused. Y/N paused mid-motion, a box cutter still in her hand.
Juhoon looked up.
"...Did you see that?"
Before she could answer, everything died.
The fluorescent lights shut off at once, plunging the store into a thick, unfamiliar dark.
The silence that followed wasn't the same kind they had grown used to.
This one had weight.
For a second, neither of them moved.
Only the emergency exit sign glowed faintly at the far end of the store, painting the aisles in a dim green haze that made everything look half real, half memory.
"...Well," Y/N's voice cut through the dark, steady as ever. "That's new."
Juhoon exhaled slowly.
"...Is this normal?"
"No."
A pause.
"But it's also not surprising."
He let out a quiet, slightly disbelieving laugh.
"That's not reassuring."
"It's not meant to be."
Somewhere in the dark, there was the soft sound of something shifting. Then a faint thud. Juhoon turned instinctively, but it was hard to tell where anything was anymore.
"...Y/N?"
"Still here."
Her voice was closer than before.
Too close, actually.
He took a careful step back and immediately bumped into a shelf. A few items rattled softly, threatening to fall.
"Ow."
"Careful," she said, closer again, and then there was a brief pause. "Don't move too much. You're terrible at navigating in daylight. This is worse."
"Hey."
A faint sound that might have been a laugh escaped her.
"Relax. I'm right here."
Another step, and suddenly they were close enough that he could make out her silhouette in the green glow. She had moved without announcing it, as if the dark didn't matter at all.
He blinked.
"...You're really calm about this."
"I've had practice," she replied.
"That sounds concerning."
"It should."
The silence settled again, softer this time. Less empty.
Juhoon shifted slightly, trying to orient himself, but ended up closer to her instead of farther away. Their shoulders almost touched.
He stopped.
So did she.
Neither moved away.
"...This is kind of awkward," he muttered.
"It's a convenience store blackout at two in the morning," she said. "If it wasn't awkward, I'd be worried."
That earned a quiet breath of laughter from him again, though it came out softer this time.
In the dim light, he could see her turning her head slightly toward him.
"You know," she said after a beat, "you talk like someone who's used to being around people."
He blinked.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
A pause.
"But not like someone who actually gets to choose who they're around."
That one landed differently.
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he leaned lightly against the shelf behind him, careful not to knock anything over this time.
"...I guess that's accurate."
Y/N hummed softly, like she was filing that away somewhere.
"What about you?" he asked after a moment.
A brief pause.
Then, "What about me?"
"You don't really talk like someone who hates people," he said. "Just someone who avoids them."
There was a short silence.
Not defensive. Just thoughtful.
"...Yeah," she admitted. "That sounds about right."
Juhoon tilted his head slightly, even though he could barely see her.
"Why?"
Another pause stretched between them, longer this time.
When she spoke again, her voice was quieter.
"I don't really like meeting new people."
"That's it?"
"It's easier," she said simply. "No expectations. No explanations. No... getting attached to things that leave."
The last part hung in the air a little longer than the rest.
Juhoon didn't interrupt it.
Instead, he shifted slightly closer without thinking about it, as if the darkness had quietly rearranged their distance.
"...Do you hate relationships too?" he asked carefully.
A soft exhale.
"No."
A beat.
"I just haven't had one in a long time."
"Why not?"
There was a faint rustle, like she leaned against a shelf.
"I don't really meet people I want to keep around," she said. "And when I do... I don't usually stay long enough for it to matter."
Juhoon stayed quiet for a moment.
Then, unexpectedly honest, he said, "Same."
That got her attention.
"You?"
He nodded, then remembered she probably couldn't see it.
"Yeah. I don't really meet people outside of work. Or schedules. And when I do... I'm usually too busy to actually stay."
A small pause.
Then Y/N let out something between a scoff and a laugh.
"...So what are you, a ghost with a calendar?"
"Something like that."
That made her laugh properly this time, brief but real.
In the dim green glow, the sound felt warmer than it should have.
After a moment, she spoke again.
"I don't have many friends either."
Juhoon turned his head slightly toward her voice.
"Yeah?"
"Not really. People don't stick around long when you don't exactly... try to keep them."
He nodded slowly.
"I have like four," he said.
That made her pause.
"That's oddly specific."
He shrugged, then realized she couldn't see that either.
"My group. We've been together a while."
A faint curiosity entered her voice.
"And that's it?"
"Pretty much," he admitted. "I talk to them most days. Outside of that... not much."
She hummed again.
"Sounds lonely."
He considered that.
Then answered honestly.
"It doesn't feel like it. Not usually."
A pause.
Then, quieter, "What about you?"
She leaned back slightly, and he could just make out the outline of her head turning toward him.
"...I think I forgot what it feels like to actually let someone stay," she said.
Juhoon didn't respond right away.
Not because he didn't know what to say.
But because for the first time that night, the silence between them didn't feel like emptiness.
It felt like something suspended.
Careful.
Fragile.
Real.
Somewhere deeper inside the store, a faint electrical click sounded.
Then another.
The lights flickered once more, weaker this time, as if the building itself was hesitating before deciding whether to come back to life.
Neither of them moved apart.
The flicker came like a hesitant breath.
Once.
Twice.
Then the fluorescent lights stuttered back to life, spilling over the aisles in a harsh white wash that made everything feel suddenly too real again. The shelves snapped back into full color. The humming refrigerators regained their steady, familiar rhythm.
And just like that, the moment dissolved.
Juhoon blinked against the brightness, instinctively stepping back from where he stood.
Y/N did the same, almost in sync.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
The store was the same store again. Clean lines. Bright light. Endless aisles pretending nothing strange had just happened.
But something between them didn't reset so easily.
Juhoon cleared his throat lightly, looking anywhere but directly at her.
"...Power must've just tripped."
"Yeah," Y/N said, already bending down to pick up the box cutter she had dropped. Her voice was normal again. Too normal, like she had tucked everything from the dark away into a drawer and closed it firmly. "Old wiring. Happens sometimes."
"Right."
He nodded once, as if that settled it.
It didn't.
They drifted back into movement without discussion. Familiar motions. Automatic now. Boxes opened. Shelves corrected. Items aligned with quiet precision.
But the rhythm had shifted.
Subtle. Invisible. The kind of change you only notice because something you can't name is missing.
Juhoon reached for a stack of drinks. His hand hesitated for half a second before placing them down more carefully than before. Y/N adjusted a display, then paused, watching him like she was recalibrating something in her mind.
Neither mentioned the blackout again.
Still...
Every so often, their movements would pause at the same time.
A shared silence that almost, but not quite, turned into something else.
Eventually, the work thinned out. The store looked too organized now, like it had been overcorrected into perfection. Even the chaos they had created earlier had been cleaned away.
Y/N leaned against the counter, exhaling slowly.
"That's probably enough pretending to be useful."
Juhoon set down the last empty box.
"I was starting to feel like a real employee."
"You lasted longer than most."
"I'll put that on my résumé."
"You shouldn't."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
The clock above the register ticked forward with cruel patience.
3:48 a.m.
Still dark outside. Still locked in. Still hours left before anyone would even notice anything was wrong.
But the energy had softened.
Not tired exactly.
Just quieter in a different way.
Juhoon leaned against the counter opposite her, glancing toward the shuttered entrance.
"...It feels different now."
Y/N tilted her head slightly.
"Because of the blackout?"
"Yeah. And... everything before that."
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she tapped her fingers once against the counter, thoughtful.
"...Weird things feel bigger when there's nothing else happening around them," she said.
He looked at her.
"You say that like you've experienced a lot of weird things."
"I work retail," she replied flatly.
That got a short laugh out of him again.
A pause stretched between them.
Then, unexpectedly, Juhoon spoke again.
"You were serious earlier, right?"
Y/N glanced up.
"About what?"
"Not really letting people stay."
Her fingers stopped tapping.
For a second, the store felt like it had leaned in closer.
"...Yeah," she said finally. "I don't really do... keeping people around."
Juhoon nodded slowly, like he was turning the idea over carefully instead of reacting to it.
"I think I get it," he said. "Not fully. But... I get the shape of it."
She gave him a sideways look.
"That sounds dangerously philosophical for a guy who got locked in a convenience store."
"I have range."
"Debatable."
He smiled.
Then, after a beat, he added,
"But I don't think it has to stay that way."
Y/N raised an eyebrow slightly.
"What, you're going to fix me in four hours?"
"I didn't say that."
"Good. Because that would be weird."
"I said I don't think it has to stay that way," he corrected, more quietly now.
She studied him for a moment.
Not suspicious. Not defensive.
Just... reading.
Then she shrugged.
"We'll see."
That was her version of agreement, apparently.
The silence that followed wasn't heavy anymore. It just existed, like a shared space they had learned how to stand inside without stepping on anything fragile.
Juhoon glanced toward the drink fridge, then back at her.
"What about you, then?"
Y/N frowned slightly.
"What about me?"
"You said you don't really meet people you want to keep around."
"Yeah."
He hesitated for half a second, then continued.
"And today?"
That made her pause.
Longer this time.
Her eyes drifted briefly toward the aisle they had been working in earlier, like she could still see the version of them that existed in the dark.
"...Today is an exception," she said.
Juhoon blinked.
"That sounds very official."
"It is."
"Does it come with paperwork?"
"It comes with poor life decisions."
He laughed softly.
Y/N pushed off the counter, stretching slightly.
"Don't overthink it."
"I'm not overthinking it."
"You are absolutely overthinking it."
He opened his mouth, then closed it again.
"...Maybe a little."
That earned her a faint, almost invisible smirk.
Outside, the sky hadn't changed much. Still black. Still holding the night in place like it didn't want to give it up yet.
Inside, the store felt warmer than it had any right to.
Not in temperature.
In presence.
Juhoon checked the clock again.
4:12 a.m.
Closer now.
Too close to morning to still feel like night, but too early for anything to make sense.
He pushed himself off the counter.
"So what happens when your coworker finally comes back?"
Y/N shrugged.
"I get yelled at."
"That's it?"
"I might also lose my dignity."
"You have dignity?"
"Minimal. But yes."
He smiled.
"Sounds like a fair trade for getting trapped with me."
She looked at him.
For a second, she didn't respond.
Then, lightly:
"I haven't decided if it was a fair trade yet."
He nodded solemnly.
"Let me know before I leave. I'd like to prepare emotionally."
"I'll send you a review later."
"Five stars?"
"Two. You stocked ramen incorrectly."
He gasped.
"That's biased."
"It's accurate."
And somehow, that was enough to bring the moment back to something lighter again.
They drifted apart slightly after that, but not far. Just enough to move without bumping into each other. Enough to pretend they weren't quietly adjusting to the fact that the night had changed shape around them.
But every so often, Juhoon would glance toward her when she wasn't looking.
And every so often, she would catch him.
Neither called it out.
Neither needed to.
Outside, the first hint of morning hadn't arrived yet.
But something inside the store already felt like it was on its way there.
Dawn arrived like it had been waiting outside the glass the whole time, pressing its pale forehead against the horizon until the night finally gave in.
The convenience store doors slid open with a soft chime that now felt almost unreal, like it belonged to another version of the world.
Juhoon stepped out first.
The air outside was colder than he remembered.
Behind him, Y/N gave a small wave without looking up from the last stack of boxes they had somehow finished organizing right before sunrise.
"Don't come back as a customer," she said.
He glanced back at her, still half-laughing from something she had said minutes ago.
"I'll try not to get trapped in retail again."
"No promises?"
"No promises."
That earned him a faint look that might've been amusement, or maybe just exhaustion disguised as it.
Then the shuttered store swallowed her again when she turned away, and the moment snapped shut behind them like a book closing too quickly.
Just minutes after, the hotel lobby was brighter than it had any right to be.
Juhoon barely made it past the entrance before his manager's voice cut through him like a spotlight.
"Do you know what time it is?"
Juhoon blinked.
He opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
Behind him, one of the staff members tried not to smile.
His manager continued anyway, arms already folded into full lecture mode.
"We were about to call security. Do you understand how irresponsible it is to leave without telling anyone? At this hour? In a foreign city?"
Juhoon rubbed the back of his neck, still slightly disoriented from fluorescent lights and ramen steam and... everything that had happened between them.
"I went for a walk."
"A walk."
"Yes."
"At one in the morning."
"...Yes."
That did it.
A second staff member made a noise that was suspiciously close to laughter.
His manager exhaled through their nose like they were rethinking every life decision that led them here.
"And where exactly did this walk take you?"
Juhoon hesitated.
A convenience store.
A locked convenience store.
A convenience store with a girl who treated chaos like a hobby and stocked ramen like it was a philosophical statement.
"I... got locked in somewhere."
Silence.
Then someone behind the counter coughed to hide a laugh.
His manager stared at him.
"You what."
"It wasn't on purpose."
That only made it worse.
By the time he finished explaining, badly, in fragments that somehow made the story sound even more unbelievable than it actually was, the lobby had fully given up pretending this was a normal situation.
"You were locked inside a convenience store."
"Yes."
"For hours."
"Yes."
"And you stocked shelves."
"...Yes."
There was a pause.
Then one of the staff members finally lost the fight and laughed openly.
"Oh my god."
Juhoon buried his face in his hands for half a second.
His manager pinched the bridge of their nose.
"I am not even going to ask."
From the side, someone muttered, "This is going to be a great story for the group chat."
Juhoon lifted his head immediately.
"No."
Too late.
It was already happening.
By morning, the story had been downgraded from "serious missing incident risk" to "idol accidentally becomes retail worker at 2 a.m."
Someone in the hotel definitely told someone else.
And by noon, Juhoon had received at least three variations of:
"Did you survive your part-time job arc?"
He did not dignify any of them with proper responses.
But every time his phone buzzed, he remembered fluorescent lights flickering back on, and a voice in the dark saying she had already tried breaking the door.
And somehow that made it worse.
Across the city, Y/N slept like someone who had negotiated peace with reality and won.
At least until noon.
The shouting started before she even fully opened her eyes.
"Y/N!"
Her sister's voice came from somewhere far too close.
Then louder.
"Y/N, wake up!"
A pillow hit her face.
She groaned, rolling over.
"What."
"You're going to want to see this."
"I don't."
"Yes you do."
A pause.
Something in her brain reluctantly decided that the volume level suggested emergency conditions, so she got up.
Bare feet on the floor. Half-awake irritation. Hair doing whatever it wanted.
She walked into her sister's room expecting something broken.
Or on fire.
Or both.
Instead, her sister was sitting cross-legged on the bed, holding something like it was sacred.
A photocard.
Y/N squinted.
"...Is that why you woke me up."
Her sister ignored the tone entirely.
"Look."
She held it up.
Y/N leaned closer out of reflex more than interest.
A boy.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
Her brain paused.
Then caught up.
That face.
The hoodie. The expression. The ridiculous timing of everything he said like he had never once been allowed to lose an argument in his life.
Juhoon.
Except... not Juhoon from last night in a locked convenience store.
Juhoon from somewhere else.
Cleaner. Printed. Official.
Her sister was practically vibrating.
"I got it in the new album!"
"...Album?"
"Yeah, from Cortis! I finally pulled him!"
Y/N stared.
The photocard stared back.
Her brain tried to reconcile convenience store ramen boy with glossy idol card boy and failed spectacularly.
Her sister tilted her head.
"What's wrong? You don't like him?"
Y/N blinked once.
Then her face reset into something dangerously neutral.
"No."
A beat.
She pointed at the card.
"He just looks... kind of dumb in that picture."
Her sister gasped.
"That's your bias talking!"
"I don't have a bias."
"You literally just judged his face."
"I'm observant."
Her sister narrowed her eyes.
Y/N took one last look at the photocard.
Same eyes.
Same mouth.
Same presence that had somehow turned a locked store into something that felt like it bent time around it.
Nothing about him matched the version she had known.
And that was exactly the problem.
She straightened up.
"Anyway."
She turned toward the door.
"Keep it."
"Wait, where are you going?"
"Coffee."
Her sister frowned.
"It's noon."
"Exactly."
And she walked out before any more questions could form.
Behind her, the photocard stayed on the bed.
Smiling in printed silence.
As if nothing at all unusual had ever happened.
And somewhere in another part of the city, Juhoon probably still wasn't going to hear the end of it.
ㅤㅤㅤ taglist. ͏͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏͏⸻ @i08mars @helimura @kuinas1glazer @feen4meee @httpsbarsbymars @mailovesreading (Ask to be added)
. ˚ .ㅤUntil Morning (pt.2)
ㅤㅤㅤ 𝖲𝖸𝖯. ͏͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏͏⸻ ͏ ͏͏ ͏͏ ͏ One night, Juhoon gets accidentally locked inside a 24-hour convenience store with a night-shift worker. With no way out and hours to wait, they pass the time talking, working, and sharing ramen, turning an awkward situation into something unexpectedly intimate.
⠀⠀𝗉𝖺𝗂𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀.⠀ㅤidol!Juhoon x fem!reader
a/n.⠀ㅤHeyy, pt2 finally posted and also last os so i can lock in on the "if only" fic!
ॱ * ۪ ❤︎ᮬႚ . * ۪ ♡゚ * ۪ ♡゚ႚ ۪ * ۪ ❤︎ᮬႚ .
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 𝗉revious
II. (chapter) ͏͏ ͏ ͏͏ two & final ͏͏ ͏: Before You
Juhoon set his chopsticks down for a moment.
"So..."
Y/N looked up from her ramen.
"Hm?"
"You never asked what I do."
She shrugged.
"Didn't really feel important."
"Really?"
"If we were going to spend the rest of our lives trapped in here? Sure."
She took another bite.
"But we've only got, what... three hours left?"
"...Four."
"See?"
He let out a quiet laugh.
"You're a difficult person."
"I've been called worse."
He rested an elbow on the table.
"So."
She looked at him expectantly.
"What do you think I do?"
Y/N studied him with exaggerated concentration, her eyes traveling from his hoodie to his shoes before returning to his face.
"Hm..."
She tapped her chopsticks against the rim of her cup.
"You definitely don't work retail."
"...How can you tell?"
"You still have hope in your eyes."
Juhoon laughed, nearly dropping his chopsticks.
"That's... harsh."
"It's accurate."
She pointed at him.
"Your turn."
"My turn?"
"Guess mine."
He looked at the employee vest she was still wearing.
"...Convenience store employee."
She stared at him for a second.
"...You're terrible at this."
"I panicked."
A snort escaped her.
"Try again."
He thought for a moment.
"...College student."
"Part-time convenience store employee."
She nodded once.
"See? That wasn't so hard."
He smiled.
"I got lucky."
"You did."
She leaned back in her chair.
"But you..."
Her eyes narrowed again.
"I can't figure you out."
"Oh?"
"You don't look like an office worker."
"...No."
"You don't look like someone who does manual labor either."
"No."
She frowned dramatically.
"...Just don't tell me you're an idol."
For the briefest moment...
Juhoon's smile froze.
"...Why?"
Y/N shrugged.
"Nothing personal."
She stirred her ramen absentmindedly.
"I like music."
Another shrug.
"I just don't really get why people act like idols are perfect."
Juhoon stayed quiet.
"They smile all the time."
She rested her chin in her hand.
"They're always polite."
"They always say the right thing."
She scoffed softly.
"Nobody's actually like that."
Juhoon looked down at the steam rising from his cup.
"...Yeah."
"It sounds exhausting."
He didn't answer right away.
When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter.
"...I think it probably is."
Y/N simply nodded, completely unaware that she'd just described the person sitting across from her.
The empty ramen cups ended up stacked neatly on top of each other before Y/N tossed them into the trash near the employee counter.
Neither of them moved for a few seconds afterward.
There wasn't much of a reason to.
Outside, the city remained wrapped in darkness, the occasional headlights sweeping across the metal shutter before disappearing just as quickly. The rain had started again sometime during dinner, soft enough that it barely made a sound against the windows.
Inside, everything stayed exactly the same.
The steady buzz of fluorescent lights.
The hum of refrigerators lining the back wall.
The faint smell of coffee and instant noodles lingering in the warm air.
Juhoon glanced at the clock.
2:07 a.m.
Still hours to go.
"...Guess we should get back to work," he muttered.
Y/N looked over.
"I was wondering how long it'd take you to accept your fate."
"I accepted it an hour ago."
"Liar."
She pushed herself out of her chair, stretching until her shoulders gave a quiet pop before grabbing another unopened box from behind the counter.
"Come on."
He sighed dramatically as he stood.
"I can't believe I'm volunteering for unpaid labor."
"You're not volunteering."
She handed him the box.
"You're being exploited."
"...Somehow that's less comforting."
"It should be."
The next hour passed in an oddly comfortable rhythm.
One of them would open a box.
The other would stock the shelves.
Sometimes they'd switch without saying anything.
Sometimes Juhoon would place something in the wrong spot, and Y/N would silently move it back the second he walked away.
He noticed every single time.
"You know I can see you doing that, right?"
"I'm fixing your mistakes."
"They're artistic choices."
"They're inventory violations."
He clicked his tongue.
"I feel judged."
"You should."
At one point she caught him lining up bottles by color instead of brand.
She stared.
"...What are you doing?"
"It looks nicer."
"It looks unemployed."
He laughed so hard he nearly dropped the entire case of sports drinks.
The longer they stayed trapped inside the store, the stranger the situation became.
Not stranger in a bad way.
Just... normal.
As though stocking shelves with someone you'd met barely two hours earlier was something people did every Tuesday night.
The awkwardness had disappeared somewhere between organizing the snack aisle and arguing over whether pineapple-flavored candy should legally exist.
Conversation came and went naturally now.
Sometimes lasting only a sentence.
Sometimes disappearing completely for several minutes while they worked side by side.
Neither seemed bothered by the silence anymore.
It no longer felt like the silence between strangers.
More like the quiet that settled between people who had grown unexpectedly comfortable in each other's company.
By the time they finished reorganizing the drink refrigerators, another pile of flattened cardboard boxes had formed near the storage room.
Juhoon picked up the stack, balancing it awkwardly against his chest as they headed toward the back together.
Halfway there, his eyes drifted toward Y/N.
She never checked her phone.
Never reached into a pocket to look at the time.
Never absentmindedly glanced at a notification.
Thinking back on it...
She hadn't touched one all night.
He'd assumed it was because she'd been working.
Now he wasn't so sure.
Once they dropped the boxes beside the storage door, curiosity got the better of him.
"...Can I ask you something?"
She looked up from the box she was flattening.
"You just did."
"You know what I mean."
"I do."
She rested the cardboard against the wall before dusting her hands together.
"So ask."
"...Earlier."
He nodded toward the pocket of her hoodie.
"You really don't have a phone?"
Y/N shrugged.
"Not anymore."
"You never replaced it?"
"No money."
He frowned slightly.
"What happened to the old one?"
She was quiet for a second.
Then, as casually as if she were commenting on the weather, she answered,
"A girl smashed it."
Juhoon blinked.
"...Smashed it?"
"Against the floor."
"...Why?"
"She was annoying."
He gave her a look.
"...I don't think that's how the story started."
"It wasn't."
The corner of her mouth twitched.
"She kept talking trash."
"And?"
"I told her to shut up."
"And then?"
"...Then we fought."
Juhoon couldn't help raising an eyebrow.
"You get into fights often?"
She tilted her head, pretending to think.
"...Often enough."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"I appreciate the honesty."
"My parents don't."
She leaned back against one of the shelves, folding her arms.
"They figured that if I was going to keep acting like a problem..."
She gestured vaguely around the convenience store.
"...I could earn my own money."
"So this job..."
"...Is my punishment."
She shrugged again.
"They said if I wanted another phone, I'd buy it myself."
Juhoon glanced around the brightly lit store.
"That's... rough."
"It could be worse."
"How?"
"They could've made me work mornings."
He laughed.
"You really don't take anything seriously, do you?"
"I do."
Her smile softened, just enough to notice.
"I just don't like looking like I care."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Juhoon realized that was probably the most honest thing she'd said all night.
And somehow...
He believed it.
The silence that followed didn't feel uncomfortable.
It settled naturally between them as Y/N bent down to grab another unopened box from the floor.
She sliced through the tape with the small box cutter tucked into her apron, folded the flaps open, then nudged the box toward him with the toe of her sneaker.
"There."
Juhoon looked inside.
"...Ramen again?"
"The universe has decided you're the ramen guy."
"I was hoping for a promotion."
"You've actually been demoted."
"...I didn't even know that was possible."
"It is when you keep stocking them backwards."
He sighed with theatrical disappointment before picking up the first cup.
This time, he stopped to check the label.
Made sure it was facing the right direction.
Then carefully placed it on the shelf.
He stepped back with an exaggerated look of satisfaction.
"There."
Y/N glanced over.
A beat passed.
"...Not bad."
His head turned so fast she almost laughed.
"...Was that a compliment?"
"I wouldn't get used to it."
"I knew there was a catch."
She walked past him, adjusting one cup less than an inch to the left.
"There."
He stared at it.
"You moved it."
"I improved it."
"You moved it."
"I perfected it."
He let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head as she continued down the aisle with the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips.
Without either of them noticing...
The store had stopped feeling like a place they were trapped in.
It had quietly become a place where the night was passing far too quickly.
Juhoon stood there a moment longer than necessary, staring at the cup he had just placed so carefully, as if it might suddenly rebel and tilt itself out of alignment out of spite.
Y/N walked past him without comment, but the faintest trace of amusement lingered in the way she adjusted the next stack of noodles. Not a smile exactly. More like the idea of one, briefly passing through.
They fell back into work again, the kind of rhythm that didn't ask for permission. Boxes opened. Shelves filled. Time blurred at the edges until it stopped feeling like something you measured and started feeling like something you moved through.
At some point, Juhoon realized he had stopped thinking about the clock altogether.
That alone felt strange.
He had lived by schedules for so long that even silence usually came with an internal countdown. But here, between fluorescent hums and the soft rustle of cardboard, time was behaving differently. Less like a ruler. More like water slipping between fingers.
Y/N crouched near the lower shelves, tossing empty packaging into a growing pile. Juhoon worked a few steps away, but their movements kept overlapping in small, accidental ways. A box passed too close. A shoulder brushed lightly when they reached for the same item. Neither of them moved away quickly anymore.
That fact, somehow, felt louder than anything they had actually said.
Then it happened without warning.
The lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
The refrigerators gave a low, uncertain hum, like something waking up confused. Y/N paused mid-motion, a box cutter still in her hand.
Juhoon looked up.
"...Did you see that?"
Before she could answer, everything died.
The fluorescent lights shut off at once, plunging the store into a thick, unfamiliar dark.
The silence that followed wasn't the same kind they had grown used to.
This one had weight.
For a second, neither of them moved.
Only the emergency exit sign glowed faintly at the far end of the store, painting the aisles in a dim green haze that made everything look half real, half memory.
"...Well," Y/N's voice cut through the dark, steady as ever. "That's new."
Juhoon exhaled slowly.
"...Is this normal?"
"No."
A pause.
"But it's also not surprising."
He let out a quiet, slightly disbelieving laugh.
"That's not reassuring."
"It's not meant to be."
Somewhere in the dark, there was the soft sound of something shifting. Then a faint thud. Juhoon turned instinctively, but it was hard to tell where anything was anymore.
"...Y/N?"
"Still here."
Her voice was closer than before.
Too close, actually.
He took a careful step back and immediately bumped into a shelf. A few items rattled softly, threatening to fall.
"Ow."
"Careful," she said, closer again, and then there was a brief pause. "Don't move too much. You're terrible at navigating in daylight. This is worse."
"Hey."
A faint sound that might have been a laugh escaped her.
"Relax. I'm right here."
Another step, and suddenly they were close enough that he could make out her silhouette in the green glow. She had moved without announcing it, as if the dark didn't matter at all.
He blinked.
"...You're really calm about this."
"I've had practice," she replied.
"That sounds concerning."
"It should."
The silence settled again, softer this time. Less empty.
Juhoon shifted slightly, trying to orient himself, but ended up closer to her instead of farther away. Their shoulders almost touched.
He stopped.
So did she.
Neither moved away.
"...This is kind of awkward," he muttered.
"It's a convenience store blackout at two in the morning," she said. "If it wasn't awkward, I'd be worried."
That earned a quiet breath of laughter from him again, though it came out softer this time.
In the dim light, he could see her turning her head slightly toward him.
"You know," she said after a beat, "you talk like someone who's used to being around people."
He blinked.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
A pause.
"But not like someone who actually gets to choose who they're around."
That one landed differently.
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he leaned lightly against the shelf behind him, careful not to knock anything over this time.
"...I guess that's accurate."
Y/N hummed softly, like she was filing that away somewhere.
"What about you?" he asked after a moment.
A brief pause.
Then, "What about me?"
"You don't really talk like someone who hates people," he said. "Just someone who avoids them."
There was a short silence.
Not defensive. Just thoughtful.
"...Yeah," she admitted. "That sounds about right."
Juhoon tilted his head slightly, even though he could barely see her.
"Why?"
Another pause stretched between them, longer this time.
When she spoke again, her voice was quieter.
"I don't really like meeting new people."
"That's it?"
"It's easier," she said simply. "No expectations. No explanations. No... getting attached to things that leave."
The last part hung in the air a little longer than the rest.
Juhoon didn't interrupt it.
Instead, he shifted slightly closer without thinking about it, as if the darkness had quietly rearranged their distance.
"...Do you hate relationships too?" he asked carefully.
A soft exhale.
"No."
A beat.
"I just haven't had one in a long time."
"Why not?"
There was a faint rustle, like she leaned against a shelf.
"I don't really meet people I want to keep around," she said. "And when I do... I don't usually stay long enough for it to matter."
Juhoon stayed quiet for a moment.
Then, unexpectedly honest, he said, "Same."
That got her attention.
"You?"
He nodded, then remembered she probably couldn't see it.
"Yeah. I don't really meet people outside of work. Or schedules. And when I do... I'm usually too busy to actually stay."
A small pause.
Then Y/N let out something between a scoff and a laugh.
"...So what are you, a ghost with a calendar?"
"Something like that."
That made her laugh properly this time, brief but real.
In the dim green glow, the sound felt warmer than it should have.
After a moment, she spoke again.
"I don't have many friends either."
Juhoon turned his head slightly toward her voice.
"Yeah?"
"Not really. People don't stick around long when you don't exactly... try to keep them."
He nodded slowly.
"I have like four," he said.
That made her pause.
"That's oddly specific."
He shrugged, then realized she couldn't see that either.
"My group. We've been together a while."
A faint curiosity entered her voice.
"And that's it?"
"Pretty much," he admitted. "I talk to them most days. Outside of that... not much."
She hummed again.
"Sounds lonely."
He considered that.
Then answered honestly.
"It doesn't feel like it. Not usually."
A pause.
Then, quieter, "What about you?"
She leaned back slightly, and he could just make out the outline of her head turning toward him.
"...I think I forgot what it feels like to actually let someone stay," she said.
Juhoon didn't respond right away.
Not because he didn't know what to say.
But because for the first time that night, the silence between them didn't feel like emptiness.
It felt like something suspended.
Careful.
Fragile.
Real.
Somewhere deeper inside the store, a faint electrical click sounded.
Then another.
The lights flickered once more, weaker this time, as if the building itself was hesitating before deciding whether to come back to life.
Neither of them moved apart.
The flicker came like a hesitant breath.
Once.
Twice.
Then the fluorescent lights stuttered back to life, spilling over the aisles in a harsh white wash that made everything feel suddenly too real again. The shelves snapped back into full color. The humming refrigerators regained their steady, familiar rhythm.
And just like that, the moment dissolved.
Juhoon blinked against the brightness, instinctively stepping back from where he stood.
Y/N did the same, almost in sync.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
The store was the same store again. Clean lines. Bright light. Endless aisles pretending nothing strange had just happened.
But something between them didn't reset so easily.
Juhoon cleared his throat lightly, looking anywhere but directly at her.
"...Power must've just tripped."
"Yeah," Y/N said, already bending down to pick up the box cutter she had dropped. Her voice was normal again. Too normal, like she had tucked everything from the dark away into a drawer and closed it firmly. "Old wiring. Happens sometimes."
"Right."
He nodded once, as if that settled it.
It didn't.
They drifted back into movement without discussion. Familiar motions. Automatic now. Boxes opened. Shelves corrected. Items aligned with quiet precision.
But the rhythm had shifted.
Subtle. Invisible. The kind of change you only notice because something you can't name is missing.
Juhoon reached for a stack of drinks. His hand hesitated for half a second before placing them down more carefully than before. Y/N adjusted a display, then paused, watching him like she was recalibrating something in her mind.
Neither mentioned the blackout again.
Still...
Every so often, their movements would pause at the same time.
A shared silence that almost, but not quite, turned into something else.
Eventually, the work thinned out. The store looked too organized now, like it had been overcorrected into perfection. Even the chaos they had created earlier had been cleaned away.
Y/N leaned against the counter, exhaling slowly.
"That's probably enough pretending to be useful."
Juhoon set down the last empty box.
"I was starting to feel like a real employee."
"You lasted longer than most."
"I'll put that on my résumé."
"You shouldn't."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
The clock above the register ticked forward with cruel patience.
3:48 a.m.
Still dark outside. Still locked in. Still hours left before anyone would even notice anything was wrong.
But the energy had softened.
Not tired exactly.
Just quieter in a different way.
Juhoon leaned against the counter opposite her, glancing toward the shuttered entrance.
"...It feels different now."
Y/N tilted her head slightly.
"Because of the blackout?"
"Yeah. And... everything before that."
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she tapped her fingers once against the counter, thoughtful.
"...Weird things feel bigger when there's nothing else happening around them," she said.
He looked at her.
"You say that like you've experienced a lot of weird things."
"I work retail," she replied flatly.
That got a short laugh out of him again.
A pause stretched between them.
Then, unexpectedly, Juhoon spoke again.
"You were serious earlier, right?"
Y/N glanced up.
"About what?"
"Not really letting people stay."
Her fingers stopped tapping.
For a second, the store felt like it had leaned in closer.
"...Yeah," she said finally. "I don't really do... keeping people around."
Juhoon nodded slowly, like he was turning the idea over carefully instead of reacting to it.
"I think I get it," he said. "Not fully. But... I get the shape of it."
She gave him a sideways look.
"That sounds dangerously philosophical for a guy who got locked in a convenience store."
"I have range."
"Debatable."
He smiled.
Then, after a beat, he added,
"But I don't think it has to stay that way."
Y/N raised an eyebrow slightly.
"What, you're going to fix me in four hours?"
"I didn't say that."
"Good. Because that would be weird."
"I said I don't think it has to stay that way," he corrected, more quietly now.
She studied him for a moment.
Not suspicious. Not defensive.
Just... reading.
Then she shrugged.
"We'll see."
That was her version of agreement, apparently.
The silence that followed wasn't heavy anymore. It just existed, like a shared space they had learned how to stand inside without stepping on anything fragile.
Juhoon glanced toward the drink fridge, then back at her.
"What about you, then?"
Y/N frowned slightly.
"What about me?"
"You said you don't really meet people you want to keep around."
"Yeah."
He hesitated for half a second, then continued.
"And today?"
That made her pause.
Longer this time.
Her eyes drifted briefly toward the aisle they had been working in earlier, like she could still see the version of them that existed in the dark.
"...Today is an exception," she said.
Juhoon blinked.
"That sounds very official."
"It is."
"Does it come with paperwork?"
"It comes with poor life decisions."
He laughed softly.
Y/N pushed off the counter, stretching slightly.
"Don't overthink it."
"I'm not overthinking it."
"You are absolutely overthinking it."
He opened his mouth, then closed it again.
"...Maybe a little."
That earned her a faint, almost invisible smirk.
Outside, the sky hadn't changed much. Still black. Still holding the night in place like it didn't want to give it up yet.
Inside, the store felt warmer than it had any right to.
Not in temperature.
In presence.
Juhoon checked the clock again.
4:12 a.m.
Closer now.
Too close to morning to still feel like night, but too early for anything to make sense.
He pushed himself off the counter.
"So what happens when your coworker finally comes back?"
Y/N shrugged.
"I get yelled at."
"That's it?"
"I might also lose my dignity."
"You have dignity?"
"Minimal. But yes."
He smiled.
"Sounds like a fair trade for getting trapped with me."
She looked at him.
For a second, she didn't respond.
Then, lightly:
"I haven't decided if it was a fair trade yet."
He nodded solemnly.
"Let me know before I leave. I'd like to prepare emotionally."
"I'll send you a review later."
"Five stars?"
"Two. You stocked ramen incorrectly."
He gasped.
"That's biased."
"It's accurate."
And somehow, that was enough to bring the moment back to something lighter again.
They drifted apart slightly after that, but not far. Just enough to move without bumping into each other. Enough to pretend they weren't quietly adjusting to the fact that the night had changed shape around them.
But every so often, Juhoon would glance toward her when she wasn't looking.
And every so often, she would catch him.
Neither called it out.
Neither needed to.
Outside, the first hint of morning hadn't arrived yet.
But something inside the store already felt like it was on its way there.
Dawn arrived like it had been waiting outside the glass the whole time, pressing its pale forehead against the horizon until the night finally gave in.
The convenience store doors slid open with a soft chime that now felt almost unreal, like it belonged to another version of the world.
Juhoon stepped out first.
The air outside was colder than he remembered.
Behind him, Y/N gave a small wave without looking up from the last stack of boxes they had somehow finished organizing right before sunrise.
"Don't come back as a customer," she said.
He glanced back at her, still half-laughing from something she had said minutes ago.
"I'll try not to get trapped in retail again."
"No promises?"
"No promises."
That earned him a faint look that might've been amusement, or maybe just exhaustion disguised as it.
Then the shuttered store swallowed her again when she turned away, and the moment snapped shut behind them like a book closing too quickly.
Just minutes after, the hotel lobby was brighter than it had any right to be.
Juhoon barely made it past the entrance before his manager's voice cut through him like a spotlight.
"Do you know what time it is?"
Juhoon blinked.
He opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
Behind him, one of the staff members tried not to smile.
His manager continued anyway, arms already folded into full lecture mode.
"We were about to call security. Do you understand how irresponsible it is to leave without telling anyone? At this hour? In a foreign city?"
Juhoon rubbed the back of his neck, still slightly disoriented from fluorescent lights and ramen steam and... everything that had happened between them.
"I went for a walk."
"A walk."
"Yes."
"At one in the morning."
"...Yes."
That did it.
A second staff member made a noise that was suspiciously close to laughter.
His manager exhaled through their nose like they were rethinking every life decision that led them here.
"And where exactly did this walk take you?"
Juhoon hesitated.
A convenience store.
A locked convenience store.
A convenience store with a girl who treated chaos like a hobby and stocked ramen like it was a philosophical statement.
"I... got locked in somewhere."
Silence.
Then someone behind the counter coughed to hide a laugh.
His manager stared at him.
"You what."
"It wasn't on purpose."
That only made it worse.
By the time he finished explaining, badly, in fragments that somehow made the story sound even more unbelievable than it actually was, the lobby had fully given up pretending this was a normal situation.
"You were locked inside a convenience store."
"Yes."
"For hours."
"Yes."
"And you stocked shelves."
"...Yes."
There was a pause.
Then one of the staff members finally lost the fight and laughed openly.
"Oh my god."
Juhoon buried his face in his hands for half a second.
His manager pinched the bridge of their nose.
"I am not even going to ask."
From the side, someone muttered, "This is going to be a great story for the group chat."
Juhoon lifted his head immediately.
"No."
Too late.
It was already happening.
By morning, the story had been downgraded from "serious missing incident risk" to "idol accidentally becomes retail worker at 2 a.m."
Someone in the hotel definitely told someone else.
And by noon, Juhoon had received at least three variations of:
"Did you survive your part-time job arc?"
He did not dignify any of them with proper responses.
But every time his phone buzzed, he remembered fluorescent lights flickering back on, and a voice in the dark saying she had already tried breaking the door.
And somehow that made it worse.
Across the city, Y/N slept like someone who had negotiated peace with reality and won.
At least until noon.
The shouting started before she even fully opened her eyes.
"Y/N!"
Her sister's voice came from somewhere far too close.
Then louder.
"Y/N, wake up!"
A pillow hit her face.
She groaned, rolling over.
"What."
"You're going to want to see this."
"I don't."
"Yes you do."
A pause.
Something in her brain reluctantly decided that the volume level suggested emergency conditions, so she got up.
Bare feet on the floor. Half-awake irritation. Hair doing whatever it wanted.
She walked into her sister's room expecting something broken.
Or on fire.
Or both.
Instead, her sister was sitting cross-legged on the bed, holding something like it was sacred.
A photocard.
Y/N squinted.
"...Is that why you woke me up."
Her sister ignored the tone entirely.
"Look."
She held it up.
Y/N leaned closer out of reflex more than interest.
A boy.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
Her brain paused.
Then caught up.
That face.
The hoodie. The expression. The ridiculous timing of everything he said like he had never once been allowed to lose an argument in his life.
Juhoon.
Except... not Juhoon from last night in a locked convenience store.
Juhoon from somewhere else.
Cleaner. Printed. Official.
Her sister was practically vibrating.
"I got it in the new album!"
"...Album?"
"Yeah, from Cortis! I finally pulled him!"
Y/N stared.
The photocard stared back.
Her brain tried to reconcile convenience store ramen boy with glossy idol card boy and failed spectacularly.
Her sister tilted her head.
"What's wrong? You don't like him?"
Y/N blinked once.
Then her face reset into something dangerously neutral.
"No."
A beat.
She pointed at the card.
"He just looks... kind of dumb in that picture."
Her sister gasped.
"That's your bias talking!"
"I don't have a bias."
"You literally just judged his face."
"I'm observant."
Her sister narrowed her eyes.
Y/N took one last look at the photocard.
Same eyes.
Same mouth.
Same presence that had somehow turned a locked store into something that felt like it bent time around it.
Nothing about him matched the version she had known.
And that was exactly the problem.
She straightened up.
"Anyway."
She turned toward the door.
"Keep it."
"Wait, where are you going?"
"Coffee."
Her sister frowned.
"It's noon."
"Exactly."
And she walked out before any more questions could form.
Behind her, the photocard stayed on the bed.
Smiling in printed silence.
As if nothing at all unusual had ever happened.
And somewhere in another part of the city, Juhoon probably still wasn't going to hear the end of it.
ㅤㅤㅤ taglist. ͏͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏͏⸻ @i08mars @helimura @kuinas1glazer @feen4meee @httpsbarsbymars @mailovesreading (Ask to be added)
CRUEL SUMMER PT. 1 edwards martin j.
𓏸 𓈒 ﾞ 🫧 it’s a cruel summer with you . ♡ৎ(˶ ⍤ ˶)
⟡⠀⠀⠀ׅ⠀ 𝑖dol!𝑚artin 𝑥 𝑖dol!𝑟eader ❤︎ secret relationship 𓈒 love at first sight 𓈒 fluff 𓈒 summer romance 𓈒 angsty-ish 𓈒 h2h reader 𓈒 forced proximity
⬞ ׄ 𓋜 𝑐ruel 𝑠ummer 𝑏y 𝑡aylor 𝑠wift
personally, you thought it was a bad idea, nothing good comes out of male and female idols interactions other than dating rumors.
but hybe and sm decided to come together and put cortis and hearts2hearts on a vacation together thinking it’s a good idea.
i mean, it sounds like a good idea on paper.
a vacation to rome sounded great to all your members, probably even the members of cortis as well.
you didn’t want to be excited but you couldn’t help it, you just hoped at least one thing would go well.
“you didn’t forget your sunscreen, right?” carmen asks as you’re already in the car ride to your resort.
“yes and even if i didn’t, why are you barely asking?”
“to see if we’ll need to buy some once we get the chance,” she smiles and turns to look out the window.
as expected, the sky is all clear and sunny, sunlight reflecting off the sea water.
all your members except you, carmen, and yuha are asleep or quiet, it was a long plane ride after all.
it’s not much more time before you get to your resort and have to wake up your whining members.
the staff accompanying your group helps unload luggages and get you settled into your rooms.
“have any of you girls met any of the cortis members?” ian asks, looking up from her phone as you’re all sitting at the living room, relaxing.
“i met juhoon and keonho when we were special mcs at inkigayo last year!” jiwoo says, putting her phone on her lap.
“how are they?” juun asks, referring to their attitude off camera.
“they’re very nice, i imagine the other three are just as nice and likable,” jiwoo answers with a smile.
you all go back to your phones for a couple minutes before ye-on breaks the silence.
“when do we get to see them anyway? i heard staff saying they’re already here,” she points out.
you all shrug, no one knowing any plans moving forward.
a couple more minutes pass by when staff knock on your resort door so yuha gets up and opens the door for them.
they inform you guys to get ready to go meet with cortis.
you go to your rooms and get ready.
of course, you must unpack some things but it’s no big deal, you have good closets to put your clothes and belongings in.
after a bit, once you’re all ready, you all meet back in the living room where staff was waiting.
they lead you out to the pool area, they boys have not arrived yet.
the pool area is big with many chairs and tables lining the outside parts of the pool.
“and they say girls take longer to get ready,” a-na jokes, leaning over your shoulder.
“the rumors are fake,” you giggle before seeing the boys start to arrive.
you all introduce yourself but one particular member catches your eye.
you’ve seen all of them before, mostly on screen or in passing at award shows but now he just looks so… real.
you never imagined edwards would look this ethereal under the italy summer sunset.
it’s almost like it’s love at first sight.
it can’t be.
not because you don’t want to be in love, it’s the opposite.
you have always wanted to be in love with someone, to experience butterflies.
but you can’t be in love.
the company doesn’t want it.
hell, even fans don’t want to see their favorite idol be in love with someone.
he’s talking to smoothly and easily.
you always saw he was like this on camera and recordings.
his on camera and real personalities aren’t all that different, maybe it’s all the same.
you can’t pay attention to anything anyone is saying because you keep trying to distract yourself from staring at martin.
he has this sort of magnetic pull that’s undeniable.
you’re snapped out of your thoughts when staff start talking about plans for the vacation.
you only catch a little bit of the room plans.
one hearts2hearts member and one cortis member will share a room and the remaining four members will be put into pairs.
“and lastly, y/n and martin will be together,” is all you hear before your cheeks and hears heat up and hope no one notices.
after all that is done, both groups start talking amongst each other but stella leans in.
“why were you blushing when they mentioned you’d sleep with martin?” she asks, tilting her head.
“i don’t know,” you lie and shrug.
luckily, she leaves it alone for now but with a smile.
once the time hits 9:30 pm, staff starts telling you guys to go to your assigned rooms and you all do.
once you’re in your room, martin enters and closes the door.
“you don’t mind if i put my things in the closet as well, right?” he asks while opening his luggage.
“not at all, it’s our room after all and we’ll be here all summer!” you smile while putting shirts on hangers.
he nods and gives you a thumbs up.
you do your skincare and get into your pajamas and get under the most comfortable covers you’ve ever felt.
you didn’t think about it until now.
you have to share a bed.
you hope he doesn’t get all that close to you or you might go insane.
“by the way, i don’t stay still in my sleep,” martin warns you with a smile while coming back in the room from the bathroom.
this is going to be a long summer.
♡ ̲ׄ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ׄ⠀ ⠀choco’s notes : i had this great idea to make a series inspired by cruel summer by taylor swift so here we are! i just know i’m going to enjoy writing it and i hope you guys enjoy it as well!!
₊ ࣭ ۫ taglist ─── @rikkucito3o @wonheeloves @blossomxie @mikauraurr @cookyland @lovelyyari43 @anglheartz @cortisean @seonghwaswifeuuuu ( comment, dm, or send ask to be added to perm taglist!! )
music themed ﾟ ๑ . ♫ lace dividers
made by me / please credit when using
click keep reading 4 bigger ver.
⁎ . ⋆ ♪
YOUR CAMERA ROLL AS MARTIN EDWARDS GF 🎐!!!
—————PAIRING idol!Martin x f!reader—————
• CONTENTS: smau, fluff •
🎵- Now playing: loser - Tame Impala
————————— ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ✉︎ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ —————————
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————————— ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ✉︎ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ —————————
. ˚ .ㅤUntil Morning
ㅤㅤㅤ 𝖲𝖸𝖯. ͏͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏͏⸻ ͏ ͏͏ ͏͏ ͏ One night, Juhoon gets accidentally locked inside a 24-hour convenience store with a night-shift worker. With no way out and hours to wait, they pass the time talking, working, and sharing ramen, turning an awkward situation into something unexpectedly intimate.
⠀⠀𝗉𝖺𝗂𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀.⠀ㅤidol!Juhoon x fem!reader
a/n.⠀ㅤHeyy, first juhoon post!! English isn't my first language so sorry for any mistake
ॱ * ۪ ❤︎ᮬႚ . * ۪ ♡゚ * ۪ ♡゚ႚ ۪ * ۪ ❤︎ᮬႚ .
I. (chapter) ͏͏ ͏ ͏͏ one ͏͏ ͏: Before Sunrise
w.c. 2.7k
The city looked different after midnight.
Quieter.
Not asleep, exactly. Just... paused.
The usual rush of traffic had long faded into the occasional passing car, their headlights gliding across empty intersections before disappearing around another corner. Neon signs reflected off the damp pavement from a drizzle that had stopped hours ago, painting the streets in streaks of blue, red, and white.
Juhoon pulled the hood of his sweatshirt a little lower as he stepped out of the hotel.
He probably shouldn't have.
If his manager found out he'd wandered off alone at half past midnight, there would be another lecture waiting for him in the morning. Something about responsibility. Safety. Being recognizable.
But he couldn't sleep.
He had been lying in bed for nearly an hour, staring at the ceiling while everyone else in the room had drifted off without much effort. His body was exhausted after another day packed with rehearsals, interviews, and schedules, yet his mind refused to cooperate.
Sometimes it happened.
The louder his days became, the harder it was to appreciate the silence when it finally arrived.
Maybe a short walk would help.
Or at the very least, something to eat.
A convenience store stood just across the street from the hotel, its bright green, orange, and red sign cutting through the darkness like a small beacon.
Open 24 hours.
Perfect.
The automatic doors slid open with a familiar chime as he stepped inside.
Warm air wrapped around him almost instantly, carrying the scent of instant noodles, brewed coffee, and freshly stocked shelves.
The store was nearly empty.
An older employee stood behind the register, absentmindedly scrolling through something on her phone between customers. A few aisles over, another worker, considerably younger, was kneeling on the floor while organizing boxes of snacks onto the lower shelves.
She couldn't have been much older than eighteen.
She didn't look up.
Neither did he.
Juhoon wandered through the aisles at his own pace, grabbing a bottle of water first.
Then a canned coffee.
A bag of chips.
After hesitating for a few seconds in front of the instant noodles, he grabbed one of those too.
Healthy enough, he thought sarcastically.
By the time he reached the register, the older employee finally put her phone away and scanned everything with practiced speed.
"You can finish stocking the back shelves," she called toward the younger girl while placing the last item into a plastic bag. "I'll close up."
The girl didn't even look over.
"Okay."
Just one word.
Flat.
Tired.
Juhoon paid, thanked the cashier with a polite nod, then froze halfway to the exit.
Right.
The bathroom.
Might as well go before walking back to the hotel.
He set the bag down beside the sink a few minutes later, splashed some cold water across his face, and stared at his reflection for a second longer than necessary.
"...Maybe now I'll actually sleep."
Satisfied enough, he picked up the bag and pushed open the restroom door.
The convenience store was strangely quiet.
Quieter than before.
He frowned.
"...Hello?"
No answer.
Taking a few more steps, he headed toward the entrance and reached for the handle.
It didn't budge.
His brows knit together.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
Only then did he lift his gaze.
The metal security shutter had already been pulled all the way down, sealing the entrance shut.
For a few seconds, he simply stared.
"...You're kidding."
He gave the door another push, harder this time.
Nothing.
His heart skipped just enough to make him reach for his pocket.
His phone.
Two percent.
Come on...
He quickly opened Cortis' group chat.
Juhoon: Guys, I think I'm locked inside a convenien—
The screen went black.
"...No, no, no."
He pressed the power button.
Nothing.
Again.
Still nothing.
A long sigh escaped him as he lowered the now useless phone.
Perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
He was trapped inside a convenience store at nearly one in the morning, his phone was dead, and no one had any idea where he was.
For the first time that night, panic began to creep in.
Then a voice echoed from somewhere behind one of the aisles.
"If you're thinking about breaking the door..."
It was calm.
Almost bored.
"...it doesn't work."
Juhoon spun around.
The girl from earlier stepped into view, leaning casually against a stack of cardboard boxes with her arms crossed.
She looked at the locked entrance.
Then back at him.
"I already tried."
Juhoon blinked.
"...Wait."
His gaze shifted from the employee vest she was wearing to the locked shutter.
"You work here."
"Unfortunately."
"And... you're locked in too?"
"Last time I checked."
"There has to be another exit."
"There is."
Relief flashed across his face.
"...It's locked."
His shoulders dropped again.
"The back door only opens from the outside after closing," she explained. "Manager's policy."
"The keys?"
"My coworker took them."
"..."
"She also took whatever common sense she had left."
Juhoon let out an involuntary laugh.
Y/N glanced at him.
"Glad someone finds this entertaining."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. If I don't joke about it, I'll probably cry."
"...Fair."
He looked around the store once more, hoping he'd somehow missed something.
"What about calling your coworker?"
"I'd love to."
She spread her hands dramatically.
"Minor issue."
"...Which is?"
"I don't have her number memorized."
"You don't have your phone?"
She looked at him for a long second.
Then, completely deadpan, she asked,
"Do I look like someone who owns one?"
Juhoon frowned.
"...Maybe?"
She sighed through her nose.
"Do you seriously think if I had a phone, I'd be working the night shift at a convenience store at eighteen?"
"..."
"I would've called someone twenty minutes ago."
That shut him up.
"...Right."
"Exactly."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"And the store phone?"
"The phone is locked in the register cabinet."
"..."
"And guess who has the key."
"...Your coworker."
"Bingo."
Silence settled between them.
Juhoon stared at the shutter as if glaring hard enough would make it open.
Y/N tilted her head.
"You know..."
"What?"
"You're taking this surprisingly well."
"I'm pretty sure I'm not."
"You haven't tried throwing yourself against the door yet."
"...Should I?"
"I did."
"...Really?"
"No."
She paused.
"...But I would."
Juhoon blinked before laughing despite himself.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The laugh."
"What laugh?"
"The one people do when they realize they're completely screwed."
He shook his head, still smiling.
"You do this a lot?"
"What?"
"Make jokes while everything's falling apart." She shrugged.
"It saves time."
"Compared to?"
"Crying."
The silence returned.
Not awkward.
Just... there.
The steady hum of the refrigerators filled the store, accompanied by the occasional buzz of the fluorescent lights overhead.
Y/N let out a slow breath, glancing around the brightly lit aisles before rubbing the back of her neck.
"...Well."
Juhoon looked up from his lifeless phone.
"Well?"
She gestured vaguely around them.
"We've got about four hours to kill."
His shoulders slumped.
"...I was trying really hard not to think about that."
"I noticed."
Pushing herself off the stack of boxes, she walked behind the counter as if this were any other shift. After crouching for a moment, she pulled out a small plastic shopping basket and set it on top of the register with a soft thud.
"Might as well make ourselves useful."
Juhoon frowned.
"...Useful?"
Without answering immediately, she reached over to the instant noodle display beside her, grabbed two cups of ramen and casually tossed them into the basket.
"If I'm getting trapped in a convenience store," she said, grabbing another item, "I might as well get paid for the overtime."
He let out a quiet laugh.
"You still care about stocking shelves?"
"I absolutely don't."
She picked up a box of chocolate bars and balanced it against her hip before looking at the half-empty display.
"But if my manager walks in at five and finds this place looking like a tornado hit it..."
She glanced sideways at him.
"...Somehow it'll become my fault."
Juhoon's brows pulled together.
"...That's unfair."
Y/N stared at him for a second.
Then she gave a single nod.
"Congratulations."
He blinked.
"...For what?"
"You've just discovered minimum wage."
A laugh escaped him before he could stop it.
"...You're brutal."
"I'm employed."
She walked over, placed the basket against his chest and waited until he instinctively grabbed it.
"There."
He looked down at it.
"...What's this?"
"Your first assignment."
"I don't remember applying."
"You didn't."
He looked back up at her with the same puzzled expression.
"I'd like to resign."
She didn't miss a beat.
"Denied."
"...Immediately?"
"We're understaffed."
He sighed dramatically, adjusting the basket in his hands.
"Do I at least get an employee discount?"
She started walking toward the snack aisle.
"You get the privilege of not dying of boredom."
Juhoon followed a couple of steps behind, shaking his head.
"...That somehow sounds worse."
"It is."
For the first time since they'd met, the corner of her mouth twitched upward.
Barely noticeable.
But enough for him to catch it.
"Come on," she said, already reaching for another unopened box.
"Those chips aren't going to stock themselves."
Juhoon looked down at the basket in his hands before letting out a long sigh.
"...I can't believe I'm actually doing this."
"You've accepted your fate surprisingly fast."
"I don't think I have."
"You followed me."
"I figured arguing would somehow create even more work for me."
"It would've."
She pointed toward the shelves lined with instant noodles.
"Start there."
He stopped in front of the display, staring at the colorful cups stacked in uneven rows.
"...I've never stocked shelves before."
"I can tell."
"...Was it that obvious?"
"You picked them up backwards."
Juhoon glanced down at the ramen cup in his hand.
"...There's a right way to stock ramen?"
"There is if you don't want customers thinking spicy seafood magically turns into chicken."
"...That feels like their problem."
"It's mine when they complain."
"...Fair enough."
He turned the cup around with exaggerated care before placing it back on the shelf.
"Better?"
Y/N took one look.
"...Still crooked."
He stared at it.
"...You're kidding."
"I'm not."
He leaned closer, squinting at the shelf as if inspecting a priceless painting.
"...I genuinely can't tell."
"I know."
She reached past him without hesitation, nudging the cup less than an inch to the left.
"There."
Juhoon looked from the ramen to her.
"...You moved it like..."
He pinched his fingers together.
"...this much."
"Exactly."
"...You're insane."
"No."
She grabbed another box from the floor.
"I just work retail."
"...I think that's worse."
A snort escaped her before she could stop it.
She covered it with a cough almost immediately.
Juhoon noticed.
"...Was that a laugh?"
"It was allergies."
"Inside?"
"I'm allergic to incompetence."
"...Wow."
"I know."
He couldn't help smiling again.
For someone who claimed she joked to avoid crying.
She was actually pretty funny.
By the time they finished the snack aisle, the basket was nearly empty.
Juhoon stretched his arms above his head, his back giving a quiet pop.
"I think I've officially worked harder here than at any part-time job I've ever had."
Y/N glanced at him while flattening an empty cardboard box.
"You've had part-time jobs?"
"A couple."
"What?"
He shrugged.
"The usual."
"...That tells me absolutely nothing."
He thought for a second.
"A café once."
"You?"
"I lasted three weeks."
She looked genuinely surprised.
"You quit?"
"They fired me."
"...Seriously?"
"I kept giving people the wrong drinks."
A laugh escaped him.
"You don't look like someone who'd be bad at that."
"I wasn't."
She folded another box with unnecessary force.
"I was just sleep deprived."
"...That sounds more believable."
"It should."
She tossed the flattened box onto a pile near the storage door before dusting her hands together.
"Come on."
"Where now?"
"The important part."
She walked toward the instant food section without waiting to see if he followed.
"The important part?"
"Dinner."
Juhoon looked at the wall clock hanging above the register.
"It's one in the morning."
"So?"
"So... isn't it a little late for dinner?"
She stopped in front of the ramen display and looked at him as though he'd said something deeply offensive.
"...You came to a convenience store at midnight to buy ramen."
"..."
"...And you're judging my schedule?"
"...You have a point."
"I usually do."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Also, I don't exactly have enough money for anything fancier."
Y/N blinked, then let out a short laugh.
"Then you should've said that first."
"Would it have changed your answer?"
"No."
"Exactly."
She crouched down, opening one of the cabinet doors beneath the hot water dispenser.
"Pick one."
He scanned the colorful rows of instant noodles.
"There are way too many choices."
"Wrong."
She grabbed a black cup without hesitation.
"There are exactly two."
"...Two?"
She held up the cup.
"This."
Then she pointed at another.
"And disappointment."
Juhoon chuckled.
"You're weird."
"I work retail."
"I don't think that's an explanation anymore."
"It explains everything."
He crouched beside her, studying the shelves.
"So..."
He picked up one of the cups.
"Which one's actually good?"
Y/N glanced at it for less than a second.
"Put it back."
"...That bad?"
"I wouldn't feed that to my worst enemy."
"...Harsh."
"I'm saving your life."
He slowly returned it to the shelf.
"...Thanks, I guess."
"You're welcome."
She grabbed another cup and handed it to him.
"There."
He examined the packaging.
"You trust this one?"
"I've eaten it at least..." She paused to think.
"...Forty times."
Juhoon raised an eyebrow.
"...Forty?"
"Perks of employee discounts."
"That sounds less like a perk."
"It isn't."
For a brief second, they simply looked at each other.
Then, somehow...
They both laughed.
Not because anything particularly funny had happened.
It just came naturally.
Y/N stood up, brushing the dust from her jeans before walking over to the hot water dispenser.
"You know," she said, peeling back the lid of her ramen cup, "this is technically against store policy."
Juhoon followed her, doing the same with his own.
"...We're already locked inside."
"I know."
She shrugged.
"I just wanted you to understand we're committing multiple crimes tonight."
"...Eating instant ramen is a crime now?"
"No."
She poured hot water into her cup.
"Employee theft."
Juhoon froze.
"...What?"
She looked at him with a perfectly straight face.
"We're stealing these."
His eyes widened.
"I was going to pay."
"I know."
"..."
"I just wanted to see your face."
He stared at her for another second before letting out a breathy laugh.
"...You're actually evil."
"I prefer 'creative.'"
"You definitely enjoy stressing people out."
"Only strangers."
"And friends?"
"I annoy them for free."
He laughed again.
She noticed.
"You laugh a lot."
"I do not."
"You've laughed at least..." She pretended to count on her fingers.
"...Seven times."
"I have not."
"Eight."
"You're making those numbers up."
"Probably."
She carried both ramen cups over to the small seating area by the front windows.
The store looked strangely peaceful from there.
Outside, the streets were almost empty.
Only the occasional taxi rolled past, its headlights briefly washing over the metal shutter before disappearing into the night.
Y/N sat down first, pulling one leg underneath herself.
Juhoon took the chair across from her.
For a minute or two, neither of them spoke.
The only sounds were the faint buzz of the lights above them and the quiet hiss of steam escaping from the ramen cups.
"...This is weird," Juhoon admitted eventually.
Y/N rested her chin in her palm.
"The being trapped part?"
"The eating ramen with a complete stranger at one in the morning part."
She considered it.
"...Yeah."
A beat passed.
"But I've had worse Tuesdays."
Juhoon looked up.
"...It's Tuesday?"
She frowned.
"...Isn't it?"
"I don't know."
She blinked once.
"...Huh."
Another pause.
"I might actually be losing my mind."
"I think we've established that already."
She pointed at him with a pair of chopsticks.
"See?"
"There it is."
"What?"
"You're getting funnier."
She clicked her tongue.
"No."
"I'm adapting."
He smiled into his ramen before taking his first bite.
For reasons he couldn't quite explain...
It tasted better than convenience store ramen usually did.
ㅤㅤㅤ taglist. ͏͏ ͏ ͏͏ ͏͏⸻ @i08mars @helimura @kuinas1glazer @feen4meee @httpsbarsbymars @mailovesreading (Ask to be added)
CHOCO’S NAVIGATION i08mars fics
welcome to choco’s portals! where would you like to go?
— RULES AND BOUNDARIES
— CHOCO’S REQUESTS
— WORKSHOP MASTERLIST
| CORTIS WORKSHOP MASTERLIST
| LNGSHOT WORKSHOP MASTERLIST
| SANTOS BRAVOS WORKSHOP MASTERLIST (coming soon!)
| ILLIT WORKSHOP MASTERLIST (coming soon!)
— UPCOMING WORKS
| CORTIS UPCOMING WORKS
| LNGSHOT UPCOMING WORKS (coming soon!)
| SANTOS BRAVOS UPCOMING WORKS (coming soon!)
| ILLIT UPCOMING WORKS (coming soon!)
CHOCO’S REQUESTS i08mars fics
here is who i write for!
CORTIS : martin, james, juhoon, seonghyeon, keonho
LNGSHOT : ohyul, ryul, woojin, louis
SANTOS BRAVOS : drew, alejandro, gabi, kaue, kenneth
ILLIT : yunah, minju, moka, wonhee, iroha
for my rules and boundaries on requests, please view this!
INSTA STORIES W BF MARTIN
──── pairing idol!martin x f!reader
genre smau, fluff, martin posted on yns story as well
─────────────────────
please do not plagiarize or repost my work!
MY RULES & BOUNDARIES i08mars fics
currently writing : cortis, lngshot, santos bravos, and illit! i may add more groups in future and reqs are greatly appreciated!
will write : angst, fluff, “x oc”, “x fem!reader”, “x masc!reader”, romance, platonic, added member for any groups, whole new groups, suggestive / smut of any adult member, etc!
won’t write : illegal stuff like smut of anything containing an underage person (idol or reader), weird age gaps, crossover fics cause i genuinely do not know how to do that, etc!
choco’s notes : if you do request smut, do NOT req anything for 4/5 cortis members, 2/4 lngshot members, 1/5 santos bravos members, or 1/5 illit members! plus i haven’t written smut in years so it may be bad… i’d love reqs for anything previously stated! but pls plsss be specific in your reqs as i hate people being vague!
ib : @/vqnilfwn
