Sypnosis: what i think he would do to you when he's drunk.
Sannie's speaking: I was watching an ateez video when this idea popped into my head.
Word count: 260
Warnings: kiss scenes, other than that its fluff
Drunkboyfriend!san peppers you with kisses everywhere.
Drunkboyfriend!san clings onto you for life and only falls asleep when you do.
Drunkboyfriend!san comes home and drinks more but offers you a bit of the alcohol beverage because "he doesn't want his beautiful girlfriend to be drunk".
Drunkboyfriend!san sulks when you get made at him for drinking too much.
Drunkboyfriend!san hugs you from behind and gives you little kisses on your neck.
Drunkboyfriend!san pouts when you tell him no more alcohol for the night.
Drunkboyfriend!san buys you flowers because "he wants to give his girlfriend a gift".
Drunkboyfriend!san lays on your chest when he passes out.
Drunkboyfriend!san sighs loudly and when you ask him what it is he just stares at you like this 😐😐
Drunkboyfriend!san tells you that he's not a lightweight (he is) and goes into this big rant about it.
Drunkboyfriend!san hums songs to you off-pitch whilst he's half asleep.
Drunkboyfriend!san tells you how beautiful and pretty you are and goes on about it for 10 minutes.
Drunkboyfriend!san tells you about his plans for the future (it includes you)
Drunkboyfriend!san tells you how lucky he is that he met you.
Drunkboyfriend!san touches your hair non-stop.
Drunkboyfriend!san knocks over everything when stumbling into your guys' room.
Drunkboyfriend!san asks you for kisses and when you kiss him back he gets very happy.
Drunkboyfriend!san picks you up and plops you onto the bed and goes on top of you and just stays there.
Drunkboyfriend!san loves it when you run your fingers through his hair so he could fall asleep faster when hes drunk.
pairing; weak hero class boys (individually) x fem!reader
Sypnosis; Someone interrupted your guys' moment, and things became super awkward...
Yeosang's speaking; i like this idea.
word count; 2,981
warnings; making out, getting caught, smut (but not that explicit).
includes; yeon sieun, ahn suho, oh beomseok, go hyuntak, park humin, seo juntae, kang wooyoung, geum seongje, na baekjin.
listening to; (when you gonna) give it up to me by Sean Paul and Keyshia Cole ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ
YEON SIEUN ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ
You both were in the classroom, everyone left and it was only you two in the room as sieun was assigned to tutor you - little did anyone know, you and sieun were secretly dating and only a few actually knew you two were a thing.
You were teasing sieun, pretending that you didn't know anything when you felt his hand land on your thigh, "You think this is funny?" he asks, leaning closer towards you. "What are you doing?" You ask, looking like a deer in headlights.
"Teaching you a lesson," He replied, his hands sliding closer and closer to your upper thigh. You didn't stop it, you liked it when sieun became bold, if anything you smirked before landing your lips onto his.
He instinctively grabs onto your waist, pulling you closer to him, you could feel his heat radiating on you. You guys switched positions, you were now on the desk as sieun was standing in front of you.
His tongue entered your mouth, exploring every inch of your mouth with precision as you felt his cold fingertips go under your shirt and grazing your spine.You break the kiss, your chest rising up and down, your lips red and swollen as you felt his hands pulling out under your crisp white blouse, and now unbuttoning your shirt with shaking hands.
He unbuttoned every button, and the cold air slapped your skin as your white lacy bra is on show for him. He immediately started nipping on your chest, leaving pale red marks all over when the door flings open, and there was baku, gotak, and juntae standing at the door.
"Hey guys did you finish- OH MY GOD!" Baku exclaimed, covering his eyes with his hands dramatically, "Couldn't you guys do that somewhere else?!"
Sieun immediately covered you with his grey jacket, "Leave," He ordered to the guys. "What do you want to finish that or..?" Gotak spoke, a teasing tone to his voice, "I mean we get you have a girlfriend before us but you don't have to do that in a classroom..."
AHN SUHO ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ
You and suho were working together at his grandmas shop, you were giving out the food to the people whilst suho helped, both of you looking like an obvious couple when you both were finally on break.
You sat down in the staff room, your body practically collapsing on the couch as suho sat beside you, resting his arm on your shoulder. Suho was acting more clingy than usual, bringing you water and snacks, and giving you puppy eyes. "...So whats my prize," he asks, his smile reaching his eyes.
"What do you mean?" you ask, looking clueless even though you're thinking of every scenario possible. "You know what i mean," his innocent smile turning into a smirk as he starts climbing on top of you. His lips landed on yours - softly at first - but then it started becoming rougher.
You moan into the kiss, your hands grabbing onto his shirt, tugging at it to signal suho to take it off, and as you wished, he breaks the kiss and takes it off revealing his chest. You had a weird obsession with his chest, you don't know why you do, but you just do and suho doesn't mind at all.
He doesn't wait another second and dives in again, his lips getting covered in your strawberry flavoured lipgloss as his hands go under your shirt, feeling your bra and cupping one of the cups in his hands when the door opens, "Suho-ah,!" His grandma calls out, looking up and seeing the position he was stuck in, "Nevermind..." She mumbled.
Suho felt pretty embaressed as his cheeks went all red, his grandma walked out of the staff room, suhos phone pinged on the table as the messaged read;
Grandma❤️: Suho you could've told me you wanted to have some alone time with your girlfriend, i could've let you have a day off.
Grandma❤️: either way, please don't do that in the staff room, theres cameras in there...
OH BEOMSEOK ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ
You and him were in his bedroom - you've climbed the window to get here because of how strict his dad is. Beomseok was scrolling through social media, completely engaged with his phone.
You felt really needy that day and wanted his attention, so you took the phone out of his hands, "You won't be needing that." You replied, a cheeky grin on your lips.
And before beomseok could respond, you pressed your lips onto him, being in complete control as you straddled him. His hands roamed all around your body gently before he bunched up your skirt to your waist.
You felt your thighs being exposed to the cool air before beomseoks' hands were on your thighs, caressing them gently as you tried being gentle. You pulled away, beomseoks glasses having an imprint on your cheeks as you removed his polo.
Just as you pressed another kiss on him, then on his jawline, all the way down while the palm of your hands were exploring his chest when suho and sieun walked in, "Hey, I hope you didnt mind if we come here..." suho replied, his voice getting smaller with each word as sieun stood there, his face showing an unreadable expression.
Beomseok quickly straightened your skirt, as he told them he would be out in a second. Once they left, you whispered, "Dont forget to lock the door next time I visit..." You wink, going back through the window.
GO HYUNTAK ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ
You were in the basketball room, waiting for the boys to finish basketball as you looked at the picture of gotak and the rest of the team celebrating their win against another school when gotak walks in, his damp hair from training sticking onto his forehead as he sits down on the couch.
"You ok?" You ask placing the picture frame back where it was. "Mhm, just need you." He replied, his hands finding finding your waist as he pulled himself closer to you.
"Gotak... the boys can come in here any moment," You told him, your hands instinctively finding his hair. "They're packing up so we can have some time to ourselves." He looks up at you a smirk on his lips as he inched closer towards your face.
"That doesn't mean we can do- you know..." You blurt out, your cheeks becoming red. "Do what?" He asks, his leg entering in between yours. He lips pressed onto yours, experimenting your reaction but as soon as you kiss him back he doesn't stop.
His tongue enters your mouth, colliding with your tongue as your nails dug into his shirt. Your hands went under his shirt, exploring every inch of his chest and stomach, receiving a groan from him. He reaches his hand to tangle in your hair when the door opens and juntae walks in.
"Hey, gotak i just came to bring you your water- oh..." Juntaes cheeks flushed a bright red as he saw the position that you and gotak were in. "O-oh my- Juntae, PLEASE get out." Gotak blurted out.
Before juntae could respond the 2 others walked in, seeing everything unravel, "Thats why you were so eager to finish practise..." Sieun muttered, looking at where your hands were "We should just leave..." Juntae and baku agreed
When they left and you guys straightened your clothes, heading out behind them, baku couldn't stop teasing gotak about the moment.
PARK HUMIN ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ
You were in the storage room, looking for a volleyball so you could practise a bit before your teammates come for practise when you heard the door creaks open. "I missed you." A voice said. You already knew it was baku, you would remember that voice forever. "Baku what do you want."
"Can i not go and hug my favourite person?" he asked teasingly, walking up to you and hugging you from behind. "I have practise, you can hug me later." You reply, finally finding a good volleyball. Baku wasn't letting you go and instead turned you over and kissed you.
You immediately melted into the kiss and wrapped your hands and tracing slow circles on his neck as he lifted you up with ease and placed you on top of the volleyballs. You break the kiss and placed your forehead onto his, "So thats how we're playing?" you smirk, kissing him again, wrapping your legs around his waist.
Baku takes the initiative to slide his big hands under your volleyball uniform the number 18 on your jersey getting scrunched as he removed it from you. He immediately starts kissing behind your ear and going down to your chest. Your hand pushes his head further into your chest.
Just as baku was about to unclip your bra, your coach walks in, "Hey y/n did you get the volleyball..?" You saw your coaches face turn red with anger, "Y/N AND BAKU WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Baku smiled, "Oh i was helping her get a volleyball!" Your coach looks you up and down, and then looks at bakus innocent smile on his lips, "Yeah right 'finding a volleyball' while y/n has no shirt on and your standing in front of her."
Your coach puts on a disappointed look "Just- give me the volleyball." She ordered. Baku passes the volleyball to her as she walks out muttering something along the lines on "Kids these days..."
SEO JUNTAE ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ
You and juntae were at his house, watching something on his tv in the living room whilst his parents were away when a kissing scene pops up. You turn to look at juntae, a smirk on your lips as you see him looking away, his ears bright red.
You inch closer towards him, your hand landing on his thigh, "Are you seriously getting embarrassed from this?" You ask teasingly. "No- why would I?" He asked, the redness creeping up from his ears to his neck, and then to his face.
"Do you want me to show you the 'in real like experience?'" You ask, patiently waiting for his consent. Juntae looks at your eyes, and then your lips and then at your eyes, "I would love that..." He whispered.
You didn't even wait until you kissed him - slowly at first, testing how he reacted, but when he kissed you back, you tangled your hands into his hair and tilted your head slightly.
His hands were awkwardly placed on your hips as he broke the kiss, removing his glasses and putting them aside on the table, and when he was leaning in again, his mother walked in, carrying a few bags. Juntae quickly put his glasses on and facing the TV like nothing happened.
His mom walked in, seeing you guys watching a film - she thought nothing of it at first but when she saw your red and swollen lips she already knew what happened, but she kept it secret because she didnt want things to become awkward between you and her.
KANG WOOYOUNG ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ
You were on your phone, scrolling through tiktok as wooyoung was training for his upcoming match in a few days. You being bored, you decided to go with him to the gym for moral support.You didn't even realise that wooyoung was standing in front of you before he snatched your phone off you, "You can have a better view if you look up." he dangled your phone on the air.
"Give it back!" you protested, trying to get your phone back. "Hmm, how about no?" He teased, "Like i said, you could have a better view if you looked up from that screen."
You smirked your finger landing on his chest, "Yeah, i agree. This view is much better," you go on your tip toes, whispering in his ear, "Wanna show me what the better view can do?" Wooyoung was already pinning you to the wall as his lips met yours roughly. He bit your bottom lip, letting out a gasp from you as he entered tongue in your mouth.
You felt your knees becoming weak and wooyoung could also sense it, he picked you up with ease, throwing you on the boxing ring as he went on top of you. He took off his grey jumper, and then taking off his white shirt underneath, revealing his chest that was covered in sweat from hours of training.
He smirked as he leaning in, his teeth grazing yours as you unzipped your black hoodie, revealing your white compression shirt underneath. Wooyoung didn't waste any second and letting his hand go under your shirt as he started kissing your neck. He groaned and you could feel the vibration on your neck, "Gosh you smell so good." you could feeling the smirk on your neck as he started nipping on your neck.
Your hip buckled and your hands went flying to his back when yeongbin walked in with a couple of other people, "Hey wooyoung, how do you feel about-" He froze, and then grinned, "Looks like you're having a fun time."
Wooyoung scoffed, "Of course i am, i'm with my girl if you can't see that? Now leave, we were having out moment." Yeongbin put his arms up in a way that he's surrendered, "Ok, fine, ill leave, you two finish your moment and then ill tell wooyoung what i was originally going to say." Yeongbin, walked off, leaving you red from embarrassment and wooyoung teasing you about it.
GEUM SEONGJE ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ
You and seongje were in a club as usual, sitting in a vip section as you both celebrated your birthday when the song 'Birthday sex' started playing. You didn't mind it since it was one of your favourite songs. You took a sip of the alcohol when seongje took the glass of vodka out of your hand, "We should do what the song says," Seongje smirks, his hand tracing slow circles on your inner thigh.
"Seongje, we're at a club..." You breathed, grabbing his wrist. "So what? A lot of people do this here." He leaned in closer and you could smell the cigarette laced with a hint of whiskey on his breath, "So... why don't we do it? We're all alone here anyways and the door is closed."
Your breath hitched, as your grip loosened from his wrist, seongje took this as an opportunity to slid his hand to your waist, bringing you onto his lap. You grab onto his shoulder instinctively, your eyes darting to his lips as he kissed you unexpectedly, teeth clashing and saliva dripping from the corners of your mouth.
One of your hands flew to the side of his neck, tracing circles as his hands were on your hips. You broke the kiss, removing his glasses on throwing them beside you as you went back in, your hands now going under his shirt. Seongje groaned, allowing you to enter your tongue in his mouth, not letting an inch get unexplored.
Just when things were getting heated, dongha - one of his friends - walks in, "Hey seongje we have a potential new-" dongha cut himself off as he sees everything thats going on. "Leave. Can't you see that i'm doing something important?" Seongje looked at dongha with an expression that read 'leave me alone'. Dongha understood what seongje was trying to say and left quickly.
"Now where were we..." Seongje grinned before putting his hands under the skirt your wearing.
NA BAEKJIN ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ
You and baekjin were talking about union stuff in the office. You were sitting on the couch whilst baekjin was sitting beside you, looking at numbers whilst speaking to you, "How can you stare at numbers all day, i can't even look at numbers for 5 minutes before my head hurts." you ask, inching closer to him.
"Because i actually have a good attention span." Baekjin replied, looking up from his paper and locking eyes with you, "You know, I always wonder if smart people have a good attention span on other things." you put your hand on his thigh.
Baekjin looks at you, a cold calculated look on his face as if hes figuring out what you're trying to say, "Want to find out?" He asks. Surprised by how hes reacting, you agreed, and now he's on top of you, his slicked back hair slightly disheveled as his lips met yours.
He kissed you like he was experimenting on something, and when you tilted your head more and having your fingers in his hair made his gentle manner change into a hungry one. He broke the kiss and took your shirt off in one swift motion. He looked you up and down, seeing your simple black bra and your low rise flared jeans made him smile slightly "God, you're perfect." He whispered.
You smirk and wrap your hands around his neck, "Come on pretty boy, show me what else smart boys can do," You tease, bringing his face closer to yours. Baekjin didn't even say anything before kissing you again, his hand roamed all around your body body before he touched your waist and your hips jerked.
Baekjin took his jacket off, tossing it to the side while still kissing you when the door opened. Seongje walked in with a guy behind him, "We have a little traitor here-" Seongje paused, a smirk growning on his lips. "No wonder you've been favouriting her," Seongje teased.You growing shy, hid your face in embarrassment, and baekjin saw it,
"Leave and knock like a normal person." Baekjin ordered. Seongje spoke but then gets cut off by baekjin, "Are you too scared of people finding out about your-" "Leave. Now." Baekjin ordered again, and this time seongje did, and knocked before going inside the office.
Summary; It's valentines Day, and your boyfriend buys you too many plushies.
Yeosang's speaking; I had like 2 gotak fanfic drafts, but both were so ass so im making a oneshot now!
Genre; Romance, fluff
Word count; 485
You woke up on the 14th of February, hoping you could just cuddle up with your boyfriend for the whole day whilst others celebrated with fancy dinners. But for you, you would rather just be with the person u love the most.
So when you didn't see gotak beside your bed, you felt really upset. Either way, you picked up your phone and checked your messages;
Gotak❤️: I'm working late today
Gotak❤️: I'm sorry, love, I'll make it up to you
You became even more sadder as you stood up and made your way to the bathroom, brushing your teeth while you looked at yourself in the mirror, it wasnt the happy version where gotak would be behind you, hugging your waist and never letting go but it was the version where gotak was no where to be seen and it was only you with sadness in your eyes.
You got ready for the day, picking out sweatpants that you own and one of gotaks hoodies that were thrown on the floor. You made some breakfast for yourself and sat down on the couch, watching this documentary that you got hooked on.
Whilst watching, you heard someone knocking on the door. You paused the documentary and shuffled your way to the door, checking the peephole and saw gotak standing there, his hands full with multiple bags.
You opened the door, your face immediately lighting up when you saw the little cheeky grin he had. You immediately wrap your arms around him as he tries to hug you back. "Let's go inside, ok?"
"Ok!" You smile, helping him inside as he dropped the bags in the floor, letting out a loud sigh.
"What are these..?" You ask curiously, your fingers pointing to the bags on the floor.
"Oh, there for you!" He said, pulling you into a hug, "Happy valentines Day, babe."
"Awh, thank you!" You replied, hugging him back, "but what's in the bags?"
"Why dont you check for yourself," he hands one bag to you, a big red box with the words 'KENJI' written on it. You open the bag and see a plushie you've been telling gotak about for the past couple of weeks.
Your face lights up like a kid on Christmas, pulling out the plushie and hugging it tightly, "Oh my gosh! I've been wanting this for weeks now!" You squealed.
You opened each and every bag, seeing different plushies that you wanted each time. The first one was a bunny holding a strawberry, the second one was a big bear holding honey in his hands, the third one was a purple cat, the cats eyes closed shut and had little hearts on its butt, it was the one you've been obsessing for a week now.
You and gotak were now cuddled on the couch, the plushies everywhere as you watch a movie together as it slowly turns darker each hour.
Pairing; geum seongje x fem!reader (ft. Boyfriend!sieun)
In which seongje is now in charge of the union, having you as his right hand when you decide to quit all of a sudden. He warns you, but you didn't take it seriously, and now you're never alone.
Trope; strangers to friends
Yeosang's speaking; I wanted to make a non romance fanfic and I thought seongje would be a good example.
Genre; thriller, violence, action, romance
Word count; 2,308
Warnings; stalking, illegal crimes, murder, description of blood, mentions of blood, mentions of knives, fighting, swearing, miscommunication, threats, blackmail, arguments, stabbing, kiss scenes.
Pt.1 , Pt.2
You're just walking back from a brutal fight, your ribs ached, your jaw was swollen, your knuckles throbbed in brutal waves. You reached the union, blood soaking through your shirt as you walked into seongjes office, seeing him beating up someone.
You saw how the poor guys nose had blood spraying everywhere until he was knocked out. "Hey y/n." Seongje casually called out, wiping the blood off his hands.
"Here," you shoved the bag into his hands, hoping you could just walk away and have some time alone but seongje had something else in mind.
"Hey- hey- don't want away" he slammed the money onto the desk, "How did you get this money? I only asked you to get 500,000 from them?"
You turned to look at him the blood trailing from your arm all the way to your hand was now dripping on the floor, "They didn't listen, but fuck- i didn't expect them to have backup."
"That didn't answer my question y/n." seongje walked towards the couch, "now tell me how to fuck did you get 1 million won."
"Once they were all on the ground i just picked up the bag and went, i never really checked how much there was inside." you lazily replied, the blood becoming more noticeable on your white blouse.
"Gosh, y/n, you think i won't notice how you look right now?" seongje sneered, getting up from the couch and heading towards you. "Your jaw, the way you're standing, the blood on that blouse, the blood on the floor right beside you. Did you think im too dumb to realise?"
"No..." you whispered, "Just didn't want to cause any scene."
"Oh y/n, you should know i like scenes. I thrive off them." he leans in closer to your ear, he breath warn against your injured jaw, "Do you want me to check your cuts out? I wouldn't mind."
You could sense that disgusting perverted smile he has before pushing him away, causing him to stumble back slightly, "I can do it myself." you said flatly.
You walk to the first aid kit, open it with shaking hands, and tearing open the alcohol wipes. You pressed the alcohol wipe on your knuckles, the stinging pain bringing you to tears.
Seongje watches how your jaw clenched from the pain, his eyes dragging towards the wounds on your stomach and back. He watches how the dark red blood seeps on your white blouse all the way down to your black shorts.
You finally cleaned the wounds on your arms, already taking off the blouse that was mixed with your blood and sweat. The cool air immediately hit your skin as you felt seongjes eyes dart to the scars you got from fighting, some were healed and some weren't.
You didn't really care at this point. Everything was aching. You just wanted these wounds to stop bleeding and maybe even just relax - even for just a few minutes. There was a big wound on your back, and you couldn't reach it. You didn't want seongje to help you, but he was the only one here if you excluded the guy that was still passed out on the floor. "Help me clean this wound." You sigh, already regretting the sentence.
"Whats the magic word?" Seongje taunted, his footsteps reaching closer towards you. You felt his fingers graze your waist, "I won't do anything until you say it."
"Please..." You mumble out, grabbing one of his hands, "I asked for you to clean my wounds, not to do anything else to me."
"A lot of girls ask me to do this, and you're rejecting this? You're so brave." He picks up an alcohol wipe, pressing down relatively hard to try and spark a reaction from you.
Your hands curl into fists as you try not to give him the satisfaction he wants as he presses deeper into the wound, "shit- y/n- what the fuck did they do to you? This wound keeps bleeding."
"they tried to use weapons on me." You replied, you felt yourself getting a headache, and you could still feel seongjes arm pressing hard against the wound.
Seongje didn't answer. He just kept on cleaning the wound until it finally stopped bleeding and covered it with gauze. He looked at you, the scars from training, your skin was rough and irritated. He then realised something, he was supposed to go to the club tomorrow to meet up with a few new candidates. He needed someone there to be his "bodyguard."
"Dont go to school tomorrow, I have a task for you." Seongje announced, "it's an important one, so come earlier than usual."
"Mhm." You hummed out, grabbing the blouse you were wearing and buttoning it up already heading outside the door to go to the gym.
You loved going to the gym. It was the only place where you could relax. Once you were inside the empty gym, you stripped your school uniform off and wore a simple black sports bra and some leggings.
You began training, your body covered with sweat until you felt like you were going to pass out. You collapsed on the floor, chest heaving.
After being in that position for God knows how long you finally stand up, legs slightly shaking, your body sticky from the sweat. You walk home, your apartment door shuts behind you, seeing your boyfriend, sieun, making dinner for the both of you.
He knows about how you make money, and he doesn't like the idea, but it's either that or you guys are begging on the streets. "You're home earlier," he says, stirring the soup.
"Yeah, I need you to help me with something." You reply, dropping your bag on the floor with a heavy thump.
"What is it?" He looks up at you with that cold and calculated look.
"There's this wound that needs cleaning. It's really deep." You walk over to him, pouring yourself a glass of water, and he sees the wound on your lower back.
It was already starting to get infected, and he could see the bruises forming beside the wound. He walks up to you, grazing the wound slightly.
He stayed silent, watching when your body went rigid when he touched the wound slightly. It was too quiet. After what felt like hours, sieun finally spoke, "please," his voice trembled. "Leave the union."
You turned around, seeing tears falling down sieuns cheeks as his expression softened into guilt that was mixed with regret. You saw how his head bowed down at the sight of the bruises and cuts you had.
"..fine," you whisper, the glass of water forgotten on the counter as you wiped the tears off sieuns cheeks, "just dont cry like this anymore." You pressed a gentle kiss on his forehead, and then wrapping your arms around him.
He wasn't fond of physical touch, and you knew it, but when it came to you, he craved it. You stood in that position until the food became cold.
You finally let go and sieun cleaned your wounds like you asked him too. Your guys' bedroom is quiet except for the occasional hissing sounds and the opening of the alcohol wipes.
Once you got cleaned up, sieun lay in the bed with you, his fingers doing slow circled on your stomach as his head nuzzled in the crook of your neck.
You soon drifted off to sleep, and he still didn't let go. Night turned into day, and your alarm woke you up. You saw that sieuns arms were still wrapped around you, you gently removed his arms from your waist as you got ready to wear anything you could find.
You decided to wear a black skirt with some safety shorts underneath with a white blouse as your top. Before heading, you pressed a gentle kiss on your boyfriend's forehead before leaving.
You walked to the union, your steps precise as you stepped into the office, already seeing seongje sitting at the desk. "You're finally here." He smirked. "Why dont we get going then?"
You walked beside him, his tall figure easily overpowering yours when you finally see the location. It was an illegal fighting ring, seongje sometimes goes to a few to recruit new union members or to do deals. As he walks to a vip room, people immediately move away like he has an infectious disease.
He sits down comfortably at his booth as you stand beside him, your posture straight as guys immediately start walking over to him.
Most people know you as 'seongjes right hand' which you didn't mind because at least people won't talk to you. When during a fight, a guy you recognized as someone leading another gang in this area walks up to you. At first, you thought he was going up to seongje, but he stopped right infront of you.
"Wanna grab a drink together?" He asks, grinning eagerly at you.
"I have a boyfriend." You reply, voice monotone when the vip room hushed like they wanted to see what was happening.
"Boyfriend ey?" He scoffs. "I can be a better boyfriend,"
"No, you wouldn't." You step back a bit, your hands already clenching into fists.
"I wouldn't? Well, you'll see how amazing of a boyfriend i would be if you joined my gang instead." He passes you a business card with his gangs information on it and walks off.
"Who's the lucky man y/n?" Seongje turns to look at you, a smirk appearing on his lips.
"Someone i knew since middle school." You lazily reply, your perfect posture still there.
"I'll figure out soon, so there's no need to hide anything from me." He picked up a bottle of whiskey, pouring it into a glass and swirling it around.
Your jaw clenchs as you watch more and more desperate teenagers trying to join the union. A few were successful, and some were not so fortunate. When another person goes up to him, but this person feels off.
He was wearing all black, you could barely see his face except for some hair peeking out and looked way too old to be a teenager. You were already looking at the way he was trying to bribe seongje, which didn't work.
After multiple rejections, the guy suddenly pulls out a knife, and your instinct kicked in. You kick the guy onto the ground, a grunt escaping his lips as you pinned him onto the ground, your hand tightening on his neck.
You thought he would stop - most of them do - but he grabs the scattered knife from the ground and stabs your arm with it. Your hand loosens on the man's neck as the knife is still stuck in you.
He pulls it out, and blood immediately sprays everywhere. You instinctively grab your arm where the wound it, and your body feels numb. Girls beside the guys and seongje immediately gasp, frightened by the blood on scene as the guy ran away.
You were still on the floor, your body still as people ran towards you. You didn't react to anything they were telling you to do, and you stood up and walked out.
Seongje, though, was enjoying the chaos, and he decided to follow you. He saw the way you stumbled out as blood sprays in the floor.
You stumbled into the hospital, and doctors and nurses were already by your side. You went under immediate surgery as seongje waited in those uncomfortable hospital chairs as he saw a distressed person running in. He recognized the person as the person who stabbed his foot.
He remembers the name like it was engraved in his mind, yeon sieun. The guy that made him look like a fool, the guy he had to get a tetanus shot from. He follows him, already getting curious as he walks into a room.
Seongje doesn't go into the room. He waits outside, peeking through he slim glass, and sees sieun holding your hand as you were still asleep from the surgery.
He grinned like he had just found out something important and took a picture before walking off.
You stayed in the hospital for a few days, and the wound slowly healing as sieun was beside you throughout all of this. He practically lived with you in this hospital room until you could go home again.
"Please leave the union," he begged again. He was sitting on the hospital bed with you, his hand rubbing slow figure eights on your hand.
"I was going to do that, but this happened," your voice was raspy, head resting on his shoulder.
"I dont want to lose you," he continues "ill get multiple jobs if I have to. Just please leave the union."
"Neither do I. As soon as I get discharged, I'm leaving the union." You reassured him.
After finally getting discharged, you immediately went to seongjes contact.
You: I'm leaving the union, dont text me, dont call me, dont talk to me, if you have a problem suck it up.
You press send and walk home with sieun, your hands intertwined as you enter the apartment. You get a notification and suspect that it's from seongje.
Boss: [inserts a picture of sieun beside you in the hospital]
Boss: ok, but I hope you dont forget that I'll have my eyes on you and your boyfriend.
Your hands grip the phone so tightly that you thought you were going to break the phone. All you could think about is seongjes stupidly annoying grin after he sent this imagine, probably having his hand on another girl right now, drinking and smoking.
And you were right. He was smoking and drinking while a girl was straddling his lap. The smell of weed filled the room as he was smirking at what he just sent you.
Yeosang's speaking #2: I hope I did the link correctly because if not, I'm acc like gonna cry, we'll I hope you enjoy ill post part 2 soon.
in which you and your boyfriend go out to have some ice cream, enjoying the day in Paris.
yeosang's speaking; this is genuinely such a cute idea that pooped in my head whilst looking at my profile. also this is my first time making a divider all myself hehe
genre; romance
word count; 564
warnings; purely fluff
The warm air tickles your neck as you and your boyfriend yeosang walk down the streets in Paris your hands intertwined with one another. Your wearing a beautiful white sundress with little strawberries dotted around. Yeosang is wearing a white tank top with some blue jeans.
You felt like you were going to die in the heat when you spotted an ice cream shop right around the corner and you felt your mouth water up instantly.
"Yeosang, baby." you said, your voice raspy from being out all day in the sun.
Yeosang perked up when he heard you calling him baby, "yeah," he replied, slightly going closer to you.
"Wanna go get ice cream?" you asked pointing to the ice cream shop thats on the other side of the street, "theres one right there."
To be honest, yeosang was craving ice cream since yesterday and now he finally had the reason to go there, "Whatever you want babe!" he smiled, his dimples on full show.
As you happily skip across the street, heading inside the ice cream shop the cold air instantly hit you. The shop smelled of cream and fresh fruits as you and yeosang waited patiently in the line. You looked at all of the ice cream flavours; blue banana, strawberry and cream, chocolate chip cookie, you couldn't help but drool slightly.
Once it was finally your turn to order, yeosang turns to look at you "What flavour do you want?" he asks, a bright smile spread across his face.
"hmm," you look at the ice cream flavours in front of you, "how about strawberry and cream?"
"of course." he grabs your hand a bit more tighter and slightly swayed your guys' hands like they were swings, "can we have 1 large strawberry and cream please?"
You look at yeosang with a confused look "why didn't you buy one?" you ask, your eyebrows furrowing slightly.
"We can share!" he suggests giving his card to the cashier.
"You're so cute sometimes that it pains me." you tease, hugging his arm and waiting for the ice cream.
After having the ice cream and heading out of the shop, the heat immediately slapping your whole body. You drag yeosang to a nearby park, sitting down on one of those uncomfortable metal benches, enjoying the ice cream that was slowly melting in the paper cup.
You look around the park; kids running around as their mothers sit down on the vibrant green grass, the slides and swings being occupied by the older kids.
You take a scoop of ice cream and let your tastebuds explore the strawberry flavour as you looked at the swings.
Whilst admiring the swings for 5 minutes straight sn idea popped into your head, "yeosang,"
"yeah? What happened?" he asks, looking at you with a little plastic spoon in his mouth.
"Just follow me." you giggled before wrapping your hand around his wrist, pulling him onto the 2 empty swings. You sit down on one, happily swinging your legs.
"You could've just said that you wanted to go on the swings silly." he teased, sitting on the swings beside you.
"Then you wouldn't have had agreed," you grinned.
"Im so lucky to have a girlfriend like you," yeosang confessed "life isn't so boring with you in it."
"And I'm so lucky to have a boyfriend like you," you smile "my cute boyfriend."
yeosang's speaking #2; i enjoyed writing this so so SO much. i hope its not that cringey lol.
Summary; Song Mingi is a famous K-pop idol. He was doing a collaboration with a well-known brand, getting the producers phone number (yours). At first, it was questions and meet-up times about the collaboration, but then it turned into something else.
A/n; this is for @iceonmypinkteeth again because i love my sister, im trying to find some atinys because im not only going to do weak hero for the rest of my life... also, I forgot who I used the white lace divider from, but uhh, if the person that made those sees this... thank you
Word count; 2087
Warnings; purely fluff, also a little kiss scene, I THINK that's it.
You have been working at the same brand since it started. You remembered the photoshoots you took of people at your workplace, remembered putting your photos up on Instagram and Facebook to grow an audience, and even remembered celebrating the first ever collaboration you've got. All of them were small, wedding photos, school picture days, or funerals. Until you heard your boss practically beaming out of his office, "y/n! Come meet me at my office!" He beamed skipping back to his office chair.
People around you already felt suspicious, and to be honest, you were too. I mean, it was a rainy Monday morning, and you're sleep deprived because you thought it was a good idea to binge watch one of your favorite series at one in the morning. But you still reluctantly walked inside the office, sitting down in front of your boss. "What happened, sir?" You replied, voice slightly trembling.
"We are doing a photoshoot with this really popular K-pop idol!" He excitedly replied, "and I want you to be in charge of it!"
You completely froze, you didnt mind taking photos, I mean, when you first picked up a digital camera at five, you immediately got attached to it, taking photos of trees, swings, ponds, your parents or family members, or even stray cats wandering around your street. You don't like taking photos of other people. You would rather do scenery ones, like the ones at your favorite bridge during spring, the blossom trees slightly swaying as if they were greeting you, the leaves falling onto the bridge and in the water covering up all the algae that was floating on the water. The bridge having a few of those padlocks with their lovers name, and sometimes, you wonder if they are still together.
"Oh well, i do scenery photos, sir..." You reply, hoping that this project could be passed on to someone else.
"Y/n, you are not trying to get out of this project. You're the only one that I can trust fully on these big projects." Your boss fired back, pointing a finger at you, "here's everything you need to know about the K-pop idol, I already gave him your phone number so you guys can text each other about meetings and stuff."
"Fine..." You murmur back, grabbing the papers from your bosses hand, and walked out of the room with your shoulders slightly slumped as you sit down at your desk letting out a tired sigh like you already had enough of this day already. Coworkers immediately start running up to your desk.
"Y/n what happened there?"
"Y/n why do you look like that? Did something bad happen inside there?"
"Y/n what are those papers about?"
You let out a tired sigh, scolding and screaming at them to get back to work as you flip through the papers, and there it was.
SONG MINGI
Born: 9 August 1999
Age: 26 years old
Group: ATEEZ
Collaboration with: Calvin Klein
Photographer: y/n
Career: South Korean rapper, dancer, and songwriter
There was a picture of him, silver hair, sharp jawline, eyes so fierce but soft at the same time it made you shiver. He looked really handsome and totally your type. And then there was a picture of you, your hair in a messy bun, your dark circles very visible under all of that concealer that you put on that day, your lips slightly cracked. Yeah, you have no chance with him. You finally came back down to earth, and your delusional thoughts tucked away in the back of your mind as you started to flip through the remaining page, taking in his different fashion looks within each page. After hours of staring at his looks, your work was done, and you excitedly picked up your coat that was handing on your chair. You grabbed your bag and headed out.
Walking outside, the rain had stopped. The earthy smell engulfed your nostrils, the ground still wet, your heels clicking on the concrete as you walked to your apartment. That's not that far from your workplace. Your apartment isn't something extravagant. It was a normal, modern apartment with minimal furniture. You sit down on the couch, legs spread, arms spread out, as you try to calm yourself down. You knew that your boss knew you hated doing important projects like these, but apparently, working there since it first started made you the most trusted.
You were about to hop in the shower, put on your pajamas, and lay in your bed and eat some instant noodles without letting anyone disturb you when a notification came up on your phone.
"Hey, are you my photographer for the collaboration?"
You instantly froze. You thought your boss lied about giving your phone number to that damn K-pop idol, but I guess he wasn't. You immediately replied back. "Yes, I am. Are you here to talk about when our first meeting is set?"
"Yes, I am, actually. Is it ok for us to schedule it tomorrow instead?"
"Yes, of course I'll inform my boss about it. Thank you for asking."
"Thank you, I hope you understand."
You sigh, already telling your boss about it. Before finally falling asleep in your bed, your silk pajamas hugging your body, the weight of your duvet, making you fall asleep instantly. You woke up to the sound of your alarm blaring in your ears. It was 5 a.m., and the sun was just starting to rise. The sky was a mix of yellow, orange, and purple as the suns light peeked out of your curtains as you stood up to do your usual routine: brush your teeth, make breakfast, pick out an outfit, go to work.
The meeting was normal, talking about the scenery, the product, how we should show the product off. And throughout the few months you were doing the project, the messages were the same:
"Can you schedule the meeting next week."
"Can you make the lighting a bit more brighter."
"Can you change the hairstyle to this one."
It felt like he was bossing you around. All your coworkers were talking about was how handsome he is, which is technically true. He is really handsome, but his personality says otherwise. I mean, how can someone that perfect have a personality of a boss that doesn't care about it employees? But after a long day of work, a different text appeared from mingi, not the usual "can you schedule this to a different day." It was more of the lines of "want to grab coffee tomorrow?"
You thought you were dreaming, like why does a person that amazingly beautiful ask someone nowhere near their level that question? Your delusions became bigger, but what were you thinking? It would obviously be for work matters, right? You answered back like you usually do "Sure."
The next day came, work went and came like usual, you went to the coffee shop where mingi sent the address, it wasnt too far where you worked and when you walked in you already saw him, he was sitting down, smiling at you, 2 coffees sat beside him, the coffee shop had a modern and cozy aesthetic which made you somehow calmer. You sit down, having that fake smile on your face that you always have when doing photoshoots.
"Hello y/n." He said, handing you a coffee with a smile that looks too real. "How was work? Im sorry if I was being bossy throughout the whole photoshoot."
"No, no, it's alright, I get that you're trying to make the photoshoot perfect." You reply laughing shyly "work was like usual."
You guys spoke about multiple things, some about the colab, but most were about his work, how he comes up with ideas, how he always looks composed and perfect. It was awkward at first, trying to speak casually to a person that youre doing a collaboration with, but then when he mentioned photography, how you started to pursue it as a career, you immediately opened up, you told him how it felt to feel a camera for the first time, how it instantly clicked into your brain, your first professional camera at ten. You started to smile genuinely, not the fake one you did at the beginning, like a real smile, one that reaches your eyes, one that all your teeth are showing.
And then you saw him, the way his eyes found yours, his smile widening every time you started rambling about a topic, the way he listened when you expressed your love for random things like, cats, parks, or when you mentioned that one bridge where you always go during spring when the trees blossom and the little leaves fall everywhere, the little padlocks with the couples name on them and that you wished you could do it once with the love of your life.
Mingi listened to everything, not interrupting you when you were talking for 10 minutes straight about one thing, and just how your camera clicks, you and mingis friendship also clicked. You guys started meeting up every week, even if his schedule was packed. He still came every Wednesday, every Wednesday, to order your favorite coffee, to listen to your co workers drama, to hear you talk about cameras, to see you smile, he even had you saved as 'my little photographer' on his phone.
And those coffee dates turned to going to restaurants, bars even kareokes you made him feel like he wasn't someone famous, you made him feel like he blends into the crowd, you made him feel like he was a normal person, he fell harder for you each day, he always waits for you to text him, he always waits for Wednesdays he's waiting for spring to arrive any sooner.
You also fell harder for him each day, the way he would smile, the way his body would loosen up when he saw you, the way he would excitedly wave to you like a little kid. You loved everything about this guy. You would admire the way his eyes would soften when you would talk about something. Your coworkers obviously knew that you were meeting with someone. They were all trying to figure out who it was. Multiple people you worked with saw you with someone every Wednesday. They would practically beg for you to tell them, but if you told them you were seeing the song mingi, they wouldn't even believe you.
You kept it hidden, very well surprisingly, you would laugh about it with mingi, you didnt know he was planning to do something in spring, I mean who would, he's a great actor, even if he didn't pursue it as a career. And then, spring hit, it was the middle of March, it was sunny, lively, you and mingi were walking, he said he knew a place somewhere and u agreed to go with him. It wasn't a Wednesday, which felt wierd, you guys always met up on a Wednesday.
You walked with him, admiring the blossom trees around you, as your professional camera hung around your neck slightly swaying. And then you saw it, the bridge you were telling him about, the blossom trees were beautiful and pink, the branches moved slightly when the wind picked up, you were admiring the padlocks, the water, the leaves, taking pictures of everything when mini finally cracked the silence.
"Hey y/n." He said, slightly nervous.
"Yes?" You answered, taking a picture of one of the blossom trees.
"I have to tell you something." He replied, his hand shook, not enough for you to notice.
"What is it?" You questioned, looking at him, your smile reaching your eyes.
"I like you," he said. "...for a long time now,"
Your smile falters, "...what" your voice bearly audible.
"I love you, y/n."
You feel your cheeks slightly reddened as you answer back. "I love you too." You pull him into a hug as you feel mingi taking something out of his pockets, a padlock.
"Do you want to put it on?" He asks, dangling it around his finger.
"Of course." You smile writing down 'y/n + mingi <3' and securing it on the bridge.
You took a picture of that, obviously, before placing the camera down, quickly running back to your position, and that's when mingi pulled you in and kissed you. Gently, like he's welcoming someone. Your camera catches that moment, and now you have framed inside your house, always admiring it every time you walk past it.
A/n #2: I'm lowkey on a roll... hope my sister likes it 🙂↕️
You were supposed to tell him that night. You had practiced it a hundred times in your head, soft and careful and full of hope.
But he didn’t even let you speak.
One fight. One sentence. One moment where everything broke.
And just like that, you left.
Five years later, you come back with a life he knows nothing about. A daughter he has never met and a past that was never really over.
Pairing: Choi San x Reader (Y/N)
Tropes: idol au, secret child, second chance (but painful), lovers to strangers to…?, miscommunication (heavy), unresolved feelings, accidental reunion, angst with eventual healing
Genre: angst (primary), romance, drama, slice of life
Featuring: ATEEZ, Heewa (as mini San 🥲), original side character
Main Masterlist | Sans Masterlist
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
This is Part 3
For a moment, she thought she could still control it.
Y/N sat down, her daughter still close enough that she could feel the warmth of her small body against her side. Her fingers brushed lightly over Heewa’s arm. Grounding herself in something real, something steady, something she could hold onto while everything else felt like it was slipping.
Act normal.
That was all she needed to do.
Nothing had happened. Nothing had changed.
This was just another meeting.
Her gaze stayed forward, fixed on the papers in front of her. She didn’t look at him. Not again. She couldn’t afford to.
If she didn’t look, maybe it would stay contained. Maybe it would stay manageable. Maybe he hadn’t noticed.
Maybe he hadn’t…No.
That wasn’t true.
She had seen his face.
The way he looked at Heewa.
That wasn’t confusion.
That was something else.
Something that made her chest feel tight.
But he hadn’t said anything.
And as long as he didn’t say anything, she could pretend.
She could keep it exactly where it was.
The meeting continued.
Voices filled the room again. Conversations picked up where they had left off, like the moment hadn’t happened at all. Like a small child standing in the middle of the room, looking exactly like one of the people sitting at the table, was something that could be overlooked.
Y/N forced herself to listen.
Her voice didn’t shake.
Her hands stayed steady.
She kept everything controlled.
And still she felt it.
The weight of his gaze.
Even when she didn’t look.
Heewa stayed quiet.
Just like she had promised.
She sat beside Y/N, her small notebook open, drawing carefully, occasionally glancing up with wide, observant eyes.
Y/N noticed it.
The way she looked between her and San. The way she shifted slightly closer. The way her small hand reached for Y/N’s sleeve without thinking.
And it made something inside her chest ache.
Because Heewa didn’t know.
But she still felt that something was wrong.
The meeting ended too slowly.
Every second stretched longer than it should have.
Every moment felt like it could break.
When people started standing up, chairs shifting, conversations picking up again—
Y/N exhaled quietly.
It’s over.
That was all she needed.
Just to leave.
To walk out of the room and put distance between this moment and everything that came with it.
She stood.
Her hand finding Heewa’s again.
“Come on,” she murmured softly.
Heewa nodded, closing her notebook quickly, holding onto it like something important.
They moved toward the door.
Step by step.
Almost there.
“Y/N.”
She froze.
Of course he wouldn’t let it go.
Of course it wouldn’t end like that.
She closed her eyes for a brief second.
Then opened them again.
She turned.
And there he was.
Standing just a few steps behind her.
Closer than before.
Closer than he had been in five years.
Her heart skipped once.
“Yes?”
Her voice was calm.
Like she had practiced it.
Like this was just another conversation.
He didn’t look calm.
Not even close.
His expression was tight.
Controlled in a way that didn’t quite hold.
Like he was trying to keep something in and failing.
“We need to talk.”
Her grip on Heewa’s hand tightened slightly.
Heewa pressed closer to her leg, her small fingers curling into the fabric of her pants.
“Mama?”
“I’m here,” Y/N said softly, glancing down briefly.
But her daughter didn’t relax.
If anything, she clung tighter.
Her gaze fixed on San now.
Suspicious. Uncertain.
Like she didn’t trust him.
Y/N swallowed.
Of course she didn’t.
He was a stranger to her. Just a man standing too close. Speaking in a tone that felt too serious. Too intense.
“She’ll just go back to her desk,” Y/N said, her voice quieter now as she looked at him again. “We can talk later.”
“No,” he said immediately.
And Heewa flinched slightly.
That was enough.
Something in Y/N’s chest tightened.
Protective.
Instinctive.
“Not like that,” she said, her tone shifting slightly. “You’re scaring her.”
He stilled.
Just for a second.
“Hey,” another voice cut in.
Jisoo.
He stepped closer easily, crouching down slightly so he was at Heewa’s level, his expression soft, warm.
“Why don’t you come with me for a bit?”
Heewa hesitated.
Still clinging to Y/N.
Still watching San.
Jisoo smiled gently.
“I need help with something very important,” he added, lowering his voice slightly like it was a secret. “I was told you’re really good at drawing.”
That caught her attention.
“You were?”
“I was.”
A pause.
“…Okay.”
Slowly, carefully, she let go of Y/N’s leg.
But not before glancing back at her.
“Are you coming soon Mama?”
Y/N smiled softly. “Of course lovebug.”
Heewa nodded.
Still unsure.
But she went.
Taking Jisoo’s hand, though she kept looking back over her shoulder until they disappeared out of the room.
Y/N exhaled.
Then turned back to San.
“Come on,” she said.
And walked past him.
The smaller meeting room was empty.
The door clicked shut behind them.
Y/N stood near the table, her arms crossing lightly over her chest without her noticing.
San stayed near the door for a second.
Like he wasn’t sure how to start.
He stepped closer.
And she felt it.
The shift in the air.
The tension.
The weight of everything that hadn’t been said.
“How old is she?”
The question came out immediately.
Y/N stilled.
“She’ll be five soon.”
She didn’t lie. She didn’t soften it. She didn’t avoid it.
There was no point anymore.
San’s expression changed.
“And that’s why you left?”
The words were careful.
But there was something underneath them.
Something darker.
Something that made her stomach twist.
“You cheated on me.”
The words settled between them.
Y/N just stared at him.
Because she couldn’t believe he had actually said that.
Then she laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was so absurd she didn’t know what else to do.
“Are you serious?”
Her voice was quiet.
“You think I cheated on you?”
“You left,” he said, his voice tightening. “You didn’t say anything. And then five years later you show up with a kid that looks like—”
He stopped.
Because he knew.
He had known the moment he saw her.
The resemblance wasn’t something that could be ignored.
Y/N’s expression softened slightly.
But not in a gentle way.
In a tired way.
In a way that carried too much.
“That child is yours.”
Silence.
It hit him.
She saw it.
The way everything in his expression froze.
The way his body stilled.
The way his eyes widened just slightly, like his mind was trying to process something too big too fast.
“What?”
The word barely came out.
A breath more than a voice.
“She’s yours,” Y/N repeated quietly.
And that was it.
That was the truth.
The one she had carried alone for five years.
The one she had buried.
The one she had convinced herself would stay hidden forever.
Now standing between them.
Impossible to ignore.
San took a step back.
Like the space between them suddenly felt too small.
“That’s not—”
“It is.”
“You’re—”
“I’m not lying.”
Her voice didn’t waver.
Didn’t break.
It stayed steady.
Because she had lived with this truth for too long to doubt it now.
“I found out a week before I left,” she continued. “I was going to tell you that night.”
His gaze snapped back to her. “That’s what you meant.”
“I was scared,” she admitted quietly. “I didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t know how you would react.”
Her arms tightened slightly around herself.
“You were always stressed. Always exhausted. Always irritated.”
The words weren’t harsh.
They were honest.
“And every time I tried to talk to you, it felt like I was just… adding to it.”
San swallowed.
Because he remembered.
He remembered how he had been.
“I kept telling myself to wait,” she continued. “To find the right moment. When you weren’t overwhelmed. When you weren’t already upset with me.”
A small, bitter smile tugged at her lips.
“That moment never came.”
Her gaze lifted to his.
“And then that night happened.”
He looked away.
Just for a second.
Because he knew.
He knew what came next.
“You didn’t even let me speak,” she said softly. “You decided it was another argument before I could even say a word.”
Her chest tightened.
The memory still fresh.
Still sharp.
“And when you told me we should just break up…”
She paused.
Because even now that part still hurt.
“That was it for me.”
San stepped closer again.
Slowly.
“I didn’t mean it.”
“I know.”
The words came easily.
Because she did.
She had always known.
“That doesn’t change how it felt.”
Silence.
“I couldn’t handle it anymore,” she continued. “The person I loved… you weren’t him anymore.”
His expression faltered.
“You had changed,” she said. “And I didn’t recognize you.”
He swallowed hard.
“I didn’t want to feel like that,” she added quietly. “Not with you.”
The space between them felt smaller now.
Closer. Too close.
“And after I left…” she hesitated. “I realized something.”
His gaze stayed on her.
Waiting.
“That even if I had told you…”
Her voice softened.
“…it wouldn’t have worked.”
His chest tightened.
“What does that mean?”
“It means your life was already moving somewhere else,” she said. “You were becoming someone bigger than both of us. And a child…”
She shook her head slightly.
“That would have complicated everything.”
“I would have—”
“Would you have?” she asked gently.
Not accusing.
Just asking.
And that was worse.
Because he didn’t have an answer.
Not one he was sure of.
“You couldn’t even listen to me,” she continued quietly. “How would you have handled that?”
He stepped closer again.
Without thinking.
Without stopping.
Until there was barely any space left between them.
Their breathing mixing.
Their presence overwhelming.
“I wouldn’t have left you,” he said.
Her heart skipped.
Just once.
Because part of her wanted to believe that.
Even now.
“I didn’t feel like that back then,” she whispered.
Their faces were too close.
“I felt like I was already losing you,” she admitted.
His hand twitched slightly at his side.
Like he wanted to reach for her.
But didn’t.
“I loved you more than anything,” she said softly. “And that’s why it hurt so much.”
His breath hitched.
“And I know I should have told you,” she added. “I know it wasn’t fair.”
Her eyes dropped for a second.
“Every year it got harder,” she whispered. “Every month. Every day.”
Her gaze lifted again.
“And eventually… I just hoped you would never find out.”
The air was full of everything that hadn’t been said for five years.
Their faces inches apart.
Breathing the same air.
And for a moment everything else disappeared.
The past.
The present.
The consequences.
All of it.
Just them.
Like before.
His gaze dropped to her lips.
Just slightly.
And she felt it.
The memory of something she had tried so hard to leave behind.
Her breath caught.
And for a second she almost let it happen.
Almost.
But then reality crashed back in.
Heewa.
Her life.
Everything she had built.
Everything she couldn’t risk losing.
Y/N stepped back.
Breaking the moment before it could become something else.
“I have to go.”
Her voice was quieter now.
San didn’t move.
Didn’t stop her.
Didn’t say anything.
Because he was still trying to process.
Still trying to understand.
Still standing in the middle of something that had just changed everything.
She turned toward the door.
Her hand on the handle.
She paused.
Without turning around.
“Her name is Heewa.”
The words were soft but clear.
Then she opened the door.
And left.
The apartment felt smaller that evening.
Not in a suffocating way. Not in a way that made her uncomfortable. Just… quieter. Like the walls were holding onto everything that had happened during the day and hadn’t quite decided what to do with it yet.
Y/N closed the door behind them, her hand lingering on the handle for just a second longer than necessary before she finally let go.
Heewa slipped off her shoes quickly, already padding further inside, her small backpack sliding off her shoulders and landing near the couch.
“I’m tired,” she announced, though her voice still held that familiar brightness.
“I can tell,” Y/N replied softly, setting her own bag down. “Long day.”
“It was fun.”
“I’m glad.”
She watched her for a moment.
The way she moved so easily.
So freely.
Unaffected.
Or at least… mostly.
Because she had noticed it.
The way Heewa had gone quieter after the meeting.
The way she had stayed closer than usual.
The way her eyes kept searching Y/N’s face like she was trying to understand something she didn’t have the words for yet.
Children always knew.
Even when they didn’t fully understand.
Y/N exhaled quietly, pushing the thought aside for now.
“Come on,” she said gently. “Let’s get you ready for bed.”
Heewa didn’t protest.
Which said more than anything else.
The routine was familiar.
Comforting.
Changing into pajamas. Brushing teeth. Washing hands. Small conversations in between about things that didn’t matter and things that mattered more than anything.
Y/N moved through it all almost automatically, her hands steady, her voice soft, her mind quieter now than it had been all day.
Because here in this small space, in these simple moments, everything made sense again.
By the time they reached the bedroom, Heewa was already climbing into bed, pulling the blanket up around herself, her stuffed toy tucked securely under her arm.
“Story?” she asked, her voice softer now.
“Yes.”
Y/N sat down beside her, reaching for the book on the nightstand.
She had read this one a hundred times.
Maybe more.
She didn’t need to look at the pages anymore.
But she did anyway.
Because Heewa liked it that way.
The story unfolded slowly.
Softly.
The rhythm of it familiar, soothing.
Y/N’s voice stayed gentle, steady, the words flowing easily as she turned each page.
The tension leaving her body.
The weight of the day settling somewhere quieter.
“Mama?”
Her voice was small.
Sleepy.
But not quite gone yet.
Y/N paused, her finger resting lightly against the page.
“Yes?”
Heewa shifted slightly under the blanket, her eyes half-open now, looking up at her.
“The man today…”
Y/N’s chest tightened.
Just slightly.
But she kept her expression soft.
“Hmm?”
“The scary one.”
A small pause.
“Why did he have the same eyes as me?”
There it was.
The kind of question only a child could ask without hesitation.
Y/N closed the book slowly, setting it aside.
She looked down at her daughter.
Really looked at her.
At the familiar shape of her eyes.
At the quiet curiosity still lingering there, even through the sleepiness.
At the trust.
The expectation that she would answer.
Always.
Y/N reached out, brushing her fingers gently through Heewa’s hair.
“He’s not scary,” she said softly.
Heewa frowned just slightly.
“He looked scary.”
Y/N smiled faintly.
“He was just… surprised.”
“Why?”
Because he didn’t know you existed.
Because I never told him.
Because everything we thought we left behind came back all at once.
Y/N swallowed.
Carefully.
Choosing her words the way she always did.
“Because he didn’t expect to see us.”
Heewa thought about that.
“Who is he?”
The question lingered.
Y/N’s hand stilled for a moment.
Then resumed its gentle movement.
“His name is San,” she said softly.
The name felt different out loud.
Heavier.
Real in a way it hadn’t been in a long time.
“He was someone very important to me… a while ago.”
Heewa blinked slowly.
“Like a friend?”
Y/N hesitated.
Just for a second.
“…Something like that.”
Heewa’s fingers tightened slightly around her stuffed toy.
“He has the same eyes as me.”
Y/N’s chest tightened again.
But she didn’t look away.
“Yes,” she said gently. “He does.”
“Why?”
Because he’s your father.
The words sat at the back of her throat.
But she wasn’t ready.
Not yet.
“Sometimes people just… look alike,” she said softly.
It wasn’t a perfect answer.
But it was one Heewa could understand.
The little girl seemed to accept it, her eyes growing heavier again.
“He looked at me a lot,” she mumbled.
“I know.”
“Was he mad?”
Y/N shook her head gently.
“No. He wasn’t mad.”
“Then why did he look like that?”
Because everything changed in that moment.
Because he saw himself in you.
Because he realized something he should have known years ago.
Y/N leaned down slightly, pressing a soft kiss to Heewa’s forehead.
“He was just… trying to understand,” she whispered.
A small pause.
“…Is he nice?”
The question was quieter this time.
Almost drifting.
Y/N smiled.
A real one.
“Yes,” she said. “He’s very kind.”
That had never changed.
No matter how things ended.
No matter how much time had passed.
That part of him it was still true.
Heewa nodded slightly, her eyes finally starting to close.
“Okay…”
Y/N watched her for a moment.
Then added quietly, “If you want to… you can get to know him better.”
The words felt strange.
Uncertain.
Like she wasn’t entirely sure what she was offering yet.
But she meant them.
Even if she didn’t know what would come next.
Even if she didn’t know how it would work.
Even if everything felt complicated and unfinished and too big to handle all at once.
Heewa didn’t respond.
Her breathing had already evened out.
Sleep pulling her under gently.
Y/N stayed there.
Sitting beside her.
Her hand still resting lightly against her hair.
And for a moment everything was quiet again.
Just like it had been before.
But different too.
Because now nothing was hidden anymore.
And whatever came next, she couldn’t pretend it didn’t exist.
She didn’t sleep well.
That was the first thing she noticed when her alarm went off the next morning.
Not in an obvious way. She had slept. She had closed her eyes, drifted off at some point, woken up when Heewa shifted beside her in the middle of the night, pulled the blanket higher over her shoulders without thinking.
But her mind had never really rested.
It had stayed… busy.
Too busy.
Y/N stared at the ceiling for a moment before turning her head slightly, her gaze settling on the small figure curled up next to her.
Heewa was still asleep.
And for a second, Y/N just watched her.
Because everything always came back to her.
Every decision.
Every consequence.
Every thought that refused to settle.
Her hand moved almost automatically, brushing gently through Heewa’s hair.
She couldn’t keep doing this.
That thought came quietly.
Because yesterday had changed something.
Not just for San.
For her too.
She had spent five years convincing herself that what she did had been right.
That it had been necessary.
That it had been the best possible outcome for everyone involved.
And maybe it had been.
Back then.
But now he knew.
Now everything she had kept separate was… connected again.
And no matter how much she tried to control it, she couldn’t keep Heewa from him.
She didn’t even want to.
Because the thought of denying him that…
Of denying her that…
It didn’t feel right anymore.
It hadn’t ever, if she was honest.
She exhaled slowly, closing her eyes for a brief second before pushing herself up.
The day had to start.
Whether she was ready for it or not.
The morning routine felt slower.
Not because anything had changed on the outside.
But because her mind wasn’t fully there.
Not in the way it usually was.
She moved through everything automatically.
Getting dressed.
Making breakfast.
Listening to Heewa talk about something that she only caught half of.
Nodding at the right moments.
Smiling when she needed to.
But her thoughts they stayed somewhere else.
Back in that room.
Back in that conversation.
Back in the way San had looked at her when she told him the truth.
That moment.
The one she had cut off before it could become something else.
Her chest tightened slightly.
She pushed the thought away.
“Are you thinking again?”
Heewa’s voice pulled her back.
Y/N blinked, looking down at her.
“…Maybe.”
“You do that a lot.”
Y/N huffed quietly.
“I know.”
Heewa studied her for a second.
“Is it about the man?”
Y/N paused.
Just for a second.
Then nodded slightly.
“…A little.”
“Are you going to see him again?”
The question was simple.
But it landed heavier than expected.
“I don’t know,” Y/N admitted softly.
And that was the truth.
Because she didn’t.
But she knew one thing.
This wasn’t over.
Not anymore.
Work didn’t help.
If anything, it made it worse.
Because sitting at her desk, trying to focus on numbers and concepts and deadlines felt almost… absurd compared to everything else running through her mind.
Her screen blurred slightly.
Because she couldn’t focus.
She tried.
She really did.
But every thought circled back.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.
Still.
She didn’t notice how long she had been sitting like that.
“Y/N?”
She blinked.
Looked up.
And there he was.
Kim Jisoo.
Leaning lightly against the edge of her desk again, his expression easy, observant.
“You’ve been staring at that screen for five minutes.”
Y/N let out a quiet breath.
“…Have I?”
“Yeah.”
She rubbed her temple slightly.
“Sorry. Just… thinking.”
“I figured.”
There was a brief pause.
“Want to get coffee?”
She looked at him.
“Now?”
“Lunch break,” he clarified. “You haven’t taken one yet.”
She hadn’t.
She hadn’t even noticed the time.
“…Okay,” she said after a moment.
Because maybe getting out of her own head for a bit would help.
Even if just a little.
The café was small.
Exactly what she needed.
They sat near the window, sunlight spilling softly across the table, the hum of quiet conversation around them blending into something distant and easy to ignore.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
And Y/N appreciated that.
The silence didn’t feel forced.
Didn’t feel uncomfortable.
Just… there.
“So.”
Jisoo leaned back slightly, his gaze steady on her.
“What was that yesterday?”
Y/N froze.
“…What do you mean?”
He raised a brow slightly.
“You know exactly what I mean.”
Her fingers tightened slightly around her cup.
“I don’t think—”
“You have a kid with an idol.”
The words were calm.
Matter-of-fact.
Not accusing.
Just… stated.
Y/N stared at him.
Shock flickering across her face before she could hide it.
“…How do you know that?”
Jisoo smiled.
Almost amused.
“I knew the moment I saw them together.”
She didn’t respond.
Couldn’t.
Because part of her had hoped, that maybe no one would notice.
But that had been unrealistic.
Of course someone would.
“You should’ve seen your face the first time you saw him,” he added lightly. “That wasn’t just ‘old acquaintances.’ That was history.”
Y/N exhaled slowly.
Her shoulders dropping just slightly.
“…You’re not going to tell anyone?”
He shook his head immediately.
“No.”
A pause.
“Not just because of the contract,” he added.
She looked at him.
“And because?”
He met her gaze.
“Because it’s not my story to tell.”
Something in her chest softened.
Just slightly.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
He nodded.
“You want to talk about it?”
She hesitated.
Because she hadn’t talked about it.
Something about the moment felt right.
Or maybe she was just too tired to keep holding it in.
“…We were together for five years,” she began slowly.
And once she started, it didn’t stop.
The words came easier than she expected.
The relationship.
The slow breaking.
The fights.
The night everything ended.
The pregnancy.
The decision.
The years after.
Jisoo listened.
And when she finished, silence settled between them again.
But different this time.
He leaned back slightly, exhaling.
“…If I were him,” he said after a moment, “I’d be pissed.”
Y/N huffed quietly.
“That makes sense.”
“But also…” he tilted his head slightly, considering. “I’d be ashamed.”
She looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because from what you told me… he messed up too.”
Her gaze dropped slightly.
“…He did.”
“But he doesn’t sound like a bad guy,” Jisoo added.
Y/N nodded slowly.
“He’s not.”
That had never been the problem.
It had never been about him being a bad person.
It had been about timing.
Pressure.
The way life had pulled them in different directions.
Her gaze drifted toward the window.
Unfocused.
Lost in thought.
And for a moment, she didn’t say anything.
Didn’t move.
Just… sat there.
Jisoo watched her.
Then smiled slightly.
“That doesn’t mean I’m backing off, you know.”
She blinked, looking at him.
“What?”
He shrugged lightly.
“I still want to get to know you.”
A small pause.
“And your daughter.”
Y/N stared at him for a second.
Because she hadn’t expected that.
Not after everything he had just learned.
Not after how complicated things clearly were.
“…You’re serious?”
“I am.”
“And you’re not… concerned?”
“About what?”
She gestured vaguely.
“All of this.”
He smiled.
“Life’s complicated,” he said simply. “Doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying.”
And before she could stop it she smiled.
Not the polite kind.
Not the practiced one.
A real one.
The kind she hadn’t felt in a long time.
“…You’re persistent.”
“I’ve been told that.”
She shook her head slightly.
But the warmth stayed.
Even as they stood.
Even as they walked back toward the office.
Even as the weight of everything else still lingered at the edges of her thoughts.
For a brief moment, ot felt lighter.
Like maybe things could still fall into place somehow.
Then she saw him.
Standing in the lobby.
Disguised.
Cap pulled low.
Mask covering part of his face.
Choi San
Her steps slowed.
Then stopped.
Her heart dropped.
Straight into her stomach.
He didn’t remember how he got back to the dorm.
That was the first thing that bothered him.
Not the conversation.
Not the words.
Not even the way everything had shifted in a matter of minutes.
Just… the in-between.
The part where he should have been present, aware, functioning like normal.
But he wasn’t.
San sat on the couch, leaning forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped together like he was trying to hold something in place.
His mind wouldn’t stop.
It kept replaying it.
Over and over again.
She’s yours.
The words didn’t feel real.
Not even now.
Not even after hearing them.
After seeing her.
After putting everything together in a way that suddenly made too much sense.
Five.
She’ll be five soon.
His chest tightened.
Five years.
Five years of not knowing.
Five years of existing in a life that felt complete.
Missing something he didn’t even know he had lost.
Or… never got the chance to have.
“She’s yours.”
He exhaled sharply, dragging a hand over his face.
It didn’t feel like anger.
That was the strange part.
He should have been angry.
He should have been furious.
At her.
At himself.
At the situation.
At everything.
But he wasn’t.
Not really.
Instead he felt something else.
Happiness.
He had a child.
A daughter.
His daughter.
The thought alone made something in his chest tighten in a way that felt almost overwhelming.
Because it wasn’t just the idea.
It was her.
The little girl in that room.
The one who had looked at him with wide, cautious eyes.
The one who had clung to Y/N like she already knew something wasn’t right.
The one who looked exactly like him.
San let out a quiet breath.
A small, disbelieving laugh slipping out before he could stop it.
It didn’t make sense.
It shouldn’t feel like this.
But it did.
And he couldn’t ignore it.
“You’re scaring me.”
The voice pulled him back.
San blinked, looking up.
The others were standing nearby.
Watching him.
Concern written clearly across their faces.
Wooyoung had his arms crossed, brows slightly furrowed.
Mingi looked like he had been trying to figure out how to approach him for the past five minutes.
Seonghwa was quieter, but his gaze was steady.
And Hongjoong he already knew something was wrong.
Of course he did.
“You talked to her,” Hongjoong said.
San nodded.
“…Yeah.”
“What happened?” Mingi asked carefully.
San hesitated.
Just for a second.
“That child is mine.”
The words came out simpler than he expected.
Like they had already settled into place.
Like they belonged there now.
The room went quiet.
Not shocked.
Not entirely.
Because they had seen it too.
Had noticed it.
Had put it together.
But hearing it, made it real.
“…Yeah,” Wooyoung said after a moment, rubbing the back of his neck. “I kind of figured.”
Mingi nodded slowly.
“She looks exactly like you.”
Seonghwa exhaled softly.
“That’s… a lot.”
San huffed quietly.
“Yeah.”
“A lot” didn’t even begin to cover it.
“How do you feel?” Hongjoong asked.
That was the question.
The one that mattered.
San leaned back slightly, his head falling against the couch.
He stared at the ceiling for a moment.
Thinking.
Sorting through everything.
Trying to find the right answer.
“I should be pissed,” he said finally.
Because that was the expected reaction.
The logical one.
“I should be overwhelmed.”
Also true.
“I should be… I don’t know. Angry that she didn’t tell me. That she kept this from me for five years.”
He paused.
But it wasn’t what stood out the most.
He let out a quiet breath.
“…But I’m not.”
The others didn’t interrupt.
“I’m just…” he hesitated, searching for the word.
“Happy.”
Silence.
Different this time.
Softer.
Because they hadn’t expected that.
Not like this.
“I have a kid,” San said quietly.
The words felt strange.
But right.
“I have a daughter….with her.”
He swallowed.
“The only woman I’ve ever loved.”
The room stayed quiet.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Because they all knew.
They had always known.
Even after everything that had happened, that hadn’t changed.
San let out a quiet breath.
“…I still do.”
The admission didn’t feel new.
It just felt… honest.
Like something he had known all along but never said out loud.
Not even to himself.
“Even after everything,” he added.
Even after she left.
Even after she blocked him.
Even after five years of nothing.
It was still there.
Unchanged.
Unresolved.
The lobby felt too open.
Too exposed.
San adjusted the cap slightly, the mask covering most of his face, his hands tucked into his pockets like he was trying to make himself smaller.
Less noticeable.
It didn’t work.
Not really.
But it helped.
A little.
He didn’t know how long he had been standing there.
Minutes.
Maybe longer.
Waiting.
Thinking.
Trying to figure out what he was going to say.
Because he couldn’t just leave it like that.
Not anymore.
Not after knowing.
Not after seeing her.
Heewa.
The name echoed in his mind.
Soft.
Bright.
Joyous flower.
He frowned slightly.
Y/N had chosen that.
Of course she had.
The doors opened.
And there she was.
Y/N.
Walking in.
And beside her…Jisoo.
San’s expression shifted immediately.
His eyes narrowing slightly as he watched them.
The way they walked together.
Like they were comfortable.
Like they had spent time together.
Which they probably had.
Something sharp twisted in his chest.
Annoying.
Because it shouldn’t matter.
It had been five years.
She had every right to move on.
To meet someone else.
His jaw tightened.
Still it bothered him.
More than he wanted to admit.
And then she saw him.
He saw it.
The exact moment her expression changed.
The way her steps slowed.
The way something flickered across her face.
Guilt.
It was quick.
Subtle.
But it was there.
She walked toward him.
Jisoo stayed behind.
Watching.
San straightened slightly.
His hands unclenching slowly at his sides.
“San.”
His name sounded different coming from her now.
Careful.
Like she wasn’t sure how to approach him anymore.
He looked at her.
“Can we talk?” he asked.
She hesitated.
Then nodded.
“…Okay.”
They stepped slightly to the side.
Out of the direct line of people passing by.
Not completely private.
But enough.
San didn’t waste time.
He couldn’t.
“I want to be in her life.”
The words came out immediately.
Y/N stilled.
Her gaze dropping slightly before lifting again.
“I figured.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know.”
A pause.
“And I want to be in yours too.”
That made her look at him.
For the first time since yesterday.
“San…”
“I never stopped loving you.”
There it was.
No hesitation this time.
No second-guessing.
Just truth.
Because there was no point holding it back anymore.
Her breath caught slightly.
He saw it.
The way her expression shifted.
The way something flickered in her eyes.
Something that felt too familiar.
But then she shook her head.
“I can’t.”
The words were quiet. But they landed hard.
“I can’t go back to that,” she continued.
Her voice steady. Even if her eyes weren’t.
“I can’t be… that version of us again.”
San frowned slightly. “Why not?”
“Because it broke me,” she said simply.
The honesty in her voice stopped him.Completely. “I can’t risk that again.”
“And I won’t,” she added.
Her expression softened slightly.
“But I don’t have a problem with you getting to know Heewa.”
His chest tightened.
“I want that,” she continued. “I want her to know you.”
San nodded slowly.
“…Good.”
Because that was the part he wasn’t willing to compromise on.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
She looked at him. “What?”
“You said you can’t go back,” he said. “Fine.”
A small step closer.
Not too much. Just enough.
“But we have a kid together.”
The words settled between them.
“Our lives are connected now,” he continued. “Whether you want that or not.”
Her breath caught slightly.
And he saw it.
The realization. The understanding.
“I’m going to be in her life,” he said. “And in yours too.”
Just… stating it.
Because this time, he wasn’t going to let her leave again.
You were supposed to tell him that night. You had practiced it a hundred times in your head, soft and careful and full of hope. But he didn’t even let you speak.
One fight. One sentence. One moment where everything broke. And just like that, you left.
Five years later, you come back with a life he knows nothing about. A daughter he has never met and a past that was never really over.
Pairing: Choi San x Reader (Y/N)
Tropes: idol au, secret child, second chance (but painful), lovers to strangers to…?, miscommunication (heavy), unresolved feelings, accidental reunion, angst with eventual healing
Genre: angst (primary), romance, drama, slice of life
Featuring: ATEEZ, Heewa (as mini San 🥲), original side character
Main Masterlist | Sans Masterlist
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
This is Part 1
She remembers the waiting more than anything else.
Not the fight. Not even the words that came later and carved themselves into her bones. It was the waiting that stayed with her. The kind that stretched time into something unbearable, where every second felt too loud, too slow, too aware of itself.
The apartment was too quiet.
It always was when he wasn’t there.
Y/N sat on the edge of the couch, her hands folded tightly in her lap. Fingers pressing into each other hard enough to hurt. She had been sitting like that for longer than she could tell. Minutes had stopped meaning anything. The only thing she could track was the ticking clock on the wall and the way her chest rose and fell a little too fast, a little too shallow.
She had tried to distract herself earlier.
Tried cleaning. Tried scrolling through her phone. Tried watching something meaningless just to fill the silence.
None of it worked.
Because everything kept coming back to the same thought.
I have to tell him.
Her hand moved almost unconsciously, resting lightly against her stomach. It wasn’t something visible. There was no difference from the outside. Nothing that would give it away.
But she knew.
And that was enough to change everything.
A week.
It had been one week since she found out.
Seven days of carrying something that felt too big for her alone. Seven days of rehearsing conversations in her head. Seven days of imagining his reaction, over and over again. Until every version blurred into something she could no longer trust.
At first, she had been scared.
Then overwhelmed.
Then… hopeful.
Because maybe this could fix things.
Maybe this would be the thing that pulled them back together. The thing that reminded him of who they used to be before everything became so complicated, so strained, so exhausting.
Before every conversation felt like it was one wrong word away from turning into a fight.
She exhaled slowly, closing her eyes for a moment.
Five years.
They had been together for five years.
Before the fame. Before the stage lights. Before anyone knew his name beyond a small circle of people who believed in him and his dream.
She had been there when it was just that. A dream.
Late nights in cramped rooms. Music playing too loudly through cheap speakers. Him pacing back and forth, frustrated and determined in the same breath. Her sitting cross-legged on the floor, watching him with quiet admiration as he tried to shape something out of nothing.
Back then, things had been simple.
Not easy, but simple.
He used to come to her after long days and collapse beside her, head falling against her shoulder like he could finally breathe again.
He used to look at her like she was something steady in a world that never stopped moving.
And she had believed him when he said they would get through everything together.
She swallowed hard.
Because somewhere along the way, that changed.
The last year had been… different.
Not in one sudden, obvious way. It didn’t happen overnight. It was slower than that. Subtle enough that she hadn’t noticed at first. Or maybe she had, and she just didn’t want to admit it.
It started with small things.
Cancelled plans.
Late replies.
“I’m busy” turning into “I’ll call you later” turning into nothing at all.
She had told herself it was normal.
Of course it was. His life had changed. Everything had changed. He was working harder than ever, chasing something he had wanted for so long.
She wanted to be understanding.
She tried to be.
But understanding didn’t stop the feeling that had slowly settled into her chest.
The feeling of being… left behind.
It wasn’t just that he wasn’t there.
It was that when he was there, it didn’t feel the same anymore.
Conversations that used to flow easily now felt forced. Silences stretched too long. And when she tried to talk about it, really talk about it, it always ended the same way.
With both of them frustrated.
With both of them saying things they didn’t mean.
With both of them walking away feeling worse than before.
She shifted slightly on the couch, her gaze drifting toward the door.
He was late.
Again.
Her fingers tightened together.
She shouldn’t be surprised. She wasn’t. It had become something she expected now, even if a part of her still hoped, every time, that maybe today would be different.
That maybe today he would come home, see her, and just… be happy to see her.
She let out a quiet breath, leaning back slightly, her head resting against the couch.
Tonight will be different.
It had to be.
Because tonight, she wasn’t going to argue. She wasn’t going to bring up everything that had been building for months. She wasn’t going to let it turn into another exhausting cycle of raised voices and half-finished sentences.
She just needed to tell him.
That was all.
And then maybe… they could find their way back.
The sound of the door unlocking made her sit up immediately.
Her heart jumped, her body going tense without her meaning it to.
For a brief second, something soft flickered through her chest.
Relief.
He was home.
The door opened, and Choi San stepped inside.
He looked tired.
His shoulders were slightly slumped, movements slower than usual. His hair was still styled from whatever schedule he had just come from. But it was slightly messy now, like he had run his hands through it too many times. His eyes looked heavy, shadows faint beneath them.
He kicked off his shoes absentmindedly, stepping further into the apartment.
Then he saw her.
And everything shifted.
It was subtle, but she saw it immediately.
The way his posture stiffened.
The way his expression changed.
Not surprise.
Not relief.
Something else.
Something that made her chest tighten.
“Y/N?”
There was a pause.
She opened her mouth, a small, nervous smile forming on her lips.
“I was waiting for you.”
She tried to keep her voice soft. Careful. Like she was approaching something fragile.
For a split second, she thought maybe it would be okay.
Maybe...
He sighed.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Enough to make something in her stomach drop.
He ran a hand through his hair, eyes closing briefly as if he was already bracing himself.
“Can this not be another argument right now?”
The words landed before she could even process them.
Her smile faltered.
“What?”
“I just got back,” he continued, his voice tired, strained. “I had a long day. I really don’t have the energy for this tonight.”
For this.
She stared at him, something like disbelief flickering across her face.
“I didn’t even say anything yet.”
He let out a quiet, humorless breath, like that didn’t matter.
“Y/N, please. Every time we talk lately it turns into something.”
Something.
That was what it was to him now.
Not a conversation.
Not her feelings.
Just… something.
She felt her fingers curl slightly against her palms.
“I just wanted to talk to you.”
“And I’m telling you I’m tired.”
His tone wasn’t loud. That almost made it worse.
It was flat. Dismissive.
Like he had already decided how this was going to go before she even had a chance to say anything.
Her chest tightened.
“I’ve been waiting all day.”
“I didn’t ask you to wait.”
That one hit.
She blinked, taken aback for a moment, like she wasn’t sure if she had heard him right.
“I know you didn’t,” she said slowly. “I wanted to.”
“Then don’t get upset about it.”
Something cracked.
It was small.
But it was there.
“I’m not upset about waiting,” she said, her voice a little sharper now despite her effort to keep it steady. “I just… I wanted to see you.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
Because yes.
He was here.
But it didn’t feel like it.
The silence that followed was thick, uncomfortable.
He moved past her, dropping his bag onto the chair, rubbing his face with both hands like he was trying to shake off the day.
She watched him.
And suddenly, the words she had been holding onto all week felt… fragile.
Like they didn’t belong in this moment anymore.
But she couldn’t just not say them.
Not after everything.
“San…”
Her voice was softer now.
Careful again.
He stilled slightly at the sound of his name, but he didn’t turn around.
“What?”
There was something about the way he said it.
Short.
Impatient.
Like she was already asking for too much.
She swallowed.
“I need you to listen to me for a second.”
“I am listening.”
“You’re not even looking at me.”
He exhaled sharply, turning around then, his expression already edged with frustration.
“Okay. I’m looking. What is it?”
Her heart was beating too fast.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
She had imagined this moment so many times.
None of those versions looked like this.
She hesitated.
Just for a second.
And that was enough.
“Is this about me being busy again?” he asked, his voice tightening. “Because I already told you I can’t just drop everything...”
“It’s not just that,” she interrupted, a little more urgently than she meant to.
“Then what is it?” he shot back. “Because it’s always something lately.”
The words settled between them like something heavy.
Her breath caught.
Always something.
She looked at him, really looked at him, and for a moment, she didn’t recognize the way he was looking back at her.
Like this was a burden.
Like she was.
Her fingers trembled slightly where they rested in her lap.
“I’m not trying to start a fight.”
“It feels like you are.”
“I’m not.”
“Then why does it always end like this?”
“Because you don’t listen to me,” she said, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
Silence.
Sharp.
Immediate.
His expression hardened.
“I am listening.”
“You’re not hearing me.”
“What do you want me to hear?” he asked, his voice rising just slightly now. “That I’m not doing enough? That I’m not here enough? I know that already.”
“That’s not what I’m saying—”
“Then what are you saying?”
Her chest felt tight.
Too tight.
“I just feel like I don’t matter anymore.”
The words were quiet.
But they hit.
He stared at her.
For a second, something flickered in his eyes.
Something softer.
Something that almost looked like guilt.
And then it was gone.
Replaced by frustration.
“Why does it always come back to this?” he asked, running a hand through his hair again. “You know how much pressure I’m under right now. You know how hard this is.”
“I know,” she said quickly. “I’m not saying it’s not—”
“Then why can’t you just understand that I can’t always be here?”
“I’m not asking you to be here all the time!”
“Then what are you asking for?”
She opened her mouth.
Closed it.
Because suddenly, she didn’t know how to explain it in a way he would understand.
“I just… I miss you,” she said finally.
And for a moment, everything stilled.
But instead of softening, something in him seemed to snap.
“I’m right here.”
“No,” she said, her voice breaking slightly. “You’re not.”
That did it.
Something in his expression shifted completely.
Frustration turning into something sharper.
“I don’t have the energy for this,” he said, his voice colder now. “I just got back, and this is the first thing you bring up?”
“I wasn’t trying to fight...”
“Then what is it?” he snapped, frustration finally breaking through. “Because it’s always the same lately. You’re upset, I’m not doing enough, I’m not here enough...”
“That’s not what I’m saying...”
“Then what are you saying?” he cut in, his voice sharper now, tiredness turning into something harsher. “Because I can’t keep dealing with you every time I come home.”
She froze slightly at that. “Dealing with me?”
“Yes,” he gestured vaguely toward her, his expression strained. “Your mood swings. One day you’re fine, the next you’re distant, then suddenly everything’s a problem again. I don’t know what you want from me.”
The words landed harder than he intended.
Her fingers tightened at her sides. “My mood swings?”
“I didn’t mean it like that...”
“But you said it.”
He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “I just...if you’re this unhappy with me all the time, then what are we even doing?”
She stared at him.
And then he said it.
Quiet, but clear.
“Maybe we should just break up.”
The words rang in the air.
Too loud.
Too harsh.
She flinched.
Just slightly.
But he saw it.
And for a split second, he hesitated.
But it was already too late.
Her eyes dropped for a moment, her breathing uneven.
And then she went quiet.
Not the kind of quiet they were used to.
Not the tense, waiting kind.
This was different.
Still.
Final.
She looked back up at him.
And something in her expression had changed.
“I see.”
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
He frowned slightly.
“What does that mean?”
She shook her head a little.
“Nothing.”
“That doesn’t sound like nothing.”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s clearly not...”
“I said it’s fine.”
He stared at her.
Confused now.
Thrown off.
Because this wasn’t how it usually went.
She wasn’t arguing.
She wasn’t pushing back.
She wasn’t trying to make him understand.
She was just… stopping.
And that unsettled him more than anything else.
“Y/N…”
She stood up.
Her movements were quiet, controlled.
“I think you’re right.”
His brows furrowed.
“About what?”
She looked at him.
And for the first time, there was distance in her eyes.
Real distance.
“Maybe this isn’t working anymore.”
The words hit harder than anything else that had been said that night.
His expression shifted immediately.
“What?”
“I mean it,” she continued, her voice steady despite the way her chest felt like it was caving in. “I don’t think we’re good for each other right now.”
“Where is this coming from?” he asked, taking a step toward her. “We just...this is just another argument. We’ve had worse.”
“That’s the problem.”
“What?”
“We’ve had worse,” she repeated softly. “And we keep having worse.”
“That doesn’t mean we just...what are you saying right now?”
“I’m saying I think we should stop.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
“No.”
The word came out immediately.
Firm.
Shaken.
“No, we’re not doing that.”
She looked at him, something aching in her chest.
“I am.”
“Y/N—”
“I’m tired, San.”
Her voice cracked slightly on his name.
“I’m so tired of feeling like this.”
“We can fix this.”
“We’ve been saying that for a year.”
“That doesn’t mean we give up.”
“I’m not giving up,” she said quietly. “I’m letting go.”
He shook his head, stepping closer.
“No. No, you don’t mean that.”
“I do.”
“You’re just upset right now. You know I didn't mean it.”
“I’m not.”
“Then why now?” he asked, his voice breaking slightly. “Why like this?”
Because you didn’t even let me speak.
Because I was going to tell you something that would’ve changed everything.
Because you already decided I was a problem before I could even open my mouth.
The words stayed in her throat.
She couldn’t say them.
Not anymore.
Because suddenly… they didn’t feel safe there.
“I just know I can’t keep doing this,” she said instead.
He stared at her like he didn’t recognize her.
“Don’t do this.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t say that.”
“I am.”
“Y/N—”
“I’ll come back for the rest of my things later.”
And that was when it really hit him.
“You’re serious.”
She nodded.
And something in his chest dropped.
“No,” he said again, softer this time. “No, we’re not ending this over one fight.”
“It’s not one fight.”
“Then we’ll fix it.”
“We tried.”
“We can try again.”
She shook her head.
“I don’t have it in me anymore.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is.”
“Then I’ll try harder,” he said quickly. “I will. I swear. Just...don’t do this. Don't leave me, please.”
Her eyes softened for a second.
Because part of her wanted to believe him.
Part of her always would.
But another part… the part that had been hurting for so long… knew better.
“I needed you to listen tonight,” she said quietly.
“I’m listening now.”
She smiled faintly.
“It’s too late.”
And then she turned away.
He reached for her.
“Y/N, wait—”
But she stepped back.
Just enough.
“I’m sorry.”
And then she walked past him.
Toward the door.
Toward the end of something that had once meant everything.
Her hand brushed against her stomach as she reached for the handle.
A small, instinctive movement.
One he didn’t notice.
She paused for just a second.
Just one.
And in that moment, she almost turned around.
Almost told him.
Almost gave him the chance to know.
But then his words echoed in her head.
I can’t keep doing this with you.
Her grip tightened.
And then she opened the door.
And left.
Without ever telling him… that he wasn’t just losing her.
The city felt different.
Y/N noticed it the moment she stepped out of the subway that morning, her daughter’s small hand wrapped tightly around her fingers. Seoul had always been loud, fast, restless in a way that never truly allowed anyone to stand still. Five years ago, it had swallowed her whole. Back then, it felt overwhelming, unpredictable, almost suffocating.
Now, it felt… steady.
Or maybe she was the one who had changed.
“Heewa, slow down.”
The little girl beside her was practically bouncing with excitement, her free hand swinging as she tried to keep up with her own enthusiasm more than with her mother’s pace.
“But we’re gonna be late,” Heewa insisted, her voice bright and slightly breathless as she half-skipped over a crack in the pavement.
“We’re not late,” Y/N replied, smiling despite herself. “We’re early.”
“That’s basically the same thing.”
Y/N let out a quiet laugh under her breath, shaking her head. “It really isn’t.”
Heewa huffed softly, though there was no real frustration behind it. Her attention was already drifting, dark eyes widening as she took in everything around her like it was all new, even though they had been walking this same route for two months now.
Two months.
It still felt strange to think about.
Two months since she moved back.
Two months since she stepped into a life that was entirely her own.
For years, she had stayed in her hometown, tucked away in something quieter, something safer. Living with her parents had been the right decision back then. She had needed the support, the stability, the extra set of hands when everything felt like too much.
Especially in the beginning.
Her grip on Heewa’s hand tightened slightly without her noticing.
Those first months had been the hardest.
Learning how to be a mother while still trying to hold herself together. Nights where sleep didn’t come, where the silence felt heavier than anything else. Days where she questioned every decision she had made.
And through all of it, one thought had lingered quietly in the background.
Should I have told him?
Even now, it still came back sometimes.
Uninvited. Unwanted.
She pushed it away like she always did.
Because no matter how much it lingered, the answer never really changed.
No.
It had been the best decision.
It had to be.
He was living a completely different life now.
A life that didn’t have space for something like this.
For her.
For… them.
Her gaze shifted slightly, settling on the little girl beside her.
Heewa was still talking, something about a new friend she hoped would be in her class today, her words spilling over each other in a way that made it hard to follow every detail.
Y/N listened anyway.
She always did.
Because this… this was her life now.
And despite everything, despite the past that still lingered at the edges of her thoughts, she had built something good.
Something steady.
Something real.
They reached the kindergarten a few minutes later, the familiar building coming into view. Bright colors, small decorations near the entrance, the sound of children already playing somewhere inside.
Heewa’s grip tightened excitedly.
“Can I go now?”
Y/N laughed softly. “You still have to say goodbye to me first.”
The girl turned to her immediately, her expression suddenly serious as she stepped closer. “Okay.”
Y/N crouched down in front of her, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her daughter’s face.
And for a moment, she just… looked at her.
It still caught her off guard sometimes.
How much Heewa looked like him.
It wasn’t just one feature.
It was everything.
The shape of her eyes. The way they curved slightly when she smiled. The dark color of them, bright and expressive in a way that felt so familiar it almost hurt.
Even the way she tilted her head sometimes, just slightly, when she was curious about something.
A small, unintentional mirror of someone she hadn’t seen in five years.
Y/N swallowed the thought before it could settle too deeply.
“You’re going to have fun today, okay?” she said gently.
Heewa nodded eagerly. “I will.”
“And you’ll listen to your teacher?”
“Yes.”
“And be nice to the other kids?”
“I’m always nice.”
Y/N raised a brow slightly. “Always?”
Heewa hesitated.
“…Most of the time.”
“That’s better.”
They both smiled.
Then Heewa leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Y/N’s neck in a quick, tight hug.
“I’ll tell you everything later,” she promised.
“I’m counting on it.”
The girl pulled back, already turning toward the entrance before Y/N could say anything else.
“Bye, Mama!”
“Bye, sweetheart.”
Y/N watched her go, the small figure disappearing inside with a burst of energy that made her chest feel warm.
And just a little heavy.
She stayed there for a moment longer than necessary.
Then she stood, exhaling quietly before turning away.
There was work to do.
And for the first time in a long time… she didn’t dread it.
The office was small.
That had been one of the reasons she felt comfortable accepting the job.
A small marketing firm, nothing too overwhelming, nothing too demanding in a way that would pull her back into the kind of life she had deliberately stepped away from.
It was enough.
Enough to give her structure. Enough to give her purpose.
Enough to remind her that she was more than just… surviving.
“Good morning.”
“Morning.”
She greeted her coworkers as she stepped inside, setting her bag down at her desk, already slipping into a routine that had become familiar over the past two months.
There was something grounding about it.
The quiet hum of computers. The low conversations. The soft clatter of keyboards.
It was simple.
And she liked that.
“Y/N.”
She looked up at the sound of her name, her boss standing near her desk with a folder in hand.
“Do you have a minute?”
“Of course.”
She stood, stepping closer as he handed her the file.
“We’ve got a new assignment,” he explained. “It’s a short-term campaign. Starts tomorrow.”
She nodded, flipping the folder open, scanning the first few pages.
“A brand collaboration?” she asked.
“Exactly. They want something fresh. A new angle. You’ll be working on the initial concept.”
“Got it.”
Her eyes moved over the details, taking in the scope of the project.
It wasn’t small.
But it wasn’t overwhelming either.
Just… interesting.
“A K-pop group?” she noted, glancing up briefly.
“Yeah. Probably not one of the huge ones, so don’t worry,” he added with a small smile. “We wouldn’t get that kind of contract anyway. We didn't get a lot information yet.”
She let out a quiet laugh.
“Right.”
That made sense.
This firm wasn’t big enough for something like that.
So there was no reason to worry.
No reason to overthink.
She looked back down at the file, her mind already shifting into focus.
“Alright,” she said, nodding slightly. “I’ll start working on some ideas today.”
“Perfect. I’ll check in later.”
He walked off, leaving her with the folder and a sense of something… new.
Excitement, maybe.
Or just… purpose.
She sat back down, opening her laptop, the familiar rhythm of work settling in quickly.
Ideas came easier than she expected.
She let herself get lost in it.
Concepts. Visual directions. Messaging angles.
Time passed without her noticing.
And for once, her mind didn’t drift back to the past.
Didn’t linger on things she couldn’t change.
It stayed here.
Present.
Focused.
Alive in a way that felt unfamiliar, but welcome.
Maybe this was what it felt like to move forward.
By the time she left work, the sky had already started to dim.
She checked the time as she stepped outside, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.
Right on schedule.
The walk to the kindergarten felt shorter this time.
Or maybe she was just more tired.
Either way, by the time she reached the familiar building, the last of the children were already being picked up.
She spotted Heewa almost immediately.
Sitting on a small bench near the entrance, legs swinging slightly as she waited.
The moment she saw Y/N, her face lit up.
“Mama!”
She jumped up, running toward her without hesitation.
Y/N barely had time to brace herself before she was wrapped in a hug.
“Hey,” she murmured softly, returning it just as tightly. “Did you have a good day?”
“The best day.”
“That sounds serious.”
“It is.”
Y/N smiled, pulling back slightly. “Tell me everything.”
And Heewa did.
The entire walk home.
Every detail.
Every new friend. Every game. Every small moment that felt important in her world.
Y/N listened.
She always did.
Because these were the moments she didn’t want to miss.
Dinner was simple.
Nothing complicated. Just something warm, something easy after a long day.
They sat across from each other at the small table in their apartment, the soft glow of the kitchen light filling the space.
Heewa swung her legs slightly under the chair, still talking between bites.
And for a while, everything felt… normal.
Comfortable.
Safe.
“Mama?”
Y/N looked up.
“Hmm?”
Heewa hesitated.
Just slightly.
“Do I have a dad? The other kids have one.”
The question was soft.
Careful.
But it landed harder than anything else that day.
Y/N’s hand stilled for a moment.
Just a moment.
Then she set her chopsticks down gently.
She had known this would come eventually.
It wasn’t the first time.
And it wouldn’t be the last.
She looked at her daughter.
Really looked at her.
At the familiar eyes. The familiar expression.
The quiet curiosity.
And something in her chest tightened.
“You do,” she said softly.
Heewa blinked. “Where is he?”
Y/N swallowed.
Carefully.
Choosing her words the way she always did.
“He lives far away.”
“Why?”
Because I left.
Because I didn’t tell him.
Because I thought it was the right thing to do.
“Because… our lives are different,” she said instead.
Heewa frowned slightly. “Does he know me?”
The question lingered.
Heavy.
Y/N felt something twist in her chest.
But her expression stayed gentle.
“He would like you very much,” she said quietly.
That wasn’t a lie.
It never was.
Heewa seemed to think about that, her expression softening slightly.
“Is he nice?”
Y/N smiled.
A real one this time.
“Yes,” she said. “He is.”
And that, more than anything, was the truth she held onto.
No matter what had happened.
No matter how things ended.
She would never take that away from him.
Or from her.
Heewa nodded slowly, satisfied enough with the answer for now.
“Okay.”
She went back to eating.
And the moment passed.
But Y/N stayed still for a second longer.
Her gaze drifting slightly.
Unfocused.
Because even after five years…
Some things never really left.
They just became quieter.
Easier to carry.
Until moments like this reminded her that they were still there.
Still waiting.
Still part of her.
She exhaled slowly.
Then picked up her chopsticks again.
“Eat your vegetables,” she said gently.
Heewa groaned dramatically.
And just like that life continued.
Morning came too fast.
Y/N barely noticed how her alarm blended into the quiet hum of the apartment, her body already used to waking before it even rang. For a moment, she just lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening to the soft breathing beside her.
Heewa had climbed into her bed sometime during the night.
She always did that on days when she had something exciting coming up.
Y/N turned her head slightly, watching the small rise and fall of her daughter’s chest, the way her hair was spread messily across the pillow. There was something grounding about moments like this. Something that made everything else feel… manageable.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” she murmured softly, brushing her fingers gently through Heewa’s hair.
A small groan.
“No…”
Y/N smiled faintly. “You said you wanted to be early again today.”
One eye opened.
“…I did?”
“You did.”
Heewa blinked slowly, then suddenly sat up, fully awake.
“I did!”
Y/N laughed quietly, pushing herself up as well. “Come on. Get ready.”
The morning passed in small, familiar steps.
Getting dressed. Packing her bag. Making sure she had everything she needed. Listening to Heewa talk about something that made very little sense this early in the morning, but still nodding along like it was the most important story in the world.
It was easy.
Simple.
And for the most part… peaceful.
The walk to the kindergarten felt lighter than the day before. Maybe because her mind was already half at work, running through ideas, plans, the outline of the presentation she had been building since yesterday.
She had stayed up a little later than usual, refining it.
Not because she had to.
Because she wanted to.
That still felt new.
At the entrance, Heewa turned to her, bouncing slightly on her heels.
“Can I show you my drawing later, Mama?”
“Of course,” Y/N said, crouching down in front of her. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“It’s really good.”
“I’m sure it is.”
A quick hug.
A bright smile.
And then she was gone again, disappearing into the building with the same energy as always.
Y/N watched her for a moment.
Then stood, exhaling quietly before turning away.
Work.
The office felt busier than usual.
Not in a loud way. Just… a little more focused. A little more alert.
She noticed it as soon as she stepped in.
Something about the energy had shifted.
“Morning.”
“Morning.”
She greeted a few people as she walked to her desk, setting her bag down before pulling out the folder from yesterday.
The K-pop assignment.
Her eyes moved over the notes again, even though she already knew them.
She sat down, opening her laptop, going over her slides one last time.
Everything was ready.
Exactly how it should be.
“Big day?”
She looked up at the voice, blinking slightly.
Standing beside her desk was someone she hadn’t expected to see this early.
Kim Jisoo.
Not the one most people would think of.
Different department.
Different floor.
Someone who technically had no reason to be hovering around her desk this often.
“Something like that,” she replied, offering a small smile.
Jisoo leaned slightly against the edge of her desk, casual as always.
He was… attractive.
That was the simplest way to put it.
Sharp features, neatly styled hair, the kind of confidence that came naturally rather than forced. The kind that made people pay attention when he walked into a room.
He always dressed well.
Always spoke smoothly.
And he always… lingered.
“I heard you got the K-pop assignment,” he said, tilting his head slightly. “That’s a good one.”
“It seems interesting,” Y/N replied.
“That’s one way to put it.”
She raised a brow slightly. “You don’t think so?”
“I think it’s more than interesting,” he said with a small smile. “Especially for a smaller firm like ours.”
She shrugged lightly. “It’s still just work.”
“And you’re still taking it very seriously,” he noted.
“That’s my job.”
“And you’re good at it.”
She paused for a second.
“Thank you.”
There was a brief silence.
Not uncomfortable.
Just… there.
“I’m actually on that project too.”
Y/N blinked.
“You are?”
“Mm.” He nodded. “Different angle, but same campaign.”
She hadn’t expected that.
“Oh.”
“Surprised?”
“A little.”
“I’ll try not to be a distraction then.”
There was something in the way he said it.
Light.
Playful.
Familiar.
Y/N let out a small breath, shaking her head slightly. “I think I’ll manage.”
“I’m sure you will.”
Another pause.
“What time’s the meeting?”
“Ten.”
He checked his watch. “Perfect.”
She frowned slightly. “Perfect?”
“Gives me enough time to walk with you.”
She huffed quietly. “You don’t even know if I was planning to go now.”
“You were.”
“And how would you know that?”
“Because you’re prepared,” he said simply. “And people who are prepared don’t wait until the last minute.”
She stared at him for a second.
Then shook her head.
“…You’re not wrong.”
“I usually’m not.”
She rolled her eyes slightly, standing up, grabbing her folder.
“Come on then.”
He smiled.
The walk to the meeting room was short.
Too short, in a way.
Because Jisoo didn’t stop talking.
Not in an annoying way.
In a way that made the silence feel lighter.
Easier.
“So,” he said as they reached the door, glancing at her briefly. “You busy this weekend?”
Y/N paused slightly.
There it was.
She had expected it.
Eventually.
“I have a daughter,” she said carefully. “So… yes.”
“I know.”
That made her look at him.
“I still asked.”
She hesitated.
Because that wasn’t something she heard often.
Not like this.
Not… uncomplicated.
“We could work around that,” he added, pushing the door open slightly but not stepping in yet. “Coffee. Lunch. Something simple.”
Y/N studied him for a second.
He wasn’t pushy.
Wasn’t trying too hard.
Just… offering.
And for a moment, something in her chest shifted.
Because it had been a long time since she allowed herself to even consider something like this.
A long time since she thought about anything beyond work and Heewa.
“…Maybe,” she said slowly.
His expression brightened just slightly.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“I didn’t say yes.”
“You didn’t say no.”
She sighed quietly.
“…Fine. Maybe coffee.”
“That sounds like a yes.”
“It’s a maybe.”
“I’ll take it.”
She shook her head, a small smile slipping through despite herself.
“Ready?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Ready.”
And stepped inside.
The room was already occupied.
That was the first thing she noticed.
Several people seated.
Some she recognized.
Some she didn’t.
Her attention moved quickly, professionally, taking in the space, the setup.
She froze.
It happened in an instant.
Like the air had been knocked out of her lungs without warning.
Because sitting across the table was ATEEZ.
All of them.
Every single one.
And for a second, her mind refused to catch up.
Refused to process what she was seeing.
Because that didn’t make sense.
This wasn’t supposed to be...
Her grip on the folder tightened.
Her heartbeat loud.
Too loud.
His eyes met hers.
Choi San
Shock.
Pure, unfiltered shock.
It was written all over his face.
Not hidden.
Not controlled.
Just… there.
“Y/N?”
Her name.
Spoken like it had been pulled out of him without permission.
The room went quiet.
Too quiet.
Every head turned.
Every gaze shifting between them.
Y/N felt it.
All of it.
But she didn’t move.
Didn’t react.
Not the way she wanted to.
Because years of holding herself together didn’t just disappear in a moment.
She swallowed.
Forced her expression into something neutral.
Professional.
And stepped further into the room like nothing had happened.
“Good morning,” she said calmly.
Like her world hadn’t just tilted off ist axis.
Like she hadn’t spent five years building a life that didn’t include him.
Like he wasn’t sitting right there.
Staring at her like she had just walked out of a memory he never got to finish.
“Sorry for being late,” she continued, moving to the empty seat across from them.
Beside her, Jisoo had gone quiet.
San hadn’t.
“What are you doing here?”
The question slipped out before he could stop it.
Too direct.
Too personal.
Too much.
Y/N didn’t look at him immediately.
She set her folder down.
Opened it.
Adjusted her posture.
And only then ahe lifted her gaze.
Meeting his eyes with something controlled.
Something distant.
“I work here,” she said simply.
And the tension in the room shifted.
Subtle.
But noticeable.
Because this wasn’t just a normal meeting anymore.
This was something else.
Something none of them were prepared for.
San stared at her.
Still trying to process.
Still trying to understand.
And around him, the other members watched quietly.
Because they knew her too.
Knew exactly who she was.
And exactly what this meant.
And Y/N...she just sat there.
Back straight.
Hands steady.
Expression calm.
Like her heart wasn’t beating too fast.
Like her past hadn’t just walked back into her life without warning.
Like she hadn’t just agreed to coffee with someone else moments before stepping into a room she never thought she’d see again.
She inhaled slowly.
Then looked at the rest of the table.
“Shall we begin?”
And just like that, she forced the world to keep moving.
