i mostly write for ryujin (x male reader) since there arent that many fluff/angst ryujin fics for male readers. i dont write smut btw. also i might write some of other female kpop idols too especially itzyâs members !!!
y/n and ryujin share a senior-junior relationship, but y/n has secretly admired ryujin from afar because he is afraid of her mindset: "all men are trash," due to being mistreated by her past lover. one way for them to express their feelings is by alcohol intoxication.
word count: 3.42k
a/n: a very experimental story which basically an epistolary story (basically a story written as a series of documents) inspired from my own story well not entirely. still recovering and still hoping she would change her answer.
real<y/n>:
You mentioned @iamfinethankyouandryu in your story
iamfinethankyouandryu:
mentioned you in their story
iamfinethankyouandryu:
Thank you sunbae for the ice cream treat!!
real<y/n>:
No worries, you guys did well at orientation today.
3 March 2024 at 11:10
Orientation D3Â
Donât be a creep. Just ask for the photo after the closing ceremony. Sheâs always with (I assume) her best friend. With her around, words might spread that Iâm interested in Ryujin.
Y/N: Bro⊠I got the photo.
Yuna: Finally. I saw you were staring at her during the closing ceremony. You didnât even try to listen to the chancellorâs speech.
Y/N: Uh⊠no I didnât stare. Itâs called admiring, and the chancellor always makes dad jokes. At this point, I donât even bother listening
Yuna: Right right. How did you even manage to take pictures with her?
Y/N: Her best friend asked to take pictures with me⊠then I asked Ryujin to take pictures with her at the spot. Pretty smooth huh? If it was not because of her best friend I donât think I have any pictures with Ryujin.
Y/N: Yooo your dance performance today was really cool! Slayed as ever. Anyway these are the pictures from just now.
Y/N: Photos
Y/N: Face card never declines.
Yuna: Bro, your standards are too low.
Y/N: My standard is Ryujin.
Y/N: AnywayâŠ
Yuna: AAAAAAA WATAFAK BROOOOO! WHY DIDNâT YOU TALK TO HER DURING SPORTS DAY??? IâM SO PISSED.
Y/N: SHE WAS TAGGING WITH HER FRIENDS ALL THE TIME. SHE IS LITERALLY LIKE A FRIEND MAGNET!
Yuna: At least a hi?
Y/N: Um⊠wouldnât it be weird?
Yuna: The only weird thing you did was you almost willingly told people who you met for the first time about you having a crush.
Y/N: What?
Yuna: When you were sitting with us at the court, YOU ALMOST POUR THE TEA YOURSELF.
Y/N: Huh?
Yuna: You literally said itâs not friends itâs a crush kinda thing. Bro please keep your secret. Me and Beomgyu were keeping it in a numbered lock. YOU WERE KEEPING IT IN A FRAGILE GLASS!
Y/N: Bruh⊠I didnât explicitly say her name so fair enough.
Yuna: You donât know what people are thinking at that time.
real<y/n>:
Let me know when youâre home.
iamfinethankyouandryu:
Just got home anyway.
real<y/n>:
Beomgyu is literally on the floor. Heâs totally wasted.
iamfinethankyouandryu:
Bruhhhhh he said he can handle alcohol well. I even had time to shower and get changed. #stronk
You have a new message.
Yuna: Bestie, how was it?
Y/N: I donât know what I did today.
Yuna: You didnât vomit did you?
Y/N: I was a bit touchy. Like drunkenly touchy? I just wanted to be close with her.
Yuna: You sound sad. And worried. Pour your thoughts Iâm all ears
Y/N: We sat separately at first. She was at the next table. But we happened to exchange seats so I was then sitting next to Ryujin. We were a bit touchy and uh mostly it was me initiating the skinskip. Donât worry it was just punching and slapping and I realised that she was a bit drunk because no way sheâs that comfortable with me.
Yuna: Yeah she gets drunk quite fast.
Y/N: Man she was so chaotic. I love her.
Y/N: I mean, her energy.
Yuna: Okay Y/N I see what youâre saying.
7 June 2025 at 2:14
GatheringÂ
She asked Beomgyu why I was being touchy with her. She didnât pull away, though. When sheâs sober, she calls me sunbae. When sheâs three shots down, she leans into my space and smells like strawberries. I like the drunk version. She lets me in.
9 June 2025 at 10:52
You thinking of herÂ
âSerendipityâ (BTS). âTell me it is loveâ (Ha Hyun Sang). âSunsetzâ (Cigarettes After Sex). âSing For Youâ (EXO). âStalkerâ (10CM). âLover, You Shouldâve Come Overâ (Jeff Buckley). âAbout Youâ (The 1975). âI Want Someone Badlyâ (Jeff Buckley). âSilver Springsâ (Fleetwood Mac). âWonderful Tonightâ (Eric Clapton). âStairway To Heavenâ (CIX). âWho Do You Loveâ (The Black Skirts). âLosing Youâ (WONHO).
If learning her native language is a way for me to understand her deeply, then I gladly do so.
real<y/n>:
Are you free this Saturday night? I was thinking of inviting you to go to a study cafe and after that we could go to the church together?
iamfinethankyouandryu:
YES! I was planning to go to the church this Sunday too and maybe before that I could go study first? I literally sat for 8 hours in the library today studying Calculus but nothing went into my brainâŠ.
real<y/n>:
Woah⊠youâre really studying hard. You know, I have an exam at 2 pm this Sunday and I was planning to stay up the night before and then go to the church and then take a short nap and then sit for the exam.
iamfinethankyouandryu:
Arenât you going to be tired?
real<y/n>:
Been doing this for two semesters.
iamfinethankyouandryu:
Welp, I guess one day of not sleeping should be fine.
real<y/n>:
Anyway, this one study cafe has a dog as a mascot and maybe if youâre crashing out you could pat or I donât know play with the dog?
iamfinethankyouandryu:
Sure!
Y/N: Just so you know, I made an attempt to ask her out for cafe study.
Beomgyu: Oh? When are you planning to?
Y/N: This Sunday.
Beomgyu: (surprised emoticon) Wouldnât that be too early? Considering you guys only had the opportunity to interact properly last gathering, and even then you guys were drunk.
Y/N: What do you mean? Itâs just for studying, nothing else.
Beomgyu: You did plan to confess.
Y/N: Huh? I did?
Beomgyu: Didnât you? You wanna ask her out for cafe studyâŠ
Beomgyu: OH HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Y/N: DONâT TWIST MY WORDS! I ONLY ASKED HER OUT FOR CAFE STUDY NOT TO CONFESS OH LORDâŠ
Beomgyu: My bad. I was like, âThatâs so fastâ
Ryujin: Iâm proud to say that I have arrived safely. Good luck with your paper today bro.
Y/N: Thank you!
Y/N: Out of curiosity what paper are you sitting for tomorrow?
Ryujin: BRO
Ryujin: PhysicsâŠ. (heartbroken emoticons) Like today I can really focus on studying in my room so I went to a nearby cafe but the cafe was so cold it made me so sleepy ugh my head kept on bumping on the table.
Y/N: Are you planning to stay the whole night? Itâs not a good time for you to do notes though. You should just do some exercises and oh Iâm actually in Suwon hanging out with my friends. Feel kinda bored so if you plan to stay up, I can accompany you.
âââââââ Monday, 23 June 2025 âââââââ
Accommodation address will be shared on the d-day. Please vote in the poll below if you are coming (all of you are coming) so I can book an Airbnb ASAP.
7 September 2025 at 4:03
The walk back home
We just walked back from CU. The wind was cold for a summer. You shivered, but you didnât ask for my jacket. You just linked my arm. Not the polite sunbae grip, your skin touched mine; you interlaced your hand with mine. Your face flushed from the alcohol. You smelled like the ocean and the strawberry shampoo you always use. We walked for ten minutes, and for ten minutes you werenât the girl who hates men.Â
Y/N: Wakey wakey. Everyone is still dying lmao
Ryujin: My head is splitting ugh
Ryujin: Did I do anything weird last night?
Ryujin: I honestly donât remember walking back from the store. I hope I wasnât annoying!!
Beomgyu: Bro⊠going back after such an amazing weekend is SO depressing.
Jun: Can relate so badly. What do you mean Iâm going to class tomorrow?
Beomgyu: But you know what they say? The joy of meeting again is two times the joy of parting ways. Actually you can talk to Ryujin about the MT. I think sheâs still missing it.
Y/N: Speaking about RyujinâŠ
You have a new message.
Ryujin: Who beat me up last night??? My arms and legs are so purple right now!!!
Y/N: Bruh⊠no one beat you. Every 5 minutes you will fall off your chair for no reason, what do you mean someone beat you up, you alcoholic.
Ryujin: The houseâs fault keeps on shaking.
Y/N: Your world was shaking. Lucky for us the house was unharmed because of you.
Ryujin: Haih⊠I should stop drinking. Every time I get drunk, I look like someone who just got beaten up.
Y/N: Thatâs the biggest lie in this century. Oh, sorry for the makgeolli last night. You mustâve reek of makgeolli that night.
Ryujin: You were wasting our drinking sources but nevermind.
Y/N: Actually last night there wasn't enough alcohol. Should have just bought 10 bottles of Cass and two boxes of soju.
Ryujin: Yeah, we might drink even longer that night.
Y/N: My bad I was texting Ryujin just now. But Iâve been overthinking about her lately.
Beomgyu: Have you guys been talking?
Y/N: Safe to say the usual state, not much but technically still texting.
Y/N: But I kinda hate that we always became intimate with each other only if we were drunk. It kinda looks like Iâm taking advantage of her. Remember when we were on our way to the karaoke? We held hands and she tugged on my arms along the way which I knew she was just being drunk at that time but I was fully aware of what I was doing. I hate to say it but I loved it.
Beomgyu: I can see where you are coming from. It doesnât feel honest but in a way itâs honest since drunkenness just brings out your unfiltered self. But still, not in a good way.
Beomgyu: I think you guys should have a day out together.
Y/N: I know. But I think sheâs happy with what she has right now. Maybe I fear rejection and I feel like Iâm just making things awkward though I do really want her to acknowledge my feelings. But knowing her, sheâs probably still traumatised by her past lover which makes me even hesitate to do so.
Beomgyu: What you are feeling right at the moment, trust the feeling. You are a great person and so is your choice.
25 November 2025 at 22:01
I like you
and it has been a year since I developed these feelings for you. I know this might seem sudden or awkward but Iâve wanted to tell you for a long time already. Iâm not expecting any answers from you at the moment but if you already read until here, know that Iâm doing this for myself.
I donât mind if you reject me here because I know you arenât ready for a relationship yet after everything you had experienced before. I just want you to acknowledge my feelings and honestly thatâs already enough for me, Ryujin.
I hope this confession wonât let us be awkward for the rest of our time here. I donât wanna make you feel uncomfortable around me.
Thank you for reading and Iâm supposed to say this straight to your face today but I seem canât. I hope you understand that Iâm not demanding an answer here but just so you acknowledge my feelings here :)
2 December 2025 at 0:04
What are you thinking?
It has been days, she read it. If we were drunk, she would have replied with a joke or maybe she would have called me. We never call though. But we are sober, and the wall is up. Sheâs probably reading my feelings and terrifying herself, thinking Iâm just another man trying to get close. I wanted her to acknowledge me. And I think the silence is the acknowledgement.
2 December 2025 at 0:20
I guess Iâm the one who needs to be drunk now.
Ryujin: Hi Y/N. Iâm sorry for taking too long to give you my answer. I guess itâs already a bit obvious but I donât think I can reciprocate the same feelings as you. I donât wanna give you any hope and donât wanna drag this thing even longer. You are like a brother figure to me in the group with others. Iâm so sorry again.
Y/N: Itâs okay. I already anticipated this and you donât have to worry much. Y/N: Thank you for being honest. Also, you have nothing to be sorry for. Like I said before, I genuinely cherish our time together.
Y/N: Actually, do you mind if I share something here?
Ryujin: Whatâs up?
a/n: i still dont know what to reply to her up until now.
a/n: part 2 is here!! probably one more chapter before this series comes to end and shout out to my man @seeunsoon for this chapter. stay tuned for the next chapter!!
The rumors about Shin Ryujin were like pollen in the spring airâinvisible, yet causing a very real reaction in the student body of St. Arcadia Academy. The solitary princess, whose gravitational pull was usually defined by a cool, unapproachable silence, was suddenly emitting a different kind of energy. It was subtle, but the shift was seismic enough to be noticed.
Mark Lee was the first of Y/Nâs friends to articulate it. He slammed his locker shut, the metallic clang echoing in the post-lunch lull of the hallway. âDude, Iâm telling you, somethingâs up with her,â he said, his voice a conspiratorial whisper as he gestured with his head towards the end of the hall, where Ryujin was retrieving a book. âShe almost⊠smiled this morning. At a stray cat outside the window. A genuine, non-sarcastic smile.â
Christopher Bang, leaning against the adjacent locker with his usual stoicism, raised a skeptical eyebrow. âMaybe she just likes cats.â
âNo, man, itâs more than that,â Mark insisted. âPeople are saying she was humming near the baseball field. Humming. Shin Ryujin doesnât hum. She calculates the atmospheric pressure changes required to produce a perfect F-sharp and decides itâs an inefficient use of energy.â
Y/N, who had been listening with the detached interest of someone watching a documentary on deep-sea fish, finally offered his input through a jaw-cracking yawn. âYou guys are overthinking it. Maybe she finally got that five-star character she was rolling for.â
His comment was met with two blank stares. Before they could question his bizarre logic, the subject of their discussion finished at her locker and began walking towards them. A collective tension seized the boys. They straightened up, their conversation dying in their throats. It was the instinctual reaction of prey spotting a predator, even if this particular predator seemed oddly serene today.
Ryujinâs dark blue wolfcut framed a face that was, for once, not set in its default expression of mild disdain. Her dark brown eyes, which usually swept over her surroundings with analytical coldness, seemed softer. As she approached, her gaze landed on Y/N, and for a fraction of a second, her steps faltered.
âMorning,â Y/N mumbled, his voice thick with sleepiness. It wasn't a greeting; it was a state of being.
Ryujinâs lips parted as if to deliver her standard sharp retort. âItâs the afternoon, you idiot.â But the words didnât come. Instead, a faint blush dusted her cheekbones. She simply gave a curt, almost imperceptible nod. âBae Y/N.â
She walked past them, leaving a bewildered Mark and Chris in her wake. The clean, citrusy scent she always wore seemed to linger a little longer than usual.
âSee?!â Mark hissed, grabbing Y/Nâs shoulder. âShe didnât even insult you! The world is ending!â
Y/N shrugged him off, already turning to head back to class. Heâd noticed the change, of course. Heâd noticed the way her gaze lingered, the slight hesitation in her voice. And he had definitely heard the whisper that followed her down the hall, a sound so quiet it was more of a thought given breath.
â믞ìčêČ ë€âŠ ìŒê”Ž 볎ëêč ìŹì„ ê°ëë.â
âmichigetne⊠eolgul bonikka simjang gae-nadae.â
Ah, seriously⊠my heart races just looking at his face.
A slow, tired smile touched Y/Nâs lips, one that he kept hidden from his friends. This was getting dangerously interesting. The solitary princess was broadcasting her secrets on a frequency only he could hear, and the signal was getting stronger every day.
The fragile peace of their homeroom class was shattered not by a bell, but by the human equivalent of a golden retriever whoâd just discovered caffeine: Choi Jisu.
âY/N-ie!â Julia chirped, sliding the classroom door open with enough force to make it rattle. âI need you! Emergency!â
Y/N didnât even lift his head from the desk, where it was comfortably nestled in his shiba inu pillow. âIf it involves physical labor, emotional vulnerability, or being more than ten feet away from this desk, the answer is no.â
âItâs a student council emergency!â she insisted, marching over to his desk and poking his shoulder. âA real one! The festival planning is a total disaster!â
Ryujin, who had been quietly reading at her own desk, looked up. Her expression was neutral, but her eyes were fixed on the interaction.
âSounds like a âyouâ problem,â Y/N mumbled into his pillow.
âItâs a âweâ problem!â Julia pouted, a tactical move she had perfected over years of sibling warfare. âThe President is about to lose his mind, and Ryujin is the only one who knows anything about the budget, and I need you for⊠moral support! And technical expertise!â
At the mention of her name, Ryujin flinched slightly. She quickly composed herself, standing up and gathering her notebook. âI was just heading to the council room now,â she stated, her voice even. âThe budget spreadsheets are a mess.â
Juliaâs eyes lit up, a predatory glint appearing in their hazel depths. âPerfect! See, Y/N? Ryujin is going. You can walk with her. Itâs fate!â She grabbed his arm, attempting to haul him out of his chair.
Y/N let out a groan of pure, unadulterated suffering. He was being press-ganged. He shot a look at Ryujin, expecting a glare of solidarity against Juliaâs overwhelming enthusiasm. Instead, he saw her quickly avert her gaze, a tell-tale redness creeping up the tips of her ears. Trapped. He was utterly trapped.
âFine,â he sighed, untangling himself from his desk. âBut if I die of boredom, Iâm haunting you.â
Julia just beamed. âYou wonât! I promise.â
As he trudged out of the classroom behind Ryujin, Y/N had the distinct feeling he was being led to his execution. He didnât notice the triumphant, knowing smile Julia shot at their retreating backs.
The student council room was a controlled whirlwind of chaos. Whiteboards were covered in frantic scribbles, and a senior student with âPresident Kangâ embroidered on his blazer was massaging his temples like he was trying to prevent his own head from exploding.
âItâs a catastrophe,â President Kang said, his voice strained. âThe master schedule for the school festivalâevery club booth allocation, vendor contract, and volunteer shiftâthe file is corrupted. Completely scrambled. Weâre two weeks out, and we have nothing.â
Ryujin was already at the main computer, her brow furrowed in concentration. The screen displayed a nightmarish Excel spreadsheet where columns had merged, text was garbled, and every formula cell screamed â#REF!â. As the councilâs General Affairs, this was her domain. She moved the mouse with sharp, precise clicks, her jaw set in determination. She would fix this. She had to. She always did everything herself.
For twenty minutes, she worked in silence, the only sound being the frantic clicking of the mouse and the occasional, frustrated sigh. But the file was a hydra; for every error she fixed, two more appeared. The code was fundamentally broken.
Y/N, who had been ordered by Julia to âbe useful,â was slumped in a corner chair, idly scrolling through a game forum on his phone. He looked like the picture of apathy.
Julia watched Ryujinâs growing frustration, then turned to Y/N, her expression a perfect mask of innocence. âY/N-ie,â she began, her voice sweet. âWerenât you always a whiz with computers in middle school? You practically built the entire festival website by yourself.â
Ryujinâs head snapped up. Her eyes darted from Julia to the slouching figure in the chair. The image was impossible to reconcile.
Y/N didnât even look up from his phone. âThat was different. That was for fun. This is work. Theyâre mortal enemies.â
President Kang, however, was desperate. He strode over to Y/N, his face pleading. âPlease, just take a look? Any help at all would be a lifesaver.â
With the collective weight of three pairs of eyes on him, Y/N let out a long, theatrical sigh. âThis is a violation of my rights as a professional slacker,â he grumbled, pushing himself out of the chair and shuffling over to the computer. Ryujin reluctantly stepped aside, her arms crossed, her expression a mixture of doubt and unwilling curiosity.
Y/N peered at the screen. And then, something shifted.
The lazy slouch in his shoulders straightened. The bored, sleepy look in his eyes sharpened into a focused, analytical glint. His fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment, and then they moved.
It wasn't the frantic clicking of Ryujinâs mouse. It was a fluid, confident dance. He didnât use the mouse at all, instead navigating entirely with keyboard shortcuts that moved windows and menus faster than Ryujin could track. He muttered to himself, not in Korean, but in a language of code and logic.
âCircular reference in the VLOOKUP array⊠amateur mistake. The macro is causing a memory leak. Who wrote this, a potato?â
His hands flew, rewriting lines of code in the script editor, restructuring pivot tables, and diagnosing the source of the corruption. To the others, it was incomprehensible. But to Ryujin, who had been wrestling with the surface-level symptoms, it was like watching a master surgeon perform a miraculous operation. He wasn't just fixing the data; he was rebuilding the fileâs entire skeletal structure from the inside out, making it stronger and more efficient than before.
In less than ten minutes, he leaned back in the chair, the transformation complete. The lazy slouch returned as if it had never left. The spreadsheet on the screen was pristine, perfectly organized, and color-coded. Heâd even added a new dashboard that summarized the key data automatically.
He stretched his arms wide and yawned. âThere. The ghost in the machine has been exorcised. Can I go home now? The daily login bonus for âAbyssal Chroniclesâ resets in an hour.â
The room was silent. President Kang stared at the screen, his mouth agape. Julia was beaming, her expression screaming, I told you so.
But Ryujin⊠Ryujin was staring at Y/N.
The image in her mindâthe sleepy idiot, the gacha game degenerate, the boy who couldnât be bothered to stay awake in classâwas shattering into a million pieces. In its place stood the ghost of another boy entirely: the focused, brilliant, effortlessly competent student council president from middle school. He hadnât lost his talent. He had just⊠hidden it. He had buried a supernova under a cloak of lazy indifference.
He wasnât a slacker because he was incapable. He was a slacker by choice.
And for some reason, that realization hit her harder than any insult heâd ever thrown at her. It was admiration, sharp and breathtaking. It was a profound, dizzying respect.
As Y/N brushed past her to leave, she caught his scentâthat same mix of laundry detergent and something uniquely, tiredly him. This time, it made her feel unsteady on her feet. She watched the door swing shut behind him, her heart hammering a frantic, unfamiliar rhythm against her ribs.
She was alone with her thoughts now, the fixed spreadsheet glowing on the screen like a testament to the boy she had so completely misjudged. Her lips parted, and a single, awestruck whisper escaped into the quiet room, a confession meant only for herself.
The aftermath of the spreadsheet incident left a permanent ripple in the student council. President Kang, now viewing Y/N as a sort of lazy, slumbering demigod of code, came up with a new, brilliant, andâin Y/Nâs opinionâdiabolical plan.
Two days later, Ryujin found herself standing in front of Y/Nâs desk, a pristine folder in her hands.
âPresident Kang has assigned us a joint project,â she announced, her voice meticulously neutral, as if she were reading a weather report. She refused to meet his gaze. Ever since sheâd seen him work his magic on the computer, looking directly at him felt like staring into the sun.
Y/N cracked open one eye. âDoes it involve me leaving this chair?â
âYes.â
âThen I respectfully decline.â He closed his eyes again.
Ryujinâs jaw tightened. The old, familiar irritation warred with her newfound, bewildering respect. âWeâre in charge of designing and implementing the interactive festival map for the schoolâs website. It requires coding and logistical planning. The President felt our⊠combined skills would be most efficient.â
He groaned, the sound muffled by his shiba inu pillow. âThatâs his polite way of saying heâs assigning you to be my warden.â
âThe deadline is next Friday,â she continued, ignoring his comment. âWe canât possibly finish it by working only during school hours. Weâll need to work after school.â
âMy after-school hours are booked,â he said flatly. âI have very important raids scheduled with my guild.â
An uncharacteristic desperation crept into Ryujinâs voice. She hated it. âLook, I can handle the planning, the layouts, the data entryâall of it. I just need you to build the framework. I canât⊠I canât do that part.â
It was the closest sheâd ever come to admitting a weakness. The honesty of it hung in the air between them, thick and unexpected. Y/N slowly lifted his head, his brown eyes finally focusing on her. He saw the flicker of vulnerability in her expression before she masked it again with her usual icy composure.
He sighed, a long, drawn-out sound of defeat. âFine. But not at school. The Wi-Fi is trash and the chairs are designed by sadists. You can come over to my place. I have the setup weâll need.â
The offer dropped like a stone into a silent pond. Ryujinâs brain short-circuited. Go to his house? Alone? The thought sent a jolt of pure, unadulterated panic through her. Her meticulously ordered world, which had already been shaken, was now threatening to spin completely off its axis.
âYour⊠house?â she stammered, the word feeling foreign on her tongue.
âYeah,â he said, already looking like he regretted it. âSaturday. Two oâclock. Donât be late, Iâve got a world boss spawning at seven.â He scribbled his address on a scrap of paper and pushed it across the desk before promptly collapsing back onto his pillow, the conversation officially over.
Ryujin stared at the piece of paper in her hand. It felt heavier than a textbook, more dangerous than a failed exam.
On Saturday, at precisely 1:59 PM, Ryujin stood before a modest, two-story house in a quiet suburban neighborhood. It was⊠normal. Unsettlingly normal. She had half-expected a goblin cave littered with empty chip bags and glowing screens. Instead, the small garden was neatly tended, and a pair of clean sneakers was placed tidily by the door.
She took a deep breath, straightened the strap of her messenger bag, and rang the doorbell. Her heart was a trapped bird beating against her ribs.
The door swung open to reveal Y/N. He wasn't in his navy blue school blazer. He was wearing a plain, slightly oversized black t-shirt and grey sweatpants. His brown hair, free from the constraints of school rules, was even messier, falling softly over his forehead. Without the uniform, he looked⊠softer. Younger. More real. The sight made her forget how to breathe for a solid three seconds.
âYo,â he said, his voice a low rumble. He stepped aside. âCome on in. Shoes off.â
She slipped off her loafers with practiced neatness and stepped inside. The house was clean, filled with warm, natural light. It smelled faintly of laundry and green tea. It was nothing like the chaotic slacker she knew.
âMy roomâs upstairs,â he said, already heading for the staircase. âYou want anything? Water? Tea?â
âWater is fine, thank you,â she managed to reply, her voice sounding strangely formal in the casual space.
She followed him up the stairs, her eyes taking in everything. The hallway wall was adorned with a few framed pictures. She only got a passing glance, but she saw a younger Y/N with a toothy grin standing next to⊠Julia?
She shook her head. It must have been a trick of the light.
His room was exactly what she should have expected, yet it still surprised her. One wall was dominated by a formidable gaming setup: two large monitors, a sleek mechanical keyboard glowing with a soft blue light, and a tower PC that hummed with quiet power. The rest of the room, however, was shockingly organized. Bookshelves were filled not just with manga, but with classic literature and programming textbooks. A guitar stood propped in one corner. The bed was neatly made.
He gestured to a comfortable-looking chair next to his own. âHave a seat. Iâll be right back.â
Left alone, Ryujin felt like an intruder in a secret sanctuary. This room was the key to the puzzle of Bae Y/N. This was where the sleepy slacker from school became the focused genius from the council room. She let her gaze wander and it landed on a small, hand-drawn picture in a simple wooden frame on his desk.
It was a crayon drawing of two stick figures. One was a tall boy with messy brown hair, labeled âMy Big Bro Y/N-ie.â The other was a smaller girl with bright, smiling eyes, labeled âMe! Jisu âĄâ. Underneath, in childish handwriting, it said: Partners in crime forever!
Jisu. Choi Jisu. Julia.
The pieces didn't just click into place; they slammed together with the force of a tectonic shift.
The way Julia effortlessly entered his space. The easy, bickering intimacy. The way she knew exactly which buttons to push to get him to do something. The picture sheâd seen in the hall. It wasnât the familiarity of childhood friends. It was the deep, ingrained, unspoken language of siblings.
A hot wave of embarrassment washed over Ryujin, so intense it made her dizzy. The jealousy she had felt in the cafeteria, that sharp, possessive sting when Julia stole his foodâit was all directed at his sister. She felt like the biggest fool in the entire world.
âHere.â
Y/Nâs voice cut through her spiraling thoughts. He was standing beside her, holding out a glass of water. As she reached for it, her trembling fingers brushed against his. A tiny spark of static electricity jumped between them. Both of them flinched back as if burned.
âS-Sorry,â she mumbled, her face flaming red. She quickly took the glass, her eyes fixed on the condensation beading on its surface.
âItâs cool,â he said, turning back to his computer, though she noticed he rubbed his hand on his sweatpants.
An awkward, heavy silence descended upon the room, broken only by the soft hum of the PC fan. Ryujin took a sip of water, the cold liquid doing little to quell the heat in her cheeks. She had to say something. She had to know.
âThat drawing,â she began, her voice barely a whisper. âOn your desk. Jisu⊠is thatâŠ?â
Y/N glanced at the frame, and a rare, genuinely soft smile touched his lips. It transformed his entire face, erasing the tired cynicism and revealing something warm and unguarded.
âYeah. Thatâs Lia,â he confirmed, his voice laced with a fond exasperation. âShe drew that when she was seven. Insisted it was a masterpiece worthy of a museum.â
Ryujin stared at him. âSheâs your⊠sister?â
He finally turned to look at her fully, his expression unreadable. âYeah. Our parents are divorced. My mom got custody of me, her dad got custody of her. Part of the deal was⊠we donât really advertise the sibling thing at school. Itâs complicated.â He shrugged, a gesture meant to dismiss the weight of the words. âEasier that way.â
The confession hung in the air, simple and devastating. It explained everything. And it changed everything. The invisible wall sheâd imagined between Y/N and Julia wasnât a romantic one. It was a broken family.
The respect she felt for him deepened. The admiration sheâd discovered was now joined by a surge of something else, something softer and more protective. He wasn't just a secret genius; he was a boy carrying a quiet burden, hiding his family and his talent from the world.
She looked at him, really looked at him, sitting there bathed in the blue light of his monitor. The solitary princess, who had built a fortress around her heart because she couldn't rely on anyone, was looking at a boy who had built a fortress of apathy for entirely different reasons.
And in that quiet, sunlit room, surrounded by the hum of machinery and unspoken truths, she realized they might not be so different after all.
âOkay,â she said softly, her voice steady now. âLetâs get started on that map.â
The words âLetâs get startedâ hung in the air, a fragile truce declared over a battlefield of misjudgments. The revelation about Julia had completely rewired Ryujinâs internal circuitry. The air in the room, once thick with a formal, almost clinical tension, was now filled with a different kind of chargeâsomething warmer, softer, and infinitely more dangerous.
Y/N nodded, turning back to the computer. The moment he did, the lazy, indifferent boy from school evaporated. His posture straightened, his focus narrowed, and his hands settled on the keyboard with the familiar grace of a concert pianist.
âOkay,â he began, his voice taking on a new, focused timbre that made Ryujinâs pulse quicken. âFirst, we need to build the digital frame for the map to live in. Iâll use a standard coding toolkit to add the interactive parts, like the clickable pins, but the foundation has to be solid.â
He started typing, and a cascade of colorful text filled the screen. It was a language she didnât understand, but she was mesmerized by the confident, fluid way he spoke it with his fingertips. He was creating something from nothing, weaving order from the void.
âCan you⊠pull your chair closer?â he asked, not looking away from the monitor. âYouâll need to see the pathway Iâm building for the data. Itâs how the map will know where to pull the booth info youâre going to enter..â
Her breath hitched. Closer. It was a simple, logical request. Yet it felt like an invitation to step off a cliff. She swallowed hard and nudged her chair forward on its wheels, the small squeak sounding like a gunshot in the quiet room. She moved until her shoulder was just inches from his.
She was immediately, overwhelmingly aware of him. She could feel the faint warmth radiating from his body, a stark contrast to her own perpetually cool skin. She could smell the clean, subtle scent of his t-shirt, mixed with the faint, electric smell of ozone from the computer and old paper from the books on his shelves. It was the scent of his sanctuary, and she was in it.
He leaned slightly towards her, using the mouse to highlight a block of code. His arm brushed against hers. It was the briefest of touches, a whisper of fabric against fabric, but it sent a shockwave straight through her. She instinctively flinched, her entire body going rigid.
He froze, pulling his arm back as if heâd touched a live wire. âSorry,â he muttered, his gaze still glued to the screen, though she saw a faint flush creep up the back of his neck.
âItâs fine,â she replied, her voice a little too high. âI just⊠wasnât expecting it.â
The silence that followed was so profound she could hear her own frantic heartbeat. To break it, she forced herself to focus on the screen. âWhat does⊠that line do?â she asked, pointing a slightly trembling finger at a string of symbols.
Y/N cleared his throat. âThatâs basically a digital messenger. We send it to the database with a specific requestâlike âFetch the name and location for Booth #5ââand it brings the answer right back, which we then display on the map as an interactive pin.â
He began to explain the process, and as he spoke, his initial awkwardness melted away, replaced by a quiet passion. He wasnât just explaining code; he was explaining how to build a world, how to make static information come alive. His voice, usually a lazy drawl, was now animated and clear. Ryujin found herself leaning in, not just to see the screen, but to listen to the sound of his voice.
She, Shin Ryujin, the top student who prided herself on understanding everything, understood nothing of the code. But she understood the look in his eyes. It was the same look she got when she finally solved a complex math proofâthe thrill of creation, of seeing a problem and bending it to your will.
An hour bled into two. The afternoon sun slanted through the window, painting stripes of gold across the floor. They fell into a comfortable rhythm. Ryujin would read out logistical data from the folder, and Y/N would translate it into lines of code, his fingers a blur across the keyboard.
âIâm running out of fuel,â he announced suddenly, leaning back in his chair with a stretch that made the fabric of his t-shirt pull taut across his shoulders. Ryujinâs eyes caught the movement and she quickly looked away, her face hot. âNeed a break. Want a soda?â
âOh. Yes, please,â she said, grateful for the interruption.
He stood and left the room, returning a moment later with two cold cans of soda. He handed one to her, their fingers brushing again. This time, neither of them flinched. The touch lingered for a half-second too long, a silent acknowledgment of the shifting space between them.
He sat back down, not in his chair, but on the floor, leaning his back against the side of his bed. The move broke the last of the formal tension. He popped open his can with a crisp hiss.
âSo,â he said, taking a long sip. âWhy are you on the student council anyway? You donât seem like the type.â
The question surprised her. âWhat type is that?â
He shrugged. âI donât know. The rah-rah, school spirit, resume-building type. You always seem like youâd rather be doing⊠anything else.â
It was an astute observation. âIâm good at organizing things,â she said, the answer feeling inadequate. âItâs logical. There are systems. I understand systems.â
âYou do everything alone, though,â he pointed out, his voice soft, not accusatory. âEven on the council. Itâs like you donât trust anyone else to do it right.â
Her fortress walls went up instinctively. âIâm just more efficient on my own.â
He looked at her, his brown eyes searching. âOr maybe you got tired of people letting you down.â
The accuracy of his guess was like a physical blow. It was the core truth of her solitude, something she had never spoken aloud. She stared down at her soda can, unable to form a reply.
Seeing her silence, he didnât press. He changed the subject. âWell, the system youâre building here is good,â he said, gesturing with his can towards the monitor. âItâs clean. Logical. Just like you.â
The compliment, so simple and direct, landed squarely in the center of her chest, warming her from the inside out. âYouâre⊠not what I expected either,â she admitted, her voice quiet.
A small, self-deprecating smile touched his lips. âLet me guess. You expected a lazy, degenerate moron?â
She winced, hearing her own words thrown back at her. âI⊠You hide it well. Your talent.â
âItâs not hiding,â he said, his gaze drifting towards the window. âItâs just⊠easier. When people donât expect things from you, they canât be disappointed. And you donât have to disappoint them.â
The sentence was heavy with unspoken history, and it resonated with a part of her she rarely acknowledged. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, the only sound the faint hum of the computer and the fizzing of their sodas.
Finally, Y/N pushed himself to his feet. âAlright, breakâs over. Letâs get this framework finished.â
They returned to the computer, the earlier awkwardness gone, replaced by a new, shared understanding. She pulled her chair close without being asked, her shyness overcome by a desire to be near him. As he worked, he started to get tired. His movements slowed, and he began to lean his head on his hand.
âJust⊠five more minutes,â he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. âGotta close this loopâŠâ
His typing became sporadic, then stopped altogether. His breathing evened out, and his head slowly slumped sideways until his cheek was resting against the high back of his gaming chair, his face turned towards her. He was asleep.
The world seemed to hold its breath. Ryujin sat perfectly still, her heart doing a slow, painful somersault.
In sleep, the last of his defenses were down. The lazy slacker, the focused genius, the guarded brotherâall of it fell away, leaving just⊠him. His dark lashes rested against his cheeks. His lips were slightly parted. A stray lock of his messy brown hair had fallen across his forehead.
He was just a boy who carried too much and slept too little.
A powerful, protective urge swelled within her. Without thinking, she reached out, her hand hovering over his hair. She wanted to brush that stray lock back into place, to feel its softness. But she stopped herself, her fingers curling into a fist just inches from his face. It was too much, too soon.
Instead, she did the only thing she could think of. She reached over and gently clicked the mouse, turning the bright monitor to its sleep screenâa simple, black screen with a softly drifting clock. The harsh blue light vanished, leaving the room bathed in the gentle, golden glow of the late afternoon sun.
She sat there, in the quiet warmth, just watching him breathe. The solitary princess, who never needed anyone, found herself wanting nothing more than to guard the sleep of the lazy genius beside her.
A whisper escaped her lips, so quiet it was barely a sound, a secret confession offered to the sleeping boy and the silent room.
âíâŠëë„Œ ìŽëĄíì§?â
âha⊠neoreul eotteoke-haji?â
What do I do⊠with you, really.
a/n: one of the short stories ive written to distract myself from her and its based on recent experience as well... might be updating a lot of angst stories for the time being ://
The wet market floor was slick with puddles of melted ice, remnants of the dayâs fishmongering. It reflected the neon signs buzzing overhead. Y/N walked on the drier patches of concrete as Ryujin walked beside him, stepping carefully over puddles. Her hand was clutching a small, wax-paper-wrapped bouquet of white flowers tight. She was rambling about how she had missed a class that morning because of a hangover. âLoud as always,â he thought.
He had arrived first, pacing the entrance of the train station for ten minutes to buy the flowers, debating if they were too much. It felt like a burning weight in his hand at first, but seeing her rather surprised face, his stomach flippedâthe weight slowly loosen. They were heading to the tomyum shop, and then a cafe at the end of the blockâa place loud enough to fill awkward silences, but intimate enough for what he had to do.
âYouâre quiet tonight, Y/N,â she said, bumping his shoulder lightly with hers âHungry?â
âStarving,â It was a lie. His stomach was in knotsâher profile, illuminated by the passing streetlights, wondered if she had any idea that this wasnât just dinner. To her, this was probably just another hangout. To him, it was the end of a very long fuse.
It had been nearly two years since Y/N first noticed her, on a freshman orientation week, back when she was still a freshman. For the first year, he was just a face in the hallway, and she was the underclassman who always seemed to have the biggest and loudest laugh among her friends. At least that was what he saw. But on one special occasion, he had finally made the move, shifting from an observer to a participant in her life.
They had spent the entire summer break bridging the gap between acquaintance and confidant. He had become the repository for her history, listening quietly as she unpacked the wreckage of her romantic past. She had been cheated onânot once, but twiceâby a past lover she clearly hadnât fully let go of. Y/N had sat through hours of her venting, listening to her oscillate between claiming she wasnât ready for anything new and admitting she missed the familiarity of her ex.
It was a maddening position to be in. Her trauma had made her dense, or perhaps willfully ignorant, to the affection standing right in front of her. Ryujin treated his attention with a frustrating nonchalance, mistaking his devotion for simple kindness. He had hesitated for months, paralysed by her stories of betrayal, afraid that pursuing her would only add him to the list of men who wanted something from her. But, the chatting didnât stop, and neither did the feelings.
He had reached a breaking pointâher oblivion was more painful than her potential rejection. He didnât need a guarantee; he just needed her to know.
The tomyum shop was steaming with the scent of lemongrass and chili paste. As they found their seats in the back, Y/N nodded along to her stories while rehearsing his lines in his head. The dinner was a mere blur of a blur of spicy broth and clinking spoons.
When the bowls were cleared and they were waiting for their shaved ice dessert, Y/N set his phone on the table between them. Suddenly, the noise of the shop seemed to drop away.
âRyujin,â he said, it was steadier than he felt.
She looked at him, her spoon paused halfway to her mouth. For the first time that evening, the nonchalance slipped.
âRemember that I invited you out because I had something to say?â He took a deep breath, venting the pressure that had built up over two years of summer chats and listened complaints. He told her everythingânot a demand for a relationship, but a request to be seen. He told her he liked her, that he had liked her since the orientation week.
The silence that followed was heavy, not that terrible. Ryujin stared at him, her mouth slightly agape, the surprise genuineâit made his stomach flip again. She didnât say yes. She just looked down at his phone, then back at him.
âIâŠâ she started, then trailed off, looking helpless. âI didnât know.â
âI know,â Y/N said, and for the first time in two years, he felt light. âBut now you do.â
She offered no definite answer, and he didn't press for one. He had anticipated the shock, perhaps even the hesitation. Y/N knew he did it; the secret was out, and the rest was up to her.
a/n: a lot of things happening right now and i feel so overwhelmed with everything. this is the only piece i could scrape off my mind, i was venting my thoughts in this writing plus the song mentioned heavily associated with the place and her.
The clink clank sound of the tracks filled the airspace of mineâfor an hour and a halfâbefore long a voice of âSungkyunkwan Universityâ echoed the whole tram. As I took a step onto the platform, a familiar, warm wave of metallic brakes greeted me. My steps were leading my whole consciousness to the exit door as if my feet mechanistically operated by themselves; a self-programmed robot to do specific tasks.
I was torn and bleeding by the sharp words. The melody of âBehindâ by WOODZ bled from my earphones. My mouth found itself mumbling blindly each syllableâit still rememberedâaccompanied by the same chill, cold air. I thoughtlessly followed my steps, then something whirring lifted me. My hand found the rail, cold and rubbery. Unlike the warmth of intertwined fingers.
The creeping pain catches fire. The gush of the wind was a slicing knife. If I stayed even a bit longer there, my face wouldâve been covered with lacerations. My feet followed the pavementâs concrete wave, then a sight of green and white jackets of the university blanketed the area as I made my way out.
Even though my eyes are red. My breath puffed out from the uphill walking. The pain on my feet from wearing platform boots was blooming. The familiar white gate watched me passâits stare was intense, like it knew me from somewhere.
And my breathing is short. My feet just keep on moving. The street, once a river of youthful, lively crowds, was now still, hushed by the serenity of naked trees. Each step felt forced, but I still obliged because I wanted to see the end of it. The songâs verse swelled, and I could almost hear a laugh, light and clear of someoneâs. It cut through the same sharp air all those years ago.
Still, youâre so shameless. They stoppedâthey finally stopped, tethered to the spot they wanted to bring me. The chipped wooden bench, the faded black sign, my reflection on the curved mirror, and âSaemmul Churchâ. My huffed breath hitched. The blooming pain on my feet had long dissipated. I hadnât meant to come here, my feet had just did.
âThe spot,â or so I thought, âHer spot,â as if on cue with the melancholic line: You smile like the sun.
Sheâd led me right back, here, at Suwon, after Iâd spent years walking away.
how i missed christmas and spent hours in train with someone i loathe
ITZY Ryujin X Male Reader
synopsis: y/n's older brother is getting married to ryujin's younger sister on new year's day. as a pre-wedding kickoff, both families decided to celebrate christmas together. y/n and ryujin used to date each other two years ago and by fate, they end up sitting next to each other in a train to their hometown. trapped together, the whole train ride force them to face their bitter past... and each other.
word count: 1.3k
a/n: this is actually my midterm assignment for my creative writing class (im an engineering major btw). this contains a scene that may be disturbing for some readers.
It was the night of December 24th, festive music filled the inside of the moving train. Y/N'd never loved Christmas; heâd rather stay at his studio. His Rotring pencil hovering over a half-finished elevation as the KTX made its way to Seoul. Heâd just closed his leather-bound sketchbook, when a woman paused nearby, her hair tight under extreme tensionâmirroring her face. He didnât look up, instead he put on his noise-canceling headphones. He just wanted the four-hour journey to be over.
As a bag dropped onto his adjacent seat, a familiar, faint scent of citrus perfume he bought years ago bloomed in the cold air. Y/N tensed, his head slowly searching for the scent. No, it couldn't be her. His heart hammered in his throat; he forced himself to look. It was herâShin Ryujin. She was right there, close enough he could see her sharp jawline, one he had traced with his thumb a thousand times before.
âRyujin-ssi?â The sudden, cracked voice made her body jump an inch off the blue seatâshe recognised that voice.
âY/N-ssiâŠâ
âUh...what are you doing here?â
âTo Yuna and Youngjunâs pre-wedding dinner?â
âOh, rightâŠâ
The conversation met its grave, the formality was too gut-wrenching for it to stay alive. Their eyesâonce a mirror of each otherâavoided, but their heads were full of two years of unspoken resentment. Y/Nâs finger tapping frantically on his headphones as if trying to cancel out the sound of her breath. Ryujinâs hands scavenged through her black bag, before yanking out a journal in bold letters: Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
An hour into the journey, apart from the sound leaking out from Y/Nâs headphones, no words were exchanged. His breath had fogged the windowpane, a reflection of the black hairâs back was visible. Her thumb seemed to be clicking her pen for 10 minutes straight now; she hadnât turned a single page yet. His glance met the untouched journalâa full-page diagram of an aortic dissection and bloody incisions. Her shoulders, once high near her ears, now were in a perpetual slump.
He sensed a sudden change in todayâs weather. A white-like particle washed down the ground at an immense speed. Just then, the train halted abruptly, an action accompanied by a startled intake breath. The jolt sent her journal flying; he caught it before his brain reacted, then a sudden shock of glacial cold met his skin.
The unsettlingly familiar warmth Ryujin felt was the same one from two years ago. For a brief moment, their hands were trying to reach equilibrium, before she eventually pulled it back.
âHere. Sorry about that.â
âN-no⊠no. Itâs totally fine.â Her hand reached the suspended journal, mumbling âthanks.â She still couldnât look at his face.
The speaker crackled to life, a monotonous announcement of the current situation followed by a collective groan of the other passengers. The heavy snowfall obstructed the railway and the halt was expected to last indefinitely. No more âJingle Bellsâ melody flowing, it was replaced by an unintended tune of collective exasperation. They might be stuck there the whole Eve. Y/N, slumping over the blue seat, his eyes fixated on the view outsideâit was swallowed whole by the sheer density of snow.
The news of them being trapped in the middle of heavy snowfall seemed to reach the Shinâs household. A buzzing sound cracked the heavy, cold silence in their air. Y/Nâs eyes were drawn to the rather dim screen as Ryujin picked up her phone: ShinnayuâĄ. She hummed lightly, he heard a faint worried voice spilling out her phoneâit was definitely Yuna.
âDonât worry,â her face masked with a professional calm, her tone devoid of warmth. âI donât know till whenâŠIâll be fine.â He knew the blueprint of that tone. He didnât mean to; an involuntary function of his architectural brain. It twinged, like a foundation settling under stress. Their interaction, it wasnât the typical sisterly chat. To Y/N, it was a doctor delivering a prognosis, a calm detachment he was sickeningly familiar with. She then hung up, but he couldnât stop the words from coming out:
âYou seem to do well.â
âWhat?â
âManaging disappointment. You still haven't changed a bit.â
She flinched hard, her eyes widenedâthey lost their clinical focus. âManage?! Change?! Youâre still good at creating disappointment, Y/N. I manage it because you created it in the first place.â
She stopped for a moment, her rising, cracking voice drawing murmurs and sharp glances from the nearby passengers.
âYou have no idea what I manage, Y/N. Every time Iâm in the OR, I canât even handle the moment the scalpel touches skin without vomiting or fainting. I tried so hard. I even took pills before every surgery just to stay alert. But⊠but every time I see blood, I canât help myself.â Ryujin swallowed hard, hand on her mouth, shaking. âAnd you⊠you would always get angry if I couldnât come over to your place.â
âRyu⊠stop it. Everyoneâs looking at us.â His plea only met her glareâtears were glistening, her hands trembling in her lap.
âMy first year as a resident, I almost got suspended because of thatâŠâ Her shaking hands pulled a prescription bottle from her coat. She didnât slam it. She threw it, a stark orange-and-white cylinder landed hard on his lap "Look at it! I take these, Y/N. Every. Single. Day. Just so I can hold a scalpel without my hands shaking. You have no idea what that kind of pressure is likeâŠ"
Her oval face went red, her bloodshot eyes seeking refuge in her hands. He didnât know what to doâheâd always stay silentâbut the weight of unseen gazes pressed down even harder. It clashed painfully with the sight of a trembling woman opposite him.
âYou think youâre the only one matters?â His remark was cold, sharp. âThis whole time you were looking down on me just because I cared?â He scoffed, âUnderstand? Support? I compromised many things for you, Ryu⊠You looked happy when my first architectural project failed. That made me sick.â He gasped for air, âYou always blame me, and now itâs my fault we broke up years ago and you act like this?!
âThen why else did we break up, Y/N? YOU LEFT ME!!â
âBecause you were selfish, Ryujin! You were so selfish you didnât even deserve to be someoneâs anchor. You never cared about me. You always chose the hospital over us. Even when we were together, I was only your background character.â
She finally looked at him, all the fighting draining out of her, replaced by an empty, hollow ache. âAll I ever wanted⊠was to be with you, Y/NâŠâ Her voice was so quiet he barely heard it. The train was silent; the words hung in the air between them. A single, hot tear escaped the corner of her eyes, then another, and another. All of his anger evaporated as he looked at herâhe really looked. He didnât see the woman who had left himâŠbut Ryujin, in pieces. His gentle thumb reached her cheeks, sweeping the tears away.
She didnât hesitate, finally collapsing against his chest. Her arms wrapped tightly around his torsoâshe didnât just hug him, she clung to him. âJust⊠for⊠a minute⊠please.â He didnât pull away. Her breathing relaxed minutes later; she had entered her slumber realm, hands still on his black wool sweater.
The speaker hissed to life again, announcing that the line had been cleared and they would be arriving in Seoul in approximately an hour. It was enough to wake Ryujin up. Her head rested on his shoulder as the dawn rays made their way to her face, the black blanket he had brought draped over her. In the pale light, she looked achingly real.
âMorning, sleepyhead.â
âUm⊠good morning? I heard something just now.â
âApparently we will reach home soon.â
She nodded, slowly pulling away from him. Her eyes slightly puffed, the anger in them gone, as warmth had embraced them.
âRyuâŠâ he called softly. A hum followed. âYou never told me.â
â...I said a lot of things last night.â
âYou⊠took medications.â He looked down at the bottle, still on his lap.
âY/N-ah⊠forget what I said befââ
âIâll go with you. After the wedding.â
âY/NâŠâ
âYouâre not going to that doctorâs appointment alone. Iâll go with you.â
Word count: ~10.9k
A/N: brought back based on popular demand. a new, very silly and kinda same same but very different version from the one i wrote based on @monkebearness's ask back then. everyone thank @ducktoo for making me rewrite this piece.
masterlist
ââââââ ââ â ââââââ
You stood in the middle of your new apartment, out of breath but happy with your accomplishment. Boxes everywhere, clothes still in bags⊠Everything was a pain in the ass to move upstairs since the elevator was closed for maintenance. For the first time in a while, you didnât feel like you were lifeâs punching bag. You actually did something. It wasnât much, just a tiny villa unit in Mangwon-dong; not spacious but at least you had your own space, that was one thing to be proud of. Letting out a loud groan, you looked at your phone.
08:21 PM
Man, Iâm starving.
You hadnât eaten anything since lunch. There wasn't anything in the fridge yet except for a pack of water bottles and some banana milk. You would fill the fridge with proper food and ingredients tomorrow. Tonight was the night to go out for something hot and easy. You figured you deserved it all after all this. The stress, the move, the weeks of saving up and torturing your life into this place. You grabbed your wallet and your phone, slipped into your slides then walked outside. That was when you saw a woman.
She was sitting in front of the door across from yours, knees pulled to her chest and her head down. She was crying, so naturally you thought she was just locked out; it also sounded like she was trying hard not to make any noise but the helpless sound just slipped out anyway. But then you noticed how her hand trembled every time she reached for the doorlock. Denied. Denied. She was barely holding it together now.
Should I help her?
You were quite an introvert, therefore comforting strangers wasnât really your thing. But leaving a woman alone like this didnât feel right either. So you crouched down, voice low not to scare her when you spoke.
âExcuse me⊠Are you okay?â
She flinched and paused for a few seconds before wiping at her face messily with the sleeve of hoodie. Now that you got a clearer look of her face, the woman was gorgeous even in this state. And the moles directly under her eye instantly took your attention away. Once you notice them, you couldnât look at anything else.
WowâŠ
Her lips trembled as she tried to press them together, and her hands kept shaking. You then cleared your throat softly, eyes back to the door lock.
âYouâre using the fingerprint one, right?â.
Her head barely moved as she nodded, so you leaned in to check the side of the lock.
âLooks like it activated the anti break in thingy. Might happen if you try too many times. Can IâŠ?â
She sniffed a few times before silently shifting to the side. You played around and found the tiny reset switch that people didnât know was there.Â
Beep Beep
âOkay. Should be fine now.â
Her hand hovered in the air for a second before she pressed her finger to the sensor.Â
âThank youâŠâÂ
Her shoulder finally loosened as a familiar tune played when the door finally unlocked. You straightened up, stepping back a little on your knees to give her some space.
âAh, no problem⊠Are you okay now?â
Well, that did it. Asking people if they were okay always seemed to do the opposite. Her breath suddenly caught as her eyes flooded again, much more vulnerable this time. She reached out to grab your t-shirt before you could even process what was going on and pulled you down toward her like she couldnât hold it in anymore. She pressed her face into your chest, body shaking. Having never ever been in this type of scenario before, you didnât know what to do, hands hovering awkwardly in the air before slowly coming down to rest on her back, patting her there gently. You chose to stay there for her and let her cry. A lump formed in your throat but you swallowed it back.Â
âItâs okay⊠Iâm here. Iâm here.â
The hallway was quiet until someone had to walk past. Perfect timing. One of the guys from the floor above glanced your way, slowing down and raising his eyebrows at the scene.
âHi⊠uhâ nothing to see here.â you gave a small wave at him before patting the girl on the back again.Â
The guy blinked and nodded before shuffling past like he saw nothing. Kneeling in the hallway, holding a girl you didnât even know; what a way to spend your first day at your new place. Her shoulders kept trembling, with sharp breaths going in and out. You werenât sure what else to do next so you just slowly lifted a hand and patted her on the head. She then nuzzled even closer into your shoulder, hands still clutching your t-shirt. A few minutes then passed just like that, quiet except for her crying and breathing. Eventually, the girl pulled back and wiped at her face.
âAre you⊠okay?â
She nodded and stayed silent for a few seconds. Her eyes were a little clearer when she looked back at you.
âWhat is yourââ
She sniffled, asking again softly.
âWhat is your name?âÂ
Cute.
Letting out a quiet breath, you loosened your hold on her slowly like you were afraid she would break down again when you let go completely. You told her your name before asking her the same question.
âAnd⊠you?â
She wiped under her eyes with her sleeve, a smile barely on her lips.
âIâm Park Sohyun.â
âOkay⊠Park Sohyun-ssi.â
You scratched your neck, still awkward in your spot.
âAre you feeling a bit better now?â
âAh, yes, yes... Thank you.âÂ
Sohyun let out a relieved sound. She then stood up and bowed her head a little. When you finally stood up, Sohyun turned and tapped her door to walk inside. You stood in the hallway for another second, staring at her door. Your shirt smelled like her perfume. Nice. Feminine. Sophisticated. You rubbed your face and slowly dragged your feet downstairs, not forgetting why you stepped out in the first place.
A few minutes later, you were sitting at a small noodle spot near your place. Metal chopsticks in one hand, your phone in the other. The steam rose from the kalguksu bowl into your face and fogged your glasses a bit, but you didnât care. Your thumb scrolled through your gallery and paused on a familiar photo of your ex.
Seo Dahyun
Her angelic voice, her smile immediately flashed through your mind. Back then, you didnât want to hear anything bad about her, even when your friends told you she was just using you and she kept you around because you were⊠easy. You didnât believe them, or your dumbass just chose not to believe them. You were young, naive and thought loyalty would be everything. Then uni came, and Dahyun disappeared a month in. No warning, no breakup, no text, no fight. Gone completely. It hurt, it still did even if you tried to act tough like it didnât. You knew you shouldâve deleted her photos by now. But you didnât.
You idiot.
Mind heavy with the crazy day, you put your phone down on the table and pushed the noodles around your chopsticks before finally taking the first bite. When you got home, you didnât think of Dahyun again. Your mind instead went straight to Sohyun.Â
âPark SohyunâŠâ
âPretty name.â
âŠ
âAnd sheâs pretty.â
Her shaking hands, how sheâd clutched onto your t-shirt, the mole under her eyes, her soft round cheeks, her lips⊠You stared at your ceiling for a few minutes before tossing your phone onto the mattress. For the first time in a long while, the memory of Chaeyeon hurt less, with some beautiful stranger filling the space tonight.
Dang, I have to clean up. Work and classes tomorrowâŠ
ââââââ ââ â ââââââ
You were smart enough to get into a good school, enough to do what your parents wanted, medicine. When you said you were interested in fashion design, they didnât exactly like it. They still loved you and saw you as their son, but you were on your own. No tuition help. No monthly financial help or money wired to your bank accounts like some of your classmates got. You worked your ass off to survive. Sometimes you thought about how things couldâve been if you chose to pursue the other route, about something your parents could brag to their friends. But it didnât make sense. You wanted this life, so that meant you had to walk into design theory class at 9AM the next morning, then some fabric analysis class.
In the afternoon, you headed straight to your part time job. A small printing and production shop not far from home; it wasnât glamorous, but at least it paid the bills. You clocked out at around 5:30PM, body sore. On the way home, you stopped by the grocery store to get everything you needed to survive for the next week. When you eventually reached your floor, you stopped in your tracks. She was there.
Park Sohyun
Her hair was neatly tied back, leaving enough loose to fall around her round cheeks. Gray off-shoulder long sleeved top showing off one side of her frame, blue jeans, phone clutched in her hands like she wasnât sure what to do next. She looked at you the moment she heard your footsteps. Her lips pressed together, eyes a little brighter. You didnât expect Sohyun to look this stunning in only casual clothing. Well, to be fair, you found her crying in front of her door last night.
âHiâŠâ
She waved awkwardly, voice shy.
âAhâ Hi, Sohyun-ssi. Do you need anything? Is⊠anything wrong?â
âNo, noâ not at all.â she eyed the grocery bag in your hands. âAre you cooking tonight?â
âThis? I think so⊠Umm, whatâs wrong?â
âI was wonderingâŠâ her fingers gripped her phone tightly. âIf I can cook something⊠for you? My place?â
âFor me?â
Sohyun nodded, pink slowly rising to her cheeks.Â
âTo say thank you. For⊠you know, yesterday. I want toâ umm, that.â
âAh, oh⊠Su- sure. If you want to.â
Her lips curved into a soft smile, shoulders loosened.
âGreat. Give me 20 minutes.â
Then she turned, clumsily fumbled with her door and disappeared inside without looking back at you.
What the fuck just happened?
You quickly got inside your place and set the grocery bag on the small kitchen counter. Your shirt still smelled too much like the printing shop. Ink, sweat and fabric. Still sixteen minutes left when you looked at the clock, plenty of time. You then grabbed some clean clothes and jumped right into the shower. Getting out and finally changing, you wiped at the mirror with your palm and stared at yourself.
Why am I nervous? Itâs not a date or anything, right? Sheâs just thanking me for yesterday.Â
You sprayed on just a teeny tiny bit of cologne, hoping you wouldnât smell too much like a try hard. Two minutes left. Close enough. All nervous and anxious, you walked to her door and lifted your hand to knock. The door opened a few seconds later with Sohyun holding a spatula in one hand, a pink checkered apron tied loosely around her waist, hair now tied into a loose ponytail. Her cheeks were pink, maybe from the heat while cooking.
âWah.â you glanced at the spatula. âYouâre really cooking.â
Sohyun giggled softly and stepped aside to let you in.
âOf course I am. Come in, please.âÂ
You finally stepped inside, the smell of food already filling the space. Sohyunâs place was a little similar to yours, but visibly bigger with more rooms and it actually had space to display things. Vinyl records lined on one wall, framed abstract paintings, a bunch of books stacked neatly on floating shelves, etc. She must work or do something in the creative field for a living. Your guess? A musician, and definitely way better off than you were. You were still standing dumbfounded when Sohyun tiptoed into your view, spatula wiggling in the air.
âUhm, so⊠what do you think? Of the place and all?â
You glanced around for a few seconds more, eyes drifting to records again.
âItâs nice. Way nicer than mine.â
âEh⊠itâs not that nice.â
âI mean, itâs not a shoebox like mine so⊠way better.â
That actually made her laugh. She then pointed the spatula at the dining table near the kitchen.
âUmm, sit down, please. Iâm almost done cooking.â
â...Okay, thank you.âÂ
You pulled out a chair and dropped into it, elbows on the table, palms slightly warm as she got back to preparing the food.
âSo are you in uni or⊠working right now? You look young.â
âUmm, Iâm in Hongik. Fashion design.â
Based on the way she gasped, you knew Sohyun wasnât expecting that one at all.Â
âOh wah, really?â
âYes, I got in through Suneung, somehow.â
Sohyun hummed, stirring whatever she was cooking.
âSo what about you, Sohyun-ssi?â
âI make music. Produce stuff and⊠a bit of dancing every once in a while.â she glanced over her shoulder.
âThat explains it. You look like a very artistic person.â
Sohyun laughed softly under her breath, tapping the spatula against the pot.
âIs that a compliment?â
âIt is, Iâm not joking.â
Sohyun pursed her lips before turning her attention back to the pot. Maybe she wasnât used to hearing it directly.
âMay I ask how old you are?â you asked.
âI was born in 2002. So Iâm 24 now.â
âAh, so⊠noona. Iâm two years younger.â
âŠ
âNoona is⊠good.â
A few minutes then passed, not exactly awkward but neither of you said much. When Sohyun finished cooking and grabbed two plates, you stood up to offer help.
âI got it, noona.â
Sohyun shook her head quickly, hugging them close to her body.
âNo, itâs fine. Youâre the guest, just sit.â
No matter how hard you insist, Sohyun wouldnât let you help her so you eventually settled back into your seat. Sohyun then brought the plates over and set the food carefully on the table. Stomach growling the second you saw them, you mumbled.
âThanks for the meal, noona. These look delicious.â
âYouâre welcome.â she smiled.
You then picked up your chopsticks, grabbing a piece of food and blowing on it a bit before putting it in your mouth. It tasted just as good as it looked.
âWow.â your mouth were still chewing. âThis is actually really good, noona.â.
âYouâre just bluffing.â
âIâm not. Iâve beââ you swallowed. âIâve been eating convenience store sandwiches for the past week, I know what bad tastes like.â
That made Sohyun laugh a bit loudly, a genuine and dorky sound that made her regret it instantly. She stopped, eyes widening with her hand flying up to cover her mouth.Â
âSorry.â she mumbled behind her fingers, cheeks flushed.
âItâs okay, noona. Itâs⊠cute.â
Sohyun looked back down to her bowl for an instant before finally eating. After a few more quiet bites, you gathered up the courage to ask.
âNoona, can I ask you something?â
Sohyun looked up from her bowl, food full in one cheek.
Cute.
âHmm?â
âYou said you produce music and stuff, right?â
She nodded.
âHowâd you get into that?â
She stayed quiet a little more, chewing slowly to buy time.Â
âI was an idol trainee.â
âReally?â
Sohyun smiled. âYeah, for a few years.â
âWhat happened?â
âIt didnât work out, I guess. They said I wasnât the right fit. Good dancing, good singing but lacking in something. I changed companies several times too.â her voice stayed calm, but you could tell there was something about the memories. âThey all said I was lacking something⊠Guess I didnât look pretty enough.â
âBut you look so prettyâŠâ
Her cheeks flushed again.Â
âYouâre just saying that.â
âIâm not, noona.â
Sohyun kept her head down, but you didnât miss how her mouth was twitching to hide another smile from coming out.
âSo you just switched to producing?âÂ
âYes, I also do a bit of dancing every now and then butâŠâ her fingers played with her bowl. âI already spent a lot of time training and music still is something Iâm very passionate about.â
âWow⊠so youâre making your own stuff now?â
âMm. Songs and demos. Some for small companies. I got lucky and produced for a few big companies a few weeks back. Sometimes I just make music for myself. Itâs more like a freelance job. Not stable or fancy but⊠I got myself this place.â
You leaned back in your chair, eyes scanning her living space again.
âThatâs really amazing, noona.â
âThanks. What about you?â
âMe?â
Sohyun nodded, resting her chin in her hand now that the awkward vibe earlier had probably died down a little.
âYou said youâre studying fashion design?â
âAh, thatâs right.â
âThatâs cool. I havenât met many guys who chose to pursue this type of career.â
âMy parents werenât really happy with my decision. They want me to be a doctor like my dad.â Sohyun stayed quiet, listening and humming. âSo⊠Iâm on my own for now. Tuition, rent and all of it. Part-time job pays the bills somehow.â
Sohyun pursed her lips, bright boba eyes shooting at you with a hint of pity that looked too adorable.
âThat must be tough.â
âItâs not that bad, noona. At least I get to have dinner cooked by you.â
The two of you kept talking as you ate; conversations flowed between small stories, random jokes and bits of your life you didnât usually share with someone who youâd just met yesterday. But it felt nice somehow. By the time you finished the meal, the room felt much lighter than before. Sohyun stood up first to gather the plates. You tried to help but she waved you off again, moving towards the sink. You followed her anyway, standing close behind as she rinsed the dishes with her back to you, pink checkered apron still around her waist. The off-shoulder top slipped just a little as she moved, revealing more of her bare shoulder. You then stepped closer, lifting your hands gently to grip her shoulders lightly. Sohyun tensed up the second one hand landed on her bare shoulder, her skin soft under your palm as you ease her back.Â
âI got this, noona. You already cooked.â
Despite letting out an annoyed sound, Sohyun didnât resist. She slowly stepped aside and took off her apron to let you take over. Sohyun leaned against the kitchen counter and watched you work. When you finished and dried your hands, she shifted on her feet.
âYou⊠You wanna go into my bedroom?â
âHuh!?âÂ
Caught off guard, your ears burned at the sudden offer. Sohyun looked just as flustered, waving her hands quickly.Â
âNâ No! No! Not like that! I just meant likeâŠâ she rubbed her arm awkwardly. âI wanna show you my music stuff. My work.â
âAh, okay, noona.â
She bit her lips, looking away for a second.
âSorry. Iâm awkward sometimes.â
You laughed quietly, playing with your pockets.
âThat makes two of us then.â
Sohyun led the way into her room. The second you walked in, you noticed the scent first, warm and nice, something expensive. Sohyunâs bedroom looked exactly like her. Creative, feminine, a little sophisticated and beautiful. Vinyl records were on the walls again. Next to them was a small shelf with perfume bottles of different colors and shapes. There were also books stacked on floating shelves, some leaning over like sheâd been reading them recently. Across the bed, there was a TV mounted on the wall. To your right, near the door, was her workspace. A desk set up with her PC, a musical keyboard, an electric guitar and some other musical stuff you had no idea what they were. Her chair creaked softly as she sat down. Sohyun then reached over and pulled out another chair, sliding it out to you as her eyes looked up at you, lips smiling.
âSit, sit.â
Your cheeks heated up a little at the soft offer, but you played it cool. You took the seat next to her, close enough that your knees almost touched. Sohyun started clicking through a few folders on her computer.
âDo you know tripleS?â she asked, glancing at you.
âUmm, Iâve heard a few of their songs.â
Her lips twitched, holding back a grin.
âI actually produced quite a few for them.â
You gasped.Â
âSeriously? Thatâs crazy, noona.â
âNot the title tracks. Just some b-sides. Some backing vocals and mixing jobs too.â
Sohyun opened a file and dragged the timeline to some specific parts. Then, she grabbed a headphone on the armrest and gently slipped it gently over your ears. Her hands brushed the sides of your face for a second, it wasnât a grand gesture but enough to make your heart jump. The music played, clean and crisp in your ears. While you listened, you felt her eyes watching you attentively with a proud smile. Her body leaned just slightly toward you, eager to see your reaction. When the song ended, you pulled the headphones down, genuinely impressed
âThat was great, noona. Youâre so cool.â
Sohyun tried to hide the way her cheeks flushed but to no avail, fiddling with her mouse again.
âDo you know Heejin?âÂ
Your eyes widened at the mention of the name.
âHeejin? Jeon Heejin?â
Sohyun nodded like it was no big deal.Â
âYup! Her. Weâre actually friends. I worked on a song for her recently but itâs not out yet.â
âNo way.â you leaned back in the chair, almost falling to the floor. âIâm a huge fan of her, noona.â
Sohyun laughed, that same shy and dorky laugh you were starting to get addicted to. She covered her mouth with her hand again, her eyes squinting from laughing too hard.
âIâll definitely tell her that.â
âWhat else do you have to hide from me, noona? Youâre secretly famous?â
âUh⊠I told you I dance.â
âMm hmm.â
âI was in Twiceâs Cheer Up MV. Just a background actor though.â
âNo wayâŠâ
âI was a backup dancer on stage for Momoland once. I was called in last minute.â
You let out a gasp.Â
âCan you show me that one?â
Sohyun hesitated, biting her bottom lip.Â
âAh⊠do I really have to?â
âYes!â you insisted, leaning closer. âPlease, noona. I wanna see.â
Sohyun groaned softly but clicked on Youtube anyway, pulling up a saved video. The moment the performance started, your eyes were glued to the screen to find her. Sohyun then showed up in a wide shotâ
âThere you are, noona! Look at you!â
You pointed at the screen, mouth wide like youâd just spotted something worth a fortune. Sohyun let out a whiny laugh and tried to cover your eyes with both hands.
âYah! Donât look.â
You laughed, grabbing her wrists and holding them back.Â
âNo! Let me seeâ Come on!â
âNo! Donât watch itââ
âI want toooo!â
Sohyun kept trying to block your view, both of you laughing like idiots. In the middle of all that, you lost your balance as the chair titled back just slightly and you fell to the ground.
âOh fucââ
You landed hard with your back against the floor. Sohyun also fell right on top of you, her body pressing tightly against yours. Her face hovered dangerously close, scent filling something in you.
âAre you okay?â
âIâm fine, noonaâŠâ
Her lips looked so good, breath a little shaky. Both your cheeks were flushed, but neither made a move to sit up first. Thus, you cupped Sohyunâs round cheeks, thumbs brushing the soft skin right under her eyes. Still, she didnât break away from your touch and kept eye contact, her pupil dilating. You didnât think much and just kissed her. It was soft at first as you tested the line. But Sohyun kissed you back, breath catching in her throat. Your heart raced, fearing you stepped over the line too much now. You pulled back, seeing Sohyun both shocked and breathless.You thought a slap or a punch would come next, eyes almost closing to prepare for a hit when Sohyun leaned in again.
âIâm really sorry. I didnât mean to kiss you like thââ
Sohyun cut you off with a kiss, this time harder with her hands gripping your shirt tight. Her mouth parted slightly, breath hot against yours. You saw your chance and slid your hands down her back, fingers holding her waist. When Sohyun broke the kiss, she sat up and shifted her hips to sit on your stomach now. The room felt weird, the good kind of weird, as she looked down at you with a pleased and shy smile.
âIâ uhâŠâ
âThat happened fast.â
âIt didâŠâ your heart pounded like crazy. âI swear I didnât mean to kiss you like that, noona.â
Sohyun put her hands on your chest, feeling the way your heart beat.
âAh, no, no⊠I also liked it. A lot more than you think.â
Relieved and happy at the same time, you let out a long sigh that you didnât even know you were holding. Sohyun giggled at the sight before offering.
âWanna watch⊠I donât know, watch the performance again? We missed half of it.â
âOkay. That sounds good.â
Sohyun shifted happily on your stomach, adjusting herself to get ready to stand up; but as she moved, her hands slid down and accidentally pushed at your crotch. The moment Sohyun realized where her hand touched, her eyes went wide, cheeks evolving from pink to straight red.
âAahââ
You coughed to cover up the embarrassment, face also heating up. Sohyun quickly jerked her hand back like she was electrocuted, voice coming out panicked.
âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry! I didnât mean to do that! I wasnât tryinââ
You sat up, just as flustered.
âItâs fine, noona. Really.â
Sohyun quickly scrambled off your lap, fixing her hair. She helped you up, eyes looking everywhere but your face. Once you both stood up, Sohyun let out a shaky breath and gestured to you to sit back. The mood was now back into awkward territory. You both sat in silence, knees touching.Â
âSo, uhâŠâ her fingers fidgeted with the mouse, trying to break the silence. âWhat kind of music do you usually listen to?â
âLately? Umm, a lot of sad music. Heartbreak and those stuff, you know.âÂ
âWhy?â
And for some reason, you let it all out about Dahyun. Maybe it was because of the way Sohyun was looking at you like she actually wanted to listen. She put on a moody playlist as the night went on. She asked. You answered. Back and forth. By the time you finished, Sohyun was pouting, her lips downward as she spoke like she was afraid she might break you.
âThatâs so sadâŠâ
She scooted her chair closer, the music still playing in the background and matching the mood.Â
âIâm sorry you went through it all like that, really.â
Her hands reached out, fingertips on your sleeves like she wasnât sure if she should hold your hands yet. You sat there for a moment, shy and scared at the same time.
âNoonaâŠâ
Sohyun hummed. Still too nervous, you gathered your remaining courage and made your shot.
âThis thing tonight, youâre feeling the same as I do, right?â
She looked at you for a long second, her eyes soft and reflecting the glow from the monitor. Then, with a small nod, she spoke.
âYes, donât worry. I feel the same thing too.â
Like on command, first the relief hit you, then came the warmth from her words, reaching every corner and untangled something that youâd thought to be unresolvable. You smiled, the attempt weak but it grew the moment she smiled back. None of this didnât make sense. Youâd just met yesterday and hadnât even figured out what her favorite movie was or what she liked to eat. And yet, it felt youâd found the exact place to put your feelings again, all on a girl who looked at you like you werenât just a stranger less than twenty four hours ago.
âCan I, uhââ
âHmm?â Sohyun tilted her head, smiling to encourage you. âItâs okay. Whatâs wrong?â
âCan I hug you now, noona?â
Sohyun chuckled at your silly question, eyes curving, lips still plump from earlier.
âOf course, you can. Youâre so cute.â
You leaned in and looped your arms around Sohyun, pulling her into you slowly and not too rough, not too fast, just enough to feel her warmth again. She hugged you back, chin fidgeting gently on your shoulder. Then, still in the hug, her low and giggly voice arrived in your ear.
âCan you give me your phone?â
âHmm?â
âLetâs exchange numbers and SNS.â Sohyun pulled her head back with a smile. âWe just met yesterday, you know. Gotta make sure you donât move out and disappear on noona tomorrow, right?â
Silly you.
âAh. Right, right.â
You fumbled to fish out your phone from your pocket and handed it to her, still holding her with one arm. Sohyun took it, but the second the screen lit up, she paused and squinted at the lockscreen.
âAeng?â
She broke the hug; her lower lip puffed out, eyebrows scrunching together as she tried to pull the best âoffendedâ acting that she could, waving the phone with Heejin as your lockscreen.
âYah, seriously?! Jeon Heejin?â
âAh, that⊠Itâs not likeâ Wait, noona.â
Your finger struggled to unlock the phone, already messing up the passcode twice. Sohyunâs lips were already twitching upward, the fake angry smirk she kept trying to hold only made her impossibly cute. You just couldnât take her seriously anymore.
âSo you like her in that way?â
âSheâs just an idol, noona. And I already, I mean⊠I told you Iâm a fan earlier.â
âMm hmm. Fanboy.â Sohyun pretended to study the photo before closing in on you like a suspect. âWho else? Better tell me everything tonight or we are done, pretty boy.â
That âpretty boyâ did great damage to you, though you hid it well. Scratching your cheek, you tried not to smile so hard.
âUh⊠I like IVE, Twice too. Maybe a little ofâ But I swear, if you give me a chance, noona⊠Iâll forget them all, instantly.â
Sohyun let out a small laugh before pinching your cheek.
âSo you really like pretty women, hmm?â
âI meanâŠâ you stared back into her twinkling eyes. âSeems like I do, noona.â
She put more effort into the pinch before finally letting go and rubbing over the same spot.
âHmph. Such a smooth talker.â
âOnly when I mean it.â
âBut itâs okay. Iâm just glad that you think Iâm pretty too. Just make sure to keep room for noona in your heart too, okay?â
---
Later that night, everything was dark except for your bright phone screen. You were on the bed, almost half an hour deep in Sohyunâs instagram.
@sohyunz14 / 24k followers
You didnât mean to stalk that hard, but here you were liking a post from two months ago, thumb hovering over the screen like you had no self control. Her feed was full of mirror selfies, studio clips, old dance practice videos, etc. And Sohyun was beautiful in all of them. Your heart did a flip every time you saw a new picture. How could a human being be this beauâ
Sohyun texted.
[ë°ì€ ^^]
what are u doing?
stalking me?
You shouldnât have liked her old photos, you idiot.
[ëŹëČ볎ìŽ]
âŠ
I canât help it, noona
ur so beautiful
[ë°ì€ ^^]
ă ă ă
ur smooth so when u wanna be
i donât mind it tho
but i like you flustered much better
[ëŹëČ볎ìŽ]
u know what u do to me, noona
u clearly know iâm weak when u talk like that
[ë°ì€ ^^]
hmmm⊠yeah?
i like knowing i can do that to u
but donât worry, iâm shy too
You smiled uncontrollably like a teenager at her answers. But your mind drifted back to earlier. Yes, that was something, but you still felt like your relationship wasnât clearly defined yet. It was too risky to start something new in just under two days. And you couldnât help it when the memory of Dahyun crept up again. What if Sohyun was just like Dahyun? What if she left you when things just got happy?
[ëŹëČ볎ìŽ]
noona, we just met. i clearly like u a lot butâŠ
what are we right now?Â
friends or the some stage?
You then immediately lock your phone and stared at the ceiling, clearly expecting an honest answer.Â
[ë°ì€ ^^]
iâm a bit scared too
but i want to honest with u, i like u a lot even though we just met
maybe we are at the some stage...
and i would like to get to know u more
is that ok?
Your heart wanted to dive straight in, but your mind still hesitated; more than friends and less than lovers? For some reason, things felt different with Sohyun, real enough to encourage you to try. You took a breath and let your fingers do their thing.
[ëŹëČ볎ìŽ]
thatâs good for me too, noona
[ë°ì€ ^^]
itâs good for me tooo~
iâm really glad we found each other
u made me feel very safe and happy, last night and tonight
[ëŹëČ볎ìŽ]
i couldnât just leave u like that, noona
alsoâŠ
can i have a few of ur pictures⊠pls
so that i can change my lockscreen photo?
You made an attempt, might as well, right?Â
[ë°ì€ ^^]
not now, pretty boy
gotta keep u waiting sometimes
Just as you were about to sigh, another message came in.
[ë°ì€ ^^]
but here⊠u were so cute tonight
these are not from tonight. iâm wearing a clay mask so cant show you that yet ă ă ă
these are old photos
Sohyun was gorgeous in all of them. But your heart tripped the moment your focus went to her moles. The most special one was under her right eye, a tear mole. She looked so damn hot. It felt like texting your crush in middle school all over again. Only now you were grown, and this time it was real. Your phone vibrated.
[ë°ì€ ^^]
do u have classes tomorrow?
wanna go out for coffee or smth?
[ëŹëČ볎ìŽ]
i got classesâŠ
and part time job too.
[ë°ì€ ^^]
thatâs a shameâŠ
[ëŹëČ볎ìŽ]
I knowwww
how about tomorrow night, noona?
[ë°ì€ ^^]
then go to sleep ă ă ă
weâll talk about this later, we still have a lot of time
u will get tired if we keep texting like thisÂ
[ëŹëČ볎ìŽ]
but i wanna talk with u more, noonaâŠ
[ë°ì€ ^^]
we will have time
donât make noona scold u
sleep now, pretty boy
[ëŹëČ볎ìŽ]
plsâŠ
You were absolutely down bad at this point.
[ë°ì€ ^^]
ă ă ă ă
ur so needy
but i like it a lot
sleep. noona will text u in the morning.
sleep well~~
You texted her good night and locked your phone. You tried to close your eyes, you actually did but a stupid smile was stuck on your face, keeping you from a good night sleep. For the first time in a long while, you werenât thinking about a certain someone named Seo Dahyun at all.
ââââââ ââ â ââââââ
Over the next few weeks, you and Sohyun started to spend more time together. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes by accident. She came over whenever she was bored, curling up on your tiny couch with her laptop while you sketched out ideas for design. Sometimes you worked in silence, sometimes she played random demos that she was working on while asking âHow does this sound?â. You went over to her place whenever she had some problem she didnât want to deal with alone. Broken switches, fixing the lights in her bedroom, replacing the showerheadâŠ. She would stand behind you, tiptoeing over your shoulder while you worked, always close enough for you to smell her perfume. Sometimes she cooked for you. Sometimes you just ordered food and ate side by side on the floor, already happy with each otherâs presence. When you came home exhausted from work or school, Sohyun was always there. Whether it was a simple text like âcome over, pretty boyâ or just her addictive voice, humming to call you in the hallway. The both of you also got to a point where you just added each otherâs fingerprints on your door locks.
At first, you thought Sohyun was the cool, mysterious type. She looked like that on the outside. Low toned voice, chic and cool girl wardrobe; Sohyun was full of girl crush vibe, always in public with a âdonât care about anythingâ attitude. But the more time you spent with her, the more you realized.
Park Sohyun was an absolute dork, an adorable one at that.
She laughed at weird memes you showed her, the same ones your friends thought were stupid. She randomly made weird cute sounds all day. And she had a lot of aegyo, not the forced kind either, but the natural ones that just slipped out naturally. Whenever you caught her doing it, sheâd whine and get all pouty.
---
âNoona, did you just say âkyuuu~â while pouring ramyeon?â
âShut up⊠Donât look at me.â
-
âWhy were you dancing like that, noona?â
âI didnât!â
-
âStop pouting or Iâm gonna cut your lips off, noona.â
âNo, you wouldnât! And I wasnât pouting.â
-
"You're older than me, noona. You should know how to do this."
"But I don't know how to install it and I might mess up the whole PC... Please help me~"
"Is this the same Park Sohyun who scolded me over forgetting to turn off the stove yesterday?"
"Just... I don't know~ Help me~"
---
And there was one more thing you learned about Park Sohyun. She liked to act all tough and older. The noona who teased you first. The one who called you loverboy, pretty boy and always said âdonât make noona scold you.â But said noona would fold so easily the second you tried to retaliate and take back control. And sheâd never admit it.Â
If you tugged her wrist and made her sit down? Folded. If you cornered her a little, stared into her eyes for a few seconds too long? Folded. If you tsked and stared at her like you were actually annoyed (you werenât ever like that)? Folded.
---
You two were sitting on the floor at her low table one night, bowls of spicy jjajang tteokbokki between you. Some comedy movie was playing on the TV. You were about to take another bite when she leaned in with a napkin to wipe at the corner of your lips.
âMessy again~â Sohyun cooed, so proud of herself. âAigoo, do you need noona to feed you all the time?â
That cute smug look on her face, the way it always was when she tried to act in control.
âSuch a baby sometimes.â she wiped at the same position again even though they were already gone. âWhat would you do without me, huh?â
You let it happen at first, let her play the role. But Sohyun kept pushing. Calling you baby and looking at you like she had you wrapped around her finger. So this time, you decided to flip the script just for fun. You caught her wrist so fast she was actually startled before pulling her right into your lap. Sohyunâs body went stiff the second she rested sideways on your lap.
âYah...â
You instantly cupped both of her squishy cheeks with one hand easily, fingers rubbing that soft feature of hers that always distracted you.
âLook at you now, noona. All that talk but you lose so easily.â
âNo, I donâtâŠâ
You squished her cheeks again. Her eyes went wide, though she made no effort to escape. Then you picked up a piece of tteokbokki from the bowl on the table.
âSay ahh.â
Her cheeks flushed red but she didnât pull away. Slowly and shyly, Sohyun opened her mouth for you to feed her. Satisfied, you dropped the chopsticks into the bowl before holding her waist close, keeping her secure in your lap. When she finally swallowed, she peeked at you through her lashes.
âI only lose this time.â
"I let you lose and win, noona."
"You wish, pretty boy."
"Keep telling yourself that, Doraemon."
-
It was a slow Saturday evening, no work, no classes. Youâd come over to help Sohyun cook, or at least that was what she said.
âYou canât cook.â Sohyun handed you a bowl of vegetables and teased. âYou barely survived boiling ramyeon last time, idiot.â
You rolled your eyes at her ridiculous and outdated statement.
âThat was one time, Doraemon. Iâve leveled up since then.â
âYah~ Donât call me Doraemon.â
The kitchen smelled amazing already ten minutes in. Sohyun was at the counter, focused on cutting carrots while you stood by the sink washing the greens. The vibe was cozy, soft with Sohyun humming some tunes that sheâd been working on. Just all you needed after a week full of classes and work.
âNoona.â
âMmm?â
âYou donât trust me with that sharp thing?â
âOf course not, pretty boy. Thatâs why youâre on washing duty, not cutting.â
You snorted, shaking water droplets at her.
âOkay. Just so you know, Iâm actually hurt. But whatever, you do what you want, noona.â
Sohyun smirked as she looked at you.
âYouâre cute when you sulk, you know that?â
âI donât sulk.â
âYou do. âIâm sulking and poutingâ is literally written on your face right now.â
You denied, still rinsing the greens.
âSure youâre not, you big baby.â
The two of you worked in silence for a while. Then suddenly, her hip nudged yours as she tried to reach the plate next to you.
âMove, loverboy.â
Playing the petty card, you stepped to the side only an inch and stayed put.
âSay please, noona.â
âExcuse me?â
âManners, you know.â
Sohyun gave a small laugh through her nose, glaring at you like she was actually offended.
âYah, youâre getting bold lately.â
âMaybe Iâve been learning from you.â
Sohyun bumped her hip into yours again with a grunt. Still, you didnât move.
âStill not moving?â
âNope.â
That was when she started to push harder while laughing under her breath.
âYah! Move.â
âCareful.âÂ
You warned, eyes on the knife wobbly in her hand. But Sohyun only giggled harder and tried again, this time putting more weight into it.
âDonât tell me what to doââ
âWait, noonââ
The knife slipped from her hold, grazing across her finger. The sound Sohyun let out broke whatever remaining playful energy left in the air as she immediately dropped the knife onto the counter and hissed, holding her hand close to her chest.
âYah⊠Didnât I tell you to be careful?â your heart pounded as you held her wrist. âAre you hurt?â
Sohyun winced.
âItâs okay. Just a small cut.â
âTiny or not, youâre still bleeding, idiot. You shouldâve paid more attention.â
You quickly opened the top cupboard and pulled out a bandaid, carefully wrapping it around her finger.
âThere⊠That should help it.â
Sohyun didnât answer. You looked at her face, seeing her huffing quietly with her lips pressed, eyes turned away. The playful sparkle earlier was gone, the quiet pout that had just taken over told you she wasnât that angry, just hurt from how you raised your voice. So you leaned down closer to catch her eyes.
âNoona⊠Park Sohyun.â
She moved her eyes to the side, now suddenly interested in the spoons and chopsticks rack. You sighed.
âCome on, noona⊠Donât ignore me.â
Still nothing. You sighed and stepped closer, hands quickly finding her hips.
âYah! What are you dââ
Despite Sohyun resisting for a moment with her palms pressing against your shoulders, she eventually gave up with a quiet groan as you gently lifted her up and set her down on the counter. You stayed there in front of her, so close that her legs almost wrapped around your waist.
âNoona, Iâm sorry⊠I didnât mean to yell. You bled and I didnât know how bad it was.â
Sohyun kept her arms crossed and lips pressed together, still stubbornly staring at the far wall.
âI know I shouldnât have snapped. You know I didnât want you to get hurt, noona.â
âŠ
âYouâre really not gonna talk to me, really?â
The only response was the rise and fall of her shoulder, nothing audible and no look your way. So you did the only thing you could think of, catching her cheeks with both hands and stretching them out.
âAnswer me, Doraemon. Answer meee.â
Finally, Sohyun squeaked.
âYah!â
âCome on. At least glare at me properly.â
Sohyun tried to, eyes burning yours with the fakest hint of anger, cheeks pulled out like mochi. An absolutely adorable sight.
âThere it is. That almost looks like a smile.â
Sohyun could only keep the frown alive for a few seconds longer before a tiny, stifled laugh found its way out and turned into a giggle.
âStop! It hurts.â she slapped your hands away. "You're so childish sometimes."
"But you're not mad anymore, right?"
Sohyun paused and pretended to think, the faint marks of your attack were quite still visible on her adorable cheeks.
"Hmm... Maybe just a little?"
---
You never said it out loud but you liked that version of her, the Sohyun that dropped her tough facade, cheeks pink, voice soft all of sudden when she lost the upper hand. And maybe she liked it too. Because sometimes, when you caught her sneaky glances, you just got the feeling she was feeling the same thing you were.
Love?
Your relationship with Sohyun was steady and full of happy moments. It wasnât exactly boyfriend-girlfriend yet. But the late night texts, the hanging out, the teasing, the way she let you hold her whenever things got too tough⊠Yeah, it was definitely more than just friends. Still, having no label didnât bother you just yet.
ââââââ ââ â ââââââ
One night, you were lying on your bed, scrolling on your phone when you got the notification that @sohyunz14 was currently live on Instagram. You tapped it without much thinking. The screen soon showed Sohyun swaying to a demo sheâd worked on the other day, glancing at the chat every now and then, hands dancing on the touchpad of her laptop. She barely had any makeup on, a thin cardigan on top of a black shirt. But damn, did she look good. Her skin looked so soft, even only under the brightness of that one light she only turned on whenever she went live.
About 400 people were watching, most of them were Sohyunâs usual crowd. People who liked her music, tripleS stans, some close friends, etc. Sohyunâs usual low voice sounded so soft, humming to the beat as she read the comments.
âOf course, of course, I will be only playing this part today guys⊠Stop rushing me please.â
You recognized a few usernames popping up, spamming hearts and emojis; so you couldnât resist.
noona look so good today
Sohyunâs reaction was instant. The second she spotted your comment, both of her hands flew up to fix her hair, as if she didnât look good already. She then leaned in to move the phone, the other resting around her cheek, shyly mumbling.
âNoona looks so good today⊠Stop it, pretty boy.â
The chat immediately blew up.
pretty boy?
what did she said lmao?
explain girlie.
ă ă ă ă who was that park sohyun
The other viewers who didnât speak Korean had no idea what was happening.Â
chuu from loona
stop spamming stupid shit damnit
Sohyun let out a quiet laugh, her voice playful.
âAh⊠you guys donât need to know everything. Some things are private okay?â
Youâd spent enough time with her at this point to tell that Sohyun liked it. And you typed again.
pls give me a close up of your face noona
im your biggest fan
Sohyun muttered your comment, almost like she was teasing herself.
âBiggest fan⊠this boy.â
Sohyun then flicked her hair and picked the phone up. She tilted the phone horizontally, moving them back and forth close to her face, trying to find a good angle with her cheek now on the back of her other hand. A damn good sight.
âOkay, okay⊠close up service just for you.â
Sohyun then giggled, but the way she looked at the screen made it feel personal. The chat then blew up even more.
that guy got special fan service omfgg
this is not fairrrr unnie
witchhunt tomorrow, we bring him down
She stayed like that for a few seconds before holding the phone with both hands. Her lips now pressed out in a pout, cheeks puffed a little. Then she started swaying her head side to side, just to mess with you. You could clearly see her lips twitching before she finally broke into a smile, all soft and shy.
âAh⊠I swear I will get you tomorrow, pretty boy.â
The chat exploded again.
who tf is that lucky guy
what about me noona????
pls notice me
stream âgirls never dieâ by triples pls guyzz
I love le serrafim
You stayed until the end of the live, lying there with your phone heating up in your hand. The chat was still going crazy when Sohyun tried to end the live.
âOkay, everyone. Iâm ending the live now.â she waved goodbye. âThank you for hanging out with me tonight. Iâll see you next time, okay? Be good.â
Then it ended. A few moments later, you got a message from her.
[ë°ì€ ^^]
yah⊠why were u always messing with noona like that?
u trying to embarrass me in front of 400 people?
[ëŹëČ볎ìŽ]
trying to remind noona that iâm her biggest fan
thatâs all ă ă ă ă
[ë°ì€ ^^]
next time iâm muting u
ur such a meanie
You knew Sohyun was smiling when she typed that.
[ë°ì€ ^^]
but thank youâŠ
for reminding me that iâm pretty
You stared at it for a bit, smiling like a dumbass. Then your fingers moved.
[ëŹëČ볎ìŽ]
noona, can u come over tomorrow?
i gotta design some womenswear for classâŠ
i got some ideas already and i think itâd look good on you
[ë°ì€ ^^]
ă ă ă ă are u asking me to model for u?
[ëŹëČ볎ìŽ]
well, who else?
youâre my muse now, noona
[ë°ì€ ^^]
fine
but only if you buy me something to eat.
[ëŹëČ볎ìŽ]
deal
The sun was high enough to shine through your window when she came over the next morning, playing its role in making a normal and lived in kind of peace. Sohyun was lying on your lap, one hand turning the pages of her book, the other shifting her black, thick rim glasses.
You sat almost fully slouched near the end of the couch with your sketchpad balanced on the armrest, moving the pencil in lazy strokes. It was moments like this that made everything else fade out. The part time job, the classes, the deadlines. And out of habit, you glanced down at the older girl. Sohyunâs face was calm, eyes tracing the letters behind the lenses as she read. Every now and then, she would bite her lip when she found something interesting, or exhaled softly like she was lost somewhere deep inside her own thoughts, or just to sing her favorite songs.
You smiled to yourself, thinking that Sohyun really had it all. Looks, brains, taste. She moved through life like sheâd figured it all out. Maybe she had, making everything around seem a little more beautiful just by being there. You? You were just a university kid trying to balance sketches and shifts, chasing some hazy dreams that sometimes felt too far away. Yet, here Park Sohyun was. In your apartment, head on your lap while she read. You remembered telling yourself having no label was fine, but now⊠it was starting to get to you.
Would this last? Would this ever become something more?
You let your pencil fall still, lost in the thought.
âWhyâd you stop drawing?â
Her voice made you blink and look down. Sohyun was now peering up at you from your lap, smiling with her eyes full of curiosity.
âHmm? Just thinking about⊠you know, the design and stuff.â
Sohyun tilted her head, glasses slipping down her nose a little.
âDesign?â
âThe proportions were⊠off, I think.â
âLiar.â
The way she called you out was so casual yet certain. Sohyun sat up a little and folded her legs next to you, book now forgotten on the nearby table. Smiling gently, she spoke.
âYou only look like that when youâre overthinking, sooo⊠whatâs going on in that stubborn head of yours?â
You forced a stiff smile.
âNothing serious, noona. Just tired.â
Sohyun bought none of your excuse, her lips quickly formed a small pout as she tugged on your sleeve.
âDonât do that.â
âDo what?â
âHide it when thingâs bothering you.â
You dipped your head the moment she confronted you; though it wasnât stern, more patient and understanding.Â
âYou can tell me, you know. Whatever it is. Noonaâs here.â
Like a hand reaching out in the dark, Sohyun made it hard to keep pretending. So you finally chose to admit after struggling to get the right words out of your mouth.
âI was just⊠thinking about us.â
âŠ
Sohyun didnât appear shocked nor smug. She just looked quietly attentive.
âUs?â
You nodded slowly, heart now beating so fast that you almost laughed from how nervous you suddenly were.
âLike⊠what we are and⊠I donât know. Maybe just that.â
The confession felt much heavier than youâd thought, so much that when it ended, you didnât dare to meet her eyes. You fidgeted with the fabric of your pants, pinching and stretching just to give the nerves somewhere to go. The sketchpad youâd been holding then slipped off the armrest and fell to the floor, but you didnât even bat an eye. Maybe this was it. The part where things got awkward, where comfort and closeness finally broke just because you wanted something more than you were supposed to. You could already feel your throat closing around an apology you hadnât said yet. Until you heard it.
A small, stifled laugh. You looked to the side just in time for Sohyun to launch herself over onto you, loop her arms around your shoulder and pull you into her chest.
âAh~ this kid.â she said between soft laughter, hand ruffling her hair. âYouâre so cute, you know that?â
Your face burned, not expecting this kind of reaction from her.
âNoonaâŠâ
âWorrying about things like that? Seriously, youâre adorable.â
âIâm being serious.â
âI know, I know.â Sohyun only chuckled harder, still holding you close. âThatâs what makes it even cuter.â
âStop saying Iâm cute.â
She leaned back enough to look at you, smiling as she flicked your forehead playfully.
âYou get all shy and thoughtful and do that kicked puppy thing on your face. I swear, youâre impossible to stay mad at.â
Despite groaning and sinking deeper into the couch, you couldnât stop a smile from blooming on your face. In normal things, you were the one who helped her. Youâd try to be composed and make her laugh. You fixed her door, carried groceries, reminded her to rest when she worked too late. Sure, Sohyun mightâve been a little clumsy sometimes, a little unsure of herself in daily stuff; but moments like this reminded you that she was, without question, the noona she claimed to be. She had her own way of making you feel safe, of reading your silence with no difficulties at all.
âYouâre afraid we might end, hmm?â
She already knew. You hesitated before slowly nodding, eyes dropping back to your lap. She didnât reply right away; instead, she gently cupped your face so youâd look her in the eyes again, her smile wishful.
âYou think too far ahead sometimes. But thatâs okay, I get it.â
âI just⊠donât want to lose this with you, noona.â
âI know.â Sohyun rubbed your cheeks, silence took over for a second before she finally asked. âDo you remember that night?â
âWhich night?â
âThe night you found me crying in front of my door.â
The memory hit you instantly with her knees pulled to her chest, shaking, the helpless sound of her trying to break down even more.
âI do.â
âDo you know why I was crying?â
âI never asked⊠I didnât want to make you talk about it since it might be painful.â
The smile blooming on her lips was touched with nostalgia.
âI had things⊠because of work. Some issues with the label and song production. Deadlines, contracts, people changing things behind my back. But now looking back, I think it was just me pushing myself to perfect my work.â
You stayed quiet and let her talk. Her eyes turned glassy before smiling smaller this time.Â
âAnd then you, the new kid who didnât even know my name showed up and crouched down, asking if I was okay.â
You were about to say something but Sohyun shook her head.
âAfter that, everything felt a little different. The next day, when we had dinner together, I remember thinking that⊠maybe not everything is falling apart and I can still breathe a little.â her hand still cupped your face, the touch warm and soft. âSpending time with you, doing stupid things, laughing together made me realize not everything has to be serious all the time. I was always chasing the next deadline, the next song or trying to prove something. But you just⊠you reminded me that being happy isnât supposed to be rushed and complicated.â
Fingers now moving down to play on your chest, Sohyun then asked with the shyness visible in those adorable eyes of her.
âDo you wanna hear the three words?â
Your heart skipped at the sudden question, unsure if youâd heard it right.Â
âThree words?â
âMmm. The ones youâve probably been dying to hear.â
You couldnât think straight. Should you say something? Should you wait? What if things go wrong? A thousand questions flashed through your mind. As if she could read through every thought racing behind your eyes, Sohyun giggled and leaned forward to give you a brief kiss on the lips. The kiss wasnât long, but it was all you needed to scatter every anxious thought that had been holding onto you, leaving behind only her warmth and the prospect of something new, just only on the verge of blooming.
âIs that enough for you, pretty boy?â
Still dazed from the kiss, you smiled like an idiot.
âFor now, maybe.â
âAeng?â Sohyun glared at you. âMaybe?â
âAlright, alrightâŠâ
You laughed and stood up, scooping her into your arms. Sohyun yelped and gripped your shoulders as you spun her around in the tiny space; she both laughed and shouted.
âYah! Put me down!â
âEnough playing.â you grinned and set her down. âTime to do what you came here for, your measurements. Iâm making you the most gorgeous outfit now, Doraemon.â
âDoraemon?!â her cheeks flushed from laughing. âI hate that nickname.â
âYou got all the gadgets, noona.â you pointed to her glasses and blue shirt. âAll you need is some blue and white paint, then I got Doraemon all to myself.â
âFine.â Sohyun rolled her eyes, smiling widely while catching her breath. âIt better be look good on me, idiot.â
âUhhh, no promise.â
And as you went to grab your measuring tape from your desk, you realized something so simple yet certain. For now, this was really enough.
ââââââ ââ â ââââââ
A few weeks later, everything between you and Sohyun kept going on steadily, not loud or dramatic. So when she suggested going out for coffee (a real date, as Sohyun called it), you couldnât stop smiling. The spot sheâd picked was perfectly her, somewhere in Hapjeong, filled with vinyl records on the walls and books stacked in uneven towers; a pleasant mix that felt too much like Park Sohyun herself.Â
Sohyun had excused herself to the restroom a few minutes ago, saying something about fixing her makeup before you took photos together. Things had been joyful and easy. Youâd started to finish each otherâs sentences and fall into small habits that people in love did. And yet, neither of you had said those words. Today, sitting here with the comfortable sunlight shining through the window, youâd decided today would be the day. You leaned back in your chair, rehearsing âI love youâ in your head and thinking about how her dorky laugh would sound after you said it. Everything was perfect.
â...Wait! Is that you?â
You werenât sure if you heard it right at first; your heart already sunk before you even turned and saw her face. The sound already sent layers of memories youâd packed away a long time ago back into your brain. Slowly, you stood and turned.
Seo Dahyun.
Her hair was longer now, the dark waves falling over her shoulders. She still had that same gentle face, the same rabbit front teeth⊠Everything was both the same as you used to memorize down to every tiny detail. Still, the timid way she smiled at you showed you that she was just unsure as you were.
âYah⊠Itâs really you.â
âHi⊠Itâs been a while.â
âYou look better now. Different but⊠good.â
âThanks. You too.â
You managed a polite smile back. Neither of you knew what to do with your hands or eyes. Nostalgia and awkwardness really did their things. Dahyun then laughed shyly.
âIâ Iâm sorry. I didnât mean to bother you at all. I just⊠wasnât expecting to see you here.â
âNo, itâs fine. I wasnât expecting it either.â
âYouâre still at Hongik?â
âMm hmm, still studying. Fashion design.â
Her smile turned a little brighter.
âThatâs great. You always talked about doing something creative, you know? Iâm glad you actually did.â
âWhat about you?â
âI⊠left uni.â her fingers fidgeted with her purse. âRemember how I used to talk about music?â
âOf course, you love singing.â
âI wanted to pursue it properly. Singing, performingâŠâ she let out a self conscious laugh. âDidnât really work out the exact way I hoped but it led me somewhere better. Iâve got a stable job at a theater now, still doing some songwriting on the side. Itâs⊠okay.â
âThatâs great, really.â
You meant it, though your voice sounded distant like you were trying to hide behind something. Youâd already moved on but didnât know how to say it out loud. Dahyun seemed to sense it too, quickly nodding.
âThanks.â
Hands buried in your back pocket, you nodded back.
âIâm glad youâre doing okay.â
Dahyun was still beautiful, still the same Dahyun who once filled your world. But now the feelings youâd carried for her had now faded away to nothingness, to something that no longer hurt.
âŠ
âI was⊠wrong.â she finally admitted. âFor leaving you like that and not saying anything. You didnât deserve it at all⊠I told myself I was doing it for me, to focus on my career and not drag you into all my uncertainty. But I know I was selfish.â
âDahyun-ahâŠâ
âI just thought⊠maybe we could talk? Just a cup of coffee. I owe you that much, you know. To explain things properly, if I still have the chancââ
Suddenly, your surrounding felt miles away. You really were struggling to find words. You didnât want to hurt her, but there was nothing to give either. It wasnât anger, just a quiet discomfort now.
âIââ
âSorry, baby~â
Soft arms slipped around your waist from behind, a very familiar warmth pressed into you back as Sohyun spoke.
âYou wouldnât start reading without me, would you?â
Then she peeked out, smiling when she saw Dahyun standing in front of you. Still holding on to you, Sohyun gave a polite bow.
âOoh⊠Hi.â
Dahyun was startled at first but quickly gathered herself, the awkwardness audible in her voice.
âHi⊠Sorry, I didnât mean to interrupt. I just ran into him by chance.â
âOh, itâs nothing. Small world, you know.â
Dahyun eyed the way Sohyun had her arms around your waist to your face. As quickly as her offer to reconnect came, she waved and excused herself.
âAnyway, I should get going now. I just wanted to say hello.â
You nodded, waving awkwardly.
âBye⊠Take care, Dahyun-ah.â
Dahyun smiled back genuinely.
âYou too. Both of you.â
And she weaved through the table, disappearing into the other side of the cafe. A sudden bite at your arm then made you look down to the side.
âJealous?â
Sohyun hmphed and plopped back down into her chair, crossing her arms with her lips jutted out.
âSo that was Dahyun? Pretty, I see.â
âShe is.â You sat down in the seat across from her, enjoying the way her expression turned sulky. âBut sheâs not you, noona.â
âSmooth talker~ I donât buy none of it.â
âYou donât have to. Youâll see.â
Leaning back in your chair, you smiled. No matter how hard she tried, Sohyun just couldnât hold her pout and let a smile break through.
Time to say it?
ââââââ ââ â ââââââ
Sohyun really triggers the noona thing for me. Also, sorry to Dahyun fans...
synopsis: one day, a newlyweds were preparing for a car journey with their baby. as they packed the carâs trunk, the husband put their baby in its car seat on the roof of the car. they absent-mindedly drove away with the baby on the roof; the baby flew off the roof, bounced a couple of times, but was unharmed.
the next day, they sat together during breakfast, reflecting on their relationship as they explored the tensions that yesterday's traumatic event had brought to the surface.
The early morning rays pierced through the kitchen window; they travelled across the dining table of two as the dust motes dancing in the air. A man in his twenties, Y/N, moved through the kitchen counter and started prepping todayâs breakfast. He took every ingredient needed for todayâs menu: pancake, bacon, scrambled eggs. He glided through the kitchen like a ghost, but his steps were precise.
He inhaled the crisp, smoky scent of the first strip of bacon as it slowly filled the morning air. Accompanied with the sizzling sound, he prepared the pancakeâs batter as the sound of him whisking began to mix with the staccato rhythm of the curling and shrinking bacon. As he spread the batter on the other hot pan, a gentle shhh followed. The air, now filled with a mix of smoky and buttery aroma.
This morning, Y/Nâs movements were unusually deliberate. He turned each strip of bacon exactly to deep crimson at the edges, and his hand stirred the batter with purpose, ensuring it combined perfectly. He lightly whisked the eggs into slow, soft, fluffy curds. For him, this was the quest for a perfect breakfast.
Just then, a creaking sound from the stairs sliced through the kitchen, though it did nothing to break Y/Nâs intense focus. The slender figure that appeared was drawn by the scent, each step a soft whisper against the floor. Her black hair coiled into a neat bun, but a few silky tendrils had escaped, perfectly framing her face in the early morning light. She walked in to find Y/N in a focused frenzy, the counter occupied with perfectly laid-out, thoughtfully placed breakfast.
A tidy tower of pancakes, butter on top with maple juice trailing down, a neat fan of crispy bacon, and a fluffy, pale scramble of eggs. Each was its own island. It was too consistent, a deliberate arrangement. It was less a usual breakfast and more a morning ritual set in porcelain
Y/N sensed the subtle shift of the morning air, but said nothing. Not yet. He hovered near his coffee machine, a digital thermometer and a kitchen timer in his hand, listening to the soundtrack of his ritual: the grinding beans, the hissing water. The rich aroma of roasted beans seeped through every layer of the kitchen, a blanket enveloping them both.
She then leaned against the counter, her black tank top a wave of sophisticated calm against his tense morning. Her light brown eyes found his, a silent anchor. His stare was so intense he could boil their coffee with his eyes alone. Her slender fingers went for a strip of his perfectly crispy bacon and munched it in one go.
Hussey said nothing, at first. She simply observed Y/N, across the counter. His movements were precisely calculated. He made sure every last particle of coffee dust fell from the grinder. A small smirk tugged on her lips. âLet me guess,â she finally said. âYou made sure the beans are in optimal buoyancy this time, did you?â She punctuated the question by taking another strip of bacon.
Y/Nâs stare didnât break from his machine, fixated on the dark liquid dripping from the portafilter into a cup. âItâs about respecting the process, sweetheart.â He held the cup filled with the dark liquid up to morning rays, a scientist examining his scientific specimen. As the rays found the surface, the dark brown foam gleamed with reddish, tiger-striped hues. It was perfect. Hussey pushed off the counter, moving to his side. For a moment, she was a scientist too, admiring the perfect swirl of crema he had made.
Their shoulders touched, as he slowly leaned on her head, releasing his grip from the cup. His shoulder slumped, a sign not of exhaustion, but of the silent acknowledgement that he no longer had to pretend.
He steadied himself up and finally looked up at her. His dark eyes searching hers for shelter. Y/N knew well that eyesâthe gentle one as if telling him to not hold the world up by himselfâit was the same look whenever he put every blame on him. âWe canât risk a below par coffee⊠well, a below par parenting day.â A beat passed between them, before he added, âI just⊠I needed one thing to go perfectly right today. Even breakfast and coffee.â
Her smile faded, the focused Y/N she saw earlier melting away. Wordlessly, she took the freshly made espresso, poured it into a small cup, and added hot water. Black, no sugar, no cream, she took a quick sip. Her calm face earlier twisted into a wince, her eyes watering slightly from the sheer strength of it.
âOh, wowâŠâ she exhaled. âThis is surely intense. No coffee chain would dare to make this strong.âÂ
Y/N let out a chuckle, âWell, the beans were in optimal condition as I said. The moment I hear them in the grinder, I know it will turn out perfect.â His face was practically gleaming with accomplishment. âAnd now, would you please let me taste my godsend coffââ A pair of hands cupped his face, and Husseyâs lipsâstill damp with the bitter sweetness of his brewâsilenced him.
He didnât need to taste it anymore; her lips held the flavour. âWell⊠it tasted pretty strong,â his eyes then drifted away from the widely smirking woman. They landed on the babyâs high chair in front of them.
âHussey honey, howâs our daughter?â
âSheâs still in her dreamland. Probably dreaming of flying.â she joked. âWe should start wrapping her chair in bubble wrap. For her safety, of courseâ Â
âHussey,â his voice low, âwe can never tell anyone about this.â
âHey, on the bright side, we now have a fantastic story to embarrass our daughter when she brings home her first friend.â
âOh, I know. âThis is Noelle. Very high achiever girl. She once broke the sound barrier at the age of seven months oldâ. Damn, I could change my profession and be a scriptwriter.âÂ
The kitchen exploded with Husseyâs big laughter. His response had caught her so off guard she playfully slapped his arms again and again. âYouâre lucky Iâm just laughing,â she said.Â
âYou know whatâs even luckier?â Y/N stopped for a moment. âIf she still speaks to us in her teens.â
Hussey just remained silent, her smile never left her face as she rested her head on his shoulder. They both looked at the empty high chair, a small reminder of their future. Y/N wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer, the tension of the morning finally melting away.
She knew, and he knew. They would laugh about this morning again for years to come.
a/n: this is a rewritten letter i gave to my past lover and i just felt to write this after almost a year from that relationship. i didnt proofread this since it just...there. this somewhat just me looking back from that relationship and funny enough woodz just dropped this banger it made me want to write even more. this is quite personal so if this is not ur cup of tea u can just ignore this. otherwise, enjoy my suffering :) and oh thanks for the 100 followers !!
The melody bleeds from my earphones, an aching tune that feels as cold as the December wind whipping across the Han River. Itâs my 20th birthday, and Iâm spending it leaning against this bridge rail, the city a ghost town around me where the only sign of life is the blur passing cars.
This song is the trigger. Before her, I had made a promise to myself right here, in this same biting cold. I thought my walls were finally sturdy, that I was content in the quiet serenity Iâd build. I truly believed I had pushed myself away from the wreckage of that old game for good.
At least, I was. But this song remembers. It remembers how easily sheâthe architect of my collapseâmade me forget that promise. If I could go back to that first glance, knowing it was the start of a connection that would cost me myself, I would have walked away and never looked back.
But the quiet memories
Come rushing back
And take the air from my lungs
Student council. Yes. That's how I first met her, at least knowing her features like; deep, inky-coloured chin-length bob with wispy straight cut bangs. It complemented her face and saying I kept stealing glances would be an understatement. How her straight bangs framed her brown orbs that I eventually lost into every glance, and how her bob was so sharp ending exactly on her chin line. Confidence was flaming around her outline, it drove me in.
It was our second meeting that I thought we had our first interaction, though it wasnât verbal. I had my presentation ready for my bureau and it was lengthy. In a room full of faces, hers was the one that seemed genuinely engaged. Her eyes were locked on me, chin propped on her palm. It was the kind of attentiveness that made me feel seen. It was like she was seeing me in a way that went beyond the slides on the screen, And that was the kind that now I know is a dangerous thing to get used to.
A quiet beginning to the beautiful, chaotic storm she would bring into my life. We got busier with more and more events under the student council. I still kept my guard, wall reinforced. Unfortunately, pairing me with her during the freshman orientation was a mistake. It was a feeling moment, yet working with her felt like the first taste of a drug you know you shouldnât get addicted to. Every time she adjusted the microphone each time the VIPs were done with their speeches, I could feel my carefully constructed defenses chipping away as I let out chuckles.
I thought I did well keeping my feelings in check. I was sure I felt nothing special for her, but the moment we exchanged each otherâs social media accounts, I could see it would eventually burn me down into ashes. I knew this feeling so well, so well that it would break me again if I let it slide away. Good morning texts after good morning texts. Goodnight texts after goodnight texts. Banter after banter. The cosy warmth of those came rushing back and took the air from my lungs.
All those painful words you said
Fade like they were never real
And just like that, you so easily run away
But that one night, it was the night my concealed word began its slow, inevitable collapse. A current of her voiceâfor five hours straightâpulling me under. I didnât just let her in; I invited her to peek at the forming crack on my walls. Her voice shouldâve been nothing but background noise, instead it became an anchor, pulling me deeper than I wanted to go. How her giggle stopped being just a sound and became something I wanted to keep hearing forever.
Idiot. Child.
Hilarious yet endearing nicknames at that moment but truly I was them, even now, still. When she said, âI love you, Y/N,â I heard the alarms in my head, an old promise echoed. If I had known then what I know now, I wonder if I would have had the strength to just walk away. But I didnât. I said it back, and for a fleeting moment, I let myself believe she could be my only forever. I allowed myself to think we were truly connected. Now, as truth unveiled there is only silence where those words used to be, and I am still left crumbling in.
Your traces
Soaked into my skin
I try to scrape them off
The way her soft cheeks flushed when I caught myself staring at her, the cold air on the walk by the river stream, the cold air on the walk by the river stream, the heat of the moment where our faces were inches from each other; it felt surreal for our first date. But those are the traces of her that were soaked into my skin, the memories I tried to scrape off but canât. Fleeting emotions, a beautiful scene from a movie that was reaching its end.
Those smiles of hers; that damned crinkled eyes and her whisker dimples appeared high on her soft cheeks. It was an illusionâthe one that I fell into where it would be so easy to run away. The moment I started noticing these subtle things, I was already sinking, fully aware I was breaking the vow I had made to myself.
Our closeness grew naturallyâalmost without us noticing itâand I already found myself starting to get addicted to the drug that I shouldn't have consumed in the first place. The one that I had been telling myself to stay away. But when you already consumed it, you can't help but to desire even moreâthe same taste the first time you consume. I found myself finding even more reasons to see her; with Ryujin.
It burns me down
The love that touched
My cold heart
Has swallowed me whole again
In the span of just two weeks, we had been on five separate dates and with each date came aftershocks. It was already a barren land when I realised I had come this far. The ground within me had long stopped feeling solidâevery laughter, every dad jokes, every glance, a tremor that loosened another piece of who I was.
And that night at our usual go-to cafe in Sadang, when I met those dark brown orbs, I leaned in, our lips brushed like flint striking stones. A quick kissâsoft, startled, the kind that lingers longer in the memory than it could in time. That warmth of her lips was like holding a flame to my hand; I knew I would get burned, but I did it nevertheless.
I recognised her scent; the sweet citrus and ruinous as it seeped into the cracks of what used to be me. It clung like dust after an earthquakeâgentle, familiar, and impossible to wash away. Each time I breathed it in, it felt like her presence still lingered and gently embraced me when we went our separate ways.
My graduation ceremony was like ages ago, but I clearly remember her face among the hundreds of faces. Each step I took across that stage, her gaze was getting heavier and heavier. I made the mistake of asking her to solely look at me and it is such a cruelty to be so singularly seen by someone who would later disappear without a trace. The bouquet of flowers she gave me; it was a mere time-ticking bomb, counting the days until I slipped deeply into the cracks.
Faintly blooming
You turned into a distant longing
Now, I'll let you go
If I had only said I wasnât free on the 14th February, Iâm sure I wouldn't long for something distant. Her red dress with white accentsâthe colours that were reflecting the vibrant of that dayâwas more captivating than any painting on the wall. Ryujin was so vibrant, so real, and so close as we sat watching the projections of Van Goghâs work. Even as our hands naturally found each other, she was just faintly blooming in my life. She was an exquisite piece of art I remember but never dare to touch again.
During our tenure as student council, we were inseparable. When I was drowning in the stress of our cultural event, her calm presence was my lifeline. When she was struggling to secure a venue in Seoul for our sports event, things needed to be balanced. I gave constant reassurance and was there for her in every possible moment. We were in a small, stable world for each other amidst the chaos, though she was the very person who became the epicenter of its destruction. It collapsedâthe moment she leftâevery dream, every plan, every piece of us that I thought was holding places just scattered away into dust.
âââââââââââââââââââââ.â ..ââź
It was already 5:30 a.m. as Iâm writing this.
And I donât really know how to end this story of ours,
Nor did I want to end this.
But looking back,Â
No words could explain how grateful, thankful I am that I met you.
Honestly, if this is really our last time meeting each other,
I want you to believe I regretted nothing between us.
Those nights we were in each other embraces,
Those nights we called each other to sleep,
I enjoyed every single moment with you.
You will be forever a memory I canât shake,
A habit I canât break.
I keep replaying every touch, every look, every promise.
And Iâm haunted by the fact that,
Someone else might feel the warmth of your smile,Â
Hear the softness of your voice when you say their names,Â
Like you used to say mine.
I want to hold us even longer,Â
But I know Iâll hurt myself even more, but truly I donât really mind the pain Iâm bearing.
My hands are willingly to bleed, from the thorns of the rose you gave.
Hold me, touch me, kiss me, embrace me,
For thatâs all I ever wanted.
You showed me how to love myself,
Where I showed you my unconditional love.
Maybe, just maybe, in another lifetime
We could be together
We would have completed our love story.
But in this one,
I need to accept the fact that we couldnât be together.
Forgive me,
For I have failed to become your best ever boyfriend.
For I have hurted you countless times.
For I still struggle to move on.
For I wanted you to stay a little bit.
For I am a selfish, pathetic person.
I love you more than anything.
I never planned on loving you this much.
Or liking you this much.
âGrief is what we pay for love,â I couldnât agree more with this.
I hope I cross your mind sometimes,
Just so I wonât feel pathetic for thinking of you all the time.
And, if you contact me after months,
Iâll still answer,
And Iâll always care no matter what.
I suppose Iâll just keep loving you,
Until, one day,
It ends.
â°â..â .âââââââââââââââââââââŻ
That was the last piece of me she took. All those moments together, once so bright, are fading away now. Her traces are just a phantom limb, which were once memories. I tried to believe we were something, but it was just a beautiful crash. I look at the crumbled, scattered me. And I finally understand.
The joy was real, the love was immense, and the grief is the price I am still paying for it.
It was worth everything, and it cost me everything.
If this is how love always ends
I'll never love again
It's fading away
Even the smallest feelings I had
I'll never love
Word count: ~8.8k
A/N: I tried something new (and finally not a reupload)! Shoutout to @ducktoo, wouldn't have finished this without twinnie telling me to keep writing; thanks to @erospandemos for the supernatural AU idea with their ask from my old account; inspired by @midatwrtr too; uhhh i got Sullyoon @mossandink
Would really appreciate if you guys could help reblog <3 I'm back to square one again...
ââââââ ââ â ââââââ
The sky was grey, the boring grey of cement. You could just feel it in the air, rain was coming. You loosened your tie as you trudged, body heavy from the day at work. All you wanted was to be home. Couch, floor, bed. Well, it didnât matter, just somewhere to fall. You sang under your breath to the iconic melody, soft from the Airpods in your ears despite your voice sounding like shit.
ââȘ ìíì§ë ìë 걞 ê°ìíŽ?
I want nobody, nobody but you~
I want nobody, nobody but you...â
At the apartment complex, you stepped into the elevator and leaned against the cool wall after pressing your floor. Your eyes were on the reflection in the metal doors, but your thoughts wandered as always.
âWhat are they doing right now?â
The hallway was quiet when you got to your door. Unlocking the door with your fingerprint, warm light introduced you to the familiar and spacious space. Shoes off, you stepped onto the cold floor and let the door shut behind you on its own. You didnât need to look back, not strange anyway. Things in this place had a way of moving by themselves, a small courtesy from the ones you lived with.
âHello? Anyone home?â
You stretched your arms out to the sides and your suit jacket slipped off your shoulder, floating to the wall rack. Your backpack lifted the next, drifting swiftly in the air down the hall to your work room.
âResting, ìê°ìšëë€?â you called, both sarcastic and affectionate, the way one commoner like you would address ladies of their class back then. âìê°ìšëë€, your humble servant has come home~â
Still no answer. So you exhaled and dropped onto the couch, slouching until the cushions swallowed you. The remote was in your hand, about to turn the TV on when you felt something cold grazing your lips. Then a white, smoke-like hand got into view, ghostly fingers wrapped around your throat.
âShit.âÂ
You jerked back, dropping the remote out of fear. An eerie giggle flew past your ear, haunting but weirdly⊠gentle. Still stiff, you felt a fleeting kiss on your cheek before a figure passed straight through the couch in front of you. Yu Jimin floated above the floor, eyes twinkling, knowing sheâd scared you to death. Once the cherished daughter of the noble Yu clan, now a supernatural being bound to the underworld⊠and your life, apparently.
âLanguage~â Â
You rubbed a hand down your face and sighing.
âPlease, Jimin. Stop doing that. Iâm gonna die before I even turn twenty two.â
The gorgeous higher being only laughed, twirling in place. Her long hair and dark, old fashioned ì êł ëŠŹ swayed along as if underwater, defying the laws of physics and your patience.
âAhem, sitâŠâ
Jimin snapped her fingers. In a blink, she was on the couch with her head on your lap, lips out in a cute pout as she asked, her voice sweet and teasing.
âHow was work today, my dearest mortal?â
âIâm worn out but it was alright. Tomorrowâs the weekend so⊠you know, makes it better.â
Jimin sympathized with a cute sound. Her eyes were filled with compassion like she really pitied you.
âOh my, oh my⊠You poor being.â
After gesturing with her fingers in the air, your tie slipped loose on its own, sliding off then the top button of your shirt came undone without her even touching you. You then held one hand out to the side, the other playing with her hair.
âWhereâs Yoon-Ah?â
Jimin swiped a finger through the air.
Boof
A can of soda plopped into existence in your hand.
âThank you.â
Jimin smiled, pleased with herself before answering with grace.
âThe heavenly one grew a little restless, I think. She went out to meddle among mortals again. Her usual pastime, you know.â
âThat sounds like the Seol.â you breathed a short laugh. âUmm, TV please.â
The TV turned on by itself with a flick of her finger, channels changing until it stopped on something she knew you would enjoy. Then, Jimin commented offhandedly.
âYou speak of her name quite fondly these days.â
Not again.
That attitude of her, playful on the surface but a layer of jealousy underneath.
âNo, itâs ju-â
âHave I fallen from your favor, my mortal?â she swayed her head on your lap, smiling.
Your mind took a trip down memory lane, back to that one time youâd managed to really piss her off. That probably scarred you for life, and you couldnât even sleep right for nearly a weak after that.
âNo, no. Of course not. You know how itâs been. Workâs just been a mess lately.â
âAh, excuses⊠always so mortal of you, I see.â Jimin hummed, her fingers playing in the air. Who knew what kind of trick she was planning? âBut very well, Iâm not ma-â
A flare of bright and warm white light bloomed beside you on the couch, interrupting Jimin. She smirked.
âSpeaking of the so-called angel, sheâs home.â
Boof
Seol Yoon-Ah, the once famed young lady of the noble Seol clan, now a celestial being with heavenly powers and, of course, bound to your life. She materialized sitting right beside you, arms looping around to pull you into a tight embrace. Her voice was full of warmth, more human than a higher being.
âYouâre finally home~âÂ
From your lap, Jimin watched and commented sarcastically.
âHow touching⊠the angel descends and all is well on earth again.â
âItâs okay, you twoâŠâ you couldnât help but laugh, patting on Yoon-Ahâs back. âWhere have you been?â
Yoon-Ah giggled, hand ruffling your hair with the same tenderness sheâd always had. When she let go, a soft glimmer of light trailed her fingers. Huh, that always happened.
âJust around. One child lost near the station, an old lady whoâd dropped her keys into the drain. Little things.â
To her, divine intervention was nothing more than running regular errands.
âThatâs nice, helping people and all that.â
âBut of course,â Yoon-Ah smiled back at you, her speech still having that grace from another century. âWhat use is heavenâs gift if not to ease mortal lives?â
âWhat use is heavenâs gift if not to ease mortal lives?â Jimin mocked instantly.
Unbothered, Yoon-Ah greeted. âHello. Still enjoying your place on his lap?â
âVery much so. Itâs quite a comfortable throne, wouldnât you agree?â
âIf it brings you joy, then I suppose heaven can spare a throne or two.â
It was very hard to crack Yoon-Ah's composed shell, despite Jiminâs best effort. Still, their back and forth moved in a strange sort of harmony. Like day and night, like ì and ì, the Seol and the Yu forever contrasted yet intertwined. Youâd seen it enough times to know this wasnât animosity. If anything, this was their own version of affection. Now stuck in the middle, you could only sigh. Deep down though, you knew you didnât really mind this dynamic of them.
âLadies⊠Iâm still here, you know?â
Yoon-Ah smiled again, shifting closer to lay her head on your shoulder, her scent unearthly yet so familiar.
âForgive us. Old habits linger, I fear.â
You almost relaxed, almost. But with Jimin being herself, she had to sigh loudly from your laugh, unentertained.
âThere she goes again, playing the good role when sheâs just as dramatic as the rest of us, if not even more.
âAnd yetâŠ?â Yoon-Ah let out a chuckle that vibrated gently against your shoulder before she extended her hand to play with Jiminâs hair. âYou never seem to get tired of my dramatics, it seems?â
âI endure them.â Jimin flicked her fingers in the air. On cue, a small wisp of black smoke shaped itself into a heart before dissolving. âOut of pity for heavenâs loneliness.â
âThat pity seems rather affectionate to me.â Yoon-Ah countered, smiling with her eyes closed.
Not the worst way to end the work dayâŠ
ââââââ ââ â ââââââ
So, how did you end up with two breathtaking gorgeous supernatural beings in your life?
This whole thing started almost nine months ago, on a day not too different from this one. Youâd just been fired. Too exhausted and too numb to be angry, you wandered into the older parts of Seoul. That was when you found it, an antique shop. Walking inside, your eyes instantly found their way to a pair of ë žëŠŹê°, meant to hang from a hanbok. One was pale as the marble, the other dark as the night.
âThey come as a set, kid. Never separate them.â the old woman there said.
You couldnât explain how or why, but you swore they called out to you. They werenât expensive, but they cost as much as what you had left in your wallet. Still, you spent the last bills in your wallet on something you didnât even understand. That night at home, when thunder came rolling and the lights in your old shoebox of an apartment stopped working, you heard two voices whispering from your desk.Â
That was when everything changed. And you were, needless to say, scared shitless.
-
âHello?â
Nothing.
âHooo⊠Whoâs there?â
Still nothing.
âFuck⊠Fuck off. I donât have anything.â
No answer, and the dead silence combined with the heavy rain outside only made it worse. Out of nowhere, something on your desk started glowing, just vaguely at first. Then you realized the pair of ë žëŠŹê°Â youâd bought earlier started trembling, the glow growing brighter by the second. Definitely not normal.
âWai- wait⊠No! No-â
You pulled out your phones with shaky hands, scared so bad you almost dropped it twice before the flashlight came on.Â
âWhat the fuc-â
The light burst out before you could fully utter the curse word. Two shapes immediately shot forward, drifting easily in the darkness like a fish to water. Shocked and scared like never before in your life, you stumbled back to try and run but failed miserably. Instead, you tripped over the edge of your bed and hit the floor a bit too hard. The last thing you saw? Their silhouettes floating around you, voices tangled together in the dark.
âFinally~ a soul that answers.â
âAbout time someone saved us.â
---
When you woke up, everything felt wrong. You werenât even touching the floor but floating in the air, body suspended as gravity gave up on you. You couldnât even move, body restrained by something invisible. In front of you stood two stunning women, dressed in what seemed like quite early Joseon dynasty attire. They explained calmly with their shapes still glowing and floating.
Both had died young, and both had died unfairly.
Seol Yoon-Ah was a noble daughter from the 15th century. Falsely accused of dishonor and stripped of her name, she was forced to die quietly just so her family could keep theirs. Her resentment never burned, persisting on earth.
Yu Jimin lived a century later, also a daughter of a prominent family. She was accused of witchcraft for things that she herself didnât understand. People feared her then killed her for it. Her anger was a storm that kept on getting stronger.
One silent, the other violent. Their í(æš) crossed paths long after death. A wandering shaman found them and saw the imbalance they caused, saying that heaven and earth couldnât stay steady if the two kept on wandering like this. For that reason, she bound them together and seal their souls into a pair ë žëŠŹê°, the ones theyâd worn when they died. She prayed that together, their pain would balance, that Yoon-Ahâs purity would cool Jiminâs rage.
For centuries, they were trapped inside those ornaments. The seal would only break when touched by a soul balanced between both worlds, one neither heaven nor hell could claim. A heart that leaned neither toward complete light or darkness but carried enough to understand them both. One who could wield their power without being consumed completely. And so, centuries went by again before your tired, broke and hopelessly ordinary ass came inside that shop and bought them with the last money you had.
After that night, it took you time, like a lot of it but you eventually got used to having them around. At first, it was pure horror but you made it work. Now? You couldnât have asked for more, really. With their luck and power⊠or maybe âinterferenceâ was the better word, you got your life back on track. A good job came calling soon. The right people started showing up at the right time in your life. Eventually, you moved into your current place. Bigger, brighter and much happier. So yeah! Good life, steady career and two stunning supernatural beings only you could see. Not bad, all things considered.
And you werenât dumb enough to jinx it, of course. You learnt early on how to keep things balanced with the power they gave you. In return, you taught them everything theyâd missed. What happened in the centuries they missed out on, how the world went from horses and donkeys to flying chunks of metals and rubber wheels, how old time messengers got out of trend way too long before texting became a thing. Soon, Yoon-Ah fell in love with cooking shows and started cooking modern dishes herself. Jimin found out about memes and immediately became unbearable with them, in addition to her drama/movie addiction.
Things were⊠domestic in the weirdest way. The two made your life better, or less lonely. Your apartment was filled with voices that definitely didnât belong to the 21st century. They got comfortable in no time, now way too clingy. Floating after you from room to room, calling your name just to hear you answer.
And you⊠welp, you were sure of one thing. You had feelings for them. Both Jimin and Yoon-Ah.
Who wouldnât, right?
ââââââ ââ â ââââââ
Back to the present.
You were fresh out of the shower not even thirty minutes ago, now in front of your monitor. You were locked in, fingers moving with military precision across the keyboard and mouse. Of course, something of that importance could only be a game of League.
âWatch this, ladies.â
Yoon-Ah sat closely next to you, her posture perfect on an invisible chair with her hands folded on her lap. Sheâd been watching the match with calm curiosity. Jimin floated on her stomach above the floor, chin in her palm and the other hand threaded through your hair, legs swinging lazily in the back. Then her eyes landed on your champion, Ahri. Nine tails, all charm but scandalous to their old time ways of thinking.
âThis one. Her attire is⊠rather shameless for battle, donât you think?â
Yoon-Ah connected with her instantly, on a spiritual level.
âYes. Such a display would not benefit the ladies in our time. We meant modesty back then.â
âUmm, Ahriâs a fox spirit or something⊠â you didnât look away. âThatâs kinda her thing.â
âI see.â Jimin was unimpressed. âMortals these days think deception is the way of life and see modesty as a myth.â
Yoon-Ah sighed, wiping the barely there sweat off your forehead.
âI struggle to fathom this modern world sometimes.â
âBut women can we-â R for the ultimate. âO- ooh! Wear what they want now. Itâs not really about propriety anymore. Uhhh-â D for flash, followed by two consecutive Qs. âMore confidence and expression.â
âWe struggle with the concept at first.â Jimin admitted. âAll that talk about freedom and choice sounded like nonsense.â
âIt did.â Yoon-Ah agreed, floating a little higher now. âAfter all these months, I think I begin to understand. It is not immodesty but comfort. To be seen and proud of one's self.â
âExactly.â you struck the Nexus repeatedly. âItâs not really tha-â
VICTORY
âYesss!!! Finally out of bronze.â
You threw both hands in the air and spun in your seat. Warm breath brushed your neck as Yoon-Ah floated closer, her presence softer than touch and quiet as silk. She wrapped her arms around your neck, whispering.
âI have no idea what that was⊠but you did great, my mortal.â
âThank you.â you giggled, stupid and happy.
âYour mortal, you dare say?â
JImin lifted one finger and in no time, a small burst of force sent Yoon-Ah flying backward a few meters. The magic gesture wasnât harsh, but it definitely crossed the playful line.
âForgive my selfish self then.â Yoon-Ah apologized, floating back with grace. âOur mortal.â
You stood up and stretched until your spine cracked before patting Jiminâs head. She was used to it by now, even loving the small sign of affection.
âSo⊠ahem, what do you guys wanna do tonight? Tomorrowâs the weekend.â
Jimin was the first to answer.
âThat drama. âKingdomâ. Let us watch that again, I like the undead and the tragic looks.â
âAgain? You wanna watch them for third time?â
âForgive me for being entertained by the concept of flesh eating undead, silly mortal.â
Yoon-Ah shook her head, floating closer to you serenely.
âPerhaps not that again. It was⊠dramatic, to say the least. I found a recipe in that book you bought for me. A dish from the West. Was it⊠umm, carbono? Carbonara? Carbonary?â
âCarbonara?â
She nodded instantly, proud.
âYes! Carbonara! I wish to try this creamy dish. It sounds charming.â
Jimin let out a long, suffering sigh.Â
âAnother attempt at the West cuisine. Shall I fetch the so-called fire killer this time, mortal?â
âItâs called âfire extinguisherâ, Yu Jimin.â
âWhatever~â
âI mean, tempting offers from the both of youâŠâ
You stood there with your hands on your hips, weighing the two choices from the two âgoddessâ on your sides, one glowing bright while the other just lazily shadowed. Then-
âAh! Can you grab my backpack? Got something on the way home from work today?â
Jimin rolled her eyes playfully. âAnd what trinket has our diligent boy acquired this time?â
âYouâll see.â
The three of you moved to the living room, now sitting on the floor. Yoon-Ah sat next to you with her legs both on one side, posture perfect like always and curiosity clear in her eyes. Jimin floated for a moment before lowering herself down too, pretending not to care but watching with every movement.
âYouâre treating it as though it might explode.â Jimin teased.
âJust⊠hang on.â
Yoon-Ah, on the other hand, was gentle.
âYou seem nervous. Did you perhaps bring home another cursed object?â
âUmm, I didnât know much then. Sorry.â
Shkk
You carefully pulled out a book. It was old, beaten, the cover worn from time. Its pages were yellow, the corners worn thin. Jiminâs eyebrows connected the second she saw it.
âThat looks like itâs from our time.â
âBecause it is.â
Both of them werenât suspicious, just attentive as you ran your thumb along the book edge.
âRemember when I told you Iâve been trying to find out more about the two of you?â
âExactly. So this- Umm, Iâve been on the internet.â
âAh, the bottomless pit of nonsense.â said Jimin.
âYes, that. Between all the nonsense, I stumbled on a few threads. Old history forums, some blogs about old time magic and such⊠you know, the usual stuff. Someone posted about these archives that were recently restored. Writings from shamans that time. Spells, rituals, stuff about spirits and non-human beings.â
âAnd you believed this came from those archives?â Yoon-Ah wondered.
You opened the book carefully, its spine creaking due to not being touched in a long time. Turning the book around, you pointed at a pair of markings.
âSee these? Both of these are on your ë žëŠŹê°. Same pattern, same strokes.â
Jiminâs eyes turned dark for a second, the color in sync with the one on her ornament.
âThatâs⊠mine.â
âAnd this one, it matches the engraving on Yoon-Ahâs. Canât be a coincidence.âÂ
âDo you⊠know what you are doing?â Yoon-Ah asked, not even disapproving, just worried as her glow dimmed a little. âThis is an old time script. If it does truly hold the same power that bound us, meddling with it with no understanding could⊠unravel what should not be touched.â
âI know. Thatâs why Iâm being careful, Yoon-Ah.â
Poof
A dark ring of smoke wrapped around you, Jimin now suddenly had her chin on your shoulder, snuggling close.
âLet him do it. What if it brings no harm? What if it does the opposite?â
âOh myâŠ. Stop teleporting on me like that! Please, and you couldâve just moved over a little.â
âYou startle too easily for someone living with us two beings and dabbling in forbidden texts."
Yoon-Ah huffed, crossing her arms as she floated closer. As if she refused to let Jimin be the only one near and touching you.
âI am merely concerned for his well being, thatâs all. Someone must be.â
Jimin chuckled. âConcern often disguises itself as control, does it not?â
âAnd recklessness often disguises itself as courage.â Yoon-Ah shot back, poise as ever.
âLadies, itâs okay.â you interrupted before this turned into another silly standoff, looking between the two. âWeâll be fine, I promise.â
âThen it is fine.â Yoon-Ahâs expressions eased as she smiled, arms looping around your bicep. âIf you are certain, I shall trust your words.â
Her quiet affection needed no grand gesture. Chin still on your shoulder, Jimin scoffed.
âSo easily swayed by the heavenlyâs charm. Truly mortal of you.â
âCâmon⊠I like both your company.â
âFlattery will not spare you when this book backfires.â
âHe means it.â Yoon-Ah said, defending you from Jimin was like her hobby, after all.
âOf course he does. Mortals always mean it, until they donât.â
âRight. AnywayâŠâ
Clearing your throat, you were eager to redirect to conversation. You carefully turned the pages, fingers brushing over the worn pages, now clustered around the same twin markings from before and what seemed like a bunch of incantations.
âShitâŠâ
âLanguage.â Yoon-Ah reminded, gentle but still firm. Jimin only giggled.
âSorry, sorry.â
Just like the day you saw their pair of ë žëŠŹê°, you felt like the writings were speaking to you, pulsing like theyâd finally met their owner.
âUhh⊠I canât read Hanja.â
Jimin snapped her finger once, lazy and graceful. The writings on the page rippled, shifting and flowing until they were replaced by Hangul.
âYes, better now. Thank you.â
âMm.â
You pulled the book closer as both of them leaned in, eyes following your fingers as they traced the lines of text.
âBinding ritualsâŠâ
No need for that.
âSummoningâŠâ
Nope.
âPurificationâŠâ
DamnâŠ
Yoon-Ah narrowed her eyes to a section written in smaller script.
âThese seem rather unnecessary. Old methods, bound by fear when people couldnât understand how things work. Not very useful now.â
âReally?â
She brushed her hair behind her ear, turning another page without even touching the book.
âThe world has changed now. Even power like this fades when the faith behind it dies.â
âIn other words, they areâŠ. not trendy anymore.â Jimin confirmed.
âOoh~â you cooed. âYou learned a new word. Very good, Jiminie.â
Pink instantly bloomed on her cheeks. Months of living together had taught you something unexpected: higher beings could get shy too.
âSee? Iâm smart. Iâve been studying your ridiculous modern language.â
âA fine achievement.â Yoon-Ah teased. âPerhaps next sheâll learn manners to match.â
âExcuse me? Iâll have you know Iâm very polite when I chose t-â
âWaitâŠâ
Your eyes focused on a line at the end of the page, finger tracing under the words. The ink there was somehow fresher than the rest.
â... can simply be achieved through a proper host object⊠on an autumn night⊠uhh⊠ìžìČŽíâŠâ
Both Jimin and Yoon-Ah leaned in as your heartbeat picked up, the meaning began to click in your head.
âWait. I think I can help turn you guys into human shape.â
âHuman shape?â Yoon-Ah tilted her head in confusion. âAre we not already?â
âWe appear as such.â
âYes, but not really? Like⊠only I can see you guys, right? No one else can. This probably means you could actually-â you thought and searched for the right way to explain. âRoam this world. Like real people again. Like me.â
Silence.
âReal people, hmm?â Jimin glanced at Yoon-Ah, whose expression was also quite amused at the thought. âHow interesting.â
You skimmed the page again.
â... no grand ritual required⊠still possess powers in human shape⊠one host object, one tethered soul⊠me and something I own, I think?... and a night of balanced skies.â
âTonight, it seems. I can feel it.â Yoon-Ah looked out the glass door to your balcony.
âSomething about autumn nights being ideal⊠things overlap⊠I think this said you guys can stay in human shape for roughly twelve hours a day.â
âThat makes sense. The worldâs doors open easiest then.â
âHalf a day of pretending to be one of you mortals sounds⊠rather fun.â Jimin grinned.
âYou sure itâs safe?â
Yoon-Ah hummed thoughtfully. âThe text says nothing of harm. Itâs more⊠limitation. The heavens allow what balance permits.â
âSo like a curfew?â
âPercisely.â Yoon-Ah smiled faintly.
âThen what are we waiting for~?âÂ
Jimin already floated up and around the living, looking way too eager. You stared down at the book, studying for a few more minutes just to be sure with Yoon-Ah calm and steady by your side.
âGot it.â You closed the sacred book and set it down on the floor carefully before holding out your left hand. âMy ring, please.â
With a flick of her finger, Jimin summoned it. On your finger neatly appeared your favorite silver ring.
âOkay⊠Ready for this?â
âAlways.â Jimin landed in front of you, feet touching the ground soundlessly.
âDo not rush.â Yoon-Ah held out the pair of ë žëŠŹê° in her hands, her tone gentle. âEven small things done with intention carry great weight.â
âRight, right⊠No pressure, then.â
The silk threads on the ornaments started to tremble like they already sensed what was about to happen. You took a slow breath and closed your eyes, placing your hand over Yoon-Ahâs to let your ring brush against the pendants. Instantly, you felt Jiminâs energy wrapping around you as you started to whisper the words as you could remember, though the hundreds year old spell sounded strange in your mouth. Soon, something echoed in the living room and⊠That was it?
âDid itâŠ?â you opened your eyes, looking at the two.
âThatâs it?â Jimin crossed her arms and frowned.
âPerhaps the effect is not immediate.â
âNah, Iâm pretty sure the effect said it is simple and could be used instantly. Oh, something about meddling with the host object.â you rubbed the silver band on your ring finger with your thumb.
Poof
Poof
A rush of fog burst outward, the ring pulsing glowing brightly before fading back to normal again. Then, the glow that always surrounded them disappeared.
âWaitâŠâ
âIt works!âÂ
Jimin looked down at herself, eyes wide. She was already running around the room, her bare feet hitting the floor with actual sound for the first time in centuries. She twirled, laughing, dancing. Of course, you would too had you been stepping on earth after centuries being grounded.
Calm but still visibly moved, Yoon-Ah smiled, eyes turning softer.
âYou did it. We are⊠here.â
âWahhh, that actually works.â
âYou seem rather sur-â
âI wanna go out!!!â
Jimin launched herself at you with full force. You could only yelp as her now human weight hit your torso and knocked you flat onto the floor.
âOut! Now! Outside! Now!â
âWait, wait! Youâre human now⊠that hurts, Jimin-ah.â
She only laughed louder, eyes bright with centuries of pent up curiosity combined with frustration. Yoon-Ah shook her head with a helpless smile, finding Jiminâs enthusiasm funny.
âIt seems she is enjoying her humanity.â
âYeah⊠a little too much, I guess.â
âWhat are we waiting for?â Jimin grinned down at you, her voice bubbling with excitement. âYou promised to help, did you not? I want to feel everything! The wind, the lights, the sky⊠Everythinggg!â
âYeah, yeah. Change first. It would be weird for me to walk outside with two women in traditional attire at night.â
Jimin floated off you with a laugh before twirling once as smoke began to flutter around her body.
âFine~â
âAnd no magic or supernatural stuff when weâre outside, please. Remember that, ladies.â
âThat I understand~âÂ
When the smoke faded, Jimin struck a pose with her new outfit, one hand on her hip, the other brushing her hair back with expression that could kill an army. And she was definitely not shy about it.
Oh shit.
âI saw this in that thing you call your âmagazineâ. How do I look?â
You cover your mouth with one hand, the heat from your cheeks spreading quickly to your palm.
âThat⊠Ahem, and you call Ahriâs outfit inappropriate.â
Yoon-Ah was equally surprised, stifling a gasp behind her hand.
âI believe the word is distracting, dear.â
âGood. Then Iâve adapted perfectly.â
âNope. Youâre gonna freeze out there. Itâs cold and dark, and weâre not trying to get any unwanted attention. Something a bit more fitting please.â
âUgh, fine.â she rolled her eyes. âYou modern people and your confusing endless rules.â
She snapped her fingers and the outfit reformed into something new in a swirl of smoky light. Then, she pretended to beg for permission in a joking manner.
âAm I deserving of the honor to walk outside now, my dear prince?"
âI suppose I shall allow it, my lovely lady of shadows.â
That earned you what you expected, a flush of pink on her cheeks, mouth hiding an embarrassed smile. From beside you, Yoon-Ah laughed quietly.Â
âHow charming. I wish to try as well.â
Jimin turned to Yoon-Ah.
âFinally, letâs see what the goddess of grace considers appropriate modern attire.â
She teleported next to Jimin, fingers gesturing as the air around her bent to her will before her outfit slowly revealed itself. You couldnât help the sound that found its way out of your lips, quiet but genuine.
âSee? Thatâs cute. Suits you really well.â
âThank you, dear.â Yoon-Ah dipped her head down in a playful bow, a warm smile on her face. âYou are very kind.âÂ
Jimin crossed her arms, lips pursed. Her usual jealousy under the disguise of a playful comment.Â
âCute? Sure. But not exactly trendy.â
âOkay⊠Letâs go out then.â
ââââââ ââ â ââââââ
The night was slightly cold, mixed with that little Seoul twang of both excitement and exhaustion on a Friday night. For the first time, the light on the streets actually touched the two beside you. Yoon-Ah walked on your right, hand around your arm. Jimin clung to your left, humming and inspecting every passing person or thing. Then, a small crowd gathering near a corner, clapping along to a guitarist caught Yoon-Ahâs attention.
âWhat are they doing?â
âOh, thatâs called busking. People perform on the streets. Sing, play instruments, dance⊠and others give them money if they like it.â
Intrigued, Jimin tilted her head. âSo they just⊠performed for strangers? How bold?â
âItâs beautiful⊠Arts are freely shared these days, not really bound to classes. And theyâre normal people, not considered lo- ⊠Umm, unlucky like êž°ì back in your time.â
The curiosity in Jiminâs eyes faded for a moment, quiet in thought.
âAt least now, no one owns their freedom.â
âYup, thatâs much better now. They didnât deserve to be treated like that back then.â
âThe world has changed so much.â Yoon-Ah said gently. âIt allows joy without chains.â
Jimin smiled, her old pride returning. âGood. Took society long enough.â
As the three of you continued weaving through the early conversation and shops, it didnât take long for you to notice the looks. Sure, everything felt giddy and easy with them by your side at first. But then people walking past stole glances, some quick, some a bit too long. Two breathtaking women, one on each arm, both clinging onto you? Not exactly lowkey. You swore you even saw someone smirked as they passed by.
âYou two do realize people are staring, right?â
âLet them.â Jimin clearly enjoyed the attention. âLet them. They should admire what they can never have.â
Yoon-Ah was also utterly unbothered.
âHumans do crave what they canât have.â
This is going to be a long night.
-
Rows of phones gleamed behind the glass displays, each one like a small piece of your worldâs magic to the two of them. Jimin pressed her face against one of the cases, excited.
âWhat are you getting me, mortal? I want a phone just like yours! That one you used to watch those reels thing and Tiktoks!â
âUhhh, okay. Any color in mind?â
âColor? I want the pretty one.â
âThat doesnât narrow it down, your mighty highness.â
Youâd decided to get them phones. Funny, really. The concept of two higher beings who could bend reality with a flick of their fingers being disarmed by modern technology. Yet somehow, that still made sense. They werenât just entirely divine anymore, as the human part of them was now witnessing the world theyâd once only observed from afar. Standing beside you, Yoon-Ah mused softly.
âSo much energy for a tool meant for communication.â
Jimin chimed back, now glued to another display.
âAnd yet they glow, play music and show memes. If thatâs not divine, I donât know what is.â
Huh, divine and memes in the same sentence. Thought Iâd never hear that.
Thirty minutes later, the three of you stood at the payment counter. The two staff who were assisting you both tried very hard to stay professional, though their eyes did the complete opposite. To be fair, youâd do the same if you were them. Despite your instructions, Jimin was bouncing on her feet, way too excited. Yoon-Ah just stood calm as ever, asking you quiet questions about how the devices âchanneledâ connection.Â
âUmm, s- so, two phones, both unlocked, right?â one of the staff stammered, not so much hiding his curiosity.
âYes, please. Just the devices, no plans.â
You handed him your credit card, exchanging awkward smiles.
âRight, right.â
âTheyâre⊠uh, friends. Just visiting from abroad. You know how things are.â
âAh, right. No problem at allâŠâ he nodded, clearly not convinced but too polite to ask. Mid transaction, Jimin asked the other one.
âDoes this one also glow when touched?â
âY-Yes, maâam. Itâs⊠OLED.â
âOLED⊠Sounds magical.â
Yoon-Ah launched another question into your ear.
âWhat does OLED mean?âÂ
âIâll tell you when we get home.â
Both staff were staring at you, one mid swipe with your card, the other pretending to check something on the monitor but obviously eavesdropping.
âAhem.â
They both got back to their tasks instantly. A beep then echoed from the machine, followed by the receipt curling out of the machine.
âWeâre all done, sir.â one said, sliding the bags across the counter with a forced smile.
âThank you.â you grabbed the bags, already walking backwards.Â
âMay the heaven bless your labor~â Yoon-Ah bowed gracefully.
âAnd may fortune fill your pockets, shopkeepers.â Jimin waved her hand like a princess granting favor.
The two staff exchanged panicked glances before bowing awkwardly in return, clearly unsure what to do with that level of intensity.
âOkay⊠thatâs enough, you two. Out we go.â
-
Next stop, food. And you hadnât even sat down yet before the argument began. Jimin quickly declared, pointing at the seat next to you, confidently.
âIâm sitting here!â
âNo. You sat beside him during dinner yesterday. Itâs only fair that I-â
âYesterday doesnât count! We were home, this is outside!â
Only over an hour outside and you already felt the oncoming headache of the days to come.
âBoth of you. Sit together, please. Across from me.â
Weirdly, they obeyed. Jimin slumped into her seat with a pout on her lips. Yoon-Ah folded her hands on her laps, smile showing a hint of dissatisfaction.
âThis seems⊠balanced.â
âBalance is boring.â
âOkay, if you two want to go out more, there will have to be some more rules.â
âRules? How exciting.â Jimin mocked.Â
âIf theyâre meant to help us coexist, Iâm willing to listen.â
âGreat. First, you gotta start talking like modern people. I could teach you more but you do know how differently you talk compared to other people, right?â
Yoon-Ah nodded. âThat we understand.â
âEspecially you, lady of the dark. No calling people mortals in public. Thatâs rude.â
âHow do I address them then?â
âJust⊠people. You are part of âpeopleâ now, too.â
âHow dull.â
âBut it is polite, in this world. NextâŠâ
Just like that, twenty minutes slipped by as you continued laying down more basic ground rules. Youâd somehow drafted an entire etiquette guide when the food arrived.
âHere we go. Your first meal in, uh⊠I assume⊠four, five hundred years?â
âSo this is steak.â Jimin leaned in, staring like it was treasure. âIâve only seen it on those dramas on your TV.â
âThey had steak back then, no?â
âBack then, only royals could afford beef. And even then, it wasnât to this⊠extent.â
âThis is quite refinedâŠâ said Yoon-Ah. âLike a form of art.â
âNot that fancy but yeah, I think?â
You smiled, until you noticed movement from Jiminâs side. Of course, it had to her. She raised one finger lazily and both her knife and fork began to float into the air, about to slice the steak on their own. And your heart dropped instantly.
âNo. Stop that!â
âWhat?â
âWe just talked about this, Jimin.â
âUghâŠâ
The utensils clattered down onto the plate, drawing a few curious glances from the tables nearby. Jimin crossed her arms, shoulders tight and turned her head away with a small huff. She was sulky now, the pout on her lips told you. Though you had to admit, seeing her like this in her human form was refreshing.
âIâm sorry. I didnât mean to raise my voice like that. Just⊠you know, not in public, okay?â
No response. And guilt began to pick at your heart.
âSheâll forgive you soon enough, dear.â Yoon-Ahâs voice was soothing as ever. âWould you be kind enough to cut mine for me?â
âYeah, of course.â
You reached for her plate and cut her steak into neat and even slices. Chin in one hand, Yoon-Ah chuckled.
âYouâre quite good at this.â
âNah, I just do it randomly. Years of watching Youtube also teaches me things.â
âStill, you do it with care.â
The vibe was warm, peaceful. Then you noticed Jimin sneaking a subtle look from the corner of your eye, still pretending to be mad.
âDonât worry. Iâll cut yours, too.â
You sighed and set Yoon-Ahâs plate gently in front of her before going for Jiminâs.
âThank you, dear.â
Her smile was so gentle yet radiant, one that could disarm even the strongest heart. But you didnât dare look at her too long. The warmth in her always did strange things to you, and you could already feel your cheeks heating up. Turning to Jimin, you started cutting in silence.
âSorry for⊠um, raising my voice at you.â
Arms still crossed, her gaze turned soft but still dramatic as ever.
âMy favorite mortal ever raises his voice at me now. Oh, have the mighty have fallen from his grace.â
âI mean, you were never very far from it.â
The smallest smile finally made its way to her lips.
âGood. Iâd hate to haunt you in your sleep for it.â
âThank you. I wouldnât want that to happen again.â
Luckily, the rest of dinner passed without incident. It felt like a normal night out with friends (supernatural friend?). Well, except for the looks, again. You caught more than a few people looking your way. A few didnât even bother to hide the fact that they were gossiping, and one person even gave you a thumbs-up on his way out. You could already guess what they were thinking, some kind of player. After dinner, you let them take the lead, only fitting since they did say they want to see everything. Shopping, clubbing, everything technology that would send a person from the Joseon dynasty time into a coma, etc. Each new experience sent them reeling with wonder. Through the peaceful chaos, you found yourself smiling the entire time. It felt good, really good. You could see them laugh, watch their powers quieted for once and their human sides take over. That reminded you they werenât just any supernatural beings, theyâd live on this earth once. Both walked on the same soil and breathed the same air as you.
Just centuries away from you.
ââââââ ââ â ââââââ
The subway was thankfully not too crowded at this hour, with the clattering of the wheels on the rail blending with the announcements on the speakers. Shopping bags crowded around your legs, the achievements of a long night out. Yoon-Ah was on your left, taking a nap on your shoulder. Her breathing was steady and slow, a few strands of hair swaying over her splendid features. She looked like a painting that didnât belong to this world. Huh, technically she didnât. On your right, Jimin was the exact opposite as she sat close, a satisfied smile on her face as she inspected the photo booth strips youâd taken earlier.
âI look so pretty here. Look, look!â
You smiled despite the fatigue. The strip showed the three of you squeezed into a tiny booth, four frames of laughter and confusion. In one of the frames, you in the middle, cheeks squished by two pairs of lips from each side. Jimin was aggressive with it, while Yoon-Ah was gentle, her hand on your shoulder.
âBut this one is my favorite.â
She tapped on the shot with her having both arms around you and dragging you into her chest, while Yoon-Ah was all sulky being pushed to the side. Jimin chuckled, clearly proud of hogging you to herself.
âSee? Captures our natural order, donât you think? Me, radiant and affectionate. Her, jealous and dignified. You? Umm, lucky.â
âOkay⊠thatâs one way to put it.â
âThe only way to put it, my mortal. The only way.â
You rolled your eyes at the last bit. Then-
âTell me something.â Jimin tilted her head at you, eyes gleaming with gentle darkness. âDo you find me beautiful?â
She knew your answer but still wanted to hear it from you anyway.
âYouâre aware of mirrors?â
âOf course. But I asked you, not the glass.â
You went quiet then, looking at how unreal she was.
âYes, you are. You know that.â
She leaned a little closer with a knowing smile, challenging you more.
âHow beautiful? More than the heavenly one?â
Then she shifted slicing, looking past you at Yoon-Ah who was still soundly asleep, almost glowing under the pale light. Jimin watched her for a moment, her smile fading a little as she murmured.
âHer beauty is⊠untouched by time, it seems. It endures even in this pathetic light. Perhaps that is why she is given that kind of power.â
You also glanced down at Yoon-Ah. She does look peaceful and eternal in this sta-
Snap
Jimin snapped her fingers and your head turned on its own, pulled back to her. She smirked, her eyes dark and endless.
âEyes on me, please. Itâs rude to compare when the question was meant to be more about me, donât you think?â
A nervous laugh died on its way out of your throat. Before you could utter an answer, you felt your surroundings turning, everything dark except for where you all sat. Then, your chest stung. Not pain exactly, but pressure like invisible hands pressing down on your lungs. You struggled to breathe but managed to stay calm, because you knew Jimin wouldnât truly harm you⊠Still, the pressure grew heavier by the second.
âI canât breat-â
âI know. Iâm doing that to you, silly.â
FuckâŠ
âTell me⊠Do you fear me?â
âSo-sometimes I- I⊠do.â
A pair of ghost-like hands swiped at your cheeks, gentle.
âGood. Fear keeps people honest.â
The pressure inside eased for a few seconds, letting you exhale only to come back later.
âDo you⊠perhaps enjoy having me in your life?â
Still struggling, you met the power behind her eyes, somehow dark but the strange softness behind it was still visible.
âI⊠I do.â
âDo you⊠love me?â
âI ca- canât ans- answer tha-"
Not satisfied with your answer, Jimin exhaled like she was truly disappointed. Her voice then gave you no room to breathe, no time to lie.
âNot in the mood for hesitation right now, mortal.â
She moved, her lips now hovered just a few centimeters away from yours, her power consuming you easily.
âAnswer me, please. Properly, this time.â
Your heart pounded so loud, begging to be free so bad it drowned out everything. Her power only coiled tighter. You hoped, prayed that she was just still playing around. Sheâd never truly hurt you. Finally, you cracked under the pressure, letting the truth slip out.
âY- yes, I am.â
âYou are what?â she raised her eyebrows. âSpeak properly.â
âI- I am in lo- love with⊠you.â
That smile appeared again, slow, dangerous and beautiful. And for the briefest second, you saw it. Her burning rage, or maybe a flash of raw power, a hunger sheâd buried for centuries. Jimin moved closer, her lips then pressed into yours. It was tentative at first, like she was trying to remember what it was like to be human again. The kiss wasnât cruel, not exactly gentle either. Slowly, you felt something spread throughout your body as the world around shook ever harder, everything dissolving until all you felt was her kiss and her hand on your jaw.
Then, just as quickly as it came, everything returned to normal as she finally broke the kiss. The subway came back first. A few passengers sat scattered across the car, seemingly having no clue about whatâd just happened. Yoon-Ah still slept soundly on your shoulder, also untouched by the event.
âI know you are, dear mortal. You can never quite resist me, can you?â
Unsure if you were still caught in her spell, you nodded. And Jimin smiled, easy again.
âI love you too. And Iâd better be the only one⊠or else.â
ââââââ ââ â ââââââ
Back home, everything was quiet again. You sat on the couch hunched forward with your thoughts being filled with a thousand things. The two of them were in your room. Youâd insisted that they rest there, their first day back as human, or at least partly human. And now, youâd been scratching your head for the last ten minutes without even knowing it.
âWhat is going onâŠ?â
Everything was supposed to be fine. They were supposed to be fine. And yet, that kiss and something that came with it, didnât feel human at all.
âFuck, what have I got myself int-â
âWhat are you thinking about?â
You nearly jumped into another realm. Twisting back, your hand flew over your mouth.
âHoly fuck! Whyâd you do that?â
Yoon-Ah stood behind the couch, calm as moonlight in her new dress.
âI apologize.â she smiled, hands clasped in front of her. âYou seemed lost in thought. I didnât mean to startle you.â
âI know itâs been forever since you could change how you dress but maybe donât ⊠I donât know, next time donât wear something that white at night. Thatâs creepy.â
âI see. I will keep that in mind next time then.â
Yoon-Ah walked around the couch and plopped down beside you, the small bounce in the cushions made her seem human again.
âWhat troubles you?â you looked over, calming down at how gentle and sincere she sounded. âYour thoughts are⊠heavier than usual, it seems.â
âJust⊠tired. We were out for a few hours so⊠yeah.â
At that, she traced a small motion in the air with one finger. Instantly, a warm and weightless breeze followed and the tiny sweat beads on your forehead vanished. Your hair, messy from stress and the ride home, fell back into place.
âThank you.â
Yoon-Ah leaned in, her head on your shoulder, arms wrapping around you from the side.
âYou are most welcome, dear.â
âWhy are you out here anyway?â
âSleeping for the first time in centuries feels⊠strange. My body remembers rest but my mind does not seem to.â
âHuh, that makes sense. Weird.â
The room went quiet again.
âYou donât find⊠my presence annoying, do you?â
The question made you turn to catch a glimpse of her partly hidden expression, worry breaking through her usual calm composure.
âWhat do you mean? Of course not, youâre⊠you know, too precious. I would never find you annoying.â
âThatâs very kind of you to say.â
Yoon-Ah let out the most melodic giggle, making the room feel lighter. She lifted her head just enough to look at you and tightened her embrace, her gesture gentle but certain.
âThere is something I wish to say. I have been hiding it for⊠quite sometime.â
âUmm⊠should I be worried? Bad news? Good news?â
âThat depends on how you understand it, but I believe you already feel the same.â
Then, she leaned in closer, slowly but surely. Her eyes never left yours. And you could already guess where this whole thing was heading. Before your mind could catch up, your living roomâs light melted away as the world around faded. In a split second, you were suddenly in the middle of a vast, sunlit garden. The air warm, petals swaying softly, the sky bright with blue and pink, and somewhere in the distance, birds were singing.
âYou know what Iâm about to say. I could see it in your eyes.â
âI might be wrong butâŠâ you nodded. âIâd say so.â
Yoon-Ah smiled at that, and then she kissed you. It wasnât like Jiminâs, not a rush of power or heat. It was feather light, almost unreal. And you felt like you were being touched by something you werenât meant to ever understand. Her lips were soft, her energy sinking into you like sunlight shooting through water. And your heart wasnât grounded this time, every heartbeat now actually felt lighter and more alive. It was peace that filled you. When she pulled back, the world still stayed quiet with her hand on your cheek.
âSee? Even I can love.âÂ
You cleared your throat, looking anywhere but directly at her. Your face was burning, the warmth now making its way to your ear.
âYou seem shy?â said Yoon-Ah, teasing but kind. âAffection unsettle you so easily.â
âYeah, being kissed kinda does that to a person.â
She laughed, soft and melodic. Then, carefully.
âI donât want to be arrogant but you do feel the same way about me, do you not?â
âDonât worry. I love you too.â
Finally, the tiny tension in her shoulders eased as she leaned her head against yours, eyes closing to enjoy the moment. At least, compared to Jiminâs wa-
âAm I the only one?âÂ
Huh?
Her question broke the peaceful silence.
âJimin doesnât hold the same place in your heart, does she?â
âI- I don-â
As you stuttered and tried to work out a convincing answer, Yoon-Ah laughed softly.
âDonât worry, Iâm just joking. I wouldnât go that far. But⊠I would presume that is the way you feel, dear.â
Both relieved and lost in her calmness, you could only breathe out a shaky laugh back. She studied your face for a moment longer, eyes kind before kissing you once more. This one was brief and tender, more like a gentle statement.
âGood night.â
Boof
You were back on the couch, still somehow smelling the flowers in your living room. Maybe Yoon-Ah was back in your bedroom. You sat there thinking, dazed. Both of them, on the same night? What the hell happened? Jiminâs kiss. Yoon-Ahâs kiss. The world changing, the magic⊠everything was mixed together until you couldnât tell what was going on anymore.Â
Then your eyes fell on the silver ring on your finger. The one that started it all, the one that shined when they took form, the bridge between your world and theirs. The longer you stared at it, the colder your finger felt.Â
âDamn it.â
With a shaky hand, you shook it off and carefully set it down on the table, afraid it might spark or shine again. Then, you grabbed the old book beside it, the same one that started this whole thing. Flipping through the pages, you tracing everything with your fingertip, eyes carefully inspecting every single word.
âNothing says it would be dangerousâŠâ
Just the same old passages about reawakening human forms and balance. Then, you turned to the next page.
Fuck⊠shouldâve turned to this page before I did that.
íì (ćŸéș)
âThough simple in form, its aftereffect is not to be taken lightly⊠once manifested through mortal will⊠their desires may no longer remain containedâŠ. strength grows with longing⊠consuming everything that stands between them and what they seekâŠâ
Sweats started to gather on your hands, fingers shaking around the centuries old page. You exhaled a long breath to calm down before skimming faster.
If the host lacks knowledge to wield such power⊠body and soul soon devoured⊠as offering to the balanced they⊠disturb?
âDeath may soon-â
You blinked, rereading the line again and hoping youâd only misunderstood it.
a/n: this is a series written by me and @seeunsoon and honestly im so excited to publish this story with the guidance from my fellow writer. i think some of u will recognise the storyline but it would be nice to make it as korean as a practice for me (tmi im studying in south korea) anyways please give this series much love ~
The school gate of St. Arcadia Academy was constantly filled with a new wave of students. From afar, you could see a procession of navy blue blazers. The school compound was instantly filled with chatter, gossip, clearly everyone has their own unspoken stories to be told. This academy was a place built on reputation, long and rich history, where every face seemed to be the countryâs next asset.
Amidst the bustling crowd, eyes were following a certain female student who just walked through the gates. Conversations halted, and the usual vibrant energy of the morning devolved into quiet murmurs. Boys and girls naturally slowed their pace while the girl with the dark blue wolfcut hair sliced through them without a glance, ignoring the frozen figures and the gaping mouths.
âBro, look!â
âWhat? Itâs Ryujin! My morning is blessed.â
âGo say hello to her.â
âAre you insane?! No way, sheâs obviously way out of my league! Why not, you go talk to her?â
âI donât wanna risk myself getting killed by the other guys. Not in a million years.â
She was the schoolâs princess, or more precisely the solitary princessâundeniable allure, yet her icy presence could be felt across the school auditorium. The unwavering of her dark brown orbs was all the authority she needed. Her name was Shin âJoanneâ Ryujin, the transfer student who had claimed the top spot in her class was now set to be the student councilâs general affairs. She was a flawless, untouchable figure.
âShe is so handsomeâŠâ
âI know right. Iâm a girl and older than her, but she still makes me weak at the knees.â
As Ryujin entered her classroom, the hum of her classmates' chatter slowly died down. Their gazes tracked every single movement, but she simply headed over to her usual perchâat the very back row by the window. This was simply a daily occurrence for the dark blue wolfcut girl. She glanced over to her right seat, a flash of brown hair male student lay sprawled across his desk, like a defeated soldier.
Her dark brown eyes bulleted at her neighbour, sarcastically greeted him.
âGood morning, Y/N.â
The sleeping boy, Bae Y/N, offered no response. His arms wrapped with a wearable shiba inu-shaped pillow, completely knocked out. Ryujin felt her chest slowly combusting a flame of indignity, clearly being ignored. Her eyes were glaring even harder at his peacefully sleeping face.
He felt the presence of a sharp glare and all of a sudden, his desk slid sideways with a bangâa sound like a gunshotâechoed through the classroom. The impact from Ryujinâs kick caused him to be almost toppled from his chair as a startled yelp escaped him. Everyone was used to seeing this morning ritual and they could not help but to just sigh.
âGood morning, Y/N. Did you stay up all night rolling for that five-star you still donât have?â Ryujin greeted her, a mocking smile wrapped around her face. He blinked a few times, his gaze unfocused, and the world slowly came back into full focus mode.
âUh.. yo, Joanne. Well, thatâs the gist of it.â
Y/N was the only guy in school who would call the solitary princess, Joanne. Sometimes, âJoâ though some students called her that when she wasnât around, but only Y/N could greet her Joanne to her face.Â
Y/N already sensed a nagging session will come out right after he said so. He had already grown accustomed to this âmom-childâ relationship every single morning. Though, Y/N didnât seem intimidated by Ryujinâs usual cold stare and the fact she just had kicked his desk to wake him up.
âYou never learn, do you?â Her words felt sharp, yet lacked its usual bite.
âI actually got the character I wanted. It was after I obtained the character that took⊠a bit of time.â He raked a hand through his messy brown hair, as he slowly sat upright.
âHuh? What do you mean?â
âThe characterâs kit was so cool and I like her gameplay, and⊠I ended up spending the next three hours building her to the max potential.â
âYouâre an idiot.â
âMaybe I am an idiot. But this love is too good to keep quiet about. And if that makes me an idiot, then so be it.â
âLet me rephrase my words. Youâre not an idiot. Youâre hopeless, degenerate moron.â
Y/N laughed it off, making his remark as the sound of bell chiming echoed across the school hallway. The bell was an indication that the homeroom session was going to start in five minutes.Â
âItâs very rare to see you in a good mood, Joanne.â A sigh of despair escaped from Ryujinâs, shaking her head as if trying to say that thereâs no way to make him see reason.Â
Some students were already rooted in their respective seats, some just arrived at the classroom, gasping for air, some were still in the middle of conversation. Ryujin had already taken out her study materials from her bag, resting neatly on her desk.
Y/N, on the other hand, a jaw-cracking yawn stretched his face followed with his arms stretching out wide. His mind was still about the character he just pulled last night and his body was already itching to go back home to boot his PC.
âì ìŽë êČ ê·ìŹìŽ ê±°ìŒ?âÂ
"wae ireohge gwiyeoun geoya"
Why are you being so cute?
Y/Nâs keen hearing caught a soft, yet clear whisper coming from his left seat. Ryujin, who was eyeing him the entire time, chin propped onto her palm.
âYou say something?â
âNothing. I just said you look ugly.â Ryujin smirked contemptuously and snorted with laughter.
âMy apologies,â he replied, thinking it must have been his yawning. Ryujin hastily faced the window as a smile flickered across her face, trying to keep her expression from Y/N.
But, Y/N stared at her back as his eyes were giving condolences to Ryujin. She had no ideaâŠ
The muffled drone of Mr. Choiâs voice was the perfect white noise machine. It was a low, monotonous hum that lulled Y/N into a state somewhere between consciousness and the welcoming abyss of sleep. His head, heavy with the weight of a 4 a.m. raid apparent, was propped precariously on his palm. Heâd won the ultra-rare 5-star weapon, but the victory had cost him dearly in REM cycles.
A sudden, crisp scent cut through the drowsy fog. It was subtleâsomething clean, like fresh linen mixed with a hint of citrus and cold morning air. He didnât even need to open his eyes.
Joanne.
The scent was followed by the soft rustle of a blazer and the quiet thud of a textbook being placed on the desk beside him. Shin Ryujin, the academyâs untouchable prodigy, had taken her seat.
He remembered her first day a month ago. Sheâd walked in with that silver-blue wolfcut, her eyes scanning the room with an unnerving, analytical calm. When the teacher announced she had scored a perfect 100 on the entrance exam, a wave of awe had rippled through the class. She was a celebrity overnight. The student council had practically kidnapped her for the General Affairs position.
Y/N, on the other hand, had been more concerned with the new character banner dropping that afternoon.
Their assigned seats were a cruel joke played by the universe. Her side of the desk was a testament to perfect order: pens aligned by color, a pristine notebook with immaculate handwriting, and a posture so straight it could have been drawn with a ruler. His side was a disaster zone: a half-eaten bag of chips from lunch, a textbook he hadnât opened in a week, and his cheek currently attempting to fuse with his desk.
He felt her gaze on him, sharp and judgmental. He didn't have to see it to know. It was a daily ritual.
âDisgraceful,â she muttered under her breath, a sharp hiss of English for the world to hear.
Y/N offered a weak, one-sided smile without lifting his head. âMorning to you too, Joanne.â
She didnât respond. The silence that followed was heavy with her disapproval. Mr. Choi continued his lecture on the Joseon Dynasty, his voice a steady metronome marking the slow march toward lunch. Y/Nâs consciousness began to drift again, pulled under by the tide of exhaustion.
And then he heard it. The whisper was meant only for the air between them.
âì°žë, ê·ìœêČì늏.â
"chamna... gwiyeobgesiri."
Why are you being so cute?
His heart gave a painful lurch, a traitorous jump that threatened to wake him completely. The Korean words slipped into his ear not as foreign sounds, but as clear as day. His mother was a professor of Korean literature. Heâd spent every summer of his childhood in Seoul. He was more fluent in Korean than he was in the complex lore of his gacha games, and that was saying something.
Joanne, of course, had no idea. To everyone at St. Arcadia Academy, he was just Y/N. No middle name, no remarkable backstory. Just a guy who was surprisingly good at video games and surprisingly average at everything else.
He kept his breathing even, feigning deep sleep. He felt a light, almost imperceptible shift next to him. She must be leaning in. The citrusy scent grew stronger.
âì§ì§ ë°ëłŽ ê°ìâŠ. ê·Œë° ëŽê° ì ìŽëŹêł ìì§?â
"jinjja babo gata... keunde naega wae ireogo ittji?"
Youâre really like a fool⊠but why do I even care?
This time, her voice was laced with a soft, exasperated sigh. It was a completely different tone from her usual icy critiques. This was warmer, more intimate. It was a sound he was certain no one else in this school had ever heard from Shin Ryujin. A self-satisfied smirk played on her lips, invisible to the world but vivid in Y/Nâs imagination. Her secret was safe, she thought. She could say whatever she wanted.
âMr. Y/N!â
Mr. Choiâs voice cracked through the air like a whip. Y/Nâs head snapped up, his brain rebooting with the panicked slowness of an old computer. Every eye in the class was on him.
âSince you seem so well-rested, perhaps you can enlighten us,â the teacher said, a stern glint in his eyes. âWhat were the primary factors leading to the decline of the Goryeo Dynastyâs power?â
Y/N blinked. His mind was a blank slate. Heâd been dreaming of artifact stats, not dynastic collapses. He could feel Ryujinâs stare boring into the side of his head. He braced himself for the inevitable âTskâ of disappointment.
Instead, he saw a subtle movement from the corner of his eye. Her long, slender finger tapped once, twice, on a specific paragraph in her open textbook. The book was angled just enough for him to see.
His eyes darted to the text. Military coups⊠rise of a new scholar-official class⊠external threats from the MongolsâŠ
As he quickly scanned the words, another whisper reached his ears, so quiet the silence almost swallowed it.
The last word wasn't harsh. It was⊠fond. The way youâd scold a puppy for chewing on a shoe. It sent a jolt straight through him, more effective than any energy drink.
He cleared his throat, his voice still a bit rough. âUh⊠the primary factors were the rise of a powerful new military class staging coups, the weakening of the central government, and⊠significant external pressure from Mongol invasions.â
Mr. Choiâs eyebrows shot up in surprise. âCorrect. Very good. Please try to remain part of this century, Mr. Y/N.â
A few classmates snickered as Y/N nodded, his face burning. He slowly sank back down, his heart still hammering against his ribs. He risked a glance at Joanne. She was already looking away, staring straight ahead at the blackboard as if nothing had happened, her expression a mask of perfect indifference.
But heâd seen the faint blush on the tips of her ears.
The bell for break finally shrieked, releasing them. As students began to chatter and stand, Y/N turned to her. He had to say something, but it had to be the right thing. The clueless thing.
âHey, uh⊠thanks for the save back there, Joanne.â
She finally turned to face him, her expression arctic. âI have no idea what youâre talking about,â she said, her English sharp and precise. âPay attention in class and you wonât need saving.â
She stood, grabbing her things with an elegant efficiency, and walked away without a second glance, leaving him in the lingering scent of her perfume.
Y/N leaned back in his chair, a slow smile spreading across his face. This was a dangerous game. She thought she was speaking in code, venting her secret feelings into a void. But he was the void, and he was listening to every word.
Shin Ryujin thought she was hiding. But for him, she was the most wonderfully, terrifyingly honest person heâd ever met.
The cafeteria was echoing with chatter and blabber, accompanied with the sound of metal tray rustling. It was a social map, every day was the same. In one corner, the beautiful people reigned supreme. In another, the reputable baseball team with their bright white uniforms. And at the very back, a barren kingdom belonged to Y/N and his friendsâexile. There were masses of bodies all pushing from the lunch line to get the holy grail of school lunches: pork cutlet with brown sauce. Though spicy stir-fried pork was also on the menu, on pork cutlet day, there was really no other choice.
Surprisingly, the latter option caught Y/Nâs attention and for someone who loved spicy food, it was a blessing for someone like him.
âSpicy stir-fried pork? Seriously, Y/N?â Mark Lee groaned, shaking his head in disbelief. âWeâve been eating lunch together since middle school and I still donât get you.âÂ
âYou know Y/N could never resist spicy foods.â
Christopher Bang chimed inâanother Y/Nâs lunchmatesâhe had seen the drooling face Y/N made whenever spicy foods were on the menus far too many times. Trays in hand, they made their ways at the very back of the cafeteriaâtheir barren kingdom they put in exile.
âManâŠI tell you this spicy stir-fried is simply the best. The spiciness directly kicked in your buds.â
Y/N were sitting across Chris and Mark, who were in disbelief could just nodded in response as he munched down his rice glistened with spicy red sauce. There was a ripple of whispers, slowly spreading across the cafeteria. Everyone's head turns to the source of the sound. Some students even stood up from their seats to see the already-formed line at the cafeteriaâs entrance. The chattering and rustling slowly died out, quickly growing into excited murmurs.
âShoot! Is there a royal hearing today?!â Mark exclaimed, his own mouth full of pork cutlet.
Y/N then looked up. He saw themâtwo girls everyone called the schoolâs princesses. Their steps were full of confidence and grace that owned the space. A petite girl with her flowing black hair bouncing on her broad shoulder as she walked. Accompanying her, a stark contrast in a dark blue wolfcut, was Shin Ryujin. It felt like commoners watching the royalty walk through their village for the first time.
âJulia is so cute⊠I hope I can get to know her better.â
Choi Jisu, or more often addressed as Julia, Lia if they are close with her. She was a first-year student and the student council publicist. Her peers described Julia as the noble princess due to her high social skills and how her blazing smile always brightened everyoneâs day, making her the other âprincessâ of the academy.
In contrast, Ryujin, though she was handsomely beautiful with her tomboyish dark blue wolfcut, she always kept her distance from others. She never tried to approach anyoneâeven from her class. As time went by, people eventually started calling her the solitary princess.
âDo you think you have a chance? Julia rejected more guys than Ryujin, actually.â Chris tilted his head slightly, one eyebrow arching in clear disbelief.
âWell⊠probably sheâs not looking for a boyfriend at the moment. Or I donât know, maybe she has a fiance already?â Mark lifted his shoulder, his gaze averting to Y/N. âWhatâs up with her?â
âWhy are you asking me?â Y/Nâs eyebrows furrowed.
He knew exactly why. Everyone in the school knew that Y/N and Julia grew up together. To everyone, Y/N was just an anomaly, the slacker who somehow found himself orbiting the blazing Julia. He had felt their eyes on him for yearsâeyes that glared with jealousy.
âAs far as I know, she doesnât have one and I donât know if she's interested in dating, either.â Y/N added before long, his brown eyes met with Juliaâs hazel eyes.
Nah. Not here, Lia. Not in front of the guys, please.
But his silent plea remained unanswered. He didnât even need to look up to watch their slow, deliberate path across the cafeteria; he could feel the gravitational pull of the princessesâ popularity, a field of force so powerful it was a miracle he and his friends were still sitting steadily. Y/N took a glance at Mark, his mouth slightly agape, as if he had seen a ghost and an angel at the same time. While Chris, his usual calm demeanor, now trying his best pretending to be intensely interested in his kimchi.
âY/N-ie, are these seats taken?â Juliaâs voice chirped from right beside him, impossibly cheerful.
He looked up to see Juliaâs beaming face, with Ryujin standing silently behind her. He offered a flat, unimpressed look. âThey are now, apparently,â before nudging to the frozen Mark with his elbow, âYou guys donât mind, right?â
Mark managed a jerky nod, his eyes wide as Ryujin slid into the seat next to him. Chris, seeing this, immediately adopted a look of intense focus on his rice from his kimchi, as if trying to count every grain. Julia, oblivious, settled in beside Y/N, immediately pointed her chopsticks at his tray.
âYours looks spicier. Why do they always give you more sauce,â she complained, already her chopsticks trying to steal a piece of pork.
âYou have yours. Donât go around stealing peopleâs feast,â Y/N slapped her chopsticks away instinctively. âI figured you would order the same.â
Effortlessly, the table was split; one side erupted with a lively food debate, and on the other, a heavy silence had fallen. Mark and Chris seemed to be trying to merge with their chairs. Even Ryujin, she ate with a quiet, intense focus as a crease appeared between her brows as she listened to his banter with Julia. It was equally clear they were not enjoying it.
It was until Julia stole a piece of his pork where her grip on her chopsticks tightened. The wolfcut couldnât stay silent. She closed her eyes while casually asking, âAre you two close?â
âWeâre childhood friends!â Juliaâs voice was bright, her grin reached her soft cheeks while facing Ryujin. âWeâve been going to the same school ever since kindergarten, but never had class together.â She faked a frown, before taking a scoop of her lunch.
Ryujin gave a short nod, her expression unreadable as she turned back to her pork cutlet. The sound of her chopsticks clinking against her tray was present for a moment. As Y/N took another blissful bite of spicy pork, her deep voice sliced through the silence.
âSo⊠Y/N?â Y/N hummed as a response, his mouth full of what he considered a godsend of a meal.
âWhat have you been telling Julia about me?â He saw her lips pressed together in a pout, her eyes trying not to meet his.
âOh? Hm⊠just like how you always get mad at me, I think.â The corner of Ryujinâs eyebrows curled even furiously. He felt a cold, intense glare that made the hairs on his arms prickle.
âYou make it sound like Iâm always angry but itâs always your fault,â Ryujin argued, her voice though sharp, her brown eyes searching for him.
Y/N shrugged his shoulders as his head lowered, âWell, canât deny that.â Before Y/N could take his next spoonful of his pork, Juliaâs cheerful voice cut in.
âY/N always speaks so highly of you, Ryu. He told me how hardworking you are and how he really respects you.â
The rice and pork went down the wrong pipe. He slammed a fist on his chest, instinctively his hand went for his glass of water. As he gulped it down, his eyes shot Julia a murderous glare over the rim of the glass.
âI neverâcoughâsaid I respected her,â he rasped, his voice raw. âDonât twist my words in your favour, Lia.â
âThatâs rude. I remembered how you unconditionally show respect for hardworking people, though.â The words hit Y/N like a physical blow. Juliaâs words had him pinned, a secret part of him was revealed. He felt a slow burn on his cheeks as he snapped his mouth shut.
What could he even say? It was already embarrassing enough that Julia knew his stupid and secret admiration for effort, but to announce it in front of the solitary princess herself?
The image of Ryujinâs bandaged fingers from sewing class, the echo of a volleyball thudding against the gym floor long after practice had ended, and the quiet determination in her eyes as she stayed late to finish her study. Damn it, he could see it now.
Y/N awkwardly looked away before his eyes, staring at Mark and Chris. They were too silent during the whole conversation; his eyes were telling them: Come on, guys. Say something.
Mark and Chris exchanged glances, slight nods followed, then simultaneously stood up with their trays of unfinished lunch. Their eyes locked at Y/N as if to say:
Sorry, Y/N but I canât stand this overwhelming atmosphere here.
Iâm not comfortable around women for prolonged periods of time.
Y/Nâs eyes were trying their best to plead the two traitors who were about to leave. They averted their gazes to Ryujin and Julia, excusing themselves before hurriedly left the cafeteriaâY/Nâs begging was to no avail as his eyes locked on their fading backs.
He turned around to the source of the whisper, but it could be only one person. She was pulling that face againâthe one where her lower lip was pushed out as if she were annoyed, but he could see the little smirk tugging at her lips. It was a look he knew so well.
Ryujin felt Y/Nâs stare like a weight, and a hot blush crept up her neck. She immediately looked down to her tray. A tremor started in her hand, as she was trying her best to slice the final strip of her pork cutlet, though the sound of the fork clattering was inevitable.
âì ì꟞ ìłë€ëŽâŠ ë¶ëŽì€ëœêČ.â
"wae jakku chyeodabwa... budamseureobge."
Stop staring at me, you jerk.
Ryujin mumbled her words out, her head bowed so low her dark blue hair completely obscured her face. Y/N found himself leaning forward slightly, an unconscious urge to close their distance. It was an unfamiliar warmth that had nothing to do with the spicy pork in his stomach.
The cold, intimidating Ryujinâthe solitary princessâwas actually flustered and mumbling. He almost couldnât believe it.
The conversation now shifted to the upcoming school festival. Julia was complaining about somethingâthe festival, finance, probablyâand Y/N was responding with his usual lazy drawl. Ryujin ignored it all, remaining lost in the memory of her silent exchange with Y/N earlier.Â
There was no reason for him to look at her like that. Y/N was a slacker, an idiot whose sole purpose seemed to be getting under her skin. She picked up her last piece of pork, while listening to him bickering with Julia.
Yes. He was just an idiot.
Ryujin forced herself to listen to them, her eyes narrowing slightly. She watched Julia effortlessly lean into Y/Nâs space, her laughter bright and easy as she slapped his arm playfully. It was all so natural for her. And the way Y/N would just⊠agree. He would let her steal his food, he would laugh at her dumb jokes. It was all wrong. This compliant, smiling version of him that appeared only for Julia? It was bizarre, and unacceptable.
It was her job to be annoyed by him, not anyone elseâs.
Before Julia bid her farewell, she asked Y/N if he was still interested in joining the schoolâs student council. The question was met with a sigh escaping his lips as he let his head fall back with a quiet groan. His eyes were rolling up towards the ceiling in a slow, deliberate arc that screamed ânot this againâ.
Ryujin, sensing a new topic, was about to reach for her carton of milk, but Juliaâs next words made her hand freeze mid-air.
âWellâŠyou were the student council president in middle school. Thatâs a very good CV for at least being a general member,â The words actually meant for Ryujin.Â
Ryujinâs eyes widened in alarm, unblinking. The image of Y/N sleeping at his desk warring with the impossible image of him commanding an auditorium.
âY/N was the presidentâŠ?â The doubt in her voice was visible. Y/N waved his hand around in genuine disgust.
âNah, nah, nah. It was a long time ago, and Iâm never doing it again.â A small, knowing smile played on Juliaâs lips, as she watched the astonishment on Ryujinâs face.
âAnyway, I need to stop by the student council room before class. See you after school.â Julia said with a small, perfect bow before standing to leave. âOh, donât forget about my proposal. Think about it thoroughly, Y/N.â before finally walking away from Y/N and Ryujin.
âNot in a million years.â Y/N watched her go, just lifting a hand in a lazy, half-hearted good-bye.Â
Juliaâs back faded into the wave of students, but the unanswered question she had planted remained, running chaotically in Ryujinâs mind. How could the slacker who infuriated her every morning be the same person who once led the entire student body? And what, exactly, was his relationship with that girl? Her thoughts got the best of her as they slipped out her lips.
âYou two sure are close. I still canât believe you have a female friendâ Her voice was sudden icicles, the warmth vanished.
âIs that surprising?â he asked, one eyebrow arching.
âYes, and?â A wave of nervousness filled him, as Y/Nâs hand reached up to rub the back of his neck. His eyes were at Ryujinâs face, trying to decipher her expression. Her eyes were wide, her mouth a thin, tight line. Was that⊠jealousy? But the thought was so bizarre that he could only gape at her, for that moment.
âI meanâŠarenât weâŠfriends?â Her eyes slowly blinked, blank expressions written all over her face, with head inquisitively tilting followed. The silence was a bit too long; it made Y/Nâs stomach twisted.
âHuh? Weâre not, then?â he stammered out, the words feeling clumsy and loud.
For another agonising moment, she just stared. Then, she abruptly turned away from him, hiding her face. But Y/N caught the unmistakable, fiery blush blooming across her cheeks. He, too, then felt his own face grow hot.
âEhem. No, weâre friends. I just remembered I had to stop by the student council room as well,â she replied flatly before standing up with her metal tray, then immediately headed to the tray return station. Ryujin didnât even look back as she, too, faded into the wave of students.
Y/N let out a low, humourless chuckle as he dismissed the usual cold encounter. His mind was already focused on envisioning his revenge on the two who had fled. He then stood up, returned his tray and made his way back to his classroom.
That afternoon, it seemed some students caught on to Ryujin's unusual acts. First, it was from the third-year boys about seeing the flash of dark blue hair skipping down the main hallwayâthey never saw her face gleaming that brightly. Then the baseball club happened to hear a hum of someone that was âtotally in loveâ during practice. The rumours ricocheted through the halls, and it seemed unusually cheerful that afternoon.
Those rumours never reached the person who was in his corner of the world. He just thought the final bell was three seconds later than usual.
a/n: this is a series written by me and @seeunsoon and honestly im so excited to publish this story with the guidance from my fellow writer. i think some of u will recognise the storyline but it would be nice to make it as korean practices for me (tmi im studying in south korea) anyways please give this series much love ~
The school gate of St. Arcadia Academy was constantly filled with a new wave of students. From afar, you could see a procession of navy blue blazers. The school compound was instantly filled with chatter, gossip, clearly everyone has their own unspoken stories to be told. This academy was a place built on reputation, long and rich history, where every face seemed to be the countryâs next asset.
Amidst the bustling crowd, eyes were following a certain female student who just walked through the gates. Conversations halted, and the usual vibrant energy of the morning devolved into quiet murmurs. Boys and girls naturally slowed their pace while the girl with the dark blue wolfcut hair sliced through them without a glance, ignoring the frozen figures and the gaping mouths.
âBro, look!â
âWhat? Itâs Ryujin! My morning is blessed.â
âGo say hello to her.â
âAre you insane?! No way, sheâs obviously way out of my league! Why not, you go talk to her?â
âI donât wanna risk myself getting killed by the other guys. Not in a million years.â
She was the schoolâs princess, or more precisely the solitary princessâundeniable allure, yet her icy presence could be felt across the school auditorium. The unwavering of her dark brown orbs was all the authority she needed. Her name was Shin âJoanneâ Ryujin, the transfer student who had claimed the top spot in her class was now set to be the student councilâs general affairs. She was a flawless, untouchable figure.
âShe is so handsomeâŠâ
âI know right. Iâm a girl and older than her, but she still makes me weak at the knees.â
As Ryujin entered her classroom, the hum of her classmates' chatter slowly died down. Their gazes tracked every single movement, but she simply headed over to her usual perchâat the very back row by the window. This was simply a daily occurrence for the dark blue wolfcut girl. She glanced over to her right seat, a flash of brown hair male student lay sprawled across his desk, like a defeated soldier.
Her dark brown eyes bulleted at her neighbour, sarcastically greeted him.
âGood morning, Y/N.â
The sleeping boy, Bae Y/N, offered no response. His arms wrapped with a wearable shiba inu-shaped pillow, completely knocked out. Ryujin felt her chest slowly combusting a flame of indignity, clearly being ignored. Her eyes were glaring even harder at his peacefully sleeping face.
He felt the presence of a sharp glare and all of a sudden, his desk slid sideways with a bangâa sound like a gunshotâechoed through the classroom. The impact from Ryujinâs kick caused him to be almost toppled from his chair as a startled yelp escaped him. Everyone was used to seeing this morning ritual and they could not help but to just sigh.
âGood morning, Y/N. Did you stay up all night rolling for that five-star you still donât have?â Ryujin greeted her, a mocking smile wrapped around her face. He blinked a few times, his gaze unfocused, and the world slowly came back into full focus mode.
âUh.. yo, Joanne. Well, thatâs the gist of it.â
Y/N was the only guy in school who would call the solitary princess, Joanne. Sometimes, âJoâ though some students called her that when she wasnât around, but only Y/N could greet her Joanne to her face.Â
Y/N already sensed a nagging session will come out right after he said so. He had already grown accustomed to this âmom-childâ relationship every single morning. Though, Y/N didnât seem intimidated by Ryujinâs usual cold stare and the fact she just had kicked his desk to wake him up.
âYou never learn, do you?â Her words felt sharp, yet lacked its usual bite.
âI actually got the character I wanted. It was after I obtained the character that took⊠a bit of time.â He raked a hand through his messy brown hair, as he slowly sat upright.
âHuh? What do you mean?â
âThe characterâs kit was so cool and I like her gameplay, and⊠I ended up spending the next three hours building her to the max potential.â
âYouâre an idiot.â
âMaybe I am an idiot. But this love is too good to keep quiet about. And if that makes me an idiot, then so be it.â
âLet me rephrase my words. Youâre not an idiot. Youâre hopeless, degenerate moron.â
Y/N laughed it off, making his remark as the sound of bell chiming echoed across the school hallway. The bell was an indication that the homeroom session was going to start in five minutes.Â
âItâs very rare to see you in a good mood, Joanne.â A sigh of despair escaped from Ryujinâs, shaking her head as if trying to say that thereâs no way to make him see reason.Â
Some students were already rooted in their respective seats, some just arrived at the classroom, gasping for air, some were still in the middle of conversation. Ryujin had already taken out her study materials from her bag, resting neatly on her desk.
Y/N, on the other hand, a jaw-cracking yawn stretched his face followed with his arms stretching out wide. His mind was still about the character he just pulled last night and his body was already itching to go back home to boot his PC.
âì ìŽë êČ ê·ìŹìŽ ê±°ìŒ?âÂ
"wae ireohge gwiyeoun geoya"
Why are you being so cute?
Y/Nâs keen hearing caught a soft, yet clear whisper coming from his left seat. Ryujin, who was eyeing him the entire time, chin propped onto her palm.
âYou say something?â
âNothing. I just said you look ugly.â Ryujin smirked contemptuously and snorted with laughter.
âMy apologies,â he replied, thinking it must have been his yawning. Ryujin hastily faced the window as a smile flickered across her face, trying to keep her expression from Y/N.
But, Y/N stared at her back as his eyes were giving condolences to Ryujin. She had no ideaâŠ
The muffled drone of Mr. Choiâs voice was the perfect white noise machine. It was a low, monotonous hum that lulled Y/N into a state somewhere between consciousness and the welcoming abyss of sleep. His head, heavy with the weight of a 4 a.m. raid apparent, was propped precariously on his palm. Heâd won the ultra-rare 5-star weapon, but the victory had cost him dearly in REM cycles.
A sudden, crisp scent cut through the drowsy fog. It was subtleâsomething clean, like fresh linen mixed with a hint of citrus and cold morning air. He didnât even need to open his eyes.
Joanne.
The scent was followed by the soft rustle of a blazer and the quiet thud of a textbook being placed on the desk beside him. Shin Ryujin, the academyâs untouchable prodigy, had taken her seat.
He remembered her first day a month ago. Sheâd walked in with that silver-blue wolfcut, her eyes scanning the room with an unnerving, analytical calm. When the teacher announced she had scored a perfect 100 on the entrance exam, a wave of awe had rippled through the class. She was a celebrity overnight. The student council had practically kidnapped her for the General Affairs position.
Y/N, on the other hand, had been more concerned with the new character banner dropping that afternoon.
Their assigned seats were a cruel joke played by the universe. Her side of the desk was a testament to perfect order: pens aligned by color, a pristine notebook with immaculate handwriting, and a posture so straight it could have been drawn with a ruler. His side was a disaster zone: a half-eaten bag of chips from lunch, a textbook he hadnât opened in a week, and his cheek currently attempting to fuse with his desk.
He felt her gaze on him, sharp and judgmental. He didn't have to see it to know. It was a daily ritual.
âDisgraceful,â she muttered under her breath, a sharp hiss of English for the world to hear.
Y/N offered a weak, one-sided smile without lifting his head. âMorning to you too, Joanne.â
She didnât respond. The silence that followed was heavy with her disapproval. Mr. Choi continued his lecture on the Joseon Dynasty, his voice a steady metronome marking the slow march toward lunch. Y/Nâs consciousness began to drift again, pulled under by the tide of exhaustion.
And then he heard it. The whisper was meant only for the air between them.
âì°žë, ê·ìœêČì늏.â
"chamna... gwiyeobgesiri."
Why are you being so cute?
His heart gave a painful lurch, a traitorous jump that threatened to wake him completely. The Korean words slipped into his ear not as foreign sounds, but as clear as day. His mother was a professor of Korean literature. Heâd spent every summer of his childhood in Seoul. He was more fluent in Korean than he was in the complex lore of his gacha games, and that was saying something.
Joanne, of course, had no idea. To everyone at St. Arcadia Academy, he was just Y/N. No middle name, no remarkable backstory. Just a guy who was surprisingly good at video games and surprisingly average at everything else.
He kept his breathing even, feigning deep sleep. He felt a light, almost imperceptible shift next to him. She must be leaning in. The citrusy scent grew stronger.
âì§ì§ ë°ëłŽ ê°ìâŠ. ê·Œë° ëŽê° ì ìŽëŹêł ìì§?â
"jinjja babo gata... keunde naega wae ireogo ittji?"
Youâre really like a fool⊠but why do I even care?
This time, her voice was laced with a soft, exasperated sigh. It was a completely different tone from her usual icy critiques. This was warmer, more intimate. It was a sound he was certain no one else in this school had ever heard from Shin Ryujin. A self-satisfied smirk played on her lips, invisible to the world but vivid in Y/Nâs imagination. Her secret was safe, she thought. She could say whatever she wanted.
âMr. Y/N!â
Mr. Choiâs voice cracked through the air like a whip. Y/Nâs head snapped up, his brain rebooting with the panicked slowness of an old computer. Every eye in the class was on him.
âSince you seem so well-rested, perhaps you can enlighten us,â the teacher said, a stern glint in his eyes. âWhat were the primary factors leading to the decline of the Goryeo Dynastyâs power?â
Y/N blinked. His mind was a blank slate. Heâd been dreaming of artifact stats, not dynastic collapses. He could feel Ryujinâs stare boring into the side of his head. He braced himself for the inevitable âTskâ of disappointment.
Instead, he saw a subtle movement from the corner of his eye. Her long, slender finger tapped once, twice, on a specific paragraph in her open textbook. The book was angled just enough for him to see.
His eyes darted to the text. Military coups⊠rise of a new scholar-official class⊠external threats from the MongolsâŠ
As he quickly scanned the words, another whisper reached his ears, so quiet the silence almost swallowed it.
The last word wasn't harsh. It was⊠fond. The way youâd scold a puppy for chewing on a shoe. It sent a jolt straight through him, more effective than any energy drink.
He cleared his throat, his voice still a bit rough. âUh⊠the primary factors were the rise of a powerful new military class staging coups, the weakening of the central government, and⊠significant external pressure from Mongol invasions.â
Mr. Choiâs eyebrows shot up in surprise. âCorrect. Very good. Please try to remain part of this century, Mr. Y/N.â
A few classmates snickered as Y/N nodded, his face burning. He slowly sank back down, his heart still hammering against his ribs. He risked a glance at Joanne. She was already looking away, staring straight ahead at the blackboard as if nothing had happened, her expression a mask of perfect indifference.
But heâd seen the faint blush on the tips of her ears.
The bell for break finally shrieked, releasing them. As students began to chatter and stand, Y/N turned to her. He had to say something, but it had to be the right thing. The clueless thing.
âHey, uh⊠thanks for the save back there, Joanne.â
She finally turned to face him, her expression arctic. âI have no idea what youâre talking about,â she said, her English sharp and precise. âPay attention in class and you wonât need saving.â
She stood, grabbing her things with an elegant efficiency, and walked away without a second glance, leaving him in the lingering scent of her perfume.
Y/N leaned back in his chair, a slow smile spreading across his face. This was a dangerous game. She thought she was speaking in code, venting her secret feelings into a void. But he was the void, and he was listening to every word.
Shin Ryujin thought she was hiding. But for him, she was the most wonderfully, terrifyingly honest person heâd ever met.
The cafeteria was echoing with chatter and blabber, accompanied with the sound of metal tray rustling. It was a social map, every day was the same. In one corner, the beautiful people reigned supreme. In another, the reputable baseball team with their bright white uniforms. And at the very back, a barren kingdom belonged to Y/N and his friendsâexile. There were masses of bodies all pushing from the lunch line to get the holy grail of school lunches: pork cutlet with brown sauce. Though spicy stir-fried pork was also on the menu, on pork cutlet day, there was really no other choice.
Surprisingly, the latter option caught Y/Nâs attention and for someone who loved spicy food, it was a blessing for someone like him.
âSpicy stir-fried pork? Seriously, Y/N?â Mark Lee groaned, shaking his head in disbelief. âWeâve been eating lunch together since middle school and I still donât get you.âÂ
âYou know Y/N could never resist spicy foods.â
Christopher Bang chimed inâanother Y/Nâs lunchmatesâhe had seen the drooling face Y/N made whenever spicy foods were on the menus far too many times. Trays in hand, they made their ways at the very back of the cafeteriaâtheir barren kingdom they put in exile.
âManâŠI tell you this spicy stir-fried is simply the best. The spiciness directly kicked in your buds.â
Y/N were sitting across Chris and Mark, who were in disbelief could just nodded in response as he munched down his rice glistened with spicy red sauce. There was a ripple of whispers, slowly spreading across the cafeteria. Everyone's head turns to the source of the sound. Some students even stood up from their seats to see the already-formed line at the cafeteriaâs entrance. The chattering and rustling slowly died out, quickly growing into excited murmurs.
âShoot! Is there a royal hearing today?!â Mark exclaimed, his own mouth full of pork cutlet.
Y/N then looked up. He saw themâtwo girls everyone called the schoolâs princesses. Their steps were full of confidence and grace that owned the space. A petite girl with her flowing black hair bouncing on her broad shoulder as she walked. Accompanying her, a stark contrast in a dark blue wolfcut, was Shin Ryujin. It felt like commoners watching the royalty walk through their village for the first time.
âJulia is so cute⊠I hope I can get to know her better.â
Choi Jisu, or more often addressed as Julia, Lia if they are close with her. She was a first-year student and the student council publicist. Her peers described Julia as the noble princess due to her high social skills and how her blazing smile always brightened everyoneâs day, making her the other âprincessâ of the academy.
In contrast, Ryujin, though she was handsomely beautiful with her tomboyish dark blue wolfcut, she always kept her distance from others. She never tried to approach anyoneâeven from her class. As time went by, people eventually started calling her the solitary princess.
âDo you think you have a chance? Julia rejected more guys than Ryujin, actually.â Chris tilted his head slightly, one eyebrow arching in clear disbelief.
âWell⊠probably sheâs not looking for a boyfriend at the moment. Or I donât know, maybe she has a fiance already?â Mark lifted his shoulder, his gaze averting to Y/N. âWhatâs up with her?â
âWhy are you asking me?â Y/Nâs eyebrows furrowed.
He knew exactly why. Everyone in the school knew that Y/N and Julia grew up together. To everyone, Y/N was just an anomaly, the slacker who somehow found himself orbiting the blazing Julia. He had felt their eyes on him for yearsâeyes that glared with jealousy.
âAs far as I know, she doesnât have one and I donât know if she's interested in dating, either.â Y/N added before long, his brown eyes met with Juliaâs hazel eyes.
Nah. Not here, Lia. Not in front of the guys, please.
But his silent plea remained unanswered. He didnât even need to look up to watch their slow, deliberate path across the cafeteria; he could feel the gravitational pull of the princessesâ popularity, a field of force so powerful it was a miracle he and his friends were still sitting steadily. Y/N took a glance at Mark, his mouth slightly agape, as if he had seen a ghost and an angel at the same time. While Chris, his usual calm demeanor, now trying his best pretending to be intensely interested in his kimchi.
âY/N-ie, are these seats taken?â Juliaâs voice chirped from right beside him, impossibly cheerful.
He looked up to see Juliaâs beaming face, with Ryujin standing silently behind her. He offered a flat, unimpressed look. âThey are now, apparently,â before nudging to the frozen Mark with his elbow, âYou guys donât mind, right?â
Mark managed a jerky nod, his eyes wide as Ryujin slid into the seat next to him. Chris, seeing this, immediately adopted a look of intense focus on his rice from his kimchi, as if trying to count every grain. Julia, oblivious, settled in beside Y/N, immediately pointed her chopsticks at his tray.
âYours looks spicier. Why do they always give you more sauce,â she complained, already her chopsticks trying to steal a piece of pork.
âYou have yours. Donât go around stealing peopleâs feast,â Y/N slapped her chopsticks away instinctively. âI figured you would order the same.â
Effortlessly, the table was split; one side erupted with a lively food debate, and on the other, a heavy silence had fallen. Mark and Chris seemed to be trying to merge with their chairs. Even Ryujin, she ate with a quiet, intense focus as a crease appeared between her brows as she listened to his banter with Julia. It was equally clear they were not enjoying it.
It was until Julia stole a piece of his pork where her grip on her chopsticks tightened. The wolfcut couldnât stay silent. She closed her eyes while casually asking, âAre you two close?â
âWeâre childhood friends!â Juliaâs voice was bright, her grin reached her soft cheeks while facing Ryujin. âWeâve been going to the same school ever since kindergarten, but never had class together.â She faked a frown, before taking a scoop of her lunch.
Ryujin gave a short nod, her expression unreadable as she turned back to her pork cutlet. The sound of her chopsticks clinking against her tray was present for a moment. As Y/N took another blissful bite of spicy pork, her deep voice sliced through the silence.
âSo⊠Y/N?â Y/N hummed as a response, his mouth full of what he considered a godsend of a meal.
âWhat have you been telling Julia about me?â He saw her lips pressed together in a pout, her eyes trying not to meet his.
âOh? Hm⊠just like how you always get mad at me, I think.â The corner of Ryujinâs eyebrows curled even furiously. He felt a cold, intense glare that made the hairs on his arms prickle.
âYou make it sound like Iâm always angry but itâs always your fault,â Ryujin argued, her voice though sharp, her brown eyes searching for him.
Y/N shrugged his shoulders as his head lowered, âWell, canât deny that.â Before Y/N could take his next spoonful of his pork, Juliaâs cheerful voice cut in.
âY/N always speaks so highly of you, Ryu. He told me how hardworking you are and how he really respects you.â
The rice and pork went down the wrong pipe. He slammed a fist on his chest, instinctively his hand went for his glass of water. As he gulped it down, his eyes shot Julia a murderous glare over the rim of the glass.
âI neverâcoughâsaid I respected her,â he rasped, his voice raw. âDonât twist my words in your favour, Lia.â
âThatâs rude. I remembered how you unconditionally show respect for hardworking people, though.â The words hit Y/N like a physical blow. Juliaâs words had him pinned, a secret part of him was revealed. He felt a slow burn on his cheeks as he snapped his mouth shut.
What could he even say? It was already embarrassing enough that Julia knew his stupid and secret admiration for effort, but to announce it in front of the solitary princess herself?
The image of Ryujinâs bandaged fingers from sewing class, the echo of a volleyball thudding against the gym floor long after practice had ended, and the quiet determination in her eyes as she stayed late to finish her study. Damn it, he could see it now.
Y/N awkwardly looked away before his eyes, staring at Mark and Chris. They were too silent during the whole conversation; his eyes were telling them: Come on, guys. Say something.
Mark and Chris exchanged glances, slight nods followed, then simultaneously stood up with their trays of unfinished lunch. Their eyes locked at Y/N as if to say:
Sorry, Y/N but I canât stand this overwhelming atmosphere here.
Iâm not comfortable around women for prolonged periods of time.
Y/Nâs eyes were trying their best to plead the two traitors who were about to leave. They averted their gazes to Ryujin and Julia, excusing themselves before hurriedly left the cafeteriaâY/Nâs begging was to no avail as his eyes locked on their fading backs.
He turned around to the source of the whisper, but it could be only one person. She was pulling that face againâthe one where her lower lip was pushed out as if she were annoyed, but he could see the little smirk tugging at her lips. It was a look he knew so well.
Ryujin felt Y/Nâs stare like a weight, and a hot blush crept up her neck. She immediately looked down to her tray. A tremor started in her hand, as she was trying her best to slice the final strip of her pork cutlet, though the sound of the fork clattering was inevitable.
âì ì꟞ ìłë€ëŽâŠ ë¶ëŽì€ëœêČ.â
"wae jakku chyeodabwa... budamseureobge."
Stop staring at me, you jerk.
Ryujin mumbled her words out, her head bowed so low her dark blue hair completely obscured her face. Y/N found himself leaning forward slightly, an unconscious urge to close their distance. It was an unfamiliar warmth that had nothing to do with the spicy pork in his stomach.
The cold, intimidating Ryujinâthe solitary princessâwas actually flustered and mumbling. He almost couldnât believe it.
The conversation now shifted to the upcoming school festival. Julia was complaining about somethingâthe festival, finance, probablyâand Y/N was responding with his usual lazy drawl. Ryujin ignored it all, remaining lost in the memory of her silent exchange with Y/N earlier.Â
There was no reason for him to look at her like that. Y/N was a slacker, an idiot whose sole purpose seemed to be getting under her skin. She picked up her last piece of pork, while listening to him bickering with Julia.
Yes. He was just an idiot.
Ryujin forced herself to listen to them, her eyes narrowing slightly. She watched Julia effortlessly lean into Y/Nâs space, her laughter bright and easy as she slapped his arm playfully. It was all so natural for her. And the way Y/N would just⊠agree. He would let her steal his food, he would laugh at her dumb jokes. It was all wrong. This compliant, smiling version of him that appeared only for Julia? It was bizarre, and unacceptable.
It was her job to be annoyed by him, not anyone elseâs.
Before Julia bid her farewell, she asked Y/N if he was still interested in joining the schoolâs student council. The question was met with a sigh escaping his lips as he let his head fall back with a quiet groan. His eyes were rolling up towards the ceiling in a slow, deliberate arc that screamed ânot this againâ.
Ryujin, sensing a new topic, was about to reach for her carton of milk, but Juliaâs next words made her hand freeze mid-air.
âWellâŠyou were the student council president in middle school. Thatâs a very good CV for at least being a general member,â The words actually meant for Ryujin.Â
Ryujinâs eyes widened in alarm, unblinking. The image of Y/N sleeping at his desk warring with the impossible image of him commanding an auditorium.
âY/N was the presidentâŠ?â The doubt in her voice was visible. Y/N waved his hand around in genuine disgust.
âNah, nah, nah. It was a long time ago, and Iâm never doing it again.â A small, knowing smile played on Juliaâs lips, as she watched the astonishment on Ryujinâs face.
âAnyway, I need to stop by the student council room before class. See you after school.â Julia said with a small, perfect bow before standing to leave. âOh, donât forget about my proposal. Think about it thoroughly, Y/N.â before finally walking away from Y/N and Ryujin.
âNot in a million years.â Y/N watched her go, just lifting a hand in a lazy, half-hearted good-bye.Â
Juliaâs back faded into the wave of students, but the unanswered question she had planted remained, running chaotically in Ryujinâs mind. How could the slacker who infuriated her every morning be the same person who once led the entire student body? And what, exactly, was his relationship with that girl? Her thoughts got the best of her as they slipped out her lips.
âYou two sure are close. I still canât believe you have a female friendâ Her voice was sudden icicles, the warmth vanished.
âIs that surprising?â he asked, one eyebrow arching.
âYes, and?â A wave of nervousness filled him, as Y/Nâs hand reached up to rub the back of his neck. His eyes were at Ryujinâs face, trying to decipher her expression. Her eyes were wide, her mouth a thin, tight line. Was that⊠jealousy? But the thought was so bizarre that he could only gape at her, for that moment.
âI meanâŠarenât weâŠfriends?â Her eyes slowly blinked, blank expressions written all over her face, with head inquisitively tilting followed. The silence was a bit too long; it made Y/Nâs stomach twisted.
âHuh? Weâre not, then?â he stammered out, the words feeling clumsy and loud.
For another agonising moment, she just stared. Then, she abruptly turned away from him, hiding her face. But Y/N caught the unmistakable, fiery blush blooming across her cheeks. He, too, then felt his own face grow hot.
âEhem. No, weâre friends. I just remembered I had to stop by the student council room as well,â she replied flatly before standing up with her metal tray, then immediately headed to the tray return station. Ryujin didnât even look back as she, too, faded into the wave of students.
Y/N let out a low, humourless chuckle as he dismissed the usual cold encounter. His mind was already focused on envisioning his revenge on the two who had fled. He then stood up, returned his tray and made his way back to his classroom.
That afternoon, it seemed some students caught on to Ryujin's unusual acts. First, it was from the third-year boys about seeing the flash of dark blue hair skipping down the main hallwayâthey never saw her face gleaming that brightly. Then the baseball club happened to hear a hum of someone that was âtotally in loveâ during practice. The rumours ricocheted through the halls, and it seemed unusually cheerful that afternoon.
Those rumours never reached the person who was in his corner of the world. He just thought the final bell was three seconds later than usual.
hi hi !! unfortunately for the time being im not taking any reqs. my recent fics were either written on a whim or it was in my draft for a long timeâŠ. so yeah
a/n: this story was originally for my creative writing course assignment about writing things you dont know. but i got motivated while doing this assignment so i ended up writing a whole action, combat story, which took me a week to complete. anyways, please read with care.
tw : knife violence, blood, injuries, a bit of claustrophobia, etc
On a cold night, a man in his twenties ambled down the desolated sideroad. His wrinkled grey hood shadowed his face. With every meticulously choreographed step, the plastic bag in his hand whispered a soft, crinkling sound against his leg. It was already mid-September, yet the trees stood unwaveringly in their green, as if summer had refused to die.
A sudden clang of metal cut through the silent, tense air. From the alley. He flinched, but he paced himself again. Just a racoon, or a cat. It had to be one of them. But, a sound of low grunt muffled from the deeper black of the alley mouth. His tired brown eyes caught silhouettes from the same alley; one still, one struggling.Â
A tall man, still and silent, and a woman, violent and groaning. His eyes watched as the manâs fingers clamped around her wrist, her hand twisting desperately to break free. It was like a silent tug of war from afarâa desperate refusal against a forceful demand.
âHey, Ryujin, letâs just go home. Youâre making this take longer than it needs to.â His voice was calm and even, a condescending observation.
His mind caught on the name.
Ryujin?
A puff of mist escaped his mouth as the name slowly went across the concrete.
Both turned toward the sound of the deep, yet soft voice. As the moonlight washed the alleyway, the hooded face slowly became visible to them. The light bathed his features, illuminating the black frames of his glasses that hid his brown eyes. His face was wrapped in a blank expression, but his heart was a frantic drum against his ribs.
Ryujin.
The very name echoed through his head like a metronome, and the ghost of her, once forgotten, her face returned, piece by piece. His stare saw the slash of her cherry-red hair, then the white knuckles gripping her other wrist.
The sight of her blurry ghost in his memory vanished, he now stood before her. The cherry-red hair. The same face. The two unmistakable moles above her left eyebrow. They locked eyes with each other, a pair of identical brown orbs searching their mirror.Â
His gaze was confused against her desperate, pleading stare.
âY/N?â A husky yet worried voice froze him.
Y/N knew that voice; it was impossible. He stood rooted, his fingers curled into fits so tight his fingertips pierced his palm. Unspoken sentences hanging in the night air, until a sharp and clear voice sliced the unwanted silence in half.
âMan, do you know her?â
He bowed his head, let out a long, exasperated sigh his only response. He looked at the man, then averted his gaze to the cherry-red hair.
His lips twitched into a smirk. âWellâŠlonger than you, Iâd bet.âÂ
All of a sudden, he felt a strong stream of wind reaching his face. A stomp resonated, followed by a blurring fist into Y/Nâs vision for a split second.
The jab snapped his head back; the asphalt rushed to meet his face. He staggered a step back, a flush of pain spreading on his cheeks, the corner of his mouth trailing blood.
He wobbled his way up, fighting to steady his footing.
âHuh. This boss is quite tough. I wonder if I can level up more.â
Boss? Level up?
The man has hair with the colour of a deep abyss. His heavy-lidded gaze scanned Y/N, as if he were analysing his bosses in video games. A faint, easy smile touched his lips, and suddenly the temperature in the alley dropped eerily.
âBeomgyu! He has nothing to do with this. Leave him alone!â
âHah⊠leave him alone? But then I wonât get a ton of EXP from killing him.â
Y/N pushed himself up. He dragged his thumb across the split rubbed the corner of lip, his gaze narrowed on the guy who treated this like a role-playing video games.
âEnjoying the tutorial, bro?â The remark landed, but Beomgyuâs brow barely twitched, a slow smile spreading across his face.
âLeave Ryujin alone. Iâve heard so many things about you,â Y/N added, only to be greeted with a low chuckle.
âYou know. Iâm always up for a side quest.â He tilted his head, smile intact. âBut you should consider leveling up your writing.âÂ
Y/Nâs last shred of patience snapped. He lunged forward, a smirk, wild and reckless, plastered on his face. Suddenly, Y/N was already in Beomgyuâs space.
A right hook snapped his head to the sideâfor a moment, Beomgyuâs world spun. An agonising heat seared his left cheek, leaving behind a dark, mottled red bruise.
Y/N pulled his arm back to send another strike, but it was unusually slow. He felt something cold strike in his side. It wasnât painful, a very sudden cold intrusion. He felt a dampness down his left leg, and he froze.
Ryujin gasped. She had seen it allâthe pocket knife, the metallic steel, and the way Beomgyuâs hand had moved just before Y/Nâs fist connected. The single thrust drove into Y/Nâs; a gasp escaped his lungs as a twinge of raw pain lancing through his side.
One.
âY/N!â The name left Ryujinâs lips as a choked cry tore through the cold air. Her hands flew to her mouth, shuddering, as her sinking body followedâgravity had just doubled. Her throat constricted with a knot of helplessness. All she could do was watch the drip. The spreading and blossoming red-black on the cold asphalt.
Beomgyu, stroking his flushed cheek, still wearing his placid expression. For a moment, a flicker of annoyance hit his face, eyes narrowed. The blade did go in, just not with the precision he intended.
âAhâŠwrong timing, man.â He muttered, not in malice, but it was like a gamer whose button timing was just seconds off.
Y/N looked down, a sight of dark, ugly stain blossoming on his grey hoodie, spreading like ink. He stood froze, muscles stiffedâlike a person after deathâbefore long he was kneeling in front of the monstrous, unfazed face. A fiery burn slowly consuming his left side.
Beomgyu found himself between Y/N and Ryujin, as he watched crumpled man and the terrified cherry-red. His gaze drawn to the blade of the black pocket knife, covered with Y/Nâs slick layer of crimson as it trickled down his arm. He glanced at the cherry-red girl, then back at the kneeling Y/N.
âHeyâŠyou said you know her well, right?â Beomgyu crouched before him, his face slightly tilted. Y/N looked up at him, his hand was pressing the cold, burning sensation wound as his life slowly oozed out from his waist.
Beomgyu, his usual heavy-lidded gaze still on Y/N, pointed out his blade near Ryujin's chin. The tip of the steel glinted under the moonlight as Y/Nâs gaze found hers, a silent gasp of terror escaped her.
Why am I doing this?
âHow about I kill both of you here? Starting with the weakest oneââ
The moment Y/N heard the threat, a swift but silent kick connected to Beomgyuâs face. The kick landed with a sharp crack, as if a branch snapping into two. It felt louder than the impact itself.
Beomgyu stumbled backwards, not by much. He felt the kick firstâa shockwave rattling through his skull, then the sound chimed. While his ears screamed, his eyes remained on Y/N, an angry blackness slowly flaming around his outline.
His grip tightened. He stood frozen one moment, as a blur of motion came next.
In a split second, he slammed Y/Nâs body against the wall with his forearm, as a sudden thump echoed the already tense silence of the alley. The impact cut his breath, the slam rattled his bones. A gush of blood erupted from his mouth, splattering across Beomgyu's unyielding face.
Beomgyuâs forearm is pinned across Y/Nâs chest like an iron bar. Y/Nâs ribs screamed under that crushing pin, his palms pushing uselessly against Beomgyuâs chest.
âDontâŠtouchâŠRyujinâŠyouâŠpsycho!â Y/N was out of breath from the shockwave. He tried to kick himself out of Beomgyuâs overwhelming pin; his fingers clawed desperately at Beomgyuâs wrist.
A glint. Then the stab tore into him.
Two.
The pocket knife punched into his side with a meaty thunk. Y/N gasped, fire spreading under his skin as blood surged hot between them. Beomgyuâs grip never loosened, and before he had even time to choke, the knife ripped outâthen rammed back in.
Three.
Y/N writhed, it was wetter and deeper this time, exploding through his already tainted grey hoodie. The wall scraped his shoulder blades as he tried to twist free, but to no avail. Blood was seeping onto Beomgyuâs fist as the air seized Y/Nâs lung, leaving his breath stuttering.
Beomgyu leaned closer, twisting the knife just enough to make him howl.
âPathetic,â his hiss cut sharply as the blade.
He withdrew his knife, it was red and sticky, as well as a torn cloth from Y/Nâs hoodie.
For a moment, Y/N braced himself against the wall before, his legs were too heavy to support him. It was a slow-motion collapse as an ugly stain smeared the bricks. His gaze, unfocused, was still directed at Beomgyu, who slowly closed the distance between him and the horrified, cherry-red figure.
Ryujin could hear her own frantic, ragged sound of breathing. Her blood ran cold as his muffled, yet deliberate footsteps scraped across the asphaltâa slow, methodicalâslowly approaching towards her.Â
Her focus narrowed; her breath hitched every step Beomgyu took. It wasnât about the knife or Y/N. It was the pure terror, absolute chilling thought that Beomgyu was enjoying this. She had always been tough, but now she was crumbling.
The silence after Ryujinâs shrieking gasp, was heavy and intimidating. Without a conscious thought, her back was already touching the wall and she slowly felt a tremor snaking up her body.Â
His heavy-lidded gaze was now fixed solely on her, looking eerily calm. It sank into Ryujinâs like she was prey that had already given up.
His blade gleamed faintly, wet with a ruby-red smear, finding its next flesh. Before the placid calm could reach the frozen-in-place Ryujin, Y/N drove a foot hard into Beomgyuâs spine. A desperate side kick, forcing him away. Y/N shoved himself upright againâtaekwondo basics drilled into his muscle memory.
His breath came sharp, ragged, but his intense gaze focused on the black hair as he slowly got up on his knees.
âGood, good. Youâre up.â
âWouldnât want you to die after only three stabs, anyways.â
He gave a quiet chuckle, a half-smirk plastered on the black hairâs face. It was more like an amused one. Then, his presence was gone from Y/Nâs peripheral sight. A gush of wind slid, slicing past, and greeted him with a fiery graze across his ribcage seconds later.
Four.
It was shallow, but enough for Y/N to hiss in pain. Beomgyuâs movement was too fast for Y/N to track, like a supersonic plane shearing the speed of sound. But what it sheared here was the grey fabric and skin.
The shock slowly wore off, replaced by a tearing pain from his side. But his body shook with the effort of remaining upright. His feet planted stubbornly on the rough ground. The alley was tight, the brick walls turning every spin or sweep into a dangerous risk. It was a place designated for a hunter and his blade.
Y/N snapped a side kick towards Beomgyuâs chest, but it was blocked by his forearms. A low grunt rumbled in his chest, his forearms were pulsating, thrown backwards to the alleyâs mouth. Y/Nâs strength didnât falter even from the stab wounds. Before Y/N could even connect his leg to him, Beomgyu was already surging in, blade flashing.
He aimed high at Y/Nâs chest. Y/N twisted, narrowly slipping under it, and for a moment, he thought he had escaped.
âCheckmate.â
A slight, lazy curl of his lip filled with smug satisfaction, then a wet tear as the blade ripped his right thigh. The alley filled with Y/Nâs guttural voice. Beomgyu was a step ahead; and it was a fluid and graceful counter.
Five.
The warmth of his own blood flowed down his shin, and with it, his footwork became faltering, life bleeding from his steps.
Y/N, again, pivoting on his uninjured leg. His body coiling and twisting, with a sudden, explosive burst of power, a perfectly straight line shot out from the heel of his foot. The impact was jarring; it was like a bat hitting a fastball, connected with Beomgyuâs lower abdomen.
He gasped for air, folded. The silence was shattered when a low chuckle escaped him as he straightened. With startling speed, he was already on Y/Nâs side, a flash of metallic slicing slashed his other side.Â
Six.
Hot blood spilt from Y/Nâs, soaking his drenched hoodieâa mix of sweat and blood. He pressed himself against the brick wall to anchor. His thighs burned, but he forced his stance; his clenched hands glistened, stained with a blossom of ruby-red
Y/Nâs breath was shallow, like a fish out of water, but his gaze was molten, daring him to keep going on. Beomgyuâs expression never wavered. The serenity of his half-lidded eyes locked on Y/Nâs, even as his blood-soaked hands continued their work.
Amused, he rushed towards Y/N again. Their bodies connected, a bone-crushing sound emitted as they rammed into the wall, again. A wet thump as a blade plunged deep into his stomach, leaving a cold, slowly widening void inside.Â
Seven.
He yanked it out, wet and sucking, before slamming back again. The void inside grew even wider.
Eight.
Blood foamed in Y/Nâs mouth, spilling convulsively over his lips. But both his hands held onto Beomgyuâs wrist as he drove his elbow into the manâs chin. It felt like a hammer went straight to Beomgyuâs chinâblunt and heavyâ forcing him to stumble half a step. It wasn't much, but enough to loosen the pin, dragging Y/N free of the wall.
A cut sliced on Beomgyuâs dry lips, tasting like a coin rubbing between his back molars. He wiped it with the back of his hand, smearing the blood.
âMan, this tastes like a coin. Way worse than the expired canned food I've eaten before,â Beomgyu complained, as he lunged again.
Y/N raised his arm to shield, the blade was reaching his gut again. But Beomgyu delivered a straight thrust through the front of his shoulderâimmobilising his right arm. Y/N shoved himself against the wall, a river of crimson washed down through his hoodie. His arm was trembling from the puncture, and before long, he couldnât even feel his fingers.
Nine.
His vision slowly turned to soft, white static like a weak television signal. He was about to lose his foundation, but a muffled sob passing through his ear yanked him back. He ignored the threats from his own consciousnessâgritting his teeth so hard his jaw ached, his other arm held in a protective shield for the cherry-red behind him.
âYouâŠwonâtâŠtouchâŠherâŠâ
Y/N launched himself off the wall, his uninjured arm a spring. The air whistled past as his leg snapped out towards Beomgyuâs face.
âDonâtâŠcomeâŠcloserâŠtoâŠHER!!â He shrieked, but the movement was a mistake. A fresh tear of pain shot through his shoulder. Calmly, Beomgyu dashed sideways, Y/Nâs upper body opened up. The blade tore his skin and hoodie from shoulder towards opposite ribs. The pain detonated inside his lungs, gasp followed as his collapsing technique sent him stumbling.
Ten.
Every frantic breath he took, his chest felt like a collapsing house; his right arm, the anchor of his balance, fell like a dead weight. Y/Nâs upper body was useless. His grey hoodie, now soaked with the spreading blackness on his chest. The ground overflowed with his life, trickling down as he pushed against the rough asphalt.
He braced his only useful hand on the bloody asphalt, his whole body quivering with effort. He rose againâdesperate, unkillable will given flesh. He was on his feet again; he was not done yet.
âGetâŠoffâŠfromâŠRyujinâŠâ His voice was a broken whisper, hardly audible, and with it, a spread of cold through his lower back, just beneath his ribs. His stare was so intense it seemed to burn. It felt like Y/N had been hit with a sledgehammer.
Eleven.
âThis boss talks too much,â Beomgyu clicked his tongue. A flicker of impatience crossed his face. The knife slit deeply into Y/Nâs with a muffled thump, as a dark, thick flow of blood welled up across his grip; it made its way out.
Y/N coughed up blood; his vision swarmed. His knees buckled from the torrent of blood heâd lost. His body, battered and bleeding, ignored his command to move. At that very moment, his eyes stayed locked on the person who mattered the most, refusing to let her outline fade completely.
The dizziness could take him.
But not yet.
The image of her fading outline gave him a final burst of adrenaline. He pushed himself upright again, ignoring the wave of agony that seized him. His grunt now was a prayer.
Every movement made his vision go completely black, only to return a moment later.Â
His whole body was drenched with ugly, sticky ruby that tightened on his skin.Â
His breath came in short, desperate gasps, a wet rasp that scraped at the back of his throat.
His balance shot to hell. But even as he swayed, his autopilot kicked in. Every fibre of his screaming to shield the cherry-red.Â
âStop it, Y/N! Youâre already bleeding too muchâŠâ The scream was a whisper for him. Y/Nâs body just stood frozen, a broken, bleeding puppet with only one command.
Beomgyu took a deliberate step, closing the distance between themâa predatory one. He went in again, plunged the blade into his soft, untouched flesh.
Twelve.
He tried to drive it even deeper, but the steel hit something solidâboneâand jolted to a stop. It was trembling uncontrollably, and just then, his half-lidded eyes snapped wide.
Y/N caught the steel mid-drive, hot blood running down his palm as his fingers clamped around the blade. The tip punctured his gut, though shallow, white-hot agony slowly bloomed in his abdomen. He choked back a scream, his grip unfaltering against the spreading fire in his palm.Â
Before the shredding pain could even register, Y/N steadied himself, heaved chest, rattled breath, bloody visionâit was all noise he was determined to end it all. With one leg mangled, the other still steady, he found a final, impossible burst of energy.
Y/N roared with something deeper than torment. He coiled himself, dragging the useless, pulsing fire leg behind him as his body became a twisted anchor. In a single, swift motion, he planted his good foot hard, with the wounded leg following.
The bridge of his foot slammed into the manâs throat. The sloppy, unfaltering raw force from his mangled leg snapped Beomgyuâs head back with a sickening crack.Â
The recoil sent Beomgyuâs own head hitting the brick. A dark stain spread across the rough brick surface, more like a morbid watercolour painting. His grip on the blade loosened, his body slowly slid to the ground.
Y/Nâs balance vanished. The ground was rushing up too quickly, the thumping sound followed. Crimson soaked his hoodie as pain erupted in his gut; his body folded around the blade. He held it as if it were a life preserver.
A slick, crimson trail strained the side of Beomgyuâs face as he lurched backwards. His breath was the sound of his uselessness, rattling in his own ears. His hand shot up to his neck, where a dark bruise already bloomed rapidly. The one who provides casual video-game commentary, went silent, a glitch in the game of his life.
The air grew thick with the coppery smell of drying blood. Beomgyuâs eyes now were on Y/N, slumped into a crumpled pile, slowly dragging himself forward toward Ryujinâs trembling figure. From the mouth of the alley, he heard a murmur, footsteps, and shouting. Faces began to appear in his peripheral sight.
Beomgyu corrected the angle of his head, a grotesque sound of grinding bone echoing faintly. He began to shuffle backwards, a calm, deliberate pace, ignoring the crimson river that was now trailing over his shoulder, then slipped into the shadows.
Y/Nâs back scraped against the asphalt; every pull of his arm smeared a red trail behind him as his other hand, still held on to that blade. One knee buckled; the other useless, he forced himself to crawl even further, closing the space between him and the girl he had promised himself to protect. The ground was cold, yet the cherry-redâs face was warm in the blur of his fading vision.
Y/Nâs body was shaking, mutilated with twelve merciless strikes, but he never left his gaze from Ryujinâshe couldnât breathe, her chest felt tight, as if a fist were squeezing her ribs.
Every inch was a mountain of shattered glass he had to crawl over.
Every inch he dragged himself ripped something inside her.
His chest burned every time he tried to breathe.
She could see Y/Nâs bloodied fingers clawing their way toward her.
His hand stretched out, tainted with his own blood, reached for her.
She remembered the boy who once swore, âNo matter what, Iâll protect you,â with a smile like a blazing sun.
He remembered Ryujinâs laughter by the riverbank, right after he swore he would be her shield.
Her hands were twitching and spasming, reaching out, but halted halfway, too scared to touch the ruin heâd become.
âRyuâŠâ
âY/NâŠâ
âI promisedâŠâ The words came out ragged, his clouded eyes looked at her. âI promised Iâd protect youâŠâ
âNo, no, no,â the words hit her like a physical blow, she shook her head so violently her vision blurred. âDonâtâdonât talk like that, please!â
His hand felt like lead, but he ignored it, needing to feel her one last time. Just a fingertip. That would be enough.
Tears flowed down her cheeks, then onto the ground. She finally inched herself closer towards him, desperate.
His palm finally felt the warmth of the girl he protected; the tremor was still there.
She felt a cold, slick with blood sensation cupping her cheek; his tremor travelled up hers.
His thumb smeared away her tears, his gaze was slowly softening as he memorised her features.
Her cheek, now painted with his own life. The faint of his handâs warmth was already gone.
He gave her a final smile as his hand slipped weakly from her face, dropping to the ground.
His smile was blindingâthe sun she rememberedâbefore his cold hand finally surrendered to the ground.
Ryujin didnât scream. She just breathed in. She pressed her cheek against his hoodie, the fabric already stiffening, soaked with his, as if she could squeeze the life back in her arms. It felt cold. He felt cold. She was covered in Y/Nâs lifeâhis blood, his scentâand yet, she had never felt so terrifyingly alone.
a/n: i wrote this a year ago and i just got time to refine it. most of them are my own experiences but ill just use yunjin as the person whom i used to have a big crush on before. let me know if you guys need a part 2 ;)
You were alone in the room, as your class just ended minutes ago. You thought to yourself that you should stay back for a while to complete your assignment before going home. As you were immersing yourself in the task, you caught a glimpse of a slender figure out of the corner of your eyes.Â
A mesmerising girl with flowing blonde hair, was standing by your classroom door â her eyes wandered around the classroom. You paused, for a moment, your hand suspended above your work.
Your intuition struck on point. You knew it was time to leave. Her calm, composed face was all the signal you needed. Without hesitation, your body was already moving, hastily picking up your books and stationery.Â
Iâll just hit the library
Before you could slip away, the same girl, who happened to be standing next to you, softly asked if there were any classes going on after this. You gave her a smile before replying, âNo,â as the blonde girl thanked you with a slight bow before going to her seat. You then proceed, making your way to the library.
You got to the library door only to find a âClosed for Renovationsâ sign taped to the glass. You raked a hand through your hair as a curse leaving your lipsâyou could feel your scalp burning. The only option was the classroom, back to where the blonde girl was.Â
As you approached her and politely asked if she wouldnât mind your company, she delightfully welcomed you with a warm smile. Â
You took a seat across from her and tried to focus on your work, but it was impossible. A shaft of mid-evening sunlight illuminated her figure. The way the light catches her blonde hair like a halo. And for a moment, you were witnessing an apparitionâfelt almost blindingly real and beautifully divine.
Ethereal beauty.
The temptation to talk to her became irresistible. You mustered the courage to strike up a conversation with the blonde angel who was sitting across from you.
She blinked slowly, like a computer rebooting, as you spoke. She tilted her head slightly to one side. The sound of your own voiceâan alien invasionâseemed to resonate in the brief silence. In an instant your cheeks heated up and you had trouble maintaining eye contact with the blonde. The moment you thought you wanted to curse yourself for distracting her was the very moment the air between you lifted, something supernatural
A sweet smile tugged at the corner of her lips; she was more than happy talking with you as if you were both old friends reuniting after a long separationâthere were a lot of things to catch up about each other.
Your pen has been idle for a while in your hand as you stared at her. You surrendered to the allure of the sight of her, her voice, soft as a gentle breeze, cherishing every moment spent getting to know herâYunjin, the girl with the name as her soul.
As the conversation unfolded, you learned more about herself, her dreams, passions, to the little things that brought her joy.Â
Yet, throughout the conversation, you couldnât take your eyes off her. You wanted to know more about her.
What she liked.
What she hated.
What she yearned for.
What she feared.
Your admiration for her grew; the moment yours and hers eyes met, you felt this spine tinkling feeling. You were content with the joy of knowing her, being part of her world and allowing her to be a part of yours.Â
Time seems irrelevant in your world; you didnât notice how long you had been engrossed in each otherâs company. You both realised that it was time to part ways, so you offered yourself to accompany her to the nearest bus station and exchanged each otherâs phone numbers on your way.
Yunjinâs bus arrived, but you couldnât bear to let her go just yet. There were still a thousand unspoken words, waiting for those to come out from your lips. You felt a twinge of sadness, but she promised to stay in touch and plan an outing soon.Â
You waved her through the window, watching the bus slowly disappear from sight while staying rooted in your spot. You finally made your way home with a heart full of emotions.
Today had been more than you could have ever imagined, and your heart swelled with the potential for something beautiful with Yunjin by your side.Â
You also realised she had an innate talent for songwriting, and her passion for music was evident in every note she played and every lyric she composed.
Whenever she strummed her guitar or hummed a melody, you couldnât take your eyes off her, completely entranced by how her slender fingers danced on the strings and the gentle, airy quality of her voice. It was as if you were under her enchantment.
You loved whenever Yunjin giggled at your clumsy yet cute antics, for you thought her wide smile lit up your entire universe. One time, you asked her if she was fine for you two to talk comfortably as you were younger than her.Â
She quickly agreed with you, causing you to impulsively bounce on your toes as your eyes lit up. Yunjin noticed your childish demeanour and had a grin on her face.Â
âYouâre so cute,â she playfully teased you for acting like a little kid. Her playful teasing made your heart flutter, plus you could tell your face go beet red.
Sometimes, you would see Yunjin eyeing a brown notebook while playing her guitar in her room. You brushed that thought aside until one day she simply handed it to you. Every lyricâeven the one you hadnât discoveredâsent a chill down your spine. Yunjin has been using songwriting as a way to process her emotions, of feeling completely lost. You can visibly see stains of tear on some of the pages. That moment, holding her vulnerability in your hands, you knew you had to guard it.Â
You had never heard of nor played the game, but you took some time to understand the gameâs rules and scoring just so you could play together with her. You kept on glancing at the rule sheet while the game was onâyour blank face, accompanied with your rhythmic tapping fingers.
The first move in Rummikub requires a specific minimum point value, and if you cannot match your tiles to that required point, you would be stuck there in the void of time. You, being a complete beginner, felt like it was an eternity before finally found the combination that finally let you go through the whole game.
Yunjin complimented you for being a fast learner while appreciating your effort in learning the game just for her.
Even though you were still new to Rummikubâs world, you quickly picked up the strategies and gave her tough competition. You could feel that whole moment your fingers and mind as if interconnectedâyour fingers keep on reshuffling your tiles on your rack, while your mind was busy visualising the next move. She couldnât stop smiling every time you made a clever move or strategised to outwit her, though she outperformed you most of the time.
Her never-ending series of dad jokes had become a tradition between you two. Each time she cracked a joke, no matter how predictable it was, you always found yourself bursting into laughter.
Once, you two wanted to go hiking, and you asked her whether she had any place in her mind.
âOh, I have one. Drum one mountain.â
You were confused, as you never thought that such a place existed.
âë¶íì°,â she said with a straight face.
clarification: ë¶ buk means drum, í han means one, and ì° san means mountain.
Also, when you both went hiking, you revealed how much you loved hiking.
âI also love ë±ì°âŠâ
â... and íì° too!â
clarification: ë±ì° deungsan means hiking, íì° tansan means drinking soda, and those words rhyme with each other.
Sometimes, you would deliberately post a random picture of your day on your social media just to see if Yunjin noticed, secretly hoping that she might respond or engage with the post in some way.
Occasionally, she did, which of course, it made you jump over your bed every time you saw the jenaissante replied to your story emitted from your notification bar.
In those fleeting, yet eternal moments, you felt like the luckiest person alive, knowing that you were witnessing this stunning blonde woman who not only had an enchanting exterior but also a heart full of warmth and humour.Â
You still remembered she would always wait by your classroom doorâit rejuvenated you every time you saw a glimpse of flowing blonde hair by the door. You knew it was definitely the woman you longed for after a grueling hour of lecture.
Every moment felt like an adventure, and you treasured every moment you two created together. And you thought,
You couldnât imagine a future without her.
And that was when you realised you were already falling for her in a way you had never experienced before.Â
Her laugh was like the sentimental song you used to hear when you were youngerâthe one you unconsciously hummed without understanding the lyrics. And now, the melody all made sense.
Your connection grew stronger, and the love you felt for Yunjin was deep and genuine. These unsettled feelings of yours slowly etched deep into your heart. You think those moments together add up and that Yunjin would be able to feel it too, but you arenât a deity. You canât control her feelings or the course of destiny. People do not really get what is unspoken.Â
All you could do was cherish the present, nurture the bond you two shared, and foolishly hope she would reciprocate your feelings towards her.
That was what you hoped it would be.
As the weeks bled into months, you found the simple act of facing the blonde a slow, quiet torment. You had fallen so deeply that it became a draining battle to keep your feelings in check.Â
One morning, on your usual bus ride to your 9 a.m. morning lecture, your stare locked on a single point. Rigid on your seat, your mind endlessly replayed every moment with her.Â
How are you going to face her?Â
How are you going to start a conversation with her?
How are you going to make her laugh?
You didnât realise the bus had emptied and refilled with a new wave of students. It was only at the very last stop you got snapped back into reality, a rough and throaty voice jolted you. Realising you were drifting in the sea of thoughts, the productivity in you drained instantly. The dayâs lectures were already lost.
Amidst all that, you continued spending time together, cherishing every moment. You couldnât bear the thought of losing Yunjin from your life, but there was always a hint of longing and a silent yearning for something more.
You wanted her to be more than what you two were having now.
More than just friends.
Girlfriend.
The word formed in your mindâsimple, yet terrifying. And the more you let yourself drift into your own thoughts, the word âfriendâ felt like swallowing glass.Â
Of course, there were moments when you wanted to express your feelings, letting the truth be known and tell her how much she meant to you, but fear held you back.Â
It was no doubt that you cherished the relationship you had with Yunjin, and the last thing you wanted was to jeopardise it by revealing your concealed feelings.
And until that moment arrived, you chose to keep your feelings a secret, loving her silently while disguising the ache in your heart with a smile.
