sypnosis: you’re a part of the global girl group katseye and you’re in korea with the girls to promote your new songs. during the promotions, your team asks you to make tiktoks with a few other groups, including cortis. what happens when something as innocent as filming videos blooms into something more?
one. (to be updated)
side note: y/n is represented as blasian, and the main rapper of katseye (let’s pretend they rap 💔) y/n is also younger than daniela, making her the same age as megan and lara (20). lastly, manon is not on hiatus in this. that’s all, hope u enjoy <3
synopsis : after a messy break up with her shitty ex, y/n was convinced she was ready to start a new and indepenpent chapter of her life, she didn't need him?? except, maybe she did. after he left she desperately needed a roommate to help her cover the rent. there came sunghoon—the very type of guy she'd avoid. what y/n doesn't realise it soon enough, is that they're slowly drawing closer, and lurring the lines between roommates and lovers. But what if they could be,,,both?
chapter warnings : sexual jokes, intak as the ex (no hate i love p1h), suggestive (but no smut) jay cameo
now playing : shoong - taeyong, seesaw - ampersandone, i don't smoke - mitski, goodnight n go - ariana grande, sour grapes - le sserafim
w/c : 4.7k
────୨ৎ────
12th JUNE
“Fuck! It’s not that deep.” Intak tried to reason as his hands ran through his washed out blonde hair. Unfortunately for him, your mind was made up.
“Really? It isn’t. Then what is it, Intak, tell me!” rage radiated off of you as hot tears ran down your cheeks. Intak, your boyfriend, well now ex - boyfriend had messed up — again. He was incredibly incompetent, really insensitive and constantly manipulating you. You had tolerated it this whole time convincing yourself, “I can change him.”, and that “He still loves me, he just doesn’t know how to.”, and the worst one of all, that maybe, just maybe : It was your fault.
Your fault. Her fault he couldn’t do anything at his age, her fault he didn’t respect you enough, your fault that he would make you feel awful for just being yourself and doing your best.
Your fault? Right.
He’d been a terrible roommate and boyfriend for the last year and finally his incompetence had cost you big time. See, you had a very important Honour ceremony, and you didn’t have the money to get a new dress so you just borrowed one from your friend Isa. You’d asked Intak one simple thing, “Wash and Iron it.” But like usual he decided to bleach a black dress. Now there were brown patches scattered all over the dress. You didn’t know what you were going to do because the Award ceremony was tomorrow night, and you now had no dress.
“You bleached a black dress, Intak. A black fucking dress!” you pause, taking a deep breath as you really look at him.
“How—how daft do you really have to be?”
By now Intak looks offended, blinded by his pride rather than feeling any remorse for his actions.
“Well how the fuck was I supposed to know? You didn’t tell me!” he argues, his chest heaving with defensiveness.
“Isn’t that the issue with you? You don’t know, you never know. You don’t fucking know anything!” You’re done with his excuses, done with his pride. You put the ruined dress aside and stand, making sure you’re face-to-face with him.
“Well I—”
“And the worst part is you don’t even care to know,” you cut him off before he can retort. “I am so fucking sick of you, Intak. We’re over!”
────୨ৎ────
6th JULY
“Puma literally clears every other song, bro,” Kamal argued as he shoved a handful of chips into his mouth.
“First of all,” Isa began, “Puma is a b-side. And as good of a song as it is, Deja Vu clears it any day.”
“Oh please—”
They continued to argue about music quality, lore and…bridges?
“Yo, what do you think is the best title track?” Isa suddenly asked. Unfortunately, you were too deep in your own head to notice they had shifted the conversation toward you.
“Oh, title track by who again?” you asked absentmindedly.
Isa, Kamal, and Giselle exchanged worried looks. They had noticed how quiet you had been all day but didn’t want to press too hard.
“Hey girl, are you okay? You’ve been really quiet all lunch and barely touched your food,” Giselle said.
You sighed. The stress had been gnawing at you ever since Intak left. As freeing as it felt not to have him around, there was one thing you desperately needed—rent money. With Intak, the rent had been split 50-50. Now, alone, you couldn’t afford it.
“It’s just that, with Intak gone, I can’t afford to pay rent on my own,” you admitted, running your hands through your hair. “I covered last month, but I don’t know how I’m going to make it next month.”
By then, your head was down on the lunch table, fingers tangled in your hair. “I’m so screwed—maybe I should’ve forgiven Intak…” you muttered out loud.
Fortunately, Isa’s girlfriend, Giselle, chimed in before your brain could bully you any further. “Girl, no. Don’t even think such a thing.”
“Yeah, Intak was a terrible boyfriend,” Kamal added. “Leaving him was the right thing to do.”
You smiled weakly. You really didn’t know what you would have done without your friends.
“Just find a roommate! There’s lots of people on campus who’d split the rent with you,” Isa suggested, rubbing your shoulder.
Your head shot up with hope. Maybe there was a way out of this after all.
“Yeah, I’ll start asking around. Don’t worry, we got your back,” Giselle reassured. Being the social butterfly of the group, she knew just about everyone on campus. If anyone could help you, it was her.
“Yeah, get a new roommate—you need some fresh energy in that apartment!” Isa piped up.
“And maybe even catch some dick in the process,” Kamal threw in casually before popping the last chip into his mouth.
“What the fuck?!”
“Kamal!”
“Time and place!”
He raised his arms in mock defense, insisting he just wanted the best for you. Isa and Giselle shook their heads at his timing, but Kamal kept going.
“I’m just saying—they say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone.”
He sank into his chair with a shit-eating grin, as though he had just quoted Shakespeare.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” you all chorused before bursting into laughter.
────୨ৎ────
15th JULY
As soon as your professor concluded his class, you slung your bag onto your shoulder and headed for the door. Headphones in, mind drifting, you were only half-present until a familiar voice broke through your trance.
“Y/n!”
You turned and immediately spotted Giselle waving; her pastel pink Y2K-inspired hair hard to miss. You made your way over as she uttered the words that would open a whole new chapter in your life:
“I found your new roommate!”
────୨ৎ────
22nd JULY
You were sprawled out on your couch in your favorite gray sweater and sleep shorts—the sweater Kamal had gotten you for your 18th birthday, one you had grown attached to. Grabbing your phone, you noticed a string of texts from Giselle:
12:04 pm
Gigi😼🤍 : Heyy girly!
Gigi😼🤍 : Your new roommate is on his way.
Gigi😼🤍 : He already knows your location, so you don’t have to worry!
Except you did. Because Giselle had given you no prior warning, and those texts were already thirty minutes old. Your new roommate could have been at your door any second.
12:31 pm
You : Giselle, why didn’t you tell me he was coming today😭😭
You : In fact, WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME HE WAS A HE?!? Gigi😼🤍 : Um, sorry? x
You were typing out a threat about how you were going to kill her when there was a knock at your apartment door.
Your stomach dropped. You froze. Then, from the other side of the door:
“Um…Eel-air-uh?”
For fuck’s sake. First meeting, already botched pronunciation. You wondered why Giselle had insisted on giving him your middle name. You rushed to gather yourself—first impressions mattered—and opened the door.
You hadn’t imagined what your new roommate might look like, but what greeted you didn’t disappoint. He was tall—6’1 maybe—towering over your 5’4 frame. His fluffy black hair fell into a half-mullet, tattoos curling up from his neck to his arm. You caught yourself staring at the way his muscles flexed under the weight of his bags before you realized he had been standing there long enough to get tired.
The second he handed it over, your arm buckled. He watched your struggle with clear amusement.
He chuckled, took the bag back effortlessly, and asked for directions to his room.You replied, wincing and rolling your sore shoulder. He snorted and made his way down the hall, gradually moving his horde of possessions inside. You were still hung up on the whole “Snoops” thing when he returned from locking his car.
You stormed into your room, ready to give Giselle a piece of your mind—even if you weren’t entirely sure what you were mad about. Was it her lack of communication skills? Or the fact that you hated how you caught yourself finding him—even the tiniest bit—attractive?
Sexually Confused Sanctuary 17:46 pm You : Giselle, count your fucking days…
Twin!!😼🤍 : Threatening my gf?? On my device??
Gigi😼🤍 : I’m also trying to figure out what said gf did wrong 😓💔
You : Don’t start, Gigi…
Gigi😼🤍 : Ok I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about him earlier, but now he’s all settled in so,,, it’s ok!
You : Yeah, but you could’ve told me how much of a fucking SNACK he was!
Twin!!😼🤍 : oh?
Gigi😼🤍 : oh?
Raging Bisexual : I fucking knew you’d fold
You : Give me a break, Kamal, have you seen him??
Raging Bisexual : Well…no?
Raging Bisexual : Pics, now 🤍
Gigi😼🤍 : His insta is @_hxxn06
You : Shit
Twin!!😼🤍 : ??
You : I didn’t even catch his name…
Raging Bisexual : For fuck’s sake, Y/n is this how you’re plotting?
You : Kamal, for the last time I’m not plotting! After Intak, I decided to take a break from dating, yk?
Raging Bisexual : More for me then! Hey Giselle what was his user again?
You : fuck you, Kamal
Raging Bisexual : I would, but I fear you’d prefer Sunghoon
You : …
Gigi😼🤍 : 😭😭😭
Twin!!😼🤍 : 😭😭😭
You : fuck you ALLLL
As exhausting as the group chat was, it left you reflecting—and feeling guilty about how you had treated Sunghoon. Being the people-pleaser you were, you couldn’t rest if you thought someone, especially someone you would be seeing daily, disliked you.
So, fueled by determination (and nerves), you slipped into your slippers and stepped into the hall, intent on apologizing. But before your knuckles could even graze his door, you were stopped by a looming presence and the unmistakable scent of men’s body wash.
You turned—and froze.
Sunghoon was standing there, half-naked, a white towel slung low on his hips, water dripping from his hair down to his chest. Your gaze betrayed you, flicking down toward his v-line before snapping back up to his face. If he noticed, he didn’t say anything.
He only hummed in acknowledgment and moved past you, leaving his door ajar. You took the hint and stepped inside after him.
For a few seconds, silence hung heavy—until he broke it.
Behind you, he was grinning ear to ear. The truth? He had found you just as captivating as you had found him—maybe more. Your attitude amused him, your Snoopy shorts made you look unfairly cute, and honestly, he couldn’t have stayed mad anyway.
You turned, half-expecting him to still be naked, but thankfully he had pulled on a pair of pants. The towel now hung around his neck as he rummaged through his suitcase. You glanced around his room—boxes everywhere, but posters of indie rock bands already pinned to the walls.
Sunghoon found a t-shirt and tossed it on.
You smiled faintly at the memory.
He laughed, and the two of you kept talking—bantering, teasing, drifting into comfort. Hours passed unnoticed until you were both doubled over, laughing about peanut butter of all things.
Eventually, exhaustion won. You rose, still smiling.
You rolled your eyes, but it didn’t stop the stupid grin spreading across your face as you retreated to your room.
────୨ৎ────
28th NOVEMBER
It had been a couple of months since Sunghoon moved in with you, and the two of you had already fallen into a comfortable rhythm.
On Tuesdays, you had an 11 a.m. class, but Sunghoon usually woke up earlier to go for a run, and when he did, he left behind some of his breakfast solely with you in mind.
You woke up and groggily made your way to the kitchen, rubbing your eyes. 10:26—you should have been getting ready.
You entered the kitchen meaning to make something quick before you left, only to be met with a bowl meticulously packed.
“Y/n ;)”, read a sticky note that had been carefully placed on top of it. You opened it and were immediately greeted with the aroma of pancakes.
You quickly grabbed a fork, unable to stop the smile growing on your lips or the giddiness brewing inside you from the thought of Sunghoon thinking about you.
On Fridays, you both agreed—after it unintentionally occurred a couple of times—that it would be your designated movie night, as a way to unwind after the week.
“It’s not about what I want, it’s about doing the best with what I have.” The words of Mia Goth echoed through the small living room. Cries erupted from the screen as Pearl gruesomely murdered Mitsy.
Sunghoon had always liked Pearl. It was a great movie—impeccable acting, good cinematography, and an interesting plot. He thought it was a classic, despite only being released two years prior. A24 just had a way of—
His train of admiration was broken when a sob pierced his thoughts. Not from the movie, but from…you?
He looked to his left, only to be met with the sight of you sniffling, your eyes filled with tears on the borderline of falling.
“Y/n, are—” He stopped himself from laughing; it could have been serious. “Are you crying?” he asked, surprised at himself for speaking without a chuckle erupting from his throat.
Realizing you had been caught, you quickly wiped your tears on the sleeve of your sweater and attempted to gather yourself.
“No, no, it’s nothing.” You looked up from your sleeve to see Sunghoon looking right at you with genuine concern in his eyes. “It’s just I—I don’t know, I don’t think Mitsy should’ve died. She was so sweet to Pearl.”
He smiled. He found your compassion endearing—the fact that you cared enough for a fictional character to cry because of their death.
“Oh, c’mere,” he said softly as he reached his arms out. Your body moved before your mind could process it, and soon you found yourself engulfed in Sunghoon’s embrace. His presence surrounded you like a blanket of comfort.
His thumb drew small circles on your arm, and you could feel your heart thumping in your chest at the contact.
And on Sunday nights, if neither of you had plans, you ordered pizza and enjoyed each other’s company.
“Where the fuck it is, oh my goodness.” Sunghoon muttered to himself. He had been searching for the past four minutes for his favorite sweatpants.
He plopped onto his bed and let out a deep sigh, staring blankly at the mountain of clothes he had formed as a result of his search.
His attention was snatched by the ringing of his phone, your name flashing bright on the screen. An unexpected wave of relief washed over him when he saw it.
“Hoon!” your voice rang from the other line with a bubbly lilt.
“Hey Y/n, what’s up!”
“Oh I was just calling about the um, pizza?” Oh. He couldn’t help the slight sting of disappointment; he figured maybe it’d be something…else?
“Usually we just do, like basic pepperoni, but I wanted to try something else but like. Of course I have to run it by you first. Unless you’re fine. But I—”
He relaxed, waiting for you to call yourself out for rambling—and you did, eventually.
“Whatever, so what do you think?” Sunghoon thought for a second before answering. He didn’t want to limit you; you seemed to take this really seriously. Unbeknownst to him, you seemed so serious because you wanted it to be just right for him…
“Um, anything without pineapple is fine.”
On the other line you were a bit taken aback. You thought Hawaiian was great, and it had been one of your options.
“You don’t like pineapple on pizza?”
“You do?”
The two of you proceeded to argue about whether or not fruit should be on pizza, and before you realized it you were pulling up to the pizza place, laughter still lingering on your lips.
“You know what, I’m gonna convert you today, prepare yourself!”
Sunghoon opened his mouth to argue, but he was cut off mid-sentence when he heard the line drop. You had hung up on him. He simply chuckled at your stubbornness and continued his hunt.
Moments later, a knock on the door signaled your return. He opened the door to meet you smiling (as always), holding up the food and drinks. He pretended to be mad and grabbed them from you as you entered, which only resulted in you laughing at his faux rage.
Despite all you said, Sunghoon couldn’t contain the smile that grew on his lips when he opened the pizza box and saw a regular meat lovers’.
“You thought I’d really get something you don’t like, c’mon this is our day!”
Needless to say, you and Sunghoon had become pretty close. Things were just easy with him. He knew when to speak up and when not to. When to be around and when you needed space. He understood you in a way you had only experienced with your friends, and he was always ready to help you—even when you didn’t ask.
Because he knew.
He knew how, when your brows knit into a particular frown while studying, you were either confused or needed a break.
He knew your entire schedule, perfectly crafting his day to get a chance to see you in between classes.
He knew about your friends—how you and Isa had been close since high school, how you were there for her throughout the backlash she faced after coming out, how Kamal was a pain in your ass but you still loved him, how Giselle had been there for you in your first year and helped you really get out of your shell. Deep down, one day he hoped you would talk about him with the same admiration and glint in your eyes as you did with your friends.
What both of you didn’t realize yet was—you already did.
“And so he just gave me his.” You reached over to grab the silver nail polish, ignoring Kamal’s protest about how he wasn’t done using it.
You were too occupied with perfecting your nails to notice the knowing looks exchanged by your friends.
They saw something you didn’t: you were falling for Sunghoon.
“So when’s the wedding?” Kamal chimed casually before taking the nail polish back with an exaggerated snatch, causing a frown to etch itself onto your face and hearty laughs to erupt from Isa and Giselle.
You nearly choked on your own saliva at the question. “E-excuse me?” Your three friends gave you a deadpan look. You were still genuinely lost, desperately trying to argue the platonism of you and Sunghoon’s relationship.
“Mhm, because ‘just friends’ intentionally make meals with cute little notes on them.”
“Yeah, me and all the people I’m ‘just friends’ with have cuddles with me.”
“And ‘just friends’ text each other all the time like an insufferable female main character in a rom-com does her terminally ill mother.”
Kamal received a few concerns for that one.
Isa rubbed your arm and smiled at you. She always gave the best advice. She was like your home—she was your home. If she had anything to say to you, it was probably for the best.
“I know how you feel since you left Intak, but not every guy is the same.” She looked into your eyes with sincerity, and your eyes scanned the entire room. All you saw was your found family; a couple of idiots who were willing to support you but also tell you what you needed to hear.
“And there’s no way you can compare him to Intak of all people.” Giselle blew on her fresh coat of nails before leaning her body toward you. “Besides, that’d be an insult to my social skills.” Her face contorted into one of mock offense at the thought.
“Of course maybe you, like, shouldn’t rush into things when you’re not ready.” Kamal interjected, deciding to be serious for once. “You don’t want to end up hurting Sunghoon because you haven’t healed yet.”
Your heart swelled at the love and care radiating through the small circle you four had formed on the floor of Isa and Giselle’s dorm. “I love you all so much, you guys don’t know.”
Soon after, the air of poignancy dissolved and was replaced with the light-hearted, jovial conversation that once filled the room.
────୨ৎ────
31st DECEMBER
You put the final touches on your makeup and turned to Giselle to help you with your top. It was a black halter top, with a draped front that teased what could be underneath while simultaneously leaving much to imagination. You paired it with a matching fitted leather skirt that rested well above your knees.
“Okay, Kamal said he's already there so we should probably hurry.” Isa announced with her face still glued to her phone, probably texting Kamal that you were on your way. (You weren’t.)
Giselle ruffled up her blown-out hair one more time before grabbing her phone and yours and heading out right past you and Isa.
“Come on! I’m not missing a Park New Year’s party cause of you guys.” Jongseong Park was notorious for throwing wild parties that left people talking about them for weeks after.
You had been to a couple, but not too often because that kind of scene screamed trouble. Today though, was different—you were letting loose to mark your survival of another year.
You had come so far, letting go of Intak after a year and a half, leaving to be your own person, and making new friends along the way. You were… happy.
Your mind drifted so far away you were brought back to reality when the massive two-storey Park residence came into view.
Music blasted from inside the house so loud you could feel the vibrations even though you hadn’t entered yet.
The second Isa’s car engine settled, Kamal and Giselle were already halfway to the door, fueled by excitement and the soju they had pre-gamed with.
You waited behind to leave with Isa, and she sighed while descending from the driver’s seat. “Please give this to Giselle,” she asked, holding out Giselle's jacket. You weren’t even a little bit shocked she had forgotten it. “I wouldn't want her leaving with pneumonia.”
You took the jacket from Isa’s hands and looked up to see a tipsy Kamal already flirting with a guy you knew from your Environmental Science class—Sunwoo. His eyes grazed Sunwoo's figure, and Sunwoo didn’t shy away from the attention; he seemed to enjoy it.
“Yeah and can we also make sure Kamal doesn't leave with a fucking STD.”
────୨ৎ────
That night was a complete bust.
Giselle and Isa had wandered off to do… God knew what, and Kamal was busy on the other side of the room, playing pool with Sunwoo pressed up against his back and roaming his body like they had been together for years.
You slumped into the couch. Tonight was supposed to be—you weren’t even sure how you had thought the night would go.
Disappointed, you picked up your red solo cup and headed over to the kitchen for a refill. You stood in front of the kitchen island, trying to decipher what concoction sat before you, and evaluating whether or not you should really drink it, when you sensed another person enter.
“Hey Jay!” you quipped cheerfully. Of course you were cool with him; you two had a few classes together. You wondered how such a chill guy could throw such wild parties.
“Hey Y/n.” He poured himself some of the mystery juice and winced in disgust after a sip. “I know they're not making this crap under my roof.” He announced it with all seriousness before moving over to the fridge to make something with whatever was left.
“Want some?” He offered, popping the cork off a bottle and pouring out its contents. The two of you flowed into simple conversation, genuinely enjoying each other’s company. Maybe this shitty night could be saved after all.
“Wanna dance?”
But someone wasn’t so excited about you and Jay. Sunghoon had been shooting daggers at Jay for the last ten minutes. He couldn’t help the pang of jealousy that spread through his chest when he saw you talking and laughing openly with Jay.
He tried to ignore you two and listen to his friend Beomgyu’s story about how he had swallowed 30 cents when he was seven. His attention was ripped away instantly when he noticed Jay tugging your arm to dance with him.
Now you’d really caught his attention. He patted Beomgyu on the shoulder absentmindedly to let him know that he would be back. Beomgyu’s protests fell on deaf ears.
Sunghoon practically marched over to where you were grinding on Jay and pulled you away so that your back hit his solid chest. He told himself he was helping you; as nice of a friend as Jay was, guys like him weren’t the type a girl like you should get involved with.
Yeah, protecting you—and ignoring the growing desire to call you his.
Everything happened so fast it knocked the wind right out of your lungs. “What the fu—” You abruptly turned around to see who was going to be your 13th reason, surprised to see Sunghoon—his expression hard, and his grip on your arm tight.
“H-hoon?!” you whisper-shouted in shock. Both guys paid virtually no mind to you and exchanged cold glares with each other. You could sense a small battle going on right in front of you, but you couldn’t fully comprehend it.
“We're leaving.” Sunghoon insisted monotonously. You had never seen this side of him—not to say you hated it completely, more so that you were a bit scared. He placed his hand on the small of your back and started guiding you upstairs. Jay watched the two of you leave and couldn’t even be mad—he had seen the way Sunghoon looked at and talked about you. He had no chance.
────୨ৎ────
Once upstairs, you ripped yourself free from Sunghoon’s grip and delivered a sharp slap to his cheek. The sound cracked through the room, leaving a red imprint blooming across his skin. He swore under his breath and rubbed at the sting, his eyes flashing. You had been having a good time with Jay, and Sunghoon just had to storm in and ruin it all. Could this night get any worse?
“What the fuck, Y/n?!” His voice came out louder than he intended, both of you too drunk to realize how harsh your shouting had become. The two of you rarely raised your voices at each other; usually, you both moved carefully, hyperaware of boundaries and unspoken rules.
“I don’t know, Sunghoon.” your tone dripping with sarcasm.
Hearing his full name fall from your lips almost sobered him instantly. His chest tightened as if the words themselves carried weight. Lately, you hadn’t called him that—he was always just ‘Hoon,’ and sometimes even the softer, affectionate ‘Hoonie.’ But not Sunghoon. The sound of it left a bitter taste in his mouth, one he couldn’t explain.
“Maybe it’s the fact you just fucking humiliated me in front of Jay!” Your chest heaved as frustration poured out of you. You weren’t even angry anymore—just exhausted. Exhausted with this night, with Sunghoon, with everything. You didn’t think you had the energy left for a screaming match in the middle of a New Year’s party.
“Oh, so you wanted to fuck him, that’s it?” His voice dripped with disapproval, the accusation burning hotter than his glare.
The venom in his tone made you pause, forcing you to question for a moment why this fight was even happening.
“Ok, and?” you shot back, your voice sharp. “Maybe I did, then what?”
You barely had time to shape another remark before Sunghoon closed the distance between you. His lips crashed against yours, fierce and consuming.
Your mouths moved in a heated clash, tongues tangling in a fight neither of you wanted to lose. Sunghoon’s hands roamed greedily over your body, claiming you with every touch. He guided you backward until your legs hit the threshold of an empty room, pushing you inside with urgency. Breaking from the kiss, he held your gaze. His chest rose and fell as though the silence between you was louder than the music booming downstairs. In that look, a wordless question passed between you—Should we really do this?
