Lily Park (Korean: 박나리; Simplified Chinese: 貝努仁), known professionally as Nari, is an Australian-Chinese singer and rapper based in South Korea and China. She is the only female member of SM Entertainment's Co-ed Group NCT, debuting in 2016 with sub-units NCT U and NCT 127, and debuting in 2019 with NCT's China-based sub-unit WayV as well as SM Entertainment's Super Group, Super M.
She's been in a relationship with fellow NCT member (and leader) Lee Taeyong since 2019.
Summary: What if Taeyong and Nari were cursed by a witch to be separated in every reincarnation of Nari's life while he lived as an immortal, constantly seeking for her?
Based on Taeyong's drama from SuperM's 'As We Wish'
Many, many, MANY Years Ago...
“Taeyong,” she gasped out as they ran through the forest. “Taeyong, I don’t think I can go any further -”
“We’re almost there, I promise,” the young man assured the female, looking over his shoulder briefly to send her a weak smile. They continued to run, the sound of people yelling and chasing after them slowly fading away. “Okay, let’s rest...”
The two arrived at a clearing in the forest, where the full moon lit down onto them gently. The two collapsed to the ground panting, but otherwise relieved they were able to escape the grasp of the angry crowd that wanted them dead or alive.
“This is all my fault,” she eventually spoke up amongst their silence, staring down at the grass guiltily. “It’s all my fault...”
“Hey, don’t say that!” Taeyong chided, shuffling so he now sat across from her, grabbing her hands gently in his. “It’s not your fault.”
“But if I didn’t bump into you in the markets...”
“I wouldn’t have met the love of my life,” he finished her sentence before she could. “I’m glad to have met you, Nari. Life without you now would be meaningless. We’re not going to let some jealous woman stop us.”
“She’s not just any woman, Taeyong,” she scoffed, pulling her hands away from his much to his dismay. “She’s your fiancée.”
“Not by choice!” he retorted. “It was an arranged marriage, not one I agreed to. You’re the one I want to marry. Ever since we bumped at the markets when you were selling those delicious sweets...” She let out a small giggle at the mention of his sweet tooth, making him smile at her fondly. “Nari...we’ll be okay, I promise. No matter what happens to us, we’ll find our way to each other. Okay?”
“Okay...”
* * *
Many, many, MANY Years later...
The bell chimed, signaling a new customer.
“I come to this place everyday...to see her.”
“Welcome,” the woman barely whispered out, entranced by the handsome man before her. “May I take your order?”
“Just...one cup of Americano,” he answered smoothly in his baritone voice, staring deeply into her eyes. She gulped under the gaze, reluctantly looking down to punch in his order, still feeling his heated stare at her.
“Okay...”
Moments later, the mysterious handsome man sat at a window seat, staring out at the nature surrounding the mini forest they were in, taking an idle sip of his Americano. “See?” the woman’s friend cooed from beside her. “I told you, right? He’s interested in you!”
“No way!” the woman waved off, looking away from her friend embarrassed. She hoped her face wasn’t as red as she pictured it. Ever since the mysterious man entered the café, she’s been feeling warm all over.
“I’m envious...” her friend sighed wistfully. “Did you save a country in your past life? For that kind of man to like you...” As if hearing their conversation from his seat across the room, he connected eyes with the woman again making her freeze. She couldn’t help but be stuck in his gaze. It looked so warm, inviting...and yet, sad.
“I went to that place the next day, and the day after...”
* * *
The bell chimed.
He stood before her with the warm smile.
* * *
The bell chimed.
He stood before her with an umbrella, wet from the light rain that was happening outside.
* * *
The bell chimed.
He stood before her with another warm smile.
“...just to see her.”
* * *
“One cup of Americano, please,” he requested the same order from the last couple of days - weeks - he visited.
And that’s when she couldn’t hold in her silence any longer.
“Excuse me,” she spoke up, his eyes catching hers immediately as if on instinct. She ignored the shivers that went down her spine as she peered into his warm chocolate brown eyes that held small signs of surprise.
“Yes?” he replied quietly.
“Can we talk for a little while?”
* * *
The two moved away from the counter to the table he always sat at, the man leaning against the table rather than sitting down. He stared straight ahead, a distant look on his face as if he was deep in thoughts. She stared at him nervously from beside him, eventually having the confidence to speak up again. She already spoke to him, so there was no going back from it now.
“Excuse me...” she started. “By any chance, is there a reason why you are here everyday?” Actually, it wasn’t really everyday, just whenever she had a shift, basically. Her friend told her that he would only appear when she’s on shift.
A forlorn, melancholy expression crossed his face, twisting his body so he faced her completely. She felt herself hold in a breath as he gave her his undivided attention. “Shall I tell you something?” he proposed quietly. She barely nodded her head. He smiled at her charmingly. “Let’s sit down first, shall we?”
“Ah,” she faltered, glancing to the counter momentarily where she’s meant to be. “I have -”
“It’s okay,” he waved off, looking at someone over her shoulder. “You’re allowed to be with me.”
She followed his gaze to see him looking at the owner of the café who happened to be an elderly woman. Said woman smiled at the two warmly, though sadly, speaking to the customer who approached the counter.
What is happening?
Slowly, she sat across from the man who waited for her patiently. “Okay,” she murmured. “I’m listening...”
* * *
Many, many, MANY years ago...
He stared down at the list of groceries he needed to buy for the upcoming dinner his family were planning to have with his older sister and brother-in-law, pouting when sweets weren’t listed on the paper before him.
With a sigh, he tucked the paper away, planning to walk deeper into the busy market when he was knocked off his feet by a small force. With a grunt, he landed on the ground, a body falling on top of him.
“I’m so sorry!” a light, feminine voice exclaimed, the weight on top of him disappearing, replaced with a hand in his line of sight. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry...”
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” he assured, slowly getting up with the help of the small hand. He dusted himself off, not once making eye contact with the person in front of him. “I should have watched where I was...” When he finally looked up at the person in front of him, he felt his heartbeat stop. There, before him, was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. “...going,” he finished lamely.
“I’m really sorry,” the woman fussed, unaware of his dazed expression. “I will make it up to you, I swear! Here! I have sweets!”
“Sweets?” that snapped him out of his daze, looking at the basket that were full of sweet, sugary breads. He felt his mouth water at the sight. “Well, I can’t say no to delicious food...”
The woman giggled cutely as he grabbed a bread from her basket, smiling at him gently when she realised how handsome he was. He was about to take a giant bite of the bread when he noticed her gaze on him, flustering him. “I’m Taeyong,” he introduced shyly, lowering the bread from his lips.
“I’m Nari,” she replied back. “Nice to meet you...”
* * *
“Taeyong, we have some wonderful news for you!”
“Really?” Taeyong peered up from his dinner curiously. His parents and sister glanced to one another excitedly before facing him with bright smiles.
“You’re getting married!” his mother exclaimed. He leaned back in his chair in surprise.
“With who?” His mind flickered to the woman he fell in love with after a year of hanging out with each other.
“With the blacksmith’s daughter, of course!” his father chortled. “The fairest maiden out there in our town!”
“Her?”
She wasn’t Nari.
* * *
“Taeyong, I don’t think this is a good idea -”
“Nari, I would rather be disowned from my family than marry a woman I don’t love,” Taeyong shook his head, grabbing hold of her hands so he could press a chaste kiss to her knuckles. Although it made her cheeks flare up, she didn’t let that affect her at that moment.
“Taeyong, this is serious. I can’t let you leave your family because of me - and when Meredith finds out you don’t want to marry her -”
“She already knows.”
“What!”
“I don’t care about her opinion! She’s just a spoilt bully anyway!”
“Taeyong, we can’t!” Nari sniffled. “We can’t...Your family...”
“Nari...” He leaned his forehead against hers, making sure they held eye contact despite the tears that were making their sight blurry. “Marry me. Run away with me. Please. Let’s start somewhere new like we always dreamed of. A new town, a new start. Please...be with me.” With the overflowing love he was expressing through his heated gaze and words, how could she not fall for him over again?
* * *
“Taeyong,” she gasped out as they ran through the forest. “Taeyong, I don’t think I can go any further -”
“We’re almost there, I promise,” the young man assured the female, looking over his shoulder briefly to send a weak smile her way. They continued to run, the sound of people yelling and chasing after them slowly fading away. “Okay, let’s rest...”
The two arrived at a clearing in the forest, where the full moon lit down onto them gently. The two collapsed to the ground panting, but otherwise relieved they were to escape the grasp of the angry crowd that wanted them dead or alive.
“This is all my fault,” she eventually spoke up amongst their silence, staring down at the grass guiltily. “It’s all my fault...”
“Hey, don’t say that!” Taeyong chided, shuffling so he now sat across from her, grabbing her hands gently in his. “It’s not your fault.”
“But if I didn’t bump into you in the markets...”
“I wouldn’t have met the love of my life,” he finished her sentence before she could. “I’m glad to have met you, Nari. Life without you now would be meaningless. We’re not going to let some jealous woman stop us.”
“She’s not just any woman, Taeyong,” she scoffed, pulling her hands away from his much to his dismay. “She’s your fiancee.”
“Not by choice!” he retorted. “It was an aranged marriage, not one I agreed to. You’re the one I want to marry. Ever since we bumped at the markets when you were selling those delicious sweets...” She let out a small giggle at the mention of his sweet tooth, making him smile at her fondly. “Nari...we’ll be okay, I promise. No matter what happens to us, we’ll find our way to each other. Okay?”
“Okay...”
“Good luck with that.”
The two gasped, whirling around to see the woman Taeyong was meant to marry, seething with jealousy and fury. “Meredith!” they gasped, struggling to their feet. Taeyong pushed Nari’s body behind him, making sure she was covered by his body.
“You dare reject me for some peasant like her!” Meredith screeched, approaching the two slowly as they backed away from her. Suddenly, fire emerged from the woman’s hands making them gasp.
“You’re a witch!” Nari gasped, peering over Taeyong’s form fearfully. “You should be the one chased after, not me!”
The reason why the couple were running away from an angry crowd was because Meredith had caught the two in their alone time one day, and furious and jealous, Meredith had spread news to the town that Nari was a witch, and that she had bewitched Taeyong to fall for her.
“Meredith, no...” Taeyong warned. “I’m sorry, but I can’t marry you.” He looked behind him at Nari, giving her a small but loving smile. “I’m meant for Nari. We love each other.”
“That’s what you think...” the fire disappeared from the woman’s hands, replaced instead with a dark purple swirl of smoke. She threw it at the two of them - specifically, at Taeyong. A different coloured smoke was thrown towards Nari when Taeyong was distracted. “From now on, Taeyong, you will be stuck in time, chasing after the woman you so-call love.”
“No!” Nari gasped, grabbing Taeyong just in time before he could fall to the ground for the curse cast upon him.
“And you!” Meredith’s fiery gaze turned to the other woman. “You will not remember him in the next future lives until too late!” She gave the couple a leering smile. “Let’s start this curse, shall we?” On cue, the angry crowd they had ran away from appeared, separating the two.
“Nari!”
“Taeyong!” the two cried out for one another, struggling to run back into each other’s arms.
“Nari!” he called out through his struggle, looking at the crying woman from a small distance. “No matter what, I will find you, and we’ll be together, I promise!”
“Taeyong!” she cried, trying to reach him to no avail.
“I’ll find you!” he repeated over the chaos that surrounded the two. “No matter where we are in the future, I will find you! I promise!”
* * *
“There was a man who went to a café everyday because he fell for a woman...”
* * *
1960
“What would you like to order?” the woman asked the young, mysterious man. He didn’t answer her, trapped by her beauty despite having visited the place numerous times to see her. Despite seeing her every day, he could feel himself fall all over again for her. Although it pained him to see her not know him, he didn’t mind because in the end, she always found her way back to him.
“She was dazzling...”
Trapped in his thoughts, Taeyong only snapped out of it when she decided to walk away from him. “Excuse me...” he called to her, barely hiding the panic in his voice. She turned to him curiously. “I’ve fallen for you,” he confessed plainly, much to the woman’s surprise. “I like you.”
Although she only spoke to him to get his order every day, she couldn’t help but fall for him as well as the days went by. The thought of the handsome, mysterious man that all women were pining over fancied her? Sounded like a dream.
She couldn’t help the bright smile that crossed her lips, her eyes almost closing from the smile that Taeyong always fell throughout the different eras that passed during his time of walking the Earth. “We’re on the same page, then.” she stated happily.
* * *
“We’ll find our way back to each other, okay?” he promised to the dying woman before him. “Just like the many times before...I will always find you.”
“You must be tired,” the sick Nari whispered. “Always searching the planet for the next me...”
“Never,” he shook his head, pressing a kiss to her cold knuckles. “I will never give up on you. On us.”
“I’m sorry you have to go through this...” she sniffled, her heart breaking for the man that chased for her over and over again throughout the many eras. “Now cancer is taking me away from you...”
“It’s okay,” he assured, her leaning forward to kiss her temple. “I’m just glad to have found you again.”
“Surely, there must be a spell to break this curse? To have us reunite finally without any memory loss, without any deaths?”
“I will find the spell to break our curse, no matter what,” he vowed. “I will find a way for us to be together at last. But for now, rest, okay? You’re tired, I can see that. Rest, my love, and I will see you soon.”
“Don’t keep me waiting,” she joked lightly, making him laugh through his tears.
“Never,” he repeated his word from earlier, giving her one last kiss to her lips before she slept forever.
* * *
“For the past 600 years, I only live in the present.”
* * *
He smiled at her lovingly, reuniting with her again for what seemed like the millionth time in his life.
* * *
“Even though I can’t go back...”
* * *
He entered the familiar café that continued to stay despite the many years that passed, connecting eyes with the next version of the love of his life.
* * *
“I don’t regret my decision.”
* * *
2020 - Present time
He smiled at the woman before him, watching as she slowly started to gain her memories from the many generations that passed for the two.
“Now I will...protect her until the end.”
He sat up straighter in his seat once he saw her eyes clear up from it’s temporary glazed expression, his brown doe eyes staring into her watery ones.
“Nari?” he hesitantly called out.
“Oh, Taeyong...” She remembered him. “How long has it been?”
“It’s only been twenty years the last time we reunited,” he relayed to her, leaning forward to reach across the table for her hands. “The time span is getting shorter.”
“Does that mean something? Do we not have anymore time?” she asked concerned.
“The opposite, my dear...” He gave her a wide smile, leaning down to kiss her knuckles like usual. “I found it, Nari, I finally found the spell that will break our curse and bring us together.”
“Really?” she beamed, a tear managing to escape her eyes. He stretched out to wipe it away gently with his thumb.
“Really,” he confirmed. “I told you we would finally have our happy ending, didn’t I?”
And a happy ending they received.
* * *
5 years later...
“-and they lived happily ever after,” the elderly woman finished, smiling softly at her granddaughter who stared into the distance with a wistful look.
“Wow,” said granddaughter sighed as she leaned against the counter, “Although I’ve heard this story numerous times growing up, I never heard that last bit of the story before...” She turned back to her grandmother curiously. “So what happened? How did they get their happy ending?”
“Well, they visited the witch that Taeyong found during his adventures, who was able to break the curse on the two,” the grandmother recited. “The witch was able to make Taeyong grow old with the love of his life, the dream they always wished for. Do you want to know a secret?” The grandmother leaned closer to the younger woman to whisper into her ear. “They still visit the café where they would always reunite throughout the years.”
“Really?” the woman gasped. “Wait...how? Isn’t this just a story?”
“Oh, my dear, you didn’t listen to the story carefully,” the grandmother chuckled. “I mentioned earlier, they met in the present time now...”
“Present time now?” she echoed. “I don’t...”
The bell chimed, signaling a customer.
“Ah, hello, dears!” the grandmother chirped happily. “The usual for you two?”
“Yes, please,” a baritone voice chuckled from near the granddaughter. “One cup of Americano for me, hot chocolate for the Missus, and banana bread.”
“But add an extra slice of your lovely banana bread, please?” a light soprano voice chimed. “Our little boy here is craving for some sweets. Just like his father...” The granddaughter turned her head to see a beautiful couple, the woman holding an adorable five-year-old boy who looked like a perfect mix of his parents. They were simply glowing with happiness.
“Of course!” the grandmother chuckled. “On the house like usual, my dears.”
“Thank you!”
“The three of you are simply glowing,” the grandmother complimented them. “I’m glad you guys are happy now.”
“Thank you,” the couple chorused happily. After ordering, the family of three walked to a table beside the window, the grandmother and granddaughter watching the three.
“Darling,” the granddaughter tore her attention away from the family to look at her grandmother’s knowing gaze. “Have you connected the dots yet?”
“The dots -?”
“Mama!” she heard the boy call from behind her. “Story! Story!”
“Ah, our story?” the mother giggled. “Well, as you know, this café holds a special meaning to us...”
“No matter how long it’s been, I would always find your mother in this beautiful, small café that was surrounded by the very forest where our love grew all those years ago...” the father added on.
She connected the dots.
“No...” the granddaughter’s jaw dropped, her head snapping to the happy family again, eyes wide in disbelief. She faced her grandmother’s amused expression. “Are they - are they - really?”
“How else would I know the ending to the story?” the grandmother retorted. “Like you said, you grew up with this story that was told from generation to generation, with no complete ending...”
“And this café has been opened for many years and passed down from our family...” the granddaughter finished. She whipped her head around to face the family again who were now looking at her, smiling softly. Their eyes...they were so warm, but held a certain gleam that showed they were older than they seemed, as if they’ve experienced a lot in their life...
“They really got their happy ending,” the granddaughter exclaimed in disbelief. “You-You saw their happy ending!”
“Yes, now stop staring at them!” she was whacked on the back of her head by a wet rag from her grandmother. “You know staring is rude! Back to work now!”
“But-But!” the granddaughter protested, following after her retreating grandmother. “But it’s them! I grew up listening to their story, and they’re here right now! Does Mum know?”
* * *
The two giggled as they watched the owner of the special café talk with her granddaughter, the couple sending each other knowing looks.
After staying in the cafe for a few hours, in sync, the two stood up, Taeyong grabbing their son this time as they returned to the counter to return their empty dishes.
“-but it’s them -!”
“Thank you for the hospitality, like always,” Taeyong spoke up, interrupting the granddaughter mid-sentence. Said woman snapped her mouth shut, staring at them with awe. “We’ll be back next year like usual.”
“You’re welcome,” the grandmother nodded warmly. “And I say congratulations again for your happy ending on behalf of my ancestors who watched the two of you in your journey. You deserved it.”
“Thank you for looking after this café until now,” Nari added. “We’ll always visit.”
“I’ll see you three next year, then. Hopefully with the new addition?” Nari blushed, staring down at her still flat stomach. Nari wasn’t glowing just because she was happy, as it turned out. Once a mother, you would always know the signs. Taeyong beamed happily from beside the love of his life, leaning forward to kiss Nari on the temple.
And with that, the happy family walked out of the café.
“Now,” the grandmother grinned at the shell-shocked woman beside her. “This is quite a story to tell your children, eh?”
Jisung: Why are you holding hands?
Taeyong: Studies show that holding hands can reduce stress
Jisung: Oh, I thought you guys were finally dating or something
Taeyong: We are
Nari: We're also really fucking stressed
Summary of Taeyong, Johnny, and Nari in 'Cleaning Freak Brian':
Johnny and Nari vibing together while Taeyong and Brian are getting along
Nari finding Taeyong in cleaning mode very cute and attractive
Nari and Johnny being shook with how passionate the other two are with cleaning
Nari being Taeyong's biggest supporter/cheerleader
One could think how concerning it is for Nari to find Taeyong attractive when he's in the zone, but other people could see that they are meant for each other
Nari being exposed she is kinda messy while Taeyong is the clean one
Nari and Johnny teasing one another to clean more, accusing the other for not cleaning
Nari and Taeyong's shared homestyle being revealed
I definitely want to make a post on this video fjfjfnfng
Summary of Taeyong, Johnny, and Nari in 'Cleaning Freak Brian':
Johnny and Nari vibing together while Taeyong and Brian are getting along
Nari finding Taeyong in cleaning mode very cute and attractive
Nari and Johnny being shook with how passionate the other two are with cleaning
Nari being Taeyong's biggest supporter/cheerleader
One could think how concerning it is for Nari to find Taeyong attractive when he's in the zone, but other people could see that they are meant for each other
Nari being exposed she is kinda messy while Taeyong is the clean one
Nari and Johnny teasing one another to clean more, accusing the other for not cleaning
Nari and Taeyong's shared homestyle being revealed
I definitely want to make a post on this video fjfjfnfng
Omgoshhh ty for replying, it would be amazing if you wrote the Nari and Jisung angst ☺️ no wonder I couldn’t find it, I had looked through your entire blog💀💀
HAHAHHAHA no worriesss~
Yeahhh, I think I only mentioned it as a potential post in the later future, cuz all I know is that I wrote it in their profile, but that's it.
Hiii!! I was just wondering if at one point on your old blog you had written about Nari and Jisung and how she loved giving him cheek kisses and eventually he got embarrassed and lashed out at her so she started to become distant until he apologized. I’ve been looking for the story but didn’t know if you had uploaded and then deleted or if it was another author. Tyyy
Helloooooo~
Oh daaannngggg...lowkey forgot about that scenario HAHHAHAA
I don't think I ever wrote it before, but was like, an idea I think?
Summary: Closer look at Nari and Jisung's relationship
Mother & Son Duo
In short: just like how baby animals imprint on whoever they see first (usually the mother), when Jisung saw Nari it was an immediate imprint and ever since then, he has looked up to Nari and followed her around
Nari was a bit confused (and concerned) that Jisung would follow her from afar, always watching her when she talked to the older members and practising, etc. during pre-debut days
She thought he had a crush on her or something but realised he simply looked up to her cuz apparently to him, Nari looked like a very 'cool' person despite the slight language barrier they had
Nari also noticed how young he came to the trainee life so it was instinctual for her to watch out for him and look after him - especially when she saw how super shy and reclusive he was to everyone
So you'll see Nari taking care of him - whether it be feeding him, fixing his clothes/hair, giving him life tips or small performance tips, etc.
She is one of his emergency contacts outside of direct family
He looks up to and trusts her a lot - the same level as trusting his mother - so if he ever needs help, he'd go to Nari instantly. Ad cuz of that, he sometimes calls her 'Eomma' by mistake ksjgb
Has been there for him in all of his milestones - even when having solo work, she was there for him, sent him to the airport when he went on 'Why Not?' with Eunhyuck and Gikwang
She was super worried for him when he was going alone with no NCT members looolll
Whenever the Dreamies attended an award show when they were still minors, Nari was always at Jisung's side and would leave with them when it hit 10pm
Nari is the one who mainly updates Jisung's mother on what he's been up to - Nari is quite close with Jisung's mother
Who Do You Call?
Calling Nari is almost a daily occurrence
He always calls her for help or just to talk mainly to ask for help because he's kinda clueless about most things
Times/Places he calls her: while on Vlive/IG live/Weverse live, before Dream goes on stage, when he needs advice for something
You know when Dream was doing that cooking competition on YouTube, and he had to clean the vegetables? He called Nari to see if he needed to use dishwashing soap (she was pretty concerned when he asked her that innocent question)
When he got the wrong order from the cafe during 'Why Not?', he was pretty upset cuz he practised his English a lot with Nari (even called her before he took the order just to be sure) so he felt like he failed Nari especially. He called her again, and rather than be scolded, Nari was comforting him and was rather angry at the cashier
"Let me talk to that lady -"
"Noona, I don't think that's necessary..."
"Nuh! You said what you wanted so clearly! What she did was not nice, so let me just talk to her and I'll -"
"Noona, no!"
Basically, Nari is his go-to for calling - "Hang on, let me call Noona for help" "I think Noona knows about this, let me call her" "Noona would love this! Hang on, let me call her" "I bet you Noona will answer my call than yours"
SM tried to delete the scenes of Jisung calling Nari in most videos HAHAH but they couldn't take away all of the scenes, especially after the fans found out about this habit after a Vlive Jisung once did when he revealed his habit of calling Nari
They found it absolutely cute how he would call her and believe in what she says - cuz Nari never lies to him
Traditions
Jisung must always talk to Nari before any performance
Since trainee days, he must always hear the same words of encouragement from her because for some reason it comforts him a lot and gives him confidence (and he believes it gives him luck)
So sometimes you'll see in the behind-the-scenes of music shows and such, you'll see him either on his phone with air, or she would physically be there and encouraging him - if for some reason she can't do either of those, there is a saved video and audio of her encouraging him (and the Dreamies)
Calls or Texts Goodnight Before Sleeping
This started before they debuted and the Dreamies started living in dorms together
Nari was worried for them (even though Kun lived with them for a while), so she wanted Jisung to text her whenever he's at home and is about to sleep at night
So it became a tradition for them, and if it doesn't happen, then Nari gets concerned and for Jisung it feels like he forgot to do something and feel quite empty
Him contacting her lets her know that he is safe and not somewhere dangerous
When parting ways, they kiss each other on the cheek
When the Dreamies were cute trainee babies, they were much more affectionate to the older members than they are now
So Jisung was very affectionate with Nari when he was a young trainee, and Nari was uwu for him back then and he brought out her soft side to return the sentiment
But as he grew older, he would get embarrassed and wouldn't want to do it (like Mark)
But he can see how it saddens her sometimes, so he would try to do it as subtle as possible if they are in front of fans - for example, he would hug her and then sneak a small kiss to her cheek
Nari still kisses him on the cheek in public, she doesn't care of the people - she raised that boi, so she is going to still express her love to him like a mother would
Fans noticed this tradition, however, and now have fun trying to find the small interactions to coo over (you see on YouTube, 'Jisung + Nari Cute Kissing Moments' sfbgks)
If they're just relaxing with close friends and family, Jisung would be more willing to do it (especially when he drank quite a bit), he's just shy and worried that people might send hate her way
Protective
Just because Nari is like a mother figure to him and always tries to protect him, doesn't mean he doesn't return the sentiment
As years pass, he's grown to want to protect her more
Even pre-debut he wanted to look after her (especially when he saw the pressure she was under by the company and all the hate she was getting as well as the group. He can see she blames herself for the added hate on the group cuz of her presence)
But as years passed, he grew taller and more mature and wanted to protect her more
So whenever they have a schedule together, or they go out together, he always tries to make sure she's okay - like when attending award shows he would be watching out for her from afar and if needed, would be at her side
Would give her his jacket, help her walk when she's in heels, open the door for her, etc.
If they're just chilling in public, Jisung would sometimes stand in front of her protectively or be at her side, one hand on her arm gently or holding her hand
There are also cute moments where he would hold his arm out in front of her when they're about to cross the road just in case she accidentally walks into traffic without checking (which she wouldn't do, but she finds it nice that he would look out for her)
He was also one of the members who helped Nari in the Korean language - like how he helps Chenle, he also helps Nari when she has a few language barriers
And we all know how protective Nari is of her loved ones, so she would do anything for him - even fight people if necessary. She wasn't too happy when he was on 'Dancing High' and went through a lot of stressful things there and spoke up about it
Jisung knows he can rely on her whenever he feels uncomfortable about something, he knows she'll be there ready to bring out her Mama Bear - cuz Jisung lowkey is one of the main reasons she lowered her walls in NCT and showed her care for them
Overall, their relationship is a cute mother and son duo that everyone finds super adorable. Although he's taller than her now, he's still the little boy Nari met back in their trainee days and raised.
She smiled underneath her mask as she watched her boyfriend film his 'Ghost' performance video for his YouTube channel, pride oozing throughout her body seeing him in his element. Nari loved seeing Taeyong do what he loves.
What she doesn't like, however, is feeling jealousy.
She couldn't help it; he was dancing with two beautiful and talented women. And Nari was very insecure with her dancing (even though she's just as much of an ace as Taeyong). Also, she could see the way one of the female dancers looked at him when they weren't performing, and Nari could see that one of the women fancied Taeyong.
"You did great!" Nari beamed as soon as the director called cut, Taeyong automatically making his way to her after thanking the dancers that performed with him. "I'm so proud of you, honestly."
"Hey," he called to her gently and knowingly, bringing her into a tight hug she melted into instinctively. "You know you're the only one for me, right?"
"I have no idea what you're talking -"
"Ey, I know you just as much as you know me," he tutted, flicking her forehead lightly much to her dismay. "You have no reason to be jealous; you're the only one I want, and you're an amazing dancer already."
"I...I know..." she sighed, leaning her forehead on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist comfortably. "It's just my stupid thoughts and insecurities..."
"Do you know why I didn't ask you to participate with me in this performance like before in my 'Lonely' one?"
"Why?"
"I actually want our next performance to be just us two," he admitted shyly. "I'm still working on it, but in my next performance video, I want you to be with me - only us two."
"Yeah?" Nari couldn't help but smile brightly at that - a smile only Taeyong could see by the way her eyes squinted into eye smiles.
"Yeah," he smiled back. "I didn't want you to perform in this one, because there's a better one waiting for you."
"I mean, I could have still joined in this one -"
"And have you distracting me the whole time because of your beauty and talent when trying to perform with others? No way, I want you to distract me when it's only us."
"You're too good for me," she sighed dreamily, pulling him into another hug after pecking his pouty lips. "I love you so much."
"I love you too, very very much...so stop glaring at that one dancer over my shoulder."
"Babe, I can clearly see she has the hots for you and I don't -"
"You're the only one for me, baby, think of only that."
