you got me looking for attention

inbox open! req closed.

[nerdycheol]

RAE. 2005. SHE/HER/HERS.

OT13 ROTATION. GYUCHEOL WRECKED.

WAVE TO EARTH / THE MARIAS / CLAIRO / BEABADOOBEE / LAUFEY LOVER.

NAVI

𖡡 MASTERLIST.

𖡡 REQUEST RULES. (REQUESTS CLOSED)

𖡡 AO3.

NEW RELEASES

[ ▶︎ ] OUT OF SYNC

[ ▶︎ ] ONE KISS IS ALL IT TAKES

READING BLOG → @nerdydjo

⫘ AFFILIATIONS

SVTHUB.

STUDIOSVT.

K-VANITY.

⚠ WARNING

THIS BLOG CONTAINS 18+ CONTENT.

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT.

© NERDYCHEOL 2024. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

[arwen-u]

HES STARVING

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

Ahm sorry for the random message. but i need to explain somethin important i been trying to reach you but i cant maybe theres have a problem can you dm me I cant explain everythng here

let me guess, you've accidentally reported my blog by mistake. I'll have to contact a random, shady guy on discord, where I'll have to change my email address to the new one you fuckers give me so you can hack me and use my blog to send the same message to hundreds of other users so you can scam them too?

yeah this bot and the gaza scam bots should get married and drive off a cliff together. at least change the scrip girl, all 100 something of you are using the exact same script with the exact same typo. it's pathetic.

by the way, for everybody who sees this post, if you get a message like this, it's a scam. I usually block and report them when I get them, but I'm posting this one to warn other people. stay safe.

[livmarauder]

LOVE LETTER : A 200 Follower Event

“Stories create community, enable us to see through the eyes of other people, and open us to the claims of others.” ~ Peter Forbes

WELCOME TO LOVE LETTER! A 200 Follower Event by @livmarauder and @orbitondgtl where we made our friends fill up a silly little form and dedicated some cute, crack, angsty or spicy fics to them based on the answers they gave! This is a love letter to all our moots (that has since grown exponentially after this form was filled a month or two ago) and to caratblr for being an amazing place for us to be creative~! We hope you enjoy the stories <3

(ps: members and who they were assigned to was decided through a wheel spin!)

── ⋆⋅☆ LOVE LETTER #1 ☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆˚✿TITLE: The Wedding Game ⋆˚✿PAIRING: wedding photographer!seokmin x wedding planner!reader ⋆˚✿SYNOPSIS: There is nothing so dangerously thrilling like walking the line of love and hate, especially at weddings. You and Seokmin are addicted to it. ⋆˚✿WARNINGS: slight sexual content (making out and stuff, but no smut!)

ᯓ★ A Love Letter to @aeristudios ᯓ★ Delivered by: @orbitondgtl on 20th July

READ HERE

── ⋆⋅☆ LOVE LETTER #2 ☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆˚✿TITLE: Do Hate The Player ⋆˚✿PAIRING: rival e-sports player!wonwoo x rival e-sports player! fem!reader ⋆˚✿SYNOPSIS: Everyone knows Wonwoo as the most nonchalant member of the notable e-sports team — "GAM3BO1", however, they also know that Wonwoo only loses his cool with a particular hotshot member of the e-sports team, 'ST4RL1GHT'. You. When a variety game show brings the two teams together and expects you two to work together, there may be more to this rivalry that meets the normal viewer's eye. ⋆˚✿WARNINGS: swearing, reader is really competitive, some mean comments thrown here and there, everyone else on their team is lowkey (highkey) done with their shit

ᯓ★ A Love Letter to @jakedustry ᯓ★ Delivered by: @livmarauder on 23rd July

READ HERE

── ⋆⋅☆ LOVE LETTER #3 ☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆˚✿TITLE: Idiots At Work ⋆˚✿PAIRING: coworker!seungcheol x reader ⋆˚✿SYNOPSIS: A heavy snowstorm + a blackout = the solution to your growing feelings for the ever so charming and popular, Seungcheol. ⋆˚✿WARNINGS: none, it's fluffy and cute

ᯓ★ A Love Letter to @gent1es3xy ᯓ★ Delivered by: @orbitondgtl on 27th July

READ HERE

── ⋆⋅☆ LOVE LETTER #4 ☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆˚✿TITLE: Under The Skin ⋆˚✿PAIRING: boyfriend! idol!jihoon x girlfriend! non-idol! fem!reader ⋆˚✿SYNOPSIS: Jihoon has never been good with emotions. Everyone know that he pours that into his life's work with Seventeen and you aren't the exception. When he starts working late and neglecting you for their newest comeback, your secret relationship starts to take a toll on you and all the negative thoughts start to swarm which makes you wonder if this relationship was ever worth it in the first place. ⋆˚✿WARNINGS: SMUT, Angst, negative thoughts, self-doubt, jihoon being a little oblivious, stressed working environment, (more to be added)

ᯓ★ A Love Letter to @cherry-zip ᯓ★ Delivered by: @livmarauder on 30th July

READ HERE

── ⋆⋅☆ LOVE LETTER #5 ☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆˚✿TITLE: Brain Less ⋆˚✿PAIRING: college student! bf!chan x college student! gf!reader ⋆˚✿SYNOPSIS: Chan is in desperate need of a distraction. You have the perfect solution to his problem. ⋆˚✿WARNINGS: SMUT (more to be added)

ᯓ★ A Love Letter to @luvrung ᯓ★ Delivered by: @orbitondgtl on 3rd August

READ HERE

── ⋆⋅☆ LOVE LETTER #6 ☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆˚✿TITLE: Lost In Translation ⋆˚✿PAIRING: idol!soonyoung x backup dancer! fem!reader ⋆˚✿SYNOPSIS: Hoshi's known for having one of the best stage presences in k-pop history with how confident he was and how much aura he holds on stage. Kwon Soonyoung on the other hand, is the complete opposite when he tries to talk to you, one of Minghao's dancer friends. When he finally works up the courage to, he realizes you can only understand Chinese and everyone begins to wonder how far his crush on you will take him, including himself. ⋆˚✿WARNINGS: soonyoung being nervous, minghao being a little shit, (more to be added)

ᯓ★ A Love Letter to @duhnuuuuwrites ᯓ★ Delivered by: @livmarauder on 6th August

READ HERE

── ⋆⋅☆ LOVE LETTER #7 ☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆˚✿TITLE: My Husband Is A Loser ⋆˚✿PAIRING: husband!seungkwan x wife!reader ⋆˚✿SYNOPSIS: You love Seugnkwan in all his silly and annoying glory. Sometimes you just need to get back at him. ⋆˚✿WARNINGS: none, but I will be very funny in this

ᯓ★ A Love Letter to @cherrypickedxo ᯓ★ Delivered by: @orbitondgtl on 10th August

READ HERE

── ⋆⋅☆ LOVE LETTER #8 ☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆˚✿TITLE: Subliminal ⋆˚✿PAIRING: brother's best friend! fwb!joshua x fwb! fem!reader ⋆˚✿SYNOPSIS: Joshua Hong is known as the campus heartbreaker, once you get into bed with him or catch feelings for him, you are doomed. When you end up doing both and your brother finds out, you end your partnership with him before you meet your impending doom. However, it seems like Joshua has other plans in mind because he can't seem to let you go without a fight. ⋆˚✿WARNINGS: none, it's fluffy and cute

ᯓ★ A Love Letter to @mellowgyu ᯓ★ Delivered by: @livmarauder on 13th August

READ HERE

── ⋆⋅☆ LOVE LETTER #9 ☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆˚✿TITLE: Food For Thought ⋆˚✿PAIRING: best friend!mingyu x chef!reader ⋆˚✿SYNOPSIS: Your usual food date with your best friend leads to a night you'll never forget. ⋆˚✿WARNINGS: SMUT (more to be added)

ᯓ★ A Love Letter to @cherrymayz ᯓ★ Delivered by: @orbitondgtl on 17th August

READ HERE

── ⋆⋅☆ LOVE LETTER #10 ☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆˚✿TITLE: Iridescence ⋆˚✿PAIRING: boyfriend!jeonghan x girlfriend! fem!reader ⋆˚✿SYNOPSIS: Jeonghan's always known that he wanted to marry you. It was as if it was written in the stars. However, when the day finally arrives to ask you to be his forever, everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. ⋆˚✿WARNINGS: swearing and making out! loads of panicking (more to bed added)

ᯓ★ A Love Letter to @hopecutie ᯓ★ Delivered by: @livmarauder on 20th August

READ HERE

── ⋆⋅☆ LOVE LETTER #11 ☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆˚✿TITLE: Bubble Pop Electric ⋆˚✿PAIRING: rich guy! minghao x reader ⋆˚✿SYNOPSIS: You have Minghao wrapped around your finger and he proves to you how much he loves it over and over again ⋆˚✿WARNINGS: SMUT! (more to be added)

ᯓ★ A Love Letter to @gentleisa ᯓ★ Delivered by: @orbitondgtl on 24th August

READ HERE

── ⋆⋅☆ LOVE LETTER #12 ☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆˚✿TITLE: MIA ⋆˚✿PAIRING: childhood best friend! idol!vernon x rockstar! fem!reader ⋆˚✿SYNOPSIS: Seventeen thinks Vernon might be a bit delusional sometimes, because why was he talking about you, a world renown rockstar as if he personally knew you? Even worse, why does he think he's dating you?! ⋆˚✿WARNINGS: none! a lot of crack humour, the guys "bullying" vernon, swearing, guy's being stupid (more to be added)

ᯓ★ A Love Letter to @mylovesstuffs ᯓ★ Delivered by: @livmarauder on 27th August

READ HERE

── ⋆⋅☆ LOVE LETTER #13 ☆⋅⋆ ── ⋆˚✿TITLE: The Chronicles of a Girl Dad ⋆˚✿PAIRING: husband! idol!jun x wife! non-idol! fem!reader ⋆˚✿SYNOPSIS: Jun didn't think fatherhood would look like this... especially with him dressed as a pretty princess with blue eyeshadow and a tiara to a picnic that his daughters wanted. ⋆˚✿WARNINGS: none! loads of fluff and reader making fun of jun!

ᯓ★ A Love Letter to @nerdycheol ᯓ★ Delivered by: @orbitondgtl & @livmarauder on 31st August

READ HERE

©livmarauder2026 & ©orbitondgtl If you would like to be tagged for this, do comment down below! All fics are 18+, despite whether there is r-rated content or not, which means blogs without age or age indicators will not be tagged!

[livmarauder]

THE REASON WE DRIVE | c.hs & x.mh

A RELATIONSHIP with two street racers is not an easy feat, especially when they break a promise that they made to you. With high egos and risky driving, they seem to forget the most important thing about the person they drive for — their birthday.

PAIRING: street racer! vernon x race engineer! reader x street racer! minghao GENRE: Established Poly Relationship, Fluff, Angst, Romance AU: Underground Street Racer AU TOTAL WC: 13.6K FIC WARNINGS: boys being stupid because of ego, mentions of alcohol, mentions of food and eating, lots of swearing, mentions of reckless driving, mentions of platonic kisses (forehead/temple kisses), car accidents, injuries caused by car accidents, one character is in a coma for a few lines but he comes to, self-blame, mentions of anxiety, MDNI, soft dom!minghao, switch!vernon, fingering, boy's kissing, dirty talk, oral (f.receiving), cumming, slight overstimulation, playing with breast/sucking on them (do let me know if i've missed anything) PLAYLIST: for the reason we drive ~ love hao & non

LIV'S NOTES... omg hello!! another fic in like a week?? who is she! LOL anyways, hi everyone! i'm back with another fic and it's not other than the two in my bias line, v8! this subunit is a little poetic for me, not only because they are my biases but because v8 also dropped on my birthday (everyone around me has heard me freak out about this at least 100 times) so it only felt right to post something for you guys (and for myself) to celebrate this unit coming out and absolutely crushing it!

biggest thank you to my cheerleaders @jakedustry and @orbitondgtl who both have beta-read parts of this fic, made sure that i took breaks while writing this fic as well as sprinted with me to make sure that this fic was finished! also a big thank you to @hopecutie for being a silent cheerleader on the side <3 i love you all and to all the rest who sprinted with me during this race (lol), i love you all! <3

to my v8: i love you both so much, this fic is a love letter to you both and to also slightly feed my delusions lol but the album is amazing and i love seeing you both do something that you love so much <3

without further ado, i hope you enjoy street racers v8!

MAIN MASTERLIST | NAVI

STUPIDITY KNOWS NO BOUNDS

You swear your boyfriends are stupid. You've always known that when boys get together, their intellect goes down by quite a bit but witnessing it in action… is a whole other story.

Minghao and Hansol came as a pair. It was rare to find one without the other and in the underground racing world, they were known as the deadliest and fastest duo there ever was. Sure, they were different in many ways — their unique styles in fashion being one of them — but if there was one thing that the both of them loved and shared, it was the thrill of the game. Hence, it wasn't that surprising when rumours started spreading that they also shared something — or someone — else.

Minghao's been on the tense side recently, having made a few minor mistakes in an underground race that he partook in a few days ago. To anyone else, it would've been fine but you know your boyfriend and Minghao is a perfectionist, through and through. He still won the race but you knew that those mistakes were tugging at the back of his mind every time he spaced out when he was home. Hence, he needed an outlet, which so happened to be you.

He mentioned this to you before during one of your solo dates, but your presence has a way of making everything calm. You just have a way to make everything feel easy and his mind that normally races with a hundred and one things, just quietens when he's in your comfort.

However, Minghao wasn't the only one feeling off this week.

Hansol is normally really easygoing. In the time that you've spent dating the two of them, you realized that nothing really phases him and he always thinks with his head, not his heart. However, you know that he's been having trouble with his cars and he's had a few shitty days of bad races on the other side of town. Hence, he needed your comfort just as bad as Minghao did.

This lead to the two of them almost fighting for your time. Normally, you thrive a little on it, loving the effect that you have on them but as the tension kept building over time, you knew that it would eventually overflow if they didn't talk about it.

And overflow it did.

It was a small glare here and there, the atmosphere being a little tense in the room if you weren't there but then it started to get a little more intense when they started to talk to each other with clipped tones over a tiny mistake or two.

You were worried but you knew that they won't get physical with each other because no matter how angry or upset they were with the other, they both were aware and rational enough to know that violence was never the answer.

Racing on the other hand… was a free game.

Which leads you to this moment where you are sat next to your childhood best friend, Joshua who also owns part of the underground street racing scene.

"This is so stupid." You mutter under your breath. Joshua gives you a side glance before smirking as he leans back in his chair.

"The racing or the fight?"

"Both." You scoff, rolling your eyes as you cross your arms, your eyes fixed on the monitor that has a multi-camera view for you to see the route plus a tracker on both cars to see who finishes first.

Joshua fixes you with a familiar intrigued and mischievous look. "And here I was, under the impression that they agreed to not race on the same track after what happened two years ago."

You grimace, remembering the reason for that decision. It involved you as well but it was more of a rational decision than an emotional one, a just in case if you will. It was a particularly bad and memorable race for the both of them. You remember waiting in the stands, your anxiety through the roof as the cars revved their engines to start. There were six racers that day, your boyfriends occupying two out of six of the slots. It had started raining while they were waiting for the race to start and although that normally makes the race more interesting as winning is more dependent on the driver than the car, you had a bad feeling in your gut.

Minghao and Hansol had assured you that they would be fine, the two of them giving you a kiss before sliding into their respective cars but, you still felt uneasy. You watched with Joshua from the main room (being both their race engineers) as they sped away, the ache in your chest getting more tense as they went sped down the narrow and wet roads.

It was during the second lap where you noticed something wrong with Hansol's car, causing your heart to drop further in your stomach as you radioed it in. Due to the rain though, the connection was particularly bad which meant that Hansol had trouble hearing you and by the time he connected what you were trying to tell him, it was too late.

His brakes stopped working and his car skidded straight into one of the barriers that was setup, knocking him unconscious. As if it couldn't be worse, you weren't able to convey the information to Minghao, causing the man to crash into the other side of the barrier a few meters away, just to avoid crashing into Hansol.

You felt your heart break as you immediately collapsed into Joshua's arms when you witnessed the crash from the screen in-front of you as you broke into a fit of sobs. Minghao made it out with a minor concussion and a few scratches, having already been prepared for the worst of it but Hansol on the other hand, was unconscious for a day in the hospital.

You refused to leave his side, no matter how much Joshua and Minghao tried to convince you, as you blamed yourself for this happening. If you had just pushed a little harder, convinced them a little harder about the bad feeling in your chest, maybe this wouldn't have happened.

Thankfully, you woke up the next morning with Hansol's arms wrapped around you, accompanied by his soft snores in his hospital bed. You cried tears of relief that woke him up, blinking blurrily at you before he gently comforted you, assuring you that it wasn't your fault.

When Minghao came in a few minutes later, having gone to get the three of you breakfast and saw you in that state, it only took a shared glance between your boyfriends for them to come to the consensus that the they weren't allowed to participate in the same race anymore. One of them always being by your side just in case the worst happened.

However, you guessed that rule went out the window the second they started yelling at each other in a quick fit of anger after you stepped out to do some grocery shopping for the two of them, only settling it when one of them suggested to race.

"I guess men's intellect and common sense really take a toll when they're together." You deadpan, letting out a frustrated sigh.

Joshua feigns hurt. "Hey!" He pouts. "You can't stereotype all men like that."

"I can when you and Jeonghan display the same exact energy when you guys are together."

"Aww and here I was thinking that I was your favourite, sweetheart." You resist the urge to roll your eyes as you glance behind you, seeing Jeonghan walking into the control room, dressed comfortably in a plain white tee with a bomber jacket, jeans and a beanie.

"I'm pretty sure Hao and Non will physically beat you up for even suggesting that, Hannie."

The older man sends you a smirk. "They don't have to know, sweetheart."

"You're dreaming if you think you're her first choice after us, Hyung." Minghao says, his voice crackling as it came through the control room speakers. "I also advise that you tone down on the 'sweetheart' calling, she's known as 'Rookie' and only 'Rookie' to you."

Jeonghan's mouth twitches as clicks his tongue. "Point noted, geez. Don't need to put your claws out." He teases, his hands raising in mock surrender even though Minghao couldn't see him. "Such possessiveness."

You roll your eyes before dishing out the headsets for both the men beside you to connect them to their respective drivers. When they had agreed to do this race, you immediately opted out of being a race engineer for either of them because you didn't want to get in between whatever this was (even though you were already in between it). Hence, you called your two older confidants to give the callouts and to make sure your boyfriends were safe, no matter who won the race. All the radios were connected to one singular channel but you think that each of them having their own space would also be good because that might help to resolve whatever was going on.

Or at least you hope it would.

You grab your own headset, placing it over your head before switching everyone to the general channel with the click of a few buttons on the control panel.

"Test, test. Can everyone hear me?" You ask, slightly adjusting your headset mic.

"Loud and clear, Baobei." Minghao's voice says first making you smile.

"Yep." Hansol clicks his tongue as you hear a little bit of shuffling. "Crystal clear, Angel."

You smile fondly to yourself before you purse your lips and look at the track.

"You know you both don't need to do this." You whisper into the microphone, gnawing at your bottom lip as you try one last time to convince them out of this. "We can talk it out here right now and then go home."

You feel Jeonghan and Joshua exchange a few glances behind your back but you try to ignore them and focus on what your boyfriends are going to say.

"We're already here, Baobei." Minghao says, trying to keep his voice light and airy so that you don't worry. "You also dragged Jeonghan and Shua Hyung here to help us so we might as well make the most of it."

"He's right, Angel." Hansol's voice cuts through and even though you can't see him, you know that he's nodding his head. "We promise we will be safe, we just need to settle this and this is the best way to do it."

Minghao lets out a hum in agreement, making you sigh as you pinch the bridge of your nose. You want to yell at them or tell them off because you can think of a hundred other ways to deal with this without either of them getting upset by the end of the night or in any injuries but, they're too far gone to listen.

"Okay." You steel your emotions, the tone of your voice going neutral. "Ground rules." You say, adjusting the mic once more as you spare a glance at Jeonghan and Joshua. "I want a clean race, you two. You two can shit talk each other as much as you want but if there is any sign of cheating, the two of you are sharing the couch till I say so."

The protest of your sentence is immediate. "What?!" They both exclaim.

"Baobei, you can't be serious." You roll your eyes.

"I am serious, Xu." You chastise, hating everything about this race. "If any harm comes to either of you that is inflicted by the other, I will be pissed."

The line goes quiet at that the tone in your voice indicating to your boyfriends that you are indeed not joking. "Moving on." You say, clearing your throat as you grimace, looking at the route that they chose.

V8.

You don't know whether it's ironic or poetic.

The race starts off with an uphill zigzag path, followed by a ton of different eight round bends that really test a street racer's skill and ends with what everyone calls the leap of faith which is a downhill slope that is so steep, it feels like you're taking a leap of faith.

You describe the course to your boyfriends — even though they probably know it by heart — before setting the race rules. "As you both are aware, there are ramps around as well as shortcuts but use them safely and at your own risk. Shua and I went through just now to remove debris because no one has used this course in months…" You click your tongue. "so, take everything with a pinch of salt and be careful."

"Jeonghan and Joshua are here to assist you guys with route guidance and route guidance only. They are not allowed to tell you how close the other is because that's F1 and we don't run motor sports here."

That gets a soft chuckle out of the four men with you as your lips twitch, a ghost of a smile wanting to form.

"Any sign of a Jump, will be considered a false start and the other person will be automatically considered the winner. Lastly, and because I need this fact to be drilled into both your heads, any sign of foul play, I'm calling the race off and both of you are sleeping on the couch. Understood?"

The line is silent for a little bit, making you slightly annoyed as you clear your throat. "Understood?" You ask again, your tone reflecting seriousness.

"Yes." The two of them reluctantly murmur out.

You lean back in your seat with your arms crossed. "Good." You say. "I'll start the countdown."

You click at a few of the buttons on the dashboard as you peer at the time.

11:39pm.

You let out a slow exhale, hoping that this race will end before twelve before you flick the starting switch for the countdown lights.

Red light illuminate the track as you peer at the two cameras beside you that show both your boyfriends in their respective cars.

"I love you both." You whisper out. "Please be safe."

The two of them simultaneously eye the camera that's in their cars as they give you a smile.

"We'll be safe, Angel." Minghao nods, echoing Hansol's sentiment.

"Regardless of the outcome of this race," Minghao starts, leaning in closer to the camera. "We both love you and each other very much, Baobei."

You should feel a little more reassured after Minghao says it and Hansol nods, but you can't help that same uneasy feeling in your gut and chest that something was just about to go wrong. However, you know that both of them are far too deep into this to stop now.

You close your eyes to steel yourself as you let out a slow exhale before you nod at the two older men beside you before you flick the second switch that officially starts the race.

A steady beep rings out through the speakers before the lights change to yellow as Minghao and Hansol rev their engines, which seem to charge your body as well, the antipation of the race leaving your body on edge. "Ready. Get set…"

Your adrenaline rushes and your heart pounds in your ear before the light switches to green and the resounding beep rings through the speakers.

"GO!"

The effect is immediate as your boyfriends speed down the zigzag paths, making you hold your heart race as you watch them from the monitor in-front of you. You silently tune Joshua and Jeonghan out as they advise your boyfriends, having been amateur street racers long before them and just watch the cameras as you will your heart to slow down.

They will be fine. You internally tell yourself as you gnaw on your bottom lip. Right?

You lean back into your seat as you close your eyes, letting the engines roar in your ear as you sigh.

It either ends really well or really badly.

THE EGO FUCK UP

Two laps in and everything is smooth so far. You wince every time one of them makes a risky drift or takes the shortcut that you aren't sure is cleared or not. You had to have lost around a decade of your life just sitting here and watching your boyfriends eagerly battle it out in cars.

"Your drift there was a little risky, wasn't it, Hansol?" Minghao's voice rings out in the joint channel as he smoothly overtakes the younger man. You spare at a glance at his monitor, grimacing as you see Hansol's jaw clenching as he lets out a dark chuckle.

"Just learning from your drift a round ago, hyung." Hansol says coolly. "I need to learn from my seniors, don't I?"

Minghao's face doesn't change but his knuckles turn white at Hansol's words, making you sigh as you click the button that deafens them from the three of you.

"It's going well so far." Joshua gently says, giving you a smile.

You scoff, shaking your head. "If you call the name-calling and insults that rile them up even more and make them reckless, 'going well'." You sarcastically quip, raising your hands to make quotation marks. "Then, yeah! It's going great!"

The two older men share a look as you sink further into your chair, the build-up of anxiety getting a little too much for you.

"Rookie." Jeonghan gently calls, giving you a comforting squeeze on your arm. "Did you try telling them how you feel about all this? I mean, you basically have a free card that you can pull in a few minutes."

You glance at the clock.

11:55pm.

You sigh, shaking your head. "I don't even know if they remember." You admit quietly. "They've been talking about this stupid competition for the last week and whenever they spend time with me, it's to rant about the other one and I'm genuinely so sick of it."

You watch Jeonghan and Joshua share a look before the younger of the two scoots his chair over to tug you into him, letting you rest on his chest. You lean into your childhood friend who is like a brother to you. "What if they actually forgot, Shua?" You ask quietly, your voice cracking slightly.

You feel Joshua sigh underneath you. "I'm sure they didn't, darling." He assures quietly as he presses a kiss to your temple. "They love and adore you too much."

"You can say that again." Jeonghan says with a playful scoff. "Do you not remember your big birthday bash two years ago where they rented out the whole go-kart place with arcade machines?"

You bite back a fond smile as you recall that, you offhandedly mentioned once that you were a big fan of surprises during one of your movie nights with them. You didn't notice it then but they had shared a glance when they heard about it and just started surprising you with things whenever they could.

A bouquet of your favourite flowers here and there. Sometimes they saw a book that you have on your 'to be read' and immediately bought it for next day delivery. They also loved to buy you little trinkets that reminded them of you to put in your display shelf (which is running out of space) in your gaming room.

The biggest surprise was the one that Jeonghan had mentioned where you confided in them that you wanted to try an arcade and go-kart place because you never had the chance to when you were younger. Being the overachiever boyfriends they were, they got you a two-in-one with all your friends.

The two older men beside you were right, there is no way that they don't remember. They hadn't mentioned any plans yet but that was normal if they were planning on surprising you again this year.

You peer upwards at Joshua offering him a soft smile before you do the same with Jeonghan. "Thanks guys." You softly say. "I needed that."

Jeonghan gives you a genuine smile as he ruffles your hair. "We always got you, Rookie. Don't you ever forget it."

Your smile grows wider at his words before something catches your attention from the corner of your eye.

You immediately sit up and stare outside the control room windows to see that it had started pouring. The uneasiness in your gut flares as you gnaw at your lips, looking as the rain hit the control room windows. You dial back into the call with Minghao and Hansol.

Your head spins as you go back into race mode, moving both boys back to the their respective calls with the older ones. "Check tire and car condition with both." You command, making the two older men nod before unmuting their headsets to talk to their respective drivers.

You monitor the route as the rain continues to pelt down heavily. You tune out the men beside you as you switch between the cameras that are left on their respective route. Your eyes flit around the screen as you flick through each camera scene. You let your eyes linger for a few moments to see if there's anything out of the ordinary before repeating the process with the next one.

All is good till you reach camera eighty-four that is right at the last infinity bend. You were about to pass it over when you notice one of the trees swaying a little too much to the side. Your eyes narrow, your finger twitching as it hovers over the microphone button to pull all of them into the collective call.

The tree stops swaying making you breath a sigh of relief before moving your hand from the button. However, your heart stops when you notice something rolling from the corner of your eye. Your eyes immediately flick to it to see a boulder rolling down the nearby mountain. Your blood runs cold as you watch it knock into the nearest tree, breaking it and causing it to tumble down onto the path that both Hansol and Minghao are racing through.

Your adrenaline surges as you press the button, bringing everyone into the general call. The call immediately fills with overlapping conversations from both groups. You vaguely hear them talking about different strategies but you couldn't care less, more worried about the blockage in the road.

"Boys!" You interrupt, immediately halting all the conversations. "I need you both to slow down right now."

There's a brief period of silence before they both immediately start protesting. Minghao is currently just slightly ahead of Hansol, trying his best to not block him.

"Rookie." Minghao calls, his voice serious. "What is it?"

"There's a blockade on the road so I need the two of you to pull out now." Your boyfriends go quiet as soon as you say that, their focus still on the road but you watch as they contemplate your words, as if they are trying to find a workaround to what you are saying.

Your eyes flicker between both the screens as your patience starts to wear thin, your anxiety shooting through the roof. "Hello?!" You ask, your tone one of panic. "Did you guys not hear what I just said? There's a blockade in the middle of the road that the two of you are going to crash into—"

"How big is the blockade, Rookie?"

You freeze upon hearing Hansol's question cut through your panic.

"I beg your fucking pardon?" You blurt out, unable to stop yourself as you feel your blood start to boil.

"The blockade, baobei." Minghao affirms but this time with the loving nickname, as if it could placate you from the annoyance you're starting to feel. "How big is it?"

"You guys can't be fucking serious." You answer, your fists slowly clenching on the desk as you feel your anger rising with each word they were saying to you. "Turn back, right now. I'm being serious."

You watch the gears turn in your boyfriends heads before Hansol speaks. "Hyung." He calls, completely ignoring your earlier sentence which makes your heart drop. "How far till blockade and how big is it?"

Joshua looks between you and Hansol's face on the camera footage in-front of you before his eyes flicker towards the route map where time to impact is stated.

Five Minutes.

"Shua." You warn, your tone wavering as you stare at him with a pleading gaze, hoping that he will back up your decision.

"Hyung." Hansol tries again as he takes the lead from Minghao who lets out a groan of frustration, his palm smacking the steering wheel as he watches Hansol pull ahead by quite a bit.

"Hyung." Minghao tries this time. "Time to impact so I know if I can overtake?"

Jeonghan hesitates, watching your head whip to him as he contemplates whether he should tell your boyfriend.

"Hannie." You warn before turning back to your boyfriends.

"Xu Minghao. Chwe Hansol." You warn as you stare at the time until impact on your screen. "If the two of you do not turn your cars around, there will be consequences."

Three Minutes.

"Rookie, we're in too deep to stop here." Minghao sternly says as he changes gear and tries to overtake Hansol.

Your heart lurches as you see how close the cars come to knocking each other. The rain pelts down harder and the road narrows as they round the last bend, meaning they were only a couple of kilometers away from the giant tree that's blocking them.

"Hyung." Hansol presses harder, his grip on the steering wheel tight as he tries to fight of Minghao's advance. "Time to fucking impact!"

Joshua stares at you, almost stunned that the two hopelessly in love men were not listening to you. Your boyfriends in the car start to overlap their yelling, demanding that their race engineers tell them the time from impact so that they can plan accordingly while you sit there, your face pale as your palms begin to sweat.

You're speechless as you watch them still fight it out despite all your words, your heart racing as you watch them get closer and closer to the thing that will be the death of both of them.

One Minute.

"Fuck it." You hear Minghao whisper before he reaches over to turn off the camera in his car. You watch from the monitor as he speeds ahead, causing Hansol to immediately break, to slow his car down before he hits the other male.

"Hyung." Hansol yells. "The fuck are you doing?"

"Winning." Minghao says smoothly as you hear him shift his gears before seeing the car speed up on the monitor.

"Mother—" With that, Hansol also turns off his camera meaning that the three of you are blind to the egotistical drivers that are down there on the track.

"What the fuck are you two doing?!" You exclaim, standing up now as you slam your hands on the desk, a last ditch effort to get the two of them to turn around. "Please." You plead into the microphone, your eyes getting slightly watery as you watch them get closer and closer to the tree.

"Fifty seconds." Joshua whispers as you fumble with the dashboard in-front of you, flicking through the different cameras there till you found one that showed you exactly where they were on the track.

When you find it, you hit a few more buttons to trigger the path following on the device as you watch the cameras change in-front of you to follow your boyfriend's cars.

They ignore you, still swapping positions with each other as you feel like throwing up, the anxiety in your chest getting too much as you watch them get closer and closer to the tree.

"Guys." You sob out, nearly begging at this point. "Please turn around."

"Thirty seconds." Jeonghan says softly, making you slam your fist against the desk as you watch the distance between them and the tree. You wonder why they're doing this, why they are silent and it hits you like a ton of bricks.

You heart races. They're wearing you down, wanting you to crack and tell them the impact timing because they know you care too much about them. You feel your heart crack as you watch them go down the road.

"Fifteen seconds." Joshua says, his voice in a slight panic as he stares at you.

You angrily wipe your tears away. "Fuck it." You mutter before putting your microphone closer to your mouth. "Ten seconds, blockage is the same size as the fucking truck we saw yesterday."

You sniffle, pushing down a sob. "Good fucking luck." Is the last thing you venomously whisper before you tap out, not wanting to see your boyfriends risk their life for some fucked up competition.

You rip the headset off and slam it down onto the control room dashboard making the two men beside you jump. Without wasting another second, you pick up your things before picking up and walk out the door. Joshua recovers first and is quick to follow, ripping off his own headset to chase after you as you try not to angrily break down.

You don't make it very far as Joshua catches up to you with his significantly longer legs. He pulls you into him with ease as you try to wrestle out of his grip, needing to get away for your own sanity. You're fighting a losing battle as he tugs you firmly into his chest and wraps his arms around your center to keep you from leaving.

When it becomes clear that you aren't able to break out from his grasps, you break down into it instead. Joshua's hand runs through your hair, soothing you as you sob into his chest, feeling all the tiredness and overwhelm that you've been struggling to keep at bay for the last week or so.

"I hate them." You whisper into his chest. "Why are they so fucking stupid."

Joshua sighs as he presses a kiss to the top of your head as he moves his hand to slowly run up and down your back. "Ego, darling." Is what he answers after a couple of seconds. The two of you don't say anything else after that, Joshua letting you focus on regulating your breathing so that you stop crying.

Stupid fucking ego.

The two of you stand like that for a while, Joshua letting you take as much time as you need as your breathing starts to even out. You both hear a scuffle of footsteps, making you lift your head from Joshua's chest to see Jeonghan with his hands in his pocket.

"Are they okay?" You whisper out, unable to help how much you care about your idiotic boyfriends. Jeonghan gives you a weak smile before nodding.

"They both reversed and took a shortcut a couple of metres back." He shoots you a sympathetic look. "The race did end in a tie though."

Your heart drops.

A fucking tie.

All that for a fucking tie.

You close your eyes, a heavy sigh already building in your throat. This couldn't be worse.

The loud sounds of engines revving and drifting makes the three of you turn to the entrance of the outdoor carpark. The lights make you wince as you squint to see your boyfriends arriving. They don't bother to park and just turn off their engines before getting out of the car.

You expect them to walk straight to you first but Minghao instead slams his car door shut hard and walks over to Hansol, cornering him to the side of his car.

"What the fuck was that there at the end, Chwe?!"

Joshua and you blink at the sight as Jeonghan grimaces, remembering how they almost ran each other off the road at the end there.

"Driving, Xu." Hansol replies, his tone dry and pointed as he shows no sign of remorse. "But I could ask you the same for what you pulled at infinity turn forty-eight."

Minghao's jaw clenches. "Watch your tone, Chwe." He venomously seethes, jabbing a finger into the latter's chest. "You forget that I'm the older one here."

"I don't fucking care." Hansol bites back, grabbing Minghao's hand tightly. "Your recklessness nearly ran both of us off the fucking road."

"You did the same fucking thing towards the end there, Hansol."

"Well, like I said, I'm learning from my senior."

Minghao scoffs before leveling Hansol with a glare. "Well, let's fucking go again then." Minghao says as the younger one folds his arms. "If you are that good of a driver and you learned everything from me, you should be able to beat me without the fucking helpline of the tree right?"

"Oh that's easy." Hansol says, a smirk on his face from riling up the older man. "At the end, you wish you had the fucking helpline of the tree as you did today."

You see Minghao fume as Hansol gets up in his space. He shoves Hansol backwards and opens his mouth, ready to tear him a new one.

"Both of you, shut the fuck up!"

The two men immediately freeze, hearing you yell at them before turning to face you, their faces a little pale.

You, on the other hand, are fuming.

"Are you two even listening to the words coming out of your fucking mouths?" You ask, your eyes stinging with hot tears. "You both tried to kill each other out there!" You angrily brush at your eyes as Joshua gives your shoulder a squeeze, trying to ground you.

"Breathe, darling." Joshua whispers into your ear as you glare at the two boys you love so much.

"I told you both that this was a fucking stupid idea and you two wouldn't even listen to me! Your girlfriend that's been with you both for the last three years." You shake your head, your words getting softer and softer as you stare at them, slightly defeated. "You both didn't need to settle this on the stupid track. The three of us talking it out would've solved everything but no."

You glance between the two of them. "The two of you needed to show the other that you were better and broke the promise that you made to me two years ago. Is proving your worth to each other that important?"

Hansol and Minghao share a look before Minghao steps closer to you cautiously.

"Baobei." He softly calls out as he reaches for you. "We didn't mean for this to happen."

Hansol nods, also trying to get closer. "We're sorry that we got angry at each other and for the race. I swear when we do it again tomorrow—"

You bitterly laugh as Joshua's hand tenses on your shoulder, sensing the oncoming rage. "Tomorrow?" You ask softly.

"Yeah, when we actually can find a winner."

Joshua internally sighs as his grip on your shoulder tightens, hoping that it will help to ground you so that you don't unleash fury on the two men in-front of you. His hope however, goes down the drain when you break out of his hold.

"What the fuck is wrong with you two?" You lash out, the tears flowing freely down your face from how angry you are. The two men are stunned again as they stare at you before you toss your hands in exasperation. "I'm fucking done." You say as a laugh with absolutely zero humour escapes you.

"If the two of you race again tomorrow." You fix them with a hard stare as your heart breaks with the next words that come out of your mouth. "I'm done with you two."

Before either of them could even process what you meant or stop you, you turn on your heel and walk off. It takes one look from your childhood best friend to understand what you need as he gives you a small nod before taking your hand into his and walking off with you to his car. Joshua tosses your boyfriends a look of disbelief before shaking his head at them.

Hansol and Minghao just watch as you get into Joshua's car and leave, speechless and unsure what they did wrong. They fix each other with a look as Jeonghan stands there, looking at the two of them in utter disbelief.

"What just happened?" Are the first words out of Hansol's mouth as he stares at Jeonghan, hoping he knows the answer. Minghao, on the other hand, runs through every possible scenario in his head.

Jeonghan lets out a scoff at the clueless expression on both their faces. "You two are really stupid, you know." He deadpans out, making the two look at him a little more exasperatedly.'

He sighs, realizing that he needs to spell it out for them. "Both of you need to put your fucking egos to the side for second and look at what just walked away from you." He points towards where you and Joshua were. "That girl has been so patient with the two of you for God knows how many weeks, listening to the two of you argue while trying to be the middle ground for you both. She's been dividing her time, without any regard for herself and her well-being and she even let you both proceed with this stupid race despite her begging you not to do it."

Jeonghan shakes his head. "You guys claim that she's the best thing to have ever walked into your lives but because of this stupid fucking race, the two of you forgot the one thing that you promised to continue doing despite however much you were angry at each other." He pins them with a hard gaze. "Both of you broke your promise of remembering important dates."

Hearing that, Hansol immediately pulls out his phone before looking at the date for today.

12:48am on the 29th of June.

Hansol feels his heart shatter as he lets out a wrecked gasp, the date finally clicking in his head. "Hyung." He calls out to his counterpart who looks at him as Hansol shows him the screen. Minghao's face pales as it clicks into his head, his heart dropping into his stomach as his mind races.

Jeonghan watches the two of them go through mixed emotions and the five stages of grief before sighing.

"You two better find a way to fix this." He softly says. "If not, you're going to lose the most important person in your lives."

You can't remember the last time you've felt this empty. After Joshua took you to his place last night, he immediately sprinted to his closet to pull out your favourite hoodie of his and a pair of sweatpants that you left the last time the two of you had a sleepover. He ran a bath for you before he ushered you to it, wanting you to relax as much as possible.

When you had enough of the bath, you walked out of the bathroom to see that Joshua had ordered all your favourites. Stir fried mala sits on the table alongside your favourite bubble tea order as he gives you a smile.

You had given him a look of surprise, knowing how he felt about such an unhealthy combo. He just gave you a simple shrug and responded with a soft, "Figured we could use it today."

Those words alone were enough to cause your eyes to water as your older brother figure immediately plated you a plate with all your favourite ingredients. He passed you the bowl before putting on 'How to Train Your Dragon'. The intro of the movie plays as you leaned against his sofa, staring at the bowl of mala with a frown.

"Do you think I was too harsh on them?" You ask which makes Joshua stop eating, his food halfway to his mouth. He fixes you with a soft look before shaking his head as he places his chopsticks back onto his bowl.

He makes you look at him. "Darling." He softly says. "They were being absolute idiots. You had every right to act the way that you did because they hurt you with their actions. If you didn't stand up for yourself back there, they would've continued acting like that and you were doing what was right for yourself." He fixes you with a look.

"If you didn't do that, I would've probably done it for you anyways."

A soft watery laugh escapes you, which makes a small grin tug on Joshua's face. His hand goes to ruffle your hair in a very elder brother way before he gestures to the food in your hands. "Eat." He softly says. "And watch the movie, we're missing the best part."

You give Joshua a small smile before you nod and scoop up a spoonful of mala to eat. You turn your attention to the movie but you can't help the feeling of emptiness in your chest as you do. You love your boyfriends, you really do but they really hurt you and you couldn't help but feel less important to them. However, you couldn't bare the thought of having to actually break up with them. You loved them, you were sure of that. They filled your life with so much joy that you can't imagine dating or loving someone, the way that you love them.

Yet, on the night where they were supposed to treat you like a queen, ringing in your birthday, you spent it on your best friend's floor with a broken heart.

You sigh as you shake your head, your recollection ending as you stare at the ceiling in the guestroom of Joshua's house. You contemplate just staying in Joshua's house the whole day but you immediately push that thought aside because it's your birthday, you should do something you want to do instead of rotting in your best friend's house.

Luckily, Joshua shares the same sentiment as you.

"That's an amazing idea, darling." He says as he packs a tea to go for you as you're finishing up the special birthday breakfast that he had prepared for you.

Bacon and pancakes with a side of orange juice.

You had smiled when you first saw it, it was a childhood favourite of yours and it definitely brightened up your day just a little more.

Joshua walks over to you, placing the thermos on the table. "You did say you wanted to finish up the car before August so that you could show it to your parents when you go back and see them."

You swallow your last bit of food before nodding, a small smile on your face.

"It's a good distraction for sure." You say quietly as Joshua gives you a sympathetic smile. He glances at your phone that had been laid flat on the dining table.

He raises an eyebrow at it, "They haven't tried contacting you at all?"

You spare a glance at it, the pit in your stomach deep as you shrug. "I don't know." You answer honestly. "Put it on do not disturb as soon as I came here last night." You shake your head. "I don't wanna hear any of their half-excuses at the moment."

Joshua gives you another sympathetic look before reaching over and squeezing your hand. "Well," His tongue darts out to wet his tongue. "Happy Birthday, Sweetheart."

You give your older brother figure a small smile before he leans and gives you a kiss on the top of your head. "I should get going." You say softly, standing up. "Before the calvary arrives because they think they've given me enough space."

Joshua lets out a soft chuckle at your use of words as you give him a quirky smile. You slide your phone into your back pocket as you sling your bag over your shoulders. Joshua stands up with you as he holds your thermos of tea.

"Let's get going then." He says, giving you a smile as he opens the front-door for you.

FIRST MEETINGS

Joshua drops you off at your workshop before he presses a kiss to the top of your head and speeds off with the promise of seeing you after he finishes the errands he needs to run. You bid him goodbye before digging through your bag for the keycard to your garage.

A beep is heard before you push the door open and breathe in the smell that you've grown up with your whole life, your body immediately relaxing at the familiar comfort.

While Minghao and Hansol seek the thrill of the drive, you prefer to know the ins and outs of the machine. You had always been in love with cars, your dad being one of the main engineers for street racers back in the day. You always hung around and helped him grab his tools, your eyes wide with awe as he always manages to find whatever was wrong with the car.

Hence, he trained you for it, letting you take care of the workshop every other day so that you get some hands-on experience. Funnily enough, that wasn't where you met Minghao and Hansol.

It was one of the slower nights in the workshop. You spun on one of the chairs in the garage as you tossed a wrench up and down, your boredom reaching a new high. You almost fell out of your chair when your phone rang, piercing the silence.

"Shua?" You asked, a little confused as to why your best friend was calling you.

"Hey, you busy?" Joshua asked as his background noise booms in the background.

You winced a little at the loud sounds. "No, but where the hell are you? Why is it so noisy?"

Joshua ignored you, telling you that he was going to send you an address and to be there as soon as you could before he hung up the phone. You stared at your phone, bewildered as you wonder what the hell was going on.

You sighed before you made your way to lock up. If there was one annoying thing that your best friend knew how to do, it was to entice you enough that you'd drop everything to see whatever he was doing.

You get out of the car and stared at the underground racetrack with a confused expression on your face. What the hell was your best friend doing here. You walked through the different areas, taking in all the details of the place while keeping a keen eye out for your best friend.

"Darling!" Your ears perked up as you turn to the source of the greeting. You smiled to yourself as you saw Joshua jog to your side before he pulled you into a tight hug. "You made it!"

You scoffed. "You knew that I would come, Shua." You flicked his forehead. "Don't act all surprised now."

Your best friend let out a yelp from the pain before a pout appeared on his lips as he rubbed the spot you just flicked. "You hate me." He whined out, making you scoff.

"If I did, I wouldn't have locked up the shop early for you, dummy."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Joshua's face as soon as you said that statement as he feigned sentiment. You rolled your eyes before you grabbed his hand. "C'mon, show me whatever you want to show me." You muttered, which made Joshua let out a breath of a chuckle before he dragged you away from the current area.

"Why are you at a street racer course anyway?" You asked, raising an eyebrow at your best friend.

"Well, I own this establishment." Your jaw dropped open as you stopped walking, jerking Joshua back a little. He glanced at you, a confused expression on his face which meets your shocked one.

"You own an underground street racing establishment?" You asked, repeating the words slowly as if you had hoped that the words become more believable if you did.

Joshua chuckled at your expression and nodded. "Yep." He said, popping his 'p'. Without another word, he dragged you off towards God knows where as if everything was now suddenly clear.

You rolled your eyes at your best friend as you give up, letting him drag you wherever because you would have an easier time getting answers when Joshua was not so tunnel-visioned on where he wanted to go.

He dragged you through multiple crowds before the two of you appeared in-front of the VIP section. The security guard gave him a once over and a nod before letting the two of you into the closed off section.

"Shua!" A voice boomed over the music, making the two of you whip around to see a man with a leather jacket and jeans on, with a beer in hand. "Was wondering where you hurried off to."

The man glanced at you before a smirk appeared on his lips. "Well, well, well." He whistled out. "Looks like you brought a new friend."

Your best friend let out a scoff before he tugged you closer to him. "Out of your league, Jeonghan."

The man, Jeonghan, feigned a flabbergasted gasp as he placed his hand on his chest. "Ouch, Shuji." He muttered, a fake pout on his face. "Way to hurt a guy, why don't you."

Your best friend rolled his eyes before he said your name to the man in-front of you. "This is Jeonghan."

Jeonghan's expression did a full 360 as he gave you a smirk and a small salute with a wink. "Pleasure to meet you, sweetheart." His eyes twinkled with mischief. "I wonder why Shuji has been hiding you all this time."

"Probably because she's uncomfortable with you calling her sweetheart, Hyung." Your ears perked at the new voice that caused goosebumps to appear on your skin. You turned to see lanky, tall man, who was leaning against a nearby wall with blonde hair and a pair of sunglasses on the top of his head. He donned a white sleeveless shirt that effectively showed off his tattoos that dotted his arms and a pair of dark brown cargo pants with some timberlands.

He eyed you, making your pulse jump at the intensity of his gaze, feeling slightly warm under it. He was definitely one of the most attractive men that you've ever seen. Jeonghan scoffed, shaking his head as a ghost of a smile lingers on his lips.

"Minghao." He greeted, raising an eyebrow. "Where's your counterpart?"

Minghao doesn't answer at first, his gaze unwavered from your figure which makes you fidget slightly, a little exposed under his gaze. He noticed, his lips pulled up into a small smirk before he looked at Joshua and Jeonghan, acknowledging them for the first time since he had arrived.

"Hansol went to grab the two of us a drink." He answered easily before he pushed off the wall and made his way over to you.

"Are the two of you not racing today?" Joshua asked with a raise of his eyebrow. Minghao nods at that.

"We are. Hansol's just grabbing us some sparkling water before we have to head for the drive."

He stopped walking as he reached your side, his gaze calculated as he stared at you.

"Minghao." He said after a beat, reaching out his hand for you to grab. You blinked, a little stunned by how forward the handsome man was being before you took his hand into yours as softly replied with your name.

Minghao's lips quirked a little when he noticed your cheeks heat up as he tested how well your name rolled off his tongue. The air felt a little charged and dangerous as he held your gaze, your heartbeat in your ears before he pulled his hand back when someone held out a drink for him.

Everyone's gaze fell on the newcomer who made your breath hitch. There stood a man with the most gorgeous face and mullet that you've ever seen. He was dressed comfortably in a sleeveless ripped hoodie with ripped skinny jeans and a pair of gloves on.

"Ah, there he is." Jeonghan said, his gaze twinkled with mischief as he looked between you and the boys. "Hansol, meet Shuji's best friend."

Hansol's eyes pierced through your soul as he gave you a once over, just like Minghao had done before he held out his hand for you to shake.

"Pleasure to meet you." You felt hot under their gaze as you muttered the same, shaking the man's hand.

Jeonghan clapped his hands. "Right, not to be the weird party pooper here." He said cheekily, causing your cheeks to heat up more as he gave you a wink. "But I think our racers need to get to their starting positions and we should probably head up to the main control booth.

Jeonghan hooked an arm around Joshua's shoulders before he dragged him a little, making Joshua lose his grip on you. The older man gave the three of you a look before he dragged your best friend with him, despite his protests.

"Come find us when you're done, sweetheart." Jeonghan threw back to you with a shit-eating grin on his face. You silently cursed the man that you just met as you felt the heat of the two good-looking men's gaze on you.

You turned to them, a timid smile on your face as you shifted uncomfortably.

"Is this your first time at an underground race?" Hansol asked, noticing the minor fidgeting you were doing. You let out a nervous breath of a laugh as you nodded.

"Is it that obvious?" You wondered aloud as you eyed the two of them. A faint smirk appeared on Hansol's face as he nodded.

"Just a little, you look a little out of place." Your heart stuttered at that as you frowned.

"Like I don't belong?" You asked.

"Like you're a little too innocent for the likes of this." Minghao answered before he took a sip of his drink. The low rumble of his words made your stomach flutter as you willed for the heat on your cheeks to disappear.

"Is that a bad thing?" You asked, your voice soft as you peered upwards at the two of them.

The two shared a glance as you watched a common understanding pass through the two of them before they turned back to you as Minghao shook his head.

"Not at all, Baobei." He said, leaning in closer. The nickname made your heart stutter as Hansol leaned in as well.

"Just means we got a thing or two that we can teach you, Angel." The double meaning of his words and the low rumble of his voice made your stomach do flip flops as they stared intensely at you, making your knees feel weak.

A sound was heard from the speakers before you could even reply, which effectively broke the spell and hold that the two of them had on you. They glanced at the speaker.

"Well," Minghao drawled out. "That's our cue."

Hansol nodded as the two of them took a step back from you. "Will you cheer us on?" Hansol asked making you blink at them as they stared at you in anticipation.

"Probably." You answered. "I mean the two of you are the only drivers I know." You blurted out before even having the chance to stop yourself.

Minghao's smirk grew as he gave Hansol a look.

"Good." He said before he reached out and gave your hair a small ruffle. "Let's keep it that way."

You swear your heart skipped a beat or two after he said that as Hansol fixed you with a smirk. "See you after the race, Angel." He sealed off his sentence with a wink. "Can't wait to get to know you better."

With that, they left you standing there, a little dumbfounded as they prepared for their race. You stayed glued to the spot for a few minutes before you shook yourself out of it and composed yourself as your thoughts raced.

You had no idea what you had just gotten yourself into but as you recalled their faces through your mind, you bit back a grin.

What was the worst that could happen?

KISS AND MAKE UP

You don't know how many hours you've spent working under the hood of your dream car but when you pull yourself out from under it and actually check your phone after wiping your hands on the washcloth, it's already 5pm.

You sigh before you let your eyes drift lower to stare at your lockscreen. It's a picture of the three of you during one of the first few underground races after the three of you made it official. You feel your emotions get stuck in your throat as you see the big smile on your face as Minghao and Hansol just stared at you, a soft and fond smile on both their faces as they looked at you instead of the camera.

You feel your heart clench as you contemplate checking your notifications. You sigh before you turn off your 'do not disturb' and let the notifications roll upwards.

62 Missed Calls from Hansolie <3 48 Missed Calls from Hao <3 22 Unread Messages from Hansolie <3 24 Unread Messages from Hao <3 296 Unread Messages from 'The Reason We Drive'

2 Unread Messages from Hannie 1 Missed Call from Shua 1 Unread Message from Shua

You sigh, placing your phone back face down onto the desk as you smack your face lightly. "Get it together." You mutter to yourself. The amount of time you spent here really did help to clear your head but with all the muck and grease over yourself, you really need a shower before you even think about answering any of those messages.

You huff before pushing yourself off of the desk and tidy up your workspace before going to the washroom to take a shower, the dirt and grime making your skin crawl. You step out of the shower in a pair of ripped jeans, a fitting top with a windbreaker and sigh, feeling a lot more refreshed.

You walk back to your workshop, using the towel to dry off the remaining bits of water in your hair when you freeze, noticing the door to your garage open. You frown, recalling that you had shut the door behind you because you remember hearing the magnetic lock click in place after you did.

You slowly creep to the workshop as you hear some shuffling inside as well as some soft voices. You peak your head through the door before your heart stutters. Out of all the people you were expecting to see, Hansol and Minghao leaning against your workshop table, talking more than they had in the last few weeks, wasn't one of them.

"What the hell." Are the first words to leave your mouth, which alerts the two men who whip around to see you standing there, looking super confused.

The two man immediately scramble to stand up as they give you a nervous look, fidgeting every few seconds. You eye them skeptically as you slowly walk into the workshop, the towel still in your hands as you glance between them.

"How did you get in here?" You ask, a small frown on your face as you scrunch your eyebrows. "Better question, how the hell do you guys even know about this space?"

The two share a glance as you cross your arms.

"We might've dropped by Shua Hyung's house." Minghao admits, scratching the back of his neck. You raise an eyebrow at that, urging them to continue.

"We might've begged him to tell us where you were and when he wasn't looking, stole the keycard for your workshop." Hansol finishes.

Your eyes narrow. "How did you even know that keycard was for here?"

Hansol lifts up the keycard and stuck onto the card was a label which had your name and garage behind it in a cursive font. You roll your eyes. Of course your meticulous best friend had labeled the keycard so that he wouldn't forget what it was for.

The workshop has always been a sacred place for you, you never really told anyone about this place since your father had given it to you and it was a place for you to come to when you needed some sort of escape.

Joshua was the only one who knew about it because he had dropped by many times when the two of you were younger and after your dad had given it to you, it felt right to give him a keycard for access at all times.

"Well," You huff, unable to escape the inevitable conversation anymore. "You guys found me. I'm fine and you guys can go now." You try to step around them to retrieve your things when Hansol reaches out, gently grabbing your hand.

You've always been a little weak to either of their touch so it's no surprise when he's able to easily pull you back to stand in-front of them. You internally curse yourself for being a little easy but you still refuse to meet their eyes.

"Baobei." Minghao softly calls, ducking his head a little to try to meet your eyes. You stubbornly look away, making the older man sigh. "Can you look at us, please?" He softly begs, his tone sounding a little exhausted, almost as if he didn't sleep well.

You refuse, gnawing on your bottom lip which makes them change their strategy.

"Angel." Hansol starts, fidgeting with his hands. "We're sorry."

You stare at the floor as he continues. "We were stupid and let our egos get the better of us because we were frustrated at ourselves. We didn't mean to take it out on each other and more importantly…" You feel Hansol grab your hand, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. "We didn't mean to take it out on you."

You purse your lips, still refusing to answer as you feel Minghao approach you before he wraps his arms around you, pulling you into his chest as his head sits on your shoulder.

"We're also sorry for breaking our promise to you, to keep you happy and to always remember the special days. Even though we didn't mean to forget, it's no excuse because you mean the world to us and we're sorry that we didn't listen to you."

You feel Minghao brush a kiss to the side of your neck, causing a shiver to run down your spine. "Please forgive us."

You internally sigh before composing yourself as you pull out of their grasps to fully look at them. "It really hurt when the two of you wouldn't listen to me." You softly say as you fidget with the zipper of your windbreaker. "It felt like nothing I said mattered to you guys and I was just a personal comfort thing for both of you. It was like I didn't actually matter in this equation between the two of you when we're supposed to be in a relationship together."

You feel your eyes start to prick with tears as you sniffle. "It felt like I was just walking on eggshells in my— our own apartment, the one place that I am meant to feel the safest and I… I grew tired of it." You glance between the two of them as you watch their faces crack, the guilt in their eyes evident. "I was only there when you needed someone to rant to or someone to affirm what you guys were angry about. Neither of you asked me about my day or even cared enough to see if I had eaten. Even when I was tired, I still felt like I needed to cater to you two because I love you both so much and seeing you both fight really broke my heart."

You see their hands twitch, especially Hansol's, who wanted nothing more to reach out for you, to comfort you, but they were waiting for you to finish, not wanting to interrupt you.

"I don't really care that the two of you forgot my birthday." You admit softly, taking a step closer to the two of them. "I just didn't want you to get hurt because I love you both with everything I am and I can't imagine my life without the two of you."

As soon as you finish your sentence, Hansol is up from the desk and he all but tugs you into his warm embrace, his breathing a little shaky as his whole body wrecks with emotions.

"Angel." He softly breathes out into your ear, his voice shaky and soft, as if he was scared that you were going to disappear if he spoke any louder. "We're so sorry. We didn't mean to make you feel like you needed to take on the weight of the world. It was stupid of us and we were only thinking of ourselves and we know that it's no excuse but we want to make it up to you, please."

You bit the inside of your cheek, to will the tears that dot your waterline to not flow over as you breathe in Hansol's comforting woody scent before you smell a hint of an earthy light scent as Minghao wraps his arms around you as well, placing a soft kiss to your temple.

"He's right, Baobei. You have every right to be angry with us and you should care that we forgot your birthday. It's the one day where we're meant to celebrate you. Not that we shouldn't celebrate you everyday anyway, but it's the one day where the universe blessed us with you by bringing you into this world. We can't imagine not having you in our life and we're sorry that we let our ego get the better of us. We shouldn't have fought over who is more worth your time but be grateful that you choose to spend your time with us and love us despite how flawed we both are."

You peer upwards at the older man who gives a soft kiss to your forehead. "We love you." Minghao says, his voie barely above a whisper as he pulls back from you and gets on his knees, making your eyes widen as Hansol does the same.

"Please forgive us."

You glance between the two of them on their knees for you as a bewildered giggle escapes you as you smile at them, wiping away the tears in your eyes.

"You're both idiots." You say as you reach for both of them to tug them up. "Please get off the floor."

A ghost of a smile of relief lingers on Minghao's lips as he shakes his head. "We can't." He says, tugging you closer to the two of them, which makes a surprise giggle escape from your lips. "You need to forgive us first, Baobei." He says, bringing your hand to his lips as he brushes a kiss onto them.

Hansol nods, as he places his hand on the back of your thigh, making you squirm a little as he looks up at you. "Please say you forgive us, Angel."

You glance downwards at them as you realize the position that the three of you are in. Heat pools on the underside of your belly as you see the way that they catch on too, their eyes darkening beneath you.

You swallow before feigning a ponder, trying to keep your heart from racing. "Well…" You drawl out as you look between the two of them. "Maybe the two of you should show me how sorry you are." You softly say, letting your eyes pierce into theirs as you watch their pupils dilate slightly. "Then maybe, I'll forgive you."

There's silence for a little bit as they share a glance before they turn back to you with a smirk on both their faces.

"With pleasure, Baby."

Those are the last words that fall from Hansol's mouth before your boyfriends move. Minghao stands and pulls you into a searing kiss that elicits a gasp from your lips, making him groan as he slides his tongue into your mouth. Hansol, on the other hand, moves his hand upwards and under your shirt before he pushes himself up slightly on his knees to be able to kiss all around your stomach.

You feel yourself getting wetter at their touch as they continue to overstimulate you with their touch, each making your knees weaker and weaker. You let out a whiny moan as Hansol starts to tease your nipples, pushing your bra upwards for easier access. Minghao bites lightly on your bottom lip, making your mind blank as he continues to kiss you as if you are providing him with the oxygen to breathe.

Minghao pulls away, pressing two chaste kisses on your lips as the two of you catch your breath before your boyfriends move you towards where your car is. Hansol rips the canvas off of the car and lets out a low whistle as he catches the make and model of it.

"Damn, Angel." He looks at you, his eyes filled with lust as he gives you a smirk. "A baby blue 2004 Mazda RX-8?" You blink at him, slowly registering his question as you nod, your brain still foggy.

Minghao sends his partner-in-crime a smirk as he pulls you toward the car to lay you on the hood of it. He hovers above you as he eyes you up and down and devilishly smirks at how wreckced you already look.

"What a perfect car," He hums as he unbuttons your pants and pulls it down along with your underwear in one swift motion, making you gasp as the cold air hits your wet pussy. "To fuck you on."

Before you even have a chance to register his words, his mouth is on you, eating you out like a starved man. You gasp as your back arches and your eyes bulge. Hansol is next to you in a matter of milliseconds, his hands tight on your waist which effectively stops your squirming.

"Shhh." Hansol coos as he spots a few tears leaving your eyes. "Be a good girl and let Hyung eat you out like you deserve." Those words make your mind blank more as Minghao captures your clit into his mouth and sucks as it, groaning a little which sends a wave of pleasure through you as the vibrations roll through your body.

Your eyes roll as Hansol takes the opportunity to lift your shirt and bra up fully and over your head, his one hand still steady on your waist before he dips his head and wraps his mouth around your right breast.

You let out a loud moan as Hansol massages your breast while sucking and nipping at your right one. Minghao takes that chance to dip his tongue into your hole, fucking you with his tongue that makes you lose all sense of your sanity.

"Fuck." Minghao drawls out as he glances upwards to see Hansol switching and continuing his ministrations on your other breast. "You taste so heavenly, Baobei."

You whimper at his praise as he dips a finger into your folds, making you let out a gasp as he gathers your wetness onto them.

"Want a taste, Hansol?" Hansol is quick to pull away and take Minghao's fingers into his mouth, sucking erotically as he eyes you, making your jaw drop open as that gesture causes you to clench around nothing.

Minghao notices and smirks as his pupils dilate more. "Think you need a better taste, Non." Minghao all but whispers as he pulls his fingers out of Hansol's mouth with a soft 'pop'. "Want it?"

Hansol nods, making Minghao smirk as he pulls Hansol in for a kiss, licking into his mouth to let the younger man taste the remnants of you on his lips. You, however, are not forgotten as Minghao sinks two fingers into you without warning, making your eyes roll backward as he fingers you, hard and fast.

Your boyfriends pull away from each other, panting as Minghao gestures his head towards you. "Go on." Minghao goads, his voice low. "Eat her out while I finger her, Hansol."

That's all the command that Hansol needs before his mouth is on you, making you let out a loud broken moan, your legs shaking as their touch brings you closer and closer to the edge. Minghao, who notices that you are pursing your lips, a tell that you are almost close, immediately angles his fingers until they hit your g-spot inside of you.

The first time he hits it, you nearly cum on the spot from the shock of it, your body wretching upwards and making Minghao's angle change.

He looks at you with a slightly disappointed look as he shakes his head before his other hand moves to pin you to the car. "Be good, Baobei." He says sternly as he fixes you with a pout. "We can't make it up to you if you thrash around like that, so be still and let us give you what a birthday girl deserves."

Before you could even sob out a reply, Minghao captures your lips into a searing kiss as he re-angles his fingers to hit the same spot, harder now. You whine into his mouth as he licks and nips at your lips as Hansol sucks on your clit hard.

You feel yourself getting closer to the edge, your right hand gripping and pulling at Minghao's hair which indicates that to him. He pulls away from your lips before leaning down to your ear.

"Be a good girl and cum for us, Baobei." He whispers, his voice rumbly and low.

That command is all it takes as you let out another whiny moan before the coil in your stomach snaps and you cum all over Hansol's mouth. Hansol doesn't complain. In fact, he does the opposite and groans into your pussy as he begins to lap up at your elixir, not wanting to waste a single drop.

You feel like you've just seen the stars as Minghao coos sweet words at you and gives you soft pecks as his fingers still move inside of you, chasing the high of your release. You lets out a whine, your body shuddering as you feel the start of the overstimulation, making your hand fly to Minghao's arm.

He glances at it and nods before he nudges Hansol, lightly with his foot. Hansol immediately pulls away from your pussy, the lower half of his face shiny with your slick, making your cheeks heat up as he gives you a slightly dazed smile.

You whimper as Minghao's fingers slide out of you, still sensitive from cumming. He brings his fingers to his mouth and leaks them clean while staring straight into your eyes making the butterflies in your stomach flutter as he groans.

You glance around for Hansol who is back at your desk, digging around your table for a little bit before he finds what he is looking for. He returns with some wipes and a bottle of water from his bag as helps you to sit up. He opens the bottle in one quick twist before placing a straw into it.

"Slowly." He gently mutters as he watches you drink the water. "Don't want you to choke."

Your heart warms at his concerns as he opens the wipes and hands one to Minghao. You watch, with the bottle in hand, as your boyfriends wipe you clean, making sure to be extra careful around your private parts as they don't want to overstimulate you. Minghao helps to pull up your underwear and pants as Hansol helps you adjust your bra and your shirt, brushing it downwards so that it doesn't wrinkle.

Hansol presses a chaste kiss onto your lips as he helps you to fix your hair, causing you to give him a small, lovesick grin which he returns before he plants a kiss onto your nose, making you giggle.

Minghao smoothens out your ripped jeans before rising and planting a kiss onto your forehead. "Do you forgive us, Baobei?" He wonders softly, looking at you at eye level as you give him a soft grin before nodding.

"I do." You say, giving him a quick peck on his lips. A cute smile appears on his face which makes your heart race as Hansol takes the bottle of water from your hand and shifts the straw for himself to drink.

"Good." Hansol hums after he gulps the water down. "Would be pretty awkward for the two of us to go to your birthday dinner without you."

Your heart flutters at his words as you glance between the two, a smile of excitement appearing on your lips. "Really?"

The two of them look a little offended by your question as they crouch down to meet your gaze a little better as you still sit on your dream car.

"Angel." Hansol starts, grabbing your hand into his. "We were serious about making it up to you. We will never ever forget your birthday again for the rest of our lives and if we do, you have full permission to leave us."

That pulls a soft giggle out of your lips, making Hansol crack a small smile as Minghao continues. "We love you, Baobei. We were in the wrong and we also re-promise that the two of us will not be on the same track ever again. Just because we always want one of you to be here with us because baby, you might not need us, but we both sure as hell need you."

You feel your chest ache at their words as you squeeze both their hands. "Silly boys." You mutter glancing between the two of them. "I sure as hell need you both too. So don't ever say something silly like that ever again."

Your boyfriends flash you smiles before you stand up, tugging them up with you.

"So…" You eye the two of them eagerly. "Where are we going?"

Your boyfriends sneakily glanced at each other before giving you a knowing smile.

"You'll see."

FOREVER AND ALWAYS

"I love you both so much." You sigh out, glancing at your boyfriends who are lying on either side of you on the grassy hill that they took you too. "This is absolutely perfect."

Minghao gives you a grin as he pushes himself up, leaning on his elbow. "Well, we know that you didn't want a big birthday bash this year so we decided that it should just be the three of us. Plus," He darts his tongue out to wet his lips. "Hansol and I had a lot of apologizing to do."

"And I forgive you both." You mutter. "You both planned an amazing birthday for me."

It's true, they had.

After they helped you to pack up the rest of your garage, you guys dropped by Joshua's house to give him back his key, which led to a twenty minute sigh-lecture fest from your childhood best friend before you physically had to push your boyfriends out of the door so that he doesn't rip them a new one for stealing from him.

You promised the two that they would get keycards from you in the coming days because you trusted them and it was honestly something that you should've given them a year or two ago.

Hansol was particularly interested in that because he wanted to help you out with fixing the car and learning from you. "It will probably help me to be a safer and better driver." He hums out in the car. "Not many racers have the knack for knowing what's going on in the organs of the car."

Minghao had scoffed at Hansol's word choices but was excited to see you in action, all the same.

They drove you to one of the nearby taco truck that is your go-to and ordered a few before they drove you to 'Lover's Hill'. A stargazing spot that had been on their mind for ages.

The three of you ate happily as they asked you to talk about the car before you guys started to stargazing at the beautiful night sky.

"It's our pleasure, Baobei." Minghao softly says as he leans in to press a kiss to your temple. "You are the reason we do this, y'know?"

You tilt your head to the side. "To do what?"

"Drive." Hansol answers, making you peer at him as he too, leans on his elbows. "You're the reason we drive."

You swear you're going to break down into a second fit of sobs if they continue to say things like this to you. "I love you both, so much."

Hansol and Minghao grin at you. "We love you more, Angel."

"Forever and always, Baobei."

You smile up at them before giving a thought crosses your mind, making you give them a small smirk. "Y'know…" You drawl out, pushing yourself up and leaning on your palm as you glance between the both of them. "This hill is called 'Lover's Hill for a reason…"

Your boyfriends share a glance before turning back to you, small smirks on both their faces.

"Oh, really?" Minghao asks softly, leaning in closer. You nod, your breathing hitching slighly at how close they're getting.

"Maybe you should enlighten us, Angel." Hansol says, his tongue swiping over his bottom lip.

You look between the two men in-front of you and smile to yourself at how much love the three of you have for each other and looking at them, you honestly see forever.

"With pleasure."

©livmarauder2026Thank you guys so much for reading my v8 birthday fic! I do hope you guys truly enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! <3 More fics to come!! Like my work? Join my Permanent Taglist! All my fics are 18+, which means blogs without age or age indicator will not be tagged! If you like this, please consider reblogging or liking! It really makes my day! <3 Thank you for showing our hyperpop v8 street racers so much love!

⋆⭒˚.⋆ TAGLIST: @mellowgyu @izzyy-recs @cherrymayz @luvrung @nerdycheol @choco-scoups @hopecutie @gentleisa @chogiwaw @caratchronicles @huiimoon @gyuhao365 @unemployedcarat @bramos91 @dollhoonki @orbitonrcrd @jaylaxies @hye-na03 @hye_na

[gentleisa]

crumpled paper and metal stars - l.sk (teaser)

pairing: grad student!seokmin x grad student! fem reader genre: grumpy x sunshine, angst, university au, cohorts to lovers, fluff, secret relationship and the angst that comes with it, anonymous confession rating: 18+ warnings: alcohol, seokmin is the grumpiest (lowk to the point where he's an asshole), mentions of academic burnout, mentions of a sick parent, suggestive scenes wc: teaser - 3.5k | total - tbd summary: Your second semester of grad school has begun. Everything should be relatively easy, you've completed a semester and most of the people in your cohort adore your kindness and sunshine like disposition. Just as you're getting settled, an anonymous post ignites your semester. Instead of an easy sixteen weeks of learning, you're balancing teaching, a post that has the attention of literally everyone, and the personification of a gray cloud: Lee Seokmin.

FULL FIC COMING: JULY 10 2026

author's note: this is a teaser for my fic for the SVTFLIX collab hosted by @100vern. i am super excited for seokmin's debut on this blog. not beta'd sorry! inspired by the k-drama: dear.m

Pre-Semester Prep

You normally plan your schedule better but a dead phone results in you hopping straight off a plane to attend a cohort meeting a week before the semester starts. You're trying to conceal how out of breath you are as you lean against the wall in the back of cohort leader's office. Your neck appreciates the cold wall behind you and gradually you feel your heart regain its normal pace. Shotaro, another student in your cohort, gives you a slight wave when he notices you. You're about to return his gesture with a hello but then your cohort lead claps her hands together to gather everyone's attention.

"Alright, I think we can get started. Welcome back! I hope your winter break was rock solid". A collective mix of groans and giggles ring across the room. You make eye contact with your cohort leader and you shoot her a thumbs up as a means of encouragement. She continues through announcements about department funding and you aren't really paying too much attention until she mentions Teaching Assistant roles.

"Lastly, the assignments for the classes that you'll be assisting in this semester will be emailed by the end of the day. Meetings with your working professor should happen before the end of the week." She claps her hands together, signaling that the meeting was over and you saunter over to Shotaro. He envelopes you in a hug and asks about you about your break. You divulge all the details of your winter break as the two of you walk to the cafe across the street from your department building.

When you walk in, there's a table of your friends who flag you down when they notice the two of you. Warm greetings and hugs are shared within the group. Shotaro walks over to the counter and orders for the both of you, while you catch up with the others at the table. A feeling of deja vu falls over as you recount the details of your winter break. Shotaro returns with your iced London Fog, chastising you for drinking a cold drink even during the winter.

"I like what I like Taro, sue me!" You say with a shrug and everyone at the table laughs. Everyone is wrapped in their own conversations, including you, when all of your phones collectively buzz. You're the first to read the notification and announce to the group that TA assignments were out. Everyone scrambles to look at their phones. There's a bit of silence before they all starts reacting to the email. You're still scanning the email and then you finally see your name.

You try to hide the smile on your face when you read the little asterisk at the end of the email, but Shotaro immediately notices and nudges you.

"What's with the smile Y/N?"

All the eyes at the table have looked up from their phones and turned to you. The smile that was hiding breaks out when you tell everyone that you were assigned as a Head TA with Dr. Choi. Oooohs and claps ring around the table for you. Jeonghan, who was sitting across from you, lets out a whistle and gives you a high five when he realizes that the two of you would be working together again. He goes back to read the email and then he makes a face.

"What is it Jeonghan," you ask earnestly.

He bites his lip and shoots out a lie that it was something else. But you know him well enough to tell when he's lying. The two of you were in the same seminar in your first semester and spent enough time to be able to call his bluff the way you are right now. This captures everyone's attention and soon the two of you are being pestered to read out the list of TA's for Dr. Choi's class. Not seeing what the big deal is, you unlock your phone and start listing out the names.

"Chaewon." Everyone has nothing but nice things to say about Chaewon. You've seen her at department meetings and mixers. You don't know much except for the fact that her focus is in evolutionary biology.

"Chenle." The same thing as Chaewon, any person who knows him has nothing but nice things to say. You know that Chenle and Shotaro are quite close as they've been friends for a really long time. They went to the same school for undergrad and were part of the same fraternity, Nu Chi Theta. Eventually Shotaro parted ways with the frat to join Rho Zeta Epsilon, but the two stayed in touch. You've met Chenle several times during some of your hangouts with Shotaro.

"Obviously, Yoon Jeonghan," You say matter-of-factly and there are boos from the table. Several people utter the word menace and you laugh. You skip yourself on the list because that fact is what started this whole conversation in the first place.

"Altair," saying your friend's name brings a smile to your face. You're relieved that you know more than one person in this class. It just makes your life a hell of a lot easier when you can get along with the people you're spending an entire semester with. Everyone agrees when you talk about how welcoming she always makes anyone in her circle feel.

"And lastly, the other Head TA, Lee Seokmin."

A hush falls over the table. You yourself have never met Lee Seokmin, but you've seen his name plastered everywhere. Even in undergrad when you were compiling research for your capstone thesis, you used an article he published. The reaction from your friends made you feel a bit uneasy.

"Okay guys seriously why is no one saying anything?" A beat passes. Everyone at the table is shifting glances at each other, like they were all thinking the same thing but waiting for the one brave person to actually let the thoughts out. Turning to Shotaro, you shoot him a pleading look and beg with your eyes to clue you into this weird reaction that everyone is having. You see him look across the table to Jeonghan who shakes his head no and you slam your hand down on the table.

"Someone tell me what the heck is going on," you whine towards Shotaro. You can see the pity in his eyes as he look towards Jeonghan. The two of them are having an argument with just their eyes and you break it by whining again. You don't mean to act like a child throwing a tantrum, but your nerves are already shot from the shared silence of the table. Thankfully, Jeonghan puts you out of your misery.

"Okay I'm gonna level with you. Seokmin's not… how do I say this…" He look towards the rest of the group for help to finish his sentence. They all murmur to themselves trying to fill in his blank.

"He's not exactly well-known for being kind." A look of shock appears on your face. This is what they were all having a conniption over? The fact that your co-head wasn't friendly? Before you can say anything Jeonghan continues. He resumes to tell you that Lee Seokmin is someone that you should probably steer clear of. That he doesn't play well with others, that he's clearly a burnt out senior grad student who doesn't really like sharing. It's like the floodgates opened once Jeonghan finishes because then everyone at the table starts chiming in with their own little tidbits and interactions with Seokmin.

All of their comments shared the same sentiment: Lee Seokmin is a gray cloud of human and you're bound for a storm.

WEEK ONE

The first day of class is tomorrow and you have yet to see or hear from Seokmin. After your friends took their turns warning you about him, it was safe to stay you were even more intimidated by him than ever. If anyone asked you right now though, you'd say you are mildly annoyed as you've had to assume all of the responsibilities of prepping for this semester since your "partner" had been missing the entire time. You also have the pleasure of having the first discussion section after the first lecture, so you find yourself holed up in the shared office space revising your section notes.

A ping comes from your laptop and you switch over to the tab that has your university email opened. You sigh when you realize that the notification was just an automated reminder email for the first day of class. Clicking out of the email, you eye the email that you had sent to Seokmin last week, there's an orange message in the preview line.

Sent 5 days ago. Follow up?

A frown crinkles your lips downwards, surely the senior graduate student with this much responsibility wouldn't just ignore your email? You sit up and begin to draft a follow-up.

From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: RE: Norming and Schedules Hi again, I just wanted to follow up on my last email to make sure you got it! We have classes in a week and I'd really love to get some 1:1 time to make sure we're on the same page. I can work with whatever schedule you've

Something compels you to stop typing. The blink of your cursor matches the soft click of your wristwatch, both of them taunting you, waiting for your next move. Swiping your cursor down to the taskbar, you check the time. It's a half hour past eight and there are fifteen hours left before the first lecture of the semester. Staring a bit longer at the nudge notification, you decide that nothing will stop you from having a good semester and close out of your email tab. You don't need this jaded senior who has clearly shown no intention of caring about this class.

Being chosen as a Head TA when you were only in your second semester was a big deal to you. Especially when it was under the tutelage of Dr. Choi Minho. You'd known Dr. Choi for longer than most of your cohorts as you'd taken an intership in his research lab during your undergraduate studies. Highly revered in the academic space for his research, you knew that working with and for him was a coveted spot. To be chosen out of so many students in your department, especially those with more years under your belt, was not something you were going to take for granted. Not something you were going to squander over a guy you've never even met, a guy who couldn't bother to show up.

An endorsement from him was a golden ticket in the academic field of Anthropology. When the bell tower on campus signaled that it was now nine, you decided that you would do your absolute best to prove yourself worthy of this decision. Nothing was going to stop you from being the best, especially not Lee Seokmin.

The First Lecture

The lecture hall was empty when you arrived. Of course it was, who shows up 45 minutes early to a lecture?

You do.

After you comes Dr. Choi and the rest of the TA's in your lecture filter in. Dr. Choi is configuring his laptop to the podium while you and the others are making small talk. Your head is on a swivel as the students filter in. Lee Seokmin is nowhere to be found.

Soon enough the lecture hall buzzes with all of the students and there are only a few minutes until class begins. Whispering in Jeonghan's ear, you question the missing scary senior he'd warned you about. He cranes his neck around the hall and you follow his eyes. Turning back to you he shrugs, telling you that he doesn't see him. Another string of annoyance bubbles inside you. As you walk towards the back of the room to take your seat, there's a string of grumbles coming from you.

Missing prep week? Fine, that happens.

Ignoring your emails about prep week? Rude but not the worst thing in the world?

Missing the first day of class? You marveled at how this guy could possibly have been chosen as the other Head TA

Dr. Choi begins his lecture and as he walks through his introductions, your mind races through the list of reasons why your co-TA is missing. The annoyance that was running through your body immediately dissipates when you think that he might be dealing with something serious. Ever the empath, you start to feel bad that you'd been so quick to jump to conclusions. Especially about someone you've never really met.

WEEK TWO

It's the last hour of your office hours and not a single student has shown up. You aren't that surprised as it is only the second week of the semester, but you did try to emphasize during lectures and sections that your office hours were not only for matters regarding class work or concepts. The iced tea you'd been nursing has formed a ring of condensation on your desk and you frown, using the sleeve of your sweater to wipe up the wet circle.

You finish your iced tea and whip out your phone to text your friends about grabbing dinner. As soon as you press send, a knock has your head perking up to check out the noise. The red oak door has swung open and you see a student from your discussion section has stopped by.

"Hi Y/N, sorry I know your hours are almost ov—"

"—Don't be silly! Come in!" You wave them over with a big smile on your face. Asking them to remind you of her name, she introduces herself as Sophia and you offer her the seat across from you. You turn the brightness of your star shaped lamp up higher and ask her what brought her to your office hours.

Pulling out her laptop, she admits that she is having trouble understanding the assigned reading for the week and you reassure her that Carsten's work is not the most accessible so it is no surprise that she was having a hard time with the text.

"Tell you what, why don't you pick out the parts that were the most difficult for you and we can work through them together," you say with a smile and gesture torwards her laptop. Nodding back, she scrolls down a few pages to a highlighted bit of text. You read the passage aloud and when you finish, she explains that she thinks she understands the concept of kinship but can't see the connection to functioning societies. Gently, you guide her through the connection, taking the extra time to pause in between points in case she had any questions.

The two of you continue like this and before long, you've gone through every bit of text. When she finishes the last of her notes, she glances at her watch and her eyes go wide.

"Oh! I am so sorry, it's an hour past your scheduled office hours," she profusely continues worried about the time she's impeded on. Assuring her that it was alright, you tell her that it was actually a delight in helping her. That is what a good chunk of your job is as a teaching assistant. Quickly packing up her things, she apologizes one last time before leaving your office and yelling out that she would see you at the next lecture. The door shuts and you glance at your phone which is flooded with notifications from your friends confirming dinner plans and then being concerned since you stopped answering. Swiftly replying that you got caught up in your office hours, you said you would just meet them at the restaurant.

You are halfway through cleaning up when you hear the door open. Well less of an open, it actually slams into the wall from how hard it was opened. You're about to sternly scold whatever student rudely scared you but when you look up, it's none other than Lee Seokmin himself. You were starting to believe that he was just never going to show and you were gonna have to shoulder this entire semester yourself, but here he is. He's younger than you expected.

He's dressed in a navy blue button up, with a gray sweater vest and light blue jeans. Your friends described him as a burnt out senior, but this outfit screams "I have my life figured out and you should feel bad that you don't". Black square glasses sit on top of his unexpectedly handsome face. No one mentioned how attractive Seokmin was.

"Hi!" You gleefully say as you get up. No reply from him. Realizing that your thoughts are proabbaly displayed all over your face, you straighten yourself out. Observing him some more, you notice that he has an earbud in one ear, deducing that he might not have heard you when you greeted him, you raise your voice a little when you start talking.

"Sorry! I'm sure you were expecting an empty office. I just had a student meeting run long—"

"—You done in here?" He sounded bored, almost irritated. He hasn't looked up from the phone in his hand since he got here.

"Oh… Y-yeah. All yours." Dejectedly, you swing your bag over your shoulder and make your way out of the office. Before you're all the way out the door, you turn around.

"It was nice to meet—" The door slams closed in your face. "You," you whisper to the door. Utterly confused by what just happened, you begin the descent downstairs in a questioning daze. You phone buzzing in your pocket pulls you out of your daze, you glance down and see that Shotaro is calling you. The second you answer, he's asking if you were still on your way. Answering that you'd be there in less than ten minutes, you also add on that you just had the weirdest interaction with Seokmin and will need to talk about it with everyone during dinner. Hearing him relay the information to your crew, they cheer at the fact that they can start eating soon. Shotaro tells you to get there safely and you hang up the phone after humming in response.

You get to PANG! and when you enter, you're greeted with the comforting smell of scorched rice and kimchi jjigae. It doesn't take you long to find your friends as you hear their unmistakeable laughter. The first person to make eye contact with you is Jeonghan who immediately waves you down, scooting over to make space for you. As you're skipping over, Seungcheol scowls at Jeonghan getting all up in his space, until he realizes that it's for you. When you arrive at the table, his eyes crinkle up in a smile when he greets you. The mention of your name has everyone turning to the end of the table where you're situated and you're welcomed with smiles and cheers. Jeonghan jokingly snarks that you were holding up dinner.

"God, finally! I was scared Cheollie was gonna eat me if you had been any later!" Sitcom like laughter goes around the table.

"Shove it Yoon." You reply without a second thought.

There are small gasps that go around and there's even a look of shock on Jeonghan's face. Anyone who knows you, knows that you're not necessarily one to shoot back any sass. It's just not who you are as a person. You're the kind of person that cries at old people getting eliminated off The Great British Bake Off. The person who will be late to a meeting just because you wanted to help a bee out of the walkway. The type of person to immediately apologize when you say something remotely snappy.

"Sorry," you say squeezing his arm as you slide into the seat. He ruffles your hair, knowing that you had no ill intent behind it. Seungcheol pinches Jeonghan's side, or that's what you assume when you feel him jump next to you.

"Don't be sorry Sunshine, someone has to put him in his place every once in a while." Seungcheol comments as he places a kiss on Jeonghan's cheek, after the younger one whines that the two of you are bullying him. Your group laughs at their antics and when the volume dies down, food starts being laid out on your table. The spice and heat of kimchi stew floods your nose and wraps you in a warm velvety hug. The clanging of spoons and slurping of soup are the only sounds that can be heard from your table for the next couple of minutes. Every once in a while an involuntary moan comes from Jeonghan and you have to keep your composure to make sure you don't choke on the hot soup you're funneling into your mouth.

The sound of spoons quiets down as everyone empties their bowls. Shotaro's the first to ask about what held you up. After cooling down your burnt tongue, you delve into your encounter with Seokmin.

Seokmin's POV

The door slams before she even finishes her sentence. He hears his mother on the other line click her teeth.

Unbeknownst to you, you are not the only one recalling this conversation. On the other side of campus, Seokmin is taking in the office space where you left him. The first thing he notices is how the room distinctly smells like jasmine and lychee. He wants to crinkle his nose in disgust at the sweetness of it.

[jakedustry]

𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐃 - 𝐉𝐄𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐎𝐍𝐖𝐎𝐎

bf!jeon wonwoo x fem!reader

IN WHICH the heatwaves are terrible lately, and you don't see a different solution than to sleep naked—a sight your boyfriend is obsessed with

contains— smut, unprotected sex, plot what plot, breast play, heat waves idk

word count— 1.5k

↪ izzy speaks... staying true to the fic, i woke up at 5am today because of how fucking hot it was in my room

wonwoo m.list | masterlist

You don't like this heat. It's been days of you sweating buckets all day long, no matter if you're outside or inside, if you have the air conditioning on or not—you still end up feeling way too hot.

Nights are the worst. It's been a week since you decided to ditch your blanket completely, but with your boyfriend's warmth still radiating off him every night you share the bed, it didn't do anything to help you have a good night rest.

You've been rolling over in bed for the last thirty minutes that Wonwoo has been in the shower. The weather is terrible. You used to love summers before these heat waves. Now, you're not so sure you still do.

Getting out of bed, you decide to drop the bottom of your pajama set, changing the shorts out for a pair of panties instead. You leave the tank top on for now, trying your luck at falling asleep now.

You still feel like dying.

There must be something wrong with the walls, flooring—you don't know. But there has to be something wrong with this room. There is no way it can still be this hot despite all your tries at reducing the heat.

Groaning, you lie flat on your back, staring up at the ceiling. If you can't bear the heat now, what are you going to do when Wonwoo comes back? The two of you have always slept cuddled together and you don't want to change that. But his body heat never does well to you and you end up without any sleep at night.

You're quick to discard your top as well, letting it drop to the ground as you stay in bed in just your panties, the rest of your skin on full display. You close your eyes for what feels like the hundredth time, giving falling asleep another chance.

As much as you'd love to sleep, you don't get a chance to see if the lack of clothing helps you keep the heat down as the bedroom door opens and Wonwoo comes back in, ready to join you in bed. Your name slips past his lips, forcing your eyes open as you question what he needs.

Wonwoo's eyes trail down your body, taking in every inch of your naked skin. There was no part of him that thought he'd be coming here to this. He certainly isn't complaining, though. You, sprawled out on his bed, your hair a mess on the pillow, your chest on full display, your nipples greeting him, and your pussy covered with a simple lacy sage fabric that would be so easy for him to take down.

You watch as his cock grows hard under the fabric of his sleep shorts, your eyes widening. "It's too hot in here," you excuse, turning to lay on your side.

Mistake. Big fucking mistake.

Your breasts squeeze together, appearing much bigger now than they did when you were on your back. Your ass has also joined the sight this time, and it all makes Wonwoo feel like he's going insane. "Tell me about it," he breathes out, unable to take his eyes off you. There is so much for him to look at. He doesn't have enough eyes. "Is this helping?" He steps closer to you slowly, watching as your cheeks flush.

"I didn't have a chance to figure it out yet," you mumble, your eyes following every one of his movements. His shorts rest low on his hips, the rest of his body on full display for you. He always sleeps like this but somehow, it feels much more intimate tonight. Is this how he feels watching you lie here practically naked? Is his head spinning at the sight of you like yours is over him?

"What if I want to make you warm again?" He asks, a smile spreading on his lips as he comes to your side, your head tilted back so you can look up at him. "You're so beautiful, my love."

Squeezing your thighs together, you bat your eyelashes at him. "Depends if getting warm is worth it."

"I think it'll be worth it," he nods, creating a smile on your face as well.

Pushing yourself up, you sit on the edge of the bed, opening your legs so he can step between them. Brushing your hair behind your ears, he cups your face gently before leading down and pressing his lips to yours. You wrap your hands around him without pulling away, leaning back and tugging him with you. With your back flat against the mattress, you let him climb up so he hovers over you, his lips grazing your skin. From your jaw to your breast—he's got it all covered.

Sighing in pleasure, you rock your hips forward as his lips take in your nipple. Your boyfriend's tongue has always been skilled—a fact he reminds you of each time you're naked together. You love when he has his mouth on you, no matter where he decides to find his home. Tonight it's your chest, and you absolutely love it.

Squeezing your other breast in his hand, he makes you moan as he rolls your nipple between his fingers. He pinches the little bud as well as tugs on it, your eyes closed and your head tilted back. You're not sure where to put your own hands, needing to feel all of him. From his broad shoulders, to his chest and waist, down to his ass and then crotch. He groans against your skin as you wrap your hand around his length through the fabric covering him.

"Won," you moan, giving his cock a tight squeeze in hopes of getting some release. He hums, rocking his hips into you.

"I know, baby," he whispers, kissing your breast once more before he pulls back to look at you. He's left a mark around your nipple, one he admires proudly. Letting his hand wander between your legs, he feels how wet you are on his fingers. "Look at you," he coos, unable to hold back a smile. "This is why you decided to sleep naked tonight, isn't it? You wanted us to end up like this."

You hum, unable to tell him no now that you have him between your legs. You wouldn't say that's what you planned all along—you really just wanted to be less hot—but you're also not confident in yourself. Wrapping your legs around his waist, you dig your heels into his lower back and bring him closer. "Will you do something about it?"

Wonwoo groans at the sight of your pouty lips, not hesitating anymore and tugging your panties down, exposing you completely. His shorts are gone next, your naked bodies melting together as he puts his lips to yours once again. You exchange open mouthed kisses as he nudges his tip against your clit, teasing you before he allows himself to dip inside. Your nails scratch onto his back at the stretch you feel, heavy breathes leaving your lips.

He looks down to your connected bodies, biting back a curse as your walls clench around his length. Your breasts move along with him, calling out to his hands again. He takes care of them thoroughly, playing with your nipples while his hips move into yours.

You keep him close to you as he fills you up perfectly—just like he always does. You don't think you'll ever get enough of him. Wonwoo is intoxicating—from his smell to his touches. You feel drunk on him every time you're like this, and tonight is no different.

So many lewd sounds fill your room, you're sure your neighbors will leave complains in the morning. Neither of you seem to care, too in the pleasure to control yourself properly.

Your orgasm approaches first, your walls fluttering around him. You use the thrusts following your release to ride out your high, moaning into his ear. It's when you scream his name as he rubs your clit that his pace shutters, his head falling to your shoulders. You don't need to ask to know he's about to come. "In," you beg. "Please, in."

A loud whimper fills your ears and it takes you a second to figure out it's not your own voice but Wonwoo's. God. A second orgasm comes crashing down your body faster than you can comprehend it, accompanying his own.

He presses his lips to your to contain the cries coming from you, holding you as close as he possibly can, his hands nothing if not loving. Your bodies lock together on the bed, pressed to each other even as he pulls out of you. He kisses your face all over, soft whispers of love etched into your skin as he coos you to sleep.

Turns out you can sleep even when your body is all burning as long as he's by your side.

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[chwedout]

TIME TO CHECK OUT

[shuajunice]

honeybee | K.M.G

Pairing: mingyu x reader Summary: After a painful four-year relationship, you aren't looking for love. Unfortunately for you, your best friend has other plans. Enter Kim Mingyu—the architect with too many flowers, too much affection, and absolutely no intention of leaving. Warning/s: - Note: This is part of my you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love series! Song: honeybee by olivia rodrigo

drop dead | stupid song | honeybee

SOMETHING NEW

You lay in bed while staring up at the ceiling. You were still hurting from your relationship. After all, four years was no joke. You were numb and you were sick and tired of everyone telling you that it'll pass.

There were only so many times someone could tell you that you'd be okay before those words lost its meaning. It had been three months since the breakup. Three months since you packed the last of his things into a box. Three months since you watched him walk away. You never asked him to stay. Three months was long enough for everyone around you to assume you'd moved on.

You haven't. Not really.

You were inconsolable before, but now, you were sort of a functioning citizen. You went to work, answered messages, laughed at the right moments, and even remembered to water your plants by the windowsill. But every now and then, usually when you were alone, you'd catch yourself wondering when your heart would stop hurting.

A knock on your door echoed through your apartment, making you slowly sit up. You doubted it was him, but you still kind of hoped it was. The person knocked again and with a heavy sigh, you got out of bed and answered the door. As soon as you unlocked it, Seungkwan was already inviting himself inside with a bunch of stuff (i.e., food, drinks, care kits you might need, etc.).

"You look alive," he announced, slipping off his shoes. "That's an improvement."

You blinked. You weren't expecting him. Heck, you weren't expecting anyone. "Well, hello to you, too."

"I'm serious." He glanced around the apartment before setting everything on the coffee table and dropping onto your couch. "You've officially spent enough time moping."

"I haven't been moping."

"You reorganized your bookshelf alphabetically and by color." Seungkwan nodded towards your bookshelf.

You sat next to him. "It was therapeutic."

"It was concerning."

You rolled your eyes, but a small, reluctant smile tugged at your lips. Seungkwan noticed immediately. "There she is," he pointed dramatically. "I knew my best friend was still in there."

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

He fully turned to you. "So."

You narrowed your eyes. "No."

"I haven't even said anything!" Seungkwan whined.

"You've got that scheming look on your face. What are you plotting, Boo?" You eyed him suspiciously.

"Fine!" Seungkwan said exasperatedly. He leaned over the coffee table, grabbed a bag of chips, and opened it. He grabbed a piece and ate it while you stared at him, waiting for whatever scheme he had to say. "I want you to go on a blind date. I swear, I think I've hit the jackpot this time. So much so, you'll name your first born after me."

"Absolutely not." You shook your head.

"Aw, c'mon. Don't be like that!" Seungkwan huffed, eating another chip. "He's tall, ridiculously handsome, a great cook, he's such a giver! Give him a chance!"

"Seungkwan, please." You groaned. "I'm not ready. Besides, what if he's just like—"

"Don't compare him to Jeonghan, Y/N. They're different guys." Seungkwan said, leaning back and continued eating chips. "I'm a Jeonghan anti, but I guess he's not totally evil. He's just... built different."

"The answer is no."

-

"I want you to go on a blind date. I swear, I think I've hit the jackpot this time. So much so, you'll name your first born after me." Seungkwan smiled, repeating the same spiel to Mingyu.

Mingyu looked up in thought. "Okay, but what if our child is a girl? We can't name her 'Seungkwan'."

Seungkwan's eye twitched. The different answers he got gave him whiplash. "Then name her Boo Youmi."

"Boo Youmi?" Mingyu made a face. "Shouldn't it be 'Kim Youmi'? I'm the dad, not you."

Seungkwan pursed his lips, "Boo Youmi is a cute name. 'Kim Youmi' sounds incomplete. Name her 'Kim Boo Youmi'."

"Absolutely not." Mingyu shook his head.

"How about 'Kim Youmi Boo'?" Seungkwan asked.

"Kim Youmi is final, Kwannie."

"Ugh, we're getting sidetracked!" Seungkwan exclaimed. "So, go on this blind date with my best friend. She's—"

"Sure." Mingyu said with zero hesitation. Seungkwan was expecting Mingyu to whine. He didn't expect such a direct answer.

"...That's it? You're not going to make me beg?" Seungkwan eyed him suspiciously.

Mingyu shrugged. "Yeah, that's it. Unless..." Mingyu smirked. "...Unless begging is a kink of yours that you weirdly want me to fulfill. If so, I'm honored, Kwannie."

"Ew! Shut up, himbo!" Seungkwan said, causing Mingyu to laugh. Seungkwan gave Mingyu a dirty look. He tried to keep it that way, but it's been a while since he heard Mingyu laugh. Like you, Mingyu's heartbroken, too.

When Mingyu's laughter died down, he cleared his throat and looked at Seungkwan. "I think I'm ready to meet someone."

Seungkwan gave him a small smile. "Yeah?"

Mingyu nodded. "I mean, I don't think I'll ever be ready." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But I don't want one relationship deciding what the rest of my life looks like."

"You're SO gonna love me for this, Kim Mingyu."

-

Saturday arrived faster than either of you expected. You didn't know how Seungkwan was able to persuade you into going on this date with some rando, but here you were. You stood in front of your closet with your arms crossed, staring at the clothes hanging inside.

"...Seriously?" You sighed. "So many clothes, yet nothing to wear."

Nothing looked right. You pulled out a sweater, too casual. A dress, too much. A blouse, too boring. With a sigh, you tossed everything onto your bed until half your wardrobe was scattered across the comforter. Somewhere in the pile, your phone buzzed.

[kwannie 🍊]: don't cancel.

You rolled your eyes.

[y/nie <3]: I'm genuinely thinking about it.

Three dots appeared almost immediately.

[kwannie 🍊]: no, you're not :p

-

Across town, Kim Mingyu was experiencing a crisis of his own. Three shirts were laid neatly across his bed. He held up the first one.

"...No."

The second.

"Ew, definitely not."

The third.

"...Maybe."

Unsure, he snapped a picture and sent it to Seungkwan.

[mingoo]: quick! blue or white???

The reply came within seconds.

[seungkwannie]: white.

Mingyu stared at the message.

[mingoo]: that's what I was thinking, too! [seungkwannie]: asdfghjkl then why'd you ask?! [mingoo]: for emotional support, ofc!

-

You settled on something simple. Cute enough to make an effort. Comfortable enough to leave in if the date went terribly. Standing in front of the mirror, you adjusted your sleeves before letting your hands fall to your sides. You looked... fine. Not amazing. Not terrible. Just fine. That would have to do.

-

Mingyu buttoned the last button of his shirt before taking a step back from the mirror. He frowned.

"...Maybe I should change."

Five minutes later... He was wearing the exact same shirt.

One spray of cologne. He paused. "...Too much?"

He sniffed his wrist. "...Maybe one more."

Another spray. A beat. "Okay, that's definitely too much."

-

You grabbed your bag, checked for your wallet, keys, and phone. Everything was there. Good.

You reached for the doorknob. Stopped. Exhaled. You could still text Seungkwan that you weren't coming. You could crawl back into bed. Pretend this never happened. Your phone buzzed again.

[kwannie 🍊]: you're leaving now, right? [y/nie <3]: unfortunately [kwannie 🍊]: 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

-

On his way to the restaurant, Mingyu slowed down when he spotted a small flower stall on the corner. He walked past it. Kept walking. Stopped. Turned around and walked back to the flower stall.

"Would flowers be weird?" He asked himself as looked at the wide array of flowers.

The elderly florist smiled knowingly. "First date?"

Mingyu scratched the back of his neck. "Is it that obvious?"

"A little." She laughed.

He left the stall with a small bouquet wrapped in brown paper. Halfway to where his car is parked, he looked down at the bouquet and turned back around.

The florist looked at him from across the stall. "You're not returning those, are you?"

"I... wasn't?"

The florist shook her head, "Keep them, and give it to your date. It's never too much to give flowers on a first date."

"Okay." Mingyu said, turning back to walk to his car. He turned to face the florist and walked backwards, "Thanks, wish me luck!"

-

You arrived first. Of course you did. Better to wait than make someone else wait. You sat near the window, fingers wrapped around a glass of water you hadn't touched, rehearsing all the ways this evening could go wrong.

-

Mingyu took a deep breath before entering the restaurant that Seungkwan ever-so-kindly booked for the two of you. Mingyu looked around and spotted you before you spotted him. Well, he's never seen you before, but his gut was telling him that it was you.

He approached the table with a small smile on his face while smoothing out imaginary wrinkles on his shirt. "Y/N?"

You looked up and nodded. "Mingyu?"

"Hi." Mingyu smiled.

"Hi."

A beat. Then, he awkwardly held up the bouquet he'd been hiding behind his back. "I, uh... these are for you."

You blinked.

"For me?"

"Unless Seungkwan set me up with someone else, then this could get awkward."

A laugh escaped you before you could stop it. "No, I'm definitely Y/N."

"Good," he sighed dramatically before taking a seat in front of you. "That would've been embarrassing."

You accepted the flowers carefully, fingertips against the brown paper wrapped around the stems.

"They're beautiful."

"I'm glad you think so." He said, his shoulders visibly relaxing. His eyes sparkled and you almost forgot what it felt like to be on a first date. For the first time in months, you stopped wondering how long it would take for someone to leave.

-

Dinner was... easy. Much easier than you expected. Mingyu talked enough to fill the silence but never so much that you couldn't join in. He asked questions, actually listened to your answers, and somehow turned even the most ordinary stories into something worth laughing over.

By the time the waiter cleared your plates, you realized you hadn't checked the time once.

Seungkwan wasn't lying," Mingyu admitted, leaning back on his chair.

You tilted your head in wonder.

"He said you laugh with your whole face."

"...He said that?"

"Mhm."

You looked away, smiling despite yourself. "I'll have to yell at him later."

"He'll probably thank you."

The evening stretched naturally into a walk. The city had quieted by then, leaving only the occasional passing car and the glow of streetlights overhead. Mingyu matched your pace without thinking.

"So..." he glanced over. "How bad do I rank on the blind date scale?"

You pretended to consider it. "Hm."

He gasped. "The hesitation already tells me everything."

"I was going to say you're somewhere in the top two."

"...Out of?"

"Two."

He laughed so loudly that a couple walking past turned to look. Worth it.

A cool breeze drifted between the buildings. Without thinking, you rubbed your hands together. Mingyu noticed immediately. "Here."

Before you could protest, he slipped his jacket over your shoulders.

"Keep it." He smiled while he adjusted his jacket on you. Your eyes widened in shock, "What?"

He gave you a small smirk, "I'll get it the next time I see you."

A memory surfaced before you could stop it.

"I'm freezing." You shivered. Your teeth chattering so hard, you were scared that it would fall off.

Jeonghan glanced at you briefly before stuffing his hands deepers into his own pockets. "You should've brought a jacket. You didn't even wear gloves, Y/N. You knew it'd be cold outside tonight."

The memory disappeared as quickly as it came. You looked down at Mingyu's jacket around your shoulders.

"...Thank you."

"No problem." He smiled.

By the time your apartment building came into view, neither of you seemed particularly eager for the night to end.

"Thanks for driving me home," you said.

"I was going this way anyway."

You raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you parked in the opposite direction?"

"I didn't know you paid close attention to me, Y/N." Mingyu teased.

You laughed.

"There it is again."

"What?"

"That laugh."

Heat crept up your neck. "Oh."

"I like it."

For a second, you forgot how to respond. Then your phone buzzed in your pocket, pulling you back to reality. You glanced at the dark screen before looking up again.

"...I should head inside."

"Right."

He took a good look at you and smiled. "Goodnight, Y/N. It was a pleasure being your date tonight."

"Likewise. Goodnight, Mingyu." You got out of his car, and watched him turn the corner before unlocking your apartment.

Your flowers found a home in the only vase you owned. Mingyu's jacket still carried a faint trace of his cologne. You caught yourself smiling. Then, another uninvited memory.

It was all over the internet. 'Just because' flowers are now making rounds on social media. You weren't fond of flowers yourself, but seeing all those people receiving flowers made you happy for them. You wondered if Jeonghan would buy you 'just because' flowers. After all, you've been together for so long. Surely, he'd thought of that, right?

"Hannie?"

"Hm?"

"Would you ever buy me flowers?" You asked.

He looked at you with knitted brows, "What's the occasion?"

"Nothing." You shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "It's just a question. Would you ever buy me flowers even if there's no occasion?"

Maybe it was your fault for being hopeful because your heart sank when he laughed at your face.

"Baby, they're going to die in a week or less. It's not practical." Jeonghan chuckled, shaking his head.

"But Seungkwan buys me flowers sometimes. He even bought me a small bouquet for Valentine's Day." You said.

"Then go date Seungkwan." Jeonghan said. His tone was light, but you knew it was off. You stared into each other's eyes and you knew it was time to drop the subject. You gave him a tight-lipped smile, "You're right. It'll just die. Waste of money, am I right?"

Jeonghan's eyes lit up. "See? I knew you'd understand. You're so smart, baby. Anyway, what's for dinner?"

You looked up at the bouquet sitting on your kitchen counter. Maybe the flowers would die less than a week, but they were beautiful and goddammit, you deserved it, anyway.

Your phone buzzed.

[Mingyu]: Hi!

You smiled.

[Y/N]: Hi

Three dots appeared almost immediately. Disappeared. Appeared again. Finally—

[Mingyu]: I'll just shoot my shot here 😅 Can I see you again?

You stared at the message longer than you'd like to admit. Your fingers hovered above the keyboard. Maybe this was the part where you should slow down. Maybe this was how people got hurt.

But then... you thought about the way he'd looked at you across the dinner table. The flowers. The jacket resting over your hair. The way he'd never once made you feel like you had to earn his attention.

Your thumbs moved before fear consumed you.

[Prettiest Girl]: I'd like that, actually :)) [Mingyu]: 🥰♥️

You couldn't help but smile. Maybe, just maybe, this could be something new.

STICKY SWEET LIKE HONEY

Somewhere between coffee dates that stretched well past sunset, late-night drives with nowhere in particular to go, and Mingyu insisting on driving you to your apartment every single time, the two of you had quietly become inseparable.

One month became two. Two became three.

Neither of you could remember whose idea it was to stop calling them dates and simply start calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend. Your first outing as an official couple came sooner than you expected.

"Just a few friends," Mingyu assured you while driving to the restaurant. "Nothing scary."

You chuckled nervously, "You say that now."

He laughed as he parked his car. He removed his seatbelt and fully turned to you, "I promise they're nice."

As soon as the two of you entered the restaurant, five heads turned toward your direction. Your eyes widened. You immediately leaned over to whisper to Mingyu. "You never told me your friends were all models."

"Hm?" Mingyu looked at them before looking back at you. "They're not, hon."

"Gyu, they're literally glowing!"

He let out a laugh before leading you over to the table. "Y/N, this is everyone." He gently rested a hand against your lower back. "Everyone, meet Y/N. My prettiest girlfriend ever."

A chorus of greetings followed.

"Hi!"

"It's nice to finally meet you."

"We've heard SO MUCH about you."

You smiled nervously before bowing your head slightly. "It's nice to meet all of you, too."

Then you leaned toward Mingyu again.

"Mingyu-yah," you whispered, "if I'd known your friends looked like this, I would've dressed up better."

The entire table erupted into laughter as you both sat down. Mingyu frowned, "Why?"

"Because they're all ridiculously attractive."

He blinked before looking around the table. "...Them?"

"Yes," you nodded. "them."

"Nah." He waved his hand dismissively. "They're just normal guys with normal jobs."

You looked at him. Then at them. Then back at him. There's no way these people had normal jobs. "You're telling me none of you are CEOs? Models? Nepo babies?"

"Absolutely not," Jaehyun laughed. "We hate nepo babies."

Mingyu nodded in agreement and let out a small "true" before moving his seat closer to yours and putting his arm around your shoulder.

Seokmin pointed at himself. "I'm Seokmin, an elementary school music teacher."

Your jaw dropped, and you shook your head. "No, you're not."

"I am." Seokmin laughed. "I spend my weekdays convincing eight-year-olds that the recorder is a real instrument."

Minghao raised his hand next. "I'm Minghao, and I own a pottery studio."

"Oh? You make bowls and stuff?" You asked, causing Mingyu to chuckle next to you.

"I make aesthetically pleasing bowls and stuff." Minghao corrected. He took a sip of his tea before smiling, "But thank you for assuming I'm a model. I'll take that as a compliment."

"Jungkook. I'm a physical therapist," Jungkook said, taking a bite of the appetizer.

"Seriously?"

"I help people recover from injuries." Jungkook nodded.

You looked at Mingyu, and he nodded. You looked back at Jungkook and gazed at his muscles before looking at his face, "I thought you lifted buildings for a living."

Jungkook chuckled, "I only lift patients who have trouble walking."

Your gaze landed on a quiet man, "Please tell me you at least work in fashion."

He smiled and shook his head. "I'm Eunwoo, and I'm actually a librarian."

Your eyes widened in shock, "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope." Eunwoo shook his head. "I spend most of my day reminding people to whisper."

"I'm Jaehyun, and I work in finance." Jaehyung grinned.

"You... willingly stare at spreadsheets?"

"Unfortunately." Jaehyun chuckled. "I like it, though. Besides, I handle these guys' finances. I can do yours too, if you want. Totally free. These guys just buy me samgyeopsal, or they treat me to a buffet every six months."

"Yah, she doesn't need it." Mingyu pouted. "She has me. Besides, we'll be having a joint account when we get married."

The table fell silent. You slowly turned to look at him.

"What?" Mingyu blinked innocently.

Jungkook looked at him over the rim of his glass. "It's only been three months."

"So?" Mingyu frowned. Minghao sighed into his tea, choosing not to say anything. After all, he meditated earlier that day.

Seokmin sighed. "Ignore him. He's always been like this. Once he likes someone he's all in."

"No, I don't!" Mingyu defended.

"You do," Jaehyun nodded. "It's actually kind of impressive."

You laughed as Mingyu reached for your hand.

"Anyway," he smiled sheepishly, "I'll handle everything. Don't want your pretty mind to be tired."

Seokmin lightly nudged Jaehyun. "Tell her."

Jaehyun sighed dramatically. "My parents couldn't afford college, so I studied hard to get a full-ride scholarship."

"Wow!" You nodded, impressed. "You must be pretty athletic, too, huh?"

Mingyu laughed, "Honey, he's not athletic enough to get through at least one sport. Not even table tennis."

"It's true," Jungkook nodded in agreement, cheeks full of food. "He's terrible at sports."

"I was dirt poor before I became a teacher," Seokmin said with a big grin. "Worked my ass off and everything."

"Same," Minghao nodded. "We all worked our asses off to get where we are."

"Amen." Mingyu raised his glass before drinking. "There are times when I'd hate my fucking job, though. Being an architect is a pain in the ass, but then I realized that this is literally what I prayed for, so I'd cut myself some slack."

You looked around the table once more as Mingyu fixed your hair for you. "So... no trust funds?"

Five heads shook.

"No secret billionaire parents?"

"I wish," Seokmin said.

"No hidden royal family?"

"Unfortunately." Eunwoo sighed.

You laughed. "I seriously can't believe any of you."

"Neither can we," Jungkook muttered, grabbing a piece of kimchi.

Everyone started eating, then another question popped into your head. "How did all of you become friends? I mean, I doubt you were co-workers, given that your line of work is completely different."

Silence. Everyone looked at each other.

"...College?" Jaehyun answered uncertainly.

Minghao nodded, "Technically."

"I honestly don't remember," Jungkook admitted.

"I do!" Seokmin announced proudly. Everyone turned to look at him. "I collected them... like Pokémon."

Jaehyun nodded. "You did."

Without warning, Seokmin shot up from his seat. He pointed dramatically toward absolutely nothing. "GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL!"

He even threw in a fist pump for good measure. The entire restaurant fell silent. A little kid from another table gasped excitedly, while their mother sighed.

Minghao closed his eyes. "I don't know him."

"You've known me for almost ten years." Seokmin laughed as he sat down again.

"I've tolerated you for almost ten years." Minghao corrected.

Jungkook rubbed his temples. Eunwoo offered an apologetic smile to the surrounding tables. You looked at Mingyu, "Is he always like this?"

Mingyu smiled as he reached under the table to intertwine his fingers with yours. "This is actually one of his calmer days."

"You're joking, right?"

"I wish I were, baby."

You couldn't help but laugh. And just like that, the nerves you'd carried into the restaurant quietly disappeared. As all of you fell into casual conversation, a memory resurfaced again. As much as you want to shake it off, it started playing in your head.

The first time you'd met Jeonghan's friends. Joshua and Seungcheol had welcomed you politely enough.

"It's nice to meet you."

"You too."

For a moment, you'd thought the night would go well. Then the conversation shifted. University stories, military enlistment, old classmates. Inside jokes that had everyone at the table laughing.

You smiled whenever everyone else did, hoping it looked natural. Every now and then, Joshua would glance your way with an apologetic smile, almost as if he realized you'd been quiet for a while.

Seungcheol tried once. "So, Y/N, what do you—"

Before you could answer, Jeonghan interrupted with a story of his own. The conversation drifted away again. You spent the rest of dinner pushing your food around your plate, wondering if anyone had noticed you'd barely spoken at all. By the time you got home, you couldn't remember if Joshua and Seungcheol knew anything about you other than your name.

"Y/N, you're coming next week, right?" Jaehyun asked.

"Sorry, what's next week?" You asked, turning to Mingyu. He smiled and held your hand, "We do this every week, baby. It's okay if you don't want to go, but just know that the invitation is always open."

"You're so whipped." Jungkook teased, handing his card to pay the bill.

Seeing this, you quickly grabbed your wallet, but Mingyu stopped you. "Don't. Jungkook is paying this week. Next week is on Seokmin." He turned to Jungkook and said, "Also, I don't care. She's my person."

You smiled to yourself, quietly slipping your wallet back into your bag. It wasn't just the way Mingyu said things. It was how naturally they came to him.

"My prettiest girlfriend."

"She's my person."

He never hesitated; not once. Never second-guessed himself. If there was one thing you'd quickly learned after dating Kim Mingyu, it was that he loved loudly. Within an hour of making things official, his lockscreen had changed. By dinner, his profile picture followed. By the end of the night, his Instagram bio proudly read: ♥️ @yourusername.

Seungkwan kept telling you that you shouldn't compare Mingyu and Jeonghan, but you couldn't help it. They were just... different. Seungkwan would argue that they both loved differently and the way you love is just more in tune with Mingyu. He'd often tell you, "You and Hannie hyung are just way too different."

"What if we matched profile pictures?" You asked Jeonghan.

Jeonghan glanced up from his phone. "...Why?"

"I don't know." You shrugged. "It'd be cute. Besides, everyone would know that we're together."

"Y/N, I don't really see the point." Jeonghan huffed. "I mean, everyone knows we're dating. There's no need to publicize it on Instagram. I'm barely online, anyway. What matters is I love you, and you love me, right?"

Not wanting things to escalate, you gave him a small smile and decided to tease him, "Okay, Barney the Dinosaur."

Jeonghan laughed. "Wow!"

You were dropped off by Mingyu an hour ago. You were just grabbing a snack when you received a notification that Mingyu changed his profile picture. To your surprise, it was a picture of the two of you at dinner a while ago. The picture was taken by Jungkook, and it was a great candid shot.

[Prettiest GF]: Kim Mingyu [Handsome]: ♥️♥️♥️♥️ [Prettiest GF]: You're unbelievable. Can't believe your pfp is a candid photo of us 😭💀 [Handsome]: HAHAHAHA, but I'm YOUR unbelievable, though. I'll pick you up at work tomorrow, okay? Get some sleep, pretty. Good night. I love you so much ♥️

Your smile slowly faded. Then, before you could stop it, another memory surfaced.

It had only been a few months into your relationship with Jeonghan. You'd spent the entire evening convincing yourself to say it. When he walked you to your apartment, you took a deep breath.

"Jeonghan?"

"Hm?"

"I... I love you." You stuttered.

The words slipped out before you could lose your nerve. Jeonghan looked at you. Then, he smiled. A small, almost amused smile.

"You do?"

You felt your cheeks warm and nodded. "I do."

He tucked his hands into his pockets and looked down for a second. "I think," he started, searching for the right words. "it's still a little early for me to say that."

Your smile faltered for the briefest moment. "Oh."

"It's not that I don't like you." He was quick to clarify. "I just don't say things unless I'm completely sure."

You nodded. "Right."

"I don't want to tell you I love you because it feels like the right time." He reached over and gently squeezed your hand. "When I say it, I want to mean it."

You smiled. "I understand."

And you did. You really did. It just didn't stop your heart from sinking when you got home.

You stared at your phone. Your thumb hovered over the keyboard. I love you, too. The words came so easily in your head. Your fingers, however, refused to type them. Instead...

[Prettiest GF]: Good night, Gyu ♥️

HERE'S TO HOPIN'

Being loved by Kim Mingyu was easy.

He'd show up outside your office with an iced coffee before work because he'd remembered you mentioning you were tired the night before. If you forgot an umbrella, he'd somehow already have one waiting in his car. When you complained about skipping lunch, he'd quietly drop off your favorite food with a sticky note that simply read: eat ♥️

He loved loudly. Somehow, that scared you more than you'd ever admit. It wasn't because he was too much. It was because every day, he gave you another reason to believe he'd stay. And a tiny part of you kept wondering what it would feel like if one day, he didn't.

The following Friday came around quicker than expected. Like clockwork, Mingyu was waiting outside your office building. The moment he spotted you walking out, his face lit up.

"There she is." Mingyu smiled, jogging over to you.

You smiled despite yourself. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Nah." Mingyu shook his head, grabbing your bag from you.

You took a good look at him, squinted your eyes suspiciously. "You've been here for twenty minutes, haven't you?"

"Hm," Mingyu scratched the back of his neck. "maybe."

You laughed before slipping your hand into his. "You're unbelievable."

"But I'm your unbelievable." He grinned, swinging your hands as you walked, making you laugh.

Dinner with the boys felt as chaotic as ever. Seungkwan somehow invited himself this week. No one really minded. They all liked Seungkwan, anyway. He was their gossip dealer, and what's life without any gossip?

"I'd just like everyone to know," he announced proudly while taking a seat, "that this relationship exists because of me."

"Here we go," Jaehyun sighed.

"I changed two lives." Seungkwan said, pretending to cry.

"You set up one blind date, Seungkwan-ah." Jungkook corrected. "You didn't cure cancer."

Minghao took a sip of his tea. "The Nobel Peace Prize committee must've missed your email."

"I deserve a medal!" Seungkwan exclaimed, while grabbing some food to put on his plate.

"I'll buy you dinner, Kwannie," Mingyu offered.

"I want a statue." Seungkwan said, taking a bite of food.

You laughed, looked at Mingyu, and then at Seungkwan. "I'll name our first born after you."

Seungkwan gasped dramatically, giving Seokmin whiplash. Seungkwan was practically shaking in his seat. "You mean it?"

"No." You said. The table erupted into laughter. Mingyu quietly placed another piece of grilled meat onto your plate.

"You haven't eaten enough," Mingyu said quietly.

"You worry too much." You chuckled lightly. Mingyu pouted, "I know. Sorry."

You looked at him and cupped his face with your hands. "Don't apologize for caring. I appreciate that you worry about me."

His smile returned instantly.

After dinner, the two of you sat on the hood of Mingyu's car overlooking the Han River. The city lights danced across the water. Neither of you spoke. It wasn't awkward. It never was.

Mingyu was staring at the river. "Can I ask you something?"

You turned toward him, and nodded. "Of course. Ask away."

He stayed quiet for another moment. You waited patiently. He took a deep breath and looked at you. "Do I... love you more than you love me?"

Your stomach dropped. "What?"

He laughed softly. "I know how that sounded, and I'm not asking because I'm upset."

"Mingyu..."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I've just been thinking." He looked over at you. "You never say that you love me back. I mean, you smile, you hold my hand, you kiss me, you call me when you get home, you do all these things..." He smiled. "but you never say it."

Your chest tightened. You didn't know what to say, truly. He quickly shook his head. "I'm not keeping score, I promise. I just..." His smile faded. "Sometimes it feels like you're always waiting for something bad to happen."

"Gyu, I..."

"Honey, I don't know how to convince you that I'm not already halfway out the door. I feel like you're already grieving something that hasn't happened yet, like you're waiting for me to leave before I've even gone anywhere." Mingyu said sadly.

Your eyes immediately welled with tears. "No, Gyu..."

He reached for your hand instinctively. "I know you care about me."

"I do."

"I know." Mingyu gave you a small smile before he looked away. "I just... sometimes I wonder if I'm loving you too loudly."

The words shattered something inside you.

"No." Your voice cracked. "It's not you, Gyu."

He looked back. You took a shaky breath. "It's me."

He looked at you and patiently waited for you to explain your side.

"I know you're not Jeonghan."

His expression softened immediately.

"I've never compared you to him because I wanted to." You said, another tear rolled down your cheek. "I compare you because... I'm scared. So, so scared."

You laughed weakly through your tears. "I didn't think I'd survive that. I barely did. I mean, that was four years of my life."

Mingyu nodded in understanding.

"Then you came along." You smiled at him. "You loved me so easily, so openly, so fearlessly. It's all so new to me because it wasn't like that with Jeonghan."

You looked down at your intertwined hands. "Every time you tell me you love me, a tiny part of me keeps thinking, 'what if this is the last time?", and I don't want to know how you'll leave me. I don't ever want to know what you'll look like when you leave."

Your voice was barely above a whisper. "I love you a lot, Mingyu. I've been too scared to say it out loud."

For a long time, Mingyu didn't say anything. He simply looked at you. Then, he cupped your face with both hands. His thumbs brushed away your tears.

"I'll stay with you," His forehead rested against yours. "for as long as you want me to be."

You closed your eyes.

"I can't promise that we'll never fight. I can't promise I won't disappoint you. I can't promise that life won't get hard." A tiny smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "But I can promise you one thing..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm not looking for an exit."

A sob escaped your lips. You wrapped your arms around him. "I love you."

You felt him smile against your hair. "I know."

You pulled back just enough to look at him. "No, you don't."

His eyebrows lifted as you laughed through your tears. You took a deep, trembling breath, "I love you so much."

For the first time since you'd known him, Kim Mingyu was speechless. He simply pulled you into another hug. Holding you as though you had all the time in the world.

"For the record," he smiled. "I also hope I never see what you look like when you leave either." He gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.

"I mean, the Lord knows I've memorized your face so well, and I'd search for it everywhere until my next life." A tiny laugh escaped him. "You're it for me, honey."

a/n: tysm for all the love you've sent my way for the hoshi installment of this series! i hope you give mingyu's installment the same love i gave while writing it xo

Series taglist: @joongtime @neotannies @seungkwanglazer

[joshuasmullet]

SCOUPS & JOSHUA | CATCH CATCH @ CARATLAND 2026

[epelletart]

hyde, jekyll, and me - c. seungcheol

SUMMARY: Your seven years of marriage have become strained. However, there have been so many unusual things happening with your husband. You thought he was acting weird, but his actions say otherwise. You think he is sick, maybe a little messed up in the head. It's all up to you to find out. 

PAIRING: choi seungcehol x f!reader

GENRE: drama, angst, comedy

WARNINGS: mature content, strong language, mental health themes, DID (dissociative identity disorder), split personality, marriage conflict, one-sided love, arranged marriage, avoidant attachment, emotional impermanence, anxious attachment, implied anxiety and panic attacks, miscommunication between couples, mention of divorce, no smut for this chapter, migraine subtly mentioned, constant overthinking. 

WC: 8,814

ADD TAGS❦: established relationship, CEO! seungcheol, target audience: me, wife!reader, sun x moon dynamic, cheol is a little mean, she fell first he fell harder type of shii aye, attorney!jeonghan, secretary!mingyu, dr. jeon as moral and emotional support, therapist! joshua, i write tragedy not sins, this is actually sad but we are coping, kkuma cameo! 

main masterlist - series masterlist - taglist

a/n: ayeee, thee day has finally come! i like to suffer myself just a little bit. enjoy reading (or not).

Prologue

When life gives you lemons…

You want to squeeze them right in front of your husband's eyes, but of course, you can't do that. So instead, you squeeze them into his water bottle tumbler, knowing that he hates lemon.

But today, you don't have any lemons in stock. You were given a box of tangerines instead, probably from one of the relatives, you guessed. Not that you know half of them. Perhaps it was given by the other side of your husband's family. Being married to the son of the family that owns and operates Diamonds Group—the conglomerate company—was not for the weak. You nearly had to pay half the price for being his wife.

It's not that he had been treating you badly, or that his family treated you like an outsider. If anything, half of these years living with him felt like living with a roommate. Maybe even business partners who shared the same space and lived under the same roof.

It was all dull and gloomy.

Just like that, you had wasted seven years of marriage with a man who acted as cold as stone toward you.

"I want a divorce."

You said it out of nowhere as Jeonghan hummed, skimming through his documents while leaning back in his chair at the office.

"I'm serious this time," you said with a sigh, crossing your arms as you stood in front of his desk. "I know I've been saying the same thing for the past few years, and thank you for being my unpaid therapist—but I'm really filing for divorce this time."

Jeonghan stopped skimming through the documents, his fingers hovering over the paper as he looked at you through the rim of his glasses.

"Okay..." he slowly exhaled, placing the papers down as he clasped his hands together on his desk. "So, how do you want to get divorced? By agreement or... trial? Unless Seungcheol disagrees, or you want to file a lawsuit. You'll have to go through mediation if you want that."

He stood up now, palms resting on the desk as he looked at you.

"But I doubt he'd disagree. Just go by agreement—talk with him and—"

"I wanna file a lawsuit."

Jeonghan immediately laughed at that, shoving his hands into his slacks pockets like it was the funniest joke he'd ever heard.

"Don't joke around. If you wanna win against him, you're going to lose—"

"And I want you to be my representative lawyer."

Almost instantly, his laughter died down. His lips sealed shut as he stared at you.

There was a brief moment of silence.

And judging by the look on your face, you weren't joking either.

"Are you kidding me?" Jeonghan looked as though he'd just been personally insulted. "That's like ASKING for the death penalty! Are you trying to put my career at risk?"

He was pacing around like a madman while you simply watched him tear his hair out, fiddling with your hands.

"That's why I reached out to you. You're one of the best attorneys in this building."

He stopped in his tracks, looking at you sharply like he was about to scold a child, making you flinch under his intense gaze.

"_____, I'm the legal director. One of his closest partners. Do you want me to get fired?" he groaned, pacing again. "Remember Attorney Kim who sought a divorce from his wife? Yeah, that divorce didn't end well. His career basically went downhill afterward. Even his own firm isn't doing well now, from what I heard."

"You mean Mrs. Choi Mina, the CEO of the department store?" your brows lifted in curiosity. You knew her; she was one of Seungcheol's relatives—the one you saw at the memorial ceremony.

Jeonghan snapped his fingers. "Yes. Exactly. He should've seen that coming. He had everything and still chose to leave in the end."

You nearly scoffed at that. “What would you know about marriage? Maybe the relationship was bad, probably why he's leaving.”

He ignored you and continued. “My whole point is, why would you go to such trouble for this? Oh my god, thinking about it makes me want to—”

“It was a loveless marriage,” you stated. “I want to sue him because of that, and also for making me waste a whole seven years of my life on this.”

The man stopped in his tracks, his crash-out temporarily postponed as he looked at you. For a moment, he just stared.

“You know that's not a proper reason to sue him.”

“Then what about suing him for breaking a promise?” you said casually with a shrug. “You know, is that reasonable enough? Marriage vows and contracts were made.”

“I mean...” He sighed, rubbing his temple. “It does count as breaching a promise between spouses. Listen, why not just talk to him, discuss whatever it is, make a mutual agreement—and you're free.”

“...It's not that easy.”

“Just try. Be on the same wavelength as him,” he punctuated with a knock on his desk. “And if you're lucky, he'll agree to a mutual agreement, you'll be on the same page, and that's the end of it.”

You made a face, letting out a disbelieving scoff.

“Same page? We're not even sleeping in the same bedroom, Jeonghan! And that's the problem.”

Now it was your turn to pace around like a madwoman.

“Oh my god, it seems like you don't understand me. I wanted to sue him because of that. I spent years trying to be a good wife to him, and I even quit my job as a news anchor because of him!”

You finally let out an exasperated breath as Jeonghan just stared at you. It looked like he was staring because he thought you were being weird now.

But you were far from finished.

“I didn't just quit, I also dedicated my whole life trying to please him, but he never ever looked my way!” you said, flailing your arms. “Then when I told him I wanted to create my own beauty brand, he did support it—but only by giving me the capital and never supporting me verbally. I guess his way of showing his so-called love is throwing money at me.”

You scoffed at that.

“And not just that, he never eats dinner. When I tried to cook his favourite dish, he came back the next day. Does that man even eat?” You felt ridiculous for even caring in the first place.

Jeonghan just let you ramble as you continued.

“What kind of workaholic insanity is that? In fact, I never see him at home. It's like he's sleeping in his office.”

After a while, he spoke slowly. “So...you want to sue him for emotional damage and neglect?”

You thought for a moment before nodding. “Yeah. Maybe that's what I'm thinking.”

Then suddenly, your eyes widened as you snapped your fingers. “Oh! We can use a third party interference claim. I want to charge him with that too.”

The man rolled his eyes, dragging a hand down his face. “You need actual evidence for that. Accusing someone without proof is not it.”

“Then find one.”

The way you said it so simply nearly drove Jeonghan insane.

“I'm not doing that. And who's we?”

“You're a former Supreme Prosecutor. You can fabricate anything, right?”

“Oh my god, are you trying to get me fired by my boss???”

He looked genuinely bewildered now.

Your afternoon was wasted on trauma-dumping in Jeonghan's office. You were supposed to be at your father's house, but this whole burdening issue needed to come to an end.

The moment you were about to head downstairs, you ran into Seungcheol—your husband, as stated on paper.

The elevator opened, revealing him with his secretary, Mingyu, beside him. His secretary stepped out, allowing Seungcheol to enter the elevator alone with you.

“Are you not going to come in?”

That deep voice almost made the hair on your arms stand up. Even the staff around him probably felt the same.

His secretary only smiled and gestured politely. “It's alright, sir. You go ahead first. I'll take the next one.”

With that, the elevator doors closed as Seungcheol pressed the button. The silence was torturous. Dreadful enough to leave you suffocating in the same space as him.

God, even his cologne invaded your nostrils, almost making you gag at how overwhelming it was. Not just you either—the entire building knew it.

You once heard one of the front desk staff exaggerate that they always knew when he arrived because his signature scent lingered like a nightmare. You could practically imagine employees scrambling into panic the moment they realized their boss was on the way.

“Why are you here all of a sudden?”

His voice made you jump like a deer caught in headlights. You hadn't done anything wrong, so why did you feel like you had committed a crime?

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you answered softly.

“I was meeting with Jeonghan.”

“Is it about the staff member who broke one of your prototypes and tried to leak the plans to a third party?”

He didn't even look at you.

Great.

“You can ask Chan to handle that lawsuit.”

You wanted to hit him. Your fist even lifted slightly, tempted to smack the back of his head. Of course, he didn't notice your childish behaviour.

“No. It's not about that.”

You cleared your throat, trying to follow Jeonghan's advice.

“S-so... will you be back home today?”

You mentally cursed yourself for stuttering.

Why were you nervous? You're the one who wanted a divorce after all.

He glanced down at his wristwatch, a quiet sigh escaping his lips.

“No. I'll probably be late. As usual, don't wait for me.”

The way he said it so casually, like it was a line he'd repeated over and over again, never failed to make your heart sink.

And somehow, it still did.

Even though you were supposed to be numb to it by now.

“It's important,” you insisted.

“I don't know how important it is. If you want to discuss it, we can do it another time.”

He still wasn't looking at you.

“But it is urgent,” you pressed. “When am I finally supposed to see you?”

“You could've told Mingyu about it, and I could fit you into my schedule.”

The words sounded so formal. So business-like.

You hated it.

You wanted an immediate answer, not to ask for an appointment with your own husband.

“I want a divorce.”

There.

You finally said it.

Seungcheol faltered ever so slightly.

Then, almost deliberately, he turned to look at you.

The elevator doors opened. You stepped out, turning back to face him.

“Let's discuss it more at home.”

That word—home—felt both foreign and familiar.

You couldn't even call that place a home anymore if there was no warmth left in it.

Then the elevator doors closed again.

For the first time, Seungcheol didn't know how to feel. So consumed by work, he had failed to notice that something like this would come much sooner than he expected.

Seungcheol doesn't know how many hours of his life he had dedicated to work in a single day. The work that he swore himself to the day he turned eighteen.

And that same work had also caused his marriage to fail.

Another day had passed yet again. For some reason, the world around him had slowly faded. The sounds in the background had become so distant that he didn't hear the voice calling out to him.

“Director Choi?”

The voice echoed, catching his attention as he blinked. Momentarily, he stared at the boardroom table as everyone waited for his response.

“Right,” he exhaled, straightening in his seat. “Could you repeat that?”

One of the staff members continued, repeating the report regarding last year's balance sheet. Seungcheol's body was physically there, he was anything but focused on what was happening around him.

Just as he blinked, his eyes widened.

The boardroom was gone.

His gaze adjusted to the ceiling of his penthouse instead, then to the papers spread out in front of him.

The divorce agreement. 

His eyes landed on you. You looked back at him, still listing out the details of the property division.

“Did you even hear what I'm saying?”

He didn't press any further. Instead, he slid the paper toward himself and signed it without hesitation. “I am. Just list out what you need, and I'll compensate for it.”

He finished signing before sliding the papers back to you with ease. There wasn't a hint of a smile or any emotion behind his expression.

Like he had already adapted to whatever this was. You took a moment to stare at him, disliking how easy all of this seemed for him. Taking the papers from him with deliberate movements.

His eyes darted up to you as he finally stood. You watched the broadness of his shoulders as he walked away.

Just as he stopped in his tracks, he turned back. “You can take the villa in Jeju Island. It was a wedding gift after all.”

You almost bristled at that and immediately stood up. “I don't need that. I have my own property too.”

Your husband actually looked at you this time, hands buried in his slacks pockets.

“I told you to just take it. Don't be so stubborn about it. I don't have a reason to go there anyway. You can use it for your tangerine picking or whatever, since you've been replacing lemons in my bottle.”

Then he walked upstairs, leaving you frustrated.

Even in the middle of the divorce process, he still treated you like the immature one.

When Seungcheol finally entered his room, he sat on the edge of the bed and closed his eyes for a moment.

A sudden buzzing sensation spread through his head. His brows furrowed, exhaling slowly before glancing at the calendar beside him.

A reminder.

Your anniversary this weekend. The reminder itself felt like it was mocking him. You two were about to separate anyway. Why was he still dwelling on things like this?

The last time he celebrated it, it had been another expensive dinner with gifts and flowers. The same routine every year, until the sixth anniversary.

As the years passed, your smile only seemed to grow more distant whenever he gave them to you. Perhaps you were tired of the same meaningless gifts. Still, he thought it was better than doing nothing. Forgetting would've been worse.

The point was, he had a feeling something was wrong. His body felt exhausted more than usual. At first, he assumed it was because he had been working too much.

But this wasn't a normal headache.

Sometimes he would zone out, and when he opened his eyes again, he would be somewhere else entirely.

He could swear he had been sitting in one place, yet somehow he would find himself in a completely different location.

It was probably stress. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

Even Mingyu had pointed out how distracted he had become during meetings and conversations. His secretary advised him to take a break, but Seungcheol insisted on finishing his deadlines instead. He was fully aware that he pushed himself harder than anyone else.

“What are you doing standing there?”

The voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Blinking, he turned toward you, momentarily dumbfounded.

You stared back at him with equal confusion. “You've been standing there for more than five minutes. Hello?”

You waved a hand in front of his face.

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced down at the coffee mug in his hand and took a sip.

“Then why are you standing so close to me?”

Letting out a huff, you grabbed a tangerine from the fruit basket behind him while maintaining eye contact.

“Oh, you know. Picking up my tangerine instead of squeezing lemons into someone's drink.”

He simply let you be, watching as you headed upstairs, probably to your room.

His eyes drifted toward the clock hanging on the wall.

Four o'clock in the afternoon.

His expression faltered. Then he checked the date. Today was your anniversary.

That couldn't be right.

As far as he remembered, he had only been discussing the property division with you this morning.

He checked again. Then again. Opening his laptop to verify the date.

Today was the seventeenth of May.

And if his memory served him correctly, that divorce discussion had happened on Friday.

A sudden wave of dizziness hit him. He exhaled quietly, not realizing sweat had begun forming on his forehead.

Maybe Mingyu was right. Maybe he was simply exhausted from overworking himself. He convinced himself it was just an occasional migraine, yet the pattern kept repeating.

His concentration would disappear and hours would vanish. Sometimes entire chunks of time felt blurred. He thought it might finally be time to get a proper medical checkup.

Your sleep was suddenly disturbed by scratching noises coming from your bedroom door. Reluctantly, you woke up, half-asleep as you dragged your feet across the floor. Opening the door, you were greeted by Kkuma, the fluffy furball barking up at you before she immediately turned around and walked away, as if telling you to follow her.

“Kkuma... it's not even breakfast time. Why are you bothering me in the middle of the night?” you groaned sleepily, following behind her with lazy steps.

It was raining heavily outside.

The dim lights illuminated the dark penthouse as you turned on the kitchen light.

Just as you were about to enter, you shrieked—a human figure stood there with his back facing you. The lightning flashed outside, accompanied by an ominous soundtrack playing in your head.

It's just Seungcheol.

After calming yourself down, you cautiously peeked beside your husband, waving a hand in front of his face, trying to test the waters first.

Was he sleepwalking?

Your thoughts were interrupted by Kkuma's relentless barking beside you.

You looked down at the creature and sighed. “Stop that.”

You frowned at the dog before looking back at him. Only then did you notice that his eyes had been closed the entire time.

Your gaze lingered on the scattered tangerines across the counter. A little skeptical about why the kitchen was such a mess.

Brushing the thought aside, you gently shook him.

“Seungcheol?”

After a while, his eyes slowly opened.

You were taken aback by how quickly he adjusted. Without saying a word, he simply turned around and walked upstairs as if nothing had happened.

The only sounds left behind were the heavy rain pouring outside and Kkuma's soft barking and whimpering as she pawed at your legs.

You didn't ask him about that night the next day. Instead, you carefully observed him while he got ready for work. When he noticed your suspicious gaze from behind the rim of your mug, he called you out while buttoning his cuffs.

“What are you staring at for? Did you put something in my briefcase again?”

Blinking, you lowered your mug.

“No...”

There was a brief pause. He didn't even look like he remembered sleepwalking.

“...That got me thinking. Did something unusual happen last night?”

Seungcheol looked at you as though you were the one acting strange. “I'm not sure what you're implying. What else do you think happened besides a relentless shareholder meeting calling for me?”

You take that back. He's infuriating as usual, always trying to stir up problems when all you wanted was a proper answer.

“Never mind. I hope you accidentally step on a tangerine and slip.”

Seungcheol paused midway through turning around, looking back at you with a raised brow.

“Say that again.”

You immediately turned away, picking up Kkuma as you walked back toward the kitchen.

“Oh dear, it's time for your treat, isn't it, baby?” You cooed at her dramatically, sending one last petty glare in his direction.

—

“I'm glad that you sought help from us, however...” he sighed, clasping his hands together on his desk as he looked at you. “...I don't think you've come to the right person or department for this issue.”

“You're a doctor too, soooo—”

At this point, it was almost ridiculous how often you saw Dr. Jeon compared to your own husband.

Wonwoo had been one of your friends back in university. It was funny how your friendship with him had lasted longer than your marriage.

“I told you last time.” He looked one step away from crashing out.

You could vividly remember Jeonghan reacting the same way the other day.

“If you want a counselling session, go to Joshua. And for the record? This is my only lunch break. Did you have to come at the worst possible time?”

You stared at his lonely meal consisting of a cream cheese bagel and a box of apple juice.

“But... it's only a cream cheese bagel and ham.”

“It's depressing, I know.”

“Anyway, as I was saying—how do I acquire medical records for emotional damage?”

You brushed his complaint away with a dismissive wave.

After a long pause, an exaggerated sigh escaped Wonwoo as he stared at you, brows furrowed.

“I'm an OB-GYN, not a psychiatrist, _____. That alone proves you never cared about my field of expertise, and honestly, it's very insulting.”

“...So, how?”

The audacity of you to ask again. Wonwoo let out a loooong exhale before tossing the empty juice box into the nearby bin.

“I assume you need it for a reason?”

He spun slightly in his chair and began typing on his computer. “What is it? To prove an absence from work? For HR or—”

“It's for a divorce settlement.”

You finally cut him off, and your friend abruptly froze.

His fingers hovered over the keyboard as his eyes darted toward you skeptically.

“Divorce? You're getting... a divorce?”

He repeated it as if he needed to hear it twice.

You nodded. The confirmation alone was enough to make him fall silent.

Leaning back in his chair, he seemed unsure how to respond.

“Sorry to hear that. But just so we're clear, if you're planning to use that in court, it might take a while for a psychiatrist to provide a formal assessment. Unless you're in critical condition.”

“I am in critical condition, though.”

His eyes narrowed, then he sighed again.

“My point is, if you're planning to use that against your husband, I don't think it'll work. After being diagnosed by a psychiatrist and attending therapy sessions, you still need to go through the proper process to prove you've received legitimate medical attention.”

His tone had become much more serious now. And he wasn't even finished.

“My real question is, why do you want to sue Choi Seungcheol? He can give you money—probably double my salary. I bet this advice came from a lawyer.”

Your eyes immediately brightened.

“Oh? How did you know that?”

“Obviously. It's not uncommon for doctors to know things like this.”

He continued typing without taking his eyes off the monitor.

“Whoever is handling your divorce case must be completely out of his mind if he's agreed to represent you.”

“It's Jeonghan.”

That finally made him stop.

Looking at you, he blinked.

“You're joking.”

Judging by your face, you clearly weren't.

A dry chuckle escaped him as he dragged a hand down his face.

“I am not getting involved in this. If your soon-to-be ex-husband finds out, he'll have my head too.”

“You don't even work for him.”

You made a face at the way he was talking.

“Easy for you to say.”

The keyboard clicks were the only sound filling the room.

“He's part of a conglomerate family. You're from a wealthy family. And me? I'm just some ordinary guy. One wrong step and I'll be seeing the chairman of this hospital, who's probably connected to the Chois anyway.”

You rolled your eyes at his dramatic narrative.

“Come on. My family isn't that wealthy. We're comfortable.”

Wonwoo actually looked at you this time.

After all these years of being your friend, he knew one thing for certain: Being friends with you was like walking on thin ice. He wasn't sure whether you were genuinely being modest or simply humble-bragging.

“Oh, really? Then give me fifty dollars.”

Frowning at him, you leaned forward. “This is serious, Wonwoo. Me and Seungcheol are getting a divorce, and it's been seven years—not seven months.”

You let out a breath.

“Anyone would be upset knowing they spent years of their life loving someone who never really cared about them... only to end up with nothing.”

Not that you never thought it would become this messy.

People always said that just because you started a relationship in your twenties didn't mean it would remain the same in your thirties. Nevertheless, your situation with Seungcheol was different. 

It all started with an arranged marriage between both families. You even broke up with your ex-boyfriend because of it. At some point, as the early stages of your marriage began, you figured that eventually, you would come to love him.

He wasn't exactly a bad husband.

In life, to find a good man, there are at least three criteria that should be met in order to have a happy marriage.

One: generosity.

Cheapness runs in one's blood, and children tend to inherit what they see from their parents. They grow up watching how their parents earn money by waking up early in the morning and coming home late at night. They also learn from how their parents spend that money.

If a man complains about a twenty-cent charge on his credit card despite earning four hundred thousand a month, or if another man only has fifty dollars to his name yet willingly spends his last forty on your meal, the difference isn't about how much money they have.

It's generosity that changes everything. And Seungcheol was never stingy with you.

He gave you practically everything.

When you told him you wanted to open your own beauty clinic after resigning from your job, he didn't make a grand speech about supporting you. He didn't loudly encourage you or shower you with praise.

He simply gave you the capital and trusted you to do whatever you wanted with it.

Sometimes it felt absurd, as though he believed money could solve everything. Yet he never used it to control you either, even when it would've been easier for him to spoil you rotten and keep you dependent on him. Nevertheless, generosity was still one of the most important qualities a man could have.

Two: how they handle stress and challenges.

If a man struggles with anger management, he'll explode the moment his car breaks down, a tire goes flat, or something simply doesn't go his way. That anger eventually reaches the people around him. Whereas some men face life's challenges calmly and immediately focus on finding a solution.

A real man wouldn't vent his frustrations onto you or make you feel responsible for his distress. He would continue treating you with the same patience and gentleness. 

And despite Seungcheol's reputation as a cold and distant man, he rarely expressed irritation. Let alone anger.

Okay, maybe you were exaggerating a little.

But he was nowhere near an angry person. You annoyed him all the time, yet he never responded with the kind of annoyance a man would show toward someone desperately trying to get his attention.

It was more like he simply accepted that you were... childish.

Not playful. Just childish.

You doubted he even saw you as a woman trying to win his affection. More like a cat scratching places it wasn't supposed to.

Three: a man who knows how to take care of you.

At first, you thought this was simply your standard. A woman should never have to teach a man how to be patient, or how to care for her.

Seungcheol wasn't expressive with words, but he was observant.He could immediately tell when something was wrong with you. Like that time you got sick while he was buried in work.

He ended up adopting a ragdoll kitten—Soya. That was her name. All because he heard ragdolls were affectionate and would make good companions for both you and Kkuma.

And honestly?

It took less than a second for you to forgive him for things like that. It's not like he never did anything right. Even when his presence wasn't there, he always—always—made sure you were taken care of. Whether it came from love or obligation, you simply assumed he was fulfilling his responsibilities as a spouse.

Ugh.

It was almost frustrating. Because you couldn't even pinpoint what was actually missing.

Aside from the fact that your love never seemed to reach him. Sure, he wasn't the type to openly express himself.

A lot of men were like that. Yet you didn't want to generalize him just because he happened to fall into that category.

“Have you considered marriage counselling?”

You blinked before shaking your head.

“Why would we do that? Even if we did, he barely makes time for anything, and I don't think it would've worked anyway.”

Wonwoo let out a small sigh, his eyes still fixed on the monitor as he typed away.

“That's not even a question. I'm suggesting that you should attend one.”

“And why would that be?”

“Because it sounds like you still want to save your marriage.”

This time, he looked up at you. Really looked at you.

For a moment, you hesitated. Not because his words struck particularly deep. But because they forced you to question whether you had made the right decision. Besides, you no longer wanted to dwell on a one-sided love.

You were tired of doing this to yourself.

Before you could respond, your phone rang inside your handbag. You quickly rummaged through it and answered the call.

“Oh, yes, Secretary Kim.”

You pressed the phone to your ear. Then your expression changed.

“Seungcheol fainted? Uh—I'll be right there.”

Wonwoo looked up at your sudden reaction, confusion written all over his face.

“I need to go first. We'll talk again, Wonwoo.”

You hurriedly grabbed your things and rushed out of the room.

Wonwoo watched you leave. He didn't know everything about your marriage.

And it wasn't his place to assume.

However, your reaction certainly didn't look like someone eager to end a seven-year relationship. Whatever was happening between you and your husband, he could tell it wasn't as simple as a marriage that had merely run its course.

—

Every pattern in your life repeats until you learn the lesson. The moment you choose differently, the loop ends and growth begins.

Bad habits die hard. In the middle of a divorce settlement, most people wouldn't care much about how their spouse was doing.

But you? The moment Mingyu told you that your husband had fainted, you came running without a second thought.

What could possibly go wrong this time?

From what you knew, Seungcheol had always been healthy—or at least physically healthy from what you'd seen over the years. You were well aware that he was a workaholic, even before reaching the peak of his career.

You stared at his figure lying on the office sofa. Mingyu stood nearby alongside Jeonghan, looking one step away from passing out, judging by how hard he was biting his nails.

When the doctor finally finished examining him, he stood up and turned toward the three of you. His gaze landed on you, presumably assuming you were family.

“He's alright. His pulse is perfectly normal.”

The relief in Mingyu's sigh was almost immediate.

“It appears to be exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. May I ask if he's been taking any medication recently? Perhaps for migraines?”

You hesitated. Then the memory of him sleepwalking flashed through your mind.

Instead of answering, you looked toward Mingyu as if searching for confirmation that something similar had happened before. The man blinked before letting out an audible, “Ah.”

“I saw some medication on his desk, so I assumed he'd been taking it.” He glanced toward Seungcheol before continuing. “Mr. Choi mentioned that he's been experiencing headaches more frequently than usual.”

The doctor nodded, and the discussion continued for a few more minutes. Eventually, after the doctor left, your gaze returned to Seungcheol's unconscious figure. You crouched beside him, studying his sleeping features.

“How did this happen?”

You looked up at Jeonghan and Mingyu.

Jeonghan let out a sigh, dragging a hand down his face. “He nearly collapsed in the doorway when the meeting started. Good thing I caught him before he completely hit the floor.”

“Had to cancel the meeting too,” Mingyu added. “If the shareholders had been here today, it would've caused a huge commotion.”

You listened quietly, nodding as your attention drifted back to your husband. For a moment, you deliberately pressed your ear against his chest.

Mingyu immediately made a noise while Jeonghan jabbed an elbow into his stomach.

“His heart is beating normally, alright.” You pulled away and stood up.

“Of course he is. The doctor literally just said that.”Jeonghan interjected. “I mean—the rich are very strict about their blood pressure. Seungcheol's always careful with his sodium intake—”

You and Mingyu stared at him.

He let out an awkward chuckle in between. “What I'm saying is,” Jeonghan corrected himself with a gesture, “he's a healthy man. He's just drowning in stress. It's obvious things haven't exactly been organized lately.”

Mingyu nodded in agreement.

“Mr. Yoon's right. Director Choi has been rather quiet lately. Maybe crankier than usual? I'm not entirely sure, but he's been working until midnight almost every day. Even the employees don't stay overtime that long.”

You let out a quiet sigh. It was hard not to think about everything currently weighing on him. The company, the workload—and now the divorce. The thought alone gnawed at you.

What if this had been the final straw? What if your divorce was part of the reason?

Turning toward Jeonghan, you spoke carefully. “...Do you think it was because of that?”

“Because of what?”

Jeonghan looked genuinely confused.

“You know. The divorce.”

“A divorce?!”

Mingyu nearly jumped out of his skin. His eyes darted between you and Jeonghan.

“Ma'am, what do you mean by that? And hyung—why am I only hearing about this now?”

Jeonghan shushed him immediately and turned back to you.

“I'm not sure it's because of that. Don't worry that pretty little head of yours. I highly doubt he'd break down over something like this.”

You frowned. The glare you sent him was enough.

He immediately sighed and held up both hands. “Right. Sorry. That was insensitive.”

A pause.

“But that doesn't change the fact that I don't think he fainted because of the divorce. I think he was already at his breaking point.”

“So no one's going to tell me what's actually happening right now?”

Both of you ignored Mingyu again.

“Has anything odd happened lately?” you asked. “Other than the headaches.”

Jeonghan shook his head. “Not really. But what I can tell you is that he needs a break this time.”

Mingyu's eyes widened. “A break? Then I'll need to clear his schedule and move the planning meetings—”

Jeonghan immediately cut him off.

“What's done is done. Starting today, he's taking at least a week off. Tell him that.”

Just as you were about to continue questioning them, Jeonghan grabbed your shoulder and pulled you slightly aside.

“By the way,” he lowered his voice, “I found these in his desk drawer.”

You blinked and looked down at the small container resting in his palm.

Sleeping pills.

“Hey now—are you guys keeping secrets from me?” Mingyu complained while trying to peek. “I'm hurt.”

You quickly took the bottle before he could get a better look.

“Thank you for letting me know, Mr. Yoon.”

You gave him a small nod which Jeonghan mirrored it.

The brief exchange said enough. After all, he'd been working with Seungcheol long enough to notice when something wasn't right.

Something has definitely been going on lately.

Seungcheol did take a day off from work today. You told him the divorce settlement could wait until he fully recovered. You made sure he went through a proper medical checkup. Your personal doctor even came to the house.

Turns out, he was perfectly fine.

No issues with his blood pressure. His liver and gut health were normal, though the doctor did advise him to refrain from consuming alcohol for the time being.

For someone who claimed to want a divorce as soon as possible, you seemed awfully eager to take care of him.

Your movements halted in the middle of chopping carrots as you let out a sigh.

What did you actually want at this point? Was it guilt? Or were you still unsure whether divorce was truly the answer to your happiness?

One thing was certain—you were putting him first again.

You knew you had no obligation to do any of this. With everything hanging in the air and a divorce looming over both of your heads, you could've simply hired a private chef, or a housekeeper.

Yet you insisted on taking care of him personally.

It was definitely muscle memory. A habit that you thought you had already broken. Somehow, you found yourself back in the same position again.

Maybe you needed to stop trying to figure everything out on your own. Sometimes the answer arrived when you least expected it. Unfortunately, patience was never one of your strengths.

Seungcheol has always been an enigma to you.

But even the most mysterious person eventually cracks when someone keeps poking at the wrong places.

Which you did, constantly and apparently, annoying him was therapeutic for you.

Frowning, you stepped back from the steaming pot and turned off the stove.

It was almost eleven in the morning. Your husband still hadn't woken up. You had made sure he didn't take another sleeping pill.

While sorting through the unopened mail earlier, you noticed an envelope addressed specifically to him.

A medical document.

You hadn't meant to snoop. But once you saw it was from Diamond Medical Centre, curiosity got the better of you. According to the records, he'd been registered as a patient there nearly four years ago.

Panic disorder. Anxiety attacks. Insomnia.

The words stayed with you long after reading them.

His name was written right there. It also noted that he'd stopped attending his sessions shortly after. You ended up calling Jeonghan and asking him to look into it further.

Slowly pushing the bedroom door open, you peeked inside.

Seungcheol was still asleep.

You stepped in carefully, making sure not to wake him. It had been a while since you'd entered his room. Not since the two of you decided to sleep separately.

Looking at him now, you'd never seen him sleep this peacefully before. Almost as though he'd been desperately craving rest.

Was that why he took sleeping pills? You already knew he was sleep deprived. You'd always assumed it was because of work.

Now you wondered if sleeping itself had become difficult for him.

When did it start? Four years ago? Or even before your marriage?

You'd wait for Jeonghan to find out.

Carefully, you crouched beside the bed and stared at his sleeping face. It felt unfair that you would soon leave and never get to see this face every day again. Then again—what a waste of a pretty face.

If people thought you stayed in the marriage because your husband looked like he belonged on a magazine cover—

Well.

They wouldn't be entirely wrong. Unfortunately, a pretty face alone wasn't enough to keep a woman married.

Though Seungcheol was rich. 

Anyway.

One thing you absolutely couldn't stand was snoring. And too bad, your husband was one of those people.

Oddly enough, he wasn't doing it today. You wondered if he was even breathing.

So, just like the other day, you leaned closer. This time placing your ear against his chest to check his heartbeat.

Before you realized it, his eyes fluttered open—directly staring at you. Unfortunately, your body reacted faster than your brain. You pressed your lips against his, remaining there for a second longer than necessary.

Seungcheol stayed completely still. 

Judging by his reaction, he didn't seem affected by it in the slightest. Nor did he appear particularly horrified.

You slowly pulled away, trying to gather whatever dignity remained.

"What do you think you're doing?" His deep voice echoed through the room with those soulless eyes fixed directly on you.

You blinked, still way too close. "Uh...sleeping kiss?"

One of his eyebrows rose immediately.

"You looked like you weren't breathing in your sleep, so I thought a true love's kiss might wake you up."

Wow.

Nice save. But at what cost?

At this point, you might as well have read him a bedtime story.

Now fully awake, Seungcheol pushed himself up slightly and stared at you as if trying to determine whether he was still dreaming.

"I cooked earlier," you blurted out. "You should eat. It's almost lunchtime."

Immediately, you stood up and escaped the room before your embarrassment could kill you on the spot.

Honestly, you were digging your own grave. Who kissed their spouse in the middle of a divorce?

Suddenly, your phone buzzed. By the time you reached your room, you'd already accepted the call.

"Oh, hey. Did you find anything?"

"Yeah. Had to ask Wonwoo about it." Jeonghan chuckled softly. "He complained the whole time and accused me of interrogating him."

You waited quietly.

"Anyway, from what I found, Seungcheol was receiving treatment back then. But he eventually stopped showing up and kept skipping appointments."

You remained silent, letting him continue.

"I knew about the insomnia and panic attacks. I just didn't realize he'd been clinically diagnosed."

"You knew that?"

"I'm sorry, _____.” His voice softened. "I didn't know the full details. Aside from that, I think I know what might've caused it. For now, that's all I have. The doctor who treated him moved overseas years ago."

"It's okay," you assured him quietly. "You've already helped a lot. Let me know if you find anything else."

After the call ended, you sat at the edge of your bed. 

Thinking.

Seungcheol rarely talked about his family. Not because they had bad blood.

At least not from what you'd seen.

After his father's death, however, everyone seemed to drift apart. You always respected the boundaries he never verbally established, yet the invisible line was always there. No matter how much you reached out, he never seemed ready—or willing to let anyone in. Not even his wife.

He was difficult. Very complicated. Infuriating.

And yet here you were, worrying about problems that technically had nothing to do with you anymore.

When you should've been packing your belongings and preparing for the divorce.

Was this really how someone behaved when they desperately wanted to end a seven-year marriage? You didn't understand yourself either.

There was only one person left you could ask. So you reached for the business card resting on your bedside table. Staring at the familiar name printed on it.

Then you dialed the number. Later, the line connected after a few rings.

"Hello?" A familiar voice answered.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" 

That night has come, and yet you can’t seem to sleep properly, always rolling around your bed, restless.

For the first time, you never feel so bothered by it. The thought of leaving him once and for all, you wondered if he will get sick even more after divorce.

You wouldn’t think you'll be able to live with that while he was in the dark, keeping himself from the world.

Yeah. You definitely feel that remorse of guilt, even though Jeonghan keeps assuring you that Seungcheol is not that type of person who would dwell like a damsel in distress. You could’ve described it properly but you had no sense of wisdom to correct it now.

How could you possibly leave him like that? He was once a person you could never live without, he’s all you have now.

Or maybe you still care for him deep inside.

Sitting up, you sigh as you reach out your phone. The time is currently 3:04 A.M. which you were supposed to be sleeping by now.

When you think about not sleeping, you think of him. Did he manage to sleep today? How long had he been depending on that pill?

This is awful.

You seriously need to get a grip. Getting off from the bed, you went towards his bedroom, peeking slightly to see if he was sleeping.

Your heart rate rose instantly, opened the door clearly this time just to see the empty bed there. It doesn’t look like he was taking a shower either, you were frantically walking down the stairs, searching for his presence around, the balcony, living area and kitchen.

Does that mean he went back to his office to work again even at this time? There’s no way he would do that. He always works at home too with his devices in his study room.

You tried to call him this time. Not less than three seconds, you heard the phone buzzing on the glass table beside you.

Slowly, you turned around, eyes landed on the phone.

A brief quiet silence filled the air. The paranoia started to kick in, you tried to be calm about it but with zero response and his whereabouts in this penthouse seems to be dreading you out.

Where could he possibly be right now?

You choose another way to find him this time, as you stepped out the building, the cold air hit you but your thoughts were filled with his wellbeing.

You didn’t say any of his cars were being used, it’s not like he’s the type to go outside to just merely get some fresh air.

You tried to think where else he would go late at this hour, your car slowed as you examined the whole surrounding. As you stopped by a nearby park, you saw a figure sitting up at the bench alone.

From the looks of it, the back of the head seemed to be like him alright. You shut the door, hurriedly went over the lightpole, where the light illuminated the only dark space there.

“Cheol!” you called him out, that nickname you haven’t used in a while.

His head turned at you, almost dumfounded as he stood up slowly.

You let out a heaving breath, it was cold and hot was bothering you. Glancing at his form, he was still in comfortable clothes which were probably thinner even if it was just a cardigan. You realized he was walking here barefoot, feet red and covered with blisters.

You frowned, face was already dead, worried as hold his arms then down his hands, trying to warm him up and feeling how cold his hands had been.

“Where have you been?” your voice trembled a little, “I searched for you all over—” You stopped yourself just enough when you noticed his face has been looking at you the entire time, like he doesn’t appear to be aware of what's really happening.

You slowly breathe, one hand holding his other cheek, “I’m sorry, just tell me where did you go? If you’re having a hard time, just let me know, okay?” your voice softens, “don’t go wandering around without your phone…”

He didn’t reply immediately, his eyes that were always sharp and stoic are now more soft and gentle this time. His hand covered yours, the first time after a while you were this close to him.

“I was waiting for you.” He simply said, looking at you.

Your heart momentarily stutters at that, searching if he was deceiving you.

“We were supposed to meet at the park today,” he continued, “You told me today that we were supposed to go to the aquarium.”

There’s a quiet silence filled the cold night.

“...Cheol, that was six years ago.” you muttered softly, looking at him with sad eyes.

And yet, he doesn’t look like he was playing around. He genuinely meant every word of it.  The more he keeps looking at you like that, it hurts your heart because why did he look at you like he was still there, as if there's a spark of hope of him wanting you back.

On your way back home, the car ride was quiet. You didn’t press any further after that. Carefully tending to his injured feet, you cleaned and bandaged them properly. Given how quiet he was being, you didn’t question him as you looked up before organizing the first aid kit again.

He had been staring at you the whole time.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” you asked gently, setting the aid kit aside before standing up.

“Are you mad at me?”

That was what he asked instead.

Your movements halted for a moment as you slowly turned back to him, only to be met with those familiar soft eyes.

His gaze was almost docile.

Was this really the same stoic Seungcheol that everyone used to be intimidated by?

You placed the kit aside and sat back down beside him. “No... I’m not mad at you. What makes you think that?”

Seungcheol just looked at you. Really looked at you.

“It’s just... you looked like you were crying because of me. Did I do something that upset you?”

Your breath hitched at that, trying to swallow down the lump burning in your throat. Exhaling slowly, you reached for his hand, testing the waters first before actually holding it.

“No... I was just...” you hesitated, uncertain of what to say in this situation because he genuinely looked just as confused as you were. “...let’s get some rest, okay? You’ve had a long day.”

When you were about to stand up, he didn’t let go of your hand.

You glanced down at him. “I’ll be in my room if you need me,” you assured him softly.

“Why?” He frowned slightly. “I thought we were sleeping in the same room.”

He looked genuinely hurt by that. And by the looks of it, almost like a puppy that had been left out in the rain.

Now it was your turn to be confused. The entire situation felt like it was playing tricks on you.

Because why?

Why did he look at you like he still cared about you? Like he needed you the moment your hand slipped from his. Like the thought of you leaving was something he couldn’t understand.

“I hope you had a wonderful weekend, Seungcheol,” the voice echoed through the quiet, almost peaceful room. “Could you share with me how you've been feeling these days?”

“I did. And I’ve been feeling happier because I get to spend my whole day with my wife. She always smiles a lot when she’s with me.”

“That’s good to hear.” The man offered a small smile. “Now, can you tell me if anything unusual has happened?”

Seungcheol hummed, nodding slightly. “I had a dream. A really bad dream, doctor.”

The man leaned forward, listening intently.

“Is that so? Could you describe what kind of dream you were having?”

“There was a man. He looked like me, and in that dream...” he continued, almost as if he were retelling a story, “...he was different from me. Always alone, and as if people were afraid of him. I don’t like that person who looks like me in that dream.”

“Why is that, Seungcheol?”

“Because...” he hesitated. “Whenever I see him in my dream, my wife always cries because of me.”

A brief silence settled between them before Seungcheol continued.

“But doctor, my name is not Seungcheol,” he stated. “My wife always calls me Cheol. I don’t know why you keep referring to me by that name.”

“This might be confusing for you, but Seungcheol and Cheol are the same person.”

“What?”

Joshua let out a slow breath.

“In psychiatry, what you're experiencing is called Dissociative Identity Disorder,” he explained. “It’s commonly known as multiple personality disorder. The symptoms you're experiencing right now fit the criteria.”

Seungcheol simply stared at him. But the one sitting in front of him now was Cheol.

Not Seungcheol.

“You see, Seungcheol and Cheol are the same person,” Joshua continued. “And the person sitting in front of me is still Seungcheol, even when you tell me that you're ‘Cheol’ today.”

“But... that’s impossible. That’s not me...” he insisted.

Joshua opened his tablet and showed him a profile. Choi Seungcheol, part of the Diamonds Group—CEO of a financial institution.

Seungcheol looked unconvinced as he slowly examined the information displayed on the screen. It felt like he was looking at a complete stranger.

“Remember this,” Joshua continued gently. “Seungcheol and Cheol are one person.”

He paused in between.

“And we're here to find out what caused this trigger in the first place.”

TBC.

a/n: ayeee, how are we feeling for this prologue? let me know how it goes, feedback, comment, reblogs are appreciated.

taglist𑣿:

@coupsarchive @weirdcatlover1 @gyublues @charlieshelves @joongtime @jaja-salute @tstosir @scoupscious @delusionalforjunghoseok  @neotannies @drunk-on-lemonade @chisskaa @flvr4ane @unlikelysublimekryptonite @vwintershire @ashlinxloves @choppedballoondetective @junnhuisworld @mellow-wishes @authorscurse @gyuhao365 @peachywonus @awekjeno @ts19009 @5mooch @infinite-qq @choco-scoups @lovekyr  @cherricherryy @junniesoleilkth @cherrylovescheol

[arwen-u]

FINALLY JEONGHAN IS BACK 😭😭😭😭 WE SURVIVED (this are old pics)

[lesbica-in-decadenza]

This is how we gonna look when you reblog that post from me instead

[horahae]

Drop Dead - Jeon Wonwoo - Part 1

Pairing: video game developer!jeon wonwoo x animator f!reader

Summary: jeon wonwoo has been insufferable since the day you started at Carat Entertainment. between petty arguments and snide remarks to each other, he quickly became public enemy number one in your eyes. when you’re thrown together on a high-priority project for a new video game, late work nights turn into long conversations and you begin to forget why you even hated him in the first place. 

WC: 7.5k

CW: CHAPTER SPECIFIC, the full list can be found on the series navigation here. this series is 18+ so MDNI - a few SMAU posts in there, swearing, wonwoo is kind of a prick but so is the reader, best friends seungkwan and vernon, some brief use of y/n for email correspondences, but otherwise wonwoo calls the reader “picasso”. i have genuinely never done animation or coding before in my life, so this is probably inaccurate so just enjoy it for what it is LMAO

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dividers by @uzmacchiato

There’s an unspoken hatred between you and your coworker, Jeon Wonwoo. 

Okay, unspoken is not the right way to word it. The two of you are actually very spoken about it. Being near him for longer than ten minutes is enough to set you off the edge. He’s just so rude. He’s brooding, and grumpy, and never has anything nice to say or contribute to anything. He always thinks he’s entitled to everything, and it makes you want to rip your hair out. You’re thankful every day that you work in different departments, because god only knows how much worse it would be if you had to work together.

See, Wonwoo is a programmer. He works in engineering (AKA a bunch of boring nerds who type numbers all day. Right up his alley). You, on the other hand, are an animator. When you first got hired, you figured that Wonwoo must’ve hated how cool and awesome and talented you were compared to him. Anybody with a lick of common sense (and good taste) could tell you that animation was way more exciting than, what, staring at code? 

That had to be the reason he hated you so much from the start, because nothing else made sense. There was no fight, no argument–nothing to start this boiling feud between you. It was like your existence was reason enough for him to be an asshole.

Unfortunately for you, your departments sat on the same floor. Engineering was right around the corner from art, so it took months of strategy and planning to find ways around seeing him. You’ve memorized his daily schedule so you can avoid being in the breakroom at the same time as him. He takes his lunch around one every day, so you take yours a whole hour earlier. He leaves work a little after five, so you leave a little before. The less you needed to be around him, the better. 

Besides, it was for the good of the whole company, as well: the amount of complaints the two of you had received for arguing so much was embarrassing, to say the least. Wonwoo tried to say you were instigating it, but you wouldn’t even be arguing in the first place if he kept his stupid mouth shut. If it wasn’t one thing, it was the other. Yesterday your food smelled too bad, the day before that your sweater was too bright a color, and the day before that you laughed too loud and he ‘could hear it from the first floor’ (which you know is bullshit because you work on the sixth). 

Needless to say, he is insufferable. 

Today is no exception to that fact. The second you scan your ID to clock in, Wonwoo is side-eyeing you from his employee mailbox. You, being the bigger person you are, stick your nose up and brush past him. You cannot engage with whatever snarky comment he’s thinking of saying, because that will not be good. You already woke up in a bad enough mood today: your alarm went off late, the water in your building got shut off so you couldn’t shower, and your favorite bakery was out of the pastry you get every morning. Part of you almost dared Wonwoo to cross your path today, but you knew that one more argument could land you both in the boss’s office. You did not want to jeopardize your squeaky-clean record on him, of all people. 

“I can smell your lunch from here, Picasso. What is that, fish for the nth time in a row?”

You stop in front of the elevator. You don't bother looking over to him when you say, “Keep your nose to yourself, geeksquad.”

He scoffs, but doesn’t push the matter further. You figure he’s doing the same thing as you–keeping his record clean, that is. As far as you knew, he also had never had any disciplinary marks on his employee profile. Which, truly, is baffling to you. He’s got the worst personality and an even worse attitude at work. How he’s been here for so long is beyond you. Talented or not, you’ve never been able to understand why HR puts up with his snark. Maybe with your luck, he’d quit in the next few years. All he does is complain about work, anyway. 

The elevator door opens, and before you get the chance to step on, Wonwoo slides in front of you. You frown and try to follow him, but then he hits the ‘door close’ button, and you’re stuck in the lobby. 

Because, of course he would do that. Of course he would take your elevator ride and comment on your lunch and do everything in his power to make your Friday miserable. 

Pressing your tongue to the inside of your cheek, you decide that you will not let this get to you. Drawing in a deep breath, you press the button again and wait for the door to open once more. When it finally returns, you can still smell his cologne in the small space; sandalwood is now permanently ruined for you. You grimace as you press the button for the sixth floor, then let your back lean against the wall behind you. 

Above you, the floor numbers flicker slowly as they change, and the elevator comes to a stop. By the time you get to your desk, Seungkwan is already hunched over your shared workstation with his brows pushed together. Seungkwan started at Carat Entertainment around the same time as you, and he quickly became one of your closest friends. Between late-night snack runs, traveling around the world, and questionable nights in town, Seungkwan weasled his way into your life as your ride or die. As much as you enjoy being around him, though, sometimes he can be a tad overdramatic. 

As you toss your bag onto your desktop, Seungkwan looks up and sighs in relief. “Thank god you’re here. I’m having trouble with this build I’ve been working on.”

You hum as you saunter over to him. Peeking over his shoulder, you watch as he attempts to troubleshoot his project. Everything starts normally: you see the start-up menu boot up fine, the character select looks good, but then when he gets into the game mode, the movements of the character begin to lag. When he tries to interact with anything, the lag is even more apparent. 

“Did you check the motion settings?” You ask as you pull a stool up beside him. 

“Yeah, I’ve exhausted everything.” Seungkwan groans. “Motion settings, blend timing…none of it is fixing the issue.”

Shrugging, you take the tablet from him. “Well, if it’s nothing on our end, that means it could be an engineering issue. Specifically a Wonwoo issue. He was working on this with you, right?”

“Uh,” Seungkwan clears his throat, “yeah.”

Just to be safe, you maneuver through the same tests that Seungkwan already ran. If you had to guess, it was probably something in-engine that was causing the issue. His character starts to glitch at a transition point, which means the movement controller is probably fucked. 

AKA: Wonwoo’s problem. Not yours. 

You hand him his tablet again. “I’d bring it up to him, then.”

“Sure.” Seungkwan shifts uncomfortably. You can tell he’s trying not to get caught between another piss-off with you and Wonwoo, so you offer him a reassuring smile. 

“Kwan, we are not doing anything wrong by escalating the problem to engineering.” You reply. “We’ve worked through our tests, and now that we know it’s not us, we need to involve Wonwoo. Besides, I’m not on this project with you guys. It’ll be fine.”

Seungkwan tucks the tablet under his arm. “I guess that’s true. It’s just…you know how he gets when someone tries to say he’s wrong. It’s almost worse than you.”

That elicits a laugh from you. You couldn’t argue with Seungkwan on that fact, though. You may be stubborn, but Wonwoo was even more so. As if he wasn’t egotistical enough, being told he’s wrong was like throwing a cat into a tub full of water. He takes feedback as a personal attack, and it’s a little pathetic. 

“He’s an adult,” you say as your laughter slows. “He’ll live. It’s good character development.”

From: Choi Seungcheol - Lead Developer To: Group: Art Department, Sub-Group: Animation CC: Boo Seungkwan, Jeon Wonwoo Subject: Animation Blends - Investigation Hi team,  I’m forwarding a ticket that concerns animation blending. It’s been brought to our attention that there may be an issue with some in-engine mechanics, and we are investigating it.  Jeon Wonwoo is the programmer assigned to the ticket. If there are any questions, please keep them limited to the ticket thread. For the time being, halt any ongoing animation work for the game. Once everything is cleared, we will let you know.  Thanks, Seungcheol

Well, that escalated. Your advice to Seungkwan has now indirectly involved Wonwoo in your day, and you are considering going home sick. Burying your face in your hands, you let out a dramatic groan. Beside you, Seungkwan leans back in his chair. 

“Well, this sucks.” He announces. “They assigned the grouchiest programmer to the ticket. Do they not realize how shitty our day is about to become?”

You turn to face him. “What did you say to prompt all of this?”

Seungkwan's eyes widen. “Me? Don’t turn this on me! You’re the one who told me to bring it to engineering!”

Before you can argue with him, you see Wonwoo walk into your department. His hands are in his pockets until he gets to your work station and pulls up a chair. He settles into it with the backrest forward as he leans against it. He looks a little too calm right now, and it unnerves you and Seungkwan. You both exchange a quick look when Wonwoo holds his hand out. 

“Let me see the build, Seungkwan.” He deadpans.  

Seungkwan hesitates as he hands the tablet over to him. “It happens at the transition point right after character selection.”

Wonwoo is quiet as he goes through the same motions that the two of you already had. His expression is flat, but you can see his jaw clench in irritation as he works. He has a vein on his neck that is sticking out, which tells you he’s mad. You’ve seen it come out a few times when you argue with him. In the reflection of his glasses, you can see the game begin to glitch, just as Seungkwan told him it would.

After finishing a few tests, he hands the tablet back to Seungkwan. 

“It’s not the animation.” He says simply. His tone is too neutral, and that only adds to your nerves. You can tell how upset he is physically, but the fact that he’s staying so composed is new. It's an unknown territory.

“So, it’s engineering?” Seungkwan asks. 

“I didn’t say that.” Wonwoo stands, then pushes the chair back to where he got it. “I think it’s a shared problem.”

“Shared?” You chime in. 

Wonwoo looks at you briefly, then begins walking away. “That’s what I said, Picasso.”

You were not about to let him leave like that. You stumble to your feet, hurrying after him. At this point, complaints be damned. 

“You just saw that it wasn’t an animation problem,” You retort. “If it’s not us, that clearly means it’s the movement controller. Or something else in the code. The code that you made, by the way.”

Wonwoo stops, and you almost run into him. He turns to face you, then leans down to your level. You hate it when he does this. Holding your tongue, you fold your arms across your chest.

“It’s not an animation problem.” He agrees. “It’s also not an engineering problem. I just said it was shared, but I need to run a few of my own tests to be sure. I don’t just assume.”

You scoff. “I did not assume. I ran through the right process, Wonwoo. I did my own tests, and when those came back fine, I turned it over to engineering. Is that not the right way to handle this?”

“It is.”

“So what are you insinuating?” You press. 

“Am I insinuating something?” He counters. The corners of his mouth twitch like he’s finding this amusing, and you want to punch him more than ever. “I’m just speaking plainly.”

You draw in a deep breath in a final attempt to calm yourself down. Then, you force a polite smile. “Fine.”

“Fine.” He echoes. You watch as he turns and disappears back into the engineering department. 

It takes a whole two hours before you’re getting another email. But this time, it’s only addressed to you. 

From: Choi Seungcheol - Lead Developer To: Y/L/N, Y/F/N CC: Jeon Wonwoo, Hong Joshua - Lead Animator Subject: RE: Animation Blends - Investigation Please find your assigned work order below. If you have any questions, let Wonwoo know.  Thanks,  Seungcheol

Unbelievable. Attached to the email is, in fact, a new work order that’s titled: 

JOINT INVESTIGATION - ANIMATION BLENDS - ASSIGNED STAFF: JEON WONWOO, Y/L/N Y/F/N.

If there is a God out there, you’re sure at this point they have it out for you. This is a personal attack from the universe, and you can’t help but wonder why. Your first instinct is to ask Seungcheol to take you off the ticket, because who in their right mind would think it’s a good idea to pair the two of you together? But you already know the answer, because it’s the same one they give you every time you get stuck on a work order together: “You’re the best in each department. We need the best to figure this out, so figure it out”. 

Which, really, you’re flattered to be considered the best. What you’re not flattered about is the fact that being the best automatically means that Wonwoo is constantly in your orbit. At this point, your department leads are just begging HR to get involved because of the way they keep throwing you two together. 

As if on cue, Joshua, your supervisor, knocks on the door. You push yourself to your feet and grab your tablet. 

“I know, I’m going.” You grumble. “Just know I’m mad about it, though.”

“You always are.” He replies with a hum. “When you’re done with Wonwoo, I do need to see the two of you in my office. Seungcheol is calling a meeting.”

Well, that’s not good. 

“What for?” You ask, turning to look at him. 

He takes a deep breath. “Nothing horrible. We’ll discuss it later. Just fix this animation blend, and I’ll see you soon.”

He disappears back into his office, and you want to slam your head against a wall. Maybe throw yourself into traffic. Whatever it takes to get out of this work order and this surprise meeting. Basically, anything to be away from Wonwoo.

You hesitate before leaving your department, and the walk to engineering feels like torture. When you open the door to their corner of the sixth floor, Wonwoo’s back is to you. He’s already typing rapidly, staring at a screen full of code that makes zero sense to you. The chair next to him is open, so you promptly slide into it. 

He doesn’t say anything. He continues working and is obviously ignoring the fact that you’re here, now. You set down your tablet and clear your throat loudly. Still, nothing. 

“Earth to Wonwoo?” You wave a hand in front of his face, and he pushes it away. 

“I’m working.” He mutters. You roll your eyes. 

“I can see that.” You reply as you boot up your tablet. “Didn’t you see? I’m assigned to help with the work order.”

“Lucky me.”

You both fall into a very angry silence. Wonwoo’s typing becomes a bit more aggressive, which only fuels your fire to tap a bit harder against the screen of your tablet. You can feel the other engineers nervously watching, like the two of you are a bomb that’s set to detonate any second. 

“You’re too close.” Wonwoo suddenly announces. You feel his foot push your chair away from under the desk. “And you’re working too loudly. I can’t hear myself think.”

“I’m too loud?” You drop your tablet into your lap. “I’m on a touchscreen, Wonwoo. You have the loud ass keyboard. Maybe you should get your eyes checked again, because clearly your vision has gotten worse if you can’t see that.”

“Your presence alone is too loud.” He argues, not taking his eyes off his screen. He’s still typing, and that pisses you off even more. “You’re so loud all the time. Your voice, your breathing, your tapping. Just for one day, I’d love it if you would shut up and keep your opinions to yourself–”

You move before you can think, and pull the plug on his computer. Someone gasps from behind you, whereas Wonwoo is quickly standing. He’s pushing you completely out of the way, now, to hurry and plug it back in. As the screen flickers back to life, he finally looks at you. 

“What is your problem?” He asks. “Are you crazy?! None of that was saved! The file is going to be even more corrupt now–”

“My problem?” You stand as well, tossing your tablet aside. “You’re finding any excuse to ridicule what I do. I mean, my breathing, Wonwoo? Really? That’s the best you can come up with?”

“Both of you, stop.”

The two of you turn towards the doorway where Seungcheol is standing. He looks tired and annoyed. He drags a hand down his face, then steps to the side. “Come with me, please.”

Wonwoo doesn’t move immediately, so you grab your things and move first. He trails behind shortly after as you make your way down the hall towards his office. You’ve never had a reason to come in here before, but it looks like how you’d imagine it to. There aren’t many decorations, and everything is either black or grey. He has a single pencil holder on his desk with maybe five pens in it. In his own words, his office is ‘no bullshit’.

Seungcheol is a little intimidating. Way more than your supervisor, that is. He’s nice, but you’ve seen him get mad before, and that was reason enough to try to stay clear of him as much as possible. However, thanks to Wonwoo, you’re about to be at the receiving end of his anger.

Joshua is already sitting in there when you arrive, and he looks equally as tired as Seungcheol. You and Wonwoo take the two open seats in front of Seungcheol’s desk, and then it's quiet. Seungcheol closes the door and sighs. When he sits, you can feel your heart rate quicken. 

“I want to start by saying you two are some of the best employees we have in the agency.” His voice is even, but wavers on the edge of irritation. “However, this kind of behavior has to stop. Joshua and I have been talking, and we think it would be best to try to remedy this before it gets even worse than it already is.”

Neither you nor Wonwoo has the dignity to talk, so he keeps going. 

“We have a new game proposal that has come to our attention from our supervisors.” He explains, leaning back in his chair. “But, in order for it to get funding of any kind, we need to create a mock-up of the game. Just a small, playable version to show what the finished product could look like with full funding. This game has the potential to be a big deal for the company, so we can not mess it up. Which, in turn, means we need our best workers on the project.”

“Since the two of you can’t figure out how to work together on your own,” Joshua chimes in, “we will be requiring you to work together on this project. That means genuine collaboration and communication. No more using Seungkwan as a mediator or opening tickets to try and solve problems.”

You think you might puke. Beside you, Wonwoo is still. You’re both at a loss for words, because why would they think this was a good idea? They just saw how the morning played out with their own two eyes, so they think the appropriate solution is to force you to work together? The whole situation is laughable and ridiculous. So horrifically ridiculous, in fact, that you wonder for a second if this is a nightmare. It’s the only logical explanation right now. 

“What’s the game?” Wonwoo asks. His voice is low, like he’s trying to hide the fact that he’s pissed by being quiet. 

Seungcheol reaches into a drawer and pulls out a manila folder. There’s already quite the stack of papers inside, which makes you wonder how long they’ve been building on this idea before deciding to greenlight it. He passes the folder to Wonwoo, who begins shuffling through the notes. 

“Fantasy RPG,” Seungcheol replies. “They want to make it an open world, with a ‘choose your own path’ style of gameplay. There’s everything between romanceable characters, vast options for customization, and over a hundred different endings to the game. The mechanics are going to need to be pretty impressive for us to get the funding we need.”

The project did sound like fun. It piques your interest enough that the idea of working with Wonwoo almost sounds tolerable if it meant you got to design the characters for it. Almost. Wonwoo closes the folder again and tries to pass it back to Seungcheol, but you reach over to take it from him. He glances at you for the first time since the argument, and your blood boils all over again. His jaw tightens as he turns to his supervisor. 

You flip through the notes, seeing a few rough sketches for concept art. It’s got everything between character names, weapons, armor, and even animal companions. Your mind is already swirling with ideas as you chew on your bottom lip. The vision is painting itself in your mind, making you eager to sketch it all up. You’re thinking of a darker concept, judging by the description of the game. Deep purples, ugly, olive green tones, with maybe a touch of mustard yellow for the ogres–

“We need a final product to present to investors in six months.” Seungcheol continues. You look up at him again. Six months was not that much time. You’d have to start on this, like, yesterday. “I’m anticipating overtime will happen occasionally, so HR has already approved whatever extra hours will accumulate between now and August.”

You glance over to Wonwoo, who is now sitting with his arms folded across his chest. You can’t fully read his expression from where you sit, but you’d kill to know what was going on in his mind right now. As you close the folder and pass it back to Seungcheol, you take a deep breath. 

“Okay.” You manage. Not that you had much of a choice in whether or not you were assigned to the project, but you knew one of you had to at least acknowledge the plan. Clearly, Wonwoo wasn’t going to. “I’ll start on some designs–”

“Don’t tell me.” Seungcheol gestures to Wonwoo. “Tell your partner.”

You feel the tips of your ears heat up. Is he seriously playing mediator right now? Swallowing, you turn to face Wonwoo. He’s still not looking at you. 

Clearing your throat, you finish your sentence, “I’ll start on some designs and color palettes.”

A few seconds pass before Wonwoo looks at you. He stands, then sticks his hands into his pockets. “Sounds good. I’m going to work on gameplay mechanics. I’ll get some demos ready.”

With that, he turns on his heel and exits the office. A tiny part of you hopes the door hits him on his way out, but it doesn’t. It never does. 

When you get home, you sink into your couch and pray the cushions swallow you whole. Your cat, Dubu, comes running from the bedroom and promptly plants herself onto your lap. You watch as she stretches out, then rolls over onto her back. 

Dubu came into your life when you first moved out of your parents’ house. So, five years ago now. Truthfully, you’re not sure where you’d be without her. Dubu has been your lifeline for every long, sleepless night, every breakup, and every hiccup you’ve had involving Wonwoo at work. Today was no different, and you’re certain she can tell when you’re having a bad day. She’s purring loudly, staring up at you like you’ve hung the stars in the sky. For her, you probably did. You just wish you could do it for someone else, too. 

“Oh, Dubu,” you sigh, “what’re we going to do? They’re making Wonwoo and I work together.”

She meows as if she understands. She doesn’t, but you keep going anyway.

“The game is cool.” You hum as you gently scratch her tummy. She blinks slowly. “It’s fantasy. Maybe I could draw some cool dragons in it. Or maybe I could draw Wonwoo and have him get blown to smithereens in the tutorial.”

If only that’s how real life worked, too. Not that you want Wonwoo dead per se, but you wish there was a way to just…re-animate or re-code how things could be. You wonder a lot what must’ve happened to make him such a grouch, or if he came out of his mother’s womb naturally being an asshole. How miserable his life must be if he behaves that way every day. 

Does he even have a life outside of work? You’ve never considered that thought before. Who was Jeon Wonwoo outside of the office? Letting your curiosity get the better of you, you dig your phone out of your pocket and open up Instagram. It takes all but one search for his profile to pop up. 

You want to laugh at how ridiculous it seems. The only semi-accurate aspect about his profile is the fact that he’s barely smiling. Now that you think about it, you wonder if he’s just allergic to smiling in general. Have his friends seen him smile? His family? You want to shudder at the thought of being related to someone so…Wonwoo. Your eyes land on one particular recurring commenter: kimhaeun. She’s calling Wonwoo handsome and saying she misses him, and you barf a little in your mouth. If anyone has seen him smile, maybe it’s her. Poor soul. Dating someone as pretentious as him must be miserable–assuming they’re dating, anyway.

Dubu meows again from your lap, which shifts your attention back to her. Tossing your phone aside, you begin to scratch the top of her head. She paws at your phone playfully, which makes you smile. 

Until her paw somehow taps the ‘follow’ button. 

When you gasp, Dubu jumps off your lap and runs to the other room. You quickly unfollow him, and pray to god he didn’t see anything. You’re not sure you can handle that kind of embarrassment at work on Monday. Besides, who the hell is going to believe your story that your cat followed him?

“Jesus, Dubu.” You exhale as you make sure to fully close out of the app this time. 

You set your phone back down on the couch and wander to the bedroom, where Dubu is hiding under the bed. You manage to coax her out and scoop her into your arms again. As you give her a kiss on the head, your phone dings in the living room. You and Dubu wander back to the couch, and you peer down at the screen. 

wonulikesgames Followed You!

Monday rolls around, and you’re not so sure how you feel about going into work. The only plus side is that Wonwoo isn’t showing up at the same time as you today, so you can peacefully clock in and head up to your workstation. Tucked under your arm is your sketchbook, where you’ve drawn a few mock-ups for character designs. You spent your whole weekend on them and were truthfully pretty proud of the final product. The game was a big inspiration, though. If the project gets the funding it needs, you already knew you would buy a copy once the company finished making it. 

Video games were something you enjoyed from time to time. Honestly, when you got into animation, you were hoping to do something more along the lines of movies or cartoons. It hadn’t crossed your mind to animate for video games until your friend, Hansol, encouraged you to apply for the position at Carat Entertainment. Hansol, much like Seungkwan, is one of your best friends. He went to art school with you, but he left Carat a few years ago to work in an art institute somewhere in Europe. When he lived here, you, him, and Seungkwan were inseparable. You and Seungkwan had even taken a trip to see him a few months ago, and you’d forgotten how fun it was to have the three of you in the same room. 

With Hansol leaving Carat, though, you were promoted to his old position. Going from a concept artist to an animator was a dream come true. 

Well, until it began to involve Wonwoo. 

You’d known of Wonwoo when you were first hired, but your paths hadn’t started crossing until the promotion. Prior to that, you’d smile at him in the hallways, and he’d just ignore it. You figured at the time he was just awkward. When you finally had to work with him, you quickly found out that he just sucked. And as much as he sucked, you despised the fact that he was good at what he did. Like, why do shitty people also get to be talented and smart? It’s a waste, in your opinion. Some of that could go to other programmers you enjoyed, like Jihoon or Soonyoung. They weren’t assholes. Why couldn’t you collaborate with them?

You round the corner towards your workstation, where Wonwoo is spread out with his laptop. Seungkwan is tucked in the corner, looking scared out of his mind that the devil himself is there. Your jaw tightens as you set your things down. 

“Good morning.” You say flatly. 

“Sure,” Wonwoo mumbles in response. “My computer is broken in engineering. Brought my laptop to work here instead.”

“You couldn’t just work on your laptop in engineering?” You question. “You’re taking up too much room. Seungkwan needs to work, too, you know.”

“We’re working on this together, aren’t we?” He counters. “Besides, I have demos to show you. Seungkwan already told me he didn’t need this workspace today.”

Your head snaps up, finding Seungkwan’s gaze immediately. He mouths, ‘Sorry!’. You roll your eyes. Considering there was no way out or around this, you decide that there’s no point in wasting your energy on it. You slide into your chair as you boot up your tablet. 

“Well,” you sigh as you begin to spin, “I have some character designs to show you, too. Glad we both did our work over the weekend.”

Wonwoo is quiet as he types. You’re not sure when he’s planning to show you these demos, so at first you just wait. Your gaze darts back and forth between Seungkwan and Wonwoo, trying to figure out if you should say something else or let Wonwoo approach the topic first. Figuring your colleague wasn’t going to be talking anytime soon, you decide to leave the ball in his court. Spinning in your chair, you face your tablet again. As you begin moving your physical sketches onto the device, you hear a chair get pulled up to your left. You glance, finding Wonwoo there with his laptop.

Of course, he’s ready to show you when you take your attention off him. 

You spin to face him, and he gives you a look. It’s not one you can entirely read, but if you had to guess, it was annoyance. It only makes sense that he would hate someone spinning in their office chair. He probably doesn’t spin in his at all because he’s a fun hater. Just for that, you continue to spin back and forth to piss him off even more. 

“So, I made the mechanics pretty simple as far as the actual combat goes,” he begins as he faces the screen towards you. “I think the focus should be more storyline-based than combat-based, going off the notes. I’ve created a total of fifteen different fighting strategies so far. Obviously, most of them will depend on the weapon type, but I figure we can flesh that out with whatever you’ve drawn so far.”

He begins to play through his demo. You watch as the filler characters (AKA blocks essentially) move through the space. Wonwoo seems focused, and you hate that he’s so aware of what he’s doing. You hate that he’s good at this. But what you hate even more is the fact that the gameplay looks good. Like, really, really good. Once the demo ends, he looks over to you. His expression is deadpan per usual, but it’s slightly softer, like he’s looking for approval of some kind. 

All you can manage to give him is a shrug. “It looks fine.”

“It’s better than fine.” He states. “This is the best combat I’ve made since starting here.”

You know he’s right, but you’re too prideful to give him that justification. You begin spinning in your chair again as you think of what to say that won’t give him any kind of ego boost. Suddenly, his hand grabs the backrest of your chair, promptly stopping you. 

“Would you knock that off?” He asks. “Show me your sketches.”

“Fun hater.” You grumble. You turn your back to him to grab your sketchbook, then pass it to him. “All my sketches for the game are towards the back of the notebook. It’s labeled, so you shouldn’t miss–”

“I found them already.” He cuts in. Then, he goes quiet again as he slowly flips through each page. You watch as his eyes carefully examine every drawing, like he’s genuinely observing it and not just glancing. On one page, you watch him trace over the illustration with his hands. He hesitates for a second, and before you can lean in to see what picture it was, he closes the notebook and passes it back to you. “They’re fine.”

You guess you deserve that. Taking the notebook back, you sigh. “I’m going to work on transferring these over to my tablet, and then I’ll begin on animation.”

“You don’t have to tell me everything you do,” Wonwoo says, as he turns his attention back to his laptop. “As long as it gets done, I don’t care.”

You blink. “This is a collaboration, in case you’ve forgotten. When I collaborate, I personally keep my partner in the loop on the status of each stage. You know, like a normal person.”

“But I don’t think that requires giving me every detail,” Wonwoo argues. “Obviously, updates are good, but I don’t need to know what you’re doing every second of your day, Picasso. Frankly, I couldn't care less what you’re doing with your day.”

You press your tongue to the inside of your cheek. For some reason, his words pack a bit more punch than normal. Dwelling on it, though, wasn’t going to fix anything. When you turn back to your tablet to keep working, you’re expecting Wonwoo to go back to the workstation. Instead, he stays firmly planted at your side, typing away on his laptop as if he didn’t just insult you a few seconds ago. 

Time rolls on, and the two of you are so quiet that after a while, you forget Wonwoo is even there. You bob your head to the music in your headphones and sway in your chair as you shade and finish some character designs. The color palette you picked looks exactly as you envisioned, and it makes you feel a swell of pride. Almost like reassurance that you do know what you’re doing, and your art degree is paying off.

As you’re shading in the last dragon from your sketches, you hear Wonwoo shift beside you. You glance over to him, and he’s stretching his hands above his head. The sleeves on his white button-down fall slightly when he removes his glasses to rub his eyes. When he puts them back on, he glances at the time. It’s already one, which means you missed your lunch. It is, however, time for his lunch. So, you watch him stand. He locks his computer, but leaves it next to you. 

“I’ll be back in an hour.” He announces. 

And with that, he exits the department and disappears towards the breakroom. You drag a hand down your face, as Seungkwan all but trips over himself running over to you. 

“That was so weird!” He hisses, spinning you to face him. “He just…sat there. All morning. Is he coming back? Will it be like this for this whole project?”

You push Seungkwan off of you. “He just said he would be back in an hour, Kwan. Were you even listening? And, no, it’s only like this until his computer is fixed.”

“What is the project they have you working on? Joshua wouldn’t say.” Seungkwan slides into the seat that was previously occupied by Wonwoo. 

“It’s just some new game they’re trying to get greenlit.” You roll your eyes. “They’re making Wonwoo and I work together as a disciplinary action.”

Seungkwan makes a face at that. “So, what, how long are you going to be stuck on this with him?”

“Six months,” You groan, burying your face in your hands. “The only redeeming factor is that the game is so cool. I really want to be part of it, but the fact that it means dealing with Wonwoo–”

“Hey, on the plus side, he’s only insulted you once so far today!” Seungkwan chirps. “He seems to be staying quiet.”

“For now.” You mutter. 

He had a point, though. As much as it pains you to admit it, the morning hasn’t been awful. If the project could stay like this for the duration of the six months, you might actually make it out alive. 

“Besides,” Seungkwan shifts closer to you, “between you and me, I heard he got a job offer somewhere else.”

As if today couldn’t get any better. You gasp, fully turning your body towards Seungkwan. This deserves full attention, so you shut your tablet off to listen. Seungkwan leans in so nobody else can hear. 

“I was in the breakroom an hour ago,” he explains softly. “Soonyoung and Seokmin were in there, talking about how Wonwoo had a meeting with Seungcheol on Friday after you guys left. I guess some big-name company in the States offered him a job, and it pays really well.”

“Do you think he’ll take it?” You ask. 

Seungkwan scoffs. “He’d be stupid not to. That’s what Seokmin said, too. I mean, this could be a big break for him. Besides, he had a messy breakup a few months ago. Like, bad messy. So why would he stay?”

Your mind wanders back to the girl you saw in the comments on his Instagram profile–Haeun. Was that who he broke up with? Maybe that’s why she commented that she wished she were with him on his most recent post. Yikes. Well, really, maybe not yikes. She was now single, so you would count that as a win for her. Maybe she’d see it eventually, too. 

“Oh god, I am praying so hard he takes it.” You say, leaning back in your chair. “Could you imagine life without Jeon Wonwoo?”

“I’d imagine you’d be a lot more delightful to be around.” Seungkwan remarks. 

You kick his leg from under the desk. He winces, then kicks you back. It doesn’t hurt, though. Seungkwan never could put much power behind his physical attacks. He was too nice to do that. 

You turn back to your tablet, then happily sigh. “Maybe that will be my motivation for this project.” You hum as Seungkwan returns to his own desk. “One more day of working with him just means I’m one day closer to never seeing him again.”

You don’t even realize it’s late until you finish transferring your final sketch over. You stretch, then glance up. Outside, it’s dark. The office is quiet except for the sounds of Wonwoo’s typing next to you. Grabbing your phone, you glance at the time. 

8:47 pm

“Oh, my god.” You say, but a yawn slips out instead. You’ve missed lunch and dinner now, it seems. Dubu will be mad at you when you get home. “It’s almost nine.”

Wonwoo, unmoving, replies, “I know, I saw that a few minutes ago.”

You stand and power off your tablet. As you begin to put all your tools and supplies away, you find that Wonwoo begins to follow suit. 

“You didn’t have to stay if you knew it was late.” You comment. “I have a tendency to lose track of time.”

He packs his laptop into his backpack. “I wasn’t staying because of you. I was staying because I had work to do.”

“Right,” you laugh in disbelief. A few seconds pass before you add, “You’re so grumpy all the time.”

Wonwoo looks up at you as he puts on his jacket. “I’m not grumpy. I just don’t like you.”

“Well, that’s been established.” You roll your eyes as you sling your bag over your shoulder. “Whatever. I’m too tired to argue with you right now.”

As you turn to leave, you hear him quickly say, “Wait. You think I’m just going to let you leave alone?”

You press your brows together. Before you have the chance to look at him again, he’s already by your side. As if he could read your thoughts, he clarifies, “It’s late. This side of town isn’t fantastic at night, and I’m not going to just let you leave by yourself. I hate you, but I’m not a complete asshole.”

The two of you begin walking in silence towards the elevator, and you are incredibly unsure of how you’re supposed to feel in this moment. Jeon Wonwoo, the same person who can never be bothered to do anything for anyone, is now walking you to your car. You already know you’re going to have to call Seungkwan and Vernon when you get home to debrief this. They’re always in the loop on your ‘Wonwoo Moments’, as they’ve dubbed it.

When the elevator doors close behind you, Wonwoo leans against the wall. He sighs, then says, “I saw you followed me on Instagram.”

The blood rushes from your face. You bow your head towards the ground to hide the fact, then clear your throat. “Uh, yeah, that was an accident. I unfollowed you.”

“I know.” He replies. “Why were you looking me up?”

“Jesus.” You laugh, burying your face in your hands. “You’re so straightforward, dude. Have you never casually stalked someone before?”

When you lift your head to look at him, he’s already staring at you. He’s deadpan (shocker), but the fact that he was looking at you makes you feel…weird. It’s not bad, but it’s not good. You don’t really know what it is, but your stomach kind of flips over itself. 

“No.” He answers flatly. “I’m not on social media much.”

“I noticed.” You hum. “Your last post was from four months ago.”

“No, I posted last week.” He corrects. You think for a second he’s biting back a smile, but you can’t tell with the dim lighting of the elevator. The doors open, and the two of you are stepping off. 

You scoff, looking away from him. “Whatever. You get my point.”

Outside, the February air is crisp as it hits your face. You wrap your arms around yourself as you both trek across the parking lot towards your vehicles. True to his word, Wonwoo walks you all the way to your small, white SUV. When you stop beside it, you’re not sure why you hesitate. But Wonwoo doesn’t move, either, so you sit in the silence. 

Seoul is still alive around you, with the sounds of cars passing by and the twinkling lights of the city. It starts to snow lightly, and you consider saying something. Anything. But before you get the chance to act on it, Wonwoo is taking a deep breath. 

“Good job today.” He says. “Your designs were really cool.”

“Oh.” You give him a polite smile. “Thank you. You too. I kind of lied earlier. I really liked your combat mechanics.”

Wonwoo laughs, and for the first time in the seven years you’ve known him, you see his smile. His head dips for a second before he meets your gaze again. 

“I figured you did.” He admits. “But, I did, too. So I guess we’re even.”

“I guess so.” You say. “Goodnight, Wonwoo.”

“Goodnight, Picasso.”

Perm Taglist: @bananabelle @aelin-tiny @weasleytwins-41 @codeinebelle @parakissss @toohyperactiveforyou12

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[leesvnkyu]

jeongyeon » right hand girl in turin

[lovelylonelinesssvt]

Destiny- Jeon Wonwoo

Pairing: Jeon Wonwoo x f!Reader

Genre: friends? To lovers, romance, fluff, slight angst, Mutual pining, hte fab "almost.."First Love.

W.C.: 14.7k (yeah.)

Summary: Sweet Blossom had become your sanctuary, a way to still believe in first love. Time played dirty for you and him. From high school glances to crushing years appart, neither of you could understand why letting go of each other was so hard. Gravity always pulling you back to each other even when you both start to believe it was not meant to be. Can first love finally bloom and overcome years of missed connections?

Warnings: slight angst, moving out, misunderstandings, mentions of tiny blood, attempt at smut, sex scenes, maybe unprotected sex.(wrap it before you ride it) i might be missing something but i don't know what else lol.

A/n: Hello there, here I am with another sweet collab, yes i know i have some fics in need of their second part, but i had to do this too, i mean Wonwoo!

Anywaysss this is part of the First Bloom collab from @svthub Thank you so much for letting me be part of it!

A/n2: I'd like to thank my dear @nerdycheol Rae, Thank you so much for reading this! i was actually scared by some bits, you'll see why lol. thank you all for reading.

I'll drop this here, happy reading.

please i'd appreciate if you reblog/comment, thank you so much!

Dividers by @cursed-carmine

Friend Who Cares

The playground behind the elementary school was always too loud.

Everyone was running around, energy on full power playing like there was no tomorrow.

You were right in the middle of it, of course you were. Jumping from the swings to the slide, dragging two other kids by their hands to start a game of tag, it was a sight to see. You liked talking to everyone and to you it didn’t matter if you had just met them five minutes ago.

They were on the playground, you were going to play with them, no questions asked.

Jeon Wonwoo was occasionally different. He was sitting on the green bench near the fence right under the shadow of the tree, a book open on his lap. Sometimes he’d follow his friends and match their energy and games. Other days he’d like to sit and relax before chaos begins.

Today he chose it to be calm, he was quiet enjoying watching everyone else.

Every now and then, he would look up, watch the chaos for a second with a calm expression, occasionally smiling deciding whether he should join or just be an spectator and then go right back to reading. He was twelve, but he often acted like he was much older.

You were so happy and excited playing tag with the rest that you didn’t see the rock in the middle of the playground. One second you were sprinting to touch the base, laughing over your shoulder, and the next, you tripped over that stupid rock. You went down hard. The sting hit your right knee immediately making you wince. The fall made you incredibly annoyed, instead of crying you cussed at yourself.

With frustration you walked to the wall near and sat there not caring about getting dust all over your skirt, you were more concerned about your scraped knee that was starting to turn bright red.

The kids you were playing with didn’t even notice, they just kept running and to be honest, that was a little upsetting to you.

“Nice.” You mumbled trying to stop the bleeding with the edge of your skit trying as hard as you could to not stain it too much. “I’m okay guys. Pft, rude.”

You then saw a pair of blue sneakers in front of you. Looking up, it was the quiet boy from the bench. He didn’t say anything at first, he just tilted his head.

He then nodded as he finished his brief evaluation and knelt down, his uniform trousers getting a little dusty, and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a band-aid with a weird, cartoon character printed on it.

“Here,” Wonwoo gave you a little shy smile, his voice was already deep for his age, very soft and calming. He didn’t ask if you were okay or make a big deal out of the blood, which luckily was barely there now. He carefully peeled the wrappers off. “It's a limited edition one. My mom bought the wrong box, but it works.”

You stared at him, your mouth slightly open. “You're giving me your limited edition band-aid?”

“Yes, you’re bleeding.” Wonwoo reasoned, “you didn’t hit your head right?” his fingers working carefully to place it over your scraped knee. He patted the edges down to make sure it stuck there despite the dust around it. Once he was done, he didn’t stand up right away. He sat down on the dusty ground right next to you, pulling his knees to his chest “you need to clean it properly though.”

“Ah, right.” You hated that, scrapped knee, fresh blood and rubbing alcohol, do not get along well. “Thank you--?”

“Wonwoo,” he replied, giving you a very shy smile. He pointed toward a tree near the water fountains. “My friends are over there, Jun is trying to eat a leaf because Seokmin told him it tastes like green apple sour candy. Do you want to come help me make sure he really does not end up eating it?”

That was the exact moment. Your heart flipped. It was a simple realization that this quiet boy noticed you were hurt when everyone else kept running. You didn’t really know what it meant back then, but he won you over with a cartoon band-aid and an invitation to save his friend.

You let out a loud laugh, the sting of your knee completely forgotten now and your curiosity wining. “Okay! Let’s go.”

Wonwoo stood up and offered you a hand. His grip was steady and warm, he didn’t let go until both of you reached the big tree, where Lee Seokmin was already shouting something ridiculous and Jun was indeed holding a green leaf too close to his mouth.

“Eat it, it’slike that sweet candy we like, like sour candy!” Seokmin said holding back a giggle, devil cheeky smile was showing how obvious that lie is, to anyone but Jun apparently.

“Hey,” Wonwoo called out, pulling you into the circle. “This is Y/n. She’s playing with us now.” He said as a matter of fact, not caring to ask if you could join.

You didn’t need to ask, cause no one refused. Seokmin didn’t even ask for more than your support, he just tried to make you help him convince Jun, who pouted when you took the leaf from him way too abruptly.

That afternoon, you became part of the group that you later found out were bigger than the 3 of them. You and Seokmin immediately matched energies, becoming a loud, duo within an hour despite you not being on his side trying to prank Jun.

That didn’t change the fact that you’ll be laughing until your stomachs hurt. You ran around, and somehow you fit with them. Wonwoo would still be concerned and asking about your knee, each time making you giggle assuring him you were okay.

Despite being a calm day, Wonwoo found himself following you and the boys to play even more louder than the other kids. He was having fun with you there.

Things changed and became a little complicated after that. In a good way, it was a change that both, you and Wonwoo liked.

.-.-.-

As the weeks turned into months, you and Wonwoo didn’t exactly became best friends.

Seokmin was the one who became your twin, the one you shared every daily secret with and vice versa.

Wonwoo on the other side, remained as the quiet boy that occasionally matched the energy. You played together, you shared snacks, and you walked in the same group every day after school, but there was a weird, shy distance between the two of you. It was confusin, because somehow you found yourself always on his calm orbit.

When you were around Seokmin, you were loud and completely yourself. But the moment Wonwoo sat next to you at lunch, it was like his presence bought you calm and you just relaxed. Like being around him grounded you when you needed it.

You also became a little more careful as you made sure to share your favorite snacks with him first, often putting his preferences before your own without even thinking about it.

If he looked tired, you would quietly stop Seokmin from yelling too close to his ear. You wanted him to be happy, even if it meant you had to tone down your usual loud self just a bit to match his calm demeanor, still you were happy to do that.

Wonwoo was doing the same thing. He was a boy of actions. Whenever the group went to the convenience store, he would always buy the specific soda you liked, gummy bears and he would casually place it into your lap before sitting three seats away to talk to Jun. He never made a big deal out of it, you didn’t either, but it settled in your heart each time, like a little seed you didn’t know he was planting.

One afternoon, about a year later, the whole group was hanging out at the local park again. Seokmin and Jun were chasing each other near the swings. You were sitting on a picnic blanket, organizing some sticker collections you had a fever of recently.

Wonwoo walked over, holding his can of soda. He looked like he wanted to sit next to you, his eyes lingering on the empty spot on the blanket.

“Y/n, look at this!” Seokmin screamed from the swings now, waving his arms wildly. “I can jump from the highest point! Jun I bet I could beat you!”

You immediately looked up, a wave of panic hitting you because Seokmin was incredibly reckless followed by his innumerably unlucky endings at betting. “Yah! Seokmin-ah, don’t do it! You’re going to break your arm again!” You got up as fast as you could off the blanket, running toward the swings to stop him. Or at least try.

Wonwoo stood there, before he could even decide to sit with you, he was looking at how fast you ran. He slowly lowered his gaze to the empty spot you had just left on the blanket. No one noticed, but his jaw tightened just a fraction, a quiet, subtle jealousy building up in his chest, he didn’t exactly knew why and what it was this feeling.

He quietly sat down on the bench nearby, pulling out a book he intended to ignore today, he wanted to talk to you, show you something. His heart betrayed him though, because now his eyes were tracking you as you fussed over Seokmin’s safety.

He liked Seokmin, he is one of his best friends and his twin as some would point out physical similarities, but Wonwoo couldn’t help but feel this annoyance towards him for a moment.

Jun noticed, of course he did. He walked over to him a minute later, sweating from running around helping you to calm Seokmin down since another boy was now challenging him, claiming he was a tiger making everyone cringe a little.

Jun looked at Wonwoo, then looked at you holding Seokmin back as he was, hopefully, playfully fighting the tiger guy.

“Hey, dude you look like a dog watching someone else play with his favorite toy.” Jun said randomly tilting his head as he kept wiping his forehead with his sleeve.

Wonwoo didn’t dare to look up at him, after breaking his gaze from you and the little chaos he shruggred “Shut up, Jun.”

“I’m just saying. If you want to talk to her, just go over there. You bought her that sticker pack yesterday and I know it’s still in your bag.”

“Later, she’s busy,” Wonwoo muttered, his voice was sharper that intended making Jun scoff at his avoiding answer.

Wonwoo turned the page of his book, though he hadn’t read a single line. He was too busy now watching you laugh at something Seokmin said along with the others, he felt something twisting inside his chest but tried so hard to ignore it.

You looked back for a split second, catching Wonwoo’s eyes. You were always so aware of how he liked his space, but you also knew if was a little harder for him to come closer. And to be honest, you wanted him there too. You gave him a bright, wide smile, waving your hand to call him over.

Wonwoo froze for a second. The quiet jealousy melted away instantly, replaced by that familiar, fast thump in his chest. He gave in way too fast, but that’s how it always was, a smile and he’d follow. He closed his book, stood up, and walked over to the swings, keeping his hands in his pockets.

You were both right there, in the same group, liking each other, a feeling too strong that neither of you knew how to handle. God, you didn’t even know what truly was.

So you stayed just friends. The most normal thing in both of your eyes. But he was the first friend who cared for you, the first friend you found yourself looking forward to be next to, and he brought you that calm you often need and you were the girl he couldn’t stop watching.

First Love & Jealousy

A few years passed and a lot of things changed, the group stayed together even dare to say it got a little bigger.

However, by senior year, the lines were obviously drawn. You and Seokmin were still the loud duo of the hallway, practically sharing a single brain cell when it came to making a scene and all before first period. Jun was always floating around everyone dropping bizarre observations, and Wonwoo was the calm anchor to all, usually seen with a camera slung around his neck now instead of a book.

What didn’t change was his usual calm and random times where he would be as active as the rest of the group.

It didn’t change the fact that you and Wonwoo were still in that same careful dance of looking after each other in quiet ways that only the two of you understood. Sometimes.

You weren’t best friends to be honest.

If you had a bad day, you yelled about it to Seokmin, if you were excited about something, he’d be the first to know. If Wonwoo was stressed about his exams, he stayed up late talking to Jun, if he wanted to go out to eat he’d be his first option.

 But whenever the whole group gathered, your eyes always found him first. He’d follow you subtly, his eyes on you all the time. Your eyes on him wondering if he had already filled his daily dose of chaos.

You noticed the small things too. How he liked his jacket sleeves pushed up to his elbows, how he took photos of every precious moment for him. You noticed how he always managed to stand just close enough to shield you whenever you were in a crowded place.

It was a Tuesday afternoon, right before the annual school festival. The main hallway was a mess of cardboard boxes, paint and students in panic rushing around to finish the whole decoration booths.

You were leaning against a the lockers, holding a massive roll of yellow banner paper rolling your eyes at Seokmin who was next to you, attempting to balance a plastic stick on his chin to impress some sophomores.

“Y/n?” a voice called out.

You looked over. It was Yunho, a guy you had seen play on the football team. He was popular, outgoing, and had a smile that usually worked on everyone. He stopped right in front of you, completely ignoring Seokmin, who promptly dropped the stick.

“Oh, hey Yunho.” you said, giving him your usual polite, too sweet smile. You were kind to everyone, it was just your nature even if that meant dealing with a guy that actually believed everyone was head over heels in love with him.

“So, I was thinking about the festival dance on Friday,” Yunho said, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn’t even trying to be subtle. “We should go together, a few of us are going to get food afterwards too. Everyone is invited so, you should come with me.”

A few feet away, near the stairs, Wonwoo was calmly adjusting the settings on his camera. The second Yunho stopped in front of you, Wonwoo’s fingers froze. He wanted to walk over and shove his way into the conversation because that guy was too close to you, but he’s always too polite, too respectful of your space.

That didn’t change the fact he felt a sting in his chest and he couldn’t stop the way his jaw tightened so hard a small muscle twitched in his cheek.

Wonwoo looked down at his camera, his quiet jealousy spiking up like a fever. He started turning the focus ring on his lens over and over— back and forth, all trying to calm himself. Then, he saw Yunho shift closer to you and Wonwoo’s chest felt incredibly tight.

He sort of disliked how social you were sometimes, how your kind heart made you stand there and listen to guys who clearly wanted more than just a casual chat. Even if you were strong enough to actually defend yourself, there was still this protective, fiercely to say the least, need from Wonwoo to do something.

That thought was abruptly caged when he remembered he is just a friend, he had no right to tell Yunho to back off when you were clearly okay with him that close.

“Oh,” you blinked, your mind instantly buffering. You didn’t want to be rude rejecting him, but you also felt a weird tug in your stomach. You didn’t want to go to the festival with Yunho. He’s a nice guy to you, but you are aware of the way he is nice with every girl too.

Besides, whenever you pictured the festival night, you pictured sitting on the bleachers with a bag of popcorns, sharing a soda Wonwoo always bought for you staring at the chaos you’d probably start. Your friends where always there, he was always there.

“Um, Yunho, that’s really nice and thank you, but—”

“She’s helping with the decorations all night,” Seokmin cut in, he didn’t really know if you were going to say yes, but if his instinct was right, he needed to help you before you end up collapsing trying to reject him “and she promised to help me carry things. Yeah her schedule is packed, man.”

Yunho looked sckeptical and a little disappointed but nodded. “Right. Well, if you change your mind, let me know, okay?” He gave you one last smile and walked down the hall, the disappointment disappearing almost instantly as another group of girls giggled over him smiling as he walked past them.

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding, shifting the heavy paper in your arms. When you looked toward the stairs, Wonwoo was already walking away, his camera dangling from his strap and his hands shoved deep into his blazer pockets.

The rest of the day felt entirely off. During lunch, Wonwoo sat at the very end of the table next to Jun and Chan, he barely touched his rice, but managed to blend in with everyone else. He wasn’t angry at you—he could never be angry at you— but he was losing his mind trying to handle the realization that other people were starting to notice how sweet you were. And how extremely annoying the idea of you hanging out with someone else was.

After the final bell, and a cheerful vibe everyone gathered outside the school. Seokmin had stayed behind for cleaning duty, leaving Chan, Jun, you and Wonwoo to walk to the bus station, out of nowhere, Jun had made an extremely odd excuse to drag Chan with him somewhere else, leaving you and Wonwoo alone.

The silence between you two was heavy, slightly relaxed but thick with everything he was feeling and everything you wanted to ask since you noticed how weird he was all day.

You kept glancing at his profile. He looked calm, his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, but he wasn’t looking at you, he was thinking too hard about something you know he is.

“Are you going?” Wonwoo asked suddenly. His voice was very quiet, almost didn’t get it because of the noise.

You stopped walking. “Going where?”

Wonwoo stopped too, turning his body to face you. He kept his hands in his pockets, his knuckles white inside the fabric but trying his best to be patient, and calm. “You know, to the festival. With that guy from the soccer team. Minho?”

You stared at him. The directness of his question caught you off guard, but then you noticed the slight tension in his shoulders. He was trying so hard to look indifferent, to look like a normal friend just asking a casual question, but he couldn’t hide the intensity in his eyes. He wanted you to say no. He was practically begging you with his eyes to say no.

“It’s Yunho.” You tried so hard to be calm and not giggle, but your lips curled into a small, soft smile. The realization hit you and it was adorable. He was jealous.

“And no,” you said before he could say something else, your voice gentle. “I told him I couldn't. Well, Min helped me you know I short circuit when I have to reject politely something, or someone. So, no I’m not going.”

Wonwoo blinked, his posture loosening just a fraction. “Why not? Wait Seokmin helped?”

“Yunho is, very charismatic but very insisting too. Seokming helped because I froze trying to find a polite way to say no.” you let out an awkward laugh “And well, because I honesty don't want to go with him,” you said taking a small step closer to him. Your heart was beating fast, but trying putting his peace of mind before any drama. You wanted him to know, where you wanted to be without actually saying it.

“I already planned on spending the festival with you guys. With you. And I’d rather watch you take photos of Jun doing something stupid than go with him to a dance I have been sleeping late helping at.”

Wonwoo looked at you for a long moment. The jealousy feeling vanished, replaced by that overwhelming, pure warmth that always crowded his chest whenever you smiled at him. You didn’t specifically said you wanted to be with him, but he understood because your eyes said it all.

He let out a soft, shaky breath, a growing knowing smile appearing on his lips as he nodded.

He pulled his right hand out of his pocket and reached into his backpack, pulling out a cold can of soda. He didn’t say anything more. He definitely didn’t confess that he was relieved, that he was happy you did not want that dude. Even though he wanted to tell you something more, he just pressed the cold can into your palm, his fingers brushing against yours for a second too long. On purpose.

“It’s too hot out here” Wonwoo muttered, his cheeks turning a faint shade of pink as he turned to start walking again. “Drink it before we get to the station.”

You smiled, cracking the tab open as you hurried to match his stride. You were so close to breaking the barrier between you, these small things were confirming what you secretly were starting to realize, and something he was deciding to hide. The timing felt almost perfect, but the shyness of it all was not helping.

You thought about it, it had a name and both of you knew it was that. Just too shy to say it out loud.

The first love that kept both of your minds filled with thoughts about each other, about things that wanted to be said, things that wanted to be done. For now, it was just enjoying the ride and each others company.

The First Heartbreak

Graduation felt like a countdown you couldn’t stop. An exciting but nerve wrecking feeling.

By then, Wonwoo was completely buried under heavy work. He was trying to balance his engineering degree with a growing pursuit of photography. He was always tired, always running, but he always made time to show up whenever the group gathered.

You and Wonwoo were not officially together, but the feelings were completely out in the open. Like an unsaid truth both of you were scared to say out loud.

But it was loud in the way his eyes automatically found you the second you walked into a room, and the way you always saved the seat next to you for him, no matter how crowded the table got.

A silent truth hanging between you two for years, even if no one said it both of you felt it.

You were each other’s first love and there was no denial.

Before you could even enjoy graduation fully, a family crisis hit and you had no way to stop it. Your family had to leave the city to try and stabilize a new family project. You had no choice but to follow even if you didn’t want to.

The idea of leaving your friends, Wonwoo— the love that was almost yours— was already breaking your heart.

The day before you left, you met up with Wonwoo. He had asked you to help him sort through his college photos and something else you don’t even remember.

For once he let go of that uncertain fear to be with you alone.

You were much more silent than usual, your fingers moving slowly as you slid the photos into plastic covers, he had suggested to meet up in the group usual park spot, he thought that might cheer you up a little, but you were not wearing your usual bright smile. You kept your eyes focused on the floor and you could feel the stinging in your chest every time you remembered.

The words were there yet you couldn’t voice it out.

Wonwoo noticed how teary your eyes would get each time a photo of the group was in your hands. He was just staring at you, his sharp eyes were on you, softly admiring you, taking in your quiet posture, your tired eyes, the slight tremble in your hands.

He didn’t want you to leave. Like you, he was terrified of the distance. Even more if he couldn’t bring himself to tell you how much he was going to miss you, how much he…

“You’re packing that stack wrong,” Wonwoo said softly almost a whisper. His voice was deep but soft enough to soothe you. “That one… is one of my favorites.”

You stopped, looking down at the photo in your hands. It was a close-up portrait he had taken of you a year ago, laughing under a streetlamp. You remembered that Seokmin had been teasing Jun once again, both of you were laughing in your memory, but he had taken the opportunity to capture the pure genuine joy pouring out of you. There couldn’t be a clearer picture of who you are, a ball of sunshine and joy.

You hadn’t even realized he kept it, or even that he took it. “Sorry,” you whispered, your throat tightened. “You know, my mind is kind of everywhere right now.”

Wonwoo reached out quietly, sitting closer to you, his hand reaching for yours stopping your nervous movement. His skin was warm and sent those damn butterflies in your stomach to a frenzy. The cold breeze not helping even a little to cool down the burning feeling.

“Hey.” He whispered softly, that made you feel goosebumps all over your body, he was close, too close.

You finally looked up, meeting his gaze. His eyes were on you, no shyness. He leaned forward, almost closing the space between you, until you could smell the familiar scent of his laundry detergent and cologne.

“I don’t want you to go,” Wonwoo murmured. The confession was barely a breath, but it hit you hard. He didn’t say I love you, because the words felt too heavy, even if they were true. He felt it, of course he did, you were a sunshine in his life, joy.

Truth be told, it wasn’t official. He never asked, never confessed, not officially or loudly. The way everything unfolded was… unique.

You were direct and straightforward always. Not with him though.

Somehow you never wanted an explanation to what he felt, to what it meant every moment he prioritized you, every moment Wonwoo waited for you, quietly took care of you. Gave you what you needed without even asking for it.

You never asked why he would do all those things, didn’t need to. Cause you knew why—and just like that—you also knew he was aware of why you did the same thingfor him.

Why you waited, why you asked about what he wanted to do, why you’d ask him for his input in something as simple as it was. Never questioned why you would bring him something to eat after he’d be all day in the school library knowing damn well he’ll skip a meal.

So, you knew those words were on his mind because they were on yours. On your heart. And the way he was looking at you was enough.

Maybe it is young love, but it does feel strong and so real. So pure.

“I don’t know what—” he cleared his throat and sighed loudly still closer to you than he’s ever been “you’re not going to be a bus ride a way.”

Your breath hitched. You leaned in too, drawn by him and the gravity that always seemed to pull you to him. Your foreheads were almost touching and the warmth of him felt just right. “I don’t want to leave. But I have to go with them”

“I know,” he whispered. His hand moved from your fingers up to your wrist, his thumb gently pressing against your pulse point, which was racing matching his own. “I just wish…” He trailed off, his eyes dropping to your lips.

The tension in the air was thick, suffocating and so close. You could see the exact moment his restraint started to break. Wonwoo tilted his head slightly, his hand sliding up to cup your cheek, his thumb resting right along your jawline. He pulled you just a fraction closer, and your eyes fluttered shut, your heart was hammering against your ribs and you were sure it would burst out of your chest.

You were a millimeter away from a kiss, from the confession that would change everything. You wanted him to say it, fuck you wanted to say it too.

You were so ready for it.

But as his lips brushed yours— just a tiny brush—he paused. The reality of tomorrow, his own schedule, and the miles that were about to separate you fell into his shoulders.

If he confessed now, it wouldn’t be a beautiful and hopeful beginning of a love story. It would be a promise that you both were too young to make.

You didn’t know how to protect that thrtough the distance. Even if you could’ve sworn he was the one, if you could’ve sworn to make it work.

Life is what it is, youth, schedules and the emotional immaturity of it all was going to be hard, too hard for both of you.

It was a love that maybe is not its right time to bloom.

Wonwoo slowly and carefully pulled back, his hand still on your jaw for a second, soothing you a little before dropping away. His jaw was tight, a muscle jumping in his cheek as he forced his eyes down.

“It’s getting late, you should get some sleep.” He was trying so hard not to show it yet, but his voice was betraying him. The disappointment and hurt too evident. “You have a long drive tomorrow.”

A tear finally spilled over your eyelashes, hot and fast. Just one, but it was enough to make Wonwoo feel like it stabbed him right in the chest.

You nodded quietly, a part of you was a little angry at him for not kissing you, and more at you for feeling too much. But you couldn’t blame him for anything and you couldn’t be angry for it cause you know it is as painful for you as it is for him. Standing up from the floor you whipped casually that single tear, pushing away the rest that were ready to fall. With the most obviously fake smile you replied softly, “Yeah. It’s going to be quite long and the car is not that comfortable. Well, uhm keep those black-and-white photos safe alright? And don’t ever thow them away got it?”

“I won’t,” he muttered to the empty space you left now made him feel cold, too cold. “Take this photo, is one of my favorites of the group. Of us.” It was taken back at the school trip to that museum you barely enjoyed.

The photo was taken outside of the bus, everyone cramped together to fit the frame, you were kneeled down next to Wonwoo, he had his arm around you and holding his thumb up while you had dared to push yourself closer to him placing your hand on his chin and both of you were smiling wider than ever.

The only good thing about that trip, and how you were seated with Wonwoo on the way back enjoying music and just being calm. A sharp contrast to the ride to the museum where you had been seated with Soonyoung who was even more hyper that you usually were.

And that was something hard to compare.

So, Wonwoo’s company brought the calm you very much needed, the warmth you needed in that cold December.

Something that everyone missed, but that was there. A blooming love in the winter.

Taking the photo was representing the bittersweet kind of heartbreak. A sweet memory in the middle of moving away from the people that made it sweet in the first place.

From the boy that made your heart flutter everytime he looked at you.

It was more painful than an actual breakup because you were never officially together, because it is the mourning of a love story that didn’t happened. A love that almost happen.

“I don’t like to say goodbye cause I know we’ll meet again. But I am going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you too.”

An hour later, you were back in your room, taping up the final boxes. Seokmin and Joshua were sitting on the bare floor, holding their cups of hot cocoa your mother had kindly made for them.

Seokmin looked up, his eyes soft and he was uncharacteristically quiet. He didn't have his usual hyper energy and every nowand then a long sigh would beheard. “Did you see him?”

“Yeah,” you said, out of everyone, of course Seokmin would be well aware of your feelings. He was the mastermind behind every opportunity you had to be next to Wonwoo in every gathering.

You were keeping your back to them knowing damn well the look they exchanged and that they would give you was going to be enough to make you cry. Again. “I helped him with his printed photos.”

“What did he say about you leaving?” Joshua asked gently. He leaned his head back against the wall, watching your rigid shoulders. “Seokmin is not the only one that knows how it is with you two, Y/N. Did he tell you—”

“No,” you whispered, your voice cracking slightly and your hands resting on the box. “He didn’t say it. I didn’t say it. But that’s best, I think I would’ve bawled my eyes out right then and there and I have a very ugly face crying.” You let out a laugh, a forced one. Even in this, you tried to make a joke out of it, out of you.

Seokmin stood up, he walked over and wrapped his arms around your shoulders. You leaned into Seokmin’s hug, letting out a shaky breath. You were grateful for them, but, you couldn’t help but feel the heavy weight of it all. Wondering if this love you almost had would just become a memory because time wasn’t right.

One thing was never going to change, your first love will always be him.

Moving On

Five years is a long time to hold onto an “almost”

You were twenty-seven now, more mature, and back in the city with a quiet determination to build something of your own.

Your routines had naturally changed, somehow the friend group remained what it was, a chaotic safe place to be. They still gathered making time for each other, and the circle had even grown. Soonyoung, Seungkwan, and Jeonghan were part of the group now, and true to yourself, you had bonded with them instantly. You were still a ball of warmth, effortlessly fulfilling your all time mission to make everyone feel included and happy.

Oh, but there was one person you had been carefully, purposefully avoiding out of shyness and fear.

Jeon Wonwoo.

He had changed a little but he’s still the deeply kind, reserved guy you remembered, he was more mature now and noticeably more outgoing. He laughed easily, threw himself into the chaotic fun of the group, and despite his brutally busy job, he made his friends a priority. But, you had not seen him since your return.

Until tonight.

It was a rainy Friday night, and it was the first time in years that absolutely everyone had made it to the gathering. The apartment filled with loud music, clinking glasses, and overlapping conversations, everyone was there. Seokmin making some sort of Karaoke with Joshua.

You were standing near the kitchen island, laughing at a joke Seungkwan was animatedly telling, when the front door opened. A feeling you don’t know how to explain made you look up.

Wonwoo walked in and he looked incredible—broader, more confident, his sharp features softened by a relaxed, easy smile as he immediately greeted Soonyoung with a hug.

But when you noticed the girl standing right beside him you felt a little sting in your chest. She was undeniably pretty, dressed elegantly, and she stayed close to his side, her hand resting on his forearm like it was nothing new. And it really wasn’t.

They weren’t officially dating, but she had been around for the past few months, right next to him. Wonwoo had brought her around few occasions. Even to the smaller gatherings you had skipped.

She was nice, perfectly good to him. She wasn’t rude, or anything but she definitely, subtly marked her place next to him. The group liked her politely, but there was no real spark there, the group has always been warm to every outsider or new face, but there’s no denial that she’s not part of them yet.

Hayoon was polite and kind, she had very present that she’s Wonwoo’s “something” not their friend entirely. In many ways, she was visually similar to you, and sometimes her joyful and polite self was similar. But she lacked your effortless, brightening, warm charisma.

Wonwoo let her into his life hoping, wishing, that her presence would finally fill the massive, aching void he’d been painfully feeling for the past five years.

Your heart dropped into your stomach when you saw how naturaly she fits by his side. The sadness hit fast, and you looked at Hayoon and immediately comparing yourself to her. Something you rarely did, but now how could you stop it if she was right next to him like that?

If it wasn’t obvious, you weren’t over him. Not even close. You stood there, suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious, wondering if she was the type of girl he had always actually wanted and truthfully meant to be with.

To keep yourself from staring, you forced yourself to focus on Jaehyun, a friend of Seokmin’s who had just joined the conversation. He was interesting, and you genuinely enjoyed talking to him, your intentions were purely friendly though. You were just trying to survive this particular night.

Across the room, Wonwoo was talking to Hayoon and Jeonghan, but his eyes were completely locked on you. The second he saw Jaehyun leaning in to hear you laugh, a sharp twist stung in his chest, he didn’t know or tried not to think about it like that but oh, it was definitely jealousy.

His jaw tightened, and he subconsciously adjusted the collar of his shirt. He didn’t say anything or did anything, but it definitely bothered him how easily you connected with people. It was a love-hate feeling at how your sunshine warmth could draw anyone in. He liked that about you, that’s one of the many things that made him want to be next to you, but it’s also a thing that made everyone else want that and he just didn’t like sharing that side of you. Not then, not now apparently.

Yet, despite all the noise, the girl on his arm, and Jaehyun standing next to you, gravity took over. It always did.

Eventually, the group shifted between drinks and small questions about your comeback to the city. Somehow, without anyone questioning and both you not realizing entirely, you and Wonwoo were now standing by the hallway looking at the table where Jaehyun had dared Seokmin to do something and they kindly had taken Hayoon with them as the judge.

You didn’t know how to react, Wonwoo was standing too still. Your heart hammered against your ribs, your hands growing slightly cold as you looked at him after so long.

The feelings were right there, buried deep but slowly making their way up again.

“Hi.” Wonwoo said. His voice was deeper than you remembered, with that awkward tone like if you were a stranger, yet still so familiar that made your chest ache a little. He gave you a warm, genuine smile. “It's really good to see you.”

“Hi, Wonwoo,” you replied softly, giving him a gentle smile. You forced down the sadness, putting his and everybody’s comfort first, as you always did. “It's good to see you too. You look well.”

“So do you. I heard about the flower shop plans from Seokmin,” he said, stepping a little closer since the loud chatting and music were making it harder to talk “Have you thought of a name for the shop?”

You two started talking, casually catching up on the missing years. It was a sweet, easy conversation, like no time passed, but only because both of you were terrified of talking about the real elephant in the room that was screaming to be noticed. You carefully avoided talking about the time you left, that day and the almost-kiss.

Both of you avoided the fact that you were both still undeniably in love with each other.

Without realizing, the conversation flowed so naturally and effortlessly that you both drifted away from the noise of the living room casually and like it was nothing, both of you stepped out through the open doors onto the covered balcony to keep the conversation without so much noise bothering you.

The rain pattered softly against the roof. For a few long moments, it felt like high school again. Just you and Wonwoo, existing in your own little universe where he was the calm and you were the warmth.

“I’ll be honest, it’s been a while since I felt this comfortable with the group.” Wonwoo murmured, his eyes softening as he looked down at you, the maturity fading into that honest boy you knew. “The group is loud and good, but it’s been... different without you.”

Your throat tightened but you tried to hide the sting and dread in your chest. Still, you dared to ask “So, you’re saying you missed me?”

“Yes—”

The balcony door slid open before he could say something else. Hayoon stood there, holding her purse. She looked at you, then at Wonwoo, her expression perfectly polite but her posture stiffening just enough for you to notice.

She smiled brightly though, as stepped out gently touching his arm.

“Hi guys, hey I’m so sorry to interrupt,” Hayoon said smoothly, her voice kind but firm. “But it’s getting a little late. Woo, you mentioned you had an early studio session tomorrow and remember you promised to take me home?” she was looking at Wonwoo in a way that made your stomach turn in discomfort. Another jealousy feeling that you also tried to not acknowledge much.

The reality of the situation hit both of you like a physical blow and the illusion of both of you together like years ago shattered.

You looked at Hayoon, then at Wonwoo’s expression. You were now uncharacteristically quiet, if it was someone else, you’d tease and say the night is young or something.

This time you weren’t strong enough to fake fully a happy y/n. Once again, the timing was entirely wrong and neither of you said what you actually felt.

Wonwoo swallowed hard, his jaw tightening as he looked back at you, his eyes filled with a painful apology and a desperate longing for more time. “Right. Yeah, let’s uh go.” He looked at you one last time, his voice strained. “Take care, Y/n.”

“Yeah, you too. It was nice to meet you, Hayoon,” you said, your polite, sweet mask locking perfectly into place even as your heart broke into a million pieces all over again.

“Nice to meet you too, hopefully we’ll see each other often. Take care!” she bowed with a smile that oddly reached her eyes yet still felt somehow fake.

Because let’s be honest here. Between women, they know when another woman is a threat to their happiness. No matter if they intend to do something or not. Whether it is harmless or not. They all know. Like a sixth sense.

You were not going to get in the middle of them, or be that kind of woman, and Hayoon wouldn’t be like that either if she knew.

You watched them walk away and it felt exactly like five years ago. This agonizing weight of a love that just would not happen. At least not yet.

You stayed on the balcony, staring out at the rain, your shoulders dropping and a single tear finally escaped. The door slid open again, and Seokmin stepped out.

 He didn’t have his usual loud, hyper energy. And of course, he had noticed everything and without a doubt he wrapped a warm arm around your shoulders and pulled you into his side, squeezing you tightly. A comforting gesture you appreciated

“Hey twin, how about we go inside and make Seungkwan do terrible karaoke?”

Meanwhile, Wonwoo walked back into the apartment, he was practically dragging his feet, his chest felt suffocatingly tight. He had left Hayoon at the entrance for a moment to get his umbrella back from the rack, his mind had been replaying the image of you standing on that balcony. More beautiful than he rememberd, warm and so close.

“Wonu,” a voice called out.

Wonwoo stopped and looked up, Jun was leaning against the wall, holding a paper cup. He looked at Wonwoo’s conflicted face.

“I’m— forgot the umbrella,” Wonwoo muttered hoarsely, rubbing his face with his hand. “I have to take her home.”

“Damn, Wonu you look like you’re walking to your own personal hell,” Jun said casually. He didn’t ask what happened because he already knew. He saw too, the way he had disappeared and how he came back like someone had burned his camera collection.

Jun took a sip from his cup, looked at the umbrella, and spoke softly. “You know, if you lose your favorite umbrella, buying a raincoat it’s just going to be more complicated. You’re trying to force a new thing that doesn’t work for you.”

Wonwoo froze, blinking twice trying to understand his best friend. “What?"

“I’m saying Hayoon is a perfectly fine raincoat, but she’s not covering you enough from a cold rain. You don’t get your clothes wet,” Jun said, completely serious despite the weird metaphor. “But she won’t be able to cover you from the sun when you need. So, stop trying to fool yourself. You’re in a hurry to leave, but your heart is still upstairs on that balcony and we both know it. Common sense, Wonu. Go home, but think about what you actually want, a raincoat to help your clothes or an umbrella that helps you shield more than a cold rain.”

Jun patted his shoulder and walked back to the kitchen, leaving Wonwoo standing there, trying to understand the confusing metaphor of what he had said to him about his choices. All of it setting a heavy weight on his chest.

Days went by and before he knew it, two weeks passed.

Wonwoo spent those weeks trying to focus on his assignments and revealing his photographs, but his mind was stuck on that night, the balcony.

Jun’s weir input and advice bout the umbrella and raincoat kept looping in his head.

Hayoon was nothing but nice to him, a nice girl. So bright intelligent and kind, it’s only logical Wonwoo keeps seeing her. She’s infatuated with him, who wouldn’t. Wonwoo is so many things a lot of guys in Hayoon’s life will never be. Hayoon is a good choice, a girl he had known for a while now, and she’s here, his present.

Still, it’s not the same.

Wonwoo decided then that maybe it is time to take the leap. All day his fingers were hovering over Seokmin’s contact, to ask for your number since a big part of him was determined to ask you to meet him for a coffee. Just the two of you.

That afternoon he was sitting at a low wooden table in a noisy restaurant. Seungcheol was busy flipping pieces of pork on the grill, Jeonghan was casually stealing side dishes from Joshua’s plate, and Jun was staring intensely at the meat ready to take his piece.

“Oh, look at that,” Jeonghan muttered, his eyes glued to his phone screen as he casually scrolled through social media. He paused, tilting the screen toward Seungcheol. “Y/n is out at that new rooftop place downtown. The one with the string lights and a very tempting cocktail menu.”

Wonwoo’s thumb froze over his phone screen, he was ready to text Seokmin. His ears perked up instantly and that unsettling feeling was rising in his chest before he could even stop it. He was keeping his face perfectly blank, but he leaned in curiosity and dread.

“Is she with Seokmin?” Seungcheol asked, squinting as he moved a piece of meat to the edge of the grill.

“Oh, interesting. No, she’s with Jaehyun” Jeonghan said smoothly, sliding his phone back. “The guy from the party, a really solid guy, very polite.”

Wonwoo felt the air leave his lungs. The knot in his throat tightened.

He knew Jaehyun. They had crossed paths a few times through Seokmin and other people, and Wonwoo couldn’t even find a reason to hate him. Jaehyun was genuinely kind, stable, and outgoing enough to match your energy.

Wonwoo’s hand slowly blocked his phone, his knuckles turning white as he slid it into his pocket.

He stared at the sizzling grill, convincing himself that this was probably the way it was supposed to be. If you were happy, if you were moving on with someone who could actually give you his undivided time, then he had no right to interrupt.

At the end of the day, he was the one to try and move on first. He brought Hayoon to the party, his “something,”

Wonwoo thought about doing the right thing by stepping back or risking it all. But all he was able to think was that, maybe things did change in 5 years. He did change, he tried to move on, so why wouldn’t you.

So, he chose what he thinks is the right thing to do. A safe distance to protect your peace and happiness, even if it meant it’s not him, again.

Jun watched him from across the table. For once, Jun didn’t drop a comment or advice in a weird metaphor. He saw the way Wonwoo’s jaw tightened in frustration and something like resignation on his eyes behind his glasses.

Timing is Right

Thirty +, flirty and thriving.

Oh it is a beautiful age to finally settle down but also enjoy life, but it was also the prime age for an absolute, crushing panic attack because of your job.

Years passed and Sweet Blossom was a thriving reality, you had this project on hold for so many years and now here it is, actually blossoming.

Your natural creativity and energy were poured directly into every single floral arrangement and business agreements about parties and all. Social skills and creativity were a nice match.

You didn’t run the shop alone, though. Your business partner was Kim Mingyu— a massive, clumsy golden retriever who was also a hopeless romantic, a shameless flirt, and occasionally a complete pain in the ass to work with, even if he had a few traits helpful for your shop.

For the past three weeks, your entire life had been consumed by a wonderful sweet project.  A marriage proposal at a wonderful venue downtown.

You had designed every inch of the floral arches, calculated the exact delivery timing, and spent drinking a dangerous amount of coffee for these sleepless nights preparing everything. Luckily, the whole process had been a blast. Designing everything was a way to pour also your own desires in terms of a proposal.

Though you had not even had a boyfriend to begin with.

Yes, your heart still hanging into that person, desperately and so stubbornly.

You had found out through Seokmin, Wonwoo had left the country for a prestigious internship or something in Japan, but you had completely lost contact with him. You had forced yourself to move on, assuming he was probably thinking or had already settled with Hayoon since you had no news, you were in the dark wether they stayed together or not, and of course you assumed they did.

Wonwoo, trapped in his own head across the sea, had assumed the exact same thing about you and Jaehyun. You had spent years actively avoiding any news about him. Seokmin knew how much it hurt, and for once, he had fiercely kept that boundary. He’d never bringing his name up unless you asked.

Until the morning of the event.

The venue was buzzing with decorators when the three of you arrived, dragging in boxes of beautiful flowers. As you walked up to the main event coordinator to sync up on the schedule, she handed you the final clipboard.

“Great, the florists are here,” the coordinator sighed in relief. “We’re setting up the main aisle now. Just double checking the main place. The bride-to-be’s name is Hayoon so if you could help the designers over there to get flowers around her light up name would be great.”

Your entire body went rigid. The clipboard in your hand suddenly felt way too heavy. Hayoon.

A silent, freezing panic gripped your chest. For years you had shielded yourself, and now, it felt like the universe was slapping you in the face. It made perfect sense. Wonwoo had been back in the country for a few months. They had been together back then and according to the group last time you knew it was going great.

 Of course he was proposing to her. You felt a familiar, sharp ache and a sudden wave of grief. You stood frozen by the flower crates, your face turning pale.

But why are you freaking about how you lost something that it wasn’t yours to begin with.

“Hey,” Mingyu’s deep voice cut through your spiral. He set down a heavy vase, his sharp eyes immediately tracking your pale expression. He leaned in, his usual playful demeanor vanishing, he was now full worried about you. “Y/n, look at me. What’s wrong?”

“Her name is Hayoon.” you whispered, your throat incredibly dry.

Mingyu’s jaw tightened. He knew the history, he’d been a fan of it for a while now. He immediately looked around the venue, his broad shoulders squaring up. “Do you want to leave? Seokmin and I can finish here by ourselves. You can go back to the shop right now. I’ll tell the coordinator you got sick.”

“No,” you breathed, shaking your head, trying to find the strenght. “No, it’s nothing. We have to do this by the book. Loom I’m fine, Gyu. I can do my job”

Before Mingyu could argue, the glass doors of the venue slid open.

You looked up, and your heart completely stopped.

Wonwoo walked in. He was dressed casually in dark trousers and a dress shirt, but he carried himself with a new, striking formality. He had matured beautifully over the years— his features were sharper, his posture more commanding, and you could swear he somehow looked even taller than before. He scanned the room, and the exact moment his eyes landed on you, his face completely transformed.

He looked genuinely, overwhelmingly happy. A brilliant, quirky smile broke across his lips, his eyes shining behind his glasses as he immediately started walking straight toward you.

“Y/n?” Wonwoo called out, his voice deeper and warmer than you remembered.

Mingyu immediately squared up, “Hi there, can we help you?” his voice deeper than usual but still polite as ever and with that charismatic smile. A part f you wanted to laugh.

“Mingyu,” you murmured. gently patting Mingyu’s arm to get him to step back, though your own knees felt like giving up any time. You braced yourself to be polite, to put your own heartbreak aside to congratulate him “Hi, Wonwoo!”

“Hi, it’s been so long,” Wonwoo said, stopping right in front of you. He seemed completely oblivious to Mingyu’s defensive mode. Something was entirely differend about him yet it was like you were in front of the same boy you met before. He looked happy. “Wow, you’re the florist for the proposal. Seokmin didn’t tell me you took this contract. It’s looking beautiful by the way.”

You swallowed the lump in your throat, nodding toward the beautiful venue. “Yeah. I did, I mean we did” you nodded towards Mingyu who just tilted his head and you just knew you’d be listening to him making fun of you or venting about this whole situation. “It is a gorgeous setup, like the venue and all. Great place too, congratulations.”

Wonwoo blinked. He looked at you, then looked at the massive floral arch, Tilting his head he then looked down at the massive black equipment bags slung over his shoulders and the heavy tripod in his right hand— details you had completely missed in your dreadful panic attack by the way.

A sudden, knowing look flashed in his eyes. His lips twitched, a faint, amused grin threatening to break across his face as he realized exactly what you thought was happening. And that was far from truth.

“Oh,” Wonwoo murmured, his tone dripping with that familiar humor. “You think I'm the one getting on one knee?”

You stared at him, showing clearly you were confused. “Are you not? Is not Hayoon—”

“I’m the photographer sunshine,” Wonwoo explained, his voice soft, enjoying your confusion just a little too much. Let’s not mention the way he called you sunshine, if you were not confused you’d be already on your knees. “But it is the Hayoon we know. She’s marrying my cousin, long story. Anyways he’s the one paying me to take the photos. I’m just an employee in this one.”

A wave of absolute, undeniable relief washed over your face so fast your shoulders visually dropped. You realized everything and let out a loud, breathless gasp, your cheeks instantly flushing a bright shade of pink.

Wonwoo watched your reaction, his chest tightening with that familiar, pure warmth and he let out a small chuckle making you smile as well.

Damn it.

He tried incredibly hard not to say something but there was this quiet joy radiating off him now. It was cute that you still cared this much.

You of course were waiting for him to leave to punch yourself but also jump because he is not the one proposing to her.

“Right! Well, that’s great for your cousin!” Mingyu interrupted loudly, suddenly stepping in, it was a little painful for him to see you short circuiting right now. He intentionally wrapped an arm around your shoulders and pulling you tightly against his side in an overly affectionate gesture.

Wonwoo’s eyes immediately dropped to Mingyu’s arm around your shoulders. The joy he felt by your previous reaction vanished for a fraction of a second, replaced by that familiar, fierce jealousy. His jaw tightened as he looked at how comfortable Mingyu was with you. He didn’t say anything, he simply smiled but his knuckles went white around his tripod handle.

“This place is beautiful already but we’re on the clock to make it even more magical for your photos and all that. My boss here has a very strict timeline she needs to follow. She rarely gets this distracted by the way. SO, we need to keep it up.” Mingyu smiled down at you, his tone deliberately sweet. “Right, sunshine? Shall we go? I’ll get you some water.”

“Right, yeah I should go set up my lenses,” Wonwoo said, his voice dropping an octave but still his gaze as sweet and steady. “I’ll see you around okay?”

“Yeah! I—I hope everything goes well? Yeah, see you around Wonwoo,” you spoke too fast for your liking and since when you had trouble knowing what to say?

The second Wonwoo walked toward the back of the glasshouse, still smiling by the way.

You shoved Mingyu’s arm off your shoulder, hitting his chest with your clipboard. “What is wrong with you? Why were you acting like that? You’re being weird!”

“You’re the one to talk, bro you were st-st-stuttering.” Mingyu hissed, rubbing his chest with a dramatic pout. “I’m a little overprotective of my friends. He walked in here looking like a model, and you looked like you were going to faint. I had to establish that you have people on your side!”

Seokmin walked over right then with some flowers, and immediately smacked the back of Mingyu’s head. “You’re an idiot, Kim Mingyu. Leave her alone.”

Mingyu laughed a little too loud, pointing at your red face. “Look at her! She’s panicking because she doesn’t want the photographer to think she’s taken!”

“Of course she is! He’s like her all-time crush and you’re cock blocking her!”

“For fucks sake, shut up both of you! I’m not going to let you have your lunch break.” you threatened, though a small smile was forming on your lips.

He is not your crush, but it is close.

The whining from those two was louder than you expected making you groan and walk past them to focus on what you needed to get done, after that you’ll be able to freak as much as you want. Now you had to work.

That was fucking hard because the next few hours were a mix of stolen glances. After fixing the flowers you’d look across the venue and find Wonwoo’s camera lens pointed straight at you instead of the scenery. He wasn’t subtle enough, and he didn’t care because each time you caught him he’d just smirk and keep doing his own thing.

During a small break, he walked over completely unbothered by Mingyu and smiled, bringing both of you cold drinks and a pack of gummy bears. That shocked you since it was something he used to do back then, ocassionally. He just gave you a small wink before walking away, leaving you flustered.

The proposal itself went off beautifully. Hayoon cried when Wonwoo’s cousin got on one knee, everything worked perfectly and your flowers looked like something out of a magazine. Which you’d ask for pictures of it all later.

As the guests moved to the restaurant and the cleanup started, you were too focused packing away your own stuff.

“Y/n,” a calm voice called.

You turned around. Wonwoo was standing there, his own stuff already packed into his backpack. He looked at you and there this kind of determination in his eyes, he wasn’t going to let the timing be wrong again.

The moment he saw you, and throughout the day he’d been debating about what to do now. He was back and you were back. It is what it is, he couldn’t forget about you. He tried, he dated, he cared about his last girlfriend but just like it happened with Hayoon, things didn’t work.

The way he felt was just not right. It didn’t felt right with them. He didn’t say it to anyone else, but he knew exactly why.

“Are you free tomorrow night?” Wonwoo asked, straight to the point “I want to take you out for dinner. Just the two of us.”

Your heart skipped a beat. So, is this what it feels like?

You’ve been asked out before of course you have. Just like Wonwoo, you tried to move on and dated, but none of them made your heart skip a beat, do a somersault, threatening to jump out of your chest, make you blush 50 shades of red and stutter all in les than 10 minutes.

“Y-yeah, sure. Yeah, I’m totally free. I’d love to e-eat you, I mean with you. Oh.”  You wanted the earth to swallow you right then and there “I-I mean dinner of course.” You frowned and letting a long sigh you laughed before muttering to yourself “fuck me.”

Maybe you said it a little too loud.

“Sure, if you want to, but let’s eat dinner first.” He said with a smirk on his face and that teasing tone, he heard you. With a loud chuckle he tugged a strand of your hair behind your ear “I’ll pick you up at the shop around six.” He still had this grin on his face, he noticed the way you were flustered by your own words, his actions and his response. He was enjoying this way too much. Before turning to leave he gave you one last wink and you were done.

The next day, Sweet Blossom was an absolute circus for your sanity. Mingyu spent the entire afternoon talking about your choice of words, the way you reacted, the way he reacted. Then spent the las 2 hours delivering a goddamn thesis about “Love Theories” while “cleaning” the shop. He was only sweeping the remaining leaves one side to the other not even doing it properly.

“With all that is happening I’m pretty sure the red string is true Y/n! I’m telling you, the Japan internship was just like a second-act conflict in your romantic movie,” Mingyu declared, waving the broom in the air. “No, more like a romantic comedy cause what you said to him was hilarious. Anyways, today is the day. The grand romantic climax. You need to be confident. But, if he chickens out or something, I won’t hesitate on beating him up. Don’t care how hot he is.”

“So, you think he’s hot?”

“I know and I’m not afraid to say when a man is attractive.” He crossed his arms and with his most serious face he replied “and I am not afraid of throwing him a vase if he doesn’t man up this time.”

 “Oh my god, please don’t throw vases at him” you laughed, organizing the counter. “He is hot isn’t he?” you’re only human. A woman with needs, a heart longing for his love and a body with extreme need of attention from him.

At exactly five-fifty, the shop bell rang and Wonwoo walked in. He was wearing a sharp casual jacket, his hair styled perfectly, and his glasses complementing all. He looked good, oh so good.

He tried to stay calm, but there was a slight, nervous twitch in his fingers that he tried to hide by tucking his hands inside his pockets.

You were in the back room finishing all the paper work, leaving Mingyu alone at the front counter. You were trying so hard to hurry up because you knew he’d do or say something embarrassing.

True to this, Mingyu immediately stood up straight, squaring up to look as massive as possible. He leaned over the counter, giving Wonwoo a stern look. One that he’d used with his sister’s suitors.

“Alright, Jeon Wonwoo,” Mingyu said, his voice deep and serious. “Y/n is the brains of this shop, the kindest soul I know and a very loved woman. If you dare to break her heart again or cause her any discomfort, you're going to have to deal with me. And Seokmin. Mostly me.”

Wonwoo didn’t look intimidated, but understood. He just stared at Mingyu for a second, then let out a soft, genuine chuckle, his sharp eyes turning incredibly kind as he tilted his head. “I do know how amazing she is, Mingyu. I’ve known since we were twelve. I’m not planning on messing this up.”

Mingyu blinked, his protective armor instantly melting away into his natural romantic self. He let out a loud sigh, slumping over the counter. “Well okay then, that was a really good answer. You’re actually great. I support this, remember open the door for her, do not let her pay and I apologize in her behalf if she says—”

You walked out of the back room right then, catching the tail end of Mingyu’s sudden speech. “Mingyu, stop embarrassing me,” you warned.

In your hands, you were holding a very small, delicate bouquet of fresh baby’s breath and two perfect white roses. It was simple, creative, and beautiful.

Mingyu bit his lip, turning his head away to stare intensely at the ceiling, trying so damn hard not to make a dramatic comment about how cute you were being.

You walked up to Wonwoo, your cheeks a little pink, and extended your hands, offering him the small bouquet.

Wonwoo froze, looking down at the flowers, a massive, genuine blush creeping up his neck and covering his cheeks. He let out a shaky, chuckle looking back at you. “Y/n... I’m pretty sure I’m the one who is supposed to give you flowers on a date.”

You let out a small laugh, tilting your head. “Look, I literally live around them all day, Wonu. I own a flower shop. Giving them is much better for me.”

Wonwoo’s eyes softened completely, a sweet smile taking over his face as he was carefully holding the bouquet like it was made of gold. “Thank you. They’re perfect.”

The date itself felt like this was natural. The five years of silence entirely vanished the second you sat down at the small, cozy restaurant that served the most delicious kimchi jjigae. The banter came back instantly. You relaxed and teased him about his now “formal” look, and he sarcastically retorted that his degree required him to look like he knew what he was doing. You laughed until your stomach hurt, catching up on his time in Japan, on your creative journey with the shop, and everything that happened.

There was no awkwardness, not really. Because even if you had your word slip, you were taking it all easy, like it is. Just two people who had grown up, matching each other perfectly, nervous wrecks and down bad for each other of course.

By the time he drove you to your apartment the city was quiet, the streetlamps already glowing and you were already shaking. You did not wanted this moment to end.

You stopped by the main door, turning around to face him, your hands clasped behind your back. Your heart was beating too fast, but you felt happy. So damn happy.

“Thank you for tonight, Wonwoo. It was... really nice.”

Wonwoo stood a step below you on the pavement, looking up at you. There was something in his eyes, like he decided something right then and there. And he did.

He was completely done letting god or the universe decide for him.

“Y/n,” Wonwoo said, his voice deep, a little shaky but determined. “look I need to say something, I’m not going to stay quiet this time.”

You blinked, your breath catching in your throat. Please let it be what you think it is, please let it be something good.

“I want to say, I’m sorry. I’ve spent all these years letting everything else tell me where I stood with you,” Wonwoo said, taking a step up until he was standing right in front of you, his warmth his scent completely drugging you. “I let my busy schedule and my stupid fear stop me the day before you moved away. I wanted to kiss you, I wanted to tell you what I felt, but I—fuck I hated myself that day. I even let my own assumptions keep me away when I came back from Japan because I thought you were happy with someone else.”

He reached out, his hands steady and warm as they came up to cup your face, his thumbs gently resting against your cheekbones and his eyes were showing an intensity you didn’t know you’d be able to have someone look at you like that.

“I’m sorry for taking so long,” he whispered, his voice cracking slightly with emotion. “I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to be the one who chooses. And I choose now. I choose you. I want to try and I want to be yours, completely. If you’ll have me of course”

It was a well deserved and sweet confession. Your heart completely overflowed with emotions that only he was able to make you feel, the tears were finally because of something good and not a broken heart.

You reached up, placing your hands over his wrists, a wide smile on your face and just allowed yourself to feel him, his pulse that was racing as fast as yours.

“Jeon Wonwoo,” you whispered letting out a happy laugh. “Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear you say that?”

Wonwoo let out a shaky relieved breath, his forehead dropping down to rest against yours. All of him was warm and sweet “Mhm, tell me.”

“I want you to be mine too, cause I’m already yours. For some time—” you whispered, your voice shaking but full of absolute certainty. “I actually thought maybe it was not meant to be like I thought. But it felt so real it scared me a little. Like 99.99% of my nights, my dreams would be about you. I’d often think of you, your eyes your smile. Just you. Fuck, I don’t want to wait anymore either, I want to try. I want you.”

Wonwoo let out a soft, chuckle against your skin as he gave you a sweet kiss on your cheek. He tilted his head, his thumbs brushing away your tears that you had no idea were now falling before he finally—fucking finally— closed the space between you.

The kiss was everything you had imagined since that day with the almost kiss. It was sweet, deep, and just full of these yearning feelings that both of you had been dealing with for years.

It took your breath away, literally.

With your heart hammering against your ribs, you pulled back a little, not because you wanted to, because god those lips taste exactly how you dreamed.

Taking a deep breath you tried to get yourself together. “Do you want to come in?” you asked softly looking at those wonderful eyes. “Just for a little bit?”

Wonwoo gave you a soft kiss, but his eyes turned dark and completely focused on you in the dim light of the entrance to the building. “Yeah, I’d love to.” he murmured, his voice deeper and still holding the emotion of tonight. “I hope I don’t sound like a creep but, I’m not going anywhere.”

A soft, breathless laugh escaped your lips as you guided him inside, before you could worry about how your house looked, his hands found your waist, pulling you flush against him giving you a back hug. He was doing some damage to your nervous system.

You were feeling butterflies, and they don’t stop. A tingling sensation all over your body, a dangerous need to just feel him. Because he’s so close to you, he’s making you feel like your skin is on fire.

There was no hesitation from him and definitely not from you. The reserved boy you had grown up with and the calm polite man you met a few years ago had completely surrendered to the mature man standing here with you who knows exactly what he wants. And this time he won’t let go.

Softly turning you around, his lips met yours and this time, the kiss was anything but sweet— it was full of neeed, it was for you like a drug. His lips, his arms, his warmth. All of him, you already felt addicted, you already had this craving of more. To feel him t, to have him as close as fucking possible. Come on, it’s been a heavy road, a decade of suppressed longing, what if, and an almost that made your heart break a little.

Without another word, you guided him through the small corridor leading to your room. The moment he closed the door behind him, the atmosphere shifted into something very intense, intimate, private, and oh full with a burning tension that to behonest could only be described as lust.

Wonwoo’s hands were warm as they slid under the hem of your shirt as he guided you to your bed, his fingers brushing against your bare skin and sending an intense shiver down your spine.

He paused for a second, his forehead resting against yours and his breath hit your lips. “Are you sure?” he whispered. It was taking all his energy to stop himself. Wonwoo wanted you, he wanted this. Fuck he did, but he also did not want to force this, to read the room wrong, though your body was definitely giving him the green light. Still, Wonwoo wanted to know what you wanted because he wanted this to be good. “Tell me if it's too fast.”

“Wonwoo,” you breathed, your hands moving up to cup his neck, pulling him down with you on the bed “With us, this is not too fast it’s past overdue. I’m sure, please. I want you.”

A low, hoarse sound escaped his chest, and that was confirmation enough for him to just let go and now the rest of the world completely faded.

With a raw need to feel you but still careful as ever, he took off every single piece of clothing you wore, he discarded them casually on the floor along with his own. As he moved and the soft, city lights entering through the window, Wonwoo couldn’t help but admire you, the way you were laying on your bed, looking at him as if he hung the stars, as if he was the most beautiful human, he is. But just like you are looking at him with such an intensity, his sharp features softened by an expression of pure, unadulterated adoration that was exactly a mirror of your own.

When he came down over you, the weight of his body felt like the most grounding warm and delicious thing in the world. He kissed your jaw, your neck, his lips tracing a their path down to your collarbone, making you arch against him with a soft gasp. Every touch was careful, with some tenderness that you could feel was fighting against his own desire of doing this in a more intense way. But Wonwoo also wanted to enjoy this, take his time now that he has it and enjoy this moment with you, the woman that stole his heart.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured against your skin, kissing every part he could, his voice a rough whisper. “I thought I'd lost my chance to ever be with you.”

“You haven’t, we haven’t lost anything" you whispered back, your fingers tangling in his styled hair, pulling him closer until there was no space left between you and you could feel the warmth of his fair skin, the scent of his cologne. Addictive enough to send you in a frenzy “I’m right here. I’m all yours.”

The raw need and sensations are overwhelming, a beautiful, intense rush of emotions filled both of you, it wasn’t enough, it’ll never be enough. You’d want to touch his fair skin, his broad shoulders, the moles you found endearing on his chest, on his arm. You’d want more of him like he wanted more of you.

More of your soft skin, of your own scent. Of you, a captivating woman, beautiful in so many ways. He was high on your scent, on you. The way his body reacts to yours, the way you look at him, the way your skin shows him how much its feeling him, it is addicting.

As he finally joined his body with yours. A soft cry escaped your lips, but immeidatly caught by his mouth as he kissed you deeply, drowning out the sound. Drowning himself on you, how you feel so good.

The movement was slow and careful at first, a rhythm that reflected how deeply he cared for you. Even if that care was about to break due to this raw need for you and your body. Wonwoo held your hands above your head, his fingers tightly entwined with yours against the mattress, grounding you both as you could feel the heat growing between you.

Every touch, every broken breath, and every quiet groan felt like a confession of how long you had been waiting, how much he wanted this. Wonwoo wants you. The rhythm grew more urgent, his movements becoming possessive and impatient, just like yours. Holding onto him, touching every inch of his back to his neck, to his hair. Each time followed by his own movements. His hands on your thigh roaming up to your ribs and slowly reaching your chest, softly caressing each one while kissing your neck. He pulled back a little and looked down at you, his eyes burning with absolute desire but above all, adoration.

“I love you,” Wonwoo whispered, he looked directly into your eyes, refusing to let you look away. “I think—no, I have loved you every single year, Y/n. I believe nobody else ever even had a chance.”

Tears of pure, overwhelming happiness gathered in the corners of your eyes. You eagerly happy and damn turned on by this raw confession, wrapped your legs tightly around his waist, pulling him in deeper, savouring him, his body.

You were matching his pace with a fierce desperation of your own. “I love you too, Wonwoo. Only you. It’s always been you.”

Wonwoo’s pace quickened, his touch claiming every inch of your body. “Fuck, you’re beautiful, made just for me.” His voice deeper than ever, his body moving along with yours “you’re driving me crazy.” He was loosing it. You really were making him go crazy. The way you feel, the way you fit perfectly with him, your body shivering reacting to every touch. He didn’t have to do much to make your body feel like is on fire. He never experienced this.

He’s the reason why your body is reacting like this, but you don’t know how much his body is trying to fill this craving of you. He didn’t know it could feel like this, that his own body was acting on his own. Your hands holding on to him, pulling him closer. Tracing every inch of his broad back, carefully but with so much passion pulling his hair was just too much. It was a sensation he’d never felt.

“I’m gonna c-cum, fuck don’t stop” you gasped as he gwoeled going faster, the pace changed and the room was filled with your moans and the sound of skin against skin. All you could feel was him.

“Let go.” His hand came between your bodies finding your core “cum for me baby” he drove you over the edge and the most amazing feeling came through your whole body.  You clung to his broad shoulders, your breath hitching as a wave of intense and raw pleasure crashed through you. Growling and cursing going faster, Wonwoo buried his face in the crook of your neck, his body trembling as he came.

He was losing himself to you. Drunk with pleasure both of your bodies were shaking through the aftermath, a feeling that neither of you could compare.

This was your first time together, and the first time both of you experienced such an intense pleasure, a deep and intese feeling of satisfaction, a passion that had no comparison and so addictive.

The room fell into a quiet, peaceful stillness and only the steady sound of your heavy breathing could be heard. He raised his head, he was spent. Damp hair sticking on his forehead, his body glistening with sweat just like yours, and still he looked ethereal.

Oh you could do it again.

He shifted his weight laying down on the bed gently tucking you into his arms. The sheet pulled up over both of your damp shoulders as you wrapped your arms around his firm torso. His long fingers traced lazy, gentle circles over your bare arm, his touch still sending sparks all over you.

“Your heart is beating really fast,” you noted softly, a tiny grin returning to his lips as he looked down at you.

You let out a sleepy, content chuckle, pressing a soft kiss to his bare chest. “That is your fault, sunshine. You’re a lot to handle.”

“Me? Look who’s talking, I don’t think I can move.”

“Good, cause you’re staying right here, next to me.” he murmured, his deep voice vibrating against your cheek as he pulled you even closer kissing the top of your head. “you’re stuck with me now.”

“I think I like the sound of that.” You giggled before letting the most content sigh ever.

“And I like the sounds you make. Might be my favorite sound now.” He had a wide smirk on his face causing you to blush even though you had done much more rawdy stuff less than five minutes ago.

“You know what, I’d like to eat now.” You grinned as you lifted your head from his chest, he sent you an amused look. “You know, what I want to eat now. More like, who.” With a chuckle, Wonwoo changed positions on top of you once again

“Oh, eager aren’t we?” he kissed your lips fiercely and slowly kissing hisway to your neck and to your chest. “I think I’m going to eat my dessert first.”

Smiling widely and giggling in anticipation, you let yourself enjoy Wonwoo once again. Letting him fill your senses in every way. In this moment you were feeling good, satisfied, complete and happy and exactly where you belong, in Jeon Wonwoo's arms. In every way possible.

The red string theory Mingyu expressed didn’t sound so fake now, cause you two found the way to untangle all this and finally aligned everything in your favor.

You two got tangled in more than one way, but that is another story to tell. A much more spicy story and you enjoy every second of it of course. *wink wink*

A/N2: Helloo! Okay so, i really really apreciate people read this, i know i don't get many interactions, i know i am not good as fellow authors, but really i'd love to know what people think, it gives us writers a lot of inspiration to continue, so i'd appreciate if you reblog/comment/interact. thank you lovely people tha will read this.

[cheers-to-you-th]

POV: jerking off Nerd!Mingyu slight popular!reader x nerd dynamic

MDNI, SMUTTY DRABBLE 18+ warnings: handjobs, pwp, big dick loser!mingyu WC: 2.2k

BETA READ BY THE LOML @nerdycheol

Mingyu had been studying for finals all week. Your poor boyfriend, locked in his dorm instead of doing his rightful job of spending time with you—it was infuriating! Top of his class, on a full-ride academic scholarship that he maintained so easily, yet you hadn’t seen him in a whole seven days (besides passing him in the hallways, and the good morning and good night texts, and the kisses he’d always plant on your cheek when you’d meet for coffee, but you insisted those didn’t count)—you were getting desperate.

So today, when you’d walked into his dorm room, using the key he’d so graciously given you, it was no wonder you had the urge to absolutely devour him. Especially when he had that furrow in his brows, the sharp canines you adored sinking into the plush pink of his lips. His glasses were perched cutely on his nose, a knit sweater hanging off his broad shoulders. Your boyfriend was an absolute snack, and it would’ve been wasteful to do nothing. So when you shut his door and he stood to greet you, who could blame you for wrapping your arms around him and kissing him stupid?

That was the thing about Mingyu. For all his smarts, for all the prodigal genius he was, he simply melted for you. The second your hands were on him, the boy was gone. You felt the tightening in his pants against your leg immediately and grinned victoriously.

“Study break?”

It didn’t take long for you to have him pressed against his wooden bookshelf, even shorter for your hands to wander to the waistband of his pants. you worked at his belt, the zipper and button following until his pants bunched around his knees.

You pulled back just enough to look at him, lip jutting out when you saw the growing wet spot on the front of his boxers where his tip stained them with precum already, the fabric stretched tight. You cooed at him, teasingly. "Oh, poor baby." Pressing your palm to the bulge, rubbing and squeezing lightly. "Missed me that much? Should’ve told me you were so pent up, you know I’m always here to help you, Gyu."

Mingyu let out a sharp, strangled sound, as your palm made contact. The sensation of the damp, tight fabric being squeezed was almost too much to bear. He felt the heat of the friction radiating through his entire lower body, a pulsing, heavy ache that made his vision swim.

"F-fuck," he whined, though he made absolutely no effort to move away. "Don't tease me—ah—please."

He looked down at you, his eyes hooded and dark, watching the way you looked at him—the teasing pout, the knowing glint in your eyes. The sheer, unashamed confidence of your touch, the way you could call him baby and mock his desperation while simultaneously driving him to the brink, was enough to make him want to both laugh and lose his mind.

His gaze dropped to where your hand was working, the sight of the dark, damp stain on his boxers a testament to how much power you held over him. He felt exposed, stripped of his dignity and left with nothing but raw, pulsing need, but he was right where he wanted to be. He gripped the edge of the shelf so hard his knuckles turned white, his hips twitching involuntarily against your hand. "Ngh, don’t stop. Please don’t stop." He panted as his brows pinched together.

"M'not gonna stop, promise." You chuckled, pressing a sweet kiss to his lips as you finally tug the fabric down. He sprung out, slapping against his abs, and your hand wasted no time to wrap around him and start slowly tugging, coaxing out more sticky pre and whimpering moans. "That's it. You're doing so good for me."

He's hot and heavy in your hand, pulsing as the tip spurts more liquid, your thumb dragging over the sensitive skin to gather it and spread it along his length. It added a slickness to the friction, a slow wet shlick, shlick, shlick filling the room in response. But you don't speed up, don't let it build quickly, instead placing each brick, to unravel him until there's tears in his pretty eyes.

A broken, high pitched sound—a sound he would have died before letting anyone else hear— escaped his throat. It was a whimper, raw and unrefined, swallowed by the quiet of the room.

He was a man of discipline, a man who thrived on being the one in control, but as you began that slow, agonizingly deliberate rhythm, he felt his entire foundation dissolve. The feeling of your hand, the wet, repetitive sound of skin sliding against skin, seemed to echo in the narrow aisle, filling his head until there was nothing else.

He gasped your name, his voice a wrecked, breathless shadow of itself. He reached down, his fingers tangling in your long hair, not to pull you away, but to anchor himself as the world began to tilt. You weren't rushing him, no, you were being cruel in the most exquisite way, dragging out the tension, building the sensation brick by agonizing brick. Every time he thought he was about to tip over the edge, every time his hips began to buck instinctively to find a faster pace, you would slow down, teasing the sensitivity of the tip, spreading the slickness of his own release until he was practically vibrating with the effort of staying upright.

His breath came in shallow, jagged hitches. His vision was blurred, the dim light of the room turning into a haze of gold and shadow. He felt a stinging heat behind his eyelids, a physical manifestation of the sheer, overwhelming sensory overload. He was being unraveled, stripped of every layer of his composure until there was nothing left but the friction, the heat, and your voice..

His hips jerked upward, a desperate, involuntary movement seeking more of that friction, his muscles coiling tight as the pressure built to an unbearable peak.

"Oh fuck," he choked out, his eyes opening just enough to see the dark, beautiful shape of you in the gloom. "Don't... don't make me wait..."

You grinned, hand speeding up slightly at his plea. "Yeah? Does that feel good, baby?" When he nodded frantically, breath hitching as more whines were ripped from his throat, her tongue clicked. "Come on, use your words. You can do it." You goaded, hand tightening fractionally.

Mingyu’s fingers tightened in your hair, his knuckles white as he fought to keep his balance. The slight increase in speed was a torture he didn't want to end, a frantic, rhythmic friction that made his entire lower body feel like it was made of liquid lightning. Every time you tightened your grip, a fresh wave of heat crashed over him, leaving him gasping for air that wouldn't come.

"It... it feels..." He swallowed hard, his voice breaking on the syllable. 

He looked down at you, his green eyes blown wide, glazed with a mixture of pleasure and desperation.  "Feels s’good," he finally managed to choke out, the words a slurred, breathless confession. "God... it feels so fucking good."

He let out a long, shuddering moan as you squeezed him again, the pressure hitting the most sensitive part of his length with devastating precision. He was right there, teetering on the precipice, his muscles coiled so tight they were trembling. The sensation of the slick, wet friction was building into a roar in his ears, drowning out the noise outside the dorm, drowning out the thought of studying, drowning out everything but the feeling of you.

"Please," he groaned, his hips bucking upward in a frantic attempt to meet your hand, his voice dropping to a raw rasp that was nearly a sob. "Don't make me say it again. Just... now. Give it to me now."

"So demanding." You hummed. "Is that how we ask for things?" Your hand stopped entirely, squeezing at the base. 

The sudden absence of friction was a physical blow, making Mingyu’s entire body jolt. His hips jerked upward in a desperate, instinctive search for the heat that had just been stolen from him. The silence that followed was deafening, filled only by the sound of his own ragged, panicked breathing. He felt suspended in a state of agonizing tension, his nerves screaming for the release that was being cruelly withheld.

Your name gasped from his lips as a broken, breathless plea, eyes, wet and wide, searched yours with a frantic, unshielded desperation. He reached down, his large hands trembling as he gripped your wrist, his fingers digging into your skin. Mingyu didn't try to pull your hand away; he tried to force it back, to command the motion to resume, but hands trembled, his muscles weak.

"Don't..." he choked out, a small, pathetic sound that he would have loathed if he weren't so close to the brink. "Don't do that. Don't stop now. Please."

His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his chest heaving. He looked down at where your hand remained, squeezing the base of him, and the sensation was almost more than he could bear a teasing, heavy weight that promised everything and gave nothing. He was a man on the verge of tears, his muscles coiled so tightly they were vibrating, his entire existence narrowed down to the single, desperate need for the friction to return.

“Now that wasn't so hard, was it? Good boy." Your hand resumed its movement as you teased him, faster now, watching his back arch and his abs tense.

The moment the friction returned, Mingyu let out a sound that was less a moan and more a broken sob tears finally slipping from his glossy eyes down his cheeks. The sudden, rapid movement of your hand was a violent, beautiful shock to his system, a rhythm that didn't give him a single second to breathe or prepare. His back arched sharply, his spine pressing hard against the wood behind him as his entire body strained toward the sensation.

"Fuck!" he choked out, his head falling back so hard it nearly hit the shelf again.

The speed was punishing. It was a relentless, driving force that bypassed all his remaining defenses, turning his thoughts into a white hot blur of pleasure. His abs were locked in a rigid, trembling knot, his muscles coiling and rippling under the strain of trying to hold himself together while being systematically dismantled.

Every time your palm slid over the sensitive, slick skin of his length, a fresh jolt of electricity shot through him, making his toes curl and his vision swim with dark spots.

"Oh fuck— baby— baby!" he gasped, the words coming out in jagged bursts, shaky and trembling.

He reached down, his hands no longer just guiding you but clutching at your shoulders, his fingers digging into your skin as he fought to stay upright. He was close—so close that the pressure felt like it was going to burst. His hips began to move in an uncoordinated rhythm, trying to match the speed of your hand, his breath coming in short, sharp hitches that sounded like he was drowning. The tension in his entire body reached a breaking point, a singular, vibrating frequency that demanded release.

Mingyu’s head thrashed, his eyes squeezed shut so tightly that stars danced behind his lids. The demand for words was a cruel, beautiful torture, a final hurdle placed right at the peak of the mountain. He was vibrating, his entire frame caught in the violent pull of a climax.

"Please!" he choked out, the word tearing from his throat, raw and stripped of every ounce of his usual poise. He was undone, begging and sobbing your name like a prayer. "Ngh—please... ahh..."

The moment the words left his lips, the dam broke.

His hips bucked violently, a sharp, uncontrolled surge of motion as the first wave of release slammed into him. A loud, guttural groan was ripped from his lungs, a sound of pure, unadulterated surrender that echoed through the room. The sound was half groan, half sob—followed by a whiny whimper that had your lips twitching.  His entire body went rigid, his muscles locking into hard, trembling cords as he felt the hot, pulsing sensation of his release spilling over your hand.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you…” He repeated over and over, like a mantra, tears slipping down his cheeks as he trembled.

His breath came in ragged, sobbing gasps, his chest heaving as he fought to stay upright. He leaned his forehead against yours, his eyes opening just enough to see the beautiful silhouette of you through the haze of his own ecstasy. As the waves began to subside, leaving him trembling and spent, he slumped back, his breath hitching in his chest. He stayed there for a moment, his forehead pressed to yours, his eyes closed as he tried to find his bearings in the sudden, heavy silence of the room.

You licked the release off your hand with a hum. “See? You shouldn’t keep me waiting so long, Gyu. It’s rude.”

A choked chuckle escaped his lips before he pressed them reverently to your cheek. “You’re right, baby. You’re always right.” His hands slid up, fidgeting with the edge of your shirt before slipping under it slightly, just enough for his rough palms to meet the soft skin of your back.

“Wanna help me with my anatomy homework?”

don't ask about the layout, i'm too lazy to make a banner for a drabble and idk what i'm doing anymore, man.