Hello sweetie! How have you been doing? We hope you're doing well and have been taking care of yourself ❤
hi guys !!
oml first of all, i'm so sorry for answering this so late 😭😭thank you for always checking in, these messages make my day.
i've been doing alright! i've picked up on a lot of personal projects so it's been a really busy time, hence my lack of writing and i guess existence on here overall 😭
i hope you guys have been taking care of yourselves as well!! please stay safe<3
so . it’s been a whole year already?? well .. y’know me get ready for a cheesy ramble
i made this account a couple months into quarantine, simply wanting to promote my writing on another platform—hence the slightly clapped initial url of “lilyunhowrites”—& frankly, having no idea as to what i was doing. i was absolutely lost my first few weeks on this site, i barely knew what an ask game was, i threw a “looking for moots” post out into the void & hoped it would find someone kind. luckily, from that post, i managed to make some absolutely wonderful mutuals (a lot of whom have stuck around since then !!!) who gave me a warm welcome & made me feel at home. & truly, tumblr has rlly become a home to me :”) without all y’all, i probably would’ve gone insane over summer 2020, stuck at home with barely anyone to yell about k-pop & my other interests with ;-; it’s simply mind-boggling that i’ve managed to make so many friends on here & gotten so much love & support, really, thank you guys so much 💘💗💞
i’ve been sorta mia these past few months, but now that summer’s come around again, i’m planning to be just as active as i was before !! i truly missed talking with all of my mutuals & supporting their content, y’all have made this such a fun place to be, thank y’all for all the times you’ve invited miss sarah tonin to visit me 💖💕💓
okay, now that we’re done with that …
under the cut i’ve mentioned people that have each left some sort of meaningful impact on me during my 365 days on this hellsite (affectionate) ´◡` i admire every single person here, whether that be because of the content they create, the kindness they’ve shown toward me & others, or because they’re, like, just genuinely cool ! some i’ve talked to a lot—or at least enough for me to consider them true friends—others i’ve just kinda,,, sent love & good vibes from afar because i’ve been too shy to initiate actual interaction—sorry for my lameness lkjfsd—but all are truly amazing individuals <3
dolce is so nice!! i love it and now i'm curious about the backstory lol, is that the prequel you mentioned you might work on at some point?
thank you so much !!! i'm glad to hear:)
and yes, the backstory is the "prequel" aka some wip i had which was coincidentally similar to the request so i was like aw heck let's just make them connected.
it's primarily minghao focused though and written in his pov, so i hesitated about finishing it because i wasn't sure if people would enjoy that 🤔
could I request minghao x gn reader museum date? ty!
The8 (Minghao) x (gender neutral) Reader
fluff | 1.2k words
synopsis: a museum date with minghao — the place where you are at peace of mind. the place where you share fond memories and can love each other sweetly and softly.
a/n: here you go lovely anon!! i hope that this is what you're going for, it's actually (very vaguely) referencing this minghao fic that i've been working on so maybe there will be a prequel !?!?! 🤔 but either way i hope you enjoy and sorry for the wait !!!!
=====
When Minghao said the location for your next date was a surprise, you didn't hold many expectations, preferring to keep it a complete mystery until the day arrived. But as you stared out the car window and recognized the route to the museum a city over, you realized you probably should've anticipated this from the way your boyfriend was so excited for the date last night.
You quirked an eyebrow his way, which he caught in the corner of his eye, smiling sheepishly in response.
"Weren't we just here a few months ago?"
"Yes — but! One, there's a new exhibit that I'm sure you're going to love and two, they added a section of paintings and I wanted to see them with you." He replied eagerly, guilt seeping into his voice.
"Okay, okay," You conceded, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I wasn't complaining, I can't wait to see what you have in store."
"I promise it will be amazing."
=====
You knew Minghao had a plan in mind, but you couldn't help getting distracted along the way, especially when you're always finding something new that you haven't notice before.
He never uttered a word of complaint, and simply followed you with a small smile on his face.
Walking in a room full of statues that were much taller than you were, you craned your neck as you examined the small details put into their beauty.
"Hey, this guy looks kind of funny," You pointed out, gesturing at a statue that pictured the final battle cry of a famous warrior. Moving into a similar pose, you put on your angriest face and tried to recreate the statue. You paid no mind to the other museum-goers passing by.
Minghao stifled a laugh. "Wait, stay like that, I want to take a picture of you." He said, pulling out his phone and swiping to the camera.
"Okay," You said through gritted teeth, trying to keep as still as possible.
"But move over a little to the left."
You did just that, shuffling to the side stiffly.
"And make your face even angrier." He called out a few seconds later.
Though your cheeks were getting sore and it already felt like you're being the angriest you could possibly be, you did your best to furrow your eyebrows even further. The corner of your lips tugged downwards.
"No, even angrier!"
"Minghaooo!" You pouted, stomping your foot in frustration. "I'm doing my best!"
In the midst of your small outburst, you heard the faint click of the camera shutter and your boyfriend tucked his phone away with a smile. "I know you were, just wanted to tease you."
You stared at him, mouth agape as you tried to comprehend what just happened. "Are you saying I did all of that for nothing?"
"Don't worry, I got the actual picture too, so your efforts didn't go to waste I promise." To make up for it, Minghao came over and planted a kiss on your forehead. "You're really cute, you know?"
You squinted your eyes at him, still suspicious. "If you say so..."
He smiled and gave you another kiss, trying to prove his good intentions. "I would never lie about that. Let's continue, shall we?"
=====
There were many reasons why you loved the museum.
It was the first place Minghao took you to after he (finally) mustered the courage to ask you out. Things were awkward and shy and blushy, but memories were made and you left with a kiss on the cheek that you wouldn't forget.
Now, everything was familiar, it was like a second home to you, with how often Minghao loved to visit for inspiration. There were so many little things that simply made your mind at ease.
It was the way your footsteps echoed in the large room. The sense of peace and comfort. The smell of old paper and faint traces of flowers. The intricate patterns etched into the white walls and marble flooring.
But most of all, it was Minghao's hands gently laced into yours.
He walked ahead of you, tugging you along as he steered from one artwork to the next. Although you had happily followed him along on this museum date, you knew he was the one who was enjoying it the most. He's been here many times now while you have only visited on a few occasions — enough to be familiar with the building. But you didn't mind turning the same corner multiple times or reading the same passage over and over again. Because no matter how mundane the activity may seem to other people, a sparkle of excitement was constant in Minghao's eyes.
And seeing him happy made you just as happy.
=====
"It's extra quiet in here." You whispered, feeling the need to match the atmosphere of the room you just entered in.
The walls were covered in paintings, surrounding a statue in the middle. The multitude of artworks screamed talent as they made their presence obvious, and yet there was an eerie sense of loneliness. Aside from the two of you, the only other people here was an old woman, silently reading the description of the statue and one of the staff in the corner.
"It is," Minghao agreed, taking in the sight. "I think that's why this is gonna be my favourite section to visit. Come."
He pulled you to one of the nooks where a small canvas hung. It was covered in hues of pink, bleeding into the charcoal sketches that were left unkept. Then there were streaks of yellows that contrasted the pice and yet blended perfectly into the medley of colours.
It was, to put it simply, beautiful.
"I did some reading about this artist before," Minghao said. "They said that they painted this with a heart full of love."
"Is that so..." You hummed, rocking back and forth on your heels as you examined the painting. You paused when it suddenly felt all too familiar.
"Wait a minute. Weren't you painting something similar to this when we first met?"
As with any other story, there was a time where the two of you were mere strangers, randomly passing by each other on a busy day.
You had a feeling Minghao was purposefully guiding you to this conclusion, but he still blushed after being called out. "Yes it was, I was trying to recreate their style. But to be honest, I didn't know what to paint until I saw you across the street one day. Better yet, you were always there when I went to the park to paint, so it felt like the perfect piece to make. You showed me what love meant."
"That's so cheesy, but I love it." You giggled.
The grip on your hand got tighter. "You really saved me on that day, you know? I don't know where I would be if I hadn't met you."
"But we're here now, aren't we?" You replied gently, pressing yourself closer to his side. "That's all that matters, we don't need to care about the could haves."
"You're right." His gaze on the painting softened as the two of you stared at it in awe for a while longer, simply taking in its beauty and the memories it carried along with it.
When you finally left the room, hands still glued to each other, you poked his arm and sent him a teasing grin. "Next time we visit, I'll be seeing one of your paintings on here, right?"
"Maybe," he nodded thoughtfully. For once, Minghao did not deny that possibility — a small change that warmed your heart greatly.
could I request minghao x gn reader museum date? ty!
The8 (Minghao) x (gender neutral) Reader
fluff | 1.2k words
synopsis: a museum date with minghao — the place where you are at peace of mind. the place where you share fond memories and can love each other sweetly and softly.
a/n: here you go lovely anon!! i hope that this is what you're going for, it's actually (very vaguely) referencing this minghao fic that i've been working on so maybe there will be a prequel !?!?! 🤔 but either way i hope you enjoy and sorry for the wait !!!!
=====
When Minghao said the location for your next date was a surprise, you didn't hold many expectations, preferring to keep it a complete mystery until the day arrived. But as you stared out the car window and recognized the route to the museum a city over, you realized you probably should've anticipated this from the way your boyfriend was so excited for the date last night.
You quirked an eyebrow his way, which he caught in the corner of his eye, smiling sheepishly in response.
"Weren't we just here a few months ago?"
"Yes — but! One, there's a new exhibit that I'm sure you're going to love and two, they added a section of paintings and I wanted to see them with you." He replied eagerly, guilt seeping into his voice.
"Okay, okay," You conceded, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I wasn't complaining, I can't wait to see what you have in store."
"I promise it will be amazing."
=====
You knew Minghao had a plan in mind, but you couldn't help getting distracted along the way, especially when you're always finding something new that you haven't notice before.
He never uttered a word of complaint, and simply followed you with a small smile on his face.
Walking in a room full of statues that were much taller than you were, you craned your neck as you examined the small details put into their beauty.
"Hey, this guy looks kind of funny," You pointed out, gesturing at a statue that pictured the final battle cry of a famous warrior. Moving into a similar pose, you put on your angriest face and tried to recreate the statue. You paid no mind to the other museum-goers passing by.
Minghao stifled a laugh. "Wait, stay like that, I want to take a picture of you." He said, pulling out his phone and swiping to the camera.
"Okay," You said through gritted teeth, trying to keep as still as possible.
"But move over a little to the left."
You did just that, shuffling to the side stiffly.
"And make your face even angrier." He called out a few seconds later.
Though your cheeks were getting sore and it already felt like you're being the angriest you could possibly be, you did your best to furrow your eyebrows even further. The corner of your lips tugged downwards.
"No, even angrier!"
"Minghaooo!" You pouted, stomping your foot in frustration. "I'm doing my best!"
In the midst of your small outburst, you heard the faint click of the camera shutter and your boyfriend tucked his phone away with a smile. "I know you were, just wanted to tease you."
You stared at him, mouth agape as you tried to comprehend what just happened. "Are you saying I did all of that for nothing?"
"Don't worry, I got the actual picture too, so your efforts didn't go to waste I promise." To make up for it, Minghao came over and planted a kiss on your forehead. "You're really cute, you know?"
You squinted your eyes at him, still suspicious. "If you say so..."
He smiled and gave you another kiss, trying to prove his good intentions. "I would never lie about that. Let's continue, shall we?"
=====
There were many reasons why you loved the museum.
It was the first place Minghao took you to after he (finally) mustered the courage to ask you out. Things were awkward and shy and blushy, but memories were made and you left with a kiss on the cheek that you wouldn't forget.
Now, everything was familiar, it was like a second home to you, with how often Minghao loved to visit for inspiration. There were so many little things that simply made your mind at ease.
It was the way your footsteps echoed in the large room. The sense of peace and comfort. The smell of old paper and faint traces of flowers. The intricate patterns etched into the white walls and marble flooring.
But most of all, it was Minghao's hands gently laced into yours.
He walked ahead of you, tugging you along as he steered from one artwork to the next. Although you had happily followed him along on this museum date, you knew he was the one who was enjoying it the most. He's been here many times now while you have only visited on a few occasions — enough to be familiar with the building. But you didn't mind turning the same corner multiple times or reading the same passage over and over again. Because no matter how mundane the activity may seem to other people, a sparkle of excitement was constant in Minghao's eyes.
And seeing him happy made you just as happy.
=====
"It's extra quiet in here." You whispered, feeling the need to match the atmosphere of the room you just entered in.
The walls were covered in paintings, surrounding a statue in the middle. The multitude of artworks screamed talent as they made their presence obvious, and yet there was an eerie sense of loneliness. Aside from the two of you, the only other people here was an old woman, silently reading the description of the statue and one of the staff in the corner.
"It is," Minghao agreed, taking in the sight. "I think that's why this is gonna be my favourite section to visit. Come."
He pulled you to one of the nooks where a small canvas hung. It was covered in hues of pink, bleeding into the charcoal sketches that were left unkept. Then there were streaks of yellows that contrasted the pice and yet blended perfectly into the medley of colours.
It was, to put it simply, beautiful.
"I did some reading about this artist before," Minghao said. "They said that they painted this with a heart full of love."
"Is that so..." You hummed, rocking back and forth on your heels as you examined the painting. You paused when it suddenly felt all too familiar.
"Wait a minute. Weren't you painting something similar to this when we first met?"
As with any other story, there was a time where the two of you were mere strangers, randomly passing by each other on a busy day.
You had a feeling Minghao was purposefully guiding you to this conclusion, but he still blushed after being called out. "Yes it was, I was trying to recreate their style. But to be honest, I didn't know what to paint until I saw you across the street one day. Better yet, you were always there when I went to the park to paint, so it felt like the perfect piece to make. You showed me what love meant."
"That's so cheesy, but I love it." You giggled.
The grip on your hand got tighter. "You really saved me on that day, you know? I don't know where I would be if I hadn't met you."
"But we're here now, aren't we?" You replied gently, pressing yourself closer to his side. "That's all that matters, we don't need to care about the could haves."
"You're right." His gaze on the painting softened as the two of you stared at it in awe for a while longer, simply taking in its beauty and the memories it carried along with it.
When you finally left the room, hands still glued to each other, you poked his arm and sent him a teasing grin. "Next time we visit, I'll be seeing one of your paintings on here, right?"
"Maybe," he nodded thoughtfully. For once, Minghao did not deny that possibility — a small change that warmed your heart greatly.
hello! it's me, the platonic anon from before... may i request a non-romantic, changgu & gender-neutral reader, coffee/study date? and maybe you could work in a reassuring hug 🥺 thank you so much 💛
Yeo One (Changgu) x (gender neutral) Reader | Platonic
fluff + comfort?! | 1.8k words
synopsis: overworking can sometimes be an easy, but terrible habit to fall into, but luckily, changgu is there to drag you out when you do.
a/n: lol i think i projected this to have 1.2k but it ended up with 1.8 but i am not complaining !!!! to my dear platonic anon, sorry this took so long ksdhfkdsj i hope you enjoy it !! i may or may not have done an uno reverse on stud.hui.o fanatic because now it is the reader who's overworking BAM 💛
=====
"Don't you think we've been here for long enough?"
Your hand stopped writing the flurry of notes and you looked at your friend, who peered back at you over his laptop. "Changgu, it's literally only been..."
You flipped your phone over to look at the time on its display and faltered when you realized just how late into the day it was. "I guess we have been here for a while."
"Which is exactly why I think we should—"
"But I'm not ready to leave yet!" You snapped back, immediately backing off when you realized how harsh your voice was.
"You didn't get much sleep last night, did you?" He pressed on and you buried your face back into the piles of work laid in front of you.
"We don't talk about that either."
He let you be and the two of you went back to working in silence for the next while until Changgu eventually got up from his seat. Your eyes followed him as he stretched and let out a sigh. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom."
"Okay." You replied, and returned to your work.
=====
Not long after, a juice box slid into your view and you looked up at Changgu who returned after his bathroom break that took much longer than a usual bathroom break would've taken. You quirked an eyebrow in his direction.
"You got juice from the bathroom?"
He laughed and you took note of the other juice box in his hand — the exact same flavour as yours. "Of course I did. They added vending machines in the bathroom recently, didn't you know that?"
You decided to play along. "Is that so? No, I didn't know that. But do enlighten me as to why you would ever trust a vending machine located in the bathroom."
He laughed at your small jest. "Nah, I just went on an adventure to grab us some fuel." He dropped back into his seat and let out a relieved hum as he stared at his laptop. "After finishing that stupid essay I think I deserved the treat."
"You know, if you're done working you can always head back first. I'm fine on my own."
He shook his head adamantly at your offer. "This is our study session, you know? It's a we thing," he emphasized that with a point to the table. "So I'm not leaving until you're also done."
You sent him a small smile in appreciation and returned to your textbook, taking a small sip from the juice box as you did. It was refreshing and in the back of your mind, you wondered how he knew this was your favourite flavour. You didn't recall ever telling him.
"Though I think you've done more than enough work for today."
You didn't miss the next thing he muttered quietly.
"Look, Changgu, I'll just finish this chapter and we can call it today, okay?" You desperately held up a finger to assist in your pleading.
"One chapter and one chapter only." He reluctantly gave in, deciding to get a head start on another assignment in the meanwhile. Once again, you settled back into a comfortable silence, listening to the distant voices of others in the library.
You ended up finishing that chapter quicker than you initially thought you would and it flared up a new flame of determination within you. You could cram in a few more chapters then, right? You'll get them done in no time, especially with the flow you had now.
Agreeing with yourself, you got started right away.
You're pretty sure Changgu noticed when you flipped the page again.
And again.
And again.
Surely he's noticed the way you're slouched over a bit more now, the way your eyes were drooping and your gaze became unfocused. The way you've hardly touched the bag of snacks since he opened it. But you kept on going. Your determination knew no limits and you kept on going despite all the rational part of you that screamed at you to stop.
...Now, where did you leave off before you started daydreaming?
Right, at the end of this paragraph. You returned to staring at the mundane words in the textbook. You swore you were almost finished with this page but you also told yourself that what felt like hours ago. No matter how many times you read the same sentence over and over again, the words never seemed to stick in your mind. Your hand couldn't figure out what to write and what to leave out. All of it seemed important and you cursed the way your next exam weighed so much and yet gave you such vague preparation instructions. If only you had started studying earlier... but wasn't one week enough? Maybe you just weren't fit for this? Probably, because —
Changgu placed his hand onto yours. He gently pulled the pen out of your grasp and gestured for you to look at him.
"Let's take a break, you have no say in it. Seeing you like this makes me exhausted, I can't take this anymore."
No matter how many times you've drilled into your mind that it was absolutely not okay to take a break, the moment you heard the words from someone else, your composure crumbled.
You let out a deep sigh and let your weight rest on the table. "Yeah let's."
Changgu helped you pack your work away after cleaning up his own and waited until you were fully ready. When you slid the chair back to its former home, he held out a hand for you to take and you happily took a place by his side.
"Are you going to take me on another adventure?" You playfully asked, already feeling a little better now that your work was tucked away.
He shrugged. "Honestly, I had no clue where I was going to take you 'cause I didn't think you'd actually stop studying. But sure! Let's make this an adventure."
Stepping outside, you realized how much nicer it was to have a change of scenery. It was already late afternoon, the sun shining brightly above, engulfing you in a pleasant kind of warmth.
You sighed inwardly, this would've been more relaxing if your mind would just stop drifting back to all the work you still to be done. Hadn't you done enough? You worked so hard for the past who-knows-how-many-hours and yet it only left you unsatisfied and even more stressed.
Maybe it just wasn't enough.
A gentle bop on your head brought you out of your thoughts and you stared at Changgu, his hand still raised from bonking your bad thoughts away.
"Stop thinking so much." He crossed his arms and looked at you pointedly.
"Huh?"
Squinting his eyes, his face leaned into yours, getting closer and closer, and you found yourself edging away from the intrusion. Just as quickly as it started, he suddenly disappeared, straightening his back again and letting out a huff.
"Just as I thought."
"What?" You asked again, still lost.
"You're thinking bad things about yourself again! Stop that."
"How did you know?"
He playfully punched your shoulder at that. "I'm your best friend, you think I wouldn't notice these things? You always have this expression on your face when you're beating yourself up. Looks kinda stupid."
Your mouth gaped at his remark. "Hey!'
"I'm kidding, you never look stupid," he smiled and continued. "But what is stupid is you thinking that you're not good enough because you can't keep up with everything that's going on. Can you really blame yourself if some uncontrollable force decided to dump an unreasonable amount of work on you all at once? You're doing your best, which is one, really paying off because I swear you've covered like a billion chapters today. And two, is extremely cool — I heard the group studying behind us gush about how hard you were working and guess what?"
"...What?" You asked hesitantly, still trying to recover from your friend's spiel.
Changgu grabbed your shoulders to keep your attention. "I also think you're really really cool!!" He announced loudly, capturing the attention of a mother and her daughter nearby. They walked away after the initial surprise.
Your lip trembled, not even having it within you to be embarrassed by his public confession. Instead, you were overwhelmed by his kindness. "Changgu..."
He pulled you into a hug and you basked in his presence. The faint smell of fresh laundry lingered on his hoodie and you melted into his comfort. "You're doing great, and you'd be doing even better if you let yourself breathe for a moment. As overwhelming as it may feel, the only thing that's going to bring you down is yourself if you keep on going at this rate — not your work." He gently scolded before he pulled away and cupped your face, eyes boring into yours.
"Got that?"
You nodded hesitantly. "Yes."
"I don't know... that wasn't really convincing..."
You laughed lightly and pushed his hands away from you. "I got it, I got it, Changu. Thank you so much." You found yourself much more relaxed after your talk. "From studying with me to buying me snacks and comforting me... aargh, I appreciate it."
Changgu simply gave you a bright smile. "Anything for you."
That was all he said, but those 3 words were enough to express just how much you meant to each other.
"Besides, I don't think of it as a chore, any time spent with you is great."
You pouted. "You're too good for me, seriously. How can I make it up to you?"
In all honesty, you expected him to dismiss the question, but instead, Changgu's eyes wandered off as he placed a finger on his chin. "Well, I did notice that my favourite drink is on sale when I passed by that cafe on the way here..."
You sent him an amused look. "The juice wasn't enough?"
"Are you telling me to pass on a sale that takes a whole dollar off?"
Once again, you found yourself playing along with his act and your eyes widened. "Oh geez, you're right, we can't miss out on that." Pushing Changgu from behind, you ushered him forward. "Let's get moving! We spent so much time in the library the shop's going to close by the time we get there."
Changgu chuckled as you caught up and fell into step with his movements. "I'm glad to see that you're back to normal."
"And I'm glad we get to save a buck on overpriced drinks. Thanks for everything, Changgu." You swiftly replied and he sent a smile your way.
hello! it's me, the platonic anon from before... may i request a non-romantic, changgu & gender-neutral reader, coffee/study date? and maybe you could work in a reassuring hug 🥺 thank you so much 💛
Yeo One (Changgu) x (gender neutral) Reader | Platonic
fluff + comfort?! | 1.8k words
synopsis: overworking can sometimes be an easy, but terrible habit to fall into, but luckily, changgu is there to drag you out when you do.
a/n: lol i think i projected this to have 1.2k but it ended up with 1.8 but i am not complaining !!!! to my dear platonic anon, sorry this took so long ksdhfkdsj i hope you enjoy it !! i may or may not have done an uno reverse on stud.hui.o fanatic because now it is the reader who's overworking BAM 💛
=====
"Don't you think we've been here for long enough?"
Your hand stopped writing the flurry of notes and you looked at your friend, who peered back at you over his laptop. "Changgu, it's literally only been..."
You flipped your phone over to look at the time on its display and faltered when you realized just how late into the day it was. "I guess we have been here for a while."
"Which is exactly why I think we should—"
"But I'm not ready to leave yet!" You snapped back, immediately backing off when you realized how harsh your voice was.
"You didn't get much sleep last night, did you?" He pressed on and you buried your face back into the piles of work laid in front of you.
"We don't talk about that either."
He let you be and the two of you went back to working in silence for the next while until Changgu eventually got up from his seat. Your eyes followed him as he stretched and let out a sigh. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom."
"Okay." You replied, and returned to your work.
=====
Not long after, a juice box slid into your view and you looked up at Changgu who returned after his bathroom break that took much longer than a usual bathroom break would've taken. You quirked an eyebrow in his direction.
"You got juice from the bathroom?"
He laughed and you took note of the other juice box in his hand — the exact same flavour as yours. "Of course I did. They added vending machines in the bathroom recently, didn't you know that?"
You decided to play along. "Is that so? No, I didn't know that. But do enlighten me as to why you would ever trust a vending machine located in the bathroom."
He laughed at your small jest. "Nah, I just went on an adventure to grab us some fuel." He dropped back into his seat and let out a relieved hum as he stared at his laptop. "After finishing that stupid essay I think I deserved the treat."
"You know, if you're done working you can always head back first. I'm fine on my own."
He shook his head adamantly at your offer. "This is our study session, you know? It's a we thing," he emphasized that with a point to the table. "So I'm not leaving until you're also done."
You sent him a small smile in appreciation and returned to your textbook, taking a small sip from the juice box as you did. It was refreshing and in the back of your mind, you wondered how he knew this was your favourite flavour. You didn't recall ever telling him.
"Though I think you've done more than enough work for today."
You didn't miss the next thing he muttered quietly.
"Look, Changgu, I'll just finish this chapter and we can call it today, okay?" You desperately held up a finger to assist in your pleading.
"One chapter and one chapter only." He reluctantly gave in, deciding to get a head start on another assignment in the meanwhile. Once again, you settled back into a comfortable silence, listening to the distant voices of others in the library.
You ended up finishing that chapter quicker than you initially thought you would and it flared up a new flame of determination within you. You could cram in a few more chapters then, right? You'll get them done in no time, especially with the flow you had now.
Agreeing with yourself, you got started right away.
You're pretty sure Changgu noticed when you flipped the page again.
And again.
And again.
Surely he's noticed the way you're slouched over a bit more now, the way your eyes were drooping and your gaze became unfocused. The way you've hardly touched the bag of snacks since he opened it. But you kept on going. Your determination knew no limits and you kept on going despite all the rational part of you that screamed at you to stop.
...Now, where did you leave off before you started daydreaming?
Right, at the end of this paragraph. You returned to staring at the mundane words in the textbook. You swore you were almost finished with this page but you also told yourself that what felt like hours ago. No matter how many times you read the same sentence over and over again, the words never seemed to stick in your mind. Your hand couldn't figure out what to write and what to leave out. All of it seemed important and you cursed the way your next exam weighed so much and yet gave you such vague preparation instructions. If only you had started studying earlier... but wasn't one week enough? Maybe you just weren't fit for this? Probably, because —
Changgu placed his hand onto yours. He gently pulled the pen out of your grasp and gestured for you to look at him.
"Let's take a break, you have no say in it. Seeing you like this makes me exhausted, I can't take this anymore."
No matter how many times you've drilled into your mind that it was absolutely not okay to take a break, the moment you heard the words from someone else, your composure crumbled.
You let out a deep sigh and let your weight rest on the table. "Yeah let's."
Changgu helped you pack your work away after cleaning up his own and waited until you were fully ready. When you slid the chair back to its former home, he held out a hand for you to take and you happily took a place by his side.
"Are you going to take me on another adventure?" You playfully asked, already feeling a little better now that your work was tucked away.
He shrugged. "Honestly, I had no clue where I was going to take you 'cause I didn't think you'd actually stop studying. But sure! Let's make this an adventure."
Stepping outside, you realized how much nicer it was to have a change of scenery. It was already late afternoon, the sun shining brightly above, engulfing you in a pleasant kind of warmth.
You sighed inwardly, this would've been more relaxing if your mind would just stop drifting back to all the work you still to be done. Hadn't you done enough? You worked so hard for the past who-knows-how-many-hours and yet it only left you unsatisfied and even more stressed.
Maybe it just wasn't enough.
A gentle bop on your head brought you out of your thoughts and you stared at Changgu, his hand still raised from bonking your bad thoughts away.
"Stop thinking so much." He crossed his arms and looked at you pointedly.
"Huh?"
Squinting his eyes, his face leaned into yours, getting closer and closer, and you found yourself edging away from the intrusion. Just as quickly as it started, he suddenly disappeared, straightening his back again and letting out a huff.
"Just as I thought."
"What?" You asked again, still lost.
"You're thinking bad things about yourself again! Stop that."
"How did you know?"
He playfully punched your shoulder at that. "I'm your best friend, you think I wouldn't notice these things? You always have this expression on your face when you're beating yourself up. Looks kinda stupid."
Your mouth gaped at his remark. "Hey!'
"I'm kidding, you never look stupid," he smiled and continued. "But what is stupid is you thinking that you're not good enough because you can't keep up with everything that's going on. Can you really blame yourself if some uncontrollable force decided to dump an unreasonable amount of work on you all at once? You're doing your best, which is one, really paying off because I swear you've covered like a billion chapters today. And two, is extremely cool — I heard the group studying behind us gush about how hard you were working and guess what?"
"...What?" You asked hesitantly, still trying to recover from your friend's spiel.
Changgu grabbed your shoulders to keep your attention. "I also think you're really really cool!!" He announced loudly, capturing the attention of a mother and her daughter nearby. They walked away after the initial surprise.
Your lip trembled, not even having it within you to be embarrassed by his public confession. Instead, you were overwhelmed by his kindness. "Changgu..."
He pulled you into a hug and you basked in his presence. The faint smell of fresh laundry lingered on his hoodie and you melted into his comfort. "You're doing great, and you'd be doing even better if you let yourself breathe for a moment. As overwhelming as it may feel, the only thing that's going to bring you down is yourself if you keep on going at this rate — not your work." He gently scolded before he pulled away and cupped your face, eyes boring into yours.
"Got that?"
You nodded hesitantly. "Yes."
"I don't know... that wasn't really convincing..."
You laughed lightly and pushed his hands away from you. "I got it, I got it, Changu. Thank you so much." You found yourself much more relaxed after your talk. "From studying with me to buying me snacks and comforting me... aargh, I appreciate it."
Changgu simply gave you a bright smile. "Anything for you."
That was all he said, but those 3 words were enough to express just how much you meant to each other.
"Besides, I don't think of it as a chore, any time spent with you is great."
You pouted. "You're too good for me, seriously. How can I make it up to you?"
In all honesty, you expected him to dismiss the question, but instead, Changgu's eyes wandered off as he placed a finger on his chin. "Well, I did notice that my favourite drink is on sale when I passed by that cafe on the way here..."
You sent him an amused look. "The juice wasn't enough?"
"Are you telling me to pass on a sale that takes a whole dollar off?"
Once again, you found yourself playing along with his act and your eyes widened. "Oh geez, you're right, we can't miss out on that." Pushing Changgu from behind, you ushered him forward. "Let's get moving! We spent so much time in the library the shop's going to close by the time we get there."
Changgu chuckled as you caught up and fell into step with his movements. "I'm glad to see that you're back to normal."
"And I'm glad we get to save a buck on overpriced drinks. Thanks for everything, Changgu." You swiftly replied and he sent a smile your way.
love at first sight or slowly growing fond of someone? love letters or mixtapes? hand kisses or kisses on the cheeks? understanding each other without words or finishing each other's sentences? gazing into each other’s eyes or looking away blushing? longing to be with someone again or spending every second together? laughing together or crying together? fingers running through your hair or gently playing with your hand? surprise kisses or long tight hugs?
amandla
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prguitarman
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