Pairing: bff!hoshi x reader
Summary: Everybody thinks you're dating Kwon Soonyoung. He does everything a boyfriend would do: saves you a seat, walks you home, remembers your coffee order, always there when it matters most. The only problem is he isn't your boyfriend. Not because you don't want him to be, or because he doesn't feel the same. Just bad timing—distance, careers, and two people who never say what everyone already knows. With summer ending in New York, you'll have to decide whether Kwon Soonyoung is worth risking everything for. The answer, unfortunately, has never been the problem.
Warning/s: -
Note: This is part of my you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love series! :)
Song: stupid song by olivia rodrigo
drop dead | stupid song
STUPID FRIENDS
Vernon was way too excited for his own good. Who could blame him? Vernon wasn’t supposed to inherit his childhood apartment this early. The apartment that he and his sister grew up in was finally being transferred to his name because the rest of the family will be moving to the Upper East Side. After signing the papers, he immediately called his friends back in Seoul to invite them over and christen the place with booze and good vibes.
That's why everyone's at the airport now. Seungcheol was holding everyone's passports and boarding passes, Jeonghan made sure everyone was together, and he even made a buddy system. Joshua packed snacks for everyone in his carry-on ("airport snacks are pricey, okay??" Joshua said.), Jun was playing Genshin Impact with Wonwoo, Jihoon was listening to music, Seokmin was scrolling through his phone, Minghao was reading a book, Seungkwan was giving Vernon updates, Mingyu and Chan were doing TikTok challenges, and you and Soonyoung were walking around the airport.
Jeonghan sighed and crossed his legs. Joshua turned to him, "What's wrong?"
"Are Y/N and Soonie back yet?" Jeonghan asked. "Cheol will get pissed if he wakes up from his nap and finds them still gone."
"Nope. They're not back yet." Joshua said. "That couple should really come back now." He pulled out his phone and began texting.
Just then, Seungcheol woke up from his nap. He adjusted his sitting position and rubbed his eyes. "Where's the crazy couple?"
"Not back yet." Jeonghan and Joshua said in unison, prepared for Seungcheol's wrath, but were shocked when he didn't react. Just then, they heard familiar laughter.
"Yah! It's about damn time that you came back!" Jeonghan raised his voice, earning looks from the rest of the group.
"Well, we weren't going to leave. We just roamed around." You shrugged as Soonyoung fixed your hair before handing you a bottled water that's already been opened.
"Drink some water. It's good for you. You had so much candy." Soonyoung said, earning you a small, appreciative smile before you drank.
Mingyu and Dino, who stopped their TikToks, looked at the two of you with their jaws dropped before turning to look at each other.
"They're such a cute couple," Mingyu said. "I'm happy for them."
"Me too. It makes my single ass lonely, though." Chan shook his head.
-
Vernon's apartment was full and lively. He didn't need to invite anyone else over for his housewarming party. After all, you guys were all he had. He didn't have any friends from New York before he left for Korea. So, seeing all of you made his heart swell.
"Ugh, they're so annoying." Seungkwan rolled his eyes. Vernon gave him a look, "Who?"
"Y/N and Soonyoung." Seungkwan shook his head and took a sip of his beer. "Like, oh my god, he's not going to leave you. He'll just buy some more beer with Wonwoo."
Vernon looked in the direction Seungkwan was looking and nodded, "Ahh, I see it now. Since when were they together?"
"I don't know, and I don't care, but they better cut that out, or I'll lose it," Seungkwan said, earning a chuckle from Vernon.
"I'll be back, Y/Nie." Soonyoung cooed, squishing your cheek. "The sooner I leave, the sooner I'll get back."
You smiled, "Okay! Go on."
Wonwoo watched the whole thing with a disgusted look on his face. He couldn't bear the clinginess. So much so that he told Jun and Jihoon to join them in buying more drinks and snacks.
At the convenience store, Soonyoung was looking around for snacks that everyone wanted. Wonwoo, Jihoon, and Jun were just following behind him.
"I swear, they're so tiring to look at," Wonwoo sighed, crossing his arms. "We get it, you're dating. Shut up now."
"For real." Jun nodded in agreement.
"I mean, they're happy, so," Jihoon shrugged. "I don't really care, but I can see why you're annoyed... well, everyone's annoyed."
"You just haven't been stuck with them, that's why." Jun defended.
"Thank god for that, then." Jihoon snickered.
"Guys, do you think Y/N's in the mood for Buldak? Their choices vary all the time when we drink. Last time, they wanted donuts. Before that, they wanted buffalo wings and pizza. Usually, Buldak is their go-to, but I'm not sure what they like tonight." Soonyoung pouted.
"Just send them a text so we can go." Wonwoo huffed.
"We need to buy some ice, too." Jun reminded.
"This basket's getting heavy with the drinks. Call them now." Jihoon sighed, putting the basket on the floor.
"Great idea!" Soonyuong grinned and pulled out his phone before stopping. Seeing this, Jihoon groaned, "What now?"
"I'll just buy them everything they might like: Buldak, pizza, donuts, buffalo wings, and pizza. It's no biggie. Let's go." Soonyoung grinned.
"Jesus." Jun closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
-
Soonyoung came back from the convenience store like nothing had happened, arms full of snacks and drinks, as if he were personally responsible for feeding everyone in New York.
"You guys bought A LOT!" Seungcheol exclaimed. "How many people are we feeding?"
"Yeah, there's only fourteen of us here," Jeonghan added.
Wonwoo grunted as he put the stuff he carried on the counter, "Soonyoung is to blame."
"I got everything," he said proudly, setting the bags down on the counter. "Just in case Y/N changes their mind again."
You were already sitting on the floor by the couch, knees pulled up, scrolling through your phone. Soonyoung immediately dropped beside you anyway. Close. Too close. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. He nudged a bottle of water toward you. "Drink."
You did.
Across the room, Seungkwan groaned. "I'm going to lose my mind."
Joshua didn't even look up this time. "Just let it happen."
Mingyu laughed under his breath like he was watching a show he'd seen before and still found entertaining. Jeonghan was quiet, eyes flicking between the two of you for a second too long before he looked away. Seungcheol just leaned back on the couch, arms crossed, like he'd already accepted whatever this was supposed to be.
Meanwhile, Soonyoung was still talking.
"I got you Buldak, donuts, the chips you like, and—oh, I wasn’t sure what you wanted, so I just got everything,” he said, turning slightly towards you. "I also ordered pizza and buffalo wings for you. You can pick later."
You hummed in agreement, like this was normal. Like he wasn't hovering like that. Like everyone wasn't staring. Soonyoung smiled anyway, satisfied, and leaned back beside you like he belonged there.
WE'RE STUPID
Seungkwan was getting tired. Not in the dramatic, I-need-a-break-from-people kind of way. More like the slow, creeping realization that something everyone else found funny had started happening a little too often.
It was Soonyoung again. Of course it was.
He was fixing your jacket even though it wasn’t cold, leaning in too close while talking like personal space was optional, laughing at things that weren’t even jokes if they came from you. And you—you just let it happen.
Seungkwan frowned into his drink. At first, it had been annoying. Then funny. Then something to tease them about. Now, it was just... consistent. Like a habit, nobody bothered correcting anymore.
Morning came loudly in Vernon's apartment. If he wanted his apartment christened, it definitely was.
Too many people had stayed up too late, too many drinks had been opened “just one more time,” and now the entire living room looked like it was negotiating peace with gravity.
Mingyu was half-dead on the couch. Jun was asleep, sitting upright. Jihoon looked personally offended by the concept of morning. Someone had lost a slipper, and no one knew who.
Seungkwan, unfortunately, was awake.
He stood in the kitchen, staring at the mess like it had personally wronged him. "Absolutely not," he muttered to himself.
From the hallway, shuffling footsteps approached. You appeared first, hair a mess, blinking like the world had loaded incorrectly. Of course, Soonyoung followed right behind.
“You didn’t drink enough water last night,” he said, voice already annoyed in a way that sounded suspiciously like concern. He reached past Seungkwan without acknowledging him and placed a bottle in front of you. “Drink.”
You squinted at it. "I'm alive."
"That's not the point."
"You're not my mom," You mumbled, but still took the bottle.
Soonyoung looked offended by that for exactly half a second before softening again. "Just drink it. Please."
Seungkwan stared into the distance. This was worse in the morning. Did he somehow gain superpowers overnight and become invisible? Shaking his head, he stormed to the living room.
"I'm not doing this," Seungkwan said to himself before waking Mingyu up. "Get up."
Mingyu groaned.
"Wake up!" Seungkwan hissed. "I need you, or I'll go crazy."
Mingyu groaned again as he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What's the matter?"
"That." Seungkwan pointed vaguely toward the kitchen.
"Oh," Mingyu said, now fully awake. He saw it, too.
Soonyoung was now making Y/N sit down like they were fragile furniture, pushing a glass of water into their hands while checking if they needed food. Y/N was protesting weakly but doing none of the work to stop him.
Mingyu watched for a second. Then he stood up. Seungkwan wanted to rip his hair out.
“Where are you going?” Seungkwan asked.
Mingyu grabbed his phone. “Waking up, Dino. I refuse to be the only sober witness to this relationship again.”
“I knew I hated you,” Seungkwan muttered.
Mingyu shrugged. “Guess I'll have to live with that.”
Mingyu disappeared down the hallway. Seungkwan stayed where he was, staring at Soonyoung hovering over Y/N like it was the most natural thing in the world.
You leaned back slightly, exhausted, letting Soonyoung fuss over you without resistance. Soonyoung looked completely normal doing it.
Seungkwan exhaled through his nose, "I need better friends."
-
Wonwoo didn’t understand why everyone insisted on going out when they were hungover. But Seungcheol had said something about groceries, Jeonghan had called it “fresh air therapy,” and somehow that translated into all of them being outside in New York before noon like it was a reasonable decision.
Spoiler alert: it wasn't.
The city was too loud for how little sleep they’d had. People were walking fast, always had somewhere to be. Cars were honking. Wonwoo was tempted to ask Vernon if it was really like this in The Big Apple, but he didn't want to seem rude or ungrateful. In truth, he was just hungover, sleepy, and he wanted to play the new game on his Nintendo Switch.
Mingyu was walking slightly ahead, still complaining about Seungkwan yelling at him earlier. Jihoon looked like he regretted being alive. Jun had sunglasses on indoors and didn’t bother taking them off. Wonwoo stayed a step behind. Unfortunately for him, Soonyoung was there, too.
He was walking beside you without thinking about it, matching your pace like it was automatic. You looked like you were surviving purely out of spite and water intake.
Soonyoung had already given you a bottle. More than one, actually. “You need to eat something,” he said, like it was a fact he was personally responsible for enforcing.
"I will," you muttered. "Later."
"That's what you said an hour ago."
"I'm still alive, aren't I?"
Soonyoung didn't answer that. Instead, he adjusted the strap of your bag without asking, as if his hands already knew what to do.
Wonwoo watched it happen. Again. Not new. Not surprising. Just... continuous.
The group stopped at the crosswalk. You leaned slightly toward Soonyoung without noticing. Soonyoung shifted instantly to match, making space for you while taking up none at all. Slowly, you held Soonyoung's hand, and he interlaced your fingers.
Wonwoo blinked once. That was new. Leaning towards each other was old news, but holding hands with interlaced fingers? Definitely hadn't happened before.
This wasn’t affection in the way people usually thought about it. There was no performance to it. No awareness. That was the problem.
Jihoon spoke in a hushed voice beside him, "That's new."
Wonwoo glanced at him, "Hm?"
Jihoon nodded at your intertwined hands, "That."
Wonwoo nodded before sighing to himself. Soonyoung was now pointing at a café like he was negotiating terms. You were shaking your head. Soonyoung looked personally offended by the idea of them not eating.
Wonwoo watched Soonyoung lean slightly closer to hear what Y/N was saying, like the world outside them didn’t matter.
"Are they even dating?" Jihoon asked. "I know we joke around a lot, but this isn't funny anymore."
Wonwoo didn't respond immediately. He stood and observed you and Soonyoung until it was time to cross the road.
-
The next morning came more slowly. Less chaotic, but heavier in a different way. Soonyoung was already awake when Y/N found him. That wasn't unusual. What was unusual was that he didn't say anything immediately.
You leaned against the kitchen counter. "Soonie."
He looked up.
"Can I... have a break from you for a while?"
The words didn't land loudly. They didn't need to. Soonyoung blinked once.
"Oh," he said.
It wasn't dramatic, but something in his expression shifted slightly. It was as if he hadn't considered the idea before it was already happening. Actually, he had never thought of the possibility of you being away from him for a second.
Y/N softened a little. “It’s not like that. I just— I’m gonna go out with Hannie and Joshua today. I promised we’d go shopping around the city.”
“That’s fine,” Soonyoung said quickly. Too quickly. Then, after a beat, “But you can go shopping any day. We’re here for a week. Besides, I wanted to go to Central Park with you because I know how much you love 'Enchanted'.”
"That's so sweet of you, Soonie," you said softly. "I'll come back, don't worry."
That seemed to quiet him a little, but not fully.
Jeonghan appeared at the kitchen entrance like he'd been summoned by tension. "Oh!" he said brightly, glancing between you two. "Perfect timing."
Joshua was right behind him, dressed like he was going to do a street photo shoot with Vogue magazine.
Jeonghan clapped his hands once. "Shua and I are so looking forward to our shopping spree! We didn't pay extra for check-in for nothing. Let's go, Y/Nie."
You hesitated for half a second, then grabbed your bag. Soonyoung straightened slightly. “Wait—”
Jeonghan didn’t let the moment breathe. “Okay! Let’s go,” he said, looping an arm through Y/N’s and gently steering them away from the kitchen. Then, over his shoulder, “We’ll be back later!”
Soonyoung glanced at Joshua and said, "Hyung, make sure Y/N eats, okay? They've been skipping meals, I just know it."
Joshua gave Soonyoung a small, polite smile that didn’t really say anything at all, and followed. The door clicked shut behind him.
The apartment was quiet again. Soonyoung stayed where he was for a moment longer than necessary. Then he looked toward the door. Then away.
He told himself that nothing had changed, that it was just shopping, and that you'd be back in no time, but the space beside him stayed empty a little longer than he liked. And for the first time, he didn’t fill it immediately.
-
By the time you left the last store, you had bags hanging from both arms and a smile that had finally stopped looking forced. You were like Cher Horowitz after she went shopping.
Jeonghan had somehow convinced you and Joshua to try on multiple outfits you didn't need, but ended up buying. Joshua bought something for Vernon's apartment and more clothes for himself ("I'll be donating some of my clothes to charity because I'm preparing for the Christmas Drive even though it's so far away," Joshua said.). All three of you had lost track of how long you'd been out.
Joshua glanced at the time on his phone, then paused. "Oh," he said.
Jeonghan looked over. "What?"
"I forgot something Soonie told me," Joshua stated.
You immediately narrowed your eyes. "Why are you two talking about him?"
Joshua smiled. "He asked me to make sure you eat today."
Jeonghan stopped walking and fully turned to Joshua. "He did?"
Joshua nodded. "Apparently, you skip meals when you're busy."
"He's so dramatic," you groaned.
"Maybe," Joshua shrugged. "But he sounded worried."
Jeonghan hooked an arm through yours. "Okay, then. We're eating before we go back."
"I was going to eat anyway."
"Sure," Jeonghan said easily. "But we're making it an event."
You ended up in a small restaurant a few blocks away, squeezed into a booth with your shopping bags piled beside you.
The server had barely placed the menus on the table before Jeonghan picked his up, scanned it once, then looked up. "Excuse me," he called, already raising a hand.
You stared at him. "Hannie."
"What?" Jeonghan asked innocently.
Joshua looked down at his own unopened menu. "We just got here."
"I know what you both like," Jeonghan said, completely unfazed. Then, when the server returned, he started ordering enough food for all three of them without asking. You and Joshua exchanged a look—appalled, but not really. Jeonghan finished, handed the menu back, and smiled like he’d done everyone a favor.
"There," he said. "Now nobody has to think."
Joshua laughed softly. "You’re impossible."
"And yet," Jeonghan replied, leaning back in his seat, "you’ll eat everything."
Joshua took a sip of his water, then glanced at your plate when the food arrived. "You’re actually eating," he said, sounding quietly pleased.
You looked up with a raised brow. "Um, yeah? I'm, like, starving."
"I'm just saying." Joshua smiled. "Soonie would be happy."
You sighed. "He'd be happy if I drank water, ate food, wore a jacket, slept eight hours, called him when I get home, texted him in the morning, video-called him during my lunch break, went out with him on the weekends..."
Jeonghan snickered and picked up his fork. "He's very attentive, and he wants attention."
"Well, he's like that with everyone," You said.
Joshua and Jeonghan exchanged a look. Then Joshua asked, "Is he?"
You paused. Jeonghan leaned back in his seat. "He cares about all of us, sure. But with you, it’s different."
"Different how?"
Joshua thought for a moment. "He notices things before you say them."
"Your food," Jeonghan added. "When you’re tired. When you’re cold, even when you insist you aren’t."
You looked down at your fork, trying not to smile. "He's just... Soonie," you said.
"That doesn't answer anything," Jeonghan said lightly.
"What are you even asking?"
Joshua smiled into his drink. "Do you like that he's like that with you?"
You blinked at him. Jeonghan tilted his head. "Because you always let him do those things, Y/Nie."
You opened your mouth, then closed it again. "I don't know," you said eventually, though it came out softer than you meant it to.
Joshua nodded, leaving it there. "That's okay."
"We're not trying to make you confess," Jeonghan said, finally reaching for his food. "We're just curious."
"Why?"
"Because from the outside," he said, smiling, "you two are very obvious."
You groaned, covering your face for a second. "You're both annoying."
You lowered your hands, still smiling despite yourself.
-
Somewhere back at Vernon's apartment, Soonyoung was probably wondering whether you had eaten yet. And, annoyingly, you liked that Soonyoung cared enough to tell Joshua to make sure you ate.
By the time Soonyoung checked his phone for the nth time, Vernon had stopped pretending not to notice. The apartment had settled into a quieter afternoon. Seungcheol and Jihoon were watching something on the television with the volume too low to follow. Jun was asleep again. Mingyu and Chan had disappeared to the kitchen with a camera, some food, and a terrible mukbang idea.
Soonyoung sat on the couch, staring at the message you sent an hour ago.
[y/nie 🥰💕]: still shopping! don't wait up :)
He had reacted with a thumbs-up. He debated with himself on whether or not he should send a message to ask if you've eaten.
Vernon sat next to him, taking a sip of his iced tea. "You know they're just shopping, right?"
Soonyoung looked at him. "I know, but it's taking too long."
"Well, they're in one of the fashion capitals. Of course, they'd take their time shopping." Vernon said as he leaned back.
"I'm not worried, if that's what you're thinking," Soonyoung said.
Vernon nodded slowly, not believing it for a second. "Sure."
Soonyoung frowned at that. "What?"
"Nothing."
Oh, it was definitely something. Soonyoung looked back down at his phone, then toward the bags of chips on the coffee table. He had picked up your favorite chips earlier without thinking. They sat beside a bottle of water he’d put there, thinking you'd be home earlier than expected. Vernon followed his gaze.
"You saved those for Y/N?" Vernon asked.
Soonyoung glanced at the chips. "They like those."
"Right."
"Y/N will probably be hungry when they get back. They like to eat chips after a tiring day, you know." Soonyoung said, all dazed and distracted.
Vernon turned to look at him for a moment. Then he said, "Y/N's so easy to love, no?"
Soonyoung blinked. The question sat between them longer than it should have. "Yeah," he said eventually, voice softer. "They are."
Vernon watched him carefully. Soonyoung realized, a second too late, what he had just said. He laughed and looked away. "I mean, everyone loves Y/N. They're easy to be around."
"That's not what I meant, and you know it."
Soonyoung’s smile stayed on his face, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Vernonie," he said, half-warning, half-embarrassed.
Vernon only shrugged. "I'm just saying."
"So am I."
"Are you?"
Soonyoung opened his mouth. Nothing came out. From the hallway, the front door unlocked. Soonyoung looked up immediately. Too quickly. Your voice floated in from the entryway, followed by Jeonghan complaining about shopping bags and Joshua laughing at him. Soonyoung stood before he even seemed to realize he was doing it. Vernon watched him go, and this time, he didn’t say anything.
STUPIDLY IN LOVE
Vernon stood in the middle of the living room with a drink in one hand and an expression that told everyone he had been forced into this.
The apartment was louder than usual. Empty bottles crowded the coffee table, someone had connected their phone to the speaker, and the skyline outside the windows had turned a deep shade of blue.
"Okay," Vernon said, raising his glass. "Before anyone gets too drunk, I have something to say."
The room quieted almost immediately. Seungkwan narrowed his eyes. "Why do you look like you’re about to announce something?"
"I’m not announcing anything," Vernon said. "Just listen."
Jeonghan leaned closer to Joshua. "He practiced this."
"I did not," Vernon muttered. Then he looked around the room. Everyone across the couch and floor. The bags were half-packed by the door. The people who had filled an apartment that had felt too quiet for too long.
"New York's looking so blue," he began, glancing toward the window, "and I'd like to think that it's mirroring what I'm feeling now."
There was a beat of silence. Mingyu’s mouth dropped open. "Whoa."
"Who are you?" Chan asked, staring at him.
Vernon ignored them. "It's bittersweet to let you guys go, and I'll definitely miss all the noise," he continued, a little faster now, like he wanted to get it over with. "But I hope you enjoyed your stay, and I hope I was a decent host."
For a second, nobody said anything. Then Seungkwan sniffed loudly and walked over to hug Vernon. "Oh my god," he said. "That was actually sweet."
"I hate that I liked it," Jihoon added from the couch.
Minghao smiled warmly. "You were a great host, Vernon."
Seungcheol lifted his glass. "The best. Even if your apartment is now permanently haunted by twelve people's laundry."
"Fourteen," Jeonghan corrected.
"Exactly," Seungcheol said.
Laughter filled the room again, warm and messy and familiar. Vernon smiled despite himself, lifting his drink a little higher. "To New York," he said.
"To New York!" Everyone echoed.
Beside you, Soonyoung's shoulder brushed against yours. Neither of you moved away.
The night went on in a blur of music, laughter, and Seungkwan arguing with Mingyu over the playlist. You stood by the fire escape for a moment, looking out at the city. New York City really was blue tonight.
Naturally, Soonyoung found you. "Cold?" he asked, already taking off his jacket.
"I'm okay."
He still draped it over your shoulders. You looked at him. "Soonie."
He paused. For once, he didn't laugh it off. He looked into your eyes, and instantly knew what you were about to say.
"I know," he said quietly. The music inside faded behind you. You held the jacket closer. "Everyone keeps saying things."
He nodded, "They do."
"And you never correct them."
Soonyoung looked down at the floor, then back at you. "Do you want me to?"
Something about whatever you and Soonyoung were made you hesitate. It felt right because he knew you so well, but wrong because he was your friend.
Still, lately, every stupid love song seemed to make sense whenever Soonyoung looked after you like you were the only person in the room.
"No," you replied, almost too softly to hear.
Soonyoung moved closer, not close enough to touch, but close enough that you could feel his warmth. "I don't want to either," he confessed. "I think I've been pretending it's normal because I didn't know what would happen if I said it out loud."
You gave him a small, nervous smile. "We're stupid."
Soonyoung laughed under his breath. "Yeah," he said. "But I really like you."
You looked at him for a second, then reached for his hand. "I really like you, too."
For a second, neither of you said anything. Soonyoung's smile came slowly, as if he were trying not to make how relieved he was too obvious. Then he carefully reached for your hand, like he was still expecting you to pull away at any second.
You didn't. Instead, you laced your fingers together. From inside, someone cheered at something on the television, followed by Seungkwan yelling about the playlist again. The noise made you laugh.
"So," Soonyoung said, squeezing your hand once, "are we going back in?"
You looked at him, then at the apartment full of your friends. "Yeah," you said. "Before everyone realizes they were right, and they definitely told us so."
Soonyoung could only laugh.
When you went back inside, your hands were still intertwined. Seungkwan noticed first. He opened his mouth, probably ready to say something dramatic, but Jeonghan covered it with his hand before he could. Across the room, Vernon only smiled.
This time, when someone called you a couple, you'd only smile.
a/n: ahhh stupid song is finished! hope you guys had fun reading this as much as i had fun writing it
