riize ff: wonbin, eunseok, seunghan, sungchan, sohee, anton, shotaro, original characters
genre: youth, romance, teen, fluff, angst, slice of life
note: you can check my asianfanfics.com/jayxhobi for this story.
The soft melody of raindrops tapping against the cafe's windows and the hushed conversations of patrons in the background enveloped Jiwoo, making her feel right at home as she gazed at the slow twirl of a brown bubble on her coffee's surface. While some people frowned at the gloomy weather, the few inside the cafe found solace in the respite it provided from their bustling lives.
Jiwoo, like her fellow cafe-dwellers, took this moment to unwind from her daily grind by simply watching the busy street outside through the rain-splattered window. A steaming cup of coffee sat on the warm, mahogany table before her, as she indulged in an impromptu photo session with her subject of choice: the solitary coffee cup.
Content with her snapshots, Jiwoo felt the urge to capture herself seated on the gray cushioned couch. Tilting her phone at just the right angle to conceal any unflattering imperfections, she was pleasantly surprised by the striking image she beheld. Her sense of pride soared as she reviewed her photos, momentarily lost in her own world, until the music softly playing in the background snapped her back to reality.
That song brought back a flood of memories. It had been years since she'd last heard it, but as she read in a recent post, certain things had the power to unlock one's core memories – whether it be a scent, a taste, a sound, a sight, or a sensation. With this single song, Jiwoo found herself reliving her youthful emotions and pondering the 'what-ifs' and missed opportunities of her past, all while questioning whether she still had the chance to experience them.
2006
Jiwoo hopped off the motorcycle, her heart racing with anxiety, and bid her father farewell before entering the school gate. It was her first day of school, and she felt a mix of nerves. She couldn't decide if it was the textbooks in her bag weighing her down or the realization that everyone else seemed to know each other already.
She silently wished to spot a familiar face and, to her delight, she did: her best friend, Miri.
"I'm so thrilled to see you here," Miri greeted her with a blend of joy and wistfulness. Joyful because she found Jiwoo on the first day, but wistful because they weren't placed in the same class. Jiwoo had been assigned to Class 1-B because her academic rank was lower than Miri's.
"Will you be okay, Jiwoo?" Miri asked, concerned that her reserved friend might struggle in her new class.
"I'll be just fine," Jiwoo assured her, offering a bag of cookies her mom had baked for Miri. "Mom said to give these to you and your mom later," she added.
"Wow, that's so sweet of your mom. Thank you so much! I'll be sure to tell my mom... Oh, sorry, Jiwoo, I have to run now. Let's make sure we meet at lunch, okay?" Miri said as she hurried back to her classroom.
"Okay! Good luck, Hwang Miri!"
"Good luck, Shim Jiwoo!" Miri shouted, waving her hands wildly.
Jiwoo found her way to her classroom and took a seat near the door. No one seemed eager to sit in the front row, so she picked one of the empty seats and settled in. She longed to introduce herself to her classmates but felt too nervous and shy. Besides, it appeared that everyone else had already started forming connections on their first day. Even the latecomers had easily made friends.
Whenever Jiwoo felt like she had missed her chance, she remained seated, a silent observer of her surroundings. She didn't have much else to do, so she lingered there like a wallflower, until a gentle tap on her shoulder brought her back to reality. She turned to find a girl who was incredibly cute with her fair complexion, brown wavy hair tied in a ponytail, and big, pretty eyes. Jiwoo's heart skipped a beat.
"Hello! I'm Suyoung," she warmly greeted, extending her hand for a handshake. "And you are?"
Jiwoo was taken aback, struggling to process what she'd just heard. "Oh! Sorry," she stammered. "I'm Jiwoo... Shim Jiwoo."
"Nice to meet you, Jiwoo! Do you have Friendster?" Suyoung asked, and Jiwoo's face froze in surprise.
"Friendster?" Jiwoo replied.
Suyoung nodded and showed her phone, which only added to Jiwoo's astonishment. "It's like this. I was wondering if you have it so we can be friends here and stay connected," she explained, flashing a warm smile.
"Sorry, but I don't have a phone yet, and I... I don't know what Friendster is," Jiwoo admitted, feeling embarrassed.
Suyoung didn't seem bothered and chuckled. "That's okay! Maybe when you get one, we can be online friends too," she suggested with a grin.
"Thank you so much," Jiwoo said with a nod. Just as things began to feel a bit better, they took an unexpected turn.
As she turned back to her surroundings, her eyes landed on a face that seemed to slow down time. In that moment, she couldn't have cared less about anything else. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest.
Who was he?
That boy's face imprinted itself in her memory like a photograph. Jiwoo blushed, feeling the warmth flood her cheeks.
riize ff: wonbin, eunseok, seunghan, sungchan, sohee, anton, shotaro, original characters
genre: youth, romance, teen, fluff, angst, slice of life
note: you can check my asianfanfics.com/jayxhobi for this story.
Wonbin couldn't be bothered by the whispers and opinions floating around him. He was well aware of his good looks, but he knew that unveiling his face would only bring more trouble than it was worth. Besides, his best friend Seunghan relished in the attention.
"You look utterly ridiculous, you know," Wonbin remarked as they finally approached their classroom door. He pointed to the sign above the door: Class 1-B. "This is it."
Seunghan, a friend from middle school, chuckled. "Can't believe we're still in the same class. It's been four years, and yet..."
"And yet, you're still insufferable," Wonbin teased, pushing Seunghan aside to enter the classroom. He paused for a moment to scan the available seats. There were a few empties at the back, but Wonbin preferred to sit near the front to stay focused. Unfortunately, the only available seat in the front row was quickly claimed by Seunghan.
"Sorry, man, finders keepers," Seunghan quipped.
Despite Seunghan's cockiness and arrogance, Wonbin considered him the best friend he could ask for. If it weren't for Seunghan, he might still be struggling as he did before. So, he often let Seunghan have his way.
Wonbin had been a constant target of bullying because of his reserved and enigmatic nature. He didn't fight back and avoided confrontations, but that didn't seem to deter his tormentors. Then Seunghan came into the picture, bravely standing up for him. Though Seunghan could be arrogant due to his good looks, he was never too proud to protect those in need. He took punches from bullies on Wonbin's behalf. In return, Wonbin vowed to be his friend for life.
Their homeroom teacher, Mr. Park, entered the room, immediately noting Wonbin's masked and concealed appearance.
"Alright, everyone, remove your caps, masks, and any other face-obscuring items," Mr. Park instructed. All eyes turned to Wonbin as he hesitantly revealed his face.
The girls gasped and began discussing his looks.
"Quiet down, please. I'll call your names, and I want you to stand when I do," Mr. Park announced.
...
"Great, everyone is here. To make my life easier, your seating arrangement will remain the same for the first quarter. In the next quarter, I'll reorganize the seats. Is that clear?" Mr. Park asked, receiving nods from the students. "I need two class representatives. Who's interested?"
Seunghan eagerly raised his hand. "Sir, I volunteer."
"Excellent. I need one more, a female representative," Mr. Park said, adding Seunghan's name to the board.
Suyoung suggested Shim Jiwoo, who was seated in front of her, to be the female representative. Jiwoo timidly accepted the role.
Seunghan and Jiwoo stood in front of the class to introduce themselves, earning cheers from their classmates. Wonbin, however, couldn't help but notice the girl beside Seunghan.
Seunghan tapped Wonbin's shoulder as they walked along the hallway. He was excited about his role as class representative and had grand plans for high school. Wonbin allowed him to have his way, as long as it didn't get him into trouble.
"There she is," Seunghan said, pointing to Jiwoo at the end of the hallway. She stood quietly, her eyes distant, her long black hair loosely tied in a ponytail.
"Hello, Shim!" Seunghan greeted her cheerfully. She nodded in response, offering a small smile. "This is Wonbin, Park Wonbin."
Jiwoo glanced at Wonbin, making eye contact for a brief moment before nodding and smiling at Seunghan. "Shall we? Mr. Park is waiting."
"Sure," Seunghan said, patting Wonbin on the shoulder. "Wait for me here." He and Jiwoo entered the classroom.
Left alone, Wonbin couldn't help but feel irritated by Jiwoo. The way she changed her demeanor when talking to Seunghan and to him was blatant, almost mocking him in some way. Did she have a thing for Seunghan?
Half an hour later, Seunghan and Jiwoo emerged from the faculty office, appearing to have grown closer. Seunghan asked Wonbin if he'd been waiting long, and Jiwoo walked past behind him.
"What about her?" Wonbin inquired.
Seunghan shrugged. "Is she going home too? I guess. Come on, we can't miss the bus." He had a strict study schedule with his private tutor at home. Despite his good looks and cocky attitude, Seunghan was a dedicated student.
Though they took different buses, the two friends always headed to the bus stop together to chat about various life topics. Wonbin marveled at Seunghan's thoughtfulness, which he attributed to having both parents actively involved in his upbringing. Wonbin's father was frequently away for work, and he couldn't recall any instance when his father had acted like a real parent.
When Seunghan departed, Wonbin remained at the bus stop, lost in his thoughts and loneliness. He took a deep breath and sighed, absentmindedly kicking a pebble in front of him. The pebble ricocheted off a pole and struck someone nearby.
genre: youth, slice of life, teen romance, friendship, high school, angst
note: also available on asianfanfics.com/jayxhobi
"Hey," Jiwoo finally located him by the supply building, sulking in the corner. Wonbin glared at her, wondering why, out of all the people who could have followed him, it had to be Shim Jiwoo.
"I know you don't want me here," she acknowledged as she settled two meters away from him. "But you have no choice but to deal with me," she added with an evil grin.
"Get lost, loser," Wonbin scoffed. "No one needs you. You're not even friends with anyone here," he said, but almost immediately, he regretted his words because he knew next to nothing about her.
However, Jiwoo smiled and nodded. "Right, but that doesn't mean you're different from me," she replied.
"You may have Seunghan on your side, but who knows?" she shrugged. "Even married couples grow apart," she added, causing a sharp pang in Wonbin's chest. The way she said it made it seem like she had experienced something like that in reality.
Anxiously biting his lip, Wonbin considered how it felt to be excluded or to be the last option for everyone. "It was always him."
"Him? Seunghan?"
"Everyone wants to be friends with him. He gets invited by everyone, and I'm the one who has to tag along."
Jiwoo just nodded while picking up pebbles.
"Hmm, that's tough. That means you are never the first choice," she commented.
"You sure you know that feeling, don't you?" he asked, and Jiwoo was about to throw a pebble at him but stopped herself. "Don't." He warned.
"I just want to get my revenge since you didn't apologize," she nonchalantly said and picked a bigger pebble from the corner.
"Fine. I'm sorry about your forehead! Happy?" Wonbin whined.
"Never heard any sincerity in there," she sung.
"You're so weird! I hate you!" he yelled, getting up from the concrete floor he was sitting on. "You make me so angry! God, stay away from me!"
Jiwoo got up as well and suddenly cupped his face, pulling their faces closer until they were just two inches apart, staring into each other's eyes. Wonbin froze, feeling Jiwoo's soft hands on his cheeks, her eyes like marbled pearls. It was the first time his throat felt dry.
Jiwoo didn't say a word for a second or two. Before Wonbin could speak, she suddenly pulled her head back slightly and then banged her head into his. Wonbin fell on his back, wincing in pain.
"Tsk," Jiwoo scoffed, a drop of blood falling from her nose as she watched him whimpering in pain.
"Get up, you sissy! You can say those words to me, but a simple headbang got you crying??" Jiwoo angrily kicked his leg. "You're not the only one who can get angry! I get angry too!"
"Stop it! Stop it! It hurts!" Wonbin continued to cry and tried to stop Jiwoo from attacking him.
"You thought I was going to comfort you like a baby? Huh? You're wrong because I'm not!" Jiwoo scolded.
"Okay! Okay! Please stop kicking me!" Wonbin shouted, making Jiwoo stop and step back away from him. He quickly got up, brushed the dirt from his clothes, and clasped his hands together before kneeling in front of her. "I'm so sorry! I should have apologized when it happened."
"And?" she asked.
"And I'm sorry if I said those things to you. I didn't mean it, all of it."
"What's my name then?" Jiwoo asked.
"Huh?" Wonbin was a bit confused.
"What's my name?" She repeated.
"It's Shim... Shim Jiwoo." He answered, momentarily fearing what would happen next. Jiwoo walked toward him and extended her hand toward him.
"Just take my hand," she said, and when he did, she helped him up. Her voice returned to its usual calm tone, and her lively eyes from a moment ago became more subdued. "You better be careful with your words, Park Wonbin," she warned.
"I will," he said. He had experienced a lot of firsts today, like getting beaten up by a girl.
"We should go back," she said, looking around to see if anyone had witnessed their encounter.
"Wait," Wonbin stopped her. "I'm really curious." He took a deep breath as he formulated his question. The way Jiwoo had looked at him, her poker-faced, inscrutable expression, and her fierce demeanor, despite her petite stature, made him cautious.
"What is it?" She asked, her voice soft.
"Do you like Seunghan?" he asked.
"Huh?" She asked, breaking into a chuckle. "Wait, am I thinking what I'm thinking right now?" She turned to face him and walked closer to him. "Are you seriously asking me if I like Seunghan?"
He nodded.
"Yes, I do, but not in the way you think. I'm nice to him because he seems like a nice person to me," Jiwoo explained. "I already have someone I like, so you don't have to worry about losing a friend."
"That's not it," Wonbin clarified. "I don't want him to get hurt."
Jiwoo looked at him for a moment before she pulled out her handkerchief from her pocket and gave it to him. "Wipe the dirt off your face with this," she said, but he just stared at it. Impatient, she pressed it against his chest and turned away.
Welcome to my fan fiction universe! I'm thrilled to share these imaginative stories that I cook up during my free time. Dive into the adventures, and let me know what you think in the comments – feel free to drop anonymous messages too!
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genre: youth, slice of life, teenage romance, angst, friendship
note: also available on asianfanfics.com/jayxhobi
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After their conversation, Jiwoo seemed to have turned her attention away from Wonbin. She had returned to her solitary world and would only talk to Seunghan when it came to representative tasks. Aside from that, she was all alone.
Every day, Wonbin couldn't help but notice Jiwoo standing by the exit door of the building, waiting for someone. He observed her standing there for an hour, seemingly frozen in place. He could see this from a distance, as he began spending more time at school because of his jamming sessions with Suyoung.
Suyoung tried to invite Jiwoo to join them from time to time, but Jiwoo consistently declined, choosing to spend her time alone. This piqued Wonbin's curiosity because the Jiwoo he talked to a few weeks ago was not the same Jiwoo he was seeing now.
It was a Wednesday afternoon, and everyone was stressed about their quiz on the parts of the cell. Everyone seemed unable to remember anything, except for Jiwoo, who scored perfectly. She had been excelling in all of her recent lessons, from Algebra and Science to History, which required memorizing many terms.
"Exams are coming," Seunghan mentioned as he was packing his bag. "Want to study at home?"
"No, thanks," Wonbin replied coldly.
"Why? Planning to join Suyoung's group?" Seunghan teased. But Wonbin, unknown to Seunghan, was waiting for Jiwoo to leave so that he could follow her. But she was just there, sitting idly for a few minutes, until the rest of the class had left.
When the bell rang, she got up and left in a hurry, which surprised Wonbin and prompted him to hurry after her. "Let's go."
"Go where? Ya!" Seunghan yelled and chased Wonbin.
Jiwoo was a fast walker. She exited the building and went to the football field, stopping to watch the football players rehearse. She pulled out her sketchpad and began sketching meticulously. Quietly, Wonbin sneaked behind her, making sure Seunghan was quiet too.
He didn't get too close to her and sat at the bleachers, far enough not to be recognized or noticed. Jiwoo was sketching carefully, and Wonbin initially thought she was sketching the view, but in reality, she was sketching a person.
He noticed one of the players approaching her, and when she saw him, she immediately ran away. The player had brown hair and was about to chase her when Wonbin interfered.
Seunghan, who had also followed, was surprised by his friend's recent questionable actions.
"What are you doing?" the player Wonbin had grabbed inquired.
"What are you doing?" Wonbin countered, checking the guy's uniform and seeing his name, 'Song Eunseok.' "Song Eunseok?"
"Yeah, that's me. The great Song Eunseok of Segye High School. Why?" Eunseok replied, grabbing Wonbin's shirt.
"What do you want from her?" Wonbin asked, grabbing the guy's collar tightly. Eunseok had a moment of realization that the weird girl he was about to follow was somehow acquainted with the guy in front of him.
"Dude, let him go," Seunghan interjected, pushing Wonbin away from the guy. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked, annoyed and troubled, but Wonbin didn't seem to hear him. He ran off to chase Jiwoo, leaving Seunghan to clean up the mess he had caused, since Eunseok was still there, throwing icy glares at him.
"I'm sorry about that; I have to go now," Seunghan awkwardly apologized and hurried away, running as fast as he could to catch up with Wonbin.
When they reached the gate, Seunghan found Wonbin panting on the side. He grabbed his shoulder and pulled him up to face him. "What's wrong with you, man? Are you going crazy?" he asked between heavy breaths. He couldn't believe he had run all the way to the gate while carrying his backpack.
"Nothing," Wonbin brushed his hand off his shoulder.
"Nothing? You literally grabbed that dude's shirt!" Seunghan yelled. "Don't you know who that was?"
Wonbin glared at him. He wanted to know who Song Eunseok was and why he was trying to catch Jiwoo.
"He's the King of Segye High School. You just got yourself on his radar," Seunghan explained in an anxious manner. "Man, my good looks and strong punches won't suffice to beat that guy," he sounded defeated.
"Who says I was trying to beat him?" Wonbin replied, still trying to ignore the fact that he had been scared there for a bit. He wanted a peaceful high school life, but he had accidentally gotten himself into serious trouble.
Seunghan looked at him in disbelief. "How I wish I could beat some sense into that mind of yours. I'm out of here!" he said and shoved Wonbin aside as he walked ahead.
When Seunghan left, Wonbin waited for a few minutes for his bus to arrive. He couldn't stop thinking about his recent actions. Why had he acted like that? Why had he stopped Eunseok from following Jiwoo? Why had he followed her in the first place?
He got on the bus and scanned the room for an empty seat. He saw Jiwoo, immersed in her own world, wearing earphones while sketching. Next to her was an empty seat, so Wonbin decided to occupy it. Jiwoo didn't notice him until she felt that her seatmate was watching her draw. She looked up and saw Wonbin looking at her coldly.
riize ff: wonbin, eunseok, seunghan, sungchan, sohee, anton, shotaro, original characters
genre: youth, romance, teen, fluff, angst, slice of life
note: you can check my asianfanfics.com/jayxhobi for this story.
The entrance of the light brown-haired guy sent a flurry of rose petals swirling through the room, leaving the girls in awe of the sudden influx of handsome boys in their class.
"I can't believe Jung Sungchan and Song Eunseok are in this class," one girl gushed to her friend, her face flushed with excitement.
"But weren't they enemies? Did you ever think Eunseok had a chance against Sungchan?" her friend wondered.
"The brains and the brawn?" they mused.
Sungchan and Eunseok exchanged knowing glances as they settled into their seats, then turned to their classmates with a hint of annoyance.
"Seriously? Can you cut it out? It's annoying," Eunseok waved his hand dismissively, rejecting the compliments.
"Come on, Eunseok, these are the rumors the new students are spreading about you. Don't you enjoy having so many fans?" Yuri, the queen of Class 2-A, chimed in.
Eunseok rolled his eyes and turned to Yuri, his girlfriend since summer vacation, who had suddenly become famous for being his girlfriend. It was rather peculiar for everyone to know about it, especially considering that Yuri was known for attaching herself to popular guys to maintain her status. She had a reputation for not letting go of men.
It had come as a shock to everyone when Eunseok became her boyfriend. Many believed Eunseok was leagues above Yuri.
"Okay, you should really avoid touching him," Sungchan interjected, nearly glaring at Yuri's public display of affection on their first day. "And you're not supposed to wear the uniform like that," he added.
"I'll wear what I want, Jung Sungchan," Yuri retorted. "Besides, my Eunseok likes it."
Sungchan glanced at Eunseok, whose expression appeared cold and distant. Sungchan couldn't detect any affection toward Yuri at all.
Lunchtime arrived, and Sungchan couldn't help but speak his mind. "I wish I knew what's going on with you right now," he remarked after downing half of his drink in one gulp. Eunseok leaned against the wall, sipping on his orange drink. He struggled to find an explanation.
"She's pretty," Eunseok replied. "I don't date ugly girls," he added with a chilling tone that sent shivers down Sungchan's spine.
"I get that, but aren't you worried about the trouble she can cause? She has people who can make your life miserable, Eunseok," Sungchan reasoned, but his friend remained unfazed, even grinning.
"It's more fun that way," Eunseok replied. "Relax, man. Let her enjoy the moment." He tossed the can into the bin.
Eunseok was about to head back to their classroom when he noticed a girl by the window, sketching someone's face on her sketchpad. The subject seemed oddly familiar, and he found himself watching as she focused on drawing the nose.
"My nose isn't that big," he commented, startling the girl, who then dropped her belongings. Eunseok was taken aback by her reaction and moved back, clutching his chest in surprise.
"S-Sorry..." the girl stammered, her panic evident. Eunseok and Sungchan began helping her gather her things.
"Here," Eunseok said, handing her the eraser.
"Thank you," the girl smiled, looking up at him but freezing upon seeing his face.
"You."
"M-Me?" Eunseok stuttered. The girl started to search through her sketchpad, revealing numerous sketches of his face.
"I saw you the other day, and I couldn't stop thinking about you. Your... your face is incredibly handsome," she spoke rapidly as she flipped through her sketches.
"What?"
"Stop!" she yelled, cupping his cheeks. "Don't move." She stared into his eyes intently for five seconds before pulling away and running off, leaving Eunseok dumbfounded. She left some of her sketches on the floor.
"That was completely bizarre," Sungchan remarked, witnessing the entire scene.
"It's the first time I've met such an absolute weirdo," Eunseok said as he picked up the pieces of paper. He smiled when he saw a rough sketch of himself walking. "She's good."
"Wow, she drew you?" Sungchan asked, examining the drawing. "But the nose..."
Eunseok frowned as Sungchan pointed it out. "I know, my nose doesn't look like that," he admitted, crumpling the paper and slipping it into his pocket.
