He cared too much not to pay attention to you, it was almost as if Jinhwan just couldn’t help it. He wanted to try and talk to other people, but it was tough for his mind to switch off from worrying about you.
B ⇴ BICKER
A bad mood would usually result in the two of you bickering as you tried to snap back at one another and let go of your frustrations. On the days when you wanted to push Jinhwan’s mood and annoy him you would start making a few comments to push his buttons which would ultimately lead to you bickering.
C ⇴ COMFORT
One of the best things about having Jinhwan was around was how understanding he always was towards you. He didn’t always get the situation that you were struggling with, but he tried his best to sympathise and make sure that he was there for you to confide in and open up to about what was wrong.
D ⇴ DISAGREEMENTS
Being able to figure out when Jinhwan disagrees with you is one of the easiest jobs for you, as his moods are usually transparent. You can tell straight away when you’re starting to annoy him, even though you don’t necessarily think that you’re being annoying. His expression usually stops any disagreements between you both as you know to stop talking rather than push Jinhwan’s mood even more.
E ⇴ EARLY YEARS
It took a little bit of time for you to get to know Jinhwan, for a while he was quite quiet around you as he got to know you too. He gave himself a bit of time to trust in the friendship that you were building, and once that guard came down, the noise got louder. It was almost like a switch, once Jinhwan got comfortable, all of a sudden, he was just constantly talking to you and discussing various things.
F ⇴ FAMILY
Jinhwan’s family loved having you round, they were constantly inviting you to all of the things that they arranged. You were definitely treated like an extended member of the family as you often found yourself showing up to family parties and events as if you were actually a member of the family. His parents would let you know the dates straight away, way before Jinhwan remembered to tell you.
G ⇴ GETTING TOGETHER
You both loved to just relax when you were with each other and use that time to just unwind and chill. You didn’t mind going out from time to time, but you both much preferred to just lay out on the sofa and watch either a movie or maybe catch up on a couple of episodes from the drama you’re watching.
H ⇴ HABITS
The two of you had a habit of being annoyed at the other person without them even knowing what they’d done wrong. You could accidentally say something that would wind Jinhwan up without knowing about it, and all of a sudden find him being snappy at you without any explanation as to why.
I ⇴ INSIDE JOKES
Both of you had the most inside jokes with each other, mainly because you felt at your most comfortable around each other. The ease at which you were both able to relax and just be yourselves meant that there were a few hiccups along the way which neither of you would forget for the other person.
J ⇴ JEALOUSY
There were definitely moments when Jinhwan would get a little jealous of your friends, mainly because there were so many of them which he found overwhelming. He was used to quite a small friendship group, and so when he met so many of your friends, he didn’t quite know what to do, instantly feeling a little bit threatened as it seemed like he had so many candidates who could replace him.
K ⇴ KICKS
Jinhwan gets a kick out of teasing you, especially when you’re pulling a face, usually whilst trying to make a point. He can’t help but mimic you quite a lot of the time as he knows that it gets a reaction out of you, usually you hitting against Jinhwan’s arm to stop him being silly and getting him to pay attention to you.
L ⇴ LOVE
He loved how well the two of you got on and how your time together never felt as if it was boring. Even if you were doing very little, you both felt happy just being around each other, but at the same time you loved to go out and explore too. You had a great balance in your friendship, you knew when to be loud and when to be quiet, and when to be up and on your feet, or sprawled out across the sofa.
M ⇴ MEETING
The two of you first met almost by accident when you bumped into one another at a café. It was almost coincidence that the very next day Jinhwan was there again, unable to just pass you by as he recognised you, asking if you were the one that he bumped into the day before, buying you an apology drink too.
N ⇴ NONSENSE
Not many people got to see Jinhwan completely as himself, so you felt incredibly lucky to be one of just a few that did. He didn’t care around you, he was just able to let go and do whatever felt right to him.
O ⇴ OBSESSION
Jinhwan was obsessed with your smile, it was something that comforted him a lot. He loved when he could see your smile as it was almost a sign for him to let him know that you were right there for him.
P ⇴ PRECIOUS MOMENTS
The times that mean the most to Jinhwan are the moments when you can just sit down and put your feet up. He loves the moments when the two of you are able to just relax, things like sitting down in a coffee shop with a drink and a chance to just catch up with one another are the times that he’s fond of.
Q ⇴ QUESTIONS
You constantly find yourself having to ask Jinhwan if he wants help as he stubbornly tries to do something alone. You can tell when he’s struggling long before he wants to admit that he’s struggling.
R ⇴ RANDOM FACTS
One of the things that Jinhwan tried to do when you were together was pay for everything, he hated when you spent your money on him. He would push his way to the card machine whenever you were together and had even gone as far as to hide your wallet to stop you from paying for things before too.
S ⇴ SUPPORT
As much as he loves when you support him, Jinhwan tries his best to support you much more. He’ll often try and organise his schedule around what it is that you’re doing with work in order to be there for you, trying his best to surprise you too whenever he has the time to be able to go and cheer for you.
T ⇴ TRIPS
If there was one place that Jinhwan always wanted to take you, then it was the Philippines. One day he knew when your schedules allowed for it that he’d take you there and show you where he spent some of his time.
U ⇴ ULTIMATE
He knew that being your best friend was an important role, and it was a job that Jinhwan always did as well as he could.
V ⇴ VISITS
One of Jinhwan’s favourite things to do was surprise you, celebrations were a particular favourite of his. He loved to get creative for things like your birthday and surprise you with the best party when you stopped by.
W ⇴ WISDOM
It doesn’t matter how busy he is, when Jinhwan knows that you need a bit of advice, then he’ll always be there to give you some.
X ⇴ XXXX
Neither of you are particularly affectionate with one another, because at the start of your relationship you were quite distant, that seemed to just carry on even though your bond became stronger.
Y ⇴ YOU
You were his favourite, Jinhwan always had you at the top of his list.
Z ⇴ ZZZ
Most of the time Jinhwan will try and stay at your place when the two of you hang out so that he can make the most of peace and quiet for a little while, especially when his sleep has been a little restless for a while.
Pairing: college senior!Jinhwan x shy (gender neutral) reader
Summary: over reading week, you invite Jinhwan to your home and as he looks around your childhood room, he stumbles across a journal of yours.
Word count: idk but i think it’s over 1k? it’s a longer one :o
[a/n]: after playing superstar yg, i’ve been feeling soft for Jinhwan? i know, even i’m surprised by the correlation LOL but enjoy this~
- prologue
You first met Jinhwan in your freshman year at a party, dragged there by your newfound friends who claimed that it would be fun, but you just wanted to go home.
After an hour, you decided you couldn’t take it anymore. Saying goodbye to your friends, you grabbed your jacket and stepped outside, clueless about how to get back to campus and to your dorm.
Opening google maps on your phone, you tapped your foot impatiently, waiting for it to load. Your phone was at 1%, but maybe if you could just get a glimpse-
It died.
Throwing it into your pocket, you sighed and stared up at the black sky.
“Heading home?” someone asked you.
You turned your head to the side and saw Jinhwan standing next to you, with his hands in the pockets of his jean jacket.
“Yeah, but my phone just died,” you said, pressing your lips together to contain your anger.
“Want me to drive you?” he asked, waving his car keys around. “My car is new but I’ve had my license for a long time, so no need to worry.”
You laughed at his comment and decided to accept the offer, since you knew he was your senior and you could trust him. The week before classes started, you had been told about a few of the seniors in your program at orientation, and Jinhwan had been one of them. Apparently, he was very kind and laid-back.
Before you entered his car, he formally introduced himself and you did the same. When you were inside, he passed you the aux cord but then stopped.
“Right! Your phone is dead. Here, take mine! Just search through Spotify and play whatever you like.”
“I’m not sure if you’ll like it, though..” you said, hesitating. Sharing your music with someone else was always a bit embarrassing for you.
“As long as it’s not Kids Bop, then I’m sure I won’t mind,” he said, starting to drive.
“What if I play death metal?” you said.
“Fine by me,” he said.
You found an artist that you liked and started playing their songs. Jinhwan smiled and nodded his head along to the beat, making you feel more comfortable.
“Oh, you might as well save your number in there while you’re at it, or save my number. If you ever need help with anything, you can contact me!”
You added yourself to his contacts and sent yourself a message from his phone so you would also have his number. In his phone, you saved your name as ‘[y/n] :)’.
“Which dorm are you in?” he asked.
“The one behind the library,” you said.
“Ah, that’s the worst spot. Hey, we actually have a free spot in our student home if you ever want to join us. Although I don’t want to make you live with your scary seniors if it makes you uncomfortable,” Jinhwan said, jokingly.
“Thanks for the offer, but I don’t want to intrude.”
“It wouldn’t be intruding, don’t worry! But just do whatever is most comfortable for you. You can always crash at our place when you get tired of your dorm.”
As you passed an ice cream shop that was near campus, you found yourself sighing. Some late night ice cream would really hit the spot right now...
When Jinhwan asked why you were sighing, you confided your thoughts and without any hesitation, he turned the car around and stopped right in front of the ice cream place.
“I’ll get you whatever you like, my treat!” he said, hopping out.
When you chose the ice cream you wanted, Jinhwan also chose one for himself and paid for both of you. You grabbed a seat by the window right next to the glass door. There was arcade music echoing throughout the tiny place, since there were a few arcade machines behind you.
“This is so good!” you said, eating your ice cream.
“Have you never been here before?” Jinhwan asked you, smiling. This whole time he had not stopped smiling at you, and it made you feel warm inside.
“I’ve always wanted to, but this first month of classes has been super stressful.”
“I hear you, but it’s important to take breaks! If you’re ever stressed, you can let me know and we can come back here,” he said.
Jinhwan had been nothing but unusually nice to you, but you didn’t think much of it. A lot of the seniors were nice to the freshman and juniors anyway.
After you finished your ice cream, Jinhwan dropped you off at your dorm. Even though he watched you walk in, he still texted you right as you reached your room.
hello ‘[y/n] :)’ did you get in safely?
yes, thank u! you literally watched me walk in lol
that’s right, but who knows what can happen on your way to your room from the front doors of the dorm
i appreciate you :)
do you like smiley faces? u even saved ur name as ‘[y/n] :)’
ah, i guess i do like them ><
that’s cute~
Your heart fluttered seeing this message, and you had to take a few deep breaths to calm down. He’s just my senior, you told yourself. He’s just being nice.
-
A few days later, you saw Jinhwan in the library, studying. You thought that you should say hello out of courtesy, but you didn’t want to bother him, so you continued to walk along the shelves in search of the book you needed.
Getting distracted, you ended up with five big textbooks in your arms. You couldn’t help it, they were all so interesting...
Trying to reach for a book while your hands were still full, suddenly everything fell. The sound of the books falling to the ground echoed throughout the library, and you apologized under your breath as you struggled to pick everything up. You felt so embarrassed that you wanted to disappear.
Looking up amidst your struggle, you saw Jinhwan looking at you from his spot. When he recognized you, he immediately rushed over.
Did this happen to me because I didn’t say hi to him, you thought. Is this karma?
“[y/n], it’s you? Are you okay? Let me help you,” he said, taking some of the books from your arms.
“These are really heavy, you should get a cart for them.” Jinhwan moved his head around to search for one.
“No, it’s fine! I grabbed too many anyway! I’ll just put them back-” you said, not wanting to bother Jinhwan anymore. But he firmly held onto your books until he found a cart.
“I know where some better books on this topic are. Do you want me to show them to you?” Jinhwan asked you, placing the books on the cart.
“No, really, it’s fine! You’re busy studying-”
“I need a break anyway~” he quietly sang, walking towards the spot that he told you about. Forced to follow him, you trailed along. He had a skip in his step, and it made you smile.
“I’m really sorry, I know midterms must be starting for you-”
He stopped and turned around.
“[y/n], it’s really fine! I wouldn’t help you if I didn’t want to,” he said.
After he showed you the books that he was talking about, he invited you to join him at his spot to study.
“Ah, right! You treated me for ice cream last time. Do you want anything to drink? I can buy you something!” you said.
Jinhwan chuckled.
“There’s no need for that! I already have a coffee here,” he said, pointing to the coffee next to him.
“What about a muffin! A cookie?” you asked.
He laughed, again.
“Okay, you can get me something if you really want to. But the muffins here are terrible, so go for a cookie instead!” he told you.
When you returned with some chocolate chip cookies, he took them from you with a wink. He let you have some too, claiming that you needed fuel to study.
While you were deep into one of the books you were reading and taking notes on a sticky note, you finally looked down to write something and found a smiley face on the corner of your sticky note. Not remembering drawing that, you looked up at Jinhwan, but he was also busy studying. It had to be him, you thought.
You picked up your pen and finding a free spot in the margin of his notebook, doodled a fox carefully.
A few minutes after you returned to your own work, he asked, “well I wonder where this fox came from?”
“Well I wonder where this smiley face came from?” you asked him, pointing to the smiley face on your sticky note. The two of you laughed quietly.
-
Some time after that, your roommate declared that they wanted to start getting fit.
“You’re literally saying that as you’re finishing a whole tub of ice cream,” you said, laughing.
Your roommate dropped the tub and stood up with their fist raised.
“We are going to the gym, right now!”
With no escape, you followed your friend to the campus gym and signed up for a membership. As you were doing so, you heard a familiar voice.
“I don’t want to! Why do we all have to sign up? This is so annoying.”
Jinhwan?
As you turned around, your suspicions were confirmed. He was being pushed by his roommates, your other program seniors, towards the front desk which you were stood at, and he was whining loudly like a baby.
“Oh, it’s [y/n]!” one of the seniors, named Junhoe, who was pushing him said. Upon hearing your name, Jinhwan stood up straight and laughed awkwardly, waving hello.
“[y/n], we all promised we would sign up for the gym since our program’s marathon is coming up and this fool,” Hanbin, another senior, said while pointing to Jinhwan, “signed us up for it. But now he doesn’t want to work out with us!”
You laughed. How cute, you thought.
Jinhwan stood there, scratching the back of his head.
“Actually, my roommate is making me sign up, too. So I guess we’re in the same boat!”
“See, if [y/n] can do it then so can you!” Bobby, another senior, said.
With both of you being forced to sign up, you made your way into the gym. Your roommate dragged you aside for a second.
“Who’s Jinhwan and how do you know him and-”
“He’s my senior,” you said, cutting your roommate off before they asked too many questions.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
Your roommate analyzed your face.
“Are you sure?” they asked, narrowing their eyes.
“Yes!” you screamed. Jinhwan and his friends all looked at you and you pressed your lips together out of embarrassment.
“Look what you made me do!” you said to your roommate, who was walking ahead while laughing loudly.
-
When the marathon that only the upper years were supposed to participate in finally rolled around, you stood at the finish line, handing out water to everyone who finished. The marathon was to raise money for your program, since it was not funded so well.
You cheered all of your seniors on under the hot sun, fanning yourself to try to cool down. I could just... take one water bottle... no! It’s for the seniors and we don’t have enough!
As you struggled to decide between drinking one of the waters secretly or leaving them for your seniors, a sweaty Jinhwan finally crossed the finish line.
He looked extremely tired, so you grabbed a bottle of water and a towel before running up to him.
“You did it! Good job!” you said, handing him the supplies that you had grabbed.
He was bent over with his hands on his knees, but straightened up to take the water from your hands. But he hesitated before handing it back to you.
“It’s fine, you should drink it,” he panted. He reached for a hat that he had managed to tie to his waist, and handed that to you, too.
“You should wear a hat in this weather! Be careful,” he said, placing the cap on your head before walking away. Confused, you trailed back to the water station that you were stood at.
“Didn’t he give you the water? Drink it then! And give me some too!” your friend, who was also manning the water station with you, said.
You watched Jinhwan as he lay sprawled out in the grass.
This won’t do.
Handing the bottle to your friend, you ran towards the closest building in search of a vending machine. Finding one, you bought a water and ran back to hand it to Jinhwan, who was still sprawled out in the grass.
Panting, you crashed on the grass next to him and handed him the bottle. He sat up, eyeing it,
“But I just gave my water to you-”
“Drink it!” you said breathlessly before lying down in the grass next to him.
You heard him taking big gulps before he also laid down next to you and right then in that moment, you asked yourself why you ran for ten minutes just to buy bottled water for Jinhwan.
When you looked up at him and watched the sun light up his face, showing his skin sticky with sweat and his hair a mess, you felt like something was welling up inside you.
You liked Jinhwan.
-
During finals week, you vowed that you were going to sit in the same library cubicle for the entire week to study. No leaving. No getting distracted. You would only leave to use the washroom, wash your face, take a shower, eat or brush your teeth. Otherwise, you were sleeping in there.
Intense, but you needed to do what you had to do to study.
Your exams were later than everyone else’s, so while everyone else was enjoying their Winter break, you were still studying.
Thud.
You looked up after you had buried your head in your books to find your favourite vending machine drink sitting next to your laptop. Confused and wondering if this was a hallucination, you looked around for who might have left it there.
“Boo!” Jinhwan said from the cubicle next to you.
You jumped up in fright, yelling at him for scaring you.
Then you got scolded by a librarian and Jinhwan laughed.
“Seriously, I’m doing some major studying right now! No distractions!” you told Jinhwan.
“Is that your way of saying thanks?”
“Thank you,” you groaned.
“You’re really something. I’ve never studied this hard for my exams,” Jinhwan said.
“Well that’s your problem, not mine!” you said, sticking out your tongue at him.
Since your first encounter, you had been seeing Jinhwan more often around campus and felt a lot more comfortable around him.
“What? Is that how you treat your senior?” Jinhwan joked. “Anyway, I’m here to wish you good luck! And remind you to take breaks. Speaking of which, do you wanna go grab ice cream? Go for a walk?”
“Go for a walk? Am I your dog?” you scoffed.
Jinhwan sighed.
“You know what I mean!”
You ended up leaving your cubicle for an hour to walk through campus with Jinhwan. The night air was cold but refreshing, and there was something calming about the empty campus with the few streetlights lighting the way. You almost tripped and fell onto Jinhwan a few times because it was so dark, but each time he caught you and giggled softly in a way that made you want to squeal because he was so. damn. cute.
-
A year later
-
“IT’S READING WEEK!” your roommate yelled as they packed their suit case.
“Yay,” you said, quietly.
“Yay? We’re going home! What is this sad reaction?”
“Going home means a week without Jinhwan...”
Your roommate groaned.
“Are you kidding me? You went a whole summer break without him, what is this?
“Yeah, and it was terrible!” you said.
“You two need to stop beating around the bush and start dating already.”
“WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?” you yelled.
“WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? It’s been two years of you liking each other! Just kiss, jeez!”
“This is a sad unrequited love and you cannot convince me otherwise.”
“[y/n]... I’m not even gonna bother. I’m done. I’m not gonna say anything!” your roommate said, walking to the bathroom.
Two seconds later, they walked back in.
“DO YOU NOT SEE the way this man looks at you? He’s always so nice to you and for what? You’re not a freshman anymore!”
“We’re friends!”
“This is pathetic! I’m gonna have to get the ball rolling myself,” your friend said, grabbing your phone.
Their grip was too strong, so you only got a hold of your phone after they let go. Your messages app was open. Your chat with Jinhwan was open. Oh no.
Jinhwan! do u want to stay at my house for reading week? :)
“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” you yelled, throwing a pillow at your roommate who laughed in response.
“I’m doing God’s work!”
Your phone vibrated and your heart raced.
really? i’d love to! my family wanted me to help out with home renovations T.T and i’d rather spend reading week with u~
“He agreed,” you said, surprised. “HE AGREED!”
-
“And this is my house,” you said, opening the door and letting Jinhwan enter first.
“Woah,” he said, looking around.
“There isn’t much, really...”
“I wanna see your room,” Jinhwan said, kicking off his shoes and immediately walking upstairs.
“Wait!” you said, running after him.
“I can really tell which one is yours,” he said, chuckling as he found your room.
As he looked around, you felt super embarrassed, so you told him that you would be downstairs unpacking.
A few minutes later, Jinhwan walked up to you downstairs, holding something in his hand. His face was red and there was a smile on his face.
“[y/n], please explain this,” he said, handing you what he was holding.
It was your journal.
And it was opened to a page where you had written about your feeling for Jinhwan.
You had forgotten all about this.
Oh no.
You had written all about your first encounter and the late night ice cream, the time he helped you find books at the library, the time you awkwardly met at the gym, the time you ran for 10 minutes just to buy water for him from a vending machine and how you realized your feelings for him then, and the time he came to visit while you were studying.
The last sentence was: He’s literally the most perfect human alive and honestly I’m so glad I’ve even met him; I like him a lot.
When you finished reading it, you closed it and walked away from where you had been standing in the living room to the kitchen, trying to process everything.
With your back turned, you said, “Jinhwan, just forget you ever read that, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. Let’s just be friends still, okay? Please just forget about that...”
You were close to crying with how embarrassed you felt. You didn’t want your friendship to be ruined because of this.
“Are you sure you want me to forget about it?” Jinhwan asked you.
“Yes, please.”
“Even when I feel the same way?”
Now there was something that you did not expect. You could not have predicted this.
“What?” you asked, turning around to face him out of shock.
“I like you too, [y/n]. Do you want to forget about it?” he said, smiling the same smile he did on that first day when you were eating ice cream together at midnight.
“No, I... need time to process this...”
“Am I allowed to hug you, though?” Jinhwan asked, opening his arms. When you nodded, he moved towards you and wrapped his arms around you, placing his head into your shoulder. It was a hug that was so full of love, you felt like you were melting on the spot.
“You know I did all of those things because I like you, right? Helping you at the library and checking on you when you studied.. I didn’t know at the time, but I found out later... that I like you.”
A soft smirk tugged at your lips as you looked at your schedule for the day.
Being a health inspector for the city was very rarely boring; most places you visited, you could safely say you never really knew what was going to happen as you did your walk-through.
But when you saw Jay’s on your schedule, you knew exactly what to expect.
The bar had been open for about two years now, but every time you visited, the owner openly and ruthlessly flirted with you. Even though you’d told him -- Jinhwan, his name was -- it was incredibly unprofessional and certainly wouldn’t help raise the bar’s health score, he still did it.
...That may have been because you’d never been able to tell him he was being incredibly unprofessional with a totally straight face.
Because, man, was he cute.
In the past, you’d tended to go more for the brawny, chiseled guys. Jinhwan... was not that, but there was just something about him that intrigued you. His face was beautiful, yes, but... it felt like something more than just his looks.
Maybe his flirtatious comments were just working and that’s what intrigued you.
Either way, you were scheduled to inspect Jay’s later this afternoon, so you would get another chance to figure out just what it was about the owner that kept you from transferring the bar off of your rotation.
Of course, that didn’t stop you from thinking about it in the hours leading up to it.
You were very professional during your other inspections, of course. It’s not like your head was too filled with cute bar owners to prevent you from doing your job properly. Absolutely not!
But in-between visits, in the car, while you waited... you wondered what Jinhwan would say to you today.
Not that there was anything he could say to break your professional resolve, though. Definitely not.
But still. You were curious. Like, on a scientific kind of level. It would be interesting to see what else he could think of since, by now, he’d basically complimented everything about you he could see.
It’s not like you were looking forward to it or anything.
No.
Of course, not.
...Anyway.
You shook your head slightly to rid yourself of all these wonderings as you pulled up to the one and only Jay’s. A slight rain had began during your drive, so you grabbed your clipboard and hurried to get out before any sort of deluge could catch you.
Since it was a bar and it was not even three in the afternoon, the place wasn’t open when you arrived at the front door.
But Jinhwan knew you were coming, so he’d left the door unlocked for you -- as he always did. Many restaurants and bars weren’t so gracious. I mean, you were just doing your job! You were trying to make sure their establishments were safe for citizens! It’s not like you were there to try and close them down -- not at all.
Oh, well. The health of the general public was more important to you than having people like you, and that was that.
“Ah, one of my two favorite times of the year,” you heard a familiar -- and sultry but also sweet -- voice call out. “Health inspection time.”
A soft, amused smile tugged at your lips as you hugged your clipboard to your chest and headed over toward the main bar area where Jinhwan was currently wiping down glasses.
“Oh?” you replied in lieu of a greeting, keeping your voice as solid and professional as possible. “What’s your other favorite time of the year?”
“The other health inspection,” he answered with a very (attractive) smirk on his lips.
...You should have known. You came by once every six months, and Jinhwan was definitely the type of flirter to make it seem like you were truly all he cared about. Whenever you were in his bar, he only focused on you.
Did it sometimes interfere with your inspection? Yes.
But did it bother you? ...No.
“Of course,” you murmured with a small shake of your head. And then you let out a deep sigh and lifted your eyebrows at him. “All right, let’s get this over with.”
Jinhwan clutched at his heart as he set the glass down on the bar, his brow furrowing. “Ouch,” he hissed. “Get this over with? I just told you this is my favorite time of the year, and it’s something you just want to get over? That hurts, Y/N. It really hurts.”
“This is just my job,” you reminded him with a chuckle.
As you began to make your way back into the kitchen, Jinhwan pushed himself away from the bar and followed you. “You say that, but I know you enjoy coming here,” he said. “If you didn’t, you would’ve asked another inspector to take over. And don’t say I’m wrong, because I’m not.”
You shot him a glance over your shoulder before shouldering the kitchen door open, reaching into your bag with your free hand to retrieve your pen. “I do enjoy my job, yes.”
“I can tell,” Jinhwan replied. “But you can’t say that you don’t enjoy coming to my bar more than other places.”
“Did you take care of that latch on the freezer?” you asked, shifting your gaze down to your checklist.
“Of course. You know I’d do anything for you.”
“Except let me do my job in peace.”
“But if I didn’t come with you, how would I answer questions like ‘did you take care of that latch on the freezer?’ And how would you answer questions like ‘can I take you out tomorrow night?’”
“I am not answering that,” you snorted.
“Because you’d say ‘yes,’ and that’s unprofessional,” Jinhwan rejoined hastily. And then he tilted his head and shot you a self-confident half-grin. “I know you, Y/N.”
“Then you also know that flirting with me is not going to --”
“Raise my health score. Yes, I am well aware, but you know that’s not why I do it.”
“Uh huh, sure,” you murmured with disbelief before opening the pantry. You came by every six months to inspect the bar because it was your job, and he tried to butter you up and flatter you because the bar was his job. You weren’t stupid! (Plus, as we’ve established, he intrigued you -- you certainly didn’t mind that he wanted to do his job in the best way he found possible.)
“I’m serious!” he cried as you checked off that all dry and canned goods were stored properly.
“Oh, really?” you smirked. “Then why?”
You almost immediately regretted asking him that because it was entirely unprofessional, and you weren’t even sure you wanted to know the answer.
“Because I like you,” Jinhwan replied in a tone which made it sound like his answer was utterly and completely obvious.
And why hadn’t it been obvious to you? It should have been since his actions and words toward you hadn’t affected his score -- ever -- and yet he continued to flirt with you.
The guy ran a pretty successful bar; he was smart. You had to give him credit for that. It’s not like he would think you would ever actually change your mind and slip a few extra points onto his score or pretend like you hadn’t seen something just because he constantly flattered you and asked you out on dates.
So... yeah. Of course, it should have been obvious.
He flirted with you because he liked you.
“You -- you hardly know me,” you pointed out with a breathless, awkward chuckle.
Jinhwan let out a chuckle of his own as he continued to follow you around the kitchen, though this one wasn’t awkward or breathless as yours had just been. His chuckle was one of gentle amusement at your expense. “Does a person really need to know another person to be interested? You’ve never seen someone and wanted to ask them out on a date even though you don’t know their favorite color?”
...Unfortunately, he had a point.
But you really didn’t want to have this conversation while you were trying to make sure his garbage disposal methods were up to standard.
So, instead, you asked, “How often do you take the trash out?”
“Never,” Jinhwan replied immediately.
Your stricken gaze shot up to meet his. “Never?!”
“I have the Busboy do it.”
You couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh of relief, and you shook your head a little at him. “How often does the Busboy take out the trash?”
“At least twice during operating hours.”
You scribbled it down on your checklist as you held back a smirk.
“See? I have a sense of humor,” Jinhwan pointed out in a smug tone. “If you like guys with a sense of humor, you should definitely go out with me.”
You simply made your way back out to the bar area to finish up here before moving on to the dining area and bathrooms.
Jinhwan followed you around and, as expected, he continued to flirt with you. He looked over your shoulder at your checklist, he complimented your outfit, and he asked you out no less than three times.
“Okay, you won’t verbally say ‘yes’ because it’s unprofessional or whatever,” he said just after you handed him the sheet with his new health score (a 100, by the way). “So, just wink at me or something. If you want to go out with me, reply with a wink.”
You raised your eyebrows at him and turned on your heel toward the door.
Jinhwan scrambled to follow you, quickly setting his report card down on the bar. “At least -- okay, at least come to the bar when you’re not working!” he suggested. His tone was just a little bit desperate, but... it was still kind of cute.
“Nice job, as usual,” you replied. “See you in six months.”
“Not if you come to the bar!”
You plastered an angelic smile on your lips and glanced over your shoulder as you reached the front door. “Have a great day, Mr. Kim.”
“We open at 5!” he called out as you headed toward your car in the parking lot. “Close at 2! In the morning! You got all night!”
You waved at him before opening your driver’s-side door and getting in your car, all the while trying not to grin with amusement. He just really wasn’t going to give up, was he? And if you’d explicitly told him ‘No,’ that wouldn’t be okay.
...But you hadn’t ever told him ‘No.’ You had never told him you weren’t interested. And you still couldn’t quite figure out why.
Ah, well. You would try again in six months. (Which is probably the exact same thing Jinhwan was thinking.)
“Hey, what’s up?” you asked as you answered the phone. If your Caller ID was correct, one of your good friends from university was contacting you on this warm Friday evening.
“I’m feeling nostalgic and bored and I want to go out,” Emma replied. “Please come out with me. My treat.”
You looked down at your fuzzy blanket-clad lap (because, even though it was now summer, you still liked to be cozy so you kept your fan on high at all times), and while you should have been very reluctant to leave the comfort of your own home at 7 PM on a Friday... it had been a while since you’d seen Emma. The two of you had been roommates for two years back in the day, but ever since you’d both graduated and started your professional careers, neither of you had the time to meet up regularly.
“Yeah, sure,” you answered with a small grin. “But you don’t have to treat me.”
“Yes!” Emma squealed. “Where do you want to go? Where should we go?”
You opened your mouth to request that she choose somewhere... but then an idea popped into your head.
It was probably a crazy idea. Probably a bad idea.
You were going to pitch it, anyway.
“Actually, I think I know a place,” you said as you slowly nodded your head.
“Ooh, where?”
“It’s --” You had to take a breath before you said it which only proved that it was a bad idea. “It’s called Jay’s. I’ve done all their health inspections, so it’s a grade-a place -- literally.”
“Sounds good to me!” Emma chirped. “I’ll pick you up in about half an hour?”
A tiny grin pulled at the corner of your lips, and you said, “Sure. See you then.”
As soon as you hung up, you regretted it. You regretted saying you would go out with her. You regretted suggesting going to Jay’s. You regretted agreeing to her picking you up in half an hour.
You knew you should pick up your phone and call her back to tell her you couldn’t go, after all. Or, at the very least, you should go to a different bar.
...But you didn’t.
You simply threw your blanket off your lap and headed toward your closet to get changed.
This was requested by no one, I just wanted to give my boys some more love!
Genre: Fluff
Warnings: The occasional swear
Jinhwan:
He’d find it cute, at first. You were super adorable when you were asleep, but after about 20 minutes or so, he got uncomfortable. He really didn’t want to wake up but his muscles were starting to tense. So he decided to wake you up and say “Hey baby, do you wanna cuddle in bed instead? So we’re both comfortable?” To which you happily agreed.
Yunhyeong:
The minute you fell asleep he noticed. Your body immediately relaxed, and he was so glad you were getting some rest. He held you hand while enjoying the fact that you were comfortable enough to sleep on his lap. And he was so comfortable he fell asleep. He was still holding your hand when he woke up (and snoring).
Bobby:
He honestly thought it was the cutest thing ever, and his bunny smile was plastered on his face. He really adored it, until he had to pee. Then this state of existential dread washed over him. He did not know what to do as he didn’t want to wake you. So what did he do? He panicked and booked it, leaving you to fall on the floor.and wake up
Hanbin:
Can’t lie, an immense flood of pride washed over him. He was so ecstatic. He may have giggled a little bit when you fell asleep. He loved you so much and the fact that you fell asleep on him? Happy Hanbin. He also thought you were literally the cutest bean in the world, and all he wanted to do was smother your face in kisses (which he did)
Donghyuk:
(can I just preface this by saying this is the love of my life right here?)
He just loved it, all of it. Your sleepy face, the cute noises of content you made, the fact you mumbled his name once. Of course he also could keep his hands out of your hair, mindlessly twirling it while he continued to play his game. He loved this time you two had together, and it became a regular occasion.
Junhoe:
He got so confused, did he wake you up? Did he play with your hair? Stroke your face? He spent a solid 5 minutes just staring at you, eyes wide. He tried to do something cute and sweet but all he could do was stare, unable to move for fear of waking you up. And you woke up like that, Junhoe just staring at you. Let’s say he definitely scared you shitless.
Chanwoo:
Okay so he was gaming when you just laid you head in his lap and fell asleep. He got flustered for a second but decided to keep playing his game. Until you made a cute little noise, one of contempt. After that all self control was out the window and he just started playing with your hair and staring down at you lovingly.
For the first twenty-five days of December we will be opening up a door on the Idol Advent tree to see who is behind it and waiting with a drabble to share!
To find out who is there for Day 20, click the keep reading!
Just For You - Jinhwan
You smiled excitedly up at the man snuggling you before pressing play on the remote control. Jinhwan chuckled and kissed the side of your head. “You’re so cute.”
“I love Christmas movies, I just can’t help it!”
As the first one began to play, you were instantly entranced despite seeing this for the tenth time. And because you had seen it so much, you began to quote parts before it was said.
Jinhwan shifted aside from you. “Must you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Just watch the movie, Y/N. There’s no need to say the parts along with it.”
You gaped at him. “But I love this movie!”
“I haven’t seen it though. And I’d love to watch it for the first time without another oh that’s right, this happens next!”
“Oh,” you breathed, feeling a little foolish. Trying to smile, you gestured to the movie. “I’ll stop, let’s keep watching.”
______________
For your next Christmas movie together, you chose one you specifically hadn’t seen so you wouldn’t fall into trap of saying the lines as you watched it. But admittedly, you couldn’t help but miss your classics. It was cliché, and you liked that, but it wasn’t your movie. And that was what you loved about Christmas so much. You got to revisit your favourites time and time again.
Jinhwan let out a heavy sigh and paused the movie. “What are you doing?”
“What, I’m watching the movie!”
“You’re on your phone checking Tumblr. Do you not like it?”
Cringing, you shook your head. “It’s cliché.”
“You love that!”
“But I’d rather watch The Santa Clause instead.”
“Fine, we’ll put that on,” Jinhwan agreed before pointing at you. “You better not quote it though!”
______________
By the third session, you were dubious to even put one on. You had never faced this problem within your relationship before, and you knew it had to stem from how much you just loved Christmas. Still, Jinhwan was ruining your fun.
“Hey, I’m really tired tonight, want to postpone?”
“You can go sleep!” you offered, a little too excitedly. “I’ll watch by myself.”
Coming over to kiss the top of your head, Jinhwan chuckled. “Next year, let’s not share this tradition. I think you love having this one to yourself.”
______________
To read who is next, check back at 8am NZST daily.
iKON Reaction to Finding Out Their S/O has a Weird Allergy
Admin: Käri 🦈
Warnings: It’s allergies, I describe some symptoms.
A/N: This all started because I was talking with my friend about my weird allergies XD. Three of the allergies on this reaction are mine, Admin Suni shares one of those with me, and one is Admin Jade’s! Brownie points if you can guess which ones!
Jinhwan/Jay:
Dial Soap.
You were over at his dorm just hanging out with him and the boys. You went to the bathroom and went to wash your hands. You didn’t pay attention to what kind of soap it was as he had it in some sort of decorative bottle. Fairly soon after drying off your hands, you noticed hives all over them. You tried to cover them up with your sleeves, hoping Jinhwan wouldn’t see them, but evetually he did and freaked out a little. You explained you were allergic to dial soap and that it was only minor, but that did little to appease him. He went out and bought you some cream over them so they wouldn’t be so itchy.
Yunhyeon/Song:
Makeup Remover.
You had just run out of makeup remover and so you asked YoYo if he could pick you up some when he was at the store, except you forgot to mention that you could only use the sensitive kind because the majority of the normal ones had an ingredient you were allergic to. He brought it to you and you quickly used one of the wipes without paying attention because makeup is a pain. The next morning you woke up and in the mirror, you noticed these big red bumps all across your face and neck. You let out a loud groan that woke Yunhyeong up. He walked over the bathroom, wrapped his arms around your waist, and muttered into your neck “what’s wrong, baby.” And you explained you forgot you were allergic to some makeup removers and showed him your face. He then giggled and said, “well, I guess we’re staying home today because there is no way we’re going to make those worse.”
Bobby:
Tootsie Rolls.
He came home from practice with what he thought was a super silly and adorable gift. He found one of those little tootsie roll piggy banks, and it totally reminded him of home. He gifted it to you and you stopped yourself and stared at it for little. You then slowly pushed it back to him and explained that you were allergic, and they made you really really sick. He then just chucked in the garbage can before smiling at you and saying “no harm done.”
Hanbin/B.I:
Artificial Strawberry Flavoring.
You two went on a cute date to a slushee place, and you told him to just order one for you while you sat down. And he did, except he ordered you strawberry one. He brought it over to your table and you took a sip. Within seconds you felt it. You asked him if it was strawberry and he said yes. You quickly went to the bathroom and handled your handle your reaction. When you came back you explained to him you were allergic to artificial strawberry flavor. Within point two seconds he threw out the slushee making a big scene about it, and then he put another straw in his to share with you. Which is romantic, so I guess no harm done?
Junhoe/Ju-ne:
Nickel.
You found this pair of really cute earrings on sale at a store, and you thought they were absolutely perfect for the event you had to attend with Junhoe that night. But of course, you failed to look and check which metal it was made of. That night, Junhoe stopped you and whispered to you asking why your earlobes were so swollen. You muttered a shit through your teeth before basically ripping the earrings out of your ear and tossing them out. You turned back to look at Junhoe, who had a very confused look on his face, and explained that you were allergic to nickel which was a very common metal in cheap earrings. He then told you that from now on he was buying you only the best earrings made.
Donghyuk/DK:
Timothy Hay.
He brought up how cute it would be if he got a hamster or bunny for the dorm when you busted into objections and protests. When he asked why you explained that you were deathly allergic to Timothy Hay, which is what you feed them. It makes your throat swell closed and hives appear all over your skin. His jaw dropped and he felt like a horrible boyfriend for even proposing the idea. He apologized profusely for bringing it up and pulled you into a warm embrace.
Chanwoo/Chan:
Lizards.
You and Chanu went on an impromptu date... to the pet store. You guys had to pick up some food for Obang since Hyuk was busy and didn’t have time. While you guys were there, Chanu decided to make the most of it and made it into a small adventure. You two explored all the ins and outs of the store looking at the colorful fish, petting the kitties and puppies, and mimicking the birds. You two had toured everything until you got to the reptile section. You didn’t even realize you were there until you started sneezing uncontrollably. Chanu stopped and asked what was wrong and you explained that you were allergic to lizards. He giggled a little at the revelation but then quickly escorted you away from those scaly creatures.
→ Summary: After having his creativity robbed from him, Jinhwan finds himself unable to pick up a single paintbrush. Even in his favorite gloomy weather, all inspiration seems to have dissipated. It’s not until a shy girl shows up in the rain does he finally regain the inspiration he had since lost.
→ Gifted to: @akutagawahakuryuunosuke
The longer he stares at the blank canvas, the more he feels the frustration begin to pool in his chest. No amount of mindful meditation can quell the anger that eats away at him, the utter disgust he feels when he realizes that no matter what he produces, it will as be in vein. No longer can he look at his own work without wanting to immediately toss it out, the fear that once again, everything he worked so hard for will be quickly taken away the moment someone sees his latest piece. At least that’s what happened the first time, the first time when he finally felt brave enough to share his work, only for someone to see it, replicate it, and get all the credit in the region’s prestigious Fine Arts journal. There is no record of his work, he’s a nobody. No one would believe a nobody.
And yet he continues to sit here as if all inspiration will come back to him instantaneously. The belief that all the pain will go away the moment he just lets himself go, painting everything that comes to mind and whatever else comes afterwards. He’s in denial. He’s delusional. There is no possible way for him to pick up the pieces, so what more can he do but give up? That’s exactly what he should do. He should just quit. Throwing the paintbrush on the floor, he makes his way into the kitchen. All around him, everything is quiet except for the gentle sound of rain hitting the window. It’s a shame that even in this weather, the weather that’s given rise to so many of his paintings, nothing can be done. Putting the kettle on the stove, he decides against anything other than tea, knowing that if he were to down a few beers, he would feel a bit better temporarily, but by tomorrow, he will only scold himself. He doesn’t need more reasons to despise his own existence. Considering it is falling upon night, he rules out caffeinating, instead choosing a blend of lemon and ginger in hopes of relaxing, and if he’s lucky, prepare him for sleep later on. Only if the nightmares allow him to rest.
Looking through the window, he sees nothing but the pouring rain, a mass of dark clouds and not much of anything else. Even in the building across the way, no lights are on, only adding to the drab environment surrounding his home. One thing he loves most about living on the second floor is that he can watch both the world and the people from the perch by the window, garner inspiration from all walks of life so long as the timing is right. He can learn a lot just by sitting there, both about himself and the world around him. To him, everything carries its own beauty and one day, he hopes he can open a gallery just to showcase all of it. Show everyone that there is so much to be appreciated in the world. Even the things that no one cares to notice.
He supposes this will simply be another one of those failed nights, during which he can do nothing but hate himself for not protecting his work. A coward for not confronting the asshole who so quickly ruined him. It’s been a long time since then. But the wounds still feel fresh.
Hearing the whistling from the stove, he returns to the empty mug, filling it with boiling water until it almost reaches the brim. He does this, always, filling it the point where he can’t even move it without possibly spilling and scalding his hand. But to him, nothing is better than these small dangers in life, the ones that test his abilities to not make a fool of himself, just as he done once before. If only he could muster the courage to make a friend or two.
Being in this ‘profession’, there is little opportunity to meet others, at least intimately, without the notion that there is a patron-artist relationship involved. But even those, often artificial, are less about him and more about his work. Which, if he’s to be honest, makes sense, but it only makes him feel less significant. Really, he as a person holds no significance at all. It’s tiresome, really, to pretend like he lives a normal life, in a normal studio, in a normal world, but that is only opposite to how it really is. He lives a lonely life, in a lonely studio, in a lonely world. But accepting that reality is even less ideal.
Grabbing the handle, he walks as carefully as possible toward the seat by the window, doing his best to avoid the arts supplies that litter floor. Except for that one damned paintbrush that is clearly against him in every possible way.
“Fuck!” Kicking it aside, he regains his composure, taking a moment before walking toward to window once more.
Situating himself on the window seat, he glances at the world below, soft gaze staring at nothing in particular. From this angle, he can see people rushing undercover, bicyclists geared up in heavy attire, and he can even see the traces of tire marks buried deep within the mud. Underneath him, he watches as people file into the café that sits below his studio, either coming in away from the rain or for the well-known coffee blends the place offers. Everything around him seems perfect, and yet his entire universe feels as though it is crashing down on him.
Mindlessly taking a sip, he immediately burns his tongue and if it were not for the mug being completely full, he likely would have just thrown the damn thing out the window. All he wants is to relax and yet everything is fighting against him. Taking a small breath, he returns his focus outside, only this time to be met with the sight of drenched clothing. Next to the building across the way, he watches as a young woman searches franticly, even going so far as to life up one of the trashcans and move it inside. Despite the rain, he can clearly see the desperation in her movements, and for a moment he wonders what she could possibly be doing dressed like that out in this weather. Alone in a t-shirt, she continues to ignore the awkward stares and horrendous weather, not batting an eye even when large drops from the building above lands atop her head.
Considering the numerous reports of heavy weather, she somehow thought it was best to be in the dead center of the storm, not far from the lightening that plagued the hills in the distance. It’s not every day that he gets to witness stupidity that rivals his own, at least on some occasions, so it is only befitting that he is slightly amused. More curious than anything he supposes. He only wonders what exactly it is she is searching for, and why the hell she won’t just go home.
“Coco! Coco!” Removing another plotted plant, you scan the surroundings for your dog, the one thing in this world that has brought you nothing but joy and happiness. Losing him is like losing your other half, and even if you have to stand out here for the rest of the night, frozen to your very core, you will absolutely do so. That’s how much he means to you.
As you continue to search the alleyway, you feel your hope slipping. It’s been over two hours and you’ve found nothing – no clues, no witnesses. Just puddles of mud and litters of earthworms. You’ve done your best to hold in your tears until this point, but as you feel the aching in your back, the barrier you once had up breaks in an instant. The hot tears that fall down your cheeks become a stark contrast to the cold rain, and even though you feel very much alive, your mind is nothing but an empty chasm. You never thought this far ahead, what you were going to do if you didn’t end up finding him. Along the way, you had stopped by every pet store, even the animal shelter, to spread the word about the lost pup. Leaving your number and address, you hoped that you would at least hear something by now. But there’s been nothing but crickets. If Coco were to be out and roaming the streets, there’s no way he wouldn’t have been noticed. You don’t just walk past the cutest puppy with chocolate curls without at least stopping to greet it. That would be inhuman. But that only leads you to assume to worst. Kidnapping? Cold-blooded murder? You only hope he is safe and out of this weather. You will find him, that’s a promise to yourself as well. If only the wait didn’t hurt like absolute hell. If only you could convince your sporadic heart to give you a break.
Standing up, you take one last look at your surroundings. You aren’t able to hear anything other than the patter of the rain against the awnings. Just the sound is enough to instill stiffness in your muscles. Holding your arms against your body, you try to breathe slowly, quietly, just enough to get your feet moving again. But when you see the flash of lightning, your instincts jump in and without a second’s notice, you drop to the ground just as the thunder rears it’s ugly head. God, it’s so close.
In the reflection of the puddle at your feet, you notice a bright blue umbrella as it hovers above your head. Glancing over your shoulder, you lock eyes with a man who is likely no older than you are, wrapped in a heavy rain jacket with a scarf to match.
“Are you alright?” He asks gently, not removing his gaze from yours. At first, you have no idea how to respond, more confused about where he came from and why he felt the need to even pay you any mind. You are caught in an entanglement of emotions, and longer you hold your tongue, the more you realize how crazy you must appear.
“What’re you looking for?” The lack of expression on his face makes you slightly uncomfortable, unsure if he is genuinely interested or if he is just fulfilling his civic duty for the day. Despite these plaguing thoughts, you somehow find the will to respond.
“I’m… I’m looking for my dog.”
“What does she look like?”
“Coco is a ‘he’. He’s brown, has curly hair and is the size of one of those French loafs at the supermarket.”
“Oddly specific…” Crouching down, he becomes eye level with you, and just when you thought this situation couldn’t get any more awkward, he surprises you once again.
“How long have you been out here?” Just as he speaks, he gawks at you from head to toe. If only you had something to cover yourself up with.
“I… uh – two hours or so.” Returning your attention to the alleyway, you try to listen in on any sounds as possible clues, but just as it had been before, there is only the sound of rain.
“I think you should take a break. You’re soaked.” For a moment, his words don’t even process in your mind and all you can feel is the cold penetrating your skin.
“You’re gonna get sick. Let’s get you home.” Standing up, he waits for you to follow his cue, but with you still huddled on the ground, he recognizes that nothing he said had even been heard.
When he delicately places his hand on your shoulder, you don’t even seem phased, instead moving so that you are beside him, hidden underneath the protection of the umbrella.
“I don’t live that close to here actually… it would be a waste to go all the way home.” Not daring to make eye contact, you maintain your attention on the road ahead, hoping to at least catch a glimpse of brown fur scurrying between the potted plants.
As he shifts awkwardly between his feet, you immediately feel guilty for all the trouble you seem to have caused. Maybe it’s best for you to just go home.
“Well… I don’t want you to take this the wrong way or think I’m a creep or anything, but you can relax at my place if you want. I live in the room above the coffee shop behind us, you can sit by the window and watch out for… uh… Coco?” The small smile that appears on your face at the sound of his name catches you off guard, yet you can’t help your heart from beaming just at the thought of being able to hold him again.
“Yeah… Coco.” In light of the current situation, you realize that his offer may not be the worst outcome. If anything, it will give you a chance to recharge, and considering the coffee shop is directly accessible, it likely wouldn’t hurt to grab some coffee. You don’t plan on returning home without him.
“You know… that sounds nice. I’ll take you up on that offer. I’m just going to grab coffee first.” Nodding his head, he waits for you to lead the way, quickly following behind as he holds the umbrella above your head. With one focus in mind, you don’t even notice the way his jacket becomes victim to the downpour.
Upon entering the shop, your senses are immediately filled with the scent of brewed coffee, and it’s as if for the first time in the past few hours that you are finally able to breathe. Walking up to the counter, you order your usual, a basic mocha to warm your numb hands and fulfill your sweet tooth. It already feels like the longest day in existence and yet night has only just begun. How you are going to make it to tomorrow without Coco, you aren’t entirely sure. But every part of you is holding on to that one sliver of hope.
When the mysterious man returns to your side, you quickly realize you had forgotten your manners.
“I’m sorry, you did all this for me and I never asked for your name.”
“Ah… you can call me Jinhwan. Or Jay if you’d like. Either one works.” Nodding your head, you try to pin it to the front of your mind in hopes that you won’t forget. You were never great at remembering names.
“How did you get Jay from Jinhwan? I guess there’s a ‘J’ in it, but that definitely isn’t the first nickname I would come up with.” Glancing over, you watch as he smiles brightly, the sight of his toothy grin only causing your heart to skip a beat. He became a whole different person the moment he stepped indoors.
“Actually, it’s a sort of an alias. I’m an artist. I paint things. And that was the name I chose for the job. So most people I talk to know me through my artwork and inevitably call me Jay. My real name is Jinhwan, though.” Nodding your head, you can’t help but chuckle at the way he lit up just from talking about it.
“I love that you’re passionate about your job. Not many people are these days.” His happy expression fades slightly, and even though he does his best to maintain his composure, you can’t help but notice the sadness in his eyes. But you decide not to push it any farther.
Once your name is called, you quickly grab your drink, following his footsteps as he walks up the stairs hidden toward the back of the café. The creaking of the wood underneath your feet is slightly unsettling, and out of instinct, you grab the back of his jacket. It’s only when you reach the top of the steps do you realize the brevity of your impulsive habits.
“You okay?” He asks, not bothering to turn around as he unlocks the door.
“Yeah, fine!” The squeaking of your voice surprises you, but before you can even save yourself, you already hear him laughing. Embarrassing yourself truly is your trademark.
Walking inside, you can’t help but appreciate the intricate details – the strung lights hung on faded wood, the small potted plants by the window, and of course the abundance of art supplies shoved into every shelf and every corner. The home of an artist really is a sight to be seen.
“Sorry it’s a mess… I wasn’t expecting visitors. Ever.” Running his hand through his fringe, he takes a glance around as if it were the first time he was seeing his own home with new eyes.
“You call this a mess? You should see Coco’s playroom a.k.a. my bedroom closet. It’s a disaster. This, on the other hand, is called an organized mess.” Everything seemed to have a place and even the supplies on the floor next to the piles of canvas seem like they had been lined up purposefully.
“I guess I’ll take that as a compliment. Uh…” Clasping his hands together, he tries to collect his thoughts, and as you watch him struggle, you can’t help but smile.
“I forgot what I was going to say. But!” Running over to the small dresser in the corner, you watch as pulls out a few articles of clothing, one of which is likely the brightest pink you’ve ever seen a man touch.
“You can take a shower and change into these. I know you’re probably uncomfortable…” Despite doing your best to control your urges, you couldn’t help but watch his lips as he talked, trying to act normal as if his words weren’t making your heart do flips.
“Thanks,” you grab the small pile from his arms, trying your best to control the rouge that has inexplicably taken over every inch of your face, “I really appreciate it.”
Nodding his head, he leads you over to the restroom across from the kitchen.
“The faucet is a little finicky sometimes so I can turn on the water for you. Do you take cold showers or hot showers?”
“Who takes cold showers in the middle of a storm?” Realizing his mistake, he laughs it off slightly. That alone is enough to have you swooning.
“Hot it is, then.” As you watch as he pulls at the handle, you realize the sheer amount of strength you have wouldn’t have nearly been enough to turn the water on. Even watching him turn it several times confuses the hell out of you.
“Shouldn’t you get it replaced if it’s this difficult?” You are amazed he was even able to figure out this method in the first place.
“It’s fine once you figure it out. It just took about 30 times to actually get it right.” Standing back up, he wipes off his hands on his pants, smiling shyly as he meets your eyes. The lighting in the bathroom is far brighter than anywhere else in this building, and for a moment, you’re convinced that you’ve been blinded by his looks alone.
“Enjoy.” When he scurries behind you and out of the bathroom, you finally feel as though you can breathe. Being around him definitely put you on high alert. Closing the door, you take your time to pry the drenched clothes from your skin, basking in the feeling of the steam.
The moment the door closes, his tense shoulders finally relax. He’s not sure why he can’t seem to keep his heart calm, but having you in his home, in his private space, is almost killing him. Not in a bad way, he supposes, but he’s never had someone come visit him and actually stay. This is a whole new world. If only he could figure out how to act like a normal human being with social skills, then he might be able to get through the next few hours. But what if you end up staying the night?
Shaking his head, he tries to dispel these thoughts, his dropping blood pressure making him light headed. When he notices his cup of tea on the counter, he is quickly reminded of the original task at hand – finding Coco. He can’t help but wonder how this could have happened, how this dog managed to disappear and where the hell it could possibly be. He almost hurts for you, especially after having watched you search in distress despite the heavy rain. It’s heartbreaking… but hopeful. Clinging on to that hope, he knows the feeling all too well. It’s second nature to him, especially in an occupation that relies on luck and timing. There really was no guarantee. He feels similar to you in that way, something he hasn’t felt in quite a long time. Finally being able to relate to someone… but would he really be of any help to you?
Taking a seat by the window, he waits patiently for your return. From his position, he watches once again as the world continues moving, and in the process, he hopes that he will stumble upon a small brown blob amongst the crowd. Just so he can see you smile.
It’s funny to him how suddenly he had fallen for your charms. Even before he had walked outside, his body ached to simply talk to you. To greet you. You, out of every person that walked by, caught his attention. Not only that, but kept it. He was so curious about your existence, and as you maneuvered around, he felt the string around his heart pull. He doesn’t believe in fate. But if he did, then you would be his only proof.
Even as he sits here, body anxiously waiting for you to finish, he realizes just how far he’s come. Small human interactions suddenly mean the world to him, even if they are awkward and uncomfortable. Yet, he feels surprisingly comfortable with you. He really can’t wrap his mind around it.
Looking over his shoulder, he peers at the easel. From his position, he can only see the back of the canvas, and even though the other side is entirely blank, he feels as though the entire universe had spilled its contents. The mystery, the unknown, the beauty that lies in the eyes of beholder!
Without hesitation, he removes himself from his seat, grabbing the paintbrush as he returns to the stool. A little water, a little cerulean, and his body has taken over. The strokes come out smooth, the watercolor spilling across the page in unchained fervor. The burgundy that follows, the onyx, the gradients that have come to litter his palette are the twins of emotions that had be stowed away for safe keeping. He is no longer the pushover, no longer the failure. He is his own artist, with his own talents. With his own muse.
It’s not long before his arm begins to ache and what normally would have taken hours, ends in all of twenty minutes. Even for his own taste, it is oddly minimalistic, but that’s what makes it more beautiful to him. He gave everything he had, down to the last drop of inspiration and even if it appears unfinished, it’s exactly as he wishes it to be.
“That’s… beautiful.” The sudden breath down his neck forces him to jump from his seat, never once having heard the water stop or even the door to the bathroom open. When he looks over at you, he watches as you step closer to the painting, taking his place on the stool as you analyze every inch of his creation.
“I know this may sound crass… but you are so fucking talented Jinhwan. I was gone for like ten minutes and you somehow made this… I’m in awe. I’m … honestly, I’m speechless.” The rouge that invades his cheeks burns like scolding fire. Among the few compliments he has ever received, this is the one that really means the most to him. It is of you, after all.
“I got the urge to paint and it kinda just… happened. I know I should have asked first but I couldn’t get the image out of my head.”
“You even matched the color of my clothes. It’s so hard to explain, but it makes me sad… I mean, it’s me and I was sad, but this is a different kind of sad… like a –”
“Hopeful sad?” He finishes, carefully watching the way your eyes light up.
“Yes. Exactly that.” Reaching down, you grab the coffee cup that you had set aside earlier, taking a sip as if it were second nature to you.
“I don’t know how you did it. But I’m glad you did.” Your smile becomes infectious, and before he realizes, his expression mirrors your joy. He feels giddy inside, happy and content as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. And for that, he is thankful.
“Ah… I wanted to ask something of you,” you pause, “you can say no of course.” Nodding his head, he patiently waits for you to continue. At first he’s convinced that you’re going to ask him to keep it hidden away or destroy it. Maybe even give it to you. But the longer he sits there, the more anxious he inevitably becomes.
“Is it okay if I sleep over? It’s really dark and honestly, storms terrify me more than anything else. You don’t have to worry about Coco… my dad texted me and said they found him at our neighbor’s house. I feel really guilty for bothering you like this, but I’m desperate.”
“That’s great!” He exclaims, unable to hide his annoyingly over exaggerated enthusiasm.
“Wait, really? Seriously, I can leave. I don’t want to burden you.” Putting his hands up, he tries to come up with an excuse to keep you around. Something that won’t result in him begging.
“Having company is nice, please don’t leave.” Fuck.
Your grin nearly rips his heart out, and for once he finds himself falling victim to something other than his own lack of creativity. You truly are something else.
“You know… I’m really glad this happened. I don’t know what I would have done without you.” Before he has a chance to respond, you return your attention to the painting. The fact that you’re mesmerized by it fills him with pride, but he can’t deny the fact that he’s as equally mesmerized by you.
The hours had quickly passed as you both sat by the window discussing everything from art to favorite ramen joints, and even as the clock in the corner clicked past midnight, he was not yet ready to call it a night.
“You’re probably tired. You can sleep in my room, I just washed the sheets yesterday. I’ll be up for a while out here, so call me if you need anything.” Even as he offers his best, the subtle pained expression tells him that there’s something more you might need.
“I-uh… this is so awkward,” you swallow, “but um-can you –”
One thing he hates more than anything else is his lack of control. He can’t deny the fact that when he wants something, he will usually try to get it, even if it means risking everything. And yet, he’s not sure what possessed him to kiss you so abruptly, but he knows that he needed to. He wanted to. Even if it meant you would hit him, run away and disappear forever, he was willing to give it up just for a moment of intimacy. A part of him hopes that you feel the same way he does, be it just a little. It’s strange to him, really, how utterly in love with you he is. Or, he supposes, it’s infatuation, but the urgency is there. It’s always there.
But what catches him off guard is when you finally begin to kiss him back, when the shock subsides and you find yourself crawling into his lap. He can feel it in the way you tug at the hair on the nape of his neck, the way you bite his lips in desperation for more. He wants to give you the world, if he can, to repay you for returning his. And even as he wraps his arms around your waist, he feels as if he’s dreaming. The shockwaves that spread down his spine the moment you slowly grind into him – it’s highly addictive. His lungs ache to breathe, but he holds out simply because he can’t deny how sweet you taste. Your lips are velvet against his own, this small interaction putting every past relationship he’s had to shame. To become one with something that wasn’t misery is a fairly new concept to him, and he only hopes he can express how he truly feels.
Breaking apart, he immediately scans your expression for any signs of disgust, regret, hatred, but in the moonlight, he can only see your bright eyes and swollen lips. Fuck, you’re so beautiful. Leaning forward, you both meet again, this time all sense driven from your minds. Instead, he lets your bodies speak the words which can’t be spoken, remaining still as you push up the fabric of his shirt. You place your ice-cold fingertips on his skin as you explore every inch you can reach, goosebumps following quickly behind. He feels so alive, the way in which you steal his breath away, and even in the midst of a storm, the only thing he can hear is your heartbeat. The fabric, once free, is tossed aside into the darkness, soon followed by your own. Like this, he could stay forever, admiring your body which has given him so much inspiration. He kisses you gently, along your collarbone, between your breasts and down your ribs, until every inch is explored to his satisfaction. Placing his arms underneath you, he lifts you from his lap and carries you over to the small loveseat against the wall. There, he places you on his lap once again, hoping to never lose sight of your body for as long as he can keep his eyes open.
You allow this, you grant him this wish, instead taking initiative to move the night forward. From what he can tell, you seem just as eager, moving aside to rid yourself of the sweats you had borrowed. It is then he realizes that you had not been wearing underwear this entire time, but considering the state of your clothes earlier, he can’t say he’s entirely surprised. Really, he just assumed he would never be able to witness it in all its glory. Yet, here you are.
In one swift motion, you remove the clothes from his waist, leaving him exposed as you take your time to admire him. Albeit being slightly embarrassed, he lets you continue, now all too aware of the state of his own body. He is naked, he is on the couch, and even with your lust filled expression, he feels oddly out of place. He believes he is undeserving of you, but you don’t seem to mind him, and his only hope is that he can at least make you feel good.
As he watches you straddle him, his heart races, reality finally slapping him in the face. You place yourself above him, grabbing his erection as you slowly sink down. Even for this, he can’t manage to keep his eyes open, lost in the way your body feels around him. He’s harder than he’s ever been, and the snug fit is doing nothing to keep him sane. He waits it out, breathing erratically as you begin to grind against him, fingers digging into the flesh of his shoulders. He doesn’t have to look to know the expression on your face, he can hear it. He can hear the sighs as they fall from your lips, the skipped breaths as you start to move faster. All he can do is hold your hips and give you support, but he knows damn well that this will be over far sooner than he had originally hoped.
“Jinhwan, look at me.” He knows it’s a command, but it’s one he can’t follow. Not if he needs the strength to hold out.
When he feels your lips against his neck, he realizes that he made the wrong choice. This is your punishment, the vivid marks that will be left once you’re done. You suck hard on his skin, biting down in some spots and licking in others, and he swears the stars that are forming behind his eyes weren’t originally there. Yet he can’t help the way in which his erection twitches inside of you, every sensation bringing him closer and closer to the edge.
“Fuck, I can’t wait any longer.” Your sudden outburst pulls him from euphoria, but just as he had left, he is quickly thrown back into the madness. The way you skillfully bounce on his shaft overpowers anything he had felt this entire night, and he can’t help but admire your stamina as you try to reach your own high. Even on the brink of orgasm, he can only focus on you, your image created by the dim lighting and the moans that have since gotten louder. Removing one hand from your waist, he places his thumb at your clit, rubbing to match the pace of your movements. Very quickly, he watches you fall apart, the quaking of your legs indicating that you are reaching your peak. He can feel your juices against his thighs, and as he lies back to witness you come undone, he knows that he won’t be falling too far behind. The slapping sound that resonates off the walls is like music to his ears, mixed in with the sounds of your groans, it’s a symphony. He watches carefully, the way your face contorts with pleasure, to help him hold onto reality. Even as you clench around him, a cry ripping from your throat as you cum, he’s not sure if he’ll be able to remove himself in time.
“Cum in me.”
“What?” He must have heard you wrong.
“Do it Jinhwan.” Fuck!
All it took were those few words to end him, for him to spill everything he had deep inside of you as if it were the most conventional thing in the world. You have his entire existence wrapped around your finger, and only after a few hours, you knew exactly how to use him.
“Sorry, was that too much?” Opening his eyes, he looks up at you, watching as you push a strand of hair behind your ears.
“No, it was perfect. Don’t worry.” Without warning, you remove yourself from his lap, and the cold air that rushes against his soft dick nearly kills him.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” You ask, placing your chin on his shoulder.
“Fantastic.” His monotone response isn’t even close to how he truly felt on the inside. Honestly, his dick hurts.
“I’m sorry~” If he could give you a medal for being the most adorable human on the planet, he would. The cutest apology he’s ever heard, it’s almost as if the pain was nonexistent. Almost.
“I know you already took one, but how ‘bout we take another shower, yeah?”
Nodding happily, you kiss him on the forehead, and just like that, his heart is healed.
