You and Kihyun had decided to make a birthday cake for Yongsun. He told you that he was the best cook out of the friendgroup and you believed his word for it. His and Shownu's, you always trust Shownu's word, Shownu never lies. Hyejung in return declared you were the best cake decorator which was doubtful but seemed like fun.
Hyungwon had taken Yongsun out into town so the rest of the group could get everything ready while Bora and Jooheon were sent out to get anything that was still missing for the perfect party.
The oven was preheated, the batter almost ready, when you came to the realisation that you still needed to prep a cake tin. If you could even find one. You looked through all the cupboards until finally you found something that looked like it, in the right corner cupboard at the top.
You were about to climb onto the counter to reach it if it weren't for Kihyun running to your aid. "Wait, I'll get it!" He rushed to stand behind you and could just reach it, placing it on the counter next to you. You turned around in the little space you had, trapped between the corner of the countertops, the fridge that slightly stuck out, and Kihyun's chest.
"Do you always stand this close?" You blurted out in a hushed tone.
"I'm sorry." He went to turn away, to give you some space, but your left hand reached for his wrist, keeping him close. Your right hand that was on the counter beside you reached up, past his cheek and over his head. Some of the flour falling down his bangs making you giggle.
"I should have known." He grinned widely. Leaning his head forward enough so your foreheads were just not touching, shaking his head so the flour now cascaded from his hair onto yours. The room (and his heart) was filled with your laughter. But the sound died down as soon as the both of you realised he had closed the distance even further with his playful action. You could feel his breath on your skin, he could smell your favourite soap that you had used that morning. It may just be his favourite from then on as well.
Neither of you knew what to do. Close the gap? You both knew that wish was mutual, it felt right. But what if it was wrong?
"Are they going to kiss?" Bora gasped from the doorframe.
You pinched your eyes closed and lowered you head again. "We can hear you, you know"
Kihyun stepped away and continued working on the cake as if nothing had happened. Only the flush of his cheeks and tightened jaw proof that it had affected him too.
Bora earned a slap to the back of the head from Jooheon, it was only light but enough to earn a pout.
"Did you bring the cream?" You quickly changed the subject. You saw Jooheon wanting to make a joke but your pointed look stopped him and he raised his hands in defense, walking back out the way he came.
Bora placed the bag with cream and fruit on the table, winked and walked out as well. You let out a deep breath and decided to let Kihyun take care of the cake, working on the toppings instead. You could feel Kihyun look over at you once in a while but neither of you knew what to talk about after that. It had been silent for long enough now that that was just the way you were going to work. Though awkward wasn't a feeling that could exist between the two of you for long it would seem. When the cake was in the oven and he came to help, everything had seemed to go to normal already. It only took the two of you half an hour to decorate the cake, just in time as well.
"They're back!" Hyejung called out from the living room. When you went into the room, it was completely decorated with garlands and tacky balloons filled with helium.
As soon as the two entered the room, a synced singing of happy birthday erupted. You noticed two squeaky voices joining in. glancing over at the others you were sure it was Chankyun and Shownu that had inhaled some helium, your singing briefly interrupted with laughter.
Everyone went over to hug and congratulate her and the party began, party games and all. You noticed that every time the only open seat was next to Kihyun, the only group you could still join was with Kihyun. Not that you minded but it was either a huge coincidence or someone meant it to be that way.
Either way the day was fun and ended way too fast. While you lay in bed you couldn't believe there were only two more days left. It had been as if living together in this cabin was the new normal.
Your mind went to what might have happened before in the kitchen, everything that could have gone differently, everything you could have done differently. You couldn't stop playing different scenarios in your head. It had been an hour since you had gone to bed and Bora was still on her phone, evident by the light coming from behind her head.
"Ugh, Bora. I don't know what to do."
"I do, just kiss him. A big ol' smack on the lips." She deadpanned, making an exaggerated smack sound.
"How would you know what I am talking about?" You groaned, resisting the urge to hit her with a pillow.
"It’s obvious! You've been tossing and turning since your head hit the pillow. It’s clear the two of you like each other. One of you just needs to act on it."
"But what if that's not it at all." You turned you on your side, facing her bed, leaning your head in your hand so you could talk properly. She looked like she was getting just as frustrated as you felt. "It is! I swear! It's clear you like each other."
"It’s clear you and Jooheon like each other but neither of you have acted on it in a year." came your response.
"Maybe we have." She tried to keep a smile from creeping up by pressing her lips together and pulling her sheets closer.
You gasped in excitement "What? What happened?"
"Earlier in the store I grabbed his hand because he was going the wrong way, and he didn’t let go until we had to pay." She squeeled a little. Making sure it wouldn't wake anyone.
"Oh my gooood." You let yourself fall into your pillow again in frustration. "This hurts me physically. Just go out with him already!"
"I could tell you the same thing!"
You sighed, not having a comeback.
"We are so pathetic."
"Yeah, I know."
After another five minutes of the two of you wallowing in self pity, if we want to exaggerate just a smidge, you got out of bed.
"Where are you going?" Bora raised her head from the pillow to look at you. "Just for some fresh air, maybe it will help me sleep." With that you walked out the door and down the stairs in your cute pyjamas.
You stood at the side of the porch, leaning over the railing and looking out to the lake nearby. You heard someone else walking over the gravel path and onto the porch, making their way to you at a comfortable pace. It was odd to you that you recognised the footsteps. "Couldn't sleep either?" of course it was Kihyun's voice that came from behind you in a hushed tone. You turned around to realise he hadn't left much space between you.
"Do you always stand so close?" You joked. His smile was light, nothing forced or awkward about it.
"Only to you." The wind sent a shiver down your spine, he noticed you shiver. He took the sides of the blanket that was draped over his shoulder and wrapped them around you, so you were now both cucooned inside. He realised immediately that he could have taken it off and given it to you but with how close the two of you were standing, this worked.
There was a flash of doubt in your eyes, just a moment, before you faced your head to the side and grabbed the sides of his hoodie, cuddling into his warmth.
"Thank you, I should have brought my own." His heart skipped a few beats at this. His chuckle was ragged, afraid of making the wrong move when continuing to wrap the blanket and simultaneously his arms around your back. "No, this is perfectly fine."
He allowed himself to enjoy the moment for a little while, until a thought popped into his head that he had to share. "I've been thinking about what you said the other night. About how everything comes so easily between us. About what it means. I'd like to find out as well, if you'll let me." The both of you leaned back enough to look at each other. You nodded, wanting nothing more than to explore what this was. It had never felt like this with any of your previous relationships but you were sure that that is exactly what this would become. "Kiss me?" It came out as a question yet there was no doubt in his mind that he would oblige. His lips touched yours and you both melted, as if a stress was taken from your shoulders. His lips soft both in feel and movement, a breeze flowing through your hair and his grip tightening to keep you warm. He pulled away, the two of you matching grins as you took turn stealing just one more peck before you cuddled back into him.
"I might be crazy but, can I call you mine?"
"I might be crazier because I am already wholeheartedly yours."
And so you stood there until neither of you could keep your eyes open. For you had healed each other's sleeplessness for the night.
By the time you got back to bed Bora had already fallen asleep. She would just have to find out about it in the morning. Sadly when morning came she was already out of bed and downstairs. So you went to shower and get dressed before making your way downstairs to the living room.
Most of your friends were already having a coffee or a tea. You smiled at the homely feel you got from the sight as you stood next to the couch. As you listened an arm wrapped around your shoulders from the back and a hot drink was offered to you as well. You smiled and quietly thanked Kihyun.
You saw Hyejung glance over for just a moment before looking at the others with slightly widened eyes. "Guys, no sudden movements. They might realise we're here and back off." She could be so dramatic.
"Ha ha, very funny. " even though you were mocking back, you actually laughed. Who cares if your friends tease the two of you. At least you found eachother eventually.
Jooheon mumbled something under his breath before whispering to Bora. She in turn leaned over to quickly give him a peck for everyone to see.
"Finally! And you guys act as if we took a long time." You exclaimed. Some congratulations were thrown among the group before everyone gathered for breakfast.
There were two more couples in the friendgroup now, but the lot of you made sure that that didn't change anything about this trip. You would always make sure to do everything with the group the way you had been before. And made sure this was the most memorable birthday Yongsun could wish for.
♥ Thanks for reading! ♥
My goodness that is a long "short"story. I hope you liked it!
The airport was bustling with people from all over the world. People with hoods up, a neck pillows around their neck, sweatshirts on and power banks at hand. Your arms wrap around you, tightening around you as you walk alongside Changkyun and Kihyun. Changkyun rolls his suitcases along side him, his hood looming over his head and his airpods in his ears ready for his departure. The atmosphere was tense but you knew what you heart was feeling. Kihyun tried to initiate conversation and Changkyun tried to keep his composure too since his mind was hectic enough after what happened a month or so ago. He stood still and turned around ready to say goodbye to his two best friends. You coudnt be mad at him, he was following his dream, something you encouraged so you took a deep breath and gave him once last hug. Who knew when he’d come back, today was the last day. “Hey, I’ll message you and talk to you and we can still play you know?” his hand rests at the back of your head and you felt serenity when he did so. You nod your head, feeling your eyes pool with tears already; “I value our friendship and trust me, it will never change!” he forces a smile knowing how much it pained him to formulate what came out of his mouth. Kihyun gently patted your back as you stepped away from Changkyun, your cheeks wet from your tears. “Your hoodies wet, sorry.” You sniffle as Changkyun just smiles at you reassuringly. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” He looks down in despair. Changkyun hugs Kihyun however this time it felt apologetic and empathetic; “I’m sorry if I caused you any pain Kihyun, take care of her well, I’ll see you again sometime soon,” His lips stretch into a smile before he grabs his suitcase to make his journey to the States. Who knew when the trio would meet again.
“Hey, are you okay?” Kihyun asks you. He could tell from the empty stare that you were hurt but you turn to him smiling as you’d always do, “yeah, I’m okay just… wouldn’t have expected him to leave you know?” you shrug before linking your arm with Kihyun’s. Changkyun pondered in the aircraft, his head leaning against the interior of the plane, staring to the nothingness outside. He was off to the states with his parents to start a new life, to experience new things. You and Kihyun took the bus home but instead Kihyun stopped off at the mall. “why did you stop here?” you ask looking at yourself in your compact mirror. “Maybe get you something to eat since you didn’t eat anything?” He grabs your hand and looks back up at your again and stops for a moment. Maybe that wasn’t a good idea? He gently takes his hand away from yours and waits for you to get off before he followed. Kihyun tried his best on this occasion to make you happy, paying for food and also buying some ice cream. The sky was progressively getting darker as you both walked home together the sweetness of the ice cream setting on your tastebuds. “are you feeling slightly better now?” he asks you as he holds the empty ice cream cup in his left hand leaving his right hand unoccupied. “a little bit, I guess I just have to accept it right?” you smile at him, “besides I’m moving onto campus in a couple days so it’s just the matter of getting on with it.” You clear you throat before a downpour spewed from the darkened sky. Instinctively, you latch onto Kihyun’s arm but that was when he’d have an umbrella on him. “it didn’t say it’d rain today?” Kihyun looks over at you shivering from the rain. He takes his long bomber jacket off from his body and drapes it over your shoulders to keep you as warm as possible. “What are you doing Kihyun?” the exclamation in your voice startling him. “You’re cold and I gave you my jacket,” Kihyun’s head tilts, stating what he was doing. “I mean, thank you I do appreciate it,” you smile, “if you had other ideas in your head, don’t..” Kihyun panicked. You smiled at his light-hearted teasing but Kihyun looked ahead whilst walking. You approached your house first and gave Kihyun a hug; “thank you for walking me home and comforting me this evening,” You say as your head was leaning into his shoulder, his arms were around your waist respectively. “I’ll be here for you and Changkyun will be there for you to regardless of time zones,” he speaks softly as you part from the embrace, “I know, I hope we can still keep in touch when we move to university.” You say as you make eye contact with Kihyun’s . You remove the jacket from the shoulders and hand it to Kihyun; “please get home safely, message me when you’re home,” You smile at Kihyun. It was like old times, where you used to prove you cared for me…“I will, I promise,” Kihyun puts his hand on your shoulder before he turns around and leaves through the gates and disappears around the corner. My heart never skipped beats like this before, get a hold of yourself. He puts his jacket back on and makes the rest of the journey home with the bus.
“Are you home yet?” you type in then delete the message. Your phone rests in your hand and you think what to write. You didn’t want to sound obsessive or too protective but you wanted to sound protective enough. “hey, are you home safe and sound?”
Kihyun looks down at his phone, taking it out of his pocket as he takes his shoes off and hangs his wet jacket to dry. “Yeah, just walked in,” Kihyun types, it felt weird how you’d message him only when you didn’t have Changkyun’s attention but he shook his head to forget the absurd thoughts since his mind was making things up to mess with him. “you okay?” he messages back.
“Yeah especially after this evening, thank you so much Kihyun,” you reply to him as you sit at your dining table with your family for dinner; “do you wanna maybe help out with me moving out?” you type then delete it again because he must be doing the same. “when will you be moving to your uni campus?” You ask him since you didn’t know where he was going but assumed it wasn’t to yours. “I’m packing on Thursday for Saturday.” Kihyun replies,
The blinking line in the text box blinks to the rhythm of your heart. You felt stupid for asking but you were curious. Your evening was spent with your family, enjoying and celebrating your acceptance to Seoul University; you wondered how these wondrous dorms looked like and if you were going to have a room mate, you thought about making new friends and going to university events and having unlimited access to the library that was radiating knowledge. It was all so new and it was exciting to you. You messaged Changkyun just so he knew you were thinking about him and you waited for his response although you knew he wouldn’t reply until tomorrow. You had to begin packing so you went to scavenge for some boxes which were in the attic. Your father helped bring the ladder down and you both went up to grab some boxes and to your surprise you found a few things that your forgot about. There were some photo albums and multiple boxes of trinkets and items which you went through. They were photos of you and Kihyun from your preschool days, some toys and presents that were made by Kihyun and a his glove that he left at your house when he was 6 years old. It brought a smile to you face. “hey, are these all you need?” your father asks holding up some flat boxes; “huh? Oh, yeah those are it!” you leave the stuff in the box and put it back into its place and going back down to pack your items. During the process, it felt nauseating to leave your family and voyage on this journey alone. How would you cope without your mother and father there to help you when you needed them, your mothers cooking, your puppy? It should be fine right? Your desk was almost all cleared away and you grabbed the final two things; the photo of you Changkyun and Kihyun and the stuffed bunny. You couldn’t leave them behind you had to take them with you.
Moving out day arrived shortly and you sat in the car with your father going to your campus to move in. “did you check your accommodation?” your father asks. “I did and it looked good!” you smile confidently. Little did you know photos and real life are two different things. You arrived to your accommodation; it was a tall building looming over on the street that had other accommodation complexes; the prices were astronomical and almost unaffordable so you stayed safe with the cheaper option. You fiddle with the keycard between your sweaty palms, why were you so nervous? You got to your dorm and you swiped the card to let you in although, despite the technology, the interior was cold and almost damp. “oh god, why is it like this in here?” your father asks as he takes a look around. The gas pipes trailed along the skirting of the walls, the paint was chipped and had minor stains on them which you didn’t want to question, not to mention the tattered curtains and dark carpets. “these carpets were supposed to be a light brown,” your father gulped “I have a carpet cleaner at home, we can clean this place up a bit before you settle?” he suggests and you just nod to him, not feeling very satisfied with what you have witnessed. You check the bathroom; the tiles were a rusty brown and there was limescale covering the shower head, taps and sink. God… you thought to yourself, you had a lot of cleaning to do. You didn’t have a private kitchen so the communal kitchen was something you had to get used to as well as sharing a fridge and cupboards. From this day on, you began to get your dorm into shape, cleaning and restoring the dorm as much as you could and investing in some slippers just to be extra clean! You set up your computer at your desk and brought in your items to move in peacefully. The windows were large and opened wide enough to let out the aroma of bleach and chemicals waft out as you spray some air freshener so you could respirate in your own living space. After your father left, you tried to get used to your dorm before there was a knock just as you sat down. You didn’t know if you should open the door so you just yelled: “ I didn’t order anything, I just moved in!”
“We’re not here for delivery!” one of the voices called out. It was a cheerful, higher pitched voice. She sounded cute and friendly so you stood up and took the risk to open the door. The girl had a blue hair that was looking seafoam green in the hallway lighting. He eyes were rounder and her dark almost like a puppy. “Hello floor mate, I’m Gowon!” she is the most beautiful person I have ever seen in my life – you thought to yourself. “ I moved in a couple weeks ago and I thought we could get to know each other!” She smiles, her pink tinted lips turn into a wholesome smile. You nervously chuckle, “ahah yeah! That’d be nice. I’m trying to get used to me dorm right now,” your hand rests on the back of your neck. “ you’ll get used to it in no time!” she smiles at you, “what are you going to major in?” she asks. God, I’m a Business and Management major, does that make me boring? “Business and Management..” your tone lowers, embarrassed at what you were saying. “Oh my god really! My friend does that, I’m super interested in fashion so fashion designing was quite interesting!” who was her friend? “do you have anyone from your school here?” Gowon asks and you shake your head. “what can you do,” you let your lips curl into a smile, “ one of my friends moved to the states because he wanted to go to university there and my other friend is staying here but I don’t know where he’s going, he hasn’t told me and I don’t wanna ask him because what if he did tell me and I wasn’t listening, I’d feel bad.” Your thoughts where going hectic. Gowon puts her hand on your shoulder, “hey! It’s okay if you keep in contact that’s all that matters and besides you can meet new people here!”
Gowon was so sweet and you could see yourself become really close friends with her. You text Kihyun; “hey! I moved in.” you type and add a smile emoticon to make it seem less dry than looked. You notice the bubble with the three dots appear – he was typing- and you sat on your bed waiting for his reply. “that’s cool! How is it?” he replied. He wanted to know what conditions you were living in hoping it was too bad. “it’s okay, there were a few problems but it’s okay, it’s all sorted out… kinda.”
You spoke to Kihyun for a few minutes before he had to go offline since he was busy. You first university day starts in a couple weeks so you had time to get used to your environment and make some friends while you were at it but it wasn’t easy since everyone was in their rooms most the time. Only Gowon was out on walks or getting some coffee or going for a small food shop. You thought it’d be a good opportunity to hang out with her for a while to get comfortable and become closer friends.
[a couple weeks later]
Your alarm buzzed at 6am. You haven’t heard that for a while and it was infuriating to hear the annoying sound at your ears when it was still dark outside. You grab your phone and sit up in your bed, tossing aside your phone which decided it would like it better on the floor. You groaned tiredly and slip on you slippers and grab a hoodie to make your way to the bathroom to freshen up. You look around for the toothbrush and toothpaste wondering where they were. Of course, you didn’t turn the light on, so your pushed the light switch to find them on your sink. Your tiredness was getting the best of you. You got dressed and decided today wasn’t the day for breakfast, grabbed your bad, phone, purse and key card to make your way to campus. It was cold but it was refreshing to walk in. Usually you’d walk with Kihyun but of course, he wasn’t here to walk with you every morning.
Gowon runs up behind you; “bOO!” she yells which startles you. “oh my-” you raise your voice only to realise it was Gowon. “did I scare you?” he nudged. Your connection to her felt familiar, like you knew her for a long time and it was comforting. You see behind her there was another person; His hair was blond and wavey, stopping just under is brows, lips tinted a light pink and his smooth, glass like skin illuminated by the winter sun. “This is Minhyuk, he helped me out when we both moved on the same day!” Gowon introduces and Minhyuk waves at you, smiling at you charmingly. You raise your hand and introduce yourself before you all go to campus. Who knew how easy it was to make new friends? Two already?
You think how Kihyun was doing but to your little knowledge, he was already in his first class getting to know everyone. He looked at his phone, swiping up to unlock it then pressing the green speech bubble to message you. “Hey, you in uni yet?” he asks you. “hey Kihyun, I am. Why are you messaging me?” you sounded a little passive aggressive you you send the ‘x’ kiss. “you do know I got to the same university as you but someonewas too excited to even ask me :/” you gasped and held the screen closer to your face. “have you seen a ghost?” Gowon asks “or did someone send you an early morning naughty photo” Minhyuk snickers behind her looking over her should just to see a series of texts. “boyfriend?” he asks. You shake your head; “no no, it’s just my best friend apparently he goes here too but-” you were interrupted by Gowon’s gas, “you didn’t ask him! Girl, were you dating someone and forgot about him?” you stood there silently biting your lip. “I take that as a yes, tell us about him, what does he do, where does he go, introduce us to him plea-” Gowon paused after seeing how dismal it made you feel talking about him. “he left to the states and I guess I have to move on,” you force a smile, “lets go shall we?”
Why did Kihyun make it hard for you. Now they think you’re in a love triangle, you hope they didn’t at least. Your introductory day went well and you met a lot of people who are doing the same degree as you. “Hey,” Kihyun waves with a smile whislt walking over to you. “Wow how have you not fallen for him?” Gowon asks you and you don’t respond. “what’s up man, your bestie here has said a lot about you!” Lies. Absolute lies. I don’t hate him but you don’t want people to get the wrong idea. “oh really? I must be the centre of your conversations then.” He looks down at you and ruffles your hair and you smile back. “well me and Kihyun have know each other since we were born pretty much,” you giggle before someone interrupted yet again, “hey, you four coming to the freshers party?” he asks. You all look at each other. “oh um, sure why not!” Minhyuk smiles from ear to ear. Freshers parties are for the new students to interact and get to know each other often organised by the senior students. “when is it?” Kihyun and Gowon ask simultaneously. “it’s actually going to be next month since the uni team are free then, it’ll be at a share house just a few minutes away from the campus, but I hope you guys can come!” the guy smiles and waves. “OI wait, what time?” Minhyuk hollers. “Probably 7pm and you can leave by the early hours of the morning, see ya!”
“damn so much freedom and responsibility, how does it feel to be so free?” Gowon asks. “My parents allowed me to do things reasonably, but this is a lot of responsibility,” you twiddled your thumbs, “she never got drunk, a good little bunny she is.” Kihyun smiles and chuckles teasing you. “you guys seem like a couple” Gowon giggles, “what a shame girly, I quite liked the look of your best friend Kihyun.” Gowon pouted. You felt a bit sick; “ew, this guy? Did you know he-” Kihyun’s hand covers your mouth, “now now, I am a man of many mysteries,” he raises a brow. You scoff.
Later that evening you hung out with the three friends you have, and you were invited to Minhyuk’s dorm. “Damn you have everything sorted here, your lights are cool!” Kihyun points out, “and a games console, alright turn it on let’s play!”
You and Gowon sit on Minhyuk’s bed and talk to each other. You glance at the boys and your heart does flips. No stop it don’t do that. You tell yourself, Gowon’s voice muffling until you were shaken out of it – quite literally. You try to divert the attention and soon after you decide to go back to your dorm. The trio seemed disheartened that you had to leave first but you just had to go.
You lay in your bed staring at the leak stain on your ceiling before turning away to the side, watching the screen of your phone glow blue. You gasped; “Hey, how are you?” it was Changkyun and he finally messaged you since he left. “I’m okay-” you think to type ‘I miss you’ but you didn’t want to sound .. well you know. “I’m okay, I made a couple friends!”
You and Changkyun spoke for a little bit until he stopped replying. It seems like he fell asleep; you knew he was enjoying his time there, Changkyun never turns down a party. You sigh loudly in your room before the heating stops and your room temperature drops rapidly. “no no no-“ you go to your heating dial trying to fix it. There was no hope; why is it your dorm room with all these problems? You let it be and tried to go to sleep with layers of blankets to keep you warm.
-
“Hey, are you excited for the party?” Gowon asks. “so excited,” you smile and look at Minhyuk and Kihyun talking about something, “how about you guys?” You ask. “awh yeah, I think it’d be so cool!” Minhyuk smiled; his soft puppy like features not matching up with his ‘rebellious bad boy’ vibes was something that entranced you, just how? “Yeah, It’s a new experience so that’s cool,” Kihyun added.
Throughout the day you and Gowon and Minhyuk became closer as did Kihyun. “yo, so where does your girlfriend go?” Minhyuk asks assuming Kihyun had one. Kihyub smiles and sighs, “I never dated anyone..” Gowon gasped at his remark. “I mean I tried to set him up with my friend Irene but he just refused,” you shrug “what a shame, she was a nice girl.” You say as you stand beside him. “she actually refused me, did she tell you otherwise?” he asks you, his voice low. What’s gotten in to him? “I mean, no I just assumed that-“ you were interrupted by him, “heres a life lesson, assuming things isn’t very safe it can lead to many problems,” He patted your head and smiled “she refused me politely so now you know.”
Gowon stared at him in disbelief. “have you ever had feeling for anyone?” she was interested to know. He shook his head; it was a blatant lie. “Woow…” she looked away in disbelief. Kihyun laughed already predicting their reactions but he brushed it off it was no big deal, sometimes it was best to move on, right? [later that evening] The room was cramped with students new and old dancing and drinking with their friends in the kitchen, standing in the hallways and sitting on stairs. The music was blaring out so loud that you could barely even hear your thoughts which was a good thing. You approached a small group of people who seemed to be a year older; “hey! You’re a new student here right, first year?” one of the guys spoke out to you from the other end of the room and he seemed to be approaching you at a quick pace with a drink in his hand. “want some help getting to know some people?” he seemed super friendly and draped an arm around you and escorted you around the place. You already lost the others, usually Kihyun would be beside you regardless but he left with Minhyuk somewhere. You took a sip of the liquid which gave your tongue a burning sensation; “new to drinking I see, you’ll get used to it,” he smiles at you his arm tightening around your shoulder. “so out here are all the kids who were a part of some drama and they’re quite daring too, I must say I am a part of that group,” he chuckles “no worries though because in the kitchen are the 2nd year business and management lot.. they’re a bit boring but there’s that,” he tuts and passes them as your heart sank since you saw Minhyuk and Kihyun together with Gowon and someone else they befriended whilst you were being taken around by some random student. You felt a little dizzy as he was showing you around until you asked to sit down to which you were sat down on a couch with that guy. Voices began to muffle slowly, your world a haze; what was that drink? Or what was IN that drink?
You open your eyes, gasping for air finding yourself still on the couch although your head was in someone’s lap. You look up to see it was Kihyun and you gulped, nervous to even ask what happened. He looked rather angry and out of character, Minhyuk sitting with his hands in his hands and Gowon sitting on the arm of the seat. “she’s up guys there really was no reason to act up like that was it?” She looked at the boys. What even happened?
– Minhyuk and Kihyun both saw you passed out on the couch with the older boys surrounding you with cameras out facing the ‘nice guy’ trying to do something that wasn’t right. They were both furious but they were confused as to why each other reacted the way they did. Charging in absolute anger, Minhyuk threw the guy off you and Kihyun lifted your head up to check up on you. “Leave her alone!” Minhyuk grunted as the guy held him by the collar throwing a punch and leaving him on the floor. Kihyun checked if you were hurt and luckily you weren’t but he thought why Minhyuk go so angry so quick. It reminded him of how protective Changkyun was of you and it made his stomach churn. –
“let’s take you home..” Kihyun sighs “ I don’t think right now is the best time to come to parties..” he knew something would happen if he left you alone. “taking advantage of people is so shit,” Minhyuk scoffs as Gowon pats his back. “Let’s all just go and make sure she’s okay,” Gowon picks up your stuff. Only 3 hours in and this is what happens, what a vibe killer.
Your dorm has a leaking ceiling so when you opened your door your bed was wet. “you must be joking..” you whisper. “are you okay?” Kihyun asks. “yeah I’m fine thanks, you can go now, sorry for the trouble,” you look down in disappointment. “no problem, I’m here for you whenever you need me okay, my apartment is a few minutes away from your dorm,” he writes down his address on a text message and sends it to you. You nod and thank him before shutting the door and looking at the leak and open your door heading out again. “oh hey, you alright?” Minhyuk comes back with a plastic bag of things he bought from the convenience store; “why are you outside?” he asks “leak in my ceiling again…” you respond. “ahh, wanna hang at mine before you decide what to do?” you think for a moment. Maybe going to Kihyun’s was a good idea. “I think I might visit Kihyun now,” you nod.
You felt awful. You created such a scene yet Kihyun was still there for you. You get to his apartment and knock at the door and he opens knowing it was you. “welcome, good thing I’m making food” he smiles grabbing your hand to pull your inside “come here it’s cold out there”
“I’m sorry for what I did today,” you gulp and avoid eye contact. “sorry for what? Being an idiot and taking a drink from someone else? Yeah don’t worry you didn’t know but next time don’t get lost you have a phone for a reason,” he says laying a bowl of ramen in front of you, “anyway eat up,” he says going for it as soon as he sat down. “why are you here?” he asks. You stare at him, there was genuine concern in his eyes. “I have a leak in my dorm and my bed is wet,” Kihyun laughs, “what a lame excuse to hang out with me AND stay with me,” he jokes “I’m joking of course.” He hands you one of his hoodies since you seemed cold. “well you can stay here until someone fixes that leak in your dorm,” he smiles softly. I want to tell her right here right now… he opens his mouth then stops. “what were you going to say?”
“it doesn’t matter don’t worry…” he held back, no matter how hard it was. He tucked a bit of hair that dangled down the side of your face back. “don’t eat your hair too?” he jokes and laughs. “since when were you so cocky Kihyun?” you asked him since you noticed a shift in behaviour. I have no competition… “Oh I guess new school new me?” he shrugs. “right,” you nod.
You and Kihyun sit on his bed watching something on youtube, laughing at a show you both like until he drifted off leaning back on his headboard. You thought it was an uncomfortable position, so you moved his head to your shoulder and threw a blanket over him. This felt like the good old days. Your eyes also began to get heavy, so you thought to close your eyes for only a few seconds. Although, seconds turned to minutes and minutes to hours, by the time you knew it you were both asleep. Fast asleep.
When you arrived at the cabin some people had already gone to bed, others had waited up. As soon as you got out of the car, Bora and Jooheon came to hug you, glad that you had arrived okay.
"I kept you a spot in a room with me." Bora said, helping you unload the most important stuff. "What? I could have sworn you would get a room with Jooheon." You winked, earning a shy 'shut up, it's not like that'. Bora was the outspoken 'don't care what anyone thinks' type of person and a good friend for a long time so it was nice seeing her being shy about something (or someone) for once.
"What's that?" She motioned to the styrofoam box you were carrying inside. "Oh this? Perks of married life." you laughed at her confused face. Shaking your head you said "I'll tell you later."
After the four of you had carried most of the stuff inside, both Bora and Jooheon went to bed. You stayed up by the dying fire in the livingroom fireplace, still being a bit too alert after the drive and cold mountain air. So did Kihyun it seemed when he handed you a glass, bottle of Soju in the other hand. "Want to share?" You nodded, holding out your glass. After clinking glasses and taking a single sip you couldn't help but reach for the desserts. Again he laughed with a smile wide enough for his eyes to form to crescent moons. "No one can resist a good dessert." You defended, taking your first bite.
The two of you got comfortable on the couch, facing each other on the 3 person sofa, sharing the blanket you had taken from the car; This time talking about Bora and Jooheon.
"Oh yeah, they are totally ending up together by the end of this. I am surprised they aren't official yet." he agreed with you.
"So he likes her. You're sure?"
"Totally, it's so obvious. I don't get how he doesn't realize himself how much they fit together." As he said this, your mind wandered back to the conversation in the hostel "A lot can happen when you spend this much time together." You quoted Yongsun "Who knows, this trip might just be it." the two of you stayed silent for a bit after that, the remaining warmth of the fire felt soothing on your skin.
"Maybe we should both go to bed, before you fall asleep on the sofa." He broke the silence. You drank the remaining Soju in your glass and with a sigh you got up. "Alright, goodnight." You whispered, walking past him. "Goodnight" He replied.
The next few days groups had formed that always did everything together. The only thing everyone did together was eat. After lunch it was your and Jooheon's turn to clean up. You put on some music on the speaker in the livingroom adjacent and filled the sink to do the dishes.
Standing here with Jooheon now, you couldn't help but pry.
"So, how's things with Bora?" You asked as subtly as you could.
"I don't know, you've spent more time with her than I have." He shrugged but you could see he wasn't as oblivious as he made himself out to be. He was like a brother to you, you could hear his voice change, you could see him avert his eyes as if casually drying the dishes.
"You know what I mean. Don't play dumb."
"Well what about you and Kihyun."
"Well we're not the ones dancing around each other like two hopeless romantics." you deadpanned.
"You sure about that?" His eyebrows raised with the pointed look he gave you. You splashed him with the water that was on your hand. "You're avoiding the subject." He couldn't help but notice the blush on your face when you said this however.
"I'm not kidding though, she has been spending most of her time with you and the other girls so I haven't really talked to her much." Maybe that was the problem, maybe you had to do something about that.
In the other room Bora, Yongsun, Hyungwon, kihyun and Chankyun sat talking and enjoying the music. They had been talking about their recent favourite songs when Kihyun was surprised by something Yongsun said "How have you not heard of imagine dragons before. Give me a second, I am sure you have heard their songs without even realising." He picked up the phone and typed in 'natural'. It soon playing over the speaker.
After hearing the song for a bit Yongsun had to admit she had heard it before. Bora however was stuck on something else. "Isn't that Y/N's phone?" She asked, being sure it was.
"Oh yeah, I'm sure she won't mind. It's just to change the song." He stated casually. He thoughtlessly turned his head to the door leading to the kitchen and smiled, hearing you sing along to the song. It bringing back memories of the two of you singing in the car.
"You know her code?" she questioned, not even knowing it herself.
He didn't answer because as if feeling his gaze in your direction, you appeared in the door. "How about we do a karaoke night tonight, get everyone together." You said excitedly. Maybe you had been thinking about the same thing.
Everyone that was on this trip had something to do with music one way or another so obviously this was happening as soon as someone uttered the word karaoke. "Believe it or not, but I have a karaoke machine upstairs." Yongsun said to no one's surprise. So in the evening you guys got the fire burning and made some space so two people could sing and the rest could gather on the sofas or on the carpet.
Yongsun and Hyejung had started with an upbeat song, Shake it from sistar. It worked wonders as no one could sit still to this song. You even got Shownu to dance along. The laughter filling the room starting off the night right.
You were scrolling through songs when you got an idea. "You know this one?" You asked Jooheon, as soon as he nodded you put it next in line.
The music started and you automatically moved to the music. Your voice fit the song well and you and Bora had sung along to it many times before as it was one of her favourites. You noticed her mouthing the words as you sang them before you turned back to Jooheon. You were both in it for the show, neither of you needing to look at the screen to know the words. When you got to the chorus you were completely into the song, walking and moving to the beat. When it was Jooheon's part you stood with him for a bit, jamming to the music before changing your path to Bora who was sitting in front of the armrest of the sofa. You pointed to her, motioning her with your finger to stand up and sing the next part. She rolled her eyes and took the mic before her part could start. She naturally took her place in front of Jooheon, the two of them perfectly mimicking the chemistry Hwasa and Loco showed in the music video.
You sat down in front of the sofa where Bora sat before, it coincidentally being next to Kihyun's legs. You felt him mindlessly playing with your hair but you didn't mind, it felt kind of nice even. When the song ended you excitedly clapped for your two best friends. Bora turned to you with mischievous eyes. "I see how it is." She said, still in the microphone, amplifying her voice as she spoke. "Let me return the favour." The song turned on with a tap as if she had it ready.
You gasped at the first few cords "Oh my god I love that drama." Bora nodded. "I know you." She shrugged making Jooheon laugh knowing exactly what she meant as well. He walked over to sit next to Kihyun and handed him his microphone. Kihyun gave him a confused look as he took it. "It's your OST man, you better sing it."
The two of you stayed seated with this slow song. You closed your eyes singing the first few lines before Kihyun joined in and you looked up, meeting his eyes. It was exactly like in the car, it was as if the two of you were attuned to each other. Leaving place for one another's voice to come through and harmonizing as if singing together was the most natural thing. You looked away as you sang 'I think I've gone crazy' and as the song ended you were snapped out of the moment by the others clapping. You laughed at their antics and handed the microphone to someone else. You really thought you might have gone crazy because the song went by so quickly as you sang to one another.
When Minhyuk and Hyejung started singing their song, Kihyun nudged your shoulder with his leg as you still sat next to is. He smiled down at you and you looked up with the same expression, hiding the fact that both your mind and heart were racing.
That night was the most fun any of you had had in a while. You noticed the content smile on Yongsun's face showing this was exactly what she had in mind when inviting everyone for her birthday. Which was tomorrow, you realised just then. You really needed to do something special for her.
Before midnight had come, most of your friends decided it was time to turn in. You told Bora to go up already as you sat yourself in front of the fire with a blanket draped over your shoulders until the fire would die out on its own.
"I still have a bottle of Soju." You heard from your left. It sounded like an offer but as you looked towards the source you saw Kihyun already holding the bottle and two glasses.
"Don't offer me a drink." You sang the familiar lyric you had sung before, yet taking the glass from him.
"Don't sing that sooong." He whined.
"Why not? I love that song." You laughed.
"Just don't"
"Jealous?"
You meant it as a joke. You really didn't think that to be the case. Yet his averted eyes and cutely scrunched nose told you you weren't far from the truth. It gave you a nudge of confidence.
"Then why have you barely talked to me these past few days." He was about to deny it but the raise of your eyebrows stopped him.
"I didn't know if you would be alright with riding in a car with only me, let alone have to spend the rest of our trip around me. So I thought I'd give you some space after spending days locked in a car together." He confessed.
“Actually, I have always felt comfortable around you, myself, you know. I'm not sure what exactly that means, but… I know it means something.” you cleared your throat, not sure why you said that out loud. "I think I've gone crazy."
He chuckled "Stop quoting songs."
"But I caaaaan't." You replied dramatically throwing your head back. That made him laugh. An extraordinary sound to your ears, it would make you want to smile even wider when already happy and at ease.
“Why does it feel different when it’s you?” He suddenly asked. You weren't sure what to make out of that question. It could mean so much, or so little.
"What do you mean?" You decided to just ask.
"I don't know, sitting, talking, singing, being alone together, getting the know each other even though it feels like we already do, know each other. It's just so natural." he really looked like he was trying to figure it out. His forehead wrinkled behind his bangs and eyes staring into yours as if they held the answer.
"I get what you mean." A smile on your own lips. You looked down at your drink and at your legs, only now realising that you were in the same position as some nights before. It just came naturally.
Part 3 (I have a problem, love that slow burn fluff I guess)
*dust's off keyboard, reboots creative center, cracks knuckles*
It has been a while! I haven't written in a long time because life got in the way. I am not a student anymore, I barely find the time to keep up with the kpop community, I have an apartment, I am getting married! But getting a request on this blog I cherished for so long, I just can't help myself. So thank you for the request and I hope you enjoy!
♥ Thanks for the request ♥
KihyunXreader
Genre: Fluff
Wordcount: 2173
Warnings: not completely gender neutral
part1, part2, part3
One of your friends, Yongsun, had invited you to her family's cabin for her birthday. To get there she had the bright idea to do a roadtrip spanning 2 days. Most of the people knew each other but you knew some better than others.
In the dilemma of who was going to sit in which car, you stayed quiet. Apparently so did Kihyun resulting in the two of you driving in the luggage packed car while the other two cars held 4 people each.
You didn't have anything against Kihyun, it was just that the two of you hadn't talked much before. Your main fear was that it was going to be an agonizingly awkward two day drive.
The first few hours the conversation was light, small talk really. What else had the two of you to talk about? It was quiet in the car as you were enjoying the scenery. The next song started and you recognized the one of a kind sound of imagine dragons right away. To your surprise, as soon as the lyrics started it wasn't just your voice you heard singing along but his as well. After a few lines the two of you were switching parts to sing and harmonizing as if you had practiced this. His fingers tapped on the steering wheel and your head bobbed to the music.
After your karaoke session the atmosphere was much lighter in the car. Neither of you holding back in singing along or telling stories about previous trips or things that happend with the friends the two of you had in common. You had already stopped a few times and switched places but the day felt like it had flown by when you noticed the car in front of you pull into the car park of the hostel you all would be staying at.
The two of you naturally parted ways after getting out of the car, the men and women heading to different blocks. You lay yourself down in between Yongsun and Bora, Hyejung laying down on the other side of the birthday girl after the 4 of you had put on your face masks.
"So," Yongsun turned to you "I hope you didn't suffer too much during the car ride here." She nudged. 8 hours ago you would have reasoned the same, but now it caught you by surprise. "Huh? No, it has been fun."
Hyejung sat up with dramatic speed "Kihyun? Fun? didn't take him as the type."
"I don't know, a lot can happen when you spend this much time alone together." Yongsun said suggestively, digging further into what you said than need be.
"Oh come on," Bora laughed, you're glad for her interruption of these allegations "you guys are so harsh. How about you huh, you sure you and hyungwon are still going to be on good terms by the end of this trip." this earned a pillow to the face from Yongsun "it's not that bad."
"You only fought twice." she mocked casually, teasing Yongsun.
"It's just that I know the area around here. I know the nicest routes. He's just following the GPS without listening to my directions." was her reasoning. You nodded along, Bora rolling her eyes having seen it all from the backseat of the car they had been in.
"You wanted to be his passenger princess instead of driving yourself." That shut her up, promising to drive the next day. The four of you talked for an hour longer before one by one falling asleep.
The next day after breakfast everyone packed a lunch for on the way and all got into their spot in the car. You could hear the conversation between Hyungwon and Yongsun. Turned out he actually liked driving, having her as passenger princess. But after the conversation before, Yongsun wasn't letting up and got in behind the wheel.
"You good?" Kihyun asked as you stood in the open car door."
"Yeah, was just thinking about something me and the girls talked about last night." Kihyun didn't pry. As soon as the cars in front of you left, he followed behind.
Compared to yesterday, the roads had become more narrow, surrounded by dense forests and it seemed like you were continuously going uphill. A few hours after you guys had stopped for lunch it started to rain, getting worse fairly quickly.
"Ah, damn, the navigation isn't working. I can't see a thing with this storm." He tried his best to see where he was going but with the rain he could only see a few meters in front of the car, there was no way he would be able to follow the others who were only a little ahead.
"Must be bad mobile data service with the weather in the mountains. Give me a moment, I'll call Yong-sun." The phone rang once, twice, trice until a few beeps could be heard signaling bad reception , supporting your theory. You texted Bora that you guys were going to pull over for a bit to figure things out and pulled out the map on your phone. Luckily you had downloaded the maps of the area in advance so you could at least figure out your next move.
"There should be a small car park up ahead on our right. Let's stop there until the storm calms down." Kihyun nodded, focusing on the road and waiting for the sign to drive into the car park. It felt like gravel and there were only 2 other cars there. Sadly you didn't recognize either of them as the ones your friends were in.
"Did your message send?" He asked after carefully parking the car. Now that the engine wasn't running anymore you realised at which volume the both of you had been talking to hear each other over the rain landing on the roof and windshield.
"It took a few tries but I think so. She hasn't answered yet though and nothing is going through in the group chat."
The both of you came to the conclusion that you would figure it out by yourselves, using the map on your phone.
"Look, this is where her cabin is. According to the GPS earlier it was still a 4 hour drive but no way we are making that in this weather."
Kihyun leaned over the gear stick and so did you so he could see the map on the small screen of your phone. You had never been this close to him before and it felt a bit embarrassing the way your body reacted to the proximity. Your skin flushed around your cheeks and neck and your breath got stuck in your throat as if you forgot how to breath without thinking about each in- and exhale. You cleared your throat to refocus and pointed to where you guys were stranded at the moment, thinking that was what he had just asked.
"I'd say we wait out the storm for a little while. Maybe get some sleep so we can leave right when the storm clears." He offered, sitting up straight again, taking off his seat belt and adjusting his hoodie so he could get comfortable in his seat. You nodded and followed his lead, taking off your seat belt and reaching for the blanket that you had stuffed behind his seat. You heard Kihyun clear his throat and when you looked over you saw he had already sunk into his seat and closed his eyes. With the plof sound of your backside hitting the seat again he opened one of his eyes to be met with you offering him one of the blankets. "You are one smart cookie." He joked, earning a chuckle. He secretly adored the roll of your eyes that told him you were comfortable enough to make fun of him. It made him feel like he didn't need to keep his guard up constantly either, constantly worried if he was polite enough or too bothersome.
He waited for a little while until you got comfortable under your blanket, laying your head facing the window which you could barely see through with the rain pouring down outside, before going to sleep himself.
By the time the two of you left, the sun had set. You had plugged your phone into the car so it could charge, seeing it had died sometime while you were asleep. After about 10 minutes of driving you asked Kihyun to turn it on, and right away multiple messages came through. "That's probably Yong-sun or Bora, the others are probably worried. Could you check? My code is 2102." He nodded and unlocked your phone.
He was woken up by a tapping of a hand against his shoulder. "Kihyun, look." The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was you. An excited smile on your face, a glimmer of light in your eyes and a red hue cast over your skin making it glow like that of an angel. He blinked a few times before averting his gaze to what you were looking at. The rain had stopped outside, the only water that still fell was that that had been caught by the leaves of the trees around the parked car. Through the windshield he saw a soothing red hue framing the hills that the two of you had probably driven past earlier that day without even realising. The sunlight slowly fading like the volume being turned down on the world yet its warmth still filling his chest. His chest raised and fell with a sigh as if releasing all of the stress the storm had caused him. He looked back at you to see your calm smile pointed to him. "I'll drive next, let's stretch our legs first." Is all you said before opening the car door and stepping out. He chuckled as he saw you try different weird stretches to loosen each possible muscle that had been stuck in the same position during the long time in the car.
"The others had stopped somewhere up ahead as well. They left about an hour ago when the rain stopped. Want me to reply?" You agreed that he should let them know that the both of you would be there before midnight according to the GPS on his phone that was working again now that the sky was clear.
Suddenly your stomach growled loud enough that even Kihyun could hear. "Maybe we should stop for dinner somewhere. If we find anything that is still open." Not too far away there was an inn. It was 8 in the evening so hopefully they still served food.
Kihyun walked up to the door first. Taking the handle in hand and stepping aside so you could walk through. "Such a gentlemen." You giggled, receiving a smile that reached his eyes. Unbeknownst to you he thought your laugh was cute. Never in your previous meeting had he noticed that. "Welcome" a woman said from behind a counter "room for 2?"
"Oh no, we were actually wondering if the restaurant was still open." You had a polite smile as you spoke and looked over at the nearly empty dining area. "We got stuck in the storm and haven't been able to eat anything yet." He added in hopes it helped in still being served a meal, his hand casually finding a place on your shoulder as he stood behind you.
"Take a seat, I'll go check in the kitchen." The two of you took a seat near a window and it wasn't too long before she came to take your order.
"So the two of you honeymooning in the mountains?" She asked, taking the menus from the table. You were going to answer but Kihyun beat you to it "Yeah actually, we're on our way to a cabin a few hours from here. We're really looking forward to it." He showed her a beaming smile, his eyes barely visible, your lips pressed together stopping you from either smiling or expose his lie.
"Well congratulations! Let me get this order ready for you so you can be on your way and enjoy this precious time together." As soon as she was out of sight and earshot you kicked him under the table.
"Why would you lie to that poor woman." You whispered with a laugh.
"What? She said it. Maybe we'll get a discount or something." He shrugged, his smile as mischievous as him.
"You are a bad, bad man Kihyun."
After dinner you guys paid, or Kihyun insisted on paying actually, and before you could leave the friendly lady from before walked up with a large Styrofoam cooler box. "To congratulate you and so you can celebrate wholeheartedly as soon as you are in the comfort of your cabin." Inside was a variety of deserts and two bottles of Soju. You thanked her repeatedly and turned to Kihyun who took the box from you. The look he gave you said 'I told you so', clear as day.
--- to be continued ---
This is getting very long so for ease I will cut this up into two parts but part 2 will be up soon after this one.
