IN SUMMARY : You got back dermals secretly and you boyfriend is just finding out. NonIdol!!Ryul x Reader
Pause ⏸ : I don't really like this one :( [NOT PROOFREAD]
The noise hit you the second you walked in. Gunfire echoing through the speakers followed by Ryul's voice cutting through all of it yelling, "He's getting away, he's getting away, why is nobody— Woojin I swear—" and then a sound that wasn't quite a word.
"I'm home!" you called out, hanging your keys on the entrance rack before taking off your shoes.
"Food's in the microwave, I made enough," he responded.
In slight confusion, you looked to the kitchen where some fancy looking spaghetti was being stored. "You cooked?"
"Ohyul took too long to set up so I had time."
Shaking your head in amusement, you made your way to your boyfriend's room. He sat laid back in his gaming chair, the lights dimmed low as his face was illuminated with the colours from the screen.
You moved to stand beside him and the second your hand found his hair he was already reaching for you. Left hand off the controller, finding your waist without needing to look, fingers spreading against your bare side like that was just where they went. Like his body had simply decided that was its job.
"Hi baby," he greeted lowly, eyes still locked into the screen. His thumb moved slow against your waist, tracing nothing in particular. "Good day?"
"Mhm," you hummed, eyes locked into the screen trying to follow the chaos that was Call of Duty. "It's finally warm outside."
"It's been warm outside," he chuckled softly. "You eat yet?"
"Not yet."
"Microwave," he reminded, thumb still moving.
"I know baby," you smiled.
Onscreen something exploded. His grip on your waist tightened for a second. Through the headset you heard Woojin grumbling, "I almost had him, I literally shot him twice—" and Ryul said, "You got killed, you suck ass."
"That's not—"
"Woojin."
Laughter from someone else, manic and yet somehow still sweet, and Ryul said flatly, "Ohyul the fuck are you laughing at, you died in the first two minutes." The laughter got louder. "That's not funny, we're a whole teammate down." Still louder. Ryul pressed his mouth together and said nothing, squeezing your waist once like he needed something to hold onto.
You bit back a smile. His hand shifted at your waist, palm warm and unhurried against your skin. You kept moving through his hair and the room settled into that easy thing it did when you were both just in the same space; him locked in, you half-listening, his thumb drawing that same slow arc like he wasn't even thinking about it.
"Louis, left side—" Ryul's voice rose slightly. "Left. Your other left… Thank you. See." Back to normal volume. "Louis is the only smart person in this lobby."
You laughed and Ryul glanced up at you for the first time since you'd gotten home. Just briefly, just a second, but it was the kind of glance that moved over you slowly. Your face, your neck, the cropped top sitting just under your chest that he hadn't seen on you since before the cold came. The corner of his mouth curled up before he looked back at the screen, but his grip on your waist shifted, hand spreading a little wider like he'd just remembered how much skin was there.
His hand moved to the small of your back as he angled in his chair, and then his thumb moved and found something it wasn't expecting.
It stopped.
His hand moved back, as though in disbelief. You tried to fight the smirk on your face as you watched his brows furrow. He turned to briefly look up at you before turning you by your waist so your back faced him.
Two tiny silver studs. Right in the dimples of your lower back, perfectly placed, catching the light just slightly.
He stared.
"When did you get these?"
"Few weeks ago."
He looked up at you. Back down. "Few weeks..." he whispered.
"Mm."
His thumb pressed one very gently, like he was making sure it was real. His face was doing absolutely nothing, which you knew by now was the face he made when something had genuinely knocked him sideways.
"Ryul." Woojin's voice through the dangling headset. "We're mid—"
"One second."
"You've been saying one second for three rounds—"
"Woojin." Flat.
A pause. "...Fine."
He set the controller on the desk, muted himself, then turned fully toward you in his chair. Put both hands on your hips and looked at the dermals again with that same unreadable expression, and you watched him try to figure out what to do with himself.
"Where did you go?" he asked.
"Studio on Maret Street."
"When??"
"Three weeks ago."
He let out a slow breath. "How did I not— you've been wearing sweaters."
"It's been cold, baby," you grumbled.
"It was warm two weeks ago for like a day."
"I was wearing a sweater that day too."
He looked up at you. "Were you hiding this from me?"
You said nothing which told him all he needed to know.
Something shifted in his face. Still neutral. Still completely unreadable to anyone who didn't know him. But you knew him. "Do they hurt," he said.
"Not anymore."
"Not anymore meaning they did."
"Briefly. When I got them."
"How briefly?"
"Ryul—"
He said nothing but looked at you with a straight face, one eyebrow arched slightly as though daring you to defy him.
"Like a day."
He nodded slowly, processing. "Can you switch 'em out?"
"Eventually, once they're fully healed."
"How long is that?"
"Few more weeks probably."
"And then you can put different ones in."
"Yes."
He looked back down at them. "So you could put gold ones."
"...Yes."
"Okay." He pressed his mouth together. Still looking. His hands hadn't moved from your hips and you got the sense they weren't going to anytime soon. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because this is waaaay funnier," you smirked.
He didn't answer. His mind had gone somewhere else entirely, running through every backless dress, every pair of low rise jeans, every time he'd had his hands on you in the last three weeks and hadn't known. The tips of his ears tinted pink at the thought.
From the headset, very faintly, you heard Woojin sigh, "I'm kicking him."
"Woojin—" Ohyul warned.
"I'm doing it."
Louis, ever the patient one, offered, "Maybe just give him a minute—"
"We've given him four, I'm kicking him."
Ryul, not looking up from your lower back, "Kick me then."
Not even a second went by before the sound of Ryul's game cutting to the lobby screen filled the room.
He didn't even glance at it. Just reached up, set the headset on the desk next to the controller, and looked back at the studs like they were the most interesting thing he'd seen in a while. Both thumbs resting warm on your hips. Completely unbothered about the game. Completely bothered about you.
"Okay," you said, slipping out of his hold. "I'm gonna go heat up my food."
"Yeah." He agreed, standing.
You raised an eyebrow. "I didn't invite you."
"I know." He placed one hand at the small of your back anyway, fingers grazing right over the dermals deliberately, and walked with you toward the kitchen. Like he just needed to stay close to them. To you. Specifically.
The microwave hummed. You leaned against the counter and Ryul stayed close, one hand resting low on your waist, the other finding the hem of your top and lifting it just slightly. Again.
"Still looking?" you said.
"How could I not?"
You let him, watching his face as he took them in under better light. His expression stayed neutral but his hands were giving him away, thumbs framing the studs like he was staking a claim on them.
"These are actually…" He stopped.
"Actually what."
He didn't answer. Just set your top back down, smoothed it once slowly with his palm, and kept his hand resting right over them through the fabric like he couldn't stand not knowing where they were.
"You've been in sweaters since January," he said finally.
"It was cold in January."
"It's warm now." He tilted his head slightly, looking down at you with that neutral face and those eyes that gave him away every time if you knew where to look. His hand pressed a little warmer against your lower back. "I think you should be in low rise jeans more often."
"Do you?"
"Of course. For practical reasons, you know?"
"Babe."
"Better visibility." Completely serious.
"Ryul," you smiled.
"And access."
You laughed and he smiled then, slow and quiet, the real one. His hand slid from your lower back to your hip and pulled you closer without announcing it, his head dipping down to the crook of your neck.
"I can think of a lot of ways they'd look good," he murmured against your skin.
"Yea?"
"Mhm."
"Then show me," you said quietly.
"Come here," he murmured, and his hands moved, one sliding up your back, the other hooking your waist and pulling you flush against him, and then his mouth found yours.
He kissed you deliberately, unhurried, and every time his fingers grazed your lower back he paused there. Pressed gently. Like he kept forgetting and remembering again.
He walked you back toward the hallway without breaking the kiss, one hand warm at your waist, the other splayed low on your back right over the studs. When your shoulders met the wall he pulled back just enough to look at you, breathing a little uneven, thumb still moving.
"Ryul."
"I know." He dipped his head back down, lips brushing your jaw, your neck, the curve of your shoulder. His hands slid under the hem of your top and you felt him exhale slowly when his fingers found the studs directly. No fabric between them.
"These," he said against your neck, "are going to be a problem."
genre: angst, fluff, slice of life, established relationship
sum. After a small argument spirals into hurt feelings and silence, Ohyul shows up to make things right
You weren’t supposed to argue.
It had started small—something stupid, honestly. A missed call. A short reply. The kind of thing that normally wouldn’t matter.
But it did this time.
“Why do you always do this?” you snapped, arms crossed tightly. “You just disappear and expect me to be okay with it.”
Ohyul exhaled sharply, already frustrated. “I told you I was busy.”
“One message isn’t that hard.”
“I did message you.”
“Hours later.”
Silence.
The air between you felt so uncomfortable—too tense, too sharp.
“You’re making it a bigger deal than it is,” he said, running a hand through his hair.
And that—that—was the wrong thing to say.
“Of course I am,” you laughed bitterly. “Because it matters to me, Ohyul.”
“I didn’t say it didn’t.”
“But you’re acting like it doesn’t!”
Your voice cracked slightly at the end, and you hated that it did. His expression faltered, just for a second...but pride got there first.
“I can’t always be on my phone,” he said, tone firmer now.
“I’m not asking you to be. I’m asking you to care.”
“I do care!”
“Then show it!”
The words hung there. Heavy. Too heavy.
Neither of you spoke for a moment. The frustration had burned itself out, leaving something quieter behind, something worse.
“…forget it,” you muttered, grabbing your bag.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.”
You didn’t wait for him to stop you.
----------
You thought that would be it.
A night to cool off. Maybe a message later. But the silence stretched longer than expected. Your phone stayed quiet. And the longer it did, the more your chest tightened.
Maybe you were overreacting. Maybe you pushed too hard. Maybe—
A knock interrupted your thoughts. You froze. Another knock. Softer this time. Slowly, you walked to the door and opened it.
Ohyul stood there.
He looked… different. Not angry or defensive, just tired.
“…hi,” he said.
You swallowed. “Hi.”
Neither of you moved at first.
“I shouldn’t have said that,” he started, voice quieter than you’d ever heard it. “About you making it a big deal.”
You looked down, fingers tightening slightly around the door.
“I was frustrated,” he continued. “But that doesn’t mean you were wrong.”
That made you look up.
“And I’m sorry,” he added. “I should’ve just… texted you properly. It’s not hard.”
The sincerity in his voice made something in your chest loosen.
“I shouldn’t have yelled,” you admitted. “I was just so stressed about work recently and our schedules never seem to match up. I just really… miss you.”
That was it. That was the truth underneath everything.
His expression softened instantly.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked quietly, a hint of hurt in his voice. “About work, I mean… I didn’t know you were dealing with all that.”
He paused, then added more softly,
“Next time… just tell me, okay?”
Your chest tightened slightly at that and you nodded slowly.
“And... I miss you too.”
A small, fragile silence settled between you again, but this time, it wasn’t heavy. Just… careful.
“…can I come in?” he asked.
You nodded, stepping aside.
He walked in slowly, like he didn’t want to rush anything, and stopped a few steps away from you. For a moment, you just stood there, facing each other. Then he reached out.
Not fully. Just his hand, hesitating slightly in the space between you.
You took it. And that was all it took.
He stepped closer, pulling you into him gently, one hand coming up to rest at your back. You exhaled, tension you didn’t realize you were holding finally slipping away as you leaned into his touch.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured against your hair.
“Me too.”
He pulled back just enough to look at you, eyes softer now, searching.
“We're okay, right?”
You nodded. “Yeah.”
A pause.
Then, quietly, “Come here.”
This time, when he leaned in, it felt different. It was slower and more careful, like he didn’t want to mess it up again. His lips brushed yours gently at first, almost testing. You didn’t pull away, so he took it as a sign to deepen it just slightly. Your hand curled into his shirt, holding on.
It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t dramatic. But it felt genuine.
When he pulled away, your foreheads rested together, breaths still uneven.
“I’ll text you,” he said softly.
You huffed a small laugh. “You better.”
“I will.”
A beat.
Then he pressed another kiss to your lips. Short, sweet, like a promise this time.
And somehow, that one felt even more certain than the last.
🖋️ A/N: This came from a fleeting thought about timing and people we meet once but feel forever. For everyone who's ever wondered "What if?"
It started with mangoes.
Mark had dragged them all to the summer house again—him, Jaemin, Y/N, and Jeno. It was their yearly escape from Seoul, from deadlines, from things unsaid.
Mark was already chopping mangoes in the kitchen when y/n walked in, barefoot, notebook in hand. Jeno glanced up from the couch where he’d been scrolling quietly, like he always did when she entered a room.
“Still writing?” Jaemin asked from behind her, already tugging at the pencil tucked into her bun.
She smirked. “Always.”
Back in high school, the four of them were inseparable.
Jaemin and Y/N were a known duo—mischievous, matching inside jokes, secrets traded in classroom corners. Mark was the protective older brother who both embarrassed and adored her. And Jeno—he was just… there. Calm. Constant. The only one who noticed when she disappeared into the music room after her first heartbreak.
The only one who stayed outside the door without knocking.
That night, they sat under a blanket of stars. Jaemin played music from his phone, humming along. Mark had passed out on the beanbag. y/n leaned against the railing of the porch, scribbling in her notebook. Jeno watched her from a distance, same as always.
“I wrote about the three of you once,” she said softly.
Jeno turned his head. “What did you say about me?”
She looked over her shoulder and smiled—half moon, half mystery. “You were the quiet kind of thunder. The one that doesn’t scare you, but stays in your bones.”
His heart thudded.
Later that week, they drove back to the city. Summer was ending.
Jaemin promised to text daily. Mark told her to eat properly and waved without looking back.
Jeno stayed behind as everyone else disappeared into the train station.
Y/N turned, feeling it—like the universe tugged at her sleeve.
“You okay?” she asked.
Jeno met her eyes. The silence between them was heavy, like all the years he'd bitten his tongue and buried his feelings under polite smiles and shared umbrellas.
“I liked you back then,” he said, voice steady. “Since high school.”
She blinked.
“I know,” she whispered.
He looked surprised.
“You always looked at me like you were memorizing everything... even the things I never said out loud.”
Jeno took a step closer. “And now?”
She smiled again, soft and sad. “Now... it’s complicated.”
The train horn echoed behind them.
Y/N leaned in and kissed his cheek. “But I’ll always write about you.”
Then she turned, walking away before he could ask what that meant.
That summer, they didn’t fall in love. But they came close.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. While inspired by the K-pop industry and real artists, all events, characters, and relationships portrayed are imaginary and do not reflect real-life situations. I do not own or claim to represent any real individuals or companies. These stories are written with deep respect and love for the artists. No harm or offense is intended.
A new friendship blooms, already long overdue. You start to look at Jake in an entirely new light, and you're not sure whether or not it's a good or a bad thing... only that you knew it feels all too natural.
series navi. prev episode. next episode. episode ost is from now on by vincent blue. ost playlist.
tags & warnings — wc: 6.9k (6,983 words) starring ENHYPEN + READER! ft. HUH YUNJIN from le sserafim, CHOI BEOMGYU from txt, and BOO SEUNGKWAN from svt. fluff, humour, and romance. highschool au, love-letters and secret admirers, lowkey a mystery genre, slowburn, pg-13 (briefly implied temporary disability, mild use of swear words, mentions of food)
episode foreword — FINALLY, A NEW NEW UPDATE! only god knows how much i procrastinated on this. i kept adding scenes and editing all of them that it's hard for me to ever finalise on posting—BUT HEY, thank you for still being patient! 🫶🏻 i hope you enjoy this update.
“It means, we have our first candidate for this secret admirer of yours.”
Jake can't be serious. Park Jongseong? Write you a love letter? Who are we kidding. Sure Jake's friends with him, but Jay isn't the talking type even when it came to his own friends... is he?
Now that you think about it, it wasn't the first time he witnessed Jay being like this towards you. So why would he find him suspicious now that a letter is involved?
Okay, okay. Let's backtrack to the morning events, shall we? More often than not, it's the mundane parts in a story where we miss the little details important to the bigger picture.
In this case, whoever wrote the letter is somewhere between these lines.
SEVEN FORTY-FIVE A.M. Yang Jungwon is finally excused from his morning classes. As the school magazine's head sports journalist, he gets to do the coverage for interschool matches or participating student athletes. Today is a match day, and he's looking forward for this particular coverage because he's good friends with the athlete.
Honestly though if it was up to Jungwon, he would have wanted to do coverage for every school athlete and team, solely for the excused student privileges. But the magazine's editor-in-chief, a girl his senior, wanted to give the younger and newer student journalists a chance to cover the other matches, saying it will do them good for the early exposure and experience.
Jungwon has no choice but to agree, swayed by her logical reasoning. But he swore he has to be the one to do today's coverage.
It was only now again that Jungwon's going to cover a junior figure-skating competition. Jungwon finds himself lucky enough to be able to watch performances live since last year, because it's the first time the school had a student who is one.
Park Sunghoon is a great junior skater. He's older by a year, but he's in the same class year as Jungwon, and that's pretty much how they became friends.
He made his way to the rink with his supervisor. Several other anxious skaters and equally smothering coaches filled the rink lobby, but there were very few school journalists like Jungwon. His supervisor went on to find Sunghoon's coach, so Jungwon set off too to find Sunghoon, who is stretching in a corner.
“Sunghoon-hyung,” Jungwon calls out. Sunghoon turns to him, and he smiles seeing his familiar face.
“Oh ho, Jungwon-ah. You actually made it,” Sunghoon says in greeting, smile reaching his eyes. He continued stretching, watching Jungwon sit in the bench beside his gym bag and wheelie-case.
“Of course hyung, I made it.” Jungwon says, bringing out his camera from its protective bag. “Sunoo however, is jealous that he couldn't make it. Him and Niki wishes you good luck.” He adds.
Sunghoon is very close friends with Jungwon's bestfriend, Kim Sunoo. Apparently, they were friends even before Sunghoon transferred to their school, that's why Sunoo gets to speak with him so casually. It's hard for Jungwon to address him too casually, though, so he still calls him hyung despite being in the same year.
Sunghoon doesn't mind though. He gets along fairly well with all of them. In fact, he's pretty fond of Jungwon calling him ‘hyung.’ Niki on the other hand, exploits the fact that they're in the same year, and Sunghoon can't really get mad about it.
“Ah, I met with Niki this morning. Told me about the plan you have up your sleeves.”
“It's a side hustle with a cause,” Jungwon remarks. “Besides, Sunoo and Niki wanted to watch you live. They just can't, so the plan will be in motion—” he made a rolling motion with his hands.
“Tell them to join your club so they can do what you do,” Sunghoon suggests, and Jungwon laughs.
“Niki's already in Council. That's too much for him. And Sunoo's too attached with his own perfume club. I can't believe that's still a thing.”
“Isn't it technically a Chemistry Club?” Sunghoon starts practising some moves involved in his choreography. Jungwon snaps a quick photo.
“It's disguised as a Chemistry Club hyung. He's using it to attract enough brainiacs, and eventually, a lot of girls into joining.” He checks the image. Deletes it. He adjusts the shutter speed. Jungwon takes another photo.
“Guess I should have joined.”
“I forgot to mention there's a required point average to join.”
Sunghoon snorts out a pained laugh. “I can't even be offended by that. I didn't choose the athlete life—the athlete life chose me!”
“Should I use that as your main quote?”
“Let me think of something cooler than the ice in this rink,” Sunghoon mutters dryly. Jungwon sighs at the pun, suppressing a smile. He looks around the rink, a large Zamboni skidding along leaving a clear, smooth trail on ice.
“I hope you win a medal today hyung,” He said, trying to sound encouraging. Jungwon knows Sunghoon has been training hard for this competition, even missing lots of his classes for it. Last year, Sunghoon placed 2nd, winning a Silver.
“I'll try,” Sunghoon smiles, trying to sound confident. He believes he can. “This time, I hope I can win the gold one.”
The competition starts at nine thirty a.m. It was still half an hour before the competition proper, so his coach urged Sunghoon to get ready and warm up in the ice. Jungwon laughs to himself at the irony.
“Hyung, fighting!” Jungwon raises his thumbs, to which Sunghoon mirrored. Sunghoon then headed to the changing room, clearing his mind and trying to get into the zone.
After all, if he wins today, it is the sign Sunghoon's looking for.
TEN THIRTY-TWO A.M. Jake is in the same World History class as you. Yunjin and Jay have English Lit, while Sunoo and Niki has Biochemistry. All teachers give a twenty-minute interlude from ten thirty until ten fifty, using that time for bathroom breaks and whatnot. Students are permitted to go outside the classroom as long as they get back to class at the designated time.
Jake wanted to go for the loo, so he made his way out in the hallway.
He bumps into one of his soccer teammates, Choi Beomgyu, who has English Lit with Yunjin and Jay. He tells Jake about how jealous he is with Jay that he gets to sit beside Yunjin.
Jake chuckles to himself, knowing how Yunjin has been secretly crushing on this guy for months now. He can keep a secret though. He swore an oath to Yunjin otherwise she threatened to go for his stock of vegemite in his sleep.
He makes small talk with him for a minute before going on his way. He gets back to the classroom, with you nowhere in sight. You actually went to your locker to eat some of your toffee biscuits.
Four or five students were also in the lockers hallway, chatting amongst themselves. For about six minutes you were just munching on biscuits and scrolling through your phone, but then you remembered you have to cram a problem set for Maths, which was your next subject.
You wanted to bring your toffee biscuits to class so you put it in a small pouch and into your skirt pocket. Hastily you put your stuff back in your locker and trudged back to the classroom in panic, leaving your locker door slightly open.
Ten minutes before the break was over, Yunjin needed to get something from her locker. She passed by you on the steps, you going up two steps at a time, managing a small ‘hey’ with your cheeks puffed full of crushed toffee mallow-biscuits.
Yunjin laughs at your hamster face, almost tripping over a step. She then bumps into Jay not shortly after, telling her there's literally zero time for a cafeteria break right now. Pacing down quickly, she tells him she'll catch up soon in their class.
Voices come from the side of the hallway that leads to the cafeteria. You've missed it's and holy shit that was such an awesome move. Yunjin was curious, so she looks at that direction, where she sees Sunoo and Riki walking away from the cafeteria.
They were watching something from Sunoo's phone. Pumping their fists into the air, Yunjin vaguely hears a classical melody and the sound of applause, along with something skidding elegantly on ice coming from it.
Oh right, it was Park Sunghoon's competition today, Yunjin remembered. Upon seeing her, they both gave each other small bows and bubbly hellos.
“Is that live from the rink?” She asks, eager to watch. Sunoo begins talking animatedly about how Jungwon is recording the whole thing and is broadcasting it through a private viewing link.
It was Niki's idea to have Jungwon broadcast it. He boasted how they've earned tons of money from Sunghoon's fans at school who obviously couldn't make it.
Yunjin gasps. “That's some capitalist exploit right there Niki,” she shakes her head, Niki mimicking an evil Doofenshmirtz laugh. “I am simply an entrepreneur,” Niki says pointedly. “No one can stop me!”
“Don't worry, we're gonna use it to surprise Sunghoon with new skates,” Sunoo whispers reassuringly. They bid their goodbyes and Yunjin heads straight to her locker. Nobody's there in the hallway anymore, but she sees your locker door hanging fully open.
Really Y/N? Yunjin shakes her head for the nth time. She closes and locks the door.
What she missed to see isn't meant for now but for later. After getting what she needs from her locker, she runs back to her class, just in time. Jay and her are seatmates in class, and they had to work on a group worksheet for the remaining fifteen minutes of class left for English Lit.
“How long have you been friends with Y/N?” Jay suddenly asks Yunjin.
“Since we're like eight,” She shares, although she wondered why Jay would ask that. “Why?” Yunjin was writing down her half of the answers.
“Just curious,” He shrugs. “I think they dropped this at the steps awhile ago,” he adds thoughtfully. “You could return it to them instead of me.” Jay hands her a small, familiar-looking pouch.
Yunjin opens up the pouch, revealing the rolled pack of toffee mallow biscuits inside.
“Ah, this is definitely theirs,” Yunjin zips the pouch back, reminded of her own strawberry-flavoured candy pops. “Thanks for picking it up Jay.” She says, then she brings out her pack discreetly, eating a handful. Thankfully the teacher wasn't looking.
She offers some to Jay, who shook his head. He then slides out his own pack of Skittles from the shelf underneath their desk, swiftly popping five in his mouth, showing Yunjin she isn't the only one with snacking talents.
“I have more in my locker.”
ELEVEN FORTY-TWO A.M. The short programmes ended. The competition was judged, and Park Sunghoon won Gold. Jungwon was jumping and embracing him in celebration. He won Gold, oh my god, he won Gold.
Out of 27 skaters, he won 1st place.
Sunghoon was so happy, it felt like it was all meant to be, especially when he staked a promise with his victory.
He had to go meet a prospective sponsor with his coach that he can't really go back to school yet. Jungwon congratulates him again, bidding goodbye.
“I'll see you tomorrow hyung!”
Jungwon and his supervisor went back to school immediately, just in time for lunch hour.
TWELVE FIFTEEN P.M. You and Jake were in the gymnasium, with an undetected Jay ‘sleeping.’ Yunjin and Niki were in a Council meeting. Sunoo met with Jungwon by the cafeteria and ate together. Before the lunch hour ends, you and Jake head to your lockers for your bags since only two classes are left for later.
PRESENT TIME. The bell rang, signalling that lunch hour will be over soon. You and Jake start parting ways, your head still on the part where he was theorising on why it could be Jay who wrote the letter.
Jake may be your bestfriend, but sometimes he's too wishy-washy you can't really take what he says seriously without wanting to smack him.
Besides, Jay is someone who keeps things low profile. Granted, he's friendly enough with anyone, but you've observed over the years that he's pretty closed off to himself.
But Jake did say something that made you question just who you are to Jay. You're not exactly friends, but was it really Jay's fault?
“Y/N, the guy flirts with you openly. I haven't seen him do that to other girls. Now that I think about it, I think he really has a crush on you. Case proven, he probably wrote the letter.”
How exactly can you trust whatever Jake offers on Jay? All men ever do is lie. You laugh to yourself.
You think back to the times whenever Jay pulls off his tactless comments. Were they even considered tactless comments? Or are they sincere compliments? Maybe Jake was right, you never took Jay's flirting too seriously. You always just thought it's his way of bickering.
But then again, you did enjoy bickering with him. It's so confusing as to why you and Jay never made any effort to go past it and actually get to know each other for three years now.
Why are you even overthinking about him suddenly?
You shake off the thoughts in your head. You're going to class without the letter mind. No thoughts head empty. Yes.
Exams are happening soon. In three weeks lessons will be wrapping up. You'd like to think of yourself as no genius but you do like to study. It helps that you read a lot too. And occasionally, you read whatever popular manhwa is out, but only if you really like the plot.
Your next two classes were Maths and then Art. Maths was with Beomgyu, and God forbid, he keeps passing notes to you just to ask about Yunjin. You need to get them together STAT, this silent cupid thing is gonna make you lose your mind.
“You know, you should write her a love letter.” You offered to him, when Maths ended. He scrunched his face.
“A love letter? It's the 21st century. Can't I just write her a really long text?” Beomgyu scratches his head. You rolled your eyes.
“Girls dig handwritten love letters. Besides, the worst she can do is throw it away. At least you don't have to handle knowing that you got yourself left on read.” You shrug. Yunjin's gonna kill you, but at least you didn't tell Beomgyu outright about how she feels about him.
“You really think so?”
“I know so,” An evil idea popped into your head. “Don't write that it came from you though. Let her wonder.”
“This is why you can't have nice things. If you wrote someone a letter, would you make it harder for them to find out who wrote it?”
You looked at Beomgyu like he said the most genius point ever. “I know right? You tell me!”
“What?”
“What.”
“You just said—”
“What I mean to say is, just do it Gyu. It doesn't hurt. She'll probably squeal about it.”
After thinking about the conversation you had with Beomgyu, it occurred to you that somehow, the writer might be hiding something. Why else would they not reveal themselves?
You went to Art class even more confused now, the mystery letter bugging you so much.
Today, you remembered that the class teacher announced how you will be working in pairs. Kim Sunoo is your partner.
Sunoo looks like one of those manhwa lead characters. He's a popular dude, liked by a lot of students. He has a really nice smile, and he's so kind too. He's like the school's Little Brother, if there was such a title.
It doesn't help that he dyed his hair in a pastel pink colour, it reminds you of a cute pink peach. You dote on him from afar because sadly, you and Sunoo aren't really close friends. Reason being you don't share lots of classes together.
This year, only Art is the common class you have together. Last year, there was Maths, but he got moved to AP. And during freshman year, there was none.
You're friendly enough to give a fond smile when you pass by each other in the hallways, but you aren't friendly enough to know each other's common interests. Which disappoints you a bit.
From now on though, you didn't know how much things are gonna change.
Art class went by fairly quickly. You and Sunoo's easels were filled with a matching abstract work by the end of the class.
“아싸! The day is finally done,” Sunoo sighs wistfully, stretching his arms up with a smile. The bell was still ringing, but everyone else was already rushing to get out of class.
“It's been a long day,” You nodded in agreement, massaging your neck.
“It's gonna be a longer week though.”
“You don't say.” You shared a laugh.
“Sunoo, Y/N, you're gonna be today's star cleaners,” The teacher said, seeing how you two are still in the room.
“쌤!” You and Sunoo said in unison.
“Come now, the faster you finish, the faster you can go home.”
You and Sunoo lagged around. Being today's designated Art cleaners wasn't so bad. All of you were only permitted to use pastels as the medium. It would have been painful if everyone used watercolours and paint.
After cleaning and settling the materials and easels, you and Sunoo fixed your bags. He took out some of his stuff inside, and you unconsciously gasped loudly when something caught your eye.
“Why, why—Y/N?” Sunoo froze, in the same position just in case something or some bug was on him. Gauging by your expression he thought it was a bug. But you shook your hands along with your head.
“Nothing, just—” you pointed at the manhwa on his desk, “Youth of Stars volume 38 is out?”
Youth of Stars is a science fiction manhwa that is widely popular for its genre. You were surprised to see Sunoo in possession of the latest release, nonetheless.
You didn't really peg him to be the type to read scifi manhwas... And there you go stereotyping people again. Quit it Y/N.
He breathes out a sigh of relief, which eventually turned into a light laugh. “Ah, this,” he pointed at it too. “It was released today, and I ran to get it in the morning. I've finished reading it!” Sunoo patted it on its cover.
“Finished reading it? Just how fast can you read?” You ask in amazement. The volume was quite thick, and Youth of Stars is known to be heavy on dialogue with a unique art style.
“I read the entirety of it during lunch hour.”
“Now that's just not true.”
“Okay, I read it in secret for the rest of my morning classes—”
You fell into laughter once again. Your own bag was quite stuffy, so you brought things out too. You didn't notice as the envelope fell to the floor. The flap, having already lost its stickiness, let the letter fall out from it too.
Sunoo sees, and picks it up. He wonders how and why the stationery looks familiar to him.
“You dropped this.”
“Hmmm? Oh!” Quickly, you took it, bowing your head in thanks. You mentally slap yourself for not putting it in the zip pocket. Sunoo was waiting for you to finish, so you hurried up. Together, you both head out the corridor.
Only a few students scattered about now that classes are over. You didn't have any club meeting for today, so you figured you're just gonna end up waiting by the bleachers for Jake who still has soccer practice.
Sunoo checked his phone, reading his messages. You were about to say goodbye to him, but he suddenly offered you something he hadn't done before.
“Are you free right now Y/N?” Sunoo asks, putting his phone back in the satchel. You hummed, thinking about what he could mean. So you stood there for a few seconds looking at him with a confused smile on your face.
“I'm heading to 82 Café to return the manhwa. I borrowed it under my name, so it would be inconvenient if I just gave it to you. I figured you can come with me so you can read it right away! A lot of people are waiting for this, better for you to—”
“Are you kidding? I'd love to! I've been dying to read the next volume,” You beamed at him, and his eyes crinkled into crescents. Sunoo sighed in relief, glad that you took his offer.
Yunjin usually heads home later than you and Jake, so usually you just head home with him. Because of that, staying by the soccer field to work on your homework while you wait for Jake was what you would have done, but Youth of Stars had a stronger hold on you.
Even if it meant going to 82 Café.
82 Café, read not as Eighty-Two Café but as Pal-I Café, meaning ‘Hurry Café’, held too many memories for you. After sophomore year has ended, you vowed never to come back to that place.
But Sunoo was too happy, and you're just as happy for getting a cut-in-line for reading the manhwa, you figured why not. You're not staying for long anyway.
The café was a few blocks away from school, a fine twenty-minute walk because of the uphill that it's placed into. It's a book and manhwa rental infused with a coffee shop and lounge, situated next to little secluded park area that had too many tall trees.
A prime spot for students and locals alike.
You remember before, your dad used to bring you to it because he played checkers with the local neighbourhood association and he can leave you alone with a gazillion manhwa books to keep you entertained.
The café wasn't built to be designed with a modern look. Your town is quite near to the city but it's rural enough that social places and business aren't stuffy-looking. The café itself has mostly wooden accents and a very homey ambiance to it, that even older people are regulars, hanging around the café drinking tea while having various activities at the park beside it.
On Thursdays though, students avoid going to the café. Several teachers and even the school principal have their weekly tea-drinking sessions at the café, discussing current events and conversations that aren't related. Students can only hear so much about their teachers having debates about history and whatnot that they decided it was better to skip out Thursdays.
“Not that I want a spoiler but... is it Captain Jeon who piloted the crash?” You ask Sunoo.
Captain Jeon is one of the leading protagonists in Youth of Stars. The still unrevealed creator, who was a fan of the popular boy band BULLETBOYZ, stated in an interview that he based off the characters from them. You too, were a fan of BULLETBOYZ, that's why you fell for Captain Jeon at once.
Sunoo gasps dramatically. He looked as if he was about to say this long spiel about how correct your theory was. He first took a deep breath and looked you in the eye.
“I am not spoiling the reveal for you.”
“Tch, figures,” You pouted, but smiled. You both walked with a spring in your step, feeling really comfortable with this recent development of friendship between the two of you. “I'd lose my mind if it isn't him. Can you imagine the chaos if it's been Captain Min all along instead?” You added thoughtfully. He nodded his head, taking it into consideration.
“I can see how that would be surprising. But you never really see things coming when it comes to the crazy plot twists. Remember volume 22 chapter 16?”
You wordlessly awed at the memory, agreeing with Sunoo. Not to keep you in the dark but in that volume, a character was revealed to be not who he said he was. Thousands of readers took it to the internet, weaving this long theory thread on Tweetalk. It got viral on Naver.
“It was legendary.” You and Sunoo said at the same time, fists held up in solidarity.
“I didn't know you read manhwas too, Y/N! I didn't really see you in the Café much. I don't see you read in school too.” Pleasant surprise painted Sunoo's face, and he eyes you with curious admiration. You smile at him, sharing the same sentiment.
“I used to go there a lot, trust me. But hey, me too. I didn't really peg you to be the type to read scifi manhwas.”
“Really? What genre do I look like I'd be reading?” Sunoo raises his eyebrows.
“Fantasy romance, definitely.” You answer, not missing a single beat.
Sunoo stifles a laugh.
“What?” You mirror him. “You look like a manhwa lead, okay. A prince in a royal romance story.” You followed, making him scoff and blush shyly.
Oh wow so even you can smooth talk now apparently. Jay must finally be rubbing off on you now.
“That's sweet of you to say,” Sunoo smiles. “Most of the time though you look like you're ready to kill someone.”
Now that makes you laugh in the most unflattering way possible. Was your default face expression that bad?
“Yeah well, I was born with this,” You say, scrunching your nose. “I should have known we'd get along this easy before. You could see me less murderous more often.” You joke. You're glad you can converse more genuinely with Sunoo like this. It's like all those years of not being close enough were redeemed.
“Yeah... My friends crushed on you a lot.” He nods in agreement, not noticing his statement. He suddenly paused, just processing what he said out loud.
“Oh no. Please act like you didn't just hear that.” He said with a mortified look on his face.
You begin to laugh, not surprised. You knew one of who he was referring to.
“I shared quite a few classes with Jungwon,” you tried to ease him. Sunoo was comically slapping his mouth, scolding himself. “He confessed to me a year ago. It was funny though because he immediately put me in the friendzone, saying it's just pure admiration and nothing more.” You tell Sunoo from memory.
Jungwon actually kept his distance because he thought you were dating Jake. You clarified that you were just bestfriends, but Jungwon wasn't convinced back then. He promised to admire you from afar. But then a day after said confession he goes, “Y/N, I like someone else now. Remove yesterday's memories.”
If it was somebody else you would have smacked them right then and there. But you were friends, and it was Yang Jungwon, and you have a soft spot for him that everything was just a hilarious turn of events.
Now whenever you see Jungwon, you just shoot finger hearts to him as an inside joke. He jokingly swats it away. Talk about reverse psychology, Yang Jungwon's got some game, you thought to yourself.
“I'm gonna assume he didn't tell you about that.” You say to Sunoo. He then furrowed his brows, and then his face lit up in realisation.
“Holy shit, he actually pushed through with that? No wonder he was at peace.” He said, relieved now. You figured it's because now he didn't reveal Jungwon's supposed secret.
You near the café. A windchime hung by the wide door, making melodic noises as you and Sunoo walked in. You already see other students from your school, along with other students from the neighbouring school.
That's when you thought you spot a familiar boy.
Immediately, you ducked behind Sunoo, making him freeze in place for the second time today. Your hands were on his elbows, putting him forward in front of you like a shield.
You look back slowly at the spot. Please don't be him, please don't be him—
It wasn't him. Thank God.
“Y/N?” Sunoo questions comically, confused.
You swore, if it wasn't for Sunoo having the copy of Youth of Stars volume 38 right on his hands...
“Nothing. I just thought it was someone I was avoiding.”
“Ahhh,” Sunoo nods in understanding. He didn't press any further on it, but another voice joins in on the two of you.
“Who are you avoiding?”
You jump to Sunoo's side, him just as surprised at this person who spoke.
It was Park Jongseong. He has got to stop sneaking up on you like this. First the gymnasium, and now—
“Jay-hyung,” Sunoo starts. Oh crap, they're friends too. “Wanna come up with us?” Sunoo offers. Sunoo why do you have to be so friendly—
“Nah. I'm just picking up a book I put on hold,” He says, and then turns back to you. “Hey there, Y/N.” he says shortly before heading to the counter.
You narrow your eyes at Jay. You were about to say something when Sunoo beats you to it. “Oh right, let's get the manhwa borrowing sorted out first.”
Sure you didn't run to your ex, but you ran into Jay, another person that's suddenly taking up space in your head since the letter. Sigh. What is up with the universe?
Like a foolish duck, you waddled around Sunoo, your back still facing the lounge spaces just in case. You steal glances at Jay, while looking out at the café for any signs of your ex being here.
Sunoo doesn't notice it, but his eyes furrowed in amusement with whatever unspoken tension you had with Jay, and the tension with bumping into someone you were avoiding. He didn't question it, but he was so curious.
When Jay finished, he left without so much a word, only a nod to you and Sunoo. Sunoo then conversed with the boy in the counter—Daniel, you heard his name was—while you hid behind the unsuspecting wood column large enough to cover your face with it.
“Y/N, your card,” Sunoo says. You speedily hand him the borrowing card over your shoulder, because you're still looking out for the inevitable. Sunoo chuckles a bit.
Who could they be avoiding? He thinks to himself, sneaking glances at the faces in the lounge.
“Y/N, Y/N, Y/N, Y/N!” Your name echoed from whispers to a full on shriek through the short hall. Who else would be this loud? Apparently, Yunjin is here too.
She goes running towards you, surprised but nonetheless pleased to you. “I didn't know you'd be back here so soon. Does this mean you've moved on from Hee—” before she can finish you cover it up with a laugh, jokingly wrapping Yunjin in a headlock.
“Yah, Yunjin-ah... 그만해라—” You signal her, motioning subtly towards Sunoo who's still here with you.
“OH SUNOO! I didn't see you there,” She caught on quickly. Turns out they share a lot of classes with each other, so they were soon chatting animatedly. Sunoo explains how he dragged you in here for the manhwa.
“So yeah, actually I'm still meeting Jungwon and Niki here—”
“By all means!” Yunjin says. “Thanks again for letting me be next in line for this Sunoo!” You managed to thank him, waving goodbye. Immediately, you grab Yunjin's arm and drag her to the nearby park, the windchime making a shaky sound as you both went out fast.
Sunoo smiles in curious amusement, making his way upstairs to where Jungwon and Niki are. Seated at their usual reading booth, manhwas were spread out in the space, above the long-forgotten math worksheets that Jungwon and Niki was working on previously.
Niki's head snaps up, seeing Sunoo. “Oh, you're late. Where have you been?” He sips his bubble tea.
“I was a cleaner for Art class. I came here with Y/N too, but she left already.”
It was Jungwon's head that snapped up this time, like a meerkat searching around.
“You mean my—our Y/N?” He said.
Sunoo shakes his head. “What do you mean your Y/N,” he scoffs. “And you didn't tell me you did the confession! I had to know from her, instead of you. So much for being bestfriends—”
“Oh please, I had to get it out my chest.” Jungwon flicks his wrist in the air.
“I mean, she's got a lot of admirers, ya know.” Riki adds to the teasing. Another topic soon blanketed the trio, Riki eyeing Yunjin and Y/N seen from a distance by the window.
“Alright, spill. What's up?” Yunjin slows down, stopping by one of the park benches. Not much people were in the park at this time.
You take out the envelope from your bag and show it to Yunjin. You flip it back and forth, pointing out your name.
“Someone put it in my locker.”
Yunjin gasps dramatically. “Oh my god! I just remembered now, you left your locker door open during the short break.” She informs you.
“Shit, I did? Oh.” You say, now understanding how easily it could've been slipped in by literally anyone at that time.
“Is it a love letter?” She now smiles in teasing. “Well, it is.” You tell her.
She starts clapping her hands enthusiastically. You calm her down, telling her that the mystery writer is still, well, a mystery.
“Let me read it!” Yunjin says and you wilfully obliged, actually excited to let her see the letter. For a few minutes she too, was also giggling like a schoolgirl.
She pauses in thought, having read the contents of it. “Has Jake seen the letter?”
“He's the first one. We read it at lunch. And he told me about his theory on who it could be. Well, not theory, just a hunch.”
“So you ruled him out as the writer?” Yunjin looks at you pointedly, as if to say, that’s textbook deception.
“I mean, why would he write me a letter? And if it turns out to be him, then he should be at acting school, because he fooled me with all that—”
“Y/N, rule number one in confessing harbouring feelings without getting caught: pretend you know nothing about it.” She says, putting a finger up, and onto the letter.
“Jake could have literally written this, but he’s scared of getting rejected, so he pretends not to have written it.”
You narrow your eyebrows. “It just doesn't add up though. Why would he lie to an extent? Yunjin, you read too much romance manhwas—”
“I’m telling you! Just don’t rule out the possibility!” She hushed.
“Alright, alright fine.” You concede, thinking it’s not so impossible. You’re gonna smack Jake if he did end up being the one to be pulling this shit on you.
Plus, you had the other candidate in mind so much that it didn’t cross your mind to doubt Jake there for a second.
“Whoever wrote that, it just couldn’t be someone that close to me… It looks as if they’re just admiring from afar, you know what I mean?” You say to Yunjin, who’s still deep in thought with the letter in her hand.
“Who did he say was the one who could have written it?”
“… Jay. Park Jongseong.”
Yunjin couldn’t have gasped more dramatically than before but she did. “Holy shit, that actually makes sense too! And before I forget again—”
Yunjin hands you back your pouch. She explains how Jay found it in the stairs. It must have fallen when you were running back to class, you think to yourself.
You heaved a deep sigh. “Yunjin, if you like someone, would you make it hard for them to know who you are?”
“Well, if I want to let someone know that they’re likeable without feeling the sting of having my admiration unwanted, then I’d probably do that, yeah.”
You look at Yunjin with thoughtful eyes, you have never heard her spew this much wisdom before. You remember what you told Beomgyu awhile ago. But before you could compliment her on that, something else came to mind.
“Wait, do I really look like someone who rejects people who could like me?”
“Y/N. You're pretty, but it's always looking like it’s out for murder, it’s no surprise.”
“Damn. Isn’t that why you’re single?” You joke.
“How dare you.”
“Pretty sure Yeonjun said it first.” She slaps your arm half-heartedly at the memory of her almost-ex. They ‘ended’ each other's pining on good terms though.
“Anyway, aren’t you supposed to be going home with Jake? I'm on a tutoring session with Chaewon here still. It ends soon—”
“Oh no, right! Jake!” You suddenly remember. Haphazardly you chuck the manhwa and the envelope with the letter deep inside your bag and bid Yunjin goodbye. You start sprinting your way back to the soccer field at school.
On the other hand, Jake was lazily walking back and forth under the oak tree by the main road, a few metres away from the school’s soccer field. Y/N didn’t show up at practice today, they might still be in a club meeting or something. But nah, Y/N would have sent him a text on Kakao.
Either way, he waits for you, scrolling through his phone, checking back every now and then to see if you read his messages. The sound of someone’s thudding footsteps on the gravel makes his eyes flicker away from his phone screen.
You were running towards him, speed gradually slowing down as you catch your breath. Huh, so they went somewhere else, Jake thinks.
“Where the heck have you been?”
You stopped in front of him, bringing out Youth of Stars volume 38 triumphantly. Jake chuckles.
“Man, I got worried for nothing. Let’s go.” He says, offering you his bottle of water to which you accepted gratefully. You chug down the contents, tired from sprinting all the way. He takes your backpack and wears it in front of him.
“Didn’t you say you’re never going back to 82 Cafe again?” He, like Yunjin, drops this question. The thing is, you did say that before, out of spite. “Have you finally moved on from him?” Jake teases. You just bumped his shoulder, refusing to comment on anything.
You sighed at the memory. You thought to yourself, it has been a long time since you’ve dated someone. This letter you received is like a breath of fresh air in your romanceless life.
Now even Jake is a candidate. Oh dear.
On your walk back, you were blanketed with a comfortable silence that only Jake can share with you. He gives you his other pair of the earphones, so that you and him can listen to music together. You don’t think too much of it before, but with the letter and Yunjin's words in mind, you can’t help but put a meaning to it all of a sudden.
You don’t want to ask Jake about it though. He’s just gonna deny it like the dork that he is. Is it really him? But what if it isn’t him? Do I even feel anything for him?
You take a good look at him.
Jake is handsome, that you can't deny. High cheekbones, smooth jawline, boyish lopsided smile—
“What?” The corner of his mouth upturned into an inquisitive smile.
“Nothing. There’s just dirt all over your cheeks.”
“Give me some slack, I practiced hard today. Which you would know, if you actually saw me like usual—”
“Stop sulking. I only missed today.” What is it even with boys and soccer practice and their bestfriends watching them get sweaty?
“Did you even get homework done?”
“Hey now, give me some slack too! It had been so long since a new release came out.” You argued with no bite. He’s such a nerd, you thought fondly.
Once upon a time, there was this simulation you ran in your mind, the whole what if you caught feelings for Jake. But you knew him long enough that you thought of your friendship as something so comfortably platonic that romance was just out of the question.
You knew him for too long. He knew you for too long, you both know too much about each other for too long. The way you see it, both of you are exactly contented with what you have right now.
But see, that’s the thing. Jake just hasn't seriously gone out with anyone, unlike you. Maybe that's partially the reason why since the letter, you start seeing him in a new light. Fair, if he was indeed the writer, he could've wrote it in a way that he's speaking as if he has never approached you in his life.
It’d be crazy for both him and you if that was the case.
So, for the umpteenth time, you sigh, not wanting to think about the letter too much. Dealing with feelings are just so bleh.
“You tired?” Jake asks, your sigh not going past his ears.
“Not really, just confused.”
Jake pauses in thought. “With?”
“A lot of things.”
“Well, tomorrow is a new day. That confusion won’t last.”
“Oh it will, when I start on my Chemistry homework later and end up not finishing.”
“Bummer. I’ve finished mine in ten minutes while waiting for you.”
“Rub it to my face now will you, Einstein.”
“Always will.” That earns him a slap on the shoulder.
After a few more songs, you reach home first. Jake hands you your bag back, and you wave goodbye. He lives a few blocks down, so he makes sure you’re safely inside the house before going home.
You plop down on your bed, tired for the day. You wanted to get a read on the manhwa, curious on what happened for this next volume, so you open your bag and spill out its contents.
Jake’s chemistry notebook lands with a soft thud on your blanket. You smile, a hand clutching your heart, wondering what its business could be for it to be doing a small, questionable thump.
Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad if Jake wrote it, after all.
end notes — ITS PAST FIVE A.M. HOLY COW. if you're a re-reader, you'd notice that i changed this chapter up quite a lot—anyway, the story is flowing the way i want it to now! what do you guys think? i'm fan of slowburn so this is what you'll be getting. SLOW. AF. BURN. hehehehehe. thank you for being so patient. i hope you enjoy reading it. love, davin. 🤍
warnings: suggestive content ahead, do not read if not comfortable!!! also mentions of alcohol! jealous!reader ! also, @hoonsiceprincess here you go
wc: 248
the party was insane. you were surrounded by sweaty bodies of intoxicated people, smushing you every once in a while. you pushed your way through the crowd, trying to find your boyfriend. he had disappeared a while ago when he said he was going to get you two a coke, but he had never returned.
you froze in your spot, when you saw another girl all over him. she had her hand on his bicep, smirking up at him. he kept trying to get excuse himself, but he was too nice to tell someone no. so, you took matters into your own hands. you strutted up to the pair, and took jay’s hand in yours. he relaxed at your touch and smirked when he saw the look on your face.
“sorry, he’s taken,” you said with a slight attitude, dragging jay away from the girl. when you two got to a more secluded spot, he looked down at you with a stupid smirk on his face.
“someone’s a little jealous,” he said softly. he leaned his head down, to make it look like he was just whispering in your ear.
“i was not jealous.” all he did was chuckle.
"you have nothing to be jealous of, princess. i'm all yours you know that." his hands found their way to your jeans, his two index fingers wrapping around the belt loops, roughly pulling you closer. you gasped slightly, looking up at him only to see him smirk once again.
Author's Note: A little epilogue to finish the story. Hope you guys enjoy it!
Find the fic masterlist here
Figuring out things was hard after that one beautiful night of getting back together. But they did, and it cost them both facing their fears but they somehow overcame it all. It was a few too many months of flying to New York and Chicago, but it all seemed worth it.
Yoongi even had a lot of music equipment at her apartment and she has her pottery wheel at his apartment. And things for her did not seem as clear as she hoped, but she’d come to the realisation that not everything can be planned in advance.
‘Honey, as much as I love how flying to each other for a year has made us overcome our fear of flying, I want to wake up to you on Monday and cuddle with you on Wednesday and have amazing morning sex with you on Friday and not keep waiting for the weekend.’ Yoongi complains, finishing his food. His fight to Chicago was a little delayed and now he was complaining while having his dinner at 1 am.
‘I’d love that too, but I am enjoying the work a lot right now, and finding jobs in New York is just so depressing’ flashes from four years ago when she applied for that job to be his assistant.
‘Well you know Hobi and I were having lunch and he had this idea that you could come aboard as the Finance Planning and Analysis planner. You have been doing wonders at the hedge fund and the business is churning billions thanks to your advice of buying Louder Distributions’ Yoongi explains making his way into her kitchen to get some more lasagna.
‘I don’t want you bringing me aboard just because I sleep with you’ she teases, removing some tiramisu for them.
‘I love you but this is plain business, and with the new merger Hobi needs someone who he can lean on. And I want someone on my team I can trust. The business is expanding rapidly and I have business school and I can’t seem to keep up’ It took a lot of convincing from ___ for Yoongi to even consider business school, and once he started thinking about it he couldn’t stop.
‘My college boyfriend, will we be fooling around in your dorm room’ she continues teasing seductively while eating a spoon of dessert. ‘No, we aren’t. Stop trying to distract me with those dark eyes, I’m serious about this, there will be an interview with the board and everything’ Yoongi whines forgetting about his food. ‘I’ll think about it once you rock me to heaven and back’ latching onto him, kissing his lips with hot fervour.
‘Promise me, you’ll give me an answer by next week’ he asks and all she can do is nod as he whisks her away to the bed, making her giggle out loud.
‘Look who’s back in New York’ Shua squeals, pulling ___ in a hug. The sort-of-reluctant friendship had blossomed into a great friendship. ‘It’s Wednesday, seriously how are you here’ Shua asks again, pulling back from the hug. ‘I had an interview with the board of MYG’ ___ says gulping down her drink. It went a little rockier than expected ut she was happy with her answers. ‘So you’ll be working and sleeping with the boss again’ Shua teases ordering her drink. ‘How can I not, have you seen that ass’ ___ continues making Shua laugh out loud.
‘Hiiiii babeee’ a sloppy ___ plasters a big kiss on Yoongi’s lips as he finds her very drunk at a bar. ‘What did you do to her, it’s 9 pm. How is she this drunk already?’ Yoongi asks Shua in a very accusatory tone. ‘Stop trying to come between us, we’re bff’s and we’re going to get pregnant together’ an equally sloppy Shua hugs ___ tight as they both lean onto each other for balance.
‘Sure you are but right now I need to get you both home. Namjoon get us cabs, I’ll settle the bill’ Yoongi takes a hold of ___. She’s a shot away from breaking into a whinny sobbing mess, and Yoongi loves her and all but he wants that show to himself. ‘Do you know how fucking how you are Yoongi’ she exclaims messing with his hair, ‘the sort-of-long hair, the blond, the face, the ass’ she is getting tired with each word.
‘Honey let’s save the compliments for later, how about you drink some water and sober up a little’ Yoongi had a few things he wanted to discuss with ___ today, but the drinking is not something he accounted for. She’s quiet for the cab ride home because the drinks are settling in and she’s reached the spacy level of drunk.
‘Yoon, I’m very lucky to have you, and whether I get the job or not I’ve already quit the job. I’ll move to New York. Maybe I can not work and be your arm candy. The lack of sex during the weekdays has led to a lot of working out, and if these yoga arms could talk-’ she stops midway pointing at her arms, making him laugh out loud.
‘You and I both know that you are not capable of not working, plus I’m sure that you’ll get the job. After all, you are sleeping with the boss’ he teases and her eyes go twice the size immediately.
‘Min Yoongi I swear to god I will kill you if that in any way-’ ‘No one at the office other than Hobi knows that we’re dating’ he mentions nonchalantly. ‘Alright, I need you to get me to a washroom before I puke all over your shiny apartment’ Yoongi's reflexes kick in picking her up bridal style.
‘I’m too old to be drinking like this’ she holds her pounding head in the morning as Yoongi hands her ibuprofen. ‘Can we draw the curtains and just sleep for a few more hours, I think I’ll need a few weeks to recover.’ she whispers cuddling close to him. ‘I have to be at the office in an hour’ he shuts his eyes, trying to take this all in. ‘I’m never drinking with Shua, what were we thinking?’ Yoongi’s t-shirt is soft and warm, and she likes it a lot.
‘You always say that, how about you sleep in and I go and do the adult stuff. We can meet at my office for dinner, I’ll order our favourite sushi’ Yoongi tries and bargain against a very clingy ___. ‘Alright, I love you, go make money so I can spend it’ she teases going back to sleep.
‘Jungkook the fuck are you doing, I had afternoon plans to sleep and eat junk food-’ ‘I don’t get how you stay in shape with your eating habits, and I’ve seen you eat and it’s not pretty. How did you bag Yoongi hyung’ Jungkook questions pushing his way into the apartment.
‘Well, I would bring him his coffee every morning and once in a while I’d put on my sexy black pencil skirt and just be nice to him and it just happened. What the fuck are you doing here Kook? I am unemployed. I'm supposed to be sleeping’ she is in a little bit of a mood because of the hangover and just the lack of junk food at Yoongi’s house.
‘How about you come with me for some costume and makeup tests for the new mv, I get pretty lonely and we haven’t spent time together in months and I’ll leave for tour soon and I’ll not see you for next three months again and you’re just too busy for me-’
‘Okay Kook I’ll come, just give me ten minutes to shower and get me coffee in the meantime. And I want a good dark roast, flat white and an everything bagel, and I want you to whine less’ she whines walking back into the bedroom and Jungkook jumps around triumphly.
‘Why are you doing makeup tests anyway?’ she asks, toying around in the seat beside him. ‘Because makeup on stage with lights looks very different, and last time we had an outfit that looked bad on stage and don’t want to make that mistake again. And we decided to put on makeup because we’re already doing outfits-’ ‘Kook you’re rambling too much, why are you doing that. You do that only when you’re nervous and hiding something’ she accuses him and Jungkook is a little flabbergasted but he keeps it together.
‘What is it, Kook? Is Yoongi planning something? Are you dating someone I’d never approve of?’ ‘Yes, I’m always dating someone you’d never approve of, but like I said before I just want to spend time with you. I’ll be busy with the tour and you’ll be away’
‘Away where Kook? I’ll be right here in New York waiting for you, you always get anxious before tours but you are always great at them. ‘Sure, you’ll be here. Hey, Hana can do your hair while I get stuff on stage done. It’s long again and needs a lot of work done’ Jungkook is quick to leave her staring at her unruly long hair, the things she does for love.
‘Don’t you look all dolled up, what’s the special occasion?’ Yoongi compliments her the minute she walks into his office. ‘Dinner with my boyfriend, and Jungkook’s makeup artist went a little crazy, but I look pretty at least?’ she sighs sitting on his lap.
‘Are you kidding me, I’ve gotten very good at hiding it, but you look so good I feel a little lightheaded’ Yoongi is in an especially amazing mood today.
‘Aren’t you in a chipper mood’ she says, kissing him. Yoongi pulls back quickly. ‘Hey. so I wanted to discuss something, and it’s important stuff so I’d like us to be clothed for that.’ Yoongi smiles, pushing her hair away from her face.
‘What is it? Is it serious?’ her face goes pale quickly and Yoongi wished he’d worded it better. ‘Well it’s good serious’ he makes her sit down on the sofa. She isn’t so sure but he gently holds her hands getting ready for it all.
‘So, the company has finalized a big takeover, and it makes sense to move the company operations to Los Angeles. Most of our new business is west-coast based, and it seems more financially profitable. So, if you’d take the job, we’d move to LA’ Yoongi says it just like he practised. He knew she wasn’t going to be elated about it, and it was sort of a very last-minute change.
‘Oh’ is all she can muster before falling back on the sofa. ‘Is that a good oh or a bad oh? Honey, I know you were just setting your heart on moving back here and I wish I could have told you something sooner, but things were just to fickle and I really am sorry for springing this last minute’ Yoongi falls back on the sofa too, he was too starting to get comfortable with the idea of them being together finally.
‘Yoon it’s a good thing, I want to take that job, and really be with you. It might be a big change but it’s good for us right?’ she asks looking at him, he’d her rock and him being sure about it just enough.
‘I know it’s a big change, huge just to uproot our life like this, and I’m shit scared. What if the business fails and this move is the root cause of the failure? What if people in LA aren’t New York rude? What if you always hate me for doing this to you?’ Yoongi has been trying to keep it all together, but he is shitting himself and he can’t think he can hide it anymore.
‘Honey, I think both of us are starting to freak out and that is never good. Also, I could never hate you, you’re doing what’s best for your business and it is a good opportunity for us. It is’ she holds his hands, trying to convince him. ‘So you’d take the job and move with me?’ he asks, looking at her intensely.
‘Yoongi of course I would, it will be like the next chapter of our life. And we have talked about the future and I’m so sure about you that I’d do anything with you-’ he interrupts her monologue kissing her and walking to his desk. ‘I have been waiting to do this for over six months and now seems like the right time’ he walks back to her, removing something from his wallet.
‘I clearly remember my Oh moment with you, one when I realised I had feelings for you. You had been here for three months, and it was a particularly tough week. I was so tense and just all over the place, and you came in and smiled’ he says getting on a knee. She’s starting to realise what he’s about to do, so she feels a panic attack and a strong wave of happiness come over her.
‘And I know it’s stupid, but just the way you smiled. It had me all over the place, I was suddenly sweaty and out of breath. But I was sure, so sure, that you were the one-’
‘Oh my god, you’re proposing’ she squeals, moving closer to him. ‘I will if you let me’ she nods, sitting back and letting him continue.
‘And people always talk about butterflies when they’re in love, but with you, I never felt nervous. I felt at home, I felt so sure about you and I didn’t realise how important you were until you moved away’ this is what causes the tears in her eyes. ‘But I got the chance to have you back in my life, I got to fall asleep and wake up with you again, I got to kiss and hold you again, and it made me realise that I can’t go one more day
without you. So, ___ will you marry me and make me the luckiest man in the world.’ he sniffs back his tears, removing a dainty ring with the biggest diamond ever.
‘I will Yoongi, I will’
↳ Genre: fluff, angst, fever, humor (if you notice mine😭), friend!au, anxiety, childhood!friends, tattooed!Jaemin sadlkf they don't even kiss-
↳ Synopsis: It's your stupid, ugly and imperfect body that's giving up right before attending an important meeting with your boss. This could give you a promotion, but your body's in a state to just lay in bed all day. Will you be able to get to the meeting?
↳ WC: 2.7k
Header made by: @vantaengelic Go follow my baby rn!!
↳ Genre: fluff, angst, fever, humor (if you notice mine😭), friend!au, anxiety, childhood!friends, tattooed!Jaemin sadlkf they don't even kiss-
↳ Synopsis: It's your stupid, ugly and imperfect body that's giving up right before attending an important meeting with your boss. This could give you a promotion, but your body's in a state to just lay in bed all day. Will you be able to get to the meeting?
↳ WC: 2.7k
Ajdjksj- why dId I mAkE tHe syNoPsIs sO cLIcHé
@intokook 🙃🙃
As soon as you're about to pass out from exhaustion, someone knocks at your room's door. Not now. Please. You're barely left with the energy to open your eyes. Your eyelids feel heavy, but soon lift up wide awake when the person enters your room. Those usual creaky sounds of the doors reach your ears only to make you quiver, and, you're blessed with a sight of a pale faced man, hair neatly arranged on his face with a worried expression. Your eyes fall on the man's outfit, a pair of cargos, with a black shirt covering his torso. His facial features seem pleasuring- beautiful orbs with round specs, muscular hands, and beautiful tattoos on them. You immediately recognize the man by his tattoos, and he seems to recognize you too. His appearance disgusts you now that you've realized him. But it's too late to analyze and hate the man in front of you more deeply. Before knowing anything more, you fall asleep.
You feel a hard splash on your face, and in seconds, and you're wide awake. A chill runs down your spine and you begged for the person to have thrown warm water on you. Your eyes witness a standing Jaemin, with a mug of water in his hands. His tattoos attract your eyes towards them, and you can't help but stare at them. "So this is how long it takes to wake you up? I've been shaking you for the past half hour and you are like some big old chimpanzee that doesn't feel anything when an ant's trying to move it." Jaemin baffles. "Hey!" You stammer "Anyways, why are you here?" You ask back. It was oddly strange of Jaemin to be here. "Some man called Jaehyun sent me here. I'm originally taking care of old sick people in an old-age home, but Jaehyun told me about your situation. Trust me, I didn't expect it to be you." Jaemin explained in a high tone. He paused a bit after a comeback again. "And If your condition's hell, then didn't you think of paying the doctor a visit?" His tone seemed like he was sick because of you, and he was criticizing you for even breathing. "That's not how you talk to a sick person." You stood up in your defense "Yeah yeah. 'Sweetie, would you like to visit the doctor? 'Cause I really think we should go there.'" Jaemin mocked you, and you could really see the same young, frustrated Jaemin in him. "You haven't changed at all, have you?"
Jaemin made sure you were seated properly in the car. He drove the seatbelt around you and continued to the driver's seat. He turned on the heater, and asked "So, what's wrong? When did you get your fever?" His tone seemed to have calmed a little bit. "Yesterday night. I had a headache, the night was full of surprises every hour." You replied to him in a voice low pitched. "Don't worry we'll get you all fine. And Jaehyun told me that you had a really important meeting... Or something like that? Would you like to tell me more about it?" Jaemin asked. "Oh yeah, there's a personal meet my boss wants to host with me. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have exaggerated it, only if it wasn't in Vegas." You ended with a sad tone, knowing that you'll never make it in there. And losing your job... for another season of hunger games until you get the next one. You sighed. "Don't worry sweetheart. I'll take you there." Jaemin boldly let out.
"No need to worry Y/N. You're absolutely fine. It's just a viral. All those bacteria are kinda fighting inside your tummy, and you've gotta let the good one win and then bam! Y/N's all back!" Jaemin exclaimed. "Which one's the good one?" You ask him only to have been receiving a weird reply from him. At first, he stammered a bit, and then let out. "Not like you're gonna go and dance with pom-poms inside your tummy to cheer them up. Do you even know how much Jaehyun exaggerated it?" He immediately changed the subject. He kept on talking, and indistinct sounds entered in your ears as you were in your own world, lost, thinking something. Although a smile did appear on your face upon hearing Jaehyun's name, and how he'd taken care of you. He was the best colleague ever, and you had your own little crush on him.
"J-Jaemin?"
"Yes?"
"I really need to clean up my bedroom. You've witnessed how soiled it is. Would you mind doing that for me?"
"While you will...?"
"...Watch the telly?"
......
"Alright, JUST because you're sick. Keep in mind I don't really be so kind to people like you. I hate those years when you're in your twenties. A big judgmental couch potato stuck to your screen."
"Well, you are in your twenties?" You replied after calculating a bit. "Not for long." Jaemin replied. "A decade passes like this." He snapped his fingers to indicate how the years pass, and you seemed to be fascinated with his answers. You knew the old Jaemin, the one that used to bully you in high school, but this one seems interesting. Feels like he's gotten over the series of unfortunate events that you both went across. His aura was different. The kind that would make you jump into his personality's fathomless ocean, and plunge into it. Somehow, he made you feel like he had changed a bit, but at the same time likewise the old Jaemin. The days you spent together, the fights both of you had, all those memories kept haunting you. You never forgot what he meant to you. "Earth to Y/N?" Jaemin snapped you out of your thoughts and you looked back at the tattooed man. "I'm not going to clean up your room." "What?!?! Why?!?" You stood and stared at the air, thinking what happened to your voice. It got harder, huskier, a sense of cough in it. Before you knew it, you were coughing your lungs out like crazy, and that just made Jaemin panic. He started going around in circles, and you immediately asked him to bring water because you knew he wasn't going to do that on his own. "Alright, shh calm down. Relax. Here's your pill. Have it and take rest." Jaemin shortly laid you on the bed after that. His face was on top of yours, and he was about to get your medicines to you, when you felt it coming. You were about to cough. You were trying your best to control it, but Jaemin wouldn't stop lecturing you on relaxing.
Bam.
"UGH!! GROSS Y/N!!!!!!" Jaemin's face was a masterpiece from down where you were looking from. After a couple- err well a lot of 'ewws', 'ughs', 'you're so damn gross' , 'who would want to even take care of you', he finally calmed down.
"What kind of person coughs on the face of their own caretakers?" Jaemin asked after wiping his face for the tenth time. "Face-cougher." You were all giggly and jolly before hearing that name. "Excuse me?" You said. "What's wrong, Face-cougher?" You did not like the new nickname. "You did not call me that." "Yes I just did, face-cougher." Jaemin replies and you are not staying quiet in this. "Y/N is a face-cougher!! Face-cougher!!" Jaemin started teasing and that's all you were taking.
Another bam.
And it isn't good this time too.
This time, you landed right on Jaemin. He put the couch cushions for his defense, but the anger inside you told you to throw the cushion and throttle him right away. And you decided to do that. Of course, not the whole 'throttling' part. He was quick enough to find another good defense. This one was a vessel, the one he decided to cook pasta for you in, but that never progressed further more than deciding. So, physically preparing yourself, you grabbed the spatula and dashed towards Jeno. A thought tingled inside you and you tried to push it away, but it forced you to look at it.
You're sick, Y/N.
You almost forgot about that. Your body was filled with a wave of energy to fight back. This thought didn't last too long, and not before you're outta the dreamy world and back at Jaemin. You were right above him right now. Jaemin immediately used his defense, the closed side facing towards you. You hit the vessel making a loud noise, and it sort of felt that you were getting your panic attack again. It hadn't been a long time since you knew that your spatula wouldn't last against his vessel and now you didn't even have the time to go and change again. He took the advantage of your a-bit-too-late-realization and pounced over you. "Damn it! Is this how girls are when they're sick?!?! Oh pity those male doctors!!" It was kinda weird to hear these things from a guy's mouth, but you knew what an anti-girl person Jaemin was. It reminded you of your colleague Jungkook, who had the same behavior towards girls. Jaemin's arm slipped over, and he landed right on you. There was a worried expression on his face, to get close to you again, a fear of whether you might 'bam' him or not again. He immediately held you for support, but your body was doing nothing other than feeling weak- no mood to stay strong, so you got pulled away with Jaemin. He landed on ground with his back facing it, and had you in a such a position that his body was pressed against yours. Jaemin's face was centimeters apart from yours, and it reminded you of this days when he used to hold you this close. You both stayed still in the moment, processing what just happened. He waited a while, before he stretched out his hand to cup your face. He stroked your skin with his soft hands, a feeling of shiver running down your spine. "Everything's still the same, Y/N." Jaemin muttered. "I'll be here."
"Alright, have this, you'll be fine within half an hour." Jaemin gave you a huge tablet. "Are you sure?" You asked, nervousness filling you up. "Yes, the doctor's prescribed it.'' After having the medicine, you had a nice sleep while He cleaned up your room, and you woke up around six. "Morning, sleeping beauty." Jaemin's voice was heard across the room. Its like he knew that you were going to wake up right at this moment. Freaky how he does that.
Does he have to get back the flirting mode on? You rub your eyes, and try to get up, but due to the weakness inside, you fall back. Jaemin immediately notices and rushes towards you. "Does the medicine make you feel any better?" He asks, a caring tone occupying his voice. He puts his hand under your waist and tries to get you up, the bridal style. "What are you doing!? Move!" You shove his hand away, a stiffness taking shield over your body. "What? I was helping you get up." You saw the innocence in his voice and calmed down a bit. "It's alright, I can handle that."
He gives you a perplexed look and turns to the soft toy in his hand. "Alright, but I must admit, you have a great soft toy collection." Jaemin faces you again, this time with puppy eyes.
"NO. You're not going anywhere with Dolphie. Keep it back."
He turns towards the shelf while mumbling something to himself.
...
"HEY! I'M NOT A MEANIE!"
Jaemin left the dolphin on the shelf and your eyes were forced to shift their gaze towards the whole room. It was way cleaner than you could ever keep it. Everything was finally clean, not dust-coated as it used to stay. Your study table attracted your attention- looking brand new, as if it were just made yesterday. Jaemin must have some experience of helping old age people with their stuff back at his old house. "Wow. It's... pretty." You complimented his efforts. He smiles to you and lays over your bed. "You have pretty great stuff."
"I liked your journal the best."
You felt like throwing yourself outside the window. Or, it might be great to take him in too so he doesn't go around telling everybody about your crushes. "Literally, Y/N," You weren't prepared for what's next. What's he going to reveal? The time you crushed on your math teacher? Or when you imagined a boy naked? But what came out was way worse than all of the book.
"You had a wet dream with me?"
Oh no. Out of all of it this one was what he asked? The tension on your face rose up, blood rushing up to your cheeks. He looked at you and smirked. "Oh, don't worry sweetheart. I've read all of it." You couldn't handle a second before you smashed a pillow right at him. He took it by surprise, and actually got hit by the pillows. "Do girls hit people when they're shy?"
Crackhead.
A thought rose up in your mind. "Yes. They do. And if you get them too shy they might even stab you." Jaemin mocked a scared look on his face and then went, "Heh. You and your stupid girl jokes." You quickly needed something against him... a secret, maybe. You try to recall something embarrassing that he told you, and it strikes faster than you thought.
"I think you might die."
Jaemin's face was left expressionless, "Oh, all because I read your journal and now you're gonna stab me?"
"Close, but not exact."
Before you could tell him the exact reason why he might die, he pulls out a pink book, and turns out, it's nothing but your journal.
"Y/N-" Before any word could come out of that beautiful mouth of this crackhead, you reach out to grab the book from his hands. It seems like he doesn't even want to try, and you have the book in your hands within a flash.
You keep the book with you, hugging it as tight as possible, so that even if he tries to make a grab at it, he would fail. He lays down on your bed, the body-fit shirt hugging him tight. It seemed like his mood had completely changed. He chuckles, "You're still the same, you know? Nothing has changed." He held out your hand. Was he trying to change the topic?
You try to indulge into the conversation, asking "How? Everything has changed over the last decade."
Jaemin had changed completely, and that fact made you think that he would feel the same towards you. You saw a sense of maturity, more of responsibility in him. Ever since both of you separated, it had been hard to move on, every day and night spent in grief. But as usual, life strung the both of you along with it, and you both followed. You suddenly had flashbacks, that night in the club, the pool party... you immediately shook your head, wanting to forget all of the embarrassing moments of your life.
"Y/N, You know that the meeting's tomorrow, right?" Jaemin's face grew serious. "Do you have any idea how you're going to manage?" There was a tone of worriedness in his words. "C'mon! I almost became your wrestle buddy! I can handle it!! I'll just gulp down some of my medicines, and I'll be okay." Your conditions were streets ahead after you got some sleep. Everything felt finer, specially when you woke up to the perfect sight of the room you never had. You played with Jaemin's fingers and then reached out for his arms. You assured him, "Everything's going to be fine, only if I can control myself for puking on you." Not being able to control yourself, you giggled at Jaemin's widened eyes.
"I'm going to wear plastic on me then." You burst out into fits of laughter, "Like JYP?" Jaemin smiled upon you, "Yes."
After all of this, you were sure the trip would be fun, and you probably won't upload the next season of hunger games.
