— (high school au) in which you’re insecure and he worries about you.
Pairing. Park jisung (nct) x fem!reader
You have never gotten validation all your life, life felt a little bit bleak but he managed to light it up even if for only a moment.
Word count. 1384
Content. Awkward Jisung who has a crush on you. You being disappointed by your academics and him trying his best to comfort you.
M.list + a/n. I decided that i’ll post for leisure, still love the feeling of just writing. I’m a sucker for words of affirmation btw. Happy reading!
You look decent.
Your grades are decent.
Your skills are decent.
Decent. That is just what she was. Regardless of how much tireless effort she places in everything she does, all she ends up with is that one word - Decent.
It has never been anything more nor anything less. She felt suffocated by that word like she could never be recognised for being something more. It was as if she was just a figment of imagination in a sea of people. No one wanted someone who was just decent.
They would always go for exceptionally good people. The ones who stood out. Those that were way more skillful, talented or smart in everything they do.
It was just unfair.
Why is it that she was never anything more than decent to anyone? Why did she have to struggle so much just to try to be something better?
Perfection seemed unattainable. She felt as if she always fell short from everyone around her. She could study for days for a test but still score decently as compared to others who study the night before and still do better than her.
Maybe it was just her method of studying that was not suited for her, but to her - it felt like she just had something lacking in every aspect of her life.
⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉
Just like everything else in life, there are always two ends of the spectrum. In this case, Park Jisung was everything but decent. From his looks to the way he dances so flawlessly and smoothly, everything about him was exceptional.
No one is perfect, but he sure comes close to being perfect. You were envious of him. He had the reputation that everyone wanted, it felt like he had his entire life already laid out in front of him. It was easy to tell where he was headed towards, whether or not he would be successful in life. Everything just felt easy for him, while you had to constantly suffer from the pessimistic thoughts of not being able to make it far in life - ending up with a job that you absolutely hate to do.
From Jisung’s perspective though, it would be a lie if he said that his life was not easy. It did feel like he could have everything and anything he wanted, he didn’t feel like a complete failure. But that was exactly what kept him up at night - the fear of failing.
He constantly worked to make himself seem like a strong person, someone who was so accomplished and had everything set out in life. And he is successful at doing just that, in accomplishing everything he puts his mind to, everything except for you.
⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉
“Okay class, settle down, I will be giving back your test papers that you did two weeks ago,” the teacher’s voice roared through the class. “I would like to congratulate Park Jisung on getting full marks….again.” A round of applause sounded throughout the class as he smiled shyly at the attention as he went up to take his paper. His eyes skimmed the class and towards the girl in the corner who was just staring out of the window into space.
Unknowingly, the corners of his lip tilted down slightly and a slight wave of sadness washed through him.
As people walked to the front one by one to collect their papers, his eyes couldn’t help but drift towards you. When it reached your turn, you took the paper in anticipation but when you saw the score on the front page, your heart sank.
64%. That was the usual grade that you got and yet you still couldn’t help but feel disappointed over and over again. Your classmates were all squealing at their scores while you sat back at your seat silently. Another test that you studied hard for and yet still didn’t improve nor get a score that you wanted.
“For those who did well, good job. For those who didn’t do as well, go home and reflect, and do better next time. You are all dismissed.”
⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉
You sighed in defeat, looking through your mistakes as you stayed at your seat while everyone else in class ran out of the door. Your heart felt heavy, as you started to grip the paper progressively harder the more you stare at it.
Once it was only you left in class, it was as if it was the trigger as the tears started rolling down your face. One came after another until you were full-on sobbing. The pressure just felt too much for you, and the disappointment that came with it just further aggravated the emotions that you felt.
Your future felt bleak. How can you pursue something if you weren’t good at anything?
In this vulnerable moment, a boy happened to rush into the classroom. Seemingly in a rush to grab something but got alarmed when he saw the teary-eyed girl sitting in the corner. Jisung stopped in his tracks, grimacing when the door slammed behind him causing you to jump in surprise.
You didn’t expect anyone to come in, especially him.
You vigorously jumped into action, wiping away your tears and calming yourself down. Although it didn’t exactly work, you continued to hiccup and looked away from the boy who looked like a deer caught in headlights.
He let out an awkward cough. “Um..sorry…I forgot to grab something…” he trailed off. You simply nodded in response, still facing away from him, not wanting him to see you in this state. Jisung hesitated before asking “are you okay?”
“Yes,” you softly replied, your voice slightly choked up from the lump in your throat. “I’m fine.”
The boy walked to his desk to take his phone before walking back towards the door but paused midway. In his head he knew that maybe he should just leave her alone to sort out her feelings but he couldn’t simply shake away the tightening of his chest with every sob that she quietly let out in the midst of the silent classroom.
With a goal in mind, he turned back around and quietly took a seat opposite her. His palms started sweating as his brain spun sentences on what to say or do. After a few wordless moments, he finally spoke up. “Do you want to talk about it?” He questioned softly, not wanting to scare the girl. “Uh or if you’re uncomfortable I can actually leave…maybe i’m just being intrusive, if so i’m sorry,” he started rambling.
You looked up, slightly surprised at how close he was to you. “No, it’s okay. I’m not uncomfortable, I'm just upset about my test that’s all,” you said, mumbling the last part.
“64% is pretty good. Why are you sad? Cheer up okay, there is always a next time!” Jisung smiled trying to be optimistic but stopping when he watched the girl scoff.
“You can say that because you got full marks.”
“Huh what, no, of course not. I’m just saying it is pretty good considering half the class failed.”
You sighed, shoving your test paper in your bag before zipping it up. “It’s just a decent score, there is nothing good about it,” You muttered. “Nevermind, you can go, I’ll be fine. You’re right, it is just another test I did decently in. Whatever. I’ll just leave after I look better, you can go though, thanks for checking in on me.”
You looked back out the window, resting your chin on your palm, expecting him to leave. However, instead, Jisung grabbed a pen from your pencil case and took a post-it paper that he kept under his table before scribbling on it. He left it on the corner of your table before quietly turning around to leave.
“Just text me if you ever need help in anything or uh just need someone to talk to okay?” He said before closing the door behind him.
You looked at the post-it after the door closed with a thud. Your heart warmed reading it, your lips stretching into a small smile. Hope bloomed in your chest, maybe everything will be okay.
— (idol au) in which you are his source of comfort.
Pairing. Mark lee (nct) x fem!reader
You comforting him after an incident during a concert and it became a date.
Word count. 2095
Content. Mark injuring himself during the concert and blaming himself for it. You cheering him up and him being absolutely in awe of you.
M.list + a/n. This is my first post, i’m just testing tumblr out to see if i want to use it or not. Hope you enjoy! Inspired by the book xoxo by axie oh
The music blasted through the speakers, resonating throughout the whole stadium. Mark felt the music in his veins, his heart thumping to the beat of the song. He danced tirelessly although it may seem effortless from the fan’s perspective.
It was in his blood, dancing to one song after another. It was his job description after all. Just that he did not realize how much he had to sacrifice before it was too late to back out.
The NCT 2023 concert in which millions of fans had anticipated, the crowd a sea of green like a huge patch of grass. The lights shone glaringly at his eyes, he had to squint to look around. Out of all the members he had the most to do, being the ace and everything. He probably had to come out to perform for the most number of songs.
It was overwhelming, really.
The stress was all piling up onto him, a migraine catching up to make his head feel fuzzy. And yet, he continued to go through the motions of the choreography, for whatever song it was.
Even when learning the choreography of their new song, the dance practices were a mess. He was the only one who wasn’t able to catch up, his mind full of other things that he needed to do and learn.
He was afraid to mess up, afraid to disappoint everyone. Not just his fans, but also his members.
Mark’s ears rang piercingly, his eyes blurred. He tried to blink it away and continue to dance but he couldn’t. Before he knew it, everything went black and he fell to the ground with the music still blasting through the speakers of the stadium.
Breaking news: Mark Lee from NCT faints in the middle of their concert. The concert had to continue without him.
⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉
To say that you were worried was an understatement when you saw the news. Panicking, you immediately left your workplace hurriedly while calling Mark’s manager.
You wasted no time when he picked up. “Where is Mark?” The words came out all at once, barely enunciated but it was clear what you were calling for. So he told you the address to the hospital and you immediately grabbed a cab and headed there.
The moment the car stopped, you ran out. Paparazzi were already standing outside the hospital, which made you pause. Security guards were pushing them out of the way, refusing to let them enter the hospital to reach the boy.
Your relationship with Mark wasn’t known to the public, you could not risk getting caught with him. That was why you turned the corner, going near the back where you saw an opened window at the ground floor which you used to enter.
It was slightly more difficult with the skirt you were wearing but you made it in. You immediately opened the door to exit into the hallways of the hospital.
You pressed for the eighth floor where his manager said his room was at. Inwardly urging for the elevator to move quicker as you paced around.
You quickened your pace when you saw his manager standing by the hallways, fingers gripping his hair as his face contorted into an expression of distress with his phone to his ear. “I don’t know where he went! If I knew I wouldn’t be calling you to check if he was with you right now…nevermind I’ll find him…bye.” His conversation ended.
Your eyes widened. “What? What do you mean? Who were you talking about, it’s not about Mark right?” You questioned as your head spun.
He turned towards you and sighed. “Mark’s gone, I have no idea where he went. Maybe you can reach him, his phone is switched off though.” He explained.
You didn’t have time to think, you turned on your feet and left. Leaving the hospital through the back doors, snatching your phone out of your bag to call the missing idol.
Of course, the call did not get through for you either.
He was making you go crazy. Not knowing whether he was safe or not made you start to overthink everything.
“Come on, think y/n where would he go.” You muttered to yourself as you looked around the area. Your eyes caught sight of the karaoke place opposite the hospital.
You immediately ran for it.
⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉
Mark felt disappointed in himself. Why couldn’t he just handle the pain a little bit more, push through until the end of the show. It wasn’t that hard, he had done it numerous times before after all.
There he sat in the dark karaoke room, the only source of light emitting from the television screen. There was no music playing, it was just him isolating himself in the dark corner of the room with his eyes closed.
For some reason, this place gave him a sense of comfort, not specifically this place itself but any karaoke place in general. It was probably because it was where the two of you had met for the first time. It was when he was in the same state he’s in right now, and somehow you came in like an angel reaching out for him.
That first meeting made him feel like everything was okay, like he could be someone with a normal life without needing to face all the struggles his life as an idol gave him.
Then you were gone but came back again a few months later, enrolled in his school. It was like fate was binding the two of you together. And slowly everything had developed from there.
For now, he was lonely. His eyes watery but yet he refused to let himself cry. He read the articles, he saw the comments saying how the concert wasn’t worth the money if he wasn’t there or how he was too weak and he didn’t deserve to be this successful.
Just when he was falling deeper into the dark abyss of his mind, the door slammed open violently. Making him jump in fright, thinking that it might have been his manager or the paparazzi but who he didn’t think it would be was his girlfriend.
You sighed in relief when you saw the black haired boy sitting at the corner of the room looking at you in shock. You entered before closing the door behind you, the light from the hallways exiting from the room.
“What are you doing here? Don’t you have work?” Mark asked, confused but glad at the same time.
You glared at him. “How dare you! You make me worried sick, I saw the article and I immediately left work and went to the hospital only for you to be gone and then your phone is turned off!” You ranted, he opened his mouth to speak but you beat him to it. “And don’t you think you can just say sorry and let everything off because no! You tell me what’s wrong here and now because obviously you are in a karaoke place so you are obviously feeling overwhelmed so spill.”
You stood directly in front of him with your arms crossed over your chest, staring down at the boy who could only look up at you like a lost puppy being reprimanded. “I’m sorry it’s just I messed up by letting my body give out. Actually, I've been messing up every dance practice we’ve had for the concert and it's just hard to keep up. I feel like I’m just being a huge disappointment to everyone and I just can’t handle the pressure.” A tear had slipped from his eye by the end of his speech.
You brought a thumb to his cheek and wiped the tear away, heart aching for him. “You’re not a disappointment. You’re doing so well, so incredibly well. I admire you for being so hard working even though your ridiculous ass of a company doesn’t even appreciate it. You’ve always been strong, just because you fainted once doesn’t mean you’re anything less than that.” You said softly. Mark held on to your every word, loving the way your voice flowed so smoothly.
You sat down beside him, spreading your arms widely to urge him to come for a hug, which he did. Your arms wrapped around his neck as his head was buried in your neck. You stroked his hair gently, soothing him.
Your warmth was something he loved, and also your straightforwardness. He felt himself relax and forget about everything else, just him being in your arms was all it took. He basked in your warmth, feeling significantly calmer and better.
The two of you sat there in silence for a while, Mark in your arms with you playing with his hair.
Soon after he got up. “We should probably go out, I think the time for this room is almost up.” He said. You glanced at the time left shown on the screen, showing that there was only 5 minutes left, enough for one song.
“Wait, let me show you this rap I've been practicing.” You grinned cheekily before going to the machine and inputting that one superm song with your boyfriend’s infamous rap. “Oi you better watch out Mark Lee I’m coming for your spot.” You spoke into the microphone, making him laugh.
“Uh, you think ya big boi, throwing three stacks. Uh something yea yea…mismatch.” You tried his part but failing miserably, it was way too fast. Mark could only laugh at you, his hand slapping his knee with his head thrown back at how ridiculous you were being.
You stared at him in disbelief as the song ended and the television went back to the home screen signalling that the time was up. “Hey! Stop laughing, I swear I’m just lacking practice. You better watch your back. Obviously I’m going to be the one to replace you when you’re gone.” You huffed.
“Okay sure. Whatever you say, my princess.”
⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉
Thankfully, this was a very small and secluded mall which had barely anyone around.
The two of you walked out of the karaoke place, and were about to leave when you saw a self service photo booth store.
Your eyes immediately lit up, you quickly grabbed Mark’s arm and dragged him in that direction. “What-?” He let out confused at the sudden change of course but followed you compellingly.
“Let’s take cute pictures! We’ve never done one together before.” You replied looking around at all the accessories that they have in amazement. You ended up settling for a duck head band while Mark settled for a pair of those thug life meme glasses.
You both entered one of the booths, which was surprisingly small. Making you two squeeze in the tiny space with your shoulders touching each other. “Okay you ready?” You pressed start on the screen once Mark nodded in response.
The timer went faster than the two of you anticipated. For the first picture you both weren’t ready at all but the two of you composed yourself enough to smile on the second before taking off the accessories and having a plain photo with just the two of you on the next.
You both laughed at how ridiculous the photos ended up being. The two of you chose four out of the six and printed them. They gave two copies so you kept one while Mark kept the other.
“Wait, let me head to the washroom quickly then I swear we can leave.” You rushed before running off leaving the boy standing there outside the store waiting for you.
He stood there with the photo grasped tightly in his hand as he stared at it. The last picture you both took was one where you were smiling to the camera while Mark had an expression that was between a laugh and a smile with his eyes trained on you rather than the camera.
It was a mystery to him how you were able to just easily make him feel like a normal teenager rather than a well-known idol. The way you make him feel love sick for you was something foreign for him. Honestly, it was everything about you that made him feel different.
When you got out from the washroom, you went back to Mark, noticing that he was staring at the photos the two of you took with a soft smile on his face. It made your heart warm. “What’s up? Are you laughing at me in the picture? You better not be.”
— (childhood friends au) in which he did everything for you growing up.
Pairing. Na jaemin (nct) x fem!reader
Five stages of your life where Jaemin’s acts of service came through, warming your heart and etched deeply in your memories.
Word count. 3067
Content. Jaemin is older! He teaches you when you’re struggling, and him attending your graduation when no one else in your family did.
M.list + a/n. Yums one month gap between this and my previous post, not bad. Anyways, this one has a combination of many scenes from books and dramas. Enjoyed writing this one ngl, acts of service is my second favourite love language.
As a child, we all made many mistakes. We fell, we learned our first steps, our first words, all together with our parents that stayed by our sides. For y/n, however, her parents had never been there for her. It was always that one little boy with big eyes and a kind heart that stayed with her every step along the way.
The rain poured, every droplet hitting the ground with a loud thud. The strong winds blew with a powerful passion. “ Jaemin! Let’s go play in the rain!” The 6 year old girl squealed, pulling the other 7 year old along by his arm. He reluctantly followed along after her relentless whining, despite worrying about her getting sick later.
The two stepped outside to their backyard, the sound of rain drops thudding on the roof resonated through the atmosphere. Y/n giggled as she immediately took off into the pouring rain and jumped on puddles of water, watching how the water splashes surrounded her.
“Be careful, don’t get hurt!” Jaemin warned. He stayed back in the shade, not really wanting to get himself drenched but still keeping an eye on the girl who played excitedly. Her eyes sparkled in delight as she stuck her palms out to let the water drip on her palms.
“Look Jaemin look!” She exclaimed while splashing the droplets of rain she had collected up in the air. She was so immersed in showing it off to her best friend, that with a small step to go closer to him ended up causing her to slip and lose her balance. It was an immediate instinct for a 6 year old to start crying, her knee had been scraped and there was a throbbing pain coming from it.
The boy jerked in reaction, springing into action. He immediately went up to the girl despite not wanting to get drenched before, but her cries were all he could focus on. He draped one of her arms around his shoulder, with the other around her waist, lifting her up on her feet. The boy had to drag the girl back inside with the limited amount of strength that he had.
He gently placed her on the couch before scrambling around to get the first aid he had seen his mother use on him before. He cleaned up her wound while she continued to let out painful wails. He gently blew on her scraped knee before placing a bandage over it.
Without a word, he went into his room and took a pair of shirt and shorts that she had left behind the last time she came. The crying girl only looked up when she noticed his outstretched hand, she could see the worry in his eyes through her tears. “Go change your clothes before you catch a cold,” he said.
That was one of the many times she vividly remembered, his soft and concerned gaze, his actions that spoke to her louder than the few words others ever could say. Not a single blame towards her or nag that he had “told her so”. Not a single sign that she was a waste of his time, just those pure eyes that looked at her caringly. That was only the beginning of many other instances. The soft and caring nature of the boy clashing with the clumsy and playful one of the girl.
⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉
You sat at your study table, focussing on your study materials. Your final examination is coming up, the one that determines which university you would go to. It was a dream of yours to follow Jaemin’s footsteps, to enter the same university as him albeit a different course. It was hard, considering you were lacking behind while he flourished and went to one of the top universities in the country.
You were under a lot of pressure, feeling so stupid as you tried to make sense of the basics. Mathematics had never been your strong suit, numbers had just never made sense to you.
Staring at one question for 30 minutes, not even knowing where to start much less what the question was even asking for. Your frustration was growing, one hand in your hair while the other gripped the pen tightly. Tears began to gather in your eyes which you rapidly blinked back.
You jumped in surprise when there was a sudden knock on your door, interrupting the quiet atmosphere of your room. Snapping out of your stress-induced daze, you quickly wiped the remaining wetness in your eyes before speaking. “Come in!”
Jaemin’s head was the first to peek through before he opened the door wider and stepped into the room. “How’s it going Luna?” He spoke as he walked in with a chocolate cupcake from your favourite bakery in hand.
Your eyes widened in shock – by the fact that he was right in front of you in your room and that he bought you the cupcake you love so much. Ever since university had started for him, the two of you had been seeing each other less since he had moved out to live in the dorms at his university.
“What are you doing here Jaem?” You questioned in shock, standing up to give him a hug. You were genuinely excited and happy to see him, but you couldn’t muster up enough energy amidst your solemn mood.
“I’m just here to check up on you.”
“Mhm, as you can see, I’m fine so you can leave…yeah you can go.”
He furrowed his eyebrows at her weird behavior. In any normal circumstance, she would be elated to see him, jumping around the room and all that. Definitely not kicking him out at the first moment he steps in.
Instead of leaving, he sat down on your bed beside your study table. “Oh for this question you should find the derivative then equate it,” he explained as he pointed towards the math question that you were stuck on. It was as if that one sentence cleared the mental fog in your head, understanding the question requirements better.
And that continued on for the next few hours, just with the 19 year old boy patiently teaching the girl without any complaints.
“Thanks Jaem, I think that was the most productive session I’ve had in a while,” you spoke as you munched on the cupcake. You felt better, really. You could understand the concept more and didn’t feel as stupid as before.
He simply nodded before grabbing a tissue from your bedside table. One hand came to grip your chin while the other gently cleaned off the chocolate stain at the corner of your lip. Your heart felt like it stopped for a moment, blood rushing up your neck and to your cheeks.
“W-what you could have let me do it myself.”
“But I like doing things for you.”
He threw the tissue away as he spoke with a neutral expression on his face. That was one thing you disliked about him — how he could make your heart flutter with the things he does and says and yet act like it's the smallest deal in the world. You shook off the feeling, knowing he probably doesn’t feel the same. Your lips stretched into a thankful smile, feeling really grateful that you had someone like him by your side.
“I’m really glad that we’re friends, Jaem.”
“Me too, Luna.”
⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉
“So why do you always call me Luna?”
The sun shined down incandescently in the middle of the clear blue sky. The two were walking together around the university during their 2 hour break with drinks from the cafe in hand.
After endless hardwork and sleepless nights, with the help of Jaemin’s guidance of course, you had actually managed to get into your dream university and course. It was fulfilling but tough nevertheless. All that matters to you now is the fact that you could spend more time with him — just like you have been doing ever since you came out of your mother’s womb.
Jaemin hummed at your question, not answering as he continued to sip on his coffee. “That’s a secret,” those were the only words he said which made you groan in frustration. You always brought up the same question every time you get reminded of it, yet you would get that same reply to no avail.
“Will you ever tell me why?”
“Possibly.”
You rolled your eyes, walking ahead of him. You didn’t get far before he pulled you back by your ponytail. “Are you showing me attitude now kiddo?” He shook his head and sighed. “I didn’t raise you to be like this.”
You stuck your tongue out at him before giggling at how ridiculous it was. “I’m only a year younger than you. Now can you let go of me?” You said as you tried to use your free hand to get his grip off your hair. “Hey that hurts,” you winced, using the only weakness of his that you knew — you being hurt in any way.
He immediately let go. “I’m sorry, are you okay?” He asked with a tinge of worry, raising a hand up to gently massage your head.
“I was just joking, catch me if you can!” You exclaimed, giggling as you ran off.
Jaemin could only sigh as he watched you running off in the distance with a bright smile lighting up your face. One of his own occupied his lips, looking at you endearingly. He chased after you, going along with your antics although rather begrudgingly.
That night, Jaemin had requested for you to meet him at the rooftop garden of your dorm. Stars lit the sky like snow-flakes in the night, the moon casting a glow down that added a spark to the normally ordinary garden. The boy looked at his feet, biting his lip nervously with the box grasped tightly in his hand.
Awaiting for your presence felt like minutes turned into centuries, Jaemin could barely breathe through the rapid beat of his heart. The moment you came in sight with the usual bright smile of yours, he calmed down slightly.
“What’s up Jaem? Why did you call me here?” You questioned once you reached him. You looked around the area, not really seeing anything special. Glancing at the boy, you noticed the slightly nervous expression on his face, his hair slightly messy from running his hand through it.
“Um I don’t really know how to go about this, I know you know I’m more of an actions over words type of person,” he started, looking into your eyes intently. “You ask me why I call you Luna all the time, it means my moon. Because no matter how dark the nights got, you were always there to light it up, guiding me through. Everything felt okay when you were with me, one smile and it felt like my entire day had been made.
His words warmed your heart, you felt tears welling up in your eyes listening to him.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I like you. I like that you’re clumsy so that I can take care of you. I like that you’re always smiling like I hung the moon up when to me, that’s what you do for me everyday,” he let out a breath, opening the box that he had gripped onto so tightly, revealing the moon shaped necklace inside. “Can I be your boyfriend?”
Your words got stuck in your throat, so instead you nodded profusely, wrapping your hands around his neck to hug him. Jaemin chuckled, wrapping his arms gently around your waist.
“The necklace is really pretty.”
“Let me put it on for you.”
He unclasped the necklace as you held your hair up. The warmth of his hands radiated on your neck, his breath fanning your earlobe which sent a shiver down your spine. He fastened the necklace tightly before you let go of your hair. He arranged it neatly in the middle, the silver jewelry sparkling in the night.
“Pretty,” he breathed out. “The necklace and you.”
⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉
It was your graduation day. You felt slightly moody that your family couldn’t make it. With both your parents being doctors, they rarely had time to come around for milestones in your life. It left a void in your heart, the lack of parental love from them.
What made it worse was the fact that your boyfriend had something on today so he couldn’t make it either. The one person who held a special place in your heart.
The day felt more draggy than usual, waiting for your name to be called as you watched everyone go up on stage to collect their certificates. A frown occupied your lips as you robotically clapped along with everyone else at the right time. “Next student is y/n,” the MC announced. You forced a smile on your lips as you walked up on stage.
It was all a blur. Grabbing the certificate, smiling for the camera before walking down from the stage. Did you seriously work your ass off just for this moment? It felt meaningless.
As everyone dispersed to take pictures with their respective families, you stood in a corner. A soft, longing smile stretched on your lips as you looked around. Despite the predicament with your own parents, it felt nice to watch others get to have the kind of love that you didn’t receive.
“Ding dong, a chocolate cupcake delivery for y/n?” A voice spoke from behind. You turned around so quickly as a gasp escaped your lips upon seeing the boy before you. You ran up to him and jumped with your hands wrapping around his neck. Jaemin managed to use his other free hand to hold you up, the other clutching the cake. “Happy graduation, my Luna,” he chuckled.
“I thought you weren’t gonna come,” you spoke into his neck, frowning slightly at the thought. Jaemin placed you back down on your feet, moving your loose strands of hair behind your ears to see your face clearly.
“Silly, how can I miss your graduation?”
“I don’t know. I j-just thought that..” you trailed off, feeling yourself choke on your own words. “I guess I’m used to my parents not showing up so I don’t expect anyone else to show up for me…”
He grasped your chin, tilting your face up to look at him. His eyes were filled with warmth, a softness painted in them that embraced you in a tight hug. “Don’t ever think that way because you have me. I’ll always be there for you, no matter what.”
Your heart warmed at his words, you felt such an overwhelming sense of endearment for the man in front of you. Standing on your toes, you placed your lips softly against his. The boy tilted his head slightly, deepening it as he leant down so that you felt more comfortable. One hand cupped your cheek while the other wrapped around your waist tightly.
The way you felt with him could only be described as one thing — home.
⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉⑉
The next few years went by in bliss. The bond between you and Jaemin only grew stronger as the days passed by, your love for him felt so overpowering that you felt so alive.
You finished the last touch of decorations in the backyard of the house that the two of you lived in before heading back inside. You anxiously sat on the couch in the living room, waiting for Jaemin to come home from work. Counting every second that passes, you bit the inside of your cheek — a nervous habit that you had.
Your heart was racing so fast that it felt like you were having a heart attack. When the sound of keys clinging resonated throughout the house, you instantly jumped on your feet. Rushing to the main door, you greeted the boy who had just entered.
“How was your day?”
“Good. Why are you sweating so much? Are you feeling alright?” Jaemin asked, noticing the sweat beading down your forehead the moment he looked up.
“Y-yeah I’m fine. Can you follow me to the backyard for a while?” You requested as you helped him take off his coat and hang it at the rack. Jaemin raised an eyebrow in question but obliged and followed behind you.
Opening the door to the backyard, it revealed a series of fairy lights twirling around the bushes, shining on the trail towards an empty area in the middle. You continued to drag Jaemin down the aisle right till the middle.
“Wow you did a nice job decorating the place, love.”
“Thanks, but that’s not what I brought you out here for,” you started, breathing in and out three times to calm your nerves before looking up into his eyes. “I remember the first time when you helped me. I childishly played in the rain and fell while you were there to pick me up and care for me when no one else was there. I slept over at your house a lot and rarely went home, I think that was because I found my home in you,” you paused, catching your breath. “You’ve always been the one to do things for me growing up. I wouldn’t even have made it into my dream university without your help,” you chuckled.
“But for once I thought I would repay you by doing something for you instead,” your voice wavered slightly at the end. You got down on one knee, taking out the box from your pocket. You opened it, revealing the moon shaped diamond ring inside. “I know this might be against the typical stereotypes of the man proposing to the woman but,” you stopped, your palms sweating from nerves.
“Will you marry me, Na Jaemin?”
Tears fell from his eyes, the love he felt for you was suffocating, controlling his every breathing moment. “Yes! Of course I will, Luna.” He said before crouching down to your level and pulling you to him in a kiss.
The two broke off their kiss — only to put the ring on him of course. The delicate moon on his finger, a symbolism of the love that they shared.
