#petersasteria

[shuajunice]

honeybee | K.M.G

Pairing: mingyu x reader Summary: After a painful four-year relationship, you aren't looking for love. Unfortunately for you, your best friend has other plans. Enter Kim Mingyu—the architect with too many flowers, too much affection, and absolutely no intention of leaving. Warning/s: - Note: This is part of my you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love series! Song: honeybee by olivia rodrigo

drop dead | stupid song | honeybee

SOMETHING NEW

You lay in bed while staring up at the ceiling. You were still hurting from your relationship. After all, four years was no joke. You were numb and you were sick and tired of everyone telling you that it'll pass.

There were only so many times someone could tell you that you'd be okay before those words lost its meaning. It had been three months since the breakup. Three months since you packed the last of his things into a box. Three months since you watched him walk away. You never asked him to stay. Three months was long enough for everyone around you to assume you'd moved on.

You haven't. Not really.

You were inconsolable before, but now, you were sort of a functioning citizen. You went to work, answered messages, laughed at the right moments, and even remembered to water your plants by the windowsill. But every now and then, usually when you were alone, you'd catch yourself wondering when your heart would stop hurting.

A knock on your door echoed through your apartment, making you slowly sit up. You doubted it was him, but you still kind of hoped it was. The person knocked again and with a heavy sigh, you got out of bed and answered the door. As soon as you unlocked it, Seungkwan was already inviting himself inside with a bunch of stuff (i.e., food, drinks, care kits you might need, etc.).

"You look alive," he announced, slipping off his shoes. "That's an improvement."

You blinked. You weren't expecting him. Heck, you weren't expecting anyone. "Well, hello to you, too."

"I'm serious." He glanced around the apartment before setting everything on the coffee table and dropping onto your couch. "You've officially spent enough time moping."

"I haven't been moping."

"You reorganized your bookshelf alphabetically and by color." Seungkwan nodded towards your bookshelf.

You sat next to him. "It was therapeutic."

"It was concerning."

You rolled your eyes, but a small, reluctant smile tugged at your lips. Seungkwan noticed immediately. "There she is," he pointed dramatically. "I knew my best friend was still in there."

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

He fully turned to you. "So."

You narrowed your eyes. "No."

"I haven't even said anything!" Seungkwan whined.

"You've got that scheming look on your face. What are you plotting, Boo?" You eyed him suspiciously.

"Fine!" Seungkwan said exasperatedly. He leaned over the coffee table, grabbed a bag of chips, and opened it. He grabbed a piece and ate it while you stared at him, waiting for whatever scheme he had to say. "I want you to go on a blind date. I swear, I think I've hit the jackpot this time. So much so, you'll name your first born after me."

"Absolutely not." You shook your head.

"Aw, c'mon. Don't be like that!" Seungkwan huffed, eating another chip. "He's tall, ridiculously handsome, a great cook, he's such a giver! Give him a chance!"

"Seungkwan, please." You groaned. "I'm not ready. Besides, what if he's just like—"

"Don't compare him to Jeonghan, Y/N. They're different guys." Seungkwan said, leaning back and continued eating chips. "I'm a Jeonghan anti, but I guess he's not totally evil. He's just... built different."

"The answer is no."

-

"I want you to go on a blind date. I swear, I think I've hit the jackpot this time. So much so, you'll name your first born after me." Seungkwan smiled, repeating the same spiel to Mingyu.

Mingyu looked up in thought. "Okay, but what if our child is a girl? We can't name her 'Seungkwan'."

Seungkwan's eye twitched. The different answers he got gave him whiplash. "Then name her Boo Youmi."

"Boo Youmi?" Mingyu made a face. "Shouldn't it be 'Kim Youmi'? I'm the dad, not you."

Seungkwan pursed his lips, "Boo Youmi is a cute name. 'Kim Youmi' sounds incomplete. Name her 'Kim Boo Youmi'."

"Absolutely not." Mingyu shook his head.

"How about 'Kim Youmi Boo'?" Seungkwan asked.

"Kim Youmi is final, Kwannie."

"Ugh, we're getting sidetracked!" Seungkwan exclaimed. "So, go on this blind date with my best friend. She's—"

"Sure." Mingyu said with zero hesitation. Seungkwan was expecting Mingyu to whine. He didn't expect such a direct answer.

"...That's it? You're not going to make me beg?" Seungkwan eyed him suspiciously.

Mingyu shrugged. "Yeah, that's it. Unless..." Mingyu smirked. "...Unless begging is a kink of yours that you weirdly want me to fulfill. If so, I'm honored, Kwannie."

"Ew! Shut up, himbo!" Seungkwan said, causing Mingyu to laugh. Seungkwan gave Mingyu a dirty look. He tried to keep it that way, but it's been a while since he heard Mingyu laugh. Like you, Mingyu's heartbroken, too.

When Mingyu's laughter died down, he cleared his throat and looked at Seungkwan. "I think I'm ready to meet someone."

Seungkwan gave him a small smile. "Yeah?"

Mingyu nodded. "I mean, I don't think I'll ever be ready." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But I don't want one relationship deciding what the rest of my life looks like."

"You're SO gonna love me for this, Kim Mingyu."

-

Saturday arrived faster than either of you expected. You didn't know how Seungkwan was able to persuade you into going on this date with some rando, but here you were. You stood in front of your closet with your arms crossed, staring at the clothes hanging inside.

"...Seriously?" You sighed. "So many clothes, yet nothing to wear."

Nothing looked right. You pulled out a sweater, too casual. A dress, too much. A blouse, too boring. With a sigh, you tossed everything onto your bed until half your wardrobe was scattered across the comforter. Somewhere in the pile, your phone buzzed.

[kwannie 🍊]: don't cancel.

You rolled your eyes.

[y/nie <3]: I'm genuinely thinking about it.

Three dots appeared almost immediately.

[kwannie 🍊]: no, you're not :p

-

Across town, Kim Mingyu was experiencing a crisis of his own. Three shirts were laid neatly across his bed. He held up the first one.

"...No."

The second.

"Ew, definitely not."

The third.

"...Maybe."

Unsure, he snapped a picture and sent it to Seungkwan.

[mingoo]: quick! blue or white???

The reply came within seconds.

[seungkwannie]: white.

Mingyu stared at the message.

[mingoo]: that's what I was thinking, too! [seungkwannie]: asdfghjkl then why'd you ask?! [mingoo]: for emotional support, ofc!

-

You settled on something simple. Cute enough to make an effort. Comfortable enough to leave in if the date went terribly. Standing in front of the mirror, you adjusted your sleeves before letting your hands fall to your sides. You looked... fine. Not amazing. Not terrible. Just fine. That would have to do.

-

Mingyu buttoned the last button of his shirt before taking a step back from the mirror. He frowned.

"...Maybe I should change."

Five minutes later... He was wearing the exact same shirt.

One spray of cologne. He paused. "...Too much?"

He sniffed his wrist. "...Maybe one more."

Another spray. A beat. "Okay, that's definitely too much."

-

You grabbed your bag, checked for your wallet, keys, and phone. Everything was there. Good.

You reached for the doorknob. Stopped. Exhaled. You could still text Seungkwan that you weren't coming. You could crawl back into bed. Pretend this never happened. Your phone buzzed again.

[kwannie 🍊]: you're leaving now, right? [y/nie <3]: unfortunately [kwannie 🍊]: 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

-

On his way to the restaurant, Mingyu slowed down when he spotted a small flower stall on the corner. He walked past it. Kept walking. Stopped. Turned around and walked back to the flower stall.

"Would flowers be weird?" He asked himself as looked at the wide array of flowers.

The elderly florist smiled knowingly. "First date?"

Mingyu scratched the back of his neck. "Is it that obvious?"

"A little." She laughed.

He left the stall with a small bouquet wrapped in brown paper. Halfway to where his car is parked, he looked down at the bouquet and turned back around.

The florist looked at him from across the stall. "You're not returning those, are you?"

"I... wasn't?"

The florist shook her head, "Keep them, and give it to your date. It's never too much to give flowers on a first date."

"Okay." Mingyu said, turning back to walk to his car. He turned to face the florist and walked backwards, "Thanks, wish me luck!"

-

You arrived first. Of course you did. Better to wait than make someone else wait. You sat near the window, fingers wrapped around a glass of water you hadn't touched, rehearsing all the ways this evening could go wrong.

-

Mingyu took a deep breath before entering the restaurant that Seungkwan ever-so-kindly booked for the two of you. Mingyu looked around and spotted you before you spotted him. Well, he's never seen you before, but his gut was telling him that it was you.

He approached the table with a small smile on his face while smoothing out imaginary wrinkles on his shirt. "Y/N?"

You looked up and nodded. "Mingyu?"

"Hi." Mingyu smiled.

"Hi."

A beat. Then, he awkwardly held up the bouquet he'd been hiding behind his back. "I, uh... these are for you."

You blinked.

"For me?"

"Unless Seungkwan set me up with someone else, then this could get awkward."

A laugh escaped you before you could stop it. "No, I'm definitely Y/N."

"Good," he sighed dramatically before taking a seat in front of you. "That would've been embarrassing."

You accepted the flowers carefully, fingertips against the brown paper wrapped around the stems.

"They're beautiful."

"I'm glad you think so." He said, his shoulders visibly relaxing. His eyes sparkled and you almost forgot what it felt like to be on a first date. For the first time in months, you stopped wondering how long it would take for someone to leave.

-

Dinner was... easy. Much easier than you expected. Mingyu talked enough to fill the silence but never so much that you couldn't join in. He asked questions, actually listened to your answers, and somehow turned even the most ordinary stories into something worth laughing over.

By the time the waiter cleared your plates, you realized you hadn't checked the time once.

Seungkwan wasn't lying," Mingyu admitted, leaning back on his chair.

You tilted your head in wonder.

"He said you laugh with your whole face."

"...He said that?"

"Mhm."

You looked away, smiling despite yourself. "I'll have to yell at him later."

"He'll probably thank you."

The evening stretched naturally into a walk. The city had quieted by then, leaving only the occasional passing car and the glow of streetlights overhead. Mingyu matched your pace without thinking.

"So..." he glanced over. "How bad do I rank on the blind date scale?"

You pretended to consider it. "Hm."

He gasped. "The hesitation already tells me everything."

"I was going to say you're somewhere in the top two."

"...Out of?"

"Two."

He laughed so loudly that a couple walking past turned to look. Worth it.

A cool breeze drifted between the buildings. Without thinking, you rubbed your hands together. Mingyu noticed immediately. "Here."

Before you could protest, he slipped his jacket over your shoulders.

"Keep it." He smiled while he adjusted his jacket on you. Your eyes widened in shock, "What?"

He gave you a small smirk, "I'll get it the next time I see you."

A memory surfaced before you could stop it.

"I'm freezing." You shivered. Your teeth chattering so hard, you were scared that it would fall off.

Jeonghan glanced at you briefly before stuffing his hands deepers into his own pockets. "You should've brought a jacket. You didn't even wear gloves, Y/N. You knew it'd be cold outside tonight."

The memory disappeared as quickly as it came. You looked down at Mingyu's jacket around your shoulders.

"...Thank you."

"No problem." He smiled.

By the time your apartment building came into view, neither of you seemed particularly eager for the night to end.

"Thanks for driving me home," you said.

"I was going this way anyway."

You raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you parked in the opposite direction?"

"I didn't know you paid close attention to me, Y/N." Mingyu teased.

You laughed.

"There it is again."

"What?"

"That laugh."

Heat crept up your neck. "Oh."

"I like it."

For a second, you forgot how to respond. Then your phone buzzed in your pocket, pulling you back to reality. You glanced at the dark screen before looking up again.

"...I should head inside."

"Right."

He took a good look at you and smiled. "Goodnight, Y/N. It was a pleasure being your date tonight."

"Likewise. Goodnight, Mingyu." You got out of his car, and watched him turn the corner before unlocking your apartment.

Your flowers found a home in the only vase you owned. Mingyu's jacket still carried a faint trace of his cologne. You caught yourself smiling. Then, another uninvited memory.

It was all over the internet. 'Just because' flowers are now making rounds on social media. You weren't fond of flowers yourself, but seeing all those people receiving flowers made you happy for them. You wondered if Jeonghan would buy you 'just because' flowers. After all, you've been together for so long. Surely, he'd thought of that, right?

"Hannie?"

"Hm?"

"Would you ever buy me flowers?" You asked.

He looked at you with knitted brows, "What's the occasion?"

"Nothing." You shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "It's just a question. Would you ever buy me flowers even if there's no occasion?"

Maybe it was your fault for being hopeful because your heart sank when he laughed at your face.

"Baby, they're going to die in a week or less. It's not practical." Jeonghan chuckled, shaking his head.

"But Seungkwan buys me flowers sometimes. He even bought me a small bouquet for Valentine's Day." You said.

"Then go date Seungkwan." Jeonghan said. His tone was light, but you knew it was off. You stared into each other's eyes and you knew it was time to drop the subject. You gave him a tight-lipped smile, "You're right. It'll just die. Waste of money, am I right?"

Jeonghan's eyes lit up. "See? I knew you'd understand. You're so smart, baby. Anyway, what's for dinner?"

You looked up at the bouquet sitting on your kitchen counter. Maybe the flowers would die less than a week, but they were beautiful and goddammit, you deserved it, anyway.

Your phone buzzed.

[Mingyu]: Hi!

You smiled.

[Y/N]: Hi

Three dots appeared almost immediately. Disappeared. Appeared again. Finally—

[Mingyu]: I'll just shoot my shot here 😅 Can I see you again?

You stared at the message longer than you'd like to admit. Your fingers hovered above the keyboard. Maybe this was the part where you should slow down. Maybe this was how people got hurt.

But then... you thought about the way he'd looked at you across the dinner table. The flowers. The jacket resting over your hair. The way he'd never once made you feel like you had to earn his attention.

Your thumbs moved before fear consumed you.

[Prettiest Girl]: I'd like that, actually :)) [Mingyu]: 🥰♥️

You couldn't help but smile. Maybe, just maybe, this could be something new.

STICKY SWEET LIKE HONEY

Somewhere between coffee dates that stretched well past sunset, late-night drives with nowhere in particular to go, and Mingyu insisting on driving you to your apartment every single time, the two of you had quietly become inseparable.

One month became two. Two became three.

Neither of you could remember whose idea it was to stop calling them dates and simply start calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend. Your first outing as an official couple came sooner than you expected.

"Just a few friends," Mingyu assured you while driving to the restaurant. "Nothing scary."

You chuckled nervously, "You say that now."

He laughed as he parked his car. He removed his seatbelt and fully turned to you, "I promise they're nice."

As soon as the two of you entered the restaurant, five heads turned toward your direction. Your eyes widened. You immediately leaned over to whisper to Mingyu. "You never told me your friends were all models."

"Hm?" Mingyu looked at them before looking back at you. "They're not, hon."

"Gyu, they're literally glowing!"

He let out a laugh before leading you over to the table. "Y/N, this is everyone." He gently rested a hand against your lower back. "Everyone, meet Y/N. My prettiest girlfriend ever."

A chorus of greetings followed.

"Hi!"

"It's nice to finally meet you."

"We've heard SO MUCH about you."

You smiled nervously before bowing your head slightly. "It's nice to meet all of you, too."

Then you leaned toward Mingyu again.

"Mingyu-yah," you whispered, "if I'd known your friends looked like this, I would've dressed up better."

The entire table erupted into laughter as you both sat down. Mingyu frowned, "Why?"

"Because they're all ridiculously attractive."

He blinked before looking around the table. "...Them?"

"Yes," you nodded. "them."

"Nah." He waved his hand dismissively. "They're just normal guys with normal jobs."

You looked at him. Then at them. Then back at him. There's no way these people had normal jobs. "You're telling me none of you are CEOs? Models? Nepo babies?"

"Absolutely not," Jaehyun laughed. "We hate nepo babies."

Mingyu nodded in agreement and let out a small "true" before moving his seat closer to yours and putting his arm around your shoulder.

Seokmin pointed at himself. "I'm Seokmin, an elementary school music teacher."

Your jaw dropped, and you shook your head. "No, you're not."

"I am." Seokmin laughed. "I spend my weekdays convincing eight-year-olds that the recorder is a real instrument."

Minghao raised his hand next. "I'm Minghao, and I own a pottery studio."

"Oh? You make bowls and stuff?" You asked, causing Mingyu to chuckle next to you.

"I make aesthetically pleasing bowls and stuff." Minghao corrected. He took a sip of his tea before smiling, "But thank you for assuming I'm a model. I'll take that as a compliment."

"Jungkook. I'm a physical therapist," Jungkook said, taking a bite of the appetizer.

"Seriously?"

"I help people recover from injuries." Jungkook nodded.

You looked at Mingyu, and he nodded. You looked back at Jungkook and gazed at his muscles before looking at his face, "I thought you lifted buildings for a living."

Jungkook chuckled, "I only lift patients who have trouble walking."

Your gaze landed on a quiet man, "Please tell me you at least work in fashion."

He smiled and shook his head. "I'm Eunwoo, and I'm actually a librarian."

Your eyes widened in shock, "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope." Eunwoo shook his head. "I spend most of my day reminding people to whisper."

"I'm Jaehyun, and I work in finance." Jaehyung grinned.

"You... willingly stare at spreadsheets?"

"Unfortunately." Jaehyun chuckled. "I like it, though. Besides, I handle these guys' finances. I can do yours too, if you want. Totally free. These guys just buy me samgyeopsal, or they treat me to a buffet every six months."

"Yah, she doesn't need it." Mingyu pouted. "She has me. Besides, we'll be having a joint account when we get married."

The table fell silent. You slowly turned to look at him.

"What?" Mingyu blinked innocently.

Jungkook looked at him over the rim of his glass. "It's only been three months."

"So?" Mingyu frowned. Minghao sighed into his tea, choosing not to say anything. After all, he meditated earlier that day.

Seokmin sighed. "Ignore him. He's always been like this. Once he likes someone he's all in."

"No, I don't!" Mingyu defended.

"You do," Jaehyun nodded. "It's actually kind of impressive."

You laughed as Mingyu reached for your hand.

"Anyway," he smiled sheepishly, "I'll handle everything. Don't want your pretty mind to be tired."

Seokmin lightly nudged Jaehyun. "Tell her."

Jaehyun sighed dramatically. "My parents couldn't afford college, so I studied hard to get a full-ride scholarship."

"Wow!" You nodded, impressed. "You must be pretty athletic, too, huh?"

Mingyu laughed, "Honey, he's not athletic enough to get through at least one sport. Not even table tennis."

"It's true," Jungkook nodded in agreement, cheeks full of food. "He's terrible at sports."

"I was dirt poor before I became a teacher," Seokmin said with a big grin. "Worked my ass off and everything."

"Same," Minghao nodded. "We all worked our asses off to get where we are."

"Amen." Mingyu raised his glass before drinking. "There are times when I'd hate my fucking job, though. Being an architect is a pain in the ass, but then I realized that this is literally what I prayed for, so I'd cut myself some slack."

You looked around the table once more as Mingyu fixed your hair for you. "So... no trust funds?"

Five heads shook.

"No secret billionaire parents?"

"I wish," Seokmin said.

"No hidden royal family?"

"Unfortunately." Eunwoo sighed.

You laughed. "I seriously can't believe any of you."

"Neither can we," Jungkook muttered, grabbing a piece of kimchi.

Everyone started eating, then another question popped into your head. "How did all of you become friends? I mean, I doubt you were co-workers, given that your line of work is completely different."

Silence. Everyone looked at each other.

"...College?" Jaehyun answered uncertainly.

Minghao nodded, "Technically."

"I honestly don't remember," Jungkook admitted.

"I do!" Seokmin announced proudly. Everyone turned to look at him. "I collected them... like Pokémon."

Jaehyun nodded. "You did."

Without warning, Seokmin shot up from his seat. He pointed dramatically toward absolutely nothing. "GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL!"

He even threw in a fist pump for good measure. The entire restaurant fell silent. A little kid from another table gasped excitedly, while their mother sighed.

Minghao closed his eyes. "I don't know him."

"You've known me for almost ten years." Seokmin laughed as he sat down again.

"I've tolerated you for almost ten years." Minghao corrected.

Jungkook rubbed his temples. Eunwoo offered an apologetic smile to the surrounding tables. You looked at Mingyu, "Is he always like this?"

Mingyu smiled as he reached under the table to intertwine his fingers with yours. "This is actually one of his calmer days."

"You're joking, right?"

"I wish I were, baby."

You couldn't help but laugh. And just like that, the nerves you'd carried into the restaurant quietly disappeared. As all of you fell into casual conversation, a memory resurfaced again. As much as you want to shake it off, it started playing in your head.

The first time you'd met Jeonghan's friends. Joshua and Seungcheol had welcomed you politely enough.

"It's nice to meet you."

"You too."

For a moment, you'd thought the night would go well. Then the conversation shifted. University stories, military enlistment, old classmates. Inside jokes that had everyone at the table laughing.

You smiled whenever everyone else did, hoping it looked natural. Every now and then, Joshua would glance your way with an apologetic smile, almost as if he realized you'd been quiet for a while.

Seungcheol tried once. "So, Y/N, what do you—"

Before you could answer, Jeonghan interrupted with a story of his own. The conversation drifted away again. You spent the rest of dinner pushing your food around your plate, wondering if anyone had noticed you'd barely spoken at all. By the time you got home, you couldn't remember if Joshua and Seungcheol knew anything about you other than your name.

"Y/N, you're coming next week, right?" Jaehyun asked.

"Sorry, what's next week?" You asked, turning to Mingyu. He smiled and held your hand, "We do this every week, baby. It's okay if you don't want to go, but just know that the invitation is always open."

"You're so whipped." Jungkook teased, handing his card to pay the bill.

Seeing this, you quickly grabbed your wallet, but Mingyu stopped you. "Don't. Jungkook is paying this week. Next week is on Seokmin." He turned to Jungkook and said, "Also, I don't care. She's my person."

You smiled to yourself, quietly slipping your wallet back into your bag. It wasn't just the way Mingyu said things. It was how naturally they came to him.

"My prettiest girlfriend."

"She's my person."

He never hesitated; not once. Never second-guessed himself. If there was one thing you'd quickly learned after dating Kim Mingyu, it was that he loved loudly. Within an hour of making things official, his lockscreen had changed. By dinner, his profile picture followed. By the end of the night, his Instagram bio proudly read: ♥️ @yourusername.

Seungkwan kept telling you that you shouldn't compare Mingyu and Jeonghan, but you couldn't help it. They were just... different. Seungkwan would argue that they both loved differently and the way you love is just more in tune with Mingyu. He'd often tell you, "You and Hannie hyung are just way too different."

"What if we matched profile pictures?" You asked Jeonghan.

Jeonghan glanced up from his phone. "...Why?"

"I don't know." You shrugged. "It'd be cute. Besides, everyone would know that we're together."

"Y/N, I don't really see the point." Jeonghan huffed. "I mean, everyone knows we're dating. There's no need to publicize it on Instagram. I'm barely online, anyway. What matters is I love you, and you love me, right?"

Not wanting things to escalate, you gave him a small smile and decided to tease him, "Okay, Barney the Dinosaur."

Jeonghan laughed. "Wow!"

You were dropped off by Mingyu an hour ago. You were just grabbing a snack when you received a notification that Mingyu changed his profile picture. To your surprise, it was a picture of the two of you at dinner a while ago. The picture was taken by Jungkook, and it was a great candid shot.

[Prettiest GF]: Kim Mingyu [Handsome]: ♥️♥️♥️♥️ [Prettiest GF]: You're unbelievable. Can't believe your pfp is a candid photo of us 😭💀 [Handsome]: HAHAHAHA, but I'm YOUR unbelievable, though. I'll pick you up at work tomorrow, okay? Get some sleep, pretty. Good night. I love you so much ♥️

Your smile slowly faded. Then, before you could stop it, another memory surfaced.

It had only been a few months into your relationship with Jeonghan. You'd spent the entire evening convincing yourself to say it. When he walked you to your apartment, you took a deep breath.

"Jeonghan?"

"Hm?"

"I... I love you." You stuttered.

The words slipped out before you could lose your nerve. Jeonghan looked at you. Then, he smiled. A small, almost amused smile.

"You do?"

You felt your cheeks warm and nodded. "I do."

He tucked his hands into his pockets and looked down for a second. "I think," he started, searching for the right words. "it's still a little early for me to say that."

Your smile faltered for the briefest moment. "Oh."

"It's not that I don't like you." He was quick to clarify. "I just don't say things unless I'm completely sure."

You nodded. "Right."

"I don't want to tell you I love you because it feels like the right time." He reached over and gently squeezed your hand. "When I say it, I want to mean it."

You smiled. "I understand."

And you did. You really did. It just didn't stop your heart from sinking when you got home.

You stared at your phone. Your thumb hovered over the keyboard. I love you, too. The words came so easily in your head. Your fingers, however, refused to type them. Instead...

[Prettiest GF]: Good night, Gyu ♥️

HERE'S TO HOPIN'

Being loved by Kim Mingyu was easy.

He'd show up outside your office with an iced coffee before work because he'd remembered you mentioning you were tired the night before. If you forgot an umbrella, he'd somehow already have one waiting in his car. When you complained about skipping lunch, he'd quietly drop off your favorite food with a sticky note that simply read: eat ♥️

He loved loudly. Somehow, that scared you more than you'd ever admit. It wasn't because he was too much. It was because every day, he gave you another reason to believe he'd stay. And a tiny part of you kept wondering what it would feel like if one day, he didn't.

The following Friday came around quicker than expected. Like clockwork, Mingyu was waiting outside your office building. The moment he spotted you walking out, his face lit up.

"There she is." Mingyu smiled, jogging over to you.

You smiled despite yourself. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Nah." Mingyu shook his head, grabbing your bag from you.

You took a good look at him, squinted your eyes suspiciously. "You've been here for twenty minutes, haven't you?"

"Hm," Mingyu scratched the back of his neck. "maybe."

You laughed before slipping your hand into his. "You're unbelievable."

"But I'm your unbelievable." He grinned, swinging your hands as you walked, making you laugh.

Dinner with the boys felt as chaotic as ever. Seungkwan somehow invited himself this week. No one really minded. They all liked Seungkwan, anyway. He was their gossip dealer, and what's life without any gossip?

"I'd just like everyone to know," he announced proudly while taking a seat, "that this relationship exists because of me."

"Here we go," Jaehyun sighed.

"I changed two lives." Seungkwan said, pretending to cry.

"You set up one blind date, Seungkwan-ah." Jungkook corrected. "You didn't cure cancer."

Minghao took a sip of his tea. "The Nobel Peace Prize committee must've missed your email."

"I deserve a medal!" Seungkwan exclaimed, while grabbing some food to put on his plate.

"I'll buy you dinner, Kwannie," Mingyu offered.

"I want a statue." Seungkwan said, taking a bite of food.

You laughed, looked at Mingyu, and then at Seungkwan. "I'll name our first born after you."

Seungkwan gasped dramatically, giving Seokmin whiplash. Seungkwan was practically shaking in his seat. "You mean it?"

"No." You said. The table erupted into laughter. Mingyu quietly placed another piece of grilled meat onto your plate.

"You haven't eaten enough," Mingyu said quietly.

"You worry too much." You chuckled lightly. Mingyu pouted, "I know. Sorry."

You looked at him and cupped his face with your hands. "Don't apologize for caring. I appreciate that you worry about me."

His smile returned instantly.

After dinner, the two of you sat on the hood of Mingyu's car overlooking the Han River. The city lights danced across the water. Neither of you spoke. It wasn't awkward. It never was.

Mingyu was staring at the river. "Can I ask you something?"

You turned toward him, and nodded. "Of course. Ask away."

He stayed quiet for another moment. You waited patiently. He took a deep breath and looked at you. "Do I... love you more than you love me?"

Your stomach dropped. "What?"

He laughed softly. "I know how that sounded, and I'm not asking because I'm upset."

"Mingyu..."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I've just been thinking." He looked over at you. "You never say that you love me back. I mean, you smile, you hold my hand, you kiss me, you call me when you get home, you do all these things..." He smiled. "but you never say it."

Your chest tightened. You didn't know what to say, truly. He quickly shook his head. "I'm not keeping score, I promise. I just..." His smile faded. "Sometimes it feels like you're always waiting for something bad to happen."

"Gyu, I..."

"Honey, I don't know how to convince you that I'm not already halfway out the door. I feel like you're already grieving something that hasn't happened yet, like you're waiting for me to leave before I've even gone anywhere." Mingyu said sadly.

Your eyes immediately welled with tears. "No, Gyu..."

He reached for your hand instinctively. "I know you care about me."

"I do."

"I know." Mingyu gave you a small smile before he looked away. "I just... sometimes I wonder if I'm loving you too loudly."

The words shattered something inside you.

"No." Your voice cracked. "It's not you, Gyu."

He looked back. You took a shaky breath. "It's me."

He looked at you and patiently waited for you to explain your side.

"I know you're not Jeonghan."

His expression softened immediately.

"I've never compared you to him because I wanted to." You said, another tear rolled down your cheek. "I compare you because... I'm scared. So, so scared."

You laughed weakly through your tears. "I didn't think I'd survive that. I barely did. I mean, that was four years of my life."

Mingyu nodded in understanding.

"Then you came along." You smiled at him. "You loved me so easily, so openly, so fearlessly. It's all so new to me because it wasn't like that with Jeonghan."

You looked down at your intertwined hands. "Every time you tell me you love me, a tiny part of me keeps thinking, 'what if this is the last time?", and I don't want to know how you'll leave me. I don't ever want to know what you'll look like when you leave."

Your voice was barely above a whisper. "I love you a lot, Mingyu. I've been too scared to say it out loud."

For a long time, Mingyu didn't say anything. He simply looked at you. Then, he cupped your face with both hands. His thumbs brushed away your tears.

"I'll stay with you," His forehead rested against yours. "for as long as you want me to be."

You closed your eyes.

"I can't promise that we'll never fight. I can't promise I won't disappoint you. I can't promise that life won't get hard." A tiny smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "But I can promise you one thing..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm not looking for an exit."

A sob escaped your lips. You wrapped your arms around him. "I love you."

You felt him smile against your hair. "I know."

You pulled back just enough to look at him. "No, you don't."

His eyebrows lifted as you laughed through your tears. You took a deep, trembling breath, "I love you so much."

For the first time since you'd known him, Kim Mingyu was speechless. He simply pulled you into another hug. Holding you as though you had all the time in the world.

"For the record," he smiled. "I also hope I never see what you look like when you leave either." He gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.

"I mean, the Lord knows I've memorized your face so well, and I'd search for it everywhere until my next life." A tiny laugh escaped him. "You're it for me, honey."

a/n: tysm for all the love you've sent my way for the hoshi installment of this series! i hope you give mingyu's installment the same love i gave while writing it xo

Series taglist: @joongtime @neotannies @seungkwanglazer

[farfromharry]

Hiiii!! I've just read a lot of tomdaya and d*m stuff on your blog and I hope you dont get spammed with that anymore HAHAHAHA it's clearly stressing you out. So, I hope you have a chill day/night and here's a picture of Harry to make you feel better 🤍 (you prolly have this pic already but sksks)

any picture of harry is welcome here as many times as you’d like. thank you very very much, it is greatly appreciated 😌😌

[kelieah]

Hiii! Question: is there part 2 for "our future"? 😭✋🏼 i HAVE A FEELING THAT SMTH BAD HAPPENED SKSKSGS

yep! usually when my fics have a [1] that indicates they’ll be more parts

and what do you meaannn? 😱

our future (peter parker x reader) [1]

[asonofpeter]

I hate men too so I'll stick with my fictional dudes 😌🤍

Yes fictional men are the best ☺️

[shuajunice]

stupid song | K.S.Y

Pairing: bff!hoshi x reader Summary: Everybody thinks you're dating Kwon Soonyoung. He does everything a boyfriend would do: saves you a seat, walks you home, remembers your coffee order, always there when it matters most. The only problem is he isn't your boyfriend. Not because you don't want him to be, or because he doesn't feel the same. Just bad timing—distance, careers, and two people who never say what everyone already knows. With summer ending in New York, you'll have to decide whether Kwon Soonyoung is worth risking everything for. The answer, unfortunately, has never been the problem. Warning/s: - Note: This is part of my you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love series! :) Song: stupid song by olivia rodrigo

drop dead | stupid song

STUPID FRIENDS

Vernon was way too excited for his own good. Who could blame him? Vernon wasn’t supposed to inherit his childhood apartment this early. The apartment that he and his sister grew up in was finally being transferred to his name because the rest of the family will be moving to the Upper East Side. After signing the papers, he immediately called his friends back in Seoul to invite them over and christen the place with booze and good vibes.

That's why everyone's at the airport now. Seungcheol was holding everyone's passports and boarding passes, Jeonghan made sure everyone was together, and he even made a buddy system. Joshua packed snacks for everyone in his carry-on ("airport snacks are pricey, okay??" Joshua said.), Jun was playing Genshin Impact with Wonwoo, Jihoon was listening to music, Seokmin was scrolling through his phone, Minghao was reading a book, Seungkwan was giving Vernon updates, Mingyu and Chan were doing TikTok challenges, and you and Soonyoung were walking around the airport.

Jeonghan sighed and crossed his legs. Joshua turned to him, "What's wrong?"

"Are Y/N and Soonie back yet?" Jeonghan asked. "Cheol will get pissed if he wakes up from his nap and finds them still gone."

"Nope. They're not back yet." Joshua said. "That couple should really come back now." He pulled out his phone and began texting.

Just then, Seungcheol woke up from his nap. He adjusted his sitting position and rubbed his eyes. "Where's the crazy couple?"

"Not back yet." Jeonghan and Joshua said in unison, prepared for Seungcheol's wrath, but were shocked when he didn't react. Just then, they heard familiar laughter.

"Yah! It's about damn time that you came back!" Jeonghan raised his voice, earning looks from the rest of the group.

"Well, we weren't going to leave. We just roamed around." You shrugged as Soonyoung fixed your hair before handing you a bottled water that's already been opened.

"Drink some water. It's good for you. You had so much candy." Soonyoung said, earning you a small, appreciative smile before you drank.

Mingyu and Dino, who stopped their TikToks, looked at the two of you with their jaws dropped before turning to look at each other.

"They're such a cute couple," Mingyu said. "I'm happy for them."

"Me too. It makes my single ass lonely, though." Chan shook his head.

-

Vernon's apartment was full and lively. He didn't need to invite anyone else over for his housewarming party. After all, you guys were all he had. He didn't have any friends from New York before he left for Korea. So, seeing all of you made his heart swell.

"Ugh, they're so annoying." Seungkwan rolled his eyes. Vernon gave him a look, "Who?"

"Y/N and Soonyoung." Seungkwan shook his head and took a sip of his beer. "Like, oh my god, he's not going to leave you. He'll just buy some more beer with Wonwoo."

Vernon looked in the direction Seungkwan was looking and nodded, "Ahh, I see it now. Since when were they together?"

"I don't know, and I don't care, but they better cut that out, or I'll lose it," Seungkwan said, earning a chuckle from Vernon.

"I'll be back, Y/Nie." Soonyoung cooed, squishing your cheek. "The sooner I leave, the sooner I'll get back."

You smiled, "Okay! Go on."

Wonwoo watched the whole thing with a disgusted look on his face. He couldn't bear the clinginess. So much so that he told Jun and Jihoon to join them in buying more drinks and snacks.

At the convenience store, Soonyoung was looking around for snacks that everyone wanted. Wonwoo, Jihoon, and Jun were just following behind him.

"I swear, they're so tiring to look at," Wonwoo sighed, crossing his arms. "We get it, you're dating. Shut up now."

"For real." Jun nodded in agreement.

"I mean, they're happy, so," Jihoon shrugged. "I don't really care, but I can see why you're annoyed... well, everyone's annoyed."

"You just haven't been stuck with them, that's why." Jun defended.

"Thank god for that, then." Jihoon snickered.

"Guys, do you think Y/N's in the mood for Buldak? Their choices vary all the time when we drink. Last time, they wanted donuts. Before that, they wanted buffalo wings and pizza. Usually, Buldak is their go-to, but I'm not sure what they like tonight." Soonyoung pouted.

"Just send them a text so we can go." Wonwoo huffed.

"We need to buy some ice, too." Jun reminded.

"This basket's getting heavy with the drinks. Call them now." Jihoon sighed, putting the basket on the floor.

"Great idea!" Soonyuong grinned and pulled out his phone before stopping. Seeing this, Jihoon groaned, "What now?"

"I'll just buy them everything they might like: Buldak, pizza, donuts, buffalo wings, and pizza. It's no biggie. Let's go." Soonyoung grinned.

"Jesus." Jun closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

-

Soonyoung came back from the convenience store like nothing had happened, arms full of snacks and drinks, as if he were personally responsible for feeding everyone in New York.

"You guys bought A LOT!" Seungcheol exclaimed. "How many people are we feeding?"

"Yeah, there's only fourteen of us here," Jeonghan added.

Wonwoo grunted as he put the stuff he carried on the counter, "Soonyoung is to blame."

"I got everything," he said proudly, setting the bags down on the counter. "Just in case Y/N changes their mind again."

You were already sitting on the floor by the couch, knees pulled up, scrolling through your phone. Soonyoung immediately dropped beside you anyway. Close. Too close. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. He nudged a bottle of water toward you. "Drink."

You did.

Across the room, Seungkwan groaned. "I'm going to lose my mind."

Joshua didn't even look up this time. "Just let it happen."

Mingyu laughed under his breath like he was watching a show he'd seen before and still found entertaining. Jeonghan was quiet, eyes flicking between the two of you for a second too long before he looked away. Seungcheol just leaned back on the couch, arms crossed, like he'd already accepted whatever this was supposed to be.

Meanwhile, Soonyoung was still talking.

"I got you Buldak, donuts, the chips you like, and—oh, I wasn’t sure what you wanted, so I just got everything,” he said, turning slightly towards you. "I also ordered pizza and buffalo wings for you. You can pick later."

You hummed in agreement, like this was normal. Like he wasn't hovering like that. Like everyone wasn't staring. Soonyoung smiled anyway, satisfied, and leaned back beside you like he belonged there.

WE'RE STUPID

Seungkwan was getting tired. Not in the dramatic, I-need-a-break-from-people kind of way. More like the slow, creeping realization that something everyone else found funny had started happening a little too often.

It was Soonyoung again. Of course it was.

He was fixing your jacket even though it wasn’t cold, leaning in too close while talking like personal space was optional, laughing at things that weren’t even jokes if they came from you. And you—you just let it happen.

Seungkwan frowned into his drink. At first, it had been annoying. Then funny. Then something to tease them about. Now, it was just... consistent. Like a habit, nobody bothered correcting anymore.

Morning came loudly in Vernon's apartment. If he wanted his apartment christened, it definitely was.

Too many people had stayed up too late, too many drinks had been opened “just one more time,” and now the entire living room looked like it was negotiating peace with gravity.

Mingyu was half-dead on the couch. Jun was asleep, sitting upright. Jihoon looked personally offended by the concept of morning. Someone had lost a slipper, and no one knew who.

Seungkwan, unfortunately, was awake.

He stood in the kitchen, staring at the mess like it had personally wronged him. "Absolutely not," he muttered to himself.

From the hallway, shuffling footsteps approached. You appeared first, hair a mess, blinking like the world had loaded incorrectly. Of course, Soonyoung followed right behind.

“You didn’t drink enough water last night,” he said, voice already annoyed in a way that sounded suspiciously like concern. He reached past Seungkwan without acknowledging him and placed a bottle in front of you. “Drink.”

You squinted at it. "I'm alive."

"That's not the point."

"You're not my mom," You mumbled, but still took the bottle.

Soonyoung looked offended by that for exactly half a second before softening again. "Just drink it. Please."

Seungkwan stared into the distance. This was worse in the morning. Did he somehow gain superpowers overnight and become invisible? Shaking his head, he stormed to the living room.

"I'm not doing this," Seungkwan said to himself before waking Mingyu up. "Get up."

Mingyu groaned.

"Wake up!" Seungkwan hissed. "I need you, or I'll go crazy."

Mingyu groaned again as he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What's the matter?"

"That." Seungkwan pointed vaguely toward the kitchen.

"Oh," Mingyu said, now fully awake. He saw it, too.

Soonyoung was now making Y/N sit down like they were fragile furniture, pushing a glass of water into their hands while checking if they needed food. Y/N was protesting weakly but doing none of the work to stop him.

Mingyu watched for a second. Then he stood up. Seungkwan wanted to rip his hair out.

“Where are you going?” Seungkwan asked.

Mingyu grabbed his phone. “Waking up, Dino. I refuse to be the only sober witness to this relationship again.”

“I knew I hated you,” Seungkwan muttered.

Mingyu shrugged. “Guess I'll have to live with that.”

Mingyu disappeared down the hallway. Seungkwan stayed where he was, staring at Soonyoung hovering over Y/N like it was the most natural thing in the world.

You leaned back slightly, exhausted, letting Soonyoung fuss over you without resistance. Soonyoung looked completely normal doing it.

Seungkwan exhaled through his nose, "I need better friends."

-

Wonwoo didn’t understand why everyone insisted on going out when they were hungover. But Seungcheol had said something about groceries, Jeonghan had called it “fresh air therapy,” and somehow that translated into all of them being outside in New York before noon like it was a reasonable decision.

Spoiler alert: it wasn't.

The city was too loud for how little sleep they’d had. People were walking fast, always had somewhere to be. Cars were honking. Wonwoo was tempted to ask Vernon if it was really like this in The Big Apple, but he didn't want to seem rude or ungrateful. In truth, he was just hungover, sleepy, and he wanted to play the new game on his Nintendo Switch.

Mingyu was walking slightly ahead, still complaining about Seungkwan yelling at him earlier. Jihoon looked like he regretted being alive. Jun had sunglasses on indoors and didn’t bother taking them off. Wonwoo stayed a step behind. Unfortunately for him, Soonyoung was there, too.

He was walking beside you without thinking about it, matching your pace like it was automatic. You looked like you were surviving purely out of spite and water intake.

Soonyoung had already given you a bottle. More than one, actually. “You need to eat something,” he said, like it was a fact he was personally responsible for enforcing.

"I will," you muttered. "Later."

"That's what you said an hour ago."

"I'm still alive, aren't I?"

Soonyoung didn't answer that. Instead, he adjusted the strap of your bag without asking, as if his hands already knew what to do.

Wonwoo watched it happen. Again. Not new. Not surprising. Just... continuous.

The group stopped at the crosswalk. You leaned slightly toward Soonyoung without noticing. Soonyoung shifted instantly to match, making space for you while taking up none at all. Slowly, you held Soonyoung's hand, and he interlaced your fingers.

Wonwoo blinked once. That was new. Leaning towards each other was old news, but holding hands with interlaced fingers? Definitely hadn't happened before.

This wasn’t affection in the way people usually thought about it. There was no performance to it. No awareness. That was the problem.

Jihoon spoke in a hushed voice beside him, "That's new."

Wonwoo glanced at him, "Hm?"

Jihoon nodded at your intertwined hands, "That."

Wonwoo nodded before sighing to himself. Soonyoung was now pointing at a café like he was negotiating terms. You were shaking your head. Soonyoung looked personally offended by the idea of them not eating.

Wonwoo watched Soonyoung lean slightly closer to hear what Y/N was saying, like the world outside them didn’t matter.

"Are they even dating?" Jihoon asked. "I know we joke around a lot, but this isn't funny anymore."

Wonwoo didn't respond immediately. He stood and observed you and Soonyoung until it was time to cross the road.

-

The next morning came more slowly. Less chaotic, but heavier in a different way. Soonyoung was already awake when Y/N found him. That wasn't unusual. What was unusual was that he didn't say anything immediately.

You leaned against the kitchen counter. "Soonie."

He looked up.

"Can I... have a break from you for a while?"

The words didn't land loudly. They didn't need to. Soonyoung blinked once.

"Oh," he said.

It wasn't dramatic, but something in his expression shifted slightly. It was as if he hadn't considered the idea before it was already happening. Actually, he had never thought of the possibility of you being away from him for a second.

Y/N softened a little. “It’s not like that. I just— I’m gonna go out with Hannie and Joshua today. I promised we’d go shopping around the city.”

“That’s fine,” Soonyoung said quickly. Too quickly. Then, after a beat, “But you can go shopping any day. We’re here for a week. Besides, I wanted to go to Central Park with you because I know how much you love 'Enchanted'.”

"That's so sweet of you, Soonie," you said softly. "I'll come back, don't worry."

That seemed to quiet him a little, but not fully.

Jeonghan appeared at the kitchen entrance like he'd been summoned by tension. "Oh!" he said brightly, glancing between you two. "Perfect timing."

Joshua was right behind him, dressed like he was going to do a street photo shoot with Vogue magazine.

Jeonghan clapped his hands once. "Shua and I are so looking forward to our shopping spree! We didn't pay extra for check-in for nothing. Let's go, Y/Nie."

"Wait, now?!" Soonyoung exclaimed.

Joshua nodded immediately. "Yep. Clothes aren't going to shop themselves, so..."

You hesitated for half a second, then grabbed your bag. Soonyoung straightened slightly. “Wait—”

Jeonghan didn’t let the moment breathe. “Okay! Let’s go,” he said, looping an arm through Y/N’s and gently steering them away from the kitchen. Then, over his shoulder, “We’ll be back later!”

Soonyoung glanced at Joshua and said, "Hyung, make sure Y/N eats, okay? They've been skipping meals, I just know it."

Joshua gave Soonyoung a small, polite smile that didn’t really say anything at all, and followed. The door clicked shut behind him.

The apartment was quiet again. Soonyoung stayed where he was for a moment longer than necessary. Then he looked toward the door. Then away.

He told himself that nothing had changed, that it was just shopping, and that you'd be back in no time, but the space beside him stayed empty a little longer than he liked. And for the first time, he didn’t fill it immediately.

-

By the time you left the last store, you had bags hanging from both arms and a smile that had finally stopped looking forced. You were like Cher Horowitz after she went shopping.

Jeonghan had somehow convinced you and Joshua to try on multiple outfits you didn't need, but ended up buying. Joshua bought something for Vernon's apartment and more clothes for himself ("I'll be donating some of my clothes to charity because I'm preparing for the Christmas Drive even though it's so far away," Joshua said.). All three of you had lost track of how long you'd been out.

Joshua glanced at the time on his phone, then paused. "Oh," he said.

Jeonghan looked over. "What?"

"I forgot something Soonie told me," Joshua stated.

You immediately narrowed your eyes. "Why are you two talking about him?"

Joshua smiled. "He asked me to make sure you eat today."

Jeonghan stopped walking and fully turned to Joshua. "He did?"

Joshua nodded. "Apparently, you skip meals when you're busy."

"He's so dramatic," you groaned.

"Maybe," Joshua shrugged. "But he sounded worried."

Jeonghan hooked an arm through yours. "Okay, then. We're eating before we go back."

"I was going to eat anyway."

"Sure," Jeonghan said easily. "But we're making it an event."

You ended up in a small restaurant a few blocks away, squeezed into a booth with your shopping bags piled beside you.

The server had barely placed the menus on the table before Jeonghan picked his up, scanned it once, then looked up. "Excuse me," he called, already raising a hand.

You stared at him. "Hannie."

"What?" Jeonghan asked innocently.

Joshua looked down at his own unopened menu. "We just got here."

"I know what you both like," Jeonghan said, completely unfazed. Then, when the server returned, he started ordering enough food for all three of them without asking. You and Joshua exchanged a look—appalled, but not really. Jeonghan finished, handed the menu back, and smiled like he’d done everyone a favor.

"There," he said. "Now nobody has to think."

Joshua laughed softly. "You’re impossible."

"And yet," Jeonghan replied, leaning back in his seat, "you’ll eat everything."

Joshua took a sip of his water, then glanced at your plate when the food arrived. "You’re actually eating," he said, sounding quietly pleased.

You looked up with a raised brow. "Um, yeah? I'm, like, starving."

"I'm just saying." Joshua smiled. "Soonie would be happy."

You sighed. "He'd be happy if I drank water, ate food, wore a jacket, slept eight hours, called him when I get home, texted him in the morning, video-called him during my lunch break, went out with him on the weekends..."

Jeonghan snickered and picked up his fork. "He's very attentive, and he wants attention."

"Well, he's like that with everyone," You said.

Joshua and Jeonghan exchanged a look. Then Joshua asked, "Is he?"

You paused. Jeonghan leaned back in his seat. "He cares about all of us, sure. But with you, it’s different."

"Different how?"

Joshua thought for a moment. "He notices things before you say them."

"Your food," Jeonghan added. "When you’re tired. When you’re cold, even when you insist you aren’t."

You looked down at your fork, trying not to smile. "He's just... Soonie," you said.

"That doesn't answer anything," Jeonghan said lightly.

"What are you even asking?"

Joshua smiled into his drink. "Do you like that he's like that with you?"

You blinked at him. Jeonghan tilted his head. "Because you always let him do those things, Y/Nie."

You opened your mouth, then closed it again. "I don't know," you said eventually, though it came out softer than you meant it to.

Joshua nodded, leaving it there. "That's okay."

"We're not trying to make you confess," Jeonghan said, finally reaching for his food. "We're just curious."

"Why?"

"Because from the outside," he said, smiling, "you two are very obvious."

You groaned, covering your face for a second. "You're both annoying."

Joshua laughed softly. Jeonghan grinned. "And yet, you're smiling."

You lowered your hands, still smiling despite yourself.

-

Somewhere back at Vernon's apartment, Soonyoung was probably wondering whether you had eaten yet. And, annoyingly, you liked that Soonyoung cared enough to tell Joshua to make sure you ate.

By the time Soonyoung checked his phone for the nth time, Vernon had stopped pretending not to notice. The apartment had settled into a quieter afternoon. Seungcheol and Jihoon were watching something on the television with the volume too low to follow. Jun was asleep again. Mingyu and Chan had disappeared to the kitchen with a camera, some food, and a terrible mukbang idea.

Soonyoung sat on the couch, staring at the message you sent an hour ago.

[y/nie 🥰💕]: still shopping! don't wait up :)

He had reacted with a thumbs-up. He debated with himself on whether or not he should send a message to ask if you've eaten.

Vernon sat next to him, taking a sip of his iced tea. "You know they're just shopping, right?"

Soonyoung looked at him. "I know, but it's taking too long."

"Well, they're in one of the fashion capitals. Of course, they'd take their time shopping." Vernon said as he leaned back.

"I'm not worried, if that's what you're thinking," Soonyoung said.

Vernon nodded slowly, not believing it for a second. "Sure."

Soonyoung frowned at that. "What?"

"Nothing."

Oh, it was definitely something. Soonyoung looked back down at his phone, then toward the bags of chips on the coffee table. He had picked up your favorite chips earlier without thinking. They sat beside a bottle of water he’d put there, thinking you'd be home earlier than expected. Vernon followed his gaze.

"You saved those for Y/N?" Vernon asked.

Soonyoung glanced at the chips. "They like those."

"Right."

"Y/N will probably be hungry when they get back. They like to eat chips after a tiring day, you know." Soonyoung said, all dazed and distracted.

Vernon turned to look at him for a moment. Then he said, "Y/N's so easy to love, no?"

Soonyoung blinked. The question sat between them longer than it should have. "Yeah," he said eventually, voice softer. "They are."

Vernon watched him carefully. Soonyoung realized, a second too late, what he had just said. He laughed and looked away. "I mean, everyone loves Y/N. They're easy to be around."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

Soonyoung’s smile stayed on his face, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Vernonie," he said, half-warning, half-embarrassed.

Vernon only shrugged. "I'm just saying."

"So am I."

"Are you?"

Soonyoung opened his mouth. Nothing came out. From the hallway, the front door unlocked. Soonyoung looked up immediately. Too quickly. Your voice floated in from the entryway, followed by Jeonghan complaining about shopping bags and Joshua laughing at him. Soonyoung stood before he even seemed to realize he was doing it. Vernon watched him go, and this time, he didn’t say anything.

STUPIDLY IN LOVE

Vernon stood in the middle of the living room with a drink in one hand and an expression that told everyone he had been forced into this.

The apartment was louder than usual. Empty bottles crowded the coffee table, someone had connected their phone to the speaker, and the skyline outside the windows had turned a deep shade of blue.

"Okay," Vernon said, raising his glass. "Before anyone gets too drunk, I have something to say."

The room quieted almost immediately. Seungkwan narrowed his eyes. "Why do you look like you’re about to announce something?"

"I’m not announcing anything," Vernon said. "Just listen."

Jeonghan leaned closer to Joshua. "He practiced this."

"I did not," Vernon muttered. Then he looked around the room. Everyone across the couch and floor. The bags were half-packed by the door. The people who had filled an apartment that had felt too quiet for too long.

"New York's looking so blue," he began, glancing toward the window, "and I'd like to think that it's mirroring what I'm feeling now."

There was a beat of silence. Mingyu’s mouth dropped open. "Whoa."

"Who are you?" Chan asked, staring at him.

Vernon ignored them. "It's bittersweet to let you guys go, and I'll definitely miss all the noise," he continued, a little faster now, like he wanted to get it over with. "But I hope you enjoyed your stay, and I hope I was a decent host."

For a second, nobody said anything. Then Seungkwan sniffed loudly and walked over to hug Vernon. "Oh my god," he said. "That was actually sweet."

"I hate that I liked it," Jihoon added from the couch.

Minghao smiled warmly. "You were a great host, Vernon."

Seungcheol lifted his glass. "The best. Even if your apartment is now permanently haunted by twelve people's laundry."

"Fourteen," Jeonghan corrected.

"Exactly," Seungcheol said.

Laughter filled the room again, warm and messy and familiar. Vernon smiled despite himself, lifting his drink a little higher. "To New York," he said.

"To New York!" Everyone echoed.

Beside you, Soonyoung's shoulder brushed against yours. Neither of you moved away.

The night went on in a blur of music, laughter, and Seungkwan arguing with Mingyu over the playlist. You stood by the fire escape for a moment, looking out at the city. New York City really was blue tonight.

Naturally, Soonyoung found you. "Cold?" he asked, already taking off his jacket.

"I'm okay."

He still draped it over your shoulders. You looked at him. "Soonie."

He paused. For once, he didn't laugh it off. He looked into your eyes, and instantly knew what you were about to say.

"I know," he said quietly. The music inside faded behind you. You held the jacket closer. "Everyone keeps saying things."

He nodded, "They do."

"And you never correct them."

Soonyoung looked down at the floor, then back at you. "Do you want me to?"

Something about whatever you and Soonyoung were made you hesitate. It felt right because he knew you so well, but wrong because he was your friend.

Still, lately, every stupid love song seemed to make sense whenever Soonyoung looked after you like you were the only person in the room.

"No," you replied, almost too softly to hear.

Soonyoung moved closer, not close enough to touch, but close enough that you could feel his warmth. "I don't want to either," he confessed. "I think I've been pretending it's normal because I didn't know what would happen if I said it out loud."

You gave him a small, nervous smile. "We're stupid."

Soonyoung laughed under his breath. "Yeah," he said. "But I really like you."

You looked at him for a second, then reached for his hand. "I really like you, too."

For a second, neither of you said anything. Soonyoung's smile came slowly, as if he were trying not to make how relieved he was too obvious. Then he carefully reached for your hand, like he was still expecting you to pull away at any second.

You didn't. Instead, you laced your fingers together. From inside, someone cheered at something on the television, followed by Seungkwan yelling about the playlist again. The noise made you laugh.

"So," Soonyoung said, squeezing your hand once, "are we going back in?"

You looked at him, then at the apartment full of your friends. "Yeah," you said. "Before everyone realizes they were right, and they definitely told us so."

Soonyoung could only laugh.

When you went back inside, your hands were still intertwined. Seungkwan noticed first. He opened his mouth, probably ready to say something dramatic, but Jeonghan covered it with his hand before he could. Across the room, Vernon only smiled.

This time, when someone called you a couple, you'd only smile.

a/n: ahhh stupid song is finished! hope you guys had fun reading this as much as i had fun writing it

Series taglist: @joongtime @neotannies

[shuajunice]

maggots for brains | J.W.W

Pairing: military!wonwoo x popstar!reader Summary: The biggest pop star in the world is on the tour of a lifetime. Jeon Wonwoo is counting down the days until she comes back for him. Everyone says he should stop dreaming. Warning/s: military!wonwoo, non-idol wonwoo, long time idol!y/n, other svt members are in the military for this purpose bc i'm too lazy to make up names, ppl think he's delulu, most likely inaccurate portrayal of the rules in the military but it's fictional anyway Note: This is part of my you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love series! The POV is different in this fic bc I feel like it's better for this theme. Song: maggots for brains by olivia rodrigo

drop dead | stupid song | honeybee | maggots for brains

DELUSIONAL Y/N FAN

There was a rule in the barracks. Well, an unspoken rule at that. Newbies have been warned, and seasoned soldiers are alert. The rule? If you left your phone unattended and it buzzes, everyone looks.

"Jeon."

Wonwoo didn't bother looking up from the novel in his hands. "Hm?"

"You've got a notification."

Across the room, Mingyu craned his neck dramatically toward Wonwoo's bunk before gasping loud enough for the entire platoon to hear.

"Oh, my god." Mingyu's jaw dropped.

Wonwoo sighed. "What?"

"It's her!" Mingyu exclaimed. That got everyone's attention.

Seungkwan sat up from where he'd been lying on his bed. "Y/N posted?"

Mingyu nodded solemnly. "Yup."

Wonwoo reached over for his phone. The movement was small. Casual, even.

"You have post notifications on?" Chan asked, genuinely horrified.

"...No," Wonwoo muttered.

"You picked up your phone before you even checked who it was." Chan pointed out.

Wonwoo unlocked his screen and opened Instagram. Just as Mingyu had confirmed, Y/N had posted. His thumb lingered over the screen. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Seungkwan saw the smile on his face, and he was amused.

"Oh, he's sick," Seungkwan laughed. "He's actually sick."

Wonwoo ignored him. The first photo was exactly what he expected. Another stadium, another sea of lights, another sold-out show. The second was backstage. The third—his smile grew bigger without realizing it.

"Wonwoo!" Soonyoung called.

"What?" Wonwoo echoed.

"You smiled." Soonyoung teased. Wonwoo looked at him and said, "...Did I?"

"You did!" Soonyoung chuckled.

"Oh, he smiled," Chan confirmed, pointing accusingly. "I saw his teeth!"

Wonwoo looked back down at his phone. "It was funny."

"What was?"

He hesitated. "...Nothing."

Mingyu lunged across the space between their bunks. Wonwoo tilted the phone away just enough.

"Lemme see," Mingyu said.

"No," Wonwoo replied.

"Why not?" Mingyu pouted. "I just wanna see."

"It's my phone, Mingyu. Check your own phone." Wonwoo scoffed.

Mingyu squinted his eyes, "You're being suspicious."

"It's not suspicious."

"It is when you're guarding Y/N's Instagram like it's classified information." Mingyu rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

Wonwoo locked his phone with a quiet click. "I'm going to finish my book."

"Oh, he's embarrassed." Mingyu snickered.

"He definitely left a thirsty comment." Soonyoung chortled. "I didn't know you were that kind of fan, Wonwoo."

"I didn't leave a nasty comment," Wonwoo said, busy reading his book.

"You thought about it," Soonyoung said.

"Nope."

"You've thought about marrying her," Jihoon said from his bed.

Wonwoo blinked. "Probably."

The room fell silent. Then, the room erupted in loud laughter. Chan nearly fell off his bunk laughing. Seungkwan slapped his knee. Even Vernon looked up from the crossword puzzle he'd been pretending to solve. Mingyu wiped imaginary tears from his eyes.

"Our boy is never beating the delusional allegations." Mingyu ruffled Wonwoo's hair.

-

Training that afternoon was merciless. By the time they were dismissed, Wonwoo's shoulders ached, his boots were caked in dirt, and the only thing he wanted was to shower. Unfortunately for him, he found himself cornered outside the barracks by the self-proclaimed biggest Y/N stan, Boo Seungkwan, who had his phone out.

"Look!" Seungkwan said giddily.

Wonwoo glanced over. It was another clip from Y/N's tour. Shaky. Blurry. Someone had clearly filmed it from halfway across the stadium.

"She changed the acoustic section tonight," Seungkwan said. "Nobody saw that coming."

Wonwoo watched the first few seconds. "She wasn't feeling it."

Seungkwan frowned. "What?"

"The other song," Wonwoo answered, looking at Seungkwan in the eyes. "She wasn't feeling it."

Seungkwan huffed. "And how do you know that, Jeon?"

Wonwoo shrugged. "She always switches when she's tired."

A pause. Then Seungkwan pursed his lips, "You always say 'she always'."

"What?" Wonwoo tilted his head.

"Like," Seungkwan sighed. "'she always switches songs', 'she always wears that color', 'she always laughs like that'. Bro, you talk like you've known her your whole life."

Wonwoo only shrugged. In fact, he never argued. Arguing never helped, anyway.

That night, after lights out, the barracks settled into silence. Or as close to silence as six grown men could manage. Someone snored. Someone muttered in their sleep. Mingyu rolled over with enough force to make his bunk squeak.

Wonwoo reached beneath his pillow for his phone. One earbud. Volume low. He opened a fan-uploaded video. The quality was terrible. The audio peaked every time the crowd screamed. Still, he watched.

The camera shook violently as Y/N ran across the stage, waving at eighty thousand people like she had enough love for every single one of them. Wonwoo smiled.

"Careful," he whispered to the screen before she jogged down a staircase.

The person filming nearly dropped their phone. The video ended. Suggested clips appeared. He clicked another. Then another. Then another. A knock sounded against the metal frame above him.

"Jeon."

Wonwoo paused the video. "Yeah?"

"Go to sleep," Seokmin said sleepily. "I can see light from your phone."

"In a minute," Wonwoo said quietly.

"You said that an hour ago." Seokmin yawned.

"Mm."

Seokmin sighed and eventually dozed off. Wonwoo stared at the paused frame. She was laughing at something someone off-camera had said.

He wondered what it was. He wondered what city she'd wake up in tomorrow. His thumb hovered over the message icon before stopping. The time difference. She'd be onstage by now. He locked his phone. Rolled onto his back. Closed his eyes.

"Good night, Mrs. Y/L/N Y/N." Mingyu teased while his eyes were closed.

"Good night," Wonwoo said softly.

I SWEAR I'M TELLING THE TRUTH

Military life had a funny way of making days blur together. Wake up. Train. Eat. Train again. Sleep. Repeat. Some days went by so quickly that Wonwoo barely had time to think. Those were the good days.

Then, there were days like today. The kind where his thoughts wandered despite himself, and he moved around half-dead like a zombie.

The cafeteria had run out of coffee that morning. 'She would've complained.' Wonwoo thought.

Training had been pushed back because of the rain. 'She hates getting caught in the rain.' Wonwoo stared out the window.

Seungkwan had nearly slipped face-first into the mud. 'She would've laughed until she cried.'

Wonwoo sighed quietly. It was exhausting. No, loving her is easy. Missing her was exhausting. His brain had become annoyingly predictable over the past year and a half. Everything somehow circled back to her: the weather, a song, coffee, a dumb joke, a bird that looked like one she'd once spent ten minutes trying to photograph.

Aside from turning rotten as days go by, what else could he do but think of her?

"Jeon!"

Wonwoo blinked. "Hm?"

"I've been calling your name." Mingyu frowned.

"Sorry."

"You zoning out again?" Mingyu huffed. Wonwoo shrugged. Mingyu grinned. "Were you thinking about your girlfriend?"

Laughter rippled through the room. Wonwoo didn't even bother correcting him anymore. "Yeah."

Another round of laughter.

"So honest," Chan wheezed. "Bro's embracing the delusion now."

Wonwoo simply shook his head and ate kimchi.

By afternoon, the rain had stopped. The sky was clear. Training had finally ended. Wonwoo had just started untying his boots when someone called his name.

"Private Jeon."

He looked up. A staff sergeant stood outside the barracks holding a medium-sized cardboard box.

"Package for you."

Wonwoo frowned. He definitely wasn't expecting anything. "For me? Are you sure?"

The sergeant nodded. "Sign here."

He did. By the time he turned back around, seven heads were already at him. Mingyu pointed dramatically.

"Who's sending you packages?" Mingyu lifted an eyebrow.

"No idea." Wonwoo shrugged.

"Liar." Mingyu crossed his arms.

"I'm genuinely not," Wonwoo said.

Chan leaned forward. "Your parents?"

"Maybe." Wonwoo sighed as he sat on his bed.

"Open it." Vernon piped up.

"I'm tired," Wonwoo said, putting the box next to him as he continued to untie his boots.

"Open it." Seungkwan clapped.

"I'm showering first."

"OPEN IT!!" Soonyoung exclaimed excitedly. Wonwoo stared at him, then at everyone else, before sighing, "Fine."

Soonyoung, Jihoon, Seokmin, Mingyu, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Chan gathered around Wonwoo curiously. Wonwoo never received packages before. He barely got any visitors, too.

The tape peeled away with a soft rip. Inside, there was nothing flashy. Just neatly packed things. Coffee, instant ramen, protein bars, a new pair of insoles, and a small tube of hand cream from Yves Rocher that he loved.

Seungkwan tilted his head and pursed his lips, "Your family knows you too well. I mean, even my eomma doesn't know the hand cream I love."

Everyone nodded in agreement with their own anecdotes of how their parents don't know small things about them, too.

Wonwoo reached deeper into the box. His fingers brushed against thick paper. He pulled out a stack of Polaroids. His expression softened. Mingyu noticed.

"Aha!" Mingyu exclaimed.

"What?" Wonwoo asked.

"You did the smile." Mingyu teased.

"What smile?" Wonwoo played dumb.

"You know," Mingyu said. "The smile."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Wonwoo shook his head.

"But you DID." Mingyu huffed.

Wonwoo ignored him. The first Polaroid showed a sunrise over an empty stadium. The second is a blurry picture of a stray cat. The third, a paper coffee cup with her messy handwriting that read: Too bitter. 2/10.

The corners of his mouth twitched upward. "She still hates black coffee." He mumbled.

Silence. Wonwoo froze. 'Oops...' Wonwoo thought.

Seungkwan looked up. "What did you just say?"

"Nothing."

"No, you definitely said something." Seungkwan eyed him suspisciously. "You said, 'she still hates black coffee'..."

Jihoon folded his arms, "You talk like you know her."

Wonwoo looked at the Polaroid for another second before placing it gently on his blanket. On a normal day, he'd let those comments slide. Today was different. He was missing Y/N more than usual. All the colors around him are dull, and his tasks are mundane. Against his better judgment, he said, "I do."

The room erupted into laughter. Chan laughed so hard, he had to sit down. Mingyu pointed at Wonwoo while laughing.

"Wow, he actually thinks he knows her!"

"Bro actually committed THAT hard!"

"You know what? Respect."

Seungkwan shook his head, grinning. "You're unbelievable."

Wonwoo didn't argue. He never argued. He simply reached back into the box. At the very bottom, a folded envelope. No sender's name. Just his. He unfolded the letter. The handwriting made his chest ache immediately.

My Dearest, Wonwoo,

Paris was loud. Portugal was louder. I still think Tokyo had the best crowd, but if you were here, you'd probably disagree.

He chuckled lightly.

I'm sending you stuff that I've picked up for you along the way. I hope you like them! I also hope you like the Polaroids :>

The coffee was insanely bad istg. The cat followed me for three blocks. The sunrise reminded me of you. We used to watch them all the time. I miss you so much, my love. I hope giving you this package can ease the pain of missing me too.

His grip tightened on the paper.

I love you, Wonwoo.

P.S. Please, please, please send me anecdotes of ur life in the barracks!! I hope they're feeding you enough bc I'll fight them lol jk. I'll see you soon (hopefully).

P.P.S I'm taking a hiatus after this long-ass tour. I'll travel the world with you... or maybe just chill at home with your buldak addiction. Maybe get married in secret and start a family? I don't know, but the possibilities are endless. I love you!

Yours always,

Y/N, writing from Amsterdam <3

For a moment, the barracks disappeared.

A private terminal. One week before enistment. The engines of her private jet hummed in the distance. She hadn't let go of his hand once.

"You know, I should stay." Y/N said to him. "I mean, I can wait until I send you off to your military service."

Wonwoo smiled. "No."

"I can postpone the first show fr you, love!"

"You won't do that." Wonwoo said softly.

"I would."

"You shouldn't," Wonwoo said, cupping her face with both hands. Tears brimmed in her eyes.

"I hate this."

"Me, too." Wonwoo smiled sadly.

She laughed weakly. "You're supposed to make this easier."

"I'm trying." Wonwoo chuckled lightly.

"You suck at it."

"Probably."

She hit his arm lightly. Just enough to make him smile. Then, she stepped closer and wrapped both arms around him, held him like she was trying to memorize every part of him. "I'll be back before you know it."

Wonwoo closed his eyes. "I know."

Neither of them believed it. A voice called her name. Five minutes. She looked toward the jet. Then back at him. Then back again. She kissed him. Once, twice. A third time after, she'd already started pulling away. The security staff politely looked everywhere else.

"Okay." She laughed through her tears.

"This time?"

"Yeah."

She made it halfway up the stairs before turning around one last time. Wonwoo lifted his hand. She mirrored the gesture. Then she disappeared inside. He didn't leave, not until the jet became nothing more than a white speck against the sky.

"Jeon?"

Wonwoo blinked. The barracks came back into focus. Mingyu was waving a hand in front of his face.

"Dude, you've been staring at that letter for, like, five minutes," Mingyu said.

"Sorry," Wonwoo said.

"So?" Seungkwan leaned forward. "Who sent it?"

Wonwoo carefully folded the letter. Placed it back inside the envelope, then looked at the six men staring at him.

"She's busy," was all Wonwoo said, completely disregarding Seungkwan's question.

HONORABLY DISCHARGED

The morning of Jeon Wonwoo's discharge was surprisingly... anticlimactic. No dramatic music. No grand farewell. Just paperwork. Sign here, initial there. Return your equipment. The military had a funny way of reducing nearly two years of someone's life into a stack of forms and a firm handshake.

"Congratulations."

Wonwoo bowed politely. "Thank you.

"Dismissed."

Wonwoo bowed one last time before heading back toward the barracks. His duffel bag sat neatly on the edge of his bunk, packed the night before. Wonwoo checked his stuff before he zipped his duffel bag shut and slung it over his shoulder.

"Well," Seokmin said, breaking the silence. "I guess this is it."

"So sentimental," Soonyoung teased, nudging Seokmin with an elbow. "You gonna cry?"

"I might," Seokmin said.

"You absolutely are."

"I'm definitely not crying because I'm gonna miss Wonwoo-hyung." Seokmin huffed.

"Oh, now you call me 'hyung'." Wonwoo laughed. A quiet laugh rippled through the room.

Wonwoo smiled. "Take care of yourselves."

"Look who's acting like a dad now," Mingyu snorted.

Chan crossed his arms. "Don't forget us when Y/N notices your comments."

"She notices," Wonwoo said. "Sometimes, I tell her in person."

The room erupted in laughter.

"There he goes!"

"Last delusion before discharge!"

"Never change, Jeon!"

Wonwoo chuckled. "I won't." He reached into his duffel bag and pulled out a small paper bag. "I almost forgot." He handed it to Seungkwan.

"What's this?" Seungkwan eyed the bag suspiciously.

"Snacks." Wonwoo shrugged.

Seungkwan peeked inside. His eyes widened. "Wait... these are imported!"

"They're your favorite," Wonwoo said casually.

"Hyung-" Seungkwan said.

"I wasn't going to finish them."

Seungkwan looked strangely touched. "Thank you."

Wonwoo nodded once. He pulled out another bag. "Mingyu."

The tall man pointed at himself, "For me?"

"You kept stealing my instant coffee."

"Allegedly..." Mingyu said.

"I bought you your own." Wonwoo handed the bag to him. Mingyu opened the bag.

"You actually remembered?"

"Mm."

For a second, nobody joked. They just looked at him.

Jihoon cleared his throat. "You're annoyingly thoughtful."

"So I've been told."

Vernon finally spoke up from the corner. "You know..."

Everyone looked at him.

"If you ever somehow meet Y/N..."

Mingyu laughed. "Here we go."

"...Can you ask her for a video message?"

Seungkwan immediately pointed at Vernon. "You're not even sure if Sofia's a fan!"

"...Who said it was for Sofia?"

The room dissolved into chaos. Wonwoo shook his head, unable to stop smiling. "I'll see what I can do."

"See?" Mingyu sighed dramatically. "He still thinks he's gonna meet her!"

"He really committed to the character."

"So inspiring."

"Screw all of you," Seungkwan said. "I believe he'll meet her, and I'd also like a video. I also want to meet her."

"Seriously though," Mingyu said, "if you somehow meet Y/N... tell her hottest soldier from the military, Kim Mingyu, says hi."

Wonwoo could only stare at him. How could he tell his lovely girlfriend that the 'hottest soldier' says hi? Wonwoo can manage.

"And tell her Boo Seungkwan is her biggest fan, and I can do all the dances."

"Okay..."

"And get us signed albums." Chan chimed in.

"We each want video messages!" Seokmin shouted excitedly.

"Can I get a hug?" Soonyoung asked.

Wonwoo looked at him. "...No, I don't think so, buddy."

Wonwoo simply adjusted the strap of his duffel. "I'll see what I can do as well. Bye, everyone. It was nice knowing all of you."

"Take care, hyung!"

"We love you!"

"Stay healthy!"

"Don't marry Y/N without us."

Wonwoo paused with one hand on the door. "I'll keep that in mind."

The laughter followed him all the way down the hallway. It lingered even after the voices faded into the distance. Wonwoo glanced back only once.

The barracks looked exactly as they had the day he'd first stepped inside—rows of bunks, neatly folded blankets, and seven men who'd somehow turned into family over the course of nearly two years.

He shook his head with a quiet smile. They were loud. Annoying. Unnecessarily invested in his love life. But somewhere between endless drills, sleepless nights, and terrible cafeteria food, they'd made the days a little easier to get through. They just... didn't know it.

Adjusting the strap of his duffel bag, Wonwoo walked toward the front gate. One step. Then another. The weight on his shoulders felt different now. Lighter. Not because the bag weighed any less. Because he no longer had to count down the days. The guard at the gate gave him a polite nod before handing over his identification.

Wonwoo stepped through the gate without looking back. On the other side, his family was already waiting.

His father pulled him into a tight hug before he could even say hello. His brother gave him a firm pat on the shoulder, smiling in that awkward way brothers often did.

"Welcome home, son," he said.

"It's good to be back."

As they walked toward the car, Wonwoo's phone buzzed.

[Y/N my love ♥️] good morning over there, soldier. congratulations ♥️ i'm sorry i couldn't be there, but just know i'm in your heart all the time.

A smile found its way onto his face. After nearly two years, he finally got to type the words he'd been waiting to say.

[my wonwoo ♥️] Good morning, love. Thank you. I love you so much. See you soon :)

A typing bubble appeared. Then disappeared. Then appeared again.

"So," His father smiled knowingly, "when's your flight?"

"Tomorrow." Wonwoo smiled.

His father nodded once. "Go ahead."

"What? That's it?" His brother blinked. "He just got out!"

"Well, she's waited long enough." His father laughed.

"We both have."

-

The flight felt longer than military service. Not literally. Just emotionally. He barely slept. Watched clouds drift by instead. Every few hours, he'd unlock his phone. Not to text her. Just to check where she was. London.

Tonight's show. The last stop. He smiled. Perfect.

-

Meanwhile, backstage was chaos.

"Five minutes!"

"Mic check!"

"Where's wardrobe?"

"I need someone on stage left!"

Y/N sat quietly in front of the mirror while her stylist adjusted the last few details. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm just tired."

"Sure?"

She laughed weakly. "It's just..." She looked down at the bracelet around her wrist. The one Wonwoo had given her before enlistment. "Today's our anniversary."

Her stylist's expression softened. "I'm sorry."

"Eight years and going strong." She smiled. "I miss him so much. He's the reason why I keep going on every show. I keep thinking that the better I do on stage, the quicker I come back to him."

"That's sweet."

"Wonwoo's my everything, Jia." She said softly. "He's amazing. He inspired me to write and perform."

"How did you meet?" Jia asked.

"We were nineteen..." She smiled.

Y/N was already a household name, juggling interviews between college classes, while Wonwoo was just another university student who happened to be paired with her for a group project. He never treated her like a celebrity, and she loved him for it.

What started as shared notes, late-night study sessions, and coffee runs slowly turned into movie nights, bookstore dates, and a friendship neither of them realized had become something more. One evening, after walking her back to her apartment, Wonwoo stopped her before she could head inside.

"I don't think I'll ever stop liking you," he admitted with a nervous laugh. "Would... would you let me be your boyfriend?"

She smiled so brightly that he forgot every word he'd rehearsed. Instead of answering, she stepped forward, kissed him, and whispered, "I thought you'd never ask."

-

The concert was everything the internet expected. Fireworks. Costume changes. Surprise songs from her very first album. A sold-out stadium with fans singing every word. Y/N gave them everything she had because she always did. Then, the final song. The last note echoed through the stadium.

Confetti exploded. She bowed. "Thank you for coming tonight! Thank you for supporting me throughout my career, ever since I was a young teen until now. I'm so blessed and grateful to have fans like you. I love you all and good night!"

The crowd roared. She looked around with the biggest, most genuine grin and gave a final wave before disappearing behind the curtain.

Backstage erupted into cheers.

"You did amazing!"

"Last show!"

"We survived!"

Managers hugged each other. Dancers cheered. Someone popped open a bottle of champagne. Y/N laughed as people congratulated her. Then she saw him standing quietly in the hallway, hands tucked into the pockets of a hoodie she'd stolen years ago and never given back. For a moment, neither of them moved.

"Wonwoo?"

He smiled and waved.

She didn't think. She ran straight into him, hard enough that he stumbled back a step before catching her. "You idiot."

"Mm." He wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"You said you were staying home."

"You are my home," Wonwoo said.

"That's too cheesy, even for you."

"There's a first for everything."

She buried her face against his neck. "I hate you."

"No, you don't."

"I don't." Her voice cracked. She pulled away just enough to cup his face. "Your hair is shorter."

"Military things."

"I like it." She smiled. "But I missed your long hair."

"Me too."

She laughed through fresh tears. "I've cried enough over you."

"Sorry," Wonwoo said sheepishly.

"You better be." She kissed him before he could answer.

The crew, to their credit, became incredibly interested in literally everything else. The floor. The ceiling. A stack of road cases. One lighting technician suddenly discovered a deep passion for checking cables. Nobody interrupted.

-

The hotel room was unusually quiet. Not because there was nothing to say. Because after nearly two years apart, silence no longer felt empty. Y/N lay beside him, lazily tracing circles across his bare arm while the city lights spilled through the curtains. Somewhere below, traffic hummed, people laughed, and life carried on as if nothing monumental had happened. Wonwoo watched her for a long moment.

"What?" she asked, catching him staring.

"You still do that."

"Do what?"

He glanced down at her hand. "The circles."

She smiled. "It's very comforting, and I know you like it."

"True."

Another comfortable silence settled between them. Y/N shifted closer until her head rested against his shoulder. "I still can't believe you're here."

"I'm here." Wonwoo smiled, and kissed the top of her head.

"If this were a dream, I never want to wake up."

"I'd say 'don't', but," Wonwoo said. "I would never want to experience a time when you never wake up."

She looked up at him. "I fucking love you."

"That's intense." Wonwoo grinned. "I fucking love you, darling."

She laughed softly. Wonwoo brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Can I tell you something?"

"Anything, my love."

He looked toward the ceiling for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "There were days when training was so exhausting that I forgot to miss you."

She looked up.

"And there were days when," he smiled to himself. "I'd see coffee, or it would rain, or someone would say something stupid."

A tiny chuckle escaped her.

"And I'd think..." he paused. "'Y/N would've complained about the coffee.' or 'Y/N would've forgotten her umbrella.' or 'Y/N would've laughed at that.' I couldn't stop."

Her expression softened. "Wonwoo..."

"I was going crazy." Wonwoo shook his head as he laughed quietly. "The guys thought I was obsessed with you."

"You kind of are."

"I am." He nodded without shame. He reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers. "But I had nothing to do except think of you the whole time."

His thumb brushed over her knuckles. "I had maggots for brains, my love. I was like a zombie out there."

For a second, neither of them spoke.

Then Y/N laughed. Not because it was funny. Because it was so painfully him. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "I know."

"You do?"

"I had that feeling, too."

He smiled. "You?"

She nodded. "I'd finish a show and immediately wonder what you would've thought. I'd see a bookstore and think about dragging you inside. I'd order room service and accidentally ask enough for two."

Her voice grew quieter. "I kept forgetting you weren't there."

Wonwoo closed the distance between them, resting his forehead aginst hers. "We're making up for lost time."

"We are."

"No more fan cams." Wonwoo said and she laughed.

"No more grainy livestreams." He added.

"No more letters." She said.

"I liked your letters." Wonwoo said.

"I liked yours better." She smiled.

"I only sent three."

She nodded. "And I re-read all three."

His heart skipped a beat. "You kept them?"

She looked at him as if the answer should've been obvious. "They're in my suitcase."

A beat.

"Your Polaroids are in my suitcase." Wonwoo said, then he laughed—a full, warm laugh she hadn't heard in far too long. "I guess we're both a little crazy."

"No." She cupped his face. "We're just in love."

He kissed her gently. This time, there was no departure gate waiting for them. No boarding call. No countdown. No wondering what city she'd wake up in tomorrow. Tomorrow, when the sun rose, he'd be there to see it with her.

BONUS

The hotel room was still half-asleep. Sunlight filtered through the curtains while the shower ran somewhere in the background. Y/N sat cross-legged on the bed, scrolling through her phone when Wonwoo's voice carried out from the bathroom.

"My phone's on the nightstand."

"Mhm?"

"Can you call Seungkwan for me?"

She blinked. "Seungkwan?"

"I promised them a video message."

Y/N grabbed his phone and marched towards the bathroom, not caring about him showering. Hey, they've been together for eight years. They've seen everything.

"Are you serious?"

Wonwoo glanced at her through the foggy glass of the shower. "Yes."

"Okay, okay." She laughed to herself. "What will I say?"

"Just... say hi or something. Oh, and Mingyu says hi. Vernon would also like a video message. Seungkwan is also your biggest fan and he's so bummed that he's not able to go to your show because he's in the military. He's always watching the reels of your surprise songs." Wonwoo said.

"Really? Well, I'll be sure to give them all a special pass when I have my concert in Korea."

"But you don't have a Korean stop."

"I do now." She chuckled before exiting the bathroom.

Meanwhile, back in Korea, it was nearly lights out. Seungkwan had just finished brushing his teeth when his phone lit up.

Wonwoo Hyung is calling...

His eyebrows shot up. "Wonwoo hyung is calling!"

Within seconds, the rest of the guys popped up from around the barracks.

"Put it on speaker!"

"No, it's a video!" Seungkwan said.

"Oh my god. Video?" Seokmin asked.

"Yah, answer it!" Jihoon said impatiently.

Seungkwan accepted the call. "Hyung!"

The screen flickered.

"Hi!"

Seven of them froze. Y/N waved cheerfully from the hotel room somewhere in London.

"So, um," she laughed awkwardly. "I know you guys asked for a video message, but I figured a video call would be more fun and interactive? Maybe even more memorable."

Silence. Complete utter silence. Behind Seungkwan, Mingyu slowly lowered the cup of instant noodles he'd been holding. Chan's jaw physically dropped. Vernon blinked once. Twice.

Soonyoung whispered, "No, way..."

Y/N tilted her head. "Anyway, Wonwoo's in the shower. He told me to call..." she glanced down at the phone. "Seungkwan?"

"That's me!" Seungkwan exclaimed. "I'm Seungkwan."

"Hi!" her face lit up.

Mingyu moved to the side, off-camera, and shouted, "Oh my god, it's actually her!"

Y/N burst into laughter. "You must be Mingyu."

His eyes widened and walked back in frame. "You know my name?"

"Wonwoo may have talked about you guys when he got here." She chuckled.

"So he wasn't lying." Chan said and Vernon nodded.

"So you're..." Soonyoung scratched the back of his neck. "his girlfriend?"

Y/N proudly nodded. "Yes. For eight years."

"Eight years?!" Jihoon shrieked.

She nodded and smiled sweetly. "In fact, it was our eighth anniversary yesterday, and he surprised me here in London."

"You guys are practically married at this point." Vernon said.

She laughed. "Yeah."

Mingyu covered his face with both hands. "We've been bullying Y/N's boyfriend for two years."

"You called him delusional," Jihoon reminded him.

"I know!"

Seungkwan suddenly remembered something. "Wait..." He pointed accusingly at the screen. "So all those times he said, 'she doesn't like black coffee', 'she changes the acoustic set when she's tired', 'she notices my comments'..."

"All true." She confirmed.

The bathroom door opened. Wonwoo stepped out wearing a bathrobe. He smiled and waved at the guys. "Morning."

Y/N turned the phone toward him. "They have questions."

Wonwoo looked at the seven dumbfounded faces on the screen. No one spoke. Finally, Mingyu sighed dramatically. "Hyung..."

"Mm?"

"I owe you the biggest apology of my life."

Wonwoo thought for a moment. "You do."

"So you're really together?" Soonyoung asked again.

"Very much together." Wonwoo nodded, putting on his glasses. "Eight years is no joke."

"I won't be getting that hug, then." Soonyoung said quietly.

"I can still hug you!" Y/N exclaimed. "Wonwoo's not the jealous type, and he's not immature. I really got lucky."

Wonwoo blushed, causing a round of teasing from the guys. Y/N looked completely amused. "I like you guys."

Seungkwan shook his head, "I can't believe we spent two years making fun of your boyfriend."

"Now you know it's real and he's not delusional." She smirked. "Oh, before we hang up, I want to say hi to Mingyu and I want to tell Vernon that I promise to make a video greeting right after."

"Can we all get one?" Seokmin asked shyly. She chuckled and nodded. "Sure."

"Oh, and Seungkwan?" She called.

"Yes?" Seungkwan smiled excitedly.

"I know you know all of my dance steps and Wonwoo may have told me in passing that you do TikTok challenges of my songs. I'll happily do a TikTok with you when I have my concert in Korea." Y/N smiled.

"But... you don't have a concert here. It's done." Seungkwan said.

"I'm Y/L/N Y/N, Seungkwannie. I can make it happen, and I'm giving you all special passes and seats." She smirked as the guys cheered. She glanced at Wonwoo and he only shook his head with a small smile on his face.

The call ended a few minutes later. One by one, the guys climbed back onto their bunks, still trying to process everything that had just happened.

No one spoke. No one really knew what to say. Finally, Mingyu broke the silence. "We've been calling Y/N's boyfriend delusional for two years!"

"We really have," Chan muttered. "I even laughed the loudest, for fuck's sake."

"So..." Seokmin said. "are we terrible people?"

Jihoon didn't even look up from his book. "A little."

"I apologized!" Mingyu pouted as he defended himself.

"After two years." Jihoon answered back.

"I still said I was sorry!" Mingyu frowned. "Doesn't that matter?"

Before anyone could tease him further, a buzz came from Seungkwan's phone. He looked down and his eyes widened.

"Guys..."

No one answered.

"Guys!" Seungkwan said a little louder.

"What?" Vernon said.

"She followed me on Instagram."

Six heads whipped towards him.

"What?" Soonyoung asked.

Seungkwan turned his phone around.

@yn started following you.

"No way..." Soonyoung's jaw dropped. His phone buzzed, too. He quickly checked. True enough, he received the same notification as Seungkwan. "Yah! She followed me, too!"

Chan looked down at his screen. @yn started following you.

Vernon frowned at his own notification. @yn started following you.

Soon, every phone in the barracks buzzed one after another. Mingyu stared at his screen like it had personally offended him. "She's real."

"She's not AI, Mingyu-ya." Jihoon retorted.

Seungkwan scrolled through Instagram and refreshed the app. Y/N posted a few seconds ago. He quickly gave it a like before swiping through the photos.

The first few photos were from the final show. The confetti. The crowd. The dancers.

He swiped again and stopped. It was a more intimate, yet private photo. It was Wonwoo on what he assumed was their date after the call.

Wonwoo was across Y/N, and his face was strategically hidden by the cup he was drinking from. To the rest of the world, that's how Wonwoo was shown on her profile for the past eight years. Always protected, but never hidden.

The caption read: the last concert day was a blast! now, I'll be spending my days with my man. happy 8th anniversary, my love. you're the best surprise I've ever gotten.

Seungkwan bit back a squeal. He was too happy. The other guys had seen the post, too.

"So Wonwoo hyung really wasn't crazy." Mingyu sighed.

"No," Chan smiled as he looked around the room. "He just has someone worth going crazy for."

a/n: i think we all got maggots for brains while wonu's away. pls pls pls lmk what u think of this one! gosh, i'm so nervous abt it. i hope you guys don't mind me switching it up for a bit xo

Series taglist: @joongtime @neotannies @seungkwanglazer @gibbonstar @moonriverandkmg

[shuajunice]

Thank you to my moot, @epelletart, for replying to my random af post the other day. I present to you my first-ever themed series for SVT!

drop dead - Jun

stupid song - Hoshi

honeybee - Mingyu

maggots for brains - Wonwoo

u + me = <3 - DK

my way - Jeonghan

purple - Minghao

the cure - Seungkwan

begged - Woozi

what's wrong with me - Vernon

less - Joshua

expectations - S.Coups

cigarette smoke - Dino

I'm excited for y'all to read these! Lmk if you wanna be tagged for a specific guy or you wanna be tagged in all of it!

I hope you guys like the lineup! xo

Series taglist: @joongtime @neotannies @seungkwanglazer @gibbonstar @moonriverandkmg

[shuajunice]

drop dead | W.J.H

Pairing: crush!jun x reader Summary: He's the quiet guy at the coffee shop you frequently go to. On one occasion, you both went to the same party and realized you had a lot of mutual friends. Needless to say, you're a goner. Warning/s: - Note: This is part of my you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love series! Because drop dead if the first song on the album, this is the first release :) Song: drop dead by olivia rodrigo

FIRST SIGHTING

A new cafe has opened down the street from your apartment, and everyone in your apartment building was raving about it. You, of course, have been way behind. You never really went out, and your job is to work from home. You only ever go out if your friends ask you, or when you need to go grocery shopping. Other than that, you were too busy in your own world.

It was safe to say that the new cafe everyone was raving about piqued your interest. Putting on your "I-Won't-See-Anyone-Today-Anyway" clothes, you walked to the quaint and famous cafe.

Upon entering, you can smell the coffee beans, vanilla syrup, and the sweet smell of cinnamon. The steaming wand made a noise as it aerated the milk, the oven hummed, the blenders roared, and the people were chatting.

Thankfully, there were only three people in line. You fell in line and scrolled through your phone until it was your turn. By the time you were next in line, you saw the most gorgeous man you've ever seen. Suddenly, you felt a little ridiculous, a little embarrassed that you wore your lazy clothes.

But his smile was so distracting.

"Hi! What can I get for you?" He asked with a smile on his face.

You snapped out of it and cleared your throat, "Um, I'll have whatever you recommend."

"Really? What if you won't like it?" He asked with a small smirk on his handsome features.

You were absolutely gone for this man whose name you don't even know. You quickly glanced at his nametag before smiling at him, "Lucky for you, Jun, I believe in handsome guys like you."

He grinned, "Can I get your name for the drink?"

"It's Y/N."

"Okay, Y/N. It's on the house." Jun winked.

HELP ME, I'M SPIRALING

Since that day at the cafe, you've been a loyal paying customer. Jun offered you drinks on the house, but you declined. After all, the first drink you had at that cafe, being on the house, was memorable enough.

Not that it meant anything, of course. It's just coffee, after all. It was just a kind gesture from a barista who happened to be very, very attractive.

That's all it was... right?

At least, that's what you told yourself every time your feet carried you down the street and through the cafe doors.

"C'mon, Y/N, have a little more decorum." You sighed to yourself as you shoved your hands in the pocket of your hoodie. "He's just a guy."

You were giving yourself a little pep talk as you walked. It would've worked, but you were on your way to the cafe to see Jun. Sighing to yourself once more, you pushed open the door.

"Hi, Y/N!" Jun greeted from the counter.

"Of course he's working today." You mentally groaned. You've been spiraling over Jun for weeks now, and it's not getting healthy. He was all you ever thought about. How his cologne lingered, how his smile would melt away your problems, how his eyes looked dreamy, how his lips—

"Y/N? You okay?" Jun asked, concerned. "I lost you for a minute. You're lucky the cafe's not busy."

"What?" You stared at him, distracted by how he styled his hair today.

Jun chuckled, "I said, you're lucky the cafe's not busy. It's just you."

"Just me?"

Jun nodded, "Just you."

Somehow, your delusional self thought it meant something deeper, but you digress.

"You keep zoning out on me, Y/N," Jun smirked. "Good thing I know your usual."

With him saying things like that, you couldn't help but be more down bad than ever. After all, it's not every day you encounter a cute guy who knows you so well.

Okay, well, maybe that's a bit of a stretch. He only knows your name, coffee order, and the book you're currently reading because you brought it with you when you stayed at the cafe one time.

A week passed, and you still had the same routine.

Coffee. Work. Jun.

(Un)fortunately for you, there was a little too much Jun in that routine. You saw him more than you saw your friends and family. You liked him, but you saw him way too much. It's bad for your heart, but very good for your eyes. You needed a break from him. Unbeknownst to you, your savior came in the form of a text message from Boo Seungkwan.

[my boo 🍊] party at mingyu's place tonight. you're coming [my boo 🍊] oh, and if you're not here within thirty minutes, i'm dragging your ass out of your dingy apartment!!

"Looks like I'm off to a party." You told yourself.

Seungkwan didn't text you any details, so you decided to dress in something a bit laidback, but still down for partying. Knowing Mingyu, his parties are full of people, party lights, a DJ, and endless drink options.

When you arrived, the party was in full swing. Everyone was drinking and dancing. Mingyu knew how to throw great parties, so you knew what you were in for, but what you did not expect was Jun.

You were either experiencing divine intervention or he's a fucking stalker. You kinda want to know, but you kinda don't. He's a man.

As if things don't get any worse, you heard your name being called... by two different people. You turned and saw Mingyu and Jun walking towards you. They looked at each other, and then at you.

"You two know each other?" Mingyu asked. Being surprised was an understatement.

Jun nodded casually, "Yeah, she's a regular at the cafe." He turned to you and smiled, "Small world, huh?"

Your heart did flips. If water were to make the Wicked Witch melt, Jun's smile was your water.

Quickly, you were joined by the rest of the group. It was then explained to you that you ran in the same circle. To quote Katy Perry, you were experiencing, "information overload, situation lost control. Send out an SOS".

"Jun and Minghao have been friends since, like, forever." Seungkwan scoffed before he sipped his drink. "Haven't you ever paid attention to Hao's Instagram? They're always bonding. Plus, he's in our group chat."

"Jun was at Joshua's birthday slash N.Y.E bash. He's the guy who crowd surfed 5 minutes before midnight." Chan said excitedly. "It was fucking AWESOME!"

"He practically lives in my house, Y/N. He might as well move in with me." Minghao said. "I don't want to be rude, but can you bother someone else? I'm busy DJing."

"Jun? Are you asking me how I know Jun?" Mingyu raised his brows and laughed. "Y/N, he helped me move into this place."

"Y/N, dear, Jun came with us on the camping trip last year," Joshua said softly. "Ugh, I know you must feel so terrible that you weren't able to go, but you were sick, hon... You had severe hives."

"Jun sends me cat videos and cat memes at three in the morning," Vernon said by the snack table. "Wait, why do you have his number?" You asked. Vernon looked at you like you had three heads, "Why wouldn't I? He's in our group chat."

"He gives the BEST birthday gifts." Seokmin grinned. "He got me that expensive air fryer that I've always wanted. He also got me an expensive, decorative plate from when he went home to China."

"He taught me how to use different editing software," Seungcheol said. "He has SKILLS??" You shrieked. Seungcheol gave you a look, "Well, yeah. He's a human being, not a brick. Go get a drink or something. You're freaking me out."

Jihoon was getting another beer when he said, "Jun usually accompanies me everywhere. Now, he's busy with his cafe, which I've yet to visit." Your eyes widened, "He owns the cafe??" Jihoon snickered, "You didn't know?"

"Junnie and I went on vacation in Chongqing," Jeonghan said with crossed arms. "Now, stop making a scene. Everyone thinks you're high or whatever."

What sent you over the edge were throwback photos from college. In almost every single one, Jun was there. He's always been. It was freaky. He's not just the "cute cafe guy" anymore. He's the "cute guy I didn't know was friends with my friends".

"I need to sit down." You said to Jeonghan.

"You should. You're very pale, hon." Jeonghan said as he guided you towards the couch.

"Joshua's vocabulary is rubbing off on you." You said, sitting down on the couch. Jeonghan chuckled, "You guys call us twins for a reason." Then, he walked away. As soon as he did, you turned and saw Jun.

"Oh, fuck."

"Hello again, Y/N."

YOU KISS ME, AND I MIGHT DROP DEAD

You stared at Jun. Jun stared back. You stared harder. Jun tilted his head, "...Are you okay?"

"Nope." You shook your head.

"Should I be worried?"

"Very."

Jun laughed. The sound did absolutely nothing good for your heart. Very unfortunate for you.

"You know, you've been looking at me weird all night," Jun said.

"You've been haunting me all night."

He paused. "...Haunting you? I'm not a ghost, am I?"

You rolled your eyes, "You know everyone." You vaguely gestured around Mingyu's apartment.

Jun blinked. He was confused. Was it bad that he knows everyone? He's definitely overthinking. "Yeah?"

"Apparently, you've always known everyone." You added.

Jun blinked again. He didn't get your point at all. Was it wrong? "You make it sound like I appeared in every major historical event." Jun chuckled.

"Well," You pursed your lips, "you kinda did."

Jun laughed. You were starting to think his laugh should be classified as a controlled substance.

The two of you ended up occupying Mingyu's couch the whole night. You weren't entirely sure why no one else bothered you the whole night, but you were so grateful. You had Jun all to yourself. You were beginning to become selfish.

One second, you were recovering from the revelation that Jun owned the cafe. Then, Jun was walking back to the couch with drinks for both of you. You thanked him as he sat down and handed you one.

"Okay," you said, taking a sip of your drink. "I have questions."

Jun raised a brow, "Questions?"

"So many questions."

"Should I be scared?" Jun chuckled, clearly amused.

"Probably."

It started innocently enough.

"How long have you known Minghao?" "Since we were kids."

"Did you actually crowd surf at Joshua's birthday slash N.Y.E bash?" "I was too drunk to remember, but according to Chan, yes."

"Why are you sending Vernon cat videos and cat memes at three in the morning?" "Because he's awake at three in the morning. Oh, I'd send some to Wonwoo, too, but he's usually busy with his games. So, Vernon, it is."

That was fair; annoyingly fair. The worst part wasn't learning new things about Jun. The worst part was liking every answer. Every story. Every joke. Every smile. Every stupid little thing. You even learned his full name, and you liked that, too.

You were learning that Wen Junhui wasn't just attractive. He was funny, kind, ridiculously easy to talk to, and that felt deeply unfair.

Eventually, Mingyu stole Jun away to help with something. You watched as he disappeared into the crowd. A feeling settled heavily in your chest. You hated it immediately because the night wasn't over. Not yet. You were aware that the night would end soon, and for some reason, you didn't want that. You wanted Jun all to yourself a little longer... Is "forever" a stretch?

A while later, you found yourself waiting in line for the bathroom. The line stretched halfway down the hallway, and you knew it was a sign that everyone was going home and that the party was over.

"This is ridiculous," you sighed.

"Tell me about it."

You froze. Of course, Jun was behind you. Apparently, the universe had decided you hadn't suffered enough.

The two of you stood shoulder-to-shoulder. The line barely moved. You could hear music thumping through the walls. People talking. Laughing. Living their lives. Meanwhile, your entire focus was occupied by the man standing beside you, which felt dramatic, but unfortunately true.

"You've gotten quiet."

You looked up, and Jun was already looking at you. You pointed to yourself, "I've gotten quiet?"

"Mhm." Jun nodded.

"Jun, you've known me outside the cafe for, like, three hours." You chuckled.

"Okay, and?" Jun looked at you like there was nothing wrong.

"And I don't think that's enough time to establish a personality baseline." You said, crossing your arms.

Jun chuckled, "You're so funny. I said that you've gotten quiet because you always zone out when I talk."

"I do not."

"Oh, you absolutely do."

You hated that he was right.

"You know," Jun said suddenly.

"Hm?"

"When I first saw you at the cafe, I thought you hated me." He confessed. You nearly choked in disbelief. It was highly unlikely for you to hate him.

"What?!" You shrieked.

"Well, you kept staring and then looking away. I thought you were doing some kind of curse on me or something." Jun shrugged.

"I wasn't staring."

"You were."

"I'm certain I wasn't."

"You absolutely were," Jun smirked. "You even blushed at some point. Am I handsome, Y/Nie?"

You buried your face in your hands, "Oh my god."

Jun laughed again. It should be illegal.

Eventually, the line ended. The night continued, and somehow the two of you kept finding each other. In the kitchen. Near the drinks. By the balcony. Like magnets... or a curse. You hadn't decided which yet.

The party slowly began to thin out. People started leaving. The music got quieter. The energy softened. And suddenly, Jun was standing beside you again.

"Heading home?" He asked. Tired, you could only nod. He hummed, "Want me to walk with you?"

Your brain stopped functioning. Error 404: Y/N Not Found.

"What?"

"It's late," Jun shrugged. "I was heading that way, anyway."

Lies. Lies. Lies. Liza Minelli lies. You knew where he lived (near Minghao's). He was absolutely not heading that way, but you nodded before your common sense could intervene.

"Okay." You said, trying to act cool. He seemed to buy it because he could only smile and offer you his arm.

The walk home was surprisingly easy. No awkward silences. No pressure. Just conversation. Jun told you about a trip he'd taken years ago. You told him about a book you'd recently finished. He made you laugh. You made him laugh. The entire thing felt dangerously natural.

Before you knew it, your apartment building came into view. You genuinely wished it hadn't.

"Well, this is me." You said softly.

"Well, this is you," Jun said, nodding to himself.

Neither of you moved. Jun smiled. There it was again, the smile. The one responsible for at least seventy percent of your problems.

"I had fun tonight," Jun stated.

Your heart betrayed you immediately. You were sure that you were blushing, but if Jun noticed, he didn't say anything.

"I did, too," You smiled.

A beat passed. Then another.

"Get upstairs safe, okay?" Jun said. You nodded, "Okay."

"Good night, Y/N."

"Good night, Jun."

Jun started walking away, then paused. He turned around and walked back to where you were standing.

"Please tell me I'm not reading it wrong," Jun begged. "My heart's been doing flips all night. I'll go insane."

"Mine, too." You looked at him with a surprised look. "I'm, like, paranoid that I made you up. You're too good to be true, I swear."

Jun chuckled lightly, "I think we make a lot more sense than we should."

Fuck decorums.

"Just kiss me already." The words left your mouth before you could stop them. For a second, neither of you moved. Then, Jun laughed. Not because he was making fun of you, but because he couldn't believe you actually said it.

"Yeah?" he asked softly.

Your face immediately grew warm. "Please don't make me repeat myself."

His smile softened, "I wasn't going to."

"Good." You bit your lip.

Jun stepped closer. Close enough that you could see the tiny details you'd spent months noticing from across cafe counters. The curve of his smile. The way his eyes crinkled when he looked at you. The faint scent of his cologne that seemed permanently attached to him. Your heart did something deeply concerning.

One of his hands found your cheek. Gentle. Careful. Like he was still giving you a chance to change your mind. You didn't. Not even a little. When he finally kissed you, it felt strangely familiar. Not because it happened before. Because you'd imagined it far too many times.

For a moment, everything else disappeared. No music. No traffic. No overthinking. Just Jun. Just this. It felt like a scene from a movie that you'd watch forever.

After the long-awaited kiss, Jun pulled away and rested his forehead on yours. "You know I'm not letting you leave, right?" You said.

"I don't care. I'll stay for as long as you'll have me."

a/n: hope guys like the first installment of this series!! stay tuned for hoshi next :)))

Series taglist: @joongtime @neotannies