₊˚ෆ he’s stuck in a seemingly perfect relationship that’s slowly breaking him. when he meets someone who truly sees him, their quiet connection grows into something undeniable. torn between loyalty and longing, he must choose who he’s willing to hurt—and who he’s willing to become.
pairing: wonbin x fem!reader
warnings: slight angst, mentions of drinking, emotional infidelity,
a/n: i hope u guys enjoy the first part, and if you wanna be added to taglist just comment on masterlist post!
chapter one | story masterlist
everyone thought wonbin and sophia were perfect together.
he was quiet, thoughtful, always observing before he spoke. she was the opposite-loud, outgoing, unapologetically present. where wonbin blended into the background, sophia demanded attention without even trying
at the start, the contrast worked.
he liked how effortlessly she carried herself, how she could walk into a room full of people and take control of the energy without missing a beat. she said whatever was on her mind. she was bold, funny, endlessly confident.
in the beginning, being with her felt like being pulled into the sun.
but months passed, and the warmth turned harsh.
sophia's confidence started to feel more like self-absorption. her stories became longer, louder, less interested in who was listening. she spoke in circles-about herself, her friends, her problems, her opinions-and rarely asked anything in return.
when she did, it felt forced. like checking a box.
"how was your day?" she'd ask, eyes already on her phone. "anyway, guess what happened to me."
wonbin would answer quietly, not expecting her to respond. she never really did.
the conversations turned into routines. the same topics. the same complaints. the same jokes. and he played his part-nodding, reacting on cue, offering sympathy or laughter when it felt expected.
most people wouldn't have noticed anything was wrong. at school, they looked like the couple everyone wanted to be: cute, coordinated, always sitting together at lunch, her arm wrapped around his like they were made to fit.
but wonbin felt like he was disappearing.
it wasn't that he hated her. he didn't. sophia wasn't cruel, and she wasn't doing anything malicious. she was just... absorbed in herself. loud in ways that didn't leave space for anyone else.
and wonbin had stopped speaking up.
he stayed, partly out of habit, partly because it was easier than starting over, and partly-though he wouldn't admit it out loud , because he was still convincing himself this was normal.
that his frustration was temporary.
that all relationships went through this.
that if he gave it time, the feeling would fade. but it didn't fade.
it grew-quietly, under the surface. the boredom. the resentment. the numbness. and something else, too. a flicker of want.
it wasn't about anyone in particular. he hadn't met anyone new.
but sometimes, when sophia was talking - talking and talking and not seeing how far away he was drifting-he'd wonder what it would feel like to be with someone who actually listened.
someone who saw him.
someone who let him speak and didn't fill the silence the second it opened up.
someone who didn't make him feel like he had to earn space in his own relationship.
he didn't know who that girl was. he didn't even know if she existed.
but lately, he was starting to hope she did.
wonbin stared at the half-empty tray in front of him, the cafeteria noise fading into a dull hum. a fork hung loosely in his hand, forgotten.
laughter erupted somewhere down the table-probably from eunseok or sungchan-but it barely registered.
he was somewhere else.
not physically. his body was right here, next to sophia, just like always. her arm was looped through his, her voice filling the air around them, animated as ever. but in his mind, he was drifting-floating somewhere quiet, somewhere far away from the chaos oflunch tables and loud voices and conversations that didn't really go anywhere.
everyone thought wonbin and sophia were perfect together.
he was quiet, thoughtful, always observing before he spoke. she was the opposite-loud, outgoing, unapologetically present. where wonbin blended into the background, sophia demanded attention without even trying.
at the start, the contrast worked.
he liked how effortlessly she carried herself, how she could walk into a room full of people and take control of the energy without missing a beat. she said whatever was on her mind. she was bold, funny, endlessly confident.
in the beginning, being with her felt like being pulled into the sun.
but months passed, and the warmth turned harsh.
“wonbin?" sophia's voice cut through his thoughts like a flash of light. an edge in her tone-something between annoyance and curiosity.
"did you hear what Ijust said?"
he blinked, like surfacing from underwater.
"huh? yeah. sorry. what?"
sophia laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder like she was brushing off the moment. "i was saying, i told hana she looked amazing in that dress, but of course she asked minji for a second opinion like i don't know what I'm talking about."
wonbin nodded, out of habit more than agreement. "right."
she didn't notice the pause, didn't hear the flatness in his voice. she was already launching into the next part of the story, looping in names and opinions like a one-woman show with no intermission.
he shifted slightly, his eyes unfocused again.
sometimes, when sophia talked-talking and talking and not noticing how far away he was drifting-wonbin's mind would slip somewhere else. somewhere quieter.
he'd picture the beach, early morning, before the crowds showed up-just the sound of waves and the feeling of cool sand under his feet.
Or the skate park after school, where he could tune out the world and feel his mind go still, his body focused only on movement and balance.
anywhere but here.
“wonbin?”
her voice hit like a slap sharp, irritated, and way too loud for how close she was.
he blinked, pulled back to earth.
“yeah?” he mumbled.
sophia rolled her eyes, arms crossed like she’d been holding in that sigh all day. “seriously? why aren’t you listening to me?”
“I am,” he said, too fast to sound convincing.
they both knew it wasn’t true.
the thing was, whenever sophia talked his brain just… left. floated off somewhere quieter. somewhere she wasn’t rattling off recycled drama like a playlist stuck on repeat.
she’d been on this loop for weeks. same people, same stories. and as much as he hated to admit it, he could probably recite her entire social life like a script. meanwhile, whenever he brought something up his guitar, skating, the new movie he’d stayed up to watch she’d zone out like someone had hit mute.
but he never called her out. Just nodded, smiled, pretended.
“wonbin,” she snapped, dragging him back again. “you’re literally staring into space.”
he exhaled through his nose, jaw tight. “right. my bad.”
“can you, like, care for five minutes about what I’m saying?” she huffed, grabbing her phone from her bag. “i’m gonna go fix my makeup.”
she leaned in just long enough for her lips to brush his cheek a move more automatic than affectionate, and walked off without waiting for a reply.
wonbin just stared at the table, not really seeing anything.
“that was… brutal,” eunseok said, sliding into the seat sophia left behind, eyebrows raised.
“bro, don’t say that,” sungchan muttered, whacking him lightly on the arm as he joined them. “you’re not helping.”
“no, he’s right,” wonbin said with a weak laugh, pushing the last piece of his sandwich around his tray. “that whole thing was a trainwreck.”
sungchan let out a slow sigh. “you okay?”
wonbin shrugged, half-laughing. “tell me I’m not insane—didn’t she talk about Hana’s dress yesterday too?”
“you’re right,” Eunseok confirmed. “I think she even used the same tone.”
“yeah, like… I swear we’re in a time loop and i’m the only one who realizes it.”
“oh, we realize,” eunseok said. “we’re just suffering silently.”
“dude ,” sungchan said, shaking his head. “have you tried actually talking to her? like, for real?”
wonbin and eunseok exchanged looks.
“oh. talk to sophia ,” wonbin repeated flatly. “right. because I haven’t thought of that.”
he scoffed and stood up, grabbing his tray. the others followed him toward the trash bins.
“I swear, the second I talk about anything that isn’t mascara or minji’s latest passive-aggressive text, it’s like i’m speaking a different language. Or no language. like straight up Charlie Brown’s teacher.”
he tossed his tray in and threw his hands in the air, exasperated.
“she doesn’t even try to fake it,” wonbin muttered. “it’s like I’m invisible unless I’m gassing her up.”
sungchan let out a low whistle. “yeah… that’s not great.”
eunseok shoved the cafeteria door open with his shoulder, the bright heat of early summer spilling over them like a wave.
“oh,” he added as they stepped outside, “by the way there’s a party tomorrow. out by the lake.”
sungchan perked up. “yeah, jaemin’s throwing it. you know, his annual ‘school’s out, parents are gone, let’s pretend we’re in a movie’ thing.”
“bonfire , speakers, cheap snacks, bad decisions,” eunseok added with a grin. “the whole production.”
“everyone’s going,” sungchan said. “and you—” he pointed at wonbin, “—you’re coming. non-negotiable.”
wonbin raised a brow. “since when do you two organize my social life?”
“since you started ghosting your own,” eunseok shot back. “this is like… rehab.”
“summer rehab,” sungchan nodded solemnly. “step one: stand near a lake. step two: remember you’re seventeen.”
wonbin let out a laugh small, real.
“alright,” he said, squinting at the sky like he was still getting used to the idea of sunlight. “i’ll come.”
“good,” eunseok said, clapping him on the back. “we’ll bring drinks. you bring your soul back.”
they kept walking, voices rising with the sounds of summer beginning around them doors slamming open, music spilling from car windows, someone yelling about freedom like they’d just been released from prison.
and for the first time in a long while, wonbin felt like maybe he was.
it had been three days since you and your family moved into the house, and little by little, it was starting to feel like yours. the faint smell of fresh paint still clung to the corners of the hallway, and the living room curtains hadn’t been hung yet, but the important things, photos on the fridge, a shoe pile by the front door, your mom’s overwatered plants in the kitchen window, were all in place.
and you didn’t mind it here. not like you thought you would.
you missed your old neighborhood sometimes, sure. the late-night runs to the corner store with your best friend, the café where you’d sit for hours doing homework. but you weren’t angry about leaving. Not anymore.
your dad had lost his job last winter, and for a while, everything felt uncertain, like your life was hanging by a thread. when the job offer came, it wasn’t even a question. It didn’t matter that it was in a town you never heard of. It was a lifeline. a reset.
so no, you didn’t hate the new house. you were grateful for it. grateful your dad had somewhere to go every morning. grateful your parents smiled more now. grateful for dinners around the table that didn’t feel heavy.
you still didn’t know anyone here, though. not really.
you pulled the drawstrings of your hoodie tighter and grabbed the trash bag by the back door.
it was one of those warm summer evenings where the air smelled like sprinklers and charcoal smoke. the sky was streaked pink and soft orange as you stepped out into the front yard , the trash bag swinging at your side.
the garbage bins were lined up along the side fence, half in shadow. as you popped the lid open, you heard a voice behind you.
“hey! you live here?”
you turned, startled.
a girl stood on the other side of the fence, leaning on the wooden slats with one arm. her smile was wide and easy.
“yeah,” you said cautiously. “since like a few days ago.”
“i figured,” the girl said. “i’ve seen you around but wasn’t sure if you were just visiting or whatever. i’m lara. i live next door.”
“oh.” you blinked, then smiled politely. “i’m y/n.”
lara pointed with her chin. “you’re in the blue house, right? with the broken porch light?”
you laughed, surprised. “yeah. we keep forgetting to fix it.”
“don’t ,” lara said. “gives the house character.”
lara climbed up onto the bottom rail of the fence and leaned over like they’d known each other for months. “so, how are you liking it here?”
“it’s … different,” you admitted. “but not bad. it’s quieter than where i used to live.”
“that’s one way to put it,” lara said with a grin. “some people say boring.”
“i don’t mind quiet,” you shrugged. “it feels kind of peaceful.”
lara nodded. “You from a city?”
“a bigger town. closer to the coast.”
“why did you guys move?”
you didn’t flinch at the question. “my dad lost his job last year. took a while, but he finally found something here.”
lara’s face softened. “that sucks. i mean, not the new job. Just… everything before.”
“yeah. it was rough,” you said, then added, “but we’re good now.”
there was a pause—not awkward, just thoughtful. then lara leaned back and casually asked, “what are you doing tomorrow night?”
you tilted your head. “i don’t know. Probably nothing. why?”
“there’s this lake party. It’s kind of a tradition here. first summer party. bonfire, music, people cannonballing into the water like idiots.”
you raised an eyebrow. “sounds… chaotic.”
“it is,” lara said proudly. “but it’s fun. you should come.”
you hesitated, not because you didn’t want to go, but because you weren’t used to being invited. not here. not yet.
“i mean,” lara added quickly, “only if you want to. no pressure. i just figured—new girl, summer night, why not?”
you smiled. “yeah. okay. why not.”
“awesome . i’ll pick you up at six. don’t worry about dressing fancy. it’s like… hoodies and swimsuits and bad playlists.”
lara gave her a two-finger salute, then hopped down from the fence and walked back toward her house. you stood there for a moment, the empty trash bag still in your hand, watching as lara disappeared.
you hadn’t expected to meet anyone that night. definitely not someone like lara.
you smiled to yourself.
⸻
the next day crept in quietly, golden light spilling through the slats of your blinds and warming the wooden floor of your room. you woke up with that low, fluttery kind of nervousness, the kind that buzzes in your chest like the pause before something new.
a lake party. In a new town. with people you didn’t know. It felt like the beginning of a movie, one where the main girl doesn’t know the night will change everything until it already has.
you pulled open your closet and stared at your clothes, most still in half-folded piles from the move. you didn’t want to overdress, but you definitely weren’t about to show up looking like you hadn’t tried at all.
eventually, you settled on a red fitted tank top, the kind that hugged you just enough to feel confident without being obvious. you threw on a pair of loose, faded denim shorts that hit just below your knees and still smelled faintly like laundry detergent. a pair of white crew socks and chunky sneakers completed the look. you added a few gold necklaces, layered and tangled like you meant to do it, and a pair of small hoops.
your hair, you left down. natural , a little messy, still soft from last night’s shower. you looked in the mirror and tilted your head.
not bad. you looked like someone who might casually lean against a railing at a summer party, sipping from a red cup and pretending you weren’t slightly overwhelmed.
downstairs, your mom was washing blueberries at the sink when you walked in.
“you look like you’re about to film a coming-of-age montage,” she said, smiling without turning around.
you raised an eyebrow. “that a compliment or a warning?”
“Both,” she said, placing the berries into a bowl. “your going to that lake thing your neighbor mentioned?”
“yeah . lara’s picking me up.”
“well, she sounds cool.”
you smirked. “she is.”
“just… be safe, okay?” she said, drying her hands on a towel. “and don’t go wandering into the woods alone.”
you grabbed your phone. “i know.”
by six, the sun was casting long shadows across the sidewalk. you stood at the front window, fingers tapping against your thigh, until a soft car horn pulled you back to reality.
lara’s car rolled up to the curb, music vibrating through the open windows. she leaned out, wearing oversized sunglasses and holding a slushie, her free hand waving casually.
“okay, fashion queen,” she called out as you stepped outside. “you didn’t tell me you were serving main character energy tonight.”
you laughed, sliding into the passenger seat. “you think it’s too much?” lara shook her head. “not even close. you look like if lady bird had a depop account.”
you buckled in. “so… that’s good?”
“that’s excellent,” lara said. “you ready?”
you glanced back at your house once, then looked ahead. “yeah. let’s go.”
the car rolled forward, music playing low and sweet between you as rooftops passed by in a blur of gold and green. you didn’t know what tonight would bring—maybe just smoke in your hair and sand in your shoes—but that was okay.
the fire cracked somewhere behind him, its warmth brushing the back of wonbin’s legs, but he barely noticed. he stood near the edge of the lake, a solo cup sweating in his hand, watching the sun bleed into the horizon like it couldn’t decide whether to stay or go. the music thumped from two different speakers, overlapping into a chaotic rhythm. laughter echoed down the shoreline. everyone was having a good time, everyone but him.
“dude,” eunseok said, bumping his shoulder. “you’ve had the same drink for like an hour. it’s a party, not a punishment.”
sungchan joined them, holding a cooler in one hand and grinning like he had no idea what heartbreak looked like. “unless that’s your strategy, slow sip your way into emotional enlightenment?”
wonbin managed a weak smile. “guess I’m just pacing myself.”
truth was, he was trying. really trying. he’d come here to have fun, to let loose, to feel something that didn’t come with guilt or exhaustion. but everything about the night; the firelight, the water, the way people leaned into each other like they belonged only made the hollowness louder.
he could feel it in his chest, a quiet kind of ache that followed him lately like a shadow.
“yo, we should go swimming,” Eunseok suggested, already kicking off his shoes. “you need a reset. cold water fixes everything.”
but before wonbin could answer, he heard the voice he’d been unconsciously bracing for all night.
“there you are.”
sophia.
she appeared like a gust of cold wind in the middle of summer; perfect, poised, already annoyed. her hair was untouched by the humidity, her lip gloss somehow still flawless. she slipped between eunseok and sungchan like they weren’t even there.
“this party’s boring,” she said, crossing her arms. “let’s go. i’ve seen enough drunk idiots for one night.”
wonbin blinked. “i just got here.”
“we’ve been here for an hour,” she corrected, as if that settled it. “come on, there’s a new rooftop spot near the river. real music. real people.”
he hesitated. “i kind of wanna stay.”
sophia’s brows pulled together like that single sentence personally offended her. “seriously?”
“i’m with my friends,” he said, voice low. “i just wanna chill. that’s all.”
she looked at him like he’d said something in another language, like the idea of wanting to stay at a messy, barefoot, beer-scented lake party was absurd. she sighed, long and sharp. “fine. stay. enjoy your mud and mosquitoes.”
and with that, she turned on her heel and walked off, her phone already in hand as she disappeared toward the line of parked cars.
wonbin exhaled slowly, staring down at his half-full cup. the music kept going. The fire cracked louder. someone shouted something from the water, and the rest of the party roared in response. he felt… not angry, just drained.
“i’m good,” he murmured, more to himself than to his friends.
then he saw her.
she stepped out of the passenger side of a beat-up car with the kind of ease that made it seem like she belonged here, even though he was certain he’d never seen her before. Her hair was down, wavy and soft around her shoulders, and she wore the coolest yet simple outfit, like she’d just come from a thrift store and made it look better than any brand name ever could. her friend hopped out next, already laughing about something, but this girl ,
she paused.
and looked around.
like she was taking in the lake, the sky, the fire, the people.
and something in wonbin stilled. just… completely stopped.
the sound of the party dimmed, the voices fading into the background. for a second, it was like they were the only two people here. and she hadn’t even seen him yet.
but he saw her.
and in that flicker of a moment he felt it.
—
the air smelled like pine, smoke, and cheap liquor, and you weren’t sure if you liked it or not.
the lake stretched out in front of you like glass, the last slivers of sunlight brushing against the surface in soft golds and pinks. music blared from different corners of the party, overlapping into a messy soundtrack of summer and teenage chaos. someone yelled something near the firepit. someone else cannonballed into the water fully clothed. it was all loud and alive and too much, but in the best way.
you adjusted the strap of your top and glanced at lara, who was already pulling her hoodie off and tying it around her waist.
“okay,” lara said, surveying the scene like a general about to march into battle, “this place is a disaster. I love it.”
you laughed softly, nerves melting just a little. “should we have brought drinks?”
“we brought vibes. that’s more than enough.”
lara’s confidence was both ridiculous and magnetic. she walked like she owned the entire lake, already waving at a few people she knew by name, calling out sarcastic comments. you trailed a few steps behind her, heart doing an uneven tap dance in your chest as you tried to blend in without looking like you were trying to blend in.
a pale girl walked toward you two like she hadn’t just dramatically peeled out of the party ten minutes ago. her heels clicked too loud on the dirt path. her phone was in her hand, as always, but her eyes were locked on lara.
“well, well,” the girl had said, smiling like she was about to pull a knife out of her designer bag. “didn’t expect to see you here. I thought they only played actual music at the places you hang out.”
lara smiled right back, sweet and sharp. “sophia, did your boyfriend finally give up trying to pretend to like you?”
sophia laughed once, clipped. “still making jokes to avoid saying anything meaningful, huh?”
lara shrugged. “still pretending you’re better than everyone when you’re bored out of your mind?”
you stood between them like a witness to a silent war. neither raised their voice. neither stepped closer. but the tension between them was electric, practically humming.
“i’m surprised you brought a plus one,” sophia said, eyes flicking to you for half a second. “you usually prefer all the attention to yourself.”
lara tilted her head. “I figured someone here should be interesting to talk to.”
sophia’s smile twitched, almost a smirk. “enjoy the party, lara. try not to trip over your own ego.”
“try not to ruin everyone’s vibe with your personality.”
with that, sophia turned and stalked off toward her car, fingers already tapping across her phone screen.
lara exhaled and looked at you with a smirk. “that girl’s soul is made of expired lip gloss and spite.”
you blinked. “what… was that?”
“oh, nothing.” lara waved it off like it wasn’t war. “just a little reunion. we used to have gym together. back when she was still pretending to be human.”
——
the lake pulsed with sound—music bleeding out of cheap speakers, the hiss of a bonfire, laughter in unpredictable waves. But here, on the edge of it all, it felt just a little quieter.
you walked beside lara along the outer trail circling the party. the lights and noise felt a bit far now, dulled behind the tall trees. everything smelled like pine and smoke and wet air.
“you know,” lara said, dodging a root in the path, “for a party that has three bluetooth speakers going at once, this place has surprisingly bad music taste.” she laughed.
you snorted. “maybe it’s intentional. like, if you keep the vibes confusing, no one notices the beer’s warm and everything’s sticky.”
“chaos theory, but for teenagers.” lara looked back at you, grinning. “I like you.”
you smiled back, a little unsure, a little surprised. “thanks. I like you too. still deciding if I like this party.”
“give it time. or at least half a drink.”
you both wandered closer to a smaller crowd gathered near the side dock. a few coolers were lined up like furniture, but lara’s attention shifted instantly when she spotted someone leaning back against the railing.
“eunseok?” she called.
the boy looked up. “lara?”
he broke into a wide grin, pushing off the railing as they met halfway in a collision of chaotic energy.
you hung back, watching. they were like mirror images, same personality, same quick comebacks. if sarcasm was a language, they were already fluent in each other.
another boy stood nearby, shoulders slightly hunched in the way people stand when they’re used to being left in the background. hands in his pockets, eyes focused not on the chaos in front of him, but on you without you really noticing.
he had seen you the second you arrived, back when you stepped out of lara’s car like she wasn’t sure she should be here. there was something about the way you stood, nervous, composed, soft in a world that wasn’t. he hadn’t meant to watch you, but he hadn’t been able to help it either.
and now you were standing right next to him.
you glanced at him for half a second, offering a small, polite smile. he returned it,barely, just the edge of one. he wasn’t sure he trusted his voice yet.
beside them, lara and eunseok were already in full orbit, firing lines back and forth like they were in a sitcom only they understood. every time one of them opened their mouth, the other one talked louder. the group was laughing now. you wished you could make conversation with someone as easily as lara did.
wonbin looked over at you again. “you new here?”
you nodded. “is it that obvious?”
“a little.” he paused. “but I mean that in a good way.”
you glanced over at Lara and eunseok, who were now ranking who at the party was most likely to be hiding a fake id in their shoe.
“so… are they always like that?”
wonbin chuckled quietly. “this is them toned down. you should see what happens when they are drunk.”
“i don’t know if I’m ready for that level of chaos.”
“they usually forget everyone else exists once they start talking.”
you raised an eyebrow. “clearly.” another beat passed. “i’m y/n, by the way.”
“wonbin.” he gave a small nod. “i know. i saw you come in.”
you blinked. “you did?”
He looked a little caught, a little embarrassed but not enough to lie. “yeah.”
you smiled, warm and a little surprised. “that’s kinda sweet. or stalkerish? But I’ll go with sweet.”
“let’s pretend I was just… observant.”
you both laughed softly, the air between the both of you shifting. a little lighter. a little closer.
behind you , lara and eunseok had wandered down the dock mid-argument and absolutely forgotten they’d ever brought anyone with them.
you glanced over your shoulder. “wanna walk for a bit? somewhere less loud?”
wonbin nodded. “s-sure.”
the lake shimmered under string lights and a low, humming sky. crickets chirped somewhere beyond the dock, and faint music echoed from the party up the hill ,laughter, someone yelling into the night, a speaker half-blaring something upbeat. but down here, tucked near the water’s edge, it felt like the world had muted itself for just the two of you.
wonbin sat beside you, legs stretched out in front of him, hands loosely clasped between his knees. he looked calm. the kind of calm that was so well-practiced, it had become a second skin.
but you could see right through it.
you didn’t speak at first. just studied him from the corner of your eye, watched the way his shoulders stayed a little too stiff, how his gaze lingered on the water but never focused.
“you don’t really like parties, do you?” you said finally, your tone easy but edged with curiosity. wonbin blinked like he’d been caught. “what gave it away?”
“you haven’t looked up once since we got here,” you said, smiling faintly.
he looked at you then ,really looked. his lips parted like he wanted to say something but didn’t quite know how.
“i’m good at reading people,” you added, softer now. “especially the ones who stay quiet on purpose.”
wonbin looked away again, a low laugh escaping his throat. “most people just think I’m boring.”
“you’re not,” she said without hesitation. “you just seem tired of people hearing you but not listening.”
that stopped him.
he turned his head slightly, eyes meeting hers like he’d just recognized her for the first time. like maybe, just maybe, you saw something in him no one else bothered to look for.
“you don’t know me,” he said quietly, but his voice wasn’t defensive. it was curious. almost hopeful.
“no,” you said, leaning forward, elbows on your knees. “but i already get you.”
and you did. in a way that was startling, almost intimate. not because you knew his history or had years of stories , but because you noticed the little things. the pauses. the way he measured his words. the difference between how he acted and how he really felt.
wonbin let the silence linger for a moment. then he said, “okay. then tell me something about myself.”
you turned your face toward him, expression unreadable. “you seem like the type to feel things a lot deeper than you let on. but you don’t always know what to do with that, so you swallow it. you don’t like being the center of attention, but you still want to be seen.”
wonbin didn’t move. didn’t blink. just looked at you , like you’d just opened a locked door he’d forgotten he even had.
you both sat like that, the air thick with the weight of something neither of you had names for yet. not crushes. not flirting. it was something deeper ,the kind of invisible thread that pulls two people together without either of you realizing it’s happening.
“so… what do you listen to?” you asked.
he hesitated, but you already knew he would.
“radiohead,” he said. “jeff buckley. the smiths.”
you let out a breath, like you’d just been hit with a wave. “no way.”
he half-smiled. “let me guess. same?”
“in rainbows,” she said, hand on her chest like she was testifying. “that album raised me. and don’t even get me started on ‘lover, you should’ve come over.’ that song is, like… every heartbreak I’ve never been able to explain.”
wonbin exhaled slowly, like something inside him had just settled. “exactly .”
there was a long pause. not empty ,full. so full of mutual understanding it almost buzzed between you two .
“i think music’s the only place I’ve ever felt really understood,” he said. “like it gets the parts of me I can’t explain to people.”
“I feel that,” you whispered. “that aching, cinematic feeling like you’re watching your own life from a distance.”
“yeah.” his voice dropped. “like you’re always just almost there. But not quite.”
you both sat in it together ,that unspoken ache. that sense of being out of place even when surrounded by people. you felt the lump in your throat grow for reasons you didn’t fully understand yet.
and as you looked at wonbin , you realized something.
he wasn’t just quiet. he was gentle. soft in a world that demanded he be sharp. the kind of boy who thought before he spoke, who carried other people’s weight in silence. and you recognized that, because you’d spent years doing the same.
“you’re cool to be around,” you said, your voice barely above the sound of the water lapping the shore.
wonbin looked at you, and for the first time that night, there was no hesitation. just honesty.
“you too.”
and even though neither of you said it out loud , not yet , something shifted in that moment. something personal. something rare.
the kind of connection that didn’t need defining. It just was.
you nudged wonbin gently with your shoulder. “you know, for someone who listens to the smiths, you’re surprisingly not depressing.”
wonbin laughed, a low, warm sound.
you grinned. “at least we can spiral to good music.”
he smirked. “we should make a playlist. ‘songs to overthink your life to.’”
“24 hour playlist,” you replied, and he laughed again, this time with his whole body, leaning back and shaking his head.
just then, footsteps crunched over the gravel behind you. lara and eunseok stumbled over, both slightly out of breath from laughing.
“y/n!” lara called out, grinning like she’d just told the best joke in the world. “there you are. you two have been hiding.”
wonbin straightened up but didn’t move far from you. eunseok was right behind lara, his cheeks flushed and still laughing at whatever she’d said before.
“i’m a little tipsy,” lara declared, tossing her hair and planting her hands on her hips. “and ready to get out of here.”
you glanced at wonbin, not really ready to leave, not from this moment.
he turned to her quickly, the hesitation leaving his voice for the first time. “hey, wait — before you go…”
you looked back at him.
“can I get your number?” he asked, almost rushed, like he didn’t want to miss the chance. “I mean, if that’s okay.”
you blinked, then smiled, pulling her phone out without a word.
you exchanged phones, their fingers brushing briefly. his hands were cold. yours were trembling a little , but in a good way.
“here,” you said, handing his phone back. “now you have someone to send sad songs to when it gets really bad.”
he smiled, soft and grateful. “and you, too. for when life feels like a sofia coppola film.”
you shared a brief, lingering glance. not flirtatious ,something else. something like: i see you.
then lara hooked her arm around yours. “alright,” she teased. “i’m stealing her now.”
you laughed awkwardly and followed, glancing over your shoulder just once to see wonbin watching her leave, thumb already hovering over his phone like he might text her the second she was out of sight.
once you were a few yards away, lara let out a little snort and muttered, “miss steal-your-man over here.”
you blinked. “What?”
lara raised an eyebrow, amused. “that was definitely not just friendly conversation back there.” you scoffed. “what are you talking about?”
“i’m saying, you and wonbin were eye-fondling each other for a solid fifteen minutes.”
you laughed, flustered. “no we weren’t! we were just talking. about music. movies. stuff.”
lara made a face like she was holding back from saying uh-huh, sure, then said, “you know he has a girlfriend, right?”
you stopped walking. “what?”
“yeah,” lara said more seriously now. “sophia. that girl we ran into when we first got here ,remember her? giving major resting-mean-face.”
your mouth dropped slightly. “that was his girlfriend?”
lara nodded. “eunseok just told me. apparently , she left earlier than him and he wasn’t super thrilled about it.”
you stared ahead blankly, replaying the conversation at the lake in her head — the way he looked at her, how open he’d been, how he never mentioned sophia. not once.
“the hell? he didn’t say anything,” you said quietly.
lara shrugged. “maybe he forgot.”
you scoffed, more to herself than anyone else. “you don’t forget you have a girlfriend.”
lara glanced over, sensing her mood shift. “hey. I don’t think you did anything wrong. you didn’t even know.”
“I know,” you said, voice tight. “but still.”
you both kept walking, the buzz of the party behind them, and your stomach twisting with something you couldn’t quite name , a mix of confusion and… disappointment?
