tags: mutual pining, best friends to lovers, fluff.
summary: waking up with a hangover is bad enough, but having to face Seungcheol—the best friend you just admitted you're in love with—is even worse (requested).
warnings: hangover symptoms.
note: I highly recommend checking out "a drunken confession" first to see how it all started!
The sunlight hitting your face felt like a personal attack. You groaned, dragging the duvet over your head, but the movement only made your brain rattle painfully against your skull.
Your memory was still a blurred mosaic: the bitter taste of tequila, the biting cold outside the bar, and then... the car ride. After your none-too-subtle confession, you had gone completely silent. Unlike your usual bickering, the drive home had been quiet. The warmth of the heater and the steady hum of the engine had acted like a lullaby, and the scent of his jacket draped over your shoulders—cocooned you in a warm, woodsy haze. You remembered drifting in and out of sleep, your head lolling against the window while he drove in a comfortable, heavy silence.
You sat up slowly, your head spinning. Oh god. You buried your face in your hands. Did that actually happen? Or was it a very vivid, alcohol-induced hallucination?
As you pushed the covers off, you realized then that you weren't wearing your uncomfortable party clothes anymore. Instead, you were swallowed whole by a thick, charcoal-grey hoodie—one of many in your collection of his clothes that you had "borrowed" months ago and conveniently forgot to return. You vaguely remembered stumbling into your apartment, refusing to let go of his arm, and whining about being cold until he finally pulled this hoodie over your head just to get you to stop shivering.
Your throat felt like it had been lined with dust, dry and parched. Turning to the side, you noticed something on the bedside table. There it was: a tall glass of water and two aspirin tablets laid out on a napkin. A small, messy note was tucked underneath: “Drink this before you even try to stand up. – Cheol.”
A warm flush spread through your chest. He was always like this—annoyingly attentive, even when you were at your worst.
The sound of something clattering in the kitchen suddenly cut through your thoughts. He was still here. Your heart skipped a beat, a mix of anxiety and something softer swirling in your stomach. You spent a good five minutes debating whether you could just stay under the covers until he left, but you eventually realized you couldn't hide forever.
Taking a deep breath to gather your courage, you finally stood up and padded out of the bedroom. You pulled the hood of the sweatshirt over your head and kept it low over your eyes, hoping to remain as invisible as possible.
Seungcheol was standing by your stove, his back to you, busying himself with the pans. He was wearing a simple, wrinkled t-shirt—likely from a night spent on your far-too-small sofa.
"Morning, sleepyhead," he said, his voice low and raspy. He didn't even have to turn around to know you were there. "I'm making some haejang-guk*. How's the head?"
"Still vibrating, but better, thanks," you whispered, clearing your throat to find your voice. You leaned against the doorframe for support, staring intensely at the toaster. You didn't dare look at him.
"You're very interested in that toaster this morning," he noted. He moved closer, leaning against the counter just a few feet away, watching you with an amused glint in his eyes.
"It's a good toaster. Very... chrome," you replied, your face heating up. The silence stretched out, becoming more suffocating by the second. You could feel his gaze on you—patient and far too observant.
"Are we going to talk about it?" he asked softly. "Or are you going to keep pretending you've lost the ability to make eye contact?"
You winced and let out a long, shaky sigh. "I was hoping for the second option, honestly."
You glanced at him for a second, though you kept your hands tucked deep into the front pocket of the hoodie. “Look, Cheol... I was a mess last night. I probably said things that made zero sense."
He took a slow step toward you, closing the gap until you were forced to look up and meet his gaze again.
"You made perfect sense, actually. Even the part where you claimed my car 'smelled' just to have an excuse to stay away from me."
He stepped even closer, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Funny thing, though... for someone who hated the car's scent so much, you spent the whole ride tightly wrapped in my jacket, and then the whole walk to your front door with your face buried in my shoulder."
You bit your lip, looking down at his chest, unable to sustain his gaze. "I’m an idiot."
"No," he whispered. He reached out, his hand moving from the edge of your hood to your chin, lifting it gently so you had to look at him. "You aren't. And I told you to say it again when you were sober."
The teasing tone was gone, replaced by that soft, grounded sincerity that always made your defenses crumble. He didn't demand a grand speech; he just watched you, giving you the chance to back away.
You took a shaky breath, your fingers fidgeting with the strings of the hoodie. "I meant what I said. It’s annoying how much I like you, Cheol."
He chuckled, that signature dimple making an appearance as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind your ear. "Good. Because I’ve been sitting here for an hour wondering if I’d have to wait for you to get drunk again just to hear it."
He didn't wait for a reply. He leaned down, capturing your lips in a soft, lingering kiss.
He pulled back just enough to mumble against your lips, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "By the way, I’m taking this hoodie back today. You’ve had it for three months."
"In your dreams," you breathed, finally finding your smile.
note: I didn’t actually plan on writing a second part for this, but I decided to go for it after receiving a comment requesting to see the "sober" side of the story. I hope you enjoyed it, please leave a like if you did <3
* haejang-guk known as "hangover soup", it’s a traditional korean dish specifically made to help soothe the stomach and recover after a night of drinking.
a/n: LMAOOOOO ITS BEEN A WHILE (years has passed). also, there is a tagalog line here because i really couldn’t translate it with the same sentiment as my mothertongue. so i wrote it in tagalog bUt dont you worry, i translated it… roughly… it just doesnt give the same emotions in english. english is my second language mb !
It was a cold, breezy night. A stick between my fingers, I puffed it— inhaling through the smoke.
Unknownly, there was someone creeping behind me, which interrupted my peace and made me cough out the smoke.
“Did I scare you?” he said whilst looking at the same overview of the city I was looking at.
“A bit, yeah,” I responded with a firm press of my cigarette between my lips.
“I thought you were sober with this whole nicotine thing,” he asked, still looking at the city lights.
Hearing those words I tried to look for his eyes. But seeing how much he fancies looking at those small, lit lights beneath us, I chose to stop chasing those orbits.
“Well, yeah, I did,” I explained, exhaling the same smoke— “Ever since we broke up, it was you who convinced me to stop after all. Of course, losing you meant I would be going back to my old habits. Muscle memory, I guess.
I heard him let out a small titter, followed by a sigh.
“I didn’t mean to be hostile towards you,” I immediately explained.
“No offense taken,”
With silence covering both of us, I can sense him looking at me through my peripherals. The same eyes I was trying to look at earlier, but this time, I am scared to look at.
His eyes are something. It was still the same almond-shaped eyes, with these dark orbits that sparkle when you look at them. It was even complemented by how pretty his lashes looked. It made me get so addicted just by his eyes alone. I could never forget how it would bring my insides going up and down whenever our eyes meet.
That’s what I am craving.
That same addicting feeling whenever our eyes meet.
No amount of nicotine can replace this addictive substance this man could ever give me.
“Y/n,” how could this man take my breath away with just him saying my name? It frustrates me how much of a chokehold he had for me.
“Hm…?” I couldn’t even trust myself to speak. A simple hum would do it. This whole situation is stressing me out.
But all I could do was bring this nicotine down to my lungs, but I was interrupted by his hands squeezing both of my cheeks and bringing himself close to my lips— pressing his to mine, which prompted him to inhale the remaining smoke from my lungs, which made him cough right away.
“Tangina, bat gumuguhit, ang anghang.” (Motherfucker, that burns my throat. Too minty). He exclaimed, probably because his first hit draws a sharp sensation that traveled through his chest.
Yet there you have it, our eyes met.
I let out an amused kind of scoff and said, “You hate mint.”
“Fucking hate mint,” he continued my sentence right away, which made both of us laugh.
Me too.
I hate the way his eyes still sparkle despite how dark the night is. I hate how much his eyes twinkle more than the stars in the sky can ever be. I hate how he is looking directly at me at the moment. I hate that I couldn’t even read what he is thinking right now. Does he even know how much his eyes are driving me crazy right now?
“Aren’t you cold?” he asked, still looking directly at me.
I burst out laughing to the point I was clutching my stomach. Is this what textbook insanity is? I could not even explain to myself why I am laughing right now. Is it because of the nerves? Is it because I found this amusing? Or is it because I am finding myself falling all over him again and again and again— for an embarrassing many amounts again.
“What? Penny for a thought?” he said, smiling ear to ear.
I flicked my long overdue cigarette on the floor and stomped on it. Honestly, I find this whole situation bizarre.
“What’s your agenda here, Joshua? Rehab me to stop smoking?” he, again, tittered a bit.
“No” he answered. If I were to ask, I would rather not know. So, I kept my mouth shut. That’s better than exploring his motives.
I took a deep sigh and straightened out my clothes and tried to walk away, but he immediately pulled me by my wrist gently and said, “Can you teach me?”
“Teach you what?” There was a hesitant pause before he continued his sentence.
“Smoke.” I gave him a confused look. He hates the smell of nicotine, what changed?
Asking more will make me want more, thus I didn’t say a thing.
Tapping my one remaining stick, lit it up, and gave him the well lit cigarette.
He took a good second to observe the stick before firmly holding it in between his fingers. he briefly looked at me, then the stick, and me again.
He brought the stick back to my mouth which I instinctively inhaled the substance. With one swift move, he caught my nape using his one available hand to pull me closer and brought his lips upon mine. Him bitting my lips makes me open my mouth, releasing the same substance to his mouth, and him puffing it.
“You know you could just bring it to YOUR mouth” I said in matter-of-fact tone.
“Nah, I like it this way” He said still looking at the cigarette in hand.
Letting go an amused huff, I saw him took a good puff with the cigarette in hand.
“Now, I understood why you like hitting his. It really does calms the nerves” he laughs— shifting his gaze on me.
“Y/n, I miss you”
“Is there an -ed with the end?” I asked which made his chuckle.
“No. Its on present tense if that’s what you’re asking”
“What made you say that?” I instigate.
“It’s been a while since the break up. I’ve realized that… You took away my routine with you. My life with you. You were my everything and I want to keep it that way” he said.
“But you let it go.”
“It was a mistake” he said, taking a puff with the last my last cigarette.
With my index finger, I guide his face towards me— which he did willingly. My mouth found his which he devoured eagerly. Attempting to gasp for air but I ended up inhaling the remaining toxic fumes from him.
I took a second to gasp for a decent air and looking at him breathing heavily while waiting for me. I immediately pulled him by his collar which I felt him dumping the remaining stick on the ground to prioritize holding me.
His touch glazes through my skin as if I am a delicate thing for him. While mine tugs on his hair. With so much precision, his kisses traveled down to my neck which I know damn well would leave mark.
I tried holding on my soft moans which I failed horribly and let out a frustrated moans that made him pull me up using his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and him groping my ass.
“I—“ I was about to say something when I got interrupted by him pushing my back against the wall.
“Josh, we should not be carried away.” he quickly pulled away from my neck and look at me with his confused eyes.
“Why?” he asked obliviously while closing the proximity by him nibbling my earlobes which I unconsciously let out a soft satisfied whimper.
Tapping his arms to let go of my legs— which he did, “someone might see us.”
“So what?”
“I am not stupid enough to get caught with you”
“So we can continue in my place?” he boldly asked.
Looking at his frustrated, worn out look. He is heavily breathing, maybe due to the fact that he is so driven by this whole situation.
“We should continue to wherever this will take us”
Yoon Jeonghan never thought much about love. As a barista at a small cafe tucked in the corner of the city, his life was simple. Open the cafe. Brew coffee. Smile at customers. Close the cafe. and Go home.
Until she came.
A girl with soft eyes and a warm smile. She ordered the same thing every time, choco milk and a slice of cheesecake. Nothing fancy. But there was something about her that lingered.
She came in almost every other day. Always alone. Always ordering the same thing. Over time, Jeonghan memorized her order. He didn’t need to ask anymore. Just a small nod when she walked in, and he’d already be making it.
But there was one thing he didn’t know—her name.
They shared small talk, casual hellos, and polite thanks. Sometimes, a comment about the weather or how good the cheesecake was that day. That was it. No names, no numbers. Just quiet, comfortable routines.
Then, one night, Jeonghan’s motorbike broke down, so he had to take the bus home.
That’s when he saw her.
Sitting by the window, lost in thought, the same way she always was in the cafe. And this time—no counter between them, no customer-barista roles to hide behind.
He took the seat beside her.
“Choco milk and cheesecake?” he asked, smiling.
She looked at him and laughed. “You remembered?”
That was the first time they officially met. Her name was Hana. She lived just a few stops away from where Jeonghan usually got off.
After that, he chose the bus over his motorbike—just to see her. Sometimes, they’d talk on the ride. Sometimes, they’d sit in silence, watching the city blur past. It didn’t matter. It felt... enough.
Even at the cafe, their conversations grew slightly longer. Still short, still sweet, but there was something about her presence that lingered in Jeonghan’s mind far after she left.
She was special.
But one day... she didn’t show up.
At first, Jeonghan brushed it off. Maybe she was busy. Maybe she was sick. But then a week passed. Then two. A month. Two months. The seat by the window stayed empty. No more choco milk. No more cheesecake. No more Hana.
Still, Jeonghan waited.
He kept that table clean a little longer every night, just in case she came. Sometimes he stayed until well after closing, pretending to clean something, eyes drifting to the door.
But she never came back.
A year passed.
He never saw her again. He didn’t know how to find her. All he had was her name, a smile he couldn’t forget, and memories of conversations that never went deep enough to leave any clues.
Still, every once in a while, he’d make a glass of choco milk and plate a slice of cheesecake, placing it on her usual table.
Just in case.
And even though she was gone, the memory of her stayed.
“Maybe we were just a coincidence...but you’re the only one I can’t forget.”
pairings: none, but the characters include mingyu. wonwoo, jihoon, jeonghan (from svt) and an oc
genre(s): thriller, gore (tiny bit). a made-in-abyss!au :D
warnings: because of the previously mentioned gore, readers discretion is advised. also swearing!
word count: 4.06k words
synopsis: in which mingyu and his friends allow their naivety and curiosity to drive them forward, dropping them down a 20,000 metre abyss where the abnormal becomes far too evident. stumbling through nature’s phenomenon, the group is forced to experience horrors that sombre their once exhilarating endeavours. will they be able to be decisive when their friend’s life is on the line, and who is this red-eyed creature that promises them sanctuary?
author’s note: hey guys! unfortunately, this isn’t the genshin au i promised however i hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! i believe i published this a while ago on another account but i’m posting it again for content <3 also it was originally a y/n piece so please tell me if there’s a “you” or “your” that i’ve missed in my brief editing! the genshin au will come out soon :)
mingyu struggled to pinpoint an exact moment in his life which he could blame for his current circumstances.
it was as easy for him to say that sneaking into his good friends wonwoo and jihoon’s room past the stroke of midnight was the cause, as it were to say growing up at his local orphanage was at fault. hell, if the reasoning travelled down this path, it could also be justified that by simply existing he’d cause himself to arrive at his current position. perhaps this was his destiny, every event of his life leading up to this climax, worthless in the grand scheme of fate for every decision he had believed to have made was manipulated for the sole purpose of mingyu in the situation he was in as of present; torn with the constant conflict of emotion he was experiencing.
this was where his life had led him, 20,000 metres deep into a swirling, unforgiving vortex where the abnormal became evident with every blink of the eye, and where it intended to end, it seemed.
the sky overhead had vanished from sight two layers into the unnatural phenomenon, when the fog by their feet had thickened to a substance that clung moist against every vulnerable patch of skin and surface. mingyu never thought he would come to miss the cloudy skies of his mediocre hometown. where had his thirst for adrenaline gone now? but after a tormenting week treading deeper and deeper into the abyss’ claws, mingyu had yearned for familiarity.
when his stomach gave way on the third layer, mingyu missed most the plain bowl of congee the orphanage served to him every morning despite its lack of taste and colour.
when his eyes started to leak pus and blood, mingyu missed most the shimmering sun, burning on the edge of the horizon every evening despite its glare on his skin.
there was much the boy felt grateful for, oh how he only came to this realisation now, 20,000 metres far from home. his goal to reach the very depth of the abyss slipped from his hands like running water, gathered only by the company his friends provided him. mingyu never felt more grateful that he hadn’t entered alone.
if his naivety had gotten away from him yet again, mingyu shivered at the prospect of descending without the companionship of his three closest friends, wonwoo, jihoon and lyra. he never sourced his complaints outside of his head, for every disaster that he experienced, he knew his friends experienced the same suffering alongside him, comfort in the form of unspoken understanding. mingyu knew he would be able to overcome these mishaps as long as their companionship never left him.
however, god’s sense of humour must be twisted for the first night of the fifth layer, the last layer of mingyu’s sanity thinned.
“fuck!” jihoon swore. his hand shook in the tangles of his hair, the other hovering over wonwoo’s body as if uncertain. “fuck, fuck, fuck!”
mingyu heard jihoon’s cursing as if submerged underwater for his head went static from his own worry. he tipped his backpack upside down in desperation, seeking an item his sub-conscious knew didn’t exist. hadn’t they packed an antidote for this specific reason? but it had been long gone, shattered and spilt over the edge of a crumbling cliff after a desperate struggle of power between a gnarly beast and mingyu’s life. that mistake could possibly cost his friend’s life.
lyre caressed wonwoo’s hair as his head laid like deadweight on her lap, mouth dry against the dense air, chest heaving harsh pants. his eyes, heavily diluted, seemed to stare past her head at empty space and lyre may have lost all hope had it not been for the ghost of determination underlining the furrow of his brows. “wonwoo, i swear you’ll be okay, just hold on a little longer. mingyu’s getting the antidote now, he’s just a little slow. you know how clumsy he can get, just hang on, okay?”
but wonwoo had stopped giving replies ten minutes ago.
her hands, like her voice, trembled under the weight of a moist cloth, aiming to replace the steaming one on his head but fear diverted its path with every shake. doubt threatened to choke her of her words, leaving lyre curled up by the side of the abnormal rainforest, the world never viewed the same again. but she knew, if not marginally, that panic wouldn’t do the situation any more good.
jihoon seemed to have lost all sense of this concept however, as he continued to alternate between standing and pacing the grounds. “there has to be something i’ve forgotten, something that can help. think, jihoon, think!”
wonwoo hissed in pain then, and all three of his friends turned in fright. his arm had swelled to an abnormal size, pulsing liquid under his skin and shaded a dark purple.
“jihoon.” lyre called after the boy had settled, voice wavering. “wasn’t there something we learnt at school? something about the poison of []’s?”
“i know there was something, i know! but i can’t remember it!” jihoon let his words explode from his chest yet he heeds no apology. “damn it, what was it?” his eyes found mingyu across the field, still digging through the contents of their shared bags. “for fuck’s sake, leave the fucking bags, mingyu! they’re worthless right now.”
mingyu glanced up from his own world of regret and doubt, torment swimming in the pools of his eyes. the situation looked hopeless no matter what angle he portrayed it in. and, this had been his fault. his own carelessness, his naivety had prompted the death of his best friend. why hadn’t he listened to them all when they told him to step back from the pond? what had his mind been doing, telling him to continue his reckless behaviour just for the short lived praise he might have received? he had been pushed to the side when the lone [ ] had arrived at the scene, a creature so foreign and unknown that fear had short-circuited his actions.
he had stood frozen in the line of danger, horror encasing his body in suffocating crystals. it was wonwoo that had moved first, wonwoo who had considered all possible options which led him to sacrifice his own body for mingyu’s, wonwoo that had thrown himself at the creature, mingyu’s life and not his own being the only thing weighing on hid mind.
what had his last words been? the thought dawned on mingyu, like a nostalgic taste on the tip of his tongue. “don’t sulk, you look super dumb?” no, there was something else. something of potential importance, yet it mocked his grasp when he neared the truth. wonwoo’s whines of pain sounded as background noise at the point of his pondering, so familiar and yet gruelling at the pits of his stomach.
“something…” he mumbled, and lyre and jihoon looked up at the sound of his voice. “wonwoo said something before he couldn’t speak, what was it?”
“is this really the time?” jihoon snapped. “this isn’t the time.”
“jihoon, shut up. there was something he said before he became like this. i have a feeling he was trying to tell us how to deal with the situation.”
lyre turned her head from mingyu to the pale boy in her lap, a concentrated look evident in the crease between her eyebrows. mingyu caught the movement from the corner of his eye and clicked his finger at her. “lyre, you were the closest to him at the time. do you remember what it was?”
at the sudden spotlight, her mind blanked. there had been something previously, but the thought taunted and danced around the perimeter of her head as she tried, and failed, to chase it. “his arm, he mentioned something about his arm.” she finally blurted, his voice entering her head.
jihoon practically growled at the words. “well geez, that solves everything, doesn’t it? thanks for wasting our time, mingyu.” both mingyu and lyre took no offense to his harsh words; someone had to be the angry one in the current situation. lyre continued that train of thought, blocking out the noise of jihoon’s ranting, mingyu’s mumbling and wonwoo’s whimpers. she hoped that fate wouldn’t be so cruel as to give her this sliver of hope, thin and feeble in her hands, and that the solution to this dawning terror would be solved with the following revelation. “breaking something… he mentioned breaking something. what was it? a tree branch? true, the antidote of a beast should be found around the region so that its prey may survive from its poison. otherwise, the ecosystem would fail. but which tree? in this rainforest, what tree are we talking about. breaking apart… a bug? another small mammal? no, you wouldn’t break something with flesh, you would break something that’s hard. breaking… like snapping? breaking…”
jihoon continued to pace around you and wonwoo, head spinning in constant agony. there was fault coloured in the pale flush of his cheeks, why didn’t he know how to solve this issue? why didn’t he pull mingyu aside when the monster had first showed itself? and worse, why hadn’t he been the one to risk his life? why had he froze, selfish in the way that he valued his life over his dear friend’s, opting instead to leave someone else to do the harsh deed. why hadn’t he moved and pull wonwoo who laid by his feet out of harm’s way, instead standing still and letting the monster take a fierce chomp out of wonwoo’s arm? there was no doubt that if he had successfully performed the manoeuvre, wonwoo wouldn’t be in the position he was in now.
his feet crunched against a fallen stick as he paced and the noise triggered a thought in lyre’s head, her eyes widening in disbelief as it all clicked together.
“oh my god, his arm.” she murmured.
jihoon goes to quieten her, goes to tell her to stop obsessing over the idea of his arm when a tear slips from her eyes. the sheer terror from the thought evoked strong pulses of emotion to leak from lyre’s eyes like bleeding cyanide, but she pushed through regardless. how selfish would it be to only think of yourself whilst your friend suffered on the brink of death?
she looked jihoon in the eyes and repeated herself. “his arm. he wants us to snap his arm before the poison reaches his brain.”
lyre gave the boys no time to digest this new sliver of information, working instead to tear off a section of your shirt and wrapping it tightly where the poison had evidently stopped on his arm, black and purple, budging skin pressed against the material. in truth, lyre had no idea what she was doing, simply relying on memory and the many shows she’d watched to guide her movements as she tightened the knot.
the still silence broke when mingyu began to protest against the speculation, fearing the consequence of the action, but jihoon had moved to her side without further protest.
“guys, what are you doing? this isn’t right, we’ll just be killing him instead! guys, please stop, don’t think like that, there’ll be another way, please…” mingyu’s words failed to comprehend through his friends’ ears.
jihoon’s hands replaced lyra’s on the fabric and took over the job, eyes empty as he worked. only lyre saw the tremor in his hands as he tore more fabric and secured the separation of skin. his eyes meet the shivering girl’s over wonwoo’s body. “can you do this?”
her intake of breath is loud in the air shared between the two of you. clearly, jihoon had no idea what he was doing either, despite being the token medical friend. despite knowing that it was her idea, lyre shook her head softly.
“i’m going to use the axe that we kept to break his bones. can you help snap the rest?”
his words were gruesome, sickening to its core but wonwoo’s cries answered his question before she was able to, and she nodded seconds after. hesitance could cost wonwoo’s life.
mingyu stood over the two of them, passing the axe to jihoon with a grimace on his face. “god this is wrong, god this is so, so wrong.” but the transition is smooth as he lets the axe fall into his friend’s hands.
jihoon acknowledged the fact with an incoherent mumble before adjusting his grip on the tool. “mingyu, get me some water. we may not have disinfectants but if we don’t wash it, bacteria will kill him instead.”
the boy’s shadow left the trio. lyra placed a hand over wonwoo’s eyes, hoping that he wouldn’t catch a glimpse of what was to come. was he even conscious in the process? what if she had been wrong to think that his last words demanded the loss of a limb. this was by no means a perfectly successful strategy, but as it was all they had, so regardless of any .lingering whips of doubt, she held onto it like a lifeline.
“ready?” jihoon murmured.
the both of them nodded their heads slightly; there was no way they would be completely ready. but lyra’s hands found wonwoo’s biceps and they stayed there, stayed there until the axe swung up into the air, metal glinting in the reflection of the sun before falling from the force of gravity and the aid of jihoon’s strength. stayed there until the axe fell and met his flesh with a sickening thud.
a thud.
a blunt thud.
wonwoo’s shrill screams pierced through the previously tranquil atmosphere of the rainforest. his back lurched forward but mingyu had some sense to hold down his body before the axe had fallen. though mingyu had held down his body, wonwoo didn’t halt thrashing around. his arms pulsed under lyra’s hands and his legs kicked out for an escape.
“oh god.” jihoon exclaimed in horror, white sheet evident against his face. his hands shook and the axe fell to the floor.
underneath where the blade of the axe had fallen, crimson paint blossomed leaving a trail of broken skin and something else twisted. his flesh peaked from under the flabs of his skin, untainted until it was, blood and pus swimming from his arm.
wonwoo couldn’t stop screaming.
it was clear that jihoon had failed to touch the bone.
wonwoo’s eyes felt wet under lyra’s hands and she let out a weak sob.
jihoon froze.
mingyu struggled under wonwoo’s flailing figure.
“give it here!” mingyu was quick to shout, snatching the axe from the ground without a response, forcing jihoon to quickly melt his terror from his skin and throw himself onto wonwoo’s body.
wonwoo cries were deafening, coarse now from use and the strength in his limbs had weakened, allowing jihoon to hold down his body with more ease despite the weight difference.
mingyu swung without any indication of doing so, hard and fast against the same spot jihoon had attacked. this time, he pulled away with a weak crack. he whimpered at the noise but raised it again.
“oh my god.” lyra whimpered. “oh my god, why did we use a blunt axe?”
but mingyu doesn’t stop. he continued to swing the axe, up and down, letting the momentum aid his strength, letting wonwoo’s protests to stop fuel his stamina. there is a squelch among the splinters, a cry amongst the shouts but mingyu never falters. he doesn’t falter when lyra moved her own hands to help settle the body, avid to stop his movements. he doesn’t stop when wonwoo’s voice crack, soundless screams like the cries of tormenting ghosts whispering regret and fault into his ears. he doesn’t stop when the boy’s eyes roll back into his head, revealing murky white. and he doesn’t stop when wonwoo’s body finally falls slack on the floor, limp and drained of all energy from the continued torture he had undergone.
he only stopped when the arm separates completely from the body, a tattered arm lying lifelessly away from its previously conjoined biceps, adorned with the colour of fresh blood and oozing pus. the wound pulsated with flowing blood.
“water!” mingyu cried. he turned to a shell-shocked jihoon whose eyes had watched without blinking. “get the water, goddamnit!”
perhaps it was his tear-stricken face, or his eyes that reflected a haunted expression due to the fact he axed away at his friend, but jihoon finally moved. he’d leapt to grab their source of water and begun to pour it without thought at the injury.
lyra gasped, taking in the oxygen that your body severely lacked. “stop, you’re wasting it! put the bottle closer!”
truthfully, half of the spent water and rushed and spilt onto the jungle floor, worthless to their current situation. the boy instantly followed after your words, edging nearer to the smell of rotting flesh and decay. the boy felt faint at the scent, more so at the sight. god, there was so much blood.
mingyu rebooted and finally began to move again. “tear off your shirt.”
the girl hesitated at his words.
“tear off your shirt!” he repeated with more intended force.
she was quick to break out of her trance and began to tear long stripes of cotton from her attire, mingyu doing the same. in a clumsy, almost child-like way, the three of you attempt to bandage the leaking wound as best as you can, but the white cloth turns scarlet red as soon as its placed. a hopeless sob escaped your throat. had you just murdered your friend?
the almost lifeless body laid like a corpse on the ground, pale in his complexion and unconscious. he would have been mistaken for dead had it not been for the shallow breaths the three of them heard occasionally. when the sun had fallen, the bleeding had eased. simply for a lack of supple, lyra wondered in half-hearted ponder. she felt lightheaded in the sense that thought ran away from her. she wished for water, but they had used the majority in hopes of washing wonwoo’s wound.
it seemed hopeless all over again.
“oh my. perhaps it’s finally my time to step in.”
lost in her own world of panic, lyra missed the words of a newcomer though it appeared jihoon hadn’t.
“who are you?” jihoon asked, successfully gaining lyra’s and mingyu’s attention away from the body though it lingers on their minds. hostility crept into the boy’s voice as he continued. “what do you want?”
the source of the unfamiliar voice stemmed from a figure hidden within the shadows of the towering trees. none of the three could determine the identity of the creature causing suspicion to raise.
the creature walked from beneath the tree’s shade, a smug-like expression adorning their face. they appeared human-like, sharing similar features with the humans lyra was familiar with. they had normal curly, black hair that tickled the tips of his ears, eyes that curved like crescents and a mouth in which appeared to be in a constant mocking state. they would have come off as human save for the sharp teeth that glimmered in his grin and the red, hungry look in his eyes. “my name is jeonghan.” he explained.
“are you… human?” mingyu wondered.
the thing chuckled as if he found something the boy said humorous. “that’s funny, as if i could possibly downgrade.”
jihoon positioned his boy to protectively angle his body against the strange creature. “what do you want from us?”
jeonghan tilted his head. “why, what does it look like i’m doing?”
“it looks like you’re being a nuisance.” he answered. grabbing at the axe, he placed it between the four of you and the red eyed beast. wonwoo’s blood dripped from the edge of the blade to which jeonghan raised his eyebrows at. “stay back.” but jihoon’s voice betrayed his attitude and cracked under the pressure.
“put the axe down, jihoon.” jeonghan warned, taking a step forward. despite his firm voice, his lips wavered as if to conceal a smile.
“how do you know my name?” the boy replied instead of complying. despite jeonghan stepping closer, jihoon’s threats made no appearance. he had entered the abyss in hopes to solve the lifelong mystery of where it came from, not to fight a mystical creature. nothing in his life had trained him for this
“you two were screaming it so much it was hard to miss. it would be, rather, more shocking if i hadn’t heard it.” jeonghan said, gesturing to lyra and mingyu. “you two should really keep it down, by the way, or you’ll wake stronger beasts than the one you encountered before, you know, the one that bit your friend? and then even i wouldn’t be able to save you from them.” he hesitated and you flinched from his words. “well, maybe i could.”
mingyu took the silence that followed after as an opportunity to speak. “this sounds like you’re here to help us?”
jeonghan shrugged and mingyu noticed that he had been steadily closing the gap between him and the group but he let the thought slide. he were tired, oh so tired from the fear of losing his friend, the adrenaline from contributing to said friend’s loss of a limb and now this, a potential threat. perhaps death called, though it couldn’t be so bad if it promised a peaceful rest.
“i would simply be delighted to aid you in your…” he glanced around jihoon’s guarding figure to wonwoo’s body. “successful attempt to save your friend.” he finally spoke, words coming out rather slowly. “however, my buddy jihoon here, seems to be opposed against my gracious decision. perhaps you want wonwoo to die, jihoon buddy ol’ pal?”
jihoon looked to be physically in pain, teeth grinding upon each other. his mouth opened to say more but mingyu placed a firm hand on his arm. “we’ll accept.” mingyu said. “please save our friend.” the boy glanced at jihoon and shook his head desperately. “wonwoo doesn’t have time for us to argue.” he offered as explanation and when jihoon sighted wonwoo, he found himself agreeing.
“fine. please help us, jeonghan.” he muttered, hands still tightening on the handle of the axe though he lets his arm drop.
the creature clapped his hands in excitement. “excellent! i knew you would come around, jihoon.”
lyra cut into the conversation before jihoon could take the bait and bite back. “how are you going to save him? what are you going to do?”
the desperateness must have coloured her tone for jeonghan turned to face her. his eyes were haunting when they settled on hers for the first time, seemingly delving deep into her soul and prying deep into her memories. they left no surface unturned, a hurricane in his wake, the smile engraved into the crevices of her mind as he spoke once more. “come back with me and i’ll show you.”
lyra watched as jeonghan turned from her, colour returning into her sight as his figure began to disappear against the backdrop of the rainforest. she heard only her faint breaths and the whistle of perching birds, heads tilted in curiosity as they watched the event that occurred in the world beneath them. her eyes find mingyu’s which have been hardened beyond recognition and the two of you knew that the moment would forever be etched into the wrinkles of their brains. if they were to ever survive this, it would only mean elongated suffering.
there were tears in lyra’s eyes at the prospect of failing their initial endeveurs to explore the hidden depths of the unknown phenomenon. hadn’t they only wanted to explore what the abyss had offer? hadn’t they simply wanted the thrill of adventuring with your childhood friends, seeking out a journey that would be inked in history? and now the reality of the world had sunken into their bones like cement.
the four of them had barely descended past the fifth layer, edging on the boundaries and the concept of returning knocked on your mind like an unwanted friend.
jihoon stood, rustling the wind at the sudden disturbance. he swung wonwoo’s only arm over his shoulder and wordlessly trekked after jeonghan whose back was almost consumed by the forest’s shadows. there was only one option and jihoon knew this, knew this before the rest of his friends did.
mingyu followed after jihoon, zipping up his backpack and tossing it over his shoulder. he offered lyra a hand as he passed her on the floor, which she accepted. an unspoken nod is bounced back between the two, something like determination and acceptance in the gesture.
whatever was in their path of destiny had to be overcome no matter its challenge, for the four of them had descended so far to die only at its fifth layer.
“you planted roses in my heart, daises in my mind, lilies in my eyes, and left them all to die.”
a gyuboo au where palace gardener kim mingyu and caratland's crown prince boo seungkwan are deeply in love with each other when suddenly, mingyu disappeared, leaving seungkwan in despair.
So I’ve decided to make a soulmate series for seventeen. I’ve read some other people’s and it’s given me the inspo to wright my own :). Anyways, I hope you like this, it’ll be one of my first Tumblr AU’s. :)))
(You can request these if you want :) )
(( your soulmate’s thoughts play in your head as a song. This also tells you their mood depending on the tone of the song. When you meet your minds both play the same song))
~~~~~
Your POV
You were currently sitting in a comfy feeling coffee house, studying for finals that are less than a week away. Although the comfy atmosphere helps, the stress and anxiety radiating off of you is making it slightly less cozy. You’ve drinken way to many cups of coffee to even count, causing your hands to shake slightly. You sigh frustrated, and place your things in your bag. It’s getting late and you should probably call it a night before you accidentally kill yourself before finals.
Suddenly you thought of your family back home in the states, and how you left them to live in Seongnam, South Korea. You decided to take a scholarship into a fine arts college. Luckily it’s your last year. You’re taking classes on how to become a music producer, or something along those lines. You honestly don’t even know what you want to do with the degree you’re getting, but you know you want music to be apart of your life.
As you were placing the last couple of things in your bag you began to hear a very faint cheerful sounding song. It sounded almost like the piano, which is what it usually sounds like. You smile a little to yourself, knowing somewhere in the world your soulmate is at least happy. You start dancing a little to the song, causing a couple of curious eyes to stare at you. You didn’t give a damn though.
You place the straps of your bag over your shoulder and walk outside. You didn’t realize it was raining and you cursed to yourself for not bringing an umbrella. You quickly pulled your hood on and sprinted as far as you could, which wants very far.
“Damn when did I get so out of shape?” You asked yourself under your breath.
You kept walking and you noticed you were passing by a music and dance studio. You look at how gorgeous the building was, and wish that you could someday work in a place like this, doing what you love.
You weren’t looking where you were going and fell into a huge puddle, the cold water seeping into your clothes immediately, causing you to gasp. You were almost frozen on the spot when you see a group of about 13 or so guys walk out of the studio. They looked at you and you kinda just awkwardly got up and tried to pretend that you didn’t just fall in a puddle.
Your face began to flush when they all rushed over to you asking if you were ok. For strangers they’re pretty nice.
“Are you ok?”
“Omg what happened?”
“You must be freezing!?”
You were suddenly bombarded with questions and you were just shaking you head.
“I’m fine really.” You say, but your body decided to betray you, and you started shivering.
“Here let’s get you inside.” One of the guys said. He was around your height, and suddenly you realized how tall everyone was compared to you two. A song started playing quite loudly in your head surprisingly when he grabbed your arm gently. You didn’t know how to describe it but it was beautiful.
You were taking mental notes of the song, hoping to turn it into something when he gently pulled you into the building you were just gawking at, and told you to sit on the couch. You did as told, but couldn’t help noticing everyone’s eyes on you. You blushed and this I think made everyone realize how rude they were being.
“Sorry.” They all said at the same time. You just shook your head laughing a little.
“So do you all work here or something?” You asked curiously. You regretted your choice of words already. What if they’re just… idk hanging out? Idk. ‘Stop being so awkward’! You thought to your self.
“Yeah kinda. We’re a part of a band called seventeen! And we practice and produce music here.” One of the taller boys said.
You start staring at them with wide eyes, confused as to how you got so lucky to meet a bunch of idols on a depressing day like this.
“Oh! That’s amazing! Wow… ok” you said stuttering to yourself. Trying to calm your red face.
“Uh, I make my own music too. Although, I’ve never actually showed anyone other than my teacher.” You said shyly, looking down at your hands.
“Well, if you’re comfortable with it, we’d all love to hear some.” Someone said.
All you heard were a bunch of “yeas”, and you were being pressured enough that you had your phone in your hand and were about to press play on a song you’ve been working on for a while. It’s a song that often plays in your head, and you’re pretty sure it’s your soulmates go to song or something.
When you press play, the guy from earlier came rushing into the room with some clothes for you to change into. He heard the song that was playing and kind of just stared at your phone weirdly.
You didn’t know what to think so you let it play out fully, and everyone clapped except for that one guy. And you didn’t know why, all you knew was that he was frozen still, and that song in your head kept playing louder and louder the longer you stared at him.
“Wow, that’s amazing! I love the lyrics, it really speaks to me.” One of them said. This is when you realized you don’t know any of them, and you just shared a really personal song to all of them.
“Hey, uh, just so I can tell who I’m talking to.. hi I’m (y/n) , what are your names?” You asked kinda awkwardly.
“Right sorry! I’m Hoshi!” Hoshi said giving you a wide smile, he’s the one that’s been talking the most you realized.
“I’m Vernon” Vernon said smirking slightly.
“Wonwoo”
“Dino”
“Jun”
“The8 or Minghao”
You heard a lot of names that you basically forgot all of there names the second they finished. The one that stood out the most was 'woozi’ . You’re not sure why, but hearing his name made your heart flutter in a weird way you’re not used to.
“Well it’s nice to meet all of you” you smile politely to all of them, they return the favor but instead of smiling they give you a big group hug. Dang these bois are nice.
“Oh here’s your clothes.” Woozi says, his ears turning red. You take them thanking him and look around for the nearest bathroom.
~
Woozi’s pov
Damn she’s cute. Like wow. I just met her but I already think I like her. Something about her just… speaks to me.
I sit on the couch with the rest of the boys and quietly wait for (y/n) to get out of the bathroom. I managed to find some spare sweatpants and a t-shirt from our wardrobe room that I thought might fit her well enough.
DAMN THAT SONG WONT STOP.
All you’ve been hearing is that one song ever since she walked in the door, it’s like she caused it or something.
…. then it hit you.
'What if… what if she’s my soulmate? ’
'No it couldn’t be.’
You argued with your self in you head, blushing at the thought that some perfect stranger could be your soulmate.But I’ve read about this happening.. it’s possible.
There’s only one way to find out. I’ll just hum the song and see how she reacts.
Suddenly she walked out of the bathroom, wearing the clothes you gave her, and you must admit, you think she looks even cuter now.
“Hey, do you want to hang out with us at the coffee house down the street? I mean, if you’re not busy you know.” Hoshi says, being the go getter he is.
She suddenly laughs and everyone is confused.
“Sorry, it’s just.. I just came from there and I’ve had so much coffee today that I think I officially have permanent muscle spasms now.” She said, causing everyone to laugh.
“Oh ok. Well we were just going to go get some coffee and come back, if you want you can watch us practice after.” I suggest. This is probably really weird for her, having strangers ask to hang out.
“Uh, yeah sure ok. Sounds good.” She smiles.
“Here, we’ll have woozi, Vernon, and Joshua stay here with you while we leave.” Hoshi says deciding the rest will go to the coffee shop.
You smirk to yourself and have the perfect plan.
Once the guys leave,you walk them up to the dance studio, and you three begin practicing your part. (Y/n) looks so impressed, and you can tell by the way her eyes lit up like a million fireworks when she saw you dance.
When you finished your first song she clapped and said,“ wow… I’m speechless. That was amazing.” You blushed and said “you really think so?”
“I do.” She said smiling.
Here’s where the plan comes in.
“Yeah, it’s just.. I’ve had this song stuck in my head for a while, and it’s been making it hard for me to dance properly.” I said.
“Oh yeah I hate when that happens. Of coarse I don’t dance, but it annoys me when I’m studying or something.” She says casually.
“How does yours go?” I asked hoping this was going to be real.
~
Your POV
You started humming to the song and his eyes got wide as hell, it almost scared you. You suddenly stopped, but then he started humming the rest.
What. The. Fuuuuckkkk.
How… how does he know that? It’s a soulmate song…only me soulmate would know it.. oh. OH. Ok.
“Wait… you’re my…”
“Soulmate?” He said chuckling and turning bright red.
“I guess so.” He said walking closer to you.
You both suddenly start humming the song really loudly and Vernon, and Joshua just kinda stare at you two and smile like little gushy children.
Joshua and Vernon start dancing in the background of the song you were humming and you both start laughing. “We need to make that a song. Like an actual one with lyrics or something!” Vernon said amazed.
You heard what he said, but all you could think about was the boy in front of you. You stared into his eyes, and couldn’t help the smile that creapt onto your face. You suddenly hugged him so tight that you couldn’t breathe.
It suddenly hit you, that this is the boy you’re going to spend the rest or your life with. And he’s one damn good one at that. How did you get so lucky?
When you let go, he was blushing so hard that you wanted to kiss him. But you didn’t because you were too shy.
“I can’t believe your my soulmate. I never thought I’d see the day where I’d meet you.” He said making you smile so hard you could die.
He suddenly leaned into you and you felt your lips connect in a passionate kiss. So much for being shy. You melted in his arms and you heard squirming and squealing behind you and when you pulled apart all you could see was Vernon and Joshua hugging and fangirling at you two.
“You’re too cute!” They screamed. Causing you two to laugh.
You look back at woozi, and can’t wait to experience all the amazing moments to come with him, your one and only soulmate. Who knew… that all it took to find him was way to much coffee, and a huge, annoying ass puddle.
The universe works in mysterious ways.
~~~~~~~~<<<<~~~~~~~<<<<<<~~~~~~~~~~<
I hope you all enjoyed this! I had fun writing this, and let me know if you want a part two, or if you have a request for another member or something. Sorry this was kinda long, and confusing, and kinda sucky, but yeah :)
The way Soonyoung just naturally bent down for Jihoon means he does this a lot. Imagine how many kisses we never seen behind those cameras? Must be a lot 😍😍 . . . #seventeen #scoups #jeonghan #joshua #jun #hoshi #wonwoo #woozi #dokyeom #mingyu #the8 #seungkwan #vernon #dino #yuju #gfriend #jeongcheol #verkwan #soonhoon #meanie #junhao #seokju #fakeinstagram #kpopfakechat #instafake #seventeenau #alternateuniverse #seventeenimagine #seventeenscenarios #seventeenfakechat
