LINGER [02]
pairings : shinyu x fem!reader
genre: romance, fluff, domestic, slowburn, hurt/comfort, mutual pining, cohabitation, mutual longing, suggestive (in later chapter), might be r-rated as well?
warning: -
status: on going
word count: 1.8k
disclaimer: the story is pure fiction. other characters will show up as the story goes on. the female lead is an original character—her name is addressed as “Yoon Harin,” but the POV will stay second-person (“you” / Y/N) throughout.
chapter list:
01 | 02 | 03 | tba
synopsis:
They weren’t supposed to fall.
Not in that apartment.
Not after midnight.
Not with so many things left unsaid.
But some feelings don’t ask for permission—
they just linger.
Your steps halted right across the street, right in front of the campus gate you’d walked through far too many times.
There stood Shinyu—white shirt, black tote bag, hair slightly tousled by the wind.
He was talking to a girl you didn’t recognize. She looked about the same age as him. Maybe a classmate. Maybe someone from the same department. Maybe… anyone.
You didn’t know why your feet suddenly hesitated. Instead of walking up to him like usual—teasing, saying hi in that half-joking way—you just stood there, letting the distance remain.
“What am I even doing just standing here?” you muttered under your breath, but still didn’t move. They were still talking. The girl tapped Shinyu’s arm lightly, laughing at something he said.
He nodded, the corners of his eyes curving a little as he replied.
And in that moment, you realized one thing. You didn’t like it.
Then, as if he could sense your gaze, Shinyu turned. His eyes immediately found yours across the street.
And his expression shifted. A bit confused. A bit questioning.
You quickly looked down at your phone, pretending to scroll. Pretending not to see.
But your legs only moved again when you heard his voice calling from across the road.
“Harin?”
You looked up.
He had already crossed the street. The girl from before was nowhere in sight.
“Were you waiting for me?” he asked, in that usual calm tone of his.
You shrugged, nonchalant. “Not really. Just passing by.”
He didn’t respond. Only tilted his head slightly, watching your face a little longer than usual.
Thenㅡ
“Yo! Shinyu! So this is where you’ve been!”
You turned your head.
Two guys walked up casually—one in a grey hoodie with messy hair, and the other tidier, wearing round glasses and a friendly smile he quickly directed toward you.
“Oh—uh, hey,” Dohoon greeted politely, giving you a slight nod.
Shinyu cleared his throat. “This is Harin.”
“Ah…” Jihoon raised his eyebrows and grinned. “That Harin?”
Shinyu shot him a warning look, but it was too late—Dohoon had already joined in with a teasing smile, even patting Shinyu’s shoulder without realizing.
“Shinyu mentions you all the time.”
You blinked, sneaking a glance at Shinyu, who now seemed quieter than usual.
“What kind of things?” you asked coolly, your tone clearly testing the waters.
“Oh, you know… random stuff,” Jihoon replied casually. “Like how someone tends to cook when they’re mad, or—”
“Jihoon.” Shinyu’s voice was soft, but firm enough to make both his friends laugh and back off.
“We were just about to grab dinner. Wanna join us?” Dohoon asked Shinyu, then looked at you. “Or… maybe Harin wants to come too?”
You looked at Shinyu, waiting for him to speak first. But he simply turned to you and asked gently, “Do you want to come?”
Such a simple question. But you felt something shift in the air between you.
“I’m… not hungry,” you finally said.
Dohoon and Jihoon exchanged a quick glance, then shrugged casually. “Alright. Next time then,” Jihoon said with a polite smile.
Shinyu didn’t say anything. But just before he turned to follow his friends, he paused beside you.
He didn’t touch you. But his voice low, almost like a whisper—reached you clearly.
“If you were really just passing by… why did you stand there for five minutes?”
You held your breath. And had no idea how to answer.
***
Later that night, you found yourself curled up on the couch in Sooa’s apartment, a warm mug of citron tea between your hands. The room was dimly lit, only the soft glow of a lamp near the bookshelf flickering as the city lights spilled through the window.
Sooa plopped down next to you with a dramatic sigh. “Work was insane today,” she groaned, tossing her phone aside. “Finance team kept sending back revisions like they were allergic to approving anything.”
You chuckled lightly. “Hyunjae?”
“Obviously.” She rolled her eyes. “But enough about that. What’s with you? You look like someone just told you your favorite café ran out of tiramisu.”
You hesitated, taking a sip of your tea to stall.
Sooa narrowed her eyes, elbowing you gently. “Don’t even try to brush it off. I’ve known you too long.”
You exhaled through your nose, half-smiling. “It’s nothing. Just… weird vibes today.”
“Weird vibes?” She raised a brow. “Where? Office? Or…” Her voice trailed off, and then she gave you that knowing look.
You didn’t answer right away. Instead, your thumb traced the rim of your mug.
Sooa leaned in a little. “Wait. Is this about Shinyu?”
Your eyes snapped to her for a second too long.
“Ha!” She pointed dramatically. “I knew it! That pause? That guilty look? Classic.”
“It’s not like that,” you muttered, not entirely convinced by your own words.
“Mhm. Let me guess,” Sooa leaned back, folding her arms. “He was talking to someone and you didn’t like how it looked?”
Your silence spoke louder than anything else.
Sooa grinned, smug and unbothered. “Oh my God. You’re jealous.”
“I’m not—jealous,” you said quickly, defensive.
“You’re totally jealous.”
You groaned, setting your mug down. “She looked… friendly.”
“And he looked… happy?”
You didn’t respond.
Sooa tilted her head, voice softening. “Hey. You know my brother, right? He’s weird about people. Especially girls. If he looked happy, maybe it’s because he was trying to be polite. Or maybe because someone else was watching.”
Your brows drew together. “You think he knew I was there?”
Sooa smirked, playful. “Please. That boy has your presence radar set on high sensitivity.”
You bit your lip, trying to hide your reaction.
And Sooa, of course, noticed. Her smile shifted—gentler now, almost fond.
“You really like him, huh?”
This time, you couldn’t dodge the question.
Your answer came out barely above a whisper. “…I don’t know.”
But Sooa didn’t press. She just reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.
“Then take your time figuring it out. But just so you know…” She paused, lips tugging into a smile again. “He’s been figuring you out for a while now.”
Time passes by. You were mid-sentence, half-listening to Sooa ramble about office drama, when the sound of the front door unlocking reached your ears.
Click.
Your body stiffened before you could help it.
Sooa glanced at you, then toward the door. Speak of the devil,” she muttered under her breath, almost amused.
The apartment door swung open gently. Shinyu stepped inside, still in his white shirt, the sleeves now rolled up to his elbows. His tote bag hung loosely off one shoulder, and his eyes scanned the room—then landed on you.
For a moment, everything went quiet again. The tea in your mug had gone lukewarm. Your heart, inexplicably, had not.
Your eyes met his. And that was the problem.
Because in that half-second of silence, something passed between you and him. Something neither of you had words for.
You were the first to look away.
“I should go,” you blurted, already rising to your feet.
Sooa blinked. “Wait, now?”
“Yeah, I, um… I’ve got some stuff at home. No need to stay over tonight.” You grabbed your tote, avoiding both their gazes.
But just as you were reaching for the doorknob, fingers brushed around your wrist—gentle, but firm.
Shinyu.
You froze.
His grip wasn’t tight. He wasn’t trying to stop you. Not really.
But still, he didn’t let go.
“…It’s late,” he said, voice quiet, as if trying not to wake something fragile in the air.
You turned slightly, just enough to meet his eyes.
“I’ll be fine,” you said, a little too fast.
His brows knit together faintly. “Did something happen?”
You opened your mouth then closed it again.
Behind you, Sooa wisely said nothing. The room held its breath with you.
“No,” you finally whispered. “I just… want to go home tonight.”
Shinyu didn’t answer.
But his hand slowly let go.
Your wrist felt colder the second it did.
You didn’t look back as you stepped out the door.
But if you had, you would’ve seen him still standing there, hand slightly lifted, as if he regretted letting go at all.
***
The air outside was heavier than you remembered. Cooler, too, even though the summer hadn’t ended.
You walked without really knowing where your thoughts were going—just you, your tote bag, and the silence that followed you like a second shadow.
By the time you reached your home, the sky had darkened into a soft indigo. You didn’t bother turning on all the lights—just one lamp in the corner, enough to chase away the feeling that you were being swallowed by your own thoughts.
You sat at the edge of your bed, phone still clutched in one hand.
No new messages.
Not that you were expecting one. Not that you weren’t.
You stared at the screen a little longer than necessary before sighing and tossing it onto the bedspread.
You could still feel the ghost of his hand around your wrist—his voice, low and unsure, asking if something had happened.
And the worst part?
You didn’t even know how to answer that.
A few streets away, in Sooa’s apartment, Shinyu stood in the hallway with his hands tucked in his pockets.
He hadn’t said much after you left. Not to Sooa. Not to anyone.
He’d just stared at the door a little longer than necessary. Like maybe if he stood there long enough, you’d come back.
“Are you okay?” Sooa had asked.
He didn’t answer right away.
Then finally, “…She didn’t even look back.”
Sooa tilted her head. “Maybe she didn’t want you to see her face.”
He blinked, slowly.
Then turned away. “I’ll head out. Got stuff to do.”
Sooa didn’t stop him.
But as he walked out the door, she muttered under her breath, “You’re both hopeless.”
And she wasn’t wrong.
tbc
Helloo! new chapter’s out! i want to tell you that english isn’t my first language, so feel free to point out any grammar stuff—I’d really appreciate it! I’m still new to writing on Tumblr, so your reblogs, comments, or even a little inbox message would honestly mean the world to me <3