little things they do that show they care.
ft. sung jinwoo, baek yoonho, choi jongin, woo jinchul, goto ryuji, liu zhigang, thomas andre
hello all! i want to get on vgen, and to be accepted i need 100 likes and 5 unique comments... please don't tell me i missed the hype train. please. hahahsh you can find me at vgen.co/mintmoons !!
the way sung jinwoo pops out of nowhere whenever you're not feeling your best has you suspecting he has some kind of mood tracker on you.
jinwoo is known to be an enigma, so you know better than to question how he can pinpoint your exact location in a matter of seconds, let alone make it to said location just as fast. what puzzles you the most is how he knows what you're feeling.
jinwoo huffs out a soft laugh whenever you ask with genuine curiosity — you promise you won't chew him out for whatever methods he's using — petting your hair and telling you it's all his spectacular "boyfriend instincts".
your gut tells you you're onto something. whenever jinwoo brushes you off about something, he is usually hiding something.
where there is smoke, there is fire.
you can't find it in you to be mad at him, however. this is nothing like the times he went off to clear dungeons and close gates all by his lonesome, coming home tired and weary — yet uninjured, much to your relief — without teeling you, or worse, lying about his whereabouts.
him all but spawning by your side whenever you heave a sigh that releases a part of your soul back into the atmosphere, whenever you're zoning out, the cup of tea you made for yourself having long since gone cold, or whenever you prematurely bury yourself under the blankets to have a break from everything, is the best thing anyone could ever ask for, really.
the mattress dipping from the weight of a familiar presence; "wanna talk about it?"
your favourite teacup disappearing from view, only to reappear, your tea steaming hot once more, jinwoo's matching mug taking it's place beside it as he takes a seat next to you.
a hand on your lower back, pressing firmly to fix your posture so you're no longer folded in two over your desk.
"you know you can call me anytime, right?" he murmurs into your skin, lips pressed against your temple, and you can barely manage a hum of acknowledgement, heart swelling in your chest. "for anything. i would travel halfway across to world just to open a jar for you."
you already know. and the thing is, you don't even have to call.
baek yoonho is an attentive man in all aspects of his life.
making sure he always checks in on your wellbeing is second nature to him.
he is nowhere near as physically present in your relationship as he would have liked, but he tries to make up for that by being in contact as often as possible.
he calls, every day. once in the morning, and once in the afternoon. even though he can just send a simple text, he prefers to call, just to hear your voice and have a proper conversation.
"what are you up to?" he asks, knowing full well your shift has started hours ago. he still wants to hear you say it, even though your reply hasn't changed one bit from the first ever time he had called. it's always work, but sometimes, there are variables. sometimes, you simply gloss over the question with a simple answer, at others, you elaborate; on the report you're working on, updating him on the recent company gossip and the like.
he absorbs every little detail, tucking them away in his mind.
"did you sleep well?" he asks, knowing full well you went to sleep later than usual the night before. sometimes, he's in the mood to say "i told you so," when he's a little upset about you brushing him off, all but shooing him away to bed with empty promises of joining him later.
"did you have breakfast yet?" he asks, eyes flitting to the clock to see it's nearing noon. he wants to make sure you're not going hungry or skipping breakfast. even when you haven't, he sometimes scolds you for not eating well enough by his standards. too little amount, too little protein, too something. you roll your eyes fondly each time, whining about how you will make up for it at lunch.
"do you need anything?" he asks in the afternoon, calling a few hours before he's set to leave the office. that is your chance to ask anything you desire of him — groceries you're missing, takeout, a dessert you've been craving; even if it's not on his way, he will make it so.
it's really not that big of a deal, but with how you receive anything you ask from him, it sure feels like he's laying the world beneath your feet.
befitting of someone of his position, choi jongin loves to seize the moment, making sure you do, too.
thanks to his job, his scope of responsibilities are set in stone; manage the guild, go wherever he is needed, manage the resources he is provided, keep an eye out for new opportunities and fresh recruits. anything else, he can leave at the hands of his trusty guild members, which gives him a little more time for personal affairs.
he knows how easy it is to get lost in the tide of life, in repetitive routines that drain the vim out of your soul. one can easily forget how to appreciate the small things that bring joy, though jongin is well versed in the art of living life to the fullest.
he takes you out as often as possible, being a medium for you to make core memories you will always keep close to your heart.
from out of pocket adventures like floating in anti-gravity fields and swimming with sharks, to ordinary experiences like visiting an aquarium or having a picnic under cherry blossoms, he acts like it's his mission to ascertain you don't lose the spark in your eyes.
"someone seems sleepy." he chuckles, and you feel him turning his head to look at you, making you shift so his chin doesn't dig into your forehead.
"really?" you don't open your eyes to chirp out a reply, "could it be because i'm literally napping on your shoulder?"
"it was a rhetorical statement, darling." he huffs with amusement, though his next words are laced with concern, "are you alright?"
"peachy," you stifle a yawn, "we tried so many new places today. i feel like food critic." you squeeze your eyes tighter to avoid the glare of the sun shining in through the car's window. "a very full one."
"oh, the woes of having taste." an unnatural shadows covers your eyes, and you blink a few times to adjust your eyes before smiling at the sight of jongin's hand covering above your face to block the sun. "you must get used to it. we haven't even made a dent in the list of dates i have planned."
for someone who thrives in chaotic situations, woo jinchul loves to protect his peace — and by extension, you.
it's the small, arguably unnoticable things he does that's essentially like oiling the gears of a mechanism to keep it running smoothly, the little details that make sure your routine goes smoothly.
it makes you feel like you don't have to worry about anything.
somehow, you never run out of groceries. even when you're close to running out, you get a message from jinchul, quickly followed by a notification from your default delivery company about their estimated time of arrival with the exact list of items you're missing, or running low on.
there is always something ready to eat, either in the fridge or in the freezer. leftovers or ready-made meals, always giving you a quick option for sustenance for the days you feel too tired to tackle chores.
your workspace at home is always tidied up, even when you're sure you left it a mess the day before. papers neatly stacked together, the notes for your presentation at the very top for easier access, the pens stored away in the penholder, and what makes you giggle the most — the fact that your computer is wiped clean of dust and your fingerprints.
[jinchul]: cleaned up the crime scene.
you almost double over from laughing at the ominous text, knowing full well he means your mess. "did too good of a job, criminal" is the quick reply you send, only to receive a threatening upside down smiley face at your cheekiness.
an umbrella you have no memory of putting in your bag proves to be a necessity you forgot to account for when a downpour starts near the end of your shift, and while you don't have much walking distance in the open, you would've gotten soaked down to your very cells if you took two steps out in this weather without an umbrella.
you have a lot to thank him for, though your mind blanks out when he wraps his arms around you, pressing a kiss on your forehead to thank you for being by his side instead.
being acknowledged, let alone complimented by goto ryuji is not something many can achieve.
somehow, that is not the case when it comes to you.
while ryuji not the most expressive — or affectionate — man around, it would be a blatant lie to say he doesn't show he cares about you, not when he arms himself with your best qualities to shoot down any and all self-deprecating statements you make about yourself.
if you feel needly angry or frustrated at something, he makes sure to remind you you have done well, holding back until now.
if you feel like you have handled a situation poorly, or gotten an undesirable outcome out of it, he puts a hand on your head, telling you you have done what you thought was best in the moment.
if you feel like a failure because of your inability do something — anything, from something as mundane as lighting a match to tasks that hold more weight, like leading an important meeting — he lets you wallow in your misery for moment before he all but fishes you out of your sorrows, reminding you that getting up after you've been knocked down is what leads to success.
he gets surprisingly harsh when you say you don't believe your abilities, shooting you a look for your ludicrous claims not being smart enough, talented enough, strong enough; just... enough. he believes in one knowing their limits and act accordingly — everyone in his field must adhere by that idea if they want to survive, but he draws the line at putting yourself down.
in his mind; insecurities, while a perfectly common human trait, must be handled with grace. a true markings of a leader, you realise — it fits, with how well he handles all the different personalities in his team, including kumamoto's cowardlt nature, which you were sure he would have no tolerance to.
ryuji has a tendency to bring out the potential he believes people have, which is why he helps you keep your head high even when you feel the crushing weight of your missteps on your shoulders, tilting your chin up, steely gaze looking straight in your eyes as he tells you he believes in you.
for someone who is as brash and battle hungry as liu zhigang, having your own space is a dire need, which is why he understands the importance of curating a safe space for you to thrive in.
just as he feels the most at home in the training rooms, relaxing the more he trains — by now there isn't many exercises he can do that make him truly sweat, not without causing severe property damage and then some, anyway. he knows you need someplace equally as customized for yourself to unwind.
he isn't one for shopping, usually, but the idea of curating a room with you in mind is a challenge he welcomes to tackle spectacularly.
like any good significant other, he knows your interests by heart. from things you rave about openly and loudly to things you mention in passing, things your eyes linger for a second too long as you try to decide whether you truly like it or not, he has all the information he needs at his disposal.
it's an unexpected discovery to find how exhilarating he finds planning a surprise behind your back. sleath missions are not s-ranks' forte with the level of power they hold, not unless they are an assassin class, at least. subtlety is not a strong suit of high rank hunters.
he has many memories to take reference from as he picks items.
the fluffy blanket you so lovingly bury your face in as you snuggle him while the two of you watch movies or spend some time together is a good basis to start picking up the necessities. fluffiness of the blanket seemed to be an important factor for you; he remembers the crestfallen look on your face when you accidentally washed it at a higher temprature than instructed, and it lost most of the softness you favoured.
he knows all the scented candles and incense you burn by heart, down to which scent you pick depending on your mood.
regular lights keep you alert — you were never able to doze off with the lights on no matter how sleepy you are, often opting to bury your face in his shoulder on the decorative pillows on the couch. some fairy lights should suffice to set the mood with some low light; customizable, of course. he is not a monster.
any plushies and decorations you desire will be brought by your feet in heaps, any tweaks you desire will be made so the space is made perfect just for you, so you have a safe haven to come home to.
thomas andre exudes nonchalance like it's the lingering scent of his signature perfume.
as predictable as it is by his go-to outfit comination of a hawaiian shirt, beach shorts and sandals no matter where he's headed, he doesn't give a damn about who thinks what about him.
while his downright arrogant attitude is the source of many a great people's annoyance, he somehow manages to reflect that onto you as reassuring confidence.
it feels like anything you stress about will be solved, one way or another. like you don't have to worry about anything.
while occasionally callous about telling you to calm down and to not go insane from needless worries, often times his seemingly dismissive advice translate to letting go of things you cannot control, instead of going through dozens of impossible scenarios in your mind, anxiety nagging at your very being.
turns out the advice to be with someone easygoing if you're a stressed person does hold water after all.
"don't worry about it," he pulls you closer, shaking you with the force which he rubs your arm up and down in what is intended to be a soothing gesture. "i mean it. you've done everything you could, yeah?"
"yes, but—"
"no buts," he clicks his tongue like he's scolding a child, silently offering you to take a sip of the glass of brandy he's nursing, "you can start worrying when the results come in, if the outcome is not to your liking. even then, i can step in."
"i can't just use you like a 'get out of jail free' card every time something doesn't go my way."
"don't be daft, darlin'." he chuckles, warm and rich and with a hint of floral notes of the brandy on his breath, "of course you can. i'll handle it."
