lee ᯓ.ᐟ

AU ≠ REAL LIFE who’s choking.. ion care

[throughyrs]

KNOW THE BLOG ! — ☆.ᐟ

name: lee

prns: they/she

age: 18yo #07

mbti: ESFP

stan: CORTIS, BTS, LE SERRAFIM, ILLIT, BABYMON, H2H, TWICE, NNMIX… AND MORE GGS

fave genre: angst

dont ask me to make smut. that’s weird..

i’ve been seeing CORTIS FF all over tiktok and its my inspiration (too shy to post on tt)! shoutout to that oasis ff! you should read that smau on tiktok here here

fanfic masterlist

my fave cortis quote (iykyk):

people should look at the sky more ‧₊ ᵎᵎ ☁️ ⋅ ˚✮

with luv,

throughyrs

[throughyrs]

all the little things – PART 1

juhoon x shy!reader

⋆.ೃ࿔* :･🌙⋆.ೃ࿔* :･

background :: Juhoon has spent years quietly noticing his best friend’s sister without ever realizing how much space she takes up in his thoughts.

warnings :: none yet

lee’s note :: AHHH this series is making my heart flutter hehehehehehehehhbe… anyways i love this idea MUWAHAHAHAH you guys arent ready for this one w/ luv, THROUGHYRS

⋆.ೃ࿔* :･🎧⋆.ೃ࿔* :･

Juhoon didn’t think it was possible to like someone quietly for so long without it becoming obvious.

Apparently, he had been wrong.

Or maybe he was just good at hiding it.

That was what he kept telling himself anyway.

It started the way most things did for him without intention.

You were just Keonho’s younger sister. Someone who existed on the edges of every hangout, always present but never demanding attention. While the rest of the group filled rooms with noise, you tended to occupy silence instead. A book in your lap, a pen between your fingers, or your eyes half-focused on conversations you didn’t always join.

At first, Juhoon didn’t think much of it.

He noticed, of course. He noticed everything.

But noticing wasn’t the same as caring.

At least, that was what he thought.

Then came the small things.

The kind that didn’t feel important until they stacked up.

You always curled your sleeves over your hands when you were thinking too hard.

You always chose the same corner of the couch, even when it was already taken and you had to awkwardly squeeze in anyway.

You always laughed quietly first, like you were testing whether it was okay to laugh at all.

And then there was your smile.

Or rather, the way you tried not to show it.

Juhoon noticed that too.

Especially when it was something genuinely funny. Your hand would immediately rise to cover your mouth, even if the laughter had already slipped out. It was like a reflex. Like you were hiding something you weren’t supposed to let people see.

He never understood why.

He also never understood why it bothered him.

Not in a bad way.

Just… in a way that lingered.

That afternoon, the group had gathered at Keonho’s house like they always did when they had nothing better to do. Which, lately, was often.

Martin was lying upside down on the couch, complaining about something no one was listening to. James was laughing at him anyway. Keonho looked tired in a way that suggested he had been dealing with them for too long, and Seonghyeon sat slightly apart from the chaos, phone in hand, barely reacting to anything happening around him.

And you were there too.

Sitting in the armchair near the window.

Reading.

Juhoon wasn’t even sure when he started looking at you more than the others.

It wasn’t deliberate.

At least not at first.

It was just that your presence didn’t demand anything from him. He didn’t have to perform or keep up or fill silence with noise. You were quiet in a way that felt familiar, almost comforting.

So he looked.

And then he kept looking.

The moment James accidentally smacked himself in the face with a pillow, the room exploded into laughter. Even Keonho cracked a smile. Juhoon barely reacted, but when he glanced over, he saw you.

You had laughed too.

Quietly, almost like you hadn’t meant to.

And then your hand immediately covered your mouth, like it always did.

But Juhoon had already seen it.

The shape of your smile.

The small dip in your cheeks.

The way your eyes softened when you found something funny.

It was gone in less than a second, hidden behind your fingers and the edge of your book.

Still, Juhoon felt something settle in his chest that he didn’t have a name for.

“Why are you staring at the same page like that?”

Keonho’s voice cut through his thoughts.

Juhoon blinked and looked down at the magazine in his hands.

It was upside down.

Perfect.

Across the room, Martin noticed immediately.

“Oh?” he said, sitting up like he had just been given entertainment. “Oh?”

“No,” Juhoon said quickly.

“Oh, this is interesting,” James added, grinning now.

“It’s not,” Juhoon muttered.

Martin pointed across the room, far too dramatically for the situation. “I think Juhoon has a crush.”

The room went silent for half a second.

Then exploded.

Juhoon felt his entire soul leave his body.

“What?” he said, too fast.

Martin didn’t hesitate. His finger shifted.

Directly toward you.

Juhoon’s stomach dropped so hard it felt physical.

Because now everyone was looking.

Including you.

You had just lifted your head from your book, eyes flicking between Martin and Juhoon with mild confusion, like you were trying to figure out whether this was real or another one of Martin’s episodes.

“Me?” you asked slowly.

Juhoon couldn’t speak.

He genuinely forgot how.

Martin, of course, took that as confirmation.

“Yes!” he announced.

“No,” Juhoon said at the same time, which unfortunately sounded less convincing than he wanted.

James leaned forward like he was watching a live show. Keonho groaned, already tired of this conversation before it even finished.

But Juhoon wasn’t looking at them anymore.

He was looking at you.

And for a second, something strange happened.

You didn’t look embarrassed.

Not exactly.

You looked… amused.

Like the situation wasn’t humiliating, just slightly ridiculous.

And then you smiled.

Small.

Quiet.

Barely there.

But real.

Juhoon saw it clearly this time.

No hand covering it.

No hiding.

Just you.

And it made his chest tighten in a way he absolutely wasn’t prepared for.

Before he could process it further, you lowered your gaze back to your book, as if nothing had happened at all.

As if his entire world hadn’t just shifted slightly out of place.

That night, Juhoon’s phone was a disaster.

That made him pause.

Because he didn’t have an answer that made sense.

Not one he wanted to type out loud.

So instead, he typed the only thing that felt even remotely true.

Juhoon frowned at the screen.

Martin immediately capitalized on it.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘HE DOES’?”

But Juhoon wasn’t reading anymore.

He was thinking about you again.

About the way you laughed earlier.

About the way you looked at him like he wasn’t scary or strange or anything at all.

Just… there.

And for the first time, that felt like enough.

Not safe.

Not simple.

But enough to make him want to keep noticing.

Even if it ruined him later.

Juhoon told himself he would stop thinking about it the next day.

That was his first mistake.

Because the problem with moments like that wasn’t that they were loud or dramatic. It was that they were small enough to replay in his head without permission. The way you had looked up at him. The way you didn’t seem embarrassed. The way you smiled like it wasn’t something you were trying to hide for once.

He kept seeing it in fragments between classes, between practice, between everything else he was supposed to be focusing on.

It was annoying.

Not you.

The situation.

Definitely the situation.

By the time he ended up at Keonho’s house again that weekend, he had almost convinced himself he was normal about it.

Almost.

The second he stepped inside, the usual chaos hit him like a wall. Martin was already arguing about something stupid, James was laughing at him, and Keonho looked like he was one bad comment away from losing his patience completely. Seonghyeon was there too, sitting slightly apart from everyone else like he always did, phone in hand, expression unreadable.

And then there was you.

You were sitting on the floor this time instead of the armchair, knees tucked to your chest, a book open in your lap. Your hair was slightly messy, like you had been running your fingers through it without realizing. You didn’t look up right away when he walked in, but when you did, it was brief.

Just a glance.

A small recognition.

Then back to your book.

Juhoon stood there for a second longer than necessary before Keonho finally called him over. He moved, but his attention stayed split the entire time. Every few minutes, without meaning to, his eyes drifted back to where you were sitting.

He told himself it was normal.

You were just there.

That was all.

But then James made a joke so bad that even Martin paused, and you let out that quiet laugh again. The kind you tried to swallow immediately after it happened. Your hand came up automatically, like it always did, covering your mouth before anyone could really see it.

Except Juhoon had already seen it.

Again.

It shouldn’t have mattered.

It did.

He realized Keonho was watching him only when his friend spoke up.

“You’re doing it again.”

Juhoon blinked. “Doing what?”

Keonho didn’t answer right away. He just looked between Juhoon and you for a second, like he was putting pieces together that Juhoon really didn’t want him to find.

“Nothing,” Keonho finally said, but his tone made it clear he didn’t believe that.

Across the room, Martin suddenly sat up like he had been waiting for exactly this moment.

“Oh no,” he said slowly, “don’t tell me—”

“Don’t,” Juhoon warned immediately.

But Martin was already smiling.

“I knew it.”

“No you didn’t.”

“I did.”

“You didn’t.”

Martin pointed lazily across the room. “He’s staring again.”

This time, Juhoon actually felt his ears go warm.

Because it was true.

He was.

And worse, you had noticed.

You weren’t looking at him directly, but your attention had shifted slightly, like you could feel the direction of his gaze even if you weren’t acknowledging it out loud. Your fingers tightened around the edge of your book.

Then you looked up.

Just briefly.

And for the second time that week, your eyes met his.

Juhoon froze.

He expected you to look away quickly like usual.

But you didn’t.

Not immediately.

Instead, you just looked at him for a second longer than normal, expression unreadable in a way he couldn’t decode. Then, slowly, you lowered your gaze back to your book like nothing had happened at all.

But your hand stayed covering your mouth even though you weren’t laughing anymore.

Juhoon noticed that.

Of course he did.

Later that night, Martin’s 

 was exactly as unbearable as expected.

Juhoon stared at the screen for a moment, then set his phone down with more force than necessary.

He didn’t like how easily they all said it.

Like it was obvious.

Like it was something simple.

It wasn’t simple.

It wasn’t anything.

It was just noticing things.

That was all.

Still, even as he thought it, his mind drifted back to you again.

To the way you looked at him earlier.

Like you almost understood something.

Like you were also noticing things.

And for the first time, Juhoon wondered if he was the only one who had been quietly paying attention all this time.

Or if you had been doing the same thing without ever saying it out loud.

[throughyrs]

OMG 100 FOLLOWERS??

WOWOWOW THANK YALL FOR 100 FOLLOWERS WOWOWOWOW IM SO GRATEFUL!! I started this blog as a little get away and im so surprised many people liked the stories I've been posting! y'all are the best <3 PLS DONT FORGET TO SEND ME YOUR IDEAS! I love making my ideas come to life and I would love to make yours too! its frl such a blessing <333

w/ SO MUCH LUV AND GRATITUTE

throughyrs

[throughyrs]

"you.. noticed me?" — FINALE

james chao x shy!reader — ☆.ᐟ

⋆.ೃ࿔* :･☀️⋆.ೃ࿔* :･

background :: you are a quiet student who is feared and misunderstood at school until James starts talking to you, slowly shifting how everyone sees you. now, you’ve found friends, confidence, and feelings you can’t ignore.

warnings :: tooth-rotting fluff, confession scene, happy ending

lee’s note :: OKAY THIS IS THE ACTUAL FINALE. sorry this is so late LOL i got a little sick BUT i'm okay now!! please stick with me here LOL

w/ luv, THROUGHYRS

⋆.ೃ࿔* :･🎧⋆.ೃ࿔*

the café was closing.

chairs were being pushed in.

people were throwing away napkins.

martin was somehow still talking.

“AND THAT’S WHY I THINK I COULD SURVIVE A BEAR ATTACK.”

“you couldn’t survive a strong breeze,” seonghyeon replied.

“THAT’S DIFFERENT.”

“it’s really not.”

keonho was laughing.

juhoon looked one sentence away from leaving.

everything felt warm.

comfortable.

easy.

and for the first time in your life

you felt like you belonged somewhere.

you were still smiling when everyone started gathering their things.

“i’m heading out.”

“bye!”

“see you monday.”

one by one, people left.

until eventually

it was just you and james.

somehow.

you weren’t sure how that happened.

actually

you were pretty sure martin made it happen.

because right before leaving, he’d looked at james.

looked at you.

then grinned.

way too hard.

which was concerning.

very concerning.

you and james started walking home.

the evening air was cool.

the streets were quieter now.

for a while, neither of you spoke.

not awkward.

just calm.

the kind of silence that only existed between people who had spent a lot of time together.

eventually, james laughed softly.

you looked over.

“what?”

he rubbed the back of his neck.

“nothing.”

pause.

“…it’s just weird.”

you blinked.

“what is?”

he looked ahead.

“this."

“…walking home?”

“no.”

he smiled slightly.

“you.”

you nearly tripped.

“…me?”

“yeah.”

that was not an explanation.

you stared at him.

he noticed.

“okay that sounded weird.”

“very weird.”

“i know.”

you waited.

james took a deep breath.

then another.

which immediately made you nervous.

because james never got nervous.

not really.

he was the kind of person who could talk to anyone.

the kind of person who made strangers feel comfortable.

the kind of person who always knew what to say.

except now.

now he looked completely lost.

and that was somehow scarier.

“when i first met you…”

he stopped.

started again.

“actually, no.”

another deep breath.

“when i first heard about you, everyone made you sound scary.”

you looked down.

of course they did.

but james continued.

“then i met you.”

his voice softened.

“and you were nothing like what they said.”

you didn’t know what to say.

so you stayed quiet.

james smiled a little.

“you were kind.”

your heart skipped.

“you remembered things people told you.”

another step.

“you listened.”

another.

“you cared.”

you couldn’t look at him anymore.

your chest felt too full.

too warm.

too much.

“and every day after that…”

his voice got quieter.

“i just wanted to know you more.”

you stopped walking.

completely.

james stopped too.

the street suddenly felt very still.

very quiet.

very small.

he looked nervous.

actually nervous.

and somehow

that made your heart hurt.

because you knew.

before he even said it.

you knew.

james laughed once.

a short, embarrassed laugh.

then looked directly at you.

and for the first time since you’ve known him

he looked scared.

“i like you.”

your breath caught.

“i like you a lot.”

your heart was pounding so loudly you were convinced he could hear it.

“i think i’ve liked you for a really long time.”

he smiled nervously.

“probably longer than i realized.”

you just stared.

because this was james.

james.

the person who changed everything.

the person who sat beside you when nobody else did.

the person who waited.

the person who stayed.

the person you had accidentally, hopelessly fallen for.

and now

he was standing in front of you.

waiting.

for your answer.

“…say something.”

you blinked.

“what?”

james immediately covered his face.

“sorry.”

“you just confessed.”

“i know.”

“and then told me to say something.”

“i panicked.”

despite everything

you laughed.

actually laughed.

and james groaned.

“don’t laugh.”

“you literally just told me to talk.”

“fair.”

you smiled.

and slowly

very slowly

you stepped closer.

james immediately stopped moving.

like he forgot how.

“i like you too.”

[throughyrs]

"you.. noticed me?" — Part 3

james chao x shy!reader — ☆.ᐟ

⋆.ೃ࿔* :･🌸⋆.ೃ࿔* :･ background :: you are a quiet student who is feared and misunderstood at school until James starts talking to you, slowly shifting how everyone sees you. warnings :: rumors, social anxiety themes, slow burn fluff lee’s note :: part 3!where you start making actual connections instead of just being known as "james' friend" LOL. sorry if i keep repeating words.. for some reason my brain could not think of any transitions words... maybe i just need a refresher LOL w/ luv THROUGHYRS ⋆.ೃ࿔* :･🎧⋆.ೃ࿔*

Weeks pasted and you were putting books away after class when someone stopped beside your desk.

you immediately assumed they needed something.

or that you were in the way.

or both.

instead, the girl smiled.

a little nervously.

"um..."

you looked up.

"yeah?"

she hesitated.

then asked:

"do you know what page the homework was on?"

you blinked.

once.

twice.

"...page eighty-three."

"oh!"

she smiled.

"thank you."

and then she left.

the first person of the day to talk to you wasn't james.

which surprised you.

because lately, it was usually james.

but that was it.

the entire interaction.

less than ten seconds.

but it stayed in your head all day.

because she had talked to you normally.

not carefully.

not nervously.

not like you were something strange.

just...

normally.

you were still thinking about it during lunch.

which meant you completely missed martin sliding into the seat across from you.

"YOU LOOK CONFUSED."

you nearly dropped your drink.

"martin."

"Y/N."

"why are you yelling."

"WHY ARE YOU WHISPERING."

james groaned.

keonho laughed.

juhoon looked like he'd seen this exact conversation coming.

you looked down at your food.

"...someone talked to me today."

the entire table went quiet.

"..."

"..."

"..."

martin pointed dramatically.

"CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT."

seonghyeon threw a napkin at him.

"ow."

"you deserved that."

you couldn't help it.

a small laugh escaped.

everyone froze.

you froze.

james froze hardest.

"..."

"..."

"..."

martin stood up.

"GUYS."

"sit down."

"NO."

he pointed at you.

"SHE LAUGHED."

"martin."

"SHE DID IT AGAIN."

"martin."

"THIS IS A HISTORIC MOMENT."

seonghyeon kicked his chair.

martin sat back down.

"...worth it."

you hid your face.

which only made keonho smile.

"you should laugh more."

your ears immediately warmed.

"i laugh."

"twice."

"..."

"we've counted."

you stared at them.

they stared back.

james was smiling.

not teasing.

not laughing.

just...

happy.

and for some reason, that was worse.

much worse.

later that week, something else happened.

something even stranger.

during group work, your teacher started assigning partners.

normally, you ended up alone.

or with whoever got stuck without a partner.

this time—

"y/n."

you looked up.

"come join us."

a group near the window had waved you over.

you recognized them.

they were classmates.

people who usually only looked at you from across the room.

for a second, you genuinely thought they were talking to someone else.

until one of them laughed.

"we mean you."

you looked around.

then pointed at yourself.

"yes."

"...oh."

slowly, you stood.

and walked over.

your heart wouldn't stop pounding.

but nobody laughed.

nobody moved away.

nobody looked uncomfortable.

they just made room.

and suddenly—

you were sitting with people.

actually sitting with people.

when class ended, you remained frozen in your seat for almost thirty seconds.

trying to process what had just happened.

"y/n?"

you looked up.

james was standing there.

he tilted his head.

"you okay?"

"...i think so."

"you think so?"

you looked down.

"...they asked me to join them."

for a second, james just stared.

then smiled.

and it was one of the brightest smiles you'd ever seen.

"that's great."

you blinked.

"...really?"

"yeah."

he sounded genuinely happy.

not surprised.

not shocked.

just happy.

like he'd known it would happen eventually.

like he'd been waiting for everyone else to catch up.

and for the first time

you wondered if maybe james had never seen you the way everyone else did.

maybe...

he'd just seen you.

and somehow

that thought stayed with you all the way home.

The next day, you almost expected things to go back to normal.

Not because you wanted them to.

Because that's what usually happened.

Good things appeared.

Then disappeared.

But when you walked into class

the girl from yesterday waved.

Actually waved.

At you.

Your feet almost stopped working.

"Morning!"

She smiled.

The same easy smile as yesterday.

Like talking to you wasn't strange.

Like she wasn't doing anyone a favor.

"...morning."

The word came out quieter than intended.

But she still smiled.

And for some reason

that made your chest feel weird.

Not bad.

Just unfamiliar.

You sat down slowly.

Trying not to overthink it.

Unfortunately, James arrived three minutes later.

Which meant overthinking was no longer possible.

"You're smiling."

You immediately stopped.

"I wasn't."

"You were."

"I wasn't."

"You were."

You turned away.

James grinned.

"I've literally never seen you smile this much."

"That's not true."

"It is."

"You're exaggerating."

"Ask Martin."

"Why would I do that?"

"Exactly."

You hated that he made sense.

Or maybe you hated that he looked so pleased with himself.

Possibly both.

By lunch, Martin had somehow already learned about the group project.

Nobody knew how.

Not even James.

"YOU GOT INVITED INTO A GROUP?"

You jumped.

"How do you know that?"

"Information finds me."

"It absolutely does not."

"It does."

"It doesn't."

"It does."

Juhoon looked up from his drink.

"It doesn't."

Martin pointed dramatically.

"BETRAYAL."

Keonho laughed so hard he nearly spilled his juice.

And suddenly

without meaning to

you laughed too.

A real laugh this time.

Not a tiny one.

Not one you could hide.

The table went silent.

Again.

You immediately regretted everything.

"...sorry."

"NO."

Martin slapped both hands on the table.

"STOP APOLOGIZING FOR THAT."

You blinked.

"What?"

"YOU ALWAYS APOLOGIZE AFTER YOU LAUGH."

"...do I?"

"YES."

"..."

"..."

"That's kind of sad."

You looked down immediately.

Because now that Martin had said it

you realized he was right.

You apologized after speaking.

After asking questions.

After existing too loudly.

After taking up space.

You had been doing it for so long you didn't even notice anymore.

The table went quieter.

Not awkward.

Just thoughtful.

Then James spoke.

"You don't have to."

You looked up.

He wasn't joking.

For once.

His expression was calm.

"You know that, right?"

You swallowed.

"...what?"

"You don't have to apologize every time you do something."

Your chest tightened.

Because somehow

that felt harder to hear than any insult ever had.

You looked away.

"...okay."

James smiled slightly.

Not because he won.

Not because he convinced you.

Just because you answered.

And somehow

that made it easier.

A little.

After school, the classroom emptied slowly.

Students talking.

Chairs moving.

Bags zipping.

You were putting away your notebook when someone stopped beside your desk.

You looked up.

It was one of the girls from your project group.

"Oh."

Immediately brilliant response.

She laughed softly.

"We're stopping by a café after school."

You blinked.

"...okay."

A pause.

Then her smile grew.

"Do you want to come?"

The world stopped.

Not dramatically.

Not loudly.

Just enough.

Because nobody had asked you that before.

Not really.

Not casually.

Not naturally.

Not like they expected you to say yes.

Your hands tightened around your notebook.

You opened your mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

And before you could answer

"She should come."

You looked over.

James was standing by the door.

Backpack over one shoulder.

Watching.

The girl nodded immediately.

"Yeah. You should."

You looked between them.

Then down.

Then back up.

Your heart was pounding so hard it was annoying.

"...okay."

The girl's face brightened.

"Really?"

You nodded.

And for a second

just a second

you caught James smiling.

Soft.

Relieved.

Like he'd been hoping for that answer.

Like he'd known all along that one day

someone besides him would ask you to stay.

[throughyrs]

“you.. noticed me?” — Part 2

james chao x shy!reader — ☆.ᐟ

⋆.ೃ࿔* :･🌧️⋆.ೃ࿔* :･

background :: you are a quiet student who is feared and misunderstood at school until James starts talking to you, slowly shifting how everyone sees you.

warnings :: rumors, social anxiety themes, slow burn fluff

lee’s note :: part 2 continuation SORRY FOR BEING SUPER LATE I WAS FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE FOR THOSE TICKETS… BUT I GOTTEM AYYYY CORTIS HERE I COME w/ luv, THROUGHYRS

⋆.ೃ࿔* :･🎧⋆.ೃ࿔*

it doesn’t get better immediately.

it just gets… louder.

You slowly started to notice it in the way people don’t move away as fast anymore.

they still look.

they still whisper.

but there’s hesitation now.

like the story they were told about you isn’t fitting what they’re seeing anymore.

“he’s still talking to her?”

“maybe it’s just temporary.”

“or maybe she’s different than we thought?”

that last one lingers longer than the rest.

you don’t know what to do with it.

so you pretend you didn’t hear it.

like always.

james, meanwhile, acts like nothing has changed at all.

he still shows up beside you in class.

still slides into the seat next to you like it belongs there.

still talks like you’ve always been part of his day.

“you’re quiet today,” he says once.

you blink. “…i’m always quiet.”

he nods. “yeah. but this is like… thoughtful quiet.”

you hesitate. “…is there a difference?”

“yeah,” he says immediately. “this one feels less heavy.”

you don’t respond.

but you think about it anyway.

lunch is when it shifts.

martin shows up first.

of course he does.

he sits down loudly, immediately scanning the area.

“OKAY SO PEOPLE ARE DEFINITELY TALKING ABOUT YOU GUYS.”

you freeze slightly.

james sighs. “stop announcing things like it’s breaking news.”

“IT IS BREAKING NEWS.”

“it’s not.”

martin ignores him. “LIKE, PEOPLE ARE SAYING YOU’RE NOT—” he stops mid-sentence, glancing at you.

you stiffen.

he continues more carefully. “they’re… rethinking stuff.”

that word sits weirdly in your chest.

rethinking.

like you were something that needed correction.

keonho sits down next.

he places something in front of you without asking.

a small snack.

you blink. “…you keep doing that.”

he smiles. “yeah.”

“…why?”

he thinks for a second, then shrugs.

“because you never take it for yourself.”

you don’t know what to say to that.

so you just nod slightly.

juhoon watches everything like he’s putting pieces together.

then says, quietly:

“your presence changes their pattern.”

you blink. “…what?”

he doesn’t elaborate.

he doesn’t need to.

you understand enough.

something is shifting.

because of james.

because of you being near him.

seonghyeon leans back.

“it’s not about rumors anymore,” he says.

you look at him. “…then what is it about?”

he pauses.

then:

“curiosity.”

that word feels worse somehow.

not rejection.

not acceptance.

just being observed.

you glance down at your food again.

this is supposed to be better.

but it doesn’t feel better.

just different.

after lunch, james walks with you again.

like usual.

like always.

you notice people watching less sharply now.

not gone.

just… softer.

like they’re trying to understand instead of decide.

you speak quietly.

“…people are talking less badly.”

james glances at you. “yeah.”

“…why?”

he shrugs.

“because they see me with you.”

you pause. “…that’s it?”

“that’s usually how it works,” he says simply.

you don’t respond.

because you don’t understand how that can be enough.

you reach the hallway where you usually split paths.

you expect him to stop.

he doesn’t.

just slows slightly.

you hesitate.

“…you don’t have to keep walking me.”

he looks at you like you said something obvious.

“i know.”

pause.

“i want to.”

that answer doesn’t change this time.

it just… settles.

like it’s been said before and will be said again.

you don’t know it yet.

but this is the exact part of the story where you stop being a rumor.

not because everything is fixed.

but because people start seeing you as a person next to someone they already accept.

and james?

james doesn’t announce anything.

doesn’t explain anything.

doesn’t correct anyone loudly.

he just keeps sitting next to you.

like it was never a choice he needed permission to make.

[throughyrs]

story coming out a little late!! i was fighting for my life for cortis tix… UR GIRL WON HER FIRST TICKET WAR!! #POPOUTPACKAGE

[throughyrs]

“you.. noticed me?” — Part 1

james chao x shy!reader high school AU — ☆.ᐟ

⋆.ೃ࿔* :･☔️⋆.ೃ࿔*

background :: you are a quiet student who’s constantly misunderstood by your classmates until James and his chaotic friend group start orbiting your life.

warnings :: none (just fluff + slow burn awkwardness)

lee’s note :: this ff is heavily inspired by the anime Kimi Ni Todoke! I just recently started rewatching this anime again because ITS SUMMER AND I FINALLY HAVE TIME TO WATCH HEHE!! anyways I hope you guys enjoy this series!! w/ luv THROUGHYRS

⋆.ೃ࿔* :･🎧⋆.ೃ࿔*

You were… quiet.

Not the “mysterious, poetic silence that makes people curious” kind.

More like, people assumed she was mad. Or weird. Or worse: creepy.

you never corrected them anymore. It was easier that way.

Your whole routine was walking to school alone, sitting in the back of class alone, and eating lunch alone…

until James happened.

And James was loud in a way that made silence feel like it was being challenged.

He shows up on a Tuesday.

Transfers in like it’s nothing. Like the world didn’t just collectively change its volume setting.

The teacher introduces him.

“Class, this is James.” He waves.

Not a normal wave.

A full-arm, slightly dramatic, I-am-a-friendly-main-character wave.

“Hi!” he says. “I’m excited to be here. I’ve already decided I like this classroom’s lighting.”

No one laughs.

Except a little laugh from you.

Not because it’s funny.

Because it’s so… unexpected you forgot not to react.

James hears it anyway.

His eyes flick to you instantly.

And he smiles like he just found something interesting.

That’s the first mistake.

For both of them.

The teacher, of course, assigns seating.

Alphabetical.

Because teachers love chaos disguised as order.

You end up in the middle row, window seat.

James ends up directly behind her.

“Hey,” he whispers immediately.

Way too loud to be a whisper.

Your body instinctively stiffens.

“…Hi.”

“I think we’re seat neighbors,” he says proudly.

“That’s… how seating works,” you replied quietly.

He gasps. “You’re funny.”

you are not.

But like always you don't correct him.

By the end of the week, James has decided something.

Completely unspoken.

Entirely unasked for.

But absolute.

You have now become someone he knows.

Which means you are now someone he talks to.

Which means you are now someone he protects from… absolutely nothing in particular.

It starts small.

He notices things no one else does.

Like how you always erase mistakes three times before writing the answer again.

Like how you flinch when someone laughs too loudly behind you.

Like how you eat lunch in the exact same corner of the courtyard every day like it’s assigned seating for loneliness.

So James starts doing things.

Casual things.

Normal things.

Like sitting near her in the courtyard.

“Wow,” he says one day, dropping onto the bench next to you. “This spot is elite. I feel spiritually aligned here.”

you paused mid-bite. “...It’s just a bench.”

“Exactly,” he nods. “Elite.”

You look back down at your mom's homemade food.

But for some reason you don't feel like moving away.

James considers this a victory.

His friends appear slowly.

Like background characters stepping into frame.

First is Martin.

Martin is loud in a way that feels athletic.

He arrives during lunch one day like he owns the courtyard.

“JAMES!! BRO YOU DIDN’T TELL ME YOU MADE A FRIEND!”

Your body freezes.

Friend?

James looks up. “I didn’t realize I needed to file paperwork.”

Martin slides in anyway. “HI I’M MARTIN. I PLAY BASKETBALL AND HAVE ZERO CHILL.”

“…Y/N,” you said quietly.

“Y/N IS SO QUIET,” Martin announces immediately. “I LIKE IT.”

James kicks his leg under the table. “Don’t scare her.”

“I AM NOT SCARY—”

“You are loud,” James corrects.

Martin accepts this as a compliment.

Then Juhoon appears.

Juhoon is… calm.

Too calm.

Like he observes everything before deciding whether to exist in it.

He sits across from them one day and just says:

“So this is your new ecosystem.”

James nods. “Yes.”

You slowly blinked. “Ecosystem?”

Juhoon shrugs. “You’ll understand later.”

He says nothing else for ten minutes.

Then adds, quietly:

“You’re nicer than people think.”

“oh”

James looks at you immediately, like he’s checking if you heard it.

You most definitely  did.

Seonghyeon arrives like judgment.

He looks at the group, then at James, then straight at you.

“…This is who you’re obsessed with?”

James chokes. “I am NOT—”

“You absolutely are,” Seonghyeon says flatly.

Your pale face turns red instantly. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding—”

“There hasn’t,” Seonghyeon interrupts. “He talks about you like you’re a weather forecast.”

James covers his face.

While you definitely look like you're physically malfunctioning.

Then Keonho shows up.

And everything softens.

He smiles like the sun decided to become a person.

“Oh!” he says brightly. “You’re Y/N! Hi!! I heard you like quiet places. I brought snacks.”

He places a small pack of cookies in front of you like it’s a sacred offering.

“…Why?” you said with a blank stare

Keonho beams. “Because friends share things!”

James looks at him like betrayal just entered the chat.

“I was going to do that.”

“You didn’t,” Keonho says gently.

James: defeated.

You absolutely don’t understand what in the world is happening.

you are actually not used to being included in anything.

Especially NOT something that feels like this

loud and warm and confusing.

Like you accidentally walked into someone else’s life and they didn’t kick you out.

They just… moved over.

And James?

James is the worst part.

Because James doesn’t treat you like something super strange and creepy like the others did.

He treats you like a normal human being.

Like you belong.

Like your just… there.

Like you were always supposed to be in his orbit.

One day, it rains.

Of course it rains.

Because emotional turning points require weather.

Like the clumsy person you are, you forget your umbrella.

Again.

You stand under the school awning, watching people leave in pairs, in groups, in noise.

You don't move.

You just end up waiting for the rain to stop.

Or to just disappear.

You aren't entirely sure which one is more realistic.

Then from the corner of your eye you hear

“Y/N!”

James.

Of course.

He runs up, slightly out of breath, holding two umbrellas.

Two.

He looks at you like this is the most obvious thing in the world.

“You were gonna wait it out again, weren’t you?”

“…Yes.”

He sighs dramatically. “That’s illegal behavior.”

“It’s not illegal.”

“It should be.”

He holds out one umbrella to you.

Then pauses.

Then—because it’s James—he tilts his head.

“Or…” he says, “we can share this one. It’s bigger. But I call left side.”

“Why left side?”

“Because I said it first.”

“That’s not how physics works.”

“It is in my universe.”

you should definitely say no.

you really should.

But you don't.

And you step under the umbrella.

Walking together is… silent.

Not uncomfortable.

Just unfamiliar.

James talks anyway.

“So,” he says, “I have a question.”

“…Okay.”

“Do people always misunderstand you, or are they just… aggressively bad at observing?”

You freeze slightly.

“…Both,” you sadly admit.

James hums like he’s taking notes.

“That’s annoying,” he decides. “We’ll fix it.”

“We?”

“Yeah,” he says easily. “Me and the guys.”

You looked at him like you weren't the “ghost” for once. “Why?”

James looks back like the answer is obvious.

“Because you’re here now.”

That’s it.

No big confession.

No dramatic music.

Just James acting like you existing near him is already a decision he made a long time ago.

And for the first time ever

you don't feel invisible.

Not even a little.

And somewhere behind them, Martin is yelling, Juhoon is observing, Seonghyeon is judging, and Keonho is smiling like this is exactly how friendship is supposed to start.

And James?

James is walking slightly too close under the umbrella.

Not touching.

But close enough that if you moved even a little—

they would.

And you realize something terrifying.

This might be the beginning of something.

Not loud.

Not sudden.

But slow.

Warm.

And impossible to ignore.

Like someone finally noticed you

and decided that you are worth staying near.

[throughyrs]

instant ramen, energy drinks, and you

martin edwards x f!reader AU — ☆.ᐟ

⋆.ೃ࿔* :･🥤⋆.ೃ࿔* :･

background :: Martin's quiet convenience store shifts become the highlight of his day when a mysterious girl who practically lives off energy drinks starts showing up every night.

warnings :: unhealthy eating habits, excessive caffeine consumption, sleep deprivation

lee's note :: idk why i love a good convenience store fanfic LOL. it always gotta be with martin for some reason?!? BUT HERE WE ARE. anyways i had way too much fun writing this and somehow got attached to the energy-drink girl more than i expected LOL w/ luv THROUGHYRS

⋆.ೃ࿔* :･🎧⋆.ೃ࿔*

Martin had worked the evening shift at the convenience store for six months before he noticed you.

Not because you were loud.

Not because you were pretty.

Not because you did anything unusual.

Actually, it was the opposite.

You came in every single night at exactly 9:43 PM.

Every.

Single.

Night.

The first few times, he barely looked up.

A customer was a customer.

But after the fourth day in a row?

He started paying attention.

You always wore your school uniform.

Always looked exhausted.

Always had dark circles under your eyes.

And always bought the exact same kind of things.

An energy drink.

A cup ramen.

Sometimes a triangle kimbap.

Sometimes a sweet bread.

Never anything remotely healthy.

Never anything that looked like an actual meal.

The first time Martin finally spoke to you about it, you had placed three energy drinks on the counter.

Three.

For one person.

Martin stared.

Then stared some more.

Then finally looked up.

"...Do you sleep?"

You blinked.

"No."

"..."

"..."

You handed him your card.

"That'll be $8.47."

"You're avoiding the question."

"Because it's a stupid question."

Martin watched you leave.

The automatic doors slid shut.

And for some reason

He smiled.

After that, talking became routine.

Tiny conversations.

A minute at most.

"Another energy drink?"

"Mind your business."

"You bought ramen yesterday."

"And?"

"You bought ramen the day before too."

"You work at a convenience store."

"..."

"..."

"You sell the ramen."

Martin hated how funny you were.

Because you never laughed.

Ever.

Your expression stayed completely flat.

Meanwhile he was trying not to grin behind the register.

The weird thing was

Outside the store?

You completely ignored him.

At school.

In the hallways.

Walking to class.

Nothing.

Not even a glance.

Martin thought maybe you genuinely didn't recognize him.

Until one Monday morning.

He walked into homeroom.

Stopped.

And nearly dropped his bag.

You were sitting in the front row.

Looking down at a stack of papers.

The teacher spoke.

"Martin, you're late."

He barely heard her.

Because you looked up.

Made eye contact.

And said

"Oh."

Martin stared.

You stared back.

"Oh?" he repeated.

"You work at the convenience store."

"YOU KNEW?"

"You thought I didn't?"

"You ignore me."

"You never said hi."

Martin almost lost his mind.

It got worse when he found out who you were.

Because apparently

You were the number one student in the entire grade.

The kind of student teachers adored.

The kind of student everyone knew.

The kind of student who somehow got perfect scores while surviving exclusively on caffeine and instant noodles.

Martin genuinely couldn't understand it.

One afternoon after class he asked.

"How are you first in the grade?"

You looked up from your notebook.

"What kind of question is that?"

"You eat like you're preparing for a medical emergency."

"Studying takes time."

"So does eating."

"Not really."

"It absolutely does."

You shrugged.

Martin desperately wanted to pull his hair out.

A few weeks later

The boys showed up at the convenience store.

At the worst possible time.

Of course.

Who else?

Keonho.

Juhoon.

James.

And Seonghyeon.

All four walked in together around ten.

Martin already knew they were about to be annoying.

"What do you want?"

James gasped.

"Wow."

"Leave."

"We just got here."

"Leave faster."

Then the doors opened.

And you walked in.

Immediately Martin straightened.

Not consciously.

It just happened.

"You're late today."

You looked at the clock.

"Thirty-two minutes."

"You know the exact number?"

"You come every day."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Martin suddenly realized all four boys were staring.

Watching.

Observing.

Judging.

You set your things down.

Two energy drinks.

One ramen.

One chocolate bun.

Martin sighed.

"You need vegetables."

"No."

"You need sleep."

"No."

"You need a hobby."

"I study."

"That's not a hobby."

"It is if you're good at it."

Martin laughed.

Actually laughed.

The kind that made his eyes disappear.

And that's when he heard it.

A loud whisper.

"Oh my god."

Another whisper.

"He's smiling."

"No way."

"I've never seen this before."

Martin froze.

Slowly turning.

The four idiots were standing beside the refrigerator section.

Watching like they were at the zoo.

After you left?

They were unbearable.

Absolutely unbearable.

"Dude."

"Shut up."

"You like her."

"I don't."

"You know exactly when she comes in."

"I don't."

"Thirty-two minutes late."

Martin wanted the floor to swallow him whole.

James practically collapsed.

"YOU TIMED HER?"

"I DIDN'T TIME HER."

"THAT'S WORSE."

The teasing continued for weeks.

Unfortunately

The teasing was right.

Because Martin couldn't stop thinking about you.

It wasn't your grades.

Or your looks.

Or even your weird caffeine addiction.

It was how comfortable everything felt.

Talking to you never felt forced.

Never felt awkward.

Never felt complicated.

He could tell you anything.

And somehow

You always understood.

Eventually conversations became walks home.

Walks home became studying together.

Studying together became spending entire weekends together.

And somewhere along the way...

Martin realized he was completely doomed.

One Saturday afternoon they sat at a small café.

Books spread across the table.

You were explaining calculus.

Martin wasn't listening.

At all.

Instead he was staring.

Watching the way your brows furrowed when you concentrated.

The way you tapped your pen against the notebook.

The way your eyes lit up when talking about something you actually liked.

"...Martin."

"Hm?"

"I just explained that."

"Yep."

"You weren't listening."

"Not really."

You sighed.

Martin smiled.

"You know."

"What."

"I think you're pretty."

Silence.

Your pen stopped moving.

Martin suddenly regretted everything.

Immediately.

Instantly.

Horribly.

Then

You looked up.

"...That took longer than I expected."

Martin blinked.

"What?"

"You've been staring at me for months."

"..."

"..."

"You thought I didn't notice?"

Martin covered his face.

You laughed.

Actually laughed.

For the first time.

And somehow that was worse.

Because now he wanted to hear it forever.

A week later he asked you out properly.

Not jokingly.

He was actually trying.

He spent two hours rehearsing.

Thirty minutes changing clothes.

Twenty minutes panicking.

Then finally met you after school.

The two of you stood outside the gates.

Students walking around you.

Martin's heart pounding.

"You know."

"What."

"I like spending time with you."

"I know."

"I mean."

You waited.

Martin swallowed.

Then forced himself to continue.

"I really like spending time with you."

For once

You looked nervous too.

Just slightly.

Just enough.

Martin noticed immediately.

"I like you."

The words finally came out.

Simple.

Honest.

Real.

"I think about you all the time."

You stared.

And Martin felt like he might pass out.

Then

A small smile appeared.

The kind only he ever got to see.

"I like you too."

After that?

Everything changed.

Yet somethings didn't change.

You still bought your 3 energy drinks.

Still studied too much.

Still survived on convenience-store food.

Martin still complained.

Still worried.

Still followed you around.

Still looked at you like you hung the stars.

The only difference was

Now he could hold your hand while doing it.

And to Martin?

That was enough.

Because somewhere between instant ramen, late-night shifts, and a girl who refused to sleep

He had fallen completely, hopelessly in love.

And honestly?

He wouldn't have changed a single thing

[throughyrs]

"Blindly Yours"

eom seonghyeon x myopic!reader AU oneshot — ☆.ᐟ

⋆.ೃ࿔* :·🔎⋆.ೃ࿔* :·

background :: A severely nearsighted girl with an aggressively “nonchalant” personality keeps losing her glasses, only to find herself slowly and unavoidably pulled closer to Seonghyeon, a busy idol who quietly becomes her anchor in everyday chaos.

warnings :: Mild language, embarrassing/crush-centered humor, teasing friend group dynamics, accidental flirting, emotional vulnerability, and slow-burn romantic tension.

lee' s note :: inspired by this ask! this one is a super long one! just to make up for my little break I had hehe. pls enjoy! w/ luv, THROUGHYRS

⋆.ೃ࿔* :·🎧⋆.ೃ࿔* :·

You’ve known Sora long enough to know her life doesn’t happen in normal settings.

It happens in group chats, chaotic house visits, sudden introductions, and people slowly accumulating in her orbit like she collects them without trying.

Which is how you ended up knowing her older brother, Martin Edwards, for years.

And how you ended up knowing his entire extended circle of friends.

And how, somehow, that circle expanded into people you were never emotionally prepared for.

Like Eom Seonghyeon.

Eom Seonghyeon.

A member of CORTIS — the globally known group made up of Martin, Keonho, James, Juhoon, and him — constantly moving between schedules, rehearsals, airports, interviews, and stages. Someone who should feel distant in every possible way.

But somehow doesn’t.

Not when he shows up at Sora’s house like it’s normal. Not when he’s standing in the same kitchen as you talking to Martin like he belongs there. Not when he greets you like you’re just… part of his everyday environment.

Which is a problem.

Because you are extremely committed to the idea that you are normal about him.

You are not.

But you are committed.

There are three facts everyone agrees on about you.

One: you are one of Sora’s closest friends.

Two: you are completely useless without your glasses.

Three: you are absolutely, painfully obvious when it comes to Seonghyeon.

You disagree with number three.

Strongly.

In your mind, you are incredibly nonchalant.

Cool. Controlled. Emotionally stable. Mysterious if you squint.

That is your version of reality.

Everyone else has a different one.

The morning everything goes wrong starts like any other morning where you briefly believe in peace.

You reach for your glasses.

Nothing.

You freeze.

Slowly sit up.

Check again.

Still nothing.

A quiet, sinking realization spreads through your chest.

No.

Not again.

You begin searching immediately. Bed, floor, desk, chair, under pillows, behind objects that should not be movable but somehow are. You find a pen, a spoon, two hair ties, and a receipt from a café you don’t remember visiting, which feels like the universe is mocking you personally.

No glasses.

You stare at the spoon.

It offers no advice.

You ignore all of them.

Because you are calm.

Mostly calm.

Okay, slightly panicking.

But internally calm.

Sora arrives like she’s been assigned a job by the universe.

She starts searching immediately.

“You didn’t lose them somewhere insane again, did you?”

“I don’t lose things in insane places.”

“You left your phone in the fridge.”

“That was strategic cooling.”

“That’s not a thing.”

“It should be.”

She doesn’t respond to that, because she knows arguing won’t change your confidence level.

Her phone buzzes.

She glances at it.

“Oh yeah I also brought my brother here. Hes finally home lol”

You pause.

“…which one.”

“Martin. And the others.”

You sit up too fast.

Then immediately pretend you didn’t.

Sora notices anyway.

“You’re doing it.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“You literally changed posture.”

“I have posture.”

“You don’t.”

You do not respond.

Because you are above this conversation.

Technically.

Downstairs, voices drift up.

Familiar ones.

Keonho. James. Juhoon. Martin.

And Seonghyeon.

You walk down carefully.

Not normally.

Carefully.

Like your body is suddenly aware of its own existence.

When you enter, everyone is already there.

Minji is grinning.

Hana is watching.

Jae is holding his phone like it’s recording evidence.

Yuna looks like she’s predicting your downfall in real time.

And Seonghyeon is standing near the counter mid-conversation with Martin.

He looks up.

Sees you.

Smiles slightly.

“hey”

You respond instantly.

“hey”

Then your brain adds a second attempt before you can stop it.

“…hey”

Silence hits the room instantly.

Minji snorts.

Jae mutters something about “we got it.”

Hana hides her laugh.

Sora looks like she’s already tired.

Seonghyeon just smiles like this is normal behavior for you specifically.

Which is the worst part.

You attempt recovery.

You fail immediately.

You walk straight into a chair.

You recover too quickly to be casual about it.

Keonho laughs first.

“she’s fighting furniture again.”

James adds without looking up, “furniture winning.”

Juhoon follows up, “scoreboard updated.”

“Furniture: 5, Y/N: 0”

You pretend you did not hear any of that.

Seonghyeon moves closer at some point.

Not obvious.

Just enough that suddenly he’s within your space.

“Where’d you last see them?”

“I don’t know.”

“You always say that.”

“Because it’s consistent.”

He exhales like this is a well-worn problem.

But he doesn’t leave.

He just stays.

Like it makes sense to stay.

Like it’s automatic.

That becomes the pattern.

He guides you without making it a thing.

“Step down.”

“I know.”

“You were about to miss it.”

“I was testing timing.”

“You fail that test often.”

Minji laughs somewhere behind you.

Hana whispers, “he’s so calm about roasting her.”

Yuna replies, “this is baseline behavior.”

You refuse to respond.

Because acknowledging it would make it real.

At some point they get a call from their manager and step away.

And everything feels subtly wrong without him there.

You don’t say anything about it.

You don’t have to.

When they returns, everything shifts back into place without explanation.

Like it was always supposed to be that way.

That thought annoys you more than you expect.

Hours pass like that.

Small corrections.

Small adjustments.

Small moments you refuse to label.

And every time you try to prove you don’t need him

you immediately prove the opposite.

That night, your phone is too easy to reach.

So you check Twitter.

Seonghyeon leaves later.

No dramatic goodbye.

Just a pause beside you.

“Don’t walk into anything.”

“I don’t.”

“You do.”

“Rarely.”

“Consistently.”

Then he leaves anyway.

And the space he leaves behind feels too noticeable.

Which you immediately hate.

You don’t reply.

Because he’s right.

And that is extremely inconvenient.

When you finally lie down, it doesn’t feel like the day is ending.

It feels like something is starting.

And you don’t have a nonchalant explanation for that.

Not yet.

The next day, your glasses arrive.

Sora holds them like they’re sacred.

“Behold. Vision restoration arc.”

“I could see before.”

“You walked into a wall.”

“The wall moved.”

“It did not.”

You put them on.

Everything sharpens.

Too sharply.

Too clearly.

Including him.

Which is arguably worse.

Seonghyeon is there again.

Of course he is.

He greets you like normal.

“hey”

You answer like normal.

“hey”

Once.

No repeats.

No mistakes.

Perfect control.

Fake control.

Because now that you can see clearly, you notice everything.

The way he stands.

The way he listens.

The way he looks at people like they matter while they’re talking.

And occasionally

just occasionally

the way his eyes land on you and linger like it’s not an accident.

Sora notices immediately.

“You’re worse now.”

“I have glasses now.”

“That’s the problem.”

You refuse to elaborate.

Because that would be dangerous.

At some point, Seonghyeon ends up beside you again.

Like always.

Like it’s default.

“Finally found them?”

“I didn’t lose them on purpose.”

“You never do.”

“Thanks.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

“I took it as one.”

He laughs slightly.

And your brain registers it far too strongly.

Later, he’s the first to leave again.

You notice before he says anything.

“Busy today?”

Martin answers for him, “schedule’s packed.”

Keonho: “we are going to survive unfortunately.”

James: “as usual.”

Juhoon: “legend behavior continues.”

Seonghyeon doesn’t say much.

Just looks at you once.

“you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“obviously.”

Then softer:

“don’t overthink things.”

“I don’t.”

“You do.”

“…unfair.”

A small smile.

“I’ll text you later.”

“You don’t have to.”

Pause.

“I want to.”

Then he leaves.

Sora watches you immediately.

“You felt that.”

“I felt nothing.”

“That is a lie with emotional structure.”

You walk away.

But you already know she’s right.

That night, you open your phone again.

You are not.

But you stop pretending a little less each time.

And somewhere between all of that

Seonghyeon starts becoming less of a “presence you notice”

and more of a “constant you rely on.”

Without either of you naming it yet.

Which is, honestly, the most dangerous kind of change there is.

The shift doesn’t announce itself.

It just… starts showing up in the smallest possible ways.

Like Seonghyeon being slightly harder to reach on certain days.

Or your texts sitting unread longer than usual.

Or the group chat mentioning “schedule changes” in a tone that sounds too casual to be casual.

At first, you don’t think much of it.

Because you’re you.

And you are famously “not affected by things.”

Except you are, just not in a way anyone would immediately call dramatic

More like… you just notice the gaps.

The pauses where he used to be.

One evening, Sora drops her bag on your bed with way too much force and immediately flops down beside it like she’s exhausted by your entire life trajectory.

You sigh, “He’s been gone a lot more lately.”

You don’t look up from your phone.

“Seonghyeon and Martin is always busy.”

“Not like this.”

That makes you pause.

Just slightly.

You don’t respond right away, which already betrays you more than words would’ve.

Sora watches you for a second.

Then softer:

“They’re in comeback prep.”

“I know.”

“And overseas schedules.”

“I know.”

“And interviews and rehearsals and whatever else idols do when they disappear into airports for a living.”

“I know.”

A beat.

Then she adds, quieter:

“You’re doing that thing again.”

You finally look at her.

“What thing.”

“The pretending-you-don’t-care thing.”

“I don’t pretend.”

She raises an eyebrow.

You stare back.

Hold it.

Lose immediately.

“…I just mean it’s normal.”

Sora hums like she doesn’t believe you, which is rude but accurate.

“Sure.”

That night, your phone doesn’t light up.

Not the way it usually does.

No “you home?”

No “don’t walk into anything.”

No random check-in that sounds like nothing but somehow lands like everything.

You tell yourself it’s fine.

You even believe it for approximately five minutes.

Then you don’t.

You’re halfway through scrolling your feed when Minji’s message pops up in the group chat.

You don’t reply.

But you also don’t stop reading.

Which is your first mistake.

Because the more you look, the more real it becomes.

Photos. Clips. Fans. Headlines.

Seonghyeon smiling in passing. Seonghyeon walking through crowds. Seonghyeon existing in a completely different part of the world like it’s normal.

And you realize something slightly annoying.

You’ve gotten used to him being… close.

Not physically.

Just consistently there in your orbit.

And now he isn’t.

And your brain doesn’t like that gap.

At all.

The next day feels louder than usual.

Not because anything is different.

But because everything is the same,

The group still gathers at Sora’s house.

But there’s a missing frequency.

And you keep noticing it.

Which is deeply inconvenient.

At some point, you’re sitting on the couch when Sora nudges you lightly.

“He texted you yet?”

You glance down at your phone.

“No.”

“Mm.”

A pause.

“You’re checking it a lot.”

“I’m not.”

Sora doesn’t argue.

Just leans back.

“You’re worse when you pretend you’re fine.”

“I am fine.”

“That’s not what I said.”

You don’t respond.

Because she’s annoying.

And correct.

Later that evening, your phone finally lights up.

That lands differently than it should.

You stare at the screen.

Then slowly:

And somehow that word feels like a promise.

The next few days fall into a pattern.

He’s busy.

You’re not.

But somehow, he still shows up in small pieces of your day.

A random message.

A short voice note.

A “you ate?”

A “don’t forget water.”

And every time, you try to act normal about it.

And every time, you fail a little more internally.

Sora notices before you say anything.

Of course she does.

She always does.

“You’re smiling at your phone again.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“It’s just a phone.”

“It’s Seonghyeon.”

You pause.

“That is not what I said.”

“It’s what I said.”

You throw a pillow at her.

She catches it without looking away from you.

“You miss him.”

“I do not miss people.”

Sora tilts her head.

“Okay.”

Too easy.

Suspiciously easy.

You narrow your eyes.

“…don’t ‘okay’ me like that.”

But she just smiles slightly.

Like she’s storing the information away.

Which is worse.

Two days later, things change again.

Not dramatically.

But enough that you feel it before you understand it.

Seonghyeon calls instead of texting.

You hesitate before picking up.

Then answer.

His voice comes through slightly tired.

“you’re home?”

“yes.”

“good.”

A pause.

Then:

“We’re coming back tomorrow.”

That shouldn’t feel like something.

But it does.

You sit up a little.

“already?”

“schedule moved up.”

“…oh.”

Another pause.

Then softer:

“you sound surprised.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

You don’t argue this time.

Because you are.

Just slightly.

Unfairly so.

When he comes back, it’s late.

Sora drags you to the living room under the excuse of “group hangout,” which is clearly code for something else.

You don’t question it.

Because you already know.

You hear the door before you see him.

And suddenly the room feels different again.

Not loud.

Just… complete.

Keonho calls out first.

“HELLLLOOOO WE SURVIVEDDDD.”

James follows:

“barelyy.”

Juhoon:

“The legends return.”

Martin laughs loudly.

And then—

Seonghyeon walks in.

He looks the same.

Tired in that soft, familiar way.

Hair slightly messy.

Bag slung over one shoulder.

And when his eyes land on you

he pauses.

Just a fraction.

Then smiles.

Not big.

Not performative.

Just real.

“hey.”

You respond immediately.

“hey.”

Only once this time.

No hesitation.

No echo.

But your chest still does that annoying thing anyway.

He doesn’t come closer right away.

He just looks at you for a second longer than necessary.

Like he’s confirming something.

Then finally:

“you okay?”

You nod.

“yeah.”

A pause.

Then, quieter:

“you didn’t text as much.”

That catches you off guard.

“…you noticed that?”

“i notice you.”

Simple.

Direct.

No hesitation.

And that should be normal.

But it isn’t.

Not anymore.

Sora is absolutely watching this like it’s a live documentary.

Minji too.

Hana has already grabbed her phone.

Jae looks like he’s restraining himself from narrating out loud.

Yuna looks like she predicted this outcome three weeks ago.

And you?

You are very carefully trying to remember how to breathe normally.

Seonghyeon finally sits beside you.

Not too close.

But close enough that you notice everything again.

And for the first time, you realize something:

you didn’t just miss him being around.

you missed how naturally he fit into your space.

Later, when everyone starts dispersing, he walks you out again.

It’s quiet outside.

Familiar again.

But different now.

Because this time, the silence between you doesn’t feel empty.

It feels full of everything you haven’t said yet.

He stops walking first.

You stop too.

You don’t even ask why.

He looks at you for a second.

Then says, softly:

“i missed this.”

You blink.

“…this?”

“you.”

Simple again.

No drama.

No buildup.

Just truth.

And you hate how easily it lands.

You try to recover your usual tone.

Fail immediately.

“I’m literally right here.”

“I know.”

A pause.

Then a small smile.

“that’s why i missed you.”

And your brain officially stops functioning for about three seconds.

You look away first.

Which is unfair.

Because you’re pretty sure he knows exactly what that did to you.

And when you finally speak, it comes out quieter than intended.

“…you’re really bad at saying things normally.”

Seonghyeon hums lightly.

“you’re really bad at reacting normally.”

You exhale.

“…fair.”

There’s a pause.

Not awkward.

Just loaded.

Then he steps slightly closer.

Not overwhelming.

Just enough.

“can i ask you something?”

You hesitate.

“…depends.”

He smiles faintly.

“do you still think you’re nonchalant?”

That hits directly.

You stare at him.

“…i am.”

He raises an eyebrow.

And you immediately know you’ve lost that argument before it started.

He doesn’t push further.

Just waits.

Patient.

Like he always does.

And finally, you let out a small breath.

“…maybe a little less than before.”

That makes him smile.

Properly this time.

“progress.”

You roll your eyes.

But there’s no real bite to it anymore.

And when he finally reaches for your hand again

you don’t even hesitate this time.

You just take it.

Like it was always going to happen.

And somewhere behind you, Sora whispers:

“oh this is absolutely irreversible now.”

And for once

you don’t argue.

It becomes harder to pretend after that.

Not because anything suddenly changes in a loud, dramatic way.

But because now there’s a memory attached to everything.

His hand in yours.

His voice saying he missed you like it was the simplest fact in the world.

The way he didn’t hesitate.

The way you didn’t pull away.

Those kinds of things don’t just disappear when you go back inside and act normal again.

They linger.

Annoyingly.

The next few days, Seonghyeon is still technically busy.

But “busy” now looks different than it did before.

Because even when he’s not physically there, he still shows up in ways that feel… intentional.

A message in the morning.

A short call at night.

A random photo of something he saw on the street with no context at all.

You try not to read into it.

You fail immediately.

One afternoon, you’re sitting with Sora and Minji when your phone buzzes again.

You pause.

You are not a liar.

Technically.

You just… forgot lunch existed for a while.

You stare at the screen.

Minji leans over immediately.

“he’s parenting you.”

“He is not.”

Sora, without looking up:

“He is absolutely parenting you.”

You ignore both of them

You stare at your phone like it personally betrayed you.

Minji is already laughing.

Sora is smiling like she’s watching something inevitable unfold.

“You’re cooked,” Minji says.

“I am not cooked.”

“You’re being monitored.”

“That is not what this is.”

Sora finally looks up.

“That is exactly what this is.”

You glare at both of them, then reluctantly take a picture of a snack you didn’t want to eat but now have to for legal reasons.

You send it.

A moment later:

You nearly drop your phone.

Minji loses it.

Sora just nods slowly like she’s accepting the downfall of your entire resistance arc.

And the worst part?

You don’t even hate it.

Not really.

That evening, the group is all gathered again at Sora’s place.

Martin and all of CORTIS are there too—Keonho, James, Juhoon—lounging around like they belong to the furniture now.

Seonghyeon arrives later than everyone else.

Of course he does.

He always does now.

And somehow, you still notice the exact moment he enters the room.

The energy shifts.

Subtle.

But undeniable.

He greets everyone normally.

Then looks at you.

Just for a second longer.

“hey.”

You respond.

“hey.”

No hesitation this time.

Still controlled.

Still pretending.

Still completely transparent to everyone except you.

Minji whispers loudly on purpose:

“she said it normally. character development.”

Hana laughs.

Yuna nods like she’s tracking data.

Jae mutters, “temporary stability.”

Sora just sips her drink like she’s watching a documentary finale unfold.

You ignore them all.

Mostly successfully.

Seonghyeon sits down beside you again.

Not too close.

But close enough that your brain immediately becomes aware of him in a way that is physically inconvenient.

He leans back slightly.

Exhales.

Tired.

But present.

You glance at him before you can stop yourself.

“You okay?”

He looks at you.

A small pause.

“yeah.”

Then, softer:

“just missed a lot of things.”

Your stomach does something extremely unhelpful.

You look away immediately.

“…you’re dramatic.”

That earns a quiet laugh.

“i’m not.”

“You are.”

“i’m honest.”

That shuts you up for half a second.

Because that is worse.

Later, the group starts doing whatever chaotic thing they always do—games, arguing, laughing too loudly, someone yelling about snacks.

And you and Seonghyeon somehow end up slightly separated from it.

Not intentionally.

Just naturally.

Like the rest of the world blurred out around you two without asking permission.

At some point, he shifts closer again.

Not abrupt.

Just small.

Familiar.

And you don’t move away.

Which is new.

You notice that too.

“you’ve been quieter lately,” he says.

You blink.

“…i am always quiet.”

“not like this.”

You glance at him.

He’s watching you like he already knows the answer.

That’s the frustrating part.

He doesn’t guess.

He just… observes.

And somehow always ends up right.

You lean back slightly.

“…you’ve been gone a lot.”

A pause.

He nods once.

“yeah.”

“that’s your job.”

“i know.”

Another pause.

Then quieter:

“still didn’t like it.”

You look at him quickly.

He’s not joking.

Not teasing.

Just honest.

And that makes your chest tighten again in that annoying way you’re starting to recognize too well.

You try to recover your usual tone.

Fail halfway.

“…you’re acting like this is something serious.”

“It is.”

You blink.

“…what is?”

He looks at you then.

Properly.

Like he’s choosing words carefully for once.

“You.”

That one word.

Simple.

Heavy.

Not dramatic.

Just real.

You go quiet.

Which is rare enough that even the group notices from across the room.

Sora is definitely watching now.

Minji too.

Hana has stopped talking entirely.

Even Keonho glances over mid-laugh.

Seonghyeon doesn’t rush you.

Just waits.

Patient.

Like always.

And that patience is what finally breaks your “nonchalant” defense system completely.

Because it gives you time to think.

And thinking is dangerous.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” you finally admit.

He tilts his head slightly.

“you don’t have to say anything perfect.”

“That’s not comforting.”

“It’s not meant to be.”

That makes you exhale a small laugh despite yourself.

“…you’re really annoying when you’re honest.”

“you like it.”

“I do not.”

He hums.

“sure.”

And somehow that “sure” feels like he doesn’t believe you, but also doesn’t need you to admit it out loud.

Which is worse.

A pause settles between you.

Not uncomfortable.

Just full.

Then, very quietly, he says:

“i’m not going anywhere for a while.”

You look at him.

“…that sounds like a threat.”

“It’s not.”

“it kind of is.”

He smiles slightly.

“it’s a promise.”

That lands differently.

You don’t respond right away.

Because your brain is doing that thing again where it forgets how words work.

So instead, you just nod once.

Small.

Barely noticeable.

But real.

Across the room, Minji whispers:

“this is it.”

Hana replies:

“final stage unlocked.”

Jae adds:

“romance arc confirmed.”

Yuna:

“inevitable conclusion: approaching stability.”

Sora, dramatically:

“i’m moving out.”

You hear them.

Of course you do.

But for once, you don’t care enough to argue.

Because Seonghyeon is still beside you.

Still there.

Still close enough that you can feel the calm he brings without him trying.

Later, when everyone finally starts leaving, he walks you out again.

It’s night.

Quiet.

Familiar streetlights.

Soft air.

The kind of silence that doesn’t feel empty anymore.

You stop walking at the same time this time.

No hesitation.

He notices.

Turns slightly toward you.

And you realize something simple.

You’re not trying to pretend tonight.

Not really.

He speaks first.

“you’re thinking again.”

You exhale.

“…yeah.”

“about what.”

You hesitate.

Then, quietly:

“…you.”

He doesn’t react like it’s surprising.

Just like it was expected.

Which is infuriating.

A pause.

Then he steps a little closer.

Not closing space too fast.

Just enough to make your heartbeat noticeably louder in your own ears.

“good thing or bad thing?”

You hesitate again.

Then, honestly:

“…i don’t know yet.”

He nods like that’s fine.

Like uncertainty is allowed.

Like you don’t have to be fully figured out to be here with him.

And then, softer:

“we can figure it out.”

You look at him.

“…together?”

“yeah.”

Simple.

No pressure.

Just direction.

Something in your chest finally unclenches in a way you didn’t realize it was holding on so tightly.

You don’t say anything back.

You don’t need to.

Because when he reaches for your hand again this time

you meet him halfway.

No hesitation.

No pretending.

No “nonchalant” version of yourself trying to survive the moment.

Just you.

And him.

And the very obvious, very inevitable fact that this was never just an accident of timing or friendship or proximity.

It was always going here.

And now it finally is.

[throughyrs]

“quiet things learn to laugh”

Juhoon x f!reader AU oneshot — ☆.ᐟ

⋆.ೃ࿔* :·🍮⋆.ೃ࿔* :· background :: an extroverted girl decides she can “bring out” the quiet boy at school until she realizes he isn’t something to fix warnings :: high school AU, fluff, mild social anxiety themes, slow-burn romance lee’s note :: i have been thinking abt this oneshot for DAYSSS. finally got to post it. w/ luv, THROUGHYRS

⋆.ೃ࿔* :·🎧⋆.ೃ࿔* :·

Juhoon was always quiet.

Not the “soft-spoken and mysterious” kind of quiet people romanticized in movies.

More like the kind of quiet that made people unsure if they were allowed to sit near him.

He never really joined conversations unless someone pulled him into them. He never raised his voice. He never fought for space.

He just… existed at the edge of everything.

And for some reason, that bothered you more than it should have.

It started simply enough.

He was sitting alone at lunch.

Again.

Like always.

The kind of “again” that made it feel intentional.

You pulled out a chair across from him like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Hi,” you said.

He looked up.

Paused.

“…Hi,” he answered.

Not much.

But it was something.

And you decided that counted as progress.

After that, it became a pattern.

You talking. Him listening. You asking questions. Him answering briefly. You filling silence. Him letting it exist.

It didn’t feel like rejection.

Just distance.

But not the kind you couldn’t cross.

At least, that’s what you told yourself.

His friends noticed.

They always did.

Martin would glance over like he was trying to figure out your intentions without asking directly.

James would be louder about it.

“So you’re like… adopting him now?” he said once.

“I’m not adopting anyone,” you replied.

Seonghyeon just smiled like he thought it was entertaining.

Keonho, meanwhile, looked mildly concerned every time you sat too close.

But Juhoon never reacted to any of it.

He just stayed where he was.

You started calling it a “mission” at some point.

Not out loud to him.

More like in your head.

Make him talk more. Make him laugh more. Make him… less distant.

Because you were convinced there was something inside him waiting to come out if someone just tried hard enough.

The first time you heard him laugh, it was accidental.

James said something stupid. Seonghyeon laughed first. Even Keonho cracked a smile.

And then—

quietly, barely noticeable—

Juhoon exhaled something that sounded almost like a laugh.

It wasn’t loud.

It wasn’t dramatic.

But it was real.

And it stuck with you longer than it should have.

After that, you tried more.

You talked more around him. You sat closer. You waited for responses longer than usual.

Sometimes he gave them.

Sometimes he didn’t.

But he never told you to stop.

So you didn’t.

“You’re really quiet today,” you said once when it felt especially silent.

He looked at you.

Paused.

“…Same as usual.”

You frowned. “That’s not the point.”

“What is?”

You opened your mouth—

then closed it again.

Because you weren’t actually sure.

At some point, something shifted without you noticing.

Not in him.

In you.

You started realizing he wasn’t ignoring you.

He was just… slow.

Careful.

Like every word cost him more than it cost you.

And he still chose to answer sometimes anyway.

One day, you sat next to him and didn’t talk right away.

That was new.

He glanced at you once.

Waited.

You swung your legs slightly, watching the others nearby instead.

Then said, quieter than usual,

“You don’t have to change for me, you know.”

He blinked.

Long pause.

Then: “…I know.”

Another pause.

Then, softer:

“But you’re still here.”

And that was the first time you didn’t have a comeback ready.

His friends didn’t understand it.

James thought you were trying to “fix” him.

Martin thought you were being reckless.

Keonho thought you were loud in a way that didn’t match Juhoon at all.

Seonghyeon thought it was kind of sweet.

Juhoon never corrected any of them.

He just stayed near you anyway.

You stopped calling it a mission after a while.

Because it didn’t feel like one anymore.

He didn’t become louder.

He didn’t suddenly change.

He just… let you sit there long enough that silence stopped feeling like distance.

And somewhere in between cafeteria lunches and after-school walks where he barely spoke but always stayed beside you—

you realized something you didn’t want to say out loud.

You weren’t trying to make him more extroverted anymore.

You were just learning how to exist next to him without needing him to be anything else.

[throughyrs]

"thrift store goddess" — FINALE

Ahn Keonho x f!reader AU — ☆.ᐟ

⋆.ೃ࿔* :·👔⋆.ೃ࿔* :·

background :: when life shifts unexpectedly, the thrift store becomes something you can’t just walk away from — and neither can he warnings :: emotional moments, illness mention (non-graphic), soft angst, comfort, romance resolution lee’s note :: sometimes “staying” is the loudest kind of love… also if anyone is wondering abt me im still on vacation LOL w/ luv, THROUGHYRS

⋆.ೃ࿔* :·🎧⋆.ೃ࿔* :·

YOUR POV

You knew something was wrong the moment your mom stopped humming.

The thrift store was quiet in a way it never was.

Even the air felt paused.

“Mom?” you called from behind the counter.

She smiled when she saw you—but it wasn’t her usual one.

Tired. A little off.

“I need to sit down,” she said lightly, like it wasn’t serious.

But it was.

You knew it was.

KEONHO’S POV

He didn’t expect to come in and find you alone.

No greeting.

No teasing.

Just you, sitting behind the counter with your hands folded like you were trying to hold the day together.

“Hey,” he said softly.

You looked up.

And for once—

you didn’t look annoyed.

You looked overwhelmed.

“…She’s in the back,” you said quietly. “She’s not feeling well.”

That was all you said.

But he understood immediately that something had changed.

YOUR POV

The doctor words blurred together.

“Rest.”

“Stress.”

“Needs support.”

Your mom tried to laugh it off, but she couldn’t stay on her feet the way she used to.

And suddenly—

the thrift store didn’t feel like hers to run anymore.

It felt like something you were being handed without warning.

That night, you sat on the floor behind the counter.

Just staring at everything.

You didn’t realize you weren’t alone until Keonho spoke.

“I can help.”

You looked up. “You don’t even live here properly.”

“I can still help.”

“That’s not how life works.”

He shrugged slightly.

“Then I’ll figure it out.”

KEONHO’S POV

He didn’t know why he said it so easily.

He just did.

Because leaving you alone in this didn’t feel possible.

James had already yelled at him over text.

Martin had already said, don’t get involved too deeply.

But it was too late.

He was already involved.

“You don’t have to do this,” you said quietly.

“I want to.”

That made you go silent.

Like you didn’t know what to do with that answer.

YOUR POV

The first week after that felt unreal.

You worked.

He showed up.

Not as an idol.

Not as anything loud.

Just Keonho—folding clothes wrong, labeling things incorrectly, arguing with your mom’s old radio like it personally offended him.

“You’re doing that wrong,” you told him.

“It’s art,” he said.

“That is a sweater.”

“It’s expressive.”

You almost laughed.

Almost.

But it was getting harder to ignore the fact that he stayed.

Even when things got heavy.

Even when you didn’t ask him to.

KEONHO’S POV

“You should go back to your real life,” you said one afternoon.

He didn’t look up from the box he was unpacking.

“This is real life.”

You frowned. “You know what I mean.”

He did.

But he still said, “I’m already here.”

Pause.

Then softer:

“And I don’t think I want to leave yet.”

That made you stop.

Not because it was dramatic.

Because it was simple.

YOUR POV

One night, after closing, you stood outside the thrift store.

“You’re going back soon, right?” you asked.

He shook his head slightly. “Not immediately.”

“That’s not a real answer.”

“It’s the only one I have.”

You sighed.

Then, quietly:

“I might have to take over the shop.”

He looked at you.

Not surprised.

Just… steady.

“Then do it,” he said.

“That’s not simple.”

“I didn’t say it was,” he replied.

KEONHO’S POV

There was a pause between you two.

The kind that used to feel awkward.

Now it just felt real.

“I’ll stay,” he said suddenly.

You blinked. “What?”

“With the shop,” he clarified quickly. “Not forever—just… until things are okay.”

You stared at him like you didn’t believe him.

“…Why?”

He hesitated.

Then:

“Because I like this version of you,” he said. “The one that stays.”

That hit differently.

Even to him.

YOUR POV

You didn’t cry.

You almost did.

But instead, you just looked at him for a long moment.

“…You’re really serious,” you said.

He nodded.

“As serious as I can be.”

You exhaled slowly.

Then, quietly:

“Okay.”

That was all you said.

But it changed everything anyway.

KEONHO’S POV

Later, James would say he “lost him to a thrift store arc.”

Martin would sigh and say, “We warned him.”

But Keonho didn’t feel lost.

Not even a little.

Because when you looked at him that night—

it wasn’t confusion anymore.

It was understanding.

And when you finally said—

“Don’t leave,”

he realized he wasn’t the only one choosing to stay.

[throughyrs]

“lights that finally stay”

Eom Seonghyeon x f!reader AU oneshot — ☆.ᐟ

⋆.ೃ࿔* :·💡⋆.ೃ࿔* :· background :: Seonghyeon keeps getting brighter in every room he enters—but this time, he finally learns how to stay in one place with you warnings :: fluffy, silly, light romance, comfort vibes lee’s note :: calm luh oneshot to get a little break from the series. w/ luv, THROUGHYRS

⋆.ೃ࿔* :·🎧⋆.ೃ࿔* :·

YOUR POV

You weren’t sure when Seonghyeon became a routine.

At first, he was chaos.

A notification at random hours. A voice note where he was already laughing before he even spoke. A “look at this” attached to something completely unrelated to your life.

Then somehow—

he became consistent.

It started with him showing up more often at your usual spots.

Not in a creepy way.

In a “oh no, I ran into you again on purpose but I’m pretending it’s fate” kind of way.

“You’re stalking me,” you said once.

He looked offended. “I would never.”

“You just ‘happened’ to be at my café three times this week.”

“It’s a good café.”

“You don’t even drink coffee.”

“…I support vibes.”

SEONGHYEON’S POV

He liked how you looked at him when you called him out.

Like you weren’t impressed.

Like he was just Seonghyeon.

Not anything bigger than that.

He was used to being loud in rooms.

But with you—

he didn’t feel like he had to fill silence.

Which was new.

And kind of terrifying.

YOUR POV

He got clingy in the most annoying way possible.

Not overwhelming.

Just… present.

He’d sit next to you without asking like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Steal fries.

Lean over your shoulder to read your phone.

“Why are you like this?” you asked him once.

“Like what?”

“Existing too comfortably near me.”

He grinned. “You’re welcome.”

SEONGHYEON’S POV

He noticed things.

The way you pushed your hair behind your ear when you were thinking. The way your voice got softer when you were tired. The way you pretended not to smile when he said something stupid.

He liked all of it.

More than he admitted.

Especially to himself.

YOUR POV

One day, he showed up with something stupid.

A matching keychain.

Two tiny characters holding hands.

You stared at it.

“…Why.”

He shrugged. “We match now.”

“We do not.”

“We do emotionally.”

“That’s not how objects work.”

He handed you the second half anyway.

You didn’t give it back.

SEONGHYEON’S POV

He almost left it at that.

Almost.

But then he said it.

Casual. Like it wasn’t important.

“I like being around you.”

You paused.

“…You already are around me.”

He shook his head slightly. “No, I mean like—properly. Not just showing up.”

That made him nervous.

But you didn’t laugh at him.

You just looked at him.

And nodded.

“Then stay.”

YOUR POV

After that, it just… changed.

Not dramatically.

Not suddenly.

Just softly.

He didn’t disappear between schedules anymore. He didn’t turn into a voice note you forgot to reply to. He became someone who actually showed up and stayed there.

Even on days you were quiet.

Especially on days you were quiet.

SEONGHYEON’S POV

He was still loud.

Still bright.

Still Seonghyeon.

But now, there was something different.

Because when he laughed—

you were there.

Not on a screen.

Not in a message.

Just there.

Looking at him like he wasn’t something passing through your life.

But something that had already decided to stay.

YOUR POV

“You’re annoying,” you said one day.

He smiled. “You like it.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

You rolled your eyes.

But you were smiling.

And he saw it.

Of course he did.

SEONGHYEON’S POV

He used to think brightness meant being everywhere at once.

But now he wasn’t so sure.

Because when you grabbed his sleeve to stop him from walking too fast—

and told him to slow down—

he realized something.

He didn’t want to be everywhere.

Just here.

With you.

YOUR POV

“You’re staying for dinner,” you said.

He blinked. “That’s not a question.”

“It wasn’t meant to be.”

He nodded immediately. “Okay.”

“…That was easy.”

“I don’t argue with important decisions.”

“You argue with everything.”

“This one is important.”

You looked at him.

Then sighed.

“…Fine.”

And he smiled like he’d won something.

Even though it didn’t feel like winning.

It felt like staying.

[throughyrs]

"thrift store goddess" — Part 2/3

Ahn Keonho x f!reader AU — ☆.ᐟ

⋆.ೃ࿔* :·🐕⋆.ೃ࿔* :·

background :: a boy who keeps showing up at your mom’s thrift store finally convinces you to hang out with him once (somehow) warnings :: silly chaos, teasing, mild secondhand embarrassment, soft rom-com ending lee’s note :: having different povs is life changing!. w/ luv, THROUGHYRS

⋆.ೃ࿔* :·🎧⋆.ೃ࿔* :·

KEONHO’S POV

He didn’t plan to ask you out.

That was the problem.

He planned to “casually exist near the thrift store until something made sense.”

James called that “emotional stalking with extra steps.”

Martin called it “a distraction.”

Keonho called it “a coincidence.”

None of them believed him.

Still, he went back.

Because you were there.

Because you always were.

And because today, he was going to try something very brave.

Talking normally.

YOUR POV

“You again,” you said immediately.

He nodded. “Me again.”

You looked him up and down. “You’re becoming a regular feature of my life.”

“That sounds like a good thing.”

“It sounds like a problem.”

He paused. “It can be both.”

You hated that that made sense.

Your mom, behind the counter, was already smiling like she was watching a slow disaster turn into romance.

“You’re not working today?” you asked him.

“I’m on break.”

“You keep having breaks near my mom’s store.”

“I plan my breaks efficiently.”

“That’s a lie.”

He didn’t deny it.

KEONHO’S POV

Okay.

Moment of truth.

He had rehearsed exactly zero of this.

“You’re not busy right now, right?” he asked.

You narrowed your eyes. “Why.”

“Because I thought—maybe—you could—”

James, suddenly appearing outside the window: “SAY IT PROPERLY.”

Keonho flinched. “WHY ARE YOU HERE.”

“To support your downfall.”

Martin stood behind him like a disappointed guardian angel. “Don’t mess this up.”

Keonho turned back to you.

You were watching him like this was entertainment.

“…Do you want to hang out?” he blurted.

Silence.

Then:

“…What?”

“I mean—not like—” he gestured vaguely. “Just… outside. Not here. Normal people things.”

Your expression did not change.

“…Why?”

He paused.

Then honestly:

“Because I think if I don’t try this at least once, my friends will never let me breathe again.”

James: “ACCURATE.”

Martin: “Also accurate.”

You stared at him.

Then sighed.

“…Fine.”

Keonho blinked. “Wait—what?”

“One time,” you said. “If you make it weird, I’m leaving.”

He nodded immediately. “I will not make it weird.”

James whispered: “He will make it weird.”

Keonho ignored him.

He was too busy trying not to smile too hard.

YOUR POV

You weren’t sure why you agreed.

That was the problem.

He was strange.

His friends were worse.

And yet—

he didn’t feel annoying in the way annoying people usually were.

He felt like someone who didn’t know how to stop showing up.

And honestly?

You were a little curious where this was going.

“So,” you said as you stepped outside the shop with him, “what exactly is this hangout.”

“I planned nothing,” he admitted.

“That’s alarming.”

“I thought honesty was better.”

“It’s not.”

He nodded. “Noted.”

KEONHO’S POV

Step one: success.

Step two: do not panic.

Step three: figure out what normal people do on hangouts.

“Do you like food?” he asked.

You stared. “That’s your plan?”

“It’s a start.”

Behind them, James yelled from across the street: “TAKE HER SOMEWHERE NICE OR YOU’RE COOKED.”

Keonho didn’t look back. “I hate you.”

You squinted. “Are they always like this?”

“Yes.”

“And you survived this long?”

“I don’t know how.”

That made you laugh.

He filed that sound away immediately.

YOUR POV

You ended up walking.

That was it.

No dramatic plan.

No fancy place.

Just two people walking down the street near your mom’s shop while his friends followed at a suspicious distance pretending not to.

“You know they’re following us,” you said.

“I know.”

“Are they going to keep doing that?”

“Yes.”

“That’s insane.”

“Yes.”

You glanced at him. “You say yes a lot.”

“I’m learning.”

“Slowly.”

He nodded. “I’m trying.”

KEONHO’S POV

This was harder than performing.

Because nothing was scripted.

And you kept looking at him like you weren’t sure what he was supposed to be.

“So,” you said after a while, “why do you keep coming back?”

He hesitated.

Then chose honesty again.

“Because I think I met you before I actually met you.”

You frowned slightly. “That makes no sense.”

“I know.”

“But it feels true?”

He nodded.

You were quiet for a second.

Then:

“…That’s kind of annoying.”

He blinked. “Sorry.”

“I didn’t say stop.”

That hit differently than he expected.

YOUR POV

You didn’t know when “one hangout” turned into walking longer than intended.

Or when his presence stopped feeling like an interruption.

He wasn’t smooth.

He wasn’t even normal.

But he was consistent.

And weirdly careful.

“So you really just fix radios?” you asked.

“I try.”

“Badly?”

“Improvingly.”

“That’s not a word.”

“It is to me.”

You laughed again.

And he smiled like that was the point of everything.

KEONHO’S POV

At some point, his phone buzzed nonstop.

James: ARE YOU ALIVE Martin: don’t cause trouble James: DID YOU SURVIVE THE HANGOUT James: IS SHE STILL THERE James: DID YOU CONFESS YET

Keonho turned his phone off.

“…Are you ignoring them?” you asked.

“Yes.”

“Good.”

That surprised him.

You weren’t annoyed anymore.

Just… here.

With him.

YOUR POV

By the time you walked back toward the thrift store, the sun was lower.

“You didn’t make it weird,” you said.

He looked relieved. “I didn’t?”

“You came close once.”

“I’ll work on that.”

You stopped near the shop.

Then glanced at him.

“…This doesn’t mean we’re friends.”

He nodded quickly. “Understood.”

Pause.

Then softly:

“…Are we?”

You looked at him for a second.

Then shrugged.

“We’ll see.”

And walked inside.

KEONHO’S POV

He stood there for a moment longer.

Just watching the thrift store door close.

James immediately ran up. “WELL??”

Keonho blinked slowly.

“I think I passed,” he said.

Martin sighed. “That’s new.”

James grinned. “So what now?”

Keonho looked at the shop again.

“…Now I go back tomorrow,” he said.

And for once—

no one argued with him.

[throughyrs]

AHHHHHHHHHH JUST FINSIHED BINGING UR ENTIRE BLOG SO COOOOOOOOOOOOL YOU AREEEEEEE im so sorry if this is coming off as insincere or rude but could i please request a fic with seonghyeon and reader/oc where reader is myopic as hell like really myopic and then reader loses their glasses and( they know seonhgyeon because of mutual friendship but will NOT admit that they actually bias seonghyeon) seonghyeon ends up helping them out with seeing stuff and sort of hanging out more with them and reader is always trying to act nonchalant. keyword trying. and then they somehow end up in this relationship/situationship/close friendship (please take it in whatever direction you'd like :D) and yeah it's just cute stuff because reader admits to seonghyeon being their bias and it's just lowk teasing. basically cute stuff.

you could also just ignore this, im so sorry if this was bad but i genuinely love your fics so much!! <33

OMG I LOVE THAT IDEAAAA ILL DEF DO THAT KEEP AN EYE OUT 😛🫰BUT IM CURRENTLY ON VAYCAY RN SO I HAVE A BUNCH OF QUEDED POSTS BUT ILLHAVE IT OUT BY THE END OF THIS WEEK PROMISE

[throughyrs]

“thrift store goddess” — Part 1/3

Ahn Keonho x f!reader AU — ☆.ᐟ

⋆.ೃ࿔* :·🍇⋆.ೃ࿔* :·

background :: a boy you meet at the airport keeps showing up at your mom’s thrift store after a weird “familiar feeling” turns into something bigger

warnings :: silly chaos, mistaken familiarity, idol group chaos, light romance buildup

lee’s note :: by the time you guys are reading this im actually on vacation LOL but dw abt me this is a queued post so im already enjoying my vacation at this time so IM ALL GOOD LOL gotta keep this blog alive iykwim hehe. ALSO its my first time with two diff povs so pls lmk if you like it!! w/ luv, THROUGHYRS

⋆.ೃ࿔* :·🎧⋆.ೃ࿔* :·

KEONHO’S POV

He wasn’t supposed to be looking around.

He was supposed to be following Martin.

But then he saw you.

Standing near baggage claim like you’d just been dropped back into reality and were still buffering.

Keonho slowed.

“…I think I know her,” he muttered.

James instantly leaned in. “You say that every time you see a girl with a face.”

“I’m serious.”

Martin didn’t even turn. “Keep walking.”

But Keonho wasn’t.

Because the feeling was already there.

Familiar. Annoying. Loud in his head.

Like he’d seen you somewhere he wasn’t supposed to remember yet.

YOUR POV

Airports always made you feel slightly disconnected from your own body.

Too much noise. Too much movement. Too many people acting like they knew where they were going.

You were just trying to get your suitcase when—

you bumped into someone.

“Ah! ohmygodsorry—”

A hand caught your arm before you could fully stumble back.

Warm. Steady.

You looked up—

And paused.

The boy in front of you was already looking at you like he knew you.

“…Are you okay?” he asked.

You nodded slowly. “Yeah. Sorry.”

But he didn’t let go right away.

And that made your stomach feel weird for no reason.

KEONHO’S POV

He let go too late.

He knew that.

But up close, it was worse.

Because it wasn’t just familiarity anymore.

It was detail.

The kind you only get from memory.

“I think I know you,” he said before he could stop himself.

Your expression tightened. “That’s a little concerning.”

Behind him—

James wheezed.

“I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE THAT—”

Martin finally looked back. “Keonho.”

But then Martin paused.

Just slightly.

“…Wait.”

James snapped his fingers. “OH.”

Keonho turned instantly. “What?”

Martin pointed at you. “Thrift store.”

Silence.

YOUR POV

“…Excuse me?”

James suddenly leaned forward like he was solving a mystery. “WAIT. THAT’S THE THRIFT STORE GIRL.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

Keonho blinked. “That’s not helping my case.”

Martin nodded. “It’s her.”

You took a step back. “Why are all of you like this.”

Keonho raised both hands slightly. “We’re not like—this is not normal for us either.”

That somehow made it worse.

KEONHO’S POV

Then it clicked fully.

Not a feeling.

A place.

Small thrift store.

Broken radio.

A kind woman who always smiled like she had time for everyone.

And you.

“You’re her,” he said quietly.

You frowned. “My mom owns a thrift store, yes.”

His expression shifted immediately.

Relief. Recognition. Something sharper underneath it.

“I used to go there,” he said.

You squinted. “Why?”

“I fixed things there.”

James laughed. “He tried.”

“I DID FIX THINGS.”

“You made them worse first.”

YOUR POV

This was rapidly becoming the strangest airport interaction of your life.

“So let me get this straight,” you said slowly. “You bumped into me, think I’m someone you vaguely remember from my mom’s shop, and now your friends are involved?”

“That’s accurate,” Keonho said.

“That’s insane.”

“I agree.”

But he was still looking at you like the answer to something.

Like you weren’t just a coincidence.

KEONHO’S POV

You walked away eventually.

Not angry.

Just done.

Which, somehow, made it worse.

Because now he had no closure.

James waved after you. “BYE THRIFT STORE GIRL WHO IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE IMPORTANT TO THE PLOT LATER.”

“STOP TALKING,” Keonho said.

But he was already thinking about going back.

YOUR POV

You didn’t want to think about it.

But your mom did not help.

“Oh, that boy?” she said when you described him. “He used to come here all the time.”

“You know him?”

“He fixed our radio for us. Badly.”

You stared. “So it wasn’t just in his head.”

She smiled. “No, he was very sweet.”

“…Sweet?”

“Very persistent.”

You groaned. “That sounds worse.”

KEONHO’S POV

He went back.

He didn’t plan it.

That was the problem.

James immediately clocked it. “You’re leaving again, aren’t you?”

Keonho didn’t answer.

Martin sighed. “Just don’t cause chaos.”

Keonho left anyway.

YOUR POV

The bell rang.

You didn’t look up immediately.

“Welcome—”

Then you did.

And froze.

Because he was there again.

Standing in the doorway like your life had a recurring side quest you didn’t accept.

“…Hi,” he said.

You blinked. “You found it.”

“I remembered,” he corrected,

And somehow—

your heart skipped.

“oh no.”

KEONHO’S POV

The shop was quiet.

Not empty.

Just calm.

You were there behind the counter like you belonged to it.

“I wasn’t sure you’d still be here,” he admitted.

You leaned slightly on the counter. “And if I wasn’t?”

He didn’t hesitate…

“I would’ve come back again.”

James, somewhere outside: “HE’S DOWN BAD.”

“I HEARD THAT,” Keonho snapped.

But he didn’t leave.

YOUR POV

“You keep saying you remember me,” you said.

“I do.”

“But I don’t remember you.”

“That’s fine,” he said.

You tilted your head. “That’s fine?”

“I remember enough for both of us.”

That made you pause.

Because that was a weird thing to say.

But somehow..

not an unwelcome one.

KEONHO POV

He stayed longer than he meant to.

You didn’t kick him out.

That was new.

When he finally left, James was waiting.

“So,” James said, grinning. “Thrift store soulmate arc?”

Keonho shoved past him. “Shut up.”

But he was smiling.

Which was the problem.

Because now he had something to come back to.

And he didn’t even know your name properly yet.

NEXT PART HERE

[throughyrs]

“This Is Why You Need Iron.” — FINALE

⋆.ೃ࿔* :·💌⋆.ೃ࿔* :·

background :: After a hospital incident, Martin becomes overly protective of you, especially about food. What starts as chaos slowly turns into something more as his feelings for you become impossible to ignore.

warnings :: fluff overload, mild angst, panic-inducing overprotective behavior (played for humor), hospital mention (non-graphic), food/allergy mentions, secondhand embarrassment, emotional vulnerability, confession scene, kissing

lee’s note :: this is the finale everyone!! i kind of started this story just wanting to post something different because i had no storage left on my phone and didn’t want to keep only posting my usual oneshots 😭 but it ended up becoming one of my favorites, and now i’m actually kinda sad to see it end…anyway, thank you for sticking through all four parts of this chaotic series. w/ luv, THROUGHYRS

TAGLIST: @cupidvx @bnhrs @danicadagoat @kxllanxtdoor @eunjjx @eiirazz

⋆.ೃ࿔* :·🎧⋆.ೃ࿔* :·

PART THREE HERE

Three days later, Martin still refused to let you eat anything he didn’t inspect first.

Which would’ve been sweet.

If he wasn’t acting like every snack in existence was a potential assassination attempt.

At lunch he grabbed your granola bar out of your hand dramatically.

“WAIT.”

You blinked.

“…What now.”

Martin squinted at the ingredients list like he was diffusing a bomb.

“…Contains traces of nuts.”

“It’s a granola bar.”

“It’s a WEAPON.”

“You’re insane.”

“I almost lost you.”

“You literally didn’t.”

Martin ignored you completely before tossing the granola bar into the trash like a fallen soldier.

Then he slid your actual lunch toward you proudly.

A sandwich.

Cut diagonally.

You stared at it.

“…Why is it shaped like that.”

“That’s how people show love.”

“You watched one cooking video and became somebody’s husband.”

Martin looked genuinely pleased by that sentence.

Meanwhile your friends had unfortunately learned about the hospital incident.

So naturally they never let either of you live it down.

Especially after Martin accidentally confessed the entire story out loud during lunch.

“I thought she was DYING.”

“You thought she was sleeping,” you corrected.

“You looked pale!”

“I was having an allergic reaction!”

“And I was having an emotional reaction!”

One of your friends looked between both of you slowly.

“So basically he discovered love through attempted manslaughter.”

Martin pointed aggressively.

“THAT’S NOT WHAT HAPPENED.”

“That’s exactly what happened,” you said.

Martin looked offended for five whole seconds before quietly mumbling:

“…I did cry in the hospital bathroom.”

The entire table exploded.

“YOU CRIED?”

“I THOUGHT I KILLED HER.”

“You fed me peanut sauce, not uranium.”

“I DIDN’T KNOW.”

Then Martin looked at you dramatically across the table.

“…But for the record,” he said seriously, “I would absolutely learn CPR for you.”

Your face immediately got warm.

“Oh my god.”

“I already bookmarked videos.”

“You’re actually ridiculous.”

Martin smiled lazily.

“But you still like me.”

Unfortunately.

Very unfortunately.

You did.

And honestly?

Watching Martin become aggressively protective over your food while also looking at you like you were the greatest thing that had ever happened to him…

was kind of worth almost dying for.

Unfortunately for you, Martin’s paranoia only got worse after that.

The next morning you walked into class holding an iced coffee.

Martin gasped so loudly people turned around.

“Where did you get that.”

“…The cafe?”

“Did you check the ingredients?”

“It’s coffee.”

“They put almond milk in things.”

“You are becoming unbearable.”

“You almost died.”

“You almost fainted in the ER.”

“That was stress-induced.”

“That was dramatic-induced.”

Martin ignored you and stole your drink anyway.

Then took a sip.

You stared at him.

“…Did you just test my coffee like a medieval food taster.”

Martin nodded seriously.

“You’re welcome.”

“You realize if there WAS peanuts in there, now we’d both die.”

He paused.

“…Okay wait.”

“You’re not smart.”

“But I’m devoted.”

Before you could respond, one of your classmates leaned over.

“You guys are disgusting.”

Martin smiled proudly.

“We’re dating.”

Your head snapped toward him.

“We never officially agreed on that.”

Martin looked horrified.

“You held my hand in a hospital.”

“You cried in front of nurses.”

“You called me cute!”

“You almost killed me!”

“And now we’re bonded spiritually.”

You physically had to cover your face because he was smiling so hard.

Later that night Martin showed up outside your apartment again.

Not with groceries this time.

With flashcards.

You blinked slowly.

“…What is this.”

“I made an allergy safety quiz.”

“You made a WHAT.”

Martin sat down beside you on the floor and held up the first card proudly.

“Question one. Name three nuts that could kill you.”

“You are unbelievable.”

“THIS IS IMPORTANT.”

“You cannot turn my allergies into Kahoot.”

Martin looked offended.

“Kahoot is educational.”

Then he flipped another card over.

“What should I do during an allergic reaction?”

You sighed.

“Use the epipen.”

“Good!” he said proudly. “Bonus question. What should I NOT do?”

“Panic.”

Martin got quiet.

“…Okay but hypothetically.”

“No.”

“But what if—”

“No.”

“What if you stop breathing and—”

“You are literally the reason my blood pressure is high.”

Martin flopped backward dramatically onto your carpet.

“I just care about you.”

A week later, Martin started acting weird.

Which was saying something considering he already acted like a poorly supervised golden retriever on a daily basis.

But this was different.

Now he kept staring at you during conversations like he was trying to solve a math problem emotionally.

Then looking away the second you noticed.

He also got strangely quiet sometimes.

Not silent.

Just… softer.

Like there was something sitting on the tip of his tongue he couldn’t figure out how to say.

At first you ignored it.

Then it got worse.

One night your friend group decided to hang out at the park near campus.

Nothing special.

Just snacks, cheap drinks, and everybody sitting around talking while Martin somehow argued with someone about whether cereal counted as soup.

“It’s in a bowl,” Martin defended.

“That is NOT the same thing.”

“It’s liquid-based!”

“You’re sick in the head.”

Martin looked personally attacked.

Meanwhile you sat beside him trying not to laugh while he aggressively defended cereal rights like his life depended on it.

Eventually people started leaving one by one.

Until suddenly it was just you and Martin left sitting on the grass.

The park had gotten quieter.

Streetlights glowing softly.

Music from somebody’s speaker still faintly playing in the distance.

Martin leaned back on his hands beside you.

“You’re smiling,” he said suddenly.

“You were fighting for your life over cereal.”

“Because nobody understands my vision.”

“You don’t HAVE a vision.”

Martin laughed quietly.

Then the silence settled again.

Comfortable this time.

The kind that only existed between people who already knew each other too well.

You glanced over eventually.

Martin was already looking at you.

Of course he was.

“…What.”

He didn’t answer immediately.

Which instantly made you nervous.

Then he sighed.

“You know what sucks?”

“That you think cereal is soup?”

“That I’m trying to say something serious and you’re ruining the mood.”

“Oh my god.”

Martin looked down at his hands for a second before laughing softly to himself.

“I had this whole plan, you know.”

Your eyebrows lifted.

“A plan?”

“Yeah.”

“That sounds threatening.”

“I was gonna do something romantic.”

You snorted immediately.

“That was your first mistake.”

“I KNOW.”

Martin rubbed his face dramatically.

“I thought maybe flowers?”

“You would’ve bought dead ones somehow.”

“That’s actually hurtful.”

“But accurate.”

“Probably.”

You smiled a little.

Then Martin looked back at you again.

And suddenly he looked nervous.

Actually nervous.

Your stomach dropped a little.

“I think I ruined the timing,” he admitted quietly. “Because technically I already confessed in the hospital.”

“You compared yourself to a widowed sailor.”

“I was going through something.”

“You screamed at a nurse.”

“She was being negative.”

You laughed again.

But Martin didn’t.

Instead he just kept looking at you.

Softly.

And that’s when you realized—

Oh.

He was serious serious.

“I like you,” he said finally.

Simple.

No dramatic speech.

No jokes.

Just honest.

And somehow that hit harder than everything else.

“I like you a lot, actually.”

Your chest tightened instantly.

Martin smiled nervously when you didn’t answer right away.

“See now I’m panicking.”

“You panic every day.”

“Yeah but this is advanced panic.”

You looked away for a second because suddenly your face felt hot.

Unfortunately Martin noticed immediately.

“…Wait.”

“Don’t start.”

“You’re blushing.”

“I’m literally not.”

“You ARE.”

“You’re hallucinating.”

Martin stared at you for another second before smiling slowly.

That stupid smile.

The one that always made your brain stop working.

“I think I started liking you when you yelled at me for eating gummy bears for breakfast,” he admitted. “And then made me actual food afterward.”

“You’re emotionally attached because I gave you nutrients?”

“Yes.”

“That’s pathetic.”

“I know.”

Martin scooted a little closer unconsciously.

“You make me feel cared about,” he said softly. “Nobody’s ever really done that the way you do.”

Your heart actually hurt a little hearing that.

Because Martin always acted loud and unserious and impossible to embarrass.

But moments like this reminded you there was still something unbearably genuine underneath all of that.

Then he laughed quietly.

“Also you’re mean to me in a way that feels affectionate.”

You immediately rolled your eyes.

“There’s the Martin I know.”

“I’m being vulnerable.”

“You’re being weird.”

“But do you get what I mean?”

Unfortunately.

You did.

The problem was Martin kept looking at you like you were the answer to a question he’d been asking forever.

Which made it really hard to think properly.

So naturally—

You decided to make it worse for him.

You sighed dramatically.

“…Martin, I don’t think this is going to work.”

His face dropped instantly.

Actually instantly.

“Oh.”

You had maybe two seconds before guilt hit you.

Because he looked devastated.

Like full emotional collapse.

“I mean,” you continued carefully, trying not to laugh, “dating someone who almost killed me feels medically irresponsible.”

Martin stared at you.

“You are STILL on the peanut thing?”

“I almost saw the afterlife.”

“I DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL.”

“After feeding me poison.”

“IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.”

You kept your face completely serious.

Martin looked like he was seconds away from passing out on the sidewalk.

“…So that’s a no?”

His voice got quieter at the end.

And immediately you cracked.

Because now he just looked sad.

“Oh my god your FACE—”

Martin narrowed his eyes slowly.

“…Wait.”

You started laughing.

“WAIT.”

“You looked so heartbroken.”

“YOU REJECTED ME.”

“I was kidding!”

Martin grabbed the back of his neck dramatically.

“I JUST EXPERIENCED CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.”

“You’re so dramatic.”

“You smiled while destroying me emotionally!”

“I couldn’t help it!”

Martin groaned before covering his face with his hoodie.

“You’re evil.”

“But do you still like me?”

Martin lowered the hoodie immediately.

“…That’s a dangerous question.”

“Answer it.”

“You know I do.”

You smiled a little despite yourself.

“Good.”

Martin blinked.

Then blinked again.

“…Wait.”

“I like you too, idiot.”

Silence.

Martin genuinely stopped moving.

Like completely froze.

“You—”

“Yes.”

“You LIKE me.”

“Please calm down.”

“I physically can’t.”

You laughed quietly as Martin suddenly leaned forward and grabbed your face dramatically.

“I HAVE NEVER WON THIS HARD IN MY LIFE.”

“You’re yelling again.”

“I DON’T CARE.”

Before you could complain again, Martin kissed you quickly.

Messy.

A little rushed.

Mostly because he was smiling too hard to function correctly.

When he pulled away he still looked stunned.

“…So we’re officially dating now?”

You pretended to think about it.

Martin gasped loudly.

“DO NOT START.”

THE END.