write my wrongs: prolouge || L.HC
✎ ex!haechan x fem!reader (ft. some of the dreamies +random made up side character)
Prolouge | Part 1 (coming Nov 22nd) | Part 2 (Coming TBD)
✎ synopsis- He cheated, and it hurt— badly. You walked away, convinced you’d never look back. But now, after five years of silence, you’re working together again. The air is filled with things left unsaid, and the memories you buried refuse to stay quiet. You tell yourself you’ve moved on— that what you feel is nothing but ghosts of what once was. But every glance lingers too long, every accidental touch feels too familiar, and you can’t help but wonder: can something once broken ever truly be whole again?
✎ genre- work au, slow burn, second chance romance, smut 18+, angst, humor, slight fluff.
✎ warnings- mentions or cheating, alcohol, (full list on each full part).
✎ w/c- 3.1k (prologue), estimated 18k for first part, estimated 10k for second part.
Now playing: Like we just met- NCT DREAM
a/n- ahhh, I’m finally back with a long fic! This has been in my drafts for a while, and I finally decided to pick it up, so I hope you enjoy this. Let me know if you would like to be tagged! Mwah mwah 💋
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The car ride was so quiet it almost hurt. Just the low hum of the engine and the hiss of the tires whenever they hit a patch of wet pavement. You leaned toward the window, the glass showing only the faintest reflection. The crack you'd left open let in cold air that stung your cheeks and nose, but you'd take that over the way your chest ached every time your eyes almost slipped toward him.
You two argued sometimes— loud, messy arguments, but this wasn't like that. This was worse, this silence was heavy.
When he finally pulled up to your building, the car slowed to a stop. The headlights lit up the empty curb. You reached for the door handle without looking at him, but you couldn't stop yourself from sneaking a glance. His jaw was tight, his hands locked on the wheel like letting go would break something.
"Your jacket's here. Do you need it?" Your voice came out small. It wasn't about the jacket, it was about whether he'd come upstairs, whether you'd get one last chance to close the gap growing between you.
"Yeah." His answer was short. He put the car in park.
You got out, his footsteps followed a second later. The air between you felt colder than the night itself. Inside, you slipped into your room to grab the jacket. When you came back, he was still standing near the door, stiff, like stepping further in would be a mistake. You held it out, the weight of it so much heavier than it should have been. He took it, fingers brushing yours. His eyes met yours for just a second— long enough to say too much and not enough.
"Bye."
He swallowed hard. "Bye." Then he left, the door shut with a sound that stuck in your chest.
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It was after four in the morning when pounding rattled your door. You were already awake— sleep hadn't been an option, but the sudden noise still jolted you. You walked to the door on bare feet, peeking through the peephole. Haechan.
You opened it slowly. He looked wrecked, hair messy, shirt wrinkled, eyes swollen and red with fresh tears streaking his face.
"Baby?" The word slipped out before you could stop it.
He stepped inside without saying anything. The smell hit you instantly, alcohol.
"What's going on?" You asked, arms going around him on instinct. He clung to you right away, face buried in your neck, shoulders shaking as he sobbed into your skin. You rubbed his back slow, your chest aching at how small he felt in your arms and then you smelled it... perfume, not yours.
It sank into your stomach like ice. You tried to deny it, but it was there, clinging to him. Sweet, foreign and under it, faint but clear— something else that told you exactly where he'd been.
Your hands dropped quickly, you stepped back, your face giving you away before you even spoke.
His lips trembled. "I'm sorry." His voice was raw.
You stepped back again, the space between you widened.
"I'm so sorry." He said, rubbing his face like he could erase the night.
Your voice broke. "What did you do?"
He looked down. "I didn't mean to, i'm sorry." The words fell out too fast.
"Who was it?" Tears blurred your vision.
He gave a weak shrug. "Some random girl."
The confirmation knocked the air out of you. You already knew, but hearing it still felt like being shoved under water.
"I'm sorry, Y/n." He said again, stepping closer like he could undo it, his hands reaching for you.
You shoved him back. "Five years." Your voice cracked, finger pressing into his chest. "We've been together five years and you threw it all away for one night."
"I know, I know, there's no excuse. Please, just— just talk to me." His voice was breaking.
"There's nothing to talk about." Each word was glass in your throat. "You ruined everything. Because you were mad at me for one night? I hope it was worth it."
"Please. Please just give me one more chance." His tears were falling hard now.
"Get out." Your tone dropped, tears slipped down your own face.
"Y/n, please—"
"Go!" Your voice shook, but it was firm. "I'll come to your place tomorrow for my things."
He breathed hard, wiping at his face. He didn't say another word, just turning and walking out.
You sank onto the edge of your bed, staring at the floor. The apartment was too quiet, every sound amplified. Your chest ached, like it had been hollowed out. You wanted to scream, but your throat felt useless. Part of you wanted to call him, beg him to explain, but the other part knew it would only make things worse. You had already lost him tonight, even if he hadn't walked out for good.
You fidgeted with your phone until your fingers hurt, scrolling aimlessly, waiting for a message that never came. The silence pressed against your skin, then the tears came. They weren't just for him, or for what he'd done. They were for all the times you thought he cared, only to feel him slip further away. For all the years you poured into something that maybe never existed the way you thought it did.
You curled into yourself on the bed, hands covering your face. You wanted to stop crying, but you couldn't. You wanted to tell yourself you were strong enough to walk away. You wanted to mean it, but your body refused to believe it.
Hours passed. The sky outside lightened slowly, pale gray leaking through the blinds. For a second the world looked almost normal, but it wasn't, not for a long time. Every time you closed your eyes, flashes came back— the pounding at your door at 4 a.m., the smell of liquor and perfume clinging to him, his tears soaking into your shirt.
His things were still scattered everywhere— clothes, his headphones, little remnants of him. You shoved it all into a cardboard box, taping it shut with one final pull. For a moment you just stared at it. Too small to hold five years, too light to carry the weight of what you were losing.
You wiped your face, grabbing the box, and carrying it to the door. The drive to his apartment felt endless, every mile heavy. By the time you reached his door, your chest was burning.
You knocked. It took a few seconds, but the door opened. Haechan stood there, and he looked destroyed— bloodshot eyes, dark circles, pale skin. His gaze dropped to the box in your hands, then back to your face. Neither of you spoke as you stepped aside.
You walked in, setting the box down. His apartment smelled faintly of stale beer and cologne. He dropped onto the couch, elbows on his knees, dragging his hands down his face like he could erase everything.
You moved around quietly, grabbing the rest of your things. A sweater, a toothbrush, records shoved in the corner. You avoided his eyes, but you could feel him there.
Finally, in his room, he stood in the doorway. Shoulders sagging, lips parted like he wanted to say something but couldn't. You kept packing, but then your eyes caught his.
"Can we talk? Just— please." His voice was strained.
You hesitated, then nodded, too tired to fight.
You sat on the edge of his bed. A moment later, he joined, close but not touching. The silence stretched until he finally spoke.
"I don't know what happened last night." He said quickly. "I mean— I know what happened, but I wasn't thinking. I was drunk and angry and—" His voice cracked. "I swear it didn't mean anything, Y/n."
You stared down at your jeans softly, broken. "It doesn't matter if it meant nothing. You still did it, now I can't unknow it."
His eyes went wide. "I can be better. I'll never let anything like this happen again. I'll do whatever it takes— just don't let this be the end."
Your throat burned. His face was raw, tear streaked, desperate, but it didn't reach you.
"You know what happened with my parents." You whispered. "You know what it did to me. And you promised, Haechan. You promised you'd never put me through that."
His face crumpled. "I know. I broke it, but please— just one more chance. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you."
You shook your head, tears sliding freely now. "No. The trust is gone, you can't undo this. I can't look at you the same."
He reached for you, but you pulled back. "We've had each other our whole lives." He said, voice shaking. "I don't know how to be without you. Please, Y/n."
"You think I don't know that? I love you so much, Haechan. First love, first everything. I don't know how to be without you either and that's what makes this worse. How could you do this to the one person you say you can't live without?"
"One more chance." He whispered. "I'll never love anyone else, it's always been you. Please don't walk away."
You wiped your face with shaky hands. "I can't. I can't stay and pretend this didn't happen. I won't."
The room went still, silent except for his breathing. You stood and he didn't stop you, just hunched on the bed, sobbing into his hands. You slung the tote over your shoulder and walked to the door.
The sound of it closing was loud... final. Like the end of a song you'd loved too long, one you knew would never play again.
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Five years later.
You woke to sunlight cutting through the thin gaps in your curtains, stripes of gold falling across your sheets. For a moment, you just laid there, blinking against the brightness, stretching your arms over your head until your joints popped. You rolled onto your side, reaching blindly for your phone on the nightstand.
10:34 a.m. September 12th.
The last Saturday you would spend unemployed. The thought pressed against your chest. For nearly a month you had been floating, no bosses breathing down your neck, no coworkers whispering in corners, no long nights replaying every careless thing you had said. It had been... nice. You had let yourself sleep late, cook slowly, walk without a destination, but now the reset button was waiting, and Monday it would slam down hard. You whispered a silent prayer that this new place was not another trap.
Your phone lit up suddenly, buzzing in your hand with an incoming call.
You swiped it on speaker. "Hello."
"Heyyyy."
"Wassup? Good morning." Your lips pulled into a smile before you could stop them.
"Good morning." Jaemin's voice was warm. "Why do you sound like you are still in bed?"
You laughed, dragging a hand over your face. "Because not everyone has their life together like you, Jaemin."
"Ah, I know, I know." His voice carried that smug little edge he used whenever he wanted to tease. "You will soon though— since you're starting Monday."
You groaned loud enough for him to hear it. "Don't remind me."
"It's gonna be awesome. We basically get to hang out every day now." His grin was practically audible.
You paused, smirking to yourself. "That somehow makes me feel worse."
"Wow... okay." His laugh burst through the speaker. "For real though, everybody's cool. You're going to have fun."
"I am trusting you on this."
"Good. Because speaking of fun... three of us are getting dinner tonight. Do you want to come? Kind of like... getting a head start on meeting the team."
You sat up slowly, pillow tucked behind your back. "Is that girl you like coming?" The teasing smile on your lips was impossible to hide.
He hesitated, then sighed. "Yeah, I invited her." His voice dipped, carrying something nervous beneath it.
"So why did you invite me, then?"
"Because she invited someone else." He groaned like the words themselves pained him.
You let out a sound between a laugh and a groan, and Jaemin chuckled instantly at your reaction.
"Exactly. It was all, 'Can Ray come? Let's invite Ray.' Like— fine, sure, I said yes." He pitched his voice high, mocking her.
You pressed your lips together, amused. "Damn."
"Yeah, so please just come. Save me. Plus, I think you would actually like Ray." His tone was half pleading, half persuasive.
You narrowed your eyes at the wall, even though he couldn't see. "Ohhh, so that's why you invited me."
"No, no. Swear I just want you there." He laughed, then paused. "Okay, also... I will pay for your dinner if you come."
You bit your lip, groaning. "Fuck, you got me. I'll go."
"Aye, perfect." His voice lit up, all bright and energetic.
"What is the dress code?" You asked, already sorting through outfits in your head.
"Casual. Everything is always casual. Just wear something comfortable. It's at seven, so it is going to be dark and probably cold. I'll come pick you up."
"Cool." You were already planning your evening. "See you then."
"See you then." His voice echoed before the line clicked.
By 6:30 you stood in front of the mirror, sweater tugged down over your jeans, lips pressed together as though that tiny adjustment could still your nerves. Right on cue, a honk outside made you grab your bag and slip into your shoes.
Jaemin greeted you with his usual grin as you slid into the passenger seat. His fingers drummed an impatient rhythm on the wheel like he had been waiting to burst into conversation.
"Are you excited?" He asked, pulling away from the curb.
"Eh, more nervous." You buckled your seatbelt, turning to him. "What if they think I'm weird or something?"
"You are weird." His answer came quick. "Most definitely, but they will love you. Swear."
You smirked, trying not to let him see how much you needed that reassurance. "I'm trusting you."
Soon he was pulling up to a small restaurant tucked on a quiet corner, warm light spilling onto the pavement. The kind of place that looked like it belonged in the backdrop of some indie film.
"See?" Jaemin shoved his hands in his jacket pockets as you walked. "Chill spot, nothing crazy."
You followed him in, low voices and clinking silverware filling the air. You were laughing at something dumb he said when he stopped.
"Oh, there they are."
You turned toward the table and froze... Haechan. Older now, sharper lines in his face, hair falling different, but it was him. No mistaking it.
Your breath caught, your chest tightening like someone had knocked the air from you.
Jaemin glanced back. "You good?"
You swallowed hard, forcing composure. "I thought you said his name was Ray?"
"Um, it is. That's what she calls him." He frowned but kept walking, oblivious.
Your legs carried you forward on autopilot, your heartbeat pounding so loud you swore the restaurant could hear it.
"Yo, wassup guys." Jaemin greeted easily, sliding into a seat across from a girl.
Across the table, Haechan's eyes lifted, colliding with yours. For the first time in years, his face shifted. Something that hit you like a punch to the chest.
You sat down, hands trembling under the table. Neither of you meant to, but your eyes kept flicking toward each other in quiet, stolen glances.
"This is Y/n." Jaemin gestured toward you.
You smiled tightly, offering a small wave.
"Hi! I'm Hana, it is so nice to finally meet you." The girl's smile was warm.
"Nice to meet you." Your voice was steady, though your chest was not.
The air shifted. Subtle, but it was there. All eyes sliding toward Haechan. His fingers drummed against his cup, gaze down, shoulders drawn.
"Are you not going to introduce yourself?" Jaemin teased.
Haechan glanced up, startled. "Huh? Me?"
"Yes, you."
He shifted uncomfortably. "I don't— um..."
"We know each other." You cut in quickly, smile bright, begging Jaemin not to push.
"Oh shit." Jaemin grinned wide. "From where?"
Your lips pressed together. "We go way back. When did you move here?"
Haechan scratched behind his ear. "Not long ago. Maybe... three years?"
Your chest tightened. The year you graduated, the year you both swore to leave that town together.
You hummed, throat tight.
"How do you two know each other?" Hana asked gently.
"We used to be best friends since birth." You laughed softly. "Same schools, same everything. Even two years of college together."
"Do you not talk anymore? What happened?"
Silence... his eyes begged you not to say it. You cleared your throat. "I moved away."
She nodded, then smirked, lacing her fingers with Haechan's hand. "Were you guys... together?"
"Hana." Jaemin groaned, but she only giggled.
You laughed lightly, even as your heart thundered. You glanced at Haechan before answering. "Yeah, we were."
Hana's smile widened. "Ooo..."
Jaemin blinked between you. "Wait, hold on. Is that... is he the one?"
You nodded slowly.
"Shit." His jaw dropped. "Damn."
Haechan ran a hand through his hair, muttering low.
"Can we please change the subject?" You cut in.
Hana smoothed the silence. "I heard you and Jaemin are close."
You exhaled. "We are."
"How did you meet?"
"When I transferred, we ended up in the same class." You glanced at Jaemin with a smile. "We clicked."
Conversation found its way again. Orders came, plates arrived. You picked at your food more than you ate, each glance up catching Haechan's shadow.
When the check landed, Jaemin slid his card before anyone moved. "My treat."
"Show off." Hana teased lightly.
Soon everyone bundled up, stepping into the cold night.
Hana hugged you, grinning. "Can't wait to see you Monday."
"Me too."
Haechan gave only a nod, hands buried in his pockets, too much said in silence. You and Jaemin started toward the car. Footsteps caught up, a tap on your shoulder.
You turned, Haechan. "Can we talk?" His voice was low.
Your chest clenched, before you shook your head. "There is nothing to talk about."
"Y/n—"
"Don't make it weird." You cut him off firmly. "We're cool, but that is it." You walked away before he could answer.
Inside the car, Jaemin's eyes were wide. "Wow, that's crazy. I'm literally having you work with your high school sweetheart, your soulmate. The guy who—" He lowered his voice. "—cheated."
You burst into laughter, shoving his shoulder. "Don't say it like that. And he is not my soulmate."
Jaemin laughed with you, shaking his head. "This is going to be wild."
The ride back was light, his jokes filling the air until he parked at your place.
"See you Monday." His grin was still wide.
You smiled, hand on the door. "See you Monday."
