. e m p t y words

I write one-shots and stories for twelve boys that hold a very strong place in my heart, purely for my own pleasure. Kim Donghyuk is and will forever be my love.

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Heart Aflutter - Part 2

Heart Aflutter – Part 2 Characters:  Kim Dong-Hyuk (iKON); Myoui Mina (TWICE) Synopsis:   “Do I ever do the same for you?”  “Always.” AU: A continuation from Heart Aflutter - Part I, from Dong-Hyuk’s perspective. Non-idol. If you would like to read Part I, click HERE! http://winkonic-prompts.tumblr.com/post/135961738908/heart-aflutter-part-1

A/N: Literally half a year overdue, but better late than never, right? For those who haven’t read Part 1, I strongly advise reading that before reading Part 2 (I have a link included at the very top!) As always, please enjoy this TWIKON fan-fiction! c: And once again, a VERY BIG THANK-YOU for helping this blog reach 100 followers. You people are amazing!

He’s not sure where a question like that comes from; suffice to say, he’s taken aback. Mina chews on her bottom lip, waiting expectantly for his answer, whilst a billion things whirl through his mind like a violent hurricane.

Like, is she feeling self-conscious about herself and their relationship? Does she feel unwanted, unloved? Or…does she believe that he, himself, is being neglected?

Realizing her insecurity, Dong-Hyuk only presents her with a gentle smile and raises his hand to stroke her cheek gently. With a soft reply, he murmurs, “Always.”

Mina loves holding hands with Dong-Hyuk. From the moment when they first started dating, she loved interlocking her fingers within his grasp, squeezing on occasion just to make sure that they were still linked together whenever they walked through a tightknit crowd.

It’s a freezing winter night in February. He’s waiting for her with his face flushed red; he rushed over from one of his labs (Knowing how Mina was with her lack of tolerance for lateness), but accidentally left his mittens out on his desk. So, to fight the bitter cold, he clenched his fists together, and dug them deep into his pockets with his teeth chattering uncontrollably, making a mental note to text Jun-Hoe later to collect them for him.

Moments later, Mina arrived, wrapping her arms around him tightly as she snuggled into his chest. God, even when it was negative ten, she always looked adorable – especially now that she was bundled up with a thick toque, and a pair of matching mittens. His eyes completely melted at the sight of her pretty face grinning up at him.

That was one thing he loved about her: The fact that she always looked at him like she hit the lottery jackpot. In a way, it made him feel special.

“Where do you want to go today?” She asked.

“Anywhere you want to go.”

They decided to go for budae jigae that night at a popular restaurant in Samcheong-Dong (“Eat Your Kimchi featured it in one of their WANK videos!” She exclaimed excitedly, whilst he only chuckled in response at her obliviousness of the word WANK, itself). But just as they were about to head off for the subway station, Mina stopped walking altogether.

“What’s wrong?” He, who was a few steps ahead of her, glanced back, concerned.

She didn’t even have to think. “Did you forget your gloves today?”

Suddenly bashful, Dong-Hyuk reached out to scratch his head, wincing slightly when an icy chill attacked his unprotected hand. “Um, yeah.” Then, his eyes turned apologetic. “I mean, I know how much you love holding my hands, but perhaps not today?” To appease to her displeasure, he quickly added, “You can link your arms with mine though. By all means, please do so!”

Mina pursed her lips outward into a disappointed pout, but immediately replaced it with a cheerful shake of her head. “That’s fine!” She smiled. “I have a better solution instead.” Skipping towards him, she interlaced her fingers in between his, and tucked their hands back inside his jacket pocket.

“It’s a little bulgy and looks cramped from the outside,” She observed with furrowed eyebrows. He couldn’t help but agree. It gave off the impression like he was hiding huge packets of food or drugs in it. “But this way, you’ll be extra warm and I can still hold hands with you. See? It’s a win-win situation!”  

In utter disbelief, Dong-Hyuk coughed back a snicker and turned his head away from her to restrain from laughing. Only she could pull off something like this without seeming childish – rather, it was endearing to him.        

“What? It’s cold out!” Mina whined cutely. “Just let me do it once, okay?”

“You’re full of aegyo today.” He murmured as they entered into the bustling station.

She giggled in response. “Is it a bad thing?”

He took a glance at the bulge in his right pocket, then back at her expectant eyes. Just as the train slowed to a stop and opened to the crowd of people in front of him, he only tightened his grip around her and earnestly told her, “Not at all, not at all.”

Mina was always the good student. Unlike Dong-Hyuk. Whilst he, too, was smart (As mentioned by his doting girlfriend multiple times in exasperation whenever he pestered her), he didn’t have the methodological attention span to concentrate on one thing only.

Rather, his eyes always darted from the diagrams on his textbook to Mina. Always Mina. He could never tire of her beautiful face. Even with the darkening eye bags due to stress, and the occasional spots of acne that broke out on her chin. That didn’t matter at all.

It was no exception today. He chewed on the eraser tip of his pencil whilst observing Mina intently, his practice test sadly left forgotten on the side of their table in the musty library. Without looking up, she waggled her finger in front of his face. “Don’t even. You have a midterm tomorrow. You need to study.”

So, he tried yet again. But fuck it. He slammed his book shut, and folded his arms underneath his chin. “Can’t help it. I just like you too much.”

Mina sighed, but the corners of her lips were uplifted. She was attempting – with great difficulty – to keep herself from laughing. “Oh, yeah?” With a raised eyebrow, she said with all seriousness that she could muster, “Well, I like you more.”

He threw her eraser at his head playfully. “I like you the most.”

She formed a heart above her head with her arms. “I like you to the moon and back.”

“I like you with all sixty-five million neurons that are sparking away right now in my body.”

That was a good one. Mina had to admit, finally cracking. However, she only looked down at her homework, and then back up at him. “Well,” She began, a red blush creeping onto her cheeks. “I love you.”

And Dong-Hyuks’ eyes widened in absolute shock. His heart was pumping a mile a minute, his brain was failing to make any witty comments or remarks. “I uh – I – “ It’s not like he didn’t want to say anything. In fact, he wanted to scream out that, “I FEEL THE SAME WAY!”

It’s just that it caught him off guard. Wasn’t it normally the man who was supposed to say it first? But he couldn’t deny: He liked this.

Chuckling to herself, Mina leaned across the table and pecked him cutely. “Can’t argue with me now, can you?” Dropping her voice to nothing more than a quiet whisper, she added, “Get back to studying, you silly.”

Study, he did. He received ninety-five percent.

And Mina rewarded him with plenty of cuddles that night, and another “I love you” that sent his heart flying into nirvana.

They were eating breakfast in a quiet café when he popped the question.

She was in the process of chewing her sandwich, but it fell from her hands and back onto the plate with a plop. “What did you say?”

Clearing his throat loudly, he asked her again. “What would you think about moving in together?” The grip he had on his coffee was so strong, he was certain he was going to break the cup.

“Well, um,” Mina stammered, looking away from him. Was she blushing? Or was she embarrassed because he asked her this completely out of the blue? “I mean, I don’t know.”

At that, Dong-Hyuk felt concern bubbling in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t like her half-hearted response. With a raised eyebrow, he muttered, “You don’t…want to?”

Waving her arms around, she shook her head violently. “No, no! Not at all! It’s just that,” Gnawing on her bottom lip, she continued, “It’s just…I have a lot of bad habits. I can’t cook. I always leave grease stains on dishes, so I won’t be able to help you do the dishes. I’ll probably burst out into song every morning, and I know you need your sleep.”

Dong-Hyuk only shot her an incredulous look that soon turned into an amused chortle. “Are you kidding me? You’re worried about THAT?”

“And I snore, too.” Mina warned, covering her pretty face with her hands. Peeking out from underneath like a child, she added, “But, if you don’t mind any of those things, I would love to. The fact that I get to wake up next to you every morning and look at your handsome face is what I’ll appreciate the most, Dong-Dong-ah.”

He felt his heart melting. “Well, I drool in my sleep. It might get in your hair. You sure you can take that?” He half-joked.

Casting him a wink, she replied, “That is, if you can listen to my high-pitched wailing of ‘Fantastic Baby’.”

Grinning from ear to ear, Dong-Hyuk wrapped his hands around her own. “We’ll go look at apartments tomorrow.” He couldn’t conceal the excitement in his voice. “It’ll be an unlocked achievement of ours!”

“What are you, Dong-Hyuk? Still a gamer?” She laughed airily.

“Maybe,” Narrowing his eyes, he said, “Can we get a PlayStation 4 for our TV, too?”

“So long as you get me ‘GTA V’.”

God damn, he loved Myoui Mina so much.

He was taught by his father that as a man, he should never show his emotions. Stay strong, he advised, for the family. Be brave, daring – and you’ll conquer all challenges without fear.

He thought that he could do it. He really did believe it; but the very thing that tested his resolution happened a few years after he and Mina had moved in together.

It was the most difficult time of his life, hitting him like an unexpected car crash that left every part of him stinging in agonizing pain.

Dong-Hyuk and Mina had just recently celebrated their eighth-year anniversary. He received a promotion, as well as a raise. His sister was also finishing up her last year at Seoul National University as a nursing major, with a job offer waiting for her at the local hospital.

It seemed as if everything in his life was going well.

Until the moment when it happened.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Said by relatives with vague faces whom flew in from across the country. Your words aren’t even sincere. Still, he bowed deeply and shook their hands out of respect.

“If there is anything we can help you with, please let us know.” Murmured by his aunt, who embraced his mother tightly and slipped her a cheque of an undisclosed sum. As if money would help our situation right now. Does she think it can solve all problems? Still, he took her aside and wrapped his arms around her, muttering a polite thank-you.

“Our condolences. It must be a very difficult time for you right now.” Said by many on that rainy Sunday afternoon. No shit, Sherlock. Still, he watched his mother appreciatively give her thanks to each and every person.

“Dong-Hyuk-ah, stay strong for your mother and sister, okay?” I’m trying. I really am. Still, he repeated the advice given by his father many, many years ago. And successfully, he managed to put up the façade that he was doing okay when emotionally, he wasn’t at all.

Wave upon wave of black and white moved past him, leaving behind a completely empty church. His mother and sister had joined the rest of their relatives outside.

Dong-Hyuk let out a heavy sigh, before turning his back towards the wooden cross hammered at the front of the church. “Why, God?” He questioned inaudibly. “Why did you take him away?”

His eyes had seen enough black to last him a lifetime. What once was his favourite colour soon became a shade that reminded him of nothing but endless pain, suffering, agony and sadness. And that very moment when his mother burst into his room hysterically, clutching her chest as she told him his father suffered a heart attack at work. Where resuscitation efforts were useless. Where the surgeons and nurses regrettably informed them outside of the operation room that they couldn’t save him at all.

Seated at the very front was Mina, clad in a black knee-length with her hands folded together on her lap. Dong-Hyuk slid onto the wooden seat beside her, instantly relaxing. With everything happening all at once, the one thing that could calm him – even if it was only for a few minutes – was her presence.

They remained silent for a few moments before she asked somberly, “How are you feeling?” The church echoed in response.

His heart was a messy jumble of emotions; his brain filled with words that he wanted to say, but couldn’t. Dong-Hyuk shrugged in response somewhat lifelessly. At least with Mina, he didn’t have to pretend to be something that he wasn’t. “You know exactly how I’m feeling.”

She bit her quivering lip to restrain herself from letting out a pitiful cry. “I don’t know how to help you.” She whispered sadly, lowering her head. “I feel like I can’t help you at all.” I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. That was all that she could think about.

“You are. You really are.”

“Your relatives are putting so much pressure on you. How do they expect you to fulfill the responsibility as man of the household?” Her voice was starting to break, and in turn, Dong-Hyuk could feel his own heart shattering again. She gripped onto his arm tightly – so tightly that her knuckles began to turn bone-white.

“I don’t understand why God decided to give you such a big hurdle.” She murmured in disbelief. “I really don’t. So, I may not understand certain things that you’ll have to go through in the upcoming months. But,” She paused and looked up, tears glistening in her round eyes. “I’ll do my best to comfort and support you.”

The crystal-like beads streamed down her cheeks, but even so, she managed to stammer out a few words.

“You’ve worked hard enough, Dong-Hyuk-ah. We’ll share this burden together.”

He cracked. All it took was one sentence, and he, too, began to cry in her arms. Despite this, his heart had – at the very least – found solace. With Mina sticking by his side faithfully, whispering sweet nothings into his ear, he would be able to get through this.

It took some time. It took a lot of patience. And for the months following his fathers’ death, Dong-Hyuk lived in constant fear and paranoia that Mina would tire of his behaviour, and that she would contemplate the idea of leaving him for somebody else.

But she never did. She cared for him with a constant smile on her face, radiating positivity everywhere she went. She continued to love him just as much.

“You’re lucky to have her.” Yun-Hyeong lamented when the two went out for coffee several months after the funeral. “Cherish her, okay? You don’t meet a girl like her every life you live.”

Yun-Hyeongs’ words couldn’t have rung truer.

“Frankly, every single day of being with you always feels like the first day when we started dating,” Dong-Hyuk explains patiently, an unconscious smile growing on his face as he recalls every precious memory. “The butterflies never left. I still love holding hands with you. I still love hugging you. And my heart still continues to flutter uncontrollably whenever I see you.”

He looks up into her softened eyes. “I’m very fortunate to have a love like this, Mina,” He muses. “And if I’m extra lucky, then, you’ll stay with me until this world ends.”  

It takes Mina a few moments to register what was happening. And although in her mind she had already established a perfect scenario of how she wished to be proposed to, she had to admit that this was much better than her fantastical dream. “Well,” She begins, amused. “How can I say no to you?”

Dong-Hyuk only smirks. “You’re right,” He whispers, snaking his arms around her waist and pulling her atop of him.

“You can’t.”

A/N: END! Thank-you so much for reading c: (Still eagerly awaiting for that TWIKON collaboration UGHHH) P.S. Who should I write for next?

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thank-you!

AHH MY GOD. 100 followers today! T_T 

Thank-you so much for sticking with this blog with its very, very sporadic updates LOL. It really means a lot to me! <3

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What the Heart Wants

What the Heart Wants Characters:  Baek Ah-Yeon; Lee Seung-Hoon (WINNER) Synopsis:  She dates four boys, but her heart calls out to only one.

A/N: I wrote this after I listened to Baek Ah-Yeon’s So-So (Man, is she just not the person to listen to during Spring when everyone’s falling in love? LOL) Whilst this story doesn’t have much of a correlation to the song, it still kind of touches upon the subject of first loves, and the whole prospect of dating (Which I am never going to do - FOREVER ALONE). And of course, I couldn’t think of another person to ship her with other than her fellow Kpop Star contestant, Lee Seung-Hoon! (Especially after watching them perform Ma Boy back then, omfg, the feels ;~;) Hope you enjoy!

For Baek Ah-Yeon, the ideas of first loves, relationships and dating sound awfully foreign.

She wants to question if it’s possible that she’s simply not interested in it. Exchanging flowers for hugs, chocolates for kisses, weekly presents and constant hand-holding – was it that much fun? She shudders at the thought of swapping spit. That sounded disgusting, to be very honest.

It’s surprising, considering that she’s grown up now. She’s twenty. She’s at the prime age for experiencing many firsts in life. But instead, here she is watching intently from the comfort of Ji-Mins’ bed as the cute girl applies a dangerous-looking coral-coloured eyeshadow onto her eyelids with her mouth hanging open. Now, on the other hand, Ji-Min was actually going out on a date. Ah-Yeon was only at her house for moral support.

“You should really meet some more people, unni,” Ji-Min advises, swiping on a thick black line. “You’re young! You’re beautiful! You should stop being such a homebody and strumming your guitar all the time.”

Defensively, Ah-Yeon replies, “There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.”

“And I’m not saying there is! But look at it this way; if you don’t snatch someone up soon or start dating, your parents are going to start interfering with your romantic affairs.” Ji-Min warns, shooting her a haphazard look. “You wouldn’t want that happening now, would you?”

Ah-Yeon doesn’t respond – not because she agreed with her friend, however; rather, she only squints her eyes and rolls up her sleeves in preparation for the messy job ahead of her. “Your fake eyelashes look like mosquito legs.” There was absolutely no remorse in her voice when she said this, either.  

“…Wow, thanks.”

“Well, someone had to say it! Come here, I’m going to fix it!”

Ah-Yeon isn’t exactly sure what happened, but miraculously after Ji-Min’s talk from the other night, her phone beeps more constantly now. She checks her calendar, and realizes that the first weekend of January is filled.

Lee Seung-Hoon – a childhood friend of hers where the gods of puberty granted him a hyperactive metabolism and a handsome chiseled face – guffaws after she informs him (Regrettably so) that their regular movie/drama nights would be postponed until further noticed.

“So, even you’re starting to date now, huh?” Seung-Hoon chuckles, throwing a handful of popcorn into his mouth and chewing loudly. “I thought we would be motae solos together for the rest of our lives. What happened to that plan?”

Ah-Yeon shrugs, although she did find herself twinging uncomfortably when Seung-Hoon seemed genuinely happy that she was venturing into that realm of adulthood. It was like…she wanted him to be jealous, or envious. Nah, the more accurate term would be jealous. But she wasn’t sure why.

“Not sure.”

“Hmm,” He hums, pursing his lips outward. “But dating seems like so much fun! Maybe I should start, too. Min-Ho told me that he could count all of my female friends on one hand…”

Clearing her throat, she changes the subject abruptly by tossing him a sky-blue dress and a lilac-coloured top. “What do you think would look best on me?”

With his short attention span, he immediately diverts all of his energy towards selecting the perfect outfit for her with raised eyebrows. He debates over the pros and cons of each; Ah-Yeon lets out an inaudible sigh of relief. She couldn’t fathom the plan – much less the idea of – having Seung-Hoon dating.

Mark Tuan.

He’s an exchange student from Los Angeles, with a tall nose, welcoming, warm eyes of chocolate and an equally charming smile. He’s enrolled in the same Biology class as her, and they had proceeded to exchange phone numbers after he forgot his textbook. He texted her a day after, saying thank-you and asking, “Would you like to hang out?”

To be frank, she’s not quite sure what he means. But Seung-Hoon, Ji-Min, Ye-Rin and Ha-Yi all conclude (With one hundred percent confidence), “It’s a date.”

So she treats it as a date.

Whilst his Korean isn’t too great, the broken sentences that he attempts to string together warms Ah-Yeon up to the point where she feels if she smiled anymore, her cheeks would break.

They sit at a table in a secluded café after a satisfactory dinner (And he had paid and pulled out her chair for her, what a gentleman), their heads are crowded near his phone where he sifts through photographs of his life in America. She nods appreciatively at the architecture, coos at pictures of his family at Disneyland and – hang on.

In one of the photographs, he has his arm linked around the shoulders of another girl. She’s awfully pretty as well, with her long dark hair that cascades up to her waist and her own arms wrapped tightly around Marks’ waist.  

Her eyebrows raise upwards in suspicion. “Who is that?” She asks, trying to mask the curiosity in his voice.

“Oh, this girl?” Mark taps on the photograph, enlarging it. His cheeks start to redden, and his pupils appear to dilate, Ah-Yeon observes intently. Didn’t Seung-Hoon once tell her that if a guy was very, very into a girl, his eyes will brighten at the sight of his beloved?

Because that was exactly what was happening to Mark right then and there. “Oh, this – this girl is my girlfriend. Her name is – ”

Realization dawns over Ah-Yeon like a rising sun, and before she can help herself, she lets out a small snicker at her own stupidity. That’s when she realizes – Mark asked her to hang out, purely as friends. Nothing more. There were no romantic feelings between them, and Ah-Yeon was absolutely comforted at that. She didn’t want to force anything that stemmed from nothing.

“You two are very cute, she’s lucky to have you” is the only thing she says after his long winded spiel. Mark seems to be satisfied with her answer.

Eventually, he drops her off at her front door, and as American as he could be, he opens up his arms for a friendly embrace before she enters her house. She complies, taking in the scent of his cologne and shampoo for the few seconds that they touched. It was only after she releases from his grasp that she feels her heart panging in envy: In a matter of months, Mark will be returning back to America. And she can only imagine how many happy tears would be shed, and how many tight hugs would be exchanged when he and his girlfriend officially reunite.

Maybe that’s one beneficial thing from being in a relationship, she muses when she crawls into bed, suddenly wishing for a teddy bear to cuddle.

“Did you like him?” Seung-Hoon asks on the phone that night. She promised to call him and document every single detail about her first date.

She couldn’t wait to tell him how wrong he was. “He has a girlfriend.” She reports triumphantly.

“W-what?!” He sputters in disbelief. “T-then, what was that?!”

“We were just hanging out as platonic friends, Seung-Hoon-ah.”

“…That exists…?”

Ah-Yeon sighs, rubbing her temples. Aish, this kid. “If it makes you feel any better, I got a hug at the end of it.”

“Not even a peck?”

“What in this god forsaken world is a peck?” She demands.

“Gah, forget it. It’s a term in an American sitcom that I’m watching right now.”

That catches her off guard. “YOU?! Since when do YOU watch American television shows?”

“…I gotta go.”

“W-wait!” What was up with him?

A few weeks after her date with Mark, Ah-Yeon receives a phone call – and an extremely panicky one at that.

She’s not in a good mood when she picks up. “What do you want, Kim Yugyeom? It’s four in the morning, and you know that I work on Fridays in the morning.”

“NOONA!” He practically bawls behind the receiver, ripping her eardrum in half (Figuratively speaking, of course). Still, this was concerning. Propping up in bed, she tucks a piece of stray hair behind her ear and asks, “Gyeommie-ah, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

It takes him a few big gasps of air to finally get the reason of his distress out. “YERINNIE BROKE UP WITH ME.”

Oh.

Oh, Jesus Christ.

Ah-Yeon didn’t have to think twice about this. It was a stupid idea. Terrible, idiotic, stupid – any other synonym she was missing? Yeah, she had to voice her opinion out.

“Yugyeom-ah, this is really, really stupid.”

The only reason why she agreed to his plan of playing the role of his fake date/rebound/whatever-the-hell-you-wanted-to-call-it was because he promised her a sandwich and a smoothie; so far, he lived up to that. But, here they were, staking out in negative degree weather in thick parkas outside of Ye-Rins’ music academy in hopes that she’ll walk out, realize how terribly wrong she was for breaking up with him, get back together and have unicorns shit rainbows over the couple.

He only ignores her, his hawk-like eyes concentrating on any sign of movement at the front entrance.

“We’ve been here for half an hour! Are you sure she’s coming?”

Exasperated, Yugyeom shoots her a deathly glare so venomous it could put the Basilisk from Harry Potter to shame. “Noona, I can guarantee you that she’s here! If you’d just be a bit more patient – “

“My patience is running thinner than ice melting in June.” She hisses back, throwing him a look of disdain. “Tell me again why you two broke up? You two were legit, and I quote Ji-Min for this, hashtag couple goals.”

“It’s relationship goals.”

“Same thing!”

Yugyeom sighs. “She told me that she needs to spend less time with me, and more on her studies. That’s what she said. So now,” He proclaims, extending his hand outward to interlace his hands with hers. “Just pretend to be my rebound for now, okay?”

Ah-Yeon feels strange when their skin comes into contact – and not in the good way, either. It feels off, strangely enough. His hands are much too large, too rough…too wrong.

“Your hand is sweaty! Let go!” 

“You said you would help me! Now COME ON!”  

“Just because I said that did NOT imply I wanted to break up, although I cannot believe that you would use Ah-Yeon unni like this!” A familiar voice sounds behind the bickering two. Automatically, Yugyeom runs off to join his (Now presumably ex)-ex girlfriend, showering her with disgustingly sweet aegyo. Ye-Rin only rolls her eyes at him, but softens at the sight of Ah-Yeon.

“Unni, why did you agree to this nonsense? He bribed you with food, didn’t he?”

Ah-Yeon shrugs. “Food and I are an OTP.” She laughs, tossing the wrapper into the garbage. “But no, Yugyeom called me early this morning – “

“You WHAT?” Ye-Rin blanches in fury, throwing a fist at his arm. “You KNOW she has work in the morning, and you had the nerve to call her then?”

Yugyeom only throws his hands up in defeat. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry!”

“He was really upset, by the way. The poor kid was practically sobbing like his pet cat got hit by a car.” Ah-Yeon adds kindly. At that, Ye-Rin couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

“I didn’t mean it like that, Yugyeom-ah,” She explains a tad bit gentler this time, wrapping her muffler around Yugyeoms’ neck. “We’re graduating high school this year. We can’t play around too much like we did before – we really need to buckle down and concentrate on our studies. That’s what I’m saying.”    

Yugyeom, being Yugyeom, runs a hand through his hair nervously, requiring verbal confirmation that they were, in fact, together again. “B-but, does this mean we can hold hands again?”

“If we treat Ah-Yeon unni to a nicer lunch.”

“It better be an improvement from that lousy excuse of a sandwich.” Ah-Yeon chimes in cheekily.

“Hey, I spent at least five thousand won on that!”

“Tell me more. This drama sounds way better than an episode of ‘The Heirs’.” Seung-Hoon says, completely amused.

“There’s nothing else I can tell you,” Ah-Yeon replies, chuckling as she throws him the half-eaten bag of chips. “They’re together again, thanks in part to me.” But at that, she purses her lips together before shaking her head. “Actually, scratch that.”

He shoots her a questioning glance. “What do you mean?”

She sits on the carpet beside him, legs folded as a re-run of Reply 1994 airs on the flat screen television in front of them. “I just didn’t expect Gyeommie to react this badly to their possible break-up. He’s eighteen, y’know? Eighteen-year-olds are generally never serious about dating, so I judged their relationship based on their age. But, you should’ve heard his voice when he called me. I guess, it kind of made me feel envy at how devoted someone can be to someone else?”

Pausing, Ah-Yeon giggles briefly before giving off a half-hearted sigh. “Ah, forget I ever said anything.”

Seung-Hoon, on the other hand, nods in understanding, even though Ah-Yeon knows for a fact that he doesn’t. He prods her on the forehead cutely, and she sucks in a breath a tad bit too quickly. “Hey, keep your chin up, alright? You’ll find that person one day, too.”

She receives a bouquet of flowers on the day of her birthday. After leaving class with nothing but a fifty percent on her midterm, a tall, brooding gentleman hands the cluster of daffodils to her with a welcoming grin and a red blush on his cheeks. She forgets about that dratted piece of paper altogether.

Kang Seung-Yoon, she recognizes in utter shock. His handsome good looks are enhanced with his impeccable fashion sense and style, and whilst she, too, feels her heart flutter at his gift, she can’t help but question, “We haven’t spoken in a long time, Seung-Yoon-ah. Is there something going on?”

Sensing her suspicion, he casually shrugs. “It’s your birthday, Ah-Yeon-noona. There’s no other reason other than that. Plus,” He adds cutely. “A pretty girl like yourself deserves to be spoiled.”

She can’t help it. Her lips open and agrees when he asks her out to dinner. 

Needless to say, Seung-Hoon was in a fury when he heard the news. He wasn’t happy, at all. “You can’t date him!” He spits at her in a very uncharacteristic outrage. “It’s – it’s not right! W-what about our regular tradition of staying at home in our pyjamas and watching movies?”

It was true, Ah-Yeon thought to herself as the make-up brush dances across her skin. That was how they normally spent her birthday. It was odd, to say the least. “Well, yeah, it won’t be the same, but maybe it’s time that changed.” She casts him a knowing look. “You want to date, too, don’t you? So, maybe instead of sticking with the norm, go out of your comfort zone and explore a bit.”

“I can explore in different ways.” He sounds bitter when he retorts this.

“Dating is how I’m going to explore, then,” She says hotly, slamming her bottle of foundation onto her dresser. “There is nothing wrong with dating around, Seung-Hoon. That’s how you meet people. I’m sure that’s how your parents met, and I can assure you that that’s also how MY parents met.”

He was fighting a losing battle. He knew it. She knew it. But tempers were running high, and she, herself, was running late. She picks up her purse, making sure to elbow him hard in the ribs as she walks past him. She didn’t even want to look at him. “Make sure you lock the door behind you when you leave.”

Ah-Yeon was determined to not let Seung-Hoons’ temper tantrum spoil her mood. She was going to enjoy herself, regardless of whatever he was going to say at the end of the night.

And sure enough, the moment she saw Seung-Yoon, all of the negative emotions that she was previously feeling dissipates into thin air.

It was an enjoyable affair. He treats her like a princess, holding her hand whenever and wherever they went. He takes her to his favourite café, and here they were, sitting across from each other with hot beverages and a slice of red velvet cake with a candle inserted into the center. “For the birthday girl,” Seung-Yoon proclaims charmingly, smiling.

Taking a brief moment to make a wish, Ah-Yeon closes her eyes and blows out the tiny flame. “Thank-you, Seung-Yoon-ah,” She says earnestly, slicing the cake in half so the two could share. “This has been an amazing birthday.”

“But, I presume that Seung-Hoon-hyung won’t be happy with me when I take you back home.” Perhaps it was just Ah-Yeon, but she couldn’t help but notice that mischievous glint that he had in his eye at the mention of his best friend.

She waves her hand away. “Forget him.” Despite what her mouth was saying, that wasn’t what her heart was saying – and Seung-Yoon knew it. Ah-Yeon was the type to wear her heart on her sleeve, you see. Even an idiot would be able to see through her thoughts.  

Perceptive as always, he leans in closer and rests his chin on top of his folded hands. “Let’s be honest, though. You would much rather him be here than me, right?” He takes her silence – and her rosy blush – as a confirmation.

Ah-Yeon sighs, setting the fork down. She suddenly loses whatever remaining appetite she had left. “I’m unsure of my feelings for him, Seung-Yoon-ah.  I grew up with this kid. He sees me nothing more than his childhood friend.”

Seung-Yoon chortles. “That might be a possibility, but most importantly, I know that deep down, you see him more than just a childhood friend. I’ve seen how you act around him. Believe me,” He leans back in his chair with a triumphant smirk on his face. “I’m sure you’re just saying it to downplay how much you like him.”

And as if right on cue, the glass door to the café slams open, startling Ah-Yeon and Seung-Yoon both. Looking up, her eyes widen at who it was. He’s breathing heavily, and all he can concentrate on is her.

“You…?! What are you doing here?” Her voice, normally quiet, starts to rise. Her heart is pumping a mile a minute. Damn, when Lee Seung-Hoon dresses up, he looks good. Very good, as a matter of fact. No longer does she see the awkward, gangly child whom wore his uniform incorrectly, and stole her book bag whenever they walked home together during their elementary school days.

“I’m getting you back,” He declares gruffly, stalking towards the pair. Her heart is soaring now. Seung-Yoon was virtually non-existent at this point in time. “You can’t just walk out like that, Baek Ah-Yeon. We’ve been friends for years, but today…” He shakes his head. “Tonight is the last straw that I can take.” He reaches out to grab her hands, and unlike that time where she fake-dating Yugyeom, she feels something and she doesn’t want this feeling to stop.

“Ever since you started going on those dates, I haven’t been feeling well at all. And to think that,” He narrows his eyes at Seung-Yoon, who was sipping his coffee nonchalantly. “You were going to date him. Him of all people, I just couldn’t take it.”

And then, he finally said it. “I realized that I liked you after all this time. I was just a tad bit too late in recognizing it, but I do.” His voice lowers into an intimate whisper that only she and him could hear. He looks deep into her eyes, and she, too, can see clear in his own. “And I’m sure that you feel the same way?”

I do, I do, I do.

Suddenly, Seung-Yoon claps his hands together enthusiastically, letting out a cheer. “FINALLY!”

Ah-Yeon breaks eye contact with Seung-Hoon for a moment to look at him with a jaded expression. “Wait, so you asked me out as a means?”

“A means to an end,” Seung-Yoon corrects, tapping her gently on the forehead. “Just enough to push hyung over the edge to confess his feelings.”

Both of them deadpan at Seung-Yoon, whom gives them both a shit-eating grin. “Congratulations!”

Ah-Yeon isn’t sure if she wants to murder him, or abduct him and send him flying out of a cannon.

Seung-Hoon, however, definitely wants to murder him. “I’m going back to your house later to grab your kitchen knife, okay?” He mutters through gritted teeth, squeezing her hand gently.

“What are you smiling about?”

“About how I’m fortunate enough to find my boyfriend by dating just four people.”

“Excuse you, it should just be three. Your relationship with Yugyeom was fake.”

“Third time’s the charm, then?”

“Obviously.”

A/N: END. Thank-you for reading! c:

[winkonic-prompts]

Small Talk

Small Talk Characters:  Kim Jin-Hwan (iKON); Jung Whee-In (MAMAMOO) Synopsis:  Kim Jin-Hwan doesn’t exactly like small talk, especially with strangers. But somehow, with Jung Whee-In, it just works. AU:  Non-idol, where two university students slowly, but surely, fall in love.

A/N: I’m high on sugar, cotton candy and everything sweet. No, jk. After watching iKON’s WYD music video, did you think I could really resist?! >3< The song is so much better than what I thought, and of course, every single scene was adorable. :) As a result, I got inspiration for this little piece for Jin-Hwan - featuring MAMAMOO’s talented dorkasaur, Whee-In! <3 This story is a little unconventional, in the sense that it only features the dialogue between both of them. :P I really wanted to try something new this time around - so I hope you guys will like it too! As always, enjoy!

7:25 AM – Monday

“Oh, um, sorry – pardon me, excuse me!”

“W-were you speaking to me?”

“Ah, yes, um, you dropped your wallet just now.”

“Oh, my – my bag, it’s torn. No wonder it fell out. Thank-you so much!”

“No prob…lem…”

The petite girl tucks a long lock of brown hair behind her ear as she makes herself comfortable on the somewhat empty bus, her hand still carrying the wallet that was so kindly picked up by that adorable stranger. As she cranes her out towards the window, the fairy-like young man catches her eye and casts her a friendly smile.

He’s bundled up to his neck in clothes. She observes intently, returning his smile with a quick wave. Yet, his hands are still so cold. How cute.

Suffice to say, she hopes to see him again.

In a matter of moments, his bus arrives. He clambers aboard, hugging his scruffy backpack closer towards his chest and leans his head against the window. As the vehicle begins its long trek towards his university, lulling him into unavoidable sleep, the last thing that flashbacks in his memory were her cat-like eyes.

They were so much brighter than all of the stars in the night sky combined.

Likewise, he, too, wishes for the chance to see her again.

7:28 AM – Tuesday

“…”

“Good morning.”

“…”

“Good…morning?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I had my headphones in. Good morning to you, too! Here, let me move my bag so you can have a seat.”

“Thanks. How are you today?”

“Thanks to a considerate gentleman, I still have my wallet and I purchased a new bag yesterday right after I got out of class.”

“Glad to hear that I’m still drifting around your thoughts. Your bus is running slightly behind schedule today.”

“Normally, this would tick me off. It’s one of my pet peeves, you see: To deal with tardiness. But since I have a new friend to talk, I don’t mind.” Rather, I hope that it comes even later so I can spend more time with you – but you don’t need to hear that from me.

“So, you must live around here then, right?” Way to be a creep, Jin-Hwan. Way to go.

“I live in that building right over there! I live in a studio apartment. It’s not the largest, but it’s convenient. Plus, it’s right next to the 7-11, which is my go-to stop for breakfast when I refuse to leave my bed in the mornings.”

“Just for that extra hour of sleep?”

“Exactly for that reason. You know a girl well.”

“I have an older sister that I lived with for a while before she moved back to Jeju Island after graduation, so yes, I definitely know how a woman thinks.”

“Your sister and I would get along. And yourself? Where do you live?”

“I actually live in the building opposite of yours. I’m on floor twenty-five.”

“Heh.”

“Something amusing?”

“I like how our first proper conversation didn’t require us to exchange names, or handshakes like conventional social interactions would require of us. I mean, we’re already comfortably talking about where we reside.” A sly smirk. “For all I know, you could be a serial killer in disguise.”

“Oh, please. I don’t do the killing; I got people doing that for me. I’m a badass gang leader with a hundred men under my rule.”

“And you also look like someone who would carry tiny Maltese puppies on his arms into your weekly meetings on whom to target next.”

“In the meantime, I’m Kim Jin-Hwan.”

“Jung Whee-In. I wish I had the opportunity to say more, Mr. Mobster, but alas, my bus has arrived.”

“As have mine.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

“Ninety-nine percent most likely. I have an uncanny gravitational pull towards pastries, black coffee and cute girls. Maybe we can meet earlier?”

“Normally, flattery will get men nowhere. But let’s just say, we both share the same taste – minus the cute girls. I am highly attracted to kind, pixie-like gentlemen. And…I’ll think about it if I do want to sacrifice my sleep. Have a wonderful day, Jin-Hwan-sshi.”

Whee-In had a very difficult time restraining herself from breaking out into a wide smile. She was so glad that he made the first move – to talk to her, and introduce himself confidently. She wasn’t sure she had the nerves to do it, but the moment he tapped her on the shoulder gently, all signs of anxiety dissipated automatically.

Kim Jin-Hwan. The name echoes in the back of her head like a malfunctioning cassette player. She’s not sure if she likes his name, or if she likes him more, or if she likes the way that he flirted with her – probably the latter…and him, too.

Jin-Hwan leaps onto the bus joyfully, and the aging bus driver chuckles. “Something good happen to you this morning, Jin-Hwan-sshi? You’re not normally this happy in the morning, considering that you always chide me for driving too fast and waking you up.”

“You wouldn’t even believe it if I told you, ahjusshi.”

One look, and the bus driver already knew. Ah, young love. He should probably buy some flowers for his wife when he got off his shift just to reminisce about their past glorious days.

7:15 AM – Wednesday

“Jin-Hwan-sshi, you’re early this morning.”

“Whee-In-ah! No headphones today?”

“Oh, Jin-Hwan-sshi, I’ll have plenty of time to listen to music today when I’m studying in the library. I’m granted sparse time to talk to you; I can’t put that to waste now, can I?”

“My, my, that is awfully thoughtful of you.”

“You should thank me later. I felt quite generous this morning, too. I went into 7-11, and decided against buying just one cinnamon bun. Oh, and look at this, I have coffee, too.”

“God, this actually smells delicious.  It’s for me, right? You bought this for me?”

“…No, I’m saving it for myself.”

“So, judging by the bus you take, do you go to Sungkyunkwan University?”

“I do. I’m a nursing major – I’ll be graduating next year in the summer. And, I’ll take a wild guess that you go to Yonsei?”

“Civil engineering. I’m graduating next semester.”

So he’s an oppa by age, but he looks so much younger than me. What is this nonsense? “How do you have time to look so well-dressed and well-rested every single morning?”

“I’m putting up a façade, Whee-In-ah. Do not be fooled by my appearance. Although, you do sound very impressed right now. Am I impressing you?”

“Is my opinion of that much importance to you?”

“Very much so.”

“…Aish, you have icing all over your mouth.”

“Try not to change the – ow, Whee-In-ah! Don’t rub too hard – OW!”

“I’m sorry. You just looked like an Asian Santa Claus. There we go, much better.”

“Heh.”

“Now, what are you chuckling about?”

“You do realize that we just shared an indirect kiss, right? You used the napkin to dab at your make-up just now.”

“Oh, my – d-did that actually happen?”

“I don’t have any diseases; trust me – although, I do think that since our friendship has gotten to this point, an exchange of phone numbers is in order.”

“Jin-Hwan-sshi, tell me: Are you always this smooth around all types of suspecting girls?” Please say no.

“No. In fact, I’m much more introverted than you think. But somehow, with you, conversation just dribbles out of me like a waterfall.”

“I make you feel comfortable, then?” I like this. I like this. A lot.

“One can say that.”

“Give me your phone. I don’t have much time! My bus is just turning the corner!”

“…”

“…There we go. Text me later, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

An indirect kiss. Whee-In only met Jin-Hwan for a few days, and they already shared an indirect kiss.

Their relationship – or whatever it was that they had – was proceeding at such a quickened pace. And whilst she was feeling wary about his true intentions, she couldn’t help but trust him already.

Yong-Sun would shake her head in disappointment, and call her innocently naïve. Moon-Byul would probably just tsk, and lament about how little Whee-In was growing up and falling in love (Wait, falling in love?!). As for Hwa-Sa, she might squeal and scream excitedly like a school girl at their shared moments.

…Was it normal for a girl to be this excited when talking about her romantic affairs? She literally could not wait until she got to school today.

Jin-Hwan wastes no time in sending her a message.

It was true, he thinks to himself as he presses ‘Send’. He was never one to be too social with strangers. But somehow, from the get-go, Jung Whee-Ins’ presence was enough to break him out of his shell with her smile and her lively facial expressions. The power that she had over him – it was magical, it was powerful.

“It’s most likely oxytocin.” Chan-Woo murmurs that day at one of their group study sessions, his nose is buried deep in one of his textbooks.

As Jin-Hwan deadpans at him, Chan-Woo looks up innocently and continues with all seriousness, “It’s a hormone. It’s the chemical that gets released when you’re in the beginning stages of falling in love.”

Jin-Hwan only flushes in response as the rest of his friends all snicker, amused, and swats a rolled-up piece of paper at the younger mans’ head, missing embarrassingly.

7:20 AM – Thursday

“So, Whee-In-ah, I have a question.”

“By all means, please ask.”

“I don’t have class tomorrow.”

“Oh, what a coincidence. I’m free tomorrow, too.”

“Would you like to hang out?”

“Jin-Hwan-oppa, there are certain things in life where you need to be more specific. For example, are we hanging out as friends? Or, is there something else that you had in mind?”

“Well, depending on your answer in the next thirty seconds, it will also allow me to determine with a ninety percent confidence interval if you like me back or not.”

“Thirty seconds to determine the cut-off points for a ninety-percent confidence interval? Hmm, that’s some crunch time.”

“…”

“…”

“…Whee-In-ah, that’s my bus. Please tell me – ”

“My answer is…yes.”

“H-huh?”

“You heard me loud and clear. Give me a time later, and where you intend to take me tomorrow. Now, go! You’re going to be late, and your bus driver is honking!”

 He did it.

Jin-Hwan did it. They were going on a date. Tomorrow. He and her. She and him. Whee-In and Jin-Hwan.

He could give less than two shits about his impending midterm exam. In fact, who needed to graduate from university when he had the possibility of holding her hand tomorrow?

He’s teased her so much – it was only rightful of her to tease him right back. She liked seeing the panic in his eyes; she liked seeing him shaking his clenched fists, and unclenching them as he awaited her answer.

But he should’ve known: She was going to say yes, anyway.

5:42 PM – Friday

“Have I ever told you?”

“Hmm? What have you ever told me, Jin-Hwan-oppa?”

“You look beautiful in blue. I like you in that colour.”

“Why, thank-you.”

“But, I like you in general.”

“Wait…are you holding my hand?”

“Uh, I’m sorry, my hand slipped.”

“That’s a hilarious excuse to use on me, oppa. But don’t apologize; are your hands always cold?”

“I’m the humanized form of an iguana, Whee-In-ah. So, yes, I’m always freezing cold.”

“Then, keep your hand in mine. It’ll keep you warm. Plus, it’s an excuse to tug you along to everywhere I want to go, like…Etude House!”

“W-we’re going shopping? For make-up?!”

“Hey, you suggested Myeong-Dong. Not me.”

“…”

“I’m just kidding!”

“You’reluckyIlikeyou.”

“…You’reluckyIlikeyouback.”

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed ^_^ Thank-you for reading!!! Hope to see you all very soon. In the meantime, have a cute Jin-Hwan on me! ;) 

[winkonic-prompts]

Um, Oh, Ah, Yeah

Um, Oh, Ah, Yeah Characters:  Jennie Kim (YG New Girl Group); Kim Han-Bin/B.I (iKON) Synopsis:  He’s reacting to her every single time they meet.

A/N: Long time no see, everybody! c: It’s been awhile (I know LOL), but hey only 2 months in comparison to the 3 last time! >< I got inspiration for this after re-watching MAMAMOO’s “Um, Oh, Ah, Yeah”. And I couldn’t think of any better pairing than Jennie with Han-Bin. SHE’S DEBUTING SOON, and considering the amount of confidence she exudes, I feel like iKON’s precious leader will pair with her perfectly with his awkwardness LOL. Hope you enjoy! c: 

AU: Non-idol.

When the front door swung open, Kim Han-Bin became uncharacteristically flustered.

It was a Friday night – a boys’ night in after a terribly stressful and rough week of university classes and midterms with his best friend and a box of freshly-baked pizza as they lamented over the problems of life.

What he didn’t expect, however, was to meet a pair of light-brown eyes that bore into his own intently. And even worse, they weren’t the recognizable, tiny dots that he was so constantly used to seeing.

She has light make-up on an already pretty face: Pink, tinted lip gloss and rose tints decorating the apples of her cheeks. A pair of worn-out glasses perched on her nose and clad in recognizable sweatpants and an old Hood by Air t-shirt, she crossed her thin arms across her chest.

“Can I help you…?” Her voice is light and airy.  

“Um,” He tries to clear his throat, unsuccessfully so. By the time the jumbled mess of words form a coherent sentence in his brain, he’s a tad second too late. She took the words straight out of his mouth.

“Ah, you must be Bobby-oppas’ friend.” She prodded her chin with the tip of her finger questioningly, before snapping as if a lightbulb had clicked in the back of her brain. “Han-Bin?”

Han-Bin, already embarrassed, only nodded quickly. The girl pushed the door outwards slightly, letting it creak as it stood ajar. “Oppa is at the convenience store right now. I think he mentioned buying some energy drinks – or maybe soju of some kind, I’m not sure.” Her mouth pulled upwards into a somewhat teasing smile. “Planning on getting wasted tonight?”

Finally swallowing down the mysterious lump in the back of his throat that formed since meeting the strange girl, he said (Albeit somewhat defensively, which sounded absolutely ridiculous), “W-well, not tonight, anyway.”

“I know. You don’t look like a person who can take much alcohol anyway without bursting into K-Pop girl group songs.” She laughed, leaning against the leather couch.

His eyes flashed in anger. “T-that’s not true!” Why the hell was he stuttering so much tonight? Here he was, being ridiculed by an intruder whom somehow knew of his deepest, darkest secrets (Okay, so maybe the prancing and dancing to girl groups wasn’t deep or dark – but it was still enough to cause him to blush three shades redder than necessary). His voice then diminished into a soft murmur. “Only AOA, and 2NE1.”

Han-Bin wasn’t sure if his ears were deceiving him or not, but he swore that he could hear her let out a stifled giggle. “Bobby was right. You ARE fun to tease.”

H-huh?  

Again a second too late, the tall girl was already stalking her way back into the confines of the seemingly empty guest room, and it was at that point when he realized he had too many probing questions left unanswered. For example, why the hell was she dressed in Bobbys’ clothes? Are they dating? Have they kissed yet?

But most importantly, who was she?

“Oh, and by the way,” She craned her head towards him, allowing him the opportunity to fully admire her faces’ beauty and the way her light-brown hair sashayed teasingly against her back. “My name is Jennie. Jennie Kim.”

Han-Bin nodded in acknowledgement. He was going to remember that name. “It’s nice to meet you.” Finally, you don’t sound like a blubbering idiot for once.

“Likewise,” Jennie replied. “And no, I’m not dating Bobby. My apartment flooded this morning, and he was kind enough to let me stay for the night.” With a final teasing wink, she disappeared completely into the room and shut the door behind her with a slam, ending the innocently flirtatious banter.

Han-Bin could only sink weakly onto a nearby dining chair, completely dazed and confused and staring into oblivion. It wasn’t until the front door unlocked moments later, and a foul-smelling, sweat-drenched young man stepped into the front lobby to remove his shoes.

One look at his friend, and Bobby Kim was already 99% confident that Han-Bin was developing a small crush on a certain someone (Even if he didn’t know it himself yet). Letting out a shit-eating smile, he coughed loudly (Startling Han-Bin) and asked, “So, you met Jennie, huh?”

He couldn’t stop thinking about her. It’s only been one week. And already, she was occupying his thoughts like the plague.

He, being Han-Bin. Her, being Jennie (As if that wasn’t more obvious).

He thought about her when he was in the shower, where steamy thoughts of him kissing her roughly and her running her hands against his defined chest aroused him into a panting, heaving mess. He imagined meeting up with her on weekends for dates, and dreamt of interlocking his fingers with hers as they traversed through Seoul and pointed out random observations to each other.

It didn’t matter where he was, what he was doing at that moment – all of his thoughts were completely devoted to her.

And he recognized this type of behavior to be unhealthy.

Tap.

Extremely unhealthy.

Tap. Tap.

What was he going to do?

“Are you just going to stare off into space, or are you going to help me?” An irritated tone pierced through the supposedly silent library that Friday afternoon. The frazzled young man glanced upwards from his computer screen, and sighed at the sight of a very disgruntled-looking middle-aged man, mumbling out a very half-hearted apology.

See: He was day-dreaming when he was working. So much for being a hard worker.

“What book do you need, sir?”

“50 Shades of Grey in the English copy.”

Well, Han-Bin thought to himself as he typed the title into the look-up page, he wasn’t going to judge – if the man was into poorly-written erotic fiction, then so be it. Besides, he added with a smug expression, it’s not like he was completely innocent either.

Clucking his tongue in fake sympathy, he only shrugged his shoulders as he informed the man that the book was actually borrowed. “It should have been returned yesterday, but at the time being, they haven’t returned it yet. I’m afraid you may need to wait.”

Desperation immediately replaced the mans’ irritated face. “Are you kidding? I need that book, and I need that book NOW.”

“Well, unfortunately, your request must be denied at this point in time. I cannot do anything about a reader who refuses to turn in poorly-written fan-fiction.” God, being snarky made Han-Bin feel so good – and powerful. Don’t forget powerful.

“And may that reader be me?”

That voice. His head shot upwards automatically towards the girl whom was sauntering towards the front desk. Already, sweat was forming on his palms. She looked pretty today in blue and black, with her hair tied up into a messy bun. And lo and behold, in her grasp, was the book that made Han-Bin cringe. His eyes widened in surprise.  

Noting the way he was staring at her, Jennie only waggled her finger in front of him. “I needed it for one of my English classes. Don’t get any wild ideas here.”  

The only sound that emerged from the back of Han-Bins’ throat was “Oh.”

Handing the book towards him, Han-Bin stretched out a shaky hand and wrapped his fingers around the tearing spine. Just scan the god-damn book, Han-Bin, what the fuck are you being so scared for? God, he was so nervous that he couldn’t even look at her square in the face.

And eventually, the man left – but not before tutting about incompetent workers and the art of seduction, leaving only her and him. They were only separated by the wooden counter, and Han-Bin was more than tempted to jump over and kiss her. Wait, WHAT?

“So, Han-Bin-sshi,” Jennie began, clearly in no rush to leave to her next affair (That is, if she did have anything. Did she? He wanted to ask her out, but he also didn’t want to seem desperate.). “We meet again. I didn’t know you worked at the library.”

“It’s a part-time job,” He replied a little too gruffly. “It keeps me busy after school.” What was he supposed to be doing again? Even her very presence (And the scent of vanilla and lavender wafting from her wrists) was enough to intoxicate him into wooziness. He didn’t even have to drink alcohol anymore.

Oh, right. He was supposed to charge her a fee for her overdue book return.

Glancing at the computer screen, he looked up at her and said, “You owe us five dollars for your tardiness.”

“See, that’s the thing, Han-Bin-sshi.” Her voice was drawling. “I don’t have any money on me right now.”

“You’re walking around in designer clothes, and your wallet is sticking out of your jacket pocket,” Han-Bin pointed out, aggravated. “And you have the guts to tell me that you don’t have money with you?”

“Did I strike a nerve, Han-Bin-sshi?” There it was again; that mocking tone. “Are girls whom are tardy and late a turn-off for you?”

He didn’t know what to say at that point, but Jennie Kim clearly had other ideas on her mind. “I’ll make you a deal,” She dropped her tone to nothing more than a whisper that was only audible between the two of them. Too close for comfort, but he liked this very much. It was, what was the term again, intimate?

“I’ll give you my number, and I’ll give you days that I’m free next week.”

Was he hearing this correctly?

“Are you trying to flirt out of trouble?” He hissed. Why was he acting so strange about this? This was what he wanted, right – the fact that a girl he’s been pining over is initiating a potential date with him?

“Perhaps” is her only reply. “But on the plus side, I’ll get the opportunity to know you a bit better.”

Oh, my God.

“You do realize that you’re ruining my reputation as a professional worker here.”

“You do realize that you already did so with your sassy-as-fuck response when you were serving that horny middle-aged man?”

Before he had a chance to reply, she whipped her hand outwards and snatched a sticky note pad from his desk. Jotting on it quickly, she ripped the paper and tucked it into his shirt pocket, leaving him completely flabbergasted at her sudden close contact. “Here. Hold tight onto it; I don’t give it out twice.”

As shy as he was that night, he did end up mustering all of the courage that he could and texted her.

From: Jennie Kim Received At: 10:39 P.M.

I knew you couldn’t resist me.

To: Jennie Kim Sent At: 10:41 P.M.

Don’t be mistaken.

From: Jennie Kim Received At: 10:45 P.M.

That’s my line.

But it was official – they were going on a date this Saturday.

Contrary to what he thought their date would be, it was actually quite simple.

He sat across from her in a tiny, almost empty samgyeopsal specialty restaurant, observing her grilling their portions of meat. She knew the owners, he deduced, as they immediately walked up to her and patted her head gently, smoothing out the flyaway hairs.

Noting his silence, Jennie only smirked. “You’re not going to play 20 Mind Questions today?” She was teasing him, yet again. Considering that he hasn’t held a proper conversation with her yet, and was always dazed and confused whenever he spoke to her, Han-Bin had to admit that it was true.

“Time to change that,” He began, never averting his eyes from the sizzling meat. “I have things I need answered. And you’re going to answer them for me.”

“How many do you have in mind?” She asked, keeping her eyes neutral.

A lot more than what I anticipated. But of course, he wasn’t going to “Ten.”

Jennie pursed her lips outward in a slight pout. “Then, you’ll have to take a shot of soju every single time I answer a question properly. That seems fair, doesn’t it?”

Seeing the intense stare that she was emanating, Han-Bin filled up his shot glass with the liquid. “Fair enough.” He said. “Let’s do it.”

“But in the meantime,” Jennie suggested, picking up his place and placing a few pieces of grilled meat onto it. “Have some food first. We wouldn’t want you drinking on an empty stomach now, do we?”

A half hour into their date, and they already cleared through two bottles of soju. And surprisingly, whilst Han-Bin held onto this belief that he was going to get the answers that he wanted, it was the complete opposite.

The worst part was: He wasn’t.  Considering the fact that he was a lightweight and was sure that his face showed it, the situation didn’t bode well for him.  

At first, he only asked her the simplest of questions – things about her. Like, her age (Where he also found out that she was only older than him by nine months), her relationship with Bobby (And as confirmed, they were only friends), and her past dating experiences (Which included only one long-term relationship that lasted for two years – what a shocker).

By the sixth question, his ears were already starting to pound uncomfortably. It was the effects of drinking too much in the span of half an hour. They were on the last question now, and Han-Bins’ gaze was growing fuzzier with each passing second. He attempted, with great difficulty, to keep his composure. With his head on the table, he only grumbled loudly, “WHY ME?”

In the process of sipping her tea, Jennie set the cup down onto the table and raised a suspicious eyebrow at him. “You’re going to have to be more specific than that.”

Tilting his head from side to side, Han-Bin narrowed his eyes and pointed an accusing finger at her. “What makes me SOOOOOOOOO interesting that you’re targeting me? Is it because of something you want from me? Do you want to use me as a rebound?!”

Slamming both of his fists against the table with half-lidded eyes loudly, he practically yelled at her, “DO YOU LIKE ME, OR ARE YOU JUST PLAYING ME?”

“H-Han-Bin, I think you’re drunk – “

“GERROFF ME!” He yelped, slapping her helping hands away gently. “ME NOT GOING TO BEAT AROUND BUSHES NO MORE. NO PLAYIN’ GAMES. DO YOU LIKE ME!?”

He didn’t even get a response, or if she did, he didn’t hear her. Because the moment he tried to give her his ultimatum, he blacked out and keeled over onto the floor.

Aftermath

Warmth: That was the first thing he felt when he woke up the next morning. Bright sunlight streamed through the window, and Han-Bin only squinted his eyes at the intruding brightness.

His head was pounding, and his mind was still groggy from the effects of the alcohol and…was that a bump on his head? He reached over to the bedside table for his phone, but when he realized it wasn’t there, he bolted upwards and opened his eyes.

And that was when he realized, he wasn’t in his room. This wasn’t his bed. This wasn’t his apartment.

“Yah, don’t get up. You hit your head pretty badly.” Jennies’ voice echoed softly from the entrance of the bedroom. She walked over towards him, sitting on the edge of the bed and handed him a grapefruit-flavoured popsicle. In her other hand carried a wet rag. “It’ll help with your hangover.”

“Ugh…thanks,” He mumbled appreciatively. “W-what happened yesterday?”

“Well, you got drunk yesterday and we played Q&A.” She reminded, prodding his forehead with the towel.

“D-did I say anything stupid?”

At that, Jennie had to bite back a smile. “Well, you asked me why I chose you. And you started shouting really loudly at me, asking me why I was flirting like crazy with you and going absolutely berserk.”

Oh, God, here comes the embarrassing shit. “Ah, my God,” He moaned, throwing the blanket over his head. “Don’t talk to me. This is so awkward.” However, his heart couldn’t take it anymore. Peeking from underneath the blanket, he mumbled, “No, but I do need to ask. Why me?”

“Because I liked you since the moment I welcomed you into Bobby’s apartment, you dumb-dumb. It’s that simple.” Jennie sighed, rolling her eyes whilst Han-Bins’ heart did a somersault in the air. “Do you realize how hard it is to actually pursue a guy? I was this close to giving up on you, but I didn’t because I liked you enough.”

“Plus,” She added coyly. “I liked your reactions whenever you saw me.”

“S-so, you LIKED me then? You were acting like that because you LIKED me, and not for any other reason?”

“Liked implies the past. Is that what you want?”

“N-NO!”

Giggling, she tossed the blanket aside and gazed at him earnestly. “You’re cute, Han-Bin,” Jennie murmured with a genuine smile on her face. “Don’t ever change, okay?”

He then did something completely out of character.

He kissed her in a swift, urgent manner that left her yearning for more. She grasped at his arms, and that lead to her grasping for the front of his shirt to pull him closer. But of course, he didn’t oblige. Retreating away with only a few centimeters between their lips, he gave her a triumphant grin as he observed how bashful she suddenly became.  

“And now,” He growled under his breath as he pressed his forehead against hers. “It’s my turn to make you flustered.”

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed! Hopefully, I can post again soon but no guarantees T__T Have a great rest of May, and see you guys soon!

[winkonic-prompts]

Of Many Firsts

Of Many Firsts Characters:  Song Min-Ho/Mino (WINNER); Bae Joo-Hyun/Irene (Red Velvet) Synopsis:   His first kiss was something he had been waiting for ever so patiently. 

A/N:  I know, I know, I know. I really suck as a writer. LOL. I’m sorry! >3< This semester has been extremely hard on me because the course work is just....sigh. But only a few more weeks , and I’ll be done! Anyway, this one-shot encompasses my ‘Bae’ (LOL, get it), Irene from Red Velvet and the adorably hot (What an oxymoron) Mino from WINNER!  Come on, they look good together, don’t they? I hope you enjoy! :) Also, please note that in this story, I portrayed Min-Ho as someone who never debuted in BoM or trained with Block B.  You’ll see what I mean when you read it. ;) Let the story commence!

Unlike most, Song Min-Ho experienced his first kiss when he was a grown man.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t interested in the prospect of locking lips with someone when he was in high school, however.

See, he was merely eighteen-years-old back then; an energetic, growing teenage-man hybrid whom was looking to experiment in all aspects of romance, if you will (And he was willing to confess that there was greater emphasis on the romance, and less on the sexual parts). He had never gone to first base with a girl yet, much less second, third or ‘hit a home run’ (Whatever the hell Ji-Hoon meant). So, there was no doubt that he was intrigued by the idea of dating.

His male friends attempted to help him satisfy his curiosity in the wrong ways. For example, Ji-Ho unsuspiciously downloaded a few movies onto his laptop and put them into folders named “Soft” and “Hard”. Needless to say, the scenes scarred Min-Ho for life. On another note, Ji-Hoon dug deep under the forbidden confines of his parents’ bed and lent him some American “Playboy” magazines that dated back from the ‘90s. Let’s just say, Min-Ho was far from impressed.

So instead, Min-Ho decided to consult someone whom would be much more versed in the world of modern romance: Nineteen-year-old Bae Joo-Hyun, also known as, his English Literature tutor.

Bae Joo-Hyun. She was two years older than he was, and moved from Daegu up to Seoul to begin her second year of university at Sungkyunkwan University as an English Literature major. She was intelligent, there was no doubt in her capability. In fact, it was because of her grades and her calm demeanour that prompted his parents to hire her in the first place. He still needs to thank them for that.

Even to this day, every time the name slips off of his tongue, he cannot help but let out a genuine, secret smile (Eventually prompting Tae-Hyun to ask scornfully, ‘The fuck are you grinning about, pabo-hyung?’)    

Although Min-Ho disliked the subject, he enjoyed spending time with her and listening to her ramble to him as she taught him the basics of grammar, spelling and punctuation.

He remembers how her long black hair would always be tied into a characteristic bun perched perfectly above her head, with a few tresses framing her face as she read him paragraphs from his textbook. He remembers her kind, warm hazelnut-brown eyes that welcomed errors and mistakes, and creased into cute half-moons whenever he presented her with a good grade on his assignments. He remembers her voice that spoke in a language he didn’t quite understand yet, but he liked her so that made things much more enjoyable. He remembers her long, slender fingers that highlighted sentences and phrases, and prodded his forehead whenever he drifted off into yet another daydream. He remembers her genuine, pure-hearted kindness and her look of distaste whenever they awaited for the bus together outside of the library and he pulled out a cigarette. He eventually broke off his habit since her lecture.

He virtually remembers everything about her, especially her thoughts and views on romance.    

Tutoring generally took place on Sunday afternoons. It was a particularly warm Sunday, a clear transition from freezing winter into blossoming spring with light-pink flower petals littering the streets where he walked.

The moment he had entered into the library, Joo-Hyun quickly motioned him over to join her with a bright, charismatic grin on her face. Even without the sunlight streaming in from the dusty windows, it would have been enough to light up the whole room.

That day, they were working on verbs and nouns. “There are some words,” She introduced quietly. “That can act as both a verb and a noun. One of these is the word, love.”

“May you use it in an example?”

“Well, as a verb, you can use it to describe a great attachment for someone, or something.”

“Like, I love hip-hop?”

“That’s one,” Joo-Hyun giggled. “As a noun, it describes an intense feeling of deep affection. Can you think of a way to use it in a sentence?”

“Babies fill parents with a deep sense of love.”

Leave it to Min-Ho to abruptly change from talking about music to parenting strategies. It was cute though, Joo-Hyun thought to herself, but immediately brushed the thought away.

Taking a brief pause from writing down notes, Min-Ho set his pen onto his notebook and perched his chin onto his hand. “Joo-Hyun-noona,” He begins slowly, unsure of where to begin. “Have you ever fallen in love?”

Slightly taken aback, Joo-Hyun glanced up at him suspiciously. “Are you trying to ask if I’m single?”

Yes, for the love of God. “N-no, of course not!” His voice is raised a few tones higher than normal, and he attempted – with great difficulty – to keep his composure. “It’s just that…you know, I’ve never fallen in love. And I want to know what that feels like. I want to know what it feels like to kiss someone; feel that spark ignite inside of me, y’know?”

“You do realize that I hate it when you use y’know, rather than you know.”

“Give me a break.” He automatically whined, slamming his head into his textbook.

Pursing her lips for a few seconds, Joo-Hyun replied, “I fell in love once.” That caught his attention. He averted his gaze towards her, completely enraptured.

“You see, Min-Ho, there’s a very big difference between liking someone and loving someone. And I realized that when my ex-boyfriend and I first started to date.” She mused.  “Liking someone is analogous to when you plant a seed into a garden. The feelings are new, but definitely present. It feels soft, like a blanket. You feel protected, you feel happy, and especially when you realize that he likes you back.”

“But love, my goodness, Min-Ho,” Joo-Hyun removed the glasses from her face, tapping her fingers lightly against her blemish-free face. “Love is when the seed bursts open and flowers into something so beautiful. Love takes work, like a flower. It needs water, oxygen, sunlight and protection. And similarly, love needs patience, kindness and a type of willingness to overlook each other’s flaws.” Taking a deep breath, she looked at him and asked, “You do understand what I’m getting to, right?”

And although Min-Ho still wasn’t too sure what love actually was, all he knew was that it was something he would like to try with his Joo-Hyun noona.

“Anyway, let’s get back to our lesson, shall we?”

By the end of the semester, Min-Ho had scrapped an excellent grade in English, and it was all thanks to Joo-Hyun and her never-ending efforts to support him through all the trial and errors. So, on the last day of his class, she took him out for ice-cream at Baskin Robbins.

“As a reward for doing so well.” She murmured inside the shop, ruffling his hair affectionately.

They ate in silence at the park on separate swings, and although she did seem joyful to see him earlier, Min-Ho could tell that something was wrong. Her eyes darkened, her lips were pursed and her skin seemed much paler than normal.

“Joo-hyun-noona.”

“Yes?”

“Is everything okay?”

She let out a bleak laugh, something that caused Min-Ho to do a double take. “Not really.” She admitted. Well, at least if she had to be honest with someone, it would be with him. They’ve developed a type of comfort that put her at ease.

“You can tell me.”

He was expecting her to tell him about her school life. Maybe she had troubles with her grades or her professors? Perhaps her friends were ostracizing her from their lives? Was she being bullied?

Never, in a million years, did he expect this.

“I got scouted to become a trainee at SM Entertainment to debut as an idol.”

Min-Ho was stunned, to say the least. “Oh.” Was he supposed to say congratulations, or warn her to run away from the contract as soon as possible? He knew of SM Entertainment. They debuted f(x) and presented him with Sulli, whom he harboured the biggest fan-boy crush on. However, he was also very much aware with the rumoured ‘slave contracts’.

He didn’t want his beloved Joo-Hyun noona to suffer through it. Never.

“Did you tell your parents?”

“They told me that I should follow my heart.”

That was pretty shitty advice, if Min-Ho was being honest. However, he only swallowed another spoonful of ice-cream and replied as gently as he could, “And, what is your heart telling you now?”

“…That I want to give it a try.”

“Oh.”

Did that mean he would never be able to see her again? The very thought nauseated him to the very core.

“Life for an English Lit major is difficult, Min-Ho. I only know how to read books, and analyze them. I don’t want my parents to continue to work so hard. If I’m scouted, I may be able to make some money for them quickly so that they don’t need to work another day and enjoy retirement.”

Why was she so kind and filial? It made his heart hurt.

“I think that’s an excellent skill to have.” He retorted, squeezing the empty plastic container in his hands.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” It was the first time she had ever snapped at him. She quickly rose from her seat and stormed off towards the center of the playground, arms crossed against her chest protectively as she attempted to choke back muffled sobs.

Min-Ho couldn’t take it anymore. “Don’t turn away from me, noona.” He said gruffly, pulling her towards him and wrapping his arms around her tightly. And as much as she tried to push him away, her arms eventually gave in and she buried her head deeper into his chest.

It took a while for her to calm down, but once her sobs retreated into slight sniffles, he guided her towards a nearby bench and covered his large hand over hers. She sighed, thumbing away the last of her tears with her free hand.

“I can’t possibly understand what you’re going through right now,” Min-Ho began. “But if you need me, I’ll be here, noona. You know that.”

And I’m thankful for you, she thought. But she remained silent. Her feelings for him were growing, erupting in the pit of her stomach like pleasurable volcanoes, and if she were to accept, she would be cutting contact with those dear to her – including him. How would she be able to stand the distance and lack of communication? She didn't want to go through it. She didn’t want him to go through it.

“When do you need to inform them?”

“By the end of this week.”

Ah.

“Everything’s happening so quickly, it just feels like a never-ending nightmare that I can’t wake up from.” She lamented. She paused for a moment before turning her head towards him. “I wanted to confess to you this week, did you realize that?”

Min-Hos’ heart both soared and broke at the same time. “Really?”

“I like you, Min-Ho.” She continued, squeezing his hand gently. “But I had to keep our relationship professional. I was your tutor, you were my student. I had to suppress it as much as I could, and when the year was over, my God, was I excited – ”

“But, you got scouted.” He finished.

“The plan fell through the cracks.”  

“It’s quite a pity.” She said, breaking out into a small smile for the first time in a few hours. “I feel like you would have made a wonderful boyfriend. You would be the best friend, the confidant and the pabo all at once.”

“I would take you out on weekly ice-cream dates, and dab some onto the tip of your nose.”

“You would do that.”

“We would watch movies together, and you would sent me a withering, ‘Are you fucking serious?’ look whenever I cowered behind your arm during a horror movie.”

“…And yes, I would do that.”

“You’d come to my underground hip-hop performances, and attempt to dance along even though I’m muttering curse words every sentence.”

“You’re always foul-mouthed. Is that even a surprise anymore?”

“I’d watch you cross the stage to receive your diploma, and I’ll present you with a bouquet of baby’s-breath and daises. Your parents would be so proud, and we’d take a dozen photographs that day.”

Joo-Hyun sighed. “That wouldn’t happen.”

“Alright, then, plot twist!” He exclaimed suddenly. “I’ll watch you behind the television screen as you perform with your group members.”

Her eyes widened in surprise as he continued on with his future-driven fantasy. “I’ll go to every fan signing of yours, and when you tell me what an idiot I am, I’ll just give you that shit-eating grin you hate. I’ll go to every concert. I’ll make you placards with your name in big bold letters, showing you how much I love you. I’ll get jealous over your interactions with other male idols, but I’ll learn to cope with it because you’re going to achieve something great.”

He was out of breath at this point, but he had to finish. “You’ve worked hard, noona. And you’re going to have to work harder than ever to compete amongst the ranks. But, I know for a fact that you’re going to do well.”

And that was when she knew: He loves her. He loves her very, very much. And that even though the circumstances didn’t allow them to be together, he would still continue to love her and support her.

He didn’t want to say good-bye to her, and neither did she. But before they separated, they made a promise to each other: That if she were to successfully debut as an idol, she would give him her groups’ debut album.

“And aside from that, maybe I’ll become an even bigger star in the underground hip-hop industry, and I’ll introduce myself to you as Hugeboy Mino the rapper.” He said confidently, liking the way her eyes twinkled at his unperturbed enthusiasm.

“I believe in you, Min-Ho-yah. I’ve always believed in you.”

He walked her to her apartment, and hugged her again for the last time as tightly as he could. He will remember her scent of lavender and rain. He will remember how he turned his back on her without more words exchanged, because they both knew that if either of them spoke, they’d have a hard time saying their final farewells.

There was absolutely no word from Joo-Hyun for the next two years thereafter. He would go through a period of unlocking and locking his phone, only to unlock it a few seconds later in hopes that a notification pops up informing him that he received a text message.

He would browse through Pann, in hopes that someone would capture photographs of possible female trainees that would be rushed away in a hurry. No such luck.

He went onto YouTube often, subscribing to the SM Entertainment channel (And successfully ignoring Sulli) to see if they were debuting any new groups and praying that Joo-Hyun would be part of the line-up.

He would wonder what she was up to – if her teammates were treating her well. Were her sunbaes being nice to her? Was she keeping up with her English? How has her singing improved over the years? What about her dancing? She hasn’t sustained any injuries, right?

Day after day, Min-Hos’ thoughts were plagued with her, and her only. And whilst he understood her strict circumstances, he couldn’t help but feel a slight twinge of resentment at her lack of communication with him. And that resentment ultimately turned into anger.  

But as fate had arranged, when 2013 came around and Min-Ho was twenty, he himself was recruited into the prestigious YG Entertainment to train to debut in a possible male idol group. Now, he was on the same journey as Joo-Hyun – and for that, it gave him a sudden burst of energy that made him want to do better and surpass others with his undeniable talent so he could debut quickly, and surprise her.

Summer comes around.

He was partaking in “WIN: Who is Next”, and he realized that he couldn’t occupy his mind with Joo-Hyun anymore. He just couldn’t. He didn’t have the time or the energy to think about her, with their CEO breathing on the back of their necks and criticizing every single song written and Team As’ lack of teamwork. He was under such tumultuous pressure that he was losing sleep and losing his sanity.

But, one day when Kang Seung-Yoon was browsing through their shared laptop in their practice room, he let a music video play. Min-Ho recognized the song – it was from the album of SM Entertainments’ Henry sunbaenims’ debut album, Trap: 1-4-3. And when he watched that video, he felt his heart stop, and restart.

She was cast in his video. And their last lingering moments flooded back into his brain like a silent film.

That night just before drifting off to sleep, he wondered if she watched their survival show. And if she did, what would she say? Well, she would probably advise him to stop acting like an idiot with that bubbly smile of hers.

Needless to say, he slept well that night.

Oh, God. The roar was deafening after Dae-Sung announced the winner. “Team A!”

They won? They truly won?

He didn’t dare believe it, but one look at his members’ faces and he knew that it was true. And although he was joyous, he couldn’t help but shed tears at the fact that his younger brothers that he had trained and shed so much blood and sweat with wouldn’t be debuting with them.

As he hugged each and every single person fuzzily, he envisioned seeing Joo-Hyun standing amongst the crowd and holding up a sign to congratulate him on a job well done. She would probably be sobbing, too, and would engulf him in the largest hug that her petite self could give.

When he rubbed his eyes to clear them, all he saw was a blur of faces in the crowd that weren’t Joo-Hyun. That was a given, and even though he expected it, it still hit him disappointedly.

What he didn’t know, however, was that Joo-Hyun was in the confines of her dormitory room, a pillow pressed up against her face with tears streaming down her cheeks as she replayed their winning moment over and over.

Min-Ho could blame it either on destiny or fate (Whatever seemed appropriate), and although it had been a tiring journey, they meet again three years later.

Red Velvet and WINNER debuted at around the same time – them, with “Happiness” that he downloaded immediately just to hear her voice.

They’re backstage at Inkigayo for their first debut stage with “Empty”, and his heart was thumping when he leads his equally shy group mates towards the dressing room with the letters “Red Velvet” stamped across the wood. He let out a sly smile; what a fitting girl group name for someone like Joo-Hyun.

He didn’t know what her reaction would be when she saw him. In fact, she wasn’t even sure if he would recognize her anymore. He knocks on the door with the back of his clenched fist, and a tall girl with chubby cheeks and a beautiful smile – clad in green, she must be Joy – welcomes them in.

Tae-Hyun automatically gravitates toward the one with the blue hair, as does Seung-Yoon whilst Seung-Hoon begins to flirt (Albeit unsuccessfully) with the lanky girl with in yellow. But Min-Ho only had his eyes for one person, and one person only.

Her hair is black interlaced with red. She’s grown thinner over the years, but her eyes retained that sparkle that was only reserved for him, and him only. Her lips form a gigantic smile when she sets her gaze onto him. She eyes him up and down, noting how he’s gained muscle and looked slightly more rugged than before – but it’s him, and he always looks good to her.  

Bashfully, he extends his hand outward towards her politely, a faint blush on the apples of his cheeks. “It’s nice to meet you, Irene-sshi. My name is Mino.”

“Irene?” She questions teasingly, gripping his hand so tightly he felt like she could break his fingers. “It’s Joo-Hyun, Min-Ho-sshi.”

Without saying anything else, she pulls him towards her encouragingly, and presses her lips against his own in a kiss that took his breath away. His members were spouting curse words, and her members were screaming hysterically – but that all didn’t matter to him.

He’s waited for this first kiss with his first love ever so patiently, he was going to savour this.

As for her, she’s waited this long to be held in his arms again.

She, too, was going to savour this. And she couldn’t wait to tell him, after waiting so long, that she loved him just as much, if not more.

A/N:  I hope you enjoyed! (: I promise that the next story will not take as long. LOL. Next up if I don’t get sidetracked again, Minzy annnnnd _______? ;) Hope to see you all very soon!

[winkonic-prompts]

Simcheong

Simcheong Characters:  Kim Nam-Joo (APINK); Bobby Kim Ji-Won (iKON) Synopsis:  From the start, he has always believed in her. AU:  Where Nam-Joo and Bobby (Both idols) talk about her performance as Simcheong on Masked Singer. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfXy2lFTqzo - Click this link if you would like to watch her part!)

A/N:  Two one-shots in two days. I am on fire.  I actually gained inspiration for this simply by watching Nam-Joo perform on “Masked Singer” a few days ago. She is one of my ultimate female biases, for a very good reason, and it absolutely broke my heart to see her have such little confidence in herself and her singing ability. Nam-Joo-ah, I hope you know that you are loved and blessed and that many fans - like myself, included - love you unconditionally for everything you do!  So, how does Bobby come into play with this?  Well, they’re both born in 1995 (LOL) and Nam-Joo has once stated she would love to collaborate with him. ;) I’M WAITING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN!  COME ON, YG/A-CUBE. DO IT! Hope you enjoy!

From:  Joo (: Received At:  11:25 PM Yah, Kimchi Won!  Where the hell are you?

What the freezing sender – whom was currently rubbing her arms up and down to preserve the warmth seeping out of her skin with each passing second – failed to recognize was that the receiver was actually hiding from her periphery, pressing his body against a thick tree trunk, giggling maniacally to himself.

Abuse:  This was abuse perpetrated by a close friend. But when you’re fortunate (Or perhaps unfortunate, in the poor girls’ case) to be acquainted with bunny-like rapper, Kim Ji-Won from YG’s up-and-rising male idol group, well, this was something you had to adjust to.

At least he’s carrying two packages of ice-cream – one a tangy raspberry sorbet, the other a rich hazelnut-chocolate infusion – in his hands to offer to her as a peace offering, just in case she decides to pulverize him for making her wait in the billowing turrets of snow.

The girl, christened Kim Nam-Joo, pierces her cutely furious gaze towards him. And he immediately shuts up. “Foul-smelling Kimchi, I know you’re there!” She yells loudly, pointing a guilty finger at the towering plant. “Don’t make me come over there and give you a good smack!”

What the completely oblivious rapper didn’t know was that the vocalist was now gathering a pile of snow with her boots into a small ball, preparing it as priceless ammunition.

Emerging from his safety haven, he holds his arms up to concede defeat. “Yeah, you got me,” He sighs dramatically. “Oh, what shall I do with these – “

SMACK!

What follows suit was completely expected: The girl clutches her stomach, keeling over in absolute enjoyment and letting out a boisterous ahjumma laugh that could put Girls’ Generations’ Tae-Yeon to shame as the remnants of the poorly formed snowball disintegrates into powdery snowflakes on the young mans’ totally flabbergasted and shocked face.

“…WHAT THE FUCK?!”

It was almost midnight when the pairs’ childish snowball fight came to an end.

The girl emerges victorious, flakes dusting her long hair as her laughter fades into small teasing snickers. Bobby, whose face was still wet and red due to the cold impact, only pouts, eyebrows twitching in annoyance. “I should’ve guessed it was coming. You’d never welcome me with open arms.”

“That was totally hilarious, and you know it.” Nam-Joo replies, her tone snarky. But she digs deep into the pockets of her parka and draws out a tissue, wiping the droplets off of his face gently. Eyes softening, she adds, “So, I guess you saw the broadcast?”

Thank the Lord his face was already as red as a tomato. The last thing he needed was the girl of his unrequited affections to realize he liked – no, that’s a total understatement – loved her.  

Bobby only shrugs his shoulders. “Can’t a guy call his friend up to see her?”

“I suppose,” She drawls suspiciously. “But you have ice-cream with you.”

“So what?”

“You never bring anything unless something good has happened.” She makes a good point.

“Well, it was either going to be meat buns or this. And Eun-Ji noona was kind enough to let me know that you prefer desserts.” Being the kind, courteous gentleman that he was, he holds out the two small containers in front of her. “Take your pick.”

They both dig their spoons expectantly into the cream, and a comfortable silence falls between the two individuals, whom were seated on separate swings. Nam-Joo pushes off with her feet and begins to swing gently, a satisfied smile set on her pretty face, whilst Bobby only watches her intently.    

“And to answer your question,” He begins, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yes, I did watch your broadcast.” Moments from Simcheong and the Dragon Kings’ duet plays back in his mind, and he lets out an amusing guffaw when he remembers her costume:  A hanbok in a combination of extremely bright colours and the characteristic mask. Hers was particularly sparkly, suitable for a charmingly young lady like herself. “You looked awful, by the way.”

“WHAT?!”

“Awfully pretty.”

Nam-Joo only rolls her eyes at him, pushing him gruffly. But deep down, she likes it. She likes it a lot. “Ugh.”

“The filial daughter Simcheong versus the bearded Dragon King, huh? Can you tell me who it is?”

Letting out an airy, melodious laugh, Nam-Joo nods. “Ki-Hyun oppa…” What the fuck? When did she start calling him ‘oppa’? Are they friends?

“He’s an amazing vocalist. I’m happy to have been his rival, even for a few brief moments on broadcast.” Eventually, she slows down to a complete stop, her eyes grazing at the untouched monkey bars before her.

“I’m glad I went on the show.”

“Does it bother you, not being able to move farther on? I mean,” He adds hastily when he notices Nam-Joo casting him something that looked like a glare in the darkness. “You don’t need to answer if it makes you feel uncomfortable.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not offended,” She assures, allowing Bobby to let out a relieved sigh. “I guess, maybe? But at the same time, I went on ‘Masked King’ as a way to challenge myself to let go of my past. And I think I managed to do so.” But Bobby was perceptive enough to note that there was slight doubt wavering in her voice.

“You can be honest with me, Nam-Joo,” He says, his voice calm. “There are no recording cameras around.”

She hesitates for a few brief moments before she lets out a half-hearted sigh.  “Nothing gets by you, does it?”

I knew it. “Even from your solo performance, I could already tell.” He presses on urgently. “Your trembling hands when you took off your mask; the tears that were welling up in your eyes – I could go on.”  

Her breath hitches. He notices all of these things from a mere two minutes on broadcast?

“Don’t stay untrue to yourself.”

With no other sounds other than the occasional wind howling against their ears and the creaks coming from the rusty equipment, Bobby and Nam-Joo sit, absolutely still.

Bobby knows that he struck a nerve that he shouldn’t have. He gnaws on his lower lip worriedly, perching his chin on top of his hand. Why did he say that? He shouldn’t have said that. He really shouldn’t have.

What an idiot.  

Nam-Joo knows that she’s only telling herself lies. She’s not fooling anyone with her false words of confidence. The self-esteem she tries to project is so fake, she feels disgusted with herself. Not because of Bobbys’ bluntness, but because he knew how her heart felt better than she herself. She turns her head, avoiding his gaze completely as tears pool in her large eyes. Why does she torment herself this way? She shouldn’t do this. She really shouldn’t.

Fucking ridiculous.  

They both speak at the same time.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m afraid.”

It takes her awhile to calm down, and it’s already inching closer to one o’clock in the morning. He knows Han-Bin will be lashing out at him tomorrow during practice, but when it comes to Kim Nam-Joo, Bobby would give her all the time in the world if he could.

She hiccups on occasion, and lets out a sniffle or two. But at the very least, she was no longer crying and her eyes were no longer bloodshot red. His large hand is on her back, patting gently as if he were soothing a newborn baby to sleep.

“Why do you feel this way, Nam-Joo-ah?” He asks. “You have so much to offer to the world. You’re so…” Gorgeous. Beautiful. Talented. Charming. Humorous. Lively. God damn amazing. But he settles on a single syllable. “Great. Great at what you do.”

“I’m not you, Ji-Won.” She only calls him by his Korean name whenever they had a heart-to-heart talk. So, hearing this made him feel special. It was incredible…the effect she had on him just from two words. “You barely bat an eyelash at rude comments. You don’t take them to heart. That is what separates me from you.”

“I…” Bobby cocks his head towards the side, pursing his lips. Truth be told, he really could care less about them. As his doting mother has mentioned multiple times prior and after debut, they were only words – words on a computer screen.

“See?” She points out. “You’re confident enough to not let them get to you. It’s not simple for me. Female idols like myself are under scrutiny for every little thing that happens. Even for someone like me who doesn’t have a very prevalent role in APINK – “

“That’s total bullshit, Nam-Joo,” Bobby scoffs incredulously. His tone is so sharp, it was like a knife that pierced through the previous stillness. “APINK would never be the same without you. Tell me: Who said you were irrelevant?  Who said you were insignificant?” I’d wrangle their heads off, slice off their di –

“Oh, Ji-Won, you’re just being nice,” Nam-Joo explains kindly, breaking his never-ending train of disturbing threats. “But I know where my flaws lie. I’m not the prettiest one in my group. I’m not the cutest. I can sing, but it’s not up to par like Eun-Ji unnis’. I don’t have anything that can make people laugh like Bo-Mi unni and her gorilla walk.  My so-called title as a rapper isn’t even deserved. All I know is to talk fast.” She gives him a cheeky wink. “You would know what I’m talking about.”

Bobbys’ mouth only widens in shock as Nam-Joo continues on with her ramble. “Accordingly, I also have a huge nose that makes me look disproportionate. And for some…” Her head lowers disappointedly. “I don’t deserve to be in APIN – “

It was at this point where he had his breaking point.

“Nam-Joo-ah, do you even realize what you’re saying?” He knows he’s being rude for cutting her off, but enough was enough. He wasn’t able to listen to her look down upon herself, and to actually believe that those comments were truth.

No.

Just, no.

She snaps her head up to look at him, astonishment grazing her facial features.

“Whoever thinks you’re not pretty should look themselves in the mirror. Yeah, you’re not the conventional type of pretty with the fair skin or the small nose. But when did nose size determine anything, for that matter?” He asks, his voice huffing in irritation.  “Look at me.” He then proceeds to use two fingers to stretch out his eyes to nothing but mere lines. “My eyes are small as fuck.”

“I saw your performance with Eun-Ji noona on Sketchbook a year ago. I even downloaded the audio file for that performance, and I listen to it from time to time. You can belt out a tune. You can, so whoever said that only Eun-Ji noona is carrying the group is just filled with a fat load of shit.”

The fact that surprised her the most wasn’t his amazing memory. But rather, it was the fact that he kept a figment of her close by with him at all times. That was very commendable. And touching.  

“I watched your dance rendition of Hyun-Ahs’ Red,” His aggravated expression becomes a genuine smile. Somehow, he managed to turn from a wolf-man hybrid and back into the kid-like wonderment that he embodied. “I liked that way more than her slapping asses in the music video or riding a gigantic banana. And yes, I agree with your rapping – but isn’t that basically ninety-nine point nine percent of all rappers? As Jackson-hyung once proclaimed…”

“I am a person who raps. I am not a rapper.” Nam-Joo finishes in amusement.   “Exactly!  Even I’m not a rapper, I kid you not. I have miles to go before I can fully establish myself as – “ Bobby suddenly stops talking when he realizes that she wasn’t even listening at this point in time. Rather, she was gazing at him with a slight twinkle in her eye – fortunately, it wasn’t coming from tears this time around.

“Alright. What’s on your mind, girl?”

She takes a few moments to string together the right words in her head. She’s got it:  The perfect description.  “Spending a few hours with you is like spending a lifetime with the sun.” And for that, I’m utterly thankful.  Perhaps the next time she performs by herself, she’ll learn to erase their horrible online messages and replace them with her time with Bobby.

An overconfident, sexy smirk spreads across his handsome face. “Am I actually that hot?”

And the playful bickering resumes. “You wish.”

He understands though. And for that, his heart palpitates to an unhealthy rate.

They talk of a few more insignificant matters for the next hour:  How Chan-Woo was in a “some”-relationship with his past on-screen love, Kim Yoo-Jung; their plans of releasing another album next year and doing some amazing concept that would knock everybody’s socks off; how Han-Bin was gaining weight thanks to his continuous consumption of chocolate ice-cream cones.

And eventually, the clock strikes two-thirty. Nam-Joo tries her hardest to suppress a yawn, but it couldn’t be helped. Bobby follows suit, eyes bleary. “You should get going.” She advises, patting his shoulder.

But I don’t want to.

“Come on, let’s dance.” He suggests suddenly, getting up from his swing and holding out his hand for Nam-Joo. He doesn’t know where the idea comes from. Oh, actually, he does – he’s inspired by all of the Korean dramas that he is forced to watch by Dong-Hyuk. All he knows is that he doesn’t want this night to end, and the only way for it to continue was to continuously find excuses to be with her.

The girl only stares at him incredulously.

“W-what?” She stammers. “Here?! Here of ALL places?” And with you, of all people?! W-what if I step on your foot?

“You worry too much, Nam-Joo-ah. Unless…” That shit-eating grin that she despises and loves at the same time returns. “You’re just a chicken.”

“I AM NOT! But…” She bites her finger anxiously. “There’s no music!”

“Sing for us, then. Be the music we need.”

She doesn’t even have time to argue with him, because he grips onto her wrist albeit a tad bit too tightly and drags her somewhat reluctant self towards the center of the playground. Amongst the swirling snow, and the street lamps illuminating off of their faces, he felt secluded yet protected with Nam-Joo. As if they were in their small little snow globe world.

Resting his hands on her waist, she then proceeds to wrap her arms around his neck, rocking back and forth with him in harmony. He’s so close to her, and she him – the sensation was causing her body temperature to rise uncontrollably. Nam-Joo prayed that for the love of God, he wouldn’t notice.

Without having to be prompted by him, she automatically opens her mouth to sing a mellifluous tune. It was a song from a popular Korean drama, he recalls faintly. Was it ‘Producers’? But regardless of whatever it was, he didn’t care.

Already, she was taking small steps forward in regaining that self-confidence that she needed, and that was all that mattered.

“…That was beautiful.” She finishes her song. Her voice never shook during that brief performance. Her hands stayed still the entire time – because she knows that his words were so genuine and full of love.

The dance should have been over. But there’s something about being in another persons’ embrace, especially in her Kimchi Wons’, that makes her want to stay.  

“Kim Nam-Joo,” He whispers quietly, breaking the pregnant silence.

“Yes, Kimchi Won?”

Bobby dares to press his forehead against her. And she sucks in a breath, freezing at his boldness. “Never doubt yourself, okay?” He never breaks the intense eye contact with her. “You are important. You matter. And most importantly, you matter to me. I have complete faith that you will only improve from here on out. I will continue to be your sun, as I hope you will be my Earth that I provide warmth and comfort to.”

Feeling a sudden surge of confidence driving throughout her body, she says, “Show me how much I matter.”

And without any more words exchanged, he does, by pressing his lips against hers in a breathtakingly beautiful kiss like they were the only two people left in the world.

A/N:  I’ve been feeling kind of sad these few days, so some fluff is absolutely necessary. LOL. Hope you enjoyed and see you all very soon! :)

[winkonic-prompts]

Heart Aflutter - Part 1

Heart Aflutter – Part I Characters:  Myoui Mina (TWICE); Kim Dong-Hyuk (iKON) Synopsis:  It’s unfair, the way he makes her feel. 

A/N:  Yes, I know. I’m a terrible writer for not updating in so long >3< My apologies!  This story combines two of my most favourite rookie group members. Mina is so adorably charming, and Dong-Hyuk  - well, he’s my Tumblr icon so I don’t think more needs to be said. LOL. I’m hoping for a TWICE x iKON collaboration soon! But I suppose, for the time being, this will suffice to sustain my thirst for Twikon. LOL. Hope you enjoy!

There were at least eight billion people in the world right now. Eight billion people – and Kim Dong-Hyuk still chose to be with Myoui Mina, her of all people.

It could be seen as both a blessing, and a curse. This thought runs through her mind on a regular basis, and especially now, where they’re both sitting with their legs crossed on the comfy couch with their hands intertwined as he reads her a chapter from “Pride & Prejudice”.

A blessing, for the way he makes her feel:  Like a princess. No, that’s an understatement. A queen. But a curse, for the way he makes her feel:  For she feels that she can never induce the same heart-fluttering experience in him.

“I hate Calculus,” Mina moaned, her tone growing in annoyance as she buries her head into her Mathematics textbook. It was currently three in the morning; both individuals were clearly in need of dire rest and relaxation, but hey, these two are clear over-achievers. Nothing could stop them from working.

Even if it meant keeping each other company by staying in a 24/7 almost-empty bakery with thick books strewn across the table, two mugs of hot beverages and a plate of doughnuts for nourishment.

Dong-Hyuks’ gaze averts from his own laptop to his girlfriend of six months, an eyebrow raised in amusement. “Now, now, Mina, you know you don’t loathe school.” He points out kindly, reaching his hand across the table to pat her hand gently.

Mina raises her head, her long bangs covering the mischievous glint that she sports at him. “Yes, I do. As I should quote from Natalie Portman, I like learning. Learning is awesome, but I just hate the fact that we have assignments, midterms and finals that induce so much strain on us.”

“Pain is temporary,” He reminds her, pressing a finger towards her aching temple. “GPA is forever.”

“If that were the case, I really wish universities can eradicate GPA completely.”

In response, she sighs and brushes her hair back, only to realize that the loose elastic that kept her ponytail previously intact was now lost to oblivion (In reality, it fell to the ground and she did have the opportunity to pick it up – but was automatically swept up and thrown into the waste bin by the bored cashier at the counter). “Great. I can’t even fail my exam in style.”

He doesn’t say anything. Rather, he gets up from his seat opposite from her and stands behind her. Softly, he gathers her long dark-brown hair and combs through it with his fingers, miraculously releasing the knots that formed from looking down at words and diagrams all day. His simple touch was enough to send chills down her spine, and her heart soaring.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Don’t be so surprised. I have a way with hair. I have quite a bit of practice,” Dong-Hyuk says, chuckling at the evident suspicion in her voice. “I did my sisters’ braids when I was younger. Now, just relax, okay?”

And she did give in to his comforting words. Leaning her head into his chest tiredly, Mina closes her eyes at the soothing sensation as Dong-Hyuk expertly pulls the loose strands towards him, taking care not to accidentally pull too hard. It only lasted several minutes, but it was already enough for Mina to lose the ache in her shoulder blades.    

“See?” Her boyfriend says, smirking in satisfaction at his work. “Now, you’re going to ace that exam fashionably.”

“Thanks, Dong. You’re the best.” She cranes her neck to look at her boyfriend, whom only gazes intently into her bloodshot eyes.

Leaning his head down, he pecks her forehead once, her nose twice and her lips thrice. “Anything for you, Mina.” He murmurs against her mouth. And whilst the romantic atmosphere was ruined in part from the waiter whom was pretending to gag (Either in jealousy, or actually from the PDA), the brief moment of physical contact was already enough to keep her heart pounding for the next hour.

It was supposed to be a casual trip to Los Angeles for the winter holiday that supposedly would have lasted two weeks. It had been fun, stress-free and rather accomplished:  Mina introduced Dong-Hyuk to her parents, whom were nodding in approval at her choice of significant other; he had step foot into the boisterously loud and colourful world of Universal Studios and Disneyland for the very first time; both were able to do some retail therapy.

All appeared to be well, until the moment they landed in South Korea almost at midnight.

Minas’ face was growing more furious by the minute, her normally calm eyes burning with a magnificent rage that terrified the customer service representative before her. “Let me get this straight,” She spits at him with gritted teeth. “You lost our luggage?”

“I-I’m terribly sorry, ma’am,” The balding man attempts to apologize to ease Minas’ wrath to absolutely no avail. On the other hand, his partner seated next to him – a young woman fresh out of university and unprofessionally popping bubble gum in her mouth – only rolls her eyes at the drama unfolding before her as she types something into the computer before her. Her attitude alone was already enough to cause Dong-Hyuk discomfort. “Un-unfortunately, it is not only your belongings that got lost. Amongst you, there are also um, other customers…”

“Do you realize how many priceless things there are?” She hisses at him.  Fresh, salty tears are already beginning to pool in her eyes as flashbacks of cherished moments spent with her loved ones during her holiday played in her mind like a black-and-white silent movie. “Photographs, memories, souvenirs from friends that cannot be replaced:  How are you going to pay this back to me?  You can give me a monetary substitution, but it’s the thought that cannot be – “

“Can’t you shut up already?”

Until the day of his death, Dong-Hyuk would never be able to erase Minas’ pained facial expression from his memory. It looked as if she had been slapped.

The young lady behind the counter only glares at Mina with a malicious glint in her eye. Mina, on the other hand, loses her nerve. Her mouth widens in pure shock. “We get it. You lost your luggage. Boo-hoo, go cry me a river for all I care – oh, look!” The representative squints her beady eyes at Mina, guffawing cruelly. “You already are!”

Sure enough, a tear is already dribbling down her blemish-free face.

Seeing her like this saddens him to no end.

And so, without a single moment of hesitation, Dong-Hyuk immediately jabs his finger at the young ladys’ name-plate, looking completely bewildered.    

“Your mother would have done well to teach you a few manners, So-Jung-sshi.” He seethes, eyes narrowing viciously at the girl. “You do not have the right to talk to anyone, especially my girlfriend, for that matter. I’m looking forward to reporting this to your manager.”

With that, Dong-Hyuk interlaces his fingers with Minas’, tugging her along to a somewhat secluded rest area. “B-but, Dong-Hyuk-ah! Our things, our – our…” Her call sounds like a pitiful wail, and eventually, he slows his pace to a halt.  

He doesn’t even give Mina another chance to speak, because as soon as she tries, he wraps his strong arms comfortingly around her waist, his hand resting on the small of her back.  The crystal-like tears begin to drop from her eyes and onto his shirt like beads of rain. He doesn’t care, though. “Don’t cry, my dear. Don’t cry.” He coos, doing his best to soothe her. “I’ll buy you bigger and better things. Please, don’t cry. Just…please…”

Eventually, after some coaxing and much-needed hugs were exchanged, Dong-Hyuk instructs Mina to stay put (A fair distance away from the representatives whom were still staring at them, completely flabbergasted). As she makes herself comfortable in the deserted airport – still somewhat upset from the ordeal she had to go through – he hurries to the Seven Eleven and purchases a hot dog with the scant amount of money that he had left in his scruffy wallet, making sure to pile the sausage with a plethora of ketchup.

And whilst he, too, was very hungry, he gives it to her.

“B-but, you didn’t eat anything.” Mina mumbles out of concern, her eyes boring into his own.

Wrapping an arm around her small frame, Dong-Hyuk delivers her with a characteristic smile. “I’m okay.”

“No, you’re not okay,” She disagrees. With the plastic utensils that were provided, she cuts the hot dog in two and passes one half to him. “We’ll share.”

In time, Mina manages to build a bridge over the incident and – stealing a common phrase from Jung-Yeons’ daily vocabulary – ‘get over it’. But, the one thing that will always remain etched in her memory was the way Dong-Hyuk defended her in her direst time of need.

None of her exes had never bothered. Ever. 

Yet he, the Kim Dong-Hyuk that was a walking embodiment of the stereotypical Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome, never wasted a second to protect her when she got hurt.

“You got yourself a good thing right there, Mina,” Na-Yeon tells her one day when they venture out into Myeong-Dong for a girls’ day out of shopping and food. The older girl has an appreciative grin on her pretty face, grateful that her dear friend was looked after. “Keep him close, okay?”

She did.

With their university years far behind them, Dong-Hyuk eventually accepts a job offer from Samsung as a biomedical engineer whilst Mina pursues a career as a professional ballerina. And it was also at this point in time where they had – according to Dong-Hyuk, anyway – ‘unlocked’ a significant achievement (“What are you, Dong-Hyuk?” Mina asked her boyfriend cutely. “Still a gamer?”):  They made enough money to purchase an apartment for themselves.

And of course, when a couple live together, the number one basic necessity was food.

So, here the couple was, grocery shopping for the first time. And Mina was slightly nervous – but for what? Perhaps it was because Dong-Hyuk was stocking their entire cart filled with beef slices and steak cuts that she had absolutely no idea how to marinade or cook?  Maybe it was because deep, deep down, she had a fear of crowds that she, herself, was swimming in right now?

In actuality, it was the very fact that they were doing things a married couple would. And whilst the sensation was very, very foreign and somewhat unfamiliar, she liked it. And she liked doing these activities with the one whom was currently looking through one of the aisles for a certain something.    

Catching her eye, Dong-Hyuk gives her a cheeky smile and, with an armful of packages, he walks back towards her and tosses them into the shopping cart.

“What did you get?” She asks, linking her arm with his as they maneuver past an elderly couple arguing over soy sauce and sesame oil.

“I found some Lindt chocolate bars, Oreo cookies and Rice Krispies.” He replies. “Your favourite is the sesame-flavoured one, right? And the banana split-flavoured Oreos?”

“How did you even know the type of flavour that I liked?” Mina fails to recall the moment when she had mentioned something so insignificant to him – and for Dong-Hyuk to be so precise and meticulous, well, kudos to him, really.

Dong-Hyuk, on the other hand, only laughs at her facial expression. “You look so shocked! Mina,” He continues gently as they await in line to pay for their items. “When we came back from our vacation four years ago, your hand-carry was filled to the brim with junk food and snacks that you can’t find in Korea. Of course I would remember something like that.”

“They’re kind of expensive, though,” She says anxiously when the cashier scans the first package. Mina was about to inform the clerk that she didn’t want them, but Dong-Hyuk automatically intervenes with a curt shake of his head.

“No, you like them,” is his only reply. “So, I’ll get them for you.”

The cashier, a young man named Jackson who looked like he was fresh out of high school, only smirks at Mina. “Your boyfriend is quite the gentleman, miss.”

“…Thank-you.” She wasn’t sure who she was addressing at that point.

The logic was clear and simple. And yet, here Mina was, feeling both touched and guilty at his kind gesture at the same time.

Fast forward another two years, and Mina had finally established herself as a seasoned ballerina in Seoul. As much physical and emotional pain, and mental stress she had to endure from the never-ending drama amongst her fellow colleagues, she realizes it was all worth it when she sees the Hangul letters of her name on the gleaming marquee.

‘MYOUI MINA – CINDERELLA’

Her life-long dream of becoming a princess (Even for a night) had officially come true.

Excitedly hurrying back to her apartment, she is surprised to find Dong-Hyuk at the stove, clad in a pink frilly apron and a crown – a flimsy piece of plastic jewelry – perched on top of his head. When he notices her, he abandons the food altogether and bounds over towards her, engulfing her in the largest hug possible.

“Congratulations, my princess! You did it!” And to match, he, too, presents her with a tiara. Encrusted with fake rubies and emeralds, he places it daintily on her head.

What a dork.

“I’m surprised you found out even before I told you.” Mina says, chuckling at his silliness as they make themselves comfortable at the dinner table. He had made her favourite that night – omurice with the ‘Myoui Mina’ staple:  Heinz Ketchup.

“Nothing ever slips out of my grasp, Mina,” He replies, his mouth full of ham, peppers and fried rice. “Either way, I’m so proud of you.” With just one look at his face, Minas’ heart is warmed considerably. “When’s the performance date?”

When Mina draws out the crumpled leaflet from her purse and passes it to him, she notices Dong-Hyuks’ grin immediately fading into a thin line.

“What happened?” She’s not sure if she really wants to know what’s wrong.

“I…I have a gala I need to attend that night.”

Mina knows that Dong-Hyuk places great importance upon his job – she understands that, even if she does feel the urge to act bratty and tell him to ignore that event/meeting/whatever the hell it was. Trying her best to maintain enthusiastic, she proclaims, her tone airy and care-free, “You don’t have to come if you can’t make it.” Dong-Hyuk only responds with a raised eyebrow.

“I truly mean it.” She affirms her position on the issue strongly, and gets up from the table to place her plate into the sink. However, that night, when she slips into bed, she cannot help but let a few inaudible sighs escape her lips.

Knowing that Dong-Hyuk won’t be in the audience that evening, the normally cheerful Mina was…not her usual self, to say the least. Sitting alone in her dressing room, she continues to lock and unlock her phone robotically.

She was greeted with a flurry of text and video messages from her family and friends with words of encouragement. She felt loved, she really did.

Unfortunately, the most important person in her life failed to deliver. And that hurt her. A lot.

Glancing at her make-up covered reflection in the mirror, Mina only pats her cheeks gently. Girl, you can’t let this get to you. He probably wants to call you right now, but he just can’t –

Too caught up in her thoughts, Mina never hears the choreographer, Ji-Hyo, knock at her door.

It was only until the door creaks open that Mina jumps to a start at the intrusion. Smiling kindly at her, Ji-Hyo says, “You have a visitor.”

The person who walks in causes Mina to let out a frightened gasp.

He opens up his arms welcomingly, and Mina jumps out of her seat and practically collides into him. If her elaborately-done hairstyle fell apart, she didn’t care. If some of the make-up wiped off her face, that didn’t matter either.

Dong-Hyuk was here, his shabby work attire exchanged for a well-fitted black suit and matching tie. And that was all that mattered right here, right now.

“I thought you weren’t going to make it.” She whispers.

“Forget the gala,” He says, snorting. “Your ballet recital is much more important than exchanging a few pleasantries with the higher-ups.”

After he gently pries her away, he presents her with a stunningly beautiful flower bouquet of red roses. “These are for you. I would have given them to you at the end of the show, but…” He smirks. “I couldn’t help myself.”

Just as she was about to reply, a chorus of adorable “Aww’s!” sounds from outside. Opening the door, Mina is absolutely flabbergasted (And bubbling in embarrassment) at the mountain of people crowded outside her dressing room.

“Ji-Ji-Hyo unni! What on Earth…?”

“Your boyfriend is so sweet!” She exclaims with a romantic sigh.

“I agree.” Mina says, nodding. But at the same time, as she watches Dong-Hyuk introduce himself politely to his new-found fan girls, she cannot help but feel a slight pang in her heart.

He has done so much for her throughout the years of being together.

…What did she do in her past life to deserve someone like him? And more importantly, what has she done to reciprocate everything he has given her?

Back in the present day, Dong-Hyuk has already stopped reading. Instead, he observes Mina curiously – and realizes that she was blanking out, or either very much deep in thought.

A gentle prod on the side of her head brings her back to reality. “Hello in there?”

Mina glances at him with an apologetic smile, scratching her scalp awkwardly. “I’m sorry!” She squeaks cutely.

As usual, Dong-Hyuk waves away her unnecessary apology. “No need to be sorry. Jane Austen can be slightly dry at times.” His eyes peer at her with slight concern. “A penny for your thoughts?”

“It was that obvious?” She says meekly.

“We’ve been dating for ten years, Mina,” He states matter-of-factly. “You’re my open book that I can read with my eyes closed.”    

“I’m thinking about you,” She replies him. That captures his attention – he sets the novel down onto his lap. “And…how you increase my chances of experiencing a heart attack.”

“Well, that’s romantic of you.” A wry smile spreads across his handsome, chiseled face. “Shall I order ourselves one of those portable AEDs?”

Again, such a small witty comment – and that was already enough to make her heart palpitate. “That won’t be necessary,” She says, chuckling. But her smile fades as rapidly as it had come. “Dong-Hyuk-ah, let me ask you a question – and please be honest with me.”

Her almond-shaped eyes burn into his own.

“Do I ever do the same for you?”

A/N:  And as you can tell, there will be a Part II to this story - featuring Dong-Hyuk’s point of view ;) I hope you enjoyed! To everyone out there, wishing you all a very happy Christmas, a fantastic holiday and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! All the best to each and every one of you, and that you’ll all be blessed with nothing but happiness in 2016 :) See you soon!   

[winkonic-prompts]

I'm crying dear you is beautiful asgnbfjl. I love your writing style and how you potray Jisoo, it's the same way i potray her, cheerful and caring ;;♥ anyway do you take requests?

You’re too sweet! ;A; Thank-you so much for your kind words! <3 (Isn’t Jisoo just SO lovely? asdfghjkllll waiting anxiously for her debut) And yes, I do take requests - so long as it’s a ship between any of the WIN: Who Is Next babies boys with any female idol of your choosing! ^^

[winkonic-prompts]

Flowers for Her

Flowers for Her Characters: Jung Eun-Ji (APINK); Kang Seung-Yoon (WINNER) Synopsis:  He never fails.

A/N: I’ve been writing quite a bit for the iKON members, so here’s a piece featuring the charismatically adorable Kang-Leader and beautiful Jung Eun-Ji from APINK! Quite honestly, I ship Eun-Ji with INFINITE’s Sung-Gyu, especially after that Running Man Idol Special from 2013. But, I think that these two cute puppies will make an equally nice couple as well: They’re already friends, and have exceptionally nice vocals (Praying for a Seung-Ji duet ;~;) Hope you enjoy! 

Every six months or so, twenty-seven year old Kang Seung-Yoon never fails to come visit lonely Jung Eun-Ji with a flower bouquet in his grasp, a battered guitar case in the other. And perhaps a large collection of stories to share from his ever-so-busy life.

Today is no exception. The said girl, with her long brown hair flowing alongside the frigidly cold February breeze, fails to remain seated. She is jumping in excitement, and the moment she notices a lean figure climbing out of a battered navy-blue Honda Civic and walking towards her, her face breaks out into a gigantic grin.

Cheerfully, she waves at him from afar and he only lets out a low chuckle in response. As he nears her, he slows down to a stop and takes a few moments to truly look at her.

The intensity of his smoldering gaze reddens her cheeks to a cute shade of rose pink, and she looks away, bashful. Too caught up in her own thoughts, however, she fails to notice the man standing before her blinking back a few threatening tears. Seung-Yoon kneels down and places the beautifully-wrapped bouquet at her feet. Today, he brought her favourite combination of flowers – bright, yellow sunflowers speckled with a few elegant sprigs of baby’s breath and rosy-coloured tulips.

He never fails. Her heart is warmed considerably without him even saying anything.

“Three types of flowers today, Eun-Ji-yah,” He exclaims excitedly a moment later. “You must be proud of me!”

She lets out a teasing smirk before grazing her fingertips over the fragile petals. “It’s expensive, isn’t it?” She comments. “But I must admit,” She eventually adds. “You never fail to make me smile.”  

“I know you’ll like them though.”

“That I do,” Eun-Ji acknowledges. She lowers her body onto the cement, brushes her hair back and inhales the scent wafting from the flowers deeply. Pollen rushes up her nose, but she doesn’t mind it at all. Instead, she turns her head towards him and says, “Thank-you, Seung-Yoon, they’re lovely.”

Eun-Ji draws her legs close to her chest, rocking herself slowly with her head resting on her knees, as he makes himself comfortable by sitting cross-legged right in front of her. “How has it these past six months?”

In response, Seung-Yoon only laughs heartily. The echo of his chuckle reverberates warmly throughout her body, spreading from her heart to her fingertips. “My gosh, Eun-Ji-yah, I um, I don’t know how to begin. Well, WINNER has been doing well, I suppose.”

He proceeds to tell her about every single detail about the celebrity life that she wishes that she still had. How they were in the process of finishing up with filming for the fifth season of Winner TV; Yang Hyun-Suk was finally giving a chance to showcase their variety skills via “We Got Married” with Seung-Hoon pairing up with MAMAMOO’s Moon-Byul; working day and night in the recording studio until daybreak. She listens with rapt attention, adding in fillers of ‘ooh’s’ and ‘ah’s’ appropriately and teasing him for mistakes he committed during their dance routines. Although she was green with envy – that she wasn’t able to be on stage anymore, that she wasn’t able to give him high-fives and feel the sparks of simple physical contact tingle against her skin during Gayo Daejun like how f(x)’s Soo-Jung and he did whenever they saw each other – she wasn’t able to keep up with the jealousy for very long. Every single time his eyes twinkled whenever he talked, her feelings of anger and regret would immediately subside into something reminiscent of admiration.

And happiness:  Pure happiness, that WINNER was bringing him success and closer towards his deep desire of being recognized in the music industry.  

Taking a breath to pause, he stares at the space separating the both of them before opening his mouth once more. “You know, the guys keep asking me to find a girlfriend.” He mumbles awkwardly, scratching the back of his toque-covered head.

Averting her gaze towards him, she replies in a tone that was a bit sharply for the happy-go-lucky girl, “Well, you are at that age where having a significant other is completely normal. It’s natural for them to be concerned over your lack of a love life.”  

“Honestly, I don’t have the time for a relationship right now.” His words cause her to let out a sigh of relief, albeit that she find it concerning that even after so long, she is still so hopelessly invested and wasn’t able to move on. “No girl truly stands out to me. And amongst all of those whom I’ve been set up on blind dates with, they don’t understand me.”

His eyelids flutter rapidly for a moment before he looks up at her again. “No one understands me like you do.”  

She feels her heart palpitating a tiny bit faster, but similarly to the jealousy that came as quickly as it had faded, she only rolls her eyes at him and replies, “Ey, stop that nonsense.” She can’t lie to herself though: She liked how he said that. It made her feel amazingly special – and she guesses that that’s just one of the trademark characteristics of the emotionally aware Kang Seung-Yoon: He knew how to make others feel good about themselves.

They sit in silence for another few minutes, before he stands up and begins brushing snowflakes off of his jeans.

“You’re leaving now?” She asks, trying with great difficulty to mask the evident tone of disappoint in her voice. “You didn’t even sing a song for me today.” But that was when she noticed that he didn’t have his battered up guitar case with him anywhere. He came without it today.

“I’m going to leave now,” Seung-Yoon says. He seemed to have sensed Eun-Jis’ sadness at his abrupt departure, because he only pats her head gently. His hand barely grazes through her hair; it was faint, as weak as a slowly, dying heartbeat.

Despite this, she closed her eyes, taking her time in savouring it. It was these rare instances where she felt alive, for once. And eventually, it faded into nothingness. “I’ll come back in another six months again, okay? I promise.”

And Jung Eun-Ji trusted him, as she watches him trek away in the piling snow. Because knowing Kang Seung-Yoon, he never fails.

Six months go by. And as he had promised her before, he does visit her again. There are some changes.

It’s August. The weather is much, much better – with warm sunlight streaming through the trees and hitting her body as a cool, refreshing breeze rushes past her. She hopes that Seung-Yoon will stay for longer this time around.

Secondly, he appears to have grown somewhat bulkier, Eun-Ji observes with great interest. Has he been working out? Not that she minds, by the way. He looks better this way: Healthier, more muscular and a little tanned. In fact, she had always wanted to tell him (In her characteristic blunt manner of speaking) that he was a little on the skinnier side and should eat some more.

Thirdly, what happened to the Civic? The old, worn-out vehicle was now replaced with a sleek Porsche: Something resemblance of Bumblebee from Transformers.    

Last, he has a brown cake box in one hand. When Seung-Yoon draws the cake out of the box, she is completely taken aback. It’s a sweet potato cake, her favourite flavour. And etched onto it in blue frosting were the words, “Happy 28th Birthday, Jung Eun-Ji!”

The only thing that has never changed is his habit of bringing her flowers. This time, it’s a bouquet of gladiolas – Augusts’ birth flower.

“I’m pretty certain that you would forget your own birthday, Eun-Ji.” Seung-Yoon begins, inserting a candle carefully into the middle of the cake. “So,” He glances at her with a gummy grin. “Happy birthday!” He proceeds to sing her the congratulatory song, blowing a birthday blower and throwing confetti all over her. Needless to say, Eun-Ji was deeply touched.

He still remembered.

He still cared.

“Aish, you really shouldn’t have!” She reprimands teasingly, flicking a threatening tear away from the corner of her eye.

“Cho-Rong noona and then must have came yesterday, right?”

And how right he was. But, Eun-Ji had to admit:  The feeling was different when her own members came to visit her on her birthday. They, too, had a small celebration and celebrated with cakes and oranges (Her favourite fruit) a day ago. But, what separated the two experiences was the fact that her members were people she trained and worked with for seven years. They were bound to remember her birthday, regardless.

But Seung-Yoon – the undeniably thoughtful Seung-Yoon whom she was acquainted with, and became close and dated after his debut: Four years of being in a relationship, and here he was still, squatting in front of her like an idiot in a crazily colourful party hat. Most exes would never do that. Maybe a correction is in order – exes will never do that.  

He ends up cutting two slices of cake and placing each slice onto two respective paper plates. He presents one towards her, and he picks up a fork for himself as he devours it.

“Seung-Yoon-ah,” She says, pointing at the napkins provided. “Wipe your mouth.” He doesn’t hear her, of course, but he probably felt all of the whipped cream smeared against his lips.

“Eun-Ji-yah,” He begins after wiping away the frosting. Despite the warmth penetrating through his being, he was still rubbing his arms up and down as if it wasn’t enough. But knowing Seung-Yoon, Eun-Ji knew that he only did this when he had something important to tell her.

Somehow, she felt that she wasn’t going to enjoy this.

“If I bring someone to meet you,” He pauses before continuing. “Will you be upset with me?”  

Well, that didn’t seem like an extremely threatening question. Relief immediately floods through her system. “Why should I be upset with me, you silly boy?” She laughs, eyes creasing at him cutely.  

“I’d really like for you to meet her.”

Her.

Eun-Jis’ smile falters immediately, and her grin fades into a straight, thin line.

The ‘her’ arrives half an hour later. During that time, Seung-Yoon was engaging in regular conversation with her as usual. But, Eun-Ji was tuning everything out completely. She wasn’t listening; she wasn’t looking at him; the flowers that normally perked up her day lay forgotten beside her.

The only thing that occupied her mind was the very fact that she would be meeting the girl that held great importance in Seung-Yoons’ heart. Somebody else – was it Soo-Jung? Or could it be Sandara Park? She herself chuckles at the thought – quite honestly, they would make an extremely adorable couple despite the age difference.

A taxi pulls up against the curb, and a tall, slender young woman steps out after bowing politely to the cab driver. Eun-Ji could already tell that she grew up with good morals and manners. “I think she’s here,” She whispers inaudibly. It was no use, however.  

“Seung-Yoon-ah!” The young woman pops up behind him, cutely spooking him. Without any words spoken, Eun-Ji watches as she pulls Seung-Yoon up by the hand and gives him – to her utmost dismay – a quick kiss on the cheek. His eyes are shining brighter than all of the stars combined in the sky when he looks at her, twirling her around in a playful hug.

He’s happy.

“Eun-Ji-yah, please meet my new girlfriend, Lee Sung-Kyung.”

“Hello, Eun-Ji-sshi,” The girl greets her politely, bowing. The first thought that runs through Eun-Jis’ head is the undeniable fact that she is extremely pretty. Long, hazelnut-brown hair and a face that could only be seen in the pages of fashion magazines and a body with amazing proportions that can only be seen walking down runways – Eun-Ji recognized who she was now: Lee Sung-Kyung, the famous model-turned-actress whom stared in “Cheese in the Trap” and “It’s Okay, That’s Love”.

Despite the fact that they weren’t able to see, Eun-Ji felt extremely insignificant standing beside her. She wanted to shrink into a huddled ball, but that wasn’t characteristic of her. Instead, she stands as proudly as she could and offers her a genuine smile.  

“It’s very nice to meet you.” Her voice is light and feminine.

“It’s very nice to meet you, too, Sung-Kyung-sshi,” is her reply. “Wow,” She adds, sighing. “You’re so pretty. Seung-Yoon-ah, I thought you said you weren’t interested in any girls last time?”

As it turns out, he had lied to her. Seung-Yoon rambles on about how they started became closer a month after his last visit with Eun-Ji, and somehow, the two of them have been happily dating for five months since March.  

“You’re important to me,” He tells her softly. She feels her heart racing erratically, but the moment she turns her gaze towards the genuinely friendly-looking Lee Sung-Kyung, it slows down altogether. “And because of that, I would like for you to give us our blessing.”

And as painful as it was, Eun-Ji does.

“I’m more than happy to do so, Seung-Yoon.” She murmurs quietly as the couple in front of her, hands intertwined with eyes closed, pray together. “I think you two make a fantastic-looking couple, and deserve nothing but the best in life.” She tries to say more, but the few sentences that escapes her lips was already difficult enough to say.

She keeps a smile on her face when they both bow to her, and he again runs his hand against her hair. But this time, his touch is a tad shorter. Even Eun-Ji is surprised when it lasts half a second shorter than normal, but then she notices Sung-Kyung tugging him along, her hand carrying the box with the half-eaten cake and her other hand enveloped within Seung-Yoons’ grasp. He never looks back at her; he doesn’t tell her that he’ll be back again with more stories to share.

But Eun-Ji will give him the benefit of the doubt. She is not disheartened. He will come, as he always does.

He never fails her.    

February comes again.

Eun-Ji waits, and waits. And waits, and waits. And waits, and waits, and waits. Expectantly.

He never shows up. He broke his promise.

And she ends up finding out why. When a passing family drops their newspaper near her, she curiously flips through the wet, damp pages. Right smack in the middle of the Entertainment section, in bold, red Hangul letters: “Kang Seung-Yoon and Lee Sung-Kyung: Secretly Married & in Hawaii!”

Her heart freezes.  

The tears come pouring down like heavy rain. She’s sobbing desperately at this point, but no one can hear her.

For once in his entire life, he did fail her.  

A year later, he’s here again. Surprisingly. And even though she did try to repress the thought of him in her mind to savage whatever remains was left of her broken heart, the very sight of him was enough to destroy all progress that she had done to heal.

Seung-Yoon places white tulips at her side, as white as the snow that covered the land around them. She stares blankly at them. He’s trying to ask for forgiveness. Eun-Ji seethes in anger. “Why bother apologizing to me?” She hisses at him furiously. “Where’s your wife?”

He begins with a heavy, depressing sigh. “I’m sure you must have heard the news already.” Holding up his left hand towards her, she winces at the silver band that was fitted perfectly on his finger. “Sung-Kyung and I got married a few short months after we both visited you.”

You are at that age to be married. Her sensible, logical side wanted to say.

Fuck you. I don’t want to see you ever again. Her immature side wanted to say.

Instead, she chooses to stay silent.

He begins to shake his head in denial, laughing lifelessly. “Are you angry with me? Actually, that’s a silly question. Of course you are.” Pausing, Eun-Jis’ mouth widens in absolute shock when she notices a tear dribbling down his handsome face like a crystal bead. “I know that I’m a disappointment.”

“I know that you probably never want to see me again.” His voice grows smaller and hoarser the more he talks. “I know that I broke my promises, and that it had to be broken by my devotion to another woman.”

His hands begin to turn a painful red colour as he clenches them into hardened, shaking fists. “I know you feel betrayed.”

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you this way. I truly, honestly thought that Sung-Kyung would be able to help me move on from my grief, and within our two years of being together, I thought it would be enough. But…”  

She feels his arms wrap around her body. No matter how much she tries to turn away, she cannot wriggle out. The tighter his hold, the more pressure she felt on her skin.

“I miss you,” He whispers in her ear softly, eventually melting her into his grasp. “I miss you so much.” His whispers of sweet nothings turn into sniffling. And eventually, droplets of tears stain her shoulder as they come crashing down like a waterfall.

Eun-Ji attempts to raise her arms and wrap them around him comfortingly. But as much as she tries, her arms only pass through his body…

Which was an absolutely painful reminder that she and him now lived in two separate worlds, and would never be able to be together ever again.

A/N:  So basically if the story got confusing, Eun-Ji was Seung-Yoons’ girlfriend whom passed away. She isn’t able to move on with her life, so she’s trapped in her grave and throughout the entire time, Seung-Yoon was speaking to her tombstone. The ‘faint touches’ that she feels is whenever he touches her grave. Hope you enjoyed! :) 

[winkonic-prompts]

Dear, You

Dear, You Characters:  Kim Ji-Soo (YG New Girl Group); Song Yun-Hyeong (iKON) Synopsis:  Ji-Soo writes a letter.

A/N:  A ship between YG’s New Girl Group and Prince Charming, Song Yun-Hyeong from iKON! Why do I ship this? Uh, I don’t think I need to say anything. LOL. Both born in 1995, and both have stunningly beautiful visuals. *_* Aside from that, I just feel that they have a huge amount of chemistry - just from one picture. Look at how cute they are! ^3^ I hope you enjoy!

To: The Next Lucky Girl

Dear _____________,

Firstly, my apologies in advanced for not writing in a name! But under the circumstances that I only had less than half a year left when I wrote this, and with the impression that Yun-Hyeong won’t be finding another woman when I’m hacking my organs out in my hospital room, well, I had to make do (Please accept my apology ^^).

But, continuing on! If you’re the next lucky person to be reading this now, then congratulations to you! You have officially opened up a new chapter with Song Yun-Hyeong with the labels of husband and wife. From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely congratulate you and wish you and him all the best as you support each other dually through a topsy-turvy journey called life. ( ﾟ▽ﾟ)/

I’m certain that whoever you are, you must be stunningly beautiful. (︶ω︶)  But superficiality aside, I’m certain that whoever you are, you also carry an equally beautiful soul, and a kind, passionate heart that allowed Yun-Hyeong to see your true beauty beneath all the make-up (And that is highly important to me: To know that when I’m gone, he’ll have a better person like yourself beside him to care for him!)

Before I officially let him go however, I would like to offer you a few pieces of advice so that you both can maintain a happy marriage. Pointers, if you will! If you thought dating was already hard (Having to deal with unnecessary jealousy, drunk phone calls or harassing exes), just think about what marriage is like! It’s like dating, but with finances, apartments and future babies to top it off. It’s not easy; in fact, it’s probably much more difficult than any university paper written; any midterm or final examination taken.

But because you’re going to be (Or are already!) married to Yun-Hyeong, I know with a hundred percent guarantee that you’re going to be taken care of. ^^! He’s not nicknamed a barbeque-grilling knight in shining armour in the Korean media for no reason! But at the same time, please remember that with marriage, this also has be to be reciprocated. Don’t be selfish and only think of yourself and your own best interests.  

First, and most importantly, remember that Yun-Hyeong is both a musician and an actor. It takes effort to balance both responsibilities at the same time, so there is no doubt that he will be under stress. And when he’s under stress, it’s very likely he’s going to bottle everything up in his heart. He may have a big heart, but there is absolutely no organ that can take tumultuous amounts of stress in regular doses, am I right?

So, as you would expect, there will be occasions when this sweet angel, too, loses his temper. It starts off somewhat awkward; he may not be as responsive as he usually is. He’s not as smiley or cheerful. It may seem like he’s ignoring you on purpose (And in actuality, he is. He’s a time bomb waiting to explode the moment you do something that seems so minuscule or insignificant, but it’s enough to trigger an outburst). And when you simply ask about his day, or remind him of some unimportant task or chore left forgotten, he may yell, scold or hurt you unintentionally. And you may find yourself in a position to retort with equally horrible words that escalates into a verbal fight. Guiltily, I have done this before and immediately regretted it the moment they left my mouth.

With this, I give you my first piece of advice: Avoid making the same mistake that I did. Rather than spitting curse words at each other like immature teenagers, treat the situation sensibly and calmly. Take a deep breath, and tell him you will give him the necessary time to calm down and recollect his thoughts. Don’t immediately give up on him; in fact, let me rephrase that. Please don’t ever give up on him. Give him that second chance. He knows that he is in the wrong; he just needs some time to figure out his jumbling mess of emotions. But if you throw in the flag right from the get-go and say, “You quit”, you will never get the opportunity to see him mend and improve your relationship with him. Forgive him when he apologizes to you; apologize to him when you know that you’re the one who screwed up.

Secondly, take care of the iKON members as you would care for your own children. They are not just his business partners, but also his non blood-related brothers that have shared hardships and difficult times to get to where they are today. They will need some time to warm up to you; believe me, it was difficult even for me, who was a trainee at the company for quite a while and was acquainted with them to a certain degree! But be persistent, and it will show them that you truly do care. For example, bring various snacks and drinks as a source of refreshment (God only knows how much energy they use up in one practice, so it’s nice to be equipped)! Or, whenever it’s one of the members’ birthdays, go out of your way to buy them a small present (Hint, hint: Chan-Woo loves anime, and there’s an anime collectibles store in Myeong-Dong where you can get figurines at drastically cheap prices). Every little action you do goes a long way. You got this! ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨  (Just make sure that you never buy Oreos, because Hanbinnie can and will eat an entire box).  

Thirdly, support him. When he comes home from a long day of work and tells you that things weren’t proceeding in his favour, give him your shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen. When you wake up late at night and find him standing alone in the balcony of your apartment, sighing heavily, wrap your arms around him and tell him in a reassuring tone that everything’s going to be okay. Repair his crumbling world with encouragement and love. Show him that you understand what he has to go through. Show him that he can lean on you.    

And last but definitely not least, take the time to enjoy his presence that radiates in pure energy and happiness.

Wake up early on Saturday and Sunday mornings to do mundane tasks together, like grocery shopping, folding laundry or washing dishes. Laugh at his lame puns and jokes, like when he picks up a banana and says, “I find you appealing” (Apeeling = Appealing. I laughed at that one for days X’D). Take advantage of when he isn’t shooting commercials or dramas to go on vacation – nearby or far! Do sweet events for each other, like writing sticky notes and sticking them in inconspicuous places as little sources of motivation to get through the day. Hug and kiss him wherever and whenever. He’ll find this endearing. And never forget to smother each other with a dozen “I love yous’”, even if the iKON members do end up teasing you and him about it.

When you and Yun-Hyeong have been together for a long time, you will find that his eyes will always sparkle a tiny bit brighter at the things that he loves, which includes you! He will love everything about you; from your physical appearance to your personality to everything else in between. So, if you ever find yourself growing self-conscious because of who he is co-starring with from a drama or who he is performing with on Gayo Daejun, don’t let that come in between the both of you. Rather, believe in him. Never think for a second that you are not good enough for him; because when you observe the way he looks at you, you’ll notice that his gaze has a certain tenderness to it that is and will only be reserved for you.

I can already tell that you two will be a fantastic couple. ^^ Hehe.  

As a final note, please inform Yun-Hyeong that I want to thank him for the amazing journey that he has given me. For the past eight years, he has shown me nothing but love in its purest, rawest form and for that, I can express nothing but gratitude. Our time together was cut tragically short thanks to an asshole called leukemia, but hey, what can you do, right? At the very least, I won’t have all of these obnoxiously loud beeps around me all the time that disrupt my sleep. Nor will I need to routinely take in the medication and start vomiting (How unladylike)! ><

Jokes aside, Yun-Hyeong-ah, you and I are coming to an end very soon. But that doesn’t mean that you should let your life grow stagnant or dull. Keep it vibrant, keep it alive. Put yourself out there, and enjoy another journey, arasso? At that moment in time when news of me passing away was delivered to you when you were on set, I would already expect your voice cracking, telling Dr. Kim, “I’m in no mood for pranks.”

Unfortunately, it really isn’t.  

You would be in pure shock. You would be sobbing furiously at my funeral, clinging onto Dong-Dong for support. You would curse God, and at the world that it is being unfair. And I’m not going to lie; I agree with you: The world is being very unfair to the both of us – for taking me away from you, for leaving you to wallow in sorrows alone.

But, as most people would say, time will mend your pain. It may not completely fix things, but I hope that with enough time, it will give you enough courage to officially move on from my death to pursue a relationship with another lucky human being. Life is a blessing, and I wouldn’t want you to spend the rest of it like Sadness from ‘Inside Out’.      

Like the famed Dr. Seuss once proclaimed, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile, because it happened.” I’m smiling because we had happened. If I can smile, you will be able to, too.  

Good-bye for now.

Thanks for everything,

Kim Ji-Soo

Penned: April 6th, 2026

A/N:  Not sure if many of you watched the movie, but this was inspired from Disney’s “Up”, when Carl sees a note from Ellie at the back of the album where she tells him to go have a new adventure after she passed away. I sincerely hope that when they grow older, Yun-Hyeong and Ji-Soo end up dating, get married and have a little family for themselves like Sean and Jung Hye-Young *__*. Hope you enjoyed this little piece! (P.S. Who should I write for next?)

[winkonic-prompts]

Wings of Freedom - ii

Wings of Freedom - part ii Characters:  Kim Han-Bin/B.I (iKON); Lee Ha-Yi/Lee Hi Synopsis:  Rule number one of being in love – Never, ever, ever insult your crushes’ favorite manga character. Seriously. AU:  Where Ha-Yi is absolutely enraptured by the very presence of Levi Ackerman, and Han-Bin becomes overly jealous.

A/N:  Just wanted to add in a small message of gratitude for those who followed and liked this two-shot! :’) Just super unexpected and a pleasant surprise. ^^ I hope I brought you some pleasure through my writing. As promised, here is Part II of “Wings of Freedom”!

If you would like to read Part I, click HERE!

Well, things didn’t improve back at the dormitory either.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! WHAT THE FUCK?!”

All six of them – that’s right, all SIX (Even the two elders that he was closest with) – were all laughing their asses off at him at his dismally pitiful attempt of a date.

“I-I’m sorry, hyung,” Dong-Hyuk snorted for the umpteenth time after ten straight minutes of laughing, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. “It’s just that – “

“It’s really funny in our perspective.” Yun-Hyeong chimed in, sending fits of furious laughter down all of their spines once more.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Han-Bin mumbled bitterly, frowning as he pulls a pillow towards his face to hide his embarrassment. Boy, oh, boy – he certainly lived up to the name of ‘Single Unbeatable Man’ now. “Lap it up while you can, assholes.” She doesn’t like me; no, she fucking hates me! She hates my guts!

Pitying his younger member, Jin-Hwan only rubbed Han-Bin’s back soothingly. “Come on, bro. It’s okay.” He coos. “It’s not like she can be furious with you forever.”

“Easy for you to say, you already have a girlfriend.” Jin-Hwan only flushed furiously in response.

Eventually, the boisterous laugh died down into slight occasional snickers (Mostly coming from Jun-Hwe, whom immediately shut up when Han-Bin terrifies the life out of him with one of his infamous glares). While Yun-Hyeong and Chan-Woo, both generously kind and feeling absolutely pitiful for their leaders’ lack of a successful love life, decided to bake a ‘feel-better’ consolation cake of sorts, the rest crowded around Han-Bin’s laptop – analyzing Levi Ackerman to the very core with a four-minute clip against the Female Titan.

“He’s nothing special!” is the only shriek that could be heard from the aggravated young man’s mouth. He directs his mouse clicker on Levi Ackerman’s eye, and begins to tap repeatedly – almost with the same ferocity as when he accused them of lack of concentration during one of their WIN performances. “Die, die, die, DIE! I hope a Titan eats you, you son of a – “

As Han-Bin began to unleash a flurry of known swears, in both English and Korean, the rest remain completely silent. To be very honest, however, all of them felt their hearts flutter a little harder than needed. Seeing the man – albeit not very tall, yes, that was a major con – fight for the sake of humanity…

And that deep, deep voice.

“What a man.” Jun-Hwe commented absentmindedly, completely forgetting that their ultimate goal was to make snide remarks about Levi Ackerman.

“NO!” Han-Bin shrieked.  “HE IS NOT A MAN.”

“On the contrary, hyung,” Dong-Hyuk dared to add, knowing that he’s treading into Han-Bin’s danger zone. He stepped a good distance away from his leader, in fear that he would take the laptop and chuck it at his direction. “I think you kind of look like him.”

“…Very true.”

“No lies there.”

“Both are handsome faces.”

“I LOOK NOTHING LIKE HIM! I’M A LOT MORE HANDSOME!”

The clip ended with Han-Bin feeling even more infuriated than before. “Do you see,” He began with gritted teeth. “What my competition is? The worst part is, he doesn’t even exist!”

“At the end of the day, Han-Bin, he’s Levi Ackerman and you’re Kim Han-Bin.” Bobby points out, adjusting the snapback on his head. “If you didn’t open your big mouth because of your jealousy, you wouldn’t be here in the dormitory moping about now, would you?”

Han-Bin only sighed in response. “You do have a point.” He paused for a few moments before burying his face into his hands. “AH, WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO DO?!”

Jun-Hwe snorted. “Properly apologize,” He said airily, proceeding to add a “duh” at the end.

“Chocolate!” Bobby exclaimed. “Girls fucking love chocolate. I think I have a secret stash in my underwear drawer somewhere.”

“I don’t think Ha-Yi noona would like chocolate that touched fabric that also directly touched your penis.” Chan-Woo advised helpfully from the kitchen.  

“Even better,” Jin-Hwan said. “Get her chocolate AND a Levi Ackerman action figure. I know of a place that sells awesome figurines and cos – ”

Oh.

Oh. Now here’s an idea.

With a slightly wicked grin that was completely uncharacteristic of the generally kind-hearted elder, Jin-Hwan proceeded to say, “Ah, well, I guess the only way for you to actually win Ha-Yi back is…” He narrowed his already-tiny eyes at the sulking leader.

“To be Levi Ackerman yourself.” The way he said it sent unnecessarily terrifying chills up and down his spine.

“Why do you look like you want to do something to me…?”

 This is stupid. This wig is stupid.

For the umpteenth time that Thursday morning, Han-Bin tried his best to stare at his reflection without wincing. God, he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be amazed at Yun-Hyeong’s amazing make-up application skills, or cry at how much he resembled the one he loathed. “I look like Yang CEO from the ‘90s with this hair.”

Bloody Hell, this is fucking stupid. These swords, as well as this propeller-thing, is so heavy. I can’t dance in this.

“Looking good, brother. You just need a few Titans, and you’re all set.” Bobby grinned gleefully, slapping Han-Bin hard on the shoulder multiple times.

“Don’t forget the objective of this mission.” Dong-Hyuk said, biting down on his lower lip hard to keep from laughing. Jun-Hwe, Chan-Woo and him had made a bet, you see – a few days after Han-Bin came back from his failed date a completely defeated mess: Whoever was able to last the entire day without laughing had the horrific privilege of cleaning out the dormitory bathroom (And God knows how much grime and sweat boys carry).  

Forest-green, knee-high boots and beige do not make for a good combination. Even one of my airport outfits look better than this. Like, what about my gold chains and Gap sweater? Who doesn’t like a good Gap sweater? And what the fuck is this white thing on my neck? A cravat? What the fuck is a cravat? Why is it all frilly? Is it supposed to be the remains of a table cloth cut short?

An audible sigh left Han-Bin’s mouth. “Can I wear my – “

“No,” Jun-Hwe said automatically. “Now, stay still or your wig is never going to sit still.”

I can’t believe Jin-Hwan hyung is making me cosplay as Levi.

“Stop frowning,” Bobby advised, chuckling at the ridiculous get-up that iKON’s supposedly ‘charismatic leader’ was now in. “Hey, you know what, I think this will be awesome to put up on our Facebook page, right?” He pulled out his phone camera, and quickly snapped a photograph of the fuming Han-Bin Ackerman (Who was still staring at his reflection hopelessly) and the others gathered from behind, posing cutely in their peace signs and normal, twenty-first century attire.

“YOU DID NOT JUST FUCKING TAKE A PHOTO!” Han-Bin roared, completely livid. Now with the poorly-produced blade in his hand, he began to chase his elder around the practice room – only to be out-run extremely pitifully.  

“HA-YI-YAH, HELP!” Bobby screamed exaggeratedly, arms flailing and legs pretending to give way. “THERE’S A LEGIT TITAN COMING AFTER ME!”

“Bobby-hyung, I think Han-Bin-hyung already has a hard enough time trying to run a lap without getting asthma. In this type of set-up, you can’t possibly expect him to run without dying after five seconds.” Chan-Woo said, pulling his leader back from pulverizing the toothy rapper.

Bobby only sighed, and nodded – but not before making a mental note in the back of his mind to upload the photograph later.

Just for the lulz.  

At that exact moment, Jin-Hwan burst into the practice room, looking absolutely pleased with himself with a sack in his hands.

“Find something else to put on me?” Han-Bin snapped once his gaze fell on the object clutched in Jin-Hwan’s grasp.

“No. I uh, managed to borrow a Titan mask from one of my sources.” The source? Bangtan Boys. How? Thanks to his girlfriend. Clearly. “So, I heard from Soo-Hyunnie that they’re just having lunch in the cafeteria right now. With any luck, they should be coming back up…”

He takes a second to glance at the clock. “Within the next ten minutes.”

Oh, shit. Han-Bin felt a swarm of butterflies flutter in his stomach. And they weren’t the good kind that made you smug with self-satisfaction.

“She’s coming back up here to record a new song. In the meantime,” Jin-Hwan shot a deathly glare at Han-Bin. “Yah, please don’t go around ruining your costume, okay?”

Before Han-Bin could say anything in protest, Jin-Hwan carried out his plan:  Someone would cause a diversion in the hallway right when the elevator door sprung open at the fifth floor, screaming for dear life that, “AN ABERRANT TITAN IS APPROACHING!” The Titan, played by Jun-Hwe himself, would be prepared to ‘attack Ha-Yi’ (All he was going to do was give off a ferocious roar) and Han-Bin would come in to save the day. The others, unfortunately or fortunately (Depending on how one looked at the situation), would be unable to join the three due to afternoon schedules.

“And she’ll forgive you, and you guys can hang out as usual again as platonic friends.”

Although all six of them were wary of the plan, what other choice did they have?

Clearly, they had many other options – somehow, they ended up going for the most idiotic, stupidest one out of all plans.

Thanks, Jin-Hwan. Really, thanks.

“Are you going to eat that?” Chan-Hyuk’s voice brought Ha-Yi back to reality. Her eyes snapped upwards at the young, growing man ogling at her bulgogi. She only sighed half-heartedly, and pushed her tray towards him. She wasn’t that hungry, anyway.

Soo-Hyun only glanced at her elder worriedly. “Ha-Yi unni, are you okay? You haven’t talked much at all today.”

Appreciative of Soo-Hyun’s concern, Ha-Yi nodded in response. “I am. I’m not feeling too well today. Actually…” She took a look at the clock, signifying that her lunch break was almost over and she should head back up to meet her producer and her lyricist. Waving good-bye, she left the cafeteria and boarded the open elevator.

Stupid Kim Han-Bin.

At the very thought of his name, she had the sudden urge to punch, kick – virtually anything to induce bodily damage and injury – him.

Her acting like a total fan-girl was nothing new to Han-Bin. He’s seen her do it: For Big Bang’s T.O.P., for Levi (Obviously) multiple times. What made this any different from the previous times?

Besides, she added to herself grumpily, it’s not he was never innocent either. What about when he cat-called at Nine Muses when they were watching Inkigayo together?

When he flirtatiously back-hugged his fans at their debut concert?

When he decided to tell her specifically his ideal celebrity type was Kim Tae-Yeon?

To say the least, it hurt. It hurt her feelings, her self-esteem – pretty much everything. And since it was pretty clear that Han-Bin was doing this as a means to tell her that he didn’t see her romantically, she pushed away those negative thoughts and decided to accept that label of ‘platonic friends’. That’s right, platonic friends.

And yes, that’s right, Ha-Yi had a seemingly unrequited crush on Han-Bin (Let’s be honest, who doesn’t?).

Making a mental note to send him a text message later, Ha-Yi shook the thought out of her head and stepped out of the elevator that arrived at her floor.

The elevator rang, and Han-Bin could feel his heart palpitating even faster than ever.

At the sound of the cue, Dong-Hyuk immediately exited out of the practice room.  The third youngest lets out a shrill scream, “HELP, HELP! A TITAN IS COMING!” and practically sprints down the hallway to the emergency exit at the end of the hall.

The voice from the elevator could be heard saying, “What…the…”

Immediately taking the opportunity, Jun-Hwe followed suit and emerged – with his Colossal Titan mask on and literally jumped on whoever it was in the elevator.

“GET – OFF – ME!”    

That’s my cue!

And out comes Han-Bin, with a flimsy blade in one hand, whom had totally forgotten about the proper way of killing a Titan, screamed, “HA-YI, I’LL SAVE YOU!”

And stabbed a frozen, petrified Jun-Hwe right in the butt crack.

Time seemed to have stalled for a few moments.

Han-Bin, completely in character, raised his prop into the air and hollered, “HOORAY FOR HUMANITY! HOORAY FOR HUMANITY! HOORAY FOR – “ Oh, shit.

Oh, shit, shit, shit.

It wasn’t Ha-Yi at all.

Not even close.

“Yah, Han-Bin-sshi,” Yang Hyun-Suk began slowly, his mouth growing even thinner (If that were possible). “What in God’s fuck are you wearing?”

“I – uh, um, this is uh…”

“You,” His CEO stated firmly, nodding towards Jun-Hwe as well.  “And you. My office. NOW!”    

Half an hour later, both boys emerged out of the office and into the elevator, paralyzed in shock.

“He’s making us clean the fourth floor bathroom. Really?!” Jun-Hwe cried in disbelief, throwing the Titan mask onto the ground. “Man, I should’ve been smart like Jin-Hwan-hyung and acted as a look-out rather than play the Titan myself.”

Han-Bin only sighed, wiping underneath his eye to find that his new dress shirt was now smudged black thanks to the make-up. “It’s not your fault.” He said, completely remorseful. “You shouldn’t stay to the clean. I’ll do it.”

Jun-Hwe gapped. “Are you sure?”

With a final nod, Jun-Hwe quickly excited the elevator when it reached the fifth floor and waved good-bye to re-join the other members, who were clearly itching with anxiety to hear about how Jin-Hwan’s supposedly flaw-free plan went spectacularly.

Reaching the fourth floor, Han-Bin was about to step out only to realize that he was being blocked (OR perhaps he was blocking the pathway) by a pair of Minnie Mouse Converse sneakers that looked oddly familiar. Looking up, he tripped backwards in disbelief at who he was staring at.

“Y-you,” Ha-Yi stammered, her legs turning into complete jelly at the strikingly good-looking young man in front of her. “What in the HELL are you wearing?!”

“Um…” Ignoring her question, he only raised his prop weakly and mumbled monotonously (Hopefully for the last time of his life), “Hooray for humanity.”

“…PUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Growing slightly bashful, Ha-Yi only giggled at the heaving, dismantled mess in front of her. Here they were, the two of them, in a secluded practice room. There was a bucket of warm water, a sponge and some make-up remover – just so Ha-Yi could make the make-up removal process easier for the impatient Han-Bin.

He had removed the heavy luggage off straightaway, but he decided to keep the cloak on. The Wings of Freedom was a pretty bad-ass logo, after all – plus, the fabric of the cloak was to die for.

“I still don’t understand why you dressed up like Levi. It’s not Halloween yet.”

“It’s not funny,” He grumbled, removing the wig and shaking his head to restore his hair to its former non-flattened glory. “Do you know how much trouble I went through to put this make-up and this shit on?”

“Yeah,” She replied slowly. “But why?”

“I wanted to apologize to you.” He admitted. Now, it was his turn to blush. “I’m just…I just got jealous, okay? I expected to hang out with you one-on-one, but all you wanted to do was watch ‘Attack on Titan’. And when you started to fan-girl over Levi, I just…”

“Yeah, you lost it.” She agreed, swiping a cotton pad over his eyelid softly. “But given the fact that you always do it to me with your favorite girl groups, I thought it was a regular thing we could joke about. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Han-Bin’s head snapped up. “Friends? Is that really all that we are?”

Good question, Han-Bin.

At that, Ha-Yi didn’t know what to say. Her hand froze, and her eyes widened at how he was looking at her in such an intense way. “W-well, I don’t know!” Her tone seemed a pitch higher than regular – but that was enough confirmation from her. He could feel his cheeks break out into a wide smile. “A-anyway, you could’ve just bought me chocolate or something, you silly boy.”

Finally smiling in what felt like forever, Ha-Yi gave off a genuine grin. “I appreciate the effort.”  

“Does this mean you forgive me?!”

Ha-Yi only pursed her lips cutely. “Hmm, perhaps. If you promise to never get jealous over such a minuscule thing ever again. And buy me ice-cream later. Cool?”

He took her hand in his – and oh, my God, the feeling of the butterflies came back. But this time around, they were the pleasant butterflies that sent Han-Bin on a euphoric high. I’m holding her hand, I’m holding her hand, I’m holding her hand!

“…But,” She began, sneaking her hand out of Han-Bin’s vice-like grip. “I still like Levi Ackerman more than you by a smidge.”

And with that, she took off running – as did he.

“YAH, COME BACK HERE!’    

“And that, ladies and gentlemen,” Bobby typed onto his Instagram post that night, chuckling maniacally like a school-girl at the photograph of Ha-Yi and her…new-found boyfriend, Han-Bin Ackerman, if you will, getting a thick layer of eye shadow and eyeliner removed.  

“Is how Kim Han-Bin cosplayed for the first time – for the sake of a girl.”

A/N:  END. Thank-you for reading! :) 

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Yes, i was the one who ask for Taeny ff, i don't have tumblr so i'll remain forever like a anon....

LOL how cute are you, dear anon?! :’D I’ll live up to my promise and give you another TaeDy when my midterms are over! ^^

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Can you make another Taehyun + Wendy ff its was so perfect

Are you the TaeDy anon?! Thank-you for your request if it was you! ^^ And yes, definitely - sometime in the near future! :)

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OMG I LOVE YOUR TaeDy? WenHyun? Anyways its was perfect soooo cute *.*

Oh, anon, you're very cute. ^3^ Thank-you for your kind words! I hope you enjoyed reading it! :)

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Dumb, Dumb

Title:  Dumb, Dumb Characters:  Nam Tae-Hyun (WINNER); Wendy Seung-Hwan Son (Red Velvet) Synopsis:  There are exactly 219 things that make Nam Tae-Hyun an absolute dumb-dumb – but Wendy’s going to list the top 10 things.  Just because. Word Count:  3123

A/N:  A small piece as a break from writing ‘Wings of Freedom’. Thanks to an anon who had requested for a TaeHyun-Wendy fan-fiction! I hope this lives up to your expectations. I actually had quite a lot of fun writing this. Wendy and Tae-Hyun are absolute gems in their respective groups that deserve much greater recognition and appreciation. I ship these two pretty hard, just from watching their Super Rookies performance at the Gayo Daejun last year (And well, my heart fluttered a little harder than necessary LOL.) Hope you enjoy! 

My Top 10 Reasons: Why Nam Tae-Hyun is a Dumb-Dumb

1.  As a grown-ass man, Nam Tae-Hyun watches anime. This, I don’t mind at all (I’m a One Piece fan myself). But when he becomes absorbed, he becomes absorbed. Like obsessively absorbed. He’s become so well-acquainted with all the terminology that he told me to refer to him as “Nam-Dere senpai”. Why does he say these things that make me want to wallop him good with a frying pan?

Early Sunday mornings were always routine with Nam Tae-Hyun: Two pairs of slipper-covered feet resting on top of the glass coffee table, a cup of coffee for her and tea for him, and a plate of warm pancakes in her hand. 

“Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!”  With Naruto in the background as well (Normally, it would have been Cardcaptor Sakura, but since Tae-Hyun did wash the dishes and fold the laundry yesterday – yeah, Wendy thinks he deserves it.)

“I don’t understand what Sakura sees in Sasuke, to be honest,” Wendy huffs, waving her empty fork around in the air (Narrowly missing Tae-Hyun’s face). Shaking her head disappointedly, she only sighs as the pink-haired prepubescent girl began shooting hearts at the stoic, raven-haired counterpart on the screen. “It’s so clear that Naruto reigns above all.”

Clad in sweatpants and a messy bedhead – a complete three-sixty from his regular dress shirts and blazers – Tae-Hyun only gives a hollow laugh before setting down his cup of tea on the table next to him. “That’s amazing. You have not yet succumbed to the charms of Sasuke Uchiha.”

Now brandishing the pointy end of her fork dangerously at the screen (“Yah, stop. If you’re not careful, you’re going to throw it into the screen and break it.”), she snaps furiously, “Look at him! What’s with that face? And his whole superiority shit?” 

“Wendy-yah,” He replies matter-of-factly, running his hand through her hair. “It’s called ‘tsundere’.”

She looks at him with pouty lips. “Soon-Derry?”

Ignoring her awful pronunciation, he continues, “It’s a Japanese term. Pretty much any person who is known to be cold or hostile to someone else before showing off any signs of concern or care.” Pausing for a few seconds with his lips pursed, her jabs his thumb towards himself with a smug, shit-eating grin on his face. “Like my role in WINNER.”

“…In what way are you talking about, exactly?” 

“Let’s be honest,” He begins, almost in a dream-like state. “Nam Tae-Hyun in WINNER is a cold, sassy bitch, and that’s my marketing point. That’s why all the girls go crazy for me; it’s exactly like how Sasuke has to deal with his fan-girls, Wendy. I’m Sasuke-mother-fucking-Uchiha in the flesh – except I’m Korean and I can’t blow fireballs out of my mouth.”   

Snorting, Wendy replies, “Wow, Tae-Hyun, you’re pretty big-headed, aren’t you?” 

“I’m God’s gift to women, babe.” He states, completely serious. “Call me Nam-Dere senpai.”

“…In your dreams.” 

2.  I can’t deal with him and his sarcasm #WhyUDoDat? #SassMaster

To: Tae-Hyun ^^ Sent At:  2:17 PM Tae-Hyun-ah!  Where are u? From:  Tae-Hyun ^^ Sent At:  2:20 PM Between T & V

“…Okay, let’s try this again.”

To:  Tae-Hyun ^^ Sent At:  2:24 PM What are we going to have for dinner tonight? :) From:  Tae-Hyun ^^ Sent At:  2:26 PM Anything that you haven’t touched. Anything you do touch is automatically rendered inedible. God damnit.  

3.  Just his physical appearance in general. Like, his skin is so much better than my own. Impossible? Wrong.

Almost twelve-thirty in the morning, and Tae-Hyun – who has his slippers aligned neatly at the foot of their bed and a fashion magazine in his hands – calls for his girlfriend to join him so they could (Finally) go to sleep at the same time as each other. Beds are always cold at the very start, after all – an extra person helps (In actuality, all he really wanted was to cuddle with her but of course, he was too prideful to ask for this). 

“Wendy, come on!  It’s time for bed!”

“In a second!” She calls back, adjusting the face mask so the moisturizing liquid would touch every part of her skin. Inhaling the sweet scene of aloe vera, Wendy gives her reflection a quick wink and switches off the light in the bathroom before heading off to find her boyfriend.

“W-what do you have on your face?” He asks uncertainly, raising a suspicious eyebrow, abandoning the magazine completely. 

“Oh, it’s just a face mask.” She says, climbing into bed next to him. “Joo-Hyun unni knows I have extremely sensitive skin and break out easily. She said aloe works really well!” 

“You don’t need it.” 

“I’m not like you, Tae!  I get acne and sun-spots!” 

“Wendy,” An exasperated sigh escapes his lips. “Everyone has things on their face. Mine is crawling with microorganisms and moles that are well-hidden in inconspicuous places. Now, get rid of that shit and let’s cuddle!”

In the end, she didn’t agree to take the mask off. This ‘shit’, she began, was expensive and she was not going to throw it away just because Tae-Hyun tries to justify (With evidence) that she didn’t need it. 

She did, however, cuddle with him like he wanted – with the condition that she be the big spoon.

4.  He is absolutely opposed to anything that involves me being shipped with any of my sunbaes from SM Entertainment. Bro, hold up and take a breather. I’m dating you for a reason.  

Saturday morning; Wendy is in an absolute rush to get to rehearsal for her latest musical, while Tae-Hyun heads off to the nearby cafe to meet his mother. 

Pulling her non-cooperating hair into a slick ponytail, she is only two steps from the front door when…“Tae-Hyun-ah!”

“Vhaaaaat?” He’s in the bathroom, door completely closed with the ventilation on – most likely, he’s taking his morning shit. 

“I need to borrow your laptop for a second, okay?” She says, quickly removing her shoes and practically sprinting into their shared bedroom for his computer. “I need to send an e-mail to my manager!”

“YAH, NO,” He practically booms. “DON’T TOUCH THAT. WHY CAN’T YOU JUST SEND HIM A TEXT MESSAGE?”

“My phone is still charging with that portable charger you bought me! Come on, it won’t take more than a second!” God damnit, where does he put his – A-ha!

She’s too absorbed in typing out his password to unlock his computer that she doesn’t hear him hurriedly pull his boxers back on, open the door and bolt straight for the bedroom with his arms wide open. 

“DON’T DO IT!”  Too late.

Wendy was a lot more athletic than she looked. So when she saw her boyfriend sprinting towards her like a mad axeman, she quickly ducks out of his grasp and escapes to the safety of the living room only to find…

“ㅋㅋㅋAre there any of you who ship Red Velvet’s Wendy and EXO’s Chen together after watching their performance of ‘That’s What Friends are For’? The way he looks at her is so heart-fluttering…”

Underneath the topic on Pann were multiple posts; however, the sole reply that caught her eye was posted earlier this morning by a certain ‘ㄴㅌ’.

Needless to say, this netizen’s reply is anything but mild.

“Please. WINNER’s Nam Tae-Hyun and Wendy are so much more compatible. Did you see the way he initiated skin-ship and ran his fingers through her hair like a man? Like a man, I tell you. LIKE. A. MAN. 상남자. Here’s the gif. And here’s Chen and Wendy. What would you say?”

SLAM!

Tae-Hyun fiercely rips the laptop from Wendy’s hands, who only stares at him in pure amazement. His pants were twisted in awkward angles at his ankles, and his face was so red it could put a tomato to shame. “I-it’s not what you think it is!” 

“W-w-wait,” Wendy stammers, backing away from him at that very instance. “That’s not even the problem right now. What I want to know is…did you WIPE?!”

5.  Tae-Hyun has, I kid you not, morphed a picture of our faces together to see what our baby would look like. He calls our love-child ‘WenHyun’, for goodness’ sake.

Monday evening, and a typical Monday evening scene ensues. Wendy is busying herself over the countertop, taking a small sip of the seaweed soup bubbling away in the pot before her whilst Tae-Hyun is multitasking – his hand on the mouse, one eye on his girlfriends’ petite frame and another on the website that he was currently on.

No, it wasn’t pornography. And no, he wasn’t on Pann searching up rude comments criticizing him – being Nam Tae-Hyun, he is much too fabulous for that.

www.makemebabies.com

Perfect.  There were many pictures of him on the Internet; the same situation follows suit for Wendy. But this was an important task at-hand:  He needed the perfect image to create their future child, WenHwan or TaeHwan (Or other possibilities). At the very thought of it, however, he tries his best to suppress a giggle. Wendy and I…married…he thinks to himself...with kids. Beautiful dream. Beautiful future.

Turning around to put the remaining ingredients into the steaming pot, Wendy shoots a quick glance at her boyfriend – only to find him completely silent. His face contorts into a look of utmost concentration, eyebrows furrowing at whatever he was watching or looking at on her laptop. If anything, he reminded Wendy of the “Computer Guy” meme – which was either a good thing, or a bad thing (Mostly the latter).

“What are you doing now?” Wendy asks, trying to mask the curiosity in her voice. She ladles the soup into two separate bowls, and brings it over to the dining table where he was currently seated at. “It’s not pornography, is it? Because I swear to God, if you’re watching something like Boku no Pico and forget to clear my history, you’re dead.” 

“Come and take a look” is his only reply, a hint of flirtatiousness coating his voice.

And take a look she did – only to realize that it was NOT Boku no Pico. Nor was it anything that was remotely related to coitus (Well, I guess if you took it a step further, then yes, it technically touched on the subject). She almost drops the bowl in pure shock at a poorly-generated photo of their imaginary child. 

“Do you really have nothing better to do?”

“I can think of something.”

“What?” She asks, dreading to hear the answer.

“You.”

6.  Tae-Hyun is very, very emotional and sensitive. I could already sense that from day one when I met him. I’m very glad he has opened up to me so much more, but I know that he hides things from me. I want to support him in the best way that I can – I’m always by his side, and I want him to understand that. 

Ten-thirty at night – the sky is painted black with a splatter of white stars across the sky. Despite that, Tae-Hyun shouldn’t have finished work yet. He still had an endless list of things to do: Compose a duet with Seung-Yoon, practice and work-out. He wasn’t done yet.

Likewise, Wendy shouldn’t have finished work yet either. She, too, had an endless list of things to do: Record an OST song for an upcoming drama, practice with her members and proceed to eat dinner with them to celebrate Joo-Hyun’s birthday. She wasn’t done yet.

But here she is, in the driver’s seat of her car, driving the both of them to the emergency room. She averts her gaze to look at Tae-Hyun; her heart pangs in pain slightly, seeing his face wince as he tries to regulate his breathing steadily.  She tries to clear her throat to get rid of the lump – to scold him, to reprimand him for failing to take better care of himself. But no matter how many times she tries, it’s no use. Her voice comes out small, almost feeble and scared. 

“If Seung-Yoon hadn’t called me to say that you never came back from the convenience store, I…I can’t fathom what would’ve happened to you out on the street.” She presses her foot on the brake at the sight of a red light, but in a moment’s time, lasting several loud heartbeats, it turns bright-green.

And she can’t make herself go.

“It’s not a big – “  

“You always say it’s not a big deal. In reality, it is!” She lashes out, her voice rising angrily. Red-hot, angry tears spurt out from the corner of her eyes as she glares at him tearfully – and it is this very moment where Tae-Hyun could feel his heart physically breaking at her outburst. 

“You’re under stress.” She continues, shaking her head disappointedly at the empty intersection before her. “You have goals to accomplish, people to meet, people to satisfy. I know. If you are, just tell me! I want to know, and I want to help you. That’s what I’m here for; I want to support you in your time of need, but you – “ She points an accusing, trembling finger at him. “You’re not making it easy!”

“Especially today! Do you know how worried I was when Seung-Yoon told me that you were missing?! That you…you suddenly vanished and there was no trace of you whatsoever? A-and when Min-Ho called and told me that the convenience store owner just found you lying in the MIDDLE OF THE STREET because you’re so DAMN EXHAUSTED?!”       

Tae-Hyun’s voice is barely audible over her heavy breathing. “Seung-Hwan,” He says in an extremely quiet, remorseful tone. “I-I’m so sorry.”

7.  Tae-Hyun feels burdened to me because of what I have to endure. Yes, that is true. He comes with his flaws, his cons. But he’s given me an ideal relationship, and that is much more important than anything to me. 

“Hi Wendy-unni ^^, Go jump off a bridge, why don’t you? Leeching off of Tae-Hyun oppa will do you no good, you good-for-nothing slut.”

“Ugly. Ugly. Ugly. Ugly.”

“ㅋㅋㅋ Can’t do anything when your boyfriend isn’t here to protect you now, can you?”

“Two years of dating and he actually hasn’t tired of you yet? My God, this relationship is lasting long.” 

Rude comments were something she thought she would be prepared for. But she had absolutely no idea how shitty it could make her feel – and how addictive it could become. It was like a cycle: The greater her curiosity, the more she wanted to read them…and the more she felt like these statements were verifiable fact.

She could feel the salty tears pooling in her eyes.

But just as she was about to scroll down to the next set of comments, Tae-Hyun throws the laptop away from her lap. Eyes flashing in raw anger, he examines her open closet quickly and pulls out a warm, thick jacket and a worn-out scarf. 

“Come on,” He says gruffly, hoisting her up from bed and wrapping the muffler around her neck sloppily.

“W-what are you doing?” Her voice is muffled against the warm fabric.

“I’m taking my girlfriend out” is his only reply. “That’s what I’m doing. Nothing is stopping me from taking you out on a well-deserved date, Seung-Hwan. Not my Inner Circles, not your anti-fans –“ He’s gritting his teeth; he only did that whenever he was extremely infuriated. “No one.”  

8.  Tae-Hyun may be a dumb-dumb, but I’m okay with being extra dumb-dumb with him around.

“Yah, what the hell are you writing?” Tae-Hyun asks curiously, walking into the bedroom creakily and scaring the daylights out of Wendy. 

“W-weren’t you supposed to be at Seung-Yoon’s place tonight?” She tries her best to poke the piece of paper into an inconspicuous place without arousing any suspicion from him.

Clearly, Wendy didn’t do a very good job. Ignoring her question, he attempts to move around her to reach the piece of paper, but she spreads her arms out like an eagle and blocks him from traipsing into her territory any further. 

“I’m writing in my journal!  Can you go away? Yes, go!  Scat!  You need to beat it!” That boy, Tae-Hyun, bad.

He crosses his arms against his broad chest, feigning a contemplating face. “Hmm, let me think – no.” 

“No, no, no!” She exclaims overexcitedly.  “You can’t read it!  It’s private! Hey, hey! Let’s go out right now!”

“Uh, I just came back – “   

“No, you know what!  Rice cakes sounds GREAT right now!  Let’s go, let’s go!”

They didn’t get back home until 3 A.M. And as she had expected, Tae-Hyun was now itching his eyes in tiredness. Soon, he would collapse in bed and snore away – completely passed out. This should give her enough time to get rid of her list. 

And discard it she did – tucked away in the giant encyclopedia they owned that sat in the top corner of the bookshelf, collecting dust. It would be nice to look at it occasionally from time to time, and to add the remaining two reasons onto it – but there was no way in fucking HELL would she reveal it to him. Ever. It was her little secret for her to know only.

Little did she know, the morning after, there it was again on her desk. Perfectly smooth, free of creases or crinkles. But when she took a look at it again this time around, she noticed something peculiar about it – there were now ten things listed on the sheet. Underneath her own neat printing was his beautiful, cursive writing.

9.  You really need to hide things better. And you’re calling me the dumb-dumb? I’m impressed.

“I beg your pardon?!” 

10.  Oh, and from this day forward, Wendy Seung-Hwan Son is going to be stuck with I, Nam Tae-Hyun, for all eternity. It’s a one-time deal. 

“What on Earth is he talking about?” She questions out loud. But her inquiry was soon answered by… 

“What I mean is simply asking you to grow old together with me.” Resounding from the entranceway into the bedroom was his soft voice, gentler and mellower than usual. 

Wendy could feel her heart practically thumping out of her chest, and when she whirls around to meet his gaze, she gasps in surprise at the sight before her.

Cheeks were tinting in pink, and he has that weird awkward hand scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. But that didn’t matter to Wendy at the moment. When he notices her looking at him expectantly, he somehow regains the confidence to return her gaze with a genuine, warming smile.

He tosses a small square box towards her, and her fumbling fingers catch the object clumsily.

Upon second glance at the object, the paper ends up slipping fluidly out of her hands and onto the ground. 

“Okay?”

A/N:  Oh, dear. I really feel like that was super long >< Haha, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway! If you have any other couples that you have in mind, please let me know! I will be more than happy to write something. :) Have a lovely day!

[winkonic-prompts]

Wings of Freedom - i

Wings of Freedom - part I Characters:  Kim Han-Bin/B.I (iKON); Lee Ha-Yi/Lee Hi Synopsis:  Rule number one of being in love – Never, ever, ever insult your crushes’ favorite manga character. Seriously. AU:  Where Ha-Yi is absolutely enraptured by the very presence of Levi Ackerman, and Han-Bin becomes overly jealous.

A/N:  A very infamous and popular YG Ship since Team B was released from the dungeon first shown to the public back in 2013 with WIN. I think Mix & Match just solidified it even further, with Ha-Yi working with Han-Bin’s team for “Let It Go”. I personally love these two together; they’re both SO dorky, so talented in various aspects and hey, they’re both born in 1996. (; Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am simply borrowing names. All ideas are purely from my own imagination. 

Munch. Munch. Munch.

“Eren, why are you crying?”

“Ha-Yi-yah – “

“Shh!”

“But – “

The girl in question – Lee Ha-Yi, certified fan-girl of Humanity’s Strongest Soldier and talented soloist – only sends him the most vicious glare she could muster. If the boy – Kim Han-Bin, amateur fan-boy of Mikasa Ackerman, leader and rapper of the most media-played boy group of the 21st century – wasn’t a grouchy irritable fuck at half-past three on a Sunday afternoon, he would’ve pinched her cheeks cutely, and proceeded to fling fresh popcorn kernels into her face.

But no. He was a grouchy, irritable fuck, who was clearly bored out of his mind. Even the proceeding gore and guts that splattered the television screen was not enough to intrigue him.

Here he was, taking his only day-off at the end of a hectic week to spend time with – not his sister (Because every person knew how much of a sucker he was for his adorable young sister, Kim Han-Byul) – but with the girl that he liked. Han-Bin even texted her a week early, just to ask her if she was free so that he could clear up his schedule for her so that they could spend some time together.

Hey, when a certain someone likes another someone, that’s what they do, right?

And call Han-Bin old-fashioned, but he was expecting to have a meal in a nice restaurant – perhaps samgyupsal, barbeque or some sort of stew for the two of them to share – and maybe a stroll around the park, sharing jokes and laughs about her lack of activities and his packed schedule. You know, fun things that friends could be doing?

But instead, Ha-Yi had texted back, saying that she had something planned in mind with a winking emoji to end. And Han-Bin had clearly anticipated Sunday afternoon. You see, when Han-Bin saw her message, he was expecting her to plan something unique for a change – but no, instead, they were now holed up in a fort made from stacked cushions with her parents rustling about in the kitchen.

And yes, they were watching Attack on Titan. Attack on god-fucking Titan that they have watched together for god knows how many times already. Han-Bin already had the entire theme song memorized in his head, and occasionally woke up Chan-Woo with his hollering screams late at night whenever he dreamt of Titans tearing and digesting him alive.

If he knew every single detail – be it minuscule or huge – about the series, was there any point to watching it anymore?    

The first time he watched it, even Han-Bin had to admit it was, first and foremost, the strangest thing he had never watched in all nineteen years of living. But he did confess to Ha-Yi later (After finishing the first episode) that, “It was fucking awesome.” He was completely captivated by the beautifully-drawn animation. The Titans were terrifying enough to cause him to pee his pants slightly, Eren annoyed the shit out of him with his dramatic talks but eventually grew to become one of his favorite characters from the anime, and Mikasa – well, come on now. Who doesn’t love a bad-ass chick who wielded swords to fight for her boyfriend?

The only problem is:  When your crush decided that a one-time showing was not enough. She needed more, and of course being Japan, the next seasons of anime never came out the next day. So, to compensate for the immense amount of waiting time that she had to endure, she was practically forcing Han-Bin to join her on her addiction – and he wasn’t liking it one bit.   

Eventually, the episode finally came to an end (With Han-Bin clearly missing out on every single event that had happened, but he didn’t give much of a shit). With the booming music signifying the end, Han-Bin snapped awake from his quiet nap and glanced at Ha-Yi, who had a handful of popcorn in her lap and looked extremely satisfied with herself.

“Are we done?” Han-Bin asked her, almost sleepily. Raising his arms high into the air, he stretched, listening to the satisfying crack from loosening up the joints in his body. “Can we please do something else now?” He tried to be polite as possible. He really did.

Ha-Yi, however, shook her head with a somewhat wicked grin on her face as she pressed the ‘Play’ button on the remote control – and all signs of politeness was immediately wiped off of Han-Bin’s face. “I want to finish watching episode nine first.”

Episode nine; what happened in that segment? Was it just gore? And blood? And dying? More screams, possibly, with Eren being a prick as he normally behaved? Han-Bin didn’t know anymore, but all he knew was that if he heard the words, ‘Sie sind das Essen und wir sind die Jager’ one more time, he was going to head back to the dormitory and allow Dong-Hyuk to run amok around the living room slamming their pots and pans together.

And you knew that when he gave Dong-Hyuk that amount of freedom, his patience was running thinner than ice.

“God, Ha-Yi-yah,” He snapped, palming his forehead in disappointment. “I came over so we could legit hang out. But at this rate, it’s going to episode nine, then ten, then eleven…”  

“I swear, Han-Binnie, it’s not!” Ha-Yi proclaimed, sounding slightly offended. Good, Han-Bin thought in his mind, trying with great difficulty to suppress the grin threatening to form on his face. The fact that she was aware of his disapproval was good – but he needed something extra to fully divert her attention away from the television, and that way, they could finally spend at least two to three hours doing something other than hiding in her flat.

“You say it’s not, but I feel like it is!” He replied, almost in a pouty tone with his lower lip protruded outward in an extremely exaggerated frown. He knew Ha-Yi like the back of his hand, and every single time he unleashed aegyo on her, she would cater to his wish like a Genie. But, he only used this tactic in the direst of situations – if listening to three hours of agonizing screams wasn’t something that was dire, he didn’t know what would constitute that.  

“Han-Binnie,” She cooed cutely, grabbing onto his arm and wringing it around. “It’s just one more episode!”

Han-Binnie. He was so close. SO close. She called me ‘Han-Binnie’. Damn straight.

“…And then I promise we can do something else, okay? We can go eat at that restaurant that you wanted in Samcheong-Dong. Budae jigae with extra cheese. And I’ll pay! Just watch episode nine with me, and we’ll head out right after!”

A)      Ha-Yi actually remembered that he wanted to go eat budae jigae at that extremely popular restaurant. With cheese. No one ever forgets the cheese.

B)      Watching a twenty-minute episode for such a great reward – hmm, if that wasn’t tempting already…

“I’ll buy us ice-cream too!” She added excitedly. “Baskin Robbins as usual?”

YES. SUCCESS.

C)      Done deal. All he needed was ice-cream.

“In a waffle cone. With sprinkles. I need sprinkles.” He muttered, keeping his composure.

Thirty seconds into the episode, everything was proceeding as planned. All Han-Bin needed to do was tune out the narrator’s voice, completely ignore the random citizens popping up on screen that were of absolutely no importance and keep his mind occupied with the fact that he and Ha-Yi would be spending some legit alone time with each other. Finally, finally.

He wasn’t completely sure when he had started developing feelings for her, but according to Bobby (Who was a self-proclaimed expert in relationships), the best, most stable relationships often stemmed from a strong friendship in the first place. His elder may bullshit plenty of things, but when it came to issues like this, Han-Bin seemed to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Averting his gaze slightly, he takes a second to admire the girl who sat before him, eyes completely fixated on the television screen where several Titans were traipsing through a half-demolished city. Was that Sina or Maria, or something else? Han-Bin didn’t even know anymore – nor did he care.

Lee Ha-Yi. She wasn’t the prettiest girl, Han-Bin had to admit. Nor was she his exact ideal type with the long flowing hair, thin ankles and cardigans – but the point of the matter was:  She didn’t have to fit his standards, and she already molded herself as the embodiment of perfection in his eyes. And you know what? Maybe today will be that day where he can finally tell her how he feels:  They’ve been friends for quite some time now (Since his pre-debut days, actually), they’ve grown completely comfortable with each other to the point where they could easily flirt without becoming awkward…

‘Ha-Yi-yah, I like you.’

“Oh, my God,” Ha-Yi suddenly sighs romantically, snapping Han-Bin out of his trance. “Levi Ackerman is so attractive.”

Wait. Hold up.

“What did you say?” Han-Bin asked sharply, pinching the skin on his hand to wake himself up from this nightmare. Ow. Okay, well, clearly, it wasn’t.

“Levi!” Ha-Yi repeated, practically swooning at the screen. “Look!” Following her finger that was now pointing up at the screen, Han-Bin soon found himself staring into a pair of eyes that reminded him of a dead goldfish with god-awful hair that was something that came out of a 90’s nightmare (Maybe Levi was inspired by Yang Hyun Suk with that 5:5 hair part).

Upon glancing at the character for a few seconds more, Han-Bin suddenly remembers this fellow – the short thirty-something grandpa who looked ready to kill at any time, lacked any sort of humility and always made shitty shit jokes. What kind of thirty-year-old still made jokes about shit? Talk about a lack of refinement…

Oh, and he’s also Humanity’s Strongest Soldier. With his blades and all.

She…found him…attractive?  

Han-Bin snorted, practically choking on his spit as he tried to regain his composure. “GOD, HA-YI, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WHERE IS YOUR TASTE IN MEN?”

“What – ?”

“Levi’s such a piece of shit!” Han-Bin continued with great difficulty, heaving and wiping the tears from his eyes. “His lack of humor, his short height, and his ridiculous lack of care in his appearance are already three reasons why you shouldn’t like him. God, Ha-Yi, do you understand?”

Following his sudden outburst was a long period of awkward silence. Long, drawn-out, awkward and somehow…tense.

He immediately stopped laughing straight away. Because when he looked at her straight in the face, her expression was contorted into something reminiscent of a Titan-like Medusa. “Uh – “ He began, trying to explain himself.

Let’s be honest here; at this stage, we all know that Han-Bin was fighting a losing battle, he knew it.

And now he was going to suffer the consequences of insulting Lee Ha-Yi’s animated crush.

Setting the bowl of popcorn on the sofa, she got up from the fort (Allowing the pillows to tumble and collide with his body) and pointed at the door. “Get out.”

G-get out? Not known for taking orders from other people, Han-Bin only let out a nervous chuckle. “W-what did you just say?”

Ha-Yi, whom did not find this amusing at all, grabbed a nearby pillow and began to smack the dear life out of Han-Bin. “I SAID,” She huffed angrily, voice rising and face growing redder than the sun. “GET OUT!  LEAVE!  NO ONE DARES INSULT LEVI ACKERMAN.”  

“…Ow! OW!” He groaned in pain, shielding the top of his head. “Ha-Yi, stop! DAMNIT!” What the fuck?  Is she being serious right now? Is she that much of an otaku that she would fight me over an animated person? This type of logic made absolutely zero sense to him, but at the moment, he didn’t have time to worry about this. If he didn’t avoid her attacks, he was going to lose a lot of brain cells.

“Get – out – of – my - house!” She enunciated with each hit, forcing him towards the door.

With his shoes in tow and him halfway out, he only stared at her with a look of pure disbelief before saying, “Oh my God, Ha-Yi, please hear me out. You know Levi isn’t real, righ – ?”

Han-Bin didn’t even have the time to finish his sentence before she sent three pillows flying consecutively into his face. “YOU’RE DUMB. SO DUMB.”  

And with that, she slammed the front door in his reddened face. And here stood the poor boy, outside Apartment Number 357 holding the three pillows in his hands, who was still completely flabbergasted at the very fact that he became engaged in a very heated fight with his crush over a virtual man who barely stood at one hundred and sixty-five centimeters.

Fuck you, Levi Ackerman. Fuck you.

A/N:  Poor Han-Bin. (LOL) Hope you enjoyed! Part II will be posted very soon! c: