Genre: Fluff, minor angst, hurt/comfort, crack-ish, established relationship
Synopsis: When you and Keonho attempt to build a desk, growing frustration pushes him to say some things he doesn’t necessarily mean.
Warning(s): Sadness, implication of period, Keonho is so downbad
Word Count: ~1.7k+
A/N: Hai!! I’m on my ladies days right now and this highkey fits the situations happening…SOOOO if anyone else is too, I hope you resonate (and feel better)! If not, just ENJOY MY LOVESSSSS! 🤍🤍
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Moving day had started out exciting to say the least. It was chaotic, exhausting, but nonetheless exciting.
The apartment looked like somebody had sent a tornado full of cardboard boxes into the living room and let it rip however much it wanted to. Half-unpacked kitchen supplies covered the counters, blankets were piled on chairs as high as you, and somebody's socks had somehow ended up inside a box labeled…bathroom?
Yeah…neither of you knew whose fault that was.
"You packed socks with the towels?" Keonho asked from across the room.
You looked up from the box you were sorting through.
"I packed haphazardly."
"That doesn't mean anything."
"It means I was trying my best."
Keonho laughed softly, the sound making your chest warm.
Days like this felt nice. Messy in soft ways that made everything feel more real. Your first apartment together wasn't anything fancy, but every time you looked around, the excitement came rushing back.
This was yours. The couch, dishes, nicely framed pictures still wrapped in newspaper…everything.
Well.
Everything except the desk.
The desk was evil.
Three hours later, you were prepared to personally throw down with whoever designed it. The instruction manual might as well have been written in ancient hieroglyphics because in the five languages it was provided in, none of them made sense.
You sat cross-legged on the floor holding a wooden panel while Keonho squinted at a page upside down.
"I think that's piece C."
"It's literally labeled D with a sticker."
"...oh."
You stared, and Keonho stared back…then both of you burst out laughing.
For a while, it was fine. Slightly annoying, but fine.
…Until your cramps started getting worse.
You shifted positions once.
Then again.
Then again.
Your lower back ached and your stomach hurt, but you kept trying to focus anyway. The last thing you wanted was to slow everything down for Keonho. He looked tired too. I mean, you'd both been moving furniture all day.
It happened slowly so slowly that, at first, neither of you really noticed the mood changing. It was like…a room getting darker before sunset.
"Can you hold that side?"
You adjusted your grip, but the board slipped slightly. Keonho caught it.
"No no, higher."
You tried again, but the cramp that hit your stomach made your focus disappear for half a second.
The board tilted again, and Keonho sighed. Not a huge sigh, or an angry one, just…exhausted.
But somehow…it still stung.
"Sorry."
"It's okay."
You repositioned your hands, but accidentally grabbed the wrong piece. Again.
He sighed another time…but this one was heavier.
Your chest tightened.
"I'm trying."
"I know."
But his voice sounded frustrated, and suddenly everything felt sharper.
The cramps, the moving, the fact you'd been carrying boxes all day, and the fact your emotions felt way closer to the surface than usual.
Keonho rubbed his face, and then finally said it.
"I'll just do it myself."
The room went quiet immediately.
You looked down.
"Oh."
The second the word left your mouth, he seemed to realize how it sounded.
But…he was tired. And frustrated. And already turning back toward the desk.
"It's just faster."
You swallowed hard, the knot in your throat already growing.
"Okay."
A moment passed between you…and then quietly-
"You're not even paying attention."
That one hurt a lot. Because you had been.
You were trying so hard to be.
Your stomach twisted. Not from cramps this time.
You stood up slowly, but Keonho was already focused on the desk again. Trying to line up screws straight, trying to just finish, and trying to get through the afternoon.
So…he didn't see your face. Didn't see your eyes getting glossy. Didn't see how small your voice sounded when you said-
"Okay."
Then you walked away.
The front door clicked shut, but Keonho didn't hear it. Not really at least. He was too busy losing a fight against furniture.
♡
Thirty minutes later, victory.
Well. Sort of.
The desk stood proudly in the middle of the room. One drawer felt a little suspicious, and one side wasn’t totally level….but it was standing.
And honestly?
That counted!
Keonho wiped sweat from his forehead.
"...finally."
He stepped back, admired it, crossed his arms, and nodded once.
"Yeahhhh...take that!” He said, punching his fist slightly forward.
The desk remained silent. Probably because it knew it lost. Or…it couldn’t respond.
Keonho grabbed the instruction booklet and threw it across the room.
"Never wanna see you again."
Then headed toward the bathroom to wash up.
♡
The realization happened in less than ten seconds.
The wrapper sat near the top of the trash can. Pink, crumpled, and obvious.
Keonho froze. Looked at it. Then the calendar. Then the wrapper again.
And suddenly…everything clicked.
Every single thing.
Y/N rubbing her back, Y/N getting quieter, Y/N struggling to focus, Y/N shifting every five minutes, Y/N looking exhausted, and…
His stomach dropped. Hard.
"Oh."
The faucet continued running, but he barely noticed.
"Oh no."
His chest felt hollow. Like actually sick. Because suddenly he remembered her face when he'd said it.
No anger or annoyance or anything…just hurt. And she'd still been helping. Trying. Doing her best. All while feeling awful.
"Oh my goodness."
The water splashed into the sink, but Keonho shut it off immediately, hands flying into his hair.
"Oh my goodness."
The guilt hit so fast it stole his breath.
He quickly dried his hand and ran out of the bathroom.
"Y/N?"
Nothing.
Bedroom. Empty.
Kitchen. Empty.
Guest bathroom. Empty.
"Y/N?"
His pulse picked up. The apartment suddenly felt too quiet.
Way too quiet.
He checked the bedroom again, then the kitchen again, then the balcony, but still…nothing.
Finally, his eyes landed on the front door. The shoe rack was newly set up next to it, but one pair was missing.
His stomach dropped straight through the floor.
"...no."
For the first time all day, genuine panic hit.
No annoyance or frustration anymore…just sheer panic.
He grabbed his jacket so quickly he nearly knocked over a lamp nearby. He stopped at the front table to get his shoes on and noticed most of it empty as well.
Keys…wallet…phone…
All gone.
♡
The convenience store clerk looked exhausted. As if he'd seen every possible human experience.
Until tonight. That was going to change tonight.
Because tonight?
Keonho dumped enough snacks onto the counter to survive a natural disaster. For a years.
Chocolate, chips, gummies, ramen, cookies, juices, soda, heating patches, three different kinds of candy, a tiny plush keychain that reminded him of you, and what looked like every single level of absorbency there was offered in the types of sanitary napkins they had.
The cashier stared slowly at the mountain of snacks and goods. Then hesitantly, he looked up. His face was completely blank.
"...rough day? Or…"
Keonho looked like he hadn't slept in forty-eight hours.
"Yeah."
The cashier nodded. Like that explained everything.
Honestly?
Maybe it did…or maybe the boxes of menstrual products did.
♡
The park was almost completely empty with the swings moving slightly in the evening breeze.
And…there you were. Sitting alone, rocking back and forth, and just looking tired.
The second Keonho saw you, something in his chest broke. Because you looked so small sitting there by yourself.
For a moment he just stood there, regretting how he treated you early that day.
Then slowly, he approached. You noticed him immediately, but neither of you spoke.
The swing creaked softly as Keonho stopped in front of you.
Slowly, he knelt down and the grocery bag rustled in his hands. When he was in front of you…suddenly all the words he'd rehearsed disappeared.
All he could think of was one.
"I'm sorry."
Your expression softened instantly as you played with your hands. You were still hurt, but it was softer now.
Keonho looked down.
"I shouldn't have said that."
Silence.
"I knew you were helping."
The swing moved gently.
Back. Forward. Back. Forward.
"I was frustrated at the desk."
His laugh came out weak.
"The desk can go to hell now."
A tiny smile appeared even though you were in pain.
There it is. The sight almost made him cry.
Because she'd still smiled. Even after everything.
Keonho swallowed hard.
"I wasn't frustrated with you."
His voice got quieter.
"I promise."
You looked up at him now and really stared at his eyes. Immediately, you saw how awful he felt. The guilt was written all over his face.
"When I saw the bathroom trash..."
His shoulders dropped.
"I realized."
You blinked.
"Oh."
"Yeah."
A beat passed. Then another.
Keonho lifted the bag.
"I panic-bought things."
He handed you the bag, and you peeked inside. Your eyes widened instantly.
"...baby."
"I know."
"Why are there like…forty seven different snacks?"
"I panicked."
"You bought more heating patches?"
"I PANICKED."
A small laugh escaped you…and Keonho looked so relieved you'd think he'd just been handed a million dollar check.
♡
The walk home felt quieter and softer at the same time.
Your hand stayed tucked inside his sleeve, his other hand carrying the groceries, and every few minutes Keonho looked down at you.
Checking. Making sure you were okay. Making sure you were still there.
But by the fourth time, you finally laughed.
"Stop looking at me."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"...maybe."
♡
The apartment greeted you with cardboard boxes and chaos. Not the best sight to see, but you were just happy to be home.
…And in the middle of it, the desk.
You stopped, genuinely impressed.
"Oh."
Keonho looked up nervously.
"It looks good!"
The compliment barely registered…because the second the words left your mouth, his arms wrapped around you. Like he couldn't help himself.
His face buried into your shoulder.
"I'm so sorry."
You laughed softly.
"Baby."
"I'm serious."
"I know."
"I'm really sorry."
You smiled, and then wrapped your arms around him too. The apartment stayed quiet around you. Half unpacked, messy, and imperfect, but you didn’t care. It was warm.
It was safe. It was home.
And it was yours.
Eventually you pulled back enough to look at the desk again.
"It really does look good."
Keonho glanced toward it…then back at you…and then immediately hugged you again, tighter this time.
"The desk can go to hell."
And honestly?
You couldn't stop laughing.
Because after everything that just went down, you were pretty sure he meant it.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
A/N: I feel like I’ve been writing a lot of argument based fics in the past few days…but don’t worry I plan to lighten up!! 😭 I have a James fic I want to write that I’ve had the plot line drafted out for like…a WEEK now, so after that I also will get to a few of your guys’ requests from so long ago!! Thank you all again for your patience, and I hope you enjoyed this story!! I’ll probably write more today since I have nothing better to do and then I can open up my requests again! ☺️
(OH AND ALSO!!! You like the new theme?? I wanted to make it a little more colorful, so this is what I came up with! 🙂↕️)
Genre: Fluff, crack-ish, comfort, soft romance, established relationship, featured Woonhak from BND
Synopsis: When you compliment Woonhak’s braiding skills, Seonghyeon can’t help but feel a little jealous.
Warning(s): Jealousy, crying (more like tearing up), frustration, fluff, comfort, Seonghyeon is such a cutie
Word Count: ~1.2k+
A/N: Hai! This is a shorter one because I had this plot line written down for a while and wanted to get to writing right away. I hope you enjoy!
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
The whole thing kind of started because you couldn't keep your mouth shut. In your defense though, the braid was really good!!
You and Seonghyeon had been out grabbing coffee when you spotted Woonhak from BOYNEXTDOOR sitting outside with his girlfriend. Normally you would've minded your business.
…Normally.
But his girlfriend was sitting between his knees while he braided her hair…and honestly?
The braid looked professional…like suspiciously professional. So, you slowed down near them.
"Wait a minute."
Seonghyeon looked up from his drink.
"What??"
You pointed.
"Look at that braid."
He followed your gaze.
"Oh."
You stared for another few seconds.
"That is a really good braid."
Seonghyeon shrugged.
"Yeah, I guess so bro."
"No, seriously."
You were still looking.
"That looks like something you'd pay for."
Woonhak tied it off neatly and you physically gasped.
"Oh my gosh."
Seonghyeon glanced between you and the braid…then back to you…then back to the braid. For some reason, his expression got a little bit weird. He wasn’t upset with you, but suddenly he felt…determined.
"You know I can braid hair too, right?"
You blinked.
"What?"
"I can."
Now you were staring at him instead.
"You can braid hair?"
"Yeah."
"Since when?"
Seonghyeon took a sip of his drink.
"Just can."
You narrowed your eyes.
"Why does that sound made up?"
"It isn't."
"Seonghyeon."
"It isn't."
"Have you ever braided hair?"
Silence engulfed the both of you. After a few seconds, he continued,
"...once."
"ONCE?"
"It still counts."
You started laughing immediately.
"I'm serious."
"So am I!"
He pointed at you.
"I could do that braid."
You looked back at Woonhak, and then back at Seonghyeon…and the slowly back at the braid.
"No offense, baby..."
"Already taking offense."
“…but I don't think you could."
His jaw dropped.
"Wow."
"I'm being honest."
"That's crazy."
"You literally admitted you've done it once."
"Still."
He crossed his arms.
"I could do it."
You laughed so hard you nearly spilled your drink.
And unfortunately? That was the exact moment the challenge in Seonghyeon’s head became personal.
♡
Three days later, Seonghyeon appeared in your apartment holding three hair ties and what looked suspiciously like confidence he hadn't earned.
"Sit."
You looked up from the couch.
"What?"
"Sit."
"Why?"
He held up the hair ties.
"I'm braiding your hair."
You immediately started laughing.
"With three hair ties?? No."
"Why not?"
"Because I like my hair."
"Baby."
"You've braided hair one time."
"I've been practicing."
"On who?"
Silence spread, and you immediately squinted.
"...Seonghyeon."
He looked away.
"Oh my gosh."
"Don't."
"Have you been practicing on yourself?"
"No."
"Who then?"
More silence…and suddenly it hit you.
"...the mannequin head."
His face immediately turned red.
You LOST it.
"The mannequin head from the practice room?!"
"STOP."
"You bought a mannequin head?!"
"I borrowed it!"
That only made you laugh harder. By the end of it, you were crying actual tears while Seonghyeon sat beside you looking deeply offended.
"You're not taking this seriously."
"Because it's funny as hell!"
"It won't be funny when my braid is amazing."
You wiped your eyes.
"Okay, braid master."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I accepted it as one."
♡
A week later, you finally gave in…mostly because he would not stop asking.
You were sitting in front of your vanity while Seonghyeon stood behind you armed with approximately seventeen hair ties and a higher level of confidence then before…that honestly concerned you.
For the first few minutes things seemed okay!
…but then you watched his face slowly change in the mirror.
Concentration to confusion to concern to mild panic…so you decided to check in on him.
"Everything okay back there?"
"...mhm."
Well that sounded really fake.
Five minutes later he undid the entire thing.
"Okay."
You turned slightly.
"Okay good?"
"No."
"Oh."
He started over.
Again.
And again.
And again.
By attempt number four, your braid looked less like a hairstyle and more like a toddler put a fan to your hair and let it rip.
You were trying so hard not to laugh…you really were!
…but behind you, Seonghyeon looked genuinely stressed. His brows were furrowed, his tongue was poking slightly against the inside of his cheek, and every few seconds he would squint at your hair like it was somehow getting…farther away? Did he need glasses?
"Why are you looking at it like that?"
"It won't cooperate."
"It's hair."
"It's being difficult."
"You're blaming my hair?"
"Yes."
“It’s not moving on its own?”
“Well, you might wanna get that checked out again…”
You snorted. What was he talking about??
A few more minutes passed…and then suddenly-
Nothing. No movement, no hair pulling…nothing.
You looked up at the mirror and Seonghyeon was just staring.
"...baby?"
A long sigh. Then…his forehead dropped onto your shoulder.
Bonk.
You froze…then immediately started laughing.
"Oh no."
"Don't."
His voice came out muffled against your shoulder.
"It's bad."
"It can't be that bad."
"It is."
"You sound devastated."
"I am devastated."
Now you were laughing harder at that…but something made you stop. Because he really…did look upset.
Not angry…but embarrassed. Frustrated. Cute, honestly, but definitely frustrated.
You turned carefully in the chair, and Seonghyeon immediately avoided eye contact while wiping his eyes.
Which…was suspicious.
"Hey."
Nothing.
"Seonghyeon."
Still nothing. A little smile tugged at your lips.
"Why do you care so much?"
His ears immediately turned pink.
Aha.
There it is.
"You've been trying to learn this for a week."
No response.
"You literally borrowed a mannequin head."
"Don't bring him into this."
You laughed, then reached over and poked his arm.
"Seriously."
A moment passed…and then another.
Eventually, he muttered,
"You looked impressed."
"What?"
"The braid."
You blinked.
"The braid from last week?"
He nodded slowly.
"I don't know."
His voice got quieter.
"You looked at it and thought it was cool."
Your heart melted instantly.
Oh…
That was actually so adorable.
"And I wanted you to think I was cool."
You stared at him for a second as Seonghyeon stared firmly at the floor. After a while, he groaned and covered his face.
"Forget I said that."
"No."
"Please."
"No."
He looked mortified.
"I mean it."
"But that's so cute."
"It wasn't supposed to be cute."
"It was extremely cute."
"It wasn't."
You grabbed his face with both hands.
"It was."
Seonghyeon looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.
Then…you kissed his cheek.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
And immediately, he started smiling.
"You don't have to be good at braiding."
Another kiss.
"I already think you're cool."
One more.
"I already think you're funny."
Another.
"I already think you're cute."
"Okay."
"And you're my favorite person."
At that, his smile softened. Soft in the way that only showed up when he forgot to hide it. You pressed one last kiss to the tip of his nose before continuing.
"And for the record?"
"Hm?"
"I would've dated you even if you couldn't braid hair."
He laughed. Finally, a real laugh. Then after a second he pointed toward your hair.
"Can I try one more time?"
You looked at the disaster hanging over your shoulder, then at him.
"...sure."
Twenty minutes later the braid was still terrible, and Seonghyeon hated it so much. But, before he could take it out, you immediately took a picture.
"Delete that."
"No."
"It looks awful."
"It's my favorite hairstyle."
He stared at you as you smiled, and unfortunately for him, that was enough to make his face red all over again.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
A/N: It’s a cute little short one and I really hope you enjoyed their dynamic!! I thought the idea of Seonghyeon trying to braid hair was really cute sooooo…
Genre: Angst with happy ending, hurt/comfort, established relationship, soft romance, miscommunication, featured Soobin of TXT
Synopsis: Juhoon has always loved quietly.
So quietly, in fact, that sometimes you can’t tell where his affection ends and distance begins. After one devastating argument pushes you out the door for hours, Juhoon is left alone with the horrifying realization that he may have finally broken the one thing he loves most.
Warning(s): Emotional argument, insecurity, jealousy, crying, panic attack, hurtful words, fear of abandonment, heavy emotional themes, LOTS of comfort
Word Count: ~18.9k+
A/N: Haiiii guess who had to make a part three because it was still too long…uhhhhh…
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
The apartment building looked almost abandoned at two in the morning.
The hallways were quiet, the elevators silent, and even the flickering fluorescent lights seemed sleepy.
Your stomach twisted nervously as you approached the apartment door. The hurt from earlier hadn't disappeared, not even close…but neither had your love for him.
Which honestly…made everything more complicated.
Your hand hovered over the handle. For a second you considered turning around.
Just one more hour. One more walk. One more coffee. One more excuse.
But eventually, you unlocked the door.
The apartment was dark. Completely dark.
You paused. A tiny bitter thought immediately appeared.
Great. He went to bed. Of course he did.
Your chest tightened. Because despite spending hours trying to convince yourself you were fine, a small selfish part of you had hoped he'd be waiting.
Maybe sitting on the couch…maybe worried…maybe-
You stopped yourself.
Don't.
The apartment remained silent. You quietly kicked off your shoes, set down your jacket, and slowly walked toward the bedroom.
The hallway felt longer than usual. Your heartbeat picked up slightly.
Then-
You pushed open the bedroom door, and froze immediately.
Your breath caught.
The room was dark except for the faint glow of a bedside lamp. And there, against the wall beside the bed, sat Juhoon.
Your stomach dropped.
Oh. Oh no.
For a second your brain couldn't process what you were seeing.
Because he looked...destroyed.
Not dramatic or theatrical or fake.
Destroyed.
His head rested against the wall, his hoodie was wrinkled, his dark hair was completely disheveled, and his eyes-
Your heart physically clenched.
His eyes were red. Swollen.
His breathing still uneven like he'd been crying…for a long time. And in his hands, clutched tightly against his chest, was the tiny Baymax plush. The one from Tokyo Disney.
The one you'd won together.
Your throat tightened instantly.
"Juhoon..."
His head snapped upward.
The second he saw you, everything changed.
Relief, then shock, then disbelief, and then…hope. It all crashed across his face at once.
And for one terrifying second, he looked like he might cry again. Neither of you moved.
The room stayed completely still.
Then suddenly-
Juhoon turned his face away. Fast. Almost desperately.
One hand immediately lifting toward his eyes.
Your chest cracked.
"Don't."
His voice came out rough. Broken.
Almost unrecognizable.
"Don't look at me."
Your eyes widened.
"What?"
He swallowed hard, still facing away. Still hiding.
"Please."
The word shattered you.
"Juhoon-“
"Please don't."
His shoulders trembled slightly, and suddenly you understood.
Oh. Oh no.
He was embarrassed. Embarrassed that you'd caught him like this.
Crying.
Falling apart.
The same boy who struggled to cry in front of anyone. The same boy who hid every difficult emotion behind silence. The same boy who spent years convincing everyone he was okay.
And now…
You'd found him completely unraveled.
Your eyes burned immediately.
Slowly, carefully…you crossed the room.
Juhoon didn't move. Didn't look up. Didn't say anything. He just sat there clutching Baymax like it was the only thing keeping him together.
Your heart ached so badly.
When you finally reached him, you lowered yourself onto the floor right beside him. Neither of you spoke. Not immediately at least. The silence felt fragile now. Tender.
Then softly, you reached for him. Just once.
A hand against his arm.
The reaction was immediate.
Juhoon broke, a shaky breath escaped him.
Then another. Then suddenly his face dropped into your shoulder, like gravity itself had pulled him there. His arms wrapped around you instantly. Tight. Desperate. The Baymax plush still trapped awkwardly between you both. And then-
A sob.
Your eyes immediately filled. Because it wasn't loud. It sounded devastated. Like someone who'd been holding themselves together for far too long.
"Hey."
Your voice cracked.
"Hey..."
Another shaky breath. Then another. His entire body trembled.
And all at once you realized, he'd been suffering this entire time.
For hours.
Completely alone.
Your arms wrapped around him immediately. One hand sliding into his hair, and the other rubbing slow circles across his back.
"It's okay."
The second you said it, Juhoon buried himself closer. Like he'd been waiting to hear those words. Like he'd needed permission to finally stop pretending.
And your heart broke all over again. Because through his uneven breathing, you heard him whisper something.
Small. Shaky. Almost impossible to hear.
"I thought you left."
And suddenly, everything hurt.
Juhoon's voice barely sounded like his own.
It was rough. Raw. Worn down by hours of panic and crying and overthinking every possible outcome until his mind had nearly destroyed itself.
Still pressed against your shoulder, he whispered it again.
"I thought you left."
The confession settled heavily between you.
Your chest tightened instantly…because suddenly all the missing pieces clicked into place. The red eyes, the shaking, the way he'd hidden his face when you walked in, the fact he'd been sitting on the floor at two in the morning clutching a Baymax plush like it was a lifeline.
He genuinely thought you weren't coming back.
Your fingers slowed in his hair.
"Oh, Juhoon..."
A shaky laugh escaped him. The kind that wasn't actually laughter.
"I couldn't call you."
Your brows furrowed.
"What?"
"My phone."
His voice cracked.
"You left your phone."
Oh. Your stomach dropped immediately.
"And your watch."
You closed your eyes.
Right. You had.
"I checked both."
Another shaky breath.
"I thought maybe you had your watch."
Your chest physically hurt now…because you could picture it.
Juhoon running through the apartment, looking for some way to contact you. Any way.
"I couldn't reach you."
The sentence came out broken. Almost childlike in its honesty.
You felt your throat tighten…and suddenly the image of him sitting here alone for hours became almost unbearable.
You tightened your arms around him.
"I'm sorry."
Immediately his head lifted.
"No."
The word came out fast. Firm. For the first time since you'd arrived.
"No."
His eyes were glossy again. Red-rimmed.
Exhausted.
"You don't get to apologize first."
The pain in his voice made your chest ache.
"Juhoon-"
"No."
His hand came up quickly, wiping at his face…but failing completely.
"Don't do that."
His voice shook.
"I said those things."
The room went quiet. Juhoon looked away.
Ashamed. Like he physically couldn't stand remembering it.
"I knew that was your biggest insecurity."
Your heart squeezed. His jaw tightened.
"And I said it anyway."
The guilt in his expression was devastating.
"You were angry."
"I don't care."
The answer came immediately.
He looked back at you, eyes shining.
"I don't care if I was angry."
Your breath caught.
"That doesn't excuse it."
His voice cracked.
"Nothing excuses it."
The room fell silent again, and for the first time all night, Juhoon finally said everything he'd been keeping trapped inside.
"I was jealous."
You blinked.
He then laughed weakly. Embarrassed. Humiliated, honestly, but too exhausted to hide anymore.
"I hated it."
His fingers tightened slightly around the Baymax plush.
"I hated how easy it was."
Your brows furrowed.
"What was?"
"You and Soobin."
The confession finally escaped him and immediately his face reddened.
Not from anger. Embarrassment. Because hearing it out loud made it sound ridiculous.
You stared at him. Then stared some more.
And suddenly-
"Oh my gosh."
Juhoon covered his face.
"I know."
Your jaw literally dropped.
"THAT'S what this was about?"
He groaned immediately. Loudly. And somehow the sound was so miserable that despite everything, a tiny laugh escaped you. Which made him groan harder.
"Oh my gosh."
Your shoulders shook slightly.
"Juhoon."
"I know."
"You were jealous."
"I KNOW."
The words bounced off the bedroom walls…and for the first time all night, the tension cracked. Just slightly. A tiny fracture. A tiny bit of light.
You stared at him in disbelief.
"He's literally Soobin."
"I am aware."
"He was being nice."
"I am aware."
"He bought me a coffee."
"I REMEMBER."
You physically laughed, and immediately Juhoon's expression softened. Because he'd missed that sound.
God. He'd missed it so much.
The room quieted again. This time gentler.
And after a moment, you reached for his hand.
And he let you. Immediately. Like he'd been waiting for permission.
"Juhoon."
His eyes lifted.
"You know I love you, right?"
The question shattered him. Actually shattered him. Because after everything, after all the panic, after all the fear, after convincing himself he'd ruined everything-
You were still looking at him like that. Still reaching for him. Still here.
His eyes filled again.
"Yeah."
Your heart squeezed.
"No."
You shifted closer, taking both his hands now.
"Really."
His breathing hitched.
"You."
You pointed gently at his chest.
"Only you."
The tears returned instantly…because suddenly all the stupid insecurity he'd spent weeks building inside himself felt ridiculous…and yet so real.
"I know."
His voice cracked. Then quieter-
"I just forgot."
The honesty nearly broke you.
Because that was it. Not a lack of trust. Not a lack of love.
Fear. Simple fear. Fear that one day someone brighter would come along. Someone easier, someone more expressive, someone who wasn't constantly struggling to communicate what lived inside his heart.
Your hand moved to his cheek, and immediately he leaned into it. Instinctively.
The way he always did when he needed comfort.
"You are not hard to love."
The tears finally spilled. You watched his face crumple. Because somehow, that was exactly what he'd needed to hear. Not just you. Him too.
Your thumb brushed beneath his eye.
"And for the record?"
A weak breath escaped him.
"Hm?"
"I don't want someone else."
His eyes closed. Like hearing it physically hurt…in the best way. And after a second, you noticed something.
The Baymax plush. Still trapped between his arms. Still being held with the intensity of someone protecting national secrets.
Your lips twitched immediately.
"Oh."
Juhoon froze.
Slowly, very slowly, your eyes dropped toward it.
Then back up.
Then down again.
His face turned red instantly.
"Don't."
A laugh escaped you.
"Juhoon."
"Don't."
You pointed.
"Why are you hiding him?"
His shoulders dropped. Completely defeated. A pathetic little puff of air escaped him. Half sigh, half embarrassment.
You immediately lost it, laughing through the leftover tears.
And that?
That finally did it.
Because the second you laughed, Juhoon laughed too.
Small, weak, but real. The first real laugh of the night.
You gently poked Baymax's little head.
Once.
Then again.
"Did he survive?"
Juhoon buried his face in your shoulder.
"No."
"He suffered greatly?"
"He knows too much."
You laughed harder.
And finally…the darkness lifted. Just enough.
Your hand slid into his hair…and then gently, you pressed a kiss to the top of his head.
Juhoon froze. The way he always did. That tiny pause. That tiny moment where he absorbed affection like sunlight.
Then slowly, his arms tightened around your waist. And this time when he hugged you, there was no hesitation. No restraint.
Just relief.
♡
The next morning arrived quietly.
The apartment felt different. Softer, honestly. Like a storm had finally passed.
Sunlight spilled lazily across the living room windows, and you'd ended up asleep on the couch after sharing tea and talking until nearly dawn. Not because you planned too, but you'd simply curled beneath a blanket together and eventually drifted off.
When you woke, the apartment was silent.
For a moment you thought Juhoon was still asleep.
Then-
You noticed him.
Standing near the hallway. Watching you.
Your heart immediately melted. Because his eyes were still puffy. Still slightly red. Evidence of yesterday lingering behind.
The second you noticed him, he hesitated.
Just slightly.
Then slowly walked over.
No words, no warning, nothing.
He simply climbed onto the couch carefully, and then settled directly on top of you.
You laughed immediately.
"Good morning to you too."
No response. Just Juhoon wrapping his arms around your waist, burying his face against your chest, and refusing to move.
Your heart nearly exploded.
"Oh."
He just held you tighter like a koala. A very emotional koala at that.
You slid your fingers through his hair, and after a long moment, his voice finally appeared muffled against your shirt.
"I'm sorry."
Your chest tightened.
"Juhoon-"
"No."
His grip tightened slightly.
"I mean it."
The words came slowly, carefully. Like he'd been thinking about them all night.
"I was jealous."
You smiled faintly.
"I know."
"I was insecure."
"I know."
"I was scared."
Your fingers paused…and then softer-
"I know."
The room stayed quiet. Sunlight warming the couch, the blanket tangled around both of you.
His voice dropped even lower.
"But none of that was an excuse."
Your throat tightened.
"I hurt you."
His arms tightened again.
"And I hate that I did."
The sincerity nearly made you cry. Because this wasn't someone apologizing to end an argument.
This was Juhoon. Fully vulnerable. Fully honest. The version of himself almost nobody saw.
You leaned down, and pressed a kiss into his hair. Then another…and another…until finally he huffed softly.
A tiny sound, almost amused. Almost…embarrassed.
And when he finally lifted his head, his eyes were softer than you'd ever seen them.
"I love you."
The words came quietly without fear this time.
Just whole truth.
Your heart melted instantly.
"I love you too."
And this time when he smiled, it wasn't hidden. It wasn't restrained either. It was small, sleepy, and completely real. The kind of smile that only belonged to you.
And for the first time since the argument, everything felt okay again.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
A/N: HAIIIII! So it took me like three days to write this yikessss…BUT!! I’m officially on summer break now!! Which meansss I’ll probably have more time to brew ideas in my head! I already have two more Cortis fics in mind, so stay tuned for that!! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you liked it!
Genre: Angst with happy ending, hurt/comfort, established relationship, soft romance, miscommunication, featured Soobin of TXT
Synopsis: Juhoon has always loved quietly. So quietly, in fact, that sometimes you can’t tell where his affection ends and distance begins. After one devastating argument pushes you out the door for hours, Juhoon is left alone with the horrifying realization that he may have finally broken the one thing he loves most.
Warning(s): Emotional argument, insecurity, jealousy, crying, panic attack, hurtful words, fear of abandonment, heavy emotional themes, LOTS of comfort
Word Count: ~18.9k+
A/N: Haiiii! So this is the part two because Tumblr sucks and doesn’t like how I space things so I have to split one story up into two. ✌️ ENJOY!!
And yet somehow his chest still felt tight every time he thought about it.
"No."
The word came out quieter this time.
Your eyes searched his face.
"Then what is it?"
Silence hit immediately.
Your shoulders sagged slightly. Of course.
Silence again. The thing that hurt most wasn't even the lack of answers anymore.
It was the feeling that Juhoon was choosing not to give them.
Like there was a door between you.
And every time you knocked, he locked it tighter.
"Please."
Your voice softened.
The frustration was still there, but underneath it…something sadder.
"I can't fix something if I don't know what's wrong."
Juhoon's jaw tightened…because that wasn't fair either. How were you supposed to fix something you didn't even know existed?
The thought made him feel worse.
And somehow, that also made him defensive.
"I'm handling it."
You stared at him.
Then laughed once. A tiny sound. Disbelieving.
"No you're not."
The words landed harder than you intended.
Juhoon looked away immediately.
There. Again. That instinct. Retreat, Hide, and disappear.
And suddenly, you were tired. Not tired of him. Never him.
Just tired.
Tired of feeling shut out.
Tired of guessing.
Tired of standing outside walls he refused to lower.
"Do you know what the problem is?"
His eyes closed briefly…because he knew he wasn't going to like whatever came next.
"You always do this."
There it was.
"Do what?"
"Disappear."
His stomach dropped.
You folded your arms tighter.
"When something's wrong, you just disappear into yourself."
"I'm right here."
"Physically."
The word hit like a slap.
Your eyes were shiny now. Not crying, no. You were still holding it together.
But barely.
"You're sitting in front of me and somehow I haven't felt close to you in weeks."
Something painful twisted inside Juhoon's chest…because he knew. Hell, he knew.
But hearing it out loud made it real.
You swallowed.
"I miss you."
The confession came out so quietly it almost hurt more. And for a second, Juhoon almost broke.
Almost reached for you. Almost told you everything.
Then your phone buzzed.
On the counter.
Both of your eyes flicked toward it automatically.
The screen lit up.
A message.
From Soobin.
Juhoon's entire body went still.
The room suddenly felt too warm.
Too small.
Too loud.
You grabbed the phone without thinking.
Glanced down, smiled slightly, and that was it. That tiny smile.
The one that would've meant nothing any other day.
But right now?
Right now it felt like gasoline on a fire he'd been trying to smother for weeks.
Your fingers moved quickly across the screen.
Typing back.
Still completely unaware. Because why would you be aware? You had no idea what was happening inside his head. No idea how many nights he'd spent staring at the ceiling feeling sick over something he couldn't even explain properly.
The message sent.
You looked back up, and froze.
Because something in Juhoon's face had changed.
Not anger.
Worse.
Hurt. Raw hurt.
Your stomach dropped.
"...Juhoon?"
His laugh was quiet, humorless. And your heart immediately started racing. Because Juhoon almost never laughed when he was upset.
"Was that Soobin?"
The question caught you off guard.
"...yeah?"
Silence. Then another tiny laugh.
You suddenly hated that sound.
Because it didn't sound like him.
"What?"
Juhoon stared at the countertop, at his hands, anywhere except you.
And finally, after weeks of swallowing it,
the truth slipped out.
"Nothing."
Your eyes narrowed.
"Juhoon."
He exhaled sharply.
Then stood up. The chair scraped loudly against the floor, and suddenly your pulse jumped.
Because now something was definitely wrong.
"Forget it."
"No."
The word came out immediately.
Too quickly.
Because after weeks of feeling him pull away, you weren't letting him run from the conversation now.
"No, tell me."
His shoulders stiffened. You stood too.
"Tell me."
Another silence.
Long. Painful.
Until finally, very quietly, he said-
"...I feel like a third wheel."
The room went still. Completely still.
Your mouth parted.
"What?"
The words sounded genuinely confused.
Which somehow made him feel worse. Like maybe he'd built this entire thing up in his head alone.
Juhoon laughed softly again.
That awful sound.
"Forget it."
"No."
You stepped closer.
"What are you talking about?"
His eyes finally lifted…and the vulnerability there almost knocked the breath from your lungs.
Because he looked embarrassed. Actually embarrassed.
"I feel like a third wheel."
This time he forced himself to say it fully.
"With you and Soobin."
Silence. Your brain physically stopped.
For a solid two seconds.
Then three.
Then-
"What?"
Not dismissive. Genuinely shocked. Like the idea had never crossed your mind.
And somehow that hurt too. Because of course it hadn't.
You weren't the one lying awake at night over it.
"Juhoon."
You stared at him.
"...Soobin?"
His jaw tightened.
There it was. That reaction. Like he already regretted saying anything. Like he knew how ridiculous it sounded.
And maybe that was why it came out harsher than intended.
"Forget it."
"No."
You shook your head immediately.
"No, because where is this coming from?"
Weeks. Months. Everything he'd swallowed finally pressed against his ribs at once.
"The way you two act."
Your eyebrows shot up.
"The way we-"
"You text constantly."
"Because he's our friend."
"You laugh at everything he says."
"What?"
"You always sit together."
"Because he sits next to me!"
The conversation was accelerating now, neither of you realizing it yet. Nor did you guys notice how quickly emotions were starting to spiral.
You stared at him. Actually stunned.
The room felt smaller suddenly. Like the walls had shifted inward while neither of you were paying attention.
You stared at Juhoon across the kitchen island, still trying to process what he'd just said.
A third wheel? With Soobin?
The thought felt so absurd that for a moment you genuinely didn't know how to respond.
Because Soobin wasn't...he wasn't anything.
He was a friend.
A sweet friend.
A mutual friend.
Someone you joked with…and someone you happened to text often.
That was it.
Nothing more. Nothing remotely close to what Juhoon seemed to think.
And the fact that he'd apparently been carrying this alone for weeks made your chest hurt.
"Juhoon."
Your voice softened immediately.
"He's just nice."
The second the sentence left your mouth, you saw it.
The shift. Tiny, almost invisible.
But there.
His expression closed slightly. Like a door quietly clicking shut.
And immediately you wanted to take it back.
Because you knew that look. You knew it well.
It meant:
“You don't understand.”
The silence stretched.
Then Juhoon laughed softly.
Again.
That awful laugh. The one that never sounded like him.
"Right."
Your stomach dropped.
"Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"That."
You gestured helplessly.
"That thing where you pretend you're fine but you're obviously upset."
His jaw tightened.
"I'm not pretending."
"Juhoon."
"He is nice."
The agreement surprised you…for half a second.
Until he continued.
"He's funny."
Your pulse jumped.
"Juhoon-"
"Everyone likes him."
"That's not what this is."
"He remembers everything you say."
The words came quieter now, more vulnerable. Which somehow hurt worse.
"He texts you all the time."
Your chest tightened.
Because suddenly, for the first time, you could actually hear the insecurity underneath everything.
Not anger.
Fear.
And that made your frustration falter.
You stepped closer.
"Baby."
His eyes squeezed shut briefly…because that wasn't fair either.
You using the voice. The soft one. The one that always made him want to fold instantly.
"Look at me."
Slowly, he did. And the hurt sitting there made your heart ache.
"Oh, Juhoon."
You moved forward instinctively. Wanting to hug him, wanting to fix it, wanting to erase the expression on his face…but he stepped back.
Just once.
And it felt like being punched.
The movement wasn't aggressive, nor was angry.
Just reflexive.
And somehow that made it worse.
Your arms dropped.
Slowly.
The realization hurt more than you expected.
Because when had he started pulling away from you?
When had that become normal?
"Do you really think I like Soobin?"
The question escaped before you could stop it.
Juhoon's eyes dropped to the floor.
"I don't know."
The answer shattered something.
Not completely. Just enough.
Because after everything, all this time, he still wasn't sure?
Your voice came out smaller.
"You don't know?"
Silence.
Then-
"I know you love me."
Your shoulders relaxed slightly…until he continued.
"But lately it doesn't feel like enough."
The words landed heavily between you.
And suddenly your own hurt started rising again.
Because now it felt like no matter what you did, it wasn't being seen.
"Juhoon."
You laughed softly. Disbelieving.
"Are you serious?"
His eyebrows furrowed.
"What does that mean?"
"It means I've spent the last two weeks wondering why my boyfriend won't even hug me back."
The room went silent immediately.
Because that one landed. Hard.
You could see it.
See the guilt flash across his face.
But now that you'd started, you couldn't stop. The words had been building too long.
"I'm always the one reaching for you."
His stomach dropped.
"I'm always the one initiating things."
"That's not-"
"It is."
Your voice cracked.
And suddenly all the sadness underneath your frustration surfaced at once.
"I hug you first."
You swallowed.
"I kiss you first."
Your eyes were shining now.
"I sit beside you first."
Juhoon couldn't look at you…because every word was true. Every single one.
"I've been trying for weeks."
The sentence came out barely above a whisper.
"And you just keep getting farther away."
Guilt crashed into him so hard it almost made him dizzy. Because he'd never wanted you to feel that way.
Never.
But before he could say it, before he could explain, another sentence slipped out.
Quiet.
Broken.
"...you never seemed to have trouble talking to him."
Your head snapped up…and suddenly, your frustration surged right back.
Because there it was.
The thing you'd been trying to explain.
The thing he wasn't hearing.
"Because he talks back."
The second the words left your mouth everything stopped.
Your eyes widened slightly.
Juhoon's face went completely still.
"Oh."
The single syllable hurt. A lot.
Because he knew what you meant…and because part of him believed it.
You immediately tried to fix it.
"That's not-"
"No."
His voice was firmer now. Too firm. The hurt finally beginning to crack through.
"I get it."
"Juhoon."
"No, I get it."
His chest felt tight, his breathing felt wrong, and everything suddenly hurt.
Because all he heard was:
Soobin is easier.
Soobin talks more.
Soobin is better.
And the next words left his mouth before he could stop them. Before he could think.
Before he could save himself.
"Maybe you'd be happier with someone like him then."
Silence. Complete.
The second the sentence landed, Juhoon knew. Immediately.
Because your face changed.
Not anger, not frustration, something more painful.
Heartbreak.
And all at once, every ounce of anger left him.
Gone. Instantly.
Your mouth parted slightly.
Like you'd physically forgotten how to speak.
"Wow."
The word came out in a tiny whisper. Almost inaudible.
And suddenly Juhoon couldn't breathe.
Because he didn't mean it.
God, he didn't mean it. Not even a little.
But it was too late. Because he'd watched it hit you.
Watched it land.
Watched it hurt.
And now, for the first time all night, he was scared. Actually scared.
"Baby-"
But your eyes had already dropped.
And that terrified him more than if you'd screamed.
The silence after his words felt endless.
"Maybe you'd be happier with someone like him then."
The sentence seemed to linger in the apartment long after he'd said it.
Neither of you moved. Neither of you spoke.
And suddenly Juhoon wished he could grab the words out of the air and shove them back into his mouth.
Because he didn't mean them. Not even a little.
The second they'd left him he'd known.
Known it was cruel.
Known it wasn't fair.
Known it had nothing to do with what he was actually feeling.
But now, it was too late. Your eyes had dropped to the floor…and somehow that scared him more than anything else.
Because you always looked at him. Even when you were angry, and even when you were frustrated. You always looked at him.
Always joked that his eyes were the most “expressive boba pearls ever”.
But now?
You weren't.
"Baby."
The nickname came out softer this time.
Careful.
Like he was approaching a wounded animal.
Your laugh was tiny. Broken.
Not happy, not amused,…hurt.
"Wow."
Juhoon's stomach twisted violently.
"That's not what I meant."
Still you didn't look up.
And suddenly he felt panic beginning to creep into his chest. The conversation wasn't going the way arguments usually did.
Usually you pushed back.
Usually you argued.
Usually you fought for understanding.
But now, you were getting quieter.
And that was worse. Much worse.
Your voice came out almost calm. Too calm.
"Is that really what you think of me?"
His head snapped up.
"What?"
"Do you really think I'd throw away everything we have because somebody was nice to me?"
The question hurt.
Because obviously not. Obviously. That sounds stupid.
But now…it sounded like that was exactly what he'd implied.
And maybe it was. Even if he hadn't meant to.
"No."
The answer came immediately.
Firm. Desperate.
"No."
For the first time all night he stepped toward you instead of away.
"You know I don't think that."
Your eyes finally lifted…and the sadness there nearly took him out at the knees.
"Then why would you say it?"
No answer came…because he didn't have one. Not a good one at least. Not one that would undo the damage.
Your shoulders sagged slightly. Like something inside you had gotten tired.
Really tired.
"I've spent weeks trying to figure out what happened."
Juhoon swallowed.
"I kept wondering if I did something wrong."
Every word felt like a weight settling onto his chest.
"I kept wondering why you wouldn't talk to me."
Your eyes glistened.
"I kept wondering why it suddenly felt like you didn't want me around."
"Baby-"
"And now you're telling me you thought I was replacing you?"
The disbelief in your voice hurt. Not because it was mean, but because it wasn't.
Because it sounded genuinely impossible to you.
Like the idea itself was absurd.
And maybe that should've made him feel better.
Instead it somehow made him feel smaller.
Because he'd spent weeks spiraling over something you apparently never even considered.
You rubbed tiredly at your face.
Then quietly said-
"You know what the worst part is?"
Juhoon's stomach dropped…because those words never led anywhere good.
"What?"
You laughed softly. Humorless.
"The whole time I've been blaming myself."
His chest tightened.
"What?"
Your eyes met his. And suddenly, there were tears sitting there.
Not falling. Just there. Waiting.
"I thought maybe you were getting tired of me."
The confession punched straight through him immediately. Completely.
"What?"
His voice cracked slightly…because that wasn't possible. Not even remotely possible.
You swallowed.
"Because what else was I supposed to think?"
The question hit hard. Really hard.
"I try to hug you and you barely react."
Guilt. Sharp.
"I kiss you and half the time it feels like you're somewhere else."
More guilt.
"I spend all day trying to get your attention."
His chest physically hurt now.
"And then I come home and you're still miles away."
Juhoon looked away, because hearing it out loud made him realize how bad it had gotten.
How much he'd accidentally pulled away.
How much you'd been carrying alone.
The silence stretched.
Then, without thinking, you said it. The thing that had been sitting in your chest for weeks. The thing you hadn't wanted to say.
The thing you knew would hurt.
"You've been so cold lately."
The second the word left your mouth, Juhoon froze. Completely.
Cold.
The apartment went quiet.
Your stomach dropped instantly, because you saw it. Saw the way something in his expression crumpled.
Not dramatically, but enough. Like you'd found a bruise and pressed directly on it.
"Cold?"
His voice sounded smaller.
You immediately wanted to take it back…because that wasn't what you meant either.
Not really.
You meant distant. Closed off. Lost.
But the damage was already done.
Because all Juhoon heard was…
Cold. Unloving. Uncaring.
The exact thing he'd spent years terrified of becoming.
His jaw tightened, the hurt rapidly twisting into something sharper.
Something defensive.
Because now he was bleeding too.
And wounded people don't always choose their words carefully.
"Sorry I'm not constantly attached to your side."
Your eyebrows furrowed.
"That's not what I-"
"Sorry I don't know how to perform every emotion perfectly."
"Juhoon."
"No."
The word came out firmer, and immediately you knew things were slipping again.
Fast.
Because now he looked hurt. Really hurt.
And hurt Juhoon was dangerous in a completely different way.
Not loud or explosive or intimidating.
Just brutally honest in the worst moments.
His eyes dropped to the floor.
Then he said quietly-
"Maybe if you didn't need constant reassurance all the time, we wouldn't keep ending up here."
Silence. Immediate. Absolute.
The second the sentence left his mouth, everything stopped.
Juhoon's heart, his breathing, the entire room.
Because he knew.
Instantly.
He knew.
That one had landed.
And judging by the way your face changed, he'd hit exactly where it hurt most.
Your eyes widened slightly.
Then slowly, very slowly, went blank.
And suddenly Juhoon was terrified.
Because he'd seen you cry, seen you yell, seen you angry, seen you frustrated.
But this?
This was different. This looked like heartbreak.
And the regret hit him so violently it almost made him sick.
"Baby-"
But your eyes had already dropped.
And the even worst part?
You weren't crying. Not yet.
♡
The apartment went painfully quiet.
Not the comfortable kind either. Not the kind you and Juhoon usually shared while working in the same room or eating dinner side by side.
This silence felt sharp.
Dangerous.
Like right before something broke.
Juhoon looked frozen across from you.
Like he couldn't believe he'd said it.
Like he wanted to, again, grab the words back and force them down his own throat before they ever reached you.
But it was already too late.
Because the second those words left him, your face changed.
Not anger.
Honestly, he would've preferred anger.
Instead your expression simply...fell away.
Every emotion disappeared so quickly it scared him.
Your eyes dropped from his, your shoulders lowered slightly, and suddenly you looked exhausted.
Not annoyed or frustrated. Tired.
"Oh."
The word came out barely above a whisper.
Immediately Juhoon's stomach dropped.
"Baby-"
"No."
You shook your head once. Small. Quiet.
And somehow that hurt worse than if you'd screamed.
His chest tightened.
"You know I didn't mean-"
"You did."
Your voice wasn't loud.
That was the problem.
You sounded heartbreakingly calm now.
The calm people got right before they stopped fighting altogether.
And Juhoon hated it.
Because he knew. He knew exactly which insecurity he'd hit.
You'd told him once, late at night, curled together beneath blankets while the rest of the dorm slept.
You'd admitted it quietly against his shoulder.
That your biggest fear wasn't being disliked.
It wasn't failure.
It wasn't even heartbreak.
It was being too much.
Too emotional.
Too needy.
Too difficult.
Too hard to love.
And now he'd just thrown that fear directly back at you.
His stomach twisted violently.
"That's not what I meant."
You laughed softly. A terrible sound. Because there was no amusement in it at all.
"You know," you said quietly, "I actually spent months defending you."
Juhoon felt dread crawl up his spine.
Your eyes finally lifted toward him, glossy now.
"Every time somebody told me you were hard to read."
His chest tightened.
"Every time somebody asked if you actually liked me."
"Baby-"
"I always defended you."
The hurt in your voice nearly made him flinch.
"I said you loved differently."
You swallowed.
"I said you weren't cold."
There it was. The word again. Cold.
And Juhoon hated it. Not because you were wrong, but because he'd spent years trying not to be.
Trying.
Failing.
Trying again.
And now somehow he was hurting the one person he'd wanted to protect from that part of himself.
You laughed again. Small. Broken.
"I told everyone they just didn't understand you."
The room felt suffocating.
Juhoon stepped forward instinctively…but you stepped back this time.
And the movement hit him so hard his heart physically stuttered. Because you never stepped away from him.
Never.
Not like that.
Not like he was something painful.
"Don't."
Your voice cracked slightly.
"I just..."
You looked away, then rubbed quickly at your eyes.
"I'm really tired, Juhoon."
The second he heard the tremor in your voice panic began flooding his chest.
"No."
You moved toward the couch. Toward your jacket.
His panic worsened immediately.
"Where are you going?"
You grabbed it.
"I need air."
"It's raining."
"I don't care."
Your hand found the doorknob, and suddenly every atom of anger disappeared from Juhoon's body.
Gone.
Vanished.
Poof.
Nothing remained except fear.
"Baby."
You paused just for a second.
Hope exploded briefly inside his chest.
Then died again when you still didn't look at him.
His voice dropped. Soft and desperate.
"I'm sorry."
Your shoulders tightened, but you still didn't turn around.
The silence stretched.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Then quietly-
"So am I."
And somehow that stung worse than anything else had during the whole conversation.
Because you sounded defeated.
Not angry.
Defeated.
The door opened.
Juhoon's chest seized.
"Please don't leave."
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Raw and unfiltered.
But you just stood there for another second.
Looking at the rain outside the window.
Then finally-
"If I stay right now..."
Your voice shook.
"...I'm gonna say something I'll regret."
His stomach dropped.
You pulled the door open wider, and for the first time all night…Juhoon genuinely felt afraid.
Not nervous. Not anxious.
Afraid.
Because suddenly it felt possible.
Possible that he'd pushed too hard, possible that he'd hurt you too deeply, possible that-
The door closed.
And the apartment fell silent. Completely silent.
For several seconds Juhoon didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
Didn't think.
He just stared.
At the door.
Waiting.
Waiting for it to open again. Waiting for you to walk back in. Waiting for you to decide you'd forgotten something. Waiting for anything.
Nothing happened.
The rain continued outside.
Steady, cold. Endless.
And then reality finally crashed into him.
You were gone.
♡
The first thing Juhoon did was grab his phone immediately.
His hands were already shaking.
Call.
The line rang.
Once.
Twice.
Then…a ringtone from inside the apartment.
His blood ran cold.
Slowly he looked toward the coffee table.
Your phone sat there, exactly where you'd left it. Still charging, but now lit up with a picture of you guys at an award show.
“Baby Ju 🥰🤍”
Juhoon froze.
Read the name again.
No.
No no no.
His stomach dropped so violently he thought he might be sick.
Because that meant, you had no phone.
No way to contact him, no GPS, no messages, nothing.
Panic sparked instantly in his chest.
He grabbed the device.
Opened it.
Wait.
Maybe- maybe your watch. You had your watch sometimes.
Right?
Right?
He practically ran toward your bedroom.
The charger stand sat beside the bed.
And there, still charging, your watch.
Juhoon stopped so abruptly he nearly stumbled.
For a second everything went completely silent. Then his heart started racing. Hard.
Too hard.
He couldn't breathe properly, couldn't think properly.
His chest felt tight. Painfully tight.
No phone, no watch, no way to reach you, no way to know where you were, no way to know if you were okay.
"Fuck."
His voice came out shaky.
He paced.
Once.
Twice.
Then again.
Living room. Bedroom. Kitchen. Living room.
Bedroom.
Again.
Again.
Again.
His breathing got worse every lap.
Faster. Shallower.
The apartment felt too small. Too quiet. Too empty. Every room screamed your absence.
Your shoes by the door, your mug beside the sink, your hoodie draped over the couch-everything reminded him of you. And everything reminded him that you weren't here.
Hours seemed to crawl by.
6:45.
7:20.
8:03.
9:12.
Every minute felt longer than the last.
And with every passing hour, the guilt grew.
Because now he could hear it. Every word he'd said. Every stupid sentence. Every insecurity he'd weaponized.
God.
What had he done?
Eventually his legs gave out.
Not dramatically. Slowly.
He wandered into the bedroom, sat on the floor, and then slid down the wall. His breathing still wouldn't steady.
The room felt blurry, his eyes burned, and when he looked beside the bed…something caught his attention.
The little Baymax plush. The one you'd won for him at Tokyo Disney. The one you'd practically forced him to carry through the airport because-
"He's your son now."
The memory nearly destroyed him.
His hand closed around it automatically.
Then suddenly-
Everything broke. And for the first time that night - and for a while - Juhoon cried.
Not quietly. Not the controlled tears he usually hid.
Actual crying.
Alone. Curled against the wall. Clutching the tiny Baymax plush so tightly his knuckles hurt.
Because all he could think was-
What if you didn't come back?
What if this was it?
What if the thing he'd feared most had finally happened?
What if he'd hurt you enough that you stopped choosing him?
And that thought…that single thought, made him bury his face into his arms and cry harder.
Hours passed.
And still, you didn't come home.
♡
The convenience store had become strangely familiar by now.
Not because you came here often, but because you'd been sitting in the same corner booth for nearly four hours.
The cashier had stopped looking at you after the first hour. The iced soda you'd bought was long melted, the noodles you'd eaten sat abandoned beside you, and outside, rain continued falling steadily against the windows. You stared through it blankly. Watching headlights pass, watching people come and go, watching time move while your thoughts refused to.
You'd spent the first hour angry.
The second hurt.
The third confused.
And now?
Now you were just tired. So unbelievably tired.
Your head rested against the cool glass beside you, the argument replaying over and over again. Every sentence. Every expression. Every look on Juhoon's face.
And the stupid thing was, even now, you missed him. Which felt ridiculous because he was the reason you were sitting here in the first place. The reason your chest still hurt. The reason your eyes felt swollen from crying in a gas station bathroom an hour ago.
Yet somehow...you still missed him.
Pathetic.
You groaned softly and covered your face.
"Get a grip."
The words sounded weak even to you. Because the truth was, you knew Juhoon.
You knew him better than anyone. You knew he didn't actually think you were too much.
You knew he didn't actually want you to stop needing reassurance.
You knew he'd spoken from hurt. From jealousy. From insecurity. The same way you had.
But knowing that didn't magically erase what he'd said. Because some words landed deeper than others.
And he'd found the deepest one.
Your eyes drifted toward the rain again.
The city clock across the street glowed softly.
1:43 AM.
You blinked.
Wait.
Your brows furrowed…and then your eyes immediately widened.
"Oh my gosh."
You sat upright.
Had it seriously gotten that late?
Panic fluttered briefly in your stomach.
You'd left around six-thirty.
That meant...over seven hours.
Seven.
Hours.
A small knot formed in your chest…because suddenly you could picture Juhoon alone in the apartment. And despite everything, despite the argument, despite the hurt…you knew him.
He was probably miserable.
Probably pacing, probably overthinking himself into oblivion, and probably convinced you'd never come back.
Genre: Angst with happy ending, hurt/comfort, established relationship, soft romance, miscommunication, featured Soobin of TXT
Synopsis: Juhoon has always loved quietly. So quietly, in fact, that sometimes you can’t tell where his affection ends and distance begins. After one devastating argument pushes you out the door for hours, Juhoon is left alone with the horrifying realization that he may have finally broken the one thing he loves most.
Warning(s): Emotional argument, insecurity, jealousy, crying, panic attack, hurtful words, fear of abandonment, heavy emotional themes, LOTS of comfort
Word Count: ~18.9k+
A/N: Hai!! I know I’m writing another Juhoon fic…but I FEEL LIKE THIS WAS MEANT FOR HIM I DON’T KNOWWWW!! I know I haven’t been getting to my requests lately but I might need more time on those so I might just open up my requests again and get to them when I can instead of feeling the need to finish them all at once. I hope you guys really enjoy this one!! 🥰
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
The first time you met Soobin, Juhoon was already regretting it. Not because anything was wrong exactly.
…Actually, that was the problem.
Everything was right immediately.
The backstage waiting room buzzed softly with overlapping conversations, makeup artists moving around hurriedly, half-empty coffee cups abandoned across counters while staff members rushed in and out through the open hallway door.
You sat tucked beside Juhoon on the couch scrolling lazily through your phone while waiting for him to finish discussing some last-minute schedule adjustments with staff.
Your legs rested across his lap absentmindedly. One of his hands stayed loosely around your ankle while listening to the coordinator speaking beside him, thumb brushing occasionally against your skin without him even realizing it.
Comfortable. Automatic. Like it was second nature.
That was how loving Juhoon always felt. Quieter, smaller things.
The coordinator finally left after another minute, and Juhoon exhaled softly before leaning farther back into the couch cushions.
“Tired?” you asked immediately.
His eyes flicked toward you.
“A little.”
Your expression softened instantly. Without hesitation, you shifted closer and pressed a quick kiss against the side of his jaw.
“There. Better.”
The corner of Juhoon’s mouth twitched faintly.
“Magic.”
“Obviously.”
He hummed softly, fingers squeezing your ankle once before his gaze drifted toward the hallway again.
Then suddenly-
“Juhoon-ah!”
A familiar voice echoed from outside the room moments before someone appeared in the doorway. And immediately, the entire atmosphere shifted brighter somehow.
Soobin walked into the waiting room with easy warmth radiating from him, oversized hoodie sleeves pushed halfway over his hands while he smiled the second he spotted Juhoon.
“There you are.”
Juhoon straightened slightly.
“Hey.”
Soobin’s eyes flickered toward you curiously almost immediately.
“Oh?”
You sat up quickly while Juhoon’s hand slid absentmindedly from your ankle to your knee instead.
“This is-”
“My partner,” you finished for him teasingly when he paused too long.
Juhoon glanced at you briefly, the tiniest bit embarrassed already.
Cute.
Soobin immediately broke into a grin.
“Finally! I was starting to think he made you up.”
You laughed instantly.
“Oh my gosh.”
Juhoon sighed quietly beside you.
“You’re dramatic. Do you not watch our promotions.”
“Not often…we just had a huge comeback,” Soobin defended while walking farther into the room. “Besides, every time I asked about dating you acted like I was interrogating you.”
Juhoon looked deeply unamused.
“You were.”
“He’s lying,” Soobin informed you solemnly before extending his hand. “I’m Soobin.”
You shook it warmly.
“I know.”
“Oh no,” Soobin gasped dramatically. “He talks about me?”
“Unfortunately.”
Juhoon physically rolled his eyes this time, but you caught the way his fingers slid lightly against your knee again beneath the conversation.
Still there. Still touching you.
Something soft settled in your chest automatically.
The conversation flowed strangely easily after that. Almost too easily. Soobin had one of those personalities that naturally filled silence without overwhelming it. Sweet without trying too hard. Funny in a soft, effortless way that kept making you laugh before you even realized it.
And honestly?
It felt comfortable immediately.
The three of you stayed in the waiting room talking for almost forty minutes while schedules delayed things repeatedly outside. Mostly you and Soobin talking.
Juhoon noticed that first. Not in a jealous way initially. Just observationally. You asked Soobin questions easily. Reacted quickly to his jokes. Interrupted him halfway through stories because you got excited and already knew what he meant.
And Soobin responded just as naturally.
“WAIT,” you laughed at one point, sitting up straighter. “You were the one who spilled ramen inside your manager’s suitcase?”
Soobin immediately pointed across the room.
“HE TOLD YOU THAT?”
Juhoon looked up from his phone calmly.
“You deserved it.”
“That was private information.”
“You smelled like broth for two days.”
You dissolved into laughter again, leaning sideways automatically until your shoulder bumped against Juhoon’s.
Instinct.
His eyes lifted toward you briefly at the contact. Softening instantly.
There you are.
But then Soobin continued the story animatedly, and your attention drifted back toward him again just as quickly.
Juhoon’s expression remained neutral.
Mostly.
Still, something unfamiliar pressed quietly beneath his ribs while he watched the interaction continue around him.
Not because anything inappropriate was happening. Nothing remotely close.
It was just…
Easy.
You laughed differently around Soobin. Freer somehow. Conversation moved effortlessly between you both while Juhoon found himself mostly listening instead of speaking.
Which normally…wouldn’t bother him. Juhoon had never been the loudest person in a room. He preferred listening. Preferred observing quietly while other people filled space around him.
But sitting there now, watching you beam brightly at another man while talking faster and more openly than you sometimes even talked with him, made something uncomfortable curled slowly inside his chest.
Small, but there.
“So then he tells me-”
Your hand landed briefly against Soobin’s arm while laughing again, and Juhoon’s gaze dropped automatically toward the touch before immediately lifting away.
The feeling worsened.
Not anger.
Something sadder.
By the time Soobin finally got called away by staff nearly twenty minutes later, you were both still smiling.
“I’m stealing you next time too,” Soobin informed you jokingly while backing toward the hallway.
“You absolutely should.”
“Traitor,” Juhoon muttered quietly beside you.
Soobin pointed dramatically.
“See? Possessive.”
Then he disappeared laughing down the hallway before either of you could respond.
Silence settled briefly afterward.
You leaned comfortably against Juhoon’s shoulder again almost immediately.
“That was fun.”
“Mhm.”
You tilted your head slightly.
“You okay?”
Juhoon looked down at you…and there it was again.
That immediate softening. Always immediate with you.
“Yeah.”
Then quietly, after a second-
“You like him.”
The statement sounded neutral enough that you didn’t think twice about it.
“Obviously,” you smiled, nodding your head a bit. “He’s really sweet.”
Juhoon nodded once.
Sweet.
Right.
Your fingers found his free hand automatically, intertwining with his while resting against his lap.
And Juhoon squeezed back instantly.
Automatic. Because no matter what uncomfortable feeling had settled quietly beneath his ribs over the last hour, you were still here. Still reaching for him first. Still choosing him.
So why did he suddenly feel so strangely left behind anyway?
♡
It started small after that. So small neither of you noticed immediately.
The first few times Soobin came around afterward, everything still felt normal.
Comfortable.
The four of you occasionally grabbed food together after schedules, sometimes met backstage during overlapping promotions, and once ended up wandering around a convenience store at nearly midnight because Soobin wanted ice cream and somehow convinced everyone else to come too.
And every single time, you and Soobin clicked together effortlessly.
“Wait no because listen-” you started one evening while sitting across from him in a restaurant booth. “If you had to survive a zombie apocalypse with one Cortis member who would it be?”
Soobin nearly spit out his drink laughing.
“That’s evil.”
“Answer.”
Juhoon sat beside you quietly pulling apart chopsticks and rubbing them together while listening automatically.
Soobin pointed across the table immediately.
“Not James.”
James looked offended.
“I’m intelligent.”
“You’d sacrifice me immediately for survival.”
“Correct.”
You physically folded over laughing.
Juhoon smiled faintly without meaning to.
There it is again. That sound. He loved your laugh. Loved it enough that hearing it usually softened every sharp edge inside him almost instantly.
But lately…lately there had been strange moments where hearing you laugh with someone else only made his chest ache instead.
And he hated himself a little for it.
Because Soobin was genuinely kind. Gentle. Easy to be around. There was nothing to dislike.
…which meant the problem had nowhere to land except back onto himself.
“You know who I’d choose?” you asked suddenly.
Soobin perked up.
“Who?”
You turned immediately toward Juhoon without hesitation.
“Him.”
Juhoon blinked once. Your hand slid absentmindedly onto his thigh beneath the table while smiling softly.
“He’d survive anything.”
Something warm flickered through his chest instantly.
There you are.
Soobin pointed dramatically.
“That’s because you’re in love.”
“I am in love.”
The words came easily. Casually.
Like they always did with you.
Juhoon glanced toward you again quietly, and suddenly guilt hit him hard enough to make his stomach twist.
Because you looked at him so openly. So honestly.
Meanwhile he’d spent the last week silently wondering why talking to someone else seemed easier for you than talking to him sometimes.
The thought made him feel sick immediately.
So instead of sitting farther inside that ugly feeling, Juhoon did what he always did.
Buried it. Deep.
Until even he couldn’t separate insecurity from silence anymore.
♡
The problem was, you noticed changes in Juhoon the way other people noticed weather.
Slowly at first. Then all at once.
It happened one night nearly three weeks later while the two of you were curled together in bed after another long schedule day.
Or…mostly curled together.
Usually, nighttime with Juhoon looked the same. You climbing into his space first, your legs tangled together beneath blankets, face pressed into his chest while his arms automatically wrapped around you afterward. Even if he was tired. Even if he was quiet. He always responded. Always melted eventually.
But tonight, something felt different.
You’d tucked yourself against his side almost ten minutes ago now, one arm draped loosely across his waist while soft rain tapped quietly against the apartment windows, and Juhoon still felt strangely still beside you. Not rejecting you, just…not reaching back.
Your brows furrowed slightly against his shoulder.
“Baby?”
“Hm?”
“You’re quiet.”
A beat of silence.
Then-
“Tired.”
Normally that answer wouldn’t bother you.
Except lately? Lately it was always tired.
Always fine. Always nothing.
You tilted your head slightly to look at him in the dim bedroom light. His eyes stayed fixed upward toward the ceiling, expression unreadable and distant in the dark.
Your chest tightened a little.
“You sure?”
This time his gaze finally shifted toward you.
And immediately softened. Because it always did.
“Mhm.”
But still-
His arm never tightened around you afterward.
And for the first time in months, falling asleep beside Juhoon felt strangely lonely.
♡
The feeling should have disappeared after that night. Honestly, you expected it to.
Everyone had off weeks sometimes. Busy schedules. Exhaustion. Stress. Juhoon had never been overly expressive to begin with…so you tried not to overthink it.
For a few days, you convinced yourself everything was normal.
Then little things started stacking. Tiny things. The kind that looked harmless individually but somehow felt heavier together.
Like the fact that you were almost always the one reaching for his hand first lately.
Or how he still smiled when you kissed him, but rarely leaned down first anymore.
Or how conversations seemed to end quicker than they used to.
Not cold, but shorter. Like Juhoon was always standing one step farther away than before.
♡
“Hold still.”
Juhoon glanced up from the couch.
You stood in front of him holding your arms out dramatically.
He blinked once.
“What?”
“Hold still.”
“…why?”
Instead of answering, you leaned down and pressed a quick kiss directly onto his forehead.
Then another.
Then one on the tip of his nose.
Juhoon physically froze.
You grinned.
“There.”
His ears turned slightly pink immediately.
“Ridiculous.”
“You smiled.”
“No I didn't.”
“You absolutely did.”
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Evidence.
You pointed immediately.
“AHA.”
Juhoon reached out without warning and caught your wrist before you could continue celebrating. Gently, he tugged down, and you stumbled directly into his lap with a startled squeak.
“Juhoon.”
“Quiet.”
Your heart immediately betrayed you.
Because even now, even after weeks of weird distance, moments like this still existed.
His arm rested loosely around your waist while the television played forgotten in the background. Comfortable. Warm.
Normal.
For a second you thought maybe you'd imagined everything.
Then your phone buzzed.
You glanced down.
SOOBEAN 🫘:
“did james actually put hot sauce in his coffee or was that a lie”
You laughed instantly.
“No way.”
Juhoon's gaze dropped automatically.
“What's funny?”
You showed him the message.
“Oh.”
Something flashed briefly across his face.
Gone so quickly you couldn't catch it.
Then he looked away.
“James probably did.”
You typed back immediately.
SOOBEAN 🫘:
“HE DID???”
YOU:
“apparently 😭”
SOOBEAN 🫘:
“that man is terrifying”
You laughed again.
And beside you, Juhoon went quiet.
♡
The problem wasn't Soobin. Juhoon knew that. He knew it every single day.
Which somehow made everything worse…because if there had been something concrete to point at…or something inappropriate…Juhoon could've justified the feeling. Instead he was left sitting alone with an ugly realization.
The problem was himself.
One evening, nearly a month after the first meeting, Juhoon found himself standing in the kitchen pouring water while your voice floated from the living room.
You were on speakerphone.
Laughing.
Again.
"So then he actually did it?" you gasped.
Soobin's voice crackled through the phone.
"I'm serious."
"No he didn't."
"He absolutely did."
Your laughter echoed through the apartment.
Bright, easy…effortless.
Juhoon's grip tightened slightly around the glass in his hand.
The thing was…you laughed with him too.
Every day.
So why did hearing it now feel different?
Why did it sound easier?
Why did it sound like the version of yourself he loved most seemed to come out naturally around somebody else?
The thought made him feel awful immediately…because it wasn't fair.
Not to you.
Not to Soobin.
Not even to himself.
Still, the feeling stayed.
♡
A few nights later, the four of you ended up meeting for dinner after schedules.
It should have been fun.
And honestly?
For everyone else, it was.
You sat across from Soobin sharing fries while arguing about movies, James looked one comment away from starting a fight, and Martin had somehow convinced the waiter to bring extra sauce.
The table buzzed with conversation.
Meanwhile Juhoon mostly listened. Which wasn't unusual.
Except tonight he noticed something.
Every time something funny happened, you looked at Soobin first.
Not intentionally.
Not consciously.
Just naturally.
The realization hit harder than it should have. Because there had been a time when you always looked for him first.
To share reactions. To exchange little glances. To silently communicate entire conversations with one expression.
Now…sometimes you still did. But not always.
And suddenly Juhoon couldn't stop noticing it. Couldn't stop noticing every laugh. Every conversation. Every easy interaction.
The insecurity grew teeth.
♡
"Baby?"
Juhoon looked up.
You stood in the bedroom doorway holding two shirts.
"Red or black?"
"...black."
"Thank you."
You disappeared again.
Three seconds later-
"Actually maybe red."
Juhoon sighed.
"Then wear red."
You immediately reappeared.
"You're so smart."
He snorted softly.
And despite everything, despite all the stupid feelings clawing around inside his chest lately, his gaze softened automatically. Because there you were.
Hair messy.
Half dressed.
Looking at him like he hung the stars.
The exact same way you always had.
The realization made guilt settle heavily in his stomach again. Because if you still looked at him like that...
Why couldn't he stop feeling so insecure?
♡
The breaking point came quietly. Like most things with Juhoon.
Not dramatically…or all at once. Just one small moment too many.
It happened on a Sunday afternoon. Rain tapped softly against the apartment windows while the two of you lounged around doing absolutely nothing. One of those rare schedule-free days.
You sat curled beside him on the couch scrolling through your phone while your legs rested across his lap.
Comfortable, lazy, and peaceful.
Then your screen lit up.
A message.
Your face immediately brightened.
Juhoon's stomach dropped before he even knew why.
"Soobin sent me pictures."
"Hm."
You laughed softly.
"Oh my gosh."
"What?"
"He found that giant capybara café."
Another laugh.
Then another.
And another.
Your attention remained completely glued to the phone.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
Then fifteen.
At some point, Juhoon's hand had stopped absentmindedly resting against your ankle.
You didn't notice.
At some point, he'd stopped listening to the television entirely.
You didn't notice that either. Because you were still smiling down at the screen.
Still typing.
Still laughing.
And suddenly something painful twisted deep inside his chest.
Not jealousy…not really. Something lonelier.
Something sadder.
Like he was sitting directly beside you and somehow still couldn't reach you.
The feeling lingered long after the conversation ended. Long after your phone got tossed aside. Long after your head found his shoulder again.
Because now he couldn't stop hearing a thought that made him feel sick.
Why does talking to him seem easier than talking to me?
And for the first time, Juhoon didn't know how to make the feeling go away.
♡
The thing was… Juhoon wasn't imagining it.
At first he'd genuinely tried to convince himself he was.
…Because Soobin was nice. Ridiculously nice, actually. The kind of person who remembered everyone's coffee orders after hearing them once…and the kind of person who held doors open without thinking and somehow always ended up carrying three people's bags despite nobody asking him to.
Which meant every interaction felt impossible to be annoyed about.
Because what was Juhoon supposed to say?
"Stop being kind to my girlfriend?"
That sounded insane.
So instead he kept it to himself.
And kept it to himself.
And kept it to himself.
Until it started becoming impossible to ignore.
♡
A week later, practice had ended late.
Everyone was exhausted. The studio lights felt too bright after six straight hours of rehearsal while half-finished water bottles and abandoned hoodies littered every available surface.
Martin was lying face-down on the floor, James was attempting to convince everyone he could survive solely on protein bars, and Keonho was threatening violence.
Normal things.
You were sitting cross-legged against the mirrored wall scrolling through your phone while waiting for everyone to finish packing up.
And beside you, Soobin.
Again. He came in to visit and brought that said pack of protein bars.
Juhoon's eyes drifted toward the two of you automatically.
You were laughing.
Not dramatically.
Just smiling, head tilted slightly.
Shoulders shaking once.
Then twice.
Soobin said something else.
You immediately covered your face.
"Oh my gosh, stop."
He looked far too pleased with himself.
"No, because you should've seen it."
"You're exaggerating."
"I'm literally not."
"You are."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm not."
You pointed at him.
"There."
"That wasn't proof."
"It was proof."
Juhoon looked away immediately before anyone noticed. Before anyone could see the ugly feeling settling somewhere deep inside his chest.
Because it wasn't just this.
It was everything. The accumulated weight of hundreds of little moments.
Soobin texting you memes, Soobin sending you photos from schedules, Soobin asking your opinion on things, Soobin sitting beside you at award shows, Soobin showing up at the studio.
Soobin.
Soobin.
Soobin.
And every time Juhoon told himself he was being stupid. Because nothing inappropriate was happening.
Nothing.
You weren't flirting, and neither was Soobin.
You still kissed Juhoon every morning, still stole his hoodies, still crawled into his lap during movie nights, still reached for his hand automatically.
But somehow, it still hurt. And Juhoon hated that.
Because it felt childish.
Insecure.
Embarrassing.
"Juhoon."
His head lifted.
You were smiling at him immediately. The second you smiled, his chest squeezed.
Every single time.
"Yeah?"
You held up your phone.
"Look."
He walked over automatically, and you shifted closer to make room beside you.
And for a second the horrible feeling eased.
Because this was familiar.
This was yours.
You.
Beside him.
Your shoulder touching his, the scent of your shampoo, the warmth of your arm. His.
Then Soobin leaned over too.
Looking at the phone.
Close enough that his shoulder bumped yours.
And suddenly Juhoon felt ridiculous all over again.
"What am I looking at?" he asked quietly.
You grinned.
"The comments."
Juhoon glanced down, then immediately regretted it. Because apparently someone had uploaded a behind-the-scenes clip from an interview earlier…and the comments were full of people losing their minds.
"Soobin and Y/N are actually siblings."
"Their energy is identical."
"I need them on a variety show together."
"Best friendship ever."
"Juhoon third wheeling again 😭"
That one.
That one hurt.
His stomach dropped.
You laughed.
"Oh my gosh I do not want you as my brother."
Soobin laughed too.
"Not the third wheel allegations."
Martin looked up from the floor.
"Those have been happening for weeks."
"Martin."
"What?"
"You are not helping."
"I'm just saying."
Juhoon smiled. A small one. Convincing enough apparently because nobody noticed.
Not even you.
But the comment sat in his chest for the rest of the night.
Juhoon third wheeling again.
Stupid. So unbelievably stupid.
And yet, by the time everyone headed home later that evening, he couldn't stop thinking about it.
♡
The apartment was quiet. Comfortably quiet. The quiet that usually helped after a long day.
Usually.
You were brushing your teeth, and Juhoon was changing into sweatpants.
Normal, ordinary…domestic. Everything he loved.
When you finally emerged from the bathroom, Baymax was already sitting on the bed. The tiny plush slightly squished from years of affection.
Its little white body looked ridiculous next to the black bedding.
You smiled immediately.
"There he is."
The Baymax plush had become something of a mascot at this point.
The two of you had won it together years ago at Tokyo Disney after an embarrassingly intense carnival game battle. Since then it had survived tours, moves, schedules, arguments. Everything.
You picked him up, poked his head, then crawled beneath the blankets.
"Come here."
Juhoon followed a moment later, sliding into bed beside you.
Normally this was the part where you immediately attached yourself to him. Like a koala. Every night without fail.
And tonight was no different. You rolled closer automatically, arms wrapping around his waist, and your face pressing lightly against his shoulder.
"Hi."
A tiny smile tugged at his mouth.
"Hi."
Then silence. Comfortable. Warm.
Except tonight, Juhoon couldn't stop thinking.
Couldn't stop comparing.
Couldn't stop replaying things.
Couldn't stop wondering.
Did you laugh harder with Soobin now?
Did you text him more?
Were you happier around him?
The thoughts were awful and irrational.
…And he knew that.
But they stayed anyway.
Your fingers lightly hooked into his shirt.
Waiting, without realizing it.
Usually, Juhoon would pull you closer. Wrap an arm around you, press a kiss into your hair, something. Always something.
Tonight he just...stayed still.
Not intentionally, or to punish you, or because he was angry.
But because suddenly every movement felt strange. Like he wasn't sure if he deserved them anymore.
You noticed almost immediately.
Your brows furrowed slightly against his shoulder.
"...you okay?"
Juhoon's eyes closed immediately.
Because there it was.
The question he'd been avoiding.
And he wasn't ready. Not yet.
So quietly, very quietly, he answered,
"Yeah."
You didn't look convinced. Not even a little.
And unfortunately for Juhoon, you knew him far too well.
♡
The next few days passed strangely.
Not bad, or enough for anyone else to notice. Just...
Different.
Because Juhoon really was trying. That was the frustrating part.
He wasn't trying to be distant, wasn't trying to punish you, wasn't trying to make some dramatic statement.
He just couldn't seem to stop retreating into himself.
Every time the ugly feeling surfaced, he swallowed it.
Every time jealousy twisted somewhere in his chest, he buried it.
Every time he wanted to ask,
"Do you even notice?"
he forced himself not to.
Because the question sounded ridiculous.
So instead he got quieter.
And unfortunately...quiet was where Juhoon lived best.
Which made it difficult to spot at first.
Until eventually you started noticing the little things.
Like how he stopped reaching for your hand first. Not completely, no. Just...less.
How his responses got shorter.
How he'd smile when you spoke but somehow still seem miles away.
How he kept staring at nothing whenever he thought nobody was looking.
And most importantly, how he stopped responding the way he normally did when you initiated affection.
That one hurt. Because affection had always worked a little differently between the two of you.
You were sunshine. Movement. Warmth.
Juhoon was quieter. Softer. Less obvious.
So naturally you were usually the one throwing yourself at him. Wrapping around his shoulders, kissing his cheek, stealing hugs, curling into his lap.
And Juhoon always responded. Always.
Maybe not dramatically, but he responded.
A hand on your waist, a kiss to your temple, his fingers in your hair, pulling you closer.
Little things.
Important things.
Which was why the change became impossible to ignore. Because now...you were the only one moving.
♡
The realization hit hardest one evening after practice.
Everyone had finally escaped the studio, the sun had already disappeared outside, and the city glittered through the windows.
You were exhausted. The good kind actually.
The kind that came after a really productive day.
Juhoon sat beside you on the couch in the shared dorm lounge while everyone else wandered around doing their own thing.
Martin was arguing with James about ramen and Keonho was trying to steal snacks. Normal chaos.
You smiled softly and leaned against Juhoon's shoulder. Then, you wrapped your arms around his waist.
Usually, without even thinking, his arm would've immediately settled around you.
Tonight...nothing happened.
Not rejection. Just...nothing.
Your smile faded slightly. Maybe he didn't notice? So you squeezed him gently.
Still nothing.
A tiny ache settled in your chest.
Across the room Martin paused mid-conversation.
His eyes flicked over.
Then immediately away again.
Because even he noticed.
You slowly released Juhoon, trying not to think about it.
Maybe he was tired? Maybe that was all.
Except, this kept happening.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Until eventually it stopped feeling accidental, and started feeling personal.
The breaking point arrived five nights later.
You were home, finally.
No schedules, no rehearsals, and no cameras.
Just the apartment.
Rain tapped softly against the windows again as the television played quietly in the background.
Juhoon sat at the kitchen island scrolling through something on his phone as you stood nearby making tea…and for almost ten minutes you found yourself watching him.
Waiting. For something. Anything.
A smile.
A glance.
A touch.
Nothing came.
Your chest tightened…because you missed him. And the stupid thing was, he was sitting right there. Five feet away. Yet somehow he felt farther than ever.
The kettle clicked off.
You set down two mugs, walked over, and then carefully placed one beside him.
Juhoon looked up immediately.
"Thanks."
That was it. Just thanks.
Something finally snapped. Not dramatically.
Just enough.
"Okay."
Juhoon blinked.
"What?"
You folded your arms.
"What is going on with you?"
Immediately, his stomach dropped. Because he'd known this conversation was coming eventually.
He just hadn't been ready for it.
"...nothing."
Your eyebrows rose.
Nothing.
Of course.
Always nothing.
"Juhoon."
"I'm fine."
"You're not."
He looked away…which unfortunately only proved your point. The frustration building inside you for nearly two weeks finally started spilling over.
"Can you stop saying that?"
His jaw tightened.
"Saying what?"
"'I'm fine.'"
Silence.
"Because you're obviously not."
Juhoon stared at the countertop…and you hated that.
Hated that he wouldn't look at you.
Hated that every difficult conversation felt like dragging words out of someone determined to keep them buried.
"Talk to me."
"I'm trying."
"No you're not."
The response came too quickly. Too honestly.
Juhoon's expression shifted immediately.
There.
A tiny crack.
"You think I'm not trying?"
"I think you've been shutting me out for weeks."
His chest tightened.
Weeks.
So you noticed. Of course you noticed. You always noticed.
"Juhoon."
Your voice softened slightly.
"What happened?"
For one horrible second, he almost told you.
Almost.
The jealousy, the insecurity, the fear. All of it.
But then embarrassment surged up again.
Because how was he supposed to explain this?
"I'm jealous of my friend because you laugh with him."
It sounded insanely pathetic. So instead, he shook his head.
"Nothing happened."
Your patience finally started wearing thin.
"Then why won't you hold me anymore?"
The question landed like a grenade.
Juhoon's head snapped up. Your eyes were already shining slightly.
Not crying. Not yet.
Just hurt.
And somehow, that hurt worse.
Because suddenly he realized this wasn't just affecting him.
It was affecting you too.
But instead of making him speak, it made him retreat further.
"...that's not true."
"It is."
"It isn't."
You laughed softly.
Not happy. The kind of laugh people make when they're trying not to cry.
"Juhoon."
Your voice cracked slightly.
"You barely hug me back anymore."
His chest physically hurt…because he knew.
He knew.
And still, he couldn't explain why.
The silence stretched. Long enough that your expression slowly changed. From confusion…to realization…and then to
something else.
Something that made Juhoon's stomach sink.
"...is it me?"
Immediately, his head lifted.
"What?"
"Did I do something?"
"No."
The answer came instantly. Too instantly.
Because despite everything, that wasn't true.
You hadn't done anything. Not really.
And yet...the conversation was finally moving toward the thing he'd been trying to avoid.
Toward Soobin. Toward the jealousy. Toward the ugly feelings he'd been carrying alone.
And unfortunately…once the door cracked open, it was becoming harder and harder to keep it closed.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
A/N: So…I need to split the story up now because I’ve reached my spacing limit. 🙁 BUT! Part two will be out like right after I post this so no need to wait!! STAY TUNED!
Genre: Fluff, romantic comedy, slice of life, established relationship, comfort
Synopsis: Martin and you spend the perfect day together wandering through the mall, sharing bubble tea, and planning a cozy movie night…until a prank video inspires a terrible idea involving his beloved motorcycle.
Warning(s): Prank (gone wrong), excessive fluff, teasing, kissing, Martin being painfully sweet ughhhhhhhh
Genre: Fluff, romantic comedy, slice of life, established relationship, comfort
Synopsis: Martin and you spend the perfect day together wandering through the mall, sharing bubble tea, and planning a cozy movie night…until a prank video inspires a terrible idea involving his beloved motorcycle.
Warning(s): Prank (gone wrong), excessive fluff, teasing, kissing, Martin being painfully sweet ughhhhhhhh
Word Count: 3.6k+
A/N: Haiiii! I thought I would do a Martin fic next because I’ve had this idea for a while (and it fit him best in my opinion). I REALLY HOPE YOU ENJOYYYYY!!
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
The mall was loud in the comfortable kind of way. It really was just…alive.
Music drifted softly from storefront speakers while groups of people moved through the walkways carrying shopping bags and iced drinks, the entire building glowing warm from late afternoon sunlight pouring through the skylights overhead. And somehow, through all of it-
Martin looked completely in his element. One hand rested lazily in the pocket of his jacket while the other loosely held yours as he guided you through the crowd like it was instinct. Effortless…casual, like he’d done this with you forever already. Every once in a while his thumb brushed absentmindedly against your knuckles while he talked, dark hair slightly messy from taking his helmet off earlier.
You were only half listening to whatever story he was telling now though…because honestly?
The view was distracting.
Especially when he laughed…and when he pushed his hair back…and when his rings flashed beneath the mall lights while holding your hand.
Dangerous behavior honestly.
“…and then Keonho literally says,” Martin continued dramatically, “‘maybe the real problem is your emotional attachment to the motorcycle.’”
You snorted softly.
“He’s right.”
Martin gasped loudly.
“You too?”
“I’m just saying,” you laughed, “you look at that bike like it pays taxes.”
“It practically does.”
You rolled your eyes immediately, making Martin grin.
There it is. That look. The one he liked pulling from you most.
Relaxed. Bright. Teasing.
His expression softened slightly without him even realizing it.
Today had been good. Really good, at that. The kind of day that felt easy with you.
Lunch together, wandering random stores without buying half the things you picked up, Martin carrying your shopping bag even though it only had lip gloss and socks inside because “you looked too cute to carry things.”, and now-
Bubble tea.
Obviously.
Because apparently Martin physically couldn’t survive a mall trip without it.
“You want taro or brown sugar?” he asked while stopping outside the café.
You thought for a second.
“Brown sugar.”
“Good choice.”
“You literally got that last time.”
“Because I have elite taste.”
You smiled despite yourself while Martin squeezed your hand once before stepping backward toward the counter.
“Wait here, pretty girl. Don’t disappear.”
Your face warmed instantly.
“Okay.”
He shot you one last grin before disappearing into the line.
And you know what?
You were smiling like an idiot for a solid thirty seconds afterward.
Embarrassing.
Very embarrassing.
You leaned against the railing nearby while pulling your phone from your pocket, absentmindedly scrolling through social media to distract yourself from the fact that your boyfriend was unfairly attractive.
A few videos passed. Outfits, makeup tutorials, somebody burning garlic bread.
And then-
A prank video popped up.
Your thumb paused instantly.
The caption read:
“filling my bf’s motorcycle with diesel instead of unleaded to see his reaction 😭”
You blinked once, then immediately sat up straighter.
Oh.
Oh this was evil.
The video played quickly. A girl standing at a gas station trying not to laugh while her boyfriend completely panicked over his motorcycle. And the second the guy started stressfully running his hands through his hair-
You lost it. Actually laughing quietly to yourself right there against the railing.
Because suddenly you remembered something.
Earlier today Martin mentioning he needed gas later.
Your eyes widened slightly.
No. No wait. This would be SO funny.
You bit the inside of your cheek immediately trying to contain your smile as your brain started connecting pieces together way too fast. Because the thing was…
You were insanely good at keeping a straight face. Dangerously good.
And Martin?
Martin loved his motorcycle.
Not in an obnoxious way. Just in the deeply emotionally attached way men somehow got about vehicles.
Which meant…this prank had potential.
Terrible potential.
Your shoulders started shaking slightly from holding back laughter just as Martin returned balancing two drinks carefully in his hands.
He stopped immediately.
“…why do you look suspicious?”
Your expression snapped innocent instantly.
“What?”
Martin narrowed his eyes.
“That smile.”
“What smile?”
“The one that says you’re plotting.”
You accepted your drink calmly.
“I would never.”
“Liar.”
But he was smiling while saying it, already turning toward the mall exit with your hand slipping naturally back into his free one again.
And the entire walk out to the parking garage-
You kept thinking about diesel.
♡
The motorcycle ride afterward felt almost unfairly cinematic.
The sky had shifted into soft evening gold now, sunlight stretching across the roads in warm streaks while cool wind rushed around you both every time Martin accelerated. Your arms stayed wrapped tightly around his waist from behind, helmet pressed lightly against his shoulder while the city blurred past.
Martin loved driving like this with you.
Not fast in a reckless way, but smooth. Controlled.
One hand steady on the handlebars while the other occasionally tapped lightly against your knee where your legs rested beside his.
Checking. Making sure you were still comfortable.
Every red light turned into him leaning back slightly just enough to ask things like-
“You cold?”
“You good back there?”
“You falling asleep on me?”
And every single time, your chest squeezed a little harder because gosh.
He was sweet. Like genuinely sweet underneath all the teasing and dramatic behavior.
The bike slowed eventually as a familiar gas station appeared ahead.
Martin sighed softly through the helmet speaker.
“Finally.”
You perked up immediately.
Oh my gosh.
The opportunity.
He pulled smoothly beside a pump before shutting the engine off and removing his helmet, dark hair falling messily over his forehead afterward.
Your heart betrayed you a little. Again.
“You okay if I run inside?” he asked while unzipping his jacket slightly. “Wanna grab snacks before our movie night.”
You nodded quickly.
“Okay!”
Martin paused mid-motion.
“…why are you so excited.”
You blinked innocently.
“I’m not?”
“You are.”
“I just want snacks.”
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously for another long second before finally sighing dramatically.
“If my bike explodes while I’m gone, I’m haunting you.”
Your lips twitched.
“Okay.”
Martin pointed once at you while slowly walking away.
“That smile again.”
Then finally he headed toward the convenience store.
And the SECOND those doors shut behind him-
You moved. Fast. Trying not to laugh already while pulling out your card and starting the gas pump exactly like normal.
Unleaded. Completely normal unleaded.
Because unlike the prank video girl, you actually loved Martin and did not want him stranded on the side of the road crying over engine damage.
The pump clicked steadily while your shoulders shook from suppressed laughter.
Oh this was going to be so good.
The tank filled normally before finally stopping. Perfect.
Step one complete.
Now-
You carefully returned the nozzle.
Then grabbed the diesel one. Empty obviously…but still.
You stared at it for a second before absolutely losing composure again.
“This is so evil,” you whispered to yourself.
Still giggling quietly, you lowered the diesel nozzle briefly near the side of the bike, then secretly poured some water from your own bottle onto the pavement underneath.
A fake spill. Visual evidence.
You nearly applauded yourself honestly.
And then?
The universe handed you the final ingredient.
A receipt.
An actual diesel receipt lying crumpled near the trash can beside the pump.
Your eyes widened immediately.
No way.
You snatched it up so fast.
“Oh my gosh.”
♡
The convenience store doors slid open again a few seconds later…and there he was.
Martin stepped back outside carrying a plastic bag in one hand and another canned drink tucked beneath his arm, expression relaxed at first while he scanned the parking lot for you.
Then his eyes landed on the receipt in your hand.
And the diesel pump beside the motorcycle.
And the puddle beneath the bike.
Everything changed instantly.
Not anger.
Panic. Real panic.
“Wait-”
The plastic bag nearly slipped from his hand as he hurried toward you, boots hitting the pavement faster and faster while his brows pulled together hard.
“Baby.”
Your stomach twisted immediately because oh no…he looked genuinely stressed.
Not mad. Just horrified.
His gaze snapped between the diesel nozzle and your face again.
“…why are you holding that?”
You did your absolute best to keep your expression bright and proud despite already feeling guilt nibbling at your ribs.
“I filled your bike up for you.”
Martin physically stopped walking for half a second.
“What?”
“You said you needed gas,” you explained softly, holding up the receipt. “So I wanted to do something nice…!”
The second he saw the word diesel printed across the paper…his entire face fell.
Not dramatically…but slowly. Like his soul left his body in stages.
“Oh no.”
Your chest squeezed immediately. This suddenly felt way meaner than expected.
Martin reached you quickly now, taking the receipt carefully from your hand while staring at it in disbelief.
“…did you really?”
You nodded slowly.
And honestly?
Your acting was incredible right now. Oscar-worthy even. Especially because your excitement from earlier had shifted into genuine nervousness after seeing how stressed he looked.
Martin exhaled sharply through his nose before dragging one hand back through his hair.
Not angry. Never angry. Just…trying to think.
Trying to stay calm.
“Oh sweetheart…”
The nickname came out automatically. Softly. His eyes lifted toward you immediately after like he was checking whether you realized what happened yet.
You blinked up at him.
“…was that bad?”
Martin’s expression changed instantly. Completely instantly. All the stress still stayed in his face, yes, but the SECOND your voice got smaller-
His focus shifted to you instead of the motorcycle.
“Hey no no.”
He stepped closer immediately.
“You didn’t know.”
Your heart squeezed painfully. Why was he being so nice about this??
Martin rubbed lightly at the side of his forehead before crouching slightly to your eye level.
“So basically…” he started carefully, “diesel and unleaded are different fuel types.”
You stared at him quietly…and gosh, your sad face was devastating him right now.
“The engine won’t run properly now,” he explained gently. “It’ll probably need to get drained before I can drive it again.”
Your shoulders dropped immediately.
“Oh my gosh.”
Martin’s face softened so fast.
“Baby.”
“I broke your motorcycle.”
“No you didn’t.”
“But I did.”
“You didn’t mean to.”
You looked down hard at the ground now, gripping your sleeves slightly while guilt started flooding your chest for real this time.
Because the thing was…
You knew it was fake.
…but Martin didn’t.
And instead of yelling or getting irritated or making you feel stupid, he was comforting you while internally mourning his bike. And that…made this worse.
His fingers brushed carefully beneath your chin.
“Hey.”
Your eyes lifted reluctantly.
“It’s okay.”
“You loved this motorcycle.”
Martin almost laughed at how devastated you sounded.
“I still love it.”
“It’s literally dying.”
“It’s not dying,” he snorted softly. “It’s just…temporarily stupid.”
A weak laugh escaped you despite yourself.
There it is again. That tiny little sound.
Martin’s chest loosened slightly hearing it.
He stood fully again before pulling you gently against him without hesitation, one arm wrapping securely around your shoulders while the other rested at the back of your head.
And the second you melted into the hug…his entire protective instinct kicked in instead.
Because now you just felt sad. Small too.
Your voice muffled slightly against his jacket.
“I’m sorry.”
Martin immediately pressed a kiss against the top of your helmet-messed hair.
“Stop apologizing.”
“But your bike-”
“We’ll tow it.”
“You sound heartbroken.”
“I am heartbroken,” he admitted dramatically. “But I’m more worried about you looking like somebody kicked your puppy.”
Your face burned against his chest. How he was acting made it worse.
…because he kept being sweet.
Martin’s hand moved slowly through your hair while he exhaled softly above you.
“We can still do movie night.”
Your brows furrowed slightly against him.
“…really?”
“Of course really.”
“But your motorcycle’s dead.”
“It’s not dead,” he repeated with a tired laugh. “It just needs therapy.”
You physically almost cracked right there…because gosh. He was trying so hard not to make you feel bad.
Your guilt finally won.
You pulled back slowly from the hug, face scrunched with remorse now while Martin immediately tilted his head slightly in concern.
“What?”
You stared at him for a second, and then looked down.
Then very quietly-
“…I have something to tell you.”
Martin blinked once.
“What is it?”
Your fingers twisted nervously around the hem of your shirt.
Suddenly…you felt terrible.
Because now he looked worried about you again.
You took a breath. Then after a while finally whispered-
“…it was a prank.”
Silence. Martin stared at you.
You rushed immediately afterward.
“I filled it with unleaded I promise and the receipt was on the floor and I’m sorry I thought it’d be funny but then you looked actually stressed and then I felt bad and-”
Martin just stood there for a solid three seconds.
Processing.
Then another.
And another.
“…what.”
You winced.
“I’m very sorry.”
Martin looked toward the motorcycle.
Then the pump.
Then the puddle.
Then you.
And suddenly…
He laughed. Not loudly at first. Just one stunned breath of relief before both hands flew up into his hair again.
“Oh my gosh.”
You stared nervously.
“I’m really sorry.”
“No because-” he physically bent forward laughing now, “I thought my engine was cooked.”
You covered part of your face immediately.
“I know...”
Martin looked back at you again completely incredulous.
“You evil little genius.”
“I felt bad!”
“You should’ve!”
“I did!”
Martin laughed harder, relief pouring out of him now in waves while your shoulders finally relaxed seeing he wasn’t actually upset.
“Oh my goodness,” he muttered, still grinning. “You fully committed too. And the receipt?? That was method acting…?”
You pointed weakly at the pavement.
“I needed realism.”
Martin stared at you another second before suddenly pulling you back into him again.
This time laughing directly into your shoulder.
“You are ridiculous.”
Your face buried against his chest immediately from embarrassment and relief mixed together.
“I’m sorry I scared you.”
Martin pulled back just enough to look at you properly again, grin softer now.
“Baby, I was already planning the funeral.”
You snorted loudly.
He shook his head once in disbelief before leaning down slightly.
“I cannot believe I fell for that.”
“You really did.”
“You looked so sad!”
“Because YOU looked sad!”
Martin groaned dramatically.
“That’s manipulation.”
“You called me sweetheart.”
“That’s because I thought you were about to cry.”
Your cheeks warmed instantly…and Martin noticed immediately.
And oh.
There it is.
That shy expression he liked too much.
His grin softened into something smaller now.
Fond. Dangerously fond.
“You’re lucky you’re cute,” he muttered.
Then after a beat
“…wait.”
You blinked innocently.
“What?”
Martin pointed suddenly toward the ground.
“Then what was the puddle again?”
You physically started laughing before answering.
“…water.”
Martin dropped his head back toward the sky in disbelief.
“I’m dating a supervillain.”
♡
By the time you both finally left the gas station, the entire mood had shifted.
Not ruined. If anything, it was softer now.
Martin kept randomly laughing to himself every few minutes while driving, like the prank would suddenly replay in his head again and emotionally hit him all over.
The first time it happened, you felt him shaking slightly beneath your arms while stopped at a red light.
“…are you laughing at me again?”
Martin tilted his helmeted head slightly.
“You forged emotional warfare.”
“I did not forge anything.”
“You made fake fuel evidence.”
You giggled immediately, tightening your arms around his waist slightly from behind while the traffic light reflected warm reds and yellows across the pavement around you. Martin’s hand briefly left the handlebar just long enough to squeeze your knee.
“Thought my motorcycle was entering its final moments.”
“You were so calm though.”
“I was trying not to make you cry.”
That made your chest ache a little…because he really had been. Even while stressed, even while internally watching his beloved bike flash before his eyes, his first instinct had still been making sure you didn’t feel bad.
The light turned green and the motorcycle surged forward smoothly beneath you both again. This time when your helmet rested lightly against his back, Martin’s hand reached down again briefly just to tap your thigh twice.
There.
Still laughing.
Still okay.
♡
The apartment smelled like popcorn and ramen within twenty minutes of getting home. Martin had immediately kicked his shoes off by the door before dramatically announcing-
“I survived attempted vehicular manslaughter and deserve snacks.”
You rolled your eyes while setting drinks onto the coffee table.
“It was unleaded!”
“Emotionally, it was diesel.”
“Be serious.”
“I almost saw my ancestors.”
A laugh escaped you before you could stop it. Martin looked over instantly from the kitchen counter where he was shoving popcorn into the microwave.
And gosh.
That smile again.
The one that always softened automatically when he looked at you too long.
Warm and sleepy around the edges now after a long day out together.
His dark hair was still messy from the helmet, hoodie sleeves pushed up slightly while silver rings flashed against the microwave buttons. Dangerous visual honestly.
You settled onto the couch while pulling a blanket over your legs, watching him quietly while he moved around the kitchen.
Comfortable.
That was the word for this.
Not dramatic. Not overwhelming. Just comfortable in the nicest way possible. Like spending time with Martin naturally turned ordinary things softer somehow.
The microwave beeped loudly.
Martin immediately pointed at it.
“Dinner.”
“That is not dinner.”
“It’s cinema cuisine.”
“You bought actual ramen too.”
“That’s appetizer ramen.”
You physically laughed again while Martin carried everything over dramatically balancing bowls, snacks, and drinks in both arms.
“Move.”
“You move.”
“I’m holding soup.”
That made you shift immediately.
Martin snorted softly before dropping onto the couch beside you with exaggerated exhaustion, one arm instantly stretching across the back cushions behind you like second nature.
You handed him the remote.
“Pick something.”
“Dangerous responsibility.”
“Please don’t choose another Japanese zombie shark movie.”
“That shark had emotional depth.”
“It ate a zombie…and became one.”
“Exactly.”
You hid your face laughing while Martin finally settled on some random action movie neither of you were really going to pay attention to anyway.
Because honestly?
The movie stopped mattering after maybe fifteen minutes. At some point during the opening scenes, you’d shifted closer beneath the blanket.
Then closer again.
Until eventually your legs tangled lightly with Martin’s and your head rested against his shoulder while he lazily played with your fingers during dialogue neither of you were following anymore.
The apartment stayed dim except for the television glow flickering softly across the room.
Martin smelled faintly like laundry detergent and night air.
Comfort.
Your eyes drifted toward him quietly.
“…you really weren’t mad?”
Martin looked down immediately.
“Hm?”
“The prank.”
He blinked once before snorting softly.
“Baby, I was relieved.”
“Still…”
Your fingers twisted slightly with his, eyes drooping slightly at the sides.
“I made you panic.”
Martin’s expression softened instantly. Without even thinking about it, his hand slid from yours to your cheek instead, thumb brushing lightly beneath your eye.
“You know why I wasn’t upset?”
You looked at him quietly.
“Because the second you thought I was genuinely stressed,” he murmured, “you felt bad too.”
Your face warmed slightly, and Martin smiled faintly.
“You care a lot.”
The words settled softly somewhere in your chest. Before you could respond, Martin leaned down slightly until his forehead bumped lightly against yours.
“And for the record,” he added quietly, “that was the best prank anybody’s ever pulled on me.”
You laughed softly.
“You’re lying.”
“I’m serious.”
“You looked traumatized.”
“I was traumatized.”
That made you laugh harder this time. Martin immediately grinned seeing it, arm tightening automatically around your shoulders while he pulled you practically half onto his lap beneath the blanket.
“There she is.”
Your chest squeezed a little…because Martin always noticed. Every smile. Every mood shift. Every tiny expression.
Not in an overwhelming way.
Just attentive.
The movie continued playing forgotten in the background while rain started lightly tapping against the apartment windows again outside. Soft this time. Not stormy, but
enough to make the room feel warmer.
Martin eventually leaned farther into the couch cushions with one arm still around you while your head rested fully against his chest now.
The steady heartbeat beneath your ear made your eyelids heavier little by little.
Sleepy.
Safe.
Your fingers absentmindedly played with the strings of his hoodie while Martin looked down at you again.
Then suddenly-
“You know what the worst part is?”
You hummed sleepily.
“What?”
Martin’s lips twitched.
“I genuinely believed you.”
A tiny laugh escaped you.
“You did.”
“You looked so proud of yourself.”
“I was committed to the performance.”
“You deserve awards.”
You tilted your head slightly to look up at him.
“…you really thought I killed your motorcycle?”
Martin stared at you for a second before dramatically narrowing his eyes.
“You were holding diesel evidence.”
You dissolved into laughter again immediately. Martin couldn’t help laughing too this time, the sound quieter now while his fingers drifted slowly through your hair.
And after a while, the laughter faded naturally into silence again. Not awkward silence, but the soft kind. The kind where your bodies stayed tangled together beneath blankets while the movie played unnoticed and Martin’s thumb traced absentminded patterns against your arm.
Your eyes were nearly closed now when his voice suddenly came quieter above you.
“…next time just prank me with fake golden Chick-Fil-A cups like a normal person.”
You smiled against his hoodie.
“No promises.”
Martin sighed dramatically.
“I’m never emotionally recovering from this.”
But the way he pressed a kiss softly into your hair immediately afterward completely ruined the complaint.
And honestly?
You didn’t think either of you minded that very much.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
A/N: I hope you all caught that ball reference to the popular Chick-Fil-A cups.. 😔 If not…forget it. 🙃 I really hope you guys enjoyed this story, and it was based off a video I actually saw!!
Pairing: non-idolProtective!Juhoon x softOblivious!reader
Genre: Romance, suspense, thriller, hurt/comfort, fluff, angst, physiological suspense
Synopsis: After discovering the stalker’s identity as an RA with unrestricted campus access, Y/N and Juhoon are forced into a final plan to end the escalating obsession once and for all.
Warning(s): Stalking, obsessive behavior, invasive behavior, anxiety, fear response, emotional distress, invasion of privacy, police involvement (non-graphic), protective behavior
Word Count: ~12.6k+
A/N: Hai! This is the second portion of “Tonight” because Tumblr wouldn’t allow me to make it that long for some reason. Enjoy the rest!!
Eventually, the teasing died down enough for everyone to settle again.
Breakfast wrappers covered the coffee table now, evidence photos and notebooks still open while morning light continued slowly brightening the dorm.
You’d ended up back beside Juhoon automatically. Not even consciously. One second you were standing near the kitchen island sipping juice, and the next you were curled sideways against him on the couch again with Choco tucked into your lap.
Juhoon’s hand rested absently against your thigh now.
Grounding. Always grounding.
Your fingers played quietly with the edge of his sleeve while the others talked.
And for a few minutes, things almost felt normal again. Until James finally spoke.
“We need to catch him.”
The room quieted immediately.
Juhoon’s hand stilled against your leg.
James leaned forward slightly.
“We can’t keep waiting for more evidence while he escalates.”
Seonghyeon nodded once.
“He’s getting sloppier too.”
Martin frowned slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“The library footage.” Seonghyeon tapped lightly against the laptop. “The balcony. He’s getting more comfortable taking risks.”
Your stomach tightened faintly.
Juhoon noticed instantly.
His thumb brushed slowly once against your leg beneath the blanket.
“It means he’s overconfident,” Keonho said quietly.
James exhaled slowly.
“Which means eventually he’ll make a mistake.”
Silence settled over the room again after that.
Heavy. Thinking silence. Then Martin slowly frowned.
“…unless we force one first.”
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Subtly. But enough that Juhoon felt it immediately.
His expression sharpened.
“What does that mean.”
Nobody answered for half a second.
And somehow, that was worse.
♡
The room felt different after that sentence.
Not louder. If anything, everything became quieter. Heavier. The silence where people are thinking too carefully.
Your fingers slowed against Juhoon’s sleeve almost immediately.
He noticed. Of course he noticed.
His hand shifted instinctively higher against your leg beneath the blanket while his eyes stayed fixed on Martin now.
“What does that mean,” he repeated.
Calm voice. Dangerously calm voice. Martin hesitated for exactly two seconds before exhaling softly.
“I mean…he’s obsessed with her routine, right?”
The atmosphere tightened instantly. You felt Juhoon’s body go still beside you.
Not tense. Worse. Controlled.
Martin noticed too and immediately lifted both hands slightly.
“I’m not saying throw her into danger.”
Juhoon’s jaw shifted faintly.
“Then choose your next words really carefully.”
Your stomach tightened. The room suddenly felt too warm again.
James leaned forward slowly from the kitchen counter.
“He’s not wrong though.”
Juhoon looked over immediately, but James didn’t back down.
“He follows patterns. He watches her when she’s alone. He moves when he thinks he has access.”
Seonghyeon’s brows furrowed slightly as realization slowly settled into his expression too.
“…if we controlled the environment…”
“No.”
Immediate. Sharp. Everybody looked back at Juhoon.
Your fingers curled tighter automatically around the sleeve beneath your hands, but Juhoon didn’t even glance down. His attention stayed locked on the others now, eyes darker than before.
“No.”
Martin sighed quietly.
“Juhoon.”
“No.”
James folded his arms.
“We’re not saying leave her defenseless.”
“You are literally talking about using her as bait.”
The room fell silent again.
Because yes. That was exactly what they were talking about.
You felt Juhoon’s heartbeat thudding hard beneath your cheek now.
Fast. Angry. Protective. Your chest tightened slightly.
Keonho finally spoke from near the table.
“If we don’t do something, this keeps escalating.”
Juhoon looked at him sharply.
“And if we’re wrong?”
Nobody answered immediately…because that was the problem.
What if they miscalculated?
What if they missed something?
What if the stalker realized it was a trap before they got to you?
Your throat tightened faintly, the room suddenly feeling very far away. You knew they were trying to protect you. All of them.
But hearing yourself talked about like a target made something cold settle beneath your ribs.
Juhoon noticed the exact second your breathing changed.
His gaze snapped downward instantly.
“Hey.”
Your eyes lifted toward him automatically, causing his expression to soften immediately the moment he saw your face.
“There you are.”
His hand slid gently beneath the blanket until it found yours again.
Warm…anchoring.
“You okay?”
You nodded faintly.
Not really, but enough.
Juhoon’s jaw tightened anyway because he knew you were lying.
♡
Martin rubbed tiredly at the back of his neck.
“We can set everything up carefully.”
Juhoon laughed once, a humorless sound.
“Carefully?”
“We’d be watching her.”
“She shouldn’t need watching in the first place.”
His voice stayed low, but the anger underneath it was becoming harder to hide now.
James leaned forward slightly.
“And what’s your alternative?”
Juhoon didn’t answer immediately.
Because honestly?
He didn’t have one. That was the problem.
He could protect you in the moment, hold you when you cried, stay awake all night, walk you to class, watch every doorway…but none of that actually stopped the stalker.
It only responded to him afterward.
And deep down, he knew it. Which somehow made him feel even more helpless.
Your fingers tightened softly around his hand beneath the blanket, causing him to look down immediately.
You were already looking at him.
Sleepy still. Scared still.
But soft.
Always soft with him.
That nearly broke him open right there.
♡
Seonghyeon slowly turned his laptop around.
“The library footage gives us timing patterns.”
Nobody spoke. He continued quietly.
“He approaches when she’s temporarily isolated. Places where he can blend in.”
James nodded slowly.
“If we controlled where she was…”
Juhoon’s expression darkened again instantly.
“She’s not an experiment.”
“Nobody said she was.”
“Then stop talking about her like she is.”
The room fell silent again, this time more tense than before. You could practically feel Juhoon unraveling beside you now.
Not outwardly. He wasn’t yelling, nor was he slamming things.
But every movement had become too precise.
Too sharp. The type of control that only exists when someone’s barely holding themselves together underneath it.
Martin finally sighed softly.
“We’re trying to stop this before it gets worse.”
Juhoon looked at him…and for the first time since all of this started, there was genuine fear visible in his expression.
Not fear for himself.
For you.
“What if we can’t get to her in time?”
The room stilled instantly, Nobody interrupting him now.
Because his voice sounded wrong. Tighter.
Like the sentence had been sitting in his chest for hours already.
“What if we miss something?” he continued quietly. “What if he panics? What if he realizes it’s a setup and-”
His voice cut off sharply.
Your chest tightened painfully…because suddenly you understood something horrible. Juhoon had been imagining every possible way this could go wrong all night.
Every scenario.
Every risk.
Every worst-case ending.
And it was eating him alive.
James softened slightly.
“We wouldn’t leave her alone.”
“But she would think she’s alone.”
That sentence shattered something in the room.
Because again, he was right. The entire point would be making the stalker think you were vulnerable. Accessible. Unprotected.
Your throat tightened hard.
Juhoon finally looked down at his hands.
Then quietly-
“What if he touches her before we get there?”
Silence. Absolute silence. Because none of them had an answer for that one.
Your eyes burned suddenly…not because of the plan, because of him. Because Juhoon sounded terrified. Truly terrified.
And hearing that stung more than your own fear right now.
♡
You moved before fully thinking about it.
One second Juhoon was staring at the floor trying to hold himself together.
The next, your arms were wrapping softly around him. The movement startled him completely.
His head lifted immediately.
“Sweet girl-”
“It’s okay.”
Your voice came out quieter than expected, still scratchy from exhaustion. You shifted closer until your face tucked carefully against the side of his neck.
And the second you touched him, he cracked.
Not dramatically, nor visibly to anyone else maybe, but you felt it instantly in the way his breathing stuttered once beneath you.
His arms wrapped around you automatically. Tight and protective.
Desperate.
You’d never felt him hold you like this before…like he was trying to keep himself together through you. Your hand slid slowly into his hair.
“I trust you,” you whispered softly.
Juhoon squeezed his eyes shut immediately…because that made everything worse.
Trust. You trusted him completely…and all he could think about was failing you.
Your fingers brushed gently against the back of his neck.
“You wouldn’t let something happen to me.”
The room had gone very quiet around both of you now. Nobody looked away, because none of them had ever really seen Juhoon like this before either.
So guarded all the time. So composed.
And now here he was sitting on the couch clutching you against his chest like losing you would destroy him completely. His voice came out rougher when he finally spoke.
“…I’m trying.”
The sentence hit you straight in the chest.
Not “I will.”
Not “I can.”
I’m trying.
Like he was carrying the weight of protecting you every second and was terrified it still wouldn’t be enough.
Your eyes stung instantly.
“You are,” you whispered. “You are.”
His face buried briefly against your shoulder then.
And to everyone’s shock, his hands were trembling slightly.
Martin’s expression softened completely.
James looked away quietly.
Even Seonghyeon leaned back slightly, jaw tense now.
Because none of them realized how deeply this had gotten into Juhoon’s head until now.
♡
A long silence followed. Not uncomfortable, but emotional. The kind that followed when someone finally says the thing they’ve been choking on for hours.
Your fingers stayed buried gently in Juhoon’s hair while his arms remained wrapped tightly around your waist.
And slowly, very slowly, his breathing steadied again. You felt it happen beneath your cheek first. The tension still remained. The fear too. But the panic softened slightly now that you were holding him back.
Your thumb brushed lightly along the side of his neck.
“I’m okay right now.”
Juhoon’s eyes closed briefly…because you were comforting him now. Even after everything.
That alone almost destroyed him.
Martin finally cleared his throat softly after a while.
“…for the record,” he muttered quietly, “this is the most emotionally devastating thing I’ve ever witnessed.”
James nodded immediately.
“Actually sickening levels of attachment.”
Keonho sighed.
“They’re going to start sharing oxygen next.”
And somehow, despite everything, a tiny laugh escaped you. Small and watery, but real.
Juhoon’s grip tightened around you instantly at the sound. Like hearing you laugh again physically relieved something inside him. His forehead dropped lightly against yours afterward, the tips of his ears were faintly pink again now.
And very quietly, so quietly only you really heard it-
“…I’m serious though.”
Your expression softened.
“I know.”
His eyes searched yours carefully. Still afraid. Still protective. Still trying to solve ten disasters at once inside his head.
“I don’t want you scared anymore.”
Your chest ached painfully at that. Because after all of this, that was still his priority.
Not catching the stalker. Not revenge.
You.
Your fear, your safety, your peace.
♡
The room stayed quiet after that. Rainwater still clung to the windows outside in uneven streaks while pale morning light continued slowly brightening the dorm room little by little, turning everything soft gray and gold.
Nobody joked immediately this time because Juhoon still looked wrecked.
He was still holding himself together, still breathing evenly, still keeping one arm firmly around your waist while your forehead rested lightly against his, but now…everyone could see beneath it.
The fear. The exhaustion. The way this whole situation had rooted itself somewhere deep inside him and refused to let go.
Your fingers remained curled gently against the back of his neck while his gaze stayed fixed on you like he was reassuring himself you were still there.
Still safe, still breathing, still his to protect.
Martin finally exhaled quietly from across the room.
“…okay.”
Nobody looked at him yet. He rubbed one hand over his face slowly before continuing more carefully this time.
“No bait.”
Juhoon’s jaw loosened slightly.
“But,” Martin added quickly, “we still need a plan.”
James nodded once from the counter.
“He’s right.”
Your stomach tightened faintly again at the shift back toward strategy, but Juhoon noticed immediately. His thumb brushed softly once against your side beneath the hoodie.
Seonghyeon leaned back slightly in his chair, eyes thoughtful now instead of tense.
“We stop thinking about this like a movie.”
Martin frowned.
“…what?”
“We don’t lure him somewhere dramatic,” Seonghyeon said calmly. “We pressure him.”
The room quieted again. Keonho looked up first.
“How?”
Seonghyeon slowly turned the laptop back toward himself.
“He’s careful because he thinks nobody knows enough yet.” His fingers tapped lightly against the keyboard. “So we make him nervous.”
James’s expression shifted slightly as realization settled in.
“Make him think we’re closer than we are.”
“Exactly.”
Juhoon stayed silent beside you, but you felt his body ease maybe half an inch for the first time in hours.
Not relaxed. Just…less cornered.
Martin leaned forward now.
“So what? Fake evidence?”
“Not fake,” Seonghyeon corrected. “Selective.”
Your brows furrowed slightly against Juhoon’s shoulder while everyone focused harder. Seonghyeon continued quietly.
“We start letting people notice we’re investigating specific things.”
“Like what?” James asked.
“The RA theory.”
That made the room still instantly again. Seonghyeon’s eyes lifted slowly from the screen.
“If it is an RA, then they already think they’re untouchable because they know the system.” His voice stayed calm. Analytical. “But if suddenly it starts looking like we’re narrowing it down?”
Martin’s face slowly changed.
“Oh.”
Keonho sat up straighter against the floor.
“That could force him to move.”
“Or panic,” James added quietly.
“Good,” Seonghyeon replied.
The word landed heavier than expected.
Because panic meant mistakes. Mistakes meant exposure. And exposure meant this nightmare could finally end.
Beside you, Juhoon’s arm tightened unconsciously around your waist again.
Still thinking. Still calculating risks faster than everyone else.
Your fingers slid quietly into the sleeve hanging over his wrist.
His eyes dropped instantly. You looked tired again. Not frightened exactly, just emotionally drained in a way that made his chest ache to look at.
“You okay?” he murmured softly.
You nodded faintly.
“…just listening.”
His gaze softened immediately.
The others kept talking, but quieter now.
Gentler. Like everyone subconsciously adjusted themselves around your exhaustion.
♡
By late morning, the dorm had transformed into complete chaos. Not panic-chaos. Planning-chaos.
Laptops open everywhere, campus maps spread across the coffee table beneath empty breakfast wrappers. Martin had somehow taped printed building schedules onto the wall using neon pink tape he “found spiritually.”Nobody questioned where it came from. Seonghyeon sat cross-legged on the floor sorting timelines while James searched housing forums and campus event logs beside him. Keonho was handling security footage timestamps. And through all of it, Juhoon still barely let you move farther than arm’s reach.
Not intentionally. His body just kept tracking yours automatically.
When you stood up to refill your water, his eyes followed, when you disappeared briefly into the kitchen, his posture subtly shifted until you returned, when Martin accidentally dropped a plate too loudly and you startled, Juhoon’s hand was already against your back before the sound even finished echoing. It was instinct now. Pure instinct.
And honestly?
Nobody teased him about it anymore.
Not after earlier. Not after seeing him nearly unravel on the couch while holding you like his entire nervous system depended on your heartbeat staying steady.
You sat curled near the end of the couch now wearing Juhoon’s oversized gray hoodie while Choco rested against your stomach. Your legs were tucked beneath you, half listening, half exhausted.
Juhoon sat beside you with one arm stretched along the back cushions behind your shoulders, fingers occasionally brushing absentmindedly against your hair whenever he passed by.
Tiny touches. Checking touches. Still here touches.
You noticed every single one.
♡
Around noon, things finally started clicking together faster. James looked up from his laptop first.
“Wait.”
The room paused slightly. He turned the screen toward Seonghyeon.
“Look at this.”
Everyone shifted closer instinctively except you and Juhoon.
Well.
You started to move too, but Juhoon immediately stood first before gently pulling you up with him automatically.
Your brows lifted slightly.
“…you know I can walk by myself, right?”
His ears turned faintly pink.
“I know.”
Martin looked up from the floor immediately.
“She’s not an emotional support luggage dude.”
Juhoon ignored him completely. Your lips twitched slightly despite yourself. By now, everyone had gathered around James’s screen.
Housing schedules. Event logs. RA shift rotations.
Seonghyeon’s eyes narrowed slowly.
“…that’s weird.”
“What?” Keonho asked.
James pointed toward the timestamps.
“The nights things happened.”
Your stomach tightened slightly again.
The apartment. The library. The balcony photograph.
James scrolled slowly downward.
“Cross-reference these with duty rotations.”
The room went silent except for typing.
Then, Martin sat up abruptly.
“No way.”
Juhoon’s expression darkened instantly.
“What.”
Martin looked toward him slowly now.
“There’s overlap.”
The air changed immediately. Sharp. You felt Juhoon go still beside you again.
“Which RA?” he asked quietly.
Martin clicked again. Scrolled. Paused.
“…not enough to confirm yet.”
Juhoon’s jaw tightened instantly.
“But enough to narrow it down?”
Nobody answered immediately…which was answer enough. Your chest tightened hard.
Because suddenly this all felt terrifyingly real again.
Not faceless anymore. Not random.
Someone specific. Someone walking around campus like everybody else. Someone who smiled at people normally while climbing balconies at night to photograph you sleeping.
Your breathing faltered slightly.
Juhoon noticed instantly, his hand sliding quietly around your wrist before tugging you gently backward toward him until your back rested lightly against his chest.
“There you are,” he murmured softly near your ear.
Your eyes squeezed shut briefly. The room blurred around the edges again.
James looked over the second he noticed your expression shift.
“…maybe we should slow down.”
“No,” you whispered before anyone could stop.
Everybody looked at you now. Your fingers tightened slightly around Juhoon’s sleeve where it rested near your shoulder.
“No,” you repeated softer this time. “I wanna know.”
Juhoon’s gaze dropped toward you instantly, concerned.
“Sweet girl-”
“I do.”
Your voice shook slightly now despite trying to steady it.
“Because if we stop every time I get scared then this just keeps happening.”
Silence filled the room again, and somewhere behind you, you felt Juhoon’s breathing change faintly.
Not because he disagreed.
Because he was proud of you. And terrified for you at the exact same time.
Your head leaned back lightly against his shoulder unconsciously.
Tired. Brave anyway.
Juhoon’s eyes closed briefly. Then his lips brushed softly against your temple.
Just once. Quick…but everyone saw it.
Martin immediately looked upward dramatically.
“Oh my gosh.”
James physically recoiled.
“In front of my breakfast?”
You blinked.
“…he kissed my forehead.”
“Emotionally worse somehow,” Martin muttered.
For the first time all morning, a tiny real smile pulled briefly at Juhoon’s mouth.
Small…but honestly?
The sight of him finally laughing relieved the room more than anyone admitted out loud.
♡
An hour later, the plan finally started taking shape.
Not reckless, or dangerous, or spontaneous.
Controlled. Careful.
Seonghyeon had divided possible suspects based on schedule overlap while James worked on figuring out which dorm access logs could realistically be obtained. Keonho handled timing patterns. Martin mostly contributed conspiracy theories and snacks.
You sat curled against Juhoon again while everyone worked around you.
At some point, exhaustion began creeping back over you fully. Heavy. Your head rested against Juhoon’s shoulder while his fingers absentmindedly traced soft patterns against your sleeve.
The room hummed quietly around both of you now.
Keyboard typing, occasional muttering, the crinkle of snack wrappers. And beneath all of it, Juhoon’s heartbeat. Steady against your cheek. Your eyes slowly blinked shut for half a second too long.
Juhoon noticed immediately.
“Tired again?”
You nodded weakly without opening your eyes. His expression softened instantly.
“You should nap.”
Immediate hesitation crossed your face again. Even now. Even after sleeping beside him all night.
Juhoon’s chest tightened painfully at the sight.
His hand moved carefully to your cheek.
“I’ll stay.”
Your lashes lifted slowly.
“…promise?”
There it was again. That tiny quiet fear in your voice. Like sleep itself had become something unsafe. Something frightening.
Juhoon looked at you for a long second.
Then very softly-
“I’m not leaving you alone again.”
The room quieted slightly after hearing that.
Your expression melted immediately into something fragile and trusting.
And honestly?
That look nearly destroyed him all over again for the millionth time today.
You shifted closer automatically until your face tucked lightly against the side of his neck again. Your voice came out muffled against his hoodie.
“…okay.”
Juhoon’s eyes closed briefly, relief flooding through him so hard it almost hurt. His arm wrapped carefully tighter around you, and across the room, Seonghyeon watched the two of you quietly for a second before his gaze slowly drifted toward the evidence table again.
Toward the photographs. Toward the timelines. Toward the slowly narrowing list of names.
His expression darkened slightly.
Because now? Now it wasn’t just about catching someone dangerous anymore.
Now it was personal for all of them too.
And somewhere deep down, every single person in that dorm had already decided the same thing Juhoon had hours ago.
Whoever did this wasn’t walking away gently.
♡
The afternoon dragged on slowly after that.
Everyone was exhausted now in that strange emotional way where even thinking started feeling difficult after too many hours awake. The dorm had grown quieter over time, conversations softer and more spread out while sunlight slowly shifted across the floor in the rain-stained windows.
You’d fallen asleep against Juhoon sometime after lunch. Not deeply, but enough for your body to finally give up fighting exhaustion for a little while.
And Juhoon?
He hadn’t moved even once since. Not once.
He sat half-slouched into the couch cushions with one arm securely around your waist while your face stayed tucked against his chest beneath the oversized gray hoodie. Every few minutes, his fingers drifted automatically through your hair again. Checking. Grounding himself through you.
The others noticed too. Especially because Juhoon had barely spoken for almost an hour now.
James finally closed his laptop with a long exhale.
“…okay.”
Nobody looked up immediately. He rubbed tiredly at his eyes.
“We have enough.”
That got everyone’s attention. Even Juhoon’s. Seonghyeon turned slowly from the coffee table.
“You sure?”
James nodded once.
“The overlap’s too specific now.”
Martin sat forward instantly.
“Which one?”
James glanced toward you first instinctively.
Still asleep. Still curled impossibly close into Juhoon’s side. Then quieter-
“…Minjae.”
The room went still. Completely still.
Keonho frowned immediately.
“The science hall RA?”
James nodded.
Seonghyeon’s expression darkened slowly as pieces started connecting faster now.
“He covered east housing last semester too.”
“And look at the timestamps,” James added, reopening the screen briefly. “Every single incident lines up with his rounds or free hours.”
Martin muttered a curse beneath his breath and Juhoon stayed silent beside you. Too silent. His jaw tightened once. Then again.
Your sleeping hand twitched lightly against his hoodie strings at the movement, making his entire expression soften instantly before hardening all over again. James noticed.
“…you okay?”
Nobody in the room actually expected Juhoon to answer yes. And obviously…he didn’t. His eyes stayed fixed on the screen now.
On the name.
Minjae.
A real person.
Not some unknown thing anymore. Someone who stood near you. Talked to you. Probably smiled at you normally while secretly building obsessions in the dark.
Something ugly twisted violently in Juhoon’s chest. Martin leaned back slowly.
“So what’s the move?”
Silence lingered for half a second. Then Seonghyeon spoke carefully.
“We pressure him tonight.”
Juhoon’s gaze lifted immediately.
“No bait?”
“No bait,” Seonghyeon reassured immediately. “But we make him think we know.”
James nodded slowly.
“We leak that housing security’s reviewing access logs.”
Martin caught on instantly.
“And if he panics-”
“He moves.”
Keonho folded his arms.
“Which gives us something concrete enough for police involvement.”
Juhoon looked down at you again. Your breathing stayed slow against his chest.
Trusting. Completely unaware that the room had finally attached a face to your fear.
His arm tightened unconsciously around your waist.
Tonight.
The word settled heavily in his chest.
Tonight this ended.
Or at least…it needed to. Because he genuinely didn’t know how much longer he could keep watching you flinch at every sound before something inside him snapped completely.
♡
You woke up slowly about an hour later to quiet voices and the feeling of Juhoon’s fingers moving gently through your hair again.
Your lashes fluttered tiredly. Immediately, his hand stilled slightly.
“There she is.”
Your face stayed half buried against his chest while you blinked sleepily upward at him.
The second he saw confusion start returning to your expression again, his face softened.
“You’re okay.”
The words came automatically now. Constant reassurance. Like breathing.
Your voice came out quiet and sleepy.
“…did I drool on you?”
Martin answered immediately from somewhere across the room.
“Violently.”
You gasped softly.
“I did not.”
“You absolutely did.”
Juhoon’s mouth twitched faintly.
“No you didn’t.”
Martin pointed dramatically.
“He’s enabling you.”
Your face scrunched tiredly before you looked back up at Juhoon.
“…what time is it?”
“Almost six.”
Your eyes widened slightly.
“I slept that long?”
“You needed it.”
His thumb brushed softly beneath your eye while you fully woke up little by little.
Then, you noticed the room again. The atmosphere.
Different now. Focused now.
Your stomach tightened slightly.
“…what happened?”
Nobody answered immediately…and instantly, Juhoon hated that look crossing your face again.
Fear.
His hand moved carefully against the side of your neck.
“Hey.”
Your eyes lifted toward him immediately.
“We figured some things out.”
Your chest tightened harder. Juhoon noticed immediately.
“But,” he continued softly before you could spiral, “we’re handling it.”
You stared at him for a second. Then quietly-
“…you know who it is?”
Silence. Which told you enough already. Your throat suddenly felt dry.
Juhoon’s expression softened painfully watching realization spread across your face.
“You don’t need to panic.”
But you already were a little…because somehow knowing there was an actual person to all of this made everything feel more real instead of less. Your fingers curled instinctively into his sleeve again.
“Who?”
James answered this time.
“…Minjae.”
Your brows furrowed slightly. Recognition hit about two seconds later.
And when it did, your entire body went cold.
“The RA from the science building?”
Juhoon felt you tense instantly against him.
His hand slid immediately along your back.
“There you are.”
You stared blankly ahead now, memories connecting all at once.
Minjae holding doors open for you once, Minjae smiling at you outside housing office hours, Minjae asking if you’d adjusted well to campus. Your stomach twisted violently.
“Oh my gosh.”
Juhoon’s expression darkened immediately seeing panic begin flooding back over your face.
“Sweet girl.”
“He talked to me.”
The room fell quiet. Your breathing started quickening again.
“He knew where I lived,” you whispered. “He- he came to my apartment that day when maintenance was there.”
Martin swore softly under his breath. Juhoon’s arm wrapped tighter around you instantly.
“Look at me.”
You tried…but now everything felt wrong again. Every interaction suddenly poisoned in hindsight. Your chest tightened harder.
“He touched my shoulder once.”
That sentence nearly made Juhoon black out from rage. Actually rage. The kind so immediate and violent it scared even him slightly…because suddenly all he could picture was another man touching you while secretly obsessing over you in ways that made his skin crawl.
His jaw clenched hard enough to ache.
Your fingers shook slightly where they clutched his sleeve. Juhoon grabbed your hand immediately. Firm and warm.
“He’s not touching you again.”
The certainty in his voice cut through your panic slightly. Not maybe. Not hopefully.
Certainty.
And that steadied your breathing more than anything else had.
♡
By seven-thirty, the plan was finalized.
Simple, controlled, and no risks involving you directly.
James had connections through campus admin who could quietly leak information about “ongoing access log reviews.”Seonghyeon would monitor the dorm cameras. Martin and Keonho would stay positioned near east housing exits.
And Juhoon?
Juhoon refused to let you out of his sight.
Nobody argued with that. Not after today.
The problem was…
You still needed clothes from your apartment.
The realization hit everyone at roughly the same time.
Martin looked up first.
“…wait.”
Your stomach dropped immediately because you already knew.
“Oh.”
Juhoon’s expression changed instantly.
“No.”
James blinked.
“She can’t stay in your hoodie forever.”
“She absolutely can.”
You looked up weakly.
“…Juhoon.”
“No.”
Martin sighed.
“Dude.”
Juhoon looked genuinely ready to fight all of them suddenly.
“She’s not going back there.”
Your chest tightened slightly.
Honestly?
You didn’t want to go back either. The thought of entering your apartment again made your skin crawl now. But eventually, quietly, you whispered-
“…I need my stuff.”
Juhoon’s jaw tightened immediately. You could practically see him losing the argument internally in real time.
Not because he agreed…but because he knew you were right. His hand slid slowly over his face.
“…fine.”
The room visibly relaxed slightly. Then immediately tensed again when Juhoon added coldly-
“But I’m going with her.”
“Obviously,” Martin muttered.
“And none of you are leaving us alone there.”
“Obviously,” James repeated.
♡
The walk to your apartment felt wrong. Too quiet.
The rain had stopped hours ago, leaving campus damp and cold beneath the fading evening sky while puddles reflected blurry gold streetlights across the sidewalks. You stayed close beside Juhoon the entire time.
Closer than usual, honestly. One of your hands remained tightly wrapped around his sleeve while the other held Choco against your chest.
And Juhoon?
Juhoon looked terrifyingly alert now.
Every sound made his eyes lift, every passing student got checked automatically, every shadow, every doorway. Your apartment building appeared ahead eventually.
The second it came into view, your stomach twisted.
Juhoon noticed instantly. His hand found the back of your neck gently.
“You okay?”
You nodded automatically.
Lie.
He knew it was a lie too, but he didn’t push.
Instead, his thumb brushed softly once against your skin before guiding you carefully inside.
The hallway felt colder than usual. Your keys shook slightly in your hands while unlocking the door.
Juhoon noticed that too. Immediately taking them gently from your fingers.
“I got it.”
The lock clicked open. You guys walked inside and made your way towards your room. But the second the bedroom door swung inward-
Everything stopped. Completely.
Your breath caught instantly. Behind you, Martin swore loudly.
“Oh my god.”
You realize now, the whole apartment looked wrong.
Not destroyed, no. Worse.
Carefully arranged. Photographs covered the walls. Dozens of them. Printed pictures.
You walking across campus, you laughing outside cafés, you asleep, you clutching Juhoon’s hoodie.
Your chest tightened so violently it hurt.
No.
No no no-
Your knees nearly buckled immediately.
Juhoon caught you before you could fall.
“What the fuck.”
His voice came out low. Deadly.
You stared blankly ahead while panic flooded your body all over again.
Photos.
Everywhere.
Candles sat melted onto your kitchen counter beside handwritten notes, flowers, your missing hoodie from weeks ago folded carefully on your bed.
And in the center—
A framed photograph of you smiling directly toward the camera.
Like some kind of shrine.
Your breathing shattered instantly.
“No-”
Juhoon’s arm wrapped around you immediately.
“Don’t look.”
But it was too late. You were already shaking violently now. Your entire body trembling against his chest while tears flooded your eyes.
“Oh my gosh.”
Behind you, even James looked pale.
Martin had stopped joking completely.
Keonho immediately began taking photos for evidence while Seonghyeon quietly called campus police.
But Juhoon barely noticed any of it.
Because the second he saw the shrine, something inside him snapped clean in half.
Not dramatically.
Coldly.
His arms tightened around you while he stared at the wall covered in stolen pictures.
Then lower, at the bed. At your clothes. At evidence that another person had stood in your room touching your things while fantasizing about you.
A horrifying calm settled over him instantly.
Tonight.
No more waiting.
No more careful maybe plans.
Tonight this ended.
♡
The apartment felt wrong in a way your brain couldn’t fully process.
It was…intimate. That was what made it so horrifying.
Every surface looked touched carefully. Intentionally. Like someone had spent time here. Admiring. Rearranging. Building some awful version of you inside their own head.
Your breathing kept shaking against Juhoon’s chest while his arm stayed locked around your waist so tightly it almost hurt.
But he didn’t loosen it. He couldn’t. Not while staring at your room looking like this.
The walls were covered in more photographs printed on cheap glossy paper, some blurry from distance, some terrifyingly close.
You at cafés, you walking across campus holding coffee, you laughing with Martin outside the convenience store, you asleep against Juhoon’s shoulder in the library.
Your stomach twisted harder.
And then, when your eyes actually focused on the bed…everything else disappeared. Because spread carefully across the blankets wasn’t random clutter. It was curated.
Candles also here, half melted onto little plates, flowers beginning to wilt around the edges, notes written in frantic cramped handwriting.
And photographs. So many more photographs.
Juhoon followed your line of sight immediately…and then went completely still.
At the center of the bed sat a framed screenshot of your Instagram post from Juhoon’s birthday three months ago.
You remembered that day instantly. The stupid turtle-themed party.
Martin and James wearing inflatable turtle shell backpacks because they thought it was “immersive.” Keonho crying laughing while Seonghyeon looked dead inside wearing a paper party hat.
And you?
You were holding up the tiny turtle-shaped cake you’d surprised Juhoon with while laughing at something Martin said off camera.
But Juhoon hadn’t been looking at the cake.
Even in the photo, his eyes had been completely fixed on you. Soft. Gone.
Like you really did hang the stars.
Your chest tightened painfully.
…and scrawled beneath the framed picture in messy black marker were the words—
“I hate how he looks at you.”
The room went dead silent. Juhoon stared at the sentence for exactly three seconds before something in his expression changed completely. Everything inside him seemed to freeze over.
Your fingers curled harder into the front of his hoodie while tears blurred your vision again.
“Oh my gosh…”
Beside the bed, more notes were scattered everywhere.
“He doesn’t deserve you.”
“You smiled at me first.”
“I saw you before he did.”
“You were supposed to notice me.”
Your knees nearly gave out again, but Juhoon caught you immediately.
“There you are,” he murmured automatically, voice terrifyingly calm now despite the fact his entire body had gone rigid beneath your hands. His gaze dragged slowly across the room again.
Your missing hoodie folded neatly beside the pillows, candles, flowers, pictures of you sleeping, the framed birthday post, the words about him.
Something cold and vicious settled fully into his chest now.
Not jealousy. Not even anger anymore.
Violation.
Someone had built a fantasy out of you.
Out of your kindness.
Out of your smile.
Out of moments that belonged to you.
And somehow the worst part, the absolute worst part, was seeing those sentences written beside photos where you looked happy with him. Like Minjae had been standing outside those moments hating Juhoon for existing inside them.
Behind you, James quietly finished explaining everything to the police dispatcher while Keonho photographed every inch of the room. Martin looked genuinely sick. Even Seonghyeon’s face had gone pale now.
But Juhoon?
Juhoon looked frighteningly calm. His hand moved slowly into your hair again while his eyes stayed fixed on the shrine.
Then quietly, finally out loud-
“We’re doing it tonight.”
Nobody even hesitated, because every single person in the room understood immediately now. This wasn’t obsession anymore.
This was deterioration.
And if they waited longer?
Nobody wanted to imagine what came next.
♡
The plan changed after that.
Not entirely, but enough. Enough to make Minjae move.
Campus security quietly leaked the access log investigation exactly like planned. James made sure word spread through the RA network within the hour.
And then, you went back to Juhoon’s dorm.
Only briefly. Long enough to make it believable. Long enough for cameras to catch you entering your apartment building alone later that night.
Except you weren’t alone.
Not really. Because by ten-thirty, every single hallway surrounding your apartment was already covered.
Seonghyeon monitored cameras from a maintenance room downstairs, James and Martin waited near the stairwell exits, Keonho stayed positioned outside the building, and Juhoon? Juhoon stayed hidden inside your apartment bedroom with every light off except the dim lamp near your bed.
Waiting.
You sat carefully near the edge of the mattress hugging Choco against your chest while your stomach twisted itself into knots.
The shrine had been removed already for evidence collection, but the room still felt haunted by it somehow. Juhoon noticed every single time your breathing changed.
“You okay?”
His voice came quietly from the darkness near the closet door. You looked toward him instantly even though you could barely make him out.
“…kinda.”
Lie. You were terrified.
And honestly?
So was he.
Because despite all the planning, despite everyone nearby, despite the police waiting for confirmation-
You were still sitting here vulnerable enough for Minjae to believe this would work.
Juhoon hated every second of it. His jaw had been tight for nearly an hour now. You could feel it even in silence. Eventually your fingers tightened slightly around Choco.
“…Juhoon?”
“Hm?”
Your voice came out smaller than intended.
“…what if he comes in here?”
The room went very quiet. Then slowly, Juhoon stepped out from the darkness enough for you to finally see him properly.
Black hoodie, dark eyes completely focused on you. He crossed the room carefully before crouching in front of where you sat on the bed. And immediately, your breathing steadied slightly.
Always him. Always.
His hands slid gently around yours where they clutched the plushie too tightly.
“He won’t touch you.”
The certainty in his voice wrapped around your chest slowly.
“But if he tries,” Juhoon continued quietly, eyes locked on yours now, “I’ll be there first.”
Your throat tightened…because he sounded so sure. Not dramatic, nor possessive.
Certain.
Like it was simply fact.
His thumb brushed softly across your knuckles.
“There you are.”
You hadn’t even realized you’d started shaking again. Your eyes burned slightly.
“…okay.”
Juhoon’s expression softened instantly hearing the trust in your voice again. Then very gently, he leaned forward and pressed his lips briefly against yours.
Close.
Grounding.
Safe.
And for one tiny second, the fear eased.
♡
At 11:07 PM, the apartment door unlocked.
Every muscle in your body froze instantly.
Juhoon went still too.
The soft click echoed through the apartment like a gunshot.
Then silence.
Your breathing shattered immediately. Slow footsteps creaked softly through the living room.
Unhurried. Comfortable. Like he belonged here.
Your stomach twisted so violently it hurt.
From the darkness near the bedroom doorway, Juhoon’s expression changed completely.
Cold and deadly. But controlled. Still controlled.
Another step.
Then another.
A shadow crossed the hallway outside your bedroom.
And finally-
Minjae appeared in the doorway.
Your chest stopped.
He looked almost normal.
That was the horrifying part.
Sweatshirt. Messy dark hair. Student ID clipped lazily to his pocket like any other RA walking campus at night.
Except his eyes-
His eyes locked onto you instantly.
And something about his entire face softened in a way that made your skin crawl.
“Here you are Y/N.”
Your breathing hitched sharply. Minjae stepped forward slowly like he genuinely hadn’t noticed anything wrong yet.
“I knew you’d come back.”
You couldn’t move. Could barely breathe.
His gaze dragged over your face almost lovingly.
Then quieter-
“You shouldn’t let him keep you away from your own room.”
Because the way Minjae said him made his blood boil. Like he was the problem. Like he was the thing standing between Minjae and something he believed belonged to him.
Minjae took another step toward the bed.
“You don’t need to be scared anymore.”
And then-
“You look prettier without him around.”
The bedroom light slammed on. Minjae physically recoiled.
Before he could even react, Juhoon stepped directly between both of you. Fast enough it almost didn’t look real.
Minjae’s face changed instantly.
Not fear.
Hatred. Pure hatred.
Because even now, even caught, even surrounded…his eyes stayed trying to look past Juhoon toward you.
“You.”
Juhoon’s voice came out terrifyingly calm.
Minjae barely acknowledged him.
“She only looks at you because you were there first.”
Your stomach turned violently. Behind Minjae, footsteps thundered through the apartment now. James. Martin. Police.
But Minjae didn’t care.
His eyes stayed locked on you.
Obsessive. Unstable.
“You were supposed to notice me,” he whispered.
And then suddenly-
He lunged. Straight toward you.
Everything happened at once afterward.
Juhoon moved first.
A sick crack echoed through the room as his fist collided with Minjae hard enough to send him crashing sideways into the wall before he could even get close to the bed.
You gasped sharply.
Martin swore loudly.
Police rushed forward instantly while Minjae struggled violently beneath them, blood smeared across his mouth now.
But even pinned to the floor, even handcuffed, he kept looking at you.
Only you.
It made your skin crawl.
Juhoon stepped forward again immediately, rage finally cracking visibly through his expression now.
James caught his arm fast.
“Juhoon.”
Because the look on his face genuinely scared them for a second. Minjae laughed weakly through split lips.
His voice sounded wrong now. Shaking with fury so intense it barely sounded human anymore.
Police dragged Minjae upright quickly, but even while being forced toward the door he twisted back toward you one last time.
And softly, almost dreamily-
“I kept the first picture from orientation.”
Your stomach dropped.
The first day. The campus tour. The beginning.
Juhoon went completely still beside you. Then colder than you’d ever heard him speak-
“If he says one more thing, move.”
Nobody doubted for a second that he meant it.
♡
Three days later-
The dorm smelled like vanilla cupcakes and melted frosting. Which honestly felt surreal after everything.
Martin was aggressively failing at piping buttercream, James kept stealing sprinkles directly from the container, Seonghyeon had somehow become the only competent baker in the room while Keonho sat at the counter eating raw batter straight from the spoon, and for the first time in what felt like forever-
You laughed. Actually laughed. The sound made Juhoon look up from beside the oven instantly. Softening immediately.
You stood near the kitchen island wearing one of his hoodies again while Choco sat tucked beneath your arm.
And this time?
Nobody looked scared. Not even him.
The knock at the door surprised everyone slightly.
James opened it first. Then blinked.
“…oh.”
Two police officers stepped inside quietly.
Your stomach tightened automatically before Juhoon’s hand immediately found the small of your back. Grounding.
“There you are,” he murmured softly the second he felt you tense.
The officers sat down carefully in the living room while the dorm slowly quieted again.
One of them opened a folder.
“We finished searching Minjae’s dorm.”
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Your fingers curled slightly around Juhoon’s sleeve.
The officer’s expression softened faintly looking at you.
“It was extensive.”
Nobody spoke.
“There were hundreds of photographs. Notes. Timelines.” He paused carefully. “Everything centered around you specifically.”
Your throat tightened slightly, but the officer continued gently.
“It appears the fixation started during freshman orientation.”
Your chest dropped. The campus tour. Just like he said.
“He was assigned as one of the student guides that week,” the officer explained. “From what we found in his journal, he became obsessed after a brief interaction with you.”
The room stayed silent…because that was the horrifying part.
Brief interaction.
Not love. Not connection. Just obsession growing unchecked inside someone unstable.
The officer glanced down at the notes again.
“He documented your routines for almost a year.”
Juhoon’s arm tightened instantly around your waist. Not enough to hurt, just enough to reassure himself you were still there.
The officer hesitated slightly before adding-
“There were multiple entries expressing jealousy toward Mr. Kim.”
Every single person in the room looked toward Juhoon automatically. He looked away immediately, jaw tight. Because somehow hearing it out loud made the whole thing feel even sicker.
“He perceived your relationship as interference,” the officer finished carefully.
Your eyes dropped toward your hands slowly…and beside you, Juhoon’s thumb brushed gently against your wrist again.
There.
Still here.
♡
A week later, sunlight spilled softly through the dorm windows while campus life finally started feeling normal again.
Or at least…closer to normal.
You sat quietly near the couch staring out the window while afternoon light warmed the floorboards beneath your feet.
The room stayed peaceful around you.
Soft music playing somewhere from Martin’s speaker, James asleep face-down at the table, Seonghyeon reading. And for the first time in days, your chest didn’t feel tight.
Still healing, but lighter.
Your fingers absentmindedly squeezed Choco against your lap.
Then suddenly-
Poke.
You blinked slowly.
Another poke against your cheek.
You turned slightly, and froze.
Juhoon sat beside you holding two tiny mini Choco plushies between his fingers.
One was wearing a ridiculously tiny hoodie, the other had little embroidered stars on its head.
Your lips parted slightly, and then Juhoon smiled. Softly. That smile he really only gave you now. Warm and private and devastatingly gentle.
“…found them online.”
Your chest ached instantly. He poked your cheek again with one of the plushies.
“You looked sad.”
A tiny laugh escaped you before you could stop it. Immediately, his expression softened even more hearing it.
There it is again.
That laugh.
Your fingers carefully took one of the plushies from him.
“…they’re cute.”
“They reminded me of us.”
Martin gagged dramatically from across the room without even opening his eyes.
“Please break up.”
You laughed again.
And this time, the sound felt easier. Real.
“Hell no.” Juhoon shot back, whipping his head around.
Martin put his hands up in defense before quickly getting up from his chair and jogging to his room.
Juhoon looked back, and watched you for a second quietly.
After a while, he reached into his backpack.
Your brows lifted slightly.
“…what’s that?”
Without answering, he handed you two folded tickets.
You stared down at them…then blinked.
“…amusement park?”
Juhoon nodded once.
“You said you wanted to go before all this happened.”
Your chest tightened softly, and he looked almost…shy now. Which somehow still stunned you every time.
“And,” he added quieter, “I think we deserve a better memory.”
Your throat hurt suddenly…because you knew exactly what he meant.
The destroyed Polaroid. The broken moment. The fear attached to it now.
Juhoon’s fingers brushed gently against yours.
“We’ll remake it.”
♡
The amusement park lights glowed gold against the evening sky.
Everything felt warm. Cotton candy sweet air, distant roller coaster screams, Martin yelling somewhere behind you because James cheated at a carnival game.
They “somehow stumbled upon a few more tickets”, and decided to tag along to your little date. But for the first time in weeks-
You felt light. Really light.
Juhoon stood beside you near the carousel holding Choco beneath one arm while the wind lifted softly through his dark hair. His eyes stayed on you constantly tonight.
But differently now. Not checking for danger.
Just…looking. Like he could finally breathe again too.
“Ready?” he asked softly, lifting the Polaroid camera.
Your chest fluttered slightly. You nodded.
This time, when the picture snapped, your arm wrapped tightly around Juhoon’s waist while his stayed around yours, and both of you held Choco toward the camera together with your free hands.
Click.
The picture slowly developed beneath the glowing amusement park lights. You looked down at it carefully while the image sharpened little by little.
You smiling.
Juhoon holding you close.
Both plushies shoved toward the camera stupidly.
And right before the picture fully developed, Juhoon leaned down and kissed your forehead softly.
Warm. Lingering.
Safe.
Your breath caught slightly.
Then slowly, very slowly, you smiled.
And this time, when you slid the finished Polaroid into your phone case, you didn’t feel scared looking at it anymore.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
A/N: Well…that’s it. What did you think? That was probably one of those most intense stories I’ve written…so I hope you liked it!! Thank you guys for reading and I promise to get to more members soon! 😉
Synopsis: After discovering the stalker’s identity as an RA with unrestricted campus access, Y/N and Juhoon are forced into a final plan to end the escalating obsession once and for all.
Warning(s): Stalking, obsessive behavior, invasive behavior, anxiety, fear response, emotional distress, invasion of privacy, police involvement (non-graphic), protective behavior
Word Count: ~12.6k+
A/N: Hai!! I’m drafting the the same day I wrote “Seen” sooooo we’ll see when I end up finishing! I really hope you guys enjoy this last part and the kickoff to me writing for Cortis!
Not normal silence. Not the comfortable kind that had existed earlier while everyone sat around the couch eating fries and replaying footage.
This silence felt sharp.
Heavy. Like it settled into people’s lungs and made breathing feel strange.
Rain slammed against the balcony windows harder now, streaking water across the glass in frantic uneven lines while thunder rolled somewhere above the building again.
You were still standing against Juhoon’s chest.
Still trembling.
His hoodie beneath your fingers had bunched tightly from how hard you were gripping it, but he didn’t care. Didn’t even look down at it. His entire attention stayed on you.
Always on you.
One hand remained pressed carefully against the back of your head while the other rubbed slowly up and down your spine in grounding motions.
“There,” he murmured quietly when your breathing hitched again. “Slow breaths. Just like that.”
You nodded weakly against him.
Tried.
But every time you closed your eyes all you could see was the photograph again.
You asleep.
Juhoon beside you.
The rain outside.
Someone watching.
Your stomach twisted violently.
“I feel sick,” you whispered.
Juhoon immediately leaned back enough to look at your face.
“From panic?”
You gave the smallest nod.
His expression softened instantly.
“Okay.”
The way he said it was so calm it almost made you emotional again.
Not annoyed. Not overwhelmed. Just careful.
Like your fear deserved gentleness instead of frustration.
Behind him, Martin dragged both hands down his face slowly.
“This is insane.”
“No,” Seonghyeon said quietly, eyes still locked on the photo in Juhoon’s hand. “It’s escalation.”
That word made the room feel colder somehow.
Escalation.
Not random or messy. But progression.
Slowly, they all filtered out of the room. Closing the door behind them to block any view of the window.
James leaned heavily against the kitchen counter now, jaw tense.
“If they really are an RA…”
Nobody finished that sentence…because they all understood what it meant already.
Access to buildings.
Access to student information.
Access to dorm halls at night without suspicion.
And worst of all-
Access to you.
Your fingers curled tighter against Juhoon’s hoodie.
Immediately, his hand slid gently back into your hair again.
Grounding. Constant grounding.
“You’re okay,” he said softly.
Your eyes burned unexpectedly because he kept saying that even though nothing felt okay anymore.
♡
Eventually, Juhoon guided you back toward the couch.
Not rushed. Never rushed with you.
One hand stayed lightly against your lower back the entire walk like he was afraid you might disappear if he let go for too long.
The others moved automatically to make room without being asked.
Martin shoved half the evidence papers aside.
James muted the television completely.
Seonghyeon pulled the curtains shut over the rest of the balcony windows this time.
Tightly. Carefully.
Like none of them wanted to look outside anymore either.
Juhoon sat down first before gently pulling you beside him.
Closer than before.
This time your leg rested partly over his automatically, blanket tangled around both of you while Choco stayed trapped tightly against your chest.
You didn’t even realize you were still clutching the plush until Juhoon carefully adjusted one of its tiny arms away from your face, fingers brushing softly against your cheek afterward.
“You with me?”
You nodded faintly.
Barely.
Honestly your brain felt somewhere far away now.
Still stuck on the image.
Still stuck on the idea that someone had been outside the window while you slept just an hour ago.
The couch dipped slightly when Martin sat down across from you both again.
“We need to report this.”
“We are,” Juhoon said immediately.
His voice had changed.
Still calm, but colder now. Sharp around the edges in a way that made even the others glance toward him briefly.
Not anger exploding.
Worse.
Anger being contained.
Carefully.
James crossed his arms.
“But if it’s actually an RA, reporting too early might scare them off before we figure out which one.”
“That’s assuming campus security would even take this seriously immediately,”Seonghyeon added quietly. “They’ve been known to suck at taking care of these things.”
Martin scoffed softly.
“They should when somebody’s climbing balconies.”
“They should’ve when someone broke into her apartment too,” James muttered.
Silence again.
Your breathing shook slightly.
Juhoon noticed instantly.
Without even looking away from the conversation, his hand slid beneath the blanket until his fingers found yours.
Warm.
Steady.
Your hand closed around his immediately.
♡
Another loud crack of thunder shook through the dorm.
You flinched so hard your shoulders nearly jumped, but before you could even feel embarrassed about it, Juhoon’s hand was already at the side of your head.
“There you are,” he murmured softly.
Your eyes lifted toward him. His expression softened almost painfully when he saw how overwhelmed you looked.
“You’re exhausted.”
You swallowed hard.
“I don’t wanna sleep.”
That made something flicker across his face.
Not annoyance.
Heartbreak.
Because he understood immediately what you meant. You didn’t want to close your eyes anymore.
Juhoon’s thumb brushed lightly beneath your eye where tears had dried earlier.
“Sweet girl…”
Your throat tightened again.
“I just-” your voice cracked slightly. “I don’t wanna wake up and something else happened.”
The room fell quiet after that. Even the others looked away slightly…because nobody knew how to answer something like that.
Juhoon did, though.
Or at least he tried.
He shifted slightly closer until your forehead rested lightly against his shoulder. Then his lips brushed softly against the top of your head.
“You won’t be alone,” he said quietly.
The words wrapped around your chest slowly. Carefully.
“You understand me?”
You nodded weakly against him. His hand moved slowly through your hair again.
“There’s six people in this dorm,” he murmured. “And every single one of us would rather vaporize than let somebody touch you.”
Martin blinked once.
“…that was weirdly intense.”
“No,” James muttered quietly, his older brother energy kicking in. “He’s right.”
And somehow that nearly made you cry again.
♡
The conversation shifted eventually. Not away from the problem, just deeper into it.
More strategic now.
Seonghyeon had moved back toward the coffee table with his laptop while James sat beside him scrolling through campus housing pages. Martin paced occasionally.
Keonho stayed quieter than everyone else, but his eyes kept drifting toward you every few minutes like he was checking whether you were okay.
Nobody really was.
Least of all Juhoon.
Even if he hid it better.
You could feel it in the way his body stayed tense beneath yours every time thunder shook outside.
Could see it in how often his gaze drifted toward the locked balcony door.
Could hear it in how quiet he’d become.
Your head rested against his shoulder now while Choco remained tucked beneath your chin.
Half asleep.
Half terrified.
Half just exhausted beyond functioning.
Juhoon noticed when your blinking slowed.
His fingers brushed gently down your arm.
“Tired?”
You nodded slightly as he looked toward the others briefly, then back at you.
“You should try sleeping again.”
Instant hesitation crossed your face, making Juhoon softened immediately.
“I’ll stay with you.”
“…promise?”
The question came out so quietly it nearly broke him.
His chest tightened painfully.
“Promise.”
You looked down at Choco silently for a second before whispering-
“…can we stay out here?”
Juhoon blinked slightly.
“The couch?”
You nodded.
“I don’t wanna be in the room.”
Something dark flickered briefly through his expression at that…because now the room felt violated too.
Even his room.
The one place he’d wanted you to feel safest.
“Okay,” he said softly immediately. “We’ll stay here.”
And just like that, none of the others argued.
Martin grabbed another blanket silently.
James dimmed the kitchen light lower.
Keonho moved the evidence photos farther down the table so you wouldn’t have to look at them.
Small things. Quiet things. Careful things.
The kind people do when they love someone enough to start handling them gently without even thinking about it.
♡
By almost three in the morning, the storm had somehow gotten worse.
Rain battered the building in relentless waves now while thunder rattled low through the walls every few minutes.
The dorm lights had all been dimmed except for the lamp near the couch.
Golden.
Soft.
You were curled almost completely into Juhoon now beneath two blankets, head resting against his chest while his arm stayed wrapped securely around your shoulders.
At some point, your fingers had curled into the strings of his hoodie, braiding them absentmindedly again. Even half asleep.
Juhoon noticed immediately.
His expression softened so much it physically hurt Martin to look at.
“She’s doing the thing again,” he muttered quietly.
James glanced over.
Then snorted softly.
“Man is cooked.”
Juhoon didn’t even look at them.
His attention stayed on you completely while your tired fingers continued twisting the hoodie strings together clumsily.
Every once in a while your hand stilled slightly before starting again.
Sleepy.
Comfort-seeking.
Trusting.
It did horrible things to Juhoon’s heart.
Keonho looked up from the laptop finally.
“…we should rotate watch tonight.”
Juhoon answered immediately.
“I’m not sleeping.”
“You need sleep too.”
“No.”
The firmness in his voice made the room quiet again. Not angry.
Absolute.
Because the idea of closing his eyes tonight genuinely felt impossible now.
Not after the balcony. Not after the photograph. Not after seeing you shake so hard you could barely breathe.
Martin rubbed tiredly at his face.
“We’ll stay up with you.”
Juhoon finally looked up then. For the first time in nearly an hour, honestly.
…and something about his expression unsettled all of them slightly.
Because underneath the softness he always showed you, there was rage sitting there now.
Cold rage.
Controlled rage.
The kind that hadn’t gone away since he saw that picture in your hands.
His arm tightened slightly around you.
Then quieter-
“…I want this over.”
Nobody joked after that.
Because every single person in the room understood exactly what he meant.
♡
Sometime around four in the morning, exhaustion finally started winning against fear.
Not fully though.
Fear still sat heavy inside your chest like something alive, something waiting, but your body had reached the point where staying awake hurt more than sleeping did.
Juhoon noticed first.
Of course he did.
He noticed the way your fingers slowly stopped twisting the hoodie strings.
The way your breathing began evening out against his chest.
The way your head slipped lower against his shoulder every few minutes before jerking slightly awake again.
You were trying not to fall asleep. Trying so hard.
And it made something ache terribly inside him.
His hand moved slowly into your hair again, fingertips brushing lightly along your scalp in soft repetitive motions.
“There you go,” he murmured quietly.
Your eyes blinked open lazily.
“M’not sleeping.”
The words slurred together slightly.
Martin physically had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing.
Juhoon’s mouth twitched faintly for the first time all night.
“No?”
You shook your head weakly against him.
“No.”
Then immediately yawned.
James snorted softly from the kitchen counter.
“She’s gone.”
“Shut up,” Juhoon muttered automatically, but there was no bite behind it. Only softness.
So much softness it almost made the others uncomfortable to witness sometimes.
Because Juhoon really was cold with everyone else now.
Short replies. Sharp expressions. Eyes constantly scanning rooms.
But with you?
He handled you like something precious. Fragile in the gentlest way possible.
Your hand shifted sleepily against his hoodie before slowly curling into the fabric near his ribs again.
“Juhoon-ah…”
His gaze dropped instantly.
“Hm?”
“…don’t let go.”
Quiet. Small. Barely even conscious.
And somehow that nearly destroyed him more than the crying had.
His arm tightened immediately around your shoulders.
“Not going anywhere.”
You relaxed almost instantly after hearing it.
Like your body trusted his voice more than your own thoughts now.
♡
The room stayed quiet after you finally drifted off. Not silent, but softer.
Rain still battered the windows.
Thunder still rolled occasionally through the walls.
But now your breathing filled part of the room too, slow and warm against Juhoon’s chest while Choco remained trapped between both of you beneath the blanket.
Nobody moved suddenly anymore. Nobody raised their voice.
Even Martin stopped pacing.
The atmosphere had shifted into something exhausted and strangely intimate now.
Like all of them had crossed into survival mode together.
Keonho leaned back in his chair eventually, staring tiredly at the ceiling.
“…I’m serious about rotating watch.”
Juhoon didn’t look up.
“I said I’m staying awake.”
“You haven’t blinked in like forty minutes.”
“She’s sleeping.”
James sighed softly.
“She’ll still be sleeping if you take a break for an hour.”
“No.”
Still immediate. Still absolute.
Martin rubbed his face tiredly.
“Dude.”
Juhoon finally looked up then, and the expression on his face shut everyone up immediately.
Not anger.
Fear. Real fear. Buried beneath exhaustion and restraint and protective instinct so intense it was starting to hollow him out from the inside.
His hand slid carefully higher against your back beneath the blanket.
“I looked away for one night,” he said quietly.
Nobody answered…because they knew he was talking about the break-in.
“I let her sleep alone one night.”
Martin’s face softened instantly.
“Juhoon-”
“And now somebody’s climbing onto balconies taking pictures of her while she sleeps.”
His voice stayed terrifyingly calm through the entire sentence, making the atmosphere even worse than it was.
James glanced down quietly.
Keonho exhaled through his nose.
Nobody really knew what to say anymore.
Because the truth was-
What this had happened to someone they loved?
They probably wouldn’t sleep either.
♡
Around five-thirty, the rain finally began softening.
Not stopping, but rather easing enough that the thunder moved farther into the distance instead of rattling directly overhead.
The dorm felt dim and sleepy now.
Martin had passed out sitting upright against the opposite couch arm with a blanket half falling off him.
James disappeared into his room at some point after mumbling something about brushing his teeth and never came back.
Seonghyeon still sat at the table working through timelines on his laptop like a man possessed.
Keonho had moved onto the floor nearby with his arms folded beneath his head.
And Juhoon remained exactly where he’d been.
Still awake.
Still holding you.
Your face was buried partly against his chest now while one of your legs remained tangled over his beneath the blankets.
Completely unconsciously clingy.
Every once in a while your fingers twitched slightly in your sleep like your body was checking whether he was still there.
Every single time, Juhoon’s hand immediately rubbed gently along your back again.
There.
Still here.
Always here.
Seonghyeon finally looked up from his screen around sunrise.
His eyes lingered on the couch for a second.
Then softened slightly.
“She trusts you a lot.”
Juhoon’s gaze dropped toward you automatically.
The corners of the hoodie sleeves had slipped over your hands again while sleeping, leaving only your fingertips visible where they curled against his hoodie.
Something warm and painful twisted in his chest.
“…yeah.”
Seonghyeon studied him quietly for another moment.
Then-
“You love her.”
Not a question.
A statement.
The room stayed still.
Juhoon didn’t answer immediately.
Because somehow saying it out loud felt terrifying now too.
Not because he didn’t know. He did.
Gosh, he did.
He knew it every time you looked for him first in crowded rooms.
Every time your fingers found his sleeve unconsciously.
Every time your face softened when he called you sweet girl.
Every time you trusted him with fear you hid from everyone else.
He knew it.
And maybe that was exactly why this whole situation felt like it was ripping him apart.
Because now someone else had noticed too.
Someone obsessive.
Someone unstable.
Someone who looked at him like competition.
His jaw tightened faintly.
“…I don’t care about me anymore,” he admitted quietly a while later.
Seonghyeon frowned slightly.
“What?”
Juhoon’s hand moved slowly into your hair again.
“If this psycho wanted to come after me directly, fine.” His eyes darkened slightly. “But every time they scare her instead…”
His voice trailed off.
Sharp and dangerous…because there really wasn’t language strong enough for what he was feeling anymore.
Not anger alone. Something uglier.
Possessive in its own way.
Not ownership, no.
Protection.
The overwhelming instinct to destroy anything that made you cry.
Seonghyeon leaned back slowly in his chair.
Then quietly-
“We’ll stop this.”
Juhoon looked down at you again. Your breathing stayed soft against his chest.
Trusting.
Completely unaware that he’d spent the entire night imagining what would’ve happened if that balcony door had been unlocked.
His arm tightened carefully around you.
“Yeah,” he said quietly.
But the expression on his face made it clear he wasn’t planning on stopping gently anymore.
♡
By the time morning fully arrived, the dorm looked wrecked.
Blankets everywhere, half-empty soda cups on the coffee table, laptop chargers tangled around evidence photos and printed notes. The storm clouds outside had faded into pale gray light now, leaving the windows fogged faintly from the cold. And somehow, after everything-
You were still asleep.
Juhoon looked exhausted.
Not messy exhausted, worse. The type of exhausted where someone’s adrenaline has been running so long that exhaustion starts sharpening them instead of slowing them down.
His jaw stayed tense constantly now.
Eyes darker.
Movements quieter.
Protective in a way that made the others slightly nervous honestly. Especially because he never once loosened his hold on you the entire night.
Not once.
Martin woke first.
Then blinked blearily toward the couch.
“…you’re still awake?”
Juhoon looked over slowly.
“Yes.”
“Geez...”
Martin pushed himself upright with a groan before immediately lowering his voice after glancing toward you.
“She sleep at all?”
“Couple hours.”
Martin’s expression softened slightly.
Then he noticed something.
Your fingers. Still curled tightly into Juhoon’s hoodie even while asleep.
He stared for a second.
Then looked at Juhoon.
“…you’re actually insane about her.”
Juhoon didn’t even deny it.
That alone startled Martin slightly.
Normally he would’ve rolled his eyes or made some sarcastic comment.
Instead, Juhoon just looked back down at you. Completely gone.
Martin snorted quietly.
“Cooked.”
“Shut up.”
“There he is.”
♡
You woke slowly.
Warm, to start.
That was the first thing you noticed.
Warmth.
Blankets.
The steady rise and fall beneath your cheek.
Then slowly, reality came back.
The storm. The photograph. The balcony.
Your stomach tightened instantly.
Juhoon noticed before your eyes even fully opened. His hand slid gently through your hair.
“Morning, sweet girl.”
Your lashes fluttered tiredly before you looked up at him. The second your expression shifted with memory, his face softened immediately.
“There you are.”
You swallowed hard.
“…was last night real?”
The room went quiet again, because somehow hearing you ask that hurt more than expected.
Juhoon’s hand moved carefully to your cheek.
“Yeah,” he said softly.
Your eyes dropped instantly, fear creeping back in slowly now that you were awake enough to think again. But before your thoughts could spiral too far, Juhoon leaned down slightly until your forehead rested against his.
Close.
Grounding.
“You’re okay right now.”
The words settled softly against your chest.
You nodded faintly. Then realized something.
“…did you sleep?”
Silence.
Your eyes narrowed slightly.
“Kim Juhoon.”
Martin immediately snorted from across the room.
“Oh he’s cooked cooked.”
“Martin,” Juhoon said flatly.
But your sleepy worried expression only deepened.
“You stayed awake all night?”
Juhoon shrugged lightly like it was nothing.
It absolutely was not nothing.
Your face softened immediately into something small and aching.
“…you should’ve slept.”
He looked at you for a second. Really looked at you.
Then quietly-
“I couldn’t.”
♡
The room stayed quiet after that. The type that settles naturally when everyone is exhausted and emotionally wrung out.
Your chest still hurt faintly from everything that happened the night before, but the warmth beneath you helped.
Juhoon helped.
Even now, half awake and clearly running on zero sleep, he still kept one arm wrapped securely around your waist beneath the blanket like letting go simply wasn’t an option anymore.
Your fingers loosened slightly against the front of his hoodie. Not completely, but enough for circulation to probably return.
Martin noticed immediately.
“Oh wow,” he muttered dryly. “He’s free.”
Juhoon blinked slowly toward him.
“She was asleep.”
“She was attached to you like a barnacle.”
You looked mildly offended.
“I’m right here.”
Martin pointed dramatically.
“And awake. Horrific development.”
A tiny sleepy laugh escaped you before you could stop it.
The sound hit Juhoon instantly.
His gaze snapped back toward you automatically, expression softening so fast it almost looked painful.
There it is. That tiny laugh.
The one he’d been terrified he wouldn’t hear again after last night.
His hand slid gently higher against your back.
“You hungry?”
You thought about it for a second.
Then weakly-
“…maybe.”
Martin gasped loudly.
“She lives.”
“Shut up,” you mumbled.
Keonho appeared from the kitchen rubbing tiredly at his eyes.
“Do we have food that isn’t fries anymore?”
“No.”
“Then we’re ordering breakfast.”
♡
About twenty minutes later, the dorm slowly started feeling alive again.
Not normal. None of this was normal anymore.
But softer. Less suffocating than the night before.
The rain had finally stopped completely outside, leaving the windows streaked with water while pale morning light filled the living room in gray tones.
James reappeared wearing mismatched socks and immediately complained about everyone “breathing too loudly.”
Seonghyeon was still at the table with his laptop, almost as crazy as Juhoon at this point.
Martin somehow managed to burn toast.
And through all of it-
Juhoon barely let you out of arm’s reach.
Not in a suffocating way, no. If anything, it was almost subconscious now.
Every time you stood up, his eyes followed automatically.
Every time you moved rooms, he noticed.
Every time your expression shifted even slightly, his attention sharpened immediately.
You noticed too. Especially when you finally stood to wash your face and he instinctively rose from the couch at the exact same time.
Your brows lifted slightly.
“…where are you going?”
Juhoon blinked once.
Then looked mildly caught.
“You’re going to the bathroom.”
“…yes?”
A pause.
Martin physically folded over laughing into the couch cushions.
“Oh my goodness.”
Juhoon shot him a glare.
Martin pointed dramatically at him while wheezing.
“She’s not going into the trenches, dude.”
“I know that.”
“Then why’d you stand up like security detail?”
Juhoon opened his mouth.
Closed it again.
Because honestly?
He didn’t know.
His body had just reacted. The idea of you walking out of sight after last night made something instinctive inside him immediately want to follow.
Your expression softened almost painfully when you realized that.
“Juhoon…”
His jaw tightened faintly.
“I just-”
“You don’t have to explain.”
That managed to make it harder…because you sounded so gentle about it. Like you understood him completely already.
Your hand reached carefully for his sleeve.
The movement was small, sleepy, trusting.
“I’ll come back,” you whispered softly.
Something flickered across his face at that.
Relief. Embarrassment. Love so intense it almost looked like pain.
Martin made another horrible choking noise from the couch.
“Oh he’s GONE gone.”
“Martin,” Seonghyeon sighed tiredly.
“No because look at him.”
Juhoon grabbed the nearest pillow without even looking and launched it directly at Martin’s face.
♡
The moment you disappeared down the hallway, the mood shifted again.
Subtly. Not exactly tense anymore, but definitely more focused.
More real.
Because without you sitting there curled into Juhoon’s side looking sleepy and soft beneath blankets, the evidence spread across the table suddenly became harder to ignore again.
“No, like an actual plan,” James continued. “Not just staying awake forever.”
Martin nodded reluctantly.
“He’s escalating too fast.”
Seonghyeon slowly closed his laptop.
“The balcony changed things.”
Nobody argued with that.
Because it had. Before, there’d still been distance. The notes felt terrifying, yes. The apartment break-in was horrifying.
But the balcony?
Watching you sleep through Juhoon’s own window?
That crossed into something deeply unstable. Something dangerous.
Keonho folded his arms.
“If it’s really an RA, they’re confident because they know how campus systems work.”
“And because nobody’s stopped them yet,” James added quietly.
Juhoon’s jaw shifted faintly.
The guilt from that sentence settled ugly beneath his ribs immediately.
Nobody’s stopped them yet. Nobody.
Not security.
Not housing staff.
Not him.
His fingers tightened once around the edge of the couch cushion.
Martin noticed instantly.
“Hey.”
Juhoon looked over slowly.
“This isn’t your fault.”
Silence.
Because the problem was, Juhoon knew that logically.
But emotionally?
Every terrified expression on your face felt personal now.
Every panic attack, every trembling hand, every time you whispered don’t leave me,…it all carved itself somewhere ugly into his chest.
And the worst part?
The stalker knew that damn well too.
♡
You returned a few minutes later wearing one of Juhoon’s oversized hoodies again.
Not the same one from yesterday.
Another one.
Dark gray this time, sleeves hanging far past your hands while your damp hair framed your face softly from washing it.
The second you walked back into the room, all six heads turned automatically.
Not because they meant to, just because lately everyone’s nervous systems revolved around making sure you were safe.
Your steps slowed slightly.
“…why’s everyone staring at me?”
Martin pointed toward Juhoon immediately.
“Because Romeo here was contemplating blowing up the bathroom door.”
Your eyes widened slightly before immediately darting toward Juhoon.
His ears were already turning pink.
“No I didn’t.”
“You literally stood up like five times.”
“I was stretching.”
“At military attention?”
James snorted loudly.
And to your complete shock, Juhoon actually looked embarrassed.
Fully embarrassed.
His jaw tightened while the tips of his ears turned redder and redder beneath his dark hair.
You stared at him for a second…then something warm bloomed painfully in your chest.
Because somehow after everything, after the fear and sleeplessness and panic, seeing Juhoon embarrassed over you still felt devastatingly sweet.
Your lips twitched slightly.
“…that’s kinda cute.”
The entire room exploded instantly.
Martin nearly fell sideways off the couch.
James slapped the counter.
Keonho physically walked away laughing.
And Juhoon?
Juhoon short-circuited completely.
“What.”
You looked down shyly immediately after saying it.
Too late. Far too late.
Martin pointed between both of you violently.
“Oh my gosh they’re disgusting.”
“She called him cute.”
“She thinks his separation anxiety is attractive.”
“It was a little attractive,” you mumbled weakly.
Juhoon made the most genuinely horrified noise anyone in the room had ever heard.
“Sweet girl.”
His voice cracked slightly.
You immediately hid part of your face inside the sleeves of his hoodie.
Martin was now fully crying laughing.
“Oh he’s homicidal and she likes it here.”
“Martin I’m serious,” Juhoon muttered, ears completely red now.
“No because you looked ready to kill a man for her and she said hold on that’s kinda hot.”
You buried your face harder into the hoodie sleeves.
“I didn’t say it like that.”
“You implied it.”
Juhoon physically leaned forward and dropped his face into his hands.
The room dissolved into airy exhausted laughter for the first time in days.
Even Seonghyeon smiled slightly.
And honestly?
The sound of you laughing quietly underneath it all healed something small inside all of them.
Because after the last twenty-four hours,
they desperately needed to hear that sound again too.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
A/N: Heyy so this might be the longest fic I’ve written sooooooo Tumblr has to cut it off here. 😭 The rest will be posted right after I post this so NO WORRIES! It’s already written. ☺️
…and I’m so sorry if the middle-ish is kind of boring!! I really tried my best and I hope you guys enjoyed! Lots of love!! 🤍
Synopsis: After finally catching proof that someone has been watching you, the line between safety and fear begins to blur. Especially when even Juhoon’s dorm no longer feels untouchable.
A/N: Haii!! I started drafting this two days ago and I’m happy I got to finish it today!! I was worried of how to continue the story, but I hope you guys like this. Enjoy!! (Update from 17-May: this is really outdated 😭!!)
Not suddenly or violently, but it built itself slowly against the dorm windows in soft layers of sound. Distant thunder first, then rain tapping lightly against the glass, then wind slipping through somewhere outside the building in long whistles that made the night feel colder than it actually was.
The living room lights had been dimmed hours ago. Only the warm lamp near the couch remained on now, casting soft gold across scattered papers, empty water bottles, laptop screens, and exhausted faces.
The others were still awake. Barely.
Martin sat cross-legged on the floor with one of Juhoon’s hoodies thrown over his shoulders, squinting tiredly at screenshots from the security footage while Seonghyeon leaned over the coffee table, replaying the same few seconds again and again with narrowed eyes.
Keonho had fallen unusually quiet over the past hour.
James looked tired enough to pass out sitting upright.
And through all of it-
Juhoon’s attention kept drifting back toward his bedroom door.
Not obviously. Just enough that Seonghyeon noticed by the third time.
“You should check on her.”
Juhoon’s eyes flickered toward him briefly.
“She’s sleeping.”
Another roll of thunder sounded somewhere outside, louder this time. Not deafening, but enough to make the windows hum faintly in response.
Juhoon’s jaw shifted slightly.
Then he stood without another word.
♡
The hallway outside his room felt darker than before.
Quieter too.
The storm muted everything else in the dorm until all he could really hear was rain and the soft creak of the floor beneath his steps.
The bedroom door was still cracked open slightly from earlier.
Juhoon pushed it open carefully.
The room was dim except for the faint gray-blue light leaking in through the curtains. At first, everything looked still.
Then he saw you.
You were awake.
Barely.
Curled near the center of his bed with Choco tucked tightly against your chest, blanket pulled up nearly to your nose. Your eyes were open just enough to stare toward the window every few seconds before drifting back down again.
Another flash of lightning briefly illuminated the room.
You flinched, eyes closing tightly.
It was small. Most people probably wouldn’t have noticed it.
But Juhoon? Henoticed everything about you. Especially now.
His expression softened instantly.
“…sweet girl.”
Your eyes shifted toward him immediately.
You tried to smile a little when you saw him standing there, but it didn’t fully reach your face.
“You’re still awake,” you whispered.
“So are you.”
A pause.
Thunder rumbled again, quieter now but longer this time.
Your fingers tightened around Choco.
Juhoon watched the movement silently for a moment before stepping further into the room.
“You scared of the storm?” he asked softly.
You hesitated.
Then gave the tiniest nod.
“Always have been.”
That made something ache in his chest unexpectedly.
Because even now - after the break-in, after the photo, after finding out someone had stood inside your room long enough to touch your things - you still sounded almost embarrassed admitting something as simple as being scared of thunder.
Juhoon sat carefully on the edge of the bed beside you, mattress dipping slightly beneath his weight. You shifted toward him instinctively, like your body already knew where safety was before your brain could process it.
Another flash lit the room briefly.
You flinched again.
This time Juhoon noticed the way your breathing changed afterward too.
Small.
Uneven.
Trying not to be noticeable.
His hand moved gently to your hair.
“Hey,” he murmured quietly.
Your eyes lifted toward him.
“Come sit outside with us.”
You blinked slowly.
“…won’t I bother everyone?”
Juhoon looked at you for a long second.
Then, quieter-
“You could never bother me.”
The storm outside softened briefly again, but the warmth in his voice settled somewhere deeper than the thunder ever could.
♡
A few minutes later, you were curled into the corner of the couch beneath a blanket while Juhoon sat beside you.
Not close enough to overwhelm you, but close enough that your shoulder rested lightly against his arm. Close enough that you could hear him breathing.
Choco remained tucked tightly against your chest.
The others looked up briefly when you entered the living room again, but nobody made a big deal out of it.
No teasing.
No comments.
Just small softened expressions before attention drifted back toward the table again.
Juhoon adjusted the blanket over your legs automatically before sitting down beside you. Then, without even really thinking about it, his fingers moved absently into your hair again.
Slow.
Gentle.
Grounding.
You melted into it almost immediately.
The storm continued outside, rain sounding heavier from the living room now.
Closer.
But somehow less frightening with voices nearby.
Martin leaned back slightly against the couch arm.
“So,” he sighed quietly, “we know they’ve been inside her apartment more than once.”
“Probably,” Seonghyeon corrected quietly.
That word made your stomach twist slightly beneath the blanket.
Juhoon noticed immediately.
His hand slowed against your hair.
“Don’t,” he said softly.
You blinked.
“Hm?”
“Don’t think about it right now.”
Your chest tightened unexpectedly at how gentle he sounded saying it. Like he wasn’t just protecting you from danger anymore.
He was trying to protect your mind from itself.
Across the table, Seonghyeon replayed the footage again.
Pause.
Rewind.
Pause.
James frowned slightly.
“…the spacing is weird.”
Everyone looked toward him.
James pointed vaguely toward the paused frame.
“The stuff they move,” he said slowly. “It’s all deliberate. Like… measured.”
Seonghyeon nodded faintly.
“They don’t just touch random objects.”
“They fix them,” you murmured quietly before you could stop yourself.
The room went still for half a second.
You shifted slightly beneath the blanket when everyone looked over.
Juhoon’s fingers brushed softly against the back of your head.
Encouraging.
So you continued.
“…my dolls weren’t inherently messy before,” you whispered. “But they lined them up anyway.”
Your throat tightened slightly.
“And my pens…” you added more quietly, adjusting closer to Juhoon. “They organized them even though I didn’t.”
Seonghyeon’s expression shifted subtly.
Like something clicked.
“They’re correcting things.”
Martin frowned. “Correcting?”
Seonghyeon leaned forward slowly.
“…like they already have a version in their head of how her space should look.”
The room quieted again.
Thunder rolled somewhere outside.
This time you leaned ever so slightly closer into Juhoon before you even realized you were doing it.
His hand immediately slid gently down your arm beneath the blanket.
There.
Grounding.
Always grounding.
James sat up a little straighter suddenly.
“Wait.”
Everyone looked toward him again.
“The notes.”
Juhoon’s gaze sharpened slightly.
James pointed toward the printed papers scattered across the table.
“They’re typed every single time.”
Seonghyeon blinked once.
“…shit.”
Martin frowned. “What?”
“If they’re typing everything,” James continued slowly, “then they either always have access to a printer…”
Juhoon looked at you instantly, hand sliding gently over yours.
“I know.”
And somehow the way he said it made it sound less like reassurance…and more like a promise that he was already thinking ten steps ahead for you.
♡
The next morning arrived gray and damp.
Rainwater still clung to sidewalks and railings outside campus buildings, leaving everything smelling faintly like wet concrete and cold air.
You walked beside Juhoon quietly.
Not because things felt awkward.
Just because exhaustion had settled deeply into both of you after barely sleeping.
Your hand kept brushing against the sleeve of his hoodie as you walked.
Every few seconds, small touches.
Mindless ones.
Juhoon noticed every single one.
Eventually, without saying anything, he shifted slightly closer until your arms stayed pressed together naturally while walking.
Your shoulders relaxed almost immediately afterward.
The campus around you buzzed with normal life.
Students laughing. Doors opening. Shoes squeaking against damp floors.
And somehow that almost made things feel stranger.
Because nobody else knew.
Nobody else knew someone had been standing in your apartment. Touching your things. Watching your routines.
All without your permission.
You looked down quietly as the thought returned.
Juhoon noticed the shift in your expression immediately.
His fingers hooked briefly around the strap of your backpack, gently pulling you slightly sideways.
You blinked in confusion just as a bicycle sped past where you’d been walking seconds earlier.
Your eyes widened.
“Oh.”
Juhoon stared at you flatly.
“You weren’t looking.”
“…I was thinking.”
“You were walking into traffic.”
“It was a bike.”
“It still had wheels and went vroom vroom.”
Despite everything, a tiny laugh escaped you.
Soft.
Tired.
But real.
Juhoon’s expression softened almost instantly at the sound.
♡
By midday, you and Rei had settled into one of the quieter library study corners near the back windows.
Rei sat across from you with headphones halfway around her neck, aggressively highlighting something in her textbook while muttering complaints under her breath every few minutes.
You were only half paying attention.
Your focus drifted constantly now.
To sounds.
Movement.
Passing shadows.
You hated that.
Hated how aware you’d become of everything.
Your lip gloss rolled lightly between your fingers as you stared down at your notes without really reading them.
Rei glanced up suddenly.
“You’ve reread the same paragraph like thirteen times.”
You blinked.
“…have not.”
“You literally sighed at it twice.”
“I’m tired.”
“You’re haunted.”
You stared at her.
Rei pointed dramatically.
“See? That silence right there. Haunted behavior.”
A tiny smile tugged weakly at your mouth despite yourself.
Then Rei stood up suddenly.
“I’m getting snacks before I fail this class from starvation.”
“Bring me something?”
“You have money?”
“…no.”
“Then no.”
You gasped softly in betrayal while she laughed quietly and walked away between the shelves.
The moment she disappeared, the space felt different again.
Not dangerous.
Not yet.
Just…aware.
Your eyes drifted slowly toward your bag.
Then toward the small digicam tucked inside your makeup pouch.
Your stomach tightened faintly.
You weren’t even sure why you reached for it. Maybe because some part of you already knew.
Or maybe because after the apartment
incident, your brain no longer trusted empty spaces.
Slowly, carefully, you adjusted the camera inside the pouch so the lens peeked through the slightly unzipped opening toward the table.
Then you stood.
“…just the bathroom,” you murmured quietly to yourself.
And walked away.
♡
The library remained still for almost forty seconds after you disappeared.
Students typed quietly nearby.
Pages turned.
Someone coughed in the distance.
Then-
a figure entered the frame.
Dark hoodie.
Gloves.
Slow movements.
Careful ones.
The figure sat in your chair like they belonged there.
Like they had done this before.
One gloved hand rested lightly against your notebook.
Still.
Waiting.
Then slowly, they opened it. Caressing each page as if it brought him closer to you. A folded typed note slid carefully between the pages.
Not rushed. Not messy. Precise.
Controlled.
The figure adjusted your pens next.
Straightened them.
Aligned them.
Perfect spacing.
Then their hand paused over your lip gloss.
Still.
Watching it.
As if imagining you using it.
A faint inhale.
Then slowly, they placed it back exactly where it had been.
The camera caught the side of their shoe briefly when they stood again.
White sole.
Dark trim.
Distinct patterning.
And before leaving, the figure turned once toward the direction you had walked.
Like checking whether you were coming back.
Then disappeared from frame completely.
♡
You didn’t notice anything at first when you returned.
Rei still wasn’t back yet.
Your table looked normal.
Too normal.
You sat down slowly, heart already beating slightly faster for reasons you couldn’t explain.
Then your eyes landed on the notebook.
There.
Between the pages.
A folded paper.
Your stomach dropped instantly.
No.
No no no-
Your fingers shook as you pulled it out.
Typed.
Again.
“You dance beautifully when nobody realizes they’re watching.”
Your breath caught sharply.
And suddenly the room felt too small.
Too open.
Too loud.
Your gaze snapped immediately toward the digicam.
You grabbed it so quickly you nearly dropped it.
Then hit end video, and then playback.
The footage loaded.
Empty table.
Stillness.
Then…someone sitting in your seat.
Your body went cold so fast it almost hurt.
You watched the footage once.
Then again.
Then a third time because your brain refused to process it properly.
The gloves.
The posture.
The way they touched your things.
The way they looked toward the hallway waiting for you.
Your chair scraped harshly against the floor as you stood up abruptly.
Rei still wasn’t back.
Your hands shook violently now as you shoved your books into your bag.
Phone.
Camera.
Notebook.
Everything.
You typed a quick message to Rei with trembling fingers.
“I’m so sorry I need to leave I’m sorry I’ll explain later”
Then you grabbed your bag and left so fast your shoulder clipped the edge of a shelf on the way out.
You barely noticed.
The only thought in your head now was Juhoon.
Need Juhoon.
Need Juhoon now.
♡
Your breathing still hadn’t settled by the time you reached Juhoon’s building.
The strap of your bag kept slipping down your shoulder because your hands were shaking too badly to hold it properly, and every sound around you - doors opening, footsteps, distant conversations - made your chest tighten for half a second before your brain could catch up and recognize it as normal.
You hated that. Hated how quickly fear had rewired itself into your body.
The hallway outside Juhoon’s classroom felt too bright compared to the library.
Too exposed.
Students moved past you casually, laughing, talking, completely unaware that your pulse was pounding so hard it hurt.
You spotted him almost immediately through the doorway.
He was leaning slightly back in his chair near the window, one sleeve pushed up while listening to something Martin was saying from the row beside him.
And somehow, even in a crowded classroom-
His eyes found you instantly.
The shift in his expression was immediate.
Not dramatic, but sharp. Focused.
Wrong.
Because he knew you well enough now to recognize panic before you even spoke.
Juhoon stood before the professor had fully turned around.
“Juhoon-”
“I’ll be back.”
He didn’t wait for permission.
Martin looked confused for exactly two seconds before his eyes followed toward the doorway and landed on you.
Then his expression changed too.
♡
The second Juhoon stepped into the hallway, your composure cracked.
Not fully, but enough.
“Sweet girl?”
His voice lowered immediately the moment he reached you, pulling you out of the windows view.
Your fingers tightened around the digicam so hard your knuckles hurt.
“I got something,” you whispered.
The words came out too fast. Too breathless.
Juhoon’s entire posture shifted.
“What happened?”
You swallowed hard.
“My camera.”
Your voice cracked slightly.
“My camera caught them.”
For the first time since all of this started, genuine alarm flashed visibly across his face.
Not fear for himself.
Fear for you.
His hand moved immediately to your arm, grounding first before questioning.
“Are you hurt?”
You shook your head quickly.
“No, but-”
“Did they touch you?”
“No.”
“Did they follow you here?”
“I don’t know.”
That answer made his jaw tighten instantly.
Students passed around you both in blurred movement while Juhoon looked over your face carefully like he was checking for injuries you might not have noticed yet.
Then his voice dropped quieter.
“Show me.”
♡
You ended up in an empty practice room two floors down because it was the first place Juhoon could think of with a lock.
The second the door shut behind you, the outside noise disappeared.
Too quiet again.
Your breathing still sounded uneven in the room.
Juhoon noticed.
He always noticed.
“Hey,” he murmured softly.
Your eyes lifted toward him.
“You’re okay right now.”
The way he said it wasn’t dismissive.
It wasn’t, “calm down”. It was, “you survived this moment.”
And somehow that mattered more.
You nodded faintly, then handed him the digicam.
Juhoon sat down beside you on the floor instead of taking the chair nearby.
Close.
Steady.
His shoulder brushed lightly against yours as he started the footage.
At first, the room stayed silent except for the faint sound coming from the camera speaker.
Empty table.
Stillness.
Then-
The figure appeared.
You felt Juhoon go still beside you.
Not physically tense. Worse.
Controlled.
The kind of stillness that meant anger was being compressed into something dangerous and quiet.
The footage continued.
The gloves.
The note.
The touching.
The adjustment of your belongings.
And then, the figure turning toward the hallway where you had disappeared.
Watching.
Waiting.
Juhoon paused the footage there.
The room fell silent.
His thumb tightened once against the edge of the camera.
You noticed because everything about him felt sharper now.
“Juhoon…”
He exhaled slowly through his nose.
Then replayed the shoe frame again.
Pause.
Replay.
Pause.
The muscles in his jaw shifted faintly.
“…same shoes,” he murmured.
You hugged your arms closer around yourself.
“I told you.”
“I know.”
No hesitation.
No dismissal.
Just immediate belief.
That somehow made your throat tighten unexpectedly.
Because at this point, the only thing keeping you from completely unraveling was the fact that Juhoon never once made you feel crazy for any of this.
Not once.
His eyes stayed fixed on the screen another few seconds before he finally looked over at you again.
And the second he really saw your face, the panic you’d been holding together, his expression softened immediately.
“Sweet girl…”
You looked down quickly.
“I tried not to freak out.”
Your voice sounded embarrassingly small.
Juhoon’s gaze softened even more at that.
“Why are you apologizing?”
“I don’t know.”
Your throat tightened harder.
“I just…everyone keeps having to stop what they’re doing because of me and-”
“Hey.”
His hand moved gently to your wrist.
Not stopping you.
Just anchoring you again.
“This is not your fault.”
The words came out firm this time. Certain.
And for a second, your eyes stung unexpectedly because he sounded so completely sure of it.
Juhoon looked back down at the paused frame again.
Then toward his phone.
Decision settling in.
“We’re going home.”
You blinked slightly.
“…home?”
“My dorm.”
He was already standing. Pulling his hoodie over his head properly. Reaching for his phone.
His movements weren’t rushed.
But they were decisive now.
Protective in a way that made your chest ache.
You watched him type quickly.
“Martin. Now.”
“Need Seonghyeon too.”
Another message.
“Come back to dorm. Important.”
Then another.
“Keonho stay there.”
Your fingers twisted slightly together in your lap.
“…am I causing problems?”
Juhoon looked up immediately.
And the expression on his face made your stomach flip slightly because for the first time all day, he looked genuinely offended by the question.
“You think protecting you is a problem?”
Your breath caught.
He sighed quietly after a second, softer now.
“Sweet girl…”
Then, more gently-
“You are never going to be something I have to deal with.”
The room fell quiet again after that.
But not painfully quiet.
Warm quiet.
Safe quiet.
♡
The drive back felt strangely calm compared to the chaos in your head.
Rainwater still streaked across the roads from the night before, reflecting soft gray light from the cloudy sky overhead while the car hummed quietly around you.
Juhoon drove with one hand resting lightly against the steering wheel while the other occasionally tapped absent rhythms against his thigh.
You noticed after a while that he hadn’t taken the usual route toward the dorm.
At first you thought maybe traffic forced him another way.
Then he passed the turn completely.
Your brows furrowed slightly.
“…where are we going?”
Juhoon glanced toward you briefly.
Your leg was bouncing again.
Fast. Anxious.
He noticed immediately.
“Food,” he said simply.
You blinked.
“…what?”
“You haven’t eaten properly today.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You are.”
“I literally said-”
“Sweet girl.”
His voice stayed soft.
But firm enough that your argument died instantly.
“You almost passed out in the practice room.”
You opened your mouth.
Closed it again.
Because unfortunately he was correct.
Juhoon’s expression softened slightly at your silence.
“Just eat a little, hm?”
The car turned into the McDonald’s drive-thru.
And somehow the normalcy of it nearly made you emotional.
Because everything else lately had started feeling terrifyingly unfamiliar.
But this?
This was stupidly ordinary.
The speaker crackled.
Juhoon ordered calmly like the world wasn’t unraveling around both of you.
Fries. Nuggets. Drinks. Extra sauces because he knew you liked them even though you always forgot to ask.
You watched him quietly while he paid.
And somewhere deep beneath the panic and exhaustion and fear-
warmth flickered painfully in your chest.
♡
By the time you reached the dorm, the sky had already begun dimming toward evening.
Keonho opened the door first.
Then immediately straightened when he saw your face.
James appeared from the kitchen seconds later.
“What happened?”
Juhoon held up the digicam slightly.
That was enough to shift the mood instantly.
Martin and Seonghyeon arrived only a few minutes later, slightly breathless from rushing back.
The McDonald’s bags ended up spread across the coffee table between laptops and evidence photos in one of the strangest combinations you’d ever seen.
And somehow, that almost helped. Just enough normalcy mixed into the fear to keep everything from becoming unbearable.
You sat curled into the couch corner again while Juhoon handed you fries first without asking.
“Eat.”
This time, you listened. Mostly because your body finally remembered it was tired.
Around you, the boys unpacked food absentmindedly while Seonghyeon connected the digicam footage onto the TV screen.
The room darkened gradually as evening settled outside.
And when the footage finally played across the screen, larger now, the atmosphere changed all over again.
Because somehow it looked worse when everyone saw it together.
♡
Nobody spoke for the first few seconds after the footage filled the television screen.
The room had gone strangely still again. Not frozen.
Just…focused.
The soft crinkling of fry cartons and drink cups slowly disappeared as everyone’s attention locked onto the screen instead.
Empty table.
Your bag.
Your notebook.
Then the figure entering frame.
Even though you had already watched it multiple times yourself, your stomach still twisted painfully the moment the hooded person sat down in your chair again.
Something about seeing it larger made it worse.
More real.
More invasive.
You curled slightly deeper into the couch cushion without realizing it.
Juhoon noticed immediately. Of course he did.
His hand moved absently to your knee where it was tucked beneath the blanket, thumb brushing once against the fabric there.
Grounding. Still grounding. Always grounding.
Onscreen, the gloved hand adjusted your pens again.
Straightened them carefully.
Perfect spacing. Perfect alignment.
Seonghyeon paused the footage.
The room stayed quiet another moment.
Then Martin exhaled softly through his nose.
“…I hate that.”
James frowned slightly. “The way they touch her stuff?”
“No,” Martin muttered. “The way they act comfortable doing it.”
That sentence settled heavily into the room.
Because that was exactly what made everything feel so wrong. The figure never looked nervous. Never rushed. Never uncertain.
Like they had already convinced themselves they belonged there.
Seonghyeon replayed the moment where the note was placed into your notebook.
Pause.
Rewind.
Pause again.
“The gloves are different this time,” he murmured.
Juhoon’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
Seonghyeon pointed toward the screen.
“Last footage had thicker material. These are tighter.”
James leaned forward slightly. “Maybe weather difference?”
“Or confidence difference,” Martin said quietly.
Nobody answered that.
Your fingers tightened slightly around the fry carton in your lap.
Juhoon noticed the movement immediately.
Without looking away from the screen, he gently pulled the carton from your hands before you crushed it completely. Then he quietly replaced it with your drink instead. Coca-Cola. Your favorite.
The small gesture almost made your chest ache.
♡
The footage resumed.
The figure grabbed your lip gloss, keeping it in their grasp for a few moments.
Then, they stood again.
The shoe appeared briefly.
Seonghyeon paused immediately.
“There.”
Everyone leaned slightly closer.
The room’s lighting reflected dimly against the paused image while Seonghyeon zoomed in carefully.
White sole.
Dark detailing.
Distinct stitching pattern near the side.
Martin frowned.
“…I’ve seen those before.”
Juhoon looked toward him instantly.
“Where?”
Martin hesitated.
“Campus maybe? I don’t know.”
“That narrows absolutely nothing, thank you so much Martin,” James sighed.
“It narrows more than before,” Seonghyeon corrected quietly.
He leaned back slightly afterward, gaze still fixed on the screen.
“…they’re getting bolder.”
You swallowed.
The room suddenly felt warmer than before.
Not comforting warm. Smothering warm.
Juhoon noticed the shift in your breathing before anyone else did.
He looked over immediately.
“Sweet girl?”
You blinked quickly.
“I’m okay.”
Lie. A soft one, but still a lie.
Juhoon studied your face for a second longer before reaching over and gently taking the now-empty drink cup from your hands.
Your fingers had started trembling again.
“You don’t have to keep pretending you’re okay every five minutes,” he said quietly.
Your throat tightened slightly.
“I just don’t want everyone worrying.”
James looked up immediately from across the table.
“…too late for that.”
Normally that probably would’ve sounded teasing.
Tonight it didn’t.
Tonight it just sounded honest.
♡
The rain returned sometime during the second replay of the footage.
At first it was soft enough to blend into the background.
Then gradually stronger. Steadier.
The sound filled the dorm in quiet layers until thunder rolled faintly through the walls again.
You tried not to react this time. Really. But your shoulders still tensed automatically.
Juhoon noticed anyway.
His hand slid gently along your arm beneath the blanket.
There. Steady.
Your body relaxed by instinct more than choice.
Seonghyeon muted the footage eventually, rubbing tiredly at his eyes.
“…we should organize everything chronologically.”
Martin groaned softly. “You sound like a detective show.”
“We literally have evidence piles now.”
“Fair.”
James reached for one of the printed notes again.
The typed one from the library.
“You dance beautifully when nobody realizes they’re watching.”
Even seeing the sentence from across the room made nausea twist faintly in your stomach again.
James frowned down at it.
“…they talk like they know her personally.”
Juhoon’s expression darkened slightly beside you.
“No,” he said quietly.
Everyone looked toward him.
He stared at the note another second before continuing.
“They talk like they own familiarity with her.”
The room went silent.
Because that wording felt horrifyingly accurate.
Not affection. Possession.
Your fingers curled tighter into the blanket.
Juhoon noticed again and softened slightly, thumb brushing once against your sleeve.
“Hey.”
Your eyes lifted toward him.
“You’re okay.”
This time you didn’t answer verbally.
Just nodded faintly.
♡
Hours passed strangely after that. Slowly.
The kind of slow that only happens when everyone is exhausted but nobody feels comfortable ending the conversation yet.
Eventually, empty McDonald’s cartons covered half the table.
James had migrated onto the floor.
Martin sat slumped against the couch arm scrolling through campus pages looking for shoe matches.
Seonghyeon continued writing down timelines in frighteningly neat handwriting.
And beside you, Juhoon remained solid.
Constant.
Every once in a while his hand drifted into your hair absentmindedly again.
Sometimes smoothing your flyaways.
Sometimes brushing lightly against the back of your head.
Little motions. Soft motions. The kind that kept your nervous system from spiraling completely.
Outside, thunder rumbled again. Closer this time.
You flinched before you could stop yourself.
Juhoon looked down immediately.
“Tired?”
You nodded faintly.
“Little bit.”
His expression softened instantly.
Then he glanced toward the hallway.
“…you should sleep.”
You hesitated immediately. Not because you disagreed, but because suddenly the idea of being alone in another room made something uneasy twist in your chest.
Juhoon noticed that too. Of course he did.
His voice lowered slightly.
“I’ll leave the door open.”
Your eyes lifted toward him.
“And I’ll stay right outside.”
The knot in your chest loosened slightly after that.
“…okay.”
♡
Juhoon stood first before offering you his hand.
You took it automatically.
Your fingers curled around his sleeve halfway down the hallway without you fully realizing you were doing it.
He noticed, but didn’t mention it. Just slowed his pace slightly to stay beside you more comfortably.
The bedroom felt warmer than the living room now. Softer too.
Safer.
Choco still rested near the pillows where you’d left him earlier.
Juhoon picked up the turtle plush immediately and held it out toward you.
“There.”
Your lips twitched slightly despite yourself.
“For strength?”
“For emotional support.”
A tiny tired laugh escaped you before you hugged Choco against your chest again.
Juhoon’s expression softened instantly at the sound.
You climbed onto the bed slowly afterward while he adjusted the blanket over you automatically.
Careful.
Gentle.
Like touching something fragile.
Your exhaustion hit harder now that you were finally still.
The room dimmed around you softly while rain tapped steadily against the windows.
Juhoon brushed one hand lightly through your hair again.
“Try to sleep, sweet girl.”
You nodded faintly.
Then your fingers tightened slightly around his sleeve again before he could fully pull away.
“…don’t go far.”
The words came out embarrassingly small.
Juhoon’s entire expression softened.
“I won’t.”
You swallowed.
“…promise?”
Something flickered across his face at that.
Something devastatingly gentle.
“I promise.”
Only then did your grip loosen.
Juhoon waited until your breathing started evening out slightly before finally standing.
Then, just like he said he would, he left the bedroom door cracked open. Enough to see inside. Enough for you to see the living room light from bed.
Enough to remind you that you weren’t alone.
♡
The conversation outside resumed quieter now.
Lower voices. Softer movements.
Juhoon remained seated near the hallway instead of fully returning to the couch. Close enough to hear you if you needed him.
Martin glanced toward the cracked bedroom door briefly.
“…she okay?”
Juhoon nodded once.
“Tired.”
Nobody said the obvious thing after that.
That you were more than tired. That fear had started settling into your body in ways none of them liked watching happen.
Seonghyeon replayed the footage one more time silently.
Pause.
Rewind.
Pause again.
Then suddenly-
“…wait.”
Everyone looked up.
Seonghyeon leaned slightly closer to the screen.
“The timing.”
James frowned. “What about it?”
“The storm.”
The room quieted immediately.
Seonghyeon pointed toward the timestamp.
“The break-in happened during rain too.”
Martin blinked slowly.
“…you think that matters?”
Juhoon’s gaze sharpened slightly.
Seonghyeon hesitated.
“I think…” he said slowly, “…they move easier when weather covers sound.”
The room went still again.
And before anyone could answer-
A soft sound came faintly from the hallway.
Not loud, just movement.
Juhoon stood instantly.
♡
The bedroom was empty.
For half a second, genuine panic slammed through him so hard it almost made his stomach drop.
His eyes darted around the room before he saw the balcony curtain shifting slightly.
And you.
Standing near the glass door.
Still.
Your shoulders trembling faintly.
Something white clutched tightly in your hands.
Juhoon crossed the room immediately in one stride.
“Sweet girl?”
You turned slowly at the sound of his voice.
And the second he saw your face, his chest tightened painfully.
You looked terrified.
Not startled.
Not anxious.
Terrified.
Tears already gathered in your eyes like your body had skipped panic entirely and gone straight into fear.
Juhoon’s voice softened instantly.
“Hey. Hey, what happened?”
Your mouth opened slightly.
Closed again.
Then slowly, you lifted the object in your shaking hands.
A photograph.
His stomach dropped immediately.
The image showed this room. His room.
Tonight.
You asleep against his chest on the couch earlier.
Pillow in your arms.
The blanket around your shoulders.
And in the corner of the photo, the edge of the rain-covered window.
Taken from outside.
Your voice cracked violently when you finally whispered-
“…that was through the window.”
♡
For one horrible second, Juhoon couldn’t breathe.
Not because he didn’t understand what you were saying, but because he understood it instantly.
Rain battered softly against the balcony glass behind you while the photograph trembled violently between your fingers.
Your breathing sounded thin.
Uneven.
Like your lungs couldn’t decide whether to gasp or freeze.
And somewhere outside, someone had stood close enough to the dorm window to take that picture.
Close enough to see inside his room.
Close enough to watch you sleeping against him.
Juhoon’s entire body went cold. Not panic.
Something worse.
Protective instinct so sharp it almost broke him open.
His eyes snapped immediately toward the balcony window.
Darkness stared back. Rainwater streaked down the glass in endless shifting lines, distorting the campus lights outside into blurred gold smears.
Nothing moved. Nobody visible.
But that almost made it more terrifying.
Because now it meant they could disappear before anyone even realized they were there.
Behind him, chairs scraped violently against the living room floor.
The others had heard enough.
“What happened?”
Martin appeared first in the doorway, then stopped dead the second he saw your face.
Seonghyeon came up behind him.
Then James.
Then Keonho.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
No confusion. No joking. Just immediate understanding that something had gone very, very wrong.
Juhoon reached you carefully. Slowly. Like sudden movement might shatter you completely.
“Sweet girl,” he said softly.
Your eyes snapped toward him instantly, and that was somehow the worst part.
The fear in them. Not startled fear. Not nervous fear. The kind that settles deep enough into someone that they start looking at safety like they’re terrified it might disappear too.
Your fingers tightened harder around the photograph.
“…I woke up because I thought I heard something,” you whispered shakily.
Your voice cracked halfway through the sentence. Juhoon’s chest tightened painfully.
“I thought maybe the storm got louder so I looked over and…” Your breathing hitched. “…and the curtain was moved a little.”
Nobody interrupted you. Nobody moved.
The rain outside filled the silence instead.
Soft. Constant. You swallowed hard.
“I thought maybe the window opened or something so I went to fix it and…”Your hand shook harder. “…this was on the floor.”
Slowly, carefully, Juhoon took the photograph from your fingers.
And the second he really looked at it, something inside him snapped cold.
Because the image wasn’t blurry. It wasn’t even distant. It had been taken clearly.
Intentionally.
The camera had focused directly on you.
Your sleeping face. Your hands curled around the pillow. Juhoon sitting beside you with his hand in your hair.
Watching you.
Protecting you.
And suddenly the realization hit him so hard he almost collapsed right there.
The stalker hadn’t just wanted to scare you.
They wanted him to know they had seen this too. That nowhere felt unreachable anymore. That even here, even in his dorm, they could still get close.
Behind him, James spoke first.
Quietly.
“…how the fuck did they get onto the balcony?…better question…how the fuck did they get the picture in here?”
Nobody answered immediately. Because nobody had one. The dorm building balconies connected partially through maintenance ledges between units.
Small spaces.
Narrow spaces.
But possible.
Especially during heavy rain when nobody would be outside looking.
Martin stepped closer toward the glass carefully.
Rain hammered harder now. The storm had worsened again without anyone noticing.
“You think they’re still out there?”
That question made your breathing visibly stutter. Juhoon noticed immediately. His hand moved gently to the back of your neck.
Grounding. Anchoring.
“There’s nobody touching you tonight,” he said softly.
Not hopeful. Certain. Something about the firmness in his voice nearly broke you completely. Because up until now, fear had mostly lived inside your head.
In moved objects.
Typed notes.
Unknown texts.
But this?
This felt real in a completely different way.
Someone had stood outside his room.
Watching you sleep. Watching you feel safe.
And somehow that violation hurt worse than the apartment ever had.
Your knees suddenly felt weak.
Juhoon caught it instantly.
“Hey.”
His hands moved carefully to your arms before you could fully stumble backward.
“Breathe for me.”
You tried.
Boy, did you try.
But your chest hurt now. Tight. Your vision blurred suddenly with tears you hadn’t realized were building.
“I don’t understand,” you whispered brokenly. “Why won’t they stop?”
The words shattered something in the room.
Because for the first time since this started,
you sounded tired. Not just scared.
Exhausted. Emotionally exhausted.
Like your body couldn’t keep carrying this level of fear anymore. Juhoon’s expression changed immediately. Softened instantly.
His hands slid carefully around you before pulling you gently against his chest. And the second warmth hit you, you broke.
Not dramatic sobbing.
Worse. Small shaking breaths. Silent tears soaking into the front of his hoodie while your fingers clutched weakly at the fabric near his ribs.
Juhoon held you tighter immediately. One hand pressed carefully against the back of your head, the other wrapped firmly around your shoulders.
“It’s okay,” he murmured softly.
Even though none of this was okay.
“I’ve got you.”
Your breathing shook harder.
Behind him, the others looked genuinely unsettled now too.
Not just concerned, disturbed. Because this had crossed another line completely.
Seonghyeon stepped forward slowly, eyes still fixed on the photograph in Juhoon’s hand.
Then suddenly, his expression changed.
Sharp. Focused.
“Wait.”
Juhoon looked up immediately.
Seonghyeon pointed toward the bottom corner of the photo.
“There.”
Everyone leaned closer.
At first, all you could really see was darkness and rain blur near the edge of the image.
Then, a reflection.
Tiny. Faint.
But there.
Martin squinted slightly.
“…is that a badge?”
James stepped closer too.
The reflected metal clipped near the figure’s hoodie pocket caught briefly in the flash glare from the photograph.
Rectangular.
Campus-issued.
The room went dead silent.
And slowly, horribly, something clicked into place inside your head.
Access.
The printer access.
Building access.
Dorm access.
The break-in.
Your stomach dropped so violently it almost hurt.
“…RA,” you whispered.
Everyone looked at you instantly.
Your face had gone pale, eyebrows furrowed as a single tear rolled down your face.
“No,” Juhoon said immediately, protective instinct flaring again because he could practically see panic overtaking your thoughts in real time.
But you were already shaking your head.
“The master keys,” you whispered shakily. “RAs can get into dorms if they say it’s an emergency.”
Martin’s face darkened instantly.
“Fucking hell.”
Your voice cracked harder now as realization continued unfolding piece by piece.
“The shoes,” you whispered. “I’ve seen those shoes before.”
Silence. Horrible silence. Because everybody understood immediately what that meant.
Not random access.
Consistent access.
Watching access.
Someone who could move around student housing without looking suspicious.
Someone who knew schedules.
Buildings.
Maintenance routes.
Someone who knew exactly how to blend into campus life while standing right beside all of you.
Juhoon felt your body start trembling harder again against his chest.
His hand slid gently back into your hair immediately.
“Okay,” he said softly.
Calm. Steady. Even though rage was beginning to burn so cold inside him it almost made him dizzy.
“Okay. We have something now.”
You looked up at him weakly, tears still clinging to your lashes.
“But what if they come back?”
That question nearly destroyed him. Because you sounded so small asking it.
So genuinely afraid.
Juhoon’s jaw tightened faintly. Then he lowered his forehead gently against yours.
Close. Careful. Protective in the most devastating way.
“They won’t touch you again,” he said quietly.
And for the first time since this started, his voice didn’t sound comforting.
It sounded like a warning.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
A/N: Okay I just finished writing this today and I started writing last week oh my gosh I’m so sorry it took so long to finish! I’m done with all my finals and I’m taking my two week speed fashion class right now (it’s weird I know), and I finally got the motivation to work on this! I wanted to finish up this story in two parts but lowkey it’s getting pretty long. I think part three will be the last part though so stay turned! It should come out soon! 🤍🤍
Synopsis: Strange gifts slowly begin appearing around you, but the closer the obsession gets, the more Juhoon realizes someone isn’t just watching you anymore.
Genre: Angst with happy ending, hurt/comfort, established relationship, soft romance, miscommunication, featured Soobin of TXT
Synopsis: Juhoon has always loved quietly. So quietly, in fact, that sometimes you can’t tell where his affection ends and distance begins. After one devastating argument pushes you out the door for hours, Juhoon is left alone with the horrifying realization that he may have finally broken the one thing he loves most.
Warning(s): Emotional argument, insecurity, jealousy, crying, panic attack, hurtful words, fear of abandonment, heavy emotional themes, LOTS of comfort
Synopsis: Strange gifts slowly begin appearing around you, but the closer the obsession gets, the more Juhoon realizes someone isn’t just watching you anymore.
Word Count: ~3.9k+
A/N: Haiii! I’ve been trying to draft this all weekend, so I’m sorry it took a while!! I’ve loved Cortis since their debut, but I’ve gotten into them a lot more recently since seeing ENHYPEN still makes me a sad. Soooo, I’m going to write both ENHYPEN and Cortis fics for right now!! Juhoon is my bias, so I started with him if that’s okay. I have exams all week, but once those are over and I can get around to other requests, then I will open back up my requests and you guys can start to request again!! I hope you enjoy this!
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
You had always existed in a way that made people instinctively soften.
Not because you tried to be noticed, you didn’t, it was almost the opposite.
You moved through school like you belonged everywhere and nowhere all at once, like you were simply part of the atmosphere rather than someone demanding attention from it.
Teachers trusted you without hesitation.
Classmates gravitated toward you without thinking.
Even people who barely spoke to you found themselves smiling a little more brightly in your presence, as if you quietly made the world less sharp.
You were kind in a way that felt natural rather than performative. The kind of kindness that didn’t calculate return.
…and somehow, you balanced all of that softness with something that surprised people even more.
You were good at everything you touched.
Dance came effortlessly to your body in ways that made practice rooms fall silent when you performed. Grades stayed near-perfect without visible strain. You never seemed overwhelmed, even when you probably should have been.
People described you as light.
But Juhoon? He knew better than anyone that you weren’t just light.
You were warm. And warmth, he had learned, was something people leaned toward without realizing how fragile it could be.
♡
Juhoon didn’t belong to that same kind of world.
He was quieter. More contained. The kind of person who didn’t waste movement or words. People often misread him as distant, even cold, but that was only because they never stayed close enough to notice how attentive he actually was.
Especially when it came to you.
With you, everything about him shifted in ways that were subtle but unmistakable if someone bothered to look closely.
His gaze lingered longer.
His voice softened without permission.
His attention always found you before anything else in the room did.
…and you, in turn, reacted to him like it was the most natural thing in the world to do so.
Like gravity didn’t ask questions.
♡
The library was quiet in the comfortable sort of way that made time feel slower.
Pages turned softly somewhere nearby. Rain tapped lazily against the windows. Someone at the far end of the room kept typing aggressively against their keyboard before stopping every few seconds in frustration.
You, however, had completely stopped pretending to study almost twenty minutes ago.
Your textbook remained open in front of you, untouched, while your Switch Lite sat beside your arm glowing faintly with paused gameplay.
Juhoon sat next to you rather than across from you despite there being plenty of room at the table.
He always did that.
One arm rested lazily along the back of your chair while the other flipped absentmindedly through his notes. At least, that was what it looked like.
In reality, he hadn’t read the same paragraph in ten minutes because he kept getting distracted by you. You didn’t notice. You were too busy digging around in your bag before finally pulling out a tiny plush keychain attached to your keys.
A small smile spread across your face instantly.
Juhoon watched you turn it over thoughtfully in your hands.
Then-
Poke.
The plushie’s tiny arm hit his sleeve lightly.
Juhoon slowly turned his head toward you.
You stared at the plush very seriously.
Then did it again.
Poke.
A pause.
Then the plushies other arm.
Poke.
You were completely absorbed in your own little world, alternating the plushie’s arms against his sleeve like you were conducting a scientific experiment only you understood.
A breath left Juhoon quietly.
Almost a laugh.
Almost.
Then suddenly, he leaned closer and blew a soft puff of air against your bangs.
You startled instantly.
Your eyes squeezed shut as your hair fluttered upward messily.
“Hey-” you whispered accusingly, immediately narrowing your eyes at him.
Juhoon finally laughed softly under his breath.
Not loudly.
Never loudly.
Just enough for you to hear it.
Your offended expression lasted approximately two seconds before dissolving completely.
Then naturally, without even thinking, you leaned closer into his side again.
Like you belonged there.
Juhoon looked down at you for a moment too long before quietly pressing a kiss against the top of your head.
“…you’re cute,” he murmured.
You smiled immediately into his shoulder.
And something in Juhoon’s chest softened so dangerously it almost scared him.
♡
Later that afternoon, the two of you were walking across campus while you remained entirely distracted by your Switch Lite.
Again.
Your fingers moved rapidly across the buttons while you walked beside Juhoon completely unaware of your surroundings.
Which was exactly why you almost walked directly into a pole.
Juhoon caught the back handle of your backpack at the very last second, stopping you mid-step.
Your body jerked backward slightly as you looked up in confusion.
“…oh.”
Juhoon stared at you flatly.
You blinked innocently up at him.
“…there was a pole.”
“There was,” he confirmed, poking your forehead once.
You looked back at the pole.
Then at him.
Then quietly continued your game as if nothing had happened.
Juhoon let out the faintest exhale through his nose before reaching over and adjusting your crooked collar absentmindedly.
Behind you both, James gagged dramatically.
“You two are actually disgusting.”
You immediately gasped.
Juhoon didn’t even look back.
“Go away.”
“You literally just saved her from walking into solid concrete.”
“She does that a lot.”
“I can hear you,” you mumbled.
“Yes,” Juhoon replied calmly, tapping under your chin lightly. “That’s intentional.”
♡
The café near campus smelled faintly like coffee beans and sugar.
Soft music drifted quietly through overhead speakers while students filled the tables with scattered notebooks and half-finished assignments.
It was familiar.
Comfortable.
Safe.
Which was why neither of you thought much about leaving your backpacks unattended while you went to the bathroom and Juhoon ordered at the counter.
By the time you came back, Juhoon was already walking toward the table balancing drinks and pastries carefully in his hands.
Your face lit up instantly.
“Perfect timing,” you said brightly while sliding into your seat. “I’m starving…”
Juhoon set the tray down in front of you before sitting across from you himself.
Almost immediately, your attention drifted toward your Switch Lite case.
Juhoon noticed instantly.
A quiet sigh left him as he nudged your pastry closer toward you.
“You need to eat before playing, hm?”
You looked up innocently.
“I will.”
“Mmhm.”
“I just haven’t played all day,” you defended softly while reaching for the case. “And I really want to use your gift properly.”
That softened him despite himself.
He had bought you the Switch Lite months ago after listening to you casually mention wanting one for almost three weeks before insisting you “didn’t actually need it.”
Now it practically never left your side.
You unzipped the case carefully.
Then paused.
Your smile faltered slightly.
“…what’s this?”
Juhoon looked up, eyes sharpening immediately.
Tucked neatly beside the console sat a folded piece of paper.
You pulled it out slowly.
The paper looked too clean.
Too deliberate.
Not handwritten.
Typed.
You unfolded it carefully, reading it slowly.
“You always smile at your games when you win. It’s cute.”
Silence settled instantly between you.
The café suddenly felt too loud and too distant at the same time.
Juhoon’s face went still.
Not angry.
Not panicked.
Just focused in a way that made your stomach tighten slightly.
“…that wasn’t there before,” you said quietly.
“I know.”
His hand extended silently.
You handed him the note, looking up at him promptly.
Juhoon read it once.
Then again.
Longer the second time.
His jaw tightened almost invisibly.
“Did you leave your case open earlier?”
You blinked slightly.
“No…”
“Did anyone walk near our table?”
“I…I don’t know? I was in the bathroom…”
“How long were the bags alone?”
Your stomach twisted a little more.
Because suddenly, the atmosphere had shifted completely.
You tried to laugh softly.
“Maybe someone thought it’d be funny?”
Juhoon didn’t laugh.
Not even slightly.
Instead, he folded the paper carefully and slipped it into his bag.
You noticed instantly.
“…you’re keeping it?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
His eyes lifted toward you quietly.
“Because if this keeps happening, I want records of it.”
Something about the way he said it unsettled you more than the note itself.
“Now eat okay, hm? I don’t want your food to get cold..!”
You nod slowly and look down at the plate…but suddenly…you lost your appetite.
♡
The next few days returned to normal.
Or at least, they tried to.
You still spent lunch tucked beside Juhoon in the library while he studied and you distracted him intentionally every five minutes.
You still absentmindedly braided the strings of his hoodie sleeve while rambling about random things.
You still leaned against his chest while standing in line without even realizing you were doing it.
And Juhoon still looked at you like the rest of the world blurred around the edges whenever you smiled at him.
But slowly, subtly, something changed.
Juhoon started looking over his shoulder more.
Started watching crowds longer.
Started noticing people standing too close.
You didn’t.
Or maybe you did and just trusted him enough not to question it.
♡
Dance practice ran late that evening.
By the time rehearsal finally ended, your muscles ached pleasantly and exhaustion settled warmly into your limbs.
The studio slowly emptied around you as dancers gathered their belongings and filtered out into the hallway laughing tiredly amongst themselves.
Eventually, the building became quieter.
Fluorescent lights hummed softly overhead as you walked toward your locker while replaying choreography in your head.
You were still smiling faintly to yourself when something tucked between the locker vents caught your eye.
Your steps slowed immediately.
A photo.
You pulled it free carefully.
Your stomach tightened.
It was you.
Dancing in the studio earlier that evening.
The angle was distant but unmistakable.
Someone had been watching.
Your fingers turned the picture over slowly.
Taped neatly to the back sat another typed note.
“You dance beautifully.”
No handwriting.
No name.
Nothing identifiable.
Just those words.
The hallway suddenly felt colder.
Too empty.
Too quiet.
Your chest tightened uncomfortably. Not panic yet.
Just unease.
A strange crawling feeling beneath your skin.
You didn’t even realize Juhoon had arrived until his voice came from behind you softly.
“Sweet girl?”
You turned immediately.
His expression shifted the second he saw your face.
“What happened?”
Quietly, you handed him the photo.
Juhoon’s eyes scanned it carefully.
The studio angle.
The timing.
The printed note.
Then back to you.
“You didn’t post this?”
You shook your head immediately.
“No.”
Silence stretched between you. Longer this time.
Then quietly, Juhoon slid the photo carefully into the same folder inside his bag where the café note rested.
You stared slightly.
“You kept the other one?”
“Yes.”
“You really think this is serious?”
His gaze finally lifted toward yours.
“…I think someone is paying too much attention to you. Just precaution, okay pretty?”
The way he said it made your stomach dip uncomfortably.
Because suddenly, this didn’t feel like awkward admiration anymore.
It felt personal.
♡
That night, while you sat beside Juhoon studying, your fingers absentmindedly braided the strings of his hoodie sleeve again as he typed notes on his laptop.
You didn’t notice the way his attention kept drifting toward the room around you both instead.
Didn’t notice how his eyes tracked movement near the doors.
Or how he unconsciously shifted his chair slightly closer to yours whenever strangers passed too near.
You just continued talking quietly about your dance instructor correcting your posture while braiding and unbraiding his sleeve strings over and over again.
Juhoon looked down at your hands briefly.
Then toward your face.
Soft.
Warm.
Completely unaware.
Something protective tightened painfully in his chest.
♡
The third instance came two days later.
An unknown number.
A single text.
“You looked tired today.”
You stared at the screen for a long time.
Longer than before.
Because now there was already a pattern.
The café note.
The dance photo.
And now this.
Someone watching.
Someone paying attention.
Someone close enough to notice exhaustion on your face.
Someone who has your number.
That thought unsettled you enough that you immediately showed Juhoon later that evening.
He read the text once.
Then again.
Something in his expression sharpened immediately.
“Did you tell anyone you were tired today?”
You thought for a moment.
“I think…I mentioned it once in class…?”
Juhoon stayed silent.
His thumb remained still against the edge of your phone.
Then quietly:
“This isn’t normal anymore.”
You hesitated slightly.
“…maybe they’re just trying to be nice?”
Even you sounded unsure now.
Frustration flickered briefly across Juhoon’s face.
Not anger.
Fear disguised as frustration.
“Y/N,” he said carefully, “they’re not guessing. They’re observing.”
You looked down slightly.
“I don’t want to assume the worst about someone who might just-”
“You’re not safe if you keep doing that.”
The words came out sharper than he intended.
Silence followed instantly.
Your eyes lowered, darting to anywhere but him.
Something small shifted in your expression.
Not dramatic.
Just hurt.
Quiet hurt.
Juhoon regretted it immediately.
But the damage had already settled between you both.
The walk afterward felt awkward in a way your relationship almost never did.
You tried acting normal.
Juhoon tried softening again.
But tension lingered quietly beneath every conversation.
And by the time he dropped you off outside your apartment building, something still felt unresolved.
“Text me when you get inside,” he murmured quietly.
You nodded once.
“…okay.”
Then you disappeared inside.
♡
The apartment door unlocked with a soft click.
You stepped inside quietly before immediately slipping your shoes off near the entrance like you always did.
But then, you paused.
Something dark marked the floor near the hallway.
Faint.
Almost invisible.
A footprint.
Your brows furrowed slightly, as your head tilted right.
You didn’t remember making that.
And it looked too large to be yours anyway.
Your heartbeat slowed strangely.
Then you noticed the silence.
Not comforting silence.
Wrong silence.
But you stepped in further regardless.
Next you noticed your plush dolls sat lined up neatly across your bed.
Facing outward.
Your pens had been arranged by color.
Perfectly straight.
Your Switch Lite sat docked carefully on your desk.
You always left it beside your bed.
Your breathing slowed unevenly.
Confusion came first, not fear. Not yet.
Just wrongness.
“Hello?” you called softly.
No answer.
Then your eyes landed on the chair near your desk.
Juhoon’s hoodie.
Folded perfectly.
Your body went cold.
You didn’t remember leaving it there.
Didn’t remember it even being in your room.
Didn’t remember anything that explained why it was sitting there.
Your hands started trembling faintly.
And then-
the trash bin.
Something inside it caught your eye.
A photo.
You pulled it out slowly.
The amusement park you guys went to a few months ago. Juhoon was hugging you tightly while you smiled so brightly your eyes nearly disappeared.
But his face-
Your stomach dropped violently.
It had been cut.
Not ripped.
Not torn.
Cut.
Precise. Controlled. Deliberate.
♡
Earlier that evening, gloved hands moved carefully through your apartment.
Methodical.
Quiet.
Patient.
One pen shifted slightly before being adjusted straighter.
Then another.
Then another.
The plush dolls were arranged neatly across the bed afterward.
Facing outward properly.
Watching.
The intruder’s gaze drifted slowly around your room afterward, lingering over every small detail.
Almost as if he was trying to memorize it.
Your blankets.
Your books.
Your belongings.
Your routines.
Then…
The hoodie.
Juhoon’s.
Out in your living room.
He walked slowly out of the room and near your couch, picking up his hoodie carefully. Slowly, he walked back into your room. The gloved hand clenched the fabric tightly for one brief moment.
Anger.
Sharp.
Ugly.
Before slowly smoothing it flat again.
Folding it carefully.
Placing it neatly on the chair.
And stepping back slowly.
As he was beginning to exit the room, something caught his eye.
A photo.
The intruder stared at the image silently for several long seconds.
Juhoon’s arms around you.
Your smile.
The closeness.
Then, he grabbed it sharply.
RRRIP.
The photo tore directly between Juhoon and you.
Separating.
Afterward, a small knife slid carefully from his pocket. The blade pressing against Juhoon’s face slowly.
Then cut.
Clean.
Controlled.
Deliberate.
The ruined photo dropped quietly into the trash moments later…and the intruder left without ever removing their shoes.
Faint footprints being left instead.
♡
Your breathing became uneven.
Someone had been here.
Someone had touched your things.
Moved your things.
Watched your habits.
Studied your routines.
Walked where you were standing.
Your stomach twisted violently.
You grabbed the hoodie immediately.
Then the photo.
And ran.
♡
By the time you reached Juhoon’s dorm, your entire body was shaking so badly you could barely stand straight.
Your breaths came unevenly and painfully while tears streaming down your face and blurring your vision before you even knocked properly.
When the door opened, Juhoon looked tired at first.
Then he saw you, and everything changed instantly. His eyes widened.
“Y/N-”
Your voice broke apart immediately.
“I-I did what you said,” you choked out desperately. “I came to…you…”
That was enough.
Juhoon stepped aside instantly.
“Come here, sweet girl.”
The second his arms wrapped around you properly, something inside you shattered completely.
A sob tore from your chest before you could stop it.
Your hands clutched desperately at the front of his hoodie while your entire body shook violently against him.
Juhoon’s expression softened immediately.
“Hey…hey, I’ve got you,” he murmured softly while guiding you toward his room. “You’re okay.”
But…you weren’t.
Not really.
Not even close.
By the time he sat down on the bed with you curled tightly against his chest, your breathing still refused to steady properly.
Your tears soaked through his hoodie almost immediately while his hand rubbed slow circles against your back.
Grounding.
Steady.
Safe.
“Breathe for me,” he whispered softly against your hair. “Come on, sweet girl. Breathe with me.”
You tried.
Your breathing hitched painfully.
You tried again.
Juhoon stayed patient through every uneven inhale.
One hand smoothing through your hair while the other held you securely against his chest.
“I-I came home and everything was wrong…” your voice cracked apart again.
“I know,” he murmured quietly. “Tell me slowly.”
Your fingers tightened desperately against his hoodie.
“My dolls were lined up,” you whispered shakily. “Facing me…”
Juhoon stayed silent.
Listening carefully.
“And my pens were organized by color and my…my Switch that I dropped off earlier was moved b…because I always leave it beside my bed and-and your hoodie was neatly folded there and-”
Your breathing broke again.
Juhoon immediately tightened his arms around you slightly.
“You’re safe here,” he whispered.
But now that you’d started talking, you couldn’t stop.
“There were footprints,” you whispered shakily. “I took my shoes off when I came inside and then I saw them and-and they didn’t…”
Juhoon’s jaw tightened instantly.
Shoes still on.
Comfortable enough to walk through your apartment freely.
Your voice cracked again.
“It felt like someone knew how I leave things and then changed them on purpose…”
Patterns.
Organization.
Control.
Someone methodical. Someone patient.
Someone obsessed.
Juhoon smoothed his hand gently through your hair again.
Then softly-
“Sweet girl…tell me everything you remember, okay?”
Your breathing trembled again.
Eventually, after another shaky sniffle, you slowly lifted your head from his chest.
Juhoon immediately noticed how badly your hands were still shaking.
Without saying anything, he gently took the ends of your braids between his fingers and began twisting them slowly.
Carefully.
Grounding you.
You sniffled once.
Then again.
Then your eyes drifted toward his hoodie you still wore.
“…wait.”
Juhoon’s gaze sharpened instantly.
Slowly, your trembling fingers reached into the pocket.
And pulled something out.
The photo pieces.
Juhoon took it carefully.
Then looked at it again.
Longer this time.
The tear separating you both.
The cuts against his face.
Not emotional destruction.
Symbolic removal.
His stomach twisted coldly.
Because suddenly, one realization settled heavily into place.
The stalker didn’t just want you.
They saw him as something standing in the way.
Competition. A problem.
Something to erase.
And somehow, that realization terrified him more than anything else so far.
You swallowed shakily again.
“My room isn’t supposed to feel like that,” you whispered miserably. “It didn’t feel like mine anymore…”
Juhoon immediately looked at you.
Your eyes looked exhausted now.
Small.
Scared.
Completely overwhelmed.
Something protective and furious twisted violently inside his chest.
But when he spoke again, his voice stayed soft.
“I’m going to figure this out, okay?”
♡
Eventually, exhaustion finally began dragging at your body.
Juhoon noticed immediately.
Your blinking slowed, and your grip on his hoodie weakened slightly.
He reached behind you quietly before grabbing the oversized turtle plush resting near his pillows.
“Here,” he murmured softly while placing it carefully into your arms. “You can hug Choco for strength.”
A tiny watery sound escaped you that was almost a laugh.
Almost.
You hugged the plush tightly against your chest immediately.
Juhoon’s chest ached at the sight.
“Sweet girl,” he said quietly after a moment, “I need to talk to the others about something, okay?”
Your fingers immediately tightened weakly around his sleeve.
“…don’t go.”
The words came out so small it nearly broke him.
Juhoon leaned forward slightly before pressing a gentle kiss against your forehead.
“I’ll leave the door open,” he promised softly. “And I’ll sit right outside. You’ll still be able to see me, okay?”
You hesitated.
Then nodded slightly.
“…okay.”
♡
Later that night, you finally fell asleep curled beneath Juhoon’s blankets with Choco tucked tightly against your chest.
Juhoon sat beside you quietly for a long moment after your breathing finally evened out.
His hand brushed gently through your hair once more, careful not to wake you.
He didn’t leave immediately afterward. Just sat there watching you sleep, still shaken from the previous situation.
Like he was making sure you were still really there.
Eventually, he stood slowly.
Then left the bedroom door cracked open exactly like he promised.
♡
The atmosphere outside the room felt entirely different.
All the boys had gathered quietly by then.
No teasing now. No jokes.
Only tension.
Juhoon laid everything carefully across the table.
The typed café note.
The dance photo with its message.
The printed photo of the text messages.
The damaged amusement park picture.
Every piece of evidence he had quietly been collecting.
Silence stretched heavily through the room.
Then Seonghyeon spoke quietly.
“…this person plans things.”
Juhoon stayed silent.
“The notes are typed. Printed. The cuts are clean. The apartment was organized.” Seonghyeon frowned slightly. “This feels compulsive.”
Martin shifted uneasily.
“You think they know her personally?”
“I think they know her routine personally,” Seonghyeon corrected quietly.
Then suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly.
“…school printers.”
Juhoon looked up instantly.
“The typed notes,” Seonghyeon continued. “If they’re consistently printing these, they probably have easy printer access.”
“Students,” Keonho murmured quietly.
“Or staff,” Seonghyeon added.
“And the dance photo,” James slowly. “Whoever took that had access to the studio.”
The room fell quiet again.
Because suddenly…this didn’t feel random anymore.
Not strangers.
Not anonymous admiration.
Someone nearby. Someone watching.
Someone close enough to learn your routines.
Juhoon’s jaw tightened slightly as his eyes drifted toward the cracked bedroom door.
Toward you sleeping inside with Choco tucked against your chest.
Then quietly, almost to himself-
“…I already have a few ideas.”
And somehow…that felt worse than not knowing at all.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
A/N: AGAHAGAHGAHA I don’t think I’ve done a fic exactly like this yet and I’m honestly loving how it’s going. I definitely will make a part two, but I’m not sure if it will be this week or if it will be the weekend. I don’t know! Just know that I will get it out soon because I really want to write how this will end! I hope you enjoyed!!!
hii!! can you please write something with sunghoon x reader or ni-ki x reader, where theyre both idols and theyre in the hybe caterer game? and they both have crushes on eachother and theyre teamed up together on games?? thank uu
Synopsis: During HYBE Game Caterers filming, Ni-ki gets paired with you for multiple games…and completely loses his ability to function normally. Unfortunately for him, everyone notices. Including you.
Word Count: ~2.2k+
A/N: Haiiii!! It’s been a long time hasn’t it?? I have been working on this fic lowkey in and out this whole week, so I’m so sorry I’ve been taking so long! Next week is my last round of finals and then I have a two week long course (that’s pretty easy) AND THEN I CAN MAKE FICS MORE OFTEN!! So fun!
I’ve had a lot of requests for more than a month now, so I’m trying to get to them slowly! I really hope you like this, and I hope it’s not too similar to the idol!Jay x IVEmember!reader! Enjoy!!
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
The first mistake Ni-ki makes is making eye contact with you before filming even starts.
That’s it. That’s genuinely all it takes.
Because one second he’s walking onto set with ENHYPEN, half-awake and adjusting the sleeve of his hoodie while staff rush around setting up cameras, and then suddenly-
there you are.
Standing beside Yunjin while the MC explains something to LE SSERAFIM, nodding politely even though nobody is listening anymore.
Your hair is tied back loosely. Hoodie sleeves pulled over your hands.
Comfortable. Casual.
And smiling.
At him.
Not huge or dramatic like you’re mocking him.
Just a small little “oh, hi” smile after noticing him looking.
Ni-ki immediately looks away.
Too fast.
“Whoa,” Sunoo says beside him instantly. “That was horrible.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You looked like you just gave your neck whiplash.”
Ni-ki scoffs, crossing his arms. “I literally just looked away.”
“Yeah,” Jungwon says. “Like your life depended on it.”
Ni-ki opens his mouth to defend himself…but accidentally looks back at you again.
Bad idea.
…because now you’re talking to Yunjin while trying not to laugh about something, and Yunjin notices him staring almost immediately.
Her eyes narrow.
Then slowly…
She grins.
Oh no.
“Ohhhhhh,” Jake says quietly. “You’re done for.”
“I’m fine,” Ni-ki mutters quickly.
“Sure,” Heeseung hums. “Your ears are red.”
Ni-ki pulls his hood up immediately, which only makes everyone laugh harder.
♡
Filming starts loudly.
Almost…too loudly.
The MC has too much energy, half the idols are already yelling over each other, and somewhere in the chaos, teams are being decided.
Ni-ki isn’t paying attention at first.
Until-
“And for this round we are doing….mixed teams!”
The crowd reacts immediately.
Excited shouting erupts across the room while staff begin handing out colored stickers.
Ni-ki barely processes anything until a staff member sticks a blue sticker to his hoodie.
Then, another blue sticker appears beside him.
He looks over.
You.
Amazing amazing amazing amazing. This is going to go amazing. ✌️
“Oh!”
Your expression brightens slightly. “We’re teammates.”
Ni-ki forgets how to respond.
Entirely. Not metaphorically, no.
Like actually.
“…Niki?”
“Huh?”
“You’re staring.”
“Oh.”
You laugh softly…and that makes it worse.
Because now his brain is fully gone.
The MC claps loudly into the microphone.
“Alright! This round is school-themed! Since all of you skipped your youth to become idols-”
“HEY!” several idols yell immediately.
“-you’ll now suffer through academics together!”
The room erupts.
Groaning. Cheering. Complaining.
A giant screen lights up behind the MC with equations and trivia categories.
Ni-ki straightens slightly.
Okay. Good. This is manageable.
He can do this.
Especially because he’s actually decent at this stuff.
And maybe, just maybe, this is finally his chance to look cool in front of you.
“Each team will solve problems together! Fastest correct answer gets the point!”
You shift closer beside him to see the board better.
Close enough that your shoulder brushes his arm for half a second.
“You multiply twenty-seven by ten first,” you say calmly beside him, already crouching slightly beside the board.
“Yes obviously.”
“Then add twenty-seven four more times.”
“Yes.”
Silence.
The timer ticks.
Ni-ki stares at the board.
Then writes: 378
You blink.
“…Ni-ki.”
“What?”
“That’s wrong.”
“No it’s not.”
“It is, I believe.”
He stares harder.
Then his eyes widen.
“…WAIT.”
The buzzer goes off immediately.
“TIME!”
The MC runs over dramatically. “And our answer is…three hundred seventy-eight!”
The crowd groans.
“WRONG!”
Ni-ki drops his head into his hands instantly.
“Ahhhh no no no no-”
You burst into laughter beside him for the first time all day.
Not polite laughing. Actual laughing.
And unfortunately, Ni-ki thinks it’s the prettiest thing he’s ever heard.
“THE ANSWER WAS THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY-EIGHT - wait no.” The MC squints at the card. “Three hundred seventy-EIGHT? Wait.”
The entire room goes silent.
“…That IS the answer.”
Ni-ki slowly lifts his head.
The MC stares at the card again.
“…OH. WAIT. IT IS.”
The room explodes.
Ni-ki whips around toward you so fast he nearly falls over.
“I TOLD YOU.”
You’re laughing harder now, hands covering your face. “NO because you looked unsure!”
“Because YOU looked unsure!” You both say at the same time.
“You wrote it like you were fighting demons!”
Sunghoon is already collapsing onto the floor laughing.
“Why did you react like you got sentenced to prison then?!” He shouted over.
Ni-ki points aggressively at him. “Because she looked disappointed in me!”
Your laughter cuts off abruptly.
“…What?”
Too late.
Way too late.
The room goes silent for exactly one second before everyone erupts.
“OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.”
Ni-ki freezes.
His soul leaves his body.
Yunjin doubles over laughing beside Chaewon while the MC grabs Ni-ki by the shoulders dramatically.
“YOU CARE ABOUT HER OPINION?”
“No.”
“That was immediate.”
“No because that’s not what I meant-”
“You literally said you panicked because she looked disappointed!”
Ni-ki turns toward the nearest wall like he’s considering walking directly into it.
You’re still staring at him.
Not laughing anymore.
Just…looking surprised.
And somehow that’s worse than if you were laughing at him.
♡
The games continue.
Which would be fine if Ni-ki could stop embarrassing himself for five consecutive seconds.
Unfortunately for him…he cannot.
“Second question!”
A harder equation appears.
Everyone groans immediately.
Ni-ki squints at the screen while you lean slightly closer beside him.
“I think we need to isolate x first,” you murmur quietly.
Ni-ki nods immediately. “Right. Obviously.”
You glance at him.
“…You don’t know what’s happening, do you?”
“I absolutely know what’s happening.”
“Then why did you write the number seven three times?”
Ni-ki looks down at the board. There are, indeed, three random sevens.
“…Decoration.”
You laugh again.
And once again, his brain shuts off completely.
“You’re distracting,” he mutters without thinking.
Your eyes widen slightly.
“So this is MY fault?”
“No- wait- not like-”
The MC suddenly appears between you both like a jumpscare.
“NI-KI!”
Ni-ki physically recoils.
“ARE YOU FLIRTING DURING ALGEBRA?”
The entire room loses it again.
“NO??”
“You told her she was distracting!”
“Because she IS!”
Silence.
Ni-ki closes his eyes slowly.
“…I mean.”
Sunoo is literally on the floor now.
Yunjin wipes tears from her eyes while pointing at him. “He’s actually such a lost cause wow.”
“You’re making him nervous!” Kazuha laughs.
“ME??” you say immediately. “I’m not even doing anything!”
“That’s the problem!” Jungwon yells from across the room.
Ni-ki considers retirement.
♡
By lunchtime, clips of his suffering are probably already becoming reaction memes…and filming isn’t even over yet.
The catering area is packed with idols and staff grabbing food while everyone talks over each other loudly.
Ni-ki grabs a plate.
Okay.
Reset.
He can recover. Be normal. Act composed.
Maybe even cool.
Then-
“Ni-ki?”
You appear beside him holding an empty tray.
Gone.
Everything is gone again. Yay.
“Oh- hey.”
Why did his voice crack.
Why.
You glance toward the food table. “Do you know what’s good?”
“Yes.”
Too fast.
You blink slightly.
Ni-ki clears his throat. “I mean. Yeah.”
“Okay,” you laugh softly. “What do you recommend?”
This is his moment.
His redemption.
He scans the buffet seriously before confidently grabbing the serving tongs.
“That one’s really good.”
He reaches to place food onto your plate, but the piece slips immediately and falls directly onto the tablecloth.
Silence.
Ni-ki stares at it.
Then slowly places the tongs down like nothing happened.
“…That didn’t happen.”
You press your lips together trying not to laugh.
Unfortunately, Sunoo witnessed everything.
“HE MISSED THE ENTIRE PLATE.”
“SHUT UP.”
“You were holding the tongs like chopsticks!”
“I PANICKED.”
“WHY??”
Ni-ki whips around aggressively. “Because she was looking at me!”
The second the words leave his mouth, dead silence.
Again.
Absolutely dead.
Even nearby staff are trying not to laugh now.
You look down immediately, face warm, and Ni-ki?
Ni-ki wants the floor to open up and consume him whole.
“Oh my goodness,” Yunjin breathes. “This is insane.”
Heeseung pats Ni-ki’s shoulder sympathetically. “I think this might be the worst I’ve ever seen you.”
“I hate all of you, you know that.”
♡
The worst part is, you’re starting to notice things too.
Little things.
Like how Ni-ki acts completely normal with everyone else.
Confident, funny, relaxed. But around you?
He fidgets more.
Talks faster.
Stares too long before suddenly pretending he wasn’t staring at all.
And honestly?
It’s kind of cute.
Which is dangerous. Very dangerous.
Because you’re both idols…and now YOU’RE becoming hyperaware too.
Like when he pulls a chair out for you absentmindedly before realizing what he did halfway through.
Or when he remembers your favorite snack from a conversation you barely remember having.
Or the way he keeps checking if you’ve eaten enough without directly asking.
You notice all of it. And it’s making your chest feel increasingly weird.
“You’re staring at him again,” Yunjin says quietly beside you.
“I am not.”
“You literally smiled at him dropping a fork.”
“I felt bad!”
“No, you didn’t. Liar.”
“…Okay maybe a little.”
Yunjin snorts.
Then glances toward Ni-ki across the restaurant where he’s aggressively arguing with Jungwon about something.
“…He likes you a lot.”
Your chest tightens immediately.
“I know,” you say quietly.
Yunjin looks surprised.
“…You know?”
You stare down at your Cola in your hands.
“…I think so.”
“And?”
You hesitate…because the problem isn’t whether you like him back.
The problem is, you do. Too much already. And that’s dangerous in this industry.
♡
Dinner stretches later into the evening.
Most idols have relaxed by now, makeup slightly worn down, conversations quieter and more natural.
The chaos has softened, and Ni-ki sits across from you this time. Which was absolutely intentional, despite what he claims.
“You should try this,” he says suddenly, holding out a small plate toward you.
You glance up. “What is it?”
“Just trust me.”
Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
But you, apprehensively, take the bite anyway.
And immediately your eyes widen.
“Oh.”
Ni-ki straightens slightly. “Good?”
“That’s actually really good.”
The smile that appears on his face is immediate.
Bright.
Unfiltered.
And your heart genuinely stutters a little.
Then-
He knocks over his water.
Directly into his own lap.
The entire table explodes.
Ni-ki grabs napkins instantly while Jungwon physically falls against Jake laughing.
“YOU WERE DOING SO WELL.”
“I hate this place.”
“You looked too happy,” Sunghoon says through laughter. “The universe corrected itself.”
You’re laughing too now, shoulders shaking while Ni-ki hides his face briefly behind one hand.
“This is so humiliating.”
“A little,” you admit softly.
He groans dramatically.
Then, without really thinking, you reach over and hand him another napkin.
Your fingers brush briefly. Tiny. Barely there.
But Ni-ki goes completely still.
And suddenly the teasing around the table feels farther away.
Quieter.
You notice it immediately.
The way he’s looking at you now. Not embarrassed this time, just soft.
Your breath catches slightly.
“…Thanks,” he says quietly.
And honestly?
That’s the smoothest thing he’s managed to say to you all day.
♡
By the time dinner ends, people start leaving in groups.
Staff say goodbye, managers gather idols together, the night is winding down.
You’re standing near the exit pulling your hoodie sleeves over your hands again when someone approaches beside you.
Ni-ki.
Of course.
For once, he actually seems nervous though.
Not his usual, chaotic nervousness, but real nervous.
“You heading out?” he asks quietly.
You nod. “Soon.”
A small silence settles.
Comfortable.
Almost. Then-
“…Can I ask something?”
You look up at him.
And suddenly he looks unsure. Which feels strange. Ni-ki is rarely unsure. Hopeless, yeah, but never unsure.
“…Did I make you uncomfortable today?”
Your eyes widen immediately.
“What?”
“With all the teasing and stuff,” he says quickly. “I know everyone was joking but I just-”
He exhales softly.
“I don’t want you thinking I was messing around with you for content or something.”
The noise around you suddenly feels distant.
Because his expression, it’s sincere. Completely sincere.
And something in your chest melts a little.
“You didn’t,” you say quietly.
Ni-ki watches you carefully. “Really?”
You nod slowly.
“…I actually…thought…it was cute.”
Silence.
Ni-ki blinks.
“…Cute?”
You immediately feel heat rush to your face.
Maybe that was too honest.
Too fast.
But then, Ni-ki laughs softly.
Not teasingly, or embarrassed. Just relieved.
“You know,” he says quietly, stepping a little closer, “I had this whole plan to act cool today.”
You snort softly. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“How’d that work out for you?”
“Terribly. I bet that showed clearly.”
You laugh again.
And this time, he doesn’t fumble afterward. He just looks at you for a second longer than normal.
Then smiles. Softly.
“…At least you laughed a lot.”
Your heart does something deeply inconvenient.
“That’s because you were funny.”
“I was fighting for my life.”
“You were.”
A pause. Then quieter-
“…I liked watching it though.”
Ni-ki stills slightly.
The teasing sounds from inside the restaurant blur together behind you, but neither of you look away.
“…Yeah?” he asks softly.
You nod once. And for the first time all day, Ni-ki looks completely calm.
No panicking.
No fumbling.
Just him.
“I like you too, by the way.”
Your breath catches instantly.
Direct. Simple. Honest.
And somehow that makes it hit even harder to process even though you already knew.
Inside the restaurant, someone screams loudly after probably spotting the moment through the window.
Neither of you acknowledge it.
Because right now, Ni-ki is only looking at you.
And honestly?
You don’t think he’s looked away once all day.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
A/N: Thank you for reading!! I hope this was good! As I said, it’s been a long time so I hope I haven’t lost my touch. 😢 It’s probably not as good as I wanted it to be, but I’m glad I could get something out!! The next one’s going to be a little different because I am going to let you guys in on something (if that makes sense) 🤫. Look forward to it!
I just added a read more to all my Jungwon fics (I’ll do the other members some time soon), so hopefully that helps with your guys’ reading! Thank you again @aijatar for explaining how to! I just wanted to say though, when I added the read more to some of my fics, it altered how the photos were oriented, so some are on top of each other rather than next to each other. Sorry for the inconvenience!!
