#I can't believe I have to wait SIX more days to find out 😭 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rosyblooom · 14 days

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a in anniversary is for apple pie! | cl16 smau

PAIRING: charles leclerc x wife!reader SUMMARY: charles and y/n return from their wedding anniversary dinner to find their daughter still awake and adamant about wanting the apple pie she was promised tonight! A/N: tysm for 500 followers🥹 pls accept this entirely sweet & happy fic as a token of my appreciation🫶

creds to @classiclitfreak for proofreading <3

⋘ 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎... ⋙

charles_leclerc

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charles_leclerc Happy wedding anniversary to my beautiful wife, Y/N. You hold my heart in the palm of your hands, but I couldn't imagine it safer anywhere else. I'm excited for more, mon cœur 🙏❤️

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username wake up babe new photos of charles and y/n's secret wedding just dropped

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yourusername iIy baby🥰🥰

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username oh to be called mon cœur by charles leclerc...

username if you zoom in on the 3rd pic you'll see me face down in the ocean😔

username omg that makes two of us !! TWINNING😜

charles_leclerc posted to his story!

[ caption: Wow. ]

yourusername posted to her story!

[ caption: mon amour ❤️ ]

[ tagged: charles_leclerc ]

Fumbling, you struggle to insert the key into the lock, a task made unexpectedly difficult by your husband's impatience. His gentle kisses land on the nape of your neck, his soft whispers proving to be an unwelcome distraction. "Stop it! Can't you wait until we're inside?" you scold, attempting to maintain focus. But his arms remain securely wrapped around your waist, his affectionate gestures relentless. "Remember, we have to face the babysitter the moment we open the door."

"Mhm," Charles hums against your skin, his warm breath sending shivers down your spine and a suppressed smile to your lips. You curse silently at the six-inch heels you foolishly chose, your knees growing weaker with each passing second, the shoes only exacerbating the situation.

With a soft click, the door swings open, a rush of relief flooding through you as you silently thank your lucky stars. But before you can fully absorb the scene, the familiar sound of footsteps, accompanied by a beloved voice, reaches your ears.

"Maman!" Your daughter's enthusiastic embrace threatens to topple you as her tiny arms envelop your thighs. The warmth of Charles beside you momentarily dissipates as he steps back, a look of surprise crossing his features.

Running a hand through his beard, he gently tousles D/N's hair as he asks, "What are you doing up so late, love?"

Annie, your babysitter, interjects with a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry, I tried to get her to bed, but she insisted you guys were making apple pie tonight." She scratches the back of her neck, shrugging apologetically. "I did my best, but this little one is quite determined, as I've come to learn. Right, D/N?" Annie redirects her attention downward, addressing your daughter.

“You promised me apple pie, Maman!” D/N's insistent plea rings out, her small fingers grasping the fabric of your dress. “And I want it now! I want it now! I want it now!”

Kneeling down to her level, you gently place a finger to your lips. “Alright, D/N, I can hear you, but not so loud. Remember, at night-time, we use our inside voice, okay?” Tenderly, you intertwine your hands with hers, tracing comforting circles on the back of her hands.

D/N nods solemnly and whispers, “You promised me you’d make apple pie, and I want it now. Papa,” she turns her pleading gaze to Charles, releasing herself from your grasp and wrapping her arms around him. “I’ve been waiting all day for this, please, Papa.”

Motioning for you to handle the situation with Annie, Charles scoops D/N up, settling her on his hip before disappearing down the hallway and into the kitchen.

You straighten up, offering Annie an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry about that,” you say, reaching into your bag and retrieving an envelope labelled ‘Annie’s pay’. With a gentle gesture, you extend your arm, offering it to her. “This covers today, plus a tip, of course.”

Annie shakes her head, pushing the envelope back towards you. “I can’t accept this. I mean, I failed at getting her to sleep.”

“What?” You try to keep your voice steady, but frustration seeps through. “No, absolutely not.” Determinedly, you grasp her hand, pressing the envelope into her palm before folding it closed. “This is your money; you showed up today and did amazing, as usual. I promised D/N something, so that’s on me, really.”

She tilts her head, her brows furrowing slightly. “Are you sure, Mrs. Leclerc?”

You let out a hum. “How many times do I have to tell you? It’s just Y/N. None of that Mrs. stuff in this house, please,” you chuckle, “you're making me feel old.”

“Right, sorry, Y/N,” Annie quickly corrects herself.

Satisfied, you nod. “We’re getting there… But yes, I am absolutely sure. You deserve every single cent. Seriously,” you emphasise, “you’re a huge help to my family.”

"Alright, thank you, Y/N," Annie retrieves her bag from the hook on the wall and opens the door. "Have a good night."

"You too, Annie. Thanks again."

With a sudden slam, the door startles you for a moment before you release a long breath. You kick off your heels, relieved to be free of the "death traps" as you call them. As your feet meet the cool marble floor, a wave of calm washes over you, releasing the tension from your shoulders. It's exactly what you needed. Feeling much better, you slip off your coat and hang it beside the door before making your way into the kitchen.

A short while later…

"Alright," you lean over the counter, your forearms resting on the cool top, a warmth spreading through your heart as you watch Charles holding D/N in his arms, gently swaying side to side as they dance.

"That's what your mum and I were doing after we finished eating," he whispers.

D/N's high-pitched giggles fill the room, her tiny hand gripping a couple of Charles' fingers. "I want to come next time," she says, turning her head towards you. "Please, please, can I come next time, Maman?"

"Yes," you smile, "of course. Next time, you'll join us for our little anniversary date, okay?"

"Yay!" your daughter raises her hands in excitement, her face beaming.

Recalling the original plan, you clap your hands together. "Alright, D/N, are you still sure you want apple pie tonight? Not tomorrow or the day af—?"

"No, no, no!" she interrupts. "I want apple pie now!"

"Okay, okay… Time to wash your hands then, honey."

D/N squirms in Charles' grip, and when he finally releases her, she races for the sink in the corner of the room, immediately flicking the tap on.

Charles chuckles at the sight before turning his attention to you, stepping closer. You straighten up from the counter just in time as his hands envelop you, trapping you between the counter and his body.

"Looks like our plans will have to wait until later, huh?" you whisper, your voice taking on a sultry tone as your fingers trail up his broad chest, halting on his black tie, starting to unravel it.

Charles leans down, his warm breath slipping into the gap between your parted lips, the sweet tinge of red wine coating your tongue. "Looks like it… But I can wait, mon cœur," his voice resonates breathily as he closes the remaining distance between your faces, his soft lips meeting yours, hungry yet gentle. The kiss is brief, barely lasting long enough for you to savour the moment, though he captures your bottom lip between his teeth, tugging at it slightly before releasing his hold and pulling away.

Remembering your husband’s earlier impatience when you were struggling to open the front door, you fold his tie and set it aside before raising a single brow, asking, “Oh, can you now?”

Charles nods with a sly smile, but before he can respond, D/N beats him to it, diverting your attention as she waltzes towards you.

“Hands are washed!” she exclaims, shaking her hands dry.

"Good job, darling." You slip from Charles’ embrace, grabbing the kitchen roll off the counter and passing it to D/N. "Here."

Once you and Charles have washed your hands, you begin assigning roles. "Baby," you address your husband, pointing, "You’ll chop up the apples, and D/N…" You tilt your head down at your daughter standing in the middle of the kitchen, her smile brimming with excitement. "Do you want to make the shortcrust pastry with me, honey?"

To your surprise, D/N shakes her head and rushes to Charles’ side, her cheek pressed against him. "I want to do what Papa is doing. I don’t want to work with you, Maman."

The admission elicits laughter from you and Charles, his chuckles resonating loudly through the room as D/N pulls open a few drawers and retrieves a butter knife and a chopping board before settling down at the dining table, her back turned to you.

As you turn around, you feel Charles’ strong arms enclose around your waist, his warm hands settling onto your stomach as he whispers into your ear, "You heard the little lady. Everything's just so much more fun with her dad, you know?"

“Shut the fuck up” you quip, jabbing him with your elbow.

“I heard that!”

D/N's words cause you to pivot, fixing your gaze on the back of her head. “I’m sorry, D/N, I shouldn’t have said that,” you concede, shooting a discreet glance at Charles. “It’s just that your father has a knack for being an annoying sh—” You cut yourself off before the insult fully forms, forcing a tight-lipped smile as Charles's laughter reverberates. “Let’s just say, he can be an annoying husband sometimes, you know?”

“No! Papa is never annoying, you’re wrong,” she counters, shooting you a reproachful look before redirecting her attention to Charles, waving. “Come on, Papa, I really want apple pie. Hurry up, I’ve already started!”

“Coming, my love,” Charles murmurs softly, turning back to you and lifting your chin with a gentle touch. He places a tender kiss on your lips, then rests his forehead against yours. “So, I’m an annoying husband, huh?”

You smile and give a nonchalant shrug. “I could've said worse, trust me.”

“Papa!” D/N's voice rings out.

Charles barely flinches at your daughter's outburst, only chuckling softly and shaking his head as he moves toward the dining table, grabbing a cutting board and a knife along the way.

“Guys, we only need about eight to ten apples!” you call out from across the kitchen.

Charles winks at you. “Perfect, we have nine.”

Without further delay, you gather the ingredients for a shortcrust pastry and begin to mix them together.

Some time later…

As you finish rolling out the second dough, D/N rushes over, balancing a large bowl of sliced apples in her arms, and exclaims, “Here, Maman! We finished!”

"Thank you so much, my love," you reply, guiding her to settle the bowl onto the counter before heading towards the oven to turn it on.

Charles lifts D/N onto the counter, and you reach into the cupboard to retrieve the cinnamon, salt, flour, and sugar, handing them to your daughter. With a few instructions, she sprinkles the ingredients into the bowl of apples and begins stirring eagerly.

As D/N continues, you feel Charles' arms wrap around you, and he mischievously pinches the side of your waist, prompting you to shriek and swat his hand away, shooting him a playful glare. "Stop that!"

Once everything's mixed together, D/N eagerly assists you in assembling the pie while Charles holds open the oven door for you to slide it in.

"Perfect," you exclaim, clapping your hands together. "We did really well."

D/N squeals with excitement, jumping up and down before extending her hand towards you, palm facing up. "High-five, Maman!"

You promptly oblige, meeting her hand with yours before she moves on to Charles.

Two hours later…

"Two scoops of vanilla ice cream on your slice?" you inquire, arching an eyebrow at your daughter, who struggles to keep her head up, her eyes fluttering closed momentarily before snapping back open.

"Huh?" she mumbles, rubbing her eyes. "Yes, I'm starving, Maman."

You share a knowing glance with Charles, his dimples appearing as he smiles.

With a nod of understanding, you heap two scoops of ice cream onto her slice of golden apple pie, pushing the plate towards D/N.

Both you and Charles observe quietly as she struggles to eat even a single forkful before conceding defeat with a sigh.

Looking up from her plate, D/N's eyes flit between you and Charles, a sheepish smile playing on her lips. "Actually... I'm not hungry anymore." Before you can respond, she hops up from her seat, declaring, "I'm tired. I’m going to bed now."

She gives Charles a goodnight hug, then comes to you, avoiding eye contact as she quickly embraces you. "Good night, Maman."

In the blink of an eye, she vanishes from the kitchen, her footsteps on the marble floor echoing faintly as she races down the corridor, until they're drowned out by the resounding slam of her bedroom door.

You and Charles share a glance, both of you unable to contain your laughter.

After the laughter subsides, you stand up, holding D/N’s plate, and remark, “I’ll pop this in the freezer.”

As you finish storing everything away, Charles rinses the final plate and settles it onto the drying rack. Patting his hands on a paper towel, he fixes you with a tender gaze.

Though you know it's irrational, a wave of insecurity washes over you, making you acutely aware of all your perceived flaws.

"I love you. Happy wedding anniversary to us, mon cœur," Charles' sweet words halt your anxious thoughts as he closes the distance between you, burying his face into the crook of your neck.

Your breath catches as his tongue traces patterns across your collarbone, his teeth gently nibbling at your flesh.

It takes considerable effort to suppress a moan, but you manage to respond, "I love you, baby. Here's to at least eighty more."

You feel Charles' smile against your skin before he raises his head, eliciting a whimper as the cool air grazes your now raw neck. Before the sound can fully escape, Charles silences it by pressing his lips firmly against yours. The tension that had built up earlier floods over you like a tsunami, his hands exploring your body as your tongues dance, vying for dominance, until he breaks away abruptly.

Both of you are left breathless.

Once he catches his breath, Charles extends his hand to you, which you grasp eagerly—you need all the support you can get to avoid collapsing onto the floor; your legs feel like jelly.

Noticing your predicament, Charles' lips curl into a proud smile, prompting an eye roll from you as he effortlessly scoops you into his arms, bridal style, and plants a tender kiss on your cheek.

"I think we should continue this in the bedroom, mon cœur," he whispers, carrying you down the hallway, anticipation making your teeth capture your bottom lip.

yourusername

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yourusername I've loved you three six summers now, honey, but I want 'em all... 💕

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charles_leclerc Sounds like a beautiful plan ❤️

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username alright that's enough internet for today🤧

username AHHH THE 3RD PIC WITH D/N??? I'M CRYING

username if they ever break up, I'll stop believing in love cause wdym

username girl don't speak that shit into existence !! username wait you're right SRY I TAKE IT BACK PLSS

1:11 ───ㅇ───────── 3:25

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hcuyk · 2 years

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꒰ synopsis ꒱ from a dance to acting major, college student juyeon is taking a massive risk by making this huge leap of change—especially when he's casted as prince charming in the university's upcoming children's play 'cinderella'

꒰ pairing ꒱ collegestudent!juyeon x fem!reader

꒰ genre ꒱ college au, strangers (with a mix of enemies and childhood friends) to lovers, fluff, angst, huge dosage of crack. sf9, the rest of the boyz, and bvndit all make an appearance

꒰ warnings ꒱ profanities, bits of a toxic relationship. if you find any more, please inform me

꒰ word count ꒱ 12.5k+

꒰ perspective ꒱ second person omniscient

‘ author's note!! 🍃 — this fic is for @ateez-elena and @nayuyeons exchange fic event. the due date is arriving soon, and this fic is nowhere near done. i feel absolutely terrible for procrastinating, and i decided that it's better to post something rather than nothing. hi dear @jeongjaebae, i was your 🐳. what a surprise 😭 /s. can't believe you found out who i was after like, the first ask i sent you LMAO. i really, really hate how i have to separate this oneshot into two parts (maybe even more...unintentional series? 😅), but i really do hope you enjoy this :( it's all crack in all honesty, so i hope this fic makes you laugh. i'm so incredibly sorry for being disappointing, but i'm so glad we became closer through this event! i hope this fic makes a wonderful end to your 2021 :] a huge thanks to @stealanity, @yangkiwi, @fullsunfluff, @tinisprout, @bbanghoonie, and @decembermoonskz for all beta reading this fic. in fact, all of this part has been beta read EXCEPT for the last scene, so that's my surprise to you six <3

‘ taglist ›› @yourjaylaks @wooyoung-a @kimaya2209 @armysantiny @changminurheart @moonieric @sunfics @lcvekdy @deputyjuyeon @simpforsunwoo @nyujjan @jaekiths @i6swoo @fairycob @karsohn @nilesig @twentysixofmays @changmin-wrlds @mavericsohn @lilyujin

NAVIGATION | TBZ MASTERLIST | PART TWO

It’s every rising celebrity’s dream to walk the red carpet in Hollywood. To take a step out of a luxurious limousine whilst dressed in the finest clothes your stylist has to offer is a dream come true—especially when accompanying the flashing lights from paparazzi and calls of your name would be a bright red carpet waiting for you to walk all over it.

Juyeon knows that day hasn’t arrived for him yet; why would it? He’s still a broke college student attending an elite performing arts university, and the only reason he’s surviving is because of the constant dependency he has on his three not-so-academically-smart roommates.

This point is proven when Juyeon opens the door to his dorm with groceries lining his arms. Immediately, Juyeon’s roommates greet him with a loud pop of confetti and the unraveling of toilet paper on the ground, providing him a pathway. He flinches when his roommates start screaming—and for all the wrong reasons.

For one, the screams aren’t even directed at Juyeon. Instead, Changmin’s scoldings are towards Jacob for popping the confetti unexpectedly. His booming voice fills the dorm when he rushes to his fish tank by the front door, and slowly—but surely enough—his temper morphs into despair as he begins to sob over how some of the confetti managed to make its way into his precious fishies’ home.

Jacob is continuously pouring out apologies although his attention is fully focused on the toilet paper roll he kicked from the entrance. The roll had traveled a tad bit further than expected considering it’s now rolling around the dorm like it was nobody’s business, forcing Jacob into a game of chase.

Juyeon is left appalled by the chaotic scene, and all he could focus on was the red scribbles on the wasted toilet paper that swept the ground as if it were to mimic a red carpet. He assumes they all tried coloring it with red Crayola markers since he can see a pile of the stationary item by the dining table, but then he realizes there is one more roommate he hasn’t spotted.

His groceries drop to the ground when his gaze finally lands on the youngest out of the four in the corner of the dorm, holding a piece of printer paper with ‘WELLCuM HoME, CHEE-TAR’ written with the same red marker. Haknyeon’s bright demeanor doesn’t falter when he approaches Juyeon with it, shoving the message in front of his face.

“Wrong sign, Haknyeon!” Jacob informs from across the room, tripping over his feet in the midst of his chase for the runaway toilet paper.

A ‘huh?’ leaves the shorter male when he turns to face the paper, and his face becomes pale at the sight of what’s written.

“Shit, my bad.”

He crumbles it up instantly and drops it to the ground before shoving his hand into the pockets of his jeans in search of the correct sign Jacob was referring to.

Meanwhile, Juyeon’s jaw falls slack when he sees Changmin cupping his hands in order to collect the gold pieces of confetti from his fish tank, dumping it all on the ground shortly after. His mumbled profanities are loud enough for all of them to hear, but it really only reaches Juyeon’s ears considering the other two were occupied.

“Found it!” Haknyeon announces, fumbling to unfold it. He then shoves it back into Juyeon’s face, making him stumble backwards.

‘WELCOME HOME, CHEATER’ is what the new sign said.

Haknyeon’s shit-eating grin is smacked right back onto his lips, and he has no shame when he waves it in front of his face.

“Welcome home!!”

“I thought we agreed to not use either of those signs,” Changmin mutters, closing the fish tank shut after shaking his hands free from the water.

Haknyeon’s smile falls along with his arms, dropping them to his sides as he turns his body to fully face Changmin.

“Mind you, Mister Fish-Man, you were the one who suggested this idea.” Haknyeon points the paper at Changmin, shaking it aggressively.

“I got it!” Jacob exclaims, victoriously raising the toilet paper roll in the air from behind the couch for the other three to see.

Changmin provides no change in temper by grabbing Haknyeon’s hoodie, eyes burning into the smaller figure before using the material to wipe his drenched hands.

The younger male gasps, and before he could retaliate by grabbing and yanking Changmin’s hair out of his scalp, Jacob pulls Haknyeon back from his opponent. He pushes the smaller male aside and drapes an arm around Juyeon’s shoulders, distracting him from what the male had just witnessed. He places the roll of toilet paper onto the ground while also leaving Juyeon’s groceries by the door and drags him over to the dining table.

“How was the audition?” he asks, nonchalantly taking a step over the manmade puddle of fish tank water Changmin created with bits of confetti floating amidst it. He has a bright smile on his face like everything that had just happened was a daily occurrence which Juyeon eventually comes to accept because again, he has been living with these losers for the past three years.

“Cheater!!” Haknyeon yells when the two sit down by the table. The boy is then tackled onto the cushions of the couch by Changmin, a hand clamped tightly over his mouth.

Jacob rolls his eyes, dismissing Haknyeon’s name-calling with the wave of his hand.

“Ignore him. You know he’s just sad about losing the second greatest dancer at this school.”

Juyeon’s eyebrows shoot up, straightening his back.

“Second?” he questions. He then scoffs, shaking his head as he crosses his arms over his chest. “I mean, I still go here. I’m just no longer a dance major.”

“Duh, but Haknyeon doesn’t care about that.” Jacob pauses. “Also, the greatest dancer is me, obviously. No one can beat me. I’m superior.” He taps his fingers against the surface of the table, a look of contentment dancing on his face.

Changmin’s head shoots up from his temporary brawl with Haknyeon to glare at Jacob.

“Say that again?!” he growls from across the room. He has Haknyeon pinned beneath him, and the younger boy takes his chance to knee Changmin in the abdomen while he wasn’t looking.

Changmin yelps in pain and attempts to reciprocate the action, elbow pressing down onto Haknyeon’s rib cage.

Jacob has his head turned 180 degrees, watching the two resume their physical fight. He shakes his head before turning back to Juyeon, calling back out to Changmin.

“Just be grateful Juyeon changed majors and stepped down from his position for you.”

“Whatever,” Changmin carelessly yells, trying to restrain Haknyeon’s feet with his own.

Juyeon snickers as he watches, truly wondering how he became friends with his roommates.

“Anyway, back to the audition talk.” Jacob snaps his fingers in front of Juyeon’s face, receiving his attention once again. His hands clasp together and provide a stand for his chin, looking at Juyeon with a tilted head. “How was it?”

Juyeon stays silent for a few seconds before shrugging his shoulders, choosing to give Jacob a lackluster response.

“It was...okay.”

The creases on Jacob’s forehead bunches up.

“Just okay?”

“CHEA-...close my mouth one more time and I won’t hesitate to bite your fingernails off,” Haknyeon threatens, eyes piercing straight into Changmin’s.

“Cut it out, you two,” Jacob groans, unconsciously slamming his fist onto the table. Not only does the noise stop the fight from continuing, but it also scares the shit out of the other three in the room.

Changmin hesitantly removes himself from Haknyeon before sluggishly walking over to the table. The younger does the same, no longer caring about the wet fingerprints soaked into his hoodie.

Jacob’s lips curl up in satisfaction when the two sit down, bringing his attention right back to the male in question.

“Seriously, Juyeon,” Jacob tries again, “how did it go?”

The three roommates are bent over the table, pupils bursting with curiosity as they all lock their invested gazes on Juyeon’s figure.

Oddly enough, the undivided attention doesn’t faze Juyeon in the slightest. He rests his chin on top of his crossed arms, looking up at all of them with an impending smile lingering on his lips.

“Actually? I think it went pretty well.”

The casting director for the children’s play is Sangyeon, an upperclassman that you’ve known since freshman year. He’s only two years older, but he’s always proved way more mature—whether it be through his actions or his looks—so to you, he has always been someone you looked up to.

But the one thing you despised about him was how unpredictable he could be.

Usually, callbacks would be announced a day after auditions had finished. Emphasis on usually.

What you didn’t expect was for him to text group chat about the cast list being posted an hour shortly after auditions had ended, being the reason why you and your boyfriend are currently racing past the dorms, pushing past students in your way.

Heavy steps down the stairways echo off the narrow walls, and you’re holding Hwiyoung’s hand throughout all of it.

You wouldn’t be this desperate if it was regarding callbacks, but since the official cast list is out, your mind is spiraling with your heart praying that you got in.

Although you and Hwiyoung manage to land every main lead role, the rush of adrenaline remains inside the both of you. Nothing could replace the victorious wash of relief when you see your names on the cast list.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t help how the auditorium is across campus, but this doesn’t stop either of you from pushing forward. You two are adamant on beating the crowd, but as time passes, that little hope has faded.

Hwiyoung’s hand falls out of yours when his steps slow to a stop on the sidewalk, checking his phone for the notification he just received.

You whip your head around as you still your tracks, brows furrowed as you urge him to follow.

“Hurry up, Hwi. By the time we get there, we probably won’t even get a good look at the roster,” you say with a huff, keeping your hands on your hips.

He snorts at your remark, eyes unwavering from his screen.

So you approach him due to sparked curiosity, looking over his arm. His screen shows a text message from Kang Chanhee, or more better known as Chani, that says ‘sorry, man’ with a photo attached right below it. Taking a closer look, you realize the photo was the cast list you two were racing for.

As expected, your name sits right next to the role for Cinderella, but that isn’t what has your eyes bulging out of their sockets.

Lee Juyeon is the name that replaces your boyfriend on the cast list. You and your boyfriend are fully convinced that he got the role for Prince Charming due to the high praise he received during the audition, but that only lands him as the understudy.

“Un-fucking-believable,” he mutters, shutting off his phone.

While Hwiyoung is processing the fate he’s led to, you’re busy trying to pinpoint the familiarity of the name Lee Juyeon.

“Lee Juyeon,” you whisper, trying to rack up your brain in order to recall the face the name belonged to. It’s a name that easily rolls off your tongue, giving you a sense of butterflies in the process, yet you couldn’t remember where you’ve heard it.

Hwiyoung watches you with a clenched jaw and gritted teeth. Irritation becomes etched onto his features when he notices that you aren’t just as outraged as he was, making a show out of angrily running a hand through his hair with a sigh of frustration slipping past his lips.

“Forget it.”

His suddenty disrupts you from your thoughts, snapping your head up to look at him.

“What?”

“Forget it,” he repeats, tucking his phone into his back pocket. He then gestures to the two of you, circling his index finger in the air. “Whatever this is? Forget it.”

It takes you a moment to comprehend what he’s referring to, and the pause only makes him even more bothered.

“Are-...are you being serious right now?” you stutter, unsure if you were understanding his point.

Eyes begin to shoot your way with whispers surrounding you as a pair. While attending one of the elite schools for performing arts, you and Hwiyoung are known to get the main lead in every single play the university has to offer. It became no secret when you two got together after the well-known play Romeo & Juliet, being the campus sweethearts everyone has come to know and love.

To see a mix of distress and confusion washed over both of your faces is certainly groundbreaking in the drama department, and Hwiyoung couldn’t bear the humiliation.

So he snickers.

“There’s no use in us when you’re going to be up on stage sharing the main lead with another man,” he hisses, avoiding the glances from others.

“What the hell is your problem?” your voice raises, growing defensive at the sudden change in attitude.

“My problem is that some dick we don’t even know took my role in the play.” He turns around and starts to walk, avoiding the gazes of others. “Understudy my ass. I’m done. We’re done.”

Your jaw locks in place as you pull him back by the arm, making him face you. “Hwi, don’t play around right now. You don’t get one fucking role and you want to break up with me?”

His eyes meet yours, and it’s a look you’re more than familiar with.

“I’m sick and tired of always being seen as one step behind you. I get the role as the main lead just as much as you do, yet it’s always ‘Y/N this, Y/N that’. No need to shove it in my face that you’re able to land every single role you audition for,” he spits. This has been a conversation you two have shared more often than not, but you would’ve never thought he’d break up with you because of it.

“Are you even listening to yourself?” your voice lightens, reaching out for his arm in order to comfort him, but to Hwiyoung, your words come off as condescending, so he shoves your hand away.

“Again, forget it,” he grumbles, tongue poking his cheek. His eyes are downturned, and he gives you one last look before taking a few steps back.

“We’re done.”

“It feels weird to not have you and Hwiyoung making out every second in front of us.”

“It feels weird to not even have Hwiyoung here for the casting celebration,” Songhee corrects, elbowing the male beside her.

Your eyes instinctively roll at your two friends’ unnecessary comments, fingers tapping against the surface of the table while Jungwoo keeps replaying the video of you and Hwiyoung that has been going around campus.

Casting celebrations have always been more lively from what you remember. Hwiyoung would have his arm around your shoulder while everyone laughs about the roles they’ll be playing. This time, the diner feels lifeless and empty with just the four of you sitting at a booth in the corner.

Younghoon shoots her a stern look before his eyes magically shift to having sparkles within them at the sight of the waitress approaching your booth. He thanks her with a courteous bow of his head when she hands him his milkshake, eyes curving into crescents when he takes his first sip.

You thank her through a whisper when she hands you the slice of cake you ordered, cheek propped up on your fist as you use your free hand to poke your dessert with a fork.

“You’re still watching that?” Songhee questions, diving straight into the burger she just ordered.

“More like analyzing it.” Your friend sighs, slouching back into her seat. When you lean over to see, Jungwoo doesn’t hesitate to show you her screen, having you experience the scene once again. You could barely hear what the argument was about, but that didn’t even matter with how Hwiyoung had treated you in public.

“I still can’t believe someone filmed us from their window,” you mutter, shaking your head in disappointment after seeing how Hwiyoung pushed your hand away.

“He really lost his temper, huh?” Jungwoo turns off her phone and sets it aside to focus on the fries in front of her.

“People don’t get roles they audition for. Big deal. I don’t know why he made such a fuss about it.” You shove a forkful of cake in your mouth in an attempt to cheer yourself up, but it comes as no use.

“I wouldn’t be here either if I was casted as an understudy.” Younghoon stirs his straw around, eyes focused on you. “None of the understudies are even here.”

You scoff. “Half of the cast isn’t here.”

“I agree with Younghoon,” a new voice inputs, completely disregarding your previous statement.

The door falls shut after the three males enter, bundled up in coats as they greet you guys with the wave of their hands.

Kevin continues what he was saying as he chooses to sit in the booth behind you.

“I mean, imagine getting the main male lead for every play and then become an understudy out of nowhere. Like, this is Hwiyoung we’re talking about. He didn’t even get a role.”

“Well you got the role of the evil stepmother’s cat,” Jungwoo retorts, turning her head around to look at the boy with glasses. “I’m sure Hwiyoung would’ve reacted the same way if he had gotten your role.”

“What’s wrong with wanting to expand my horizons?” Kevin cocks a brow as if he was testing your friend. “Not to mention it’s a children’s play. We’re performing for children. You don’t see the mice complaining about their roles, do you?”

Kevin juts his chin towards the pair that chose to sit at the bar, lips pressed into a line. You and Jungwoo go to look at the two, watching how easily Sunwoo and Eric got into a quarrel after deciding what to get.

“You pay, I’m broke!” Eric exclaims, showing Sunwoo his empty wallet.

“I don’t think Hwiyoung would’ve wanted to be chosen as a mouse either,” Jungwoo later adds, going back to facing Kevin.

The boy shrugs, adjusting the beanie on the top of his head. “Hey, I’m just saying it’s better than being a second choice.”

“Well you didn’t have to go that far,” Songhee chuckles, patting her lips clean with a napkin.

“Where’s everyone else?” you ask in an attempt to shift the topic.

Kevin darts his gaze towards the clock at your question before providing you a useless answer.

“I have no clue. I only know Yiyeon won’t be coming because she’s with Sangyeon right now.”

The door to the diner is pushed open, introducing another group of the casted members.

“We’re here!” Seungeun sing-songs, announcing her presence with a worn-out Choi Chanhee tailing after her steps.

Seungeun, the youngest out of the entire cast, is a freshman that proved to be one of the more talented actors on her first day here, so it came as no surprise how she got casted as the queen.

Chanhee, on the other hand, usually gets the second male lead, so it was a shock to everyone when he received the narrator role. Then again, there is no second male lead in Cinderella, so the decision makes sense on Sangyeon’s part.

Hyunjae walks in and keeps the door open for Simyeong before revealing the brown bags in their hands by raising them in the air for you all to see.

“We made cupcakes!” Simyeong grins, jumping her way over to your booth.

Sunwoo and Eric leave the bar to join Hyunjae and Chanhee at Kevin’s table, starvation causing their eyes to peek into the bags.

“We made enough so everyone could get two,” Simyeong explains while Seungeun urges Songhee and Younghoon to scoot over. Seungeun sits down while Simyeong remains standing, taking the boxes out of the bag as Jungwoo helps.

“We may have more than intended though,” Seungeun huffs, taking the bag from the two after it's emptied.

“Are the understudies not arriving?” Younghoon asks, looking up at Simyeong after taking an obnoxiously loud sip out of his milkshake.

“How would I know?” She shrugs, opening the box in order to distribute the cupcakes to everyone.

While your table is invested in sweets, your eyes couldn’t help but wander out the window, watching the stars overtake the sky as the sun sets.

“Why would they be?” Hyunjae interjects from the other table, already taking a bite out of the cupcake he made himself. “We all already saw how Hwiyoung reacted. I’m sure the other people that didn’t get in are just as disappointed.”

You sigh at the reference Hyunjae made towards the video everyone on campus has seen by now, but you continue to keep silent. You truly didn’t want to think about how you got publicly dumped for the stupidest reason on earth. It wasn’t like you had chosen the roles. If anything, Hwiyoung should’ve been throwing a fit at Sangyeon.

Considering you’re sitting right across from him, Younghoon easily spots all the signs your figure is radiating. He looks at Hyunjae and motions him to not continue any further and purses his lips. Hyunjae receives the hint and decides to exit the conversation, joining Kevin’s one instead.

Jungwoo taps your arm and slides over a cupcake, a warm smile wavering on her face.

“It’ll be okay. Just know Hwiyoung was a dick for acting like that.”

You thank her through a whisper and scoop the frosting onto a nearby napkin, earning a look of disgust from Jungwoo.

“I just don’t get it,” you mutter, keeping your voice low. “How could Hwiyoung not have gotten that role?”

You look up from your cupcake and see Younghoon eyeing your frosting.

“Do you want it?” you warily ask, hesitantly sliding it over to him.

He nods and collects it from you before dumping it into his milkshake

“I don’t even get why we’re friends with you,” Songhee grumbles, discreetly moving away from Younghoon.

“It’s better than plainly wasting it. Besides, frosting on its own is disgusting.” He mixes his milkshake with his straw once again, leisurely stirring the beverage.

“Who’s this Juyeon kid anyway?” Simyeong suddenly asks while pulling over a chair, sitting down before directing her gaze straight at you for an answer. “He’s not even in our group chat dedicated to the drama department.”

“There’s no Juyeon in our department?” The slight shock in your tone has everyone at your table looking at you puzzled. You could only shrug your shoulders in response and pop the rest of the cupcake into your mouth, speaking through muffles. “The name Juyeon is oddly familiar to me.”

“Well he certainly isn’t in our department if he isn’t in our group chat.”

Younghoon nods his head, agreeing with Songhee.

“If you think about it, you’ve been stuck with us since your very first day here. If you knew a Juyeon, we would at least know of him.”

“He has a point,” Kevin quips, joining in on your conversation once more from behind.

Jungwoo heaves a sigh and turns to look at him, flicking his forehead. “Go focus on your table’s conversation, kitty.”

Kevin frowns, and before he could face his group, Jungwoo uses her thumb to remove some of the frosting from his cheek.

“Maybe he was somebody you knew from high school,” Simyeong suggests, “or possibly someone you knew from your childhood?”

“What are the chances of that happening?” Songhee licks her lips clean and sets the cupcake wrapper down on the table. “IST is a pretty big school. It could just be somebody with the same name.”

“But his surname is also vaguely familiar,” you murmur. You curse at your brain for forgetting such a name, but you shrug it off, realizing that it probably isn’t as important as you’re making it out to be.

“Eh, forget it.” You try to move on from the subject, but that attempt fails when Jungwoo chooses to pick it right back up.

“But don’t you find it weird how some random kid that—mind you—isn’t even part of the department just auditioned and somehow got the main role? Prince Charming is literally every guy’s dream to play.”

“You know Sangyeon is picky with who he chooses for plays,” Younghoon reasons. “Besides, he attends our school, right? He’s probably just really talented and managed to somehow get the role.”

“But to beat Hwiyoung? That’s-...that’s different.”

“It doesn’t make sense, right?” Jungwoo looks at you for confirmation before turning to look at everyone else. “Sure, I’m a talented actor, but I won’t suddenly win a dancing competition one day, you get me? We may all be part of a performing arts university, but it really doesn’t mean shit when our departments are completely different.”

“I wouldn’t really say they’re completely different, but I see your point,” Younghoon replies. “It’s not impossible though.”

“Sangyeon really must’ve been out of his mind for choosing some nobody over Hwiyoung,” you mutter, finally finishing the cake on your plate.

“Are you guys talking about Juyeon?” Chanhee asks. He gestures for Jungwoo to slide over so he could join your booth.

You perk up at the mention. “Yeah, we are. Why? Do you know him?”

“We’re talking about Lee Juyeon, right? The guy that got casted as Prince Charming?”

Everyone at the table nods, eager for Chanhee to continue.

“Oh, then yeah. I’m friends with his roommates.”

Noises like speeding footsteps clashing against the surface of the ground and chairs falling provide a regular day at Juyeon’s dorm. Jacob locking Changmin out of their shared room is also deemed rather normal, and it’s the reason Haknyeon becomes his source of entertainment.

But it really all backfires.

“Get back here, Ji Changmin,” Haknyeon demands, dodging the obstacles in his way as he chases Changmin around the dorm.

Juyeon sits on the couch unbothered with the volume turned up unnecessarily high to overpower the screams from the two children he considered his friends. His hand is buried in a bowl of popcorn, enjoying movie night by himself while Haknyeon snatches his underwear back from Changmin.

“The next time you steal my underwear, I’m shoving your toes down your fishes’ throats.”

Changmin returns Haknyeon’s scowl with a gasp that fills his lungs to the brim and quickly tosses his arms around his fishes’ tank. A pout is smeared across his face as he presses his cheek into the glass.

“Don’t you dare bring my fishies into this!”

“Okay guys, shut it,” Jacob says after exiting his room. The light from his phone screen illuminates the relaxed features on his face as he walks into the living room, choosing to join Juyeon by the couch. “Hey Juyeon, remember the audition you had this morning?”

He taps his shoulder, looking up from his phone to see how his roommate reacts.

“Uh...yeah. What about it?” Juyeon remains clueless as he picks up the television remote from the coffee table, lowering the volume.

With underwear bunched up in his hand, Haknyeon’s footsteps lead him over to the couch and joins the two by sitting next to Juyeon.

Both Jacob and Juyeon look at him weirdly with expressions that question what he was doing, but they gradually move on with their conversation as they realize he probably just came for the popcorn.

“You know Chanhee, right?” Jacob questions.

“Chanhee? As in Choi Chanhee?” Changmin’s voice squeaks and immediately detaches himself from the fish tank in order to join his friends, choosing to sit on the ground considering the lack of space left on the couch. He crosses his legs, only having eyes for Jacob due to his piqued interest. “Like, my bestie since third grade?”

“The one you introduced me and Haknyeon to?” When Changmin nods his head, Jacob continues. “Then yeah, that’s him. I have his number.”

He obnoxiously shows off his phone to Changmin and bobs his head.

“What does this have to do with me?” Juyeon interjects, gaze shifting between his three roommates. Juyeon would say he’s equally close with all of them, but sometimes he does feel a bit left out. Then again, he couldn’t really put them at fault since he was the one who switched majors.

He’s only ever heard of Chanhee through Jacob and Changmin, but he knows Haknyeon is fairly close with him as well.

“He ghosted me last night,” Haknyeon murmurs, grabbing a throw pillow to hug while shoving handfuls of popcorn into his mouth.

“Deserved.”

The next thing Changmin knows is that a pillow is tossed at his head in an attempt to knock him out.

“Anyway,” Jacob states rather loudly in order to cover up his roommate’s wrongdoing, “he got casted as the narrator for that Cinderella play you auditioned for. He also said you got Prince Charming.”

Juyeon’s eyes bulge out of bewilderment, unsure if he has heard his friend correctly.

“What?? Aren’t callbacks being announced tomorrow? Is he saying I got called back?”

Jacob shrugs, giving his phone over to Juyeon so he could check for himself. “He specifically said cast list, so I’m assuming there’s no callbacks for this play.”

“No way, man! You got in?” Changmin slaps his friend’s feet playfully, a grin graciously placed on his lips for once.

“You’re growing up way too fast,” Haknyeon sighs, exaggerating the frown on his face.

“Did you think you wouldn’t get in?” Jacob asks, giving Juyeon’s shoulder a light shove.

“I would’ve thought I’d get in as an extra mouse or something,” Juyeon murmurs, staring at the text messages in front of him.

“It’s not a middle school play,” Changmin retorts, earning himself another pillow being thrown at his head.

“Well apparently the cast list is official. They’re celebrating right now.” Suddenly, Jacob locks his arm around Juyeon’s neck, pulling his head to his chest before messing up his hair. “I’m so proud of you!!”

“That’s our boy,” Changmin coos, grabbing his ankles and aggressively shaking them.

“Just because you miss your own dog doesn’t mean you should treat Juyeon like one,” Haknyeon blandly states through a mouthful of popcorn, poking Changmin’s side with his feet.

Juyeon falls oblivious to everything happening around him when he sees Chanhee send a photo of the cast list as evidence. He shoves Jacob away so he could look at it, eliciting a laugh out of the elder. His eyes scan through the photo eagerly, and he could’ve sworn his heart stopped at the sight of your name next to Cinderella.

“Y/N...?”

The laughter and upcoming quarrel fades into the distance when Juyeon looks up from the phone.

“Do you know her?” Jacob asks, arm propped up against the backrest of the couch.

“Isn’t she the one that always gets the main roles in plays? There’s this girl in literature that always complains about it.”

Jacob snorts at Haknyeon’s response, and Changmin decides to pitch in what he’s also heard.

“I heard it’s deserved though! Everyone is always talking about how talented she is on stage, and Chanhee is always praising her after every show they’re in together.” Changmin adjusts his posture, straightening his back.

“It really isn’t surprising since the drama department is the most well known department at IST,” Jacob comments, nodding his head along with what everyone else has been saying. “She’s really bound to become a celebrity once she graduates.”

“Not before me, though!”

Changmin dodges the next pillow that was aimed at him.

“Y/N as in L/N Y/N, right?”

The three heads turn to look at Juyeon.

“Duh.” Haknyeon deadpans. “Who else? You know who she is, right?”

“I didn’t know she goes to this school,” he mumbles, fiddling with the phone in his head.

“Am I missing something here? Are we missing something?” Changmin asks whilst also speaking for both Haknyeon and Jacob. “Have you known her in the past?”

“I guess you could say that.” Juyeon gives Jacob back his phone, but your name continues to float around in his mind.

“Come on, Juyeon.” Changmin whines, tugging on his pants. “We need more information.”

All the boy could do is shrug his shoulders, not willing to explain everything, so he opts to say something rather vague with his head facing his lap.

“It’s just a name I’d never forget.”

After informing your group of friends about his connections with Juyeon, Chanhee wasn’t given another chance to say another word when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He excused himself from your table and isolated himself in the opposite side of the diner, fingers constantly occupied with typing into his phone.

You kept an eye on him for the rest of the night, detailing every bit about his expressions while the conversation shifted to how costumes would turn out for the play. Simyeong even brought up how you’ll be able to pull off a dress transformation, but you didn’t hear a word she said until Jungwoo nudged your arm to drag you back into reality.

Until the very end, your mind felt occupied with the amount of questions you had for Chanhee. He never returned to your table and instead left in a blink of an eye.

Once everyone departed from the diner, you dedicated all your time to spamming him through text. Chanhee would often ignore your messages or leave them on read, and for good reason too, but this matter was urgent.

Sure, you and Chanhee both share the same first class in the morning—and you’ll definitely get to see who this Juyeon person is the day after—but the sense of familiarity from his name wouldn’t allow you to sleep into the next day. You stayed up for hours, expecting a response, but you eventually allowed your eyes to gradually fall shut. You figured he was just exhausted after dealing with Seungeun, Hyunjae, and Simyeong all in the same kitchen as they struggled to bake cupcakes.

Having English Literature first thing on a Monday morning was never to your liking, but this time it came in your favor.

“Chanhee!” you scream out, waving your hands in the air when you see him leaving his dormitory.

He looks at you for a mere second before purposely turning his back, walking in the opposite direction. You run to catch up to him, hands grabbing at the hook of his backpack to slow his steps. He scowls at his failed attempt to make an escape, but you know it’s all jokes considering you always pick him up from the front of his building.

“Why didn’t you respond to any of my texts last night?” you interrogate, skipping down the sidewalk with him by your side.

“I was asleep, duh.”

“Woah, no need for you to be a weisenheimer.”

“...A what now?”

“We’re getting off topic, Chanhee,” you deadpan, slowing your steps as he begins to slow his.

“Why are you so interested anyway?” he snorts. “I already responded to your question.”

“Oh come on, Chanhee.” you whine, grabbing one of his arms to shake. “Put yourself in my shoes, yeah? I basically got utterly humiliated by the love of my life publicly because of him.”

“Okay one, don’t call Hwiyoung the love of your life. That’s just weird. Two, you really can’t blame Juyeon for your breakup, you know that right?.” He eyes you from his peripheral vision and releases a sigh at the sight of your desperate state. Your hair isn’t properly styled like usual and your face is bare of makeup.

“Please, Chanhee?”

“It’s not like I know much about Juyeon to begin with.” Upon reaching the building where your class is located, Chanhee provides you entrance when he pulls the door open.

“Just give me whatever info you got.” You watch as he tails after you before sticking by his side.

“They’re all dance majors,” he reveals, finally giving into your antics. He lists their names from the top of his head without hesitation. “Changmin, Jacob, and Haknyeon. Juyeon was one too, but from what I recall, he switched.”

“I guess that explains the sudden appearance of his name on the cast list,” you murmur, connecting the dots. “Why’d he switch?”

“How would I know?”

You return Chanhee’s previous favor by pulling the door open to the lecture hall, giving him the privilege of sliding inside first as he continues talking.

“I’m only close to his roommates because we all share social sciences. Well, that and I’ve known Changmin since I was eight, but that’s besides the point.” He leads you up the steps and into your usual seats in the back. “I went to one of Changmin’s performances in the past, and Juyeon was the opening act there. Honestly? He’s extremely talented. His stage presence is flawless, and Changmin always praised him too.”

Your friend’s words have your brows furrowed.

“Why would someone that talented switch majors? I’m sure he’d want to be a professional dancer, right? Or a choreographer? So why Prince Charming?”

All Chanhee does is shrug when he sits down, giving you a lack of response.

“Ask him when you see him at the script read through tomorrow.”

Improvisation as your last class of the day has always been your favorite.

Your professor, Kim Inseong, is only five years older than you, but he’s one of your better professors for the semester. Granted, it’s only improvisation, but he teaches it better than all of your previous high school drama teachers.

You love every second of his teachings. The way he engages each and every student is something you look up to, and his feedback has always been very genuine and helpful.

You would’ve been excited to see him—especially since he’s the director of the play—if you didn’t share the exact same class as your ex-boyfriend.

At first it was a blessing, but now it seems like it was a plan just to bite you in the back, cursing you for the rest of your college life.

Two days without your boyfriend has felt like hell.

When you enter the lecture hall, your two close friends remain in the center of the room whilst Hwiyoung is nowhere to be found. It takes you a few seconds to realize that he’s settled for a spot in the back with his feet kicked up onto the seat in front of him. He’s surrounded by his personal group of friends, and they are people you were never really fond of.

“You were almost late,” Younghoon hums when you choose to sit next to him, picking at his fingernails.

“Let her be, Hoon.” Songhee sighs from behind the two of you, leaning forward to flick the back of his head.

“Happy Monday, everyone,” your professor sing-songs. His booming voice startles the entire class due to its suddenness, and he enjoys the faces you all make because of it. His six-foot-tall composition moves to sit on the only stool in the room, hands resting in his lap as he eyes all his students.

“I heard auditions went well,” he, unnecessarily, comments. “And I believe Sangyeon did a wonderful job with choosing the cast.”

A scoff can be heard from the back of the room, and you could only assume it was from the one and only ex-boyfriend of yours, yet your professor doesn’t seem to bat an eye in his direction.

“Round of applause to everyone that made it in!”

Everyone claps, and you could just feel Hwiyoung’s eyes burning into the back of your head.

“Ignore him,” Younghoon whispers amidst the applause. “He’s just being a spoiled brat.”

“Don’t call him that,” you whisper quietly because deep down, you feel like you would’ve acted the same way if you got casted as an understudy.

“Now, before we continue with where we left off last class, let’s do a quick warm-up, shall we?” Your professor scans the room with his chin between his thumb and index finger.

As much as you enjoy the improv games he makes you all play, you’re praying that you don’t get chosen to come up.

Unfortunately, he’s an unpredictable man that enjoys playing with students’ anxiety.

“Younghoon, Vivi, Jaeyoon, Yves, Hwiyoung, and…” Professor Kim takes a pause to look around the room once more, a mischievous smile making its way up his lips when his eyes land on his final target, “Y/N.”

“You’re fucking kidding me,” you say louder than intended.

“I know right? Why does he always call on me first?”

Songhee snorts and pushes Younghoon out of his seat, but she stops you from leaving the row by grabbing your wrist.

“Hey, you know you could always tell him you’re not feeling well,” she whispers, but all you could think about is how pathetic you’d look in front of Hwiyoung if you used that lame excuse.

“It’s only a warm-up,” you reassure. “I’ll get over it.”

Songhee pouts when you leave her alone, and you’re joined by Vivi when she approaches you.

“Congrats on getting Cinderella,” she whispers, accompanying you to the front of the room.

You thank her with the slight bow of your head, and soon enough you’re both joining your peers on the platform.

Professor Kim has his hands clasped together after moving the stool to the side, making sure he was out of the way.

“Now, you all might be asking ‘what improv game will we have for our warm-up today?’.” He stands up. “Perhaps it’s Bus Stop? Late For Work? Questions Only?”

“If it’s Late For Work, I’m actually going to stop, drop, and roll out of this course,” Younghoon mutters, bringing his arms over his chest.

“Younghoon!” Professor Kim calls out, and your friend nearly jumps in his spot. He points at him, then you, and then Yves. “You three, go stage right. The rest of you? Stage left,” he directs.

You do as you’re told, and deep inside you’re grateful that he didn’t place you and Hwiyoung together.

Well, that is until you realize what game he has up his sleeve.

“Yes, no, and I are the forbidden words for today’s game.” He leaves the platform and settles down in one of the seats in the front row, kicking his foot over his other leg. “The person in front of each line will step forward and begin the scene with a prompt I give you. Say yes, no, or I and you’ll be eliminated from the platform. You can’t take too long either.”

You’ve played this game multiple times in the past, but this is the first time you’ve ever felt jittery during an improv game. The last thing you need for the day is to share the same stage with Hwiyoung.

Jaeyoon raises his hand. “Can we say yeah?”

“No,” your professor replies immediately. “No saying yeah, nah, uh-huh, mhm, I’m, or any of that sort.”

“He’s cruel,” Younghoon mutters, pushing you in front of him. You glare at him, but you’re also not complaining since Hwiyoung is at the end of his line.

The game starts off with the only other two girls on the platform, and with loud cackles from the other students, Vivi is shortly removed from the game after instinctively responding with ‘yes’ after panicking for ten seconds.

Yves also manages to eliminate Jaeyoon after four minutes of acting out a plumbing scene, leaving her alone with Hwiyoung.

Well fuck.

All you could do is hope that she manages to eliminate him too.

“And your prompt will be...interesting. Friends in the same shopping aisle. Hwiyoung, start it off.”

Unfortunately for you, Hwiyoung has always been good at these games, and you don’t know how he does it.

“Oh, My. God.” He slaps a hand over his mouth as he eyes the imaginary shelves, head snapping over to Yves. “Can you believe we could’ve gotten our matching walrus tattoos for fifty percent off if we bought a bottle of tylenol at Walmart?”

The randomness from his act stuns Yves for seconds beyond end, and just like Vivi, she panics and responds with ‘how the hell do I respond to that?’ whilst looking at Professor Kim. This causes her to get booted off the platform, and your eyes widen when you realize you’re up next.

You turn around instantaneously and try forcing Younghoon in front of you, but he refuses to budge an inch.

“Ah, our infamous onstage couple.” Your professor sighs lovingly, and neither of you attempt to tell him otherwise. You hated how your heart rate picked up at being labeled as a ‘couple’ with Hwiyoung.

You discreetly stomp on Younghoon’s toes when you hear him snicker at your fidgeting, evoking a muffled scream from him.

“Well, let’s see what prompt I have for the two of you.” He looks down at his phone. “Oh! I like this one. You two are trapped in an elevator. Y/N, start it off, and...scene!” he announces.

You push your finger forward repeatedly into the air as if you were poking at a singular button, masking your worried state with a frustrated face.

“The button to open the doors won’t work,” you mumble loud enough for everyone to hear. Giving up, you retract your hand and look heavenwards. “We’re at my floor, but the stupid doors won’t even budge.”

“Here, let me see.”

Hwiyoung leans over your shoulder and squints his eyes. His lips are close enough to your ear, and you could feel his breath on your skin. You’re begging that he doesn’t see the effect he unfortunately remains to have on you, wishing for this scene to end quicker than usual.

“Have you tried pressing the button?”

You being tossed off guard makes everyone in the room laugh, and he shoots you the infamous smile that has your heart running for miles.

“Wow, didn’t really think of that. Thanks, Sherlock,” you say sarcastically with your hands on your hips. “Maybe you should try pressing it.”

You look straight up at him, but he isn’t looking back at you.

Although you two have broken up, the scene somehow manages to last for another minute without either of you failing. The anxiety of standing next to someone you felt butterflies for overtakes your nerves, yet the sight of Hwiyoung acting like everything between you is completely normal makes you ease a bit.

But you have to remind yourself it’s just all an act.

He runs a hand through his hair while his tongue creates an indent in his cheek, foot impatiently tapping against the ground.

“Looks like we’re stuck here then, aren’t we?”

He finally connects his eyes with yours, and you couldn’t help but get lost in them.

“I guess we are,” you whisper.

“And Y/N is out!”

You dart a glare at your professor, but his eyes are trained on Younghoon, waiting for the not-very-composed boy to step forward.

“You really couldn’t have stayed up there longer?” your friend scowls through a hushed tone, huffing as he waves you off. “Can’t believe you’re having me deal with your ex-boyfie.”

You roll your eyes at his words and return to Jungwoo. By the time you sit down, the next scene has already begun.

“Oh no! I said no!” Younghoon exclaims in the driest matter you’ve ever seen. “Looks like I’m out. Gosh darn it!”

The class slowly, but surely, begins to clap for Hwiyoung when Younghoon exits the platform, and only then could you get a better look at your ex. Behind his disingenuous smile lies the expression you recall from two days prior: the eyes that looked at you ever so fiercely and the heart that fell out of love. The slight twitch from his lip proves the urge to frown and curse everyone out, and his hands have probably formed into fists in the pockets of his jeans.

You could tell because you know Hwiyoung well enough. You know he sees behind all the fake praise when he landed the pathetic role of being an understudy for a children’s play.

Still, he takes a bow and accepts Professor Kim’s compliments despite everything the teacher had said earlier, and he’s about to head back to his seat before the door cracks open, freezing all movements.

It makes the entire class go silent, the noise sparking everyone’s presence.

From where you are sitting, you can barely see who was at the door, but you manage to catch a glimpse of the intruder’s raven hair.

“Well you’re certainly a new face,” your professor comments. “And you must be...? Ah wait, don’t tell me. Allow me to guess.”

Although you can’t see who was being covered by the door, you could see Hwiyoung’s expression fall blank on stage after the professor’s exact words.

“You’re our Prince Charming, correct?”

The read through for the script of the play takes place in the drama department’s auditorium with the cast sitting in a circle of chairs on stage. It’s the reason why Juyeon is sitting directly across from you, causing you to do all you can to ignore how he keeps taking glances at you.

Chanhee says the final lines from the script as the narrator, and claps erupt from the cast members. Soon enough, chairs are being shifted around as people go into their respective groups of friends, hence why Chanhee is now sitting right beside you.

“You spent an entire night asking me about Juyeon only to not even look at him throughout the entire read through?” Chanhee questions, cocking a brow.

Younghoon joins you two shortly after, dragging his chair over.

“I feel bad for him,” your friend interjects. When he sits down, he jabs his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing towards the said cast member.

Juyeon remains in his own seat with his nose buried in the script, unconsciously tapping the stage with the light movement of his foot. His motions are what make his anxiety evident, and little does your friends know that you have actually been analyzing him the entire time through the corner of your eye. While the script read through was going on, you noticed him fidgeting while going through his lines with stutters and constant clearing of his throat.

You’re certain he got the main male lead because of his looks. How could someone who’s completely new to the drama department manage to snatch Hwiyoung’s role away like it was nothing?

“He sat alone in improv too,” Younghoon adds, snapping you out of your daze.

“Improv? Juyeon is in your improv?” Chanhee’s voice raises as he looks at Younghoon. “Since when did that happen?”

“I’m wondering the exact same thing,” you mumble through gritted teeth. Your fingers flip through the script in an attempt to keep yourself occupied while also quoting your ex-boyfriend. “Un-fucking-believable.”

“She wouldn’t stop staring at him in class,” Younghoon exposes with a snicker hiding behind his tone.

“I don’t blame her,” Chanhee dreamily sighs. “I wouldn’t either.”

Then he stands up.

“Where are you going?” Younghoon asks.

“I’m going to go talk to him,” he nonchalantly answers. His friend slaps his arm, and Chanhee shoots him a look.

“What? Do you want to come?”

Younghoon motions over to you looking at Hwiyoung from afar.

The understudies are all huddled together in the audience area of the auditorium, and Hwiyoung is sitting on top of one of the armrests with everyone’s attention on him. He’s cracking jokes that have everyone clutching onto their stomach, and his bright smile proves contagious when everyone wears the exact same one on their faces.

You miss it.

You miss when he was like that with the cast—with you.

Younghoon gives you a gentle smack of his hand to your head, scowling.

“Snap out of it, Princess. You can’t focus on him when Chanhee is literally approaching your Prince Charming right now.”

“Don’t call him that,” you murmur, soothing the area your friend had hit by rubbing it. “He’s just some stranger.”

“Oh really?” Younghoon tests, making a show out of crossing his arms. “So he’s just some stranger when you keep bringing up how familiar he is? He’s just some stranger that you keep blaming for your breakup? Honestly, Y/N, I’m starting to become inclined to believe that it’s about time you and Hwiyoung have parted. I don’t think you two were that healthy together anyway with how much he complained about you in front of you.”

You raise your hand up to your friend’s face, preventing him from saying anything else.

“Don’t meddle into my business, okay? Just join Chanhee or whatever. Seems like he’s having a great time with Juyeon.”

He stares at you in disbelief before slowly shaking his head. He stands up with his script in hand. “You’re unbelievable.”

You don’t look at him when he walks away, and you hate how Chanhee begins to scream at everyone shortly after.

“Everyone!” Chanhee grabs Juyeon’s hand and makes him stand up, making sure everyone sees the smile that reaches his feline-like eyes. “We’re getting coffee! Anyone want to come?”

An endearing shade of pink falls on Juyeon’s cheeks at the received attention, and the pair falls unprepared at the amount of people rushing towards them as they claimed that they were also thinking of getting coffee. A lot of your close friends, Younghoon included, even mention that they wanted to know Juyeon more, and all you could do is scoff as you remain in your seat. You turn to look away, hating how you aren’t the center of attention anymore, and it causes you to miss the hopeful glance Juyeon sends your way.

“You coming?” Sangyeon asks after approaching you. You already hate him for choosing Juyeon over Hwiyoung, and now finding out that he’ll also be your stage manager makes you want to regurgitate your breakfast all over him. You love him, as a friend, but you can’t forgive him for also making Hwiyoung an understudy.

He visibly eyes your entire figure, and his tone is rid of all malice.

“I think you could use some coffee with how tired you look right now.”

“Haha, very funny Mr. Stage Manager,” you say sarcastically. You stand up from your seat with your script gripped tightly in your hand.

He shrugs. “Your loss then, Ms. Cindy.”

As everyone leaves the auditorium, you’re left with one other person in the room.

“Hwiyoung!” you call out, shoving your script into your miniature backpack. You slip your arms through the straps as you run over to him.

He’s completely thrown off by the call of his name, and when he turns around, he has his drawstring bag slung over his shoulder. He eyes you skeptically, and you try your best to contain yourself.

You hate how you feel like one of those schoolgirls in movies approaching the popular male lead.

“What’s...up?”

“Do you not plan on getting coffee with everyone else?” you ask, sparking a conversation.

He purses his lips. “Not a coffee guy, remember?”

“Right.” You pause as you mentally scold yourself for not knowing simple details about Hwiyoung.

He then raises a brow. “Are you not going?”

“Uhm...no? No, no I’m not, uhm...homework. I have homework.”

He slowly nods in response to your oddly phrased reply.

“I actually have a question!” you insincerely rejoice as you try to get rid of the tense atmosphere. “So, you know, how...uhm, you know-...” You laugh awkwardly, unsure how to approach the situation. “We always, uhm, kind of practiced our lines together, and I mean...well, you’re still technically Prince Charming...right?”

“...Right.”

“So I was just, uhm...kinda wonde-”

“You want to practice lines together?” he interrupts.

“Yes! Yes, exactly that.” You eagerly nod your head.

He chews on the inside of his cheek as he stares into the distance, and you can tell he’s thinking with how his eyebrows bunch up.

“Sure,” he finally answers, causing your face to brighten up. “Meet up at the diner later? 5pm?”

You beam, unable to remove the happiest smile on your face.

“That’d be perfect.”

You didn’t know what you were expecting, but you know it wasn’t this.

Two hours have never felt longer, and all you’ve done throughout the time period was watch your milkshake melt between the palms of your clammy hands. Your gaze no longer falls out the display window and instead has dropped to your lap in humiliation while tears brim your eyes.

You should’ve known. All the signs were right in front of you, but you had blatantly ignored it for your own bliss.

Being stood up has to be the worst feeling you’ve ever experienced.

Defeated, you grab your bag and push past the glass door, leaving your milkshake behind. You aren’t adamant on breaking out into tears until you catch sight of Hwiyoung and his group of friends lounging by an adjacent building. They’re laughing when they see you leave, and one of them even announces the time on their stopwatch, indicating that they were waiting for you. A smirk settles on the lips you once kissed, and his eyes don’t leave you until you’re out of his sight.

Your attempt to mask how you’re feeling shatters instantaneously when you collapse into the first lecture hall you reach once entering the nearest building, and the pain of utter humiliation and realization strangles your heart. The lecture hall you’re in happens to be the one dedicated to your improvisation class, yet you couldn’t even be bothered to turn on the lights as you clung onto the platform to stabilize yourself.

The bag you’ve been clutching on for dear life has fallen out of your grasp, and all you could think about is how embarrassing you are for falling for his enticing aura.

You still love him, you truly do, but you’re now beginning to understand that Hwiyoung never did; not one of his smiles held an ounce of love for you. It was all just an act since the very beginning, and you didn’t realize it until now.

He was playing the main character and used you as practice considering you always happened to be his love interest in plays. He made you fall in love with him, a facade, and you failed to see past it. So now, when he has nothing to practice for, he drops you like you were nothing and never cared to acknowledge you as someone he’s ‘loved’.

The creak of the door silences your strained cries, and you’re convinced that the intruder would be able to hear your nearly working heartbeat. The lights flicker on, and you shield the brightness with your hand. The action leaves you unable to see who interrupted you mid-cry, but it doesn’t matter because all you could think about was getting out of there. You grab your bag and decide to make a run for it, but you don’t make it far when you finally see the figure looking at you.

“I-, uhm...” he stutters.

“You,” you mutter, glaring into his appalled eyes.

“I’m- I’m so sorry. I didn’t, uh, think anyone would actually be in here. Then again, I kinda thought- uhm, sorry.” His hand reaches to rub his nape as if to release the tension in his neck while clearing his throat to get rid of the unsteadiness in his voice.

“You,” you repeat, yet this time it’s through a scowl and is much more projected.

“Uhm...are-, uh, is everything alright?” he hesitantly asks.

“Is there something you want?” Your head quirks to the side as you interrogate him, leaving him intimidated with how condescending your words come across.

“Uh, actually, yeah. Do you, perhaps- know where the auditorium is? I-I kinda left my script there, and I can’t really remember which door it is…” His voice trails off into the distance as he weakly pushes out a chuckle.

Your laughter blares throughout the entire lecture hall, and it alarms a very puzzled Juyeon.

“You’re an acting major, and you don’t even know where the auditorium for the drama department is?” The laughs that proceed to escape your lips add more evidence to your malicious intent, and you rest your hands on the dips of your waist with the click of your tongue. “And to even think you got casted into the play.”

Juyeon pushes the door even wider with his forearm, and it gives you a better look at the disbelief worn on his facial features. Though, he continues to try a gentle approach with you considering he understands what you’re currently going through.

“Chanhee told me everything earlier. I-I know about you and Hwiyoung, and I can understand why you’re mad,” he explains. It’s amusing how he’s trying to make ends meet, and you make it known by refusing to comply with a snicker following immediately after.

“Awe. That’s so cute. Do you want me to congratulate you for finally finding out?”

He breaks.

“I auditioned for this play just like...you,” he counters, keeping his arm firmly pressed against the surface of the door. “You shouldn’t belittle me just because that little ex-boyfriend of yours didn’t get a goddamn role.”

“You don’t get to compare yourself to me,” you hiss, purposely lacing your voice with venom as you approach him. Tears from earlier begin to resurface and prick at your eyes, but it all goes unnoticed when your glare burns into his oh-so familiar pupils. “The difference between you and me is that I actually have the talent and experience for a ‘goddamn role’. You? Oh, don’t even get me started.”

Juyeon’s jaw clenches with every passing second, and his knuckles begin to redden with how tight he’s gripping the edge of the door.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Your scoff comes out more viciously than expected.

“It means your pretty face is the only reason why you got casted.”

You don’t regret a single word that’s left your mouth, but your head hangs along the sag of your shoulders when you’re recklessly tossed back into despair.

“Go back to your little dance crew, Juyeon,” you whisper with a crack piercing your vocal cords, unable to face him anymore. “You don’t belong here.”

You somehow manage to catch one last glimpse of the pain smeared on Juyeon’s facial expression before he shuts the door on you, leaving you alone with your faded vision and choked sobs.

From previous experiences, first rehearsals alway seem to last for hours on end. Regardless, you do your best to keep an open mindset as you go through each and every one of your classes.

You didn’t tell your friends about what happened with Hwiyoung; it isn’t like they need to know anyway. You’re already more than well aware that they’ll reprimand every reasoning you’ll put out, so the entire idea of informing them feels pointless. Not to mention Chanhee will scold you with the same three sentences repeatedly for months straight, and you’re way more than unwilling to listen to him.

This is why you don’t arrive at the auditorium with anyone by your side. You even decide to get there later than usual because you didn’t want to risk bumping into anyone—especially Hwiyoung after what you’ve just dealt with. You hate what he did to you that day, but your heart can’t help but continue to race at the thought of him.

You’re truly head over heels for not him, but his act.

You stand in front of the doors that lead into the room, and you’re scared. You’re scared you’ll be out of place because for one, you’re not in Hwiyoung’s arms.

A sigh exits your mouth as you steady yourself before pushing the doors open. You do it slowly, and it works because you fall unnoticed by everyone around you. You peek inside and hear all the bursts of chatter coming from every nook and cranny of the room. Though, despite this, you only manage to catch two fully audible conversations.

One on stage:

“I can’t believe you chose me for the king. Do I look short and old to you?!” Younghoon whines, script balled up in his fist. He stomps his feet angrily, startling the couple in front of him. “I’m not withering!”

“Should’ve casted you as an extra,” Sangyeon grumbles, rubbing the back of his neck before yelping when his girlfriend, Yiyeon, slaps his shoulder.

And another a few feet away from you:

“It’s unlike Lee Sangyeon to cast someone because of how they look,” an unfamiliar voice mumbles.

“Hey, but can you blame him? Anyone could be swayed by that face,” a second voice says.

“It’s just such a shame, you know? To see how talent can be overlooked by beauty. Poor Hwi.”

Their conversation shifts, and you find your jaw clenched. Although you wholeheartedly agree with what the pair was saying, you can’t help but feel a bit defensive for your co-actor.

But you fight against the small tug at your heart and bite your tongue, pushing the doors even wider and finally entering. All heads turn toward you when they hear the doors shut behind you, and you plaster on a fake smile as you greet those.

But your act gets cut short when Sangyeon exclaims ‘finally!’, rushing down the steps of the stage to reach you. His girlfriend and Younghoon follow, standing behind him as Sangyeon plants himself in front of you.

He grabs your shoulders, and looks at you with a stare that bore into your eyes.

“Have you seen Juyeon?”

You hesitate then shift your gaze to look at Younghoon. His face looks just as curious, and desperate, as Sangyeon’s, and it makes you raise a brow.

Has he not been here?

The entire room is quiet, and Sangyeon snaps you out of your daze by repeating the question. A sense of panic is washed over all of his features while his eyes beg for an answer.

“Please tell me you know where he is,” he cries, shaking you repeatedly. “He was supposed to pick up his script from me a week ago, but he hasn’t contacted me since!” His lip is jutted out, pouting, and you do your best to prevent the dizziness from affecting your response.

Man, you understand that everyone in the auditorium is a drama student, but you’re starting to believe that perhaps Sangyeon takes it a tad bit too seriously.

You open your mouth to speak and Sangyeon stops shaking you instantly, eyes widening to the size of a disney character’s. Yiyeon mirrors his same gaze, and Younghoon looks at you with anticipation, just like everyone else in the room. The attention makes you struggle to find the right words, so you opt for a ‘...I’m sorry, what?’.

“Juyeon, have you seen Juyeon at all this week?”

Your eyes immediately scan the room, in denial that this man isn’t here. You spot everyone, Hwiyoung included, but the figure of the one man you dreaded to see after the ‘incident’.

Well, it’s not like you’re going to complain.

“No, no I haven’t.”

A scoff breaks through the silence, and you fully expect it to be from your ex-boyfriend, but when you trace the sound, it matches the face of your best friend.

Choi Chanhee.

Sangyeon’s loud groan has you turning back to face him, and he drops his hands from your shoulders to bury his face within them. “No one, not one single person in this room, has heard or gotten sight of him. We need to block the entire show today, and we can’t continue on if the main lead doesn’t even have his script. What will I do?!”

As he visibly, and mentally, crumbles in front of everyone, his girlfriend reaches to comfort him before Sangyeon is swooped into another person’s arms.

Hwiyoung.

“Hey, Sang, it’s alright! Don’t worry about Juyeon. You got me, yeah?” He slings an arm over Sangyeon’s shoulder, leading him out of the auditorium. He pulls a door open for the sulking male. “As understudy, I can replace him for the time being.”

You catch his fake yet dazzling smile before the door closes, and you find yourself biting back a scowl.

“I’m, uh, just going to keep everyone sane,” Yiyeon mumbles, leaving you and Younghoon alone.

Then, you and Younghoon lock eyes. You both instantly share the same thought, causing you guys to get into action right after.

As you two run up onto stage, Younghoon grabs a chair while you grab Chanhee’s wrist, pulling him away from a conversation with Kevin.

He protests, but it’s ignored when you go behind the curtains, Younghoon trailing right after. He tosses the chair into the open area, waiting until it skids to a stop before you yank Chanhee onto it. You lean against a wall with crossed arms, watching as Younghoon approaches the suspicious friend of yours.

“You know something, don’t you?” Younghoon asks, standing in front of him.

“What is this? An interrogation?” Chanhee snorts.

“Yes, in fact it is, so I recommend you answer his question,” you bite back. Chanhee rolls his eyes, no longer looking at you.

Your words make you come off as curious when in reality, you couldn’t really care much about Juyeon and his whereabouts.

Yet somehow, someway—something seems to irk you. Seeing how Hwiyoung took advantage of a vulnerable stage manager earlier doesn’t sit right inside you, and Juyeon not even showing up and disassociating with everyone in the cast is out of character. You just know something is off, and you have a feeling it was because of you.

But you refused to believe so.

“Look, I haven’t been able to contact Juyeon either.” His tone is softer, and his voice could easily be overpowered by all the other incessant chatter coming from the other side of the curtain if it wasn’t for the secluded space you three are in. Your friend has his gaze darted elsewhere, clearly avoiding eye contact with either of you.

“You have been his closest buddy ever since he’s joined the cast,” Younghoon reasons.

Chanhee laughs, then turns to look at Younghoon.

“What? Jealous?” He smirks, almost winking, but Younghoon startles him by slamming his hands onto the head of the chair, gripping the ledge whilst trapping Chanhee between his arms.

“Y/N and I have known you long enough,” Younghoon says, sucking in his cheeks. “You don’t act like this unless you’re keeping something from us.”

“And your breath stinks,” Chanhee retorts.

“Okay that’s enough, this clearly isn’t working.” You pick yourself off the wall and approach the two.

“I could get physical if you’d like me to,” Younghoon says, tilting Chanhee’s chin upward with his script.

“Yeah, no,” you mutter, pushing him aside. He frowns but watches you in amusement, interested to see how you’d handle the stubborn boy. You then face Chanhee, craning your head to the side as you analyze how his features become stiff. “Since you won’t tell Younghoon what you know, why don’t you tell me? What the hell are you hiding from Sangyeon?”

Chanhee purses his lips, licks them, then stands. He looks at you with barely any expression on his face.

“...No.”

“No?” Perplexed, you stop him from leaving, keeping him in front of you. “What do you mean by no?”

He laughs. Then, he shakes his head.

“You don’t get to know shit after what you said to Juyeon on the day of rehearsal,” he spills, refusing to look you in the eye. Your eyes grow into the size of bowling balls, freezing as your friend continues to tower over your figure with crossed arms.

“So you know…”

“I was there,” he seethes, snapping his head back your way. “I saw him, chased after him, and caught him talking to you.”

“So you both are hiding shit from me,” Younghoon mumbles, clearly appalled and annoyed with how his best friends chose to handle things.

Chanhee ignores him and steps forward, making you stumble backwards after losing your balance.

“I tried to get to him, Y/N. I called him, I texted him, I even reached out to his roommates. But guess what? Not a single one of them responded to me.”

You part your lips to retaliate, but he cuts you off.

“No, not a single word from you. As much as I love you as my best friend, all you do is spill excuse after excuse,” Chanhee snaps. Every word he spurs has an arrow aimed at your heart, leaving you stunned after each one. “You’re always spewing shit about an innocent person, blaming him for your breakup when he had no control over who got what role. Now, Y/N, it’s my turn to blame you for not only making me lose a friend I recently made, but the three other people that have always stood by my side.”

He stops, looks towards the ground, and snickers.

“So, Princess, instead of interrogating me, why don’t you tell me where he is?”

“Alright that’s enough,” Younghoon states, stepping into the conversation. He pulls Chanhee away from you, allowing you to release the breath you’ve been holding in the entire time.

Chanhee’s chest heaves as he settles his breathing, eyes burning into your skull as you avoid his glare. You feel like the smallest person on earth, especially since you’ve never had your best friend turn his back on you. Younghoon shows no empathy when he sees the fear in your eyes, only shaking his head in disappointment as he holds his other friend close.

They trusted you to play smart, but all you did was hit rock bottom.

You leave from behind the curtain, revealing yourself to the people inside the auditorium. They look at you with worry, and some of them have actually even overheard the conversation you had with your friends, but you push them all away, running to the doors. You don’t want to deal with anyone, and although your mind is spiraling, you could only decipher one of many thoughts.

“Where are you going?”

A voice pulls you back into reality when you’re met face to face with your ex-boyfriend, Sangyeon standing right behind him. He’s smirking, even compressing a snicker, when he sees the look of desperation and urgency in your face. He holds the door open, blocking you from leaving by standing in the middle of the doorway.

You look him up and down, breathing heavily, before snorting. You shove him to the side as if he was nothing, giving him silence as a temporary answer. The corners of his lips drop, and he watches you leave in bewilderment. You only make it a few feet away before turning around, looking at him with the same smile he wore earlier as you slowly walk backwards.

“I’m on a search for a prince.”

NAVIGATION | THE BOYZ MASTERLIST

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