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stayinzencity · 25 days

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heroine’s manual S1 E4

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FOUR. I can't stop thinking about him and he confessed he has feelings for me too.

A guy- handsome, if you're being honest- shows up one day with the intention to steal your heart. He's no rival to Minho in your heart, and hopefully he doesn't get in the way.

“So," you address those seated at the table with you. Notably, Minho is missing. He can hear about this later. Or never, it's not significant. "Jungwoo came up to me and said we should date.”

“Kim Jungwoo?” Jisung almost spits out the food from his full mouth. Seungmin glares at him, hissing for him to have some decency for once, before he turns his attention back to you.

Hyunjin, who usually stays quiet during discussions of your love life, speaks up. “That's interesting. Jungwoo doesn’t date. He kisses and plays with girls' hearts, but he doesn’t usually ask anyone out. No, he’s the one who’s approached.” The opportunity to gossip apparently overrides whatever dislike Hyunjin harbors against you.

“He’s kind of like Minho, in a way.” Seungmin muses. “A bit of a jerk when it comes to girls. Do you think that’s your type?”

“I don’t even like him!”

“Well, I guess it’s good you didn’t fall for his charms. He might break your heart. Well, you are good at bouncing back. But still," Hyunjin says. He grimaces and rolls his eyes at you. "It sucks to see you moping. You make our days miserable, too.”

You stick out your tongue at Hyunjin for saying that. He makes a face at you in return. Seungmin and Jisung simply laugh.

"What's so funny?" Minho drops his tray on the table and takes his seat next to Jisung.

"Hyunjin's face," you mutter.

Jisung turns to Minho with a huge grin. "Guess who got asked out today?"

Minho drops his sandwich, and it falls to the floor with a splat. Jisung stares sadly at it.

You wonder if you're imagining Minho's smile momentarily dropping. "Oh, that's cool." He says that without an ounce of enthusiasm. "What did you tell them?" It's not you he's looking at.

"N-not me! Who would like me?" Jisung chuckles awkwardly and points at you. "She's the one Kim Jungwoo’s into."

"Anyone who turns you down is a tasteless fool missing out on- wait, you're going out with Jungwoo?" Minho suddenly turns to you midsentence, his words are tinged with more than one emotion, though they're tangled together so well that you can't tell them apart. If anything, you hear something akin to disbelief in his voice.

Of course not, you're the one I like- that's your line. However the sentences that slip past your lips aren't faithful to the script.

"Is there any reason why I shouldn't?" You can't look Minho in the eyes as you speak. You focus on his mouth, the corners slightly downturned. "Am I not supposed to date?"

Minho purses his lips but doesn't answer. "I'll go get something else to eat."

As he walks away, Seungmin shares a look with you. "Maybe a rival was the push he needed to figure things out," he comments.

It's shouldn't be surprising. You are the heroine, after all. This is how the story is meant to play out.

Still, there's this feeling that something's off.

Something changes with Minho. According to Seungmin, Minho keeps sending glances your way when you're not paying attention.

"I couldn't believe it myself, but he's been acting strange since Jungwoo showed up. Or maybe it's-" Seungmin abruptly goes silent as if a revelation struck him. "Never mind. Minho has always been better with felines than humans. He needs time to figure out what he truly wants."

You've waited all this time. A little longer can't hurt, right?

It starts to seem less strange with Heather around than not. Something that has never happened with one of Minho's girlfriends.

Strangely, you see her with Hyunjin more often than Minho. Besides sharing most of their classes, they apparently also share quite a few interests.

It works for you if they end up together. Then Minho will definitely be yours.

"That's not how it works," says Seungmin. "He might not go out with you even if he's single."

You look to Jisung for support. He simply shrugs and drinks his smoothie. Lately, he's been kinda weird. Weirder than usual.

"But," Seungmin hesitates to say the words, but he manages to get them out. "There's a chance. Just be yourself. If it's meant to be, you'll know."

"What is it you like about Minho?" Jisung is twiddling with his straw as he asks the question. "How do you know it's not just passionate platonic feelings?"

"Everything. He's the perfect hero."

"He's just a boy. Far from perfect."

"He's THE boy. He's everything I've dreamed of. The prince to my princess. The sugar in my coffee."

"You don't always need to add sugar to coffee."

You frown. Something is off with Jisung. He isn't this argumentative. That's supposed to be Seungmin’s role.

"Minho needs time," Seungmin breaks through the awkwardness. "You've already waited so long."

"Yeah." Jisung sighs. "I feel like he's still with Heather cuz he's stalling for time. I don't know how long that's going to last."

You wonder the same.

Heather and Minho are still technically together, but you overhead Jisung telling Seungmin that he overhead Heather telling Hyunjin that she was going to break up with Minho soon.

So, it's just a matter of time.

You're in such a hurry that you trip over your own feet, expecting to meet the floor.

Arms wrap around you, pulling you away from the kiss with the ground, and you find yourself facing Minho instead.

You startle, brushing lips with him.

It really was an accident, the first time.

Your heart, already pounding from the near fall, threatens to burst out of your chest. You try to turn away because it's everything and nothing like what you expected, but Minho gently guides your face back to look at him.

Minho brings his face close to yours, his eyes darting down to your lips and back to meet your hopeful gaze. You close your eyes, focusing on the way your heartbeat is racing. Just when you’re certain he must have moved away, you feel his breath against your lips, and you freeze.

It’s a little awkward, brief, barely counting as a kiss. But it's the closest you've ever gotten to Minho, and you’re breathless, caught off guard. When you open your eyes, Minho appears conflicted.

It's not your first kiss, no, that was Jungwoo.

But this is supposed to be a special one.

For as long as you can remember, you've been waiting for this moment.

Before he can come up with something stupid to say, you hug him. It’s his turn to startle, though he’s quick to recover and reciprocate. Deeper, you fall under his spell, more in love.

When you pull away, Minho wipes his thumb across your cheeks. “Why are you crying? I told you to stop wasting tears for me.”

“How am I supposed to move on when you act like you want to kiss me?”

Minho frowns, brows furrowed. “I did mean it,” he says slowly. “I want to know what it feels like with you.”

“But-”

“Minho.” Heather’s voice cuts in. The gap between you and Minho widens as she walks towards you. She slips her hand into Minho.

Your heart drops.

They didn't break up yet.

Heather turns to you, her smile dimming a bit. “I was wondering where he was. Sorry to steal him away. There's something we need to talk about. See you later.”

“I- right. See you.” That’s your cue to leave. Did Heather see? How could you forget Heather? Minho said he wanted to kiss you, so did he like you?

“Wait.” Minho calls out, making you pause and look back. He doesn’t drop Heather’s hand and run to you and declare his love. Instead he simply says, “We’ll talk tomorrow, I promise.”

You nod. Of course, he has to deal with Heather first. They still had to break up.

You are the heroine, as expected. Heather was just another character acting as an obstacle to your romance. Every story has to have some spice before it gets nice, right? Come tomorrow she’ll be back to the background and you’ll be the main star.

Tomorrow came, Heather still right beside Minho. It was like nothing had changed.

You can feel eyes on you, and you turn to find Minho staring at you with pursed lips. Heather is leaning against the wall next to him, scrolling through her phone and animatedly talking about something with Hyunjin.

You turn around and walk away. It's unbearable, the sight of them together.

It's time you stop pining, like Jungwoo said. Why chase after a love that isn't meant to be?

It's not really a secret hiding spot since it's where you always go when you're upset, so it's no wonder when Minho shows up there.

"Leave me alone, Minho." You want him to sit down next to you, hold your hand and promise that he won't abandon you. You want him to stay with you, even if you don't ask him to. You want him to hear the words in your heart, not the ones you speak. You’re a fool, and so is he.

"I wasn't lying yesterday, trust me. I don't like her, but I can't let go yet. I like you, but-"

"It's alright." No, it's not alright. It isn't enough. It's never enough. You’re greedy, and you want more, far more than Minho will ever be willing to give you, it seems. But you smile at him and say, "That's enough for me. Knowing that you might like me."

You look at me like you’re in love, but you say we’re nothing more than friends, then you kiss me like that. How am I supposed to move on when you can’t let me go?

I thought I understood you. I thought I knew everything. I was wrong.

I tried to let go, move on and find happiness elsewhere. Yet I keep coming back to you. My heart yearns for you. I’m in pain, and you’re the cure I’ll never find.

You wish you could scream these words at Minho. Instead, you allow them to slowly wrap around you and suffocate you.

Trying to sabotage someone's relationship and steal their boyfriend- a heroine would never go to that extent. What have you become?

A failed heroine. What if you were never the heroine from the start? Perhaps you were meant to be the villain of the story.

♡ next episode

♡ season one guide

♡ please leave a comment, reblog with tags or send an ask to let me know what you think!!

#skz ff #skz fanfic #skz fic #stray kids fanfic #stray kids ff #stray kids fic #lee know fanfic #lee know scenarios #lee know imagines #lee know fluff #lee know angst #lee know fic

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stayinzencity · 25 days

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heroine’s manual S1 E3

GENRE: Romcom, Drama | love triangles, childhood friends, high school au | INSPIRED BY: Heroine Shikkaku (shoujo manga) | LENGTH: ~1.4K | RATING: Teen | WARNINGS: mentions of food, eating | PAIRINGS: Minho x MC (Reader), Minho x OC (Heather) | TAGLIST: @linoscence @elizabeth11moreno (ask to be added) | A/N: this chapter finally came out of the drafts after years thanks to @jisungsdaydreamer (and me accidentally posting part 5 first oops)

♡ previous episode

♡ return to main

THREE. Even if he rejects me, I won't give up so easily and allow someone else to steal my spot.

Inviting Heather to hang out is a mistake. Having your friends around doesn't make you feel any less of a third wheel. It’s Heather who’s supposed to be the odd one out amongst your group, yet somehow it feels like the rest of you are the ones intruding. You can't bear to witness the shy glances and gentle smiles Minho and Heather exchange.

You're trying to come up with an excuse to break them apart without being the bad guy, when a crash comes to your rescue.

"Ah. My bad," Jisung apologizes, looking down at the glass he'd accidently knocked over. He'd been sitting next to Heather, and while the glass was fortunately intact, water had spilled onto Heather's lap.

"Looks like you’re the victim of Jisung's idiocy today." Hyunjin hands her napkins, attempting to ease her through the awkwardness with his charming smile. He shoots Jisung a withering glare, getting a sheepish look and shrug in reply.

"I guess I should get going," Heather says. She rises from her seat in a hurry, but a hand over hers gives her a reason to wait.

Hyunjin.

Minho's expression is closer to amusement than jealousy, watching as his friend calls his girlfriend - by her actual name, not the nickname you've given her.

Maybe Hyunjin's crush hasn't disappeared yet. If he and Heather get together, then Minho would be yours again. Everything would fall perfectly in place.

"We don't live that far from each other. I'll take you home." Hyunjin pauses, turning to Minho who's sneaking cake onto Jisung's plate. "If that's fine with your boyfriend?"

"Whatever she wants," Minho says with a shrug. He doesn't seem to be worried about Hyunjin stealing away his girlfriend, which boosts your confidence in your own chances with him.

"Yeah," you enthusiastically agree, nodding your head. "Hyunjin's a nice guy. Have a wonderful evening!"

Hyunjin narrows his eyes, scowling at you, instead of being grateful that you're helping him out. One day, he'll figure it out, and thank you.

You lean close to her so that only she - and Hyunjin, perhaps - can hear. "You might even fall for him instead of Minho."

Hyunjin scoffs at your words with an exaggerated eyeroll and drags Heather out the door before you can say anything else.

Seungmin leaves soon after them, muttering something about an assignment that you don't really bother paying attention to.

And then it's just Minho, Jisung and you.

"We should head home too," Minho says. He gets up from the table and grabs his jacket from the back of the chair. "It's movie night."

"Ah, right." Jisung sends you a wink, starting the next phase of your plan to set your story on track. "I've got some stuff I need to work on, so I'll have to trust you two to keep our tradition alive even if it’s not the same without me."

And then it was just Minho and you.

It's usually easy to forget Minho's girlfriends exist when they're not around. Often they fade into the background even when they are around.

Yet you find yourself alone with Minho, head in his lap, too distracted to actually watch the show that's playing on the TV. Too much on your mind to even enjoy this moment.

Minho's texting someone, wearing a smile as soft as the one he usually gives you before he wraps you in a hug.

The someone in question must be Heather. After all, who else could it be? The only real rival you've ever had when it came to Minho's affection and attention is Heather, right?

If there's no struggle, then it won't feel as special when you finally end up together. Heather isn't the heroine. That title belongs to you. You're the one that's always been with Minho. No one else knows him like you do- well, maybe Jisung does. That's a different story though.

If you're the heroine, then why do you feel like you're in second place? Are you falling into a background role in your own story? Could it be you're simply a side character in this tale?

Minho's fingers run through your hair, breaking you out of your thoughts.

You're the one here with him, not Heather. You're the heroine, not her. There's still hope.

“I like you,” you blurt. It's far from the confession you had planned, especially since you weren't even the one who was supposed to be saying the words first. Sometimes you need to improvise to get the perfect scenes, so it's ok. “I like you so much.”

Minho’s hand stops stroking your hair. He doesn’t take it away, so you don’t attempt to sit up. You want to be close to him, for as long as you can.

Any moment now, he'll admit his feelings for you and you'll be the one beside him instead of Heather.

You know that, but if somehow these are the last moments you’ll have with him, you want to remember them being pleasant. Besides, you don’t exactly want to look at his face right now. The aftermath of a confession is more mortifying than you imagined, especially when you haven't gotten an answer in return.

“I know,” he says.

And that’s it. He doesn't say anything else. And you don't have the courage to ask what your words meant to him.

The couple on screen breaks up and eventually makes up, but you don't even remember their names anymore. Tears fall from your eyes and you wipe them away.

"I can't watch this anymore," you manage to whisper. It's not the drama that has you crying. You know it, and you know Minho probably does too. "I'll head home."

Minho doesn't try to stop you as you leave. As tempting as it is to turn back, you're too afraid that Minho's eyes won't be watching you.

Seungmin once explained some physics cat theory. Put a cat in a box with poison, and it could be both alive or dead as long you don't open it. If you don't check, the cat might still be alive. Something like that.

In your imagination, Minho is woefully watching as you walk away.

After the confession, it's a little hard. Minho isn't actively avoiding you, except he kind of is. He has the perfect excuses, plus the universe seems to be on his side. It's natural for the hero of the story to have exceptional luck.

As the heroine, you don't seem to have the same advantage. If anything, there's just been obstacles to your perfect ending. The biggest one turning out to be Minho himself.

You thought you didn't have to do anything and everything would fall into place by itself. Then when you took a chance and confessed, you were turned down. But even if he doesn't feel the same way now, you can't give up yet. It hurt when you realized you weren't on the same page as him, but there's still time for him to catch up, right?

You run into him after class, and he has to catch you before you stumble to the floor. It's a scene straight out of the kind of anime you love to watch. A sign for you to take another chance, except Minho speaks before you can.

"No."

You haven't even said a word, and you’ve already been shot down. An arrow through your heart, but it seems cupid isn't on your side.

Are you that obvious? Could Minho read minds? Does he really not like you?

"What? I didn't even ask-"

"I won't go out with you."

Ah. Well. Minho hasn't told you that he doesn't like you, though you aren't sure if you could handle hearing those words straight from him.

"That wasn't what I was going to say," you lie. Your voice is strained, and you can't meet his eyes, so maybe it's not believable. But you can't admit the truth, can you? "I wanted to ask if you had any movie recommendations."

Minho raises an eyebrow. He's not fooled. Still he goes along with it and makes some suggestions. Not that you’re really paying attention to his words as much as how his voice sounds.

Minho. It's always been Minho.

And you were the constant in his life, at least until Heather showed up.

It's hard to admit that she might have stolen the role that was meant for you, but you can't move ahead without accepting that.

Turns out Minho isn't just on a different page. The title of the book doesn't match either.

You are lost, clueless of what lies ahead. There's one thing you're certain of though.

Even if you’re disqualified as a heroine, your only hero is Minho.

♡ season one guide

♡ next episode

♡ please leave a comment, reblog with tags or send an ask to let me know what you think!!

#skz fic #stray kids ff #skz fanfic #skz x reader #stray kids fiction #stray kids fluff #lee know drabble #lee know fluff #lee know imagines #lee know scenarios #lee know series #stray kids series #skz series #stray kids fic #stray kids fanfic #skz ff

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stayinzencity · 25 days

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heroine’s manual S1 E5

GENRE: Romcom, Drama | love triangles, childhood friends, high school au | INSPIRED BY: Heroine Shikkaku (shoujo manga) | LENGTH: ~1.7K | RATING: Teen | WARNINGS: breakup(s) | PAIRINGS: Minho x MC (Reader), Minho x OC (Heather), Jungwoo x MC (Reader) | TAGLIST: @linoscence @elizabeth11moreno (ask to be added) | A/N: we lose some, we gain some. also jungwoo is just a side character here, but he's the focus of the s2 one-shot. han's story would be s3, but it would be different cuz [spoilers], so we'll see if anyone's interested, or it'll just remain as implications. (accidentally posted this part before 3 & 4 and that's how I ended up finally finishing this series)

♡ previous episode

♡ return to main

FIVE. The time might not be right now, but I'll wait forever if I can be with him one day.

You realise you haven't spoken to Jisung for a few days. He's been around, part of the group. It's only after he refuses to look you in the eyes when you're right in front of him that you realise something is wrong.

It calls for confrontation, but Jisung keeps dodging you. It's even worse than when Minho was avoiding you. Jisung doesn't hide the fact that he's not eager to be around you- he even jumps into a bush one time when you wave at him.

Asking Seungmin if he had any clue what's up isn't helpful either. He's clearly taking Jisung's side, leaving you with barely any clue what all of this is about.

"There's nothing I can tell you. Jisung will let you know when he's ready. Though that might take a while," Seungmin finally says after you use your splendid persuasive skills to get information out of him. "You should be patient with him. He's always respected your feelings and played along with your plans no matter how ridiculous they get. Keep that in mind."

There is a tiny crack between you and Jisung that grows into a great chasm over time. And Seungmin stands on the other of it with Jisung.

They no longer sit with you. Or talk to you. Or even glance your way.

It hurts. Jisung and Seungmin were the closest friends you had after Minho, and now you've lost all three of them.

As for Minho, you're the one who's been actively avoiding him. You can't be sure he isn't doing the same. You hardly see him hanging out with Heather anymore, but that doesn't excite you the way it once would have. You're pretty sure he and Jisung still hang out to watch movies without you, and it stings.

In the end, you lost your friends.

Heather breaks up with Minho.

You find out when Heather tells Hyunjin and you over lunch.

You didn't mean to be there with them. It's just that it was your usual spot at your usual table. Just not the usual people.

"We weren't right for each other," she says. "It was nice with him, but I'm not interested in a relationship right now."

"So, what about this Sunday?"

"Don't worry, we ended on a relatively good note. Even if we didn't, I wouldn't give up on our friendship so easily." Heather pats Hyunjin on the back, reassuringly. "Plan's still on."

She looks at you thoughtfully, sharing a look with Hyunjin. "You should come with us! We're going to the aquarium."

"N-no, I can't-"

"Just come along." Hyunjin rolls his eyes. "You can't stay at home and avoid everyone forever."

"I'm not-"

"It's ok," Heather says. "I know things are still weird with Minho and your friends. But you've always been weird with me and Hyunjin, so it can't get any worse. Maybe we can even get closer, you know?"

Heather does make a good point, and Hyunjin isn't trying to vaporize you with his gaze either.

Maybe it's time to try something new.

"You can't keep pining over a guy. It's pathetic and you're too pretty to waste away like this. Just get it over with."

You don't need to punch Hyunjin since Heather does it for you.

"Don't be mean," she hisses at him. It's kinda nice seeing her comfortable enough to be anything besides excessively polite around you guys. "It isn't that easy."

"Minho broke up with you, and you managed to move on. She's still doing nothing but hopelessly pining after him."

"It's not the same, Hyunjin." She glares at him. "Let's leave this loser alone and find somewhere else to chat."

"Wait-"

"Girl talk. Bye, Hyunjin."

Heather tugs you to your feet and drags you over to a table just out of earshot of Hyunjin. Not out of sight, though Hyunjin doesn't make a move to intrude your space, despite his disappointment at being rejected.

Serves him right. It's slightly satisfying to see him suffer, regardless of it being an exaggeration. If there's anyone who can match your dramatics, it's Hyunjin.

Fortunately, Heather can handle you both. Everyone else has given up, but she's the one that stuck around.

It's kinda funny that the last two people you thought you'd ever be friends with are probably the only ones you still have.

Surprisingly, Hyunjin is the only one you still spend time with from your old friend group. Him and Heather.

Heather. You called her by her actual name, startling her and she admitted she preferred being called Heather- as long as it's you.

Then there's Jungwoo.

You never really talked about Jungwoo to your friends. At first, there was nothing to talk about. Then it didn't matter whether you did, since it wasn't supposed to be anything real. But at some point, it felt like it actually could be something. Except you weren't ready to let go of Minho. You still aren't, so it's no use.

Thankfully, it's not him that Heather wants to talk about.

"You should ask Minho out," Heather says. "That's the only way you'll know for sure. Maybe not even then, but you'll only know if you try, after all."

"How were you able to do it so easily? I always wondered. "

Heather laughs. "It wasn't easy. I had to muster a lot of courage before I could go up to him and say the words. Hyunjin was the one who told me to go for it. And now, I'm telling you the same."

"If I ask him, I risk getting rejected. I always thought he'd end up asking me out himself. Then again, I never thought it'd hurt so much. I used to be happy being in the background, but things changed. I guess now I'm scared of being a background character in his life. I thought I was the most important, but I'm starting to realise that it's never been me."

"I think Minho's confused, too. I figured that he was just staying with me out of convenience as an excuse to keep from sorting out his feelings. I didn't like being used, but more than that, I realised it didn't bother me as much as it should, so I decided to break up." Heather waves away your attempt to apologize for your interference in her relationship. "What I mean to say is that you have a chance. And even if it doesn't work out, at least you know. That's far better than being haunted by what could have been for the rest of your lives."

You decide to take Heather's advice.

Minho seems surprised when you walk up to him, for the first time in far too long, and ask him out.

He doesn't turn you down.

It should be everything you wanted. A magical moment- butterflies, fireworks, flowers and all. Yet it's just another day.

You catch Jisung's expression and he appears distraught, though it's gone before you can put much thought into it. He smiles at you, weak and forced, congratulating you half heartedly.

Something clicks and the way Jisung had been acting strange for a while makes sense.

You aren't cruel enough to confront Jisung when it's clearly something he's not comfortable with. Instead, you corner Seungmin and ask him.

"Does Jisung like me? That's why things got weird once he got a crush on-"

"The world does not revolve around you. Stop asking me about Jisung."

That's not a no, even if it isn't a yes either.

You don't really mean to, but you can barely watch the movie when you're still worried about Jisung. You end up blurting your thoughts to Minho.

"I think Jisung likes me!"

"What?" Minho pushes you off his lap and looks at you incredously. "What? That's-"

"Things have been weird for a while, and I figured it out."

"Ji- you know what, we need to talk." Minho sighs, rubbing his forehead. “Do you even really love me? It feels more like you’re in love with the idea of ending up with me. We’ve been close since we were little. Childhood friends turned sweethearts. You think I'm the hero, so you must be the heroine. Logical, isn’t it? Is it really what you want? Your mind tells you this is your ideal, but what does your heart say? You’ve been distracted the whole time we’ve been dating. I don’t think I’m the right person for you.”

“Are you breaking up with me? It hasn’t even been that long. Give me a chance and I’ll prove that you’re the-”

“Not now. I can't give us another chance for now. Maybe one day. Right now, we need time apart. I'm sorry, I love you. I'm not sure if I'm in love or if I ever will be. And I don't think you are either."

Minho reaches out like he wants to wipe away the tears, tumbling down your cheeks. However, his hand halts a few inches away from your face. He hesitates, eventually deciding to pull away. In the meantime, your crying worsens, and the awkward air grows more unbearable.

Fish must be used to salty water, so they're less likely to judge. Or so, Heather says.

Hyunjin also comes along, of course, and he is likely to judge. Even so, he's been nicer lately.

You're done shedding tears, anyways. You're not supposed to cry over silly things like boys.

"There are more fish out there in the sea. Tall, handsome, black haired fish whose name rhymes with crew."

"It's brown now, actually." You correct Hyunjin without really thinking.

"So you have been looking his way," Heather teases. "Why not give Jungwoo another chance? He hasn't been seen with anyone else ever since he met you. He does seem to be sincere."

"Maybe I will," you say with a smile. "But right now, it's just us amongst the creatures of the sea."

There might be a part of you that'll stubbornly hold on to Minho, but you've come to realise that there's so much more.

Your friendship with Hyunjin and Heather.

The possibility of something with Jungwoo.

The chance of reconciliation with your old friends.

There will always be so much more.

You just have to keep living your story with all its twists and turns, learn from the past, hope for the best in the future, and be happy with your present.

♡ next season

♡ season one guide

♡ please leave a comment, reblog with tags or send an ask to let me know what you think!!

#skz ff #skz fic #skz fanfic #stray kids fiction #stray kids ff #stray kids fic #stray kids fanfic #skz fluff #lee know fanfic #lee know scenarios #lee know imagines #lee know fic #lee know ff

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stayinzencity · 2 years

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heroine's manual S1 E2

♡ previous episode

♡ return to main

TWO. We've known each other since childhood, so I understand him better than everyone else.

You don't know her name. You guess it doesn't really matter. She won't be around for long, will she? She's just a side character, so it's ok. Let her have a chance. It won't last long anyway.

She's a nice girl. You can see that. But that's never been enough before, so why does it seem like something's different now?

You lay your head down on the table, picking at a loose thread on your sweater sleeve. The seats on either side of you are taken by Seungmin and Jisung, the latter nudging you.

“Are you alright? You’re awfully pouty today,” Jisung asks. “What’s wrong?”

You sigh. “Nothing.”

“It’s the girl from yesterday, isn’t it? I heard she asked Minho out. Is that what’s got you bothered?” Seungmin doesn’t wait for you to respond, deciding he’s right himself. “Strange. You don’t usually let the green monster out.”

“Green monster? I’m not jealous,” you insist making an X with your hands. “No way. Why do I have to be jealous? She’s nobody.”

But then you spot Minho and her coming to lunch together, his smile and interest in her seeming more genuine than he usually shows to his girlfriends. If she’s just another fling, why is he acting like that?

You understand him better than anyone else, don't you? There can't be anyone more suited for him than you, right?

Then why is she the one beside him? How have you been replaced? Wasn't that your place?

Have you become the second female lead? Have you been pushed to the side, so that girl can shine?

Were you wrong all this time?

“She confessed, fair and square. Meanwhile, you’re here moping when you didn’t even try. You never had a chance, because all you do is stand at the side and watch from afar as he goes through relationships,” Seungmin points out when you reveal your worries to him.

“See, I told you to confess.” Jisung huffs, sharing half of his cake slice with you and swatting Seungmin when he tries to snatch some. “What’s her name anyway? Hyunjin would know, right? I think they were lab partners. And I think he used to have a crush on her too. Anyway, now it’s too late, unless you steal him away from her. ”

If that’s what it takes to get Minho, then that’s what you’ll do. “You’re a genius, Jisung.” You jump out of your seat, shoving the last pieces of food into your mouth.

“Uh sure?” Jisung looks at you with confusion as you hurry away.

Meanwhile, Seungmin facepalms. “You just gave her a bad idea. Fantastic.”

Heather. That’s her name. Or well, it’s not her actual name but the one you’ve assigned her. She’s the titular character of that Conan Grey song that you’ve been playing on repeat the entire week as you lay sprawled on your bed, staring at the ceiling and contemplating the latest twist in your story. Except you’re prettier and better than her in every way, of course.

You are less of a giver of advice than a receiver. Nevertheless, you walk up to Heather. “Heather! I hope you’re well,” you beam at her. You can play the role of the benevolent best friend of the hero. Minho will fall for you if he sees how kind, accepting and mature you are being, right?

“I’m not-”

“I heard you’re dating Minho. Congratulations!” With a concerned voice you continue, “I want to warn you not to get attached to him. He’s a wonderful boyfriend, but his relationships never last long.”

“Ok. Why are you telling me this? I'm already aware of what Minho's like. Watching him from afar and secretly crushing on him for so long- I know it’s a miracle that I even have a chance now, and I’m going to make the most out of it. I have no intention of giving up so easily.”

You stare at her, taken aback. How can she be so bold trying to replace your role? You’re the heroine, not her.

You want to be selfish- without the label of 'selfish' stuck to you. You’re the heroine of this story, not the villain. Trying to get between the hero and his girlfriend doesn’t put you in the wrong, right? You’re fighting for your love, that’s all. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s admirable even.

“I was going through my closet yesterday when I found these.” You bring out photo albums from your bag. “Minho’s really cute as a kid, isn’t he?” Your classmates hover around your desk, eager to take a look.

Childhood photos. That’s your first weapon.

You turn to Heather with an album. “Here, you should see the pictures too.” When Heather sees how long your deep bond with Minho has lasted, she’ll realize she has no chance and back off.

Except she doesn’t look disheartened. She just smiles pleasantly. “Wow, you two are adorable. It’s so nice that you’ve been friends since you were kids.”

“Right? She's so lucky- the girl that the hero eventually falls for. White horse, kind knight, sweet tender dreams,” Jisung sings dreamily. He’s totally doing this for you, and you adore him for it. “I wish I had a handsome prince as my childhood best friend.”

Hyunjin kicks his chair from behind, scowling. “I’ve known you since you were a toddler, loser.”

“I said handsome- yeah, ok- you’re a prince- let go-” Jisung struggles to get out of the headlock Hyunjin has him in, while Seungmin and you laugh in the background. These losers are your friends, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

“What’s the commotion?” It’s Minho. He narrows his eyes at Hyunjin, deciding that he’s the root of all evil. “20 minutes, 180 degrees. Are you messing with Jisung again?”

“No!” “Yes!”

Chaos erupts in the next few seconds, Hyunjin clambering to get to the other side of the classroom, while Minho follows his movements with a menacing gaze.

You catch Heather watching with a thoughtful look in her eyes. It makes you wonder if she’s just a lonely girl who wants to be loved.

Not that you care about her. She’s your rival. You can’t care if she doesn’t have any friends. It’s none of your business.

“We’re going to the café this evening,” You tell Heather. “Do you want to join us?”

It’s not out of pity that you’re asking her to come along with you and your friends. She’ll see how close your friend group is and it’ll intimidate her. Yep, that’s why. Ulterior motives only, no kind feelings here. Yeah.

Jisung meets your eyes and seems to get the message as he chimes in, "Yeah, you should come along! The more the merrier, after all."

Heather hesitates, glancing between you and Minho. Hyunjin appears at her side, wiping sweat away and sends her a smile with an encouraging nod. "Alright," she says. "If it's not a bother-"

"It's really not," Seungmin cuts in. "We're just hanging out, nothing special. Besides, if anyone's a bother, it's these guys." He accepts Minho's playful punch with a laugh, and sticks his tongue out at a scowling Hyunjin.

Even Heather can't help but smile.

♡ next episode

♡ season one guide

♡ please leave a comment, reblog with tags or send an ask to let me know what you think!!

#skz fic #skz fanfic #skz ff #lee know series #lee know fluff #lee know imagines #lee know scenarios #lee know drabble #stray kids fluff #stray kids fanfic #stray kids fic #stray kids ff #stray kids series #skz scenarios #skz series #skz imagines #skz fluff

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stayinzencity · 2 years

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Onew | 여우비 Highlight Clip #1

#the dudes:#onew♡#SHINee

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stayinzencity · 2 years

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check out the other works written for The BBH Day Event hosted by @supermwritersnet ♡

member: birthday boy baekhyun (yes he’s 29 now- it’s for the alliteration)

pairing: none

genre: humor (idk what else to call this)

word count: 1.3K

warnings: sehun doesn’t wear a seatbelt (car safety is important!!), kpop references galore, suspension of disbelief is required to read this, there is no actual plot

summary: baekhyun doesn’t remember what day it is. then he does. chaos ensues.

a/n: i sleep wrote half of this. idek what this is. please don’t take this too seriously.

He only has one eye open, his head propped up by his hand and it’s too early in the day for Baekhyun to be sure of anything, but he’s pretty sure he isn’t sitting with his friends.

Keep reading

#q: fine i'll do it myself #this is chaos this love <3

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stayinzencity · 2 years

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ONEW ✧ ‘WAY’ Interview ♡ ♡ ♡

#the dudes:#onew♡#SHINee

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stayinzencity · 2 years

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if you want me to consume a new media you MUST catch me at the exact moment when the stars are aligned and the air pressure is equal to the current degree of the sun’s peak against the horizon and all the cosmic energies are perfectly unified (aka my old interest is fading out) or i will nod and say “im adding that to my list!” Knowing theres no chance i will check it out

#and so the list grows...

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stayinzencity · 2 years

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― Emily Dickinson

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stayinzencity · 2 years

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this Jinki and this Kibum

#the dudes:#SHINee #key♡#onew♡

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stayinzencity · 2 years

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life is a movie, so write your script.

Established on April 1st 2022, this writing circle was created for creators by creators. Here, all forms of writing are welcome—poetry, novels, short stories, movie scripts, and everything in between. Although we are aware that most of the writers here write fanfiction, original works are more than welcome if you want to showcase your budding talents as an aspiring writer.

This blog will serve as a digital magazine, where members' works will be showcased and compiled into seasonal issues—both in print and online. Since this is a creative space built for writers to connect with others and gain inspiration, this space is solely dedicated to curating collaborations and events that depend on universal holidays and the changing of the seasons. Instead of using a tagging system, writers will have to submit their works as a member of this blog. However, if one wishes to have their works acknowledged, you are more than welcome to use the #indigoseasons tag.

For a basic head start, here are some common themes associated with the seasons—which may help you think of a work to write for our upcoming issues to come:

春 | Spring: Pure fluff, mostly romantic

夏 | Summer: Excitement, adrenalin-rushes, thrillers, college!tropes, some suggestive content

秋 | Autumn: Hurt/comfort, coming of age, slow burn, angst with a happy end, etc.

冬 | Winter: Pure angst, hurt, darker themes such as death and grief

rules

Writers must be 16+ to join this circle.

Always be kind and respectful to the entire community. For as long as you are associated with this circle, you technically represent us both in and out of indigo seasons. Admin Camille adheres to a strict zero tolerance policy, so that means if you either bully or harass the members and the staff, your membership will be revoked immediately and you will be banned from submitting works to the magazine.

To keep your membership in indigo seasons, you must participate in at least two of our seasonal issues. Say, if you want to write in the autumn/winter, then you have to submit at least one work in both issues.

When you submit your work, please write the appropriate content warnings, word count, and pairings.

All genres are welcome, but aforementioned, please label your works with the appropriate warnings.

If your work exceeds 0.5k, then please apply a keep reading cutoff in your work.

Plagiarism is unacceptable and evidence in doing so will result in an immediate termination of your membership.

You will know when you are accepted if you receive a private message or an ask from Admin Camille with a server link that directs you to the main Discord server that houses this cirlce.

answer: midnight

Ready to start your love story? Start here, you’re the main character now.

#i really like this !!#dear writers please do check this out !!

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stayinzencity · 2 years

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i have a heart, i swear i do

member: jennifer check/incubus! taeyong (feat. doyoung)

pairings: taeyong x reader, doyoung x reader (fem! reader insert)

genre/AU: horror, angst, a dash of fluff/comedy, love triangle, Jennifer's Body AU, idol AU

warnings: horror, suggestive, swearing, major character death, bullying, hate, unhealthy relationships, knives, violence, blood and injury, food and eating, smoking, unrequited love. mind the warnings. this is fiction.

synopsis: Taeyong used to destroy hearts, and now he devours them. Heartbreaker got a whole other level of meaning.

WC: 4.5K

collab: NCT Halloween (Monster AU) Collab hosted by @minimultiestfandoms

a/n: check out the teaser below for more info on Misfit (Taeyong, Doyoung and you) and City 127. not necessary to read though. happy halloween!!

Teaser (exclusive article on Misfit)

Prologue:

You walk down the aisle that’s nothing more than an old rug laid out in the lush green backyard of Taeyong’s house, not a hint of uncertainty as you gaze into the eyes of your soulmate.

Doyoung is five, Taeyong is six and maybe age doesn't matter at all. Not when you're playing pretend.

Doyoung kisses your cheek and lets you take your place. He moves to a corner and glowers at everyone- everyone being the audience of stuffed animals and dolls patiently waiting for the wedding to end, and the tea party to begin.

It’s typical of Mr. Grumpy who would come out victorious in a staring match with a chair. Doyoung spends most of his time frowning at, well, just about everything.

Taeyong is the exact opposite. He smiles, laughs and giggles all the time. He has a way of turning even the dullest of days into adventures. Sometimes he goes a little wild and lands your trio into trouble, though he almost always finds a way to get you out of it too.

You exchange flower rings with Taeyong, and quickly peck his lips. Doyoung nods and announces that the two of you are married. Tea time can commence.

The two boys may be as different as night and day however that never gets in the way of their friendship. They mean the world to you and they would do anything to keep you safe and happy, your sunshine and moonlight, and you would do the same for them.

Later that day the three of you sit under your favorite cherry tree. Taeyong carves a heart with your name and his inside. Doyoung draws another heart linked to the first with his name in it. Underneath you engrave Friends Forever.

Years later and the three of you haven't grown apart.

“You look like you want to eat him,” Doyoung comments as he drops into the seat next to you.

“I would.” Taeyong has his eyes on the boy and you know it’s time to give up on this one. It isn’t any fun once Taeyong steals someone away, only to leave them behind soon after. “You’re lying to yourself when you say you wouldn’t.”

“I didn’t say that though.” Neither you or Taeyong fail to hear the words Doyoung mutters and you share a smile.

Doyoung has evolved to the point where he could admit his desires, even if he’s yet to act on them. It’s a drastic change from how he used to be a year ago. Taeyong and you have been the bad influence he needed, and he's finally let himself linger close to the dark side.

People comment on how strange it is that Taeyong spends his time with Doyoung. They find you so forgettable that they don't even mention you.

It’s hard to abandon the friends from your early years if they are always around and all you've ever really known.

All three of you miss classes, though Doyoung is the only one who bothers with formalities like getting permission first, while Taeyong and you simply bunk class and sneak off.

"Kiss boys. Break hearts. Fuck life." Taeyong holds up his imaginary drink. You pretend to clink yours against it.

"Cheers."

Of course, you find Taeyong passionately making out with the boy later that day. When he meets your gaze without stopping his performance, you want to rip him apart. Instead you show him a finger. He responds by slipping his hand under the boy’s shirt and pulling him even closer. Fuck him.

“I’m prettier,” Doyoung says with a huff as he walks up to where you’re leaning against the tree. He takes his spot on the ground beside you and places his head in your lap. “And you’re the prettiest.”

You pat his hair. “Is baby jealous?” You smirk.

Doyoung snorts. “As if you aren’t.” He closes his eyes.

I. Taeyong's Body:

Everyone loves Taeyong- including Taeyong, especially Taeyong.

"With a face like mine," Taeyong smiles. "I deserve to be a star, don't you think?"

Doyoung says if people got to know Taeyong they'd not like him, and maybe it's true since the only friends he actually has are you and Doyoung.

Even Johnny didn't stick around and he was the closest Taeyong ever got to making a genuine friend besides you two, although Johnny continues to hang out with Taeyong enough for the publicity.

"Say you love me," Taeyong whispers when you lie next to him.

When you say you do, he smirks and turns away. You haven't heard him say that he loves you, and probably never will.

He has the face of an angel, but behind that lies a demon.

“Am I supposed to sell my soul so that the masses love me?” Taeyong asks. He empties the water bottle by pouring it over himself, then throws it straight into the trash can. “I mean if I were you I’d think about it.”

You ignore the jab.

Taeyong goes on about how you are a disappointment, a failure, a fucking waste of space. You tune out the rest of it.

Doyoung walks into the room, mumbling about something he’s seen on his phone.

Taeyong snatches Doyoung’s phone out of his hands, ignoring his protests. “The fucking hell?” Taeyong’s eyes light up with fury. He flings the phone out the window, and starts cackling. “If anyone needs to sleep their way to fame you know who it’d be." He points in your direction. "What a joke.”

With Doyoung mourning the loss of his phone, you’re the one who has to figure out what's up with Taeyong.

He’s being a colossal jerk with no regard for anyone else including his supposed best friend- and all that’s relatively normal these days. There’s still something off about him, and you’re determined to figure out what.

"I think something's wrong with Taeyong," Doyoung says one morning, about a week later.

"Obviously," you agree. "It's Taeyong."

"No, that's not what I mean." Doyoung waves his hands in the air as if that makes things clearer, when it actually does nothing to help. "Yeah, well, you weren't the one who walked in to find him shoving a cake into his mouth with his bare hands. Which wouldn't be scary if Jungwoo did it, since that happens every time there's a party- but this is Taeyong. Our Taeyong doesn't stuff food into his face with both his hands like a barbarian at two in the morning."

"Why were you up at two anyway?"

"Fuck, that's the least important thing that I've said. I'm almost always up around two. I have trouble sleeping."

"Oh. Maybe he's going through something too? Should we talk to him?"

"I guess. When I tried, he grinned at me with his mouthful of cake. I think I saw something dark oozing out of his mouth. But it wasn't a chocolate cake, was it? Might be imagining things." Doyoung rubs his forehead.

"You know what? I bet this is just the culmination of all your sleepless nights. You need sleep." And that's that.

Except that night you spot Taeyong devouring raw meat straight out of the freezer. You sprint to Doyoung's room and storm into the room.

"There's this thing called knocking, you know?" Doyoung's voice comes out muffled from where he's buried in his blankets. "Would be nice if you'd try it sometime?"

"Yeah, well. Taeyong being depressed or deranged isn't the problem here. For fuck's sake, he's demonic."

Doyoung’s head pokes out. "The hell are you on about? Demonic? Are you sure you're fine?"

You waste no time in narrating what you saw.

"Okay. So, eating things you're not supposed to be, well, that's called pica. Not sure if there's a cure though."

"Yeah whatever, professor.” You scoff. “That's helpful."

II. Interlude:

There have been a lot of things that had to be buried when it came to you three, especially Taeyong and you.

The rumors and scandals have gotten frequent enough that it’s turned into a running joke your fans like to call Misfit's ‘scandal of the week’.

Yours are mostly about who you might be dating, Taeyong's tend to involve City 127, the idol group he was almost apart of, and Doyoung gets caught smoking.

Your fans are quick to come to your defence. You are adults allowed to make your own choices and deal with the consequences- just because you’re an idol that shouldn't have to change.

For all the people that support you, there are those who spew words of hatred and venom which turn into shards sharp enough to pierce through your skin.

It isn’t doing anything besides making you feel worse, but you can’t keep from checking what people post about you. Their comments start getting to you when Taeyong interferes and pulls your phone out of your grip.

On the days when you bleed insecurity, Taeyong's arms hold you and his hands heal the invisible wounds. He keeps you distracted so that you forget about the terrible thoughts that creep around your mind.

Taeyong softens around you. Those little actions of his show that he does care about you, somewhere deep inside. When he playfully snatches your phone away after he notices you scrolling through and letting the hate get to you, not giving it back until he’s managed to drag you out of the spiral you'd been sinking into. When he pushes a plate of food he's prepared in your direction when you sit down for breakfast, and it’s your favourite made just the way you like it.

But then he does something that ruins it, and leaves you wondering why you even like him.

You’ve barely locked the door when the clearing of a throat draws your attention to the man seated on the couch.

"Back so late, huh? Let me guess- you were with Ten?"

He doesn't deserve an answer if he is going to be like that. You storm past him down the hallway and into the safety of your room.

"Sure. Hide away," he calls out. "Real mature."

You toss your clutch onto the bed, quickly changing into comfortable clothes and throwing the door open.

"It's none of your fucking business," you hiss. "You can't demand that I stay away from him."

"He's an asshole. Did he seduce you? Is that all it took to-"

"One, he's less of an asshole than you. Two, just because you have to seduce people to keep you company doesn't mean everyone does the same. Three, you're an asshole. Fuck you."

III. Taeyong's Body:

You aren’t unfamiliar with spilt blood. It isn't the first time you've driven a knife through a man.

But whatever's seeping out of Taeyong almost seems sentient- something stranger than anything you've ever seen before.

Yanking the blade out of his back, you let it drop from your hand as you back away from Taeyong who is grinning at you. A grin that once would have promised pleasure is now an omen, the promise being of pain.

You're a backstabber, literally, but Taeyong's a demon and that's the greater of evils. Sometimes you need to back off, and this is one of those moments.

Your adrenaline levels spike, heart thumping in your thorax, and you become more conscious of your breathing with each passing moment. Your feet won’t budge, frozen in place like they’re nailed to the floor.

The nerves- or perhaps it’s Taeyong’s doing- let go of you, and you stumble away to put a door between him and you.

"Save me," Taeyong gasps. "I don't want to die again."

You slam the door shut on his clawed hands. It won't stop him, not even do much to buy time really. Taeyong doesn't seem eager to attack you though, and that’s the reason you are alive- for now.

You pull Doyoung into an empty room and lock the door.

“Oh gods, what if you’re the killer? Is this how-” Your hand over Doyoung’s mouth halts the rambling.

"Taeyong's evil." You blurt it out before you realise the words are rolling off your tongue.

Doyoung nods slowly like he suspects this is a trick question, despite it being neither a trick nor a question. "Yeah." He rubs his chest which you pretty much headbutted.

"No. Like straight up demonic evil," you clarify. Not that it's helpful or believable. Then again, you've said stranger stuff before that Doyoung had no problem going along with. "He's possessed or some shit."

"Oh. Okay." Doyoung looks torn between disbelief and relief and horror. "There's something I need to tell you."

You wait for Doyoung to continue but he stays silent. You'd like to say you're patient, but you're really not. You clear your throat, prompting Doyoung to break out of the trance he seems trapped in.

"Well, give me a minute, alright? I saw things that I brushed off as nightmares and now I'm processing that all of it was real. Shit." Doyoung's nervous energy was peaking.

"Yeah. We're fucked."

"So Taeyong showed up one night covered in blood," Doyoung recounts. "And I don't think it was his, either? He looked perfectly fine the next morning so I assumed it was one of my nightmares-"

"You dream about Taeyong often?"

Your comment is ignored. "And he was puking this weird ass dark goo and it was gross and he slammed me against the wall and growled and leaned in close and-" Doyoung takes a breath. "Then he backed off. Left the building."

"Oh fuck. Doyoung, I'm sorry." You're glad it wasn't you. "How the hell did I sleep through that shit?"

"A marching band wouldn't wake you up- you're basically Sleeping Beauty who can't wake up until the curse is dispelled. Lucky you don't have to wait for a kiss when your alarm clock does the trick."

IV. Interlude:

"So," Doyoung starts slowly as if he’s thinking over what he's about to say and whether it's worth the potential punch he’s going to get. "How come you hang out with Ten?"

If Taeyong had asked the question, you'd have gotten defensive and it would have ended with you ignoring each other for half a day at the very least.

Except it's Doyoung.

"He's cool," you say. Not really an answer but open-ended questions allow for this kind of reply. It's not like you could be honest with Doyoung. Or maybe you could if you avoided specifics. "It turned out that we have common interests."

Doyoung hums. He's not entirely satisfied. However, he doesn't push further. Unlike Taeyong he respects boundaries.

It bothers you though, that he doesn't want to dig deeper and discover the truth you’re trying to hide.

"Ask me,” you say. “What's on your mind?"

"Why don't you ever take me along? I don't hear much about Ten from you. You don't have to tell me, of c-"

"It's one of those things where I'd probably have to kill you if I told you."

"You're an assassin? Don’t tell me you started a fight club?"

"First rule of fight club- don't talk about fight club. So yeah, I won't tell you I started a fight club."

You burst into giggles. Doyoung stares at you in disbelief, before a smile slowly forms on his face.

"You can have your secrets. Just know that I'm here whenever you need me."

"I know." You kiss his cheek. "Thank you. You're more than I deserve."

He swats at you, but he's also blushing and unable to meet your eyes. He's really not subtle. It's a little sad.

You can't force feelings that aren't there. It'd be perfect if you fell for Doyoung and left Taeyong, but life doesn't work that way and hence you’re trapped where you are.

V. Taeyong's Body:

"You're killing people?"

"No," Taeyong says. "I'm killing sasaengs. And it's for a good cause." He gestures to his face. "It's part of my new beauty routine."

You really don't know what to say to that. Doyoung doesn't either, if anything, he looks close to puking.

For once, Taeyong actually volunteers information and tells the two of you a bit about what happened to him. But he's Taeyong which means he finds pleasure in making you squirm, of course. Doyoung gets up and leaves midway, leaving you alone with the monster. Which is kind of shitty of him, but Doyoung's always been more of a scaredy-cat and you can't hold it against him.

You are three organisms in a symbiotic relationship- though Taeyong insists you are a parasite leeching off the success of him and Doyoung and your other acquaintances.

Yet it's Taeyong who needs the blood and flesh of others to survive, so who's the parasite now?

"It's still you," Taeyong says with a mouthful of, well, you don't want to know. "I'm a predator. Top of the food chain. You can't beat that."

Even predators get eaten up when they're dead and decaying though.

Taeyong's dead. And if he isn't consuming human flesh, he's decaying.

He isn't invincible. Nothing ever is. Taeyong is no exception.

Doyoung thinks that too. He also thinks a lot of things that are useless outside of his head, as far as you’re concerned. Like when says, "I guess he's like Dorian Gray except he has to feed on humans instead of a portrait absorbing all of his sins."

"Dorian who?"

"Oscar Wilde? The Picture of Dorian Gray?” Doyoung says it like it’s a crime not to know the Oscar guy. “We even had to read it for Literature class- oh right, never mind. You never bothered."

"Not everyone can be a goody two shoes, Doyoung."

"Please. You were a delinquent."

"You were boring. You only have one life. Live a little?"

"Some people have goals and want to be successful."

"Well look at us now. We have the same job. Congratulations,” you scoff. “What use is your degree now? I didn't even graduate high school."

"Well if this doesn't work out then I have a backup plan. Can you say the same?"

"Ugh. Stop saying things my parents would tell me. I hardly talk to them anymore for a reason." Your mood falls momentarily.

“Ok. I figured it out," Doyoung announces. "We’re stuck in a horror movie and Taeyong is the monster, I’m the protagonist and you’re the supporting character that dies halfway through.”

“Fuck you, Doyoung." You can't hold back your laughter. "That’s you.”

If Doyoung was the hero, could you be the love interest? You shouldn’t Doyoung or yourself hope, yet sometimes you let yourself wonder.

“You started smoking again?” You snatch the cigarette from Doyoung. “Even if it keeps Taeyong away, it’s still killing you.”

“I wasn’t using it as a Taeyong repellant.” He pauses and eyes the cigarette you're holding, probably trying to figure out how to get it back. “Though that does sound appealing now," he concedes. "If I have to choose my poison, I’ll take cancer over being brutally ripped apart to be devoured by a demon wearing my best friend’s face.”

You put out the cigarette and pull Doyoung close. You lean near enough to whisper in his ear, then you turn so that your lips brush against his jaw.

Doyoung shifts so that his lips hover over yours. He doesn't go further than that. Where Taeyong does whatever he wants, Doyoung waits for things to fall into place.

It's tempting, being so close.

You move away, taking a moment to catch your breath. “Stop smoking,” you call before pushing Doyoung aside to go back inside.

Smoke isn't enough to keep Doyoung safe from Taeyong.

VI. Interlude:

Arguments with Doyoung are usually over Taeyong. There's a bitterness you can't wash away no matter how hard you try.

“We already got married when we were like six.” You groan into your pillow. “And you two exchanged rings ages ago. Why are we arguing over this?”

“This isn’t an argument! That’s not what I meant.” Doyoung runs a hand through his hair in frustration. “It’s just that we, you and me, never did anything special. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m sorry.”

You roll onto your back. “Hey, come here.” Doyoung climbs onto the bed, and you pull him onto you. “What we have is special, and it always will be. You know what Taeyong is like. He might go easy on you, but he’ll destroy me. He already does.”

“He’s a fucking asshole. You deserve better.”

“He’s your fucking best friend! It’s not like you tried to stop him.”

“You think he listens to me? You were his best friend too and look what happened. He’s a selfish bastard.” Doyoung's voice rises, and suddenly he's choking on tears. "I can't pretend anymore. It bothers me more than you realise. I-"

"It's between me and Taeyong. You've stayed out of the way all this time. Keep looking away, acting like nothing is wrong. That's all you have to do." You huff and move towards the door. "Perform."

"Wait," Doyoung calls weakly. "I love- I'm in love with you."

You don't stop walking away, though it makes you falter. "I know," you whisper. "I'm sorry. You're the prettiest," you laugh through the tears. "It's just-"

"You don't love me."

"No," you insist. "You mean so much to me. I love you, but my feelings aren't the same as yours."

If you could stay and say what Doyoung desperately hopes for, you would. But you can't bring yourself to lie to him anymore than you already do. He deserves that much.

VII. Taeyong's Body:

Ten is still asleep when you step out of the bedroom. Barely a moment after you leave the room you find yourself shoved against the wall with a hand closing around your neck.

“Are you having fun without me?”

"No one could replace you," you gasp when he loosens his grip. "Not even Doyoung."

Doyoung. You miss Doyoung.

"Wow. You've come a long way for sure. Lying to my face. How bold of you." The hand tightens, leaving you struggling to breathe as Taeyong watches with a grin. “I could snap your neck now, but that wouldn’t be fun, would it? Ah, I’m hung-”

You drive the blade into him, however he's fast enough for it to miss its mark. It's left sticking out of his shoulder.

"Ouch." Taeyong winces as he yanks out the knife, dragging it out to mock you. The wound doesn't take long to heal itself. "Well that hurt. Looks like our friendship isn't going to work out after all. I hope you're ready to be torn to bits. I'll swallow you and regurgitate you. Surely my stomach can't handle something as disgusting as you."

"Nice to see you're still a dick."

"A dick you love, darling. Weren't you in the middle of confessing your undying love for me a minute ago?" Taeyong flashes his teeth. "You're such a masochist. Guess we're lucky that I love to see you suffer. Although I think I've let you live too long already. It'll be nice to finally get some rest, hmm? Enjoy your last breaths, bitch."

"Undying love is going to be dead love soon."

"Too late. I'm already dead."

"Undead, actually. But you won't be for much longer."

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do? Bore me out of existence." Taeyong rolls his eyes. "Seeing as you're no good with a kni-"

Taeyong peers down to see the stake sticking out of his chest. “Ouch.” This time it's gone straight through his heart. Even a hydra has a limit when it comes to regeneration. Taeyong's Achilles heel happens to be his heart.

As the life- or whatever was animating him- left Taeyong, he reaches a hand to caress your cheek. You could have flinched away, maybe you should have, yet you didn't.

"I love you," Taeyong rasps. "Forever."

He traces a heart on your cheek. You grab onto his hand as it drops. Cold and limp it may be, but it's the hand that held onto yours through the good and the bad and the worse.

Sandbox love never really dies.

"As much as I support young love with all its flaws and faults," Ten drawls. "I think someone called the cops with all the ruckus you made. We're short on time, sweetie. You can meet him in hell or when you reincarnate or whatever."

You're not sure if you feel relieved, enraged or disappointed that you weren't the one to put an end to the terror that was Taeyong. Ten's right, there'll be time to think later.

The sound of sirens in the distance is your cue to leave.

Epilogue:

Doyoung slowly pushed open the door and stepped into the flat. It was unnaturally quiet, besides the sound of steady dripping.

It had to be a faucet that someone forgot to close properly. Doyoung didn’t want to think about the alternatives.

That's probably when Doyoung should have walked away. Fled out of the house and never looked back. Maybe then things would have ended up differently.

Taeyong wasn’t supposed to survive and limp home, but he did.

Doyoung screams and writhes in pain. Your head is pounding, your sight fading and you’re left gasping for air. Taeyong cackles and watches the two of you suffer with glee, before he goes out to feast on unsuspecting souls.

“He bit me,” Doyoung whispers in horror. He tries to grab the knife but you get to it first. “You need to kill me. I can’t turn into a monster.”

“We don’t know that yet.. You’re still alive. It isn’t the sa-”

“That’s the thing. What if-“

“No.” You don’t want to consider the possibility that Doyoung has died. But you’d believed it until he’d gotten back up.

You’ve already lost Taeyong. You can’t lose Doyoung as well.

If you could go back in time to the days when you didn’t know bloodlust and Taeyong’s heart hadn’t been ripped out and Doyoung hadn’t gotten caught in it all, you’d keep resetting until all three of you got out intact.

You'd been scratched however there haven't been any changes since then.

It’s possible it was like a disease where the symptoms hadn't showed up yet, and will appear later. Or perhaps you have a natural resistance to demonic possession, if that’s even possible. It is unlikely you’re that fortunate though, so you assume it’s the former and you'll show changes any day now.

It’s not fair if Doyoung succumbed to it, yet you survive.

Life’s not fair.

You are in love with Taeyong.

Doyoung is in love with you.

Taeyong is in love with himself.

News articles pinned on the rotting wall of a musty, old room in a broken down house:

Yuta's gruesome death at the hands of the Idol Killer

City 127's Johnny: the Idol Killer's next victim

Misfit and its miserable end

What really happened to Misfit?

Misfit- 2 dead, 1 missing

Kim Doyoung's corpse goes missing

Violent deaths, vanishing bodies- what's next?

City 127 disbands

Taeyong sightings- hoax or haunting?

To this day, no one's sure what truly happened with Misfit and how they met their mysterious end.

#q: fine i'll do it myself #this seems to be the one people like the most #or the one they stumble upon most #hard to tell with just likes...#anyways. i barely had time to edit this back then. but it was fun creating this world and story.

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stayinzencity · 2 years

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do u guys listen to music in languages that aren’t your first language . and if so what languages

#hindi. spanish. japanese. korean.#and a few other languages but not as much

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stayinzencity · 2 years

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put “top 5” anything in my ask and i will answer ok go

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stayinzencity · 2 years

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Title: 두근두근 인도 (Fluttering India) The Sequel

Genre/AU: comedy, travel au, non idol au

Member: SHINee’s Choi Minho

Pairing: none

Destination: India

Warnings: mentions of food, alcohol

Arrival Date: July 23 2021

Word Count: 1.5K

Summary: Minho starts in Chennai with a friend and ends up in Pondy alone.

Event: Around The World in 31 Days

Taglist: @sooibian @mother-hyucker @supermwritersnet

A/N: This is the last fic I finished before going on hiatus, and I apologise for it being rushed. I owe it to @taemin-jaemin for motivating me to finish this :') It was fun :D I'd apologise for the ending but I feel no remorse. If someone wants me to write more in this au I just might do it one day! I didn't have time to edit this properly so if you spot anything do let me know!

Crashing a wedding is not the best idea when you're on vacation (or ever really), especially when it's inspired by a Bollywood movie like 3 Idiots. 3 Idiots may be an improvement to Chetan Bhagat's Five Point Someone, but it's a form of entertainment- not an example to follow.

Coming back to the wedding crashing bit- that leads to how Choi Minho found himself separated from his friends in a land he doesn't know the language of.

No, seriously. He saw the local Indian language that he couldn't remember the name of- it wasn't Hindi, he thinks, and English that wasn't English but actually French- maybe he's a little drunk, and a lot confused.

It's a bad idea to have no idea what the names are of the places you're travelling to. Names are hard though especially when you don’t know the language. Google Maps can only get you so far- sometimes helpful, sometimes… not. After all, you cannot turn right and drive into a textiles shop.

Luckily, Minho was not driving. He was drunk, after all. Plus, he didn't have a license here. Unluckily, Minho had neither his phone nor any idea where he was walking.

Here's a tip: when you hand your phone to someone else to take a picture or you with the delicious food in front of you, make sure you get it back before you escape the angry wedding mob- who were actually excited to see foreigners and fighting over whose side, the bride or the groom, they came for (food, Minho was there for the food, he can't speak for the rest) but Minho was unaware of that-

Another tip for another time: avoid travelling with a troublemaker. Blasting Troublemaker at full volume on the highway though, well, that's another story, or another part of this story that we may or may not get to.

Let's rewind a bit… our story starts when Minho walks out of the Chennai International Airport. An auto, two buses and a train later, Minho finds himself in front of what he hopes is his friend's home.

The friend had insisted on Minho experiencing public transport and had provided detailed directions, the least he could do, instead of picking him up from the airport. It was crowded, noisy and exhausting, as traffic tends to be, though with India's hefty population it was worse than he was used to.

The door opened, revealing Subramanian Venkatamoorthy Shakthivel AKA Subu AKA Mani (but only Subu's mother and family elders ever called him that), who'd invited Minho to visit in the first place. "Welcome to Tamil Nadu!" Subu said, ushering Minho inside. "You have today before we head to Pondy, so enjoy your time here!"

“Namaste,” Minho started before Subu held up a hand and told him to instead say, “Vanakkam.” Because not everyone speaks Hindi, especially in the south, although as Subu said, “No one’s going to blame you for it, but I just wanted to tell you. Never mind. You’ll be fine.”

And in those twenty-four hours Minho did a lot of things- he slept for half the duration- however it was the homemade food that he enjoyed the most. Crispy, round, ghee roast dosa with hot sambhar and a variety of chutneys- a must try in this part of the world. There's also biryani, payasam, parotta, appam, idiyappam, vada, pongal, puttu with kadala, khichdi and so much more worth trying- however Minho is not a bottomless pit even if he tries to convince you otherwise so we are keeping it simple.

Truth is, they didn’t do much that day. They could have visited some of the many tourist friendly places in and around Chennai. Instead Subu went grocery shopping with Minho tagging along because he had nothing better to do. Minho thought they might visit the bustling open street markets but they just rode the old TVS motorbike to a nearby supermarket. Minho used the opportunity to observe the products sold and compare the rates. Minho might have lingered in the sweets, snacks and savories aisle until he was dragged away.

Once they got home, Minho was asked if he’d like to try biryani. And so they ordered biryani, tandoori chicken, chicken 65, paneer butter masala and roti. You can’t always cook at home, of course. The bachelor life involves a significant amount of ordering food.

After dinner, they went up to the roof terrace and talked for a bit, catching up and rambling about random topics.

“The Hallyu wave, man! Before there was just the occasional kpop or kdrama fan but now quite a few of my friends are obsessed.” Subu chuckled and admitted, “I’m a fan of Stray Kids myself.”

This made Minho think of how he almost auditioned once, and wonder if he’d be an idol in an alternate universe. That would be something. But we shall not dwell on that.

Later they listened to music, and Minho learnt what kuthu is, how to wear a lungi and dance to the energetic beats, clapping and whistling.

“If you ever visit again, we’ll take a trip to my native village. The festivals are something else. I know you might not understand what they say but the street plays and dances are cool! I’m definitely taking you there one day,” Subu insisted.

The next morning, Minho walked into the dining room to find a plate of white, round idlls. They were soft but a little bland, though they tasted fine when dipped in chutney and sambar.

Subu walked in with a pair of keys dangling from his finger. "Let's go. Time for a road trip. We have to pick up a few people on the way, so get your stuff and meet me outside."

The few people turned out to be Johnny Suh, Kim Junmyeon and Diya Kumar- old friends from college.

They stopped for a snack break, during which Minho was almost challenged to an eat-off. But Diya said no, and one cannot say no to Diya. Competition cancelled.

When Diya and Junmyeon split from the group- for reasons they didn't explain that the rest didn't care to know- they were left with no voice of reason.

Sure, Johnny could be reasonable. And Johnny could just as easily drive off, leaving you stranded in the middle of a parking lot in a city you couldn't navigate. At least Johnny wasn't the one in charge of the car.

Subu wasn't much better, although in his case he didn't mean to abandon Minho. Not intentionally this time.

For Subu, this whole trip had been a cover to come to his ex's wedding.

It wasn't like he wanted to watch his former boyfriend tie the knot.

But... an invitation with his name had arrived by mail. Which meant, technically, he wasn't crashing the wedding. Well, except for the fact that there was a note from the groom's parents lying crumpled at the bottom of a trash bin that told Subu to stay far away that day and forever after.

Subu had the shreds of the invitation in his pocket and an envelope that wasn't empty. It was easier pretending they were crashing the wedding than narrating the whole tale and answering the questions that arose though, so Subu didn't correct his friends' assumption. He'd tell them the truth eventually.

Minho was the one who'd recalled the 3 Idiots scene, unintentionally giving Subu an excuse to walk into the marriage hall. Johnny had shrugged and followed. This was not what Minho had intended on happening, but life goes as life does.

As they walked into the wedding hall Minho turned his smile on, an aggressively calm smile that made babies laugh while keeping people from staring at him for long.

Although Minho had thought Subu had run after being spotted by people who didn't recognize him, it was actually because he had been recognized. By the groom. And it was awkward. And Subu wanted to cry. And maybe he wasn't over him yet.

If this was a Bollywood movie, this would have been the scene where Subu would have stopped the marriage and ran away with the groom. They would have had their own little wedding ceremony with the matching rings they'd bought and live happily ever after with their pets.

Unfortunately, real life is not a replica of reel life. If Subu's ex could have been convinced, they wouldn't be here at all, so there wasn't anything Subu could do. Subu knew he'd burst into tears if he stayed any longer. He hurried out, frantically searching for his friends and dragging away Johnny who was busy filming Minho eating- which wasn't that weird, the wedding videographer was also recording the guests enjoying their dinner.

Anyways, Minho had been a little too occupied with his food to notice his friends had fled. Then when he tried to catch up, Johnny had pretended not to see Minho running after them as Subu took off. Minho honestly had no idea what he'd done to deserve this.

Was he the one who wanted to go to the wedding they weren't even invited to? No. Was he the one who got left behind when his friends made their escape? Yes.

For all their nagging, at least Diya and Junmyeon wouldn't ditch him on a cold Sunday night. Actually strike that. They'd ditched the group on a Sunday afternoon. It was for yoga classes, not that it'd make much of a difference to Minho even if he knew.

The tale of how Minho found his friends again, as interesting as it might be, is for another day. We have now run out of time and must cut this story short. Bye, have a nice day!

#q: fine i'll do it myself #ok i actually got attached to subu T-T #choi minho choi minho choi minho #dibidibidis minho

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