#but why are they all so depressed i thought yunho said something about the song being a bit like utopia

[hwanchaesong]

ATEEZ K-DRAMA AU!

Hongjoong X Reader Hi Bye Mama AU!

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Crack, Fantasy

Word Count: 32.1k

Release: 03/18/2022

warnings: mentions of death, trauma, depression, alcohol, cursing, character's ages depend on their roles, tell me if I missed some

Synopsis: It was never his plan to fall in love for creating music was all he cared for, not until you came in his life. You became his muse, his world, his everything, yet Kim Hongjoong wasn't there when you needed him the most. He lost you just like that, and left him with your child. Few years passed and he got remarried, but what will happen if you suddenly came back from the dead?

🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

Love is something that you don't find, it comes to you naturally. It creeps up behind you like a shadow and shows itself in the form of a soulmate.

"Come on Hongjoong! Don't be such a party pooper!" Park Seonghwa dragged his friend out of his room despite his protests. "No! I have to finish the song tonight so that I can work on an another one tomorrow," Kim Hongjoong glared at the man who keeps on whining like a child at him "we enrolled in college to study, not to party."

Hongjoong tried releasing himself from the other man's hold but he just had to be taller and stronger than him. Seonghwa rolled his eyes because of how damn stubborn his small friend is "First off, it's not a party. It's a gathering," a doubtful look crossed Hongjoong's face "second, I don't want to go alone and I want you to meet my other friends as well."

Okay, that's new.

"You have other friends than me?" he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at his friend's revelation. "Do you speak casually with them?"

"Now you're jealous? Is it my fault that you're always locked up in your room?" an exasperated sigh came out of Seonghwa's lips "To give you a reason, I just met them because they gave me food. They said that they made too much and who am I to refuse free food?"

"Fine, I'll go with you and meet these 'new friends' of yours." Hongjoong feels threatened that someone might steal his one and only friend.

Sometimes, you make impulsive decisions that make the timer starts ticking. Hours and miles, everything counts, every option that you choose creates a pathway to your fate.

Hongjoong immediately felt regret, the inside of the building is cramped, hot, and noisy. God, he hates things like this. It's just a baseball game, why is this even a big deal? He's judging towards the people was cut short when he heard Seonghwa yell "There they are! Hey Jongho! Yunho!" he groaned when his friend waves his hands in the air like those tube man in front of malls.

The two weaved their way into a table in the corner, he saw two men who look like twins, though their heights aren't even close to being the same.

Then he saw you, sitting in the booth, smiling and having the time of your life. When you made eye contact with him, everything around him became quiet, time slowing and people blurring. In the center of it all, you are the only thing that he sees. He doesn't understand why, but the magnetic feeling of your clear eyes and bright smile towards him make his knees weak.

At the epilogue of the journey, when the red string's other end can finally be seen by the naked eye, a new treasure hunt will begin again.

Hongjoong's starting to think that you did some kind of witchcraft on him. Ever since he met you that night, his mind has been plague by you like a virus, except for the fact that he's more than willing to accept this fever. Scratch that dramatic, emo song that he's making. He'll make a new one right now, yes, a new one that contains his feelings and thoughts about you. Then he'll give you the song just so you could hear how much you annoy the hell out of him.

When all the puzzle pieces have come together, you'll see the bigger picture. And when you did, you'll realize that the word 'I' has already became an 'Us.'

"Will you please criticize my songs for a lifetime?" Hongjoong got on his one knee and brought out a velvet red box, upon opening, it contains a pretty gold ring with a shining topaz on its top.

"You are my muse, the inspiration to my lyrics and the motivation to my melodies. I never really thought of myself as a person who would settle down, but then I met you. The person that I want to grow old and have a family with. You made me a better person with your love. So, will you please marry me?"

Hongjoong feels like killing himself, he can't breathe, his eyes are getting glossy, and his hands are shaking so much that he thinks it might cause an earthquake. Damn right, he is making an earthquake in your heart. You can't believe that the love of your life is proposing to you right now. And who are you to reject him when all you ever wanted to do the first time you met him was to keep him by your side at all times.

"Yes, Hongjoong. Yes, I will marry you!" you said, crying and smiling widely your cheeks started to hurt, but you didn't care. All you can think of is your now fiance's arms around you and his lips on yours.

Making your way towards an eternal sunshine is not easy, but when you have your true love with you, everything will be easier.

"Pft, cry? Me? No way!" that was the statement that Hongjoong's been holding onto when he heard the wedding march play. It's like he's proposing to you all over again, but make it ten times worse. When the doors of the church opened, you stood there in all your gracefulness.

He thinks you're pretty, he always had even when your eyebags are too dark or when your hair is like a bird's nest when you just woke up. But today, he thinks you're a goddess, and he's a mortal being blessed with your presence.

Alright, he'll just cry. Whatever. He'll just take all the bullshit that Seonghwa, Yunho, and Jongho will spew towards him after this. All that matters is that this period is your happiest and most memorable day. You'll be his, and he'll be yours. Not even death can do the two of you apart.

Darkness will always follow the light, pain will always intertwine with happiness. Fate has always been like that, unforgiving yet compassionate.

"Heejoong, no! Don't touch that! That's dangerous for you!" you scolded the 5 year old who is trying to touch the extension on the floor that got wet because of the spilled water. You tried to carry the child away from danger, but before you can do that, someone beat you to it. "You should've called me Heejoong, what if something happened to you? Do you want mommy to get mad?" a woman, a bit younger than you talked to the child and held him in her arms.

'Oh right, nobody can see, hear or touch me.' you thought, staring at the pair.

Of course, no one would be able to do that, you are a ghost for goodness sake. You shook your head and went over to the woman, "Hey! You should always look out for Heejoong. Be more careful!" you still felt like telling her that despite knowing that she wouldn't hear you. You watched as the woman tied the laces of Heejoong's shoes, seems like they are getting ready to go to school. And you should be getting ready for your mission as well.

You rushed to the door to bid the two goodbye, telling them to take care and come back home safe.

"Alright shorty, show yourself." just as you said that, even if the 'shorty' still haven't made an appearance, he definitely made his presence known by speaking in a furious tone "I. Am. Not. Short."

"Don't be too upset Wooyoung," you chuckled lightly and faced him "you know I don't mean it." the man is now standing in front of you, in all of his angry glory for being called short. "Maybe if you stopped calling me that, then I would gladly do what you want me to do."

"Oh? Is that true? Well then, I would stop calling you short from now on," you stepped a bit closer to him and his face scrunched in confusion "now will you please leave this place?" Wooyoung can't help but scoff at that "Y/N, you know the reason why I can't leave this place. This is my home too!"

You sat on the floor cross-legged and sighed. "Mingi said that if you kept staying here, sooner or later, your energy will be passed to my baby Heejoong and would start seeing ghosts as well!" you looked at him with puppy eyes and a pout, doing your best to look convincing "I don't want him to be a shaman when he grows up!"

Wooyoung stayed silent, but he was looking at you like you've grown three heads. It's kind of unnerving to be honest "Y/N," he spoke in a serious tone "you do realize that you are a ghost as well right?"

"Crap."

You immediately face-palmed as the realization hits. "You have been around Heejoong even before me," Wooyoung continued "the 'energy' that Mingi was talking about. You probably passed like 80% to your lovely baby." He continued talking absentmindedly, but what he said next made you shoot up to your seat and immediately ran over to Heejoong's daycare.

"He might be seeing ghosts all along but chooses not to acknowledge them."

When you arrived at the daycare, you were panting like crazy. "This is so annoying," you said, catching your breath as you walked around trying to find Heejoong, "why do ghosts even get tired. It's not like our hearts are beating." Standing in front of Heejoong's classroom, you tried to get a glimpse of him but failed.

You were about to look for him again when you heard a group of teachers talking in a panicked voice, "Heejoong is gone. We can't find him anywhere!" The one that seems like the principal of the daycare spoke, "Calm down everybody. Let's split up and look for him." The gnawing feeling in your stomach made you nauseous. You can't help but feel like something wrong is happening.

Suddenly, you heard a little boy's laugh. In the peripheral vision of your eye, you saw a small shadow running back and forth from room to room. You instantly knew that the child is a ghost, especially when you saw the child's body pass through walls.

"Hey!" you yelled, trying to get the ghost child's attention. The little boy stopped in its tracks, "Do you know where Heejoong is?" you asked, carefully walking towards him. The child just smiled, then he continued running. "Wait!" you ran after the child when you passed by the school kitchen. There you saw Heejoong in the freezer, "Heejoong!" you yelled while coming closer to him.

His lips and skin are pale and his breathing is shallow "Wake up, Heejoong! Anyone! Is anyone there?! Help!" You are now crying at this point. You don't know what to do, you can't touch him and no one can hear you. "No, no, please just hang in there baby." You are shaking too much, scared of what might happen to Heejoong. "Anyone out there please help us!"

You looked around the kitchen and you saw the ghost child near the door. He was smiling while staring at Heejoong. It's like he finally found him after a game of hide and seek. "You-!" you were cut off when one of the teachers bursts into the room.

"I found him!"

Heejoong was brought to the hospital, while you followed them all the way. "Do something! He might die!" you can't control your sobs as you watch the doctors tend to the child. When suddenly the lady from this morning enters the room, together with him, Kim Hongjoong.

"What happened?!" Hongjoong asked the teachers who brought Heejoong to the hospital. "We are so sorry Mr. Kim. We really are keeping an eye on our students, it's just that we looked away for a few seconds and then suddenly Heejoong was gone." Hongjoong was mad, seeing his child in the brink of death.

"Oppa, please calm down. It wasn't entirely their fault," the lady held Hongjoong's arm "I should've been more careful as well." He stared at his wife, Minhee, as she looks at him with teary eyes. The man just sighed and massaged his temples while one of the teachers spoke once again "We promise you that this will not happen again. We are really sorry for this incident."

You watched the scene unfold in front of you before ultimately deciding to leave the room. You felt like you didn't belong there. Seeing the pair, the husband and wife, together with their child- "No, Y/N, why are you even thinking of that," you took a deep breath to calm yourself down "I have more important things to do."

You sprinted your way into the shrine, the place where you can talk to the shaman that helps the ghosts in your area.

Today's incident made you realize that indeed, Heejoong can see ghosts. Your theory is that Heejoong saw the ghost child and played with him, that is why he ended up in the freezer. With a new find purpose in life.. ghost life, you are now determined to make things right.

"Song Mingi!" you yelled while loudly opening the doors of the shrine. "What the fu-!" You held your palm up and shushed the man before he can even finish his sentence, "How many times do I have to tell you not to cuss."

You saw him hold up a red piece of paper in his mouth, then you felt something wet in your palm. Did he really used a charm just to lick and make contact with you?

"You disgusting shi-" he cut you off this time, "I thought no cussing is allowed here?" You looked at him, thinking of ways on how you can touch him so that you can smack him. "What brings you here? I need my alone time as well you know?" he said while laughing at your expression.

"Oh yeah," you moved to sit next to him "can you please go to Heejoong's home and school and do your magic? So that no ghosts can come near him anymore." you said, while looking at him with puppy eyes. He looked at you with a smile then proceeded to throw a red bean right in your forehead. "You know I can't do that unless the ghosts are wreaking havoc in there."

"First, that hurt you jerk." he chuckled at your statement. "Second, they ARE wreaking havoc in there!" You stood up in front of Mingi "Did you you know that Heejoong was sent to the hospital today, he almost died because of hypothermia!"

Mingi looked at you with a serious face "A ghost child caused it, he was lurking in the daycare and Heejoong played with him. That is why my precious baby got stuck in the freezer!"

Mingi sighed, he is in a deep predicament right now. He really can't just make ghosts leave a place that they are attached with.

"Y/N It's not that easy, especially when the ghosts are in there for a purpose." you gulped, knowing where he was going with this conversation "YOU yourself lingers around Heejoong, you have been with him ever since he was a baby," he hesitated to continue the last words of his sentences as he saw the look of guilt in your face.

"I know, it's my fault. I am the real reason as to why he can see ghosts," you sniffed, holding back the tears "that is why I am doing what I can to make it stop."

Mingi looked at you sympathetically, "It's just that, I can't do much. Not when I am like THIS. I don't understand why the Gods decided to take me. I haven't had the chance to hold my own child. I never get to raise my child with my husband. I-" you took a deep breath, trying not have a breakdown right now.

"Y/N, you know it's not the Gods fault-"

"Yes it is!" you yelled "If it wasn't for them, if they are not jerks then they wouldn't do this!" Mingi tried to calm you down, because clearly you aren't thinking straight anymore. He is getting anxious because you are directly badmouthing the Gods, inside the shrine.

"Y/N please, calm down, saying things like that wouldn't do you any good."

You know that Mingi's right, you aren't making any sense right now. But you are just so full of sadness and guilt that you don't really have the time to think about the consequences of your actions. You suddenly ran outside, startling the poor boy who just wanted to make you see things in a rational way.

You ran and ran, far away from the shrine. You need go anywhere, somewhere, away from the Gods. Like a drama scene, you tripped and kissed the floor. At that moment the sky rumbled, and droplets of water rained down upon you. It was weird, rain in the middle of winter, but you couldn't care less.

That did nothing to dissipate your anger, "Oh wow, now you are reminding me that I cannot escape the fate that you gave me?" you scoffed, thinking that it rained because the 'Gods' are crying with you.

"I don't need your pity! I hate you! I hate you all so much! You-" you can't help the sobs that escaped from your mouth "you stupid, dumbass, idiot Gods! You took everything away from me. And now even after death you are still making me suffer! Just how worse can you get?!"

Tears and raindrops are streaming down your face while the rumbling thunder served as a source of light. You yelled while looking at the sky, berating the Gods and their unfair ways of treating you humans.

You didn't get to do that for long, too tired and emotionally drained to continue your tantrum. You decided to stop and walk away from the park, wanting to go back at the columbarium and rest. Soon, you arrived at the shopping area, looking around the place and thinking that it's too lively. When suddenly a man bumped into you, "I'm sorr-"

'Wait. He bumped into me?'

You gripped the man's arm before he can walk away from you.

'I can touch him!'

"Excuse me sir, but, can you see me?" you asked the man, and he looked at you weirdly, probably thinking as to why this lady is acting like nobody has seen her for ages, which is exactly the case.

The man decided to answer for the sake of his arm that you are still gripping tightly, "Yes, yes. I do. I can see you, so can you please let me go?" Finally releasing the man, he scurried away from you so fast. You stood still in your spot, dumbfounded. You looked at your hands, millions of questions are running on your mind, what is happening?

When you looked up, your made eye contact with a certain someone. Hongjoong, carrying Heejoong in his arms while his wife walks beside him. He was staring directly at you. His expression was a mixture of confusion and shock. It's like he is seeing a ghost. He walked past you, but the two of you never broke eye contact.

"Oppa? What are you looking at?" Minhee asked him, breaking him out of his trance. "What? Nothing! It's just that, I think I saw someone that I know." he said while trying to make sense of what he just saw.

"Minhee, do you believe in doppelgangers? Where an another person looks exactly like someone that you know?" he asked his wife, who just looks at him, trying to figure out if he's okay.

"Well, yes. Things like that happen once in a while." Hongjoong sighed in relief, "Yeah, yeah that's right." he looked back again trying to see you once again, but you were nowhere to be found. Maybe today's event took a toll on his mental state. Yeah, he's just hallucinating.

As for you, the moment you realized that you made direct eye contact with Hongjoong, you escaped the scene. You need to go back to the shrine and asked Mingi what on earth is happening before you jump into conclusions.

Like a rewind this morning, you opened the door of the shrine while loudly yelling for Mingi.

"Oh God-" you heard shrieks and something that is akin to someone falling down "Y/N? Girl, you scared the hell out of us!" You looked to your left and saw five boys, looking so happy to see you.

"I'm sorry to scare you like that, Beomgyu, but I'm on a hurry right now. Have you seen Mingi?" before the boy can respond, someone came inside the room and the five boys immediately jumped at the poor creature who just entered.

"Mingi! Feed us!"

"Tell our friends and family to give us something good, please!"

"Make them bring chicken, goodness, I am getting sick of breads and fruits."

The man rolled his eyes, "I just got here and this is how you greet me?"

"But we can't touch you, even if we want to kiss you, we can't exactly do that." the youngest among the five retorted.

"Will you give me some space or else I will-" at that moment he made eye contact with you, and he immediately felt like something was off.

"Notice me! The legendary Choi Yeonjun is talking to you so be grateful," the boy stopped talking, noticing that Mingi was staring at you "what? is something wrong with Y/N?"

Mingi snapped out of his trance when he heard your name being uttered by Yeonjun "No! None. Nothing, okay. All of you go out!" pushing the boys out of the shrine by using his bell. "No need to be violent!" the smallest among them whines "just promise us that you will relay our messages to our loved ones."

"Yes, Taehyun, I will. Now out!"

When the boys are finally gone, Mingi faced you with an unreadable expression on his face "What did you do?" You gulped, not used to his tone "Nothing?" His brows knotted together and you can't help but feel intimidated.

"Well, first, I cursed the Gods." Mingi's expression morphed into shock "What?!" before he can say anything else you continued "then this one guy bumped into me. I asked him if he can see me, he said yes and clearly he can also hear me." you said in one breath, avoiding eye contact with Mingi as well.

Few seconds passed and you hear nothing from his side, and you made the mistake of looking up. Mingi's face is something that you could never paint. He skin turned pale, mouth agape, and his eyes look like it's gonna pop out of his skull.

He ran towards you like how a predator approaches its prey. You tried to back off but he was too fast, he held your arms, touched your face, even going as far as tugging your hair.

"Stop! That hurts!" you said, getting annoyed at his antics. "Oh. My. Lord. God. You're human again?!" he said, not believing what is happening.

"Why? How? Is this some kind of punishment? Because you had the guts to talk shit the Gods?" you went to Mingi and held his face, wanting to stop his rambling.

"Mingi, I don't know what is happening and I certainly don't know the reason for this," you smiled at him "but I will take this as a miracle. Maybe the Gods gave me a chance to live again, so that I can correct my mistake."

Mingi took deep breaths, collecting himself before speaking "I don't know how on earth are you so calm about this" he held your hands and reciprocated your smile "for now, go somewhere where you can rest and eat. I will do my best to communicate with the heavens so that I can get answers to our questions."

You are grateful to Mingi, knowing that he will not stop his rituals until the situation is clear. But you are not grateful for his advice of you going somewhere to rest and eat, because now you realize that you don't have anywhere to go to. You wanted to go back to the columbarium, but then you remembered Mingi's words before you left the shrine.

"Y/N, don't go back to columbarium at all cost. Don't show yourself to the ghosts around here. Even if you know them, even if they try to get your attention, ignore them."

You were about to ask him why but he beat you to it "If they learned what happened, they might try and do what you did. And we don't want that. The line between life and death is messed up already, we don't want to go beyond that or else something irrevocable might happen."

Stopping in front of a glass wall, there it was, your reflection. The evidence that you are alive once again. Now that reality's hitting you hard, you smiled. There's this feeling of happiness within you, knowing that you can do the things that you used to do before you died. So that is exactly what you did.

You ran, feeling the cold winter air hit your face. You smelled the flowers, hugged the trees, smiled and waved to the people that you come across. They might think that you are losing your mind, but you don't care. You have never felt like this for a long time.

Feeling tired and hungry, you slumped into a bench, thinking of where to go now. Then you remembered, ATEEZ Resto and Bar.

You smiled, thinking of your two bestfriends, Jeong Yunho and Choi Jongho. Those two aren't blood related yet they look so much alike that they are always mistaken for being twins. Them taking culinary as their courses didn't help either.

"Why on earth did you take the same course as me? You don't want the issue of us being twins to stop, don't you?" Jongho, the younger of the two, accused the older.

"We can build a business after we graduate." Yunho said while shrugging his shoulders, not really caring about the younger's accusation against him.

"Besides, it's not that bad. We really do look alike... I'm just more handsome, and taller, and-" Jongho lurched towards Yunho and headlocked him "That's it. You're done, you're dead!"

"Y/N, help! He's really gonna kill me!" Yunho pleads to you, not being able to move because Jongho's strength is too much for him to handle. You simply looked at him before continuing your essay.

"Y/N! Don't ignore meee!!!"

You smiled fondly at the memory, they certainly did opened a business and it became successful just after a year. Standing up from your seat, you walked towards the direction of the establishment, deciding that you'll stay for the night.

Upon arriving at the place you looked at the pot that was situated beside the door, immediately grabbing the key that was hidden in it.

"Those guys never listened to me" inserting the key in the lock and opening the door "I always told them to hide their keys in a safer place." you said as you entered.

Looking around, you noticed that they never really changed the layout of the place. It's still looks classy yet cozy. The bulletin board that was placed at the back of the resto caught your attention, upon inspection, you saw that the board is full of polaroid photos, specifically, photos where your face seen.

Your heart aches at the sight, they still kept these even if seeing it means that they would relieve the pain of losing you all over again.

"These two really," picking the photos up and arranging it an aesthetically pleasing way "at least make it pretty for the eyes to see instead of randomly placing the photos everywhere." After finishing the task, you went to the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"Knew it!" cheering at the fact that there are leftover chicken stored in the fridge "of course they would have extra foods, they always make too many to finish."

"What are those for?" eyeing the two plastic bags in Yunho's hand "Why does it sound like you're accusing us of something?" Jongho said while rolling his eyes.

"These are for you. We accidentally made too much food, and it'll be a waste if get spoiled. So here you go." Yunho explained while putting the bags in your hand.

"If I get stomach a stomach ache, I'll sue the two of you for attempted murder using food poisoning."

You vaguely remembered Jongho calling you a dramatic queen when you told them that. Getting the chicken out of the fridge and heating them up, you finally got to eat.

God, you missed this. Being able to enjoy eating and actually taste the food. This feels like heaven. You cleaned up afterwards and slept in the counter, finding solace in the faint scent of your two bestfriends that lingers around the place.

You woke up early and left the place in a hurry, not wanting to be seen by your two friends. Before you left though, you borrowed some money (and by borrowing, it means getting cash in the register) and quietly telling to no one in particular that you'll pay it back somehow.

Yunho and Jongho entered the resto, ready to start the day, when Yunho suddenly stopped in his tracks. His detective senses tingling, 'Something is wrong.' He cautiously walked around the place, inspecting every nook and cranny.

"What are you doing?" Jongho asked him, looking at him with judgement in his eyes "you look like an idiot baby crawling around."

Then Yunho saw it, the bulletin board. Just before he can point it out, he heard Jongho shrieking. "Hyung! The bills, it's lesser than yesterday!" the younger of the two is panicking, thinking that they got robbed.

Yunho was dumbfounded "What!?" he ran towards Jongho "did someone get in here last night? A thief? A thief nice enough to arrange the photos on the board?!" Yunho pointed to the direction of the board and Jongho's eyes automatically followed it, then he saw that yes, the photos are now organized neatly.

The two made eye contact, like a synergy is forming between them.

"We need to know the perpetrator is."

The perpetrator, aka you, is walking peacefully in the park when you saw a teokbokki stand, you smiled and immediately went to it. A teokbokki for breakfast isn't that bad.

You ordered one serving, noticing that an another customer is enjoying the food as well. Then you also noticed that the customer is accompanied by a hungry ghost, probably wanting a bite but also knowing that it can't really eat.

You looked the other way, pretending that you can't see the ghost. Just as when you start eating, you heard an eerily familiar voice.

"How much is it? 500 won per serving? Okay, I'll get two. Thank you."

Shit. What the hell is Hongjoong doing here?

You immediately turned your body in the opposite direction of Hongjoong, moving away from him, because no way in hell are you gonna let him see you.

Your actions are apparently not discreet, you looked like a squid wriggling away to get back to the seawater.

Hongjoong was looking at you, thinking that a person might have gotten out of a mental hospital. He chose not to meddle your 'thing,' not caring enough about a random stranger, leaving shortly afterwards, as he already got his order.

You sighed in relief "Thank God he's gone." Looking down, you saw an id, picking it up and discovering that it was Hongjoong's.

"He's so clumsy as always." remembering the times when you have to clean up after him and his disaster magnet ass. "Let's get you back to your owner, okay?"

It's been a while since you rode the bus as a human, so long that you forgot that you can't pass through walls now, effectively bumping your head into the bus when you tried to get into it without using its door.

After settling down in the bus, you brought the id out and doodled on it. You tried to erase it after being satisfied with your artwork, but it wouldn't come off. When you looked at the pen (that you also borrowed from Yunho and Jongho's place), you saw that it is a permanent one. You internally punched yourself for being stupid, how are you gonna fix this now?

A bright idea popped into your head, simple but it might work, you took the id out from its case and returned it with the front of the id in the clear side of the case, "Perfect."

Finally arriving at Hongjoong's workplace, you got off the bus and braced yourself before entering the expensive looking building.

"Hoongjoong. Hoongjoong. Yah!" Seonghwa directly yelled in the man's ears.

Hongjoong snapped out of his daze "What do you need?" he looked at Seonghwa with an annoyed expression.

"You got a lot of guts getting annoyed at me when I'm talking to you and clearly, you aren't paying attention." Seonghwa sassily replied.

"What's on your mind anyway?" the man raised his eyebrows "You've been out of it ever since Heejoong was sent to the hospital."

"Seonghwa, what will you do if you saw someone that looks exactly like a person that you are personally close with?"

The question made the man suspicious "Some people do look alike. It's nothing serious." Hongjoong nodded, his next question made Seonghwa spill his coffee "What if they look exactly like your late wife?"

"Are you out of your mind?!" Seonghwa yelled for the second time that day "Now you're seeing things? You really should've taken Eden hyung's advice, go take a therapy." he finished while wiping the mess in the floor.

"I don't need therapy," Hongjoong retaliated "you and Eden hyung are so sensitive over things like this."

Seonghwa halted his movements and looked up from what he was doing, clearly offended "I am so telling this to hyung!" he stood up and went out of the room, leaving Hongjoong with his thoughts.

"That brat really," ranting to his self "no one can really tame him but-" he stopped, seeing a lady talking to one of the employees in the front desk of the lobby "Y/N?!"

Hearing someone call your name, you looked towards the direction of the voice, seeing none other than Park Seonghwa. Hongjoong's bestfriend, and inevitably one of your closest friends.

You thought you were careful enough, but no, nothing is ever enough.

"Y/N!" Seonghwa called out for you again and began approaching you. You are now panicking at this point when thankfully, a group of people holding piles of papers and boxes walked in front of Seonghwa, giving you the chance to escape from the building.

When the herd of people is gone, you were nowhere to be seen, and now Seonghwa thinks that HE has to go and get therapy instead.

The receptionist saw Seonghwa and called him, handing him the id that you returned. He walked back to his friend's studio, mind still a bit frazzled about your appearance.

"Hey, you ungrateful madman," he threw the id to Hongjoong, the man catching it with ease "a good samaritan returned your misplaced id."

Hongjoong looked at his id, noticing that it was placed backwards, so he puts it in its proper place, only then did he notice the scribbles, gently touching it, 'this doodles are strangely familiar.'

You sighed out of relief when you are now a few meters away from the building, that was so close, you really thought that your secret would be out and you're not rea- "Y/N!!" you froze. Oh no, you just got out trouble and now here's an another one that's approaching you fast.

"Y/N what are you doing here? You haven't come home in a while."

'Pretend not to hear them.' you thought to yourself.

"Huh? Can't you hear us? Y/N! It's us! Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Huening Kai!"

You straightened up and walked away, ignoring them, but of course they wouldn't let you go easily.

"Y/N, is something wrong? Why are you ignoring us? Did we do something wrong?" Huening Kai asked, dejected that you wouldn't talk to them.

You turned to a corner, a mistake on your part as you bumped into a pole "Ouch!" you yelped as you fell down on your ass. The five boys gasped at what they just saw. You actually made physical contact instead of passing through it.

"Are you okay?" Taehyun asked you "Yes, I'm fine. Nothing I can't handle." you answered out of instinct.

"So you can hear us." Yeonjun said in a matter of fact voice.

You stopped rubbing your forehead and looked at them "And you can also see us." Beomgyu added.

You did the thing that anyone would do if they see a ghost, run.

"Hey! Wait! We just want to talk!" you heard Soobin's voice which is right just behind you which made you run faster.

After what felt like ages, your game of tag has ended, with you managing to lose them. They clearly had an advantage, seeing that they can pass through walls, so you escaping from them made you think that you're somehow talented. Noticing that you ended up in front the daycare, you smiled, feeling giddy that you'll get to see Heejoong today.

Before you can go inside the daycare, someone held your collar and pulled you back. Alarmed, you struggled against the hold, accidentally smacking the person behind you.

"Ouch! What was that for?" hearing the deep familiar voice, you quickly turned around, seeing Mingi holding his cheek that was slapped.

"I should be asking you that," pouting and feeling sorry for him "whatever, why are you here?"

He raised an eyebrow at you "Wow, what a nice way to greet me," he sarcastically quips "well to inform you, I'm here because I already know why you were brought back to life."

Your heart pounded, nervous yet anticipating, upon noticing your expression, Mingi sighed and continued.

"I was praying to the Gods all night, then they gave me the answer," there was a long pause before he let the cat out of the bag "forty-nine days, Y/N. You have forty-nine days of trial."

You opened your mouth to ask him a question but he didn't let you "Let me finish." he said in a stern stone that made you close your mouth in a flash.

"You questioned the Gods, I think that's the reason why they gave you the trial. Within forty-nine days, you have to take back your rightful place. If you succeed, then you'll be able to live again."

The world seemed to stop for a second, a dreadful feeling enveloping your senses "What do you mean by 'take back your rightful place,' Mingi?"

"Your rightful place on this world - a daughter, sister, wife, and mother. Take back all of those, and you'll continue living as human being once again." the man explained a bit more clearly for you to comprehend. You shook your head because no, the idea is so ridiculous that you couldn't wrap your head around it.

"No, I will not do that" you said firmly which surprised Mingi "I will take this as a miracle, and the only thing that I will do is to make Heejoong stop seeing ghost."

"Are you sure about that, Y/N? If you do that then you will be able to d- ah!" you poked Mingi's side so you wouldn't hear what he has to say, you had make up your mind already.

"No is a no Mingi. That's my final decision. I have already wasted a day of my remaining days. So if you'll excuse me, I have a mission to do." you turned around and started walking to the direction of the daycare, leaving a frowning Mingi with his own thoughts.

Finally arriving at the daycare, you went inside of the building (you remembered to use the door now, saving you from embarrassment) and one of the teacher greeted you.

"Hello miss!" his smile is so sweet, not to mention his dimples made him look so charming "how can I help you?"

You smiled at the man, "I am here to see Heejoong." you told him and something in his mind clicked "You must be the pickup helper! Heejoong has been waiting for an hour now."

The young teacher went off to get the child, "Please wait for a while, I will come back here with Heejoong."

Pickup helper? Minhee won't pick Heejoong up? Why? These questions are soon erased from your mind when you see Heejoong running up to you.

"Hi, Heejoong!" you smiled, picking him up and carrying him in your arms. You felt like crying, being able to hold your son like this made you feel a roller coaster of emotions.

"All right, please be careful on your way home!" you looked at the smiling man before you, "Thank you." you said, reciprocating the smile as well.

Walking aimlessly with Heejoong while holding his small hand is one of your dreams that has come true.

"Heejoong, do you want to go somewhere?" crouching down to the match the child's height. He looked at you with curiosity, "then let's eat first and we'll go the playgound. Sounds good?" hearing the words food and playground, the small boy's eyes lit up with excitement. He nodded and smiled eagerly, you stood up and carried him, "Okay, to the playground we go!"

"I'm sorry what?" Minhee couldn't help but ask again "did you just say that someone took Heejoong away?"

"Yes. The lady said that she was the pickup helper." the same boy you met earlier replied.

"Okay, thank you." Minhee snatched her phone out of her bag, dialling Hongjoong's number.

The ringing of Hongjoong's phone echoed throughout the room, the owner of the phone checked who was calling - 'Minhee'

'She rarely calls, does she have an emergency?'

"Oppa, I'm so sorry." hearing Minhee's cries made him sit straight.

"What? Why? Did something happened?" anxiety filled his veins as he heard his wife's next words "Heejoong is missing, a lady pretended to be a pickup helper and took him away."

"Where are you? Stay there, I'll meet up with you and we'll look for Heejoong together."

Hongjoong made a run for it, when he finally saw his wife, he immediately approached her. "Minhee, I'm here now," he held her shoulders "stop crying please, we'll find our son." he said, trying to calm her down.

"I'm so sorry oppa, this was the second time that something bad happened to Heejoong. I feel like it's my fault. I-" Honghoong hugged her, effectively shushing the girl.

"It will be okay," he pulled away a bit and held her hands instead "let's find Heejoong, okay?"

The girl nodded, Hongjoong gave her a comforting smile, finally releasing her from his hold and going their separate ways to look for their son.

You watched as Heejoong ran around the playground, he's so cheerful and energetic. You approached the child, "Do you want me to push you?" you asked him when you saw him sitting in the swing.

He smiled and nodded his head cutely, "Brace yourself!"

You pushed the swing, only focusing on the child's beaming expression, you didn't notice that you were using too much force. One particular hard push made the child lose his grip on the swing, his face planting on the floor.

"Oh no, baby, I'm so sorry!" you went to him as fast as you can "No, no please don't cry, I'm so sorry!" you said while hugging him. You didn't know why, but your own tears also fell down.

You continued apologizing to the child, you didn't know the purpose of all those apologies. Was it because he fell down? Or maybe because he is now seeing ghosts when he's not supposed to? The downfall is that, all of those are your fault. Maybe that's why. All the crying and apologies made you unaware of your surroundings, not noticing the man behind you. Until you hear him call out your name.

"Y/N?" you turned around, a miscalculation on your part because there he is. The one and only Kim Hongjoong. The man you don't really want to encounter ever during your stay.

He called you again, this time louder, and when you answered by calling his own name, he pinched himself, trying to wake himself up just in case that he's dreaming. Then he looked at you again, reality crashing on him, "Oh God," he took a step backwards and fell right on his butt "Oh God."

Now he just sounds like a broken recorder, not really knowing what to say. You on the other hand, just stared at him, experiencing the same predicament he's in.

Hongjoong was the first one to speak again when he finally gathered his composure, "You-" he took a deep breath "you're Y/N right? Did you come back to haunt us? What are you doing here? How are you here? Whe-" his rambling was cut short when you advanced towards him.

"Yes, I am Y/N," you said in a soft voice, not wanting to agitate him more "and no, I'm not a ghost. I am a human being."

Your explanation almost made him faint but right now, he needs to finish his priority. He quickly stood up, picked Heejoong up who was just staring at the scene the whole time, and faced you.

"Stay here. We will talk about this. I'll come back after making sure that Heejoong will be escorted home safely."

Minhee saw Hongjoong running towards her direction with Heejoong in his arms, sighing in relief knowing that the child is safe.

What's weird though is that Hongjoong seems to be in a hurry, "Minhee, please take Heejoong home and make sure that he's okay."

"Oppa, I-" not being able to say a word in as Heejoong was being extended to her already "wait oppa!" trying to stop Hongjoong from leaving when she saw him getting ready to do an another marathon.

"Where are you going? You're not coming home with us?" her question made him look at her, his pupils shaking

"No, I will come home later. I just have something to do in my office. Yeah, I'll see you in a bit."

"But-" Minhee tried to talk to him again, wanting to ask some questions but Hongjoong's already gone.

The cafe that you are now at is nice. The neutral color of the walls, real plants placed everywhere, the soft music, everything about it is relaxing - except for the man who's now sitting in front of you, his gaze burning holes in your skull. You nervously bit the straw of your drink while looking everywhere but the man.

"So," he started in a shaky voice "you're alive the whole time?"

You quickly looked at him "No!" the sudden outburst made the people in the cafe look at your direction, you cleared your throat before speaking in a lower tone "No, Hongjoong, I already died." you paused examining at his expression, which doesn't look good "Then I just woke up as a human once again."

Hongjoong's brain can't fathom the situation "Why?" he asked, realizing how dumb of a question was that "no, scratch that, do you even remember anything before you came here? Do you know why you're here?"

"No, I don't remember anything before I turned into a human," you lied "as for the second question, I don't know, I don't have any answers to that, I'm sorry." focusing down at your shoes like it's the most interesting thing on earth.

"But, I do think of this as a vacation. You know? Maybe the Gods are giving me some time to enjoy life again." you said, sheepishly smiling at him.

"Vacation? Is that legit allowed in after life? Like, once in a while you can become a human just to chill?" you opened your mouth to speak, then closed it again.

You're brain feels like exploding, where on earth are you going to get the answers to Hongjoong's questions. You don't really want to tell him the truth, just thinking of how he will react scares you.

The man in front of you sighed, noticing the bitten straw on your cup of coffee, knowing that it was a nervous habit of yours.

"C'mon, you can do it!" Hongjoong said, putting an arm around you "it's not like they're gonna kill you. The worst that they can do is laugh with how cute your designs are."

The two of you are currently in KQ Company, a famous building where popular engineers and architects work, and today is the day where you decided to apply for a job right in this establishment.

You glared at the man beside you, not liking his teasing during an intense moment like this,"Will you like, I don't know, shut up?" rolling your eyes at him and continuing to bite the straw of your drink.

"So sassy." Hongjoong smiles, staring at you with so much adoration "I love it." he paused for a bit, "Why don't you just bite them like that straw? They'll probably have some use to your strong teeth."

"You stupid little-!"

He doesn't want to make you any more anxious, thus, he just asked you something that's been bugging him "Does anyone know that you're back, besides me?"

You forgot to breathe for a moment, no, you don't want anyone to know that you are here again as a human. You don't want the people you love to be sad again, because seeing you would just make them relieve the painful past.

"Hongjoong, please. Don't tell anyone that I'm back. No one knows that I'm here again, living as a human," you looked at him with pleading eyes "You're the only one that knows my secret, so can you please keep it?"

"You don't want Yunho or Jongho to know? Even your own family?" he couldn't understand why, he knows you, right now, you're probably dying to see, talk and hug them.

You shook your head "No, especially my family. I-" you took a deep breath, finally telling Hongjoong a little bit of the truth "I think I'm here for a reason, and that's my business alone. I won't let anyone get involved in this. I promise, I'll find a way for this to be fixed." Seeing the determined look on your face, Hongjoong just gave up.

Yes, he's distraught and confused, mixed emotions in his heart and jumbled thoughts in his mind. But there is no way will he make you uncomfortable. He respects you too much, and seeing you made him realize that he has never really moved on from you.

An awkward silence fell between you two, and you're the first one to break it "I'm going to the bathroom."

You quickly stood up, but instead of going to the bathroom, you head towards the exit of the cafe and bolted out of there. You can't stand another minute of being with him, it's suffocating. It feels wrong, especially when he has a wife.

Hongjoong looked at the direction of the door after the sensor bell chimed, catching you on the act of fleeing away from him.

Oh no you won't, he won't let you go that fast. He chased you, and boy were you in awe when he managed to caught up to you. He's not one for running, but you guess he already built his stamina up.

"Wait up," he held onto your arm and pulled you back towards him "please, will you just let me be with you for a while."

Your heart fluttered at his words, but then you remembered Minhee. No, you can't do this to her. "I'm sorry Hongjoong but, you should go home." removing his hand from you and avoiding eye contact at all cost "I don't think it'll do you well if people see us together."

He looks anguished at your words, and you don't really wanna see that. It's not good for your already hurting heart.

"Do you have a place to stay?" he suddenly asked you.

"I'll find something, there are a l- woah!" you were cut off when a black card was thrown your way "what is this for?"

"Go get a nice and warm place to stay. You can use my card for your expenses." he said, glancing at you like he's already made up his mind up about something.

"Hongjoong, I can't accept this."

"That's the least that I can do for you." he turned his back to you and walked away "I'll see you again."

You stared at his retreating figure before diverting your eyes at the card. 'Oh well, if he insists then I'll make the most of it.'

You booked a room in a pleasant hotel, ordered delicious foods (which are TOO MUCH for you to even finish, and watched movies all night long.

Meanwhile, in Hongjoong's home, his phone kept ringing all night that he has to mute it so it won't disturb his and his wife's sleep.

"Oppa? Why does your phone keep on ringing?" Minhee asked him, curious as to why his phone kept on making notification sounds.

"Oh, it's my colleagues. I gave them my card so they can go treat theirselves since they worked so hard today." he replied, making up a lie in a hurry, while lowering the volume of his phone.

"Is that so?" Minhee stared at her husband's back, thinking if something was bothering him.

"Yeah, don't worry about it."

The next morning, you woke up feeling full and refreshed. A good night sleep in a comfortable bed and eating delicious foods the whole night really boosted your mood.

Getting ready to head out, you made a mental list of what you should do today. Priorities must be set since your days are limited.

When you went down and returned the keys to the receptionist, you can't help but ask why do they keep on checking up you last night. The receptionist smiled apologetically at you "I'm so sorry if we disturbed you, it's just that, someone kept on calling us last night, begging us to call you and ask you if you're okay."

That's not what you expected, "Do you know who did that?" the receptionist nodded her head "The one who owns the card that you're using ma'am."

'Oh it's Hongjoong, but how would he- Right. This is his card, of course he would be notified about his money is spent.'

You smiled lightly, touched by his actions, you thanked the receptionist and made a beeline in a restaurant that sells special ramen. You want to pay Yunho and Jongho back for borrowing their money (food and pen included).

The two always loved eating ramen for breakfast, so you decided to order two servings, planning to put it in the counter of their resto before they arrived. Still fairly early in the morning, you doubt that they are awake at this hour, especially when their business closes at 3 in the morning. They're still probably snoring in their beds.

After taking the order, you immediately went to the resto, doing the same thing as you did before so that you can enter the place. The moment you put down the bowls of food on the table, someone behind you rolled in his back like an action star.

"Aha-AH!" the cool sound they were trying to do was replaced by a yelp of pain, and you flinched because that sounds exactly like someone you know.

"Hyung, can you please not embarrass yourself?" an another familiar voice spoke.

"I'm just trying to intimidate the intruder!" the one who hurt himself replied in a pouty voice, rubbing his head that he bumped into one of the chairs.

The younger of the two sighed, he'll just have to handle this in a civil way "Excuse me, we don't want to hurt you, so can you please show your face to us without any fuss?" he said in a commanding tone.

You sweatdropped, because how lucky can you get? Yesterday it was Hongjoong, and now it's gonna be your two bestfriends. Taking a deep breath, bracing yourself, you close your eyes before you finally turned around.

A few seconds had passed and no one has said a word, you dared opening your eyes, and the sight made you regret your decisions more. The look on their faces are unpaintable. Shock, happiness, sadness, every emotions are brewing in the room right now. The unbearable tension just waiting to pop.

"Y/N?" the taller one among them was the first one to speak "is that you or have I finally lost it?" his voice breaking, tears threatening to fall.

"Yunho." almost whispering his name, and hearing your voice, the other one ran towards your direction, hugging you tight.

"I missed you so much, Y/N." you felt your shirt getting soaked, and you immediately knew that he was crying, "Jongho, I missed you too." you said, hugging him back as well.

You made eye contact with the other man who was just standing there, but is now crying as well. You gave him a small smile and that triggered him to throw his body into the hug, causing all of you to fall into the floor. Despite the unbelievable situation you're in, the three of you can't help but laugh. Finally, the trio is complete once again.

"Hongjoong, please pay attention to me or else I'm gonna bang my head in the wall." Seonghwa said, unamused by his friend's lack of focus.

Not even sparing him a glance, the other man stoically replied "Go ahead and bang your head then."

Before Seonghwa can even get mad, Hongjoong's ringtone resonated throughout the studio. He doesn't plan on answering the phone, if not for the person's name that flashed in his screen. 'Yunho'

The door of the resto was opened rather abruptly, disturbing the three crying people in the room.

"Y/N!" What? You thought Yunho called Hongjoong, but that's a different voice, it sounds like-

"Oh my God, it's you. It's really you. I knew I wasn't crazy when I thought I saw you at our company building!" Seonghwa said, giving you a bone crushing hug.

"Hongjoong! I told you I saw Y/N!" said man who just walked inside the venue looked at the group of people and told his friend off "Yeah, and you're suffocating her. Give her some space."

Hearing that, Seonghwa immediately let go of you and apologized for doing that out of the blue. You accepted his apology, telling him that you didn't mind, not really surprised by his actions since he's been like that even before.

"Are you not gonna apologize to us?" Jongho asked, making Seonghwa raise an eyebrow in return "you did interrupted our session, and I'm pretty sure you weren't invited here."

"You don't talk to someone older than you like that!" Seonghwa began chasing Jongho around the room, making Yunho laugh and Hongjoong pinching the bridge of his nose.

The fun was cut short when Yunho decided to speak "So, Hongjoong hyung, care to explain why Y/N is here right now and you didn't even told us?" his serious demeanor surfaced, startling everyone because the puppy like man rarely does that.

Hongjoong's brows met "Why does it sound like you're accusing me of something?" you decided to interrupt before the two start an argument "It was me, Yunho, I told him not to tell anyone."

"Why? You don't want to see us?" you shook your head no to his question "then what? Are you hiding something from us?" you immediately went into panic mode, you don't want them to know that you'll only be here for 49 days.

"No, of course not! I don't really know why I'm here in the first place, but I think this is a vacation of some sorts?" you tried reasoning to your friends, looking at Hongjoong, asking him for help.

"Yeah, it's what she said. Nothing more, nothing less. We'll solve this either way." Hongjoong speaks up on your behalf.

Yunho and Jongho look skeptical, like they knew you weren't telling the whole truth. Jongho opens his mouth this time but wasn't able to get a word in when Seonghwa suddenly spoke.

"If you're here on a vacation, then what do you plan to do?"

Thanking Seonghwa in your mind for changing the topic, grateful that he didn't push you any further. A trait of him that you always appreciate.

"First off, I have to find a job. I don't want to be a freeloader around here." subtly glancing at Hongjoong, knowing that you still have his card.

Jongho perked up at that "Then work here with us! It'll be like the old times!" he smiled excitedly at you but you only gave him a pout "I'm sorry Jongho, actually, I want to work at the daycare."

Everyone went quiet at your statement "Is something wrong with what I said?" you asked, feeling anxious. Yunho was the first one to snap out of it "No, nothing is wrong but, you wanting to work there, is it because of-"

"Let her work there." Hongjoong voiced out "you want to get a job there to see Heejoong right?" you nodded at his question.

"Then go ahead, no one will stop you. It's," he took a deep breath continuing "it's the only thing that we can do for you." he finished, avoiding eye contact with you, feeling guilty.

Seonghwa wasn't having it though "But what about Minhee?" All pair of eyes widely looked at the man like he's a criminal, silently shooting him in the head.

The room felt stiff, and you took it upon yourself to soften the mood a little "It's fine even if I see her. I don't mind." smiling at everyone in the room, hoping that it'll ease them even for a bit. The men in the room shared a knowing look at each other, contemplating about what they should tell you when the cat's out of the bag.

After the mini reunion, you all went back to your daily lives, with you going to the school to apply for a job.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong are walking back to their building when Hongjoong suddenly stopped in his tracks, the gears in his head working to something

"Seonghwa, we didn't mention who exactly Minhee is right?" his friend looking at him before answering the question "Yeah, what about it?"

"Is it just me or it seems like she already knows wh-" Hongjoong didn't get to finish his sentence when he saw the girl in question, "Minhee!" he raised his voice in panic, making Seonghwa look at the girl, eyes widening because the path that she's taking is the way to the daycare

Minhee turned her head, seeing her husband and his friend "Oppa, Seonghwa, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?" she asked as the two tried to lie their way out of it.

"Yeah we are, we just went to get something." Seonghwa chuckled nervously.

"What about you? Do you have any errands to do?" Hongjoong asked "Yes," proudly showing them the lunch box "I made food for Heejoong, I'm on my to the daycare right now to deliver this."

Her smile widened when Hongjoong said that he'll come with her "What? Hongjoong you-" Seonghwa was cut off by a pinch in his side, "Go back to the studio without me Seonghwa, I'll come back after this." the strained smile in his friend's face made him grimace.

"Alright, be safe." the double meaning behind Seonghwa's words wasn't missed by Hongjoong.

"Miss pick-up helper, you're here early!" the same dimpled man greeted you again "Oh no, I'm not here for Heejoong, I came here because I was looking for a job." the man made a confused face before smiling again "okay then, come with me."

While walking to the office of the owner slash principal of the daycare, the dimpled man introduced himself as Choi San, he has been working at the daycare for a few years now.

He knocked on the door "Mr. Kim, there's someone who wants to apply for a job." a few seconds later a man who looks like in his late 60's opened the door, greeting you with a warm smile and telling you to come in.

"The only vacant position here is the kitchen helper, is that okay with you?" you beamed "Yes! That is more than okay. I may not look like it, but I am actually a really great cook!" Ecstatic at your positive demeanor, he gave you an application form "Just fill this up and you may start working by tomorrow."

You bowed and thanked the old man before writing at the form, San suddenly went inside the office, telling the owner that a parent is here to see their child.

"Make yourself comfortable, I'll be back in a minute." both men went outside, not more than a minute, a commotion can be heard outside, you tried to ignore it but the curiosity got the best of you.

"I'm sorry ma'am, the children are still in the middle of their class, we can't disturb them." you heard San explain, "I can wait here, it doesn't really matter." you heard woman say, now your nosey self can't help but to take a peek.

"They still have their classes, just let the teacher take the lunch box and let's leave." now that's a familiar voice, and before you can stop your feet from walking, it's too late, your face now visible to the 'parents.'

It was Minhee, with Hongjoong beside her, coaxing her to drop the lunch and leave with him. When Minhee fixes her eyes on you, her face morphed into an expression of surprise, you look like someone that she knows, Hongjoong silently cursed, wanting to avoid this situation but failed, not knowing what to do if the fused blew.

"Miss Yuri, are you done filling up the form?" the owner asked you and you immediately handed the form to him, glad that you used an alias instead of your real name.

"Yuri?" all heads turned to a confused Minhee "Ah yes," the owner spoke "Mister Kim and Miss Shin, this is our new kitchen helper, Lee Yuri." you turned to them and bowed politely.

The scene made Hongjoong's stomach churn, it doesn't look right, especially you bowing your head to him like he's a stranger. He did not like it one bit.

"It's nice meeting you Miss Lee," your smile faltered after Minhee's next words "you just look awfully familiar."

Hongjoong took the lunch box from his wife's hands in a speed of light and handed it to San, "Please take care of it for us. Thank you." he said before holding Minhee's hand "Wait-!" the girl tried to protest but she was already dragged away.

You can't help but stare at their intertwined hands when San clicked his tongue "This is the reason why other parents talk about them so much," you looked at him questioningly "you see, they really don't act like a couple at all and that affects even Heejoong's performance."

Your ears perked up when your son's name came up "What about Heejoong's performance?" San sighed before answering "His academic performance is alarmingly low, some kids are slow learners, but it's not good for the child if this keeps up."

You looked down, not knowing what to feel, you didn't know that. You always thought that your child would do well in school, but you were mistaken.

"It's fine, Miss Shin does her best to improve Heejoong's performance, she even went her to way to get him checked. She's a good mom." the owner interjected in your conversation with San.

"Let's stop gossiping here and get to work," he turned to you "Miss Yuri, I'll look forward to working with you." You bowed at the old man once again "Me too. I promise to work hard!"

Excitement is coursing through your veins right now, because finally, you can now see Heejoong everyday and even fend off ghosts that linger around him.

"Mingi. Mingi. Mingi. Mingi."

"Oh my god Yeonjun, shut up!" the man accidentally raised his voice inside shrine, making the other people who were praying there to look at him.

He scanned his surroundings, slightly embarrassed before speaking in a shushed voice "Will the five of you please leave me the fuck alone."

Beomgyu leered at Mingi before speaking "Why would we leave you alone? We told you we want answers."

"Yeah! Why is Y/N is back to being human? What did she even do?" Taehyun voiced out.

Mingi rubbed his temples, a headache starting to form with this incessant pestering that he's been getting for the past few days "I don't know, okay? I am still looking for the answers myself."

"Liar." Yeonjun said making Mingi snap "You-!" he brought his bell out, ringing it twice, making the five boys around him get stuck in the wall like a sticker, them protesting about the unfair treatment.

"I'll be back in an hour, if the five of you aren't at the coulumbarium by the time I get back, you'll be in trouble."

He took a deep breath before exiting the temple, not caring if the commotion he did made the people stare at him like he's crazy, he has a mission called 'Find Y/N and Reprimand Her' to accomplish.

Like a miracle, he saw you exiting the daycare with a bright smile in your face. 'Good for you' he thought, looks like something good is happening to your right now, but he can't congratulate you yet, his priority right now is his mental health.

"Y/N!"

Your head turned towards the sound of the voice, seeing a brooding Mingi with a scowl in his face, then you remembered the incident just after he told you that you should be careful around ghosts anymore.

You opened your mouth to speak only to be intercepted "I told you not to show yourself to the ghosts, or even if they see you just ignore them," you can only nod and listen to him "but clearly you didn't do that, because five crackheads have been badgering me about you."

"I'm sorry Mingi I-" he held his hand up "If you really are sorry, then take responsibility for it," he brought his hand down and motioned you to follow him "come with me to the columbarium and meet them."

Not really giving you a choice and not wanting to make Mingi madder than he is, you went with him, readying yourself of what's to come.

"Mingi!" you heard the five boys' voices parroting the tall man's name over and over again, probably acting cute to earn his forgiveness.

You slowly walked inside the place, showing yourself and they immediately pounced unto you which ultimately failed because you're not a ghost anymore. "Damn, must be good to be able to eat again huh?" Soobin said, making you chuckle.

"Listen, I'm here to help you guys," you started "I'm pretty sure that there's a reason why you're here, and I will help you fulfill that." after finishing your statement, their facial expressions are something that you can't discern.

"Wow, you're angel."

"Life saver."

"Marry me?"

A booming voice then echoed throughout the room "Stop being cheesy you idiots, just tell her a request so I can bring you to heaven!" you laughed at Mingi, always been a barbarian but really, he's a soft man deep inside.

Beomgyu rolled his eyes "Jeez, what's got your panties in a twist Karen." his diss was followed by Huening Kai's dolphin laugh, pissing Mingi off.

"Really? What if I just sent you to the other side now?" he reaches inside his bag, pulling out the items for the ritual making Soobin whine like a child "please, can we just get started." Mingi looked at you with pleading eyes.

You nodded before focusing at the boys "Tell me your story."

They all went silent, not wanting to remember the painful past, the oldest among them taking the opportunity to speak on their behalf.

"We call each other siblings, but we aren't blood related," your eyes widening in shock "we are all orphans, unfortunate enough to be thrown away by our own families. But someone took us in and treated us all like his sons, Mr. Bang Sihyuk."

"Bang Sihyuk? That famous producer who released hundreds of hit songs?" you interrupted him "Yes, him."

You nodded your head as a sign of understanding, signalling him to continue "The thing is, Huening Kai isn't the youngest among us, we have a five-year old brother, Ni-Ki," his voice broke, making him stop talking, Soobin took this as a cue to take over, he patted the older's shoulder, giving him a soft smile.

"The day we died, was when the five of us fetched Ni-Ki from the daycare. Our father was waiting for us in a restaurant, saying that he will treat us for passing the college entrance exams," he paused, looking at his brothers to see if they were okay with relieving the story all over again, only continuing when they gave him a nod of affirmation.

"We were crossing the road when a big truck ran over the red light, we tried to push Ni-Ki out of the way but it was too late, the truck hit all six of us," he choked back a sob "it was supposed to be a happy day, but it turned into a day of tragedy instead." he finished, looking up at the ceiling, trying hard not to let his tears flow.

Beomgyu spoke this time "We just want to go with our youngest brother that's all."

You feel so bad for them, these boys are always so cheerful, they were your happy pills, and you didn't even know how sad their past was "How do we do that then?"

"Heejoong," Taehyun said "the daycare, that is where Ni-Ki is. We tried getting him to come to us, we really did, but he won't budge. He wants our father to personally get him."

'So the ghost child that Heejoong's been seeing all this time was their youngest brother.' you thought.

Mingi got the gist of the situation "So we need to get Bang Sihyuk to go to the daycare, Ni-ki's probably waiting for his father, thinking that he can only go home if he sees him."

"I got this" you proclaimed "Bang Sihyuk is my.. friend's boss, and I got a job at the daycare. Let me handle this. I promise, at the end, you'll be able to finally rest in peace in with your little brother."

The next day, you went to the daycare to start your new job, and to also find Ni-Ki. But it was difficult, you couldn't get out of the kitchen, there are a lot of things to do and now you're tearing up because of these damned onions you're chopping.

"Miss Yuri, let's finish this batch up and take a rest," the head chef, Jeongyeon, told you and you would've sighed in relief if not for her next words "then we'll cook and serve lunch later."

You almost cried out of contempt, but it was worth it, Heejoong smiling at you while you give him food and him eating a lot.

"You gave at least two servings to Heejoong," Jeongyeon nudged you "is this favoritism I see?" she teasingly said.

"No, of course not, I just didn't notice the portion that I gave him." you pouted and she only chuckled in response.

Lunch ended so that means that it's your free time, you searched every nook and cranny of the building but Ni-Ki is nowhere to be found. You wondered where on earth he is until you remembered that he clings a lot to Heejoong.

You rushed over to Heejoong's classroom and there you saw Ni-Ki, playing with your son. A plan started formulating inside your head, you'll have to do this as soon as possible, not wanting to prolong the suffering of your friends, but you still need to prove Mingi's theory

When the school bell rang, some children rushed outside to meet their parents, leaving only a few in the classroom waiting while San looked after them.

You decided to enter the classroom and spend some quality time with Heejoong, observing Ni-Ki in the process.

You noticed that whenever a parent calls for their child, Ni-Ki would look up with a smile on his face, only for it to fall when he realized that it's not his father. Your heart clenched at the sight, seeing that the child just wanted his father to come and get him so that he can finally go home.

Your focus went back to Heejoong when you felt him hold your arm, showing you a what seems like a dinosaur made out of legos, you smile, patting his head and telling him that he did a great job, your moment was cut short when his name was called by a familiar voice.

"Heejoong!" the child got up and ran towards the sound of the voice, you saw Minhee by the door and the pain you felt was unbearable when you heard Heejoong say "Mommy!"

You know that there's a place that you have left and someone has already taken that spot, you have come to terms with that, but it never makes the pain feel less, you looked up, making eye contact with Minhee, the two of you exchanging a polite bow before she leaves with Heejoong in her arms.

You inhaled, collecting yourself before you approached San, keen on getting an answer, "Hi San, I just want to ask you a question." he flashed you a bright smile "What is it?"

"Does this daycare had a student named Ni-Ki?" his face falls at the name "Yes, uh, he was a student here, but an accident has caused him to pass away." a sad smile replacing his former one.

"Why do you ask? Do you know him?" you shook your head no while waving your hands frantically "No, no, I don't. Just, someone mentioned him to me and I was curious." thankfully, he believed your lame reasons and excused himself, saying that he has to do something.

Determination is now burning in your soul, you will definitely fulfill the request of your dear friends.

Hongjoong's phone rang, an unknown number calling him, he sighed, thinking that his normally quiet days are over since his phone has been quite active for a while now.

He picked his phone up, answering the call, and he almost knocked his coffee down his computer when he heard your voice.

"Hongjoong, I need your help."

Your hands are sweaty and clammy, nervously glancing around the kitchen which Jeongyeon noticed "What are you so anxious for?" you told her that it was nothing, she was hesitant at first but decided to just let you be.

The day went on as usual, except at the end of it, you saw Mingi standing outside the daycare, together with the five boys

You made eye contact with Mingi and gave him a thumbs up, which he reciprocated with a wink. Sooner or later, a man in his late 40's came, wearing a suit and looking like he hasn't slept in days.

San saw the man and gasped "Mr. Bang! It's been so long since you came here." he went closer to the man, asking him what made him come here.

The older man smiled tiredly "I am here to retrieve some items that belongs my late son." San bit his lip, about to comfort the man, when suddenly Heejoong ran towards Mr. Bang with Ni-Ki closely following him (which only you can see), handing him a piece of paper.

The man crouched down to match Heejoong's height before accepting the paper "Is this for me Heejoong?" the child bobbed his head, pointing at the paper, silently telling him to open it and look at its contents.

Smiling at the child, he opened the paper, revealing a drawing of 7 people holding each other's hands, labelled with names, and at the top is its title "Me and My Family." At the back was a message from the artist "To: Papa From: Ni-Ki, I love you all always!"

Mr. Bang placed a hand on his mouth, trying his hard not to cry but failed when a tear escaped his eyes. He took deep breaths, trying to keep his emotions at bay. It feels like a heavy rock was lifted from his shoulders.

The five boys who was watching from afar let their tears freely flow. They know that he blamed his self for their deaths, countless nights where he got drunk, saying sorry to their urns for not being there.

"Please forgive me, Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun, Huening Kai, Ni-Ki. I promised you a good life but look what happened, you're not even here anymore." the man kept on hitting the floor, bawling his eyes out.

Behind him stood five silhouettes, watching the whole scene with agony in their hearts. Crying and telling their father to stop saying sorry, and it's not his fault. If ever, they will be forever thankful to him, giving them a chance to live a life that they only dreamt of before.

Huening Kai tugged the sleeves of Soobin's shirt "Hyung, do something. Make father stop crying." he said, not hiding his trembling voice.

The taller of the two just stared at the scene, wanting to hug the man who gave them the world. Tell him that it's okay, but he can't, which breaks his heart even more.

Once the man passed out, they all went closer to him, lying on the floor, watching over him.

"We'll always be together even after a lifetime of tomorrows."

"Thank you Heejoong," Mr. Bang patted the top of the child's head "this means a lot to me."

You silently watched as Ni-Ki followed his smiling father outside, and when he saw his brothers, he scuttled towards them, hugging them with a bright grin in his face. Yeonjun picked Ni-Ki up and settled him on his shoulders.

The five boys looked at you with appreciation in their eyes, their regret finally solved. They waved their hands at you, smiling like innocent children, and for the first and last time, you made finger hearts just for them.

You dropped a bouquet of yellow roses on top of the urns of your friends, you and Mingi praying for them to be safe on their way to heaven.

"Looks like it'll be quieter from now on. I'll miss them." Mingi faced the other way, acting all tough and strong when in reality he's about to cry his eyes out "Not me, I like this better."

You called Hongjoong once again, thanking him for convincing his boss to come to the daycare, "It's nothing. I'm glad I can help, by the way did you buy a new phone?"

"Ah yes, I forgot to tell you. I'm sorry, I used your card again. I just really needed one." you apologized and he told you not to worry about it "Keep the card, use it whenever you need it." then he hung up.

Always the tsundere, laughing a bit, when someone suddenly tapped your shoulder, making you scream in surprise.

"Oh my god, Miss Yuri!" you turned around and saw Minhee, you almost choked when you saw her "I didn't mean to scare you like that." You smiled, your face turning red "I've been calling you for a while now, but you weren't responding."

Oh, she must have been calling you by your alias, must be the reason why you didn't respond because that's not even your name, "I'm sorry, I've been spacing out." she looked around before finally telling you her intentions "Would you like to come with me for a while?"

This feels like deja vu, you in a cafe with a relaxing ambience but the person in front of you is making you feel the complete opposite.

"I know this is sudden but, I am currently looking for a pick-up helper," Minhee started "I am starting to look for a job, that is why I need someone who can look after Heejoong, and based from what I heard, you are always with him." she said, remembering what the teachers told her and the gossips from the other parents.

"Miss Yuri's really close with Heejoong, she always looks out after him."

"That new kitchen helper is awfully attached to Miss Shin's child, don't you think?"

Your heart skipped a beat, you did not realize that you have been sticking too close to Heejoong that it was too obvious even to outsiders.

"I'm sorry, it's-" she cut you off, telling you that it's fine and that she wouldn't worry too much if a person like you is with Heejoong.

"I don't know you that well but I trust you enough that you'll be able to take good care of my son."

'My son,' that left a bitter taste in your mouth, another person calling your son theirs. But you couldn't hate her, she was a great mom to Heejoong, you won't deny that. She always gives her all for her son and husband.

"Are you okay, Miss Yuri?" you snapped out of your thoughts smiling sheepishly before deciding to just go with it. That way, you'll be able to spend more time with Heejoong AND maybe get inside their home and get Wooyoung to leave.

"I accept your offer," you paused, your mouth opening and closing, like you want to tell her something, the girl in front of you looking at you expectantly "let's not be formal with each other. If that's okay? I want to be friends with you."

Her face lit up, like she was waiting for someone to tell her that "Really? I don't have any friends here."

You were surprised at the revelation, why is no one her friend when she's really nice? People really do have some problems.

"Well, I'll be honored to be your first friend." you two shared a knowing look before giggling like teenagers, giddy over a friendship blooming between the two of you.

"I'm home." Hongjoong calls out, his wife greeting him and tried taking his bag but he declined "I got this, don't worry." The small smile in Minhee's face was wiped, but she tried to smile again, wanting to tell her husband the good news.

"Oppa, I found a pick-up helper today." Hongjoong hummed, rummaging inside the fridge for water "she even offered to be my friend. She's really nice."

"Really? That's good then." he smiled, genuinely happy that his wife has found someone that she can call her friend, then he nearly spat the water out of his mouth after his wife's next words "Yeah, it was the new kitchen employee at the daycare."

He wiped his chin with his hand "The kitchen helper, yes." flabbergasted at the information, trying to compose himself.

"Are you okay? Oppa, you don't look too well." Hongjoong gave her a tight smile "Yes, of course I'm fine. I will be on the study if you need me."

"Wait, you still haven't had your dinner."

"I already ate outside."

Minhee's face fell into a disappointed one, looking at the table she set for dinner. Smiling sadly, she went over to Heejoong who was watching television, "Guess we'll just have to eat together."

Inside Hongjoong's office, he was venting in his phone "Seonghwa, what do I do? If Y/N is the pick-up helper then that means I would be seeing her here too."

"Then don't go home early, just stay overtime here at work." his friend was obviously panicking too, but still trying his best to help.

Hongjoong grumbled in his seat "If I stayed there then Eden hyung would just bamboozle me with the therapy thingy."

Seonghwa went silent on the other line, "Hello? Are you still there?"

"I am, I was just thinking," his friend cautiously said "maybe you should take the therapy."

The man shook his head a no, even if his friend can't see it " I don't need it." he stubbornly replies. "Hongjoong, you need it. It's been way too long, and until now you still can't enter your own studio without hyperventilating."

That's true, the studio he's in now is just a spare one. His own was abandoned for years, not really having the guts to enter it. Once he did, everything about you and your incident would be reminded in him again. He can't take it, knowing that you needed him that time but he wasn't there.

"Goodmorning honey," you greeted him with a kiss "you're leaving early today, here." you gave him an umbrella because you saw the news said that there will be a downpour this afternoon.

"Aw, my wifey is so sweet." you smiled and pecked his lips "Of course, don't want my hubby to get sick. Now go, I have to get ready as well." pushing him towards the door.

"Are you sure about going? Just wait for me, let's go together." persuading you to delay your trip to your company building.

You rolled your eyes, he's such a worrywart "Don't worry, I will just deliver the blueprint then I'll go home immediately."

"Okay, if you insist. Call me when you need anything, I'll drop anything that I'm doing and go to you." as cheesy as it sounds, you know it's true.

"I will. Now go or you'll be late!" you went back to what you're previously doing when he left, then suddenly he came back, turning you around and him kissing you tenderly in the lips.

If only he had known that would be last time he'll be able to kiss you, then he would've stayed back then. If only someone warned him that it would your last day on earth, he would never lock his door and keep his ears open for any noises.

"Don't disturb me! I want to finish this as soon as I can!" he yelled at the poor employee who was only there to tell him that the higher ups wanted him to do a song for a more popular singer.

He hated that with all his might, these corrupt people not caring about other singers who are talented enough.

He locked his door and blasted his headphones on full volume after telling the employee to inform everyone not to call him or knock on his door because he won't be answering any bullshit.

He regretted doing that, missing out the calls on his phone or the loud shouts outside his studio. Maybe he'll just get therapy, right, there's nothing wrong with that. It will also help him go home a little later than usual.

You're ready and excited to spend all afternoon with your son after their dismissal at the daycare, what you didn't expect is the long list of the extracurricular classes that he has to attend. Piano lessons, reading lessons, art lessons, it was already 5 o'clock in the afternoon and you're getting antsy.

When Heejoong finally went out of the door, you immediately approached him, asking him if this was the last lesson he has. And when he confirmed it, you smiled widely, telling him that you'll show him a place where magic happens.

The jingling of the bell made Yunho and Jongho look up, ready to greet a customer but stopped when they saw you with Heejoong. They were genuinely surprised but also happy to see their nephew, it's been so long since the last time they saw him.

"Heejoong, these are your uncle Yunho and uncle Jongho, they are the people who do magic." the two shared a knowing look, automatically knowing what you mean by magic.

They crouched down to match the child's level "Heejoong, do you want to see magic?" Yunho asked him, the child nodding eagerly, "Come with us then." Jongho said.

The men held Heejoong's tiny hand in theirs, the child looking at you in which you motioned for him to go and follow the two adults. You took a seat by the counter, watching as your bestfriends did a cooking show for your son.

Heejoong looks so happy, he was squealing in awe the whole time, especially when Jongho lit up the pan with fire while Yunho let out a 'Bulnoriya!' You chuckled at their silliness, enjoying the scene in front of you.

What if you didn't die? What if that accident didn't happen? Would this be a common sight? Your thoughts was cut short when the bells chimed once again, Yunho's loud welcome booming in the room.

When the man went to see who entered, he was glued at his spot, seeing Minhee standing there with a shocked expression upon seeing you in the resto. She simply walked and sat beside you, about to ask you something when she heard a "Mommy!" looking over the counter to see a smiling Heejoong in Jongho's lap.

"You brought Heejoong here?" you smiled and explained yourself "I am good friends with the owners, so I thought that it'll be nice for them to meet him."

Yunho broke the tension in the room by saying that he'll get Minhee a drink, he was already pouring her a glass of beer when you interjected "She likes soju better."

Minhee looked at you with a curious face "How did you know that?" you opened your mouth to reply but then you remembered that you got that information because you were a ghost at the time you were staying at their house.

You watched as Minhee sneaked out of the room into the kitchen, opening a cabinet, revealing a stash of soju. She reached for one bottle, poured a full glass of soju and downing it in one go.

"Good. I like you Minhee, you know how to do your shots." you commented, clapping your hands while you watched her drink.

"You, I-" you cleared your throat "You look like a person that likes soju more than beer." you stuttered, lying because there's no way you'll tell her the real reason.

Jongho was the one who put the soju in front of the girl, telling her to enjoy herself and he'll take care of Heejoong.

"Let's drink, cheers!"

One hour and five bottles of soju, you and Minhee were already out of it, slurred words and giggles rang throughout the room. making the two men with you sigh in exasperation as they stopped the two of you from drinking anymore.

The girl beside you called your name "You know, I heard some parents gossiping," she hiccupped "they said you look like Heejoong." she then looked at the sleeping child at the back that Jongho tucked a few minutes ago.

Silence ensued the room "I also saw the way you look at Heejoong, eyes full of love and smile so bright," you stilled in your seat, feeling more lightheaded than before.

"I always did my best to be his mother. Then I see you, a person that looks so identical to Heejoong's biological mother so I thought," she faced you, a sorrowful look on her face "why don't you be Heejoong's mother instead."

Just as she finished her statement, her head fell into the table with a loud bang. Her words sobered you up, making you feel sympathetic towards her. Jongho called Hongjoong to pick Minhee up, not wanting her to catch a cold while she's passed out. Yunho on the other hand went to you, asking you if you were okay.

"I'm fine, I'm actually more worried about her, I didn't expect that she would say that." Yunho patted your back, telling you that it's not your fault.

A few minutes later, Hongjoong finally arrived with Seonghwa, seeing his wife sleeping in the table "Minhee!" The girl woke up and lifted her head at the sound of her husband's voice "Oppa!" she got up and went to Hongjoong, hugging him like a koala, at that moment his eyes met yours, realizing that you're also here.

You hurriedly clung onto Yunho, babbling about him being your bestfriend since birth with Jongho and how you appreciate them so much. He understood what you're doing, his heart breaking in your stead. Of course you'll be hurt, not only did the person you used to love called out an another name, but he is holding an another woman in his arms as well.

Hongjoong kept on looking back and forth between you and Minhee, wanting to go to you and check if you're okay but he can't just leave Minhee.

Seonghwa noticed his friend's dilemma, so he took the initiative to tell him to go home and that he'll take care of the rest, "But-"

"No buts, I'll take Heejoong so you can drive the both of them home."

Seonghwa carried the sleeping child and sternly motioned for Hongjoong to move. The man looked at you for the last time, before turning and walking back to his car.

The moment they left the place, you stopped pretending that you're drunk, now focusing on not letting your tears fall.

Watching your home walk with someone else that is not you makes you feel like your heart was stabbed a million times, it was insufferable, every part of you slowly breaking into pieces, the only thing keeping you together is your friends' tight bear hug.

"We're here Y/N, we won't leave you."

Minhee woke up the next day with a really bad hangover "Shit." seeing the time made her realize that she slept in, getting up only to see an advil, water, and a note in the bedside table.

"Goodmorning, take this and rest up. I made food for you so make sure to eat your breakfast, don't worry about Heejoong, I'll take him to school. -HJ"

The girl smiled at the note, thankful for her husband's consideration. Getting up from the bed, she saw her reflection in the mirror. Smudged make up and her clothes are still the same from last night. Not remembering anything from last night aside from drinking with you.

She sighed and removed her coat, when a polaroid photo fell from its pocket, she picked it up and inspected it, seeing a picture of her and you, smiling widely at the camera while flashing a peace sign.

Smiling at the adorable photo, she decided to stick it to the fridge, a remembrance of her first friend. Speaking of you, Minhee wondered if you got home safe so she texted you, asking you if you're doing fine in which you replied a quick 'I'm well, thank you for asking. I'll see you later!'

On the other side, you were contemplating if you should ask her if she remembers what she said last night, but deciding against it. Not wanting to make things awkward between you.

"Aye, drop your phone and continue chopping. We have visitors today, so we'll have a lot of mouths to feed." Jeongyeon nagged at you for the nth time today. You pouted at her "I just replied to a friend, I'll chop all of these within an hour, unnie, watch me." you bragged.

The sound of the door opening alerted a certain boy, he immediately sat up on the couch and turned the volume of the television down.

"Eomma you're back early." he said "Yeah, the market wasn't that busy today, I already got the ingredients for today's dinner."

The woman noticed that someone is missing in their house "Yeosang, where's your father?"

"Appa, where are you going?" Yeosang asked his father who was busy knotting his tie.

The man smiled "I'm going to the daycare today, I'll be teaching the children about the 'dangers of strangers.' I will also-" his son cut him off "You'll also see Heejoong today, that's why you look so excited." he said, crossing his arms and smirking.

His father sighed, knowing the consequences of his actions "It's only one time, don't tell you mother okay?" he tapped his son's arms and went out of the house in a hurry.

"Uh, out. He said that he's got something to take care of, he'll be home by afternoon." he felt bad lying to his mother, but he can't just out his father like that.

"That old man didn't even tell me." yeah, his father will still get an earful either way.

You were walking towards the office, Jeongyeon giving you the task of giving today's menu to the principal for him to check. When you heard San's voice in the hallway.

"Mr. Kang, thank you for coming today. The children would really learn a lot from this."

So this is the 'more mouths to feed,' seems like there would be a special lesson for the kids today. As you were about to cross the hallway, San bowed to the man, revealing the so-called 'Mr. Kang.'

You immediately covered your face with the papers, because what the heck, you didn't know that the man is your father, Kang Daniel. Crouching a bit and tiptoeing your way into the office, your weird actions caught the attention of your father, but he decided not to call you out, thinking that you might have some problems.

"Come this way please." San guided them to the classroom and when you don't hear them anymore, you carefully opened the door and peeked outside.

"Miss Yuri are you okay?" the voice of the principal startled you, making you drop the papers. You looked down at the mess before looking back up to meet the quizzical eyes of the principal "No, I don't think I'm okay."

You peered over the window to see what is going on inside the classroom. "If a stranger persuades you to come with them using food or toys, don't go okay?" the children responded with a choruses of yes.

"Very good, if someone suspicious did that, run away and find someone that you know."

He looked around the room, eyes landing on Heejoong "Okay, let's see if you can apply what I just thought you. Let's see hm.." he puts a hand under his chin, pretending to think of who's he gonna call.

"Oh, you," he called Heejoong out and the child went to him with an innocent look "what's your name little one?" the child didn't answer the question, he just stared at the man. San took the liberty of telling the child's name

"Heejoong, that's a very nice name. Now, think of me as a stranger, I will be giving you this toy, and demonstrate what I just told you, okay?" the child nodded and smiled.

Daniel took a few steps back, extending his hand with the toy and calling Heejoong out, the little boy in return ran to him and hugged his leg. The man couldn't help but melt, how could he not when his grandson's clinging into him like this. "No, Heejoong, you're not suppose to hug me." he light-heartedly scolded the little boy.

You watched the interaction of the two, feeling a pang of guilt and pain in your chest, seeing your father do things like this just to see and hold his own grandson.

"Thank you for today Mr. Kang. We really appreciate it." San thanked the man and bowed at him once again.

The old man chuckled "It's nothing, Mr. Choi, I enjoyed myself today." he said, waving at the teacher and at the kids before exiting the daycare.

You hid yourself the whole day, not wanting your father to see you in this state. When they finally left were you only able to breathe and relax.

Entering the classroom, you spotted Heejoong who was playing with San, waving at you when he saw you. Smiling at child, you went to him and picked him up "Are you ready for your lessons today?" the little boy innocently nod at your query "Okay, let's get going then."

You said your goodbye to San and went out, following the usual routine of his extracurricular classes, but at the end of his art lessons, he gave you an unexpected gift. Specifically an egg that he decorated.

It has flowers in it and in the middle was a writing, 'pretty auntie,' you gasped looking at Heejoong "You think I'm pretty?" hearing his say yes in a shy manner, making you squeal at his cuteness.

Then you noticed that he's holding an another egg in his hand "Whose that for?" you asked him, and he proudly showed you the egg with a 'mommy' written on it.

Your smile faltered a bit, it kind hit you that your own son thinks of you as an 'auntie.' Shaking your head, thinking that it's normal, it wasn't you that took care of him while he's growing up. It's okay.

"I knew I'd see you here." a familiar voice made you look up to see who it was. There she is, 'mommy.'

Heejoong ran to her and made grabby hands "Did you miss mommy that much?" hoisting up the child, she then faced you "I'm sorry I came here all of a sudden, I am done for today so I thought I'd come here and pick Heejoong up myself." Plastering on a smile, you told her that it's fine and the class has just ended, so she was just one time.

"I should get going then, take care on your way home." you were about to leave when someone tugged on your coat, looking down you saw it was Heejoong.

Minhee softly smiled "Looks like he doesn't want you to go. What about you visit our house and have your dinner there?" You were about to decline the offer when you heard Heejoong say a little "Please."

"How can I even say no to that?"

The two of you laughed, taking Heejoong's hand in each of yours. Nobody can see it, but the two of you felt it. A light bulb turning on, the switch being the little boy whose smiles are the cure for whatever negative feelings you're bearing.

You feel a bit nervous, silly considering you have been invading their privacy for years now. But hey, you're finally entering the place as a human, that's big enough of a difference.

Minhee told you to feel free to do whatever you want in the living room as she prepares dinner. You watched her move expertly in the kitchen, she really is admirable.

You were about to focus on Heejoong who was watching a kids show in the television when someone blocked your vision. About to tell the person off, you glanced up, only for your words to die down on your throat.

There stood a fun-sized man, looking at you menacingly. He slowly lifted his hand up, pointing an accusatory finger at you "What the hell is the meaning of this?"

You stood up from your seat, startling the girl working in the kitchen "Is there something wrong?" you waved your hands frantically "No, no. I just need some fresh air, would you mind if I step out on your balcony for a bit?"

"Go ahead, unnie." you thanked her and motioned for the man who was still standing in front of you, who did not blink even once, to follow you (which he thankfully did because this midget can be stubborn sometimes.)

Once you were out in the balcony, you opened your mouth to talk but he beat you to it.

"Is this why you've gone incognito for days? You came back to life?" you affirmed his questions and started explaining "I didn't know what happened as well, but, now that I'm alive. I want to negotiate with you."

He looks confused, so you decided to go further "I am a human again, so that means that I can help you resolve your burdens or regrets that you left in this world."

He was silent and unmoving for a few seconds, then he suddenly went inside, escaping from you. That man really is unpredictable. You tried following him, accidentally opening the sliding door a bit roughly causing a banging sound to resonate in the room.

Minhee, getting the shock of her life for the second time that night, asked you what is wrong once again.

"I saw a fruit fly, so I just uh-" you pretended to swat insects in the air "I'm killing them, we don't want any of those bad insects here." you laughed awkwardly. "Fruit fly? It's winter though." she tilted her head slightly, not knowing of what's going on inside your head.

In the doorstep of the apartment, a man was looking intently at the pairs of shoes. He caught sight of one that he's sure don't belong to either one of them. No, maybe he's just overthinking. He'll go inside first and take a look.

Right as he went in, he was ready to yeet his self out of there, picking his shoes up and putting it on, if it wasn't for his wife noticing him.

"Oppa, didn't you just got home? Are you going out again?" Hongjoong pretended like he's organizing the shoes in the doorstep "No, I was just cleaning up here, don't mind me." he stood up and went inside again, and there you are in the living room, standing and looking at him.

He avoided your gaze and head towards his office, calling out to his wife "I'll be inside here if you need me." forcing a smile before entering and locking his door shut.

Minhee's brows furrowed "What's up with him, he didn't even greet you. That was rude of him." she went to scold her husband but you held her back "It's fine, maybe he's tired. I don't mind."

Inside Hongjoong's office, separated tissue papers are already piling up in his table. Mumbling to himself "I took that damn therapy so I'd go home late and yet this still happened, just how unlucky can I get."

He brought his phone out and dialled Seonghwa's number, when his friend picked up the call, Hongjoong cursed at him.

"I'll kill you."

Back in the living room, you tried to ignore Hongjoong's looming presence in the house, shifting your attention to finding Wooyoung instead. But he's nowhere to be seen, deciding to call it a day, you'll just have to come back here tomorrow.

"Minhee, I'm sorry but I have to go now. Something urgent came up." she poked her head in the kitchen "Alright, we'll escort you down. Heejoong, come, let's see auntie off."

When Hongjoong heard the sound of a door opening and closing, he spied outside, seeing that no one was there anymore. He sighs in relief, now that his anxiety has calmed down, his hunger is surfacing up.

Minhee's still in the middle of cooking so he started rummaging the fridge, looking for anything to eat just to satisfy his grumbling stomach for a bit. He found none, but lucky for him, he saw hard boiled eggs on the table.

"This will do." he started cracking the eggs, noticing some scribbles on it but didn't think much of it. He started eating the egg and he groaned in satisfaction "Woah, this egg is delicious!"

Just as when you are out of the building, you remembered the egg that Heejoong gifted you this afternoon "The egg!" Minhee was puzzled for a minute before remembering what egg you're talking about, you must have forgotten it on the table.

"Let's go back and retrieve it."

Everything was in slow motion, two girls and one kid entering the apartment and Hongjoong enjoying his second egg, him spitting it out within seconds when he heard a loud yell.

"Yah!" was that you? Minhee gaped at you, bewildered that you had to shout like that, just how important that egg was to you?

Seeing his hardwork destroyed, Heejoong started crying "No, baby don't cry. Daddy didn't mean it." Minhee consoled the child.

'So that was Heejoong's drawing in the egg,' Hongjoong thought, then it was followed with a 'shit.'

You just registered what you did and bowed "I'm sorry I yelled at you." then you dashed out. "Wait unnie!" Minhee called out for you but it was too late, you're already gone. She turned to face Hongjoong with a disappointed look "Aren't you gonna say something?"

The man snapped out of it and hugged his son "I'm sorry I ate your egg, I'll make it up to you okay?" Heejoong looked at his father before hugging him back, accepting his apology.

"Why was unnie so upset? She didn't have to yell at you like that."

Hongjoong breathed out, "Well, of course she'd be upset, I ate her gift."

You texted Minhee that night, telling her that you're sorry for what you did and that it'll never happen again. She replied that it's fine, she understands your sentiment. She was just as mad as you are.

You praised the heavens for making Minhee a really considerate person. Hongjoong really is lucky to have her. Alright, moving on. There's no need to dwell on what happened, tomorrow morning, you have an important assignment to carry out.

The next day, you messaged Minhee, telling her that Heejoong accidentally spilled water on him so you need to get him extra clothes to change into.

'Okay, the password is 1024.'

You thanked her and immediately begun the hunt after entering the apartment.

"Wooyoung! Where are you? Let's talk!" you yelled, hoping that he'll hear you and show his self like he always did, but he didn't this time. He's really avoiding you, not this time though, you have your secret weapon.

You brought out Mingi's bells, ringing it twice before you heard a high pitched yell in the bedroom. Smirking and about to enter, you stopped, is it okay for you to enter their bedroom? It feels wrong, it's their space, even when you were a ghost, you never entered it out of respect.

The sound of Wooyoung's grunts made you close your eyes, opening the door and apologizing a million times in your brain. You opened your eyes and the first thing that you saw was a wedding portrait of Minhee and Hongjoong, you never had a portrait hung like this before.

Wooyoung complained from above you, cutting your train of thoughts. You looked up and saw him stuck like a glue in the ceiling.

"Found you!"

Wooyoung rolled his eyes at you "Did you really need to use that?" you clicked your tongue "I wouldn't have to if you're willing to cooperate."

You sat down in a chair and stared at Wooyoung "So are you ever gonna talk or not?" he avoided your gaze and you sigh, this one really is a tough nut to crack.

"Please talk to me, don't you trust me?" he finally looked at you.

"I am here to help, I was a ghost too, so I know that something heavy is keeping you here. Now that I am here as a human, let me do you a favor. We're friends after all." you gave him a soft smile, how can he even say no when you say things like that to him.

"Fine, but can you let me down first?" you were hesitant to do so "I won't run, I promise."

You are now sitting with Wooyoung in the living room, waiting for him to start talking.

"This was my apartment before your ex husband and his new wife moved in" he started "the thing was, I wasn't alone, I have a roommate, my bestfriend. He soon moved out when he got engaged, which I didn't mind at all."

You noticed his clasped hands, it was shaking, you wanted to hold and comfort him because right now, he looks so vulnerable.

"Choi San," the name made you sit straight "your co-worker at the daycare, he was my bestfriend."

"Congratulations on your engagement man!" Wooyoung said on the phone "I'm so happy that you won't die alone."

San chuckled on the other line "Hey, even if I don't get married, I'll still have you, so no, I won't die alone either way.

Wooyoung gagged at his friend's sweet words, the other man complaining before saying "Call me if you need me, I'll always be there for you. As the saying goes, bros before hoes."

He smiles at the fond memory, San has always been a good person, the complete opposite of his self. Thus, he considers himself lucky for managing to befriend a man like him.

"It was all good really, but you know how life goes, it's not all sunshine and rainbows."

It feels uncomfortable, like someone's been watching him. Wooyoung feels like something ominous is gonna happen.

The unsettling feeling in his stomach worsened when one night, he saw a shadow outside his house. This happened for the next few days, an unknown man who seems to be watching him was standing in the same exact spot every night. When Wooyoung can't take it anymore, he immediately called San, asking him for help.

"San, someone's outside my house. I think I'm getting stalked." the panic in his voice was audible "Help me, I'm scared."

"Are you home? I-" San was interrupted when a woman's voice spoke in the background. "Who's that? San, c'mon, it's time for bed, get off your phone." he heard San sigh.

"I'm sorry Wooyoung, I don't want my fiancé to get upset. I'll go there in the morning, for the mean time make sure that your doors and windows are locked."

That night, the sound of glasses breaking and a gunshot were heard throughout the house.

Early morning, San can only watch in despair as the supposedly best man for his wedding, his bestfriend's body was placed in a stretcher.

'Jung Wooyoung, 22 years of age, time of death: 11:32 PM'

"He blamed his self for my death, even cancelled his wedding because of it. That idiot's been apologizing for a year in front of my urn." he lowered his head, not wanting for you to see his tears.

"I want him to get married, he doesn't need to hold himself back just because of me."

You were stunned, a person like San who's always smiling so brightly has a baggage like that. Standing from your seat, dead set on helping two of your friends "let's tell him that then."

Wooyoung told you that San always went to the Columbarium during Saturdays, the day of his death. You devised a plan, now waiting for San while hiding behind the walls, Wooyoung standing right beside you, anxious to how his bestfriend's gonna react.

True to his words, San soon entered the building, holding a bouquet of white tulips, a flower that means forgiveness and peace. The man stopped in front of Wooyoung's urn, ready to apologize but he stilled when he saw piece of paper stuck on the glass.

He ripped it off and read its contents.

"You're here again, what are you gonna do? Apologize and cry like a baby? Man, you gotta stop this, if you really want to amend, then get married. That's the least that you can do for me. Go and live your life, Amicus Ad Aras."

San gasped, there's only one person who uses that term with him.

"Let's get a matching tattoo." Wooyoung randomly suggested while they're hanging out, he looked at his friend like he's crazy "Wouldn't that hurt?"

Wooyoung shrugged "Eh, doesn't matter, let's just hold each other's hand the whole time, like we're giving birth or something." San laughed at his friend's ludicrous idea "What do you plan to put then?"

His friend faced him with a bright smile on his face "I found this really cool phrase on the internet,"

"Amicus Ad Aras, it means life-long partner!"

San bit his lip and leaned his forehead on the glass that covers Wooyoung's urn, tightly gripping the spot where the permanent ink was engraved in his skin, tears uncontrollably falling down in his cheeks.

You checked on Wooyoung, holding his right thigh, trying hard to keep his tears from escaping his eyes. Whispering to him "It's alright to cry, let it out." That was all it takes for the dam in his eyes to break.

Two bestfriends torn apart by life and death, but even then, they'll still remain friends until the end.

Come Monday morning and San went up to you with an excited smile in his face, handing you a purple envelope, wondering what is it for "You are invited to my wedding this Saturday, be honored!"

You smiled widely and hugged him, congratulating him, your heart soared, happy that Wooyoung can finally rest after this.

The day of the wedding came, and there you saw an, Wooyoung standee? What?

"Ridiculous isn't it?" you heard a voice behind you, turning around to see Wooyoung scowling at the standee.

"I look fat in that, not to mention my sexiness wasn't highlighted-" you shushed his rants, ordering him to go where the best man is supposed to stand at. You know he's nervous, his shaky eyes and constant deep breaths are dead giveaway.

When San entered and walked down the red carpet, you watched Wooyoung as a soft smile appeared in his lips, a rare sight to behold.

During the entire ceremony, the look of genuine love and care was etched across the best man's face. He almost cried during the reception when San mentioned him but his tears went back in when his standee was mentioned. He hates that abomination, he'll burn that if he can touch it.

When the wedding has ended, Wooyoung approached you with grateful smile "I owe you big time." you put your hands on your hips "Hell yeah you do."

"You look pretty today." his compliment surprised you "What is this? You're hitting on a mother? That's low Woo." he tries to be nice to you and this is what he gets? You are really difficult to handle sometimes.

He held his pinky finger up "I hope that you'll resolve your own regrets as well. In another life, I'll treat you with good food and soju." you held your pinky up as well "That's a deal."

The incessant knocking on Mingi's door was enough to wake him up from his slumber, god, who the hell is awake at 7:30 in the morning.

"Coming! Wait a minute!" he put his shoes on in a hurry, getting annoyed when the knocks didn't stop "I said wait a damn mi-" his words forgotten when he opened the door.

"Goodmorning, Song Mingi. Took a while to wake you up." the mysterious man smiled at him innocently. Mingi squinted his eyes, an intense look forming in his face "Hwang Hyunjin."

You were walking towards the market, Jeongyeon sent you to buy some much needed ingredients for today's lunch. You stopped on your tracks and hid behind a post when you saw a familiar mop of hair, slowly poking your head to take a peek of your mother who's currently crouched down to inspect the potatoes.

It's too early in the morning to play hide and seek, you eased a bit when you saw her stand up, your mother momentarily losing her balance. She held her knees and massaged it for a bit before walking away.

You watched her back get smaller in every step that she takes. She still does the grocery shopping even if her knees are getting worse every day. Does she not take her medications? What is Yeosang even doing?

That night you went to the place where you were raised. It's been a while since you visited here, the last one was when you played with Shiber, your family dog.

You looked inside the bag, checking if all the items are complete. Satisfied with its contents, you were about to place the bag in front of the gate when you heard three familiar voices. You slumped the bag clumsily in the wall and hid behind a car that was parked right in front of the house.

"It's nice going out for a night jog." that was you mother.

"Let's do this again sometime." now it's your father.

"You didn't even run, you just walked and whined the whole time." finally your brother.

It looks like they were about to enter the house when Shiber started barking, your heart raced. Shiber's good sense of smell isn't really helping your situation right now.

"Shiber! Hey! What's up?" your dad seems to be the one who's holding the dog's leash.

The dog's barks were getting closer "Is someone there?" your mother worriedly asked. Suddenly a cat went up the wall and hissed at the dog "It was just a cat. Come on Shiber, let's go inside it's cold."

"Oh, there's a package here." thank God Yeosang noticed the bag that was poorly flopped in the ground "Take it inside, hurry so we don't catch a cold." your mother said.

When you're sure that they are inside, you stepped out of your hiding place and did a once-over at the place before leaving. Your job here is done.

Inside the house, Yeosang spilled the contents of the bag in the table, looking at it to make sure that it's not poison or bomb.

"Eomma, look, they're medicines for your knees. There are seaweeds here for soup as well." his parents went to the table"Maybe Hongjoong gave this to us Jihyo, he's the only one besides us who knows about your condition." Daniel said.

Jihyo scoffed "Why would he give us that? I already told him that he doesn't need to involve his self to us." she then went back to the living room to sit down, only to see her husband's unlocked phone that is unfortunately flashing a photo of him and Heejoong.

"Daniel, what is this?" the man in question flinched, remembering that he forgot to lock his phone while he's looking at the photos he took when he went to the daycare.

"I asked you a question, what is the meaning of this?" Jihyo angrily asked "Whatever this is, delete this." she said, handing the phone to her husband, "No."

Yeosang's eyes widened when his father denied his mother's orders, "What?"

"I said no, I won't delete the photos. These are the only remembrance that I have of my grandson." Daniel argues "I miss him, and I-"

The woman only looked at him without any expression "You think I don't miss him?" the man went silent after that question. "I miss him too Daniel, he's my grandson too." the emotions that she spent burying finally coming up "He's the only reminder of my daughter, but we can't see him anymore. You know why." her knees felt weak, making her fall down on the floor.

Jihyo kept hitting her chest to ease the pain she's feeling right now "We shouldn't go near him anymore because he has a new family now. We promised that we'll let them move on, so please."

Yeosang went to his mother and hugged her tight, wiping her tears away while making sure that his own won't slide down his face. Daniel was left standing there, looking at the pictures for the last time before pressing the delete button.

He understands what his wife meant, this is a decision that they came up with in order to move on from your death.

You were woken up when your phone rang "Huh? But it's Sunday, I don't have work today." you reached for your phone groggily, looking at it only to see that Jongho's calling you.

"Hello? What do you want? It's too early for you t-"

"Someone's here for you."

You are unamused to say the least "You called me here for this?" Mingi looked offended at your question.

"This man has been lurking around here, even at your place for days, he's being suspicious." Yunho explained. "And that's enough reason for you to smack me in the head?" Jongho looked at him that screams 'Duh?'

Mingi rolled his eyes which made Yunho scoff "Okay, you two stop fighting. What do you need Mingi, you can just call me." He looks apprehensive "This is something that I have to tell you in person." he said while fiddling with his fingers.

Mingi never looked like this unless it's a serious topic, you looked over to where your two friends at "Yunho, Jongho, will you please leave the two of us alone for a while?"

They looked cynical, not fully trusting the man with you "Don't worry, he's my friend."

"Your friend? Where did you two even meet?" Jongho couldn't help but ask, because as far as he knows, you don't befriend just anyone, you're quite picky when it comes to friends. You almost told them that you met Mingi when you were a ghost lingering around here.

"I, uh," you looked at Mingi for help, he frowned at you before speaking up "She met me on her first day as a human. I am a shaman, things like that are naturally magnetic to me."

Yunho was about to question him further when you said that it was true, only then the boys let it go.

"All right, me and Jongho will go out for grocery shopping, if this weird guy," Yunho pointed a finger at Mingi "did anything, just scream and we'll be there."

You lowered Yunho's hand before Mingi bites it "I will, thank you and take care." you smiled at them, watching them leave.

"Okay, so what is it?" he took a deep breath "There'sthisguywhowantstotakeyouandyourson." You blinked rapidly not understanding anything from what he just said "Mingi, slowly."

"There's this guy, an exorcist, he wants to take you and your son because according to him 'it's way past your due days,' and I can't let him do that, so I was lingering around the places where you and your son might be so I can keep an eye on you two." he finished explaining, you were taking all the information in, but still, one thing in your mind is that Mingi's protecting you and Heejoong.

You held his face "Thank you for doing that Mingi, but don't put your life in danger okay?" you reminded him, he can be reckless at times and you don't want him to die young. He's precious to you, so you want him to enjoy life more. He smiled and held your hands, squeezing it a bit before placing it down in the table.

"Y/N, your 49 days will be up soon. Take your place now while you still have the time."

The door bursts open, revealing Yunho, Jongho, Seonghwa and Hongjoong.

"What do you mean 49 days?" Hongjoong asked, furious as to why he's hearing this just now.

You stood up from your seat, panic settling down in your guts "What are you guys doing here? I thought I told you to give us alone time, even Seonghwa and Hongjoong are here now."

"We went back to get our wallet, we forgot it in the kitchen. As for Seonghwa hyung and Hongjoong hyung, they happened to be around in the area, we told them that you're with a guy alone. That's why they tagged along." Jongho explained in one breath.

Hongjoong was looking at with you enraged eyes "Care to explain what's happening now?"

You look back at Mingi, gulping down the anxiety that's been pooling in your body. You sat down, taking a deep breath before finally opening your mouth to tell a story that you've been hiding from them.

"You are a ghost before you turned into a human? So that means you know what's happening around here?"

"You only have 49 days and now you've spent more than half of them?"

"You have to take back your place as a daughter, sister, wife, and mother for you to continue living?"

You sighed "To answer your questions, yes yes and yes."

Hongjoong's hands slammed down on the table "Why didn't you tell us sooner?! You only tell us now when you have what? 20 days left? Are you kidding me right now?!" you flinched, not knowing how to react to Hongjoong's anger.

Seonghwa tried calming him down to no avail "No, Seonghwa, I will not calm down. How can I even do that when I am about to lose the love of my life once again?!" hot tears are now streaming down in his face.

He looks at you and he literally feels his heart breaking, the thought of losing you once more is unbearable. He slumped his body back into his chair, face falling down in his hands.

Amidst the commotion, Jongho stood up "I'm sorry Y/N, I've been keeping quiet all this time because I respect you. But right now, I can't do that." he then proceeded to walk out of the door.

"Jongho, where are you going? Jongho!" you called out after him but he didn't respond nor come back.

You looked between Hongjoong and the door. Sensing an incoming panic attack when you felt a hand on your shoulder. "Go after Jongho, we'll take care of Hongjoong hyung." Yunho said, you nodded and thanked him, running after Jongho.

You saw him walking a bit faster than usual "Jongho, wait!" you grabbed him and turned to face you, face full of tears and lips trembling.

"Wait? For what? You leaving us again? I'm not gonna do that," his shoulders shaking from too much crying "I will head to Aunt Jihyo, tell her everything and make you take your place back in this world."

He turned to walk but you stopped him once again "No, please, Jongho don't." you hugged him "Let me go Y/N, I will not sit back and watch you die all over again." he said, shrugging you off him. Your hug loosened, knees giving out causing you to drop on the cold concrete.

"I don't have any place in this world anymore!" you yelled, Jongho stopped moving, looking at you with wide teary eyes, not following what you just said.

It's true though, the moment you left this world, traces of you started to fade away and be replaced with something, someone else.

You were always with Hongjoong and Heejoong even when they can't see you. You watched them walked the same path every single day, until Minhee came in their life and opened up a new path for them to explore.

"Hey you should walk faster! The temperatures too low, you might catch a cold!" you nagged at Hongjoong who was walking like a turtle, pouting angrily when he didn't do as you said (you can't blame him, he can't hear you.) You lowered yourself a bit "Please tolerate daddy a bit more, okay? He's getting old, that's why he walks slowly."

After dropping Heejoong at the daycare, Hongjoong proceeded to go to work, you following him, wanting to see him off as well when he suddenly stopped walking.

You looked at him "Why? What's wrong?" you asked when he looked up at the sky and tears started to form in his eyes.

"Y/N, I can't do this alone. I need you here." the emotions within him were too much too handle, making him kneel down, clutching his chest.

Your heart shattered at his broken voice, you wanted to hug him, do anything just to comfort him but you can't.

You were his switch, the one that turns the light in his heart, now that you're gone, everything in him is surrounded by darkness.

"Excuse me, are you sitting with someone?" Hongjoong looked up from his drink "No, I'm alone." he answered, the girl in front of him smiling "Is it okay if I seat here with you then?" he shook his head a yes, the girl seating down and a lady serving her two bowls of jajangmyeon.

He saw it and tried to tell the girl that he's not gonna eat, she only looked at him with a frown "Who told you that I'm sharing? These are mine, the servings here are small so I have to order two to satisfy my cravings."

Hongjoong watched as she slurped the noodles, silently laughing to himself with how unbelievable this girl is.

You watched how he smiled at her presence. Everytime they bump in the streets, he would always sport this soft look on his face. You felt it, the light in him slowly shining again, and it's all because of Minhee.

When they got married, the walk to the daycare became livelier, them lifting Heejoong up and smiling together.

"They love each other Jongho, I can't just go and ruin it for them." you said while you desperately tried to wipe your tears away, your friend felt bad. He knew that among all this, you are the one that is affected the most.

Just as he went to you, wanting to hug and make you stand up, someone's shouting for the both of you to move out of the way.

A crash was heard, when you opened your eyes, you saw Jongho's pained face, he protected you from the accident. He looked at you, checking if you are okay before turning his head, wanting to see who was the rider, only for his eyes to widen.

"Aunt Jihyo?"

"Jongho?" your mother stood up and inspected him, noticing that someone was in his embrace, the man slowly let go, revealing you to the woman. She gasped, hands automatically covering her mouth, her eyes watered and she couldn't hold back a sob. There you are, the person that she desperately wanted to see once more.

"Eomma." your voice made her throw her body to you, engulfing you in a hug, her cries echoed throughout the empty streets but she no longer cares. Her precious daughter is back, that's all that matters. She brought you back home after Jongho said that he'll be fine on his own.

Your father and brother's mouth are wide open, not catching up on what's going on when they saw you. "Zip your mouths, a fly might get in." your mother berated them.

Your brother was the first to react "Noona!" he immediately went to you and hugged you, making you fall on your back. You laughed, since when did he became so strong?

Your father went up to you next "Is that really you, Y/N? Or am I dreaming?" you pinched your father in his nose, making him yelp in pain "Oh my god, it's true."

Jihyo rolled her eyes at his husband and son's antics "Don't mind these idiots Y/N, come, let's go to your room. You might be tired, let's rest."

She dragged you towards your room, making you lie down with her following suit. She held you like how a mother would hold her baby, gentle and warm.

"I missed this," your mother spoke "I have been praying everyday to the gods, wishing that I'll be able to hold you like once again."

You watched your mother cry all night, the dried tears in her lids a reminder of it. You stared at your mother's face "Eomma, I'm sorry, please stop crying anymore." you whispered.

She shifted in her position, turning towards the other direction, making her back face you instead. You saw how she gripped the pillow she's holding tightly, murmuring a quiet whimper of your name.

You closed you eyes, calming yourself down, you need to be strong for their sake as well. You lied down next to her, curling up in a fetal position. Wanting to feel the presence of your mother even if she can't feel yours.

"I missed this too." you said, closing your eyes and basking in her warmth.

The moment was cut short when the door was opened rather abruptly, Yeosang and Daniel jumping on the bed to join the cuddle. Your brother went and lied beside you, while your father settled beside your mother.

"You're having fun and didn't even bothered invited us." your father sulked before he fell of the bed, courtesy of Jihyo elbowing him.

"Hey, what was that for!?" your mother rolled her eyes "For being whiny."

Everyone in the room laughed, the situation's uncanny but no one won't question a miracle, preferring to enjoy the moment instead.

You woke up when the sun's light hit your face, and just on time your mother opened the door of your room "You're awake? Come to the table, let's eat."

"Yes eomma. I'll be out in a bit." you got up and only then did you notice that the room was still the same as before.

Your materials for sketching are still intact and untouched, and on top of your drawer are items for a baby boy. You inspected it, thinking that they bought it for Heejoong, but never got the opportunity to give it to him.

You put the item down in a hurry when your mother opened the door once again "What's taking you so long?" her smile faltering for a bit when she saw that you were looking at the baby clothes and shoes. Smiling at her, you gently pushed her, saying that it was nothing.

"Your food is always the best." humming as you chewed "It's kind of bland, don't you think?" you're brother said, making your mother look at him with disdain.

She then reached out for his plate "Don't eat if you're gonna complain." Yeosang immediately protected his food "No, I was just joking!" Looking at the foods made you remember Minhee "Eomma, can you please make jajangmyeon? Like a lot of them." you requested.

"Well yes, I can. I need to buy ingredients first-" you hugged her, cutting her sentence off "Thanks eomma, you really are the best." you kissed her cheek before standing up. Your father saw you getting ready to leave "Where are you off too?" you glanced at him while you fixed your shoes "Out! I'll be back before dinner time!"

Hongjoong woke up the next day with a pounding head, scanning his surroundings, looks like he passed out last night while he was busy crying his eyes out.

You were nowhere in sight, 'Why would she be here? After I yelled at her last night, there's no way she would want to see me.'

He was about to wake the others up, especially Mingi and Yunho who were sleeping on the floor while cuddling when his phone dinged, someone messaging him this early.

Opening his phone, his nerves went overdrive when he saw that your mother texted him, wanting to meet up at a nearby cafe. Fixing his appearance, he left the building in a hurry, anxious about what your mother wanted to do or say for her to directly message him.

He entered the cafe, seeing your mother patiently waiting made him want to run and back out, but then he's no man if he did that. He's kinda tired of running away, maybe it's time for him to face the problems that he had been ignoring for the longest time.

"Goodmorning mother." she smiled at him in return "I'm sorry to call you this early, I was out shopping when I remembered that your workplace is near here." she said, noticing Hongjoong's puffy face. He smiled a bit before sitting down, feeling embarrassed that he's not looking that great today.

"I don't want to delay this any longer but I think you're already aware of this," Hongjoong listened intently to her "Y/N has come back to life right?"he took a sharp intake of breath before nodding, head hanging low.

"You're doing it again."

Hongjoong's eyes are focused on the floor, his head facing downwards while tears continue to pour out of his eyes, staining the carpet he's currently sitting on. A baby boy in the middle of the living room matches his own tears, like he knows what his father's doing.

"You want us to take care of him?" Jihyo calmly asked the kneeling man in front of her, Daniel looking at him sympathetically.

Hongjoong nodded his head a yes "Please." he said, then he started getting into a bowing position when Jihyo stopped him.

"No." her voice hard but shaky "You'll give your child to us then what? You'll try and take your own life again."

"I can't do this, I-" the sound of a slap resonated in the room, Daniel stood up as well to pull his wife back from the poor man, but the woman won't budge.

She was shaking from anger and sadness, she wants to help Hongjoong of course, she thinks of him as her son as well, but she won't tolerate his impulsive, emotion-driven actions.

"Listen to me Hongjoong," she pointed a finger at him "you will continue to live your life and raise your son. Don't come to us anymore." after that, she turned her back on the man, walking towards her bedroom.

Daniel looked at Hongjoong, wanting to comfort him but also understanding his wife's point of view. He ultimately decided to follow his wife, leaving the crying man alone in the living room.

Hongjoong meekly raised his head, a questioning look in his face "That," Jihyo sighed "you always look down when you see me. Lift your head, please."

"I-" he gulped "I don't deserve to raise my head around you, after everything that I've done." Jihyo held Hongjoong's hands that was placed on top of the table.

"Exactly, you did a lot for me, for us, and I am telling you this as your mother. Raise your head high." he did what Jihyo just said, albeit a bit hesitant, she smiled, that's a step. Letting go of the man's hand, she began talking about the things that she'd always wanted to say to the him.

"I know everything's been difficult to you, especially now that Y/N is back, don't carry everything by yourself. You always did that," she smiled at him softly "give yourself a break and let other people help you."

At the day of your burial, everyone was crying but one person, Kim Hongjoong.

"Isn't he the husband? Why is he so quiet?"

"Doesn't he care about his wife at all?"

He hears everything, the gossips, judgemental statements, but he doesn't care. He feels so empty inside that he can't cry anymore. He's drained for goodness sake.

Your mother won't let that slide though, Jihyo went to the people who were talking shit behind Hongjoong's back and threatened them to either stop or leave.

When the burial ceremony has ended, Hongjoong bowed to your family, leaving and using work as an excuse. As he was driving, he stopped at a red light, he feels antsy so he turned the radio on, an energetic song played.

He started singing along to distract himself "Meomchugo sipeun sungani wado, meori han beon sseureo neomgigo oechyeo," the red light turning green but he stayed still "Hakuna Matata yo!" his singing turned into wailing, banging his head on the wheel. The cars behind him started beeping, wanting him to move, but he didn't, he can't.

You were there actually, your specter form crying with him, you knew all along that he was keeping everything in. Maintaining a calm image, resulting in him breaking his self in the process.

Hongjoong couldn't help the tears that started forming in his eyes, when he lost you, he thought he lost everything as well. He had forgotten what you told him a long time ago.

You were whining loudly in the living room, looking for your popcorn and wanting Hongjoong to sit next to you so you can start the movie "I'm here, I'm here, calm down."

"Why should I calm down? You're taking too long!" you yelled at him, your pregnancy hormones really making you moody these days. He laughed and put an arm around you, caging you against him protectively when the rain started pouring outside.

"Oh, it's raining," you tapped in his chest "did you know the saying 'there a rainbow after the rain?'" you asked him excitedly "Hm, I think I heard it before but I'm not sure, what about it?" he said, humoring you so you won't throw a tantrum.

"For example, if I die before you," he opened his mouth to complain about that horrid example of yours but you stopped him from doing so "let me finish!" he closed his mouth, letting you continue your philosophy in life.

"If I died, just cry. And then go back up again, because if you didn't, I'll be sad even after death, and you don't want that do you?" he shook his head a no, you smiled and rubbed your swollen belly "Besides, I already met you and now we're having a child, I am already happy and contented with my life."

Now that he thinks about it, you were a ghost that was always looking out for them. That means you saw how pathetic he was, and he made you sad because he didn't follow your advice.

"Hongjoong, even if you got remarried, it's okay. I was one of the people who pushed you to do it. So don't blame yourself anymore."

This conversation is something that your mother and husband really needed, even if you can't see it, it's fine, as long as the both them resolve their old flame.

Mingi stirred when he felt something ominous in his sleep, he finally opens his eyes, being greeted with an unfamiliar ceiling, cold feeling in his back, and an arm around his waist. He looked at his side to see Yunho still sleeping peacefully.

Cringing at the sight, he never thought that his first cuddle ever will be with a guy. He took the initiative of waking everyone up, slapping them in the face.

Seonghwa groaned in annoyance "Don't you have a better way of waking us up?"

"Oh? Hongjoong hyung's gone?" Jongho's raspy morning voice managed to croak the words out.

Suddenly Yunho heard something shaking, he looked over the counter to see a child's figurine moving by itself. "What in the paranormal shit is this?!" his loud voice scaring everyone, he immediately stood up, grabbing his phone to record the phenomenon.

Child's figurine?

"Shit!" Mingi cursed out loud, garnering everyone's attention "The daycare!" he exits the building with the others following him despite the confusion and sleepiness.

A man wearing all black was peacefully observing the daycare when he heard loud footsteps approaching him "Ah, you're here."

He was suddenly lifted off of the ground by the seething tall man "I told you not to touch them right? This is my territory, back off." Mingi growled lowly before harshly putting the smaller man back down.

"Mingi, what the hell, why are you running off like that..." Yunho's voice trailed off when he saw an unfamiliar looking man "Who is this?"

The stranger bowed at him, introducing his self as Hwang Hyunjin, an exorcist. Seonghwa and Jongho soon joined the scene, the tension between Mingi and Hyunjin is so thick that even a knife can't cut through it.

Jongho whispered a question, not wanting to talk out loud because it seems inappropriate to do so "What's happening?" despite his low voice, Mingi still heard it.

"I'll tell you what's happening," he pointed an accusatory finger at the man "this guy wants to take Y/N and Heejoong away." The other three looked at Hyunjin, ready to fight him and the man scoffed, thinking that he has more idiots to deal with.

"Listen, I came here because you can't even do your job right-" it was Mingi's turn to scoff "Do my job right? I just sent 7 people in the other world this month, what about you?" he went closer to him "I believe that your area is full of loitering ghosts. So go back to where you came from and do your own job. Mind your own business man."

Hyunjin left while muttering an "I'll be back soon." Angry that he was humiliated by a lowly shaman like that.

Mingi heard clapping behind him, seeing that he has an audience with an impressed look on their faces.

"Didn't take you for a fighter Mingi."

"You looked cool for a moment."

"I approve of you and your balls now."

Minhee went inside a cafe, wanting a dose of caffeine to energize her for today's job hunting when she heard some parents from the daycare gossiping.

"I heard that Miss Shin's husband was cheating on her?" one of the mother's said in an ear piercing high pitched tone.

"Really? With whom?" an another one asked "They said that it was the new kitchen helper. Somebody saw them crying at the playground one night."

Minhee slammed her hands down at their table, scaring the nosey parents. "Oh, I'm sorry did I startle you?" she faked a smile at them "I suggest you stop talking nonsense now or do you want to see yourselves behind the bars?"

The mother with an irritating high pitched tone had the audacity to talk back "We were just saying the truth, you should be grateful that you heard it fr-" Minhee slammed her hands back down at the table again, effectively shutting the old woman up.

"You should be grateful that I'm not gonna sue you for slander." turning on her heels, she walked away from the cafe, appetite lost. That can't be true, why would you cheat with her husband when the two of you are friends. That's not possible, you're a good person. Those people just have nothing to do with their lives.

Back at the daycare, an event is taking place, apparently, today is fruit day, where the children would bring fruits that represents them and later they would have fruits for snacks. You were excited when you saw the strawberries, you loved eating them specially when you were pregnant so you thought that your son would love it as well but you're gravely mistaken.

When you were giving out snacks to the children, you were about to give Heejoong extra strawberries when San stopped you from doing so "He's allergic to strawberries, he can't eat them."

To say you were disappointed was an understatement, as the day goes by, you realize that you know nothing about your own son. His likes and dislikes, illnesses, nothing. To think that you wanted to be a mother to him in your own way before your 49 days end.

Before you fall into a pit of depression, your mother called you, telling you that she's outside the daycare, bringing the jajangmyeon you requested.

You went outside, greeting your mother with a hug, you took the bag containing the jajangmyeon and thanked her. "Wait, you're working here?" she asked and you smiled before answering yes, you work at the daycare that your son attends to.

Looking at her expression, you knew she was about to protest "Eomma, don't worry. I'm doing fine here and I'm enjoying what I'm doing." She sighed, skeptical about what you've just said but accepted it either way.

When dismissal came, you went too Heejoong, showing the jajangmyeon "I brought a gift for your mommy, do you think she will like it?" you asked the young boy, him smiling brightly and adorably cheering a small "Yes!"

After Heejoong's extracurricular classes, the two of you head to his home, hand in hand, excited to give the food to Minhee. You texted her, telling her that you're close, to which she responded that she's already home. Upon arriving, you punched the passcode of their apartment, entering warily in case that Hongjoong's inside.

Quickly scanning the area, seeing that he's not home yet made you sigh in relief. Calling out Minhee's name, she yelled that she's in the kitchen. You put a finger in your mouth, telling Heejoong to be quiet so that you can surprise his mommy, the child nodding eagerly at your request.

The two of you sneaked your way into the kitchen, poking your head to peek at what Minhee's doing, when you saw that she was busy preparing something, you and Heejoong yelled a "Surprise!"

"Oh my god! You scared me!" Minhee said while she breathed rapidly, calming down her palpitating heart "What do you mean by surprise?"

You winked at her and placed the bag on top of the table, she looked at you before opening it, a bright smile forming in her face when she saw that it has containers full of jajangmyeon. "My favorite!" happiness visible in her face "Where did you get this?" You watched as she took a container out of the bag and grabbed a pair of chopsticks. She took a bite of the jajangmyeon and hummed in delight "That's homemade, enjoy."

"I will, thank you unnie, this is delicious!"

Minhee deserves this much, after all the things she did for your family, this is the least that you can do to repay her kindness.

While walking back home, you saw a restaurant that sells chicken, you remembered Yeosang and that legendary chicken fight you had with him back then.

"Kang Yeosang!" the sound of a door slamming echoed throughout the house "Did you eat the chicken in the fridge?" you entered his room and accused him.

He removed his headphones "Yeah, I did, what about it?" he looked at you with a bored expression that made you sneer at him"That's mine. I was planning to eat that after school!"

"It doesn't have your name on it, so I don't see the problem." he put his headphones back on and resumed playing the music he's listening to, not taking the disrespect, you threw a pillow in head, resulting in his headphones to fall in the floor, breaking it in the process.

"Yah!"

You entered the restaurant, buying a portion of your brother's favorite chicken. Heart light and happy for the first time after you've turned into a human, you went home with a clear mind, followed by curiosity when you heard Yeosang yelling "It's the best music company here, why can't we just talk to Hongjoong hyung?"

You hid the chicken behind you, entering the house "Don't disturb your brother-in-law, he's b-" showing yourself to them made them shut up "What's with Hongjoong?" you asked, the two sharing suspicious looks.

"Y/N, go back to your room, t-" your mother wasn't able to finish her sentence for the second time when Yeosang spoke over her "I want to land an internship at Hongjoong hyung's company." He's already a graduating student? Time flies so fast.

"Let's talk to Seonghwa instead, I'm sure he's not that busy compared to Hongjoong." your mother sighed "Y/N you don't have to do this."

You scrunched your nose, walking over to your brother and giving him a side hug "I want to, my brother deserves it," you then lifted your hand that was holding the bag of chicken "and I also bought him an advanced gift for his internship."

His eyes widened before slowly lifting his hand as well, the same brand of chicken in his hands which you didn't notice before. Your mother looking at the two of you before commenting "You really are siblings."

Your eyes followed Yeosang's figure as he went to the kitchen, opening the fridge only to see chicken inside. He stopped for a moment before getting it out, pulling a leg and placing it on a plate, then he went to the direction of your room.

"What are you doing? That's your favorite part, just eat it!" knowing that he can't hear you but you still wanted to scold him.

He entered your room, placing the plate in your bed "Noona, you know I never give the leg to just anyone right?" he put his face on his hands, his breathing went erratic and his shoulders quaked "I'll give you all the leg part if you come back."

You sat beside him, the piece of chicken between the two of you, listening to him cry and beg for you to come back made you realize just how much your brother means to you. Regretting the times you fought instead of spending quality time together.

The both of you laughed, realizing that you bought each other the exact same thing, "Let's just eat together while we binge watch a movie, I'll come with you tomorrow to the company."

The next morning, you called Seonghwa, telling him to help Yeosang enter their music company as an intern, in which he said that it's not a problem since he's the boss's right hand man. Rolling your eyes at his words, you entered the building with your brother who looks nervous, you tapped his nose, telling him to calm down and that he'll do well, he's a remarkable person afterall.

You went to the receptionist to ask for Seonghwa, while waiting, you heard two employees gossiping about someone, being the nosey person you are, you decided to listen to their conversation, ears perking up when you heard a familiar name.

"I can't believe that Hongjoong sunbaenim's finally taking a step up in his therapy."

"True, entering a studio that triggers your trauma is not a joke."

Hongjoong's getting treatment? That's news to you, a good one at that. He always declined therapy, saying that it's just a waste of time and money, but now that he's actually doing it, you felt relieved, knowing that he's moving forward with his life.

"Find him!" a loud voice startled you, looking around the floor to see Eden, Hongjoong's senior, panicking "Tell me if you find Hongjoong, we need to help him calm down."

Before you can even think, your body moved on its own, finding yourself in the third floor near the fire exit, you know he's there. That is where he goes whenever he experiences panic attacks, you've been with him during those times, watching him writhe in pain, gripping his chest while he gasped for air. Not being able to do anything for him.

As you opened the door of the fire exit, you witnessed the exact same thing that you saw countless of times, but this time, you are able to do something for him.

You held him in your arms, wiping the tears and sweat in his face, brushing his hair back and telling him to breathe. You felt him hold your hands tightly, it hurt a bit, but you endured it, the pain he is in now is nothing compares to a small squeeze.

"I'm here, Hongjoong, breathe." you rocked him back and forth, your presence and voice calming him down a little. You spent a few minutes with him like that before the door opened, revealing a worried Seonghwa.

Hongjoong was sent to the hospital with you never letting go of his hand, you are thankful that Yeosang let you be with him, telling you that he's fine all by himself and he'll bring you good news later.

Minhee soon arrived at the hospital, the scene she saw wasn't something that she expected, you holding her husband's hand, when you noticed where she was looking, you immediately retrieved your hand back, placing it in your lap.

"I'm here, you can go now. Thank you for watching over Hongjoong." Minhee coldly said to you. You bowed to her, not really wanting to leave but you don't have any other choice.

Yeosang called you a few hours later, proudly telling you that he landed the internship, you smiled, happy for your brother's achievement, you congratulated him, telling him that you already knew that he could do it. He ended the call and you sighed, at least there's one positive thing that happened today.

You head to the direction of Yunho and Jongho's resto, wanting to be with them, when you are at your lowest, they are your go to person (Hongjoong's included but of course you can't really go to him now.)

As you entered the place, you saw not just two but three people in the room "What are you doing here Mingi?"

"Am I not allowed to be here? I am friends with them now, so.." he trailed off, one look at you and he can immediately tell that something's wrong. He stood up from his seat and guided you to the counter, making you sit down while the other two went closer to you.

You vented everything out to them, you trust them so much that you're willing to tell every detail of today's happenings, "I feel so bad, she thinks of me as her friend." you said, rubbing your temples when Jongho spoke "Well, you're not cheating. So, I don't think there's anything wrong with it."

Yunho nodded before letting out his own thoughts "But you know, she's the only one who doesn't know who you are, she's being left in the dark, don't you think it's unfair for her."

"I know that but-" your sentence was discontinued when your phone rang, you immediately answered the call, hearing Hongjoong's shaky voice, "Y/N, I told Minhee everything, I'm sorry."

Feeling a bit better, Hongjoong opened his eyes, albeit his vision is a bit blurry he noticed someone who was sitting beside him, his instict made him call your name out.

"No, it's Minhee," Hongjoong shot up from his bed, looking at his wife with wide eyes, her smiling sadly in return "it looks like you're fine now, let's go home?"

When they entered the apartment, Minhee dropped the ticking bomb, exploding everything in one go.

"Oppa, are you cheating on me with Yuri? Is it because she looks like your late wife? Please be honest with me." she asked while keeping her voice low as possible, not wanting to wake Heejoong up.

Her pleading eyes made Hongjoong avoid eye contact, "No, I'm not cheating on you but I-" should he say it? Should he just tell her everything or continue lying?

"You what? Oppa, please don't make this harder than it's supposed to be." Minhee feels like she's being punched in the gut right now, but what Hongjoong said next feels like a sledgehammer was thrown at her.

"I really am not cheating on you. I would never do that, but the pick-up helper, the new kitchen helper, her name's not Yuri. It's Y/N."

Your hands shook so much at the information that your phone slid from your grasp, Yunho barely catching it. Placing your face in your hands, you let out a shaky sigh, trying not to have a breakdown right now.

"I think you just jinxed her Yunho." Mingi absentmindedly said which made Jongho smack the back of his head, mouthing him that it's not a good time for a joke.

The bell clinked, all four of you faced the person who just entered, seeing Minhee with a devastated expression on her face "Can I have a bottle of soju please?"

You all sat awkwardly as Minhee continues to down shot after shot "Right, I'm not allowed here anymore am I?" she chuckled "I'm such an idiot, I feel like I'm the biggest moron on earth." she drunkenly said.

"Minhee, I-" she held her hand up "No, I'm not finished yet," she hiccupped "Was it fun though? Did you all have fun deceiving me? Did you enjoy the show?" she threw her head back laughing, the sounds from her mouth is a complete contrast from tears in her eyes.

"It's fine, I was about to file a divorce anyway." that news shocked all of you, looking at her like she just said the worst joke of the century.

You went closer to her "Minhee, why would you get a divorce?" she looked down, contemplating what to say "I guess I'm tired. When we got married, I thought I was enough for him, I thought I would be able to replace you."

Minhee reminisced about the times when she let her head float in the clouds, thinking that she was so special, not listening to the people who told her that marrying a widower won't do her good. She closed her ears to all of that, following her feelings for the man that she's been in love with ever since she met him in college.

"Excuse me, this is yours right?" a man with a bright blue hair and shaved eyebrow approached her, she looked at his extended hand "Pikachu!"

Minhee snatched the keychain in Hongjoong's hands, the man chuckling at her "Don't glare at me like that, I just thought you liking pokemon is cute." he smiled at her, and she felt her heart skip a beat at that.

Their encounter made Minhee notice Hongjoong more in their campus, his intense gaze and charismatic smile, paired with his flashy outfits, making her attached to the man.

Minhee held the box of chocolates in her hand, her friends encouraging her to got her man, just as she was about to go to him, she overheard his friends, "You act all high and mighty now that you've got a pretty girlfriend?"

The girl slowed her steps down, smile faltering, guess someone already stole his heart huh?

"Everytime I look at our wedding photo in the bedroom, all I feel is unhappiness. Yuri-" she paused, remembering that wasn't your name "Y/N, I feel unloved. I think that's enough reason, right?" she looked at you with so much misery in her eyes.

"What about Heejoong?"

"Don't worry, I'll still take care of him even in the distance."

Hongjoong didn't stopped Minhee when she started packing her bags, he didn't beg for her to stay even when Heejoong violently cried when he saw his mommy exit the apartment. He doesn't have any right to do that, he'll just let her go.

Just before Minhee opens the door, ready to walk out of Hongjoong's life, she looked back at him, wanting to tell him her sentiments.

"Maybe we are too considerate to each other to the point that we didn't have the time to communicate and truly understand each other. It's okay though, be happy with your one true love."

Then she left. It's like he went back to the start, all alone with his son without you around.

You spent almost a week in your room, locked up, not wanting to get out or see anyone.

"What is wrong with her?" Jihyo asked, which the two men of the house just shrugged, not knowing the answer as well. Suddenly, the loud honking of a car is heard outside their house, Yeosang peeked through the windows, seeing Yunho and Jongho with a bright red sports car.

"Eomma, noona's friends are here." hearing that made Jihyo go out, asking them what are they doing here "We're here for Y/N of course." Jongho answered.

"She's locked up in her room for days now, we don't know how to make her get out." Daniel sighed, concern etched on his face.

Yunho grabbed something inside the car, pulling out a meme-y glasses and a fake gun, he put the glasses on and fixed his hair, cheekily holding the gun.

"May I go inside your house?"

Yeosang immediately replied with a no, judging the taller man so hard when his mother pinched him "Go ahead, Yunho."

"Jongho, get the car ready." the younger saluting at the taller man's order.

Yunho walked like a mafia man, your family staring at him with only one thing in their minds, 'what the hell is wrong with that guy?'

You were having your alone time for the nth hour now, wallowing in self-pity when someone yelled outside your room, "This is the NBI! Don't move!" then your door got destroyed, Yunho falling face first due to the force he put into breaking your door open.

He got up, forehead red due to the impact of his fall, and pointed the gun at you "You're coming with me whether you like it or not, missy." before you can even say anything, Yunho already dragged you out of your room "Yunho wait!"

"Start the engine Jongho! I got her!" upon hearing his name, he immediately revved the car, Yunho pushing you in the backseat, not giving you much time to react when they drove away, Jongho yelling a "We're going for a drive!"

"Wow, they managed to do that." amusement lacing Daniel's voice, Yeosang only rolled his eyes before entering inside, shrieking when he saw the damage Yunho did.

"Where do you plan on taking me?" you asked the two that are currently sitting in the front "I didn't even grabbed my phone or coat." Yunho turned his head towards you "You don't need a damn phone, and I'll buy you a coat." he said, pulling out his black card, flexing it to you, when Jongho mocked him out of the blue, "That's all you have."

"You're lucky you're driving, or else I might have just-" Jongho clicked his tongue "Are you sure you want to continue what you're saying?"

The taller man looked away, suddenly interested in the view outside, not really wanting a taste of Jongho's strength. For the first time that week you laughed, finding your friends hilarious, the two men smiled softly, happy that they're able to cheer you up.

"Y/N," Jongho spoke as he looked at you through the front mirror "you only have a few days left right?" You nodded at his question "Let's make the most of it."

The two brought you in a very beautiful park, you went bicycle riding, rode the zip line, and even tried sky gliding. Yunho and Jongho recording every moment, wanting to save the memories that they never got back then.

Resting in the bench near a lake, sandwiched between the bears that you love so much, the three of you were enjoying the gorgeous scenery in front of you.

Jongho was the first one to break the silence "Y/N, don't you want to live?" hearing the question, Yunho looked at you ardently, wanting to hear your final answer.

You continued staring at the view, "I want to live," the two perked up at your answer "to be honest, I don't want all of you to move on from me so easily, but as days passed by, seeing you forget me and live your life was painful. At the same time I was thankful, I don't like seeing you guys cry, seeing you smiling and laughing made me happy as well."

Taking a deep breath, you continued your small speech "I actually appreciate you guys so much, I never got the chance to thank you for encouraging Hongjoong to remarry."

You watched as Jongho pushed Hongjoong out of the resto "Are you just gonna let those flower wilt? Go and get her before someone else does!"

Yunho went out and began pushing Hongjoong down the stairs "You like her hyung right? If she makes you happy then we'll support you, Y/N wouldn't want you to sulk over something like this."

"Alright, thank you guys. I really am grateful to you." Hongjoong then ran, probably to where Minhee is right now.

There was a twinge of hurt in your heart but you ignored it, wanting to be happy for him. You then looked over to your friends, giving them a thumbs-up.

"If it wasn't for you two, then he wouldn't have the courage to ask Minhee out. Let alone ask her hand for marriage," you laughed a little, knowing how much of a scaredy cat Hongjoong is "you gave him a chance to love again and not be alone."

"Then-"

"I want to live but I won't do it," your voice full of conviction "I won't take my place back, I am contented that I got to talk, touch, and live with the people that I love. That's more than enough for me." You suddenly can't breathe, the two burying you in a tight bear-hug.

"If that's your decision then we'll respect that." Jongho said before they pulled you up, "It's getting dark, we should go to our last destination."

Jongho parked the car in front of your house "This is the last place?" you asked them, Yunho nodded, telling you to get out of the car and help them carry the take-outs.

"We're home!" Yunho's loud voice caught the attention of the people inside the house.

Yeosang blocked the doorway "No, you're banned from entering," Yunho frowned "you destroyed our door." you pushed Yeosang out of the day which made Yunho snicker, "We brought dinner! Let's eat!" you called out.

Setting up the table, cans of beer and bottles of soju are out for a fun night. Everyone was having a good time when Yunho suggested for a photo opt. You all agreed, taking a 'family photo' as Jongho called it.

The night ended with you doing a skin care routine with your family, today is full of fun, you'll definitely miss this. The next day, it was Hongjoong who fetched you from your home, he even brought Heejoong to persuade you to come with him.

"We're going to the amusement park." he claimed, making Heejoong squeal in delight beside you.

As you entered the amusement park, different rides and booths greeted you, you lifted Heejoong up and pointed at the carousel. "Do you want to ride that?" you asked him and he nodded, thrilled to be playing in such a nice place, "Let's go then!"

Hongjoong watched as you and Heejoong rode the carousel, waving at him excitedly, him returning the wave with a small smile and soft look in his eyes.

The three of you went to a shooting booth next, Hongjoong taking the lead and failing.

"I understand that you want to show your cool and charismatic side to your son," you handed Heejoong over to him and snatched the gun away from him, aiming and shooting at the targets with accuracy, "but this is how you do it."

Heejoong clapped his hands while the man beside you tried to defend himself, saying that he has a bad eyesight. The owner of the booth was impressed by your skills, giving you three mickey mouse hairbands, "Here, a prize and extra gift for the adorable family."

'Adorable family,' that sounded like music to your and Hongjoong's ears.

You bowed and accepted the items, putting the hairband in your head first, next is Heejoong, then.. pausing for a bit when you were about to put the accessory in Hongjoong's head. His eyes stared into yours, you see it, the love and tenderness in his beautiful brown eyes, only for you.

Snapping out of it, you gently placed the headband in his head, the sweet moment disrupted when a mascot went to you and pointed at his camera, "You want to take a picture of us?" you asked and the mascot gave you a thumbs up.

The three of you posed for the photo, then an idea popped in your head, you were hesitant to do it at first, but you gathered all the courage in your veins, and before the photo was snapped, you boldly wrapped your hand around Hongjoong's arms.

The mascot gave you the polaroid photo, thanking him before looking at it. You smiled widely, showing the photo to Hongjoong, claiming it was adorable, he grinned at the photo and was about to agree when Heejoong called someone 'Mommy,' it's not you though, it's an another person whose hair is similar to Minhee.

Hongjoong cleared his throat "There's a resting area here somewhere, let's go there and take a breather."

When you finally sat down, Heejoong immediately fell asleep on his father's lap.

"He's exactly like you, taking naps whenever and wherever." admiring the little boy who's sleeping peacefully " your statement made Hongjoong snicker "And he's like you when it comes to food, a very picky one." he retaliated. You pouted at his words, ready to out sass him when he speaks again "How many days do you have left?"

"Four." you answered in a timid voice, Hongjoong hummed lowly, brushing the hair out of his son's face. "Let's go on a camping trip with Yunho, Jongho, and Seonghwa." you laughed, remembering that disaster of a trip.

"What? There's no meat?" you looked at Yunho and Jongho who were supposed to handle that, "There's no rice?" your eyes went over to Seonghwa.

You groaned "What are we gonna do here then? Sleep?" you said, exasperated at the forgetful men.

How on earth did they forgot to bring the important foods when they remembered to bring fruits and all this cool looking items for picture taking.

"Actually, I forgot to bring a blanket." Hongjoong nervously uttered.

"What in the actual f-"

Your laugh made Hongjoong's heart soar, he longed to hear that for years now, and he feels himself getting addicted to you once more.

"Pretty sure that the other guys would want to redeem theirselves after that shame." you smirked at him, wanting to say something savage at him but you stopped when he saw the way he looked at you.

"I missed you," he confessed "I've always wanted to do things like this with you and our son," he looked at Heejoong "but I never got the chance to."

He went silent for a bit "Also, I want to thank you for giving me the best gift of all, for giving me a blessing." he finished, and you know he's pertaining to Heejoong at that one.

You leaned on his shoulder, not saying anything but the warmth and happiness in your chest are more than enough right now.

He brought you home at night time, you thanked him for a wonderful day, as you turned your back on him, halting your steps when you heard him say a faint 'Wait!'

You faced him, asking him what's wrong "Do you really not want to take your place back here?"

He dropped the dreaded question on you "Hongjoong-"

"Please just stay. Stay here with me, with us. Don't leave us again. I beg you."

He was ready to kneel at the ground, do anything and everything just to make you stay by his side.

You hate seeing Hongjoong like this, it shatters your heart in the most agonizing way, you went to him and cupped his face, wiping the few tears that escaped from his eyes.

"You know I can't, someone has already taken my place, it would be selfish of me if I did that." you kissed his forehead, something that you always did to make him stop crying.

"I know that you can take care of Heejoong, you're not alone. You already have someone that will help you."

You let go of him "Goodnight Hongjoong, thank you, I had fun today."

As you laid down in your bed, closing your eyes and ready to rest, your ringtone made you open your eyes, grumbling in annoyance when you saw Mingi's name flash.

You answered the phone and Mingi's airy and tired voice caught you off guard "Y/N! I know! I now know!" you told him to calm down and catch his breath first before speaking.

When his breathing seems stable enough, he started speaking again, "The reason why you came back to life, I now know it!" you told him to elaborate.

"I was jumping, dancing, and praying all the day, gosh I'm so sweaty and sticky right now," his complaints made you snort, "then the Gods finally gave me an answer. In the wishing room, I saw it, your mother's wish."

"Please let me see my daughter once more."

Your hand automatically flew to your mouth, so it was your mother all along? And here you were, completely focused over other things when it was your mother who wished for you to come back again?

You thanked MIngi and ended the call, promising him that you'll repay him back for all his hardwork.

The walk to your mother's room felt long even if it's just 15 steps away from yours, you knocked on the door before opening it, seeing your mother in bed, getting ready to sleep.

"Oh? What is it my daughter?" you went up to her and hugged her, making her fall on the bed "Is there something wrong?" you shook your head, saying that you just wanted to cuddle her tonight.

She smiled softly at you, no matter how big and old you are, you will always be her baby.

"You're leaving soon aren't you?" she said out of the blue, making you look up at her with surprise written on your face "What are you so flabbergasted for? I'm your mother, of course I'll know what's going on with you."

She hugged you tight, her next words making fresh tears spring up in your eyes "It's alright, you don't have to tell me anything. I will always understand you. I always have your back."

The next morning, you found yourself in your room, someone must have carried you all the way here since you remembered sleeping soundly in your mother's room.

You reached for your phone in the nightstand when it keeps on making notification sounds, you were greeted by a gc that has Yunho, Jongho, Seonghwa, and Hongjoong in it. They were all talking about the camping trip, looks like Hongjoong already informed them about it. You got up from your bed, getting ready to head out before quickly typing in a message 'I will buy the meat and rice for this trip, no one is allowed to protest.'

As you were walking, a familiar place caught your eye, it didn't even changed one bit. It still has the same plants, same color of the wall, it reminds you of the day where your accident happen, and you instinctively put your hands on your belly.

You felt your baby kick while you were walking "We'll be home soon, I just have to drop this at my office, okay? Please be patient."

Suddenly, people were shouting, you turned around to look at the commotion, but you didn't see any. The last thing you saw was a car screeching towards your direction.

When you opened your eyes, you immediately rubbed your stomach, every move that you make creates a jolt of unbearable pain but you don't care, the only thing that matters is your baby.

"Please help my baby, anyone please."

You blinked, stopping the horrible images in your brain. You continued walking to the market, deciding to focus on your task at hand instead of reminiscing the dreadful past.

The drive towards the camping site was fun, it consisted of you, Yunho and Jongho in one car while Seonghwa, Hongjoong, and Heejoong (yes, of course you brought him) were stuck in an another one.

Seonghwa longingly watched your car, seeing that you're basically partying with your friends inside, while he's here stuck with a gloomy Hongjoong. He tried playing music just a while ago, but his friend slapped his hand, saying that music will distract his driving and it'll wake the sleeping child the back seat.

The man child poked his head outside the car's window, pathetically begging for you guys to let him transfer vehicles, "Please, let me out of this hell hole! I had enough of this demon with me!" Hongjoong glared at his friend, telling him that it's dangerous and to put his head back inside before he cut it himself.

When you arrived at the camping site all of you went to work, setting up the tents and cooking the food before night time. You and Hongjoong watched as your friends play soccer with Heejoong, "Look at them, all whipped for our child." you heard the man beside you say "Of course they would, with how adorable he is, who wouldn't?"

Feeling a warm hand envelope yours, butterflies in your stomach erupting like volcanoes, and sparks forming when you looked at the man who's sitting beside you. His eyes still held the same universe that you lived in, and you couldn't help but tighten your hold on his hand.

"I have always thought that my studio was my home, that is until I met you," Hongjoong kept looking at you while he speaks, "you became my everything, all the music that I create was all for you or because of you. The sad, broken hearted songs that I used to make turned into chessy, teeth-rotting love songs." he snickered, remembering the drastic change in his lyrics after he met you, he looked away from you, watching his friends and son playing the field, you doing the same.

"Then I lost you, that day haunted me so much that I couldn't even sleep at night," mustering up the courage to tell you everything he's been keeping in, "Heejoong's cries reminds me of you in your death bed every damn time." he choked back a sob, not wanting to break in front of you, he needs to remain strong for your sake as well, knowing that this will be the last time he'll be able to hold and talk to you like this.

You listened to him, how he was sorry that he kept himself locked in his studio when the news of your accident was being relayed at him, how he relocated in a different studio because everything in his former one evokes memories of you, and how much he loves you.

When he pulled you in his arms, cupping your face and kissing you passionately, you let him. Closing your eyes and savoring the feeling of his lips and touch. You'll let yourself be selfish and greedy for the first and last time.

Hongjoong poured everything in that kiss, his love, sorrows, regrets, and peace. Finally having it in him to let go of you, wanting you to rest and be happy as he live his life at its fullest with your son.

On your last day, before you meet Mingi, you went to see your son, wanting to say goodbye to him.

You crouched down, smiling at your son, "I had a lot of fun with you Heejoong, I hope you won't forget me. okay?" the child beamed at you, holding your face before saying the one word that you have always dreamt of hearing from him, "Eomma!"

You let out a gasp, putting your hands on your mouth as you quietly let out a cry. So, all this time he can see you, he knew.

Your child knew who you really are. The moments where you played with him, talked to him, took care of him even in your ghost form, he knows who you are.

You embraced the little boy tightly, "Yes, that's me, I am eomma," you pulled away and he unexpectedly wiped your tears which made you cry harder. You held his small hands, caressing it softly, "Eomma will visit you soon again, be happy and healthy, alright? I love you, my son."

"Are you sure about this?" Mingi asked you for the nth time "You don't have anything to do?" you laughed, flashing him a genuine, bright smile.

"Mingi," you held his hand "Thank you for everything that you did for me, I will always watch over you from above."

He looked down, his tears cascading down his cheeks as he slowly brought out his materials for the ritual. You took a deep breath, getting ready to meet God himself, and maybe apologize for cussing at him before and thank him for giving you the opportunity to live once again.

"I'm ready."

One pure soul has ascended to heaven that day, everyone close to that soul felt it, the departure of their friend, sister, daughter, wife, and mother, making their hearts squeeze in pain, but they all plastered a smile on their faces, wishing you all the best, promising that you'll meet each other again in another life.

10 years later

Under the blooming cherry blossoms, a 15 year old boy is sitting on a bench, flipping a what seems to be a journal, then he stumbled upon a polaroid photo, inside it was him when he was a child, his father, and a pretty lady.

"Heejoong!" a familiar voice called out to him, he glanced to where the voice came up, smiling a little when he saw his mother and father waving at him.

"Why are you still out here? We'll be late to your recital!" his father said, making him stand up and look at the time.

"I'm coming!" he closed the journal and skipped towards his parents, them catching him in an embrace before proceeding to walk together, a lively atmosphere radiating off the family.

Every hello is bounded to an impending goodbye. In a story where the ending is bittersweet, a new chapter full of possibilities opens up for a brighter future. Fate has always been like that, relentlessly torturous yet harmoniously benevolent.

🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

a/n: I'm sorry it took so long, my schedule is really hectic right now, but I did my best to finish this asap. I hope everyone would support and give love to my first big project. Thank you! (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤

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[atinydise]

Ateez reacting to their s/o holding their hands for the 1st time

❦ Genre: Fluff.

❦ Pairing: OT8.

❦ Word count: 3k3.

❦ Requested: Yes, thank you! 🦋

HONGJOONG

You were peacefully staring at the sky from your window. You've been staring at it since the departure. It was such a beautiful view that you wouldn't be bored it even with 11 hours of flight. "What are you staring at, love?" Asked Hongjoong, finally removing his earphones. 'Love'. You will never get used to him calling you this way. It never fails to make your heart beating faster than ever. "The view with the sunset is just so relaxing." You smiled. "Look at this with..." he struggled to untangle his earphone. The short imagination of him losing his AirPods for the 823rd time, got you smiling. "Song." He finally inserted it on your ear.

A soft and calm music started to play. All of your senses were comforted by these clear notes. "Sounds like a commercial music, right?" Giggled your boyfriend. "No... it's relaxing." You claimed. "I could fall asleep in 2 seconds because of it." "Then go ahead." He patted his shoulder, telling you to rest on it. Without hesitating, you put your head on. It was comfier than what you thought. Not something pointy and hard that could bother with your earrings or piercings. "Is it comfy?" Asked Hongjoong, a tiny bit worried. Too reassure him, you simply nodded and grabbed his forearm with your hand. Just to keep him close. Hongjoong wasn't used to you, showing this kind of attention in public. He was a bit taken a back, but finally only you mattered. The song was leading you in a soft and calm mindset. Your eyes were closing at every note and your entire body felt like a feather. Your boyfriend guessed that you were falling asleep because your hand was sliding on his forearm. 5 minutes later, your head almost fell from Hongjoong's shoulder. He quickly put it back in place, but it caused your hand to rest right in his free one. The warmness and the softness of his palm made you unconsciously held his hand. Tight. Hongjoong took his time to realize what was happening. Even if you were sleeping, he was hickey flustered. He was staring at your fingers, intertwined with his. Your boyfriend couldn't help but smile and blush. More when he tried to remove your grip, but you tightened it. "Cute." He whispered. Hongjoong and you were not really tactile and clingy persons, but when these moments happen, for the first time or rarely, both of you desire that it never stops. It was your moment only.

SEONGHWA

"I can't believe we are here already!" You stomped enthusiastically. Seonghwa was staring at you. You were so happy and cute. The way, you were holding your backpack straps made him melt instantly. "Disneyworld..." you sighed joyfully. "It's magic!" Seonghwa nodded, they really created a whole world and it felt unreal since he put a foot there. "Where do you want to start?" He asked, opening the map. "Space mountain!" You almost yelled, pointing at the localization pin. "Really? But we ate 2 hours ago?" He gulped, thinking at the amount of looping. "What a baby." You smirked. "Then what about... Peter Pan? Or Ratatouille?" "Okay I agree for the last one." He accepted. "Let's go!" You almost ran to the crowd, not wanting people to take your place in the queue. Seonghwa was looking at every details of the amusement park. All the shops had their own magical surfaces. He needs to come here with the members one time. They would go crazy for sure. "Fast Park Seonghwa!" You pouted. To tease you a little bit more, he started to walk slower. He deducted that it was working well because he spotted the vein on your forehead. "You are so slow!" You complained. Not thinking twice about your actions, you held his hand and led him to the attraction. The moment he felt your hand in his huge one, his stomach clenched. A thousand of butterflies were flying there. You were too focused on the board that you didn't saw the light blush on his face. But you secretly liked to hold his hand. It felt just right. "Bingo!" You pointed at the clock, "only 5 minutes of queueing." Seonghwa was barely listening to you. He was looking at your hands fitting perfectly in his. You had a moment of doubt, maybe he didn't like it and was too nice to tell you. You tried to detach your embrace slowly, but he tightened his grip on it. "Don't." He said seriously. "I like it." You smiled shyly at him. "It's the first time we are holding hands." He giggled. "A-Ah really?" You stuttered, a bit flustered. Seonghwa was about to reply when his phone buzzed in his pocket. You thought that he would let your hand free, but you were wrong. He struggled a bit to get it out of the pocket but no way he would use both of his hands. "Yeah Joong?" He rolled his eyes. "No. I told you I had a date today with Y/N. At Disneyworld." You glanced at him when you heard the word "date". Seonghwa saw your facial expression and winked cockily. You ignored what feels the most magical now; Disneyworld or a date with Seonghwa?

YUNHO

More and more you were moving forward in the queue, more you wanted to run away. Your friends advised you to go in a haunted house with Yunho, for your first date. At first, you didn't realize the situation. You only thought about a way to be close to him without being awkward. Yunho is scared of absolutely, nothing. He could play with a tarantula, then dance with a venomous snake without problem. So, a haunted house was nothing for him. But for you, it was another story. "Are you okay Y/N? You are shaking a bit." Asked Yunho thinking that you were already scared. "Even a lot." "I'm good!" You slapped his shoulder, puffing a bit. "It's just the anticipation." "Ok cool. I thought you had this kitschy idea to stay glued to me for the whole time. But I would probably be the one doing it." He laughed. "N-No. So, cliché." You laughed nervously, cursing at your friends in your mind. Not even 30 seconds later, the host led you inside. You were completely terrified. You couldn't even enjoy a single moment the proximity or the thought or having a romantic intercourse with Yunho. "Oh wow, that's well made." He pointed at the spider above you. You did your best to suppress the scream stuck in your throat. "W-Wait. You are working too fast." You tugged his shirt. "Are you scared?" He teased you. "We can go out if you-" "No." You shook your head. "Just stay close." You wrapped your arm around his. Yunho admitted that it was cute. Of course, he was aware of your plan when you invited him to the haunted house. You couldn't even walk next to a worm, without yelling. Suddenly and even Yunho shivered, a skeleton almost fell at your right. Your first reflex was to grab his hand and to hide behind his tall figure. Even though the situation wasn't the best, Yunho's heart flustered. Thanks to the darkness, you couldn't see the blush on his cheeks. His stomach clenched when your fingers placed right between his long ones. This action never had such an impact before. He was used to hold Atiny's hand during fansign. But it was nothing compared to this feeling. The rest of the way, you never let his hand go. Nor let 2 centimeters away from you. When finally, you exited the nightmare, the reality hit you. "Well done Y/N." Said Yunho. "F-For what? I've been a scared baby there." You faked to fix your clothes. "I thought you would jump on me right when we entered, but no. You had shown an amazing braveness." He giggled patting the back of your head. You grunted few words, too nervous and shy to admit your plan. "Give me your hand lady. Let's go inside again. I liked it." He smiled.

YEOSANG

["Y/N"] ["Bring ice cream."] Without hesitation you run to your kitchen and took a vanilla post in the refrigerator. You messily put your shoes and exited the college dorm. ["On my way!"] After 5 minutes of walking and avoiding bumping into every single person in the street, you arrived to Ateez' dorm. Right when you exited the elevator, you saw Wooyoung closing the door. "Wow. I want a best friend like you. In less than 15 minutes you there." Claimed Wooyoung. "How is he? Good or?" "A complete mess." He replied. You rolled your eyes, "I swear... I told him to stay away from this type of girl." "Good luck." Shrugged Wooyoung. "Wait, you are not going to comfort him?" "Why. I know that you are here." He patted your shoulder. "I'll watch a movie. See ya!" "Jung Wooyoung! I swear-" "Are you going to stay there the whole day, or you are going to enter and comfort me?" Asked Yeosang, who came out after hearing your voice in the hallway. "Be nice with me. I brought you a vanilla pot." You lifted your plastic bag. "Cool. Now I can be completely depressed and heartbroken." He whined. After that, you both sat on the couch, enjoying the calm for once. Yeosang explain that he prepared the best date for her and he even bought flowers. But she never shown up, nor replied to his texts. "You don't deserve her. I told you that already and a bunch of times." You ate another spoon of ice cream. "Are you going to eat all of this by yourself?" He slapped your hand, causing the spoon to fall. You rolled your eyes and faced him. "Yeosang, stop being sad for her. You are a real treasure and too bad for her, she lost someone really special." You grabbed both of his hands and rubbed it with your thumbs. "Even if you are a bit savage sometimes, you are such a good person." Yeosang's eyes couldn't leave the sight of your hands, holding, squeezing and rubbing his. "And she's stupid. You are probably the perfect boyfriend on this earth." You claimed. "I would be grateful to have a boyfriend like you." He raised his brow, by surprise. You instantly flickered his forehead. "Don't even think about it." He sneered, knowing that you would say something like that. "How do you feel?" You asked when you finally saw a smile on his face. Yeosang hesitated a second, but finally chose to take his sad facial expression back. "Hold my hand and tell me how amazing I am again. It might help." You rolled your eyes. "This guy... Anyway." You ordered and held his hands once again. Screw the compliment. That's what he really wanted.

SAN

You were waiting your boyfriend for 15 minutes already. He as late. Like always. But you never been mad about it. San was doing his best to spend some time with you despite having a heavy and full schedule. The last thing you could do, to just show him how grateful you are, is to be patient. "Y/N!" Shouted San, running to you. He was smiling widely and waving crazily. "Slow down, you are going to trip." You warned him when you judged he was close enough. "Sorry." He paused, catching his breath. "I'm late again." "It's okay babe." You pecked his cheek, making his heart jolt a tiny bit. "To apologize, you can choose everything you want us to do today." He said happily. Next thing he knew he was trying to walk for the first time with rollers. "Y/N, I can't do this!" He whined, holding the ramp on the wall. "Come on! I know that you can be really good at this." You encouraged your boyfriend. "How do you manage to stay still with this?!" "It's still my feet. I'm the only one controlling them." You smiled, turning around him. "Oh my god, help me." He sighed, trying to stop his legs to shake like a newborn. "Okay." You stopped at his left. "I'll help you." San gulped when you slid your hand over his forearm to gently hold his hand. He was still amazed by the softness of your palm that he didn't realize that the wall was getting far away every seconds. "I can't believe that we are holding hands." He finally said. You simply giggled, ignoring what to say. "I thought that I would need to do it first. I know how shy you are princess." "Stay focused Sanie." You replied, a smile glued on your face. "Your hand is so cute in mine. It's like it was meant to be there." "San." "I want this moment to pause forever." He claimed. "Babe." "I can’t believe!" He sang, using the same tone as Chen in Exo*. "And I can't believe, you made a whole round without falling." San finally looked around him. He was so focused on your hand that he completely forgot his main task. "I'm roller-skating!" He shouted victoriously. "I'm a grown man now." "Can the grown man detach his hand now that's he's a pro?" "Never."

MINGI

Mingi is shy. On the stage, he always looks fierce, confident and cool. But in reality, he is a cute and shy boy. It took him 20 minutes to ask you on a date. You spent your entire break from your old part time job, to listen to him, stuttering 2 words by minute. With respect, of course, you always kept your distance and understood that he was not into showing affection in public. Then you always 'stayed in your place' and be affectioned in private. But even not that much because he was still taken a back. Tonight, they all had a rough day and Seonghwa offered to walk an hour in the park below. You encouraged them, saying that it was a good idea. So here you are, leading the walk with your boyfriend. The rest of the members behind you, a bit like chaperones. Everyone could tell that this little walk was relaxing. One by one, they all found their smiles back. "Do you remember Bridgerton?" You asked. Mingi raised a brow, "the show that made you drool and fangirl about the dresses?" "Yeah!" You snapped. "The boys looks like our parents, checking that we don’t do anything wrong." You smirked. The tall boy looking behind him. The 7 other boys were minding their own business. "Not really. They totally don’t give a f about us." He sneered. "Ah really? So, it won't bother anyone if... I do something like." You removed your hand out of your pocket to held Mingi's one. As expected, he blushed and stuttered that they were just behind. "Come on...." You teased him, squeezing his hand. "We are dating for 3 months and you never held my hand. So, I do it." "Y/N!" He blushed even more. "Ooooouh Song Mingi!" Shouted the boys behind. Some of them were whistling, one by one. Few ones were clapping, and San Yunho were imitating the scene. Even though Mingi was cringing, it was not bad at all. "Song Mingi is a man now! He's holding a girl's hand." Shouted Wooyoung. All of their comment started to make you awkward too. But in a good way. Judging that you teased Mingi enough. You tried to untangle your fingers. "Finish what you started." Said Mingi, tightening his grip. "You put us in this situation, so you need to assume it too." A nervous laugh came out from your throat when he put both of your hands in his pocket. Of course, this move caused the other boys to start yelling behind both of you. But you could still live with it.

WOOYOUNG

Even if you agreed to spend the night at the dorm Wooyoung still found the situation awkward. It's been 2 weeks that you were officially dating. Everything was perfect. You both had a real great harmony. Even the other members claimed that they were jealous of your chemistry. The only problem which was not a big deal but still bothers Wooyoung, was that you were not really the 'clingy type'. You barely touched each other. He respected that you needed to hold our hand sometimes or just give you a hug or a peck randomly. "What are you thinking about?" You asked sliding under the sheets. "You keep looking at the ceiling." Wooyoung hesitated a second to tell you what was bothering him. But he finally decided to not say anything and to not put you in a awkward situation. "Nothing, just tired." He yawned. "Let's sleep." You nodded and made sure both of you were well covered. "Good night Wooyoungie." "Night Y/N." You couldn’t see his face, but he was disappointed when you turned around, showing your back to him asking if he was asleep already. He finally cracked an eye when he felt your warmness just next to him. His heart started to rush. Wooyoung even though it would stop functioning when you grabbed his hand to held yours. You slowly rested your interlaced hands on your belly. Wooyoung was burning behind you. The dozen of mini him were dancing and shouting along in his head. When you started to rub your thumb over his skin, it completely drove him crazy. Wooyoung could felly your belly on his forearm. because of that, he wanted so bad to squeeze and hug you until you couldn't breathe anymore. "I know that you are awake." You whispered, giggling a bit. Just in case this moment would stop, he preferred to stay quiet. "I feel your heart bumping, jolting and clenching in your chest." You added. "I just... love this." He finally admitted. You simply stuck your body closer to him and snuggled gently against it. "This shit drives me crazy. You seem so tiny." "Just sleep." You giggled, enjoying his presence. "I can't sleep anymore! I feel like I'm going to explode." He replied, happily. "What did I do..." you sighed, smiling a little bit.

JONGHO

You just felt your friends. You spent the whole day looking for a dress. And not a casual dress. An amazing and fancy one. Just to go with your boyfriend at a gala. You needed to get along with everyone there or to be at least presentable. Jongho told you that you could wear anything you want, but your desire was to impress everyone there. Especially the CEO, so he could stop looking at you like a trash. Just when you got out of the café, you spotted a red-haired guy, in the same alley of you. You doubted a second, but you saw him holding an Ice americano. It was your boyfriend for sure. Without hesitating, your ran to his direction. When you were at 5 meters behind him, you walked slowly and quietly. You recognized the Chanel earrings you gave him and his Louis Vuitton sport bag. "He's so expensive." You thought. Not waiting anymore, you grabbed his free hand. Jongho had the instant reflex to step away and to brush the hand off. "Hello young man, are you single?" You winked at him. His face softened, when he saw your face. "No sorry. I'm taken and take care because she's crazy." "Hey!" You pouted. Jongho sneered, proud of his own joke. When finally, he realized. "Oh." Wondering why this sudden behavior and glanced where's he was looking at. "What?" "It's the first time that you are holding my hand." He blinked. "We do this all the time." "No. You don't get it. It's incredible." "What?" "Your hand is hold mine. It's the best thing ever." You raised a brow, "you are too much." “I’m usually the one holding yours but now!” “You-” "Do not move." He kept staring at it. People walking past to you, were giving you a weird look. Jongho was looking at your hands in awe. "She's holding my hand too! And the first time!" He said to a couple passing by. "Choi Jongho." You slapped his shoulder gently, completely embarrassed. "Let's go to Hongdae!" "Why suddenly?" You asked. "So, we can walk there!" "It's 1 hour far away from here!" "Yes. Exactly. That's the point." He smiled widely, already enjoying the idea.

*Exo - Tempo: it’s a song which had been praised by many (I do recommend to watch Ateez covering this because it’s a m a z i n g) and Chen’s lyrics intro (0:02) really had his impact.

#ateez reactions #ateez scenarios #ateez x reader #ateez imagines #ateez writings #ateez #ateez fluff #ateez cute #ateez x you #ateez x atiny #ateez kpop

[gamerwoo]

[The Pack Next Door] Wooyoung: Sorry Not Sorry (Part One)

(photo edit courtesy of @songmingki​)

Characters: Wooyoung x female reader

Genre/warnings: werewolf au, brother’s best friend au, not really fluffy but there’s no angst until the very end

Word count: 1,788

Summary: Everyone knows that werewolves can’t control who they imprint on, no matter what they think their preferences might be. But despite that, Jongho can’t help but absolutely loathe Wooyoung because the older boy went and imprinted on his older sister.

a/n: reader is obviously written to be older than jongho so if you dont like that bc it doesn’t apply to you, im sorry but oh well. also i don’t have any sort of update schedule so updates are gonna be way slower than they were for mingi’s lmao

Next | Sorry Not Sorry Masterlist

For a long time, Wooyoung was just your younger brother’s annoying friend. You were three years older than Jongho, so while you weren’t too far apart in age, you were just far enough that while growing up, you found your younger brother and his best friend absolutely annoying and obnoxious. And it seemed to be one of Wooyoung’s favorite activities was annoying you or pranking you with your brother.

Eventually, the three of you were grown-up enough that Jongho and Wooyoung didn’t bother you as often. You both were still in school -- you in high school while the pair was just starting middle since Wooyoung ended up staying back a year in grade school -- and while you did often see Wooyoung around your house during afternoons and weekends, his presence didn’t annoying you nearly as much as it used to. 

It wasn’t until Jongho was 15 and Wooyoung was 16 that you realized just how accustomed you’d gotten to having Wooyoung around, because you stopped seeing him. He was no longer on the couch with your brother, yelling at the video games they’d play on the TV after school. You no longer walked into the kitchen to see him rummaging through your fridge like he was in his own house. Wooyoung just...stopped coming around.

And Jongho was noticeably sadder, too.

“What happened to Jung Wooyoung?” you had asked him after about a week of no sign of your brother’s best friend.

Jongho sighed, looking more depressed than ever after hearing you mention his best friend since childhood, “He was sent away.”

“Sent away?” you repeated with furrowed brows. “Where? Why?”

“His parents said they sent him away to an all-boys school because he was acting out,” he explained.

Maybe Wooyoung acted differently at his own home than he did at your house, but you didn’t think the younger boy acted out at all. Maybe when he was a child, but he’d been fine the last 5-ish years. It didn’t make sense to you, but then again, you didn’t know Wooyoung very well.

However, you didn’t know it, but you were right. Wooyoung hadn’t been acting out at all. His parents wouldn’t tell anybody, but they’d actually kicked Wooyoung out of their home and sent him away to live with his uncle whom they’d disowned from their family because he was a werewolf.

And so was Wooyoung.

Wooyoung had gone missing for about three of those days that he wasn’t around your house. It was something most teenagers who first shifted would do, unsure what else to do after becoming a giant wolf. His parents had a feeling what had happened since his father had seen it happen with his brother. When Wooyoung had eventually returned, his parents confronted him about what happened, and the poor boy was immediately shunned and sent away. But when Jongho went to ask, they lied and said he went to a different school far away now.

Jongho was sure without any type of contact with his best friend, he’d never see Wooyoung again.

But you never thought much of him again. Jongho did eventually make new friends, and while he didn’t talk about him often anymore, he did think of Wooyoung every now and then, recalling the good times they had and wondering what he was doing with his new life. But you carried on with your life, eventually going off to college and only seeing Jongho when you went back home to visit. 

There was one instance where Jongho had come to you at your apartment, though. He was sweaty and out of breath, seeming panicked. His eyes were a scary crimson that had you gasping and stepping back from him, unsure why they looked like that. But he kept saying he didn’t know where to go or what to do.

That was when you found out Jongho was a werewolf. You weren’t sure what to do with that information, either, but you helped him go to your parents with the information. Your mother had said her great grandfather was one, but they weren’t sure if anyone else in their family would get what they expected to be the werewolf gene. But thankfully, they were accepting and went to your grandmother for some help and advice.

During his time in college, Jongho had found some new friends that he started living off campus with. They seemed to make him happy, and he spoke about them like they were family. He had confirmed they were his pack, and you were happy that he managed to find them. You thought it was sweet that your brother had new friends in college that he cared about and who seemed to care about him, as well.

“Oh, and hey, do you remember Jung Wooyoung?” Jongho asked while he was first gushing about his friends.

“That little twerp you were friends with since forever?” you chuckled. 

“Yeah,” he laughed. “Well, he's in it too! He lives with them!”

Your eyebrows raised in surprised, “Wow. It’s been years since you’ve seen him.”

“I know!”

“It’s like you two were meant to be brothers this whole time,” you told him with a laugh. “That’s kind of crazy. Fate’s really amazing, huh...”

“You should come visit sometime. I think you’ll really like the guys. Hongjoong’s really cool, and Yunho’s pretty goofy but he’s sweet. San’s kinda flirty but he’s really nice and stuff when you get to know him. I think you’ll get along well with Seonghwa and Yeosang, honestly.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“Because you were always no fun growing up,” he teased.

But you did eventually go visit your brother. It had been a little while since you’d seen him anyway, so you figured why not. Besides, he seemed really excited about his pack and especially getting to reconnect with his childhood best friend. Honestly, you were a little bit curious to see how Wooyoung grew up.

What you didn’t expect when you arrived was to see Jung Wooyoung for the first time since you were in high school, and see him as so much more than just your little brother’s annoying friend.

Jung Wooyoung had grown up to be more handsome than you could’ve even imagined if you’d ever bothered to remember him. As soon as your eyes landed on him as he walked out the door to catch up with the pack while your brother excitedly greeted you from the driveway, you felt a massive crush on him hit you. And if this was what your grandmother had told you, Jongho, and your parents about, this was something more serious than just a human crush.

For Wooyoung, his entire world stopped. All he saw was you in his vision, everyone and everything else falling away. His heart was beating out of his chest, his palms suddenly felt clammy, and he had the strong urge to run right up to you and just wrap you up in his arms.

He had imprinted on his childhood best friend’s sister.

Thankfully, with Jongho’s excitement to introduce you to the pack, he hadn’t picked up on that. However, the same couldn’t be said for the pack. Seonghwa easily noticed, Hongjoong had a very strong suspicion, and Yeosang thought it was so painfully obvious that he couldn’t believe that Jongho didn’t realize when he had re-introduced the two of you and you finally had to properly acknowledge each other.

Yunho was the only one who didn’t notice, thinking that was just how Wooyoung was. He was very flirty with, well, just about anybody. So the older boy didn’t have reason to think anything of it.

But it was silently decided that nobody would tell Jongho about it. Neither you nor Wooyoung knew how to tell him. Jongho had become very protective of you ever since becoming a werewolf, so not only were you afraid of possibly upsetting him, but Wooyoung definitely was. Not only was Jongho his brother now, but they had been best friends since they could remember, and they had finally reuinted. He didn’t want to ruin their relationship, and neither did you. And since neither of you ever said anything, the rest of the pack knew it wasn’t their place.

Eventually, another werewolf came into the picture: Song Mingi. He was tall, a little awkward, but very sweet and funny. He had imprinted on his best friend, Aera, who he hadn’t told yet and insisted everyone associated with the pack never speak of it to her -- that included you. You weren’t at the pack house often -- Wooyoung would simply sneak out to visit you at your apartment because that was way easier -- but you were glad that Mingi’s situation overshadowed your own. The less attention on you and Wooyoung, the better.

Until Mingi ended up telling Aera, and then someone had to go and open their big, stupid mouth and ruin everything for you.

Jongho had invited you over for dinner to sort of ‘celebrate’ Mingi finally telling Aera after however many years that she was his mate. They, like Jongho and Wooyoung, had grown up together and were best friends throughout their whole lives. You were shocked Mingi managed to keep his secret for so long, but you were happy for him that he finally told her. Besides, Aera was always so laid back and relaxed. You figured she’d be fine with the whole situation.

“I still can’t believe you made a mistake that stupid,” you chuckled as the pack launched joke after joke toward Mingi’s lapse of thought which caused Aera to find out. “Even I know to be more careful than that.”

“Yeah, but you have family that’ve been telling you about werewolves since Jongho was in high school,” Mingi pouted. “My parents still don’t even know.”

“Guess they’re next on the list of people to tell,” Yeosang joked lightly, knowing Mingi was getting a little grumpy from all the teasing.

Yunho snorted before laughing, “Where are Wooyoung and _____ on that list?”

However, the joke that was meant to lighten the mood only made it worse. The air seemed to thicken almost immediately as everyone but the oblivious werewolf froze, eyes unsure if they wanted to look at you, Wooyoung, Jongho, or just continue staring at the table. It was so silent after Yunho’s laughter turned awkward and then quickly died down that even you could’ve heard a pin drop from outside. But after what felt like an eternity of just dead silence, something finally broke it that made you wish you’d continued to just sit in the quiet.

“What?” Jongho asked sharply.

From the end of the table, you heard Mingi mumble, “What was that about stupid mistakes?”

#ateez #wooyoung #ateez au #ateez imagine #ateez scenario #ateez oneshot #ateez fanfic #ateez series #werewolf!ateez #ateez x reader #wooyoung au #wooyoung imagine #wooyoung oneshot #wooyoung scenario #wooyoung fanfic #wooyoung series #werewolf!wooyoung #wooyoung x reader #ateez aus #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #ateez oneshots #ateez fanfics #wooyoung aus #wooyoung imagines #wooyoung scenarios #wooyoung oneshots #wooyoung fanfics

[stay-tinystars]

The Storyteller

Ship: non idol Yunho x fem OC (Mia)

Mostly fluff, slight angst bookstore au. ---Word count: 9.1k. ---Warnings: mentions of cheating (not main pairing), one mention of sex (non explicit), self doubt, depression, unsure of other warnings. ---- A/N: due to the lovely 250 word block limit these paragraphs run on, and for that I am sorry. I am posting this in Honor of Yunho's birthday. Though it's slightly late.

This year the summer seemed warmer than usual. Yunho noticed more heat coming through his apartment window as he worked. Writing and composing songs as he overlooked the city. He was in a rut with writing, they had asked him to write another love song. How could he write about something that broke him last year? How could he write about something that seemed so far out of reach. All his experiences with love he'd already written, and at this point he felt like if he wrote another song about his ex, he might scream. The blinking cursor on the blank screen of his laptop seemed to mock him. He got up and decided to call his brother, maybe he could help him with some ideas. "So, I got a promotion,and part of that promotion is I get to go on a cruise with the CEO and other leaders in the company." His brother said excitedly over the phone, as Yunho paced the floor in his living room.

"That's awesome," Yunho responded, maybe he shouldn't have asked his brother how work was going.

"Problem is, it's only a cruise for two, and it would help me get to know the higher ups better," his brother continued. Yunho's stomach sank, as his brother started to ramble.

"Why do I feel this means I need to watch the twins." Yunho sighed as he opened the door to his small balcony, stepping outside.

"Yunho, it would be the biggest help if you could watch them. It's only for a week, and being as you work from home, I was hoping you could just reconvene to my house for the week. We will buy all the food for the three of you. If you do this I'll also buy your groceries for the next month!" How could he say no to that. His brother had been working so hard and diligently for years. Two 6 year olds shouldn't be too hard right?

Yunho had never been so wrong. Was free food worth this? The twins were driving him crazy. Never a second of rest, and they always wanted to play, eat, or do something that meant Yunho couldn't focus at all. He hadn't gotten anything done for work in three days. He needed a break. How his brother and wife cared for these two tornadoes 24/7 was bewildering. After the twins came back in from playing in the backyard complaining that Yunho didn't do anything with them, Yunho wanted to scream. As a last resort he searched online for something to do with kids. He found a small ad on social media from a nearby bookstore, something called, 'Story time adventures' that happens every Thursday during the summer at 1pm. Recommended age was 4-10, and it was free. He sighed in relief, today was Thursday, and he could have a small break. Maybe he would get just a few minutes of peace while the twins attended. Yunho packed up the kids, and promised to go to the park after the story time, if they behaved. The twins eagerly obliged. Once they arrived at the bookstore he saw a small area set up near the back of the store, with a bean bag chair and lots of small pillows placed on the floor in front of it, a few children already sat on some of the pillows. He urged Kai, and Nami to go join, with a small nudge. Yunho took a deep breath, feeling a small sense of relief as he started to let the atmosphere of the small store put him at ease.  As he started to browse, he found himself in the fantasy section he picked a book and started to read the insert, it didn't seem interesting to him, so he placed it back upon the shelf. As he continued to wander around the store he could hear the children giggling as someone read. He turned down another isle, and could hear her voice.

"Who are you?” said the Caterpillar.

This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, Sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”

Yunho was enthralled. The storyteller's voice timbre changing slightly with every character. Her narration voice was calming. He found himself looking around the shelfs towards where the story time was happening. That's when he first saw her. She looked small in the bean bag. Her white jeans, and powder blue blouse, made her match the character of Alice. A white plush rabbit sat next to her on the bean bag. A children's picture book of Alice in Wonderland was in her hands as she read so the children could see the pictures. Only after someone cleared their throat did Yunho realize he was currently blocking the main aisle way. He quietly bowed and muttered an apology and moved off to the side.  She looked so at ease around the 15 or so children who sat in front of her. Each one clinging onto her every word. Her eyes sparkled as she read about the tea party, her mischievous grin matched that of the Cheshire cat as he disappeared. She made the whole bookstore become Wonderland. As she read and placed Alice back into her rightful world, Yunho found himself leaning on the bookshelf behind her. Admiring her attention to the little details. She had a small top hat clipped in her hair, a blue butterfly sat atop. Her earrings were pocket watches. 

"Now how did you all enjoy Wonderland?" Her natural voice was joyful, still drawing him in. He listened to the discussion about the book she had with the children. Some asked about if food could really make you grow, others commenting on the mad hatter.

"How did you do so many voices?" Kai asked, obviously intrigued. She laughed. If Yunho could describe the sound he would, but he couldn't pinpoint any words, it just sounded happy to him.

"I like to make sure every character has their own personality, it makes reading even more fun!" She responded, and clasped her hands together. 

"Ok, unfortunately that's all the time for today." Her words were met with groans. "I hope you all come next week, we are going to Neverland!" Her smile widened as she lifted a children's picture book of Peter Pan.

Yunho shook his head bringing him back to reality. He wanted to return next week. Kai and Nami ran towards him. "We were good, can we go to the park now?" Nami pleaded, as she tugged on his hand.

"Of course, I might even treat you guys to ice cream" Yunho smiled, as the twins cheered.

----

Yunho found himself daydreaming about the story teller. The way she made the story come alive, made him want to go back, and listen to her again. But now that his brother was back home, which he was grateful for, he couldn't go. Or could he?

"Hey, so I was hoping to take the twins tomorrow for a few hours around lunch" he heard his brother choke on air through the phone, as he sat on a chair on his small balcony.

"I thought you couldn't be happier to be rid of them. Isn't that what you said on Sunday?" His brother's voice bewildered.

"I've had a change of heart." Yunho leaned back putting his feet up on the small metal table. 

"Yunho, you aren't trying to pick up single mothers at the park are you?" His brother's voice teased

"No, why would I do that?"

"It's the only explanation for you actually wanting to watch them. After being stuck with them for a week. I know what little monsters they can be."

"No, I just thought they might enjoy going to story time again." Yunho's voice faded as he played with the hem of his shirt.

"Oh so you're wanting to see the storyteller again? Hmm?? The kids said they enjoyed that, and that you gave them ice cream afterwards." Yunho could hear the teasing tone continue,  as his brother spoke.

"Why do you always have to bug me about seeing someone new? Can't I just enjoy the stories with the kids."

"Well you can, but I know you're not going for the stories. You're going because you want a girlfriend."

Yunho wanted to retort his brother's statement, but he knew it would just lead to more teasing. "Look, can I just take the kids to story time tomorrow?" He sighed.

"If you end up meeting someone, that means my children make great wingmen!"

"You're so weird"

"You're the one wanting to borrow my children"

----

He knew nothing about her, but her voice haunted his dreams, both awake and asleep. His only thought was to try to find a seat in the small book shop to listen to her. He got there early, and sent Kai and Nami to sit, as he found a seat off to the side, grabbing a book and pretending to read. Yunho laughed as he noticed Kai taking the front center pillow, his sister following suit, Kai was just as intrigued as he was. He watched as other children filed in, their parents starting to browse the store. Suddenly a sound of tinkling bells came from the aisle next to Yunho. He watched as she appeared, dressed in a Peter pan inspired outfit, green jeans a matching top tucked in, she even had a Peter pan hat complete with feather. Her phone making the sounds.

"Are you guys ready to go to Neverland? Does anyone know how to get there?" She inquired as she approached the bean bag.

"Second star to the right!" Nami practically screamed. Her response was met with laughter from around the store.

"That's right, and straight on til morning! Now all we need is pixie dust, and happy thoughts then away we go!" She reached into her pocket withdrawing a hand full of tiny shimmering clear glitter. She tossed it, sprinkling it over the children, who giggled in response. He watched as she sat on the beanbag, lifted the book.

"Peter Pan" she started, as she opened the book. Yunho never opened the book he had grabbed, he listened, being sucked into the story as much as the children. She even crowed like Peter, while reenacting the fight between Peter and Hook with one hand as she read the story from the bean bag. She was having just as much fun doing this, as the kids were. He rode the back of the wind with the children, until the storyteller placed Wendy, John and Michael back in London. He had to get to know her, at least her name. The discussion time for the book started and ended quicker than Yunho wanted, he hadn't caught what book she was doing next week, nor any of the questions asked. He was caught up in his head. He usually had such confidence with these situations, but he didn't know how to approach this talented young woman. It had been a while since he tried dating. Luckily for him Kai wouldn't leave the poor girl alone, he was talking her ear off. As Yunho approached, he heard Kai asking every question that popped into his head.

"What's your favorite color" Kai's voice excitedly said.

"Purple" she laughed, Kai looked between the storyteller and his uncle and smirked.

"When was the last date you went on?" Kai's smirk grew, along with Yunho's eyes. What had gotten into this kid?

"Umm, I haven't been on a date in a while" she responded looking at the young boy with a raised eyebrow.

"So you don't have a boyfriend?" Kai asked.

"No Kai, I don't have a boyfriend" she chuckled, placing her hands on her hips.

"Can I be your boyfriend?" The 6 year old asked, looking up at her with big eyes. She smiled warmly, and softly shook her head.

"I'm sorry Kai, but you are far too young to be my boyfriend. You are sweet for asking." She tried to let the kid down easy.

"What about my uncle Yunho?" Kai grabbed his uncle's shirt. Yunho's ears turned red as he looked bewildered at his nephew.

"Well, I will have to see," she laughed, as she looked at the tall panicked man.

"He's been lonely since his girlfriend left last year," Nami added as she grabbed onto Yunho's pant leg. What had he gotten himself into? Yunho wanted to hide.

"Well that wasn't very nice of her was it." She responded, looking between the two twins. Then looking at Yunho. "Kids say the darndest things" she held back her laughter as best as possible. "I'm Mia" she extended her hand.

"Yunho" he shook it, and did a small bow. She smiled warmly.

"Well these two are sweet. It's nice of you to bring them."

"He asked to bring us today, so he could hear another story." Kai smiled mischievously. The kid definitely took after his father. Yunho wished he was anywhere but here.

"Is that so?" Her eyes twinkled as she lifted her eyebrow at Yunho and winked.

"Yeah he called dad last night." Nami added, excitedly. Yunho wished he could disappear, like the cat from last week's story.

"So Uncle Yunho, are you employing kids to be your wingmen?" Her eyes full of mischief, as she smirked, he was sure his face was redder than a tomato.

"I, uh, I swear it's not what it seems. I just, uh, like your stories" he mentally slapped himself, though his panicked response made her laugh.

"Well, that's a shame because you're kind of cute." She joked, winked again, then walked away towards the front of the store. Yunho watched her for a moment, shocked at her bold statement.

"Wait, Mia! " he said following her, grabbing each of the twins hands in his.

"How can I help you," she smiled, as she went behind the counter.

"Wait, you work here?" Yunho questioned. She laughed again.

"What did you think I was doing here?" her response floating along her slight laughter.

"Well I thought you only came to read to the kids. I truthfully thought you were a voice actress." his voice faded as he looked at the counter, setting his hands on top of it.

"Well that would be an interesting career. I actually pitched the summer storytime idea. I read a book to a little kid to help calm him down after he lost his mom at the spring festival earlier this year. By the time I finished reading I had a group around me." she smiled as she stared at Yunho's hands resting on the counter. "I've always enjoyed books, so if I can help kids enjoy the stories, and start reading themselves I want to do it."

Yunho felt his heart soften. This young woman in front of him seemed to have a heart of gold. He barely knew her, but he wanted to get to know her better. He just wasn't sure if he had the courage to ask her out quite yet. His heart still fragile from its harsh break last year.

"Miss Mia" Nami peeked her head over the counter.

"Yes, Nami" Mia leaned on the counter making eye contact with the small girl.

"Will you come to the park with us?" The little girl asked. Mia laughed softly.

"Well, I still have work." She placed her head in her hands.

"For how much longer?" The small girl questioned. Mia looked at her watch.

"About a half hour"

"We can wait!" Kai didn't wait for either of the adults to respond, he just pulled Yunho back into the book store. They browsed the shelfs of the entire store until each of them found a book that interested them. He walked back up to the counter with the twins in tow, each of them setting their choices on the counter.

" 'The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon', good choice Kai. I think you will really enjoy it, and the way it describes the colors. Oh, and Nami you chose 'Planting the Wild Garden' it's a great book about how seeds actually work." She then paused with a smile gracing her lips, as she picked up Yunho's choice, her eyes sparkled with nostalgia. " 'Spinning Starlight' is one of my favorites. It's actually a retelling of 'The Wild Swans', but this book captivated me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did Yunho." Her hands gently placed the books into a paper bag stamped with the store's logo.

"You know a lot about these books," Yunho said, handing her his card.

"Well I do work at a bookstore, plus you guys happened to pick books I have read and enjoyed." laughter traced her every word, as Yunho traced her features in his mind. The way her eyes crinkled as she laughed, the small imperfections in her skin bringing beauty to the world around him, the way her lips sat so perfectly, she was imperfectly perfect, and he was transfixed. He was starting to realize he was head over heels for this girl, that he barely knew. The trio stepped outside and sat on the small bench waiting for Mia, as she clocked out and grabbed her things.

"I don't get invited to go to the park very often. What's the first thing we should do?" Mia asked as she looked between the twins a small smile on her face.

The four of them played on the playground equipment, the younger two creating their own world, and directing the older pair at what to do. Which resulted in side aches from laughing so hard. "What?" Yunho asked as Mia laughed at him, as he laid the full length of the child size slide.

"You are bigger than the slide" Mia giggled as she leaned on the side of the slide looking at him. Yunho smiled as they looked at each other.

"Thanks for coming to the park, you didn't have to." Yunho sat up, then stood from the slide.

"Well I haven't been asked to go to the park in a while, plus I didn't have anything going after work today, and some sunshine would be good for me." Mia said as she walked towards the empty bench off to the side of the playground. Yunho started to follow only to be called by Kai. Yunho ran over and looked up at the young boy through the railing of the playtoy.

"Have you asked her out yet?" Kai inquired as he played with the ship wheel in front of him mindlessly.

"It's not that easy Kai, I barely know her" Yunho responded as he gazed in her direction. She was sitting on the bench now, leaning her head back, eyes closed enjoying the sunlight on her face. She seemed to glow in the midday sun.

"Well, I think she likes you. I can't wait to tell dad I'm a good wingman!" Kai smiled to himself, bringing Yunho's attention back to the twins.

"Did your dad put you up to this?"

"Well he said if we helped you get her number, he would give us ice cream everyday for a week!" Nami said excitedly, as she took control of the wheel from her brother.

"Your dad bribed you guys to get me on a date?"

"He said someone needed to help you, ever since Yuni left you've been sad. Dad just wants you to be happy." Nami looked at her uncle with concern on her face.

"I am happy," Yunho countered softly, as he looked towards Mia again. Was he really just putting on a front? His brother surely saw through everything. Could everyone see how lonely he'd felt? How would that affect the small spark he felt with Mia. He looked back to the twins, who were staring at him. He sighed they were right. He wasn't happy.

"So I'm thinking we should go get some ice cream, how does that sound?" Mia suggested as she approached the trio. Squeals of approval came from the twins as they raced to get down to them.

"Can I have strawberry!" Nami asked as they approached the ice cream stand.

"I want chocolate!" Kai added.

"Can I get one Strawberry, one chocolate, one cookies and cream and whatever the lady here orders" Yunho said at the window.

"I can pay for myself," Mia said, opening her wallet.

"No It's on me. You came to the park, and you didn't have to" Yunho insisted, handing his card to the worker before she could do anything else. Mia shook her head and sighed.

"Um, I will also take cookies and cream," she said softly. The worker nodded and swiped Yunho's card.  Soon enough the four of them were eating ice cream at a small table in the shade.

"Thanks for joining us today Mia, it was fun!" Nami said as she devoured the last of her ice cream.

"Well thank you for the invite. I'm sure Chen hasn't missed me too much." Mia thought aloud.

"I thought you said you didn't have a boyfriend," Kai accused, pointing his chocolate smudged finger at Mia. She laughed.

"I don't, I have a hedgehog," she paused to look at her watch, "who is probably upset I'm not feeding him yet"

"You have a hedgehog!" Kai yelled, sending small droplets of chocolate all over the table.

"Yes," she chuckled. "And he is three this year" She was proud, like a mother would be of her child. "Do you guys want to see a picture of Chen?" She asked, unlocking her phone.

"Yes!" Nami scrambled from her seat, climbing atop the table to see the phone better. There on the screen was a small light brown almost cream colored hedgehog, sitting on a small blue towel

"Chen is a blonde hedgehog, I rescued him from the shelter almost two years ago"

"They have hedgehogs at the animal shelter? I thought they only had cats and dogs" Kai asked as he got closer to the screen. The two small faces stared intently at the screen. Their noses only a few centimeters away.

"The shelter actually has all sorts of pets, most people just go for the dogs and cats. But my apartment doesn't allow animals bigger than Chen." Yunho just watched as Mia showed the twins more photos of Chen. He hated to say he believed in love at first sight, it always seemed to be a stupid thing to him. Until now, ever since he first saw Mia he couldn't get her out of his brain. The more he saw her, the more intrigued he became. He wanted to learn everything about her. "Sorry Yunho, you probably couldn't see him over these two" she laughed as she handed him her phone. There was the small hedgehog, she had placed a small bowtie on him. "This is when I celebrated his first 'gotcha' day"

"He is a cute little guy, he looks like he'd fit in just the palm of my hand." Yunho smiled, handing back her phone.

"Why don't you ask Mia if you can meet him, then you can see" Kai, again, was making Yunho want to disappear. Mia was gently shaking her head, her expression was no longer peaceful. She looked slightly panicked, and Yunho's mind started reeling. What had he done wrong?

"Maybe someday" she responded, getting up from the small table. "But I should go and take care of Chen. It was a lovely afternoon, and thank you for the ice cream" she gave a smile as well as a soft bow and wave, and quickly walked away.

-----

Yunho went to the small bookstore on his own that Saturday, hoping to see Mia and apologize for whatever had happened. Mia was wearing jeans and a graphic t, nothing abnormal, yet Yunho couldn't stop staring. "How can I help you today, Yunho?" She said sternly as he approached the counter.

"I wanted to apologize for Thursday." His large hand swept through his hair, still trying to figure out what he did.

"You did nothing wrong." she seemed to brush off the subject, as she walked away with a pile of books in hand.

"I feel like something happened. Was it the twins? I'm sorry if something they said was inappropriate." Yunho said following her.

"No. They also were fine." Her answer was abrupt.

"Can I help you put those away?" Yunho gestured towards the books, as he fell in step with her.

"I'm alright, I can do this on my own." She kept walking further into the store. She seemed so warm on Thursday, but now she seemed to be turning a cold shoulder on him.

"I-" Yunho's own words caught in this throat, his feet stopping at the end of an aisle. "I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone." his soft words barely reaching her as she stopped.

"Yunho." She sighed, and motioned him to come closer with her head. As he approached she lost her own words. "It's not you." She whispered as she started to put books on the shelf.

"It has to be me. That's the only explanation I can come up with" he said, stepping behind her taking the book she was trying to place on the top shelf from her hand, and placing it where she was trying to place it.

"The explanation is me." She kept her eyes on the shelf in front of her, he could hear the slight tremor in her voice. He placed a hand softly on top of the one she had resting on the shelf. He could feel her body shake slightly as she started to sob. Yunho started to search for words. He was concerned, he wanted to comfort her. Would a hug be too much? I mean he was practically caging her in right now. Was that what was making her cry? He lifted his hand and moved backwards slightly, not wanting her to feel trapped. She dropped to her knees shaking, propping herself up against the bookcase. Mia was finally letting it all out. It was too late to stop her emotions now. Without getting closer Yunho just sat down next to her. Sometimes silence answered more than words. Today that was the case. Mia noted Yunho's presence, currently it felt like the only thing anchoring her to a safe harbor. She had been building this shell for so long, that when it broke it let a dam of emotions loose. The grief and betrayal from last winter. The constant mask she bravely put on everyday though she was broken. Mia found herself placing a hand on Yunho's knee as he went to move, she needed her anchor. Yunho placed his hand on hers.

"I never meant to make you cry." Yunho's words barely above a whisper, as he took his other hand and softly wiped her tears from her cheek.

"It isn't you." Mia rested her head against his hand. She wanted to trust him, to tell him everything, but her mind fought against it. He'll be just like Jay, he will make you believe him then he will lie to you over and over again. She shook her head. No, Yunho was different. But is he, or are his good looks deceiving you. Mia wanted to scream at the doubting voice in her mind. She looked up into Yunho's eyes. They were pure, almost puppy like. "Can you promise me something, even though I barely know you."

"Yeah" Yunho nodded, as he dropped his hands. He was now staring at her intently.

"Can you promise me that you'll be honest with me?" Her question puzzled him.

"Of course." 

"No, I need to know you're going to be honest. That you won't lie, even if it's to cover up my pain." Mia wasn't sure exactly why she was demanding this from the man she barely knew, in the bookstore after she just cried in front of him. Yunho wasn't sure either, but he nodded anyway.

"I promise I'll be honest." He looked at her, a small grin turning up the corner of his mouth. "To prove that. Can I say my butt is really starting to hurt, can we stand up now?"

She laughed, and got up. Wiping her damp cheeks with the back of her wrist "I want to explain some things." She paused as she took a deep breath. "I get off at 6. Would you be willing to meet me at the diner two doors down, about 6:15? I'll pay for dinner." Mia inquired as the two of them headed towards the front of the store. Yunho smiled and nodded.

"I will see you at 6:15"

-----

"Are you two ready to order?" The waiter smiled as he pulled a pencil from behind his ear, looking at Mia.

"I'll have #2 with over hard eggs, and bacon" Mia said, handing the waiter the menu.

"I'll have the #7 scrambled with extra bacon" Yunho smiled at Mia, as the waiter scribbled down their orders.

"I'll get those put in" the waiter nodded as he walked away.

Mia looked at her hands and as she played with her fingers nervously. How could she even start.

"I saw your boss pull you aside as I was leaving. You didn't get in trouble did you?" Yunho asked,  only to get a breathy chuckle from Mia.

"No, fortunately or unfortunately she pulled me off to the side to make sure I was OK. This isn't the first time I've broken down at work." Mia let another breathy chuckle as she played with the ring on her pointer finger. "I hope it's the last though. I feel embarrassed that you saw me like that."

"Don't feel embarrassed, I can be a shoulder to cry on." Yunho then looked at her tentatively. "Do you mind if I ask if you're ok?"

"I'm getting there." She avoided looking at him like the plague.

"Is there anything I can do to help, or make you feel better?" His words, sincere. He was truly concerned, he hadn't seen someone else break down like that in a long time.

"It is sweet of you to ask but I don't know. I don't know how to explain any of it properly, at least not without having another meltdown" her gaze found a drop of water on the table. She put her finger in it, and started to doodle with the water. She would take any distraction from her emotions right now.

"You don't have to explain anything then. I can wait until you are ready." Yunho cocked his head to the side, and bent over to try to look into her eyes.

"What if I'm never ready" she finally looked at him, her pained look met his soft caring eyes.

"I will still wait. I can be a constant in your life. Like an anchor in the storm."

-----

The next Thursday he took the twins to listen to Mia again. This time Mia was dressed in all blue as she told the tale of Pinocchio. Yunho smiled when he realized she made herself the blue fairy. The true narrator of the tale. He watched from the seat he had chosen the week before. He laughed as Pinocchio's nose grew. When the mischief started Yunho could feel the tension of the story. It amazed him to hear her read the stories, she painted the pictures so marvelously with her words, that when Pinocchio was stuck in the water just before he got swallowed by the whale he wanted to hold his breath.  He felt joy as the blue fairy gave Jiminy his good conscience badge, and when Pinocchio became a real boy he had to hold in his cheers. Everytime she told a story it was as if it was the first time he heard it, though he knew all the stories well.

"So how did you guys enjoy Pinocchio?" Mia asked as she set down the book.

"I liked the cricket. Though I don't like bugs" one of the girls said, as she pulled a face. Mia giggled.

"I like him too. So, do you guys think Jiminy was a good conscience?" She asked the group.

"I think he was. Pinocchio just didn't always listen." One of the older boys said.

"But Jiminy was supposed to keep Pinocchio from doing the bad stuff. So didn't I don't think he did very good." One of the girls piped up.

"That is a good point Sumin. He didn't always stop him, But do we always listen to our parents?" Mia asked the little girl, who blushed slightly as she looked down.

"No, I guess we don't."

"But that doesn't mean we have to give up if something bad happens. Sometimes we have to be brave and do things that scare us. Maybe we can do our best to be brave and fix our mistakes like Pinocchio did." Mia said, making eye contact with Yunho. She nodded at him slightly as she returned her attention to the group.

"Then we can become real boys!" One of the smallest in the group said excitedly, which resulted in giggles from around the area.

"Yes, then we can also become real like Pinocchio. Remember life isn't about being perfect, it's about doing your best, and apologizing if you do make mistakes." Mia smiled. "Now remember next week is our last week for this summer so come ready to listen."

"What are you going to read?" Nami asked excitedly.

"It's a surprise! But, I'm going to dress as a princess." She loudly whispered with an exaggerated wink to the group.

"Can I dress up too?" A voice called.

"Of course. We'll give special treats to the princes and princesses who come." Mia's response was greeted with cheers.

"It was a good story today," Yunho said, approaching her.

"I've always enjoyed the little wooden boy." She smiled, as she cleaned the small area up a bit.

"I was wondering if you could maybe give a real boy a chance." Yunho looked at her, his eyes pleading. She looked at her feet then back at him.

"I can try" her voice soft, as she nodded.

"Yes!!" The twins shouted, making the older pair jump slightly. Yunho actually forgot he had brought them for a minute. Mia just started to laugh as the twins started telling Yunho which ice creams they were going to make their dad buy.

"Are you available Saturday?"

-----

"Hi Mia, Are you ready to go?" Yunho leaned on her door frame as Mia answered the door.

"I believe so" she smiled as she grabbed her purse.

"You look nice," he said, admiring her jeans and brown peasant blouse.

"Thank you, you look nice as well. I like your shirt" she noted looking at his dark gray short sleeved button up. Her smile lit up the hallway as she locked her apartment. "So where are we going"

"Well, I wanted to do something a little different" He smiled. "I hope you're ready for an adventure."

As they entered the building Mia did her best not to laugh. She had never been to a place where you could fish indoors before. Let alone one that had a pirate ship that people could fish from. "I would've never expected this." Mia giggled as Yunho took her hand gently.

"Well I haven't stopped thinking about this place since you read Peter Pan. I haven't been here in years, but I thought fishing would be fun. Plus we can pretend to be pirates while we fish." he smiled as he paid.

"I've always thought of myself more as a lost boy than a pirate," she laughed, as they followed the employee to their reserved spots on the ship.

"Pirates have more fun." he wiggled his eyebrows, as they started baiting their hooks.

The next hour was full of small talk, to get to know one another. She found out that Yunho Majored in music, he had a love for writing and composing music. He also loved to dance, he loved the way he could portray his emotions and the words in the song by moving his body. He found out she had been studying environmental science, that she wanted to help be the solution instead of the problem. She said she had to take an unexpected break from school last year, and that she was hoping to start again in the spring. Their conversation lulled to a comfortable silence, until her fishing pole started going nuts. She stood, trying to hold onto the pole. "Oh my gosh! Yunho help!" Mia yelled as she tried to reel in whatever had taken her bait. He quickly stood behind her wrapping his arms around her holding the pole with her. When she finally got the fish out of the water they heard music come over the loudspeaker.

"Someone has caught the largest fish in the tank!" The voice echoed around them. As an employee came over and helped them, weigh and take care of the fish Mia ended up winning the grand prize of the day, which was two gift certificates for more fishing, as well as two free ice creams from the ice cream parlor next door. The prizes from Yunho's small catches was a small plush seal, and some jellies.

"Yunho that was so much fun. Thank you." Mia placed her hand on Yunho's elbow as they stepped outside.

"You're welcome, but the night is still young. If you are okay with it, I'd love to treat you to dinner." He smiled as he gently set his hand on top of hers, as they strolled down the busy street.

"I think that sounds wonderful, what do you have in mind?" A content sigh left Mia's lips as she enjoyed the warmth from the sun.

"Well," he started. "What if I told you it's a surprise"

"Usually I would question more, but I am getting hungry" she said, her stomach growling as if on queue.

"Well lucky for you, and your stomach, it's just a few minutes walk from here." Yunho teased, as he guided her to a pizza place, with outdoor seating on the second floor.

"Yunho!" A few employees cheered as they entered the busy restaurant. "We have your usual table ready for you." The Host smiled as he guided the two of you up the stairs, out onto the patio. "Here you are."

"So, you come here a lot?" Mia asked as she sat down.

"Yeah, a good friend of mine works here as a chef. So I started coming here to support him, but I actually really like their pizza." Yunho sat and sighed contently as he looked across the street. "Plus I really like the view of the park from here, it makes me feel a little closer to nature even though we are in the city."

Mia followed his gaze and could see what he meant. It was beautiful here. She watched as two squirrels fought around a tree. Just taking it all in.  Yunho was lost in his thoughts as he watched Mia. The view was spectacular, the sun was hitting her at a perfect angle making her glow slightly as it pitched towards the horizon. The waiter soon brought them some waters, and informed them that the chef prepared something for them, so they had no need to order. Soon they were talking about how lovely the weather had been this week.

"Yunho! I made something special for tonight!" A man with dark hair, sharp looks, and a mole under his eye came over. Carrying a full tray of food.

"Hi, Wooyoung. This is Mia." Yunho gestured, as Wooyoung set the food on the table.

"So this is the storyteller. You were right she's cute" Wooyoung took her hand and kissed it. Mia could feel her cheeks flush.

"Wooyoung, stop. She's my date, not yours." Yunho rolled his eyes.

"What, I can't appreciate beauty?" He scoffed. "I don't know what you see in this." Wooyoung jabbed his thumb towards Yunho.

"I see potential" Mia smiled looking at Yunho, whose ears were tinged pink. Wooyoung just rolled his eyes.

"Well, I prepared Yunho's favorite pizza, as well as avocado salad, and for dessert I have brownies baking." Wooyoung smiled as he rubbed his hands on his black apron.

"Thank you Wooyoung." Mia responded with a slight bow.

"I expect feedback the brownies are a new recipe I'm trying on you two" 

"That worries me" Yunho joked, as his friend smacked his shoulder. 

----

"Yunho tonight has been just perfect" Mia said as she wiped her mouth with a napkin, to get off any sauce from the slice of pizza she had just finished.

"I've had an enjoyable time as well," Yunho said, before taking another bite.

"I want to tell you something" Mia looked over towards the park, the sun was starting to set, sending golden tones over the trees.

"Anything"

"I'm going to tell you a story, you can't interrupt it ok" she looked towards him, concern painting her face along with the gold of the sunset. Yunho nodded in response.

Mia spun a tale of a young woman who had just moved to a new city. She was full of wonder and hope. She started college and met a man who swept her off her feet. His name was Jay. Everything Jay said was perfect, she felt like she was living in a fairytale. Until she went to surprise him at work one day. Only to find out he had been fired two weeks previously. When she called him, he shrugged it off. Saying he got let go for a stupid reason, and that he hadn't wanted her to worry so he hadn't told her. She asked if he had another job, and he said he did. He had told fanciful tales of what life could be like together, so when her lease was up she asked to move in with him. He seemed tentative until she said she would pay half the rent. Jay agreed, only to have the landlord kick them out two months later, due to overdue rent he never told her about. After they got kicked out, she found another place, and Jay was full of promises again. She told him not until he could be honest and pay bills on time. So he moved in with a friend to help prove he could be better.  After a few months Jay had convinced her he had changed. So she let him move in. When she asked him for his portion of the rent he would say his work hadn't paid him yet, or that he had to help pay for something for his parents. Mia started to see his pattern, she wondered if he really ever had a job, or if he was just using her to have a place to live and food to eat. She was starting to wonder what he had done with the money she had given him previously for rent. She never expected to come home early from work one day to find Jay on their couch, having sex with a complete stranger, money scattered on the coffee table beside them. That's when she had enough. She started yelling, scaring them both, and kicking them both out of her apartment without letting them get dressed. She shoved them out the door and locked it. She then gathered everything of Jay's into garbage bags and set them next to the trash bins outside.

Mia took a deep breath as silence took over the area. She looked at the brownies that had been placed in front of them.

"That is why I tried pushing you away. You came in being charming, and after I started to feel something towards you I panicked. I can't go through another Jay." Mia said quietly as she picked up a brownie placing it on the napkin in front of her and picked at the edges.

"I can promise you that I will never do those things to you." Yunho reached across the table for her hand. "I will be honest, like I promised. Jay was a fool for doing those things to you."

"Can I be honest with you?" Mia asked looking up shyly.

"Of course, I would love for you to always be able to tell me things honestly" his hand felt warm around hers.

"I'm scared. I barely know you, and those I have known have hurt me. I don't trust anymore. I need time with so many things. Honestly I have enjoyed this so much, but I have so many problems. I don't want you wasting your time with me. I'm broken beyond repair" tears threatened to fall with her every breath.

"What are you saying?" Yunho inquired.

"I'm saying you deserve someone who you don't have to wait on. Someone who can love you like you deserve. Someone who you don't have to worry about. Someone who isn't me. You deserve someone better." Her voice shook as she stood up.

"Mia, I like you-" he followed her actions.

"I know, but you shouldn't. You need to find someone who isn't broken." She said as he stepped closer to her, Yunho's arms wrapped around her as they stood next to their table. He remained silent for a moment.

"Can I tell you a story?" He asked. She nodded as she rested her head on his chest. "Once upon a time I fell in love with a girl I thought I would marry. Yuni had all the things I thought I was looking for. She moved in with me, I believed it was going well. The night I was going to propose I came home to find her standing with luggage in hand, all of her things packed. She told me she couldn't handle me anymore. She hated the life she was living, she had been cheating on me with a childhood friend. She was sick of the lies. Sick of the constant music. She told me that I was nothing.  She left me heartbroken in the middle of my apartment, the ring in my pocket seemed to weigh me down. She had destroyed most of my friendships. I sat in my apartment that night realizing that now I had nothing beside my brother and his kids. I was lucky enough to have some forgiving friends who welcomed me back, after I explained how caught up in her I had been.  So I am just as broken as you. I'm still not sure how to love again without getting hurt. But with you I feel like giving it a shot. Maybe we can help each other realize we don't have to be whole to be loved." He was holding her as close as he could. His shirt was wrinking from her tears, but he couldn't care less. He was holding her, he wanted to be her protector. Her arms were locked around his waist, she wouldn't be letting go anytime soon. They were both broken, trying to hold themselves together. Yet in that moment they each felt small pieces of themselves start mending. They held each other as the night grew darker.

"So love birds, did you enjoy the brownies?" They heard Wooyoung say as he stepped outside. They quickly separated, and looked at the table where the brownies had yet to be touched, her eyes grew wide, as Yunho smirked.

"We only ate what we liked," Yunho laughed as Wooyoung's face grew angry. Which made Yunho laugh harder.

"Sorry we haven't tried them yet. We got a little- preoccupied" Mia said as she reached over and picked up her brownie. She took a bite and groaned at the delectable taste. "Holy crap these are delicious!"

Yunho picked up a brownie himself. "Wooyoung this is delicious. Rich, but not over the top, I also like the chunks of chocolate."

"Only one thing would make it better," Mia said, taking another bite.

"What's that?" the chef asked.

"Ice Cream. Make it ala mode" she said covering her mouth as she spoke.

Wooyoung nodded a small smirk on his lips. "I knew I would like you. Yunho this one is a keeper." Wooyoung commented as he walked back into the restaurant.

"Seriously though, can we take the rest of these brownies to go? They are delicious" Mia said, turning to Yunho.

"Of course, but they are coming home with me!" Yunho teased.

"I guess that means I'll be coming over for brownies" Mia smirked as she shrugged.

"I'd like that." Yunho said, stepping forward and enveloping her in his arms once more.

Thursday came quickly, and Yunho picked up Kai and Nami. Kai was dressed in his prince costume from the previous Halloween. It was a bit short but the white outfit with the red sash and cummerbund made him look very sharp. Nami was wearing a perfectly blue Cinderella style dress with her plastic glass slippers of course.

"You dressed up too!!" Nami squealed as she ran into Yunho's arms.

"Of course. There need to be more princes and knights in this world" 

"I wish mine looked as cool as yours!" Kai grumbled, as he compared his white outfit, to Yunho's black one. Yunho's slacks paired great with the black straight neck jacket. Gold filigree adorned the shoulders and cuffs, complete with gold trim. Yunho did feel princely, aside from his crown.

"Hey yours looks great little man! I wish mine was red, plus you have a real crown. Mine is paper." Yunho gestured to the paper crown from a fast food place. "Now your majesties, your carriage awaits."

When they got to the bookstore they discovered a cardboard castle leaning against the bookshelves in the story area, and a cardboard throne placed over a chair instead of the beanbag. Yunho smiled as he saw the children all dressed up as princes and princesses. He sat in a hidden corner of the shop, wanting to surprise Mia. Mia entered wearing a full Renaissance dress, the cream bodice was paired nicely with the forest green kirtle which was corseted with green ribbon. The long sleeves flowed behind her with embellishments around the elbows on the sleeve. A small circlet crown of silver leaves sat across the top of her forehead. Yunho felt she looked like she stepped out of one of the many fantasy novels surrounding him. She truly looked like a princess. "Hello" she smiled as she sat upon her small throne. "It is like the royalty from around the world has joined me today, you all look fantastic." She looked overjoyed, as she smiled at each child around her.

"What princess are you?" One of the girls dressed as Snow white asked.

"I am my own princess today. Because I want to read you guys a book my mom used to read to me." She lifted the small book. "The Princess and the Pea." She started reading the tale of a prince who couldn't find a suitable princess. He would find them lacking in princess ways. Until one night a terrible storm came through the land, and a young woman claiming to be a princess sought refuge. The queen was leery of the newcomer and set a pea under many mattresses. The queen did this because surely a princess could tell. When the girl awoke the next day she claimed pain from something in the bed, that made her not sleep well. When the prince saw she noticed such a small thing he decided to marry her. As Mia finished the short story she smiled. "Can someone tell me why I wanted to read that story today?"

"Because you found your prince!" Nami said excitedly.

"Well, I might've." Mia winked as she felt her cheeks flush. "I wanted to read that to you guys, because I feel you can all be princes and princesses."

"But why? Do you want us to sleep on peas?" A small prince asked.

"No. I don't want you to sleep on peas" she laughed. "I feel you can all notice the small things. To me being a true prince or princess is noticing something small, and being willing to change it. You can all do something, it doesn't have to be big. A small change can make a big difference." Her eyes sparkled as she spoke. Yunho could see her passion in her eyes.

"How can I do something though. I'm not big" a girl in a beautiful green gown said.

"A pea isn't very big, but it changed a lot of life's. Maybe start doing something good, like picking up trash when you go for walks. Being kind to a sibling, or even just giving a hug to a parent. Small things make big changes. Like a ripple in a pool. Remember that as the school year starts. Be kind, have courage, and make a difference" Mia's small speech seemed to spark something within the kids. They seemed excited. "OK princes and princesses, we've got a cupcake for each of you. So make sure to grab one before you leave. They are up at the front counter. "

That is when Yunho it was time to surprise Mia. She was watching the kids converse as she stood next to her throne. "Princess, from an admirer" Yunho lifted a small bouquet of cream colored tulips, as she turned to look at him. Her eyes grew big, as she looked him over.

"Yunho, you dressed up!" Mia's eyes shone as she took the flowers with a courtesy. "You make a lovely prince"

"Thank you. So, I heard Nami ask if you found your prince." He smirked, as he pushed his hair back from his forehead. Knocking his paper crown to the ground. "She did." Mia smiled as she set the tulips on the chair. "Well have you found him" he asked as he softly wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close.

"I think I have. Though his crown might need an upgrade." She chuckled as she looked toward the ground. "I think that can be arranged." Yunho lifted her head to look into her eyes.

"I hope so" she lifted her arms to his shoulders, pulling him down slightly. His eyes closed as her lips met his.

#ateez imagines #ateez fan fiction #ateez fanfic #ateez fluff #ateez angst #ateez yunho #yunho fluff #yunho angst #yunho fanfic #yunho x oc #yunho imagines #happy birthday yunho

[atinyfeels]

ateez: he compares you to his ex

masterlist

Seonghwa:

“E/N wouldn’t act this childish,” Seonghwa muttered it under his breath but you heard it clear as day. You stopped walking and stared at your boyfriend surprised. His ex was someone who was precious to him. They broke up because she felt that they were better off as friends. You came into Seonghwa’s life a little before the breakup and became his girlfriend two months after it. He wasn’t over his ex when you first got together he wasn’t over her, but you promised him that he would be after a few dates with you. That was almost a year ago.

Seonghwa noticed that you stopped walking and turned toward you. His eyes widening at the sight of you crying in front of him. “y/n.”

“I’m sorry that I broke the promise. I thought I could help you get over your ex, but I failed.” He opened his mouth to speak, but you quickly rushed past him and left him alone.

Hongjoong:

“You will never be e/n. Have you ever thought about that?” You stopped and stared at Hongjoong while he glared at you. All you wanted to do was comfort him when he was having hardships. Everyone knew about your obvious crush on him. Hongjoong was trying his best to get over his ex, who had left him a few weeks ago. Your cheeks flared, embarrassed because of his words before you nodded and gave him space.

“I’m sorry, I was just trying to help,” you explain with a soft tone. 

“Well you’re not, just leave me alone,” he snapped.

You nod and turned around before leaving the room. Hongjoong watched you leave before he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

Yunho:

“You’re so lazy. E/N would have done this without a question.” You frowned and looked around at the dirty apartment. He wasn’t lying, you’ve had plenty of time to clean up after yourself. Yunho was constantly working on promotions and new comebacks that he was too busy to come home. He was always staying at the dorm, afraid he’d wake you up when he comes home late at night. Once you came home from work, it’d still be early in the afternoon, giving you plenty of time to clean up. But one thing wasn’t allowing you to do so. Your depression. You were alone every day, Yunho was always busy and your friends had other friends. You found yourself coming home and going straight to bed every day. But that wasn’t an excuse.

You slowly nod, “I’m sorry, Yunho. I’ll clean it up.”

He looked around again and sighed before leaving towards the bedroom.

Yeosang:

“She’s so perfect, y/n why can’t you look this good!” You knew he was joking, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt your feelings. You looked past your crush and at the computer, the boys were staring at. Yeosang’s ex was having a new solo song come out and the concept photos had just dropped. You had been friends with Ateez since the beginning of their rookie days as idols, they all looked at you as if you were their sister. Along the way of being friends with the boys, you found yourself falling for Yeosang. But you knew, you had no chance with him.

“Maybe I’ll start wearing makeup more,” you say with a half-hearted laugh.

He laughed, “even that wouldn’t help.”

San:

“Why are you so clingy? I hate that, e/n was never this clingy.” You let go of your boyfriend’s arm and watched him walk away with the rest of the members. He spoke loud enough for only you to hear, the members not knowing what was going on whatsoever. You moved to the other side of the group and walked beside Hongjoong who ruffled your hair gently. Hongjoong was your best friend, he knew you like the back of his hand. You always went to him when you wanted to vent or just have a meaningful conversation. Hongjoong gave you all the attention you wanted and didn’t care if you were clingy.

“What’s going on?” he asked with a smile.

You smiled softly back at him and shook your head, “nothing.”

Mingi:

“God, you’re always here. Why can’t you be more like e/n and give me some space?” You looked down at the lunch box you brought him as Hongjoong looked away, not wanting to get involved.  You hadn’t realized you were bothering him so much when you stopped by. The past month, you brought him food from home to eat so you knew he was eating something. He had been so busy working with Hongjoong in the studio that he hadn’t been coming home as often. 

“I’m sorry,” you apologize, looking up at him.

“Just go.” Was all he said before going back to the computer. You frowned, gripping onto the box before leaving.

Wooyoung:

“You were all over him! You’re just like e/n!” Another argument with Wooyoung meant that there’d definitely be hurtful words. You stopped from saying anything else and took a deep breath. Wooyoung’s ex was a sensitive topic for him, she hurt him more than anyone. She cheated on him numerous times before officially breaking it off with him. Being compared to someone who hurt Wooyoung without even thinking, hurt more than you ever thought it would.

You swallowed hard, “well, I’m sorry that you feel that way.”

Wooyoung didn’t say anything, instead, he only watched as you turned around and left his apartment.

Jongho:

“I’m not happy in this relationship. When I was with e/n I was happy and I wanted nothing but to be with her. And I want to be with her.” Your heart dropped as Jongho confessed to you. Looking around the restaurant, you tried your best to hold back your tears. Jongho sighed as the weight was lifted off of his shoulders. Your relationship wasn’t long, it had only been a few months but you thought he was over his ex. His ex was a perfect idol who was loved by many. They broke up a few months before you two got together, Jongho was the one who confessed to you. So it didn’t make sense to you, but either way, it hurt.

“I understand,” you say, swallowing hard.

“I hope we can still be friends.”

You stare at him for a moment, “Maybe in the future, but not right now. I love you too much.”

Jongho nodded and stared at you as you excuse yourself before leaving the building.

#ateez #ateez reactions #ateez angst #kpop reactions #kpop angst #seonghwa #hongjoong #yunho #yeosang #san #mingi #wooyoung #jongho

[ateezthings]

ATEEZ Reaction: S/O being really anxious

*Trigger warning*: DO NOT Read this if you’re uncomfortable with talks about mental health, anxiety, eating disorders and depression in particular or if you feel like this could trigger you in any way. Please take care of yourselves.

Angst

Gender neutral

Whining ahead: Since temporarily moving to Korea, my anxiety and depression have been through the roof and I don’t know how to fix it anymore. I don’t know anyone here and it feels like all the other international students have already made friends and I feel left out because I naturally take a really long time to warm up to people in order for me to feel comfortable around them. I’m scared of leaving my room and my anxiety levels are high constantly. I feel like I’m constantly watched and judged and I feel misplaced like I’ve never felt before to the point where I wish I didn’t wake up anymore. I don’t know what’s freaking me out exactly and I don’t know why I thought I could do this since I’ve had mental health issues for many years now. I know I have to endure this until I get back home again so I’m not suicidal but I’ve had a really hard time here. I’m scared of leaving my room to go eat because I’m scared my housemates are gonna judge me for whatever reason. This has gone to the point where I’ve starved myself for a whole day because I was too anxious to leave my room. I feel like every shop employee is judging me for everything. The uni where I’m studying is so huge and confusing and I’m scared of being the only foreigner in my classes. I feel like I’m going insane so I wanted to write this to distract me for a little while. Sorry that this is so angsty and dramatic but I had to get that off my chest.

Seonghwa

‚Seonghwa?‘ You’re voice was merely a whimper.

‚What’s wrong, baby?‘

‚It’s getting worse again, could you come over?‘

- He didn’t need to hear more

- you were sitting on the couch, eyes wide open with worry, fidgeting with your nails, when he arrived

- he immediately put his arms around you

- you could feel his warmth and his steady heartbeat

- after a few moments Seonghwa looked you in the eyes and told you to breath with him: in for 5 seconds, out for 7 seconds

- after that you were able to calm down a little bit

- you spent the rest of the evening cooking together

Hongjoong

Did you eat today, babe?

- This simple text from Hongjoong made your anxiety explode: right you haven’t eaten anything all day, you have to eat. But what? You didn’t want to go outside, not today. But you’re fridge was empty, what were you supposed to do? you needed to buy food bt you couldn’t leave the house because your anxiety was so bad today

- in the end you decided to lie to Hongjoong, you sent him a ‚sure‘ back

- he responded with a ‚don’t lie to me‘

- of course he knew you were lying, so he showed up at your place 20 mins later with some Tteokbokki and his cute smile

- after he greeted you with a sweet kiss, he got two plates and made you sit down at the table

‚You feeling better now?‘

‚A little‘ you smiled, it was nice knowing that someone cared

Yunho

- you were in class, supposed to be dividing up into groups when everyone around you was already in a group

- that was it for your anxiety: no one wants to work with you, what if it was something you said? What if they all secretly hate you and laugh about you behind your back, maybe you should just drop out, but what would you do then? Probably nothing, cause your mental health destroyed everything

- after about 5 minutes your teacher noticed you weren’t in a group so he just randomly put you in one

- you felt everyone staring at you, it was horrifying

- after that class you immediately went home

- Yunho knew something was up when you didn’t respond to his texts the whole day so he decided to drop by your place after his schedule

- you didn’t realize you missed him until he was standing in front of your apartment

- you told him how bad your anxiety was today and he listened to everything you had to say

‚These thoughts that you’re having are just thoughts you know? That’s not the whole reality. And also you’re not on this earth to please the people in your class… You know I love you right?‘

- the whole thing didn’t seem so severe after you talked it out with Yunho

Yeosang

- Yeosang knew the four character long password to your house and also to your room, he wanted to surprise you with his visit

- what he didn’t expect was to see you in fetal position on the floor, shaking and breathing unsteady, having a full on panic attack

- he dropped everything he was holding and tried to put you in a sitting position

‚Y/N? It’s going to be okay, I’m here alright? Can you breath with me?‘

- he made you take a few deep breaths with him

- after you had calmed down a bit you two cuddled in your bed, first he was the big spoon, after a while you requested to be the big spoon

- while you were cuddling you talked to him about what was making you so anxious

- at some point Yeosang wanted to show you some of his favorite calming songs (some of my personal favorites: Coldplay - O / Oktoba - Chance / Before you exit - clouds)

- listening to these songs and having him around made you feel more okay

San

- San asked you out to dinner in the morning, you panicked all day

- you knew he didn’t wanna cause any discomfort for you but it made you anxious: what if you couldn’t find the restaurant, what if you had to wait a long time for San and then people start looking at you, what should you order that you felt comfortable eating around so many people, oh god there would be a lot of people at the restaurant right? You felt extremely uncomfortable around that many people, what if San didn’t have time to walk you home and you had to walk home by yourself, what if there was a burglar waiting for you around the next corner, it surely would be dark outside when you two finished at the restaurant

- all those thoughts were running through your mind, it was overwhelming

- so you asked San if you could just cook something at your place and he obviously agreed, it was much more comfortable that way

- he brought all the ingredients for some pasta, which you both loved

- you spent the evening making a mess in the kitchen, kissing in front of the overflowing pot of pasta water and just making jokes

- a little later you told him about your anxiety

- San was a little shocked when you told him but he reassured you that you could always tell him when you were feeling anxious

Mingi

- it was a miracle you actually got out of bed today

- you told yourself you had to eat, starving yourself was not an option anymore, so you ventured out into the world

- you decided on buying some Kimbap from the convenience store, everything was fine

- until the shop assistant looked at what you were buying and then scanned you from top to bottom with his eyes

- was there anything wrong with your face? Did you look so depressed? They were definitely judging you

- you practically ran out of the shop after paying, heading straight home

- when you looked at yourself in the mirror at home you couldn’t see what the shop employee was staring at which only made your anxiety worse

- having a full fledged panic attack you somehow managed to call Mingi on his phone

‚Babe, are you okay?‘

‚No… I’m uh... having… a panic… attack‘

- honestly Mingi was really freaked out when you told him that

- after a moment he remembered you telling him that he could help you breath very deeply, you two had only faintly spoken about your anxiety and Mingi hadn’t witnessed you having a panic attack

‚Okay babe, now you need to breath very deeply with me okay? Breathe in…1…2…3…4…5 and out…1…2…3…4…5...6…7… Do it with me again!‘

- breathing deeply like that helped you regain control

- in the evening Mingi showed up at your place with some camomile tea and some lavender oil, apparently he read online that these things are supposed to feel you calm

- after that incident he was so sweet and thoughtful towards you, even more than he already was

Wooyoung

- it was a new semester at your new uni/school, this one was much bigger than your previous schools

- at one point you needed to print something important so you went looking for a printer, you knew it had to be on this floor somewhere

- after 30 mins of walking around the same floor you where completely freaked out, all the other people where staring at you like you were dumb or something, this was bad

- but you couldn’t ask people where the printer was because then they thought you were stupid and that also involved social interaction which you avoided at all costs

- so you hid in the toilets

- after panicking in there for about 10 mins you texted Wooyoung

- he replied: ‚I have a break in 15 minutes, meet me at the entrance‘

- he knew you needed help when you were anxious like that

- as soon as he met you he took your hand and guided you to the floor the printer was supposed to be on

- when he couldn’t find it, he just asked a student that was sitting in the hall

- for Wooyoung everything seemed so easy, you admired him for that and you told him that

‚Not at all, but I just freak out at different things, everyone has these moments.‘ and he gave you a little smile

- he invited you to dinner later, where you talked everything out, it really calmed you down

Jongho

(I love this look on him sm)

- you had to go to the embassy to take care of something

- problem was it was on the other side of the city and you had to change trains a bunch of times and also walk a bit and just the thought of getting lost made you sick with anxiety

- so you texted Jongho if he had some time to come with you

‚You’re lucky, we finish early today. Will be at your place in 1 hour‘

- knowing Jongho was gonna be with you eased your mind a little

- even if you got lost you had him, even if the people at the embassy looked at you weird, he was gonna be there with you to help you

- you were safe with him

- he held your hand all the way to the embassy and squeezed it occasionally when he noticed you got too into your anxious thoughts

#ateez #ateez reactions #ateez react #ateez scenarios #ateez imagines #ateez angst #ateez fluff #ateez seonghwa #park seonghwa #seonghwa #hongjoong #kim hongjoong #ateez hongjoong #yunho #jeong yunho #ateez yunho #yeosang #kang yeosang #ateez yeosang #san #choi san #ateez san #mingi #song mingi #ateez mingi #wooyoung #jung wooyoung #ateez wooyoung #jongho #choi jongho

[nctinfo]

[TRANS] [Interview with male friend] NCT Taeyong “SM street casting and striving to become a “soobagsang”!

Today, we share a truthful story of Taeyong that you have not heard before. - The concept of this interview was having a casual talk with a friend -

[Interview with male friend Part 1] NCT Taeyong “SM street casting and striving to become a “soobagsang”.

Q: Taeyong! Do you usually enjoy cooking? A: I used to cook a lot but I don’t do it frequently anymore since we switched dorms. Q: You suddenly went “euheuheu” (laughing) when you were cooking just now. A I was trying to break the awkward atmosphere. I was just making a toast so I wondered why everyone was staring at me (euheuheu) Q: Have you always been shy around strangers? A: I’m extremely shy. So even when people approach me to become friends, I can’t get close to them. I have a pretty strong image, so people don’t approach me easily either. Actually, to be honest, my emotions have a lot of ups and downs. One moment I’m non-stop chattering but when something comes to mind, I can suddenly just fall silent. Q: However, isn’t Taeyongi’s strong gaze his charming point? A: Sometimes, my gaze can be pretty scary. Not nowadays, but when I used to look in the mirror of the practice room I couldn’t even look at myself. My gaze was too strong. Q: Isn’t because your eyes are dazzling (laughs). You yourself know that you are handsome, right? A: It seems like most people are attracted to somebody who has an opposite face from themselves though. I don’t really like my face shape and my gaze is too scary. I even had staring contests with myself in the mirror to overcome that. I think a person’s thoughts reflect on a person’s eyes, so when I was a trainee, I thought “NCT will definitely debut” and had that strong/venomous gaze. But now, I get to be more relaxed and my gaze has become a lot softer.

Q: You are a typical “Watermelon face (soobagsang)”. You can have pride in that.. (t/n: it’s a slang made by netizens, it means “a face that would make Lee Sooman clap his hands”, but it can directly be translated to “watermelon face”. Taeyong doesn’t know this slang and mistakes it for “watermelon prize” instead of “watermelon face” since they are similarly pronounced.) A: Watermelon face/prize (soobagsang)? Q: A face/prize that would make SM’s Lee Sooman clap his hands. A: I didn’t know that word. I am a watermelon face/prize? But since you brought up teacher Lee Sooman, I suddenly thought of a story I remember. After the SMTOWN concert in Tokyo was over, we had a company dinner and I felt quite intimidated being around many artists. Teacher Lee Sooman said at that time “A-ah, it’s been hard on you right?”. As soon as I heard those words, I felt like a new bond was formed between us. I was so moved that I cried my eyes out in the SMTown Tokyo bathroom stalls. I felt like he had been watching me going through everything. But I’m not a watermelon face/prize yet. I will work harder so that teacher Lee Sooman can happily clap his hands for me. Q: Huh? “Watermelon face” actually refers to the unique visuals SM likes, but you added a new interpretation to the phrase. Let’s work hard so you can actually receive an applause! A: Ah, that’s what it means (laughs). I not only want him to clap for my outer appearance, I want him to clap for my inner growth too.

Q: How did you get into SM Entertainment? A: I entered through a street casting. Q: Have you dreamed of becoming a singer since you were a child? A: I was just someone who liked K-Pop, and I did not know exactly which artists belonged to which agency. Frankly, when I was casted on the street, I thought SM was one of the big three like KBS, SBS and MBC. Q: So you were like a blank paper. From what age did you start the trainee-life? A: From when I was 18 years old. Compared to the average age, I started a little late. Back then, I was in a blank state. Should I say I was detached from the usual life. My parents cared a lot for me because I’m the youngest. My sister and I have a seven years age difference.

Q: You must have been pampered since you are the youngest. Still, your parents allowed you to follow this path? A: My parents actively supported me. Even so, when I had to move in the dorms they asked me “can you not go?” but I later received a scolding from the dorm-manager for this. Q: So, living in the dorms was your first experience of being independent? A: Yes. As expected, I was also a little scared of the dorm life. But now, the dorms are more comfortable than my family house and the practice room is more familiar.

Q: Every time I see you on stage I realize that you are really good at dancing. How were your skills when you first started? A: I really wasn’t good. The hyung who taught me how to dance even told the company representative “I don’t think this kid can do it”. Q: I see it was rather your hard work than your natural talent. Did you ever receive casting offers from other agencies when you were a trainee? A: When I walked around Apgujeong I was asked if I was already with a company. Also, back then when Cyworld was still popular, I uploaded a picture and received a message that said “come join, I’m debuting a group”. It was scary (laughs).  Q: What if you were never casted on the street and never became a singer? A: I would have felt sorry towards my parents because I didn’t really have anything else I knew how to do. When I became a trainee, they were very happy. If I did not follow this path, our household would not have become better. Every household has their difficulties. But everyone was happy when I became a singer.

[Interview with male friend Part 2] NCT Taeyong “Yunho sunbaenim monitored NCT while he was in the army”.

Q: It’s good to hear that you got happier when you became a dinger~ But, how did you become NCT’s leader while you were the youngest (at that time)? A: When I first entered the company, I was the youngest. I was streetcasted, so there wasn’t anyone who also started at the same time as me. However somehow, I became the sunbae. From then on, I started realizing things and that got me really fired/powered up. Q: What things do you realize? A: The realization that it won’t turn out well if I don’t work hard and that I should lead my hoobaes well. I was under a lot of pressure. Just to get recognition, I practiced so much till the ground was swaying. So, at first, I was really strict towards the hoobaes. It’s a memory I can confidently recall. Q: It seems like you are a strict leader. A: Yes. The NCT members may still resent me for it. Through NCT, I started my first experience as a leader. I would probably really hate it if I had a leader like myself. It’s something I also tell the members and then they make fun of me and say “Yes, that’s right” (laughs).

Q: Through NCT, you promote through various acts: NCT127, NCT DREAM and NCT U. Was it difficult to understand that system at first? A: I definitely understood the group system. However, not only me, the members have these concerns too. As a team.. you would want to stay as one. But, I don’t want to seem anxious in front of the members so I tell them “Let’s not mind the other teams. We are 127 and let’s just only look at our direction”. Q: That’s right. 127, DREAM and U, they are all NCT. It seems like you have a lot of burdens as a leader. A: There is a certain amount of burden. I always strive to build trust with my members. Of course, we are colleagues and teammates before I’m the leader so it would be nice if everyone can happily walk this path together.

Q: NCT is slightly different from the SM’s usual music style.  A: It does have this new vibe to it since it’s from SM, right. In our team, there’s Mark and me who are rappers. There are still things we need to learn, but we’re working on trying to find a way to make the rap look more stylish and stand out. Q: What kind of content is there in your rap lyrics notebook? A: I wrote about a lot of stories from the past, but weirdly, the lyrics are very depressing. Nowadays I have changed the topic the stories of the present. Q: Are there any diss raps that would be difficult to release through NCT? A: Of course there are. I too, sometimes want to write strong rap lyrics. There are also profanities. It’s fun to write about this and that. No matter, NCT has members who are still minors so you will have to adjust the level of the lyrics. Q: In the future, I want to listen to a strong solo rap song by you~ The performances of your team are usually very strong too. Isn’t it tiring? A: When I perform on the stage, my body aches not the next day, but actually on that day. (ㅜㅜ) I can’t control my strength, that’s what could make my body hurt. Even when you dance, you should control yourself.

Q: Do you have an artist you want to resemble performance-wise? A: I really like Rain sunbaenim. I still look up his videos. In SM, I want to resemble the performances of DBSK’s sunbaenims. I heard they had a 2.5 hour rehearsal for a fanmeeting. There are many reasons to respect them. Q: I can imagine that you communicated with your sunbaes since you were a SMROOKIE. Are there any memorable events? A: Since SMROOKIES, DBSK Yunho sunbaenim has showed a lot of interest in us and gave us a lot of advice. Even when he was in the army, he monitored NCT. He really knows everything in detail. It’s really touching. Q: Of course! A reliable sunbae! A: Yes. He always takes care of us and teaches us earnestly. Also Super Junior Yesung hyung and Heechul hyung. Especially, Heechul hyung, I play games with him. He recently gave me a really great computer as a present. Q: So you can play better? A: Can I say it’s as a gaming computer? LED light comes out of the mouse and keyboard. It must have been very expensive so I really want to thank him for it Q: What games do you enjoy? A: Overwatch or LOL (League of Legends)… I play almost everything that is popular these days. Still, I play games that require teamwork. So it can also help in NCT’s teamwork (laughs). Q: You must be good at gaming. A: I can proudly say that I’m in the upper middle class.

[Interview with male friend Part 3] NCT Taeyong “I don’t even have one female friend, it’s not the time to be dating”

Q: You release stress through playing game! A: Yes. I release my stress by gaming or by tidying up. When I’m cleaning up, it also feels like my head is getting tidied. Living in dorms suits me pretty well. I’m normally the cleaner type of person. Q: I personally relieve my stress in the karaoke bar. Perhaps, do you not like the karaoke bar? A: I think it’s been like 5 years since I went to a karaoke bar. Q: What about alcohol? How much can you drink? A: Half glass of wine is enough for me to feel tipsy~~ I get drunk easily. Alcohol doesn’t suit me. Q: We’ve been listening to you the whole time now.. when will you date? A: Really, I have not had any dating experiences during my school days. The members even make fun of me for it. Q: Really? It is possible to have no interest in dating yet. However, I think you must have been famous around for being ‘shinlim-dong’s handsome guy’ during your school days. (t/n: shinlimdong was his neighborhood) A: That never happened. (laughs) I went to an all-boys school before I transferred to SOPA. At that time, I was not interested in the opposite sex, and rather felt more comfortable with the guys? Since I could fool around with them. Anyways, there’s no such thing as being ‘shinlim-dong’s handsome guy.’

Q: So you must be shy about your appearance! But still, isn’t your fashion style that of a handsome boy? A: I like the comfortable style. Actually, I just came out of the house wearing a t-shirt today. Q: What kind of style do you like recently? A: Recently, I really like the clothes the stylists make me wear. Q: But didn’t NCT have a controversy about outfits that are out of season? The clothes seemed hard to understand. A: Honestly, it’s hard for me to say that the clothes were not hard to understand. But, NCT stands for ‘Neo Culture Technology’ and also holds the meaning of being in the forefront of trends. Unique costumes show our identity. Q: So confidence is what completes the fashion? A: Yes. Maybe the controversy came up because we have not been able to pull off the clothes perfectly yet. Even though we try to act naturally, we are rookies so it can’t be helped that we must have looked awkward. But I think we are slowly getting better at it. Rather, we were able to challenge ourselves because we are rookies. Me and the members are trying to gain interest in fashion itself, too. Q: You have started to open your eyes to fashion! A: Is that so? I suppose confidence is what completes the fashion.

Q: Let’s talk about 'shinlim-dong’s handsome guy’ again. If you are not interested in the opposite sex, it seems like you don’t have any female friends. A: Someone I can introduce you to as female friend.. I don’t think I have any. Q: So then, what’s your ideal type? A: As for an ideal type, since I don’t have any experience it would be nice if the other one could lead me. People are usually attracted to the opposite style. Contrary to my outer appearance, I’m soft on the inside. So I like somebody who’s a bit more on the strong side. Q: Is there a dating ban? A: The contract didn’t have that. In the 20s, it’s natural to think about dating… but I think dating is not something I should be doing now, I think that’s a given. Now is not the time to date.   Q: Your determination is amazing~ As NCT’s A, the goal you want to achieve must be firm. A: Yes… they tell you to dream big right? I want to receive a daesang. We received the rookies award in 2016, but with the heart of receiving a daesang we will work so much harder. We want to become idols who receive recognition and are loved by many people.

Translation:  Esmee @ FY! NCT (NCTINFO) | Source: Sports Donga [1], [2], [3]

Please take out with full credit!

#nct #taeyong #t:interview #t:trans #171107

[atinydise]

Ateez saying something hurtful to their s/o (1/2)

❦ Genre: Angst.

❦ Pairing: OT8.

❦ Word count: Around 2k.

❦ Masterlist.

Part 2

HONGJOONG

Hongjoong had many things to do this week. He was extremely stressed because he cannot compose a good song. For you, of course, all these songs were very good. You always told him that he’s doing well. But maybe a bit too much this time.

You didn’t saw your boyfriend for a whole week. He was busy, composing songs for the new album. Always trying so hard to do his best and impress Eden sunbaenim. As a good girlfriend, you didn’t bother him. Only sent few texts when you went to sleep or woke up. But it was Friday and you really wanted to see your boyfriend. So, after work, you went to KQ Entertainment.

In the hall there was Ateez members except your boyfriend.

“Oh Y/N!” Said Yunho when he saw you at the entrance. “Hi guys! What are you doing?” You asked when you saw them wearing their coat. “We want to try the new restaurant!” Shouted San. “Do you want to come?” You accepted. You were always having a good time with Ateez. “Where is Hongjoong?” You asked, still no sign of your boyfriend. “He’s in the studio. He won’t come with us. Too much work.” Said Seonghwa. You sighed. When this boy will take some time for him? “I’ll go talk to him; we will join you at the restaurant guys!” San & Wooyoung shouted a big “YES”. You smiled, happy to see them. It’s like a big family. “I’ll text you the address Y/N.” Said Yeosang. You thanked him & went to Hongjoong’s studio.

You knocked once. No answer. Maybe the music was too loud. You tried again. Still nothing. You opened the door slowly and saw your boyfriend with his earphones, mumming the lyrics. “Hongjoong.” You called him. He turned back to your figure in the doorframe. Dark bags under his eyes. You sighed. How many hours he slept? “Oh, hi Y/N.” He barely looks at you, focusing again on his computer screen. “The guys and I are going to the new restaurant… you need-…” “Okay have fun there.” “You need to come too. You are working too much.” “I don’t have time for fun, Y/N. I told you I would be busy the whole week.” Hongjoong turned back to you, giving you an annoying stare. “You can just take 2 hours of break; it won’t kill anyone.” As you walked toward him. “I really need to finish these songs. The album will be out the next month, everything needs to be ready.” You sighed, for the second times since you entered the studio. “Hongjoong let’s go eat. It will give you energy at least.” You slowly removed one of his earphones from his ear. “Y/N!” He shouted. “Why do you always need to be behind my back? I’m a grown man! So, go anywhere I’m not for once!” He said harshly. You stepped back, scared. You never saw this look in his eyes. Your eyes became watering, but you refused to cry for this and in front of him. He realized what he said. His mouth was trembling because of the confusion. He stood out from his chair and walked toward you. You blocked him with your hand, adding “Okay I won’t be behind your back again. Have fun composing.” You threw yourself out of this studio. Almost running at KQ’s hall. When your phone started to ring in your pocket. It was a message of Yeosang. “The restaurant is at 32nd Incheon Street!” Wiping a tear of your cheek, you replied “Thank you, but I won’t come. Have a nice meal.” You turned off your phone & walked to your house.

SEONGHWA

Seonghwa was always stressed when Ateez was in a comeback schedule. All the team was stressed but nobody knows why Seonghwa was having such a hard time.

Ateez are preparing for their new full album. It took them a whole month to get all their choreographies perfectly. They were all doing good, as always. Seonghwa, your boyfriend, included. But he was so stressed, he thought he couldn’t do well. The guys and you encouraged him, telling that he was doing a good work, but nothing could change his mind. So, you decided to cheer him and the rest of the members as well. After work, you bought their favorite meals and rushed to KQ building. You were so happy to make this dinner surprise for them. You never saw someone being so happy to eat like Ateez. The sound of the music in the corridor made you leave your thoughts. Wonderland was playing. You’ve listened to it 2 times, but you knew Atinys would love it! You took a look by the little window of the door. Seonghwa was practicing the chorus of Wonderland. Mingi and Yunho were stretching happily as always. Hongjoong was talking to Yeosang and Jongho on the couch. While San and Wooyoung were laying on the floor, visibly exhausted. San saw your face by the window and yelled “Y/N!”. Everyone, except Seonghwa, were looking at you. “I have a surprise for you guys!” said when you entered the room. You show them your hands full of bags. They yelled from happiness and ran to the table like little kids. “Chicken!” Said Yeosang when he saw his favorite brand. “Yes! You need to take a break guys! You are working too much.” While the members were busy picking their food in joy, you noticed that the eldest boy was still practicing his moves. “Seonghwa… Baby. Come eat too. I bought your fav-…” Your boyfriend cut you off straight, “I’m not hungry.” Everyone was looking at him. It wasn’t his habits to talk so coldly and not at you. “You should take some piece of chicken at least.” Not giving up. Yeosang coughed a bit. You knew how precious chicken for him is. “It will give you…” you continued. “Are you deaf Y/N? Or you don’t understand on purpose? Are you stupid?” Since you entered the room it was the first time, he faced you. You kind of wish that he didn’t. Hongjoong tried to say something but Seonghwa added, “We have a comeback in 2 days! Can you stop bothering us with your dishes and let us practice in peace?” He shouted at you. You looked at him sad, angry and confused. But he clearly said his thoughts. You bowed to the guys and exited the room. Hearing Mingi yelling “Yah! Hyung!”.

YUNHO

Sometimes Yunho asked about opinions. Maybe too much because you are used to say him all you think. Bad or good choice. This time he couldn’t handle it.

You are dating Yunho in secret for a year now. Only Ateez members and the staff know about your relationship. It’s too early to reveal it to the world. Yunho’s career could be in danger. Even if it was risky for him, your boyfriend always wanted to hang out with you. At restaurant, at cinema, at park, at mall, … Of course, you don’t mind all these dates. It was exceptional when you know how busy idols are. This time you were near the Han River with Yunho, walking at night. Hands in hands. He has free time and asked you on a date. You were talking about everything. Sometimes, he would push you near the water make you feel like you’re going to fall inside. “Suck a dork”, you thought. You two decided to lay on the grass for few minutes. When you started to talk. “Baby… I think we need to be more cautious.” You played with his long fingers intertwined with yours. “What do you mean Y/N?” You took a light breath, “Ateez are more and more famous. Atinys would definitively recognize you, now.” Your hands started to shake just thinking about him, being bashed in every social media. For sure, the majority of Atiny would be happy for him, but the other part would be another story. Yunho sighed, like always, when you talk about this subject. “I’ve told you that everything will be okay Y/N.” You bite your lips, he was pissed, “But we almost got caught yesterday and we were just walking in the street where no one go.” You added. You felt your boyfriend tense as he detached his hand from yours. “What are you doing? We were having a good time! Are you trying to break up with me?” he stood up from the grass. “Of course, not! I’m just scared. There’s many things we cannot do any more like-…” He cut you harshly, “Like what Y/N?” gripping his head angrily. “I know what I can do and what I cannot do! Stop babying me! You are being annoying!” He turned out and went to the way of Ateez dorm. While you were crying quietly. Everything you wanted was only safety and love. Why he couldn’t understand that.

YEOSANG

Yeosang was really shy when he debuted as an Ateez member. He has less confidence than the other boys. But when you started to date, you gave him more chance to express himself, getting confidence and he was on the good way to be a crackhead. But sometimes, he’s serious and the non-confident him was coming back.

It was a Friday night, as always you were walking to KQ for have some time with Ateez and of course your boyfriend Yeosang. You thought that you will find the boys on the couch taking a break. But when you entered, you saw the manager, hands on hips. The boys were looking at their foot, sad or disappointed. “I hope that you understand what I say, because I will say it only once.” What the heck happened? It’s the first time you saw the manager this mad. “Yes manager-nim.” Said Hongjoong as the leader. The staff left the room, as you bowed to them. Just after they left, San angrily threw his cap on the floor, swearing. Wooyoung went to him, calming his friend. Hongjoong, Seonghwa and Jongho talked about the situation. You walk toward the rest of them, where your boyfriend was. Obviously pissed too. “Hi boys. What’s happening here?” You kissed Yeosang cheek as he hugged you back. “Our performance at MCountdown was terrible.” Started Yunho. “We couldn’t hear well the music even with our earbuds.” Finish Mingi, hands on his face, sitting on the couch. “I’m sure guys that you did your best.” You tried to comfort Mingi, rubbing his back softly. “It wasn’t enough. The manager is really mad at us.” Said Yeosang. “But it’s not your fault. They should manage well when idols are performing.” You smiled. “I’m sure you didn’t heard well cause of Atiny fanchants! It’s getting more louder boys!” you giggled. The members gave you a smile, feeling a bit less depressed. Yeosang was not into it though. “We were not professional, that’s all.” Said your boyfriend angrily. “And what? Humans made mistake. You are not an alien Yeosang-ie.” You chuckled at him, thinking about him being a green alien. “Why do you always need to be funny? Can you be serious sometimes? You need to grow up!” Shouted Yeosang at you. You stopped laughing with Mingi instantly. “I-I just wanted to be nice to you.” “I don’t need you to be nice! I want you to be serious or leave! We need to practice.” As he faced the mirror. Mingi were looking at you, being sorry. You know Yeosang was mad and his self-confidence was gone. But his words hurt you. A lot. You decided to leave, taking back your stuff before slamming the door of their practice room.

Part 2

#ateez reactions #ateez yeosang #ateez seonghwa #ateez yunho #ateez hongjoong #ateez angst #ateez sad #ateez au #ateez fanfic #ateez x reader #ateez x you