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hyunjinspark · 2 years

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star lost with you | hyunjin au | part 3

synopsis: working in a quaint little art store, you’ve had the honor of meeting all kinds of people, but you’ve never met somebody like him.

there were many reasons hyunjin returned to his hometown; a getaway from the ephemeral and fast-paced life of the city, so he could fall in love with life again. he thought he was prepared for everything, to study art in the way that he’s always wanted to, but what he didn’t anticipate was meeting you.

hwang hyunjin realises that sometimes, the best things in life happen unplanned.

series: star lost with you

pairing: idol! hyunjin x artist! reader

genre: friends to lovers, angst, smut, fluff, set in the idolverse, mutual pining, unrequited love, forbidden (?) romance, slowburn (!)

word count: 10.3K

warnings: cursing, slight angst, jealousy, a lot of dialogue, mature language, references to kissing

a/n: I enjoyed writing this chapter a lot, and am very curious to hear your thoughts about it. we see a lot more development and character insight, please feel free to tell me any thoughts or reviews you have!

masterlist

The little lion plushie in Hana’s hands was mocking you.

At least that’s what it felt like, with it’s big beady eyes, small body and little mane of red fluff. It swung back and forth in Hana’s hand.

It was the most adorable thing you’d seen.

With your nose glued to the glass of those claw machines, you remember Hana’s 12th birthday, when you and Yongbok spent up all your money trying to get that exact toy. It was the same money you could have used for more paint colours, or for a Dr Pepper, so it had been more than disappointing for it to have been a waste, when you won nothing.

On Hana’s 13th birthday, you decided you’d be smarter about this, and you promised Yongbok to only try a maximum of five times, and not more. Yongbok was satisfied because you were fuelling money into Sunset Bowl with your failed attempts, and he had just read about capitalism and decided he hated it.

On Hana’s 14th birthday, you’d decided you were too young for the stress that the claw machine gave you and had stopped trying, even though your heart had never moved on from it.

It wasn’t that lions were your favourite animal, no it was just really pretty, and pretty things were your weakness. It was so simple, and even though you weren’t a fourteen year old anymore, it was still cute as hell.

Regardless, the claw machine was rigged and capitalism does indeed suck, and you were sure nobody won at them.

Well, that was until Hyunjin.

You wonder if there was anything that he couldn’t do.

Seungmin had just laughed at your face, when Hyunjin had pulled out the little plushie from the drop box, handing it to an equally shocked Hana, with so much ease. If only he knew the years and years that you’d tried to do the same.

“It’s for you” He had smiled, a shy smile on his features.

Hana had immediately jumped to hug him, looping her arms around his neck. Hyunjin had stumbled at the sudden embrace, leaning down to wrap his arms around her body.

“You’re the sweetest!” She sighed, “I’ve always wanted this one!”

“I’m pretty sure he cheated” You mumbled, and Seungmin laughed, arm swung around you.

“Why are you so wary of him?” He asked you, voice low so the couple couldn’t hear you. Not that they’d be interested in your conversation anyway, as Hana squeezed the life out of Hyunjin, before pulling back to take pictures with what she’d just won.

“I’m always wary of strangers” You spoke, even though that wasn’t true, “And because those games are completely unwinnable. They aren’t made to be defeated, otherwise the arcade is going to lose all of their money. That’s just plain market logic, Seungmin”

“Then how do you explain that?” He laughed, pointing at Hyunjin.

“I don’t know, maybe he’s not human”

Seungmin laughed loudly, “If you want it that bad, just ask him. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind getting it for you”

“I don’t want it that bad. I was just saying”

Seungmin laughed, “Okay, Y/N. If you say so”

You crossed your arms in disbelief, as Hana hugged the little lion of your dreams.

Now, it was squished against her chest, as she walked hand-in-hand with Hyunjin in front of you.

Seungmin bumped his shoulder into yours, playful, as you headed back. The boys had decided to walk you all the way home to drop you off, even though Daejon was safe enough, and there was no need, but it was nice of them.

You’re pretty sure Seungmin lived on the complete other side of town, and you tried to tell him that you could get back by yourself, but he insisted.

Now, you were kind of glad he did so, because otherwise you would have been left alone with just Hana and Hyunjin.

“Tomorrow’s going to be a very long day” Seungmin sighed, stretching his muscles out as he walked next to you.

Thankfully for you, it wasn’t going to be. It was the one day of the week you didn’t have to work. This week had been unnecessarily tiring, socially all the more so. You couldn’t wait to spend the day lounging around in your little room, with nobody to have to talk to, and just your canvas and your paints. Maybe you could catch up on a new drama, or bake something sweet to treat yourself.

Seungmin, on the other hand, mostly worked weekends. At The Château, that’s when all the classes took place.

You realised that Hyunjin would be there then too.

You were kind of glad you didn’t have to work tomorrow.

You hummed in agreement, pushing your hands deeper into your jacket pockets. It was chilly out this late, and the cold air pricked at your bare legs.

Hyunjin laughed loudly at something Hana said. You wonder what the joke was.

“You had a good time tonight though, right?” You bit your lip, observing them.

Seungmin looked at you, “Are you worried that I didn’t?”

You shrugged, kicking a pebble by your shoe, “Well I don’t know. I’m sure you weren’t expecting me when Hana told you about tonight, and I guess we are just very different from them”

You gestured to the couple in front of you, who were holding hands, and clearly very into each other, unlike you and Seungmin. You didn’t want him to think of tonight as a waste, you’re sure there were tons of girls who would love to go on a date with him.

He stopped walking, grabbing your wrist in doing so, “Y/N. Just because we’re not all heart eyes doesn’t mean I didn’t have a good time. It’s been ages since I went out with anyone, and I genuinely really enjoyed myself tonight”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded, “It was good to spend time with you outside of work”

You smiled, a weight being lifted off your shoulders.

Even though you didn’t hold any romantic feelings for him, Seungmin was right. Tonight was fun, and he made you laugh countless times, putting you at ease with the comfort of his jokes and demeanour. He didn’t judge you for your sketchy behaviour towards Hyunjin, and all the endless questions. He also told you how pretty you looked in your dress, which made you flush and probably gave Hana another reason to tease.

“You’re right. It’s nice seeing each other outside of the art studio”

He nodded, “It sure was. Plus, the reason you came was for Hana, right?”

You looked to her, they had stopped walking, since you’d reached her place.

“Yeah, she wanted me to be there for her”

Seungmin smiled, “And you were. I’m sure she’s nervous around Hyunjin, and your presence helped her a lot”

You nodded, eyes wandering to the couple again.

Hana was overjoyed tonight, the spring in her step unmistakable.

She squeezed the plushie in her hand, glimmering eyes up at Hyunjin.

You and Seungmin lingered by the street, as she bid him goodbye at her doorstep.

Her house was built as a traditional hanok, it had been in her family since the olden ages, and surprisingly her parents had never made an effort to modernise it. You loved it though, because going in felt like stepping into the past.

It was grand in just the right way, fit for Hana’s personality.

The doorway itself was fit for a princess, and Hyunjin and Hana already looked perfect against the backdrop.

She grinned up at him, “Thank you for a lovely first date, Hwang Hyunjin”

He shrugged, cheeks full of his smile, “I think I should be thanking you. It’s been a long while since I’ve been asked out”

Hana laughed, squeezing the plushie far too hard, she was nervous, and you couldn’t blame her. She was looking into the eyes of a really, really good looking guy who she definitely believed was ‘the one’, and this was the end of their fairytale first-of-many dates.

“It’s insane that you don’t get taken out more. I’m glad I asked you for help at the supermarket”

He smiled, “I’m glad I said yes”

It was cheesy, how shy they were, but it was the telltale of a good date, the nerves, the awkwardness, all of the firsts. Especially for Hana.

You weren’t sure how many girlfriends Hyunjin had had, or if he was a casual date kind of person, but you knew Hana, and for her, this was everything.

She got onto her toes suddenly, leaning up, and you realised she was going to kiss him.

Right now.

While you and Seungmin just watched.

Hana’s eyes fluttered shut as her face moved closer to his, and you averted your gaze, discomfort spreading through you.

You shouldn’t be watching this exchange.

It felt far too intimate.

Yeah, Yeonjun and her used to make out in front of you all the time, but it was different. You’d known Yeonjun all your life.

Immediately turning around, you hugged yourself, looking up at the sky.

You didn’t want to make it weird, or watch them kiss like some kind of creep.

The moon was pretty tonight.

You could feel Seungmin’s gaze burn into the side of your face, as you quite obviously avoided the couple behind you. If he thought it was weird, he didn’t comment on it and you appreciated Kim Seungmin for knowing not to pry.

That was something you still had to learn.

Your stomach twisted the longer you looked at the sky.

It must take a lot of confidence to be able to kiss on the first date like that, and you wonder if they were moving too fast. You didn’t want Hana to get hurt.

You heard Hyunjin’s nervous chuckle, followed by her giggling.

“Goodnight, boys. Y/N?” Hana spoke, her voice bringing you to look at her. She stood at the door, lipgloss smeared, as she waved at you, “You okay?”

Seungmin rolled his eyes, “She probably didn’t want to see you two suck face”

Hana scoffed, “As if Y/N cares about shit like that”

You nodded, eyes focused on the lion in her hand. The bead in its eye had come out, and your heart broke a little. She must have really enjoyed the kiss to have had crushed it so hard. You wish she’d just given it to you for safekeeping for those few seconds.

“We should really do this again sometime” She spoke, a dreamy look in her eyes.

“All of us?” Seungmin asked.

“Well yeah, unless you want Y/N all to yourself” Hana teased.

Seungmin laughed, shooting you a look. Awkward.

“Although, Yongbok has to approve you first” Hana added.

“Yongbok?” Seungmin asked.

Hana shrugged, “He’s too protective of her, although a part of me thinks - ”

“All right, Hana” You interrupted her, hugging yourself, “It’s getting late”

“She’s right. I would love to stick around and chat, but unfortunately I have to be at work at five” Seungmin spoke, “And I have a long way to get back home”

“You’re right! I’m so sorry. I forget you mostly work weekends” Hana bit her lip. Your gaze darted to Hyunjin, who was silently listening to this conversation, as if he wasn’t even here.

He was looking up at the stars, hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans.

It was strange.

He seemed so peaceful, his expression calm, as if he had no worries in the world. The moonlight caught onto the silver chains in his jacket, sparkling in a way that didn’t seem real.

His hair was tucked behind his ear now, unlike before, revealing… a piercing? A silver cuff was in his right ear, and it was so unpredictable, you felt caught off guard.

He brushed a hand through his hair, the strands falling immediately back into place, curling around his face.

His eyes met yours. Widening slightly when he realised you were already looking at him.

You looked away.

Seungmin was speaking to Hana, “It’s not your fault, don’t worry. If I were you, I wouldn’t wanna say goodbye to Hyunjin either”

Hana blushed at his words, looking down at her feet, and you already knew that as soon as you get home, she was going to call you, with a very detailed breakdown of how it felt like to kiss Hyunjin.

You weren’t sure if you had the energy for that right now, even though you were curious.

“Don’t you live near the hill though?” Hana asked.

You could feel Hyunjin’s eyes still on you.

Seungmin nodded to her, “Yes, ma’am”

God, why was he still looking at you?

You fiddled with your bracelet, focusing on the feel of charms, and not the boy in your periphery.

You didn’t want his attention on you.

“Won’t it be too inconvenient for you to walk Y/N home, and then all the way back?”

Seungmin hummed, “It’s fine. I’m not going to leave her by herself”

“Wait, she won’t be by herself. Hyunjin lives across her, he can take her home!”

Your head whipped to Hana’s.

What?

No.

Hyunjin glanced at you.

Please say no, please say no, please say no.

He nodded, “Um, yeah I can”

No.

You can’t.

“Are you sure?” Seungmin asked, “You don’t mind?”

“Yeah of course, I could take her home…if you can’t”

Noo.

You didn’t want to be alone with him. You couldn’t. Your place was only ten minutes away, but ten minutes with Hyunjin was a very long time. You would say something inexcusably dumb, or stupid that would jeopardise his future relationship with Hana, and then she would never forgive you for chasing away the boy of her dreams.

It also wouldn’t help that it was so late out and the streets were empty, there would be nobody or nothing to distract you. You would have to talk to him.

There was a pause as everybody looked at you.

“That would be great, Hyunjin” Seungmin spoke, and you gripped his arm, indicating that this was the last thing you wanted.

“Seungmin…no, it’s fine”

Hyunjin nodded, as if you weren’t even here, even though this was about you, “Of course. It’s the least I can do”

“Hwang, you’re a blessing” Seungmin looked to you, smiling widely as if you should be very happy about this.

What the hell. You trusted him.

“It’ll be fine, Y/N. I’m sure Hyunjin is capable of protecting you”

“What?” It was only midnight, this was such an exaggeration. You’d stayed out entire nights on your own before.

Seungmin wrapped an arm around you, pulling you closer, “You’ll keep her safe for me right, Hwang?”

“It’s ten minutes, Seungmin” You sighed “I can go on my own”

You did not want this.

Sure, you still had a lot of questions, things you wanted to ask him and know about him, but not now, not tonight, and probably not ever.

You hated feeling the way you had today, and not being able to put a word to the emotion.

He was just…so confusing, and intriguing.

Who buys out the entire menu because he didn’t know what you wanted?

No sane person did that, especially not for someone they just met.

He’d even refused to let you pay for anything the entire night, and this was the 21st century, going dutch was a very normalised thing.

Hyunjin’s gaze locked onto yours.

“It’s no problem, Y/N” He said, his voice soft.

Hana was nodding, squeezing the lion plushie, and no, Hyunjin was wrong because it definitely was a problem.

“I honestly would prefer being by myself” You blurted.

Ouch.

That came out ruder than you intended, but it was the only way you could convince the absolute angelic person that Hwang Hyunjin supposedly was, to not walk you home. There were boundaries, and if he was going to be your best friend’s boyfriend, you had to set them now.

Seungmin sighed, disappointed to leave you by yourself.

Hana shot you a look, probably disappointed at your rudeness.

But Hyunjin just nodded, unaffected, no change in his face at your blatantly harsh statement, and that disappointed you, more than it should have.

»»————-

You were used to Hana waking you up at odd hours, but you’d truly not been prepared for your loud ringer to pull you out of a peaceful rest at three am.

“What happened?” You had mumbled, staring up at your ceiling. Your voice was hoarse with sleep, and when your phone buzzed, you’d expected an emergency.

A Hana-level emergency, but something urgent nonetheless.

She was probably going to recount her kiss now, or ask you what you think it meant, or ask you to analyse everything Hyunjin said and did at the date.

“Do you hate Hyunjin?” Hana asked.

You hadn’t expected that.

“What?” You sat up, far too fast, and all the blood rushed to your head.

“Tell me honestly. I know you don’t like him, but…well if you don’t like him, maybe that can change eventually. But do you hate him?”

“No… I don’t”

“Wait, did you just wake up, Y/N?” She asked.

You squeezed your temples, pain rushing through at the lack of sleep and coffee, “What gave it away? The fact that it’s three am or the fact that I sound dead?”

Hana chuckled, “I can’t believe you’re sleeping right now”

You sighed, “What makes you think I hate him?”

“Saturday night, you avoided being alone with him at all costs, and you straight up said no, when he offered to take you home. It was really awkward, Y/N. I don’t want him to be offended”

You sat back against the headrest, “Give me a second”

Putting the phone down, you grabbed your water, soothing your harsh throat because you knew this was going to end up being a long conversation.

Maybe you had been unnecessarily rude with Hyunjin, and you don’t think he deserved that. It had been more than twenty four hours since you’d so rudely turned his offer down. Your Sunday had gone by in a daze, riddled with guilt to how you’d talked to him at the end. He didn’t owe to take you home, he was doing you a favour, why did you have to let your emotions get the best of you and say no?

This is all you’d thought about as well, so you weren’t too surprised that Hana had called you about it. He had been nothing but sweet to you, and seeing the way him and Hana interacted, it was highly likely they would date.

In that case, you had to love him.

As you had loved Yeonjun.

Just because he was a secretive person, did not mean there was anything inherently wrong with him, right?

You couldn’t put your finger on it, on why you felt this way about him. Maybe it was the curiosity.

Maybe because he was apparently really famous outside of here, but you would never have known that if it wasn’t for Seungmin. On Saturday night, every hour you’d spent with him had unfurled something new, like peeling the layers of an onion but excruciatingly slow.

The way he’d talked to you…it had been far too kind, and maybe you were just a little bit suspicious.

Nobody was that nice to strangers.

Even in a place like Daejon.

“Hana, I just said no because I didn’t want him to go through all that trouble, and I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. It would have been inappropriate. He was your date, after all”

Hana scoffed, “Come on! How is it inappropriate ? Hyunjin isn’t your type, and you aren’t his. Tell me the real reason”

You paused, mulling over her words.

“Right. Yeah, you’re right” You nodded, blinking the sleep away, not wanting to question this.

That was something you were going to be thinking of for a while.

Sure, you clearly didn’t know your type or what you were attracted to, because you’d never been in love with anybody like she had. But how did Hana know you weren’t his? Had they already talked about this?

“So, do you…hate him?”

You pulled the blanket tighter around yourself. You felt a lot of things regarding Hyunjin.

Hate wasn’t one of them.

“Of course not, I don’t even know him Hana. I’m just…a bit cautious I guess. We know nothing about him”

“Well, he’s famous. He surely can’t be a bad person”

You squinted, “You do know famous people can be bad too, right?”

“But not him. He could never hurt anyone. He’s so…soft-spoken, and sweet”

“I suppose…”

“And I googled him, Saturday night, before the date” She confessed.

Even though that was a fairly reasonable and normal thing to do, it felt wrong, “Hana…”

“I had to! If your boyfriend was famous, wouldn’t you want to google him?”

Boyfriend?

“No, I wouldn’t Hana. Stuff on the internet isn’t always true”

Hana laughed loudly, piercing your ear “You are such a grandma”

You bit your lip, “Well…did you find anything? No, don’t tell me. This feels weird”

Hana chuckled, “Being curious isn’t bad”

She was right about that.

The one emotion you definitely felt for Hyunjin was curiosity.

Although if your life was on display on the internet, you’re sure you wouldn’t want your future dates to look it up and have access to it. Shouldn’t that be stuff you find out by getting to know the person? It felt like a terrible punishment for being known, having all your dirty laundry out in public for anyone to judge.

Still, your fingers urged to type his name out in your phone while Hana spoke.

“So, since you don’t hate him and since I finally worked up the guts to text him first. Double date again this weekend?!”

That was enough to rip away the urge from you, “Who with?”

“Haha, very funny. You wanna see Seungmin again right? It was so fun”

You laid back, head falling onto your pillow, “He is a lovely person, Hana, but I don’t know if I wanna go on a date with him again. Sorry, but we’re probably good as friends”

“Then I guess I’ll just go on one with Hyunjin. It’ll be romantic”

“I’m sure it will be, Hana”

She hummed, excitement crawling through her tone, “What should we do? Do you have any idea what he likes?”

You thought back to whatever you knew of him, “He likes art, as far as I know. He’s exploring it, he told me he was still - ”

Hana yawned loudly, interrupting you “That’s so boring”

"Wow, thank you…”

“No I mean, for you, it’s great, you’re like my best friend. But for a date…what am I supposed to do, like sit in his lap while he paints?”

You paused, to shake off the image Hana had so vividly painted in your head, before responding.

“That actually sounds cute, there’s a lot you can do with art”

“I’m gonna pass. Do you know anything else that he likes?”

You stared at the ceiling, head still muddled with sleep, “How would I know, Hana? I know him just as well as you, if not less”

“Can you find out?”

“Hmm?”

Hana let out a breath, and you realise this is what she had been leading up to, the reason she’d called you, “Can you like, talk to him and find out what he’s into? Also… if he’s into me?”

"Of course he’s into you, why wouldn’t he be?”

Hana mumbled, “I don’t know, maybe because he didn’t kiss me”

Your eyes widened at that revelation, chest twisting, “Wait… Hyunjin didn’t kiss you? I thought you guys kissed when we dropped you home”

“Yeah…I leaned in and everything too, but I ended up kissing his cheek, which is so ugh, I don’t know. Does he not wanna kiss me?”

"Maybe he’s just not the kind of guy to kiss someone on a first date”

"Maybe. I guess that’s what makes him different from Choi San"

Choi San?

Of course he was different from Hyunjin. They were nothing like the same.

Your head was beginning to ache again, “Hana…I’m sure you can find something nice to do with him, and I’m sure Hyunjin likes you. Anybody would”

Hana groaned loudly, and you wonder how she never woke her parents up at this late hour, “I’m just stressing. He’s…he’s so cute! He came back to town at such a perfect time, too, just when I decided to move on. I think it may be meant to be”

You thought over her words, “You mentioned the other day that he lives near my place. He lives alone?”

Hana shrugged, “I think he lives with his aunt, his parents live in the city, I don’t know. We didn’t talk about stuff like family”

“Right…I’m sure he likes you though, Hana. He even won you the plushie, remember?”

“Oh, yeah. I guess it was cute”

“You guess? It’s adorable. You know how hard it is to win those? If I had a penny for every time me and Yongbok have tried…”

Hana hummed again, “Right! It’s the thought that counts. I would have preferred a kiss though instead of the stuffed toy. I’m not five years old”

You rolled your eyes, wondering how Hana could be such a hopeless romantic but still not appreciate such gestures, “Those are two non-comparable things”

A part of you knew that if it had been Yeonjun winning her the lion, she would have absolutely loved it, and seen the worth in it.

She sighed, “Anyway, I didn’t know you like the plushie so much, if I did I would have just given it to you instead of throwing it out”

“You what?” You sat up.

“It was missing an eye” Hana sighed, “It was creepy…”

“Oh” You don’t know why your heart broke, “But he won it for you”

Hana laughed, “It’s just a toy, relax, it doesn’t mean anything”

It was another moment when you realised how different you and Hana were.

The little box that lay in your closet confirmed it. You were someone who stored every little memory, good or bad, with you. A ticket stub from your first movie with Yongbok, the pink ribbon Mrs. Aera gave you on the day of the store opening, the McDonald’s bill from the first date you ever had, even though it had been terrible. All of those things meant so much to you, even if not now, they had in the past.

If Hana truly felt that Hyunjin was the one for her, the boy she was destined to be with, wouldn’t she have wanted to keep the first thing he got her, on their very first date?

Hana had once called you materialistic for your thought process, but you weren’t sure if that was the same thing. You associated memories with things, maybe it was wrong.

Regardless, you couldn’t explain it to her.

Your eyes drifted to your clock.

It was a little past five, and your head was burning.

“Hana, I have work in an hour”

“Ugh, why do you always? Well, if you see Hyunjin, please find out if he likes me, but don’t be obvious, Y/N! I don’t want to come off as clingy”

“All right, Hana” You squeezed your eyes shut.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you”

“Don’t worry about it. Goodnight”

»»————-

Yongbok laughed loudly, drawing the attention of everyone around him. For some reason he found this absolutely hilarious. You shushed him. Your friends were always loud, and you were always at the receiving end of annoyed looks, but Felix had been laughing for a minute straight, and you didn’t like the attention.

“Felix” You hissed.

“No, no, no, let me get this straight” He giggled, “Hana set you up on a date with Kim fucking Seungmin?”

You groaned, “Why is it so funny?”

He didn’t stop laughing, eyes crinkled up and you couldn’t do anything but stare, and wait for him to stop.

“It’s so funny” He finally breathed, stopping to look at you.

You were sitting next to him, cross-legged in your signature booth at the diner. You’d asked Felix to meet you here after your shift on Tuesday, wanting to indulge him in your account of Saturday night, and for his lovely opinion on the events that transpired. Facing each other, you held his hand in your lap, as you told him everything, while waiting for your coffee to be ready.

You hadn’t expected him to react like this.

“It’s not even that funny…” You tipped your head back, leaning against the glass window.

Felix nodded, “Kim Seungmin is so not your type. He could be like your brother, or something”

“Ew, that’s gross, Lix”

“Why is it gross?”

“Because I went on a date with him!”

Felix laughed again, throwing his head back, “That’s why it’s funny! Is Hana blind? Why would she set you up with him?”

You crossed your arms, frowning, “I don’t know. He’s a nice person”

“Well, so are half the people in this town. Doesn’t mean you’ll fuck them”

You narrowed your eyes at him, “This is not about fucking”

“Then what is it about? Falling in love, Y/N?” He questioned.

You shrugged, “Maybe”

“Well, you’re not gonna fall in love with Kim Seungmin, that’s for sure”

“And what makes you so sure?” You looked up at him.

Felix stared at you, a smile pulling at his lips, amusement in his eyes, “Because I know you”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You sighed, grabbing his hand again.

“You may not be a hopeless romantic like Hana, but you’re a love at first sight kind of girl”

You squinted, “Really?”

“You are. When you’re into something, it’s really obvious. You’re so passionate about it. That’s one of my favourite things about you, actually”

“It is?”

“Mmmh, First day of first grade, art class, when the teacher brought out the watercolour canvas, you should have seen yourself. Your eyes lit up, like you’d just discovered the meaning to life”

You turned red, playing with his fingers, “You remember that, Yongbok?”

“Of course I do. You’re my best friend, Y/N. My point being, if you were to ever fall in love with Seungmin, then you would have known it the first time you met him” Yongbok explained.

“I don’t know if that makes sense” You mumbled.

He squeezed your hand, “Trust me. I’ve known you all my life, and I definitely know you better than Hana…I don’t know what she was thinking”

You paused to think, staring at Seonmi Kim at the counter as she prepped up drink after drink, “I did have a good time, though. With them”

“Tell me more about Hana’s date…this Hyunjin boy” Yongbok spoke.

Where would you even start?

“Well he’s…”

As soon as you began speaking, Seonmi pressed the buzzer.

Your favourite sound.

Your coffee was ready.

“Vanilla latte with whipped cream, and blueberry sprinkles!” She called out.

Yongbok rolled his eyes, “There’s your abomination of a drink”

“Finally. My head was killing me”

“Should I get it for you?”

You shook your head, standing up, “I got it, Lix”

Felix leaned back, to make space, as you squeezed between him and the table to step out. His hands came onto your waist, to steady you, and of course he took the opportunity to tickle the bare skin under your cardigan.

“Yongbok, stop” You squealed, jumping out of his grasp.

He laughed, smiling up at you, “You asked for it”

Smacking his hands away, you went over to the counter.

The diner wasn’t too busy right now, it was a lazy afternoon, and you tapped your nails on the marble top as Seonmi slid the cup of coffee forward.

“Get me another soda, Y/N!” Felix called out, from behind you.

You turned to face him, “Only if you pay, Yongbok!”

He laughed, “ Forget about it then, cheapskate”

He was calling you a cheapskate? You rolled your eyes, reaching out to grab your cup, at the exact same time as somebody else. Your hand collided with his.

“Excuse me” You looked up, mildly offended that someone tried to take your coffee, eyes meeting his.

Of course.

This was how you always bumped into each other.

“Oh. Hey” Hyunjin spoke, his hands wrapped around yours, holding the cup.

He always managed to catch you off guard, unprepared.

Your eyes wandered over him.

“Uh, hi. I just came to get my drink” You spoke, looking right at him, wondering what he wanted and why he’d grab your order.

He was in a light-blue denim jacket, a sweatshirt peeking underneath, and his hair was straighter now, falling into his face. His hand was still on yours, and you realised it dwarfed yours in comparison.

Why was he still holding your coffee? Was he such a nice person that he decided to bring it personally to you or something?

Hyunjin’s brows raised, “Your drink?”

“Oh, Y/N” Seonmi Kim interrupted, “Yours isn’t ready yet, sorry”

Your heart dropped, turning to her.

“Oh okay” You retreated your hand, confused.

Could you truly embarrass yourself any further than this?

“Sorry, I should have mentioned that. I’m just not used to the both of you ordering the exact same drink” Seonmi smiled.

So he was the other person who got the same drink as you.

You stared at her, “That’s okay. Could I get a soda for Yongbok?”

She grinned, “Of course! Your coffee will be ready in a second too, so you can wait here”

You didn’t want to wait here next to him, but you nodded, looking down at the menu, fiddling with the frayed laminated edges.

He probably held a grudge for the way you’d acted with him, and you cursed yourself because it had gone great up till that point. Hana was right. You probably had ruined things. But she didn’t understand that your behaviour towards Hyunjin had nothing to do with her or her relationship with him.

He slid the glass towards you, “You can have it”

“What?” You spoke dumbly.

“I don’t mind waiting” Hyunjin spoke, his voice soft and tender, “You can have this”

You stared at him.

“It’s just a few minutes, that’s fine” You told him.

“I would feel really bad if you wait more” Hyunjin said, insisting.

Fuck, really? Why did he have to be so fucking sweet all the time?

“And I would feel like an asshole if I took yours” You told him.

“Maybe you can accept it as an apology” Hyunjin said.

Wait, what?

“An apology?” You repeated.

He nodded, “Yeah. I’m sorry if I somehow… upset you or made you uncomfortable that night”

Agggghhh.

Your heart squeezed in your chest. He thought he did something wrong?

“It wasn’t your fault” You immediately said, he had done nothing.

Hyunjin’s brow furrowed, and he looked down, further explaining “I shouldn’t have asked you all that stuff…about Seungmin, and if you were okay with the date. I know we hardly know each other, I’m sorry for prying. I genuinely was just worried about you”

You stared at him, your stomach flipping.

He seemed so sincere, his eyes kind, lip pulled between his teeth like he was truly nervous of having upset you, when you should be the one apologising for dismissing him so rudely.

Hana really had discovered somebody one of a kind.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Hyunjin” You spoke, sliding the cup back to him, “Although I will definitely be upset if you don’t have this”

He laughed, “All right. Thank you”

“Where have you been?” You asked, looking up at him, feeling more at ease now that you’d cleared the air.

Hyunjin poked a paper straw through the lid, “Um, yeah, I was just at home. I was working on something”

“You do that a lot” You hummed.

“What?”

“Stay in”

He nodded, puckering his lips as he sucked on the straw, “I guess you’re right”

You thought back to Hana’s words, and the promise you’d made her.

You had to know more about him. She would be so disappointed if you didn’t do what she’d wanted.

“You can always hang out with me…and my friends. You’re welcome to” You suggested.

“Really? Your friend who’s staring at us?”

Oh.

You whipped around.

Yongbok was looking at the two of you, his eyebrows raised in curiosity, but he looked down at his phone when you glanced his way.

“I should get back” You told Hyunjin.

You can’t believe you’d forgotten Felix was here.

“Y/N. Here’s your drinks” Seonmi interrupted. You took the glasses from her, coffee for you, soda for Felix.

“Sure. I’ll see you around” He said.

You nodded, turning to walk to your table when you realised that Hyunjin was here alone.

Your gut twisted, and it took all your courage to turn around and say, “Um Hyunjin, do you wanna join us?”

Hyunjin looked at you, surprised, sipping his drink, “Join you?”

You nodded, eyes crinkling, “Yeah. Me and my friend. It’d be nice to get to know each other, and I just thought... since you’re here by yourself… you can sit with me, I mean us”

Hyunjin looked at Yongbok, then back to you, and you could see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, “I just remembered I have to be somewhere. Maybe some other time”

“Oh”

Then he smiled at you, echoing the words you had spoken to him the other night, “And, I would really prefer just being by myself. I’m sure you can understand”

You watched as he walked away, stomach dropping.

Guess he did hold a grudge against you after all.

»»————-

The next time you saw Hyunjin was at the bakery a few mornings later.

You always met him unexpectedly, at the most random places and times of day, and unfortunately it didn’t help lessen your inquisitiveness.

How was he nowhere but everywhere at the same time?

You were still embarrassed that he’d blatantly said no to your offer.

Well, that’s probably exactly how he had felt when you did the same.

Yongbok had got another good laugh out of it at the diner, something about how you managed to get rejected by someone who wasn’t even your date. You’d told him to hush and enjoy the soda that you had so gratefully bought for him.

Whilst you were glad he was so amused by your miserable social life, you decided that the next time you see Hyunjin, you would apologise. Tell him you got off on the wrong foot, and try to at least be amicable.

You’d shown up to work at Aera’s the next day, wondering if he would visit. After all, he was an aspiring artist, there had to be something he needed to buy, right?

You’d rehearsed the conversation in your head, your apology, clearing up the misunderstanding, telling him you didn’t hate him or whatever, and hopefully…that would be enough for him to continue wanting to see your best friend.

Alas, you worked almost four shifts with a no show. In fact, when you asked Mina about it later, you found out that Hyunjin had visited Aera’s on the exact days you didn’t work.

She’d also gushed about how attractive she found him, distracting you from your annoyance at the obvious fact that Hyunjin was avoiding you.

Your next bright idea was to catch him at the diner. If he always ordered the same drink as you, he had to be just as addicted to it as you were, because to be honest, you didn’t even like the taste anymore. You only got it because you had been getting it for the past five years and it was hard to shake off habits like such. He must be the same.

According to Seonmi Kim, Hyunjin hadn’t swung around by there either.

The stress of possibly ruining Hana’s relationship was annoying you, since you would never have wanted things to go this way.

You had been so determined at the start, but unfortunately for you, your plan didn’t take into account, that maybe Hyunjin did actually dislike you now and was actively avoiding you.

»»————-

It was four am on a Saturday morning, and you were out of bread.

You usually never woke up so early, but Seungmin had called you to The Château.

He had sent you a panicked picture of the art room, and the absolute mess that it was. He needed help cleaning up, and organising supplies before classes later, and he’d promised to pay you back with a chicken burger from your favourite place.

Classes started there at nine, and you had to finish all your work before. It was going to take hours. You would have a long day ahead.

The inside of your refrigerator looked sad, and you realised that when you’d gone out with Hana to the supermarket, you’d essentially been far too distracted by her plans to find love, instead of your plans to keep yourself fed for the next week or so.

At least Hyunjin would be there for the class, maybe you could finally catch him and talk to him then.

You hope he didn’t miss out on his very expensive art class just to avoid you.

Hana hadn’t texted him since the date, too afraid of making the first move, even after you told her that Hyunjin was definitely, very into her, and that the only problem he had was with you.

You sighed, shutting the refrigerator.

There was only one place in Daejon that would be open so early, and it was an exhausting, uphill climb. It was on the way to The Château, so at least you could grab something to eat on the way.

Since it was a cold day out and summer was just settling in, you were thankful you’d brought your cardigan, as you walked past the houses up the street. A soft fog had settled over the town, and it was kind of peaceful to be out so early. You could see puffs of your breath in the air, which indicated how hard you were breathing walking up the hill.

There were a few people on the street, getting an early start to the day, or walking their dogs.

Seungmin had mentioned at the bowling alley that Hyunjin had a dog.

Kkami.

You wonder if one of the dogs you passed was Kkami.

By the time you reached the midpoint of the hill, it was colder, and you were out of breath. You could never get used to the walk up.

The bakery rested in a little corner, surrounded by vines and pretty flowers that only grew at this altitude. Inside the bakery, it did not feel like five am. The shop was tiny, but people were huddled around the counter, and the shelves, picking out bread to place into their pretty pink baskets. You recognised most of them as friends of your family, and they all fit right in, it must be their daily routine.

The scent of freshly baked bread attacked your senses, and it was so warm in here.

It was calming too, and it reminded you of Aera’s.

The display shelf was covered in all shapes, sizes and kinds of breads, and you wonder if any employee here was crazy about the order of them as you were for colors, or if you were the only eccentric one.

Perhaps you’d wake up early more often for this calm.

You peered at the little signs under each section.

walnut cream cheese, milk bread, pumpkin bread, soboro, honey bread.

None of it made any sense to you, but they all sounded and looked absolutely delicious. You’d been planning on just getting a simple loaf, something to munch on as you reached the art class, but now that you were here, and had come all the way, maybe you could get something fancy?

Something not too expensive, but to treat yourself regardless.

Maybe you could ask the boy at the counter.

You went over, waiting for him to finish talking to the current customer.

His name tag read ‘Woo-young’.

“What would you like to get?” He asked you, in a perfectly rehearsed manner. He seemed about your age, dark brown hair tied up, and he must live in the neighbouring town because you hadn’t seen him around much.

“Hey…” You smiled, resting your palms on the counter, “Actually, I’m not sure, what would you recommend?”

The boy stumbled in his words, not used to anybody asking for his opinion, blinking at you “Um, but what do you want?”

“I was wondering what you would recommend. You work here…so you would know best, right?”

He stared at you dumbly, “Today is my first day actually”

“Oh” You flushed, “I’m sorry”

“That’s okay, but can you just tell me what’d you like? I don’t have any recommendations and there’s other people waiting behind you, and my boss will lose his shit if you hold up the line”

Wow, okay. Your eyes quickly scanned over the chalkboard menu. All of the names were in French, and you didn’t know French. You also didn’t want to embarrass yourself and mispronounce something, even though Wooyoung was most definitely Korean and probably just as bad at the names as you. Why hadn’t you just gone to a simple Korean bakery instead? Regardless, you had to choose and you were terrible with decisions, especially on a time crunch.

There wasn’t any time for treating yourself after all.

You sighed, disappointed, taking out your wallet, “I’ll just take a normal loaf-”

“We would like two streusels please” A familiar voice interrupted.

You froze, as he stepped up next to you, extending his hand already to pay the boy.

“Oh. All right. Great. Thank you” The boy said, satisfied he got an answer, punching it into the machine.

Hyunjin shot you a soft smile, “Morning”

Had he just cut in line?

There were a lot of people behind you, and you stared at him. They didn’t seem all too pissed that Hyunjin had walked right to you, and to the counter, and you realised again that being handsome had so many unfair benefits. Or maybe it was because they knew who he was.

“What are you doing here?” You spoke, the question coming out too blunt yet again.

Hyunjin shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips, “Grabbing breakfast. What are you doing here, Y/N?”

“I didn’t see you when I came in”

He nodded, “That’s probably because you were too fascinated by everything. I saw you though”

The boy at the counter came back, holding two thin paper bags, before you could answer Hyunjin. It ran through your head that if you had known he was here, you would definitely have been more fascinated by him than some random pieces of bread.

Especially when he looked like this in the morning, standing out, and somehow putting the beautiful, lively bakery around him to shame.

“You’re together, right?”

Hyunjin nodded.

Cutting ahead in line was fairly uncharacteristic of him, since he was always was being too nice and helping people.

Huh. Maybe he did it to help you, since you clearly did not know what you wanted.

Perhaps he didn’t hate you after all.

Wooyoung hurriedly packed the breads, handing it to Hyunjin delicately.

“Thank you” Hyunjin smiled at him. He then nodded at you, before stepping out. You walked past all the people in line, who would have otherwise greeted you because they knew you, but were too busy staring at Hyunjin, in the most obvious way ever.

You frowned.

Stepping out into the street, the sun was almost over the hill now, warming up the place, and the sky was turning a beautiful color. The fog had almost dissipated, and Hyunjin stood in the middle of the empty road. He was carefully unwrapping the bread, dressed in a simple grey sweatpants and matching sweatshirt.

If he lived near you, why had he come all the way to this bakery? And why had he just bought something for you?

You closed your eyes, you needed to calm yourself.

This was your chance to have a genuine conversation with him, before he disappeared again. You’d been looking for him all this while.

“Hyunjin, about the other night -”

“The streusel is really good. Have you tried it before?” He interrupted.

You blinked, looking at it in his hands, “What is it?”

“It’s kind of like a pastry, and sometimes it has strawberry jam in it” Hyunjin looked up at you, “Is that something you think you would like?”

“I like strawberries, but I’ve never had it in bread” You thought.

He nodded, “I hope you like this then”

He tore off a small piece, handing it to you. You realised how far you were actually standing from him, and you stepped closer, to grab it.

You looked at the little piece between your fingers, “Um, thank you”

“For?”

You looked up at him. His hair was pulled up, tied back into a ponytail, but blonde strands still fell out on the sides, blowing into his face from the strong wind. You wonder if he’d just woken up.

“I didn’t know what to get. Inside” You clarified, thumbing the piece in your hand.

“Well, I hope you don’t mind that I got this. I think buying every bread in the store would have been a bit much, right?”

You stared at him at that.

Was he making fun of himself?

“Right, unlike at the bowling alley” You added.

He suddenly laughed, throwing his head back, “Maybe that was a bit much. You did enjoy the pepperoni pizza though, from what I remember”

“I did…” You smiled at the memory. It had already been a week since then, yet it felt like forever.

“You should have it while it’s still warm. Tastes better” He spoke.

You nodded, biting into the piece he’d given you as he watched you. Well, now you just hope you liked it because he seemed so excited about it.

The bread was unusually soft and buttery, and the strawberry filling spilled into your mouth. It was heavenly, and not something you’d expect to eat so early in the day.

The flavour was subdued, but still stood out. You’d never had something so good.

Hyunjin had great taste.

It must have been noticeable in your expression, because Hyunjin laughed, mumbling “I knew you would like it”

Just how did he know you so well?

You cleared your throat, swallowing, “It’s…nice. It’s different”

Hyunjin nodded, as he bit into a piece too, eyes closing as he savoured the taste, “It sure is”

You crossed your arms, “Um, so what are you doing here? Don’t your art classes start much later?”

“Seungmin asked me for help”

“Oh?"

“How come you’re here? I haven’t seen you here before” He asked.

Seungmin didn’t mention anything about Hyunjin being there.

“I thought it’d be nice to get something to eat”

“Well, you’re barely eating anything” He then tore off a larger piece for you. He was being so nice, and normal. Had you just imagined the last few days where you were sure he had avoided you on purpose?

Well, at least now you could have a real conversation with him, and hopefully not mess anything up. He was just a boy.

You took it, chewing on it lightly, chest feeling lighter now that you knew Hyunjin wasn’t mad at you or anything, “I was headed up to The Château too”

Hyunjin nodded, “Do you want to head up there together…or would you prefer going by yourself? We don’t have to talk to each other, if that makes it better”

You sighed, embarrassed that he’d just called you out before you could even have the chance to apologise, “I’m really sorry about that night. I just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, I didn’t mean to offend you”

He smiled, turning to walk up the hill, “Don’t worry about it, Y/N. Plus it’s completely understandable you don’t want a stranger to walk you home so late. I mean, I could be a serial killer or something, right?”

You laughed at the mental image, falling into step with him, “Yeah right”

He turned to you, frowning “Are you saying I’m not capable?”

“No, of course. That is most definitely the reason I said no. I feared for my mortal life”

Hyunjin smiled, act falling, “You don’t need to feel bad though. I can understand your discomfort. Hana told me how close you guys are, and I know it can’t be easy to trust your friend with someone you don’t know”

Right.

Hana.

The reason you’d sought Hyunjin out this whole week.

“Did you meet her after that?” You asked, casual and nonchalant hopefully, even though you knew the answer.

Hyunjin shook his head, “I didn’t get a chance. I got really caught up with some work”

You took another bite of the bread, feeling more at ease. The sun was brighter now, and you felt calmer, as the road got narrower, and the mountain trees got thicker.

Hyunjin had also definitely put you at ease, as if you were just casual acquaintances or friends catching up. He was charismatic enough that you didn’t question the comfort with which he was talking to you.

“What work? You always seem really busy” You ended up asking, the simplicity of the conversation making it easier to ask that.

He looked at you, laughing “You’re gonna think it’s stupid”

You didn’t expect him to say that.

You just thought he would either evade the question, or give you an excuse if he didn’t want you to know the real reason he was busy.

“I won’t” You said immediately, excited at the prospect of getting to actually know something real about him, and your mind working on overdrive to understand this boy.

He looked at you again, as if trying to figure out if you would judge him for this or not, before he spoke, “Well, you know how I told you I’m still a novice? At art?”

“Yeah?”

“I really can’t create something when prompted or asked to, I’m kind of horrible at that. I rely a lot on my emotions or if I’m very inspired”

You doubt Hyunjin could be horrible at anything, and you said, “As most artists do, it’s not stupid”

He laughed at your attempt to reassure him, “Let me finish”

“Okay”

“Well, so when I get inspired, I kind of tend to…lose my mind. I drop everything else. I don’t do anything except work on the piece, even if that means getting no sleep for days on end, because I’m afraid I’ll lose the inspiration”

You were surprised Hyunjin told you this.

It wasn’t a big deal to you, because you, of all people could relate, but it certainly seemed like something very personal to him, judging by his nervousness at revealing so.

“Huh, so that’s what you were doing for the past few days?”

He nodded, “For some reason, I was really inspired…the night we went to the bowling alley. I haven’t felt that way in a really long time”

“Oh, I’m glad Hana made you feel that way”

Hyunijn’s eyes darted to yours at that.

“Yeah, me too” He spoke, after a bit.

You ignored the slight surprise in his face at your statement.

You walked in silence, getting distracted by a bird hopping along with you, as you thought over what Hyunjin had just told you.

“Wait, but if you can’t create when asked to or prompted, how do you get through the art classes? All they do there is assign topics for you to work on, right?”

Hyunjin nodded, pointing a piece of his bread at you as if you’d got the jackpot question, “That’s exactly it, Y/N. I’m trying to learn other ways of working. Losing myself…it’s not really the most constructive or productive way of working”

You turned around a corner of the winding trail up, you were getting closer to the top, “It’s really nice though, Hyunjin. It means you’re passionate about your work”

He nodded, “I suppose, but I don’t always have the time or luxury to be that passionate”

“Because of your dance?” You blurted.

Hyunjin glanced at you, the corners of his lips tugging, “You ask a lot of questions”

“I’m sorry” You flushed, fiddling with the hem of your cardigan. You hadn’t realised that you’d been talking to him for that long, as The Château appeared in view.

“You don’t have to be sorry. It’s…nice”

“It is?” You turned to him, surprised.

“Yeah” He tugged his hands in his pockets, “This is going to sound silly, but people around me, they kind of already know, or assume, or think they know”

“People around you, you mean back in the city? That’s where you moved from, right?”

God, you wanted to stop asking and you probably should put a brake on things, but he made it so easy.

He nodded, glancing at you, “Yeah”

“You’re finally here, thank god” Kim Seungmin interrupted, stepping out of the place.

“Yes we are. You could’ve told me you were getting more help” You said, referring to Hyunjin.

Seungmin laughed, “You probably wouldn’t have come then”

Hyunjin rolled his eyes, the action making him suddenly seeming so much younger and playful now, “We talked it out, Seungmin”

Wait, he’d talked to Seungmin about you?

“I’m glad, because you can’t really date Hana while having beef with her best friend” Seungmin commented, “Now come on in, there’s so much I need help with”

He certainly was right, and the room was a mess, but not as much as it had been when he’d sent you the picture. Clearly, he’d worked on his own till now, stacking all the supplies together in piles.

“What do you need us to do?” Hyunjin asked, looking around the room.

“Are you paying him for this?” You asked.

Seungmin laughed, “No, he’s helping me as my friend”

“Wait, are you paying her?” Hyunjin asked.

Seungmin sighed, looking between the two of you, “Can we do this later? The people will come in around two hours”

“Fine” You spoke, shrugging off your cardigan to hang it over a stool. Even though it was cold out, it was burning inside the observatory, especially if you were going to be doing physical work.

“The class today is doing watercolours, so maybe you can put together a bag of the supplies in front of each easel for each attendee. Everything is in the cabinets already” Seungmin explained, “But there’s always a mess when we do watercolours, so maybe the easels can be more spaced out”

Hyunjin’s face lit up when Seungmin said that.

“You like making a mess or something?” You asked.

Hyunjin chuckled, “No, Y/N. I like working with watercolours”

After that, you were working quietly, arranging together a canvas sheet, paintbrushes, some basic colors, a washcloth next to each easel and stool.

Hyunjin worked opposite you, pairing together different brushes for each person, with so much precision and concentration.

You still had to know what he thought about Hana, but you weren’t sure if you could just straight up ask that, it would be too obvious and she didn't want to come off as clingy.

Perhaps you could lead up to it.

You glanced at Seungmin, who was near the windows, peeling off some older artwork to make room for new ones.

“Can I ask you something?” You spoke, the initial nervousness inside you dissipating into nothing now.

Hyunjin looked up at you, chuckling, “Yeah. What have you been doing till now?”

You flushed at his comment, “Well, there’s a lot about you I’m confused about”

He nodded, “Like?”

“Like…what you do”

His eyebrows shot up at the simplicity of the question, “Hana didn’t tell you?”

“I didn’t ask her”

“And you didn’t look me up online?”

Your eyes widened, feeling defensive as if he’d just accused you of stalking him, “No, I didn’t”

Hyunjin’s eyes narrowed at you as he tilted his head, “Really?”

“Really. Would I have so many questions if I had googled you?”

Hyunjin laughed, his eyes crinkling, “Okay, you have a point”

“You know, I’m delighted you two are getting along, but we really need to get this done fast” Seungmin interrupted.

You nodded, moving onto the next easel, and placing the stuff there, as Hyunjin did the same.

“I’m dying. It’s so fucking hot” Seungmin groaned loudly, coming to stand next to you, as he fluffed his hair.

“It sure is” You agreed, and then turned to him, “Have you thought of getting air con here?”

Seungmin stared at you, “As long as you’re paying”

You shoved him, laughing.

“How are you working in that?” Seungmin questioned, eyes drifting to Hyunjin and the thick sweatshirt he had on, “I feel like dying just looking at you”

Hyunjin rolled his eyes, “You’re dramatic”

Nonetheless, he did agree, it was too hot to work in that, so he put the paintbrushes down, hand reaching up quickly, to tug his sweatshirt off.

As he did that, the shirt he wore inside rode up, the flash of sudden skin, and his toned stomach, catching you unprepared.

It was only a second, and you looked away.

Seungmin had already walked away, and you focused on the stuff in your hands.

“Well, what did you want to know? Before Seungmin had come in?” Hyunjin asked. You looked up at him. He was now just in a white teeshirt, and seeming much more relaxed and comfortable.

“Um, yeah. I wanted to know what you do” You said, the question of all questions that had been bothering you.

He paused, in his words and his actions, as if he was searching for the right words, “I’m in a…group”

You looked up at him, “A group? Like…a cult?”

Hyunjin’s lips pulled into a smile, “No Y/N. Not like a cult”

You frowned, “Don’t laugh at me”

He laughed at that, “I’m sorry. Your question caught me off guard. You’re just…very interesting”

“Says the artist, dancer and possible cult member from Seoul”

Hyunjin laughed, his entire face scrunching, “I told you, it’s not like a cult”

“That’s what someone in a cult would say” You shrugged.

“Y/N, can you come here for a second?” Seungmin called you. You nodded, walking over to him.

“I have to run down to Aera’s for something. Will you be okay?”

“What do you mean?”

Seungmin gestured to Hyunjin, “Last time I left you alone with him, you gripped the life out of him and gave me a death stare. I just want to make sure it’s fine, even though you two do seem to be talking just fine. So, will you be okay if you stay here with him? I’ll be back in fifteen”

Right.

It was nice of him to acknowledge this, and your heart warmed at the gesture and concern.

You glanced back at Hyunjin.

He was bent over a table now, hair falling into his face, a soft frown on his lips as he arranged some paints, with so much more focus than required for the task.

You looked at Seungmin’s worried face, “Yeah. I think I’ll be okay”

»»————-

⇐ masterlist ⇒

please let me know if you liked the chapter, or any thoughts on this part! thank you <3

taglist: @thebelljug @lovhyunj @imthecuteanimal @caratinylyfe @princess-kayleigh @lovelyyyou @ermahgerd-larry-and-ziam @murderyoursoul @hyuneluvbot @hyunjinslovelys @danyxthirstae01 @jamaisvu97 @lixvs @lcvryu @seungly @hyuka-luvbot @neochaeryeong @xa21x @mel-the-mad-hatter @jellyjelly605 @beaann @sadbixth11 @tae-kook-lover @hyunzales29 @hyunhanji @imhyvnjin @hyynee @xpressomarstini @hyyuniverse @tulips4u @kibblesnbites @natskilou @marsophilia @dragonyeon @yubinism @yellowroseskolchek @lochness-butmakeitsexy @bangchan-simp @princehyun-jin @sunflowerbebe07 @hyuckie-lee @malachitehoe @leechanniee @lovesickgirl253 @itslinaaaa @lovingonchan @ladytrbl @putmetogetheragain13 @freyaniobe @kangyounghyunhands @itsallaboutclassic @fwess @rie-cchi @w-a-v-ee @levantea @hyunelixies @a-person-with-void

#hyunjin #hwang hyunjin #hyunjin x reader #angst #sm au #fluff #skz imagines #smut #star lost with you #skz x reader #imagine #fics #friends to lovers

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jinnie-ret · 4 months

Text

FIC RECS

Ok so someone in my asks box asked me for some fic recommendations and I tried to add some gradually but my asks have been so weird recently so I've had to make a new post for them!

First of all ty anonnie you words were really sweet, I hope you stay healthy too!

Also just to preface I will list sfw and nsfw recs so pls if you are a minor, do not explore the nsfw recommendations, these blogs will most likely have a mdni statement so pls respect that and don't go against that :)

Now, enjoy!

SFW

Enough for you - @mixtape-racha (poly ot8 angst comfort)

We love an angst comfort fic and this is one of my faves. Take caution reading this one and read the content warnings at the top just in case! But this one is simply amazing and I wish I wrote it the end.

The Field Trip - @dreamescapeswriting (Seungmin X reader)

Seungmin and reader are teachers in this and if you follow me you may have seen me reblog this one before bc I love it and want this, also this blog has so many imagines you will be fed for days

Warm blankets - @jiniret-writings (3 parts, hurt comfort poly ot8 x reader)

I felt so emotionally invested in this story when I read it, like I felt readers pain 😭 gorgeous

jack-in-the-box -@junicai (angst, ninth member reader)

Set in kingdom. We hate mnet. Skz are very protective and reader gets the comfort she deserves in the end, love this sm!

@hyunjinsbelovedamericano - lots of headcanons and reaction type fics on their MASTERLIST, give it a look!!

Simptober 2023 - @skz-streamer

Fluff for days!!! pookie rly worked hard on this one so go and show some love because you've got so much to read here

Skz text aus - @channiesbakery

These are so so funny I cannot cope. Also explore the other fluff posts too bc they're really cute!

More text aus - @diddybok

Same goes for this blog too, explore their other stuff!

@hannahhbahng has some rly cute fluffy reads on their masterlist

@hanjiquokkaaa check out their skz reactions! My pookie slays every time

Skz fluff fics - @wooahaes

So much fluff to pick from! I fall in love every time!

Warm milk and honey - @horanghoe (poly skz x reader)

One of my fav skz comfort fics of all time, it's so so good, recommending again bc I should

In his arms, unexpectedly yours - @cheesemonky (Hyunjin x reader series)

This is a new series which I'm excited to see my pookie write !!!

@astraysimp for dad skz!!!

Nicholas Ross - @dean-a-mean-tae (skz ninth member male oc)

Love their ninth member writings so definitely check it out if you're looking for male!oc who is the ninth!

In my past, I find you and in the future, I still have you - @yangbbokari (Chan x reader)

Heartbreaking, like so angsty but it's gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous

Princess treatment with SKZ - @j-oneproduces

Each individual member x reader has a drabble and I love it so so much, very accurate imo

@skzoologist read their imagines on their ninth member oc Bae! They also have a fic called unfamiliarity using the same oc :)

I like the view - @mirisss (hybrid ot8 skz X reader)

I rly need to reread this one because I loved what I read so far on it!!!

NSFW

Rabbit hybrid reader - @authorofdanger (hybrid skz x hybrid reader)

I've linked a masterlist, I'd recommend the fic dominance and then the first few fics which are to do with reader as a rabbit hybrid! slight warning that woojin is mentioned

•

Red Moon - @lixiepeach (omegaverse series)

this is one of the first skz omegaverse fics I read and it is done so beautifully, as it says in the description of the series, it deals with more adult content than just smut, and the way it is explored is written so well, couldn't recommend highly enough!

Inked Petals and Message Tones - @leviackermanscleaningbuddy (poly smau with real life)

this is an ao3 skz fic which changed my life. I can't explain how much I love this, it had me on an emotional rollercoaster fr fr like it's amazing!

n.h.i.e mini series - @hyungszn (smut ot8 x reader)

damn this one really has me on my toes like the chapters are chefs kiss and it's such a good read!

Bold - @hyunsvngs (American footballer minsung x reader)

Wow wow wee wow. This one made my brain go brrr and evaporate and melt and wow the storyline in it is so so good too. Juno rly has such a good relationship with anonnies and moots and it's so lovely to see. A jupiter stan right here!!

Sanguis Limerence - @jl-micasea-fics (vampire skz x reader)

This is one of the first series I was fully committed to reading on this all and constantly checking. It's insanely amazing, I can't put it into words and now I wanna read it all back again 😭

waiting for us - @kkami-writes (smau poly ot8 X reader)

I'm in love with this!!! Perhaps my fav skz smau like the character development as well is really nice to see and it's an easy read if you find it easier to read it in text messages form

Anger management - @2chopsticks2eyes (minsung x reader)

This is so hot and the way the storyline progresses as well is beautiful

@1-800-shedevil I'm in awe of her and her blog. Gorgeous writer, gorgeous writing. Her posts about body positivity rly are so helpful and her words are so comforting

Sharing = caring - @cbini (ot8 X reader)

This is unbelievably good and if you haven't seen it yet? Do you even Tumblr? Love how ems has such a good relationship with moots and in answering asks too! cbinian for life

Better than revenge - @lixie-phoria (smau Jeongin x reader)

I'm so obsessed with this series so far, putting it here bc there's smut to be added in the future. But I'm in love with it so far wow!!!

#stray kids #skz #skz x reader #stray kids x reader #skz fluff #skz angst #straykids imagines #stray kids fluff #stray kids imagines #skz fic #skz smut #stray kids smau #stray kids smut #poly skz #skz poly #straykids ninth member #skz ninth member #stray kids ninth #stray kids ninth member

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astraystayyh · 10 months

Text

Fic recs

some of the fics I've read on here that really left a mark on me. some of them contain smut and i will mark them as such, mdni with those!

the dating experiment | hyunjin x reader. slow burn. fluff. angst. fake dating. @caseiloveu

one of my fav hyunjin fics, the whole setting is so cute and if you love pining you'll love this!

adulthood can wait | jeongin x reader. fluff. reassurance. @inniejeonginnie

the sweetest innie fic. it made me feel very seen and comforted on a topic that makes me anxious!!

wedding cake samples | felix x reader. fluff. @caseiloveu

this was sooo cute. the idea is original too and their relationship was the cutest.

evermore | hyunjin x reader. non idol!au, slow burn. barista hyunjin. fluff. smut. @staytheword

one of the first hyunjin fics i read on here but i still remember it!! it's so well written and their relationship is so soft :(

nothing, everything | han x reader. angst. comfort. @inniejeonginnie

the softest han comfort. truly felt like drinking warm tea on a cold day.

jealousy, jealousy! | series of ot8 x reader where the boys/reader are jealous. some of them have smut. @candlewaxandp0lar0ids

i remember i read all the 8 parts of this series in one go, i loved how it was written and how natural it flowed!

royal guard!minho x princess!reader | fluff, angst, light smut @leviackermanscleaningbuddy

i love royal aus and this was amaaaazing!!!!! loved LOVED the tension that comes with forbidden love

better left unsaid | minho x reader. angst. @felixore

i read this so long ago but i remember thinking THIS IS REAL ANGST. loved it

eighteen | best friend seungmin x reader. university au. slow burn. fluff. angst @soobnny

ONE OF THE BEST seungmin fic on this app!! read this at 3am and i couldn't pause it because it got me hooked LOVED it sm!!!!!

the things we define as love | seungmin x reader. university au. strangers to lovers. fluff @soobnny

another AMAZING seungmin fic (you're the best seungmin writer on here), i remember reading it and thinking this is pure poetry

in between | jeongin x reader. angst. fluff. mutual pining. @inniejeonginnie

the perfect combination of angst and fluff that makes you want to reach inside your phone to make the characters CONFESS

what I'm looking for | seungmin x reader. strangers to lovers. hidden identity (escaping from a marriage). fluff. hurt/comfort. @rachalixie

reading this felt like finding shelter on a stormy day. i loved it so much. seungmin brainrot that's all i have to say.

butterfly bandage | bang chan x reader. uni au. fluff. angst. smut. @subskz

one of the best written pieces I've ever read, truly. this series amazes me and i don't want it to end. so so beautifully written.

the enemies to lovers project | minho x reader. enemies to lovers. uni au. slight angst. fluff. @softukiyos

I LOVED THIS SMM. the progress of their relationship felt so real and the idea is so original too. such a delight to read.

bunny | neighbor minho x reader. strangers to lovers. angst. fluff. smut. @tasteleeknow

such a comforting read!!! i loved the way minho was portrayed as the gentlest man to exist. which he is!!!!!

everything and no one | minho x reader. maidservant!reader x prince!minho. forbidden love. smut. @tasteleeknow

one of my favorite written pieces as well. the soap detail really stuck with me and the progress was so beautiful, wish i could read it for the first time again.

red | chan x reader. fluff. angst with a happy ending. @rachalixie

this was a poetic trip through Taylor's song red. loved LOVED the way it was written and the symbolic of the color red.

i didn't accidentally love you | hyunjin x reader. fluff. uni au. @amelee23

poetry club and poetic writing. one of the cutest hyunjin fics ever that made me giggle so hard.

#stray kids x reader #skz x reader #fic rec #skz recs #sahar's.thoughts <3

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nebulousbrainsoup · 9 months

Note

hey could i send a request for han jisung x readers enemies to lovers university au with the smut prompts 1 + 45 + 81(spoiled they get caught🤭) maybe with a party setting 🥰 thank you sm

prompts:

1. "I love it when you moan my name." || 45. "Just shut up and fuck me." || 81. "If we get caught, I'm blaming you."

Vehemently

fulfilled as part of my 150(ish) followers event.

PAIRING: han jisung x fem!reader GENRE: enemies to lovers, smut, college au RATING: 18+ ; minors/ageless blogs dni TAGS/WARNINGS: ft. felix, hyunjin & lino, swearing, alcohol use, drug use, slight misunderstandings, sassy jisung & reader, quick edit, let me know if i missed anything! WORD COUNT: 3.7k SUMMARY: above! A/N: i haven't been able to stop thinking about this request since you sent it, but good LORD has this fic eluded me. i think i'm coming to the realization that i cannot be mean to any of the boys who are younger than me, even if it's only by a few months. but here you are, my dear, i hope the wait was worth it. have a full-length fic as an apology </3

smut tags/warnings under the cut ; masterlist | join my taglist | buy me a coffee?

NSFW TAGS/WARNINGS: lil bit of hate sex, rough sex, dom-leaning jisung, sub-leaning reader, but they’re both switches to me, bratty behavior, biting, marking, brief oral (fem receiving), use of a condom, protected sex, piv, little bit of edging, nicknames (baby, sweetheart, pretty boy), getting caught; let me know if i missed anything, please!

Coming to this party was an awful idea. You’d known it when Felix had invited you, but he’d flashed those big brown eyes of his at you and you’d melted immediately. It was his birthday, after all, and you and Hyunjin were his best friends—it would be rude for you not to show, especially since your roommate had made it clear that he would be going. Though you were wary, you decided to give it the benefit of the doubt, with a promise from Hyunjin that he would stay by your side.

The second you’d walked through the door, though, Felix had wrapped you both up in hugs, and when you’d turned back around to find your roommate, he’d vanished. The same happened with Felix when you spun back around, and you were left alone in the entryway of a house you had never been to before. You sighed in defeat, resigning yourself to finding the kitchen alone. If you were going to be here, you may as well take advantage of the free liquor.

You’d nearly finished mixing your drink when a familiar, loud laugh caught your attention, and a chill lit down your spine. Of course Changbin would be here, you reminded yourself. He’s one of Felix’s favorite people, after all, and just because he—and probably Chris, now that you thought about it—was here, it didn’t mean Han Jisung would be. You would be fine.

Lee Minho, on the other hand, was a more unexpected sight, and you nearly jumped out of your skin at finding the man staring at you, head tilted in confusion. He looked much like the black cat he was frequently compared to, and felt just as ill an omen. Sure, he and Felix were on the dance team together, but you had never known them to be close. Han and Minho on the other hand, had always been suspiciously so.

You gave a tight smile, which he did not return, instead asking, “What are you doing here?”

You scrunched up your nose at him. “It’s… Felix’s birthday party? Why wouldn’t I be here?”

Realization, though you weren’t sure of what, dawned on his face. “Ah, of course, silly me.”

Your eyes narrowed. “Why are you here?”

“It’s Felix’s birthday party,” he echoed, raising his plastic cup to you before turning to head out of the kitchen. “And Han’s, too.”

Your heart dropped into your stomach as you watched him nearly skip away, and you quickly downed your entire drink. If Hyunjin couldn’t get you out of here now, you were going to have a long night ahead of you.

By the time you finally found your roommate, you had already caught sight of Han twice. You were fuming quietly when you finally made your way out to the backyard, unsurprisingly finding Hyunjin with a joint in one hand and a cup in the other, laughing as he passed it on to Jeongin. His eyes flickered up to you as you approached, and he began to scoot over to make room for you in the circle.

“Sorry! I kind of forgot we were sticking together. You can—”

“Did you know this was Han’s party, too?” You cut in, hands on your hips.

The circle went quiet, and Hyunjin tilted his head at you. “You… didn’t?”

“If I did, I probably wouldn’t have come.” You seethed, and he flushed, eyes dropping to the floor. When he didn’t reply, you huffed, crossing your arms and starting back for the house. “Whatever. I’m out of here.”

It wasn’t anything against Felix or Hyunjin; you simply hated Han Jisung. You’d shared a gen-ed course your first year here, and he was the first face that stuck out to you in the lecture hall. You hadn’t expected much when you finally gathered the nerve to approach him—maybe a hello, or a quick number exchange. Instead, he’d kept his head down, given you a disinterested half-glance over, and made his way to the door without a single word, leaving you standing awkwardly alone in the middle of the lecture hall. When you’d finally gotten to know him through your mutual friends—with some reluctance—you’d immediately found him loud and annoying, far too cocky for your tastes. Between the awful first impression and his inability to take anything, especially you, seriously, your hatred for him had bloomed quickly.

And now, here you were at his birthday party. You’d seen him, sure, but you’d be damned if you let him see you. You had appearances to keep up and a heart to keep intact. Resolving to find Felix before just ditching him, you made your way back into the roiling crowd in the living room. It was hard to see between or over the dancing bodies as you were jostled, trying fruitlessly to elbow your way through, and you quickly abandoned that plan of action. Sighing, you made your way back to the kitchen, hoping for a little peace to clear your scrambled mind.

No such luck would come, it seemed, as the moment you turned the corner into the kitchen, you slammed face-first into the very man you were trying to avoid. His own freshly made drink went down the front of both of you, and you huffed a sigh, biting the inside of your lip to keep the tears of frustration from spilling. This party was a stupid idea.

“Oh, shit, are you okay?”

Before you could spiral into your abyss of self-loathing, his voice cut through your thoughts.

“Fine,” you spat, “can’t say the same for my clothes, though.”

He frowned, irritation crossing his features at your attitude. “Look, sorry, but maybe you should watch where you’re going next time. I know you hate me, but take it easy on the booze, would you?”

You rolled your eyes heartily, turning on your heel. Just as you were about to cross back into the living room, his hand latched around your wrist. “Wait!” He looked stunned as you turned around, swallowing thickly and giving you a once-over. “It’s kind of my fault, too, I wasn’t really… Let me grab you something to wear and I can dry your clothes or something.”

“It’s fine, I was heading out anyway.”

“It’s only been an hour. Felix wants you to at least stay til midnight, right? For his actual birthday? You and Hyunjin are like his best friends, come on. Don’t make him suffer just ‘cause you’re pissed at me.”

You scrunched up your nose and, not for the first time, Jisung thought it was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. He never quite figured out why you hated him so much, but it was common knowledge between your mutual friends, and he played into it every chance he got. It was easier that way; he could put some distance between himself and his feelings for you. Whatever the reason may be, you absolutely despised him, and to see you here tonight was a complete surprise. He assumed you were here for Felix—everyone knew how close the two of you were; and the last thing he wanted to do was force you to leave the party because of his presence or clumsiness.

“Let me help. For him. Then I’ll stay out of your hair for the rest of the night.”

You sighed, but the way your shoulders slumped told Han he had won this battle. “Fine,” you muttered, tugging your wrist free of his grasp. “But it’s just for Lix.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” he teased, grinning widely. As he squeezed past you, he took your hand, grip tightening as you tried to yank away from him.

“Don’t want you to get lost in the fray, do we?” His cocky little smirk was still plastered on his face, and you rolled your eyes heartily, gesturing him forward.Although it had heat rising to your cheeks, you were thankful for Jisung’s hand in yours—though you were loath to admit it, he was right. You would have been swept away in the crowd within seconds if not for his firm grip. God, what you would do to have those hands elsewhere; he really was unfairly pretty. As he dragged you along, you got a lovely view of just how much he had filled out since that first day in the lecture hall—his shoulders having broadened and his biceps having thickened. Despite your front, you were just as head over heels for this man as you had been the day you laid eyes on him.

There were significantly fewer people upstairs, and you tugged your hand from his grip the moment you could, though with slightly less vehemence this time. He still shot a sideways glance back at you, a half-glare that held less heat than it had earlier. By the time you made it to his room, you were fighting to keep your façade up, replaying how quick he’d been to help you and how his hand felt in yours on a loop. It seemed both of you were struggling to hold onto your hatred. As you crossed the threshold into a space that, until this point, seemed both forbidden and tainted, you felt a shift in the air.

His space was a lived-in amount of messy; there was a half-full Starbucks cup on his desk, clothes on the floor, and his bed was unmade. He didn’t touch the light switch by the door, instead picking up a remote, the lamps connected to it casting a warm glow over the room. It felt cozy, you thought, and immediately frowned. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking.

He turned to you, t-shirt and shorts in hand, holding them out for you to take. “You can change here. I’ll wait outside for your clothes… Unless you want help.”

He grinned, his grip on the pile of clothes in both of your hands unrelenting, using your tugging on them as an excuse to crowd into your space. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Jisung?” you hissed back.

“I mean… I wouldn’t mind putting you in your place,” he practically purred, his free hand shifting to hover over your waist. “See if you still hate me so much when I’ve got you under me.”

“As if your mediocre dick game could change my mind.” You weren’t sure if it was just the alcohol talking, but suddenly, you wanted nothing more than to test this theory.

His jaw set and his eyes narrowed, leaving a very different version of Han Jisung in front of you than you were used to. “I’ll show you mediocre,” he hissed, releasing his hold on his clothes and shoving you back toward his bed. “It’ll be anyone else you’ve had or will have.”

“What the fuck ever.” You rolled your eyes, letting his clean clothes drop to the floor, reaching up to grab his shirt and tug him toward you. “If we get caught, I’m blaming you,” you muttered, dragging him against you and crashing your lips together.

You felt him grin against you and you sank your teeth into his lower lip, pulling a quiet hiss from him. One of his hands snapped up, fisting into your hair to yank you back. The look on his face was one you wanted to either slap or kiss off of him; the line was too blurred now to tell which.

“Like it a little rough, do we?” He prodded, both his hands dropping to the hem of your shirt. He tugged it over your head in one fluid motion, your bra quickly joining it over his shoulder. He straightened back up, licking his lips hungrily as he took the opportunity to drink you in. “Wonder if I can still taste my drink…” he mused, quickly pressing you back against the mattress to latch his lips to your chest.

You groaned, half in frustration and half from pleasure. “Do you ever stop talking?”

He sunk his teeth into your breast sharply at your jab, a surprised squeak leaving you at the feeling. Almost immediately, he was releasing you and soothing the sting with his lips and tongue, no doubt attempting to leave behind a mark that, even if it weren’t visible, would be felt tomorrow. You let a quiet groan pass your lips, and Jisung pulled back with a quiet pop to grin at you.

“Still hate me?”

“Vehemently.”

He clicked his tongue. “Looks like I need to try harder, then.”

In a feat of strength you weren’t aware he was capable of, he wrapped his arms around you and lifted you, tossing you further onto the bed. You gasped, catching yourself on your elbows as he joined you, making quick work of the button and zipper of your shorts. With a swift tug, he’d pulled them down to your ankles and, with your help, they joined the rest of your clothes on the floor.

Suddenly aware of the disparity between yours and Jisung’s clothing, you sat up, hands grabbing at the hem of his shirt so you could bunch it up under his arms. “Off,” you demanded, and he quickly complied, tugging it over his head.

Before you could say another word or pull at his shorts, he slipped back down your body, his lips trailing wet warmth down your torso. The moment he reached the waistband of your underwear, he paused, gazing up at you through his lashes. “You’re sure about this?”

For the first time that night, he seemed unsure. His doe eyes were wide and open, an honesty behind them that the two of you didn’t usually share. It made your stomach twist and your heart skip a beat, and you nodded.

“I thought you had something to prove,” you muttered in an attempt to ignore the tangle of feelings in your chest, tugging him down toward your core.

He grinned, pressing a kiss to your clothed heat before tugging your panties off. The moment they were gone, he was back between your legs, licking a fat stripe up over your folds before his lips attached themselves to your clit. You whined, high-pitched and heady, and he smirked up at you, pressing a kiss to your clit. “Like that, huh?”

Your jaw clenched and you sighed heavily through your nose, your grip in his hair tightening until he winced. “Han Jisung, I swear if you don’t… Just shut up and fuck me or put your mouth to better use.”

“Your wish is my command,” he muttered as he pushed himself back up your body, your lips meeting again in a messy kiss.

He pulled back before you did, wincing again as you tried to tug him back to you, both of you fumbling with his jeans. “Gotta let me up, baby,” he murmured between kisses. He was clinging just as desperately as you were, his lips barely parting from your own. “Condoms are in my desk.”

You huffed, annoyed, and flopped back against the mattress, releasing his scalp from your death grip. The sound pulled a quiet chuckle from him as he stood, finally unbuttoning his pants and darting across the small room to his desk drawer. He shucked both his pants and boxers to the floor as he made his way back, and it was everything you could do not to gawk, open-mouthed, at how unbelievably pretty he was. The arms you’d noticed earlier were only the beginning, apparently—his toned stomach and legs matching them perfectly in a stunning contrast to his round face. Fuck, even his cock was pretty, flushed and leaking as he rolled the condom over it. The last shred of your pride was the only thing keeping you from begging to wrap your lips around him first.

“Like what you see?” He broke the silence, and the self-satisfied look on his face told you he had most definitely caught you staring.

“Keep running your mouth and I’ll leave you like this.”

The panic-stricken look that flashed in his eyes had you biting back laughter, but it was quickly replaced by something darker as he caught the grin on your face. He glared at you as he settled between your legs again, ducking down once more to suck hard on your clit.

“J-Jisung!” you gasped, hand snapping down to card into his hair again. The tight circles his tongue drew over the little bundle of nerves had pleasure rocketing up your spine, your entire body tensing with the sudden onslaught. As suddenly as that had begun, the stimulation shifted, his tongue darting between your folds to taste you, and you whined out his name once more. He groaned against you, giving your clit another harsh suck—one that nearly brought you over the edge—before he sat back on his heels again.

“Fuck, I love it when you moan my name,” he sighed, caging you in below him as he lined himself up with your entrance. “It sounds a lot prettier than all those nasty, empty threats.”

“Han,” you sighed, hips rolling toward his own.

He frowned disapprovingly and shifted his hips back, the hand that had been guiding his cock now pressing your hips into the mattress. “Not like that, sweetheart, c’mon. Say it right.”

“Didn’t I just tell you to quit talking?” you huffed, grabbing at his hips.

“Or put my mouth to better use, and I think at least one of those requests has been fulfilled.”

The grin on his face was wide and you were once again hit with the urge to wipe it off his face. The surge of rage lasted only a moment, though, before he was teasing at your hole again and your breath caught in your throat. You melted under him, hand sliding up from his hips to grip at his shoulders.

“Jisung,” you breathed, hips rolling forward again.

This time, you saw his shaky inhale as he did the same, quiet, broken sounds leaving you both as he finally filled you. He swallowed thickly, head tucking into your neck to pepper light kisses against your skin as he bottomed out, giving you both time to adjust. He was bigger than you’d expected, just thick enough to provide a pleasant stretch. You hummed, eyes slipping shut, and ground your hips against his.

“You have something to prove, don’t you, pretty boy?” You muttered against the shell of his ear, and you felt his shoulders shake with the chuckle that left him. “Fuck me like you hate me, Han Jisung.”

He propped himself up as his hips rolled back, the hand not bracing him wrapping around your back to lift your hips from the mattress. As his lips twitched up into a smirk, he slammed back into you, settling immediately into a ruthless pace. You managed to choke back the shout that left you halfway through it, nails sinking into his back as your jaw dropped open. Strained, needy sounds were punched out of you with every snap of his hips, matched by his own pants and groans as you scratched down his back.

“This what you wanted?” he ground out, eyes narrowing when you gave no response. “Wanted me to—to fuck you stupid? Can’t even—mmph!”

You cut him off with your lips, swallowing his next deep groan and muffling your own squeak as he picked up his pace. The kiss devolved quickly into little more than sharing air, your bodies pressed tightly together as you chased your highs. One of your hands shifted from his shoulder, snaking between the two of you to rub at your cli and Jisung shifted as you did, pausing his rhythm to sit back on his heels and drag you with him. When he resumed his pace, the new angle had you crying out, your free hand fisting into the sheets and your eyes rolling back in your head. Distantly, you thought you heard him huff a laugh, but you were too far gone to care.

You were falling over the peak of your pleasure in moments, his name falling from your lips one last time. The sight of you alone, skin sweat-slicked and back arched in pleasure, was enough to bring Jisung to the edge of his own orgasm, and the sound of your voice sent him careening over it. He pulled your hips flush with his own and let his head fall back, basking in the feeling of your walls pulsing around him as he spilled into the condom. Both of you stilled, your eyes closed and only the sound of your shaky breathing filling the room as the weight of reality prodded at the edges of your foggy mind. You could stay suspended in this little fantasy for a moment longer, you decided.

Or, you would have, if not for the rapping at the door. You and Jisung shared a look of panic and scrambled apart, both grabbing for the top blanket on his bed as the door cracked open. Your stomach sank as Felix’s voice met your ears, his blue head of hair peeking around the corner.

“It’s almost midnight, dude, what are you—oh!”

You locked eyes with your best friend before you could pull the covers over your head, and heat immediately rushed to your face. Slowly, you sank underneath them anyway, unwilling to meet his gaze any longer.

He snapped back around it nearly immediately, pressing his back to the door as he finished. “Uh, nevermind! Midnight is soon, we had that, uh… thing planned, but… I’m gonna head back down, you two have fun!”

As the door snapped shut behind him, the silence that fell over you and Jisung felt heavy, and you just as slowly crept out from under the blankets. Meeting his eyes, you saw the same confusion you felt reflected in his stare. His eyes flickered rapidly over your face as he gnawed at his lower lip, searching for something, though you had no idea what.

“Still hate me?” He muttered, nearly immediately moving to discard the condom, busying himself to avoid meeting your gaze.

Your voice was shaky, the heat absent from it as you replied, “Vehemently.”

TAGLISTS: permanent [open]: @justhere4kpop @tastymintchocolate @soul-jae @ad0rechuu @seonghwaddict skz [open]: @marcillfll @tattywood @loving-strawberry special: @bluehwale-main @jaehunnyy strikethrough means i cannot tag you properly. send an ask to join!

banners & dividers, as usual, from the lovely @cafekitsune

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soobnny · 4 months

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SOOBNNY WRAPPED 2023

ok this is me copying @sunboki bc this idea is ltrly so cute so here i am making my own version too !! so credits to august :]

— in 2023, i wrote 51 total works, 27 fics and 24 headcanons with a total of 110k words

TOP 3 MEMBERS

lee know, han jisung, and kim seungmin are tied with 6 works each

TOP 10 WORKS

(01) ten things bang chan says when he thinks you’re asleep — headcanon (5,747 notes)

(02) kiss me — lee know fic (4,535 notes)

(03) one more month — bang chan fic (3,929 notes)

(04) their reaction to you falling asleep on them and telling them you love them for the first time — headcanon (3,920 notes)

(05) ten things lee know says when he thinks you’re asleep — headcanon (3,679 notes)

(06) ten things lee felix says when he thinks you’re asleep — headcanon (2,866 notes)

(07) ten things kim seungmin says when he thinks you’re asleep — headcanon (2,812 notes)

(08) heeseung classmates au — headcanon (2,484 notes)

(09) another year with you — lee know fic (2,077 notes)

(10) ten things hwang hyunjin says when he thinks you’re asleep — headcanon (1,948)

bang chan dominated the top 10 with 2 entries at 1st and 3rd position (these are my only 2 works for chan in 2023)

lee know has most placements with 4 entries

5/8 out of the “ten things skz says when he thinks you’re asleep” made the list

READER FAVORITE — eighteen (seungmin long fic)

note. 2023 has been such a wonderful year of writing and it also marks the year i started writing for skz! looking forward to finding time in the future to write more. thank you sm to all of u for reading in the first place :) i will continuously try to improve

#.soobnny wrapped 2023

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halesandy · 10 months

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Ana’s Fic Recommendations - 2023

Hello! It’s me… again!

It became a nice tradition to post a list of fic recs on my birthday, so here I am, with a new portion of reading I did and loved since my last list which was made in April.

Enjoy :) And don’t forget to give your love and support to all those wonderful people who gave us these masterpieces <3

Please forgive me if I put smth I already recommended before in here, lol. It’s either I forgot oooor (what’s more likely) I love it sm that I wanted to include it again!

Please note that most of these might be rated 18+, so read the authors’ notes carefully!

BTS

🟣 breakfast in bed by @borathae, taehyung

🟣 flirt buddies by @jimilter, jimin

🟣 7 hours by @hamsterclaw, taehyung

🟣 tolerate it by @archivedkookie, taehyung

🟣 combined creatures by @numinousher

🟣 isn't it romantic? by @jeonqkooks, yoongi

🟣 sorry to tell you this by @writerforkpop, taehyung

🟣 lover to lean on by @sketchguk, jimin

🟣 love me or we both go down by @gukyi, taehyung

STRAY KIDS

🟢 moments by @ccawz, ot8

🟢 mafia au with minho by @leviackermanscleaningbuddy

🟢 not for sale by @thevampywolf

🟢 before you fall by @whatsk-poppinhomies, felix

🟢 pink stains by @suengmi, changbin

🟢 home by @jisungsdaydreamer, jisung

🟢 a memory held forever by @soobnny, hyunjin

🟢 who would've thought i'd get you by @in2heartz, minho

🟢 stray kids like cliché romance tropes by @luvtak, ot8

ATEEZ

🔵 crazy for you by @cosmicdumpling, wooyoung

🔵 married in vegas series by @starrysvn

🔵 in the quiet spaces by @honeyhotteoks, san

🔵 word vomit by @writing-my-life-away, yunho

🔵 stranger by @mlngl

🔵 you're the one that i want by @ateezmakemeweep, seonghwa

🔵 let's not fall in love, again by @baekhvuns, seonghwa

🔵 always him by @imagine-a-life-like-this, hongjoong, yeosang

#bts fic recs #ateez dic recs #stray kids fic recs #bts x reader #ateez x reader #stray kids x reader #ana's fic recs

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yessa-vie · 5 months

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fic recs list (completed) P. I ❣

→ IMPORTANT. the list is divided between completed (P. 01 || P. 02) and on going, most of them are Stray Kids because there's a considerable amount of those and most of them are smau.

→ TBR LIST ❣

→ LAST UPDATE. 29.12.2023 (dd/mm/yyyy)

LIST BELLOW THE CUT!

PART 01 | PART 02.

→ SYMBOLS. [♥] favorites || [⌨] smau || [✎] written ||[✉] smau with written parts ||[★] MDNI (reader's discretion is advised, sensitive and suggestive topics, not only smut)||[❄] new ones||

COMPLETE ❣

→ ONLY FOOLS FALL FOR YOU. (@hyunjinspark ) [♥][★][✉]

- Hwang Hyunjin. - smau with written parts. uni au. enemies to lovers. slow burn. idiots in love (at one point they become this in my personal opinion). - 70 chapters. - this is the story that got me back for good with fanfics, i swear, Jade is such an amazing writer i can't even start to contemplate everything. i would LITERALLY read her grocery shopping list if she allowes me too and i would thank her for it.

→ MY SUNSHINE. (@staysuki) [♥][★][✉]

- Lee Minho. - smau with two written parts. sunshine x "grumpy" (slightly tsundere). uni au. - 15 chapters + bonus. - literally one of my comfort reads, not even a joke. this story is just so... idek where to begin, but I just adore this story.

→ HAPPY DEATH DAY. (@staysuki) [♥][✉]

- Lee Felix Yongbok. - smau with written parts. friends to enemies to friends to lovers. slow burn. themes treated here may be triggering to some readers. - 41 chapters + bonus. - this was my first Felix fanfic and i absolutely LOVE IT! the whole thing was incredible, like i loved his character in Sweet Like Candy, having his spin off and being THIS GOOD? wow, it was just amazing!

→ SWEET LIKE CANDY. (@staysuki) [✉]

- Hwang Hyunjin. - smau with written parts. enemies to friends to lovers. - 70 chapters + bonus.

→ MY STRANGE ADDICTION. (@j-onedrabbles) [♥][★][✉]

- Lee Minho. - smau with written parts. uni au. mature themes and scenes. kinda strangers to lovers. - 27 chapters.

→ WHAT IS LOVE?. (@juyeonszn) [♥][✉]

- Lee Juyeon. - sm au and uni au. idiots in love (mostly juyeon). pure fluff with a tip of angst. - 35 chapters. - this was my first Juyeon fanfic and it's so so cute! the whole idea was incredible! the way she managed the situation was so cute and adorable, truly one of the cutest stories i've read so far.

→ IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. (@staysuki) [⌨]

- Yang Jeongin. - 11 chapters.

→ CAN THE WORLD JUST END ALREADY?. (@staysuki) [♥] [✉]

↪ season 02 of "IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD".

- Yang Jeongin. - 21 chapters + bonus.

→ SUGAR AND SPICE. (@imagine-a-life-like-this) [♥][★][✉]

- Lee Minho. - 37 chapters. - one of the first Minho ones that I read and I completely loved it, I can't even begin to explain tbh, I just adore this story so much.

→ VENUS BROUGHT ME RIGHT TO YOU. (@gnabnahc-143) [✎]

- Hwang Hyunjin. - imagine, wc: 3,1k.

→ TIME OF LOVE. (@desayunho). [♥][★][✉]

- Choi San + Jung Wooyoung. - 48 chapters + bonus.

→ ISN'T IT DELICATE?. (@writing-skz) [⌨]

- Lee Minho. - 35 chapters + bonus.

→ LOVE FOOL. (@desayunho) [♥][⌨]

- Jeong Yunho. - 32 chapters.

→ HELLO STRANGER. (@mintquokka) [♥][✉]

- Lee Minho. - 40 chapters + bonus.

→ IGNOMINY. (@songmingisthighs) [♥][★][✉]

- Choi San. - 95 chapters.

→ I THINK YOU KNOW. (@ladylexis) [♥][✎]

- Lee Minho. - imagine, wc: 3,6k. - one of the best "bestfriend's brother" tropes i've ever read, that's it, hands down.

→ I WISH YOU WOULD. (@hyunniesgirl) [♥][✎]

- Hwang Hyunjin. - imagine, wc: 5,120. - and yet again another HP X SKZ cross over and I loved every second of it! i need more, i need a whole fanfic about it, idc how long it takes, i need it.

→ CRUSH CULTURE. (@1-800-hyunlix) [♥][⌨]

- Hwang Hyunjin. - 45 chapters.

→ SERENDIPITY. (@staytinys) [♥][⌨]

- Choi San. - 28 chapters.

→ OF ALL THINGS GOOD AND EVIL. (@staysuki) [♥][✉]

- ?? SKZ. - 20 chapters. - i'm a sucker for fantasy and this is another top tier one.

→ ALL I KNOW IS YOUR NAME. (@imagine-a-life-like-this) [♥][✉]

- Hwang Hyunjin. - 32 chapters + bonus (and alter ending).

→ UNTITLED??. (@atinycafe) [♥][✎]

- Choi San. - imagine, wc: ??.

→ EPIC HIGHS AND LOWS OF JYP UNIVERSITY. (@staysuki) [✉]

- OT8! Stray Kids. - 57 chapters in total (so far).

↪ SEASON 01.

- 26 chapters.

↪ SEASON 02.

- 31 chapters.

→ THE BOY IS BAD NEWS. (@milkandhyunnie) [✉]

- Hwang Hyunjin. - 42 chapters + bonus.

→ BUY ME A DRINK FIRST. (@tr0p1cal) [✉]

- Seo Changbin. - 28 chapters. - this is my official first Changbin fanfic i read and i'm so excited, it was so cute over all, i loved how she did the whole thing happen and i'm honestly so excited for the whole stars series, you have no idea!

→ WHAT'S YOUR SINE?. (@jeonginssa) [⌨]

- Lee Minho. - 10 chapters. (has ONE written chapter tho)

→ TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. (@ahgastae) [⌨]

- Hwang Hyunijn. - 44 chapters + bonus.

→ THE JOURNAL. (@theright-sideofme) [⌨]

- Lee Minho. - 25 chapters.

→ STRAWBERRIES. (@tasteleeknow) [★][✎]

- Lee Minho + Han Jisung. - imagine, wc: 5k.

→ COLLATERAL DAMAGE. (@dalamjisung) [✉]

- Hwang Hyunjin. - 16 chapters.

→ THE VIEW. (@luvrhyune) [⌨]

- Hwang Hyunjin. - 14 chapters.

→ PROTECTION. (@bambikisss) [★][✎]

- Choi San. - imagine, wc: ?.

→ JUST SAY IT (THAT GIRL IS MINE). (@haechanhues) [♥][✉]

- Lee Minho. - 50 chapters.

→ PARTY OF THREE. (@cybrsan) [♥][★][✎]

- Choi San + Jung Wooyoung. - imagine, wc: 5,3k.

→ LOVE PLAYLIST. (@juyoens) [♥][⌨]

- Lee Hyunjae. - 14 chapters.

→ LOVE RISK. (@feelbokkie) [♥][✉]

- Hwang Hyunjin. - 20 chapters + bonus. - i saw she says this is her least favorite child and i understand, but yet i loved this story so much! it was the first one that i read and then i just entered the rabit whole that is enjoying @feelbokkie writing, so yeah, i'm eagerly waiting for the sequeal btw.

→ SUNDAY'S PARADIGM. (@sunboki) [♥][✎]

- Hwang Hyunjin. - imagine, wc: 2,6k.

→ STAR-CROSSED ENEMIES. (@mingiswow) [⌨]

- Seo Changbin + Hwang Hyunjin. - 40 chapter.

→ GOODNIGHT N GO. (@cosmic-railwayxo) [♥][✎]

- Hwang Hyunjin. - 03 chapters. - this story. THIS FUCKING STORY. it broke me and healed me and idek anymore. i loved every second of all three chapters. this story is so good it hurts!

#fic recs #ateez recs #ateez fic recs #skz recs #stray kids recs #skz fic recs #stray kids fic recs #tbz recs #kpop recs #kpop fic recs #yv.recs

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collisvng · 6 months

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CHAPTER 1 | BADASS BALLERINAS

THE END ZONE 🏈🩰✨

Pairing 🤎 Seo Changbin x Fem! Reader︎

Genre 🤎 SMAU, University/College AU, Ballett/Football AU, Fluff, Angst, Crack—all of that good shit lol︎

Synopsis 🤎 By recommendation of his coach, Changbin decides to take a ballet class in order to improve his agility and coordination on the field. It seems like a harmless and fun activity at first. But what happens when his ballet partner starts to make him choose between the two?

Warnings 🤎 Swearing, brief mentions of food, alluding to weight insecurities, and Han being weak as fuck (lol)

Taglist 🤎 Open!︎ ✨

Word Count 🤎 3,254 + 7 sm screenshots!

In Collaboration With 🤎 @channie-143

✨️MASTERLIST✨️

WHEN YOU ARRIVED AT THE DANCE HALL...

Minho was already at the barre. He was observing himself in the mirror, making sure each warm-up he did was fluid as he gripped the handrail to help steady himself. Plies, tendus, and degages expelled themselves from his body in the most graceful yet precise movements.

He spared you a glance as you walked in—setting your bag and water bottle down near the entrance before you made your way across the floor. When your eyes met, you both acted estranged and looked away.

“You know for someone who hates mornings, you really do make the effort to be the first here.”

“I could say the same about you,” Minho stated as he brought himself into first position once again. “Although you always seem to get here after me. You must like being in second place.”

“Can’t be second place when I’m the class favorite,” you said, finally turning to face him. “Cute of you to think otherwise though.”

“Since when was this?”

“Since last semester when the instructor literally told me I was her favorite.”

“Hm,” he pursed his lips to the side. “I don’t recall that ever happening. And you don’t really have any proof either, sooo…”

His eyes never met yours and you smirked.

It was always like this between you two. Since the day the two of you became friends, your constant bickering is what brought you closer. From class, to practice, to studying together… there was never peace. Everything was like a challenge, and you both loved it. It made it even more fun when the both of you broke character.

You sighed, walking away to the middle of the floor.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Lino.”

Minho stared ahead—unresponsive. But the moment he wasn’t within your sight, a small smile tugged at his lips.

He finally decided to face you when your body slowly descended to the floor.

“Not joining me at the barre for once?” he asked, and you shook your head.

“My lower back’s been killing me,” you groaned as you stuck both your legs out in front of you. With your arms reached out in the center of them, you practically clawed your upper body forward until your stomach touched the ground. The extension gave you a sense of relief. “It’s gonna be floor stretches for right now until the teacher comes, if I’m honest.”

A quick nod of approval was given to you before a playful, “good girl” left Minho’s lips. The word EW! left your mouth so quickly that it almost sounded like you were hearing yourself say it in the third person.

But you weren’t, because the voice you actually heard in third person was Hyunjin’s as he entered the dance hall with Felix.

“Can you not say stuff like that?” he glared at Minho, sitting down next to you. “You don’t have to flirt with everyone.”

A tiny laugh escaped your lips as you half-sat up, taking in the sight of Hyunjin and all its glory. White T-shirt disheveled as one side hung off his left shoulder, black tights hugging his legs, and messy black hair pulled partially into a small ponytail—you knew his tired look all too well. His eyes were barely open, and he had a slight grimace on his face.

“Good morning to you too, sleeping beauty,” you teased as you tousled his hair. “Felix must have had fun waking you up.”

“Oh, it was hell!” Felix’s voice echoed through the room. He set his bag next to yours, desperately rummaging through it to find something. You observed his outfit change into a white shirt and black tights, much like Hyunjin and Minho, suspecting that he must have switched out of his comfy clothes before making his way to class. “I literally had to recruit Seungmin to help me wake him up. Which, by the way, was the worst choice ever. He almost had me pay him five dollars in order to get him into Hyunjin’s room when I couldn’t get him up.”

He waddled his way over to you and Hyunjin, joining you both on the floor. He was holding a small, blue plastic container that was faintly see-through enough to see the brownies that were within it.

“Now eat!” He stated, opening the lid to the container and practically sticking it under you and Hyunjin’s noses. “Because I know for a FACT neither of you have. And hurry up, I don’t want the instructor to yell at us for eating in the dance room again.”

As Hyunjin happily pulled a brownie out of the container and ate it, Felix ripped a piece off one and held it out to feed it to you while you were mid-stretch. You giggled a bit, leaning forward to take a bite but not fully being able to take the whole piece from his hand. He grinned from ear to ear, putting the rest of the small chunk you left behind in his mouth.

He repeated the action; feeding you and eating the rest over and over. Eventually, even Minho took a piece of your roommate's chocolate masterpiece, saying his thanks to the “brownie boy” and giving Felix a short-lived head pat. It was all so soft and wholesome, it made you feel thankful.

You couldn’t imagine a better way to start the day than beside these three dorks who made you the happiest in the world.

Eventually, the dance hall began to fill up as it got closer to class time. You all made your way to your respective places at the barre, and Felix managed to sneak his tupperware back into his bag before the teacher arrived and could tell him to put it away.

You gave a little wave to the boys from across the room while you stood next to Minho. As Hyunjin gave you a little salute and Felix waved back, you caught a glimpse of the class’s golden boy.

Alongside you and Lino, a guy by the name of Choi Yeonjun was known as the best dancer in class. He was precise, like Minho, but also had the agility of a feline and the determination of a bulldog. Everything he did was perfect, and if it wasn't he would have to find a way to fix it and make it perfect.

It’s what made him such a great dance partner, which you would know since he was yours last semester. You were quite sad when your instructor broke you two apart this year, explaining that both your talents could be put to good use helping others in the class who needed a “bit of work” with their dancing.

There was also an odd number of people in the class since someone never showed up on the first day of instruction; causing the teacher to practically plead to Yeonjun about the possibility of rotating between two partners—which he happily agreed to.

Thus why Yeonjun stood at the other end of the room sandwiched between two girls, while your partner—

“I’m not late. I’m not late. I’m not late. I’m late— I mean I’m not— FUCK!” Han’s voice suddenly echoed in the distance as you heard the harsh sound of footsteps approaching. Words rambled out of our best friend's mouth as he pushed through the double doors of the dance hall gripping onto the penny board in his hand for dear life. “I am one hundred percent on time and totally did not accidentally hit like three people on my way over here!”

He put his bag next to yours and Felix’s before resting his board against the wall. He accidentally leaned it the wrong way though, wheels sliding down against the plastered wall causing the end of the board to slam into his ankle. He let out a small yelp then grumbled a swear as he flipped the skateboard over and placed it down correctly with the wheels pointed outward.

The class laughed at the ordeal, while you.. Well, let’s just say you’ve seen him do worse.

When he finally walked over in your direction, you sighed.

“A whole minute before class started,” you remarked. “Proud of you.”

Jisung rolled his eyes as he moved to stand behind you. “I told you I was gonna try to not be late anymore. I keep my promises, bitch.”

The teacher walked past, glaring at him as the swear left his lips. His deep brown eyes widened in fright, immediately bowing as he stammered out apology after apology. The instructor chuckled a bit and patted Han on the shoulder.

“Glad you could join us on time today, Jisung,” she teased.

You’ve never seen Han calm down so fast.

*•.¸♡¸.•*

The class went along like normal.

After basic warm-ups and barre training, the class shifted over— moving onto centre work, then across-the-floor exercises.

Eventually, the teacher clapped her hands together and instructed everyone to get into their assigned pairs. You and Jisung eyed one another deucedly, slowly approaching each other until your nose was about eye level with his chin.

“You gonna drop me again?” You mumbled a bit sternly.

Jisung scoffed, a nervous eye roll followed. “Wouldn’t dream about it, princess.”

There was a bit of tension between the two of you, friendly and understanding but still there. With a raise of your brown, Han then slowly made his way around you, placing a hand on your waist as you prepared to lift yourself onto tip-toes.

Par de Deux was one of your favorite types of dance. It was one of the reasons you even decided to become a dance major, in fact. Most partnered dances in ballet were often symbolic of romantical stories or inherent partnerships of love. The women seeming light as a feather as the men danced with them through their acts of enamored virtue. Holding them up as if they were an ethereal cloud to be held.

Feeling a person’s weight and properly handling it was an essential part of Par de Deux. You were responsible for holding your placement. That is your job. Your partner is the one responsible for keeping you on your legs, making you look controlled and winsome— holding you in place, lifting you, and caressing your body like a beautiful flower.

Seeing something so beautiful became so intriguing, you trained to go on Pointe just to one day finally have a dance partner worthy of that partnership. Someone who could make you feel as light as a feather.

You had only experienced this euphoria with two people so far. Once with Minho when you both practiced together a year or two back and once with Yeonjun. Both men, despite their smaller frame, were actually quite strong and full of unswerving confidence. But you could never be Minho’s partner though; the two of you bickered too much and were way too competitive with one another.

That's why you missed having Yeonjun as a partner. In your head, you were his feather.

And as much as you loved Han… He wasn’t necessarily the strongest.

Thus why after a few balancing exercises, when the instructor tested the waters and asked pairs to attempt a simple turn-around lift, you weren’t surprised when Jisung let go of you halfway through the turn.

You fell to the ground briefly as Han panicked and scrambled to pick you up. He managed to get you back on your feet in record time, but not fast enough for the teacher to not notice.

The music abruptly ended and the room fell silent. The loud sound of the instructor’s heels reverberated through the room hauntingly as she made her way over to where you and Jisung stood. Han’s eyes were facing the floor, his hands still on your waist as you stood flat-footed once again, cringing at the very thought of what was going to happen next.

When the teacher gave a disappointed sigh, you could feel Han’s grip on you tighten slightly.

“What am I going to do with you?” Her words came out more concerned than annoyed, which you were grateful for. “I thought pairing you with Y/N would be for the better, but I’m proven wrong each time I look over and spot her on the floor.”

No words came out of Han’s mouth as he stood there semi-ashamed. His eyes looked up briefly, pupils dilated with puppy-like sadness. He opened his mouth to say something—probably to apologize profusely—but was cut off by the sound of the dance hall door opening and closing.

Everyone’s heads snapped immediately in the direction of the sound, yours included.

At the entrance stood a man holding a piece of paper folded in half in one hand, while the other gripped the handles of a duffle bag that was slung around his shoulders. He wore a fitted black T-shirt paired with black joggers and black-framed glasses to match his ensemble. His shirt hugged his broad shoulders along with his chest—something you couldn’t quite take your eyes off of.

He was cute, and buff, and awkward… an adorable combo.

When the teacher greeted him and asked him why he had barged in unannounced, his hold on the paper faltered.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to… um…” He took a deep breath, holding the paper out in front of him. “I was just told to bring this referral to you. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”

“A referral, hm?” The instructor said, looking over the paper that had been handed to her.

The boy nodded.

“Coach Park said I needed a bit more cross-training to help balance out some things I need to improve on when it comes to the field. A friend of mine told me you had a spot open, so I went to the admin to get a referral for an add code,” he paused. “You know, if the spot is still open.”

“Coach Park? So you’re on the football team?”

“Yes ma’am.”

The teacher’s eyes hovered over him, then over to where you and Han stood. You could practically see the gears turning in her head.

“Han,” the teacher spoke, “go stand in the corner.”

Jisung’s eyes widened as a small, sad pout formed on his face.

“What?”

“You… Stand in the corner next to Regina… Now, please.”

Big boba pearls frosted over with sadness and confusion met your own eyes as Han complied with the teacher's instructions. He walked over to where Yeonjun stood, giving a small apology as he stood next to one of his partners. The guy in the doorway stood there awkwardly as he watched the whole ordeal.

Wasn’t long before he was picked on as well, though.

When the instructor’s gaze landed on the stocky boy once again, she gave a simple statement asking him to stand next to you. As he did, you realized he wasn’t much taller than you. Not quite your height, not really as tall as Jisung was, but somewhere in between.

“Now pick her up.”

The words spewed out of the teacher's mouth without any hesitation.

A quick nod from the boy, followed by hands hovering around your waist ensued. You could feel the slight warmth from his breath against your neck as he stood behind you contemplating what to do next.

“Can I… Um…” his voice trailed off. “I mean, are you okay with me touching you?”

The sincerity of the question took you by surprise, bringing a bit of blush to your face as you bobbed your head in approval.

Within seconds you were picked up and lifted off your feet with ease. You remained stagnant in the air for a beat or two, feet high enough from the ground that you could almost kick them back and forth, before being placed back down. The fact that he was able to lift you without even so much as a second thought shocked and flustered you to the point of no return.

You could feel the heat rising to your cheeks when you glanced over to see Felix and Hyunjin snickering in their spots about your demeanor. You made sure to keep note of that for later.

It seemed that ordeal was enough for your instructor, as she agreed to let the man join your class as long as he agreed to be your new dance partner. Obviously, he said yes.

You could hear Han pout a bit in his little corner, whom of which you mouthed the words ‘sorry’ and ‘I love you’ to and got a sad smile in return.

Class promptly ended soon after that.

As you, Minho, Hyunjin, and Han all grabbed your things, it became very obvious someone from your group was missing.

There he was, Mr. Lee Yongbook, giddily standing with Yeonjun as they both waited for the mystery man to get his add code. You had never seen either of them interact with the dude before, but when he went over and gave them both a hug it was obvious they were more than just acquaintances.

When his little welcome party dispersed, you decided to finally make your way over to your new soon-to-be dance partner and properly introduce yourself.

All that came out of you though was a cringe-worthy wave and an awkward, “Hi.”

A big smile appeared on his face as he shifted from one foot to the other. Like before, you recognized he wasn’t much taller than you. But the inch difference matched with his muscles made it very easy for you to feel small.

“Hi,” he beamed, “so I guess you and I are partners now.”

“Yep,” you responded before promptly pointing in the direction behind you. “And.. you know Felix?”

“Yeah. He’s best friends with one of my close friends. Plus he’s the mascot so everyone on the team kinda knows him.”

“Right… Right.”

“Yeah.”

“Cool, cool.”

“My name’s Changbin, by the way.”

He held out a hand for you to shake and you took it. After a moment or two, you both realized you had been holding hands for a little too long and let go. A laugh was shared in unison, as the strange tension that was created between the both of you lingered a bit. It was uncomfortable, but not in any way you had ever really felt before.

It was exciting? … Maybe?

After agreeing to meet up over the next few days to help Changbin catch up on some things he missed in the class, he grabbed his duffel bag and headed off. You let him know how serious dance was for you, which he understood. He explained how he would typically have football practice right after ballet class was over, but promised he would always try to randevu before leaving. You thanked him for his reassurance.

You watched him exit through the dance hall entrance and simply stood there in an unwavering daze as you stared at his back muscles, remembering the events from earlier. He picked you up like it was nothing. He was polite. And, now that you had seen him face to face, he was actually pretty cute.

Perhaps you finally found someone who could make you feel like a feather after all.

DING!

Thanks to the abrupt texts Seungmin sent to your group chat, you finally snapped out of it.

Seungmin: bitches. Seungmin: in n out. now. Seungmin: advice column kicking my ass. Seungmin: need fuel. Seungmin: hang out with me.

“Oh so now he wants to love us,” Han pouted as he stared at his screen.