Um, hellooo! I saw you up requests and I wanted to give a try but feel free to reject this. May I ask for a reader who isekai'd in the way to protect the female lead's older brother long before roxana was born. The reader mother is a nanny(do they allow that?? idk) of lante when he was younger so reader and him sorta grew up together. And then when he became the head, he had the reader became his kids nanny/caretaker and as one of his righthand. Pls and ty!
ᴍᴇᴇɴᴀ ɴᴏᴛᴇs : hiii darling! no clue what lante's background was other than he overruled his father so this is my speculation of it. i may or may have not gotten carried away by the reader's backstory that i may or may have not create another post for it 👀 also this somehow became an alternate universe somewhere around the end oops -
part two is here
𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐊𝐀𝐈'𝐃!𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐘!𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑
❥ so you isekai'd in the way to protect the female lead's older brother's world long before the story started? congratulations! and you even became the daughter of the female lead's father nanny? good luck trying to survive.
❥ somehow, you managed to survive up to your late twenties as LANTE AGRICHE trusted servant and closest confidante. which was shocking, to say the least. but you know deep down, he held some sort of genuine affection for your mother since his mother passed away.
❥ and you two had grown up together despite being in different worlds from each other. even after your mother's death, he kept you around as he killed his father and took the position of the head of agriche. even as he changed for the worse, you remained by his side.
❥ whether it was out of obligation or sincerity, you no longer knew why you stayed beside him. but you know why he wanted you. after all, your mother made her mark on him and so did you. people found it odd that he didn't try to marry you just to keep you by his side since it was more effective. but you both knew better than that.
❥ it was the consequences of your actions, you thought to yourself, as he burned your marriage requests in the fireplace. anything that allowed relationships beyond his family, his household, and especially himself was an absolute no. but that's fine. who needs friendship and love anyway?
❥ besides, as he began to collect his wives and mistresses ( much to your disdain ), you knew the story was gonna start soon. and despite knowing the end for this household, you still wanted to change a few things. and what better way to start as lante made you the official nanny of his children.
❥ FONTAINE was an eight-year-old child when you first met him. to make his father proud. at first, he wasn't quite fond of you as you took most of his father's time but eventually, he liked the maternal affection you gave to him. he felt entitled to have your time. in return, you made sure he kept at least some of his morals growing up. you unfortunately weren't able to stop the rebelliousness growing in him and could only hope he would make wise decisions. ( yes, you made sure to tell him the deficits of incestuous relationships and frightened him enough that he would see his female siblings as competition which is progress at least. )
❥ GRIZELDA was only a toddler when she first approached you about a book you were reading during your time off. you knew she was the only agriche to have magic so the pressure on her was high. when all was against her, you were right by her side to hold her steady. that and you two had bonded over books together. as she was young, it was you who tucked her into bed and told her stories and tales you knew from your past life and current. even as she grew older, she loved hearing interesting stories that came from you. you always made time for her even when you were busy with taking care of lante's work and the children. always reminding you to take care of yourself as well.
❥ ASHIL was only a year old when you met him. sierra was a wonderful and sane woman so you often visited her. ashil reminded you of a golden retriever and you became fond of him instantly. he always asked for your help and was ready to help you if you had any problems. the day you knew ashil failed the exam, you beg to lante to give spare ashil so you may take him as your own. because of your shared past, he reluctantly did so. it was the only way for him to live safely even if it meant taking him from his mother and sister. though the mother-sister duo thanked you profusely. especially as ashil pledged to protect you along with those he considered as his family. even as he grew stronger and older, he kept true to himself.
❥ DION was also a baby when you first carried him in your arms after maria's birth. while she complained about the baby's looks and disappointment, you saw another baby to love and cherish. lante and maria's parenting only got worse so you took matters in your hands and had him stay with you and ashil. he was quite a curious and mischievous boy, always finding trouble to drag his older brother with him. luckily, ashil had infinite patience as an elder sibling and always pulled back dion when necessary. it was also rather cute to see dion and roxana fight over who gets more ashil and your time. the older dion grew, he began to resemble more of his father which worried you. but when he smiled that playful smile at you and his close siblings, the anxiety vanished as you returned the smile.
❥ ROXANA was unsure about you when she first saw you. she hadn't remembered you being mentioned in the novel along with the evident changes. you were an unpredictable variable so she was cautious around you. it took some time but after saving ashil, she viewed you as an angel descended from the heavens to protect them. and she let you into her small circle and her heart. eventually, you told her of your past life which shocked her. so that explains everything! but she felt the comfort of another person in her situation just as she did and swore to protect you as well. despite your warnings, she still went ahead with the butterfly project knowing it could shorten her life. so you made sure to take care of her despite her pouts to relieve your, ashil, and sierra's worries. and cassis came along as the story unfold, he could see how important you were to the children of agriche. you liked to tease roxana and him often after he escaped.
❥ JEREMY was clingy and touch-starved when he first met you as a young child. he had just returned from his brutal class with a harsh wound, unable to hold back his whimpers. you found him there and gathered him into your arms to your room so that you could heal his wounds. his mother didn't even see and he watched her commit suicide with his own eyes as she refused to interact with him. since then, he has been attached to you by the hip. you were his mother. that was what he called you, openly especially since the others addressed you as either aunty or nanny. you were one of the few people who could stop jeremy from his violent tendencies with a word or a touch. he didn't want to scare his mother after all.
❥ CHARLOTTE was easily attached to you as she had a rocky relationship with her mother. you were more of her mother than her mother and she loved it when you praised her. it was a competition again between her and jeremy which gave you enough headaches as you recalled the rivalry between dion and roxana before. history had a way of repeating itself. still, like jeremy, you had a way of calming her down. with her hothead and brash personality, you helped her try to control it so she wouldn't get into any more trouble with lante and her mother. she loves it especially when you call her by her nickname 'lotte' since it was her first nickname she received.
❥ though all the agriche kids were raised as they were, you became their moral support and someone they genuinely care for. it was you who put yourself between lante and themselves when they were punished. and if you couldn't stop it, you always attended to their wounds and stayed with them for the night, as they rest on the couch. how could they not love you?
❥ even lante couldn't do anything as he found it a good reason to keep you in the agriche mansion. which was his biggest mistake. even as his top children began to plot against their father, you also went along with it as their spy. after all, lante was no longer the boy you grew up with and you had to open up your eyes. and if he had to be disposed off so that you could protect the children, so be it.
❥ after the night the agriche household fell, it was you placed the final blow on lante. and you had to witness fontaine demise from cassis's sword, though some small part of you mourned for that eight year old boy you knew long ago. and as roxana's health declined, you sent her to cassis in hopes that there was a possibility she could be healed.
❥ you were named as the matriarch of the black agriche, a title placed by the children you cared for. and quickly enough due to your past experience as lante trusted associate, you began to help raise the agriche from the ground and to a hopeful and brighter future. so you decided to burn agriche mansion to the ground and make it a new and better mansion.
❥ for a future where your children could make better memories in the new home you created for them. even as some of them stayed by your side or went on traveling around, you always made sure that they would have a home to come back to. but to them, you were their home. you accepted all of them as they are and cherished you for it. they would burn the world down if you asked them to.
2K notes
·
View notes
★ limelight | c.yj
▰ genre: fluff and angst (sorta) - there’s a lot and nothing going on at the same time
▰ word count: 4.4k
▰ synopsis: you show up to one of yeonjun’s grand parties at his grand estate and you find you’re the only one who actually showed up + yeonjun is a big softie but has a bad reputation </3
a/n: i started writing this bc i saw this interview and it got away from me… i feel like a bad person for writing this but anyways im getting worse and worse with titling these things idk what to do hhhh also i realized too late that i made him to be like gatsby and i was too lazy to fix or elaborate that i apologize for this ! this sat in my drafts for far too long and well i just wanted something published >_<
When the school year began, kicking off your first semester at this brand new university, you knew little to nothing about Choi Yeonjun and his reputation, let alone where your classes were.
From the chatter that always seemed to filter around you, no matter where you were in the campus, talk about this guy would range from little compliments to extreme accusations of things you’d never even dream of knowing.
You hadn’t planned on making friends or hanging out with said friends, so these internal affairs didn’t appeal to you. This was how your school career here was supposed to go.
Things changed when your schedule suddenly could no longer afford a certain class at a certain time, so last minute, almost two weeks in, you were thrust into an entire new class for this one elective.
Things further remixed when your professor practically forced you to partner up and form groups with those around you, much to your dissatisfaction. (You struggled to socialize, even if the matters at hand were merely for school.)
To your astonishment, Yeonjun was by far amongst the popular, or in high demand of other students wanting to partner up. You knew little about him, but it seemed even then he was a magnet for popularity. The situation just made you feel like a child again,
That day, when he and you made eye contact, you realized he was also remarkably beautiful. Tall, handsome, proportionate, pretty, bright, and surprisingly pretty funny. He had it all. He was friends with everyone. It just seemed that he was a star, the star.
Professor Kwon seemed to have had enough of these childish antics and decided to take matters into her own hands.
“Y/N,” she called, earning the eyes of other students. It seemed as though that had been the first time anyone had registered your presence. And not with open arms, might you add. “I see that you’re unfortunately running a bit behind, since you just transferred in, and that’s okay! To get you caught up and for extra help and guidance, I’d like you to partner up with Yeonjun. Yeonjun?”
If anything could be made from the way his eyes found and trained on you, you knew for a fact that Yeonjun stared.
He blinked owlishly before being met with your back once you turned away from him.
That had been the first chance meeting; class had ended before he could assume a seat beside you, the one where your backpack had been. Nonetheless, you had seemed adamant about spending as little time as possible with Yeonjun.
Life’s deck of cards did not fold in your favor.
He sat beside you everyday. Not only that, you realized that he was the type of person to reach out constantly; he initiated conversations, hangouts, discussion, complimented your nails or jewelry, even your stationary. The stark contrast between him and you left you with an odd taste in your mouth.
Weeks blurred into canvases of months, and you noticed more that he remained firm in his role to show you around campus, ensure that you were caught up, or that you were doing well, even if he would miss more questions on a test or quiz than you. It was puzzling, but a part of you welcomed it, even if you were set on not getting attached, especially to the guy that was everywhere—fashion club (in which he would model for the others quite often, for the arranged fashion shows, and if you could count how often he made you meet him there for group work, you’d be comfortably wealthy), pottery club, dance classes, culinary classes, etc.
It seemed inevitable that you’d come across him. A part of that was why you hadn’t been unable to turn down the party invitation he himself handed to you along with a humble bouquet of flowers and gift card for a cafe you had mentioned you enjoyed.
Despite the grandeur of the building before you, the bass of the music vibrating the walls, the stringlike straps of the gift bag in your hand weighing and drawing pained lines into your palm, the grip of an uncomfortably dressy outfit, you find yourself shocked at the revelation that you can’t bring yourself to leave. It would just take a few steps to perfectly turn away and start your descent. In fact, it would require an insanely less amount of effort to come down as you had come up.
Yet, the excuses that you’ve had kept in your pockets in use for lack of attendance were out. You’d lived your entire life this way, and it amazed you that even now, you were under the impression you were able to recycle the excuses that have kept you the way that you are: home-bodied, comfortable.
But at the same time, you wondered, if you were to quickly zip off into the sunset and just text him that something had come up, what exactly would you be missing?
A buzz from the elevator tethered and pulled you back down to earth. You could make a break for it, if you really wanted to. There was a cute cafe just down the street that you’d passed that seemed worth visiting; you could catch a seat in the far corner, so there wouldn’t be a chance in hell anyone could prove you were even in the area.
A tumble and click of the door’s locks whipped your head back to the now open door where you saw your beautiful classmate. The usual features jumped out to you: his height, piercings, luscious lips, that unnervingly gorgeous twinkle of the mole below his eye, and his heavy but welcoming cologne.
“Y/N,” Yeonjun called your name so cheerfully it took you by surprise. “You came.”
Now, with a change of setting, lighting, and proximity, there was more to meet your eye: he did his hair, the eyeshadow around his eyes was a brilliant idea, the subtle lines of his neck, the twitch of his now widening smile, the blush settling over the tips of his ears — since when did his Adam’s apple bob so much?
Reality settled enough now for you to see the surprising amount of illumination from behind his figure.
“Y/N,” he said again, a little weaker but still rich in enthusiasm, which made you laugh. That seemed to sober him up, too. “You came.”
There was something in his tone, in the lilt, in the almost hushed descent of volume that raised a nebulous implication. You opened your mouth to speak, but only for all words to elude you with his next statement.
“Hey, it’s like the first time seeing you in this color or something,” you looked down at your near-uncomfortable outfit with a frown itching your features.
“What makes you say that?” You asked aloud, unaware that your back was now to the closed door, and you were inside. A place that felt like what the second home of a millionaire must look like with the high ceilings, echo of your voices, and the shine of every surface possible.
He tilted his head, letting a few strands of hair fall over his brow before regaining composure.
“It really suits you. You’re really good looking,” your mouth went dry at that. Even if you could form a sentence, you weren’t sure of what to say. Who in their right mind said that so easily?
“Oh! Let me take that from you,” when he reached down to take the gift bag, your fingers jostled beside his, and it shocked you enough to shiver. “Wow, really sweet of you to have brought something.”
He said it more to himself, eyes twinkling and the apples of his cheeks so high.
As you followed and tried to keep the staring to a minimum, there was a pressing weight that wouldn’t leave you be. Even when a maid, you assumed, had helped you into a nice set of slippers (which you were going to definitely replace your other pair with), there was something off that you couldn’t quite your finger on. Not in a skin crawling way. Just something amiss, but you paid it no heed.
The music had significantly lowered from when you were at the front step, when the very beat had intervened your own heart’s, down to the minimal volume stemming still from the room you walked closer and closer to.
As you entered the kitchen, which overlooked what you assumed to be the living room and a living space that was about the same size as your own apartment, it all came to you. A little shudder itched down from your ears to your ankles.
There was no one else here.
Maybe you were too early. Maybe you got the dates mixed up. Maybe everyone just left, and you, by some chance, missed a large crowd going the opposite way you came. But, it didn’t change the fact that there wasn’t a soul in the suite.
Shuffling resonated behind you, along with a defeated, almost tired sigh. You turned to it, your heart stumbling at the means of the situation.
Yeonjun leaned his body against the marble counter. It lifted his cardigan off his body, so you could catch the gleam of his luxurious looking belt. Gucci, maybe? Something expensive, that was all you knew. Despite his fancy outfit, and the runway-ready look of makeup that was set on his remarkably beautiful face, it couldn’t shake the fact that his expression was downcast due to the matter at hand.
What a beautiful person. It seemed futile to even consider or humor the idea that no one appreciated Yeonjun—more than the objectively, unbiased charm of his appearance; his obvious abyss of money; his sportsmanship; personality that had to have been molded from a mother and father who loved their only son with all of their hearts.
Of course, people had to see beyond his pretty face, right?
“Yeah, I know,” he let out halfheartedly, chuckling with a pained smile: the sardonic tone was in reference to the lack of guests.
You weren’t sure what to say, really. It was clear he hadn’t an idea either, only choosing to state the obvious. There were dozens of pathways that could be taken on dozens of things that could be said in this moment. So, you opted for —
“What did you have in mind to do tonight?”
His smile only blossomed from there.
Aside from the buffet of food readied and arranged in a beautiful way on the table, which became of the object of most your stolen glances for the night, the fun for the night seemed never ending. There were drinks available due to a bar within the pool house, which was, of course, behind the actual pool, but that was hardly the beginning of all that was available to you.
You learned a lot about Yeonjun throughout the games and eating.
However, you felt that the starkest revelations about your classmate were made when the sun had officially taken its place beneath the clouds that were practically high tide. The moon was full enough that you could see its dimples and craters; this observation was enough of a distraction from the fact that the proximity between you two was nearly too close for comfort.
You and Yeonjun now sat at the edge of the pool with your feet in, a gentle breeze wading through the air and erupting ripples that would make the water lift a little higher up your legs.
The light chatter that had been resonating from the height of the games you had played or when you had snacked had settled into complete silence. Surprisingly, it wasn’t uncomfortable; this was something you’d come to put two and two together. Even when you both would study together, the bouts of quietude never felt unnerving to you. It felt natural.
Despite the serenity of it all, Yeonjun’s constant fiddling with his fingers gave you the impression he had something on his mind.
“This doesn’t always happen if you’re wondering,” he laughed cynically, kicking at the water. “I’m just surprised it was you that showed up.”
The longer you wait to assemble all that you wish to convey, it became easier to see how far his heart was traveling south.
“You didn’t think I was going to show up?” You asked and he choked lightly on one of his little laughs. It was moreso out of the fact you didn’t want to say anything he didn’t want to say.
“No, no… well, I thought you’d be the last person to ever show up for me. It means a lot,” he sighed again, and the air just became so taut you couldn’t ignore it.
“Yeonjun, is it okay if I ask why no one showed up. I mean, you invited the upperclassmen, too. And those guys practically worship you… You always go to their parties, but the one time you throw one and…”
Your words died in your throat. He craned his neck, stretching his neck as he leaned his head back. What a beautiful person.
He tilted his head to meet eyes with you, lids relaxed, but there was that smile dry of any hope. A drought.
“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you fall for that act, too,” he sighed, like it exhausted him.
“What ‘act’? Is-do you mean…” your words died in your throat, and at that moment, he glanced up towards you again, eyes unwavering in their almost cautious gaze. You cleared your throat. “What? They just use you?”
Your tone was a blunt pierce into his back. It could be seen in his wince that squeezed at his eyes. He nodded.
“I felt like you knew by now. I mean, everyone does,” he exhaled, kicking his legs around. A chill wracked his body. “Still doesn’t stop me from hoping, which I see now is pathetic.”
You stared hard at his cuffed jeans, chest filling endlessly with something as heavy as dread but as dense as remorse. You weren’t sure.
“That’s why you were surprised I came?”
A part of you cracked, like a glass of fine china getting nicked.
“I don’t mean to appeal to you for pity. I realize, again, I’m hosting my own literal pity party, and you’re the only guest,” he leaned forward, elbows settling on his knees to keel forward. “You must be so miserable.”
“Not entirely.” You tried to joke, but as soon as the last syllable left your mouth, you were hit with the piping hot revelation that you are not very funny. He looked up to you, face half hidden by his hair. Eyes dark with possible shock and dejection of your statement.
“I’m kidding, Yeonjun, I’m kidding,” you panicked. He deflated at that.
“It’s just that I honestly had the most fun I’ve had since I got to this school today. Pool party, food, games-I mean, literal games; like are you kidding me?” It was the truth. He sat up pretty quickly. “You said that this doesn’t always happen—what do you mean by that?”
Yeonjun lifted his hand to brush back his hair away from his face.
“Yeah,” he sniffed. “It was when I didn’t have the reputation I have now.”
“Reputation?”
He nodded again but more sullenly. His full lip jutted out, and you curbed the urge to almost coo.
“There’s lots of rumors, some are false. Rarely are they true. But, at the end of the day, when people see me, all they see is a pretty face, maybe, but they see a judgmental, opinionated snob with a lot of money,” Yeonjun paused and you looked at him again. “But, when you get to know me, you’ll just find that I’m a fool, innocent and afraid of a lot of things.”
By now, since the sun had officially taken its place beneath the horizon, his pool lights flipped on and bathed you both from underneath. Distantly, nightingales chirped their twenty something repertoires, unfurling their sweet notes to the darkened sky.
A moment passed before you felt like the song wasn’t in your throat anymore.
“You really are beautiful, you know that?” To your astonishment, he breathed a broken inhale, and he shuffled his posture and eyes around, as if shy from your statement.
“Do you really see me that way?” He asked, tone lifting in something close to hope. When Yeonjun looked at someone, and truly looked, you noticed his eyes shimmer, even by a twinkle at the least.
You nodded with a smile. He mirrored your response.
Another breeze nestled its way past your thin layers of clothes, which ignited a shiver from you. He blinked a few times soberly before immediately rising, water crashing and pouring down his legs over the edge. He now stood, hunched over with an extended arm towards you. Yeonjun looked to you expectantly.
“You must be freezing and uncomfortable. Come, let’s get out and get you in some warm, comfortable clothes.” If anyone else, in any other circumstances, had said that to you, they would have been met with hesitance; this time, you slid your palm into his and allowed him to pull you up and guide you to warmth, even if he himself radiated it in waves.
He knew how to take care of a guest, the way a great host would, even if he had maids, housekeepers, people looking after him. They allowed him to do as he pleased, and he was definitely pleased by taking care of you and helping you around the house as if you lived here.
After the initial shock of the most luxurious shower you have ever taken in your life, you found that there was a change of fresh, warm clothes for you folded neatly on the marble bathroom counter. Somehow, you didn’t hate it; it was just cotton sweats and a cotton t-shirt—both plain and gray, but you could tell they were new. Had you lived in luxury your entire life, you had a feeling these would be purchased straight from the mall, probably priced with triple digits, including taxes.
There was a hairdryer ready at your disposal, but you opted out, almost a little overwhelmed at the fact that every possible need or even want could be met so easily here.
When you found your way back to the main room (you were surprised that you hadn’t gotten lost), Yeonjun was in the living room, scrolling through Netflix mindlessly. Until he perked up at the staccato sliding of your slippers against his pristine floor.
He jumped and smiled as soon as he turned to you, full lips stretched welcomingly. Yeonjun had also changed attire—monochromed flannel over the exact same outfit you had on. The realization that you were matching made your ears and cheeks burn.
“Welcome back,” his tone was quite soft, said in a manner as if he had rehearsed it in his head a few times. “Was everything to your liking? And the clothes?”
You blinked at him a few times, returning a smile to ease his worries.
“Yeah, it was all perfect, Yeonjun. Thank you,” you walked around the couch to take a spot on the other side of the sofa, despite countless other sofas present around you. He immediately relaxed into the cushions at that. “Are you looking for something in particular to watch?”
He gave a short, little laugh: one that made you jump with how genuinely cute you found it. What an adorable guy. Yeah, that was what he was to you.
Apparently, he was looking for a film not on Netflix, so you spent a while looking on almost every streaming service. When it came down to watching the movie, he made sure you were comfortable and hopped off the couch to turn the lights off, even though the nearest butler had offered to do so.
Halfway through, even if the movie had you both confused, one of his many butlers had come in, crouched down to his level in between you to mutter a hushed, “Mr. and Mrs. Choi wanted me to notify you that they will be returning home in half an hour.”
His eyes twinkled again as he gave a little node, lips parting in understanding.
“Oh, okay. Thank you. Was there anything else they wanted to say?”
“No, sir. They had only called to give you notice, so as to not startle you.”
“Okay, thank you!”
He grinned at the butler, watching him walk out. When Yeonjun turned back towards you, you had lowered the volume by a lot and were beaming at him without realizing.
“What?” He asked curiously, and you snickered, losing the fastest staring contest you’d played in your whole life.
“That’s really kind of your parents to do that.” You said with a sigh, one that was done with your whole body. He tilted his head, quickly pausing the movie.
“Yeah, it’s no big deal. They might, um, ask you to stay for dinner or something. I don’t know. Don’t feel obligated to do anything, though. It’s just that - well - they encourage me to throw these parties. After all, it doesn’t hurt anyone.”
You couldn’t help but frown, furrowing your eyebrows.
“Well, that’s…” It was hard to find the words. “Again, that’s really kind. But, it does hurt someone in the end. It hurts you, doesn’t it?”
He laughed again gently, leaning his weight on an elbow and pushing his bangs back from his face.
“It does, but only because no one else has been coming since rumors spread and my reputation got worse. I think one day, things might turn around for me.”
You let out a scoff and leaned on the arm rest to which he perked, eyes shimmering warily.
“What?”
“I don’t get it. I don’t get how you’re still a nice, good person, no matter how unfairly treated—“
It was his turn to scoff, though there was no venom detected.
“I’m not that unfairly treated. I’m an incredibly privileged person, really—“
“Yeonjun, you deserve the world!” You raised your voice a little, and his eyes translated clearly the awestricken feeling that hit him straight in the face.
“Sorry,”
“No, don’t be sorry. Please,” he played with a button on his flannel before looking back up to you hesitantly. “It’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to me — who meant it.”
The movie was quickly progressing, but you had hit mute, so the colors and light from the expansive television washed over you. It was a quiet moment, but it was nice. The two of you smiled at each other, and you weren’t sure for how long, but it had to have been quite some time, considering that that same butler entered again, this time turning a lamp on with him.
“Sir, your mother and father have called to notify you they will be entering within five minutes.”
Yeonjun bid his thanks, watching him walk away and returning his cat eyed gaze to you, to see that you were standing up.
“I should probably get going. I’ve overstayed my welcome.”
He stood with you, shaking his head with that ever present smile on his face.
“No, that’s… I promise that’s not true,” he cleared his throat, swinging one of his arms a little awkwardly. “I can walk you out to your car.”
Halfway to the door, he had even asked, “Are you sure you don’t want my chauffeur to take you home and someone else to drop off your vehicle?”
Of course, he was met with resistance to his question. Yeonjun noted to himself that despite all the silent fights and walls you put up with him, throughout your shared class and the last few months of school you shared with him, you were the one to tear down a few for him.
When you both reached your car, your heart quickened its pace and the ripples of its beat paced heavily in your ears, and you couldn’t figure out why.
Instead of the uncomfortable bag and clothes from before, you held a new gift bag with your belongings in it, but besides that, you felt you also carried a new attitude moreso towards your classmate.
“Well, um… Thank you for having me, Yeonjun.” You grinned at him, sweetly showed your teeth, to which he dimpled shyly, as if he felt sheepish about the red creeping on the tips of his ears.
After a brief beat of silence, his eyes confronted yours and he outstretched a hand to you.
Without thinking, which was probably a good thing, you slipped your hand into his, admiring the warmth and placement of his lines, the lengths of his digits, when he brought the backside of your palm to his mouth shakily. His full lips pressed a tender kiss that surged and electrified all the wires in your brain that made you shiver. He let go with another shy but sure smile.
“Thank you for showing up for me, Y/N.”
He watched you open your door after you had hesitated and struggled with the lock, but you hadn’t stepped in yet. Yeonjun arched an eyebrow.
“We should do this more often. Would you want to hang out again?” You asked, and his face dropped. What were those eyes thinking?
“Yeah,” he cleared his throat and nodded. Nodded again and another time after that.
“Sounds good. And since you have my number, we can text, too,” you smiled, and he also noted that it showed in your eyes this time. “Well, I’ll see you in class tomorrow, Jun.”
Even if the surface seemed as simple as a pavement, Yeonjun felt stunned, seeing the dirt, the ants, the roots of earth, the mantle of the world beneath his feet.
“Please text me when you get home safely, okay?”
You nodded, chest blossoming.
“I will,” Tonight would be the beginning of your real friendship with Yeonjun, who was now more than just your classmate. You vowed to remain by his side, to protect him, to cherish him, to put yourself out there for him in ways he did so naturally for you, to introduce new things to him, but most importantly, to be there for him.
Maybe you would finally be able to tell him how you feel since you don’t think you can imagine the next semester without him in one of your classes, but for tonight, and foremost, you would be his (first) friend.
“I promise.”
1K notes
·
View notes