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marshmallow-phd · 22 days

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A Manor of Shadow and Blood

Genre: Regency Gothic AU

Pairing: EXO x Reader

Summary: A stormy night brought you to the manor in the middle of the woods. Nine strange men occupied its halls. They won't let you leave. A dangerous secret haunts this estate. Learning it might either be your saving grace or it could lead to the last breath you ever take.

Part: 1 I 2

The fever took over almost as soon as you left the bathroom. Your feet had become heavier, like lead refusing to be moved. Your vision went black before you made it to the bed. Consciousness came and went, images you weren't sure were real or not blurred your vision. A man wiped your forehead with a cloth. Another fed you salty broth. Two more held you upright as someone changed the sweat-soaked pillowcase. The last image you remember was the lingering presence of someone near the doorway. All you could register was his short black hair and white tunic. He turned from the bed and walked out of the room as you fell back asleep.

*****

A long groan rumbled your throat as your eyes blinked open. The fever that had consumed your body was gone. Your rough tongue scraped the roof of a mouth desperate for moisture. Every limb was sore from not being used. A small pain still pushed at your head, but it was bearable. Only a small measure of light broke the edges of the curtain. It was either barely dawn or the very end of twilight.

"It would seem you're past the worst of it."

You gasped at the unexpected voice. Junmyeon emerged from the shadows and stood at the edge of the bed. He tilted his head, the upper half of his face still cloaked in the darkness.

"I was sick," you stated to no one in particular. Perhaps in mere confirmation for yourself.

Junmyeon nodded. "You had a fever for two days".

"Two days!" you gasped. You were supposed to arrive to your aunt today. If you didn't show–

An echoing thud interrupted your thoughts. You sat up slowly, groaning at the protest of your arms and torso. Junmyeon kicked the familiar chest on the floor again. Excitement pushed away all remaining consequences of the fever. It was your trunk with all your things. Soon, you could be on your way again, with a harrowing tale for your worried relative.

"We found it this morning," he explained. "Along with the driver."

Your heart leapt. "He's–"

"Dead. Probably broke his neck from the fall." His voice was void of empathy. Death–at least the kind not directly in contact with himself–did not affect him. "The carriage isn't salvageable. and the roads are still practically swamps.”

Each breath you took in came faster and faster, more shallow than the last. How could the roads still be unfit for travel? The room began to tilt. "So, what does that mean for me?" Perhaps you would have to wait for a replacement carriage or for your aunt to come get you herself.

He looked to the door with a resigned expression. "You will stay here until we deem fit."

"What!" You scrambled out of the bed. Your knees buckled as soon you feet touched the rug. Going so long without proper nutrition and being sick with fever left you weak. Junmyan caught before you could be injured, sweeping you up into his arms. A mild shiver chattered your teeth. Through your thin nightgown you could feel the icy chill of his fingers. How one's skin could be the temperature of snow, you didn't know.

He laid you back down on the bed with a rather smug expression. "Traveling isn't in your best interest. You need to regain your strength."

You swallowed thickly. "And after that?"

The only answer you received was a smile.

"You can't keep me here!"

"Eat," he ordered, gesturing to the small table in the corner. A silver tray with fresh morsels sat and waited to be consumed. "You're free to roam the manor as you choose, but remember: there is nothing for miles, not even an inn. You'll meet a hungry wolf before coming across another human." He bowed as if he were a gentleman and left you alone to accept your circumstances.

*****

A small amount of strength returned to you after eating. Although fasting in protest could have been effective, you pathetically couldn't resist. Food had always been a favorite weakness of yours.

The next form of protest you tried was keeping to your room. But after a few hours of not a footstep outside, you concluded self-confinement was only useful if someone noticed.

From your trunk you pulled one of the more plain dresses that had been packed for you. It wasn't too difficult to dress yourself. The true trouble came for your hair. Despite being in bed for several days, no knots caused you pain. That, however, was the extent of your talent. Charlotte, your maid, had been the one to curl and pin your hair in the latest fashions. The best you could do was tie it back with a plain blue ribbon. Squaring your shoulders, you yanked the door open with force and shelled out of the room.

Up and down the different halls, you tried to make sense of the layout. This manor expanded in nearly every direction. You went upstairs and down again, unsure of where you were. The bit of light that managed to fight past the thick curtains that hung in front of every window grew in strength. But though the day grew older, you saw none of the residents. No sound alerted you to any being close. It gave you an eerie feeling. It was as if you were alone but an ever lingering presence haunted every corner.

You took another random left turn. And stopped.

The front door was just on the other side of this hall. You scanned the area around you. Your ears strained to hear anyone that could possibly be near. Not even a bird sang outside. You took a step. Then another. And another. One at a time, you paused between each step, waiting for one of the lords to suddenly appear and drag you back to your room.

Huh. Your room. As if your stay here would be forever permanent. You prayed that they would soon grow bored of you and send you on your way. All this could be was a terrible joke because they had no other way to occupy their time.

You'd reached the door. Possible freedom lied on the other side. Yet, your fingers hovered above the handle. Junmyeon's warning waded through your mind like a morning fog. Nothing for miles. Surely if that was true, the driver would have stopped rather than continue on in the storm.

And then there were the wolves. You knew of their existence. And how a human could be just as satisfactory as elk if they thought they could overpower whoever they came across. To them, you would certainly make easy prey.

"Doors only move when one opens them."

With a shrill gasp, you whirled around and pressed your back against the door. The one who drew your bath last night–Jongdae–was leaning against the entrance to the side parlor. He stared at you with a bored expression, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Where did you come from?" you demanded. You had looked in the parlor as you passed. No one was in there.

He waved an uncaring hand in the air. "Around. I heard you walking and when it stopped, I came to see why.”

"You heard me walking?" You'd put slippers on before leaving the room since your boots were still caked with mud. You could hardly hear your own steps against the wood boards.

Jongdae merely raised an eyebrow, refusing to explain. You huffed. The previous fright in you disappeared. Pushing off of the door, you shuffle past him and into the parlor. Your feet were beginning to pulse after walking around for hours. You sat in one of the cushioned chairs to give them some relief.

Before you could blink, Jongdae was seated in the chair across from you.

"How did you do that?”

Smug, he leaned back in his seat, crossing one leg over the other. "Would you like a tour?"

"Not if you refuse to answer my questions," you scoffed.

The corners of his lips curled upward. "I think it might be better if you figure it out for yourself. Over time."

That earned another huff. You especially disliked the insinuation that you would be here for a long while. Hope still flickered in you like a warm ember, desperate for fuel.

Jongdae stared at you quizzically. "Why didn’t you run?”

"Because, there isn't anywhere to run to," you answered quietly. You were lucky to make it here in the first place. Regardless if you were imprisoned or not, you were thankful to be alive.

Still eyeing you with that studious share, he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his thighs. "Is there another reason you don't want to leave?"

You swallowed thickly. It was impossible for him to read your thoughts. He couldn't possibly know that something else held you back. "It's safe here–”

"We both know this place isn't safe for you," he snapped. "Your instinct should be to run as far as you can.”

"B-but the wolves..." your voice trailed off, overshadowed by the thumping of your heart.

"The wolves are nothing compared to here." He stood and all seriousness melted away as he stretched his limbs. "Or maybe they aren't. Perhaps that simply depends on you." You flinched as he reached for you. He didn't pause and his fingers passed your face, instead pulling at the ribbon in your hair until it came loose and dropped the fabric in your lap. "I wouldn't wear your hair like that.

You frowned at him. The men here weren't exactly the epitome of current style. "Why?"

“Keep pulling it back like that and you'll have your answer." He dared to wink at you before strolling from the parlor.

It took a little while to find your room again. Part of you wondered if you should have accepted Jongdae's offer of a tour. Another part stubbornly insisted you would find your own way eventually.

Sitting down at the small table, you pulled the curtain back. Your room was on the second floor, which gave you a decent view of the grounds.

Unlike most of the forest you remember seeing, this area was void of life. The trees were bare, their branches rigid and spindly. No birds or other woodland creatures scurried about. There was plenty of grass and garden hedges, but somehow all of the beauty was sapped from their blades and leaves. A few stone benches and structures were scattered about the estate, but whatever stunning carvings they used to present had been worn away. A sadness had overtaken this land, infected its very core. Not even the sunlight–now making its way to the other horizon–felt warm. How could anyone live amongst this?

All your strength gained through breakfast waned. You didn’t need sleep, per se, but rest wasn’t a terrible idea. Leaning back, you tucked your feet under you and shuffled into the corner of the chair. Your eyes slowly closed–

And snapped open at the soft knock from the door. You scowled at the door. It replied with another knock. With a huff, you stood and crossed the room, pulling the door open with force. "Yes?"

Junmyeon smirked at your hostility. "It's time for dinner."

You looked down, but his hands were empty. No new silver tray in sight.

"Dinner is with us."

Your throat tightened as his words sunk in. With them.

He motioned with his head. "Come."

"I have to change."

His eyes raked you up and down, then he raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Why? Because you always charged for dinner when you weren't dining with only your family. It simply wasn't proper to wear what you were tramping around in all day.

When you neither spoke nor moved, he reached behind you and pulled the door closed, pushing you out of the room and into his chest. He chuckled at the contact. You shoved him away. His amusement didn't waver. "The dining hall is this way."

Understanding that the only way you would eat was by following him, you complied. He led you to one of the familiar staircases, but then down a hallway you didn't recognize. The dining hall sat on the other end. Past the grand entrance was a long, dark red table that ran the length of the room with the ability to seat at least twenty. An old chandelier hung from the ceiling, a few of the precious crystals missing. A roaring fire clicked and cracked on the opposite wall.

"You'll sit here." Junmyeon startled you as he pulled a chair just to the left of the head of the table. All the other available seats were occupied. With your chin held high, you accepted, letting him push the chair in. Then he sat at the head.

There were four chairs on each side of the banquet table, haphazardly spaced, and a lone chair at the other end. To your immediate right was the one named Yixing. He stared at you with narrowed, interested eyes that somehow made his already sharp features lethal. You dropped your gaze instantly, finally noticing the food in front of you. Your eyes lifted... no one else had a meal, only a goblet full of wine.

"Has everyone else eaten?"

"Mm," Junmyeon hummed over the rim of his glass. When the goblet left his mouth, a faint red smear remained behind. He licked his lips slowly to wipe it away. "We don't typically... eat dinner, but thought of it as an opportunity to introduce you.”

A few chuckles echoed around the room, but the joke was lost on you.

"Eat," Junmyeon motioned to your plate. All eyes were trained on you. The silverware clinked and clattered as you picked up the fork and knife. Would the food be poisoned? Did they get some sick enjoyment from this? You cut off a small bite of chicken. Each bite was slow, testing the flavor. It wasn't beautifully seasoned, but you couldn't taste any bitter poison underneath. You swallowed and cut another bite.

Satisfied, Junmyeon motioned to the man on his right. "This is Jongin.”

"You have a pretty name," the man purred. You merely stared at him and continued to eat. He laughed from his chest. "Then Chanyeol." This one bowed in his chair with a flourish of his arm. "Jongdae." He winked. You scowled at him. "Sehun." This one didn't look at you, looking bored as he leaned back lazily in his chair, sipping from his glass. "Kyungsee at the end."

Kyungsoo, who had been staring at the table, his chin resting on folded fingers. He glanced at you but immediately looked away when he met your gaze.

"That one is Minseok," Junmyen went on. The one named Minseok smiled at you with an eerily feline grin. "Baekhyun." He, too, grinned at you in a way that sent a chill down your spine. "And next to you, I'm sure you remember, is Yixing."

You didn't look at him again. Putting down the silverware, you gave your attention back to Junmyeon. "When can I leave?"

He scoffed before he could take another sip of wine. "I already told you. Until we deem fit."

"You can't keep me here!"

"Maybe you should have considered that before you came here.”

"You might enjoy it here," Baekhyun hummed.

"I doubt it," you snapped back.

Chanyeol leaned forward onto the table. “Do you have family?"

You swallowed nervously. "Yes."

"You should ask her if she has a lover," Jongdae crooned. When all eyes jerked to him, you carefully slid the knife over to your right hand under the rim of the plate. By luck, you had decided to wear a dress with sleeves. You just needed to conceal the knife until you were back in your room.

"Do you?" Jongin asked of you, a little too interested for your comfort.

You glared daggers at Jongdae. "No, I don't."

His lips curled gleefully. "I don't believe you." He shrugged. "Then again, maybe it's not a lover that you’re trying to avoid."

"My aunt is expecting me."

"And she'll keep expecting you," Junmyeon growled.

A hand flashed out of nowhere, snatching up your wrist and catching the knife before it fell to the floor. "I wouldn't do that," Yixing warned. You tried to yank your wrist back, but he took the opportunity to bring you closer to him.

Junmyeon sighed. "Yixing.”

Revealing who was in charge Yixing released your wrist, but he put the knife in front of him. Small indentations appeared along the blade that weren’t there before. A perfect fit for a hand.

You stood with such force that your chair overturned behind you.

"Finished already?" Jongin teased.

You gave a single hard nod and stormed out of the dining hall. None of them stopped you.

"This is going to be fun," one of them chuckled. A chair scraped hastily against the floor and you hurried faster to your room.

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flurrys-creativity · 8 months

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Hey can I request a Junmyeon fic we’re his a big fan of red velvet and his idol girlfriend gets extremely jealous and insecure because she never sees him cheer or fan boy over her group and thinks she likes them more than her and also feel insecure and not good enough next to Irene and they get in a fight and he gets defensive offer Irene and they fight but he soon regrets it and the boys and her group members try to get them to make up. 😂😂 this is a crazy idea but I thought it is good I love Junmyeon and Irene they have a good friendship I wish I had a friendship like that 😭anyways you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to I understand🥰

Half a year later and I actually had some time and headspace to write this. It also got longer than I thought. And helped me to get out of a current slump. So I am thankful. Please enjoy and tell me what you think!

Jealousy

Pairing: Kim Junmyeon/Suho (EXO) x Fem!Reader; Genre: idol au, established relationship au, romance, angst, fluff; Rating: sfw, pg-13; Warnings: jealousy, a verbal fight, mentions of the press being the press; Wordcount: 1.753

Summary: You had sworn to yourself not to be jealous, yet seeing Junmyeon going crazy whenever it came to Irene and her group but being seemingly passive when it came to you and your group, you couldn’t help but feel the roaring green monster inside of you.

Your stomach grumbled silently and you placed a hand over it, hoping you’d be able to eat soon. Yet, you knew the award show would be going on for a little longer. Half of the groups hadn’t performed yet and yours was one of them.

A newly debuted group currently performed their song - a soulful ballad - which had lots of other idols swaying their bodies to the tune.

Your eyes wandered around the darkened area. The brightly lit stage was surrounded with tables and seating arrangements for every invited group. Cameramen walked between them to film some reactions, reminding you that even off stage you had an image to maintain.

When your eyes landed on the table of EXO a small smile creeped up on your lips. The members joked around by reacting overly touched to the song, trying everything to keep their snickering at bay.

Junmyeon leaned back with a grin on his face and simply watched Baekhyun lip syncing dramatically. As if he noticed your gaze on him, he turned his head and looked at you.

When he winked at you with one eye you had to break eye contact, hoping the heat crawling up your neck and to your face wouldn’t be visible. Especially since you’d be soon up on stage with your own group.

On cue a staff member notified your table to move backstage.

With one last glance towards Junmyeon and a soft smile, you followed your members through the dark and behind the stage.

Soon enough your group got announced and you moved on to the stage, waiting for the music to start. Your eyes automatically searched for EXO’s table again, wondering whether Junmyeon cheered for you like your fans did already.

The smile plastered on your lips since you stepped on the stage almost wavered when you noticed he didn’t even pay any attention to your group. Throughout the whole performance you used every chance you got to look into his direction, hoping - no begging - he’d cheer for you at one point.

You breathed heavily once the song ended, standing in your ending position and glancing one last time at Junmyeon. You smiled weakly, seeing he at least joined the final applause.

Back behind the stage you met Red Velvet, who waited on their cue. You and all your members bowed to them, wishing them luck for the performance.

While the rest of your group moved to the changing rooms, you stayed behind - a nasty feeling bugging you.

As Red Velvet moved on the stage, you peered through the curtains. Your jaw tensed when you saw Junmyeon standing up and applauding them for simply coming on to the stage. Rooted in place, you watched him throughout the whole performance. With every cheer and every shout coming out of his mouth, your heart broke a little more.

You knew Junmyeon was friends with Irene for a long time already. Yet, you still hoped he would cheer his own girlfriend on just as much if not even more. But the case was the absolute opposite.

You broke out of your stupor and hurried to the changing rooms. Thankfully your members didn’t question why you were late and - if they noticed - your dull mood.

Once you got back out of the room, about to return to your table with your group, Junmyeon waited for you in front. You stopped in your tracks and simply stared at him without saying a word.

Junmyeon smiled and came closer to you as soon as your members went aside to give you two some room. “You were awesome on stage.” He grabbed your hands and drew circles onto your skin.

“Are you sure you’re saying this to the right person?”

Junmyeon froze upon hearing your cold tone. He looked at you with concern layering his features, finally noticing the distant look in your eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t you want to say that to the person you actually cheered on? Red Velvet’s changing room is in that direction.” You pointed to your right, eyes following your finger.

“I wanted to tell my girlfriend.” Junmyeon barely brought any words out, too stunned by your almost hostile behaviour towards him.

You turned your head back to him, tilting it slightly to one side. “Are you sure that is me? I don’t really feel like your girlfriend when I see you paying attention to anything but my performance and at the same time you go crazy when Irene is on stage. Maybe she should be your girlfriend instead!”

Junmyeon finally composed himself and shook his head, anger flaring up inside of him. “You know full well there is nothing between Irene and me.”

“I said maybe there should be!”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Irene and I are friends! Simply friends! You know that! The public knows that too! Unlike with our relationship! I know we’re not actively keeping it secret but not having the press on my back because of it, is something I want to maintain. So excuse ME for not publicly being all over you.”

You scoffed and crossed your arms in front of your chest. “So paying attention to my group performing is being publicly all over me? Me asking you to cheer for my group is already too much? Fine. But then don’t come here and tell me I was awesome when I know you haven’t even watched! Go and say the same thing to Irene. There we all know it won’t be a lie.”

“Maybe I’ll do that!” Junmyeon spat, barely holding his anger back now. He ran his hands through his hair and glared down at you.

“Good”, you hissed and pushed against his chest, going past him and to your group.

Your members were shell-shocked and stared at you with a mixture of worry and fear. Some of them even looked over your shoulder towards Junmyeon.

You motioned for your members to move back to your table, ignoring their glances and questions. As an idol you were professional enough to not break down just yet. You’d have enough time once you’d be back at the dorm.

On your way back you passed the rest of the EXO members going backstage. They greeted you but you ignored them as you still were out of sight of the cameras. Even though you knew they had nothing to do with it, you just couldn’t react to them as of now.

Junmyeon still stood in front of the changing room, staring at the closed door with empty eyes. Ever so slowly the realisation of what just happened dawned on him. Regret filled his insides but he couldn’t just run after you. Not here.

A hand on his shoulder brought him back to the present. He turned his head and noticed his group surrounding him, Sehun having his hand on his shoulder and raising an eyebrow in silent question.

“I think I made a mistake”, Junmyeon whispered and closed his eyes. He swallowed the bail of nausea crawling up his throat back down and inhaled deeply in order to keep himself calm.

You sat down on your chair again and pointedly stared at the stage, forcing your lips to form a soft smile for any cameras that might be turned towards you. Still, your eyes showed how empty you felt just now.

When EXO appeared on stage you desperately wanted to look away but knew that would draw even more suspicion. So you stayed in your position and simply kept staring at the stage.

“You need to talk to him again”, one of your group members whispered to you, getting your attention. “Both of you look awful after what happened.”

Your eyes focused on Junmyeon on stage. He looked professional - just how you looked professional too. “I don’t think I can”, you murmured, more to yourself than to your members.

“Of course you can!”

“Just go backstage! If anyone asks, you need to go to the restrooms.”

“Go and talk to him!”

You sighed deeply and shook your head. Your members were right. Even though you didn’t really want to talk to him right now, still feeling some of your anger, you had to go through with it. Sighing once more, you finally stood up and excused yourself.

Junmyeon noticed immediately that you stood up and left the table, having looked at you whenever he could during the performance. While you had looked at the stage and probably saw the performance, he got what you meant with not cheering for you.

As soon as the last tone of the song cleared out and the moderator stepped back on the stage, Junmyeon hurried away. You hadn’t returned to your table yet and Sehun, as well as the others, had told him to speak to you once the performance was over. Therefore Junmyeon hoped you’d still be backstage, making the whole talking to you a lot easier.

Junmyeon came to a halt when he saw you standing opposite from the backstage entrance. He walked over to you hesitantly as he couldn’t believe you had been waiting for him.

“You looked professional out there.”

He laughed dryly and shook his head. “You also looked professional at your table. But I don’t want you to look professional.”

“Neither do I.”

Junmyeon held one of his hands out for you, silently begging you to take it. When you placed your hand in his and even stepped closer to him, a stone fell from his heart and it suddenly felt like he could breathe again. “It’s not too much asking me to cheer for you”, he whispered as he stared at your connected hands, drawing circles into your skin again. “But I swear I didn’t ignore your performance. You really were awesome out there!”

You moved even closer to him, leaning against his chest and nuzzling into him. “I’m also sorry for my jealous ass behaviour back there.”

Junmyeon shook his head and wrapped his arms around your form, holding you tightly. “No, you had every right to feel that. It was my fault for thinking I shouldn’t cheer you on so the press won’t know that I’m in love with you.”

You snickered softly. “I’d say you’re ridiculous to think the press would come to that conclusion, but sadly they are that delusional to say just that.”

“And I don’t mind”, Junmyeon told you, kissing the top of your head, “you’re my girlfriend and I won’t deny nor hide my love for you any longer.”

“I love you too.”

Taglist: @xavi-in-kpopland

#supermnet #kwritersworldnet #kdiarynet #k vanity #wkcnet #kim junmyeon #suho #exo #exo suho #exo junmyeon #call from the unknown #requested #flurry answers

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inspired-by-the-music · 7 months

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Sudden Rain, Chapter 5

Kyungsoo's POV

I woke up to my worst nightmare.

Chanyeol pounded on my door. When I opened it, he hissed, “There’s a woman downstairs claiming to be your wife. Grandmother and Ms. Oh have cornered her into a conversation, but she’s hell bent on coming up here.”

“What?” I croaked. My stomach dropped and knotted.

Chanyeol smacked the back of my head. “When were you going to tell somebody that you were married? I wouldn’t have nudged you toward my sister if I had known that!”

“Don’t hit me again.” I glared at Chanyeol as I rubbed the back of my head. “Soo-Ah is my ex-wife. We’ve been divorced for over a year, so I don’t know where she gets the nerve to call herself my wife. I don’t know how or why she came here.”

“She’s determined to speak to you,” Chanyeol said. “Do you want me to tell her to get lost?”

It was a tempting offer, but I shook my head. “She won’t listen to you. It’s better to get this—whatever this is—over with. Give me fifteen minutes to change out of my pajamas and send her up here.”

Chanyeol blinked at me. “Are you sure?”

I drew a deep breath and forced myself to nod.

Of course, I couldn’t think of anything worse than speaking to Soo-Ah. It would have been better to see her anywhere else, I decided. It would have been better to see her anywhere other than the inn. It would have been better still for her to forget about me.

I changed into the clothes I had worn on my first day at the inn. They weren’t rain-soaked anymore. Ms. Park had taken the time to wash and dry them. The shirt shrank a bit. The sleeves didn’t quite reach my wrists anymore, so I took the time to roll my sleeves. I had never been good at that.

Soo-Ah knocked on the door. Her black hair was pulled high into a ponytail. She wore a black dress. “Hello, Kyungsoo,” she said, flashing me a ruby red smile. “How are you?”

I blinked at her. “You can’t possible expect me to exchange pleasantries with you.” Her smile fell, and I continued, ��What are you doing here?” I motioned for her to come inside so we could keep our conversation private.

She stubbornly filled the doorway. Loudly, she said, “Junmyeon sent me. He said that you were ready to work things out.”

“He—what?” I wheezed. Junmyeon had always been meddlesome, but he had never orchestrated something so terrible. I braced myself against my desk and said, “I’ve told you a million times. There’s nothing to work out. I’m sorry if Junmyeon misled you, but I don’t need—I don’t want to cling to the past.”

“Then don’t.” Soo-Ah sighed and said, “Let’s try something new. I—I know that I was cruel to you, Kyungsoo. I know I broke your heart. I’ve changed a lot in our year apart, though. I’ve missed you more than I thought was possible. The person I am now—I would never hurt you again.”

I couldn’t believe a word she said, and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to. In the days after I learned about her other lover, I imagined her saying those exact words to me. Now that she was saying them to me, her voice sounded hollow like an echo.

“I’ve changed a lot too.” I forced myself to meet her eyes as I said, “You did break my heart, and I put it back together without you. I hope you’re right. I hope you have changed for the better, but not for my sake. I can never love you again.”

Soo-Ah glared at me and slammed the door. She asked, “Did you really have to say that with the door open?”

I said, “I’m sorry,” and I meant it. After everything she put me through, I still hated to see Soo-Ah cry. Even if her tears were insincere, I hated to see them.

“Fine.” She wiped at her eyes. “Junmyeon told me not to leave without you. He said that you’ve been refusing to leave for your book tour. The agency told him that if you don’t get back on schedule, they’ll sever ties with both of you.”

“I haven’t been refusing to leave,” I argued. “The rain—”

I gestured to the window and noticed that, for the first time since my arrival, the sun shone through the curtains. The storm had passed. As suddenly as the rain started, it ended. Although I knew the day would come, I couldn’t quite believe it had come so soon.

“The weather’s fine,” Soo-Ah said flippantly. “Our flight leaves in two and half ours. I’ll just see to it that you get where you’re supposed to go, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

I gasped. Two and a half hours? Of course, I had always known that it would be better to leave sooner rather than later. Over the days and nights, I must have convinced myself that I could make an eternity out of seven days at the inn. I must have believed that I could make an eternity out of seven days with Eunbi. Now that they were abruptly at a close, I realized how far from an eternity our seven days were.

“We should probably leave soon,” Soo-Ah said, “unless you want that old woman to charge you for another night.”

I would have glared at her if I hadn’t been paralyzed by the realization that I was at a crossroads. I could leave with Soo-Ah, fullfill my obligations to Junmyeon and everyone at the agency, and continue living life as it had been. Or, I could tell Soo-Ah to leave without me, abandon by obligations to Junmyeon and everyone at the agency, and spend another day or week or forever at the inn to live life as it could be.

When I stood in Eunbi’s open doorway, I was struck by the stark contrast between what I should do and what I wanted to do. The block of ice in my chest crumbled when Eunbi broke the silence.

“It doesn’t really have to be goodbye.” Her voice was softer when she didn’t have to yell over the rain. She smiled at me. “You can come back. I’ll always be here.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I wrapped my arms around her. I wanted to cry, but I didn’t want to leave Eunbi with that image of me. I told her, “I meant everything I said. Name a date, and I’ll meet you for our Roman holiday.”

She embraced me and promised, “I meant everything I said too.” She pressed something into my hand. “It’s my travel list. I don’t want you to forget our travel plans.”

I didn’t need Eunbi’s list. I wouldn’t forget anything about her for as long as I lived.

When I finally let her go, she asked, “Do you want me to roll your sleeves for you?” I nodded, so she did.

When she finished, I said, “Thank you.”

I told myself that I could be happy if those were the final words we shared. I almost believed myself completely.

#exo angst #exo fluff #exo fic #exo fanfic #kyungsoo angst #kyungsoo fluff #kyungsoo fic #kyungsoo fanfic #exo imagines #kyungsoo imagines #exo scenarios #kyungsoo scenarios #kpop fic #kpop angst #series: sudden rain

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blu-joons · 2 years

Text

Night Time Routine ~ Kim Junmyeon

Your smile grew in size as soon as you walked into the bathroom to see Junmyeon waiting for you, leant against the sink basin. His hand lifted slowly, extending your toothbrush out to you which he had already taken out of the holder on the wall, with toothpaste in the other hand.

You held your brush out to Junmyeon as he placed some toothpaste onto your brush before doing the same with his own. His free hand pressed against your hip as you both began to brush, meeting one another’s eyes with wide smiles on your face.

There was nothing uncomfortable for the two of you as you studied one another’s smiles, feeling as content as ever with each other. After two minutes was up, you leant over the sink, feeling a hand move from your waist, grabbing your hair as you cleared your mouth.

“Y/N,” Junmyeon chuckled as you lifted your head back up, dropping your hair and brushing the corner of your mouth with the pad of his thumb. “How do you still manage to dribble toothpaste when you’re so old?”

Your hand tickled against his waist in reply as you wiped over your mouth whilst Junmyeon cleared his mouth too. Once you were both done, Junmyeon moved back to the cupboard, reaching up to your shelf of toiletries and picking up your hairbrush.

“Do you want me to brush it for you tonight?”

“I’d love that, I’m too sleepy to do it myself.”

A chuckle came from Junmyeon as he turned you around so that your back was facing him, bringing your hair behind your shoulders. He was careful as he began to brush through your hair, catching a few small knots which you let him know about.

“Have you washed your face tonight?” Junmyeon asked you whilst getting towards the end of brushing your hair, “I’ll tie it back if you still need to rinse it off for a moment.”

“I’ve not washed it yet,” you smiled weakly, “but I think I’m too tired to bother tonight. That is unless someone else fancies doing it for me,” you hinted, catching Junmyeon’s eyes rolling out of the corner of your eye.

His head shook as you nudged your elbow back against his chest. “I offered to brush your hair and now it suddenly seems as if I’m doing your whole routine for you,” he sighed, expecting nothing less from you, “you’re lucky that you’re cute.”

You nodded proudly as Junmyeon placed your brush back once he was done, taking your hairband and face wash out. He began to run warm water to fill the sink up whilst passing your hairband to you and taking your flannel off of the back of the bathroom door.

Junmyeon made sure that you stood back as he checked the temperature of the water before splashing your face. You stood perfectly still as he then took your face wash, lathering it up in his hands before applying it to your face, moving his hands around in gentle circular motions.

“You look great,” he teased once he was finished, rinsing his hands off. You shot a glare across at him, catching a glance of yourself in the mirror where the green in your face wash had coloured your face, something that seemed to bring several light chuckles out of Junmyeon.

As he warmed your flannel in the water, your hands held onto his hips. “No funny business,” you warned him, “I know exactly what you’re like when you get an idea in your head.”

Junmyeon held his hands up innocently before placing one of them underneath your chin, picking your flannel up with the other. He held your head in position, smoothly moving your flannel along your chin, then around your cheeks, covering your forehead and your nose before placing it back in the sink, with your face now spotless.

“I think we’re done,” Junmyeon smiled, pulling the plug out from the sink. “Shall we head to bed?” He asked you as you dried your face off, nodding in reply back across to him.

Whilst you finished up in the bathroom, Junmyeon entered your bedroom, drawing the curtains and pulling the duvet back. You arrived just as he turned your bedside lamps on, pointing to the main light switch for you to turn off before tucking yourself under the duvet.

“What do you reckon? Do we need anything else?” Junmyeon asked you, joining you under the duvet as soon as your head shook in reply to him, content with everything.

The moment he laid down on the mattress, your body turned to the right and started to tuck into Junmyeon’s side. He slid down the bed with his arm in the air, expecting you to cuddle him as soon as he laid down, knowing you too well.

“Your face is sparkling,” Junmyeon teased as you tilted your head back to look up at him, “whoever washed your face tonight must have done an incredible job to make you look this good.”

Your eyes rolled as he sung his own praises, expecting nothing less from Junmyeon. Admittedly, your face did feel refreshed, but you could never bring yourself to say that aloud and give Junmyeon the satisfaction of knowing that he’d done a good job.

“Time to get some rest,” Junmyeon suggested, pressing a kiss against the top of your head, brushing his hand loosely through your hair too. “Do you want to watch something, or do you fancy just closing your eyes right now instead?”

“I’d rather listen to someone sing than watch something,” you smirked, sending Junmyeon a knowing glance. “I mean, you’ve taken such good care of me so far tonight, why stop now when I’m still awake a little bit.”

Junmyeon’s head shook at just how bold you were, “why do you make it so impossible for me to be able to say no to you, it’s so unfair.”

“I didn’t do anything,” you protested, “all I did was ask and look up at you.”

His head nodded in agreement with you, “but your eyes just seem to have some sort of power that means that I constantly find myself nodding my head at you.”

“I can’t help that my eyes make you feel that way,” you smiled, “that’s on you.”

His eyes continued to stare down at you, “why can’t you ask me these things whilst not looking at me so that I can say no?”

“Because I don’t want for you to say no, which is why I look at you.”

Junmyeon could only smile back across at you as you began to list off of a few of your favourite songs. There were plenty that you loved to hear Junmyeon sing, his voice was something that you never tired of listening to.

There were plenty of songs that Junmyeon was thinking about too, knowing which ones were a dead cert to be able to help you get off to sleep and encourage you to close your eyes.

“What about if I sing you one of the ones off of Grey Suit?” Junmyeon suggested, “you loved that album when it came out.”

Your head nodded in reply to him, “honestly, you could have suggested any song to me, and I would have said yes.”

“I had a feeling you’d agree to anything too,” he smirked, “my voice seems to be your weakness.”

Your smile widened at how well Junmyeon knew you, “it’s your fault for having such a good voice, especially at night too.”

“With your eyes and my voice, I think we’re both to blame.”

---

Masterlist

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sophluorescentmusing · 1 year

Text

For the first few days he spends alone, Junmyeon truly does spend them alone. He draws his curtains and climbs into his bed and he sleeps like the dead. It’s as though the second he does not have to worry about Sehun and his studies, that lethargy tugs at his bones and knocks him out cold. By the end of the week, he has slept for more hours than he has been awake, but by the end of the week his head feels clearer and his heart less worried.

On the ninth day he spends in his villa, he opens his balcony and lets the sea-breeze into his home. It’s still horribly cold—it is the wintertime, after all—but Junmyeon simply piles on pounds of fur and fabric. He leaves the balcony door open every day, and the waves soon become akin to a lullaby.

On the thirteenth day, he finally hears the song, but he does not go outside. No, he remains inside his marble house and continues to work on the heavy fishing net he’s been studying. He ties each knot meticulously, braids each section in such a way that the siren won’t be able to wriggle or fray itself free.

On the fifteenth day, he lays his trap. Each morning after that, and he sings a verse on his balcony, waiting patiently to hear its refrain. And on the seventeenth day, he hears it crest into a scream.

He is asleep when it happens. He’d figured that, after receiving no immediate response to his song, there was no use waiting outside for the siren’s appearance. That he’d merely have to wait and try again the day after. But, the sound of that scream—frustrated and hateful—tells him there’s no need. The siren’s response had been tardy, but that is all.

Junmyeon flips his blanket off of him and grabs a robe, bundling himself into it and tying the front. Then, he strides quickly into his main lounge and out onto the balcony, where the sound of splashing has crescendoed with no sign of lessening. There, struggling at the surface of the water, is the silvery siren, wrapped and tangled in a net of Junmyeon’s design.

He reaches for the hook-ended pole he’s been keeping on his balcony for this very purpose, and leans over the rail. He snags a specific piece of rope with the hook and pulls it up. There, he wraps the rope around his hand and begins to pull, throwing his weight against the end of it.

Slowly, torturously, the net rises up from the sea.

Eventually, he gets a specific knot (used as a marker) over the edge of the balcony, and being careful not to let the rope slide back down, he ties off the end and lets it go. The new knot holds tight, and the net remains suspended half-way between the balcony and the sea. Junmyeon repeats the process, hooking up another loose rope, and tugs the creature up the rest of the way.

By the time he has wrestled the wriggling figure over the rails and let it fall to the marble ground with a thud, the creature’s struggling has lessened and grown lethargic. Junmyeon does not take the bait. Instead, he waits and watches as the siren’s stamina runs out. After about an hour outside of the water, the skin and scales of the creature’s tail begin to peel and crack.

Still, Junmyeon watches.

He ignores the whimpering, and then the dry, heaving sobs that wrack through the siren’s frame. He ignores the blood that begins to seep across his white tile terrace. He has to wait for the transformation to complete in full.

That said, he grows wary of having the sea so near to the beast, and so he undoes the ropes and takes a handful of net in hand. Then, he drags the creature across the tile and into his home properly. Brings him through the lounge and into the private, indoor garden. There, mist hangs in the air, and water trickles down the walls, but it is not enough to trigger a change. Not to Junmyeon’s understanding of the siren’s workings.

If it changes, it won’t be able to go anywhere.

He locks the door and strings the key back around his neck before he turns and faces the netted monster. With a practiced hand, he finds the knots holding the net together, and undoes them.

The siren is so out of energy that it can’t even lash out at him. It just stares at him with wide, black eyes.

Junmyeon says nothing, only sinks to a seat on the rocky ground. The garden is far quieter than the balcony, the crashing of the waves hardly audible through the wood and glass walls.

#gonna revist this siren wip you best believe it #subaek hehe with a nice little corruption arc

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exowllpp · 4 years

Text

junmyeon: curtain

lockscreen 🎞️

#junmyeon #suho #exo #junmyeon edits #junmyeon icons #junmyeon exo #junmyeon lockscreen #junmyeon wallpapers #junmyeon wallpaper #exo lockscreen #exo wallpaper #exo edit #exo icon #exo pack #exo header #junmyeon curtain #curtain #suho curtain

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playboyseho · 4 years

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The fact that Starty Night is the continuation of Curtain I can’t...

#exo #suho #kjm #kim junmyeon #self portrait #suholo #suho solo #march 2020 #starry night #curtain

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littleprincehyun · 4 years

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YALL 👏🏼BETTER 👏🏼GET 👏🏼SUHO 👏🏼HIS 👏🏼NUMBER👏🏼 ONE 👏🏼TOO👏🏼

#AND THATS ON KIM JUNMYEON RIGHTS #YALL BETTER STREAM #AND GIVE SOME RESPECK ON THAT NAME #BRO IM FUCKING DEAD #HIS VOICE IS SO GOOD #ALL HIS SOLO SINGLES ARE SO GOOD #CURTAIN IS THAT BITCH #DID I JUST COME OUT FROM HIBERNATION TO SCREAM ABOUT THIS #YES #suho #junmyeon #kim junmyeon #exo #kpop #mine

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buzunatesi · 5 years

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Happy 2. anniversary of “CURTAIN” song.🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎉 I love your magic voice.😭😭😭😭😍😍 I love your honest personality.💙💙💙💙 I'll always be proud of you, Suho.♡🐇🐰🐰❤️❤️❤️💙🐰🐰❤️❤️♡🐇❤️🐇💙🐇

#suho #exo suho #exo #kimjunmyeon #junmyeon #juncotton #kimjuncotton #exok #exol #exom #curtain

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0samjha · 5 years

Text

#kpop #exo #youngjoo #song youngjoo #suho #kim junmyeon #junmyeon #exo suho #curtain #yt comment #youtube comment

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omgohsehun · 5 years

Video

youtube

It’s the perfect time of the year for this song!

🐰🤗❤

#junmyeon #suho #exo #emo hours #soft hours #tbh i listen to curtain during the whole year but since it's holiday seasons

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flurrys-creativity · 2 years

Note

Okay hello I’m back with another request but this time for my man Kim Junmyeon 😁. Okay so can I request something we’re suho is out shopping with you and your friends and they get jealous and start to call you spoiled and saying that your his sugar baby because every time you try to pay he already handed his credit card to the cashier not letting you pay and they even go as far as to flirt with him to get him to pay for them too but he sassily tells them he only pays for you. And you can make up the end -🫰🏻🫰🏻 (sorry for my bad spelling)

Welcome back!!! Uuuuh exciting! That's my first for Suho! Also don't apologise, your spelling is absolutely fine!! I hope you like what I created : )

Generous

Pairing: Kim Junmyeon/Suho (EXO) x GN!Reader; Genre: Friends to lovers, fluff; Rating: sfw, PG-15; Warnings: mentions of the reader being nervous, mentions of a revealing outfit, the term sugar baby, friends teasing the reader, a friend approaching junmyeon in only their underwear, friends not being good friends in general.... aand kisses; Wordcount: 1.260

Summary: You're out on a shopping trip with your friends and Junmyeon. What started as a nice get together quickly turned into an unpleasant experience or did it?

A/N: Please enjoy this request and tell me what you think!

To say you were irritated was an understatement. You could feel your eyelid twitch every now and then as well as an obnoxious prickle at the base of your neck.

When your friends asked you to join a shopping spree you were excited, happy to see them and spend some time with them again. You got even giddier for the day after they agreed Junmyeon could join the trip.

Everything went well at first. Junmyeon arrived at your place in the morning and the both of you ate breakfast together that you had prepared. Afterwards he drove you into town where you met your friends. You were delighted to see that everyone included him in their chatting as much as possible.

The experience went south once you entered the first store. All of you spread around the aisles, agreeing to meet at the changing rooms after around ten minutes.

Junmyeon accompanied you, checking some of the clothes and even recommending a few to you. He complimented your choices or reassured you when you weren’t too sure, thinking it was too revealing.

You arrived first at the changing rooms and decided to start trying the clothes on instead of waiting for your friends.

Junmyeon sat down on a stool opposite of the room you chose, looking at the curtain every now and then when he wasn’t reading stuff on his phone.

Soon enough you heard your friends appear, greeting Junmyeon before they vanished into a room as well. You called out to them, asking what they found. You listened intently to their answers while wriggling yourself into the new clothes.

“What about you?” One of your friends called and you stilled. You stared at the rather revealing outfit and then at your reflection in the mirror, gnawing at your lower lip.

“Just some shirts and a few pants”, you answered, hoping they wouldn’t catch on the nervous lilt in your voice.

Thankfully they didn’t and continued chatting about all the opportunities to wear the new clothes.

You peaked out of the curtain, eyes quickly scanning the area before they locked onto Junmyeon. You waved your hand to grab his attention, almost sighing in relief when he looked up. You quietly mouthed at him to come into the changing room with you.

With an raised eyebrow, Junmyeon pushed himself up from the stool and walked over to the curtain separating the both of you. He was about to ask you what was wrong, when you grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.

“What do you think?” You stepped back in the limited space and presented the outfit you were wearing, once again gnawing at your lower lip nervously.

“It looks good”, Junmyeon answered in a whisper, copying your choice of volume. He eyed your form once again, nodding while doing so. “I like it.”

“I don’t think I can show it to the others though.”

“Why not?”

You shrugged with your shoulders. “I don’t know. It’s not what I’m usually wearing.”

“If you’re not comfortable wearing this you don’t have to buy it.”

“No, it’s not that”, you quickly assured Junmyeon, “It’s just that I already know they’re going to tease me about it.”

Junmyeon tilted his head with curiosity. “Why would they do that? I’m not teasing you despite seeing you in it.”

You grimaced before shaking your head. “It’s different”, you simply stated and motioned for him to leave the changing room again. When he opened the curtain to step out, you only caught a glimpse of one of your friends. Though that glimpse was more than enough for them to see your outfit and Junmyeon leaving your room.

You immediately wished the ground would swallow you whole but sadly it didn’t happen. So you decided to play it off, changing back into your outfit and pretending like nothing ever happened.

The situation got worse when you got to the register. Even though you didn’t want to buy that revealing outfit you still fell in love with some of the shirts you had found. All your friends had paid so far and when you stepped to the cashier, about to pay for your cute shirts, Junmyeon stepped in and handed the cashier his credit card.

Once again you brushed it off, thanking Junmyeon and thinking it was a one time thing.

After the third store you came to the conclusion it wasn’t. When you quietly asked him why he was paying for you, he only smiled and shrugged his shoulders, never giving you an explicit answer.

After the fifth store your friends started teasing you about it.

“Now I understand why you wanted him to join.”

“Must be nice to have someone pay for you.”

“Are you his sugar baby?”

“What kind of things are you doing for him to pay for all these clothes?”

“Letting him into the changing room”, your friend laughed and elbowed you, “giving him exclusive shows with outfits we’re not supposed to see.”

Immediately all of them squealed and giggled, ignoring your desperate tries to explain that you were simply friends. The irritation slowly bubbling inside of you when all your explanations fell on deaf ears.

At the seventh store your friends started flirting with Junmyeon.

“You can come into my changing room if you like.”

“I’ll give you a private show too.”

“You can choose some underwear if you want to.”

Every time they attempted to flirt with him, Junmyeon declined politely, keeping his distance from your friends. If he didn’t feel uncomfortable, you most certainly did. Your last thread of patience snapped when one of your friends came out of a changing room in nothing but underwear, clinging onto Junmyeon and asking him if he liked it.

“It seems to suit you”, he answered shortly, averting his eyes.

“Would you buy it for me?”

You were about to explode when Junmyeon spoke up again. “No.” With that he pushed your friend gently but firmly away from him and walked over to you. He grabbed your hands and squeezed them gently, before he looked over his shoulder to your friends, who either stood outside the changing rooms or peaked their heads through the curtains. “I only pay for Y/N.” He smirks at their flabbergasted expressions and turns to look back at you. “Because I want to spend everything I have on you.”

Your eyes widened in surprise, never having even imagined to hear such a confession from your best friend. You never dared to even dream of this, too afraid to ruin the friendship the both of you shared.

“This might be a little over the top”, Junmyeon mumbled, scratching the back of his neck with a nervous chuckle, “but are you willing to spend the rest of your life with me? As your boyfriend and lover for now?”

“And my fiancé and husband later on?” Even after you asked him, your mouth stayed agape as you were totally in awe. Never before had someone said something this romantic to you. Never before did you feel the butterflies do somersaults inside your stomach this strongly. And all you could do was nod over and over again, your lips stretching into a wide smile.

Your friends were forgotten the moment Junmyeon snaked his arms around your middle and pulled you against his body, kissing you deeply. You couldn’t care less though, after all you spent more than enough time with them for today.

Now you simply wanted to spend your time with Junmyeon, igniting the love for him with every kiss you two shared.

Taglist: @xavi-in-kpopland

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inspired-by-the-music · 7 months

Text

Sudden Rain, Chapter 3

Kyungsoo's POV

When I woke up the next morning, the clock on the bedside table told me that it was 9:00. The sky could have fooled me, though. I peeked through the white lace curtains to watch thick gray clouds roll across the sky. After shoving my dead phone into my pocket, I made my way out of the room.

I tripped over the pile of folded clothes outside my door. From a glance, I could tell that the clothes were too large for me. The black hoodie and sweatpants must have belonged to Chanyeol. The gesture seemed too kind to ignore. Besides, I thought any change of clothes would be an improvement from my damp jeans and button-down shirt from yesterday.

. . .

“Looking good!” Chanyeol whistled at me when I walked into the dining room.

“You too,” I said, noticing that his yellow polka-dotted apron matched his grandmother’s apron. I asked, “Where’s Eunbi?” and hoped nobody noticed how my voice tightened around her name.

“Probably snoring in her room,” Chanyeol suggested.

Ms. Park explained, “She has never been a big fan of breakfast,” as she filled a plate with her pancakes from her skillet.

“She never joins us,” Chanyeol griped, “no matter how hard I work!”

Ms. Oh had pulled her graying black hair into a bun. Her trembling hands were arranging sunflowers in the vase at the center of the table. She looked up from her work to tell Chanyeol, “That’s a good thing! As long as she doesn’t ruin her appetite, she’ll be able to finish a slice of my strawberry cake.”

I asked, “Do you make her a strawberry cake every year?”

Wrinkles formed around Ms. Oh’s smile. “Oh, yes! Ever since she met my little Sehun, I’ve made a birthday cake for Eunbi.”

“That’s very kind.” Ms. Oh seemed to appreciate the recognition, especially when I said, “I look forward to trying it.”

“Hey.” Chanyeol nudged my ribs as he set the table. “Maybe instead of flirting with Ms. Oh—who is happily married, by the way—you could flirt with my sister.”

Blinking, I muttered, “I thought you said she was sleeping.”

Chanyeol shrugged. “What do I know?”

“Chanyeol!” His grandmother hissed, and he stiffened. “Let Kyungsoo enjoy his breakfast.” She motioned to the head of the table, where she had set a lace placemat and a plate piled high with pancakes.

I didn’t have much of an appetite, but the gesture seemed too kind to ignore. As I swallowed, I realized that this breakfast was the first meal I hadn’t spent alone or with Junmyeon in months. The sweetness of the maple syrup felt the same as the warmth that spread through my chest.

I imagined that warmth was proof that the block of ice in my chest was melting.

. . .

By the time I finished breakfast, the rain was falling in full force. I stood outside of Eunbi’s door with my hood pulled over my head.

I knocked once to no answer.

I knocked twice to no answer.

The third time I knocked, Eunbi answered.

Her voice preceded her. Faintly over the sound of the rain, I heard her say, “Chanyeol, I’ve told you that I never want to see you before eleven o’clock. If you want me to try your pancakes so badly, just leave some in the fridge, and I’ll eat them for lunch!”

She opened the door wearing only a towel. Keeping my eyes fixed on hers, I said, “His pancakes are actually rather delicious.”

Eunbi screamed, “Oh my God!” and slammed the door.

I turned around, blinking, and tried not to laugh.

The next time she opened the door, she was wearing a yellow sweater over a white dress. While pinning her hair back, she said, “I’m so sorry for opening the door like that.” She motioned for me to enter her room. “I swear, Chanyeol has been knocking on my door every day since he learned to cook, begging me to try his pancakes.”

I sat on the edge of a pale gray armchair in the corner. “I heard you’re not a big fan of breakfast, but you should try his pancakes sometime.”

After closing the door, Eubi sat on the small wooden stool in front of an easel. “That’s what everybody says, but I’ll hold onto the mystery a little longer.” She looked at me for a few moments, and I looked at her. She said, “I thought you would leave first thing this morning.”

Shaking Junmyeon’s nagging voice out of my mind, I said, “I told you that I wanted to speak to you.” Given the weather, it seemed likely that the flight would be delayed or canceled anyway.

“I know,” she said, “but people often say things they don’t really mean.”

I told her, “I don’t do that. I don’t say things that I don’t mean.”

She told me, “I don’t either.” We smiled at each other.

“I’m glad you brought me here,” I said. “Everybody is very kind.”

Eunbi nodded. “I’m glad you like it. Most of the guests are friends Grandma has made over the years. I know she’s happy to serve somebody new.”

“She’s very energetic,” I remarked. “Ms. Oh is a character too. She can’t seem to go long without mentioning her grandson.”

“No, she can’t.” Eunbi blushed as she said, “Sehun is her pride and joy.”

I asked, “Have you known him a long time?”

“Oh, yeah,” she nodded. “We met during auditions for a play in elementary school. He’s a few years older than me, but we always got along well. I guess he’s my best friend.”

“You guess?” I asked.

“It’s hard to keep friends as an adult,” she said. “At least, it’s hard for me. I guess things got complicated after we tried and failed to be more than friends.”

When she frowned, I frowned. I told her, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Her smile seemed forced. “Maybe sometimes you’re meant to love people forever, even when things don’t work out as you think they should.”

I said, “Maybe.”

I envied Eunbi’s ability to fake a smile. More than that, I envied her ability to love Sehun despite the heartache. I thought I would have liked to love Soo-Ah at least for the memories we shared. As time went on, though, I started to fear that I had never loved her at all. That seemed far worse than to have loved and lost.

Eunbi turned to face her canvas, and I asked, “How long have you been painting?”

“In general? Or are you asking about this piece specifically?” She angled the easel to show me a scene of lovers near the Fountains of St. Peter’s Square.

A harsh wind blew through the block of ice in my chest. I winced at the memory of walking through Rome alone, pretending that Soo-Ah was beside me. At the time, I didn’t think much about her decision to stay home while I traveled for writing inspiration. She had a career of her own, family, and friends to tend to. I couldn’t fathom that she also had another lover to tend to. I couldn’t imagine that while I was eager to return to her, she was happier in my absence.

I wasted many sleepless nights wondering if our fate could have been different if she had been beside me in Rome. For some time, I imagined that we somehow would have been immortalized by tiptoeing through those eternal streets. Gradually, I came to believe that Soo-Ah would have looked out of place among those ancient buildings. Our story would have unraveled more quickly far from home.

Realizing that Eunbi was expecting a response, I said, “Both.”

“I’ve been painting since, well, always,” Eunbi answered. “I’ve been working on this piece for about a month.”

“It’s amazingly realistic,” I said. The painting wasn’t realistic in the way that a photograph is realistic. The painting was realistic in the way that a beautiful song can capture the feelings of a long-lost daydream. I asked, “Would you like to see the Fountains at St. Peter’s Square?”

“Oh, that would be a dream!” Eunbi pulled a piece of paper from behind her canvas and handed it to me. “I keep a list of all the places I’d love to visit, and a Roman holiday is right there at the top of the list.”

I read the list and asked, “Is that what you’d like for your birthday? We could go to Rome.”

“You can’t possibly mean that,” Eunbi said quietly. Before I could argue, she added, “And who told you about my birthday? Was it that big mouth, Chanyeol?”

I shook my head as I returned the list. “Your grandmother told me. She invited me to your party.”

“There’s going to be a party?” She said, “We should start preparing ourselves for Ms. Oh’s strawberry cake.”

Realizing I had ruined the surprise, I blushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know—”

“It’s not really a surprise,” Eunbi assured me. “Chanyeol, Grandma, and the ladies at the inn plan a party for me every year. It’s sweet that they still treat it like a surprise.”

My blush slowly faded. I asked, “Why do you eat Ms. Oh’s cake if you don’t like it?”

“I don’t dislike it,” Eunbi said through a lopsided smile. “It’s just a little too sweet. I’d eat it even if it was awful, though. My birthday only comes once a year, you know, and the gesture is too kind to ignore.”

“That makes sense,” I said. Then, I asked again, “Do you want to go to Rome?”

Staring at her painting, Eunbi stuttered, “I could never repay you for something like that, Kyungsoo.”

I said, “People don’t typically pay for their own birthday gifts.”

“That’s too expensive, though,” she sighed. “Besides, if I’m not here, who will help Grandma around the inn?”

I could have said that Chanyeol seemed to be a great help, but I decided not to say anything like that. Suddenly, I felt very much like a stranger. By chance, I had stumbled upon Eunbi while she was in the middle of life. I knew that life meant responsibilities, obligations, and prior engagements. Still, I wanted to hear her say that she would go on a Roman holiday with me even if we were only sharing daydreams that could never come true.

“We’ll go to Rome some other time, then,” I promised. I tried to memorize her smile. “What do you want for your birthday?”

She said what almost everybody says: “I don’t want or need anything.” What made Eunbi different from almost everybody else was that she seemed honest.

I wanted to be like her, but I could think of at least one thing I wanted. I almost leaned over the arm of the gray chair to kiss her, but I decided against it. When it came time for me to leave, I didn’t want to abandon her with any complicated feelings. When it came time for me to leave, I wanted her to remember me fondly.

It seemed inevitable that we should fall out of touch. As soon as I left her room, that day seemed to loom in the visible future. When that day should come, I wanted her to smile while wondering what we could have been if somebody had been bold enough to cross that line.

It seemed obvious that we wouldn’t amount to more than an unexpected “what-if?” I desperately wanted us to be happy with that.

. . .

I found Chanyeol at the front desk and asked if I could borrow his phone charger. His charger was incompatible with my phone.

“Here.” Chanyeol shoved his phone into the pocket of my (his) hoodie. “You can borrow mine. If some girl claiming to be my girlfriend calls, tell her I’ve changed my number.”

I tried to tell him, “I just need to make one call,” but he had already walked past me to help the ladies prepare for the party.

No matter how many times I called Junmyeon on my walk up the stairs, he wouldn’t answer. His voicemail inbox was full, so I texted him.

Me: “This is Kyungsoo. My phone died, and nobody at this inn has a compatible charger, and I can’t go out to buy a charger in this storm. If you need anything, call me at this number.”

Junmyeon: “You have to be kidding me! Are you this desperate for an extension?”

Me: “I don’t need an extension!”

Junmyeon: “Then are you this desperate to cancel your book tour?”

Me: “No. A one-week delay won’t completely derail the schedule.”

Junmyeon: “ONE WEEK?”

Me: “Apparently, when it rains around here, it pours.”

Junmyeon: “And where exactly is ‘here’?”

I sent him my location.

Junmyeon: “You have got to be kidding me! How did you manage to get stranded in the middle of nowhere during a storm?”

Me: “I don’t know. If you recall, traveling wasn’t my idea.”

Junmyeon: “How could I forget when you’ve dragged your feet every step of the way?”

I didn’t know how to respond. It seemed improper to quit via text. I paced down the hallway.

Junmyeon: “At least get some writing done while you’re stranded.”

I huffed. Although it wasn’t the type of writing Junmyeon wanted, I did have an urge to put pen to paper. After locking the door, I lay on my stomach on the bed and wrote in my notebook:

To Eunbi, Regarding our Roman Holiday

Whenever we find ourselves in Rome, I’ll show you a secret. If you look through the Aventine keyhole, you’ll see a scene from one of your paintings: St. Peter’s Basilica. Supposedly, nobody knows if this view of the Basilica was purposefully designed or if it was a coincidence. You should try to believe that the keyhole exists just for you to imagine that you’ve fallen into one of your paintings.

I’m starting to think that you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but you should try gelato anyway. There��s a blueberry cheesecake flavor that I think you’d like. It’s not too sweet. I don’t think you can find anything like it outside of Rome.

Are you a fan of Romantic poetry like I am? Even if you’re not, we should visit the Keats-Shelley Memorial House. When I was younger I used to lay awake at night thinking about how, tragically, a storm prevented poor Keats from experiencing the warmth he craved before death. In all the times I’ve visited Rome, I’ve never had the time to visit his preserved bedroom. I wonder how he would feel about strangers invading his private space; I wonder if we’ll feel like intruders when we visit.

Then, under the cover of darkness, let’s toss a few coins into the Trevi fountain. Somebody once told me that tossing one coin means you’ll return to the Eternal City, tossing two coins means you’ll return and fall in love, and tossing three coins means you’ll return, find love, and marry. You don’t have to give me any spoilers, but I wonder how many coins you’ll toss into the fountain.

I hope you have a very happy birthday, Eunbi. I’m enchanted to have met you during this April shower. Whenever we find ourselves in Rome, I hope to see you among the May flowers.

Yours,

Kyungsoo

I considered passing the letter through the floor, but I decided that it would be better to deliver it face to face at the party.

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