makeitmingi

[makeitmingi]

wooyoung in log_logbook WILL TO POWER in EUROPE #3

[makeitmingi]

bday week releases~

[dates tbc]

- tcdg bonus chapter

- jongho oneshot

- yeosang oneshot (rly hoping i finish this on time)

- dad!??? x reader oneshot (maybe)

[makeitmingi]

SEONGHWA 250214 ©fancam by me

[makeitmingi]

hongjoong / 241117 inkigayo fancam

[makeitmingi]

When Flowers Bloom In The Dark [Chapter 15]

Genre: Romance, Mafia!AU, Violence, Angst, Slow burn

Pairing: Hongjoong x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Florist!Reader, Mafioso!Hongjoong, Mafioso!Seonghwa, Mafioso!Yunho, Mafioso!Yeosang, Mafioso!San, Mafioso!Mingi, Mafioso!Wooyoung, Mafioso!Jongho

Summary: When you appeared and wept at his mother's funeral, Hongjoong found himself wanting to find out more about you. A regular girl, who owns a flower shop in his territory and has a relationship with the mother that he hasn't spoken to in years, why hasn't he ever noticed you before?

[Warning(s): 18+ for violence, use of weapons, smoking, alcohol consumption, slight gore, gang affiliation, tattoos and character deaths. Minors DNI. This is a work of fiction and does not represent the Ateez members in real life.]

Word count: 3.2K

Chapter warning(s): Alcohol consumption, violence.

"(y/n)! There you are! Are you okay? Where were you?" Nana came to you with a worried Eve behind her.

"H-Huh? Oh yeah. Was just wandering around. Sorry, I didn't realise I was gone for so long." You forced a smile. There was a foreign feeling in your chest at how Hongjoong looked at you and spoke to you but you pushed it down.

"The big event of tonight is going on. The drivers look cute." Eve giggled as you all moved to a different spot to watch. Wooyoung was one of the drivers.

"That driver in the black car always wins. Him and his team." Nana leaned over to tell the two of you.

"They're all so good looking." Eve squealed, catching a glimpse of Hongjoong and the others who were seated together.

"Winner! Team Ateez!" The announcer yelled as Wooyoung's car passed the finishing line. Everyone cheered for him as Wooyoung stepped out with a confident smirk.

"It's getting a little stuffy. Can we go?" You asked your friends.

"Sure. The major events are over already anyway. And we can always come back." Nana chuckled as the 3 of you headed for the exit.

"(y/n)? Is that you?" You didn't expect Wooyoung to cross paths with you since the exit was near the finishing line. You could feel the prying stares of your friends on you.

"Hey..." You awkwardly waved. Wooyoung sent you a friendly smile and a wink before slinging his arm around San, who jogged over to congratulate his best friend. Before Wooyoung could tell San about you being here, San led him away. At the same time, you ushered your friends through the exit.

"YOU KNOW HIM?!" Eve and Nana shouted at you once you were outside, making you wince.

"Kind of...?" You rubbed the back of your neck.

"Ah, guys. It's complicated, I don't really want to talk about it." You sighed as your two friends threw all sorts of questions at you. But at your words, their eyes widened.

"No! It's nothing like that!" You knew what they were thinking and immediately shot it down.

"San, quit pushing me. I was gonna tell you that (y/n) was there." Wooyoung slapped his best friend on the arm.

"We know... We're not supposed to draw attention to ourselves remember? The whole secret... We cannot be seen with her when we don't know who is here." San reminded.

"You all saw her already?" Wooyoung raised an eyebrow as he lit a fresh cigarette. San nodded his head.

"Damn... She must be shocked. WAIT! Did she seem Hongjoong hyung?" His eyes widened. San nodded glumly but judging by his reaction, it wasn't good. Wooyoung let out a curse and clicked his tongue as they walked to where the others were.

"But she looked hot. I barely recognised her, could have mistaken her for someone else." Wooyoung said and Mingi nodded in agreement, having almost flirted with you.

"Tell me about it. I was gonna ask her to come to the afterparty." Mingi mumbled.

"Shut up, you two." Seonghwa hissed, watching Hongjoong's stoic expression as the two talked behind him.

"Here." The organiser came over with their cut of the money. Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Yeosang took their stacks, flipping through to money to count.

"It's all here. Thanks." Seonghwa nodded to the guy, keeping his money in his jacket pocket.

"Let's go." Hongjoong rounded everyone up.

"Yes, captain." The 7 got up and they all walked together, keeping at Hongjoong's pace since he had the cane. Everyone looked on in awe and slight fear of them, no one dared to approach or even make eye contact with any of them. Jongho opened the door to the passenger seat of Mingi's car for the captain.

"Thanks, Jong." Hongjoong sighed, annoyed that he couldn't even drive his own car with how busted his knee was. With that, the sports cars all peeled out of the parking area.

"How's the cane, hyung?" Mingi asked.

"The raven skull top is easier to hold than the human skull one." Hongjoong held up the cane.

"Also because Wooyoung and Seonghwa hyung bedazzled the human skull so it hurt to hold the top, right?" Jongho pointed out from the backseat.

"Exactly." Hongjoong rolled his eyes.

"They need better arts and crafts projects." Mingi laughed. And soon, the car pulled up to the back of Wooyoung's club, the VIP entrance.

"Boss, the VIP room is ready for you." The manager was out to greet them as they stepped out of their cars. Mingi handed his keys to the valet and ran to his place by Hongjoong's side.

"Slow pokes!" San stuck his tongue out as Mingi, Jongho and Hongjoong walked in.

"Not our fault grandpa takes so long to go up the stairs." Jongho snicked and Hongjoong jabbed him with his cane. Once they all sat down, in a private room, with a two way mirror to watch the rest of the club, they gave their orders to the manager.

"What's with you?" Yeosang asked Wooyoung, who was bouncing his leg as he spread his arms across the back of the couches, looking out into the club.

"Race adrenaline taking a while to wear off. I'm going for another smoke." Wooyoung stood up and went out.

"He's gonna beat someone up." Yunho chuckled.

"It's his place, he can do whatever he wants." Seonghwa shrugged. The manager brought the tray of drinks and some snacks, giving out the drinks to the respective members.

"I still can't believe we ran into (y/n) there." Yeosang shook his head as he took a sip.

"She was with friends, she said that they were the ones that brought her there. It's her first time at the races." San said.

"She shouldn't be there, it's too dangerous. It's even more dangerous that she recongised us and tried to talk to us." Hongjoong sighed with a click of his tongue.

"But hyung, she doesn't know that... We haven't told her anything so we can't blame her for not knowing. It's only natural that she says hi or talks to us when she sees us." Yunho spoke. Hongjoong shot Yunho a confused look while Seonghwa sighed, not liking where this was going.

"I never said I blamed her." Hongjoong frowned.

"I know but she just looked so hurt when you gave her the cold shoulder." Yunho shrugged and drank his drink.

"Why do you suddenly care so much about her?" Hongjoong stood up. Yes, Hongjoong got to know you first but for some reason, it irked him to see how easily friendly Yunho was with you.

"It's not that I suddenly care or anything. She's a friend, hyung. That's all." Yunho said, keeping completely calm.

"Okay, you two, stop it. Enough about (y/n). We're here to celebrate wins and relax." Seonghwa stood up between the two.

"Sorry, hyung." Yunho apologised to Seonghwa. Hongjoong clicked his tongue and grabbed his cane, leaving the room. He limped to the bar to get a refill.

"I need a stronger drink." Seonghwa mumbled, rubbing his temples.

"Woo." Hongjoong stepped out into the back alley, a filled glass of whiskey in his free hand.

"Oh, captain. What are you doing out here?" Wooyoung turned to see the leader and stood up from his crouched position over the body that was on the ground. Wooyoung shook his hands to relieve the slight ache that settled in his joints.

"Feel better?" Hongjoong raised an eyebrow, holding out his glass to Wooyoung to let him drink. The younger grinned and took it, taking a sip of the golden liquor.

"Yeah, the winning adrenaline wore off. Luckily we had this guy come here and stir trouble." Wooyoung nodded over to the body.

"What did he do?" Hongjoong scoffed.

"Does it matter?" Wooyoung raised an eyebrow. Hongjoong conceeded and didn't ask further. Like he said earlier, this was Wooyoung's place, he could do whatever he wanted.

"Is he dead?" Hongjoong asked.

"Nah, I punched his face in but not hard enough to kill him. I'll get my boys to move him somewhere." He took his phone out.

"Wooyoung sshi." A meek voice interruted them. Hongjoong didn't know the guy but Wooyoung seemed to. He gave the man a nod before he was handed something.

"Thanks." Wooyoung said and the man bowed before walking away. Wooyoung tucked the small item into his pocket.

"Looks like I got my next invite." He smirked to the captain. Finally, something that made Hongjoong smile that night. Wooyoung was doing well at the poker games, and with their reputation, he was constantly getting invited for the following games. This was good, it meant he could get information.

"I'll take San with me as my plus 1 for the next game. Take the chance to promote the casino too." Wooyoung informed, to which Hongjoong nodded.

"That's a good idea, it provides an opportunity for one of the next private games to be held there." Hongjoong said.

"Are you ready to head in? Or are you still angry at whoever fought with you?" Wooyoung chuckled.

"I didn't fight with anyone." Hongjoong rolled his eyes.

"Sure~" Wooyoung teased and held the door open for Hongjoong to walk in. The two headed back to the VIP area, where the others were. San was passed out in Yunho's lap and Seonghwa was half asleep.

"Hwa? Did you drink too much too fast again?" Hongjoong asked his best friend, who was swaying back and forth.

"You're an idiot..." Seonghwa punched Hongjoong's arm lightly before leaning his head on his shoulder.

"I know, I'm always causing you trouble." Hongjoong chuckled, patting Seonghwa's thigh as he drank his drink. Seonghwa hummed, snuggling against Hongjoong's shoulder.

"Yes! You are... You are... the worst... out of all the kids..." Seonghwa said amidst a tired yawn. Seonghwa and Hongjoong have always been there for each other, they are complete opposites but that's why they work so well together.

"Mingi, help Hwa. Let's go home before more of you pass out here." Hongjoong said.

"Yes, captain." Everyone who was awake/ sober replied. Hongjoong stayed in his spot, waiting for Mingi to come over and help Seonghwa up first.

"Careful, hyung." Yeosang helped Hongjoong stand.

"I'll call our drivers..." Jongho stumbled a little as he took his phone out. None of them were in the condition to drive.

"Alright, we should go. Make sure we have people come pick up the cars tomorrow." Hongjoong put a stack of money down on the table and they all left the VIP area to wait for the cars out back.

Once all the boys were loaded into the vans, the drivers drove them back home.

"I'm fine, help the others." Hongjoong stopped the butler from going to help him. The butler bowed and went to help the others instead.

"Ah, hyung. You should really move to one of the downstairs rooms. It'll be much easier on your knee." Yeosang said as he and Wooyoung supported each other up the stairs.

"There's no point since my office is upstairs anyway. It's easier to move between my room and office if I remain upstairs, I'm in there most of the time." Hongjoong reasoned as he went into his room, closing the door behind him. He tossed the cane aside, frankly annoyed by it already.

"Yun, I know you’re awake and sober." Mingi came crept into his best friend’s room. As if on cue, Yunho walked out of his bathroom, wiping his face with a towel.

"Mmm?" Yunho hummed and headed to his dresser to grabbed a t shirt, pulling it over his head.

"What did you need?" Yunho yawned, watching as Mingi climbed into his bed. It was such a common occurrence, they always slept in each other’s beds.

"Dude, why were you starting shit with Hongjoong hyung earlier? And don't blame the alcohol." Mingi raised an eyebrow.

"Geez, I wasn't trying to start anything. And no, I don't have a crush on (y/n)." Yunho said when he saw Mingi open his mouth, who closed it.

"(y/n)'s a nice girl and she's navigating grief just like Hongjoong hyung is..." Yunho started.

"Wait, hold on. Stop right there. Are you trying to set them up?!" Mingi let out a gasp of realisation. Yunho couldn't help the mischievous smirk that crept onto his face as Mingi gave a wary look.

"I'm not trying to set them up... actively trying, at least. I'm just trying to create opportunities for them to get to know each other better. But that aside, (y/n) is still human, Hongjoong hyung should be treating her nicer instead of treating her like us." Yunho shrugged.

"Look man, as your best friend, I just hope you know what you're doing." Mingi said, laying down on the pillow and pulling the blanket over him.

"And I'm not saying that for Hongjoong hyung. But I'd hate to see (y/n) be the one to come out of this hurt." He added.

-

"Ohhh..." Nana and Eve said in unison as you told them the gist of how you knew Hongjoong and the others. You nodded, nursing the hot cup of tea in your hands before you.

"So he's Mrs Kim's son?" Eve asked. You nodded in confirmation.

Instead of heading home after leaving the race, the 3 of you settled in a quiet 24 hour cafe to relax.

"Met him at the funeral and we've been acquainted ever since? I do gardening work at their house, that's it." You said, purposely leaving out that you and Hongjoong were 'friends'. Because after tonight, you were doubting this whole friends thing. Maybe it was all in your head and you weren't friends at all.

"But they're like... big, you know? I mean, I've seen them at the races, even thought I've only just started going. But they win, all the time." Nana said, sipping her coffee.

"Just be careful, alright (y/n)? They seem a little dangerous." Eve sent you a worried smile.

"I will, Eve. Don't worry." You smiled and finished your tea.

"And Mrs Kim was so nice! But we know she was very close with you, (y/n). It must not be easy." Nana sent you a sad smile. You let out a soft sigh at that.

Since it was a nice night out, you decided to split ways with your friends and walk home. It wasn't a far walk and you wanted some fresh air to breathe a little.

"What were you thinking, pabo?" You hit your temples with your fists as you walked home, thinking about what you did.

Maybe you shouldn't have approached Hongjoong. Who were you, compared to someone of his status?

"Ah, whatever." You let out a sigh of defeat as you entered your house. After taking a shower and changing into more comfortable clothes, you sat down and did some work. With a really big event coming up, you wanted to plan the floral designs.

You assumed that the event must be big or important because you were only given brief details about it like the time, date and location. And since you were on your own, your friends volunteered to help.

"Silver and black, huh?" You did a rough sketch of the table arrangements and floral pillars that would go by the doors.

*1 attachment sent to (y/n)'s Flower Fairies*

'I still question the name of this group chat... Why can't we have a normal name. - Jihoon'

'Shut up. It's cute! And the designs are cute, (y/n)! Also, why are you still working at this hour? Go to sleep and design stuff tomorrow! It's time to bed. - Nana'

'Yeah, sleep is important to stay healthy! - Hyunwoo'

'I will soon! I couldn't sleep so I thought I would tire myself out by doing some design work... - (y/n)'

'The designs are so prettyyyy but yes, go to bed (y/n)! And everyone else too - Eve'

You were grateful for your friends. It was a small group but you would always be ready to help each other if needed. They, along with Mrs Kim, made your world feel a lot less lonely.

With that, you put your iPad aside and tried to sleep since you knew you had to work tomorrow. You let out a sigh of relief when you realised that you were not working at Hongjoong's house tomorrow but just your own store. That would give you a few days to get over the odd ache in your chest that you felt.

Luckily work the next day was busy. On top of orders, you had to make some draft designs for the big event and send them over to the organiser for approval.

"(y/n)? Are you here?"

"Yeah, I'm at my work desk Hyunwoo!" You replied. Hyunwoo appeared from the hallway leading to the back door.

"Hey~ Is that the design for the event? It's pretty." He complimented as he took a seat across your work table. You hummed in confirmation and continued working.

"I hope you don't mind, I'm here to escape from stuffy clients and have my lunch in peace." He grinned.

"Of course I don't. Go ahead. You own the place and yet, you're running away." You giggled.

"The reality of business." He sighed exasperatedly and took his lunch box out. Since you were working during your lunch, you had packed a sandwich from home to make it easier to eat and work.

"That's not enough, (y/n)." Hyunwoo said, noticing your small sandwich compared to his huge lunch box with many layers.

"I'm not bulking like you so it's more than enough for me. You know I don't really eat much for lunch when I am distracted. Plus, I have a box of fruit in the fridge that I'll eat later." You said, nodding over to the fridge. Hyunwoo sent you a suspicious look.

"You shouldn't even be working during your lunch in the first place." Hyunwoo whined.

"I know but I'm excited to get this done. I haven't really done such a big event like this on my own before. Usually, I'm asked to be a part of an event team, never lead it." You chuckled.

"It's a great opportunity. I'm glad someone recognises your talent." Hyunwoo smiled as he ate his food.

"Thank you, Hyunwoo. I just hope I don't mess it up." You smiled.

"You won't. Have more faith in yourself. And maybe this will be the chance to get your shop's name out there. Get bigger and grow the business." He laughed.

"That's a very far dream. But I am happy where I am now too. Gives me time to work on my botany and practice it." You giggled.

"Which by the way, the recovery elixir I've added to my bone broth is super good. I feel amazing and have lesser muscle cramps, definitely quicker recovery after my work outs." He complimented.

"That's a relief. I'm glad it worked." You said, taking your journel down from the shelf and flipping to the page with the elixir recipe. You jotted down the notes and good review from Hyunwoo with a satisfied smile on your face. Then you went back to your previous task, which was photo taking.

"There, sent to the organiser. Hopefully they like it." You crossed your fingers and typed out the email with the photos attached to send to the organiser.

~

Series masterlist

[makeitmingi]

When Flowers Bloom In The Dark [Chapter 15]

Genre: Romance, Mafia!AU, Violence, Angst, Slow burn

Pairing: Hongjoong x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Florist!Reader, Mafioso!Hongjoong, Mafioso!Seonghwa, Mafioso!Yunho, Mafioso!Yeosang, Mafioso!San, Mafioso!Mingi, Mafioso!Wooyoung, Mafioso!Jongho

Summary: When you appeared and wept at his mother's funeral, Hongjoong found himself wanting to find out more about you. A regular girl, who owns a flower shop in his territory and has a relationship with the mother that he hasn't spoken to in years, why hasn't he ever noticed you before?

[Warning(s): 18+ for violence, use of weapons, smoking, alcohol consumption, slight gore, gang affiliation, tattoos and character deaths. Minors DNI. This is a work of fiction and does not represent the Ateez members in real life.]

Word count: 3.2K

Chapter warning(s): Alcohol consumption, violence.

"(y/n)! There you are! Are you okay? Where were you?" Nana came to you with a worried Eve behind her.

"H-Huh? Oh yeah. Was just wandering around. Sorry, I didn't realise I was gone for so long." You forced a smile. There was a foreign feeling in your chest at how Hongjoong looked at you and spoke to you but you pushed it down.

"The big event of tonight is going on. The drivers look cute." Eve giggled as you all moved to a different spot to watch. Wooyoung was one of the drivers.

"That driver in the black car always wins. Him and his team." Nana leaned over to tell the two of you.

"They're all so good looking." Eve squealed, catching a glimpse of Hongjoong and the others who were seated together.

"Winner! Team Ateez!" The announcer yelled as Wooyoung's car passed the finishing line. Everyone cheered for him as Wooyoung stepped out with a confident smirk.

"It's getting a little stuffy. Can we go?" You asked your friends.

"Sure. The major events are over already anyway. And we can always come back." Nana chuckled as the 3 of you headed for the exit.

"(y/n)? Is that you?" You didn't expect Wooyoung to cross paths with you since the exit was near the finishing line. You could feel the prying stares of your friends on you.

"Hey..." You awkwardly waved. Wooyoung sent you a friendly smile and a wink before slinging his arm around San, who jogged over to congratulate his best friend. Before Wooyoung could tell San about you being here, San led him away. At the same time, you ushered your friends through the exit.

"YOU KNOW HIM?!" Eve and Nana shouted at you once you were outside, making you wince.

"Kind of...?" You rubbed the back of your neck.

"Ah, guys. It's complicated, I don't really want to talk about it." You sighed as your two friends threw all sorts of questions at you. But at your words, their eyes widened.

"No! It's nothing like that!" You knew what they were thinking and immediately shot it down.

"San, quit pushing me. I was gonna tell you that (y/n) was there." Wooyoung slapped his best friend on the arm.

"We know... We're not supposed to draw attention to ourselves remember? The whole secret... We cannot be seen with her when we don't know who is here." San reminded.

"You all saw her already?" Wooyoung raised an eyebrow as he lit a fresh cigarette. San nodded his head.

"Damn... She must be shocked. WAIT! Did she seem Hongjoong hyung?" His eyes widened. San nodded glumly but judging by his reaction, it wasn't good. Wooyoung let out a curse and clicked his tongue as they walked to where the others were.

"But she looked hot. I barely recognised her, could have mistaken her for someone else." Wooyoung said and Mingi nodded in agreement, having almost flirted with you.

"Tell me about it. I was gonna ask her to come to the afterparty." Mingi mumbled.

"Shut up, you two." Seonghwa hissed, watching Hongjoong's stoic expression as the two talked behind him.

"Here." The organiser came over with their cut of the money. Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Yeosang took their stacks, flipping through to money to count.

"It's all here. Thanks." Seonghwa nodded to the guy, keeping his money in his jacket pocket.

"Let's go." Hongjoong rounded everyone up.

"Yes, captain." The 7 got up and they all walked together, keeping at Hongjoong's pace since he had the cane. Everyone looked on in awe and slight fear of them, no one dared to approach or even make eye contact with any of them. Jongho opened the door to the passenger seat of Mingi's car for the captain.

"Thanks, Jong." Hongjoong sighed, annoyed that he couldn't even drive his own car with how busted his knee was. With that, the sports cars all peeled out of the parking area.

"How's the cane, hyung?" Mingi asked.

"The raven skull top is easier to hold than the human skull one." Hongjoong held up the cane.

"Also because Wooyoung and Seonghwa hyung bedazzled the human skull so it hurt to hold the top, right?" Jongho pointed out from the backseat.

"Exactly." Hongjoong rolled his eyes.

"They need better arts and crafts projects." Mingi laughed. And soon, the car pulled up to the back of Wooyoung's club, the VIP entrance.

"Boss, the VIP room is ready for you." The manager was out to greet them as they stepped out of their cars. Mingi handed his keys to the valet and ran to his place by Hongjoong's side.

"Slow pokes!" San stuck his tongue out as Mingi, Jongho and Hongjoong walked in.

"Not our fault grandpa takes so long to go up the stairs." Jongho snicked and Hongjoong jabbed him with his cane. Once they all sat down, in a private room, with a two way mirror to watch the rest of the club, they gave their orders to the manager.

"What's with you?" Yeosang asked Wooyoung, who was bouncing his leg as he spread his arms across the back of the couches, looking out into the club.

"Race adrenaline taking a while to wear off. I'm going for another smoke." Wooyoung stood up and went out.

"He's gonna beat someone up." Yunho chuckled.

"It's his place, he can do whatever he wants." Seonghwa shrugged. The manager brought the tray of drinks and some snacks, giving out the drinks to the respective members.

"I still can't believe we ran into (y/n) there." Yeosang shook his head as he took a sip.

"She was with friends, she said that they were the ones that brought her there. It's her first time at the races." San said.

"She shouldn't be there, it's too dangerous. It's even more dangerous that she recongised us and tried to talk to us." Hongjoong sighed with a click of his tongue.

"But hyung, she doesn't know that... We haven't told her anything so we can't blame her for not knowing. It's only natural that she says hi or talks to us when she sees us." Yunho spoke. Hongjoong shot Yunho a confused look while Seonghwa sighed, not liking where this was going.

"I never said I blamed her." Hongjoong frowned.

"I know but she just looked so hurt when you gave her the cold shoulder." Yunho shrugged and drank his drink.

"Why do you suddenly care so much about her?" Hongjoong stood up. Yes, Hongjoong got to know you first but for some reason, it irked him to see how easily friendly Yunho was with you.

"It's not that I suddenly care or anything. She's a friend, hyung. That's all." Yunho said, keeping completely calm.

"Okay, you two, stop it. Enough about (y/n). We're here to celebrate wins and relax." Seonghwa stood up between the two.

"Sorry, hyung." Yunho apologised to Seonghwa. Hongjoong clicked his tongue and grabbed his cane, leaving the room. He limped to the bar to get a refill.

"I need a stronger drink." Seonghwa mumbled, rubbing his temples.

"Woo." Hongjoong stepped out into the back alley, a filled glass of whiskey in his free hand.

"Oh, captain. What are you doing out here?" Wooyoung turned to see the leader and stood up from his crouched position over the body that was on the ground. Wooyoung shook his hands to relieve the slight ache that settled in his joints.

"Feel better?" Hongjoong raised an eyebrow, holding out his glass to Wooyoung to let him drink. The younger grinned and took it, taking a sip of the golden liquor.

"Yeah, the winning adrenaline wore off. Luckily we had this guy come here and stir trouble." Wooyoung nodded over to the body.

"What did he do?" Hongjoong scoffed.

"Does it matter?" Wooyoung raised an eyebrow. Hongjoong conceeded and didn't ask further. Like he said earlier, this was Wooyoung's place, he could do whatever he wanted.

"Is he dead?" Hongjoong asked.

"Nah, I punched his face in but not hard enough to kill him. I'll get my boys to move him somewhere." He took his phone out.

"Wooyoung sshi." A meek voice interruted them. Hongjoong didn't know the guy but Wooyoung seemed to. He gave the man a nod before he was handed something.

"Thanks." Wooyoung said and the man bowed before walking away. Wooyoung tucked the small item into his pocket.

"Looks like I got my next invite." He smirked to the captain. Finally, something that made Hongjoong smile that night. Wooyoung was doing well at the poker games, and with their reputation, he was constantly getting invited for the following games. This was good, it meant he could get information.

"I'll take San with me as my plus 1 for the next game. Take the chance to promote the casino too." Wooyoung informed, to which Hongjoong nodded.

"That's a good idea, it provides an opportunity for one of the next private games to be held there." Hongjoong said.

"Are you ready to head in? Or are you still angry at whoever fought with you?" Wooyoung chuckled.

"I didn't fight with anyone." Hongjoong rolled his eyes.

"Sure~" Wooyoung teased and held the door open for Hongjoong to walk in. The two headed back to the VIP area, where the others were. San was passed out in Yunho's lap and Seonghwa was half asleep.

"Hwa? Did you drink too much too fast again?" Hongjoong asked his best friend, who was swaying back and forth.

"You're an idiot..." Seonghwa punched Hongjoong's arm lightly before leaning his head on his shoulder.

"I know, I'm always causing you trouble." Hongjoong chuckled, patting Seonghwa's thigh as he drank his drink. Seonghwa hummed, snuggling against Hongjoong's shoulder.

"Yes! You are... You are... the worst... out of all the kids..." Seonghwa said amidst a tired yawn. Seonghwa and Hongjoong have always been there for each other, they are complete opposites but that's why they work so well together.

"Mingi, help Hwa. Let's go home before more of you pass out here." Hongjoong said.

"Yes, captain." Everyone who was awake/ sober replied. Hongjoong stayed in his spot, waiting for Mingi to come over and help Seonghwa up first.

"Careful, hyung." Yeosang helped Hongjoong stand.

"I'll call our drivers..." Jongho stumbled a little as he took his phone out. None of them were in the condition to drive.

"Alright, we should go. Make sure we have people come pick up the cars tomorrow." Hongjoong put a stack of money down on the table and they all left the VIP area to wait for the cars out back.

Once all the boys were loaded into the vans, the drivers drove them back home.

"I'm fine, help the others." Hongjoong stopped the butler from going to help him. The butler bowed and went to help the others instead.

"Ah, hyung. You should really move to one of the downstairs rooms. It'll be much easier on your knee." Yeosang said as he and Wooyoung supported each other up the stairs.

"There's no point since my office is upstairs anyway. It's easier to move between my room and office if I remain upstairs, I'm in there most of the time." Hongjoong reasoned as he went into his room, closing the door behind him. He tossed the cane aside, frankly annoyed by it already.

"Yun, I know you’re awake and sober." Mingi came crept into his best friend’s room. As if on cue, Yunho walked out of his bathroom, wiping his face with a towel.

"Mmm?" Yunho hummed and headed to his dresser to grabbed a t shirt, pulling it over his head.

"What did you need?" Yunho yawned, watching as Mingi climbed into his bed. It was such a common occurrence, they always slept in each other’s beds.

"Dude, why were you starting shit with Hongjoong hyung earlier? And don't blame the alcohol." Mingi raised an eyebrow.

"Geez, I wasn't trying to start anything. And no, I don't have a crush on (y/n)." Yunho said when he saw Mingi open his mouth, who closed it.

"(y/n)'s a nice girl and she's navigating grief just like Hongjoong hyung is..." Yunho started.

"Wait, hold on. Stop right there. Are you trying to set them up?!" Mingi let out a gasp of realisation. Yunho couldn't help the mischievous smirk that crept onto his face as Mingi gave a wary look.

"I'm not trying to set them up... actively trying, at least. I'm just trying to create opportunities for them to get to know each other better. But that aside, (y/n) is still human, Hongjoong hyung should be treating her nicer instead of treating her like us." Yunho shrugged.

"Look man, as your best friend, I just hope you know what you're doing." Mingi said, laying down on the pillow and pulling the blanket over him.

"And I'm not saying that for Hongjoong hyung. But I'd hate to see (y/n) be the one to come out of this hurt." He added.

-

"Ohhh..." Nana and Eve said in unison as you told them the gist of how you knew Hongjoong and the others. You nodded, nursing the hot cup of tea in your hands before you.

"So he's Mrs Kim's son?" Eve asked. You nodded in confirmation.

Instead of heading home after leaving the race, the 3 of you settled in a quiet 24 hour cafe to relax.

"Met him at the funeral and we've been acquainted ever since? I do gardening work at their house, that's it." You said, purposely leaving out that you and Hongjoong were 'friends'. Because after tonight, you were doubting this whole friends thing. Maybe it was all in your head and you weren't friends at all.

"But they're like... big, you know? I mean, I've seen them at the races, even thought I've only just started going. But they win, all the time." Nana said, sipping her coffee.

"Just be careful, alright (y/n)? They seem a little dangerous." Eve sent you a worried smile.

"I will, Eve. Don't worry." You smiled and finished your tea.

"And Mrs Kim was so nice! But we know she was very close with you, (y/n). It must not be easy." Nana sent you a sad smile. You let out a soft sigh at that.

Since it was a nice night out, you decided to split ways with your friends and walk home. It wasn't a far walk and you wanted some fresh air to breathe a little.

"What were you thinking, pabo?" You hit your temples with your fists as you walked home, thinking about what you did.

Maybe you shouldn't have approached Hongjoong. Who were you, compared to someone of his status?

"Ah, whatever." You let out a sigh of defeat as you entered your house. After taking a shower and changing into more comfortable clothes, you sat down and did some work. With a really big event coming up, you wanted to plan the floral designs.

You assumed that the event must be big or important because you were only given brief details about it like the time, date and location. And since you were on your own, your friends volunteered to help.

"Silver and black, huh?" You did a rough sketch of the table arrangements and floral pillars that would go by the doors.

*1 attachment sent to (y/n)'s Flower Fairies*

'I still question the name of this group chat... Why can't we have a normal name. - Jihoon'

'Shut up. It's cute! And the designs are cute, (y/n)! Also, why are you still working at this hour? Go to sleep and design stuff tomorrow! It's time to bed. - Nana'

'Yeah, sleep is important to stay healthy! - Hyunwoo'

'I will soon! I couldn't sleep so I thought I would tire myself out by doing some design work... - (y/n)'

'The designs are so prettyyyy but yes, go to bed (y/n)! And everyone else too - Eve'

You were grateful for your friends. It was a small group but you would always be ready to help each other if needed. They, along with Mrs Kim, made your world feel a lot less lonely.

With that, you put your iPad aside and tried to sleep since you knew you had to work tomorrow. You let out a sigh of relief when you realised that you were not working at Hongjoong's house tomorrow but just your own store. That would give you a few days to get over the odd ache in your chest that you felt.

Luckily work the next day was busy. On top of orders, you had to make some draft designs for the big event and send them over to the organiser for approval.

"(y/n)? Are you here?"

"Yeah, I'm at my work desk Hyunwoo!" You replied. Hyunwoo appeared from the hallway leading to the back door.

"Hey~ Is that the design for the event? It's pretty." He complimented as he took a seat across your work table. You hummed in confirmation and continued working.

"I hope you don't mind, I'm here to escape from stuffy clients and have my lunch in peace." He grinned.

"Of course I don't. Go ahead. You own the place and yet, you're running away." You giggled.

"The reality of business." He sighed exasperatedly and took his lunch box out. Since you were working during your lunch, you had packed a sandwich from home to make it easier to eat and work.

"That's not enough, (y/n)." Hyunwoo said, noticing your small sandwich compared to his huge lunch box with many layers.

"I'm not bulking like you so it's more than enough for me. You know I don't really eat much for lunch when I am distracted. Plus, I have a box of fruit in the fridge that I'll eat later." You said, nodding over to the fridge. Hyunwoo sent you a suspicious look.

"You shouldn't even be working during your lunch in the first place." Hyunwoo whined.

"I know but I'm excited to get this done. I haven't really done such a big event like this on my own before. Usually, I'm asked to be a part of an event team, never lead it." You chuckled.

"It's a great opportunity. I'm glad someone recognises your talent." Hyunwoo smiled as he ate his food.

"Thank you, Hyunwoo. I just hope I don't mess it up." You smiled.

"You won't. Have more faith in yourself. And maybe this will be the chance to get your shop's name out there. Get bigger and grow the business." He laughed.

"That's a very far dream. But I am happy where I am now too. Gives me time to work on my botany and practice it." You giggled.

"Which by the way, the recovery elixir I've added to my bone broth is super good. I feel amazing and have lesser muscle cramps, definitely quicker recovery after my work outs." He complimented.

"That's a relief. I'm glad it worked." You said, taking your journel down from the shelf and flipping to the page with the elixir recipe. You jotted down the notes and good review from Hyunwoo with a satisfied smile on your face. Then you went back to your previous task, which was photo taking.

"There, sent to the organiser. Hopefully they like it." You crossed your fingers and typed out the email with the photos attached to send to the organiser.

~

Series masterlist

[makeitmingi]

parents on a date <3

[makeitmingi]

matz lake como date

[makeitmingi]

When Flowers Bloom In The Dark [Chapter 15]

Genre: Romance, Mafia!AU, Violence, Angst, Slow burn

Pairing: Hongjoong x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Florist!Reader, Mafioso!Hongjoong, Mafioso!Seonghwa, Mafioso!Yunho, Mafioso!Yeosang, Mafioso!San, Mafioso!Mingi, Mafioso!Wooyoung, Mafioso!Jongho

Summary: When you appeared and wept at his mother's funeral, Hongjoong found himself wanting to find out more about you. A regular girl, who owns a flower shop in his territory and has a relationship with the mother that he hasn't spoken to in years, why hasn't he ever noticed you before?

[Warning(s): 18+ for violence, use of weapons, smoking, alcohol consumption, slight gore, gang affiliation, tattoos and character deaths. Minors DNI. This is a work of fiction and does not represent the Ateez members in real life.]

Word count: 3.2K

Chapter warning(s): Alcohol consumption, violence.

"(y/n)! There you are! Are you okay? Where were you?" Nana came to you with a worried Eve behind her.

"H-Huh? Oh yeah. Was just wandering around. Sorry, I didn't realise I was gone for so long." You forced a smile. There was a foreign feeling in your chest at how Hongjoong looked at you and spoke to you but you pushed it down.

"The big event of tonight is going on. The drivers look cute." Eve giggled as you all moved to a different spot to watch. Wooyoung was one of the drivers.

"That driver in the black car always wins. Him and his team." Nana leaned over to tell the two of you.

"They're all so good looking." Eve squealed, catching a glimpse of Hongjoong and the others who were seated together.

"Winner! Team Ateez!" The announcer yelled as Wooyoung's car passed the finishing line. Everyone cheered for him as Wooyoung stepped out with a confident smirk.

"It's getting a little stuffy. Can we go?" You asked your friends.

"Sure. The major events are over already anyway. And we can always come back." Nana chuckled as the 3 of you headed for the exit.

"(y/n)? Is that you?" You didn't expect Wooyoung to cross paths with you since the exit was near the finishing line. You could feel the prying stares of your friends on you.

"Hey..." You awkwardly waved. Wooyoung sent you a friendly smile and a wink before slinging his arm around San, who jogged over to congratulate his best friend. Before Wooyoung could tell San about you being here, San led him away. At the same time, you ushered your friends through the exit.

"YOU KNOW HIM?!" Eve and Nana shouted at you once you were outside, making you wince.

"Kind of...?" You rubbed the back of your neck.

"Ah, guys. It's complicated, I don't really want to talk about it." You sighed as your two friends threw all sorts of questions at you. But at your words, their eyes widened.

"No! It's nothing like that!" You knew what they were thinking and immediately shot it down.

"San, quit pushing me. I was gonna tell you that (y/n) was there." Wooyoung slapped his best friend on the arm.

"We know... We're not supposed to draw attention to ourselves remember? The whole secret... We cannot be seen with her when we don't know who is here." San reminded.

"You all saw her already?" Wooyoung raised an eyebrow as he lit a fresh cigarette. San nodded his head.

"Damn... She must be shocked. WAIT! Did she seem Hongjoong hyung?" His eyes widened. San nodded glumly but judging by his reaction, it wasn't good. Wooyoung let out a curse and clicked his tongue as they walked to where the others were.

"But she looked hot. I barely recognised her, could have mistaken her for someone else." Wooyoung said and Mingi nodded in agreement, having almost flirted with you.

"Tell me about it. I was gonna ask her to come to the afterparty." Mingi mumbled.

"Shut up, you two." Seonghwa hissed, watching Hongjoong's stoic expression as the two talked behind him.

"Here." The organiser came over with their cut of the money. Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Yeosang took their stacks, flipping through to money to count.

"It's all here. Thanks." Seonghwa nodded to the guy, keeping his money in his jacket pocket.

"Let's go." Hongjoong rounded everyone up.

"Yes, captain." The 7 got up and they all walked together, keeping at Hongjoong's pace since he had the cane. Everyone looked on in awe and slight fear of them, no one dared to approach or even make eye contact with any of them. Jongho opened the door to the passenger seat of Mingi's car for the captain.

"Thanks, Jong." Hongjoong sighed, annoyed that he couldn't even drive his own car with how busted his knee was. With that, the sports cars all peeled out of the parking area.

"How's the cane, hyung?" Mingi asked.

"The raven skull top is easier to hold than the human skull one." Hongjoong held up the cane.

"Also because Wooyoung and Seonghwa hyung bedazzled the human skull so it hurt to hold the top, right?" Jongho pointed out from the backseat.

"Exactly." Hongjoong rolled his eyes.

"They need better arts and crafts projects." Mingi laughed. And soon, the car pulled up to the back of Wooyoung's club, the VIP entrance.

"Boss, the VIP room is ready for you." The manager was out to greet them as they stepped out of their cars. Mingi handed his keys to the valet and ran to his place by Hongjoong's side.

"Slow pokes!" San stuck his tongue out as Mingi, Jongho and Hongjoong walked in.

"Not our fault grandpa takes so long to go up the stairs." Jongho snicked and Hongjoong jabbed him with his cane. Once they all sat down, in a private room, with a two way mirror to watch the rest of the club, they gave their orders to the manager.

"What's with you?" Yeosang asked Wooyoung, who was bouncing his leg as he spread his arms across the back of the couches, looking out into the club.

"Race adrenaline taking a while to wear off. I'm going for another smoke." Wooyoung stood up and went out.

"He's gonna beat someone up." Yunho chuckled.

"It's his place, he can do whatever he wants." Seonghwa shrugged. The manager brought the tray of drinks and some snacks, giving out the drinks to the respective members.

"I still can't believe we ran into (y/n) there." Yeosang shook his head as he took a sip.

"She was with friends, she said that they were the ones that brought her there. It's her first time at the races." San said.

"She shouldn't be there, it's too dangerous. It's even more dangerous that she recongised us and tried to talk to us." Hongjoong sighed with a click of his tongue.

"But hyung, she doesn't know that... We haven't told her anything so we can't blame her for not knowing. It's only natural that she says hi or talks to us when she sees us." Yunho spoke. Hongjoong shot Yunho a confused look while Seonghwa sighed, not liking where this was going.

"I never said I blamed her." Hongjoong frowned.

"I know but she just looked so hurt when you gave her the cold shoulder." Yunho shrugged and drank his drink.

"Why do you suddenly care so much about her?" Hongjoong stood up. Yes, Hongjoong got to know you first but for some reason, it irked him to see how easily friendly Yunho was with you.

"It's not that I suddenly care or anything. She's a friend, hyung. That's all." Yunho said, keeping completely calm.

"Okay, you two, stop it. Enough about (y/n). We're here to celebrate wins and relax." Seonghwa stood up between the two.

"Sorry, hyung." Yunho apologised to Seonghwa. Hongjoong clicked his tongue and grabbed his cane, leaving the room. He limped to the bar to get a refill.

"I need a stronger drink." Seonghwa mumbled, rubbing his temples.

"Woo." Hongjoong stepped out into the back alley, a filled glass of whiskey in his free hand.

"Oh, captain. What are you doing out here?" Wooyoung turned to see the leader and stood up from his crouched position over the body that was on the ground. Wooyoung shook his hands to relieve the slight ache that settled in his joints.

"Feel better?" Hongjoong raised an eyebrow, holding out his glass to Wooyoung to let him drink. The younger grinned and took it, taking a sip of the golden liquor.

"Yeah, the winning adrenaline wore off. Luckily we had this guy come here and stir trouble." Wooyoung nodded over to the body.

"What did he do?" Hongjoong scoffed.

"Does it matter?" Wooyoung raised an eyebrow. Hongjoong conceeded and didn't ask further. Like he said earlier, this was Wooyoung's place, he could do whatever he wanted.

"Is he dead?" Hongjoong asked.

"Nah, I punched his face in but not hard enough to kill him. I'll get my boys to move him somewhere." He took his phone out.

"Wooyoung sshi." A meek voice interruted them. Hongjoong didn't know the guy but Wooyoung seemed to. He gave the man a nod before he was handed something.

"Thanks." Wooyoung said and the man bowed before walking away. Wooyoung tucked the small item into his pocket.

"Looks like I got my next invite." He smirked to the captain. Finally, something that made Hongjoong smile that night. Wooyoung was doing well at the poker games, and with their reputation, he was constantly getting invited for the following games. This was good, it meant he could get information.

"I'll take San with me as my plus 1 for the next game. Take the chance to promote the casino too." Wooyoung informed, to which Hongjoong nodded.

"That's a good idea, it provides an opportunity for one of the next private games to be held there." Hongjoong said.

"Are you ready to head in? Or are you still angry at whoever fought with you?" Wooyoung chuckled.

"I didn't fight with anyone." Hongjoong rolled his eyes.

"Sure~" Wooyoung teased and held the door open for Hongjoong to walk in. The two headed back to the VIP area, where the others were. San was passed out in Yunho's lap and Seonghwa was half asleep.

"Hwa? Did you drink too much too fast again?" Hongjoong asked his best friend, who was swaying back and forth.

"You're an idiot..." Seonghwa punched Hongjoong's arm lightly before leaning his head on his shoulder.

"I know, I'm always causing you trouble." Hongjoong chuckled, patting Seonghwa's thigh as he drank his drink. Seonghwa hummed, snuggling against Hongjoong's shoulder.

"Yes! You are... You are... the worst... out of all the kids..." Seonghwa said amidst a tired yawn. Seonghwa and Hongjoong have always been there for each other, they are complete opposites but that's why they work so well together.

"Mingi, help Hwa. Let's go home before more of you pass out here." Hongjoong said.

"Yes, captain." Everyone who was awake/ sober replied. Hongjoong stayed in his spot, waiting for Mingi to come over and help Seonghwa up first.

"Careful, hyung." Yeosang helped Hongjoong stand.

"I'll call our drivers..." Jongho stumbled a little as he took his phone out. None of them were in the condition to drive.

"Alright, we should go. Make sure we have people come pick up the cars tomorrow." Hongjoong put a stack of money down on the table and they all left the VIP area to wait for the cars out back.

Once all the boys were loaded into the vans, the drivers drove them back home.

"I'm fine, help the others." Hongjoong stopped the butler from going to help him. The butler bowed and went to help the others instead.

"Ah, hyung. You should really move to one of the downstairs rooms. It'll be much easier on your knee." Yeosang said as he and Wooyoung supported each other up the stairs.

"There's no point since my office is upstairs anyway. It's easier to move between my room and office if I remain upstairs, I'm in there most of the time." Hongjoong reasoned as he went into his room, closing the door behind him. He tossed the cane aside, frankly annoyed by it already.

"Yun, I know you’re awake and sober." Mingi came crept into his best friend’s room. As if on cue, Yunho walked out of his bathroom, wiping his face with a towel.

"Mmm?" Yunho hummed and headed to his dresser to grabbed a t shirt, pulling it over his head.

"What did you need?" Yunho yawned, watching as Mingi climbed into his bed. It was such a common occurrence, they always slept in each other’s beds.

"Dude, why were you starting shit with Hongjoong hyung earlier? And don't blame the alcohol." Mingi raised an eyebrow.

"Geez, I wasn't trying to start anything. And no, I don't have a crush on (y/n)." Yunho said when he saw Mingi open his mouth, who closed it.

"(y/n)'s a nice girl and she's navigating grief just like Hongjoong hyung is..." Yunho started.

"Wait, hold on. Stop right there. Are you trying to set them up?!" Mingi let out a gasp of realisation. Yunho couldn't help the mischievous smirk that crept onto his face as Mingi gave a wary look.

"I'm not trying to set them up... actively trying, at least. I'm just trying to create opportunities for them to get to know each other better. But that aside, (y/n) is still human, Hongjoong hyung should be treating her nicer instead of treating her like us." Yunho shrugged.

"Look man, as your best friend, I just hope you know what you're doing." Mingi said, laying down on the pillow and pulling the blanket over him.

"And I'm not saying that for Hongjoong hyung. But I'd hate to see (y/n) be the one to come out of this hurt." He added.

-

"Ohhh..." Nana and Eve said in unison as you told them the gist of how you knew Hongjoong and the others. You nodded, nursing the hot cup of tea in your hands before you.

"So he's Mrs Kim's son?" Eve asked. You nodded in confirmation.

Instead of heading home after leaving the race, the 3 of you settled in a quiet 24 hour cafe to relax.

"Met him at the funeral and we've been acquainted ever since? I do gardening work at their house, that's it." You said, purposely leaving out that you and Hongjoong were 'friends'. Because after tonight, you were doubting this whole friends thing. Maybe it was all in your head and you weren't friends at all.

"But they're like... big, you know? I mean, I've seen them at the races, even thought I've only just started going. But they win, all the time." Nana said, sipping her coffee.

"Just be careful, alright (y/n)? They seem a little dangerous." Eve sent you a worried smile.

"I will, Eve. Don't worry." You smiled and finished your tea.

"And Mrs Kim was so nice! But we know she was very close with you, (y/n). It must not be easy." Nana sent you a sad smile. You let out a soft sigh at that.

Since it was a nice night out, you decided to split ways with your friends and walk home. It wasn't a far walk and you wanted some fresh air to breathe a little.

"What were you thinking, pabo?" You hit your temples with your fists as you walked home, thinking about what you did.

Maybe you shouldn't have approached Hongjoong. Who were you, compared to someone of his status?

"Ah, whatever." You let out a sigh of defeat as you entered your house. After taking a shower and changing into more comfortable clothes, you sat down and did some work. With a really big event coming up, you wanted to plan the floral designs.

You assumed that the event must be big or important because you were only given brief details about it like the time, date and location. And since you were on your own, your friends volunteered to help.

"Silver and black, huh?" You did a rough sketch of the table arrangements and floral pillars that would go by the doors.

*1 attachment sent to (y/n)'s Flower Fairies*

'I still question the name of this group chat... Why can't we have a normal name. - Jihoon'

'Shut up. It's cute! And the designs are cute, (y/n)! Also, why are you still working at this hour? Go to sleep and design stuff tomorrow! It's time to bed. - Nana'

'Yeah, sleep is important to stay healthy! - Hyunwoo'

'I will soon! I couldn't sleep so I thought I would tire myself out by doing some design work... - (y/n)'

'The designs are so prettyyyy but yes, go to bed (y/n)! And everyone else too - Eve'

You were grateful for your friends. It was a small group but you would always be ready to help each other if needed. They, along with Mrs Kim, made your world feel a lot less lonely.

With that, you put your iPad aside and tried to sleep since you knew you had to work tomorrow. You let out a sigh of relief when you realised that you were not working at Hongjoong's house tomorrow but just your own store. That would give you a few days to get over the odd ache in your chest that you felt.

Luckily work the next day was busy. On top of orders, you had to make some draft designs for the big event and send them over to the organiser for approval.

"(y/n)? Are you here?"

"Yeah, I'm at my work desk Hyunwoo!" You replied. Hyunwoo appeared from the hallway leading to the back door.

"Hey~ Is that the design for the event? It's pretty." He complimented as he took a seat across your work table. You hummed in confirmation and continued working.

"I hope you don't mind, I'm here to escape from stuffy clients and have my lunch in peace." He grinned.

"Of course I don't. Go ahead. You own the place and yet, you're running away." You giggled.

"The reality of business." He sighed exasperatedly and took his lunch box out. Since you were working during your lunch, you had packed a sandwich from home to make it easier to eat and work.

"That's not enough, (y/n)." Hyunwoo said, noticing your small sandwich compared to his huge lunch box with many layers.

"I'm not bulking like you so it's more than enough for me. You know I don't really eat much for lunch when I am distracted. Plus, I have a box of fruit in the fridge that I'll eat later." You said, nodding over to the fridge. Hyunwoo sent you a suspicious look.

"You shouldn't even be working during your lunch in the first place." Hyunwoo whined.

"I know but I'm excited to get this done. I haven't really done such a big event like this on my own before. Usually, I'm asked to be a part of an event team, never lead it." You chuckled.

"It's a great opportunity. I'm glad someone recognises your talent." Hyunwoo smiled as he ate his food.

"Thank you, Hyunwoo. I just hope I don't mess it up." You smiled.

"You won't. Have more faith in yourself. And maybe this will be the chance to get your shop's name out there. Get bigger and grow the business." He laughed.

"That's a very far dream. But I am happy where I am now too. Gives me time to work on my botany and practice it." You giggled.

"Which by the way, the recovery elixir I've added to my bone broth is super good. I feel amazing and have lesser muscle cramps, definitely quicker recovery after my work outs." He complimented.

"That's a relief. I'm glad it worked." You said, taking your journel down from the shelf and flipping to the page with the elixir recipe. You jotted down the notes and good review from Hyunwoo with a satisfied smile on your face. Then you went back to your previous task, which was photo taking.

"There, sent to the organiser. Hopefully they like it." You crossed your fingers and typed out the email with the photos attached to send to the organiser.

~

Series masterlist

[makeitmingi]

When Flowers Bloom In The Dark [Chapter 14]

Genre: Romance, Mafia!AU, Violence, Angst, Slow burn

Pairing: Hongjoong x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Florist!Reader, Mafioso!Hongjoong, Mafioso!Seonghwa, Mafioso!Yunho, Mafioso!Yeosang, Mafioso!San, Mafioso!Mingi, Mafioso!Wooyoung, Mafioso!Jongho

Summary: When you appeared and wept at his mother's funeral, Hongjoong found himself wanting to find out more about you. A regular girl, who owns a flower shop in his territory and has a relationship with the mother that he hasn't spoken to in years, why hasn't he ever noticed you before?

[Warning(s): 18+ for violence, use of weapons, smoking, alcohol consumption, slight gore, gang affiliation, tattoos and character deaths. Minors DNI. This is a work of fiction and does not represent the Ateez members in real life.]

Word count: 3.3K

After Hongjoong gave you a mini tour of the place that day, you honestly couldn't remember all of it. The only place you remembered was the library and Hongjoong's office, in case you ever needed to find him... For whatever reason...

"Have a nice night, (y/n)." Seonghwa smiled as he stood by the front door, watching the chauffeur open the car door for you.

"See you, Seonghwa. Goodnight." You bowed your head and waved before entering the car. The chauffeur bowed to Seonghwa and got in to drive you home.

'She's gone. - Seonghwa'

Seonghwa sent the text and retreated back into the house, the maid closing the door behind him.

"Thanks, Hwa." Hongjoong limped into the house and fell onto the couch. His fringe stuck to his forehead from the sweat since he spent the past 30 minutes waiting in the carpark.

"Damn, they got you bad." Seonghwa frowned as he stood in front of his best friend.

"Yeah, I think I know." Hongjoong winced.

"I already called the doctor." Yeosang said, coming in as he was tucking his phone back into his pocket. Except for the cut on his lip, Hongjoong didn't have any other open wounds so he went to take a shower before the doctor came, he wanted to get the dried blood and grime off his body.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Who is it?" Hongjoong asked as he dried his hair.

"Hyung, its me and Doctor Lee." Yeosang's voice was heard on the other side of the door. When Hongjoong let out a sound of acknowledgement, the two came in.

"Good evening, Hongjoong sshi." The doctor bowed and Hongjoong just nodded, moving to sit on his bed.

"Just wanted to make sure there's nothing internal." Yeosang said to the doctor.

"Of course, excuse me, Hongjoong sshi." The doctor wore gloves and began to check Hongjoong's injuries. Yeosang stood across the bed, leaning against the dresser as he watched the doctor work.

"I'll have to remain hidden for a while, especially when (y/n) comes to the house." Hongjoong sighed.

"Why?" Yeosang tilted his head.

"How am I supposed to greet her like this, Yeosang ah? She doesn't know what we do. I can't suddenly see her like this, all beat up and injured. She'll definitely suspect something and I'm not ready to tell her what we do for a living." Hongjoong stated.

"Well, you'll have to tell her some day, cap. You can't hide it from her forever... Especially if you... plan on keeping her around you and us." Yeosang shrugged.

"Don't... say it like that." Hongjoong hissed as the doctor disinfected his wound.

"Ah, you know what I mean." Yeosang rolled his eyes. There was another knock on the door and San came in.

"What's the damage?" He asked Yeosang and the doctor.

"From my assessment, nothing major. Just some minor bruises and cuts but I would advice you to take it easy, Hongjoong sshi. The hit to your knee wasn't major but still bad." The doctor said.

"I know myself. I can't just stop working because you tell me to." Hongjoong scoffed, putting his shirt back on and buttoning it up.

"Besides that, thanks for dropping by, doc. I'll walk you out." Yeosang said and walked the doctor out.

"Easy up, hyung." San chuckled, to whom Hongjoong just rolled his eyes at. He sighed and wanted to get out of bed but winced and just leaned back, letting San come over to fluff his pillow and prop it up for him. With a look of defeat, Hongjoong leaned against the pillow on his headboard.

"Anyway, I've got... not so good news to share..." San said, sitting at the foot of Hongjoong's bed. Hongjoong raised his eyebrows in anticipation of what San had to say.

"My fight club was bugged. I went back and did a sweep, I found bugs in the VIP room." San crossed his arms.

"And we have no clue how long it has been there?" Hongjoong asked.

"I'm having my boys run through the camera videos now but I'm not sure how long that will take. These people wanted something, knowing where the VIP room was and how to bug it." San sighed.

"This is not good. We don't need this now. We need to find out when and who bugged your place." Hongjoong rubbed his temples.

"I'm on it, hyung. I'll get the footage to Yunho and Jongho, see if they can find out where the video was transmitting it." San assured and Hongjoong nodded.

"So, how are you going to face (y/n) like this now?" San changed the topic.

"Gosh it's like you and Yeosang rehearsed what to ask me. I'm not, I'll just stay in my office or say that I'm out working when she comes. I shouldn't take too long to heal up. No big deal." Hongjoong said. San nodded his head slowly, seemingly convinced.

"Woah, where are you going now?" San rushed to Hongjoong's side, seeing him suddenly swing his feet over the side and attempt to stand on his feet.

"My office. I need to get something." Hongjoong mumbled.

"Tell me where and what it is. I can get it for you, you should be resting in bed." San urged.

"I'm fine, San ah. Just let me get it and I'll come back. Don't worry and don't follow me." Hongjoong pointed to the younger, whose hands droppd by his side in defeat.

"Alright, goodnight hyung." San wished and Hongjoong nodded before they split way. He limped to his office and turned the lights on.

"Now, where was it?" He sat at his desk and opened the drawers. Finally, he spotted wha the was looking for.

"There you are." Holding the jar of leftover medical balm that you made in his hand, he smiled with content and stood back up. But when he saw his office door open, he quickly shoved the jar into the pocket of his sweatpants. Seonghwa stood there with a raised eyebrow and folded arms.

"What are you doing in here?" The second in command asked with much suspicion. Seeing Hongjoong so skittish, he knew that the captain must be hiding something.

"Nothing. How did you know I was here? Did San rat me out?" Hongjoong asked back.

"No, I was walking back from the library and saw your office lights on. No one comes in while you're not here." Seonghwa stated.

"Right... I just came to get something and I'll go back to bed." Hongjoong said, limping out from behind his desk, over to the doorway where Seonghwa stood.

"Good, I thought you might have snuck here to continue working." Seonghwa wrapped an arm around Hongjoong to support him.

"No, I wouldn't dare. Not when I know you're awake." Hongjoong teased.

"I only nag you because you don't take care of yourself." Seonghwa sighed, having repeated that line to his best friend since they were much younger. Hongjoong hummed, letting Seonghwa help him back into his room and into bed.

"Just spend the day resting in bed tomorrow, let the rest of us take over what you have to do." Seonghwa said as Hongjoong adjusted his pillows so he wouldn't be in pain.

"I'm fine, Hwa! I swear." Hongjoong grumbled into his pillow. Seonghwa rolled his eyes.

"Goodnight, Joong." He ignored the sulky captain's whining and turned the lights off before leaving the room.

After the door closed, Hongjoong sat up, leaning over to turn the nightstand lamp on. Then he fished out the jar of balm from his pocket and set it there so he could remember to use it tomorrow.

-

It was weird that the other night, Seonghwa was the one that walked you out. You hadn't seen Hongjoong for practically the entire day but you figured he must be busy working.

Then this week, when you went over, Hongjoong wasn't there at all. But you still did your job, with the other boys coming to bother you, occasionally. You wanted to text him or ask the others where he was but after thinking about it, it sounded too clingy so you decided against asking.

Something felt off, not seeing Hongjoong for two weeks when you saw him every week at his house. But you were not in the position to pry about his wareabouts.

"(y/n)!" Nana came into your shop during lunch time. You broke out of your thoughts and looked at her, blinking in confusion.

"What are you doing tonight?" She asked.

"Nothing. Once I close shop, it's just me and my couch. Plus dinner." You chuckled, gesturing for her to take a seat at your work table. She smiled, satisfied with your answer.

"Your smile is scaring me... Why do you ask my plans for tonight?" You asked with caution.

"There's this thing! Like an event of sorts... I wanna take you and Eve to experience it. Perfect that you're free." She clapped her hands.

"What event or thing is this?" You raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, don't ask so many questions! It's a surprise! You'll see when we get there. Just get dolled up, it's an outdoor event. Think... Outdoor party?" She tilted her head.

"That worries me even more." You squinted your eyes at her. Nana merely smiled innocently at you.

"We'll come by your place to pick you up tonight. Be ready by 9!" She patted your hand and left your shop before you could ask her any further questions. You let out a long sigh, shaking your head with a knowing smile.

'Hey, Hongjoong, haven't seen you at the house. Busy with work? Not playing hooky anymore? ;P - (y/n)'

After sending that message to Hongjoong, you put your phone away and went right back to work, preparing orders and attending to walk in clients.

"No, you don't have to!" You shook your head.

"I insisted, (y/n). Anyway thanks to you, my aloe vera is flourishing! So please just take some." The lady slid the bag of aloe vera back.

"Ah, alright. Thank you so much. This is great for treating sunburns and wounds." You smiled, looking at the aloe vera. After that, you walked her to the door to see her off.

"Fresh aloe." You smiled happily and placed the bag into the fridge so you could use it later.

"That's order number #5019 done." You checked off your list on your phone. Curiously, you opened the chat with Hongjoong.

*read*

He had read the message but didn't reply. He could just be really busy with work but then looking back at the message, you realised that maybe you were acting a little too familiar and friendly with him. Maybe you were not at that level of friendship yet and he still viewed you as nothing more than a gardener working at his house.

"Once again, you have overstepped." You scolded yourself with a sigh, tucking your phone into your pocket to finish up your work for the day so you could close.

"Could I maybe add some greenery around the back?" The customer requested.

"Of course. I'll be right back." You went to your bins to retrieve some stalks of green to add to the bouquet.

"You've got a good eye. It compliments the bouquet and flowers nicely." You smiled as you added the extra stalks to the bouquet you had already bundled together.

"Thank you." The male blushed, watching you wrap everything with colourful tissue and securing it together with a pretty ribbon.

"There you go." You handed it to him and sorted out the payment with him.

"Have a nice evening!" You wished. He smiled and bowed while leaving the shop. Once he stepped out, you closed the door and locked it, turning the sign to 'CLOSED'. Now, it was time to pack up and go home.

'(y/n)! No skipping out tonight! See you~ - Nana'

'Yes, yes. Can't wait to see you! And don't try to hide from us, we know where you live... Okay, that sounded a lot more stalkery/ evil than I expected... - Eve'

You laughed at your friends' messages and slung your bag over your shoulder before making your way home.

"What to wear? What to wear?" You sighed.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Coming!" You went out, knowing it was your friends at the door. They stood there, all dressed up, staring at you who was still wrapped in your robe.

"I don't know what to wear because I don't know where we are going. You guys need to help me." You said.

"Ask Nana, she picked my clothes. I, too, don't know where we are going, remember?" Eve shrugged, sitting at the edge of your bed.

"Alright, let's see what we have." Nana looked through your closet. You chuckled and sat at your vanity to do your make up, watching as Nana sifted through your closet to put together an outfit for you. Eve watched on with amusement, trying her best to help by giving opinions on colour coordination.

"Yes! This works." Nana smiled proudly and you went over to see the outfit.

"I don't think I've ever worn these clothes before." You chuckled, picking up the skirt. Eve shooed you off to the bathroom and you went to change.

They picked an oxblood leather skirt and a black tube top with a racing jacket to wear over.

"You look cute!" They clapped happily.

"Seriously, where are we going?" You laughed as your friends hurried you to wear your shoes so you could leave.

"You'll see when we get there! Stop asking questions." Nana pushed your out of the house. Typical her, she already had a car waiting for the 3 of you, the driver knowing the destination prior.

"I'm starting to question where we're going..." Eve nudged you, trying to freak you out even more.

"And we're here!" Nana squealed. You and Eve looked out the window, unsure of where you were, but got out of the car anyway. It was a deserted area but there people standing around with the revving of car engines being heard.

"Nana, where are we?" You held her arm.

"Street racing." She grinned. You and Eve stared at her with wide eyes, totally not expecting this. There was a lot of people, cheering for the race that was happening.

"This doesn't feel safe..." You looked around. Nana laughed and led the two of you further in.

"There are bike races and car races." She explained as you watched the two bikers race, getting loud cheers from the crowd.

"How did you find out about this place?" Eve asked.

"From a... friend." Nana grinned, cheering on the bikers like she knew them. You were still a little in shock, this was definitely not legal and you weren't really into racing, cars and bikes to begin with.

"And of course, our winner is still undefeated!" The winning biker removed his helmet. Your eyes nearly bugged out of your skull.

"S-Seonghwa?" You whispered to yourself.

"What did you say?" Your friends turned to you but you shook your head, denying having said anything. If Seonghwa was here, that means the others might be here too. If there's a possibility Hongjoong might be here, you felt your stomach sink a little. You couldn't face him now, at least not here.

"I need to use the bathroom. I see the portable toilets there, I'll be right back." You said, patting your friends on the shoulders before going to the bathroom.

"Gosh, even here, I run into them." You mumbled.

"Hey pretty, what's your na- (y/n)?" Mingi's eyes widened when he saw you. You gave an awkward, shy wave.

"W-What are you doing here?" Now Mingi was stumbling over his words, having dropped his cool guy persona, exactly like the person you knew back at the house.

"Here with some friends. I didn't even know I was coming here, have never been to anything like this before." You chuckled.

"Oh, you've never been to a race before?" He tilted his head. You shook your head.

"Mingi ah! What's taking you so lo- (y/n)?!" San stopped in his tracks, blinking at you like he was dreaming.

"Hey, San. Yes, it's me." You chuckled and waved. San smiled, sending you a friendly wave back. He sent Mingi a look and the taller just shrugged in response. In your head, you wondered if you should ask them if Hongjoong was here.

Then you saw him, dressed in a nice suit and talking to Seonghwa. But you were not staring at that. You were staring at the bruises and cuts on his face, and that he walked with a limp.

"Wait." You spoke. San and Mingi turned around to see what you were staring at and immediately blocked your view.

"Guys, is Hongjoong okay?" You looked at them.

"Uh, yeah! He's fine, you know busy with work at home. He's not even here." San waved you off.

"Yeah, you must be seeing things. It's dark." Mingi added with a smile. You gave them an odd look, wondering why they were lying to you about Hongjoong being here. Or maybe you really were hallucinating.

"Guys, Wooyoung's race is gonna start soon. Oh, (y/n)! What are you doing here?" Yeosang smiled.

"Just here with some friends. Speaking of, I should be getting back to them. Bye..." You waved and left to find your friends.

"Hongjoong hyung, Hongjoong hyung. (y/n)'s here! We just ran into her, she saw you and asked about you." Mingi said with panic. Hongjoong stopped talking to Seonghwa and turned to look at his younger brother with wide eyes of shock. San and Yeosang could only nod to confirm the taller male's statement.

"And what did you say to her?" Seonghwa raised an eyebrow.

"We told her she was seeing things and that you were not here." San replied. The two oldest facepalmed and sighed.

"You guys... Why did you... You know what, nevermind. We're in the VIP area anyway, she won't be able to come look for me. It's fine." Hongjoong assured.

"Wait, you're still avoiding her, hyung?" Yeosang asked.

"I just want to wait until I have recovered then everything will go back to normal." Hongjoong said.

"Yeah, wouldn't want her to see hyung with his grandpa cane." Jongho added with a snicker. Hongjoong glared at the youngest, using his cane to hit Jongho.

"Seonghwa made me use it okay." Hongjoong hissed then turned to glare at his best friend.

"It was a cane or crutches, Joong. You know you're supposed to be resting and keeping your weight off your knee." Seonghwa shrugged.

"Anyway, guys. You know while we're here, we have to avoid her. We cannot be seen with her and she cannot be associated with us, it may put her in danger. We're here as Ateez, not AURORA Corp." Hongjoong reminded. The boys nodded obediently.

"Go, Wooyoung!" San cheered loudly as Wooyoung stepped into his car. As they all cheered Wooyoung on, Hongjoong looked out into the crowd and met eyes with you.

"Get ready, racers!" He tore his eyes away from you and focussed on Wooyoung's race instead.

RINGGGGGG

"Shit. I think there are issues at the club." Hongjoong cursed and excused himself, going to the back of where his brothers was sitting to answer the phone.

"Okay, handle it. If you need me to come down and handle it, call me again." He said to the manager and hung up.

"Hongjoong?" Hongjoong cursed and turned to see you there.

"(y/n)... Didn't know that you were here..." He nodded over to you. Seeing his entire condition, your eyes widened. You didn't see him with a cane earlier but now that you did and you saw his injuries a lot closer, it just made you assume that his condition was a lot worser than you initially thought.

"Hongjoong, actually I-"

"You shouldn't talk to me or approach me." Hongjoong said and turned to walk back to where his brothers were sitting, leaving you there alone.

~

Series masterlist

[makeitmingi]

Asking You To Be His Valentine's

[Let The Heart Love Again Drabble]

pairing: wooyoung x danceteacher!reader (y/n) feat. Yoonseo

summary: after agreeing to go on a date with wooyoung, your relationship only grew and blossomed into something much more beautiful. as wooyoung expected, you've integrated perfectly into his and yoonseo's lives. and despite already being in a relationship, yoonseo insists that wooyoung ask you to be his valentines.

word count: 3.1K

a/n: a little late to valentines day posting but ive been wanting to write something for 'Let The Heart Love Again' and what better time to write for them than valentines day!

"Good work today, everyone! Thank you." The boys bowed to each other and the members of BB Trippin, who bowed back. They all split up to go to their phones or get a drink of water after practicing for so long. Wooyoung grabbed his phone and sat with his back against the mirror, to read a message from you.

'Hey! We just ended class, going for a quick snack before going to KQ. See you~ - (y/n)'

He smiled at the picture you attached of Yoonseo eating and sent you a reply before tucking his phone into his pocket and going to drink water. Wooyoung took out a towel to wipe his sweat.

"So, Valentine's day is coming up soon." San said, wiping his body and downed a whole bottle of water.

"I'm aware..." Wooyoung trailed off, giving his best friend a suspicious look, wondering where he was going with this.

"What are your plans? Did you even ask (y/n) to be your valentine's yet?" San asked and sat beside Wooyoung. The shorter blinked in confusion and shook his head.

"What do you mean? We're dating, I already asked her to be my girlfriend. Isn't it obvious that she's my valentine's?" He frowned.

"Oh, hyung! Poor, naive Wooyoung hyung." Jongho chimed in with a shake of his head.

"So what if you're dating? You could be married and girls still like to be asked by guys to be their valentine's! A lot of guys forget to ask and girls can get upset. You have to ask (y/n) to be your valentine's." San pointed out.

"You make it sound like if I don't ask, she'll accept some other guy's request to be his valentine's. And I know (y/n) isn't like that, she's pretty chill." Wooyoung shrugged.

"Even the most chillest girls like to be asked out." Yunho added.

"Coming from all of you who are single!" Wooyoung scoffed loudly, rolling his eyes.

"If you excuse me, my girls are coming. Put on your shirt." Wooyoung threw his towel at San. San rolled his eyes and pulled his shirt on while Wooyound went out.

"There are my girls!" Wooyoung smiled, seeing you and Yoonseo emerge from the lift hand in hand.

"Appa!" Yoonseo laughed and ran forward, landing in her father's arms. He showered her in kisses. You smiled and headed over.

"Hey." You greeted softly. Wooyoung straightened up and smiled softly, reaching out to hold your hand. He leaned in to give you a kiss on the cheek. He knew that you were still a little shy when it came to PDA, especially at the company when you knew that the other members were around.

"How was practice?" You asked.

"Good. Tiring but good. I'm excited for the comeback, new choreography always gets me excited." He said.

"And how was class?" He asked back. You nodded over to Yoonseo, who began to excitedly tell her dad all that she learnt in class today. You listened to her with an endearing smile on your face.

"That's right. She's almost in a full side split." You said and Yoonseo nodded, happy to have your validation.

"Are you staying over tonight?" Wooyoung asked.

"Please! Please stay over!" Yoonseo begged when you didn't answer immediately, thinking of your schedule tomorrow. Wooyoung held Yoonseo's shoulders.

"Don't do that, baby." Wooyoung looked down at his daughter in slight disapproval, making Yoonseo pout.

"It's fine, Woo. I just have practice tomorrow morning for my upcoming showcase." You said.

"It's entirely up to you but I can drop you off if you'd like. I'm off tomorrow so I'll drop you at the studio then Yoonseo at school." He offered. You thought about it and nodded your head. Yoonseo cheered and hugged your legs.

"Hi, (y/n)~" The other members emerged from the studio. You waved and bowed to them. Your serious relationship with Wooyoung was still rather new so you were still formal with the others.

"Good work today." You clapped.

"You too." Jongho smiled kindly. Wooyoung cleared his throat and wrapped an arm around your waist to hold you to his side.

"Gongju nim!" San scooped Yoonseo up and hugged her, the two were always so excited to see each other, even if they see each other at least every other day.

"Geez, you two are always like long lost lovers." Wooyoung scoffed.

"It's cute." You giggled, seeing San piggyback Yoonseo and march around playfully, making her laugh.

"Alright, you two, break it up. It's time to go home." Wooyoung clapped. He loved his members like his family but right now, he'd much rather spend time with you, relaxing at home after working. San and Yoonseo whined, unhappy that they were not able to spend more time together.

"Why don't you two go ahead? I'm free for the rest of the day, I'll drop the princess off tonight." San offered.

"Me too!" Yunho raised his hand. Wooyoung gave an uncertain look, looking at Yoonseo who nodded her head happily, wanting to spend time with her uncles.

"Fine. But have her back home by 6. She has school tomorrow." Wooyoung said. Jongho, San and Yunho saluted to Wooyoung.

"Bye, baby. I'll see you later." Wooyoung opened his arms. Yoonseo came down and hugged her dad.

"Bye, appa." She kissed his cheek before hugging you.

"Have fun, Yoonseo ah. See you later." You hugged her before she went back to playing with her uncles. Wooyoung grasped your hand with his own and led you to the exit.

"Are you hungry?" You asked, cupping his cheek. Wooyoung shook his head and hugged your waist, resting his head on your shoulder.

"Everything ok?" There was more worry in your voice now as your fingers touched the back of his neck.

"Mmm, just tired. I'm glad you're here now." He mumbled. Reaching the basement carpark, Wooyoung opened the car door for you to enter before running to the driver's side to enter. Wooyoung started the car and began to drive.

"Comeback season is coming soon. I'm gonna be busy." Wooyoung said, his hand reaching to rest on your thigh.

"It's alright, Wooyoung. I understand." You placed your hand over his, knowing that he was worried about not being able to see you with his busy comeback schedule.

"We'll make time." He smiled.

"Of course. And if you need me to come over and help with Yoonseo, I'll be more than happy to." You giggled.

"Thanks. I'm sure Yoonseo will be happy to hear that, she loves you and loves spending time with you." Wooyoung chuckled. You felt a warmth in your heart hearing him say that.

"I love hanging out with her too. She's such an amazing kid." You said, making Wooyoung smile proudly.

"Come on." After he parked, you and Wooyoung headed up to the apartment. Even if you didn't live together, you stayed over often.

"I declare that we spend the rest of the day in bed." Wooyoung said as the two of you removed your shoes. You nodded with a giggle, liking that idea. While you unpacked your bag, Wooyoung bent down and kissed your cheek before going to shower. You began to unpack the items in your dance bag.

You placed your ballet shoes by the balcony, next to Yoonseo's to air them. Then you did the laundry, washing your stuff along with Wooyoung's clothes and Yoonseo's.

"This is what it's like living with two ballerinas." Wooyoung laughed, emerging from the room while drying his hair.

"It's only going to get more, you know? More constumes, more dance shoes, all that." You grinned.

"Well, I'll have you to help me sort those things out." He pulled you in by your waist. You slapped his chest and went to shower, wanting nothing more than to spend time with Wooyoung now.

"I'll prepare your snacks for dance tomorrow since I'm preparing Yoonseo's." Wooyoung said through the bathroom door.

"Thank you!" You replied loudly.

"Wooyou-" You paused when you came out after your shower and drying your hair to see Wooyoung fast asleep. He had one of Yoonseo's stuffed animals on his chest.

"Cute." You tried to muffle your giggles and slid under the blanket, sleeping against his side.

After Yoonseo came back last night, all 3 of you had a nice dinner and you helped Wooyoung with putting her to bed. He didn't want to excite her too much since he wanted her to sleep early since there was school the next day.

"I'll see you, jagi." Wooyoung leaned over to give you a kiss as he pulled up to the drop off of the dance academy. You smiled into the kiss and grabbed your bag.

"Mmm, see you. Thanks for dropping me off. Bye, Yoonseo ah. Have a nice day at school." You wished.

"Bye, (y/n) unnie." Yoonseo giggled and waved. You and Wooyoung decided that Yoonseo would call you 'unnie'... for now.

"Stay safe." Wooyoung said as you exited the car. The father and daughter watched as you entered the building and disappeared from their sights.

"So, appa." Yoonseo cleared her throat.

"Uh oh, what did I do wrong now?" Wooyoung asked jokingly, sensing Yoonseo's sudden seriousness.

"This is serious, appa! Uncle Sannie told me you haven't asked (y/n) unnie to your valentine's! What if someone else asks her? We're doomed!" Yoonseo yelled dramatically.

"We're not doomed, my precious baby. I don't know why uncle Sannie is telling you these things but (y/n) unnie is already my valentine's. I don't have to ask her." Wooyoung said with a soft sigh, looks like he'll need to call his best friend to scold him about the things that he's telling his niece.

"Well, did you ask her? Or do you think she is your valentines?" Yoonseo questioned back.

"I don't think, I know. Why do you think she stays over all the time? We go on dates. That means she's my valentines, my white day, everything." Wooyoung explained.

"Hmm, no. You have to ask her before it's too late." Yoonseo shook her head.

"Do you want me to do it for you?" Yoonseo offered when she was met with her father's silence.

"What? No. I don't need you to do it for me. I can ask her, I just don't know why you and your silly uncles are so insistent on this." He scoffed in disbelief.

"We're just trying to help, appa. You like (y/n) unnie and want her to be your valentines right?" Yoonseo asked.

"Yes, of course. I just didn't think I would need to ask her when we're dating. But if it'll satisfy you, I'll ask her, okay?" Wooyoung sighed.

"Okay! You have to do it tonight. And I'll help! You need to get flowers, everyone likes flowers! And write her a card." Yoonseo excitedly started listing things for her father to do and buy, which Wooyoung will have to do after dropping her off at school.

"Alright, now, you focus on school! Have a nice day, baby. I'll come pick you up when you're done." Wooyoung hugged his daughter and kissed her head.

"Bye, appa. Remember to get everything I told you." Yoonseo reminded sternly.

"Yes, ma'am." Wooyoung saluted.

So, Wooyoung went to the shop and got almost everything his daughter told him to get. Then he got home and started decorating. It wasn't even valentine's day yet.

Honestly, Wooyoung has never done this before. His last relationship was with Yoonseo's mother and they didn't date conventionally.

'Asking my girlfriend to be my valentine's |'

Wooyoung sat on the couch and searched online. Looks like his members and own daughter was correct, many girls liked to be asked to be valentine's dates despite already being together.

"Maybe this is why she left me." Wooyoung said bitterly, recalling how Yoonseo's mother threw insults at him.

"Streamers, flowers, cupcakes." Now Wooyoung wanted to make sure he had everything. This wasn't valentine's celebration, it was him asking you to be his valentine's. By the time he was done getting everything ready, he had to go pick Yoonseo up from school. As he waited, he called you.

"Hey. I'm picking Yoonseo up from school. What time will you be done today? I can pick you up." He smiled as he leaned against his car, keeping an eye out for his daughter.

"Hmm, let me run to check my schedule. I have rehearsals for my showcase... And a costume fitting... I don't think I'll be done so early."

"No worries. I know you're busy getting ready for your upcoming performance." Wooyoung chuckled.

"Yeah, I've been running back and forth. Sorry... I think I'll only be done around 8. Don't worry, I can make my way over to yours on my own when I'm done."

"Are you sure?" Wooyoung waved to Yoonseo when he saw her come out with her class and teahcer.

"Positive! I'll see you and Yoonseo at home?"

"Yeah, alright. Drop me a text when you're leaving the studio. Have a good rehearsal, make sure to drink water and eat something. I love you." Wooyoung wished, his heart warm when you referred to his place as 'home'.

"Thank you. I love you too!"

"Appa!" Yoonseo jumped into Wooyoung's arms. He chuckled and hugged her tightly. Despite only being apart for a few hours, he had missed her dearly.

"Come, let's go." He opened the door for her to climb into her booster seat in the car. Of course, there were people still taking pictures.

He is Wooyoung from Ateez after all.

"(y/n) just called, she's coming back at 8 after her rehearsals so we'll surprise her then. I've decorated the house and got everything ready." Wooyoung informed his daughter as he drove.

"Okay! I can make sure you did it right." Yoonseo said. Of course, she was a kid and meant no malice when she said that.

"Yes, boss nim." Wooyoung teased back.

"It has to be perfect, appa!" Yoonseo exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah. I hear you." Wooyoung groaned, his daughter was nagging him like he was the child and she was the parent. Honestly, she was starting to sound like Hongjoong, which scared him slightly. His life will not be easy if his daughter starts to nag him and boss him around like Hongjoong does.

"So, how did I do?" Wooyoung asked when he opened the door and let Yoonseo into the house, letting her look around. Yoonseo tapped her chin as she inspected the place.

"You did good, appa." She spun on her heels and gave him an approving thumbs up.

"Come here, you." Wooyoung grabbed her and attacked her with kisses, making her squeal loudly and laugh.

"Here, this is for you. Will you be appa's valentine's too?" He grabbed a smaller bouquet with a small puppy plush attached. Yoonseo grinned and threw her arms around her father's neck.

"Yes! Me and (y/n) unnie will be your valentine's!" She giggled, hugging her dad tightly.

"I'm glad." He smiled softly and hugged her.

"Now, we have to get ready for our surprise. Let's go pick out a pretty dress." Wooyoung held Yoonseo's hand, leading her to her room.

After a long day of rehearsals, you finally made your way back to Wooyoung's place. Your friends spent the whole day talking about their upcoming valentine's day plans. You didn't want anything significant, maybe just dinner with Wooyoung and Yoonseo.

"I'm home~" You announced and removed your shoes in the doorway. To your surprise, the house was dark. You thought Wooyoung and Yoonseo would be home. Maybe they were both sleeping.

"Wooyoung? Yoonseo?" You called out but there was no reply. As you walked down the hall to the living room, you gasped.

"Hi, jagi."

"Hi, (y/n) unnie." The father and daughter were right in the middle, both dressed up, with candles and flower petals around. Each of them had flowers in their hands.

"Hi... What's going on? Did I miss an important date?" Your eyes widened in worry.

"No, you didn't. With valentine's day coming up, I was gratefully reminded that I have not asked you to be my valentine's."

"Oh..." You nodded slowly. Yoonseo giggled and ran up to you. You bent down to hug her, wrapping your arms around her waist as you watied for Wooyoung to finish.

"So, will you be my valentine's?" He asked with a crooked smile.

"Yes, Wooyoung. I will be your valentine's. You too, Yoonseo." You giggled. Yoonseo clapped and hugged you before letting you go to Wooyoung. You received the flowers, cradling it in your arms as you leaned forward to give him a kiss. Wooyoung's hands automatically came to rest on your waist.

"Thank you for doing this. It's really sweet." You smiled.

"I helped!" Yoonseo raised her hand with a proud smile. Your hand came to rest on the top of her head, she was really such a great kid.

"Although, I have to admit, I thought we were already each other's valentine's... Unless you were planning on asking someone else?" You raised an eyebrow, teasing Wooyoung.

"What?! No, of course not! It's just that the other guys said... then Yoonseo said... See! I told you." Wooyoung stuck his tongue out at Yoonseo.

"You're so dramatic, appa." Yoonseo scoffed, as if she wasn't the same.

"So, you didn't need me to ask you to be my valentine's?" Wooyoung checked. You shook your head.

"Yeah, she didn't need it, appa. But like uncle Hwa says, it's not a 'need', it's a 'want'." Yoonseo lifted a finger, quoting one of her uncles. Wooyoung sighed and shook his head.

"You need to stop hanging out with your uncles so much." Wooyoung squinted his eyes. You laughed and hugged Wooyoung. Even if you were not expecting this at all, you were still touched that he did this for you. As you both sat on the couch, Yoonseo sat on your lap.

"What's this? Did you make this in school?" You asked, gesturing the the beaded bracelet on her wrist.

"No. Seojun asked me to be his valentine's and gave me this. See the heart?" She showed you the pink heart bead right in the middle.

"Ah... I see. That's sweet." You nodded slowly, turning to glance at Wooyoung. The poor man looked like he was going to burst a blood vessel, his eye twitching slightly.

"And what did you say...?" Wooyoung asked, strained.

"I told him I'll think about it." Yoonseo shrugged. You pursed your lips to hide your laugh at Wooyoung's reaction.

"The answer is 'no', baby. You tell him no. Wait, don't even talk to him anymore. You're only allowed to have girl friends, no boy friends. I'm telling uncle Sannie you talked to a boy." Wooyoung stood up.

"Wait, no, appa! Don't tell him!" Yoonseo slid off her lap and ran after her father.

~

Masterlist

[makeitmingi]

hi everyone, my team and i are conducting a survey to gather results for our honours research project. we need at least 200 responses to have enough data to write our paper so i would really appreciate the help!!

and do try to answer as many questions as possible because we need the data for all sections

we're looking for those aged 21 - 28 and have worked at their company for at least 6 months~

(i know this gives out my location but ah... it is what it is~)

[makeitmingi]

Can you edit them out before posting the link? And then close it and edit again to submit?

because they're all anonymous, using a link, i dont think you can close the page and reopen it with the same link to edit answers. there is a time limit of a week so if you leave the page open, you can take your time to submit answers. and you'll be able to edit your answers by backtracking!!

[makeitmingi]

I love helping ppl with their uni surveys.. pls drop the link, im sure your followers would love to help too 🫶🏻

aww thank you so much!! (im only worried because my name and university name is in it but what the heck right?)

[makeitmingi]

i need 200 responses for my university honours research survey and im at 18 responses now... anyone wanna help me?

edit: omg you guys are the sweetest!! so many have reached out to help so i'll just put the link here!! please do help my team and i <3

[makeitmingi]

it’s just a tattoo. it’s just a tattoo. it’s just a tattoo.

[makeitmingi]

🖤