skzstannie

[skzstannie]

The Earphones Incident

genre : fake texts, fluff, skz hyung line x reader

synopsis : Skz asking for their spare earphones back... only to learn that you lost them

warnings : established relationship, pure fluff and banter <3

maknae line ;')

Bang Chan:

Lee Minho:

Seo Changbin:

Hwang Hyunjin:

[skzstannie]

250412 | dominATE Mexico City D1 / soundcheck

© BMaikoD

[skzstannie]

i'm actually so unwell 😩😩 shorts + undercut is a deadly combo

@feelbokkie suffer with me

[skzstannie]

🐶🖤🐺 MTV

[skzstannie]

SEUNGMIN - BIRDS OF A FEATHER (Billie Eilish Cover) [SONG by] Ep.09

[skzstannie]

[skzstannie]

"If only they knew"

SKZ -> Seungmin x fem!reader

genre: frenemies to lovers, slight angst and a little bit of crack (simply because I just can't help myself) wc: ~2,600 cw: none :)

summary: Seungmin never thought his sorry attempt at flirting would crack your shell; if only he knew.

A/N: 2 fics in a row is kinda crazy for me. Go give my Yunho fic a read if you haven't already! Appreciate you guys!

Masterlist | Happy Scrolling!

"Seungmin... I'm giving you three seconds to move your ass over before I freak the fuck out."

"But I'm comfortable right here." You gawk at him, eyes narrowing in annoyance. You see the smirk that forms on his face, and you know from prior experience that means game on.

You turn facing forward again, acting nonchalant. When just enough time has past, and the storm has calmed, you forcefully shove his shoulder, pushing him clear off the bench.

"Come on guys, do we really always have to do this? It's getting old," Chan comments from where he's sat across from you.

Your friend group is currently sat at a large picnic table outside on your university campus. When it's a nice day such as this one, you all prefer to be outside rather than all cramped together in your school's lunch court.

"Yea, Y/n, maybe you should try being nice to me for once, ya know? Pick on someone your own size; I think the ant I just crushed would be a more suitable match for you," Seungmin snarks back, standing up from the ground, brushing the dirt and grass from his backside.

Immediately you lunge at him once again, only to be pulled back by Lee Know who's sat on your other side.

"Okayyy, I think we should go for a nice walk, hmm? How does that sound?" He grabs your arm, pulling slightly.

"Sure, right after I pound his face in," you say, wrenching your arm out of the tight grip Lee Know has on you. Before you get very far, Hyunjin springs up from the other end of the table and grabs your hand, leading you in the opposite direction of Seungmin.

You turn back once more, wanting to finish what you started, but Lee Know is right behind you. He pushes you forward, preventing you from going back. "Walk," he says sternly. You huff but do as he says anyway, knowing you need to calm down before facing everyone, specifically the ant squasher, again.

"I just don't understand," you start, throwing your hands up in the air, "Was he just born with a personal vendetta against me? Or did he have a dream where I offended his entire ancestry? I just don't get why it's always me; I'm always his target," you vent.

"I don't really get it either, none of us do," Hyunjin agrees, walking beside you. Lee Know flanks your other side, and you guys continue to walk towards the trail that leads around your campus.

This is pretty much a weekly occurrence at this point, emotionally cooling off walking these sidewalks. The scenery is beautiful, and you like being able to appreciate the nature walks your school has to offer, you just wish it were under different circumstances.

"I think he just likes your reactions the most. That, and I don't think he's as scared of you," Lee Know comments.

"What's there not to be scared of? I can be scary!" You tell them.

"What have you ever done that was remotely scary?" Hyunjin snorts, only adding more fuel to your fire.

"Oh really? What about that time I hid in your dorm with that Scream mask on and scared you so bad that you peed your pants? If you weren't scared, I guess I need a better definition," you sass back, nudging him slightly.

"That was one time!" He whines back.

"And we're never letting you forget it," Lee Know chuckles, the memory playing clear as day in his head. "But I have to agree, he knows that he can get away with pretty much anything with you."

"Well, if you guys would've let me give him a good knuckle sandwich back there, maybe he'd think differently."

"It's not worth it. Every time he gets a reaction out of you, he wins. He gets what he wants. That simple." Hyunjin points out.

As the three of you round the last building you pass on your walk, the commons come back into view, and you see the rest of your friends, sans Seungmin, Chan, and Jeongin, still sat at your usual spot.

Lee Know and Hyunjin continue to conversate beside you, but you zone out, thinking if only they knew.

~ ~ ~

"You could be a little nicer to her, ya know," Chan says, pulling into the driveway of the dorms.

"Why would I do that when I can annoy her?"

"Because one of these times you're gonna go too far and she's gonna hate you. Is that really what you want?" He questions, putting the car in park to really get a good look at him.

It's silent for a moment, before Chan speaks up again. "What is it with her? Has she done something to you that the rest of us don't know about? Please enlighten me, let me in on the secret, because me and the rest of the guys are honestly so lost."

"He likes her."

Chan whips his head around to the backseat where Jeongin is casually scrolling along on his phone.

"That's bullshit," Seungmin counters immediately. Chan turns back to Seungmin, and if it wasn't for the blush starting to adorn his cheeks, he might've actually believed.

"Tell me this is a joke. Tell me you don't treat her like complete shit just because you have a crush on her? What, am I living a real life middle school TV drama?" He exasperates, eyebrows raised to the sky.

"Well sorry that some of us don't know how to properly express our feelings; we weren't all born with perfect genes like you, Chan," Seungmin retorts, reaching for the door handle.

"Oh no you don't." Chan's quick to hit the child lock, forcing him to stay right where he is. "I'm not expecting you to be a perfect flirt, but at least treat her with some decency! The girl's never going to get the hint if you keep treating her the way you do."

"That's the point. I don't want her to get the hint."

"What? Why?" He questions.

"Because he doesn't think she would ever like him back," Jeongin once again speaks up from the backseat.

"Shut the fuck up," Seungmin says, quickly reaching into the backseat to do who knows what to Jeongin.

"Hey! Enough!" Chan yells, grabbing him by the shoulder and turning him back around. "Why do you think that?"

"Have you seen the way she acts when I'm around?"

"It's because you're a raging asshole! Not because of who you really are," Chan argues, his voice becoming sincere. "Treat her nicely and see what happens. You're not stuck in whatever loop you've created; break this cycle. She really isn't one to hold grudges, which you should be really thankful for right about now."

"There's no way she'd ever see me as anyone other than the annoying guy who hangs out with the rest of her friends," Seungmin huffs as he stares at his fidgeting hands resting in his lap.

"Now you know that's a lie. Even though she wants to bash your skull in 50% of the time, she still considers you her friend. That I am positive of," Chan reassures him. "And don't worry about anything else."

"And why is that?"

"Because, we're gonna figure out how to get you two together"

~ ~ ~

"I just don't know what to do, Yuna," you say to your friend on the phone. You're sat on your bed, doing homework and drinking a coffee from the shop on campus.

You share a dorm with Hyunjin, Lee Know, and Jisung, but you know none of them are home at the moment. They're all either busy with work or should be in class. Carelessly, you left your door open ajar. Just wide enough for a wandering Lee Know, who just happened to skip class that afternoon, to pick up on the conversation.

Now, he wouldn't normally be one to eavesdrop on your conversations, especially when it's with one of your girlfriends, however, when it's about their resident devil puppy, he just can't help himself.

It's quiet for a moment before you speak up again, and Lee Know has to practically pick his jaw up off the floor.

"Of course not, I could never tell any of them, especially Seungmin, that I like him. The rest of the guys would probably think I had some mild case of Stockholm Syndrome, and Seungmin would laugh in my face so hard he'd probably give himself a hernia."

As much as he wants to barge into your room, grab you by the shoulders and shake you for keeping this vital information from him, he keeps his cool and saunters away from your door with the newfound tip.

~ ~ ~

"Guess what?" Lee Know and Chan say at the same time, both sitting down for their first lecture of the day.

"You can go first," Chan says, digging through his backpack to grab his laptop.

"Y/n likes Seungmin."

Chan chokes on his own spit with how fast he turns his head. He coughs for a moment, Lee Know dramatically patting him on the back. Finally, he gets his bearings back and he takes a deep breath.

"Seungmin likes Y/n, too."

"No fucking way! These two idiots. Why can't they just act like normal people and flirt properly," Lee Know says, laughing at the ridiculous situation.

"I don't know, but we've gotta find a way to get them together."

"How? Y/n doesn't even know I know! I overheard her talking on the phone," he admits.

"Jeongin told me on the way home from lunch yesterday. Apparently the little sneak has known for a while but using it as blackmail against Seungmin."

"Sounds about right," Lee Know laughs, "We'll tell the rest of the guys, though, someone's sure to be able to come up with a plan between the 7 of us."

Chan sends him a look of confusion. "Have you met our friends?"

"Believe me, I have, but I have faith in them. We're all sick and tired of their constant bickering, it's time for a real change around here."

~ ~ ~

"And then she said..." you start, walking down the hallway with Lee Know.

Lee Know distractedly nods, waiting for the signal from Changbin down the hall. Seconds later, Changbin gives him a discrete thumbs up, and the plan commences.

"Hey, there's Changbin! Let's go say- Hey!" you yell as you're pushed into the janitor's closet just to the left. Lee Know makes sure you're all the way in before slamming the door right in your face.

"What's the big idea?" you yell, banging your fists on the door.

"They're not gonna let you out."

You let out a startled screech, quickly turning around to come face to face with Seungmin. "What the hell is this? What are you doing in here?" you ask.

"I don't know, but I've already tried to escape twice, and both times I was caught and dragged right back in here by Chan or Changbin, they're like fucking watchdogs or something." He rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest as he leans casually up against the concrete wall.

"What are we supposed to do in here? Let us out!" You cry out, once again banging your fists against the door.

"Confess your love for each other then we'll let you go," you hear Lee Know say, his voice coming through muffled through the door.

Your eyes widen in shock, not expecting him to say that at all. Defensively, you whip back around to face Seungmin, hoping your blush doesn't give you away. "I don't know what he's talking about."

Seungmin, feeling cornered, agrees, "Me neither. Definitely no idea what he's referring to."

You turn to look at the wall to your right, suddenly feeling embarrassed of the hot red complexion coating your cheeks and neck.

Seconds turn into minutes, and you realize it's never felt this awkward between the two of you. Yes, you may fight... a lot. The constant bickering that flows between the two of you is noisy, never letting a quiet moment pass. You decide it's uncomfortable, the silence thats encompassing the closet, but the thought of confessing trumps any feelings of discomfort.

"I don't hear any kissing in there!" You hear Jisung yell from the outside. "Yah, hurry this up! I wanna go eat lunch." That would be Jeongin.

"We're just gonna sit in silence until you let us out! We're not playing into whatever fantasies you weirdos have running through your heads!" Seungmin yells back, sliding his back down the wall until he hits the floor. You do the same, moving into the corner away from the door, scared that someone will barge in.

Again, you sit in silence. Seungmin has pulled out his phone, and you've done the same at this point. Suddenly, the door whips open, revealing an impatient looking Lee Know.

"That's it," he says determinedly, "I've had enough."

He stomps over to you, taking your hands and pulling you to your feet.

He pulls you in front of him and holds you in place, his hands resting on your arms.

"Oh Seungmin," he says, his voice a ridiculous high pitch, "I've liked you since forever, and even though you're an asshole I still have a massive crush on you," he finishes. You're stunned to say the least, your jaw dropping to the floor at the confession Lee Know just made.

You turn around, prepared to slap him, but he moves quickly, clearing his throat as he makes his way over to Seungmin. He yanks him off the floor, much less gently than he treated you, and starts again. "Oh Y/n," he says, his voice comically deep, "I like you too, will you be my girlfriend?"

He steps out from behind Seungmin and bows, as if expecting applause for his outrageous performance. "Ok, now that the hard part's out of the way, please continue." He nonchalantly leaves the closet, and the door slams closed behind him.

You're left speechless, staring at the floor. Tears build up in your lashes, realizing your biggest secret, one you've been holding onto for years, was just spilled in front of the one who mattered most. It's stupid really, crying over something as silly as this. But for all the emotional turmoil you've gone through over this, you had always hoped it'd have a greater outcome than this. Being rejected in a janitor's closet is not exactly at the top of your list for things to accomplish in life.

Seungmin, hating the way you're upset, takes initiative and steps towards you.

The tears fall freely as embarrassment continues to color your face. "Honestly," you sniffle, bringing your sleeve up to swipe at your cheeks, "Go ahead and make fun of me now. Get it over with; I can take it."

Your words fly right over his head, as the only thing going through his mind are the ridiculous words that came out of Lee Know's mouth. Could it be true?

His shoes come into your view, and you feel his warm hands gently cup your jaw. He lifts your head, and you make eye contact with him for the first time since you were forced into the closet.

"Is that true?" He asks, the sincerest look adorning his eyes.

You hesitate, scared for what he'll do, of what he'll say. "I suppose it depends," you decide on. "Was what he said true about you?"

"It was, actually," he admits, using his thumbs to wipe the remainder of the stray tears that fell down your face. "I was just never mature enough to admit it myself."

"Well, in that case," your hands come up to grab onto his wrists, "I suppose that it is true."

It's quiet now, the only sound being the soft breaths escaping from both of your mouths.

You watch as his eyes shift down to your lips, tracing over the features of your face.

"Can I kiss you?" He whispers, his hands still softly cupping your jaw.

"Please," you respond. With that, he leans in, and your eyes close as your lips connect with his. You move in sync, and it's better than you could've imagined.

It's short and sweet, but it gets the point across. He likes you back.

"I just want you to know," he starts once you've separated a bit. His hands have moved down to rest around your waist now, yours resting on his chest, "I'm still gonna tease you."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," you say before crashing your lips against his once again, savoring the feeling.

[skzstannie]

250405 | dominATE Sao Paulo D1

© jukibittencourt

[skzstannie]

I Could Never Hate You (Part IV)

Pairing -> ninthmember!reader x Lee Minho WC -> ~4,000 words Includes -> hurt/comfort, pretty heavy angst, anxiety and anxiety attack, some panicking, friendship issues (but finally some communication!!!!) Summary -> Your anxiety has been getting worse all day. Typically, Hyunjin would be the first person you would go to, but unfortunately, the two of you are not on great terms. What are you supposed to do when your best friend is avoiding you at all costs? Author's Note -> Yayy!! I have finally finished this fic. It was originally only supposed to be one part, but I'm so happy with the story it has turned into. I'm sorry it took so long, college has been kicking my ass. But thank you guys for all the support! Let me know what you think :)

♡ Masterlist // Previous ♡

Walking off stage, you fear that air will never come. It's been building up for hours at this point, and it's not a huge surprise that the peak of your anxiety has finally hit. Despite it being your biggest dream since you were a child, the concerts have never been as great as you’d hoped they would be. You loved getting to see the fans and mess around on stage with the rest of the members, but you were never quite able to shake the stage fright or the uncomfortable feeling brought on by thousands of eyes watching you. The concerts did slowly get better. They have felt more natural and exciting for you lately, but it seems as if you've taken a step back today. Or maybe it would be better classified as a trip or a fall. You aren’t quite sure why the concerts haven’t made you as nervous as they used to when you first debuted. Perhaps you were desensitized to all the screams and fans’ stares, or maybe it was the fact that Hyunjin was always by your side to reassure you. But now what? After everything that happened, Hyunjin doesn’t seem exactly eager to help you through it.

You were very worried to go on the stage, as things were already not going well today. You were hopeful when you first woke up, surrounded by warmth and comfort in Minho's arms. It felt as if anything was possible, and you were eager to fix up all the problems that had been created over the past few days. But it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. The day has gone downhill from the moment you crawled out of bed. Now it's finally the end of the day, all that's left to do is change and leave the venue, but it seems like even that task is going to be quite difficult.

You were the first to rush off stage as soon as everyone started to say their goodbyes. You managed a wave and a quick goodbye before you left, too distracted by your emotions to even tell if the boys were far behind. You hoped the fans wouldn't notice anything out of the blue, but you had made it fairly well throughout the concert, and the boys had some of their best acting faces on. So hopefully the fans would spare you this one moment. You knew you didn't have long before you would break, and you hate crying in front of the fans. Even if you could simply play it off as being overwhelmed with gratitude for them, it didn't feel right. So you left, as quickly as you could.

Your anxiety was building all throughout the day, and the consequences had exploded while on stage. All you needed to do was dance and sing your little heart out, but instead, all you could feel was your heart racing and the weight of the microphone clenched tightly in your sweaty hands. Over time, it just got worse and worse, and your chest got tighter and tighter. The sweating was definitely not only from the dancing. You couldn’t give your best to the fans like you normally do, and even that’s enough to send your anxiety through the roof. What if they notice? What will they think?

Entering the backrooms behind the stage is humbling as you notice multiple staff members watching you. You take a shaky breath still trying to calm down enough to make it somewhere more private. Your first instinct is to head straight to the bathroom, but your subconscious stops you as you remember what Hyunjin always used to tell you. It used to be a habit of yours to go to the bathroom and lock the door when you started to panic, wanting to handle it all by yourself. But once Hyunjin started helping you through your anxiety, he always told you not to, so that he or the other members were able to reach you more easily. Not to mention, being on the outside of a locked door when the person inside is upset is not usually a good situation to be in. Which is understandable, but it’s hard to think clearly when you can barely breathe.

You push through the hesitation, heading to the bathroom anyway. You know Hyunjin is a good person and would definitely comfort you if you asked him, even when he’s angry. However, you had no plans to actually approach him about that, and it’s doubtful that he would even notice your suffering in the first place if his avoidance while on stage is anything to go by. So, the bathroom it is.

Hyunjin has reassured you many times that you aren’t a burden to him, so it wasn’t hard to reach out to him over the years when you needed help. But that also means that you didn’t let many of the other members see this side of you. So what now? Now that your only support system has been torn apart by some silly fight you don’t even fully understand.

With every step, you rush forward faster and faster, hoping to get alone before the tears in your eyes fully cloud your vision. Just a few more steps until the solitude of the bathroom is all yours.

Well, it was until you feel a sweaty hand grip your wrist lightly. You turn to yell at the owner of the hand, but your awareness fades as tears start to fall, and the lump that had settled in your throat has officially stolen all talking ability. With the possibility of escape being torn from your grasp, you can no longer fight the emotions bubbling up.

You feel the person tuck you under their arm and lead you somewhere else. You realize it’s Hyunjin as the remaining scent of his cologne that hadn’t been sweated off hits your nose. It’s comforting, bringing you back to many of your favorite memories and all the times he has been there in the past. Your brain tries to fight the situation, wanting to resist and pull away from him, but it’s either this or in a smelly bathroom all by yourself. As much as you hate to say it, Hyunjin may just be the right choice in this scenario. He leads you into a room and sits you down on a soft cushion. This room is much quieter, and all of the sounds, smells, and movement that had been overwhelming you are gone. It’s a relief to your senses, but you barely register the change, too overwhelmed with your lack of oxygen.

“You’re okay, you’re safe,” Hyunjin whispers to you in a soft manner as he kneels on the ground in front of you, “everything’s gonna be okay, y/n-ah.” Your eyes are squeezed shut, and you focus purely on Hyunjin’s voice, trying to take back control over your emotions. He used to do a lot more for you, but over time, you’ve learned how to handle them better on your own. So now, his presence is more there for reassurance and grounding while you try to regain your breath and work through your emotions. In this industry, you aren’t always able to leave a room or steal a friend away for help; sometimes you have to get through it yourself.

In the quiet of the room, a cautious knock rings out from the door of the dressing room Hyunjin had brought you to. While the noise goes completely over your head, Hyunjin was prepared for it to come eventually. He sighs as Minho peeks his head inside the door, just as he expected. Due to your newly formed relationship, it wasn’t surprising that he had come to check up on you. Lately, you two were completely up each other’s butts.

It’s just the honeymoon stage, he tries to remind himself.

“Come on in,” Hyunjin whispers gently and motions for Minho to enter. As much as Hyunjin had been shipping the two of you, he hadn’t expected anything to actually happen. It was more of a joke to get a reaction out of you and Minho. However, he soon realized his mistake when your complaints increased tenfold and the rest of the band started pushing harder. It was only a matter of time until one of you came to your senses and realized the feelings you had hidden deep down. He wanted to be happy about it, he really did, but when it actually came down to it, he was too scared to lose you. You’re not only his bandmate, but also his best friend. Someone he would do anything for; someone who has been with him through everything and hopefully will continue to be for the rest of your life. And that right there is exactly what he is afraid to lose.

What if Minho doesn’t want you two to be friends anymore?

What if you don’t have enough time for him?

What if you don’t need him anymore?

It may seem irrational to some people, but oftentimes fear isn’t something you can reason with, and there is nothing you can do about it. There were so many worst-case scenarios running through his head that he had simply blown up. If you had asked him two weeks ago, he would’ve said that he would never ever speak to you in that way. But it happened. You had rushed in, and immediately, all you had to talk about was Minho. Just like usual. And it scared him, so he lashed out.

Yeah, like that’ll solve the issue, he had thought to himself shortly after the encounter. He knew he was in the wrong. He never should have said any of that. He didn’t mean it, and he regretted it deeply. But what is there to do now? How can he fix it?

It seems as if talking it out is mostly off-limits. You’ve both been avoiding each other to the max, and it’s not often that you guys get a moment alone to talk. Not only would you need somewhere to talk, but you would also need to be receptive to what Hyunjin has to say. And that seems very unlikely. If talking it out isn’t an option, what else can he do to fix it? He can’t just sit around anymore; this problem is certainly not going to solve itself. Maybe he could start with his actions and show you just how much he cares. Then you can realize that he is starting to come around to the whole new relationship, and it seems that now is the perfect chance to start mending the relationship.

Minho walks in and settles nervously next to you on the small couch. He raises his hands, but doesn’t touch you, unsure of how exactly to act in this situation. What is his role? Hyunjin sees his hesitation and gently removes one of his hands that was holding yours. Minho gets the idea and takes your clammy palm in his, gently caressing the top of your hand with his thumb.

You focus on the new sensation, and your shoulders sag a little bit as you become a little more aware of what’s going on. Your sobs gradually start to calm down a little as you sit in the quiet room.

“Hey, y/n, can you open your eyes for me?” Hyunjin directs, hoping to make you more aware of your surroundings and help you to focus on what’s around you, as sometimes that can help calm you down.

You follow Hyunjin’s instructions, knowing it’s for the better. It takes a second for your eyes to adjust, but when they do, you’re met with the sight of Hyunjin kneeling in front of you with one of your hands in his. His eyes are full of concern and kindness, and his familiar gaze is nearly enough to calm you right back down. You feel the couch shift slightly next to you and glance over to find Minho sitting beside you. The sight is less familiar, yet it fills your heart with gratefulness and love. No matter what happens, you know that you have your people behind you.

“Hey there, kitten,” he says softly. You can practically hear the nerves in his voice. As the second-oldest member in the group, he is often dealing with issues and dishing out advice, but it’s obvious that this is outside his usual pay grade.

I guess I get special treatment as his girlfriend, you think with a small huff. It’s so hard to be upset around Minho. Well, at least nowadays, previously, he was the cause of your tears. But things have changed… drastically, it appears.

“Are you laughing?” Minho comments in disbelief, a smile growing on his face.

“Just a little, I can’t help it!” You defend against his comment, “You just look so uncomfortable.”

“Hey, give him a break, he’s new to this whole emotions thing,” Hyunjin adds with a teasing grin on his face, relieved that you are feeling better so fast. He knows this isn’t the end. You’ll get through the attacks, but your anxiety doesn’t just go away, especially on bad days. But that doesn’t define you, nor would you let it take away from the good moments.

Minho sends him a glare, and Hyunjin takes that as his sign to leave. It never ends well when you start to tease Minho. It very quickly turns to tissues and threats. A situation he would not like to be in more than once in two days.

Hyunjin gives your hand one final squeeze and stands with an exaggerated groan. “Well, I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone,” he says with a playful look of disgust on his face.

Your eyes follow Hyunjin as he makes his exit, confusion starting to cloud your mind as you begin to fully realize the situation.

You turn to Minho quickly, hoping to find answers, “Do you think that means we’re friends again?” Minho’s eyes soften at your words. He knows just how bad this fight has been hurting you, and he wishes with everything in him that he could take your pain away. However, that just wasn’t possible. All you want is your best friend back, and that is something he simply cannot fix.

“I think those are questions you’re gonna have to ask him, sweetheart,” he replies gently, reaching out to wipe the remaining tears from your face. You lean into his side, as your stomach flutters with butterflies. It's a refreshing reminder that even if you're struggling or the day starts going downhill, you always have your people behind you; you’re glad to find that Hyunjin is still one of them.

"Let's go back to the hotel, yeah?" Minho proposes, "I think we've been through enough today." You nod your head sluggishly, agreeing immensely with what he's suggested. All the crying has tired you out, and all you can think of is crawling into a warm bed, right into your boyfriend's arms.

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

You pad softly down the hotel hallway as the morning sun starts to flood through the window. After the rough night you had, you passed out right after you took a shower. Surprisingly, you actually had a very good night of sleep. Despite the redness from the tears you had shed, your eyes had slipped open quite easily this morning. Maybe the reassurance that Hyunjin still cared was enough to ease you into an actual night of rest.

Somehow, you still haven’t gotten the opportunity to properly talk with him, and it may be something he actually deserves this time. It was kind of him to help you, despite the tension and fighting still present in your relationship. After a quick glance at Minho, you had left the room, hoping to clear the air and make your way to Hyunjin and Felix’s hotel room. You knew it was unlikely for Hyunjin to be awake at this time, the sun just barely risen, but maybe Felix was awake. Then, you could wait for Hyunjin to wake up and catch him before everyone has to head to the venue to start preparing for the concert.

You stop in front of the heavy, wooden door and let out a sigh. This is it. You were going to end this fight once and for all. You just want your best friend back.

Upon knocking, you’re met with a sight you had never expected. Instead of Felix, you’re met with the endearing sight of your best friend. Hyunjin stands there in his pajamas, looking at you with wide eyes. His arms and fingers are covered in what appears to be charcoal, and there’s even a bit smudged on his face.

You let out a small giggle at the sight, intrigued as to what he was up to. His eyes light up at your laugh, “Y/n, what are you doing here? Why are you awake right now?”

“All I can think about is our argument,” you state, not quite answering his question. You push past him, entering his hotel room. Immediately, you notice Felix, lying in one of the beds, scrolling on his phone. He glances up, making eye contact with you, and a smile spreads on his face.

“Finally! It’s about time you guys made up. He won’t stop sulking,” he exclaims as he starts to pull himself out of bed. “Hopefully, you breaking into our room will go a bit better this time, yeah?”

You roll your eyes playfully, remembering the vicious scene from a couple of days prior. Felix walks past you and makes his exit, obviously giving the two of you time to talk things out. When Felix leaves, Hyunjin makes his way further back in the room and takes a seat at the desk next to you. This draws your attention, and you notice the set of supplies strewn across the desk. There are pens, chalks, and charcoals surrounding a sketchbook left open. It’s a sketch of flowers, unsurprising as it’s one of Hyunjin’s most common choices for art. However, this one is even darker than some of his others. You know his art can sometimes feel a bit heavy, but the flowers in this one even appear to be wilted.

Oh, Hyunjin. You think as your heart aches a bit. It’s obvious he’s a bit upset about something, and you think you might just know what the problem is.

“What are you doing up, sleepyhead?” You ask him, deciding to start simple. “Don’t you usually prefer to sleep in?”

“Yeah, but I couldn’t really sleep that well,” he states with a sigh. It’s then that you notice the same redness in his eyes that resides in yours. He must have been upset after he left.

“I see. I like your drawing,” you comment, and Hyunjin immediately flushes.

“Thank you,” he says quietly before turning in his chair and carefully shutting the sketchbook. You hadn’t meant for him to hide it away, but it seems that you were never meant to see it in the first place. You don’t stop him or ask to see more, wanting to keep his art a comfort for him. Instead, you decide to bite the bullet. Small talk would never solve anything. Deep communication was the key, and both of you knew that.

“Why’d you do that?” You ask, your eyes slowly starting to water as the memories come back. “Why would you say those things to me?” At the blunt question, Hyunjin startles a bit, turning back to you. You can tell as he begins to debate what exactly to say in his head, trying to figure out the best way to articulate his thoughts.

“I was afraid to lose you,” he decides to go with. The simple phrase makes you freeze. You weren’t sure what you had expected, but it certainly wasn’t this. He was afraid? What the hell was he talking about with losing you?

“Hyunjin, why would you lose me? I’m right here,” you say gently, trying to reassure the man despite not knowing exactly what the situation was.

“All you would talk about is Minho. Sure, it wasn’t exactly loving words, but still. It was always about you and him. I just miss when it was you and me. I know he’s important to you, but you’re my best friend, y/n-ah. I have no idea what I would even do without you. Who would I laugh with? Who would I confide in? You’re everything to me, and I just sort of freaked out when it seemed like I might lose you for good. But I just pushed you away even more. I’m so sorry.” He rushes out, his voice starting a bit raised and eventually lowering to a near whisper. Despite his ramblings, his explanation does make a lot of sense. You know Hyunjin, and you know he certainly does not believe the things he said about you. Which definitely doesn’t make it acceptable, but at least you know that it was a defense mechanism rather than genuine hatred.

“Oh. I thought you were really upset with me. I couldn’t figure out why you would say those things to me,” you tell him, knowing that it’s important for him to hear how you were feeling, too.

“I know, and I regretted it the moment those words left my mouth. I would do anything to take it back. I promise I support you and Minho. I think I’m finally coming around to the idea. I was just nervous that he wouldn’t want us to be friends anymore.”

“Hyunjin, he has known both of us for such a long time. He would never ask us to do that. He knows how much you mean to me.”

“I know, but I guess I just panicked.”

You sigh at his words. You totally understand how he feels. There have been so many moments where you have accidentally said something you shouldn’t have or behaved rudely as a result of panicking. You step closer to Hyunjin and pull him up to give you a hug. He wraps his arms around you as you rub his back lightly. You feel his tears slightly wet your shirt, but you don’t say anything about it, not wanting to ruin the tender moment.

“It’s okay, Jinnie, I forgive you.” At these words, he hugs you a bit tighter, glad that your friendship is finally okay again.

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

After both of you had calmed down, the two of you began to reminisce on some of your guys’ best memories over the years. He had even brought up some of the most embarrassing stories of Minho, making you crack up. Gosh, you had missed him so much.

At the reminder of your boyfriend, you excuse yourself, but not before reminding Hyunjin to call Felix back to the room. You felt bad for making the poor man find somewhere else to hang out, but to be fair, you hadn’t asked him to leave. He was just too kind for his own good.

You return to your hotel room, only to find Minho still sleeping and very soundly at that. You smile adoringly at him before crawling back into bed with him.

“Did you guys figure everything out?” He asks drowsily, and you startle a bit at his voice. You were positive that he was still asleep, but he’s always been good at tricking you. You were impressed that he had even managed to figure out where you had gone.

“Yes, I got my best friend back,” you say with a small smile, genuinely relieved that you and Hyunjin had managed to get past this hurdle.

“I’m happy for you, honey,” Minho says sweetly before pulling you closer and placing a gentle kiss on your forehead. Falling back to sleep with your boyfriend, you realize that you have never been happier.

Taglist: @armystay89 @thisisnotjacinta @silentreadersthings @seungminsapuppy @linos-kitten @hafrenstay @redstayrosie @bear8585 @yongbokkiesworld  @everglowdaisies @0325tiny @linoalwaysknows @chuuyaobsessed @delulustardust @3rachasninja @sit-thou-now-and-think

[skzstannie]

That One Time on the Ferris Wheel...

ATZ-> Yunho x Reader

genre: fluff, strangers to ??? wc: ~1,400 cw: none, just tooth-rotting fluff

summary: perhaps stepping out of your comfort zone is beneficial sometimes, especially when there are cute boys involved

A/N: I've had this written for forever, but in honor of scoring tickets for the Chicago show in July (VIP nonetheless 👀), I've decided to post it. Anyone else gonna be there???

Happy Scrolling! | Masterlist

"We should so go on the ferris wheel! That would be so fun," your friend grasps your arm tightly at the sight of the huge spinning wheel of doom in front of you.

"I don't know, it looks kinda old. Are you sure you want to go on that?" you reply, an uneasiness present in your voice.

"Oh please, don't be a wuss. Look at all those little kids in line to get on."

"And every single one of them is braver than I'll ever be. Now, let's go get a corndog then get out of here. It's too hot to be standing out here all day," you turn to walk towards the food tent, but your friend has other ideas.

"Oh no you don't. I'm getting you on that ferris wheel, even if it's the last thing I do." She tugs you in the opposite direction, full steam ahead right towards the line.

"Why are you so adamant about this anyway? I didn't know you were so passionate about ferris wheels," you sigh, crossing your arms over your chest.

"I'm not," she says, pulling her phone out of her back pocket to scroll on Instagram.

"Okayyy," you drag out, not satisfied with her short answer, "Then why are we here?"

"Because, you are the most boring person I know-"

"Okay, ouch?"

"Give me a break, I haven't said anything you don't already know," she says pointedly, raising her brow. "Anyway, if this is the first step to getting you out of your comfort zone, then so be it."

"Is this a mission of yours now? To try and get me out of my shell? For your information, I'm very cozy in my shell and would prefer to stay in it," you sass back, pushing her phone down so she'll look at you.

"Stop acting like this is such a big deal. It's literally not," she rolls her eyes this time, seemingly annoyed with your reluctance.

Your friend has always been an extrovert, a social butterfly if you will. You've known each other your whole life, and it's always been the same way. She'd make friends for the both of you. If there was one of you, there was both of you. Sure, it got annoying being constantly overlooked, by girls and guys alike, but it was your own fault. If only you could be more outgoing.

"Fine, you don't have to get an attitude about it, though." You pull out your phone, busying yourself by scrolling through countless threads on Twitter.

You guys stand in line for about 20 minutes before it's finally your turn to get on the ride. You step on the rickety metal landing first as the ride director brings the next cart around.

He opens the door for you and you step in, expecting your friend to be right behind you. However, you see that your friend is off to the side, outside the gate.

"Single rider?" the man asks you, a bit of amusement in his voice.

"No, my friend is right-"

He cuts you off abruptly, "I don't really care," you scoff at him, folding your arms over your chest. You stand to get out of the cart, as the only reason you were going to ride in the first place was because of your friend, but now you see her walking away towards the bathrooms.

Before you can get a foot outside the cart, a tall man steps in front of you and into your cart. The ride director slams the door shut and the ride begins to move while you're still standing. You gasp as you lose your footing, falling into the man next to you.

"I'm so sorry," you say, adjusting yourself in the seat next to him as opposed to on his lap like you were seconds before. "That guy was so rude." You look up at the man next to you, and your blown away by how ridiculously handsome he is. With dark brown eyes and fluffy brown hair, he looks like he'd come right out of a movie.

"That's alright," he chuckles, giving you a soft smile. "I'm Yunho, it's nice to meet you."

"Y/n," you reply with a little nod. Your gaze travels down to the ground below you, and you immediately tense seeing how high up you are already.

"Were you trying to get off before?" he asks. You feel his gaze on the side of your face, and you peel your stare from the grass and turn to face him.

"Yea, my friend was supposed to get on with me, but she got out of line right before we came on."

"Well that's not very nice," he frowns.

"She's...she's a character for sure. I've learned to live with it. I don't always understand the things she does, but we've been friends for forever. I'd hate to give that up over such petty stuff," you explain.

"It might not be petty if it makes you so scared," his eyes never leave yours as he speaks, his gaze soft.

"I'm not that scared, it's really ok," you comment, brushing off his concern.

"Your white knuckles around the safety bar say otherwise." He reaches over and gently lays his hand over yours.

You blush at that, the way his hand feels over both of yours, the way his warm, calloused fingers brush the back of your hand.

"Ok," you admit, "I might be a little scared." You let out a nervous laugh.

"Do you want to hold my hand? It's ok if you squeeze it tight, I'm pretty tough" he says the last part jokingly, but it becomes apparent to you that his initial question was serious as he lifts his hand off of yours, offering his open palm to you.

You feel yourself blush a deeper shade at that, but give him a shy nod in response. You untangle your fingers from the bar and intertwine them with his. His hand engulfs yours, the size difference apparent.

"Thanks," you're able to get out. You can't help the shy smile that encapsulates your lips.

"No problem," he replies before the silence envelopes the both of you again. It's surprisingly comfortable as you feel the light breeze blow through your hair. It's a beautiful summer evening, the sun shining brightly as it starts to set in the sky. Clouds litter the horizon, and you can feel the dew in the air as it begins to settle.

"You know," Yunho starts, breaking the quiet that surrounded you, "I only got in line behind you guys with hopes I could talk to you."

Your bashful smile returns to your face, and your tempted to bring your free hand up to your cheek to cover up. "Well, it looks like it worked, huh?" You turn to face him, meeting his eyes that have been subtly trained on your face for the majority of the ride.

"Yea, it did, and I even got to hold your hand," he smiles back at you, his dimples popping from his cheeks.

Your speechless at that, not having a response. Maybe your friend was right, you do need to get of your comfort zone more often.

"I was actually wondering if I could maybe get your number?" he asks, tilting his head like a cute puppy would.

"Sure," you answer all too quickly, shrinking in on yourself at the readiness of your reply.

"Here," he hands you his phone, a new contact page already brought up.

You put your number in, along with your name before handing it back to him.

Before you know it, your cart is next to get off. The man from before opens the door for you guys, paired with a gruff, "Get out." Your hesitant to release Yunho's hand from your grasp, but when he stands from his seat, you know it's time.

You both let go and walk outside of the gates.

"Well, Y/n, I'm kinda glad your friend left you to go on the ferris wheel alone," he says.

"Straight to the point, I like it," you laugh.

He gives you the cutest smile before saying, "I'll text you." He turns and walks off, and you're immediately met with the desire to see him again, and soon. Your heart flutters as his head turns around to look at you once more, a smirk adorning his face.

"Sorry, I really had to use the bathroom," your friend startles you as she appears seemingly out of nowhere beside you. "Now, who was that?"

"Just some guy who sat next to me, no biggie," you brush her off as you both start heading towards the food tent together, intent on getting yourself a corndog before the fair is over.

An hour and a full stomach later, you feel the breeze is cooler than it was earlier, and you realize that you miss the warmth of his hand already.

[skzstannie]

Missing your writing hours 😩

I was actually thinking about possibly posting something soon 🤭🤭

[skzstannie]

that's a nice uh...... pink bathrobe. yes.

[skzstannie]

“I know Hyunjin will complain when he sees this and go, ‘why am I yours??’. Hwang Hyunjin, you ARE mine!”

[skzstannie]

-baking, because murder is wrong. ✩‧

pairing- lee felix x reader summary- After a frustrating day, you show up at Felix’s apartment in the middle of the night, demanding a baking session before you do something illegal. genre- fluff, comedy, best friends to lovers word count- 1.6k warnings- mentions of stress/frustration (but no heavy angst), excessive fluff and best friends-to-lovers tension (your heart may combust), mild swearing (a few curses here and there), lots of playful banter and teasing ! not proof read (sorry for spelling mistakes etc.)

2:03 AM – Felix’s Apartment

Felix was enveloped in a deep, restful slumber when his phone began to vibrate aggressively against the wooden surface of his nightstand. At first, he ignored it, burrowing deeper under his blanket. Then it buzzed again. And again. And again. With a groggy sigh, he finally reached for it, squinting at the screen.

Y/N🦋: I’m outside.

Y/N🦋: Open the door before I commit arson.

With a resigned sigh, Felix dragged himself out of bed. The clock on his nightstand blinked 2:17 AM in glaring red digits. Of course. This wasn’t the first time you'd turned up at his doorstep in the dead of night, exuding an unmistakable air of barely contained chaos.

Felix shuffled to the door, rubbing the remnants of sleep from his eyes. As he unlocked it, he was greeted by the sight of you, swathed in an oversized hoodie that dwarfed your frame, your hair tousled as if you’d run a marathon through a windstorm. In your arms, you clutched a bag of flour with the intensity of someone holding a weapon, ready for battle.

“…Do I even want to ask?” he muttered, his voice a mix of amusement and resignation.

You pushed past him, your footsteps echoing off the wooden floor as you marched into the apartment. "I need to bake before I do something illegal," you declared, your tone a storm cloud ready to burst.

Felix just shook his head, closing the door with a soft click. He was completely unfazed, accustomed to your nocturnal baking escapades as an antidote to whatever madness the world had thrown your way.

Felix leaned casually against the kitchen counter, his eyes following your every move as you aggressively swept ingredients from the cupboard and plunked them onto the table with a loud clatter. "So," he drawled, the corners of his mouth twitching with amusement, "who's got you all riled up this time?"

You slammed a hefty bag of sugar onto the counter, sending a small cloud of white dust into the air. "My boss is an idiot," you snapped, the frustration evident in the sharpness of your voice.

Felix nodded slowly, his expression one of feigned seriousness. "Mhm."

"And my coworkers are absolutely useless," you continued, grabbing a carton of eggs and placing it beside the flour with a thud.

"Right," Felix said, his tone encouraging you to vent more.

You threw your hands up in exasperation, your voice rising with each word. "And I swear, if one more person tells me to 'just calm down,' I'm going to start throwing hands."

Felix couldn't suppress his grin any longer and reached for a mixing bowl, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Alright. Let’s rage bake," he said, ready to join in the therapeutic chaos.

It started innocently enough, with the kitchen bathed in the warm glow of the afternoon sun. Felix stood at the counter, meticulously measuring flour with a slight furrow of concentration on his brow. Meanwhile, you were beside him, whisking the batter with a fierce determination, your movements a blur of energy.

Then—

“You know you’re supposed to gently fold in the butter, right?” Felix teased, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as he glanced over at you.

You shot him a glare, eyebrows raised in defiance. “Do I look like I care about technique right now?” you retorted, the whisk still clutched tightly in your hand.

Felix snorted, a chuckle escaping as he shook his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. “You’re dangerous,” he remarked, feigning a look of mock terror.

Then, before he could react—

You scooped up a handful of flour and flicked it at him, watching as a cloud of white powder puffed into the air, settling on his shirt.

Felix froze, his eyes wide with surprise as he processed the sudden attack. You broke into a wide grin, feeling a rush of triumph.

“…Oh, you’re done for,” he murmured, a playful threat in his voice.

With that, he grabbed a fistful of flour and launched it at you, a burst of powdery chaos swirling around you both. You gasped, ducking and weaving just in time to avoid the white storm. “You little—” you began, laughter bubbling up uncontrollably.

Chaos erupted in the small kitchen. Flour flew through the air like snow in a blizzard, sugar spilled across the countertop, and Felix danced around your attacks with surprising agility, a grin never leaving his face. You were mid-throw, about to hurl another handful, when Felix lunged forward. With a swift motion, he wrapped his arms around your waist, lifting you momentarily off the ground and spinning you away from the counter.

The two of you crashed gently against the fridge, laughter ringing out as you both tried to catch your breath, the world around you dusted in white. Felix’s face was only inches from yours, his eyes locked onto yours, a soft smile playing on his lips.

And suddenly—

You weren’t thinking about your boss, whose endless demands had been weighing on you. You weren’t thinking about your awful day, filled with stress and frustration. You were just thinking about him, the warmth of his presence and the laughter you shared, and nothing else seemed to matter.

The way his eyes crinkled when he laughed reminded you of the sun peeking through clouds on a dreary day. His hands lingered on your waist, warm and reassuring, as if they belonged there. His smile softened, just slightly, as he looked at you, the corners of his lips curling gently upward. Your heart skipped a beat, a fluttering sensation that you couldn't quite control.

And before you could stop yourself, the words tumbled out of your mouth—"…You look good like this."

Felix blinked, surprise flickering in his eyes, before a playful smirk spread across his face. "Covered in flour?" he teased, gesturing to the white dusting on his shirt.

You laughed, a light, airy sound that filled the kitchen, and nudged his chest with the back of your hand. “No, I mean—” You hesitated, your gaze dropping to the floor as you tried to gather the courage that seemed to have slipped away.

Felix tilted his head, his eyes gentle and encouraging. Then, in a quieter voice, he urged, “Say it.”

You swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on you. This was dangerous territory, a line you had both been dancing around for months. But maybe, just maybe, you were tired of pretending. So you exhaled, your voice barely above a whisper, the words escaping your lips—"…I mean, I like you, dumbass."

Felix froze, his expression momentarily unreadable. Your stomach plummeted like a stone in a pond. Oh. Oh no. What if you had ruined everything between you?

But then, Felix's lips curved into a genuine grin, not teasing or smug, but soft and sincere, as if he had been waiting for this moment all along. Without a trace of hesitation, he said, “I like you too.”

Your breath caught in your throat, hope bubbling up inside you. “Yeah?” you asked, barely daring to believe it.

Felix chuckled, a deep, rich sound, and reached up to gently brush a smudge of flour from your cheek. “Yeah,” he confirmed, his eyes twinkling with warmth.

And then, slowly, sweetly, he leaned in and kissed you. It was a kiss that enveloped you like a warm embrace, tender and unhurried. It felt like all those late-night baking sessions had finally revealed their true purpose, like this was more than just a distraction. It felt like he was exactly where he wanted to be, and so were you.

You perched on the edge of the marble counter, your legs swinging idly back and forth, while Felix meticulously swept up the scattered flour that covered the kitchen like a fresh layer of snow. The remnants of your late-night baking escapade were everywhere—flour dusted the floor, bits of dough clung to the edges of the wooden table, and a sweet aroma lingered in the air.

“…So, technically, I still never got my revenge,” you mused, watching Felix’s careful movements as he wiped the counter with a damp cloth, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Felix paused, glancing up at you with an exasperated yet amused look. “I think you had enough fun throwing flour at me,” he retorted, brushing some lingering white powder from his dark hair.

You flashed a mischievous grin, the memory of your playful battle fresh in your mind. “Maybe.”

Then, as the moment softened, your voice did too, turning almost contemplative. “But I feel better.”

Felix’s stern expression melted away, replaced by a gentle warmth. He reached out, his fingers lightly tapping your knee, a silent acknowledgment of the bond you shared. “That’s why I let you wake me up at 2 AM,” he murmured, his voice a low, soothing rumble that made your heart skip a beat.

You rolled your eyes playfully, feeling the flutter of your pulse quicken, and hopped off the counter, landing softly on the cool tile floor. “Come on,” you said, tugging at the sleeve of his floured shirt with a gentle insistence. “Cookies are done.”

Felix grinned widely, his eyes sparkling with a mix of affection and amusement, and allowed you to lead him toward the oven. Together, you both sank onto the floor, the warmth from the freshly baked cookies seeping through the plates in your hands. Sharing the sweet treats and exchanging shy, stolen glances, you couldn’t help but think—

Maybe baking really was better than murder. Especially when it meant discovering a love that felt as warm and comforting as the cookies you shared.

©sunshineangel0 𖹭 if you liked this work, please consider reblogging, commenting or liking! xoxo franzi 💋

[skzstannie]

𐔌 현진 .ᐟ ꒱ ── "i'm burning hot? damn right i am."ㅤ♡

HWANG HYUNJIN! ⓘ you come over to his place, only to find your boyfriend burning hot. literally and figuratively. . . ( ꩜ ᯅ ꩜;) 

۫ 𖨂 𓈒 𝑏f!hyunjin ₊ ‎ ‎ 𝑓em!reader ˙ . ꒷ g. fluff , crack ! 3IOOwc. ⎯⎯ Yᗩᑎi's ᒪIᗷᖇᗩᖇY ⟢ cw. nicknames , kisses , intimacy , fever. ┆ 🐇 ⋮ an original drabble .ᐟ ֹ ₊

𝑦𝑎𝑛𝑖'𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑙 𓈒 𓈒 ⭑ happy birthday to the squishiest dumpling! i wasn't sure if i'd be able to post on hyune day... but i did, thanks to the week i have off before my next exam! yn in this entire fic lowkey reminded me of my darling ishi, don't ask why >< also, dear fahrenheit users, please do not attack me. i'm a mere celsius huzz. happy reading <3

the sky outside was a dull slate gray, clouds hanging low and swollen with the promise of rain. city lights flickered through the haze, their reflections smudged against the apartment windows like forgotten brushstrokes. drops of water from the afternoon drizzle traced lazy paths down the glass, the rhythmic pattering mingling with the hum of distant traffic below.

inside, however, the atmosphere was far from serene.

the living room bore every sign of a day spent in restless sickness. a half-crumpled blanket, patterned with little stars, was tangled across the couch. an empty mug, rim stained with honeyed ginger tea, perched precariously on the coffee table next to an abandoned packet of cold medicine.

the air was tinged with the faint scent of eucalyptus and lemon, the lingering evidence of an essential oil diffuser doing its best to combat the stuffiness. the heater hummed low, emitting a warmth that made the space feel cocooned and sluggish.

but the most striking sight of all was hyunjin — sprawled across the bed like a fallen monarch, wrapped dramatically in a heap of ivory sheets. his buzzcut barely peeked from beneath the folds, and his cheeks were flushed a fevered pink.

the poor man had always been a little.. theatrical when sick, but this time? this time, he looked like he was moments from composing his own funeral hymn.

y/n nearly dropped her keys as she stepped inside.

“oh my god, hyunjin!” she kicked off her shoes hastily, the door slamming shut behind her. “you look like death.”

from the depths of the pillows, a low, pitiful groan emerged. “and yet, i’m still somehow the most handsome man alive.”

y/n rolled her eyes, but a smile twitched at her lips. “god,” she murmured, already shrugging off her jacket and abandoning her bag on the armchair.

the warmth of the apartment immediately clung to her, a contrast to the chilly air outside. she ran a hand through her slightly damp hair, droplets clinging to the strands from the drizzle she’d escaped.

hyunjin’s eyes fluttered open, though his movements were sluggish. they were glassy, dazed, but still sparkling with that familiar playful mischief. his lips, a little dry from the fever, curled into a weak grin.

“y/n,” he croaked, voice raspy from sleep and congestion. “you’re back.”

“of course, i’m back!” her brows knit together, as a frown graced her lips. “you didn’t answer any of my texts.” she was already approaching, hands on her hips like a mother about to scold her child. “you could’ve told me you were dying.”

“i wasn’t dying,” hyunjin sniffled dramatically, though the slight tremble in his voice betrayed him. “i was simply… wilting. like a delicate flower.”

“oh, my poor rose,” she mocked, leaning down to press the back of her hand against his forehead. the second her skin touched his burning flesh, her brows furrowed. “jesus, hyun. you’re burning hot.”

his grin grew smug. “damn right i am.”

y/n shot him a glare, though her lips twitched with amusement. “unbelievable.”

she straightened, already scanning the room with purpose. the cluttered state of the apartment made it evident he’d been too miserable to bother tidying up. the comforter had been dragged halfway to the floor, the pillowcases crumpled and damp from sweat.

on the nightstand, a little mountain of used tissues teetered precariously. the sight alone was enough to make her sigh.

“i was going to get a kiss,” hyunjin whined weakly, watching her with puppy eyes as she disappeared into the bathroom. “where’s my ‘welcome home, my beloved’ smooch?”

y/n’s voice echoed from the tiled space. “not until i make sure you’re not actually on the verge of spontaneous combustion.”

“but i miss you,” he drawled, the dramatic edge returning. “it’s been hours. days. years, probably.”

“four hours, cuh.”

“still too long, cuh.”

when she returned, a damp towel in one hand and a thermometer in the other, hyunjin barely reacted — aside from the way his lower lip jutted out in an exaggerated pout.

his buzzed hair gleamed under the soft glow of the bedside lamp, the sheen of sweat on his forehead making it shine.

y/n thought it was unfair, really, how he could still look so stupidly pretty while practically melting into the bed.

“come on, open up,” she instructed, holding the thermometer to his plush lips.

hyunjin obliged his lover without protest, though his eyes never left her. they followed her every move — the way her brows furrowed in worry, the soft parting of her lips as she focused.

her presence alone seemed to soothe him, like a cool breeze through a fevered haze.

after a moment, the thermometer beeped. y/n’s eyes narrowed.

“39.3 degrees,” she muttered, her heart sinking a little. “hyun, you’re literally a furnace.”

“that explains the unbearable hotness.”

“not the time.”

but even as she scolded, she couldn’t hide the tenderness in her voice. her fingers brushed over his buzzed scalp, tracing the warmth radiating from him.

the short hair suited him ridiculously well — made his sharp jawline and pretty features stand out even more. and yet, with his flushed cheeks and glassy eyes, he looked more like a grumpy child than an idol adored by millions.

“i’m staying,” she declared firmly, already kicking off her socks and climbing onto the bed.

hyunjin blinked at her, eyes wide. “you don’t have to, baby. i’m fine.”

“oh sure, because i’m totally convinced by the fact that you look like a victorian orphan on his deathbed.”

“i’m merely delicate.”

“you’re ridiculous.”

but she was already tucking the blanket up to his chin, brushing damp strands of hair away from his forehead. hyunjin melted under her touch, nuzzling into the comforter with a content hum.

he was so terribly clingy when sick — and even now, his hands sought her out, fingers curling weakly around her wrist.

“you’re the best,” he murmured, voice slurred. “my beautiful nurse. my savior.”

“i’m your babysitter,” she deadpanned.

hyunjin grinned lazily. “hot babysitter.”

y/n snorted. “sleep for a bit, patient hwang.”

“whatever you say, doc.”

and with that, his eyes fluttered shut once more, the fevered haze pulling him back under. y/n stayed close, her fingers tracing gentle patterns along his buzzed scalp, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest a comforting lull. outside, the rain had begun to fall steadily, a soothing patter against the windows.

the apartment smelled like lemon balm and warmth. and despite the fever, despite the mess, there was nowhere else she’d rather be.

the apartment was quiet now, save for the rhythmic sound of hyunjin’s breathing. it came slow and steady, the fever finally pulling him into a much-needed rest.

y/n watched him for a moment longer, making sure he was truly asleep. his lashes, dark against the flush of his cheeks, didn’t so much as twitch. his lips, parted slightly, had softened from their usual dramatic pouts into something innocent, almost boyish.

his fingers, which had been curled loosely around the sleeve of her sweater, finally slackened their grip.

she exhaled softly.

gently, she peeled herself away from his warmth, slipping out of the bed with careful precision. the room was dimly lit by the soft golden glow of the bedside lamp, casting elongated shadows across the walls.

the rain outside had settled into a gentle drizzle, droplets streaking against the windows like ink on parchment. the air smelled faintly of eucalyptus, a relic of the essential oils she had turned on earlier to help clear hyunjin’s congestion.

her socks padded silently against the wooden floor as she made her way out, glancing over the apartment with a newfound awareness. hyunjin wasn’t usually messy—if anything, he was meticulous about keeping his space tidy, an artist who treated both his canvases and his home with careful reverence. but sickness had a way of unraveling even the most put-together people. and today, the apartment was evidence of his fevered unrest.

his paint supplies were scattered across the living room table—a wooden palette still smeared with dried strokes of cobalt blue and burnt sienna, paintbrushes left to dry on a paper towel that had since crumpled at the edges. a few unfinished sketches were abandoned on the couch, their graphite lines smudged in places where hyunjin had likely rubbed his tired eyes.

an empty glass sat next to a bottle of vitamin c tablets, along with a half-eaten granola bar he had probably forgotten about.

y/n sighed, rolling up the sleeves of her sweater. alright. time to fix this.

she started with the living room, carefully gathering the paintbrushes and rinsing them in the sink. cool water rushed over her fingers, the bristles softening as the leftover pigment bled away, swirling in delicate patterns down the drain. she arranged them neatly in a cup by the window, letting them dry properly this time.

next, she picked up the sketches. a small smile tugged at her lips as she recognized his latest works—quick portraits, some unfinished, some detailed enough to look like they might spring to life.

one was of a woman sitting by a windowsill, her expression contemplative, lost in thought. another was more abstract, a flurry of delicate brushstrokes forming something that looked like wings. and then, of course, there was one of her.

hyunjin had drawn her dozens of times before, but it never failed to warm her heart. this one was a loose sketch, probably something he had done absentmindedly while resting—her face turned slightly to the side, strands of her hair tucked behind her ear, a soft expression in her eyes. dork.

shaking her head fondly, she stacked the papers neatly on the side table before moving on.

the bedroom came next. the blankets were still tangled from when he had shifted around earlier, his fever making him restless. she smoothed them out carefully, tucking the edges so he wouldn’t get cold.

the used tissues on the nightstand were disposed of, the mug from his previous tea taken back to the kitchen. she fluffed his pillow, letting her fingers briefly brush over the soft linen before stepping back.

the scent of eucalyptus lingered in the air, blending with the faint traces of his cologne that clung to the fabric of the bed. something warm settled in her chest.

with the apartment finally back in order, she turned to the kitchen.

the overhead light cast a soft glow over the space, illuminating the sleek countertops and the small collection of ingredients she pulled out. the rain had picked up again, tapping gently against the windowpane, a soothing backdrop to the quiet hum of the refrigerator as she rummaged through it.

soup. that’s what he needed. something warm, nourishing.

she set a pot on the stove, the sound of sizzling garlic and onions filling the air as she started cooking. the fragrance curled around her, mingling with the hints of citrus and eucalyptus still present in the apartment.

as the broth simmered, she added vegetables—thinly sliced carrots, soft potatoes, leafy greens that wilted beautifully into the golden liquid. she shredded some chicken, letting it soak in the flavors, steam rising in gentle swirls as she stirred.

the soft clink of a spoon against the ceramic pot, the occasional bubbling of the broth—it all felt strangely peaceful. outside, the city continued on, neon lights blinking through the misty evening. but here, in the cozy warmth of hyunjin’s kitchen, time felt slower, more intimate.

while the soup finished cooking, she rummaged through the cupboards for medicine. there it was—a box of cold relief capsules, the kind hyunjin always complained tasted like chalk. she grabbed them anyway, along with a fresh bottle of water, setting everything neatly on the counter.

finally, she ladled the soup into a bowl, the aroma filling the kitchen like a quiet promise of comfort. the steam curled in delicate tendrils, rising into the dim light. it smelled of warmth, of care. of home.

y/n leaned against the counter for a moment, exhaling softly.

hyunjin was still asleep, oblivious to the quiet effort she had poured into tidying his space, making sure he’d have something warm to eat when he woke.

but she didn’t mind. of course she didn't. taking care of him wasn’t a chore—it was second nature, something as effortless as breathing.

she glanced at the clock. 19:45.

the rain continued its steady rhythm against the window. the apartment was clean again, the soup was ready, the medicine waiting. everything was in place.

now, all that was left was to wait for the sleeping beauty to wake up.

in the bedroom, hyunjin was still cocooned beneath the blankets, his buzzed head barely peeking out. his fevered flush had deepened, cheeks tinged a stubborn pink. the dampness of sweat clung to his forehead, strands of hair curling against his skin. but despite it all, there was something disarmingly soft about him — his sharp features relaxed in sleep, long lashes resting gently against his cheeks.

y/n stood at the edge of the bed, a bowl of steaming chicken soup balanced carefully in her hands. the broth gleamed golden, the steam curling like tendrils of silk. it was the perfect remedy — warmth in a bowl, made with far too much love. she shifted her weight, gazing down at her sickly boyfriend.

god, he’s lucky he’s pretty.

“hyune,” she called softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

nothing. not even a twitch.

she lowered herself onto the mattress, the blankets dipping slightly under her weight. her free hand reached out, brushing gently over his forehead. he was still warm, though not as alarmingly so. the fever wasn’t gone, but it had relented — for now.

“hyunjin,” she tried again, this time pressing a soft kiss to his temple. his skin was dewy beneath her lips, and even in his sleep, he made the smallest noise of contentment.

still, no sign of waking.

“oh my god,” she muttered, setting the soup carefully on the nightstand. “you’re actually impossible.”

she leaned down, her nose brushing lightly against his. “if you don’t wake up, i’m taking all the blankets. and the pillows. maybe even your skincare.”

that did it.

his lashes fluttered, and with a low groan, hyunjin cracked one eye open. “you wouldn’t dare.”

y/n grinned, already cupping his face between her hands. “i would. and i’d post your bare, moisturized face on instagram. hashtag ‘fever chic.’”

“evil,” he rasped, though the corners of his lips twitched upward. his voice was hoarse, deepened further by sleep and congestion. somehow, it still managed to sound ridiculously attractive.

“you sound like you’ve been chain-smoking for a decade.”

“i sound sexy.”

“you sound like a gremlin.”

he chuckled — a low, rough sound that only made him wince. “ouch.”

“that’s what you get for being cocky while half-dead.”

hyunjin hummed dramatically, letting his eyes flutter shut again. “fine. let me die beautifully.”

y/n rolled her eyes but didn’t miss the small, teasing smile playing on his lips. “not happening. you’re getting soup. and meds. and possibly a smack if you keep up with the theatrics.”

“i thought you loved my theatrics,” he mumbled, his voice muffled as he burrowed further into the pillows.

“i tolerate them.” she carded her fingers gently through his buzzed hair, the short strands soft against her fingertips. “now come on. sit up for me, baby.”

with a dramatic groan — as though she’d asked him to scale mount everest — hyunjin finally shifted. his limbs were slow and heavy, the fever still anchoring him. y/n tucked an arm behind his back, guiding him carefully until he was propped against the pillows. the blankets pooled around his waist, the flush of his bare chest visible beneath the dim light. his skin gleamed slightly from the fever’s sheen, but the sight of him, even like this, still made her heart stumble.

“you’re staring,” he rasped, eyes half-lidded.

“i’m admiring, yes,” she corrected, fingers tracing lightly over his jawline. “you’re lucky you’re cute.”

“damn right i am.”

she swatted him lightly on the shoulder, earning a lazy grin. “stay put.”

reaching for the bowl of soup, she gave it one last stir before settling it in her lap. the steam curled up between them, the scent of garlic, ginger, and tender chicken filling the air.

“you cooked?” hyunjin asked, his eyes shining even through the fever haze.

“of course.” she blew gently on the spoonful of broth, then held it up. “i don’t trust you to eat without spilling it all over yourself.”

“i’m a grown man.”

“you’re a sick man.”

“same difference.”

but even as he whined, he parted his lips obediently, letting her feed him the first spoonful. the warmth of the broth seemed to melt into him instantly, his tense shoulders relaxing as the flavor settled. his eyes fluttered shut with a soft hum of approval.

“okay,” he mumbled. “that’s stupid good. you have god's hands.”

y/n grinned, scooping up another bite. “i know.”

and so it went. spoonful after spoonful, hyunjin accepting each bite with minimal complaint — though not without the occasional dramatic sigh, just to keep her on her toes. the warmth seeped into his bones, soothing the ache that had plagued him all day.

every so often, y/n’s fingers would brush against his skin, adjusting the blankets or tucking a stray strand of hair away from his forehead. each touch lingered, soft and reassuring.

“you’re the best,” he murmured between bites, his voice still low and gravelly.

“i know.”

“my angel.”

“mhm.”

“my goddess.”

“mhm..”

“my muse. my light. my—”

“i swear to god, if you say one more word, i’m mixing cough syrup into your soup.”

his eyes gleamed mischievously. “kinky.”

“says you.”

but she was laughing, her nose crinkling in that way that made hyunjin’s chest ache for entirely different reasons. she reached for a tissue, gently dabbing at the corner of his lips, and in that moment, the world outside ceased to exist. the rain could pour, the city could buzz — but here, wrapped in warmth and laughter, nothing else mattered.

“thank you,” he murmured, his voice softer now. “for everything.”

y/n tilted her head, her fingers brushing along his jawline. “you’d do the same for me.”

“in a heartbeat.”

and with that, he leaned forward, his lips brushing against hers. the kiss was gentle, fevered warmth meeting cool tenderness. he tasted like salt and broth and something undeniably hyunjin — familiar, grounding, home.

“ew,” she muttered playfully, pulling away. “you taste like sick.”

“still hot though.”

“debatable.”

but her laughter filled the space, mingling with his, and as hyunjin curled back into the blankets, y/n tucked him in without a word. the fever would pass, the mess would return, and the city would wake again.

but tonight?

tonight, they had soup, kisses, and the soft hum of rain. and that was more than enough.

⤿ 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝘵𝑒𝑟𝘵𝑎𝑔. @its-stayville-forever @cosmicalily @hyunjiiza @modesttiger @woozarts @katsukis1wife @bddaramjis @reignessance @peskybirdysya @honeyybbuubblleess @ellemir2404 @4ng3l-ch1ld @urlocalmultigroupfan @ashtxrie @minlixyaoi @shuuporanglinos — send in an ask, message or reply, to be added !! ✶

[skzstannie]

"I am written by a man"

"I am written by a woman"

I am written by bubble message Lee know

[skzstannie]

Cast in a love spell

Seungmin x Reader (fem.) Genre: College au!, Romance, Comedy, Fluff, Slight Angst Warnings: mentions of drinking, cursing, drugs, lacing drinks, lots of “stupid”, insecurities, psychic & witch slander, somewhat proofread WC: 13.3k A/N: It's finally here! The February Issue for your enjoyment. I had such a giggly time writing this beastly fic out, I hope it brings the same giddiness to you all. Happy Valentine's Day lovelies! Feedback, Reblogs, Likes are greatly appreciated! Happy reading! ── MASTERLIST a campus chronicles feature▐

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“How did it begin?”

It all started at some stupid fair. 

With some stupid woman dressed in the stupid dark satin cloak that concealed much of her face. Her stupid long hair, which was clearly a wig, dark and straight, disappeared under the table. She had that stupid grin on her lips when she claimed she was a psychic, a witch of some sorts. Something stupid like that.

And Y/N was stupid enough to indulge in her. Wasting not only her time, but also her money.

Staring down at the little vial of pink liquid that the stupid wanna-be witch claimed was a “love potion.”

She didn’t understand why she felt so compelled to purchase it. An expensive one might she add. It was as if the vibrancy, the mysterious nature of this so-called magic potion had drawn her in.

Or maybe the woman had gotten her with whatever she had rambled about. Reading through her as if she truly were some psychic.

Y/N didn’t believe in such things, and some sort of real psychic magician witch at this city fair of all places, was even less convincing.

She had come home for the weekend, her younger brother, who quite frankly was a little too old to be begging and whining about going to fairs, had dragged her along. The last time she went to such a festive event was when she was a teenager, and she didn’t remember anything special about it. Now she could only groan, at the hustle and bustle, the screams of children running about, music, vendors and their clamor. 

The crowd.

All seemed to grate on the college student who wanted to do nothing but rot in bed all day.

It was when she noticed her brother awkwardly walking alongside with his friend who had come along, their hands brushing together yet, neither brave enough to grab the other’s hand, that she realized why he had been so adamant about attending. Clearly a budding romance that she suddenly found herself intruding on.

All of a sudden she felt like a third-wheel, her kid brother, who wasn’t really a kid, was doing his best to woo this friend of his. The girl who definitely liked him back, seeing the slight blush creep on her cheeks whenever he attempted to win her a toy.

She groaned, and had pulled him aside while his potential future girlfriend was busy gazing at some trinkets that caught her attention.

   “You like her?” There was a slight tease in her voice as she watched her brother stiffen, his ears beetroot red.

Y/N couldn’t help but snicker, eyes glancing over at the distracted crush.

   “You idiot, why would you bring me along? You could’ve made this a date.” She narrowed her brows, slightly annoyed now.

   “I-what if she felt awkward if it was just the two of us? Besides—” He eyed Y/N hesitantly, a sheepish smile on his lips.

   “I said you’re the one who wanted to attend this fair, and had no one to go with.” 

His confession earns him a quick smack, the older sister whacking him with even more irritation, especially remembering how this idiot had basically begged on his knees for her to come along.

   “It’s true!” He groaned, rubbing at his arm. “You have no friends, no boyfriend, the perfect excu—“ 

Before he could continue, another whack made him recoil, stepping back as he defended himself.

   “Oh what happened!” His crush’s voice interrupted the brother-sister duo, who were seconds away from a sibling showdown.

Y/N’s eyes scruitinized the young girl’s concerned expression, eyes lingering on the younger brother. A smile spread on her face, eyes darting around, gears in her mind turning.

   “Theo here wants to ride…that!” She pointed at the ferris wheel that towered over the entire premise of the fair.

The younger two’s eyes followed her finger, taking in the colorful wheel spinning over them.

The crush slowly broke into a grin, clearly feeling the same. While Theo raised a brow of confusion.

   “I did?” He muttered, still rubbing at the arm Y/N had hit him in.

   “Yes. You did.” She muttered through a strained smile, her teeth clenched.

God, how dense can he be?

   “But I’m afraid of heights so, you two go on your own.” The older sister decided to play wing-woman, all but pushing the two towards.

   “Wait—are you sure?” Theo turned, his eyes filled with concern, wondering when she had developed this phobia of heights.

   “You idiot if you don’t take this girl to the ferris wheel and confess I’m gonna kill you for wasting my time.” She muttered under her breath, the smile still wide on her lips as she nudged her younger brother forward.

Watching as the two walked away, still awkwardly grazing hands, she couldn’t help the annoyed scoff that escaped her lips.

   “God I hate couples.” Her tone was laced with a twinge of irritation, eyeing every other couple that surrounded her.

Which was plenty. Seeing as fairs and carnivals suddenly become the hot spot for guys to show off to their partners. 

But truth was, she was slightly envious. 

Y/N had always been the quiet loner, from high school to now even in her second year of university. She was introverted, liked keeping to herself. Had only a few hand-counted individuals she could call friends. Never having experiences like such with friends, let alone a boyfriend.

The exact opposite of her younger brother, who was outgoing, loud and made friends easily. But clearly, it seemed he still had some lingering innocence in him. A side of his that she got a glimpse of here with his lingering gazes, his fond smile as he looked at the girl he liked.

Like how she often looked at her crush. The baseball player who barely even knew her.

   “—You hate couples? Your heart says otherwise.”

Y/N’s eyes shot toward the voice. The words that broke her away from her self-pity.

Eyes settling on the cloaked woman who stood in front of an even mysterious tent. A dark purple and black color that stood out amidst the vibrant tents surrounding. Even her satin cloak that veiled much of her face was dark.

Great, some kind of psychic attraction. 

Palm reading. Tarot Cards. Fortune telling.

The words all stood out in bold on the poster attached to the tent. Bright out against the almost ominous colors.

   “Why don’t you come in? You clearly don’t have any friends or a boyfriend here to keep you company. Spend some time in my tent.” Her repeated words, that she definitely eavesdropped on, made Y/N frown, huffing a curse under her breath before she turned.

   “—We can talk about baseball! Or perhaps a special player that seems to have your interest.”

Y/N immediately faltered, whipping around with such a force, she startled those who passed by her. Her wide eyes bore into the figure of this woman. 

   “Please, come in. I’d love to chat.” Her words felt inviting yet eerie all at once, even if seconds ago she had slighted the loner with her jabs.

But Y/N found her feet moving toward, easily attracted.

The tent had fake fog billowing at the entrance, a low hum of a piano instrumental played somewhere within, yet inside it was lit vibrantly, with fairy lights and candles glowing in the dark tent. And a crystal ball was set over a velvet-clothed table, shining the brightest. 

The round object caught her eyes, instantly reminding her she needed a good bedside lamp for her late-night study sessions.

Maybe Y/N should ask what kind of batteries it took. Or maybe for a shopping link to the same crystal ball.

   “Have a seat!” The mysterious woman’s voice seemed more chipper, as if now she was going to start treating her like a true patron, instead of throwing shady remarks.

It was kind of funny seeing her scurry around to prepare a cup of tea for Y/N, her mysterious aura cracking slightly as she settled in her seat in a hurry.

Clearing her throat she got back into character. And after pouring the tea she waited, simply staring. 

Silence. 

Y/N let out an awkward “oh!” Realizing this woman had been waiting for her to drink first.

   “Ah…thank you.” She murmured behind the cup, starting with a tiny sip.

Y/N expected something unordinary to happen. She wasn’t someone who believed in such things, only familiar with the stereotypes of such attractions. But the conversation that began was honestly all over the place. Most of which was just this woman, who at one point claimed to be a witch, rambled about all kinds of things. Lores and tales, and things that would have captivated her if she were a child, or perhaps really into this kind of stuff.

And it was clear from Y/N’s brow twitch, and the forced nods she gave along the way, that she had enough, and wanted to do nothing but leave this weird lady and her even weirder tent.

   “So. You have a crush.” She finally sighed, after noting her guest had finished her tea.

Finally. Words that caught her attention, making her stiffen in her seat. Unable to refute the true words, taken aback too.

   “You help others confess, yet you struggle to do the same.” She sighed, pouring another cup of the slightly sweet, slightly bitter drink for Y/N.

   “I…don’t know how to. He’s just too good for me.” The college student found herself murmuring.

Her thoughts had spilled out so easily. Making her eyes widen, her hand slapping over her lips, as if she didn’t intend to do so.

And even if the action slightly started the veiled woman across her, she didn’t show it in the way she spoke, setting down the ceramic pot.

   “No one is ever ‘too good’ for anyone.” The woman laughed, the next cup of tea set before her guest, the drink Y/N found herself sipping instantly to soothe the nervousness that suddenly erupted within her.

   “Everyone has skeletons in their closet. Insecurities that they hide. Much like yourself. He’s not anything extra special, a human after all. And will look your way, maybe even fall in love, if you truly try.” 

Y/N wished she could counter with her own opinions about that. 

About how that certain baseball player was the most handsomest person she had laid eyes on. How even with his reserved demeanor, he was so sweet, so polite to everyone around him. He had his own tight-knit group of friends. Not entirely a social butterfly, yet everyone who met him always took away with good thoughts.

He was like a breath of fresh air. Catching glimpses of him on the baseball field, in the halls, around campus, had always been nothing but a breath of fresh air. The kind that made you slightly shiver from the tingles it left behind on your cheeks that warmed. 

He wasn’t a campus heartthrob, nor was he some sort of popular it-boy, not very well known outside their common circles, yet he felt so out-of-her-league. So untouchable.

How can such a person like him have insecurities? And forget him falling in love with her, he barely even knows her.

   “I can help you.” 

Y/N’s eyes flickered up from her empty teacup, from her thoughts. Self-deprecating. 

The so-called witch placed a small vial in between them. A pink liquid that glimmered under the light, enclosed within. It was like the kind you see in movies, the tiny poison vials with an intricate patterned cap, one you would have caught a glimpse of on the sets of Romeo and Juliet perhaps? 

   “It’s a love potion. A spell, cast to make whoever consumes it, fall in love with the first person they lay eyes on.” 

And here came the product selling.

Y/N should have seen it coming. 

Although she had to admit that amidst the slight vulnerability this situation suddenly had drawn out of her, and the spectacular customer service she received, she forgot for a moment that she was still at some stupid fair, sitting in some stupid psychic tent, listening to this stupid wannabe-witch ramble on about some magic love spell.

But again, like earlier, her true thoughts spilled easily out of her mouth.

   “I’ll take it.”

A part of her must have been just that desperate. Craving the attention of the reserved baseball player who barely knew her. 

And it seemed that the mysterious woman profited off of it, her grin the widest Y/N had seen, flickering under her transparent veil as she swiped the credit card. The college student could have sworn she heard the distant sounds of a “Ka-Ching”, but perhaps it was the music from the loud clatter happening outside.

The clatter, amidst which she once again stood in as she stared down at the vial she didn’t really want but found herself purchasing. 

Theo was definitely going to make fun of her. Even more so than he had the entire time they had been here. His teasing started even before they entered, waiting in line for tickets. When he had somehow found out about her little crush and couldn’t stop his remarks.

Muttered curses escaped with her breaths as she walked away from the stupid wannabe-witch and her stupid tent, eyes flitting around the lively scene.

And then staring at her brother giggling with his clearly-not-friend-anymore, his cheeks flushed, hers equally red, made her want to hurl this so-called love potion at his face. 

Yet, the less annoyed side of her felt relieved. Her heart swelling at the wide grins on their faces. Seeing the two of their fingers interlaced. 

She shouldn’t have been surprised her brother had it in him to confess, even if he had been shy about it. 

He’d always been the courageous one. Now, easily confessing with a slight push. Something she wished she had the courage to do so.

She stared at the vial in her fist, wondering.

Was this her slight push?

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Of course the heart swelling moment doesn’t last when Y/N felt like the absolut third-wheel trudging behind the very new couple. 

Her brother hadn’t even noticed when she had slipped away, his text asking where she had disappeared to, buzzed with its arrival in her pocket when was half-way back home. She had shot back that she had to study for an exam. But of course that wasn’t true, instead she spent another hour or so at home waiting for her laundry load to finish, stuffing that and the tupperware of food her mother packed for her in bags, before she headed back to her the dorms across town.

That’s how she found herself staring at her roommate bouncing around their room, getting ready for a party she had been raving about for the past week. Y/N hadn’t realized it was tonight, she would have stayed home for the rest of the weekend if she was going to be alone here, but then again, she did have work the next afternoon here on campus.

   “You should just come along with me now.” The lively girl boomed from behind her table-mirror, applying mascara.

   “You’ll be running to me later tonight, anyways.” She added with a giggle, her eyes flicking to take in Y/N’s unamused eye roll through the reflection.

Her roommate, Lee Soyeon. One of those finger counting friends Y/N had.

The two had been randomly paired to share a room two years ago, and when Y/N first met the bubbly Soyeon, she thought they’d never get along.

She reminded her of Theo, only more upbeat, more affectionate. And, like with her brother, Y/N was the complete opposite. While Y/N preferred staying in, Soyeon was eager to experience the thrills of college life. 

The clubs, the get-togethers. The mixers, the frat parties.

Things Soyeon easily fell into, while Y/N settled on the quieter end of the college experience.

The studying, the part-time jobs. The campus walks where she often found herself glancing at the baseball field.

They hadn’t gotten along for the most part of their first semester dorming together, or rather, they never exchanged much conversations. 

Their majors being different, lifestyles even moreso. 

Though it seemed that Soyeon did try in the beginning, but Y/N being the way she was, couldn’t even keep up with the cheery nature.

Until one night, some time before the end of their first semester, Soyeon had called her after a bad experience at one of these parties. One where Y/N found herself rushing to. The bubbly roommate had taken her first edible, trying to fit in. But instead of a fun time, she’d ended up freaking out from the effects, overwhelmed by a flood of strange emotions.

After that night, something shifted between them.

They grew closer.

And then it became a habit. Even when Soyeon didn’t ever touch anything of that sort again. When she was slightly tipsy but not drunk enough for her to need help. Still, Y/N would rush to her side without any true emergencies. 

Sometimes she would arrive in the middle of the party, finding herself being hauled through whatever lively scene, with her clingy roommate at her side. 

Maybe Soyeon wanted to give her introverted roommate the experience of such things. Things she pretended she didn’t want to be a part of, yet listened intently at her bubbly roommates recounts of party stories. Or when she lingered after she arrived on those certain instances Soyeon all but tricked her to show up. Her curious eyes raked around the chaos, the wild antics, the music, the liveliness in fascination almost.

But there was one amusing thing Soyeon discovered after tricking her introverted roommate into attending these parties.

 Y/N was a total lightweight.

It was funny watching the usually quiet girl who barely spoke to anyone else start rambling about anything and everything once she had a drink in her system.

Maybe that’s why Soeyon loved getting her to these events, hoping others would be able to see how fun her roommate actually is. Her carefree, talkative side, that surfaced so easily after a few drinks, made anyone, mostly her affectionate roommate, want to protect her all night.

And now, as Soyeon watched Y/N smiling silly at the reserved baseball player she clearly had a crush on, she couldn’t help but be a giggly mess herself.

She was grateful that Y/N had nothing else to do tonight, reluctantly agreeing to join her. Grateful too that she had been nervous after seeing Kim Seungmin, the baseball player whose name had been in Y/N’s mouth for god knows how long now, sitting amongst the bodies that were here. 

Extremely grateful to that long-haired kid running around shoving solo-cups full of booze and tequila shots into everyone’s hands upon their entrance. 

The shots the introverted roommate threw back in order to ease her nervousness. 

And now it seemed she was very eased, relaxing into her seat with the handsome athlete smiling at her with amusement. Her hands cupped her cheeks, smiling one of the widest grins Soyeon had seen on her lips as she muttered things to Seungmin.

Although, Y/N would definitely kill her tomorrow, if she even remembered any of this. But that would be tomorrow’s problem. Soyeon stifled a snicker as she watched the pair out on the deck, an unusual sight that suddenly felt so right all of a sudden.

For the girl crushing on the baseball player, this would’ve been an exciting encounter. An exchange that would have made her either feel like screaming into the void, or become a squealing mess under her blankets.

Except, Y/N wouldn’t remember a thing. A true lightweight.

Waking up the next morning was the worst experience of her life. 

She groaned, shuffling under her comforter, feeling last night’s makeup sitting on her face. Yet had no energy even after what would have been a good night’s rest, to go shower or even attempt to start her day. 

Her head turned to rake over Soyeon’s empty side of the room, the cheery roommate already gone.

It was the weekend and both girls worked part-time which should have been an excuse not to party the night before, but of course when does Soeyeon ever let such responsibilities stop her. Y/N was just thankful she had an afternoon shift today.

She stared at the textured ceiling, attempting to recall what transpired after her downing of those drinks. A muttered curse escaped her mouth as she remembered that upon her arrival she had spotted Kim Seungmin amongst his friends. 

He looked good. Like he always did. Not in his usual tracksuits, or comfortable wear, but in black jeans, a long-sleeve shirt that fit him well. A baseball cap sitting on his head.

She had stiffened when her eyes landed on him, his pretty smile spread on his lips at something someone said to him. Soyeon had nudged her, a teasing look in her eyes as she muttered about how glad she should be agreeing to coming.

But Y/N didn’t recall much after that. Though there were bits and pieces. Of laughter and her name being called by people who weren’t her roommate.

   “You didn’t embarrass yourself did you?” Y/N groaned into the silence, chiding herself for letting herself get carried away.

Her finger found her phone under her pillow, strained eyes taking in the brightness of the screen before they narrowed at the text message from an “Unknown”.

Hope you got back safe :)

Strange. She didn’t remember exchanging numbers with anyone.

“Unknown” and their message is easily forgotten when her alarm rings with a resounding sound. One that makes her head pound even more, reminding her that she had to start getting ready for work.

────────────────────────

Y/N’s thoughts weren’t hung up on the stranger who texted her at all that morning. Nor did she even remember carrying the magic potion that she had shoved into her jacket after her purchase, genuinely forgetting all about it.

But then sometime into her shift later that afternoon, the door to the campus cafe that she worked at, swung open loudly. 

So loud, it garnered the attention of everyone inside. Including Y/N who stood behind the register, stunned at the sound. 

Her eyes grew even wider as she took in the sight of Kim Seungmin. The reserved baseball player breathing heavily as his eyes scanned the premise before his gaze landed on her. His eyes locked onto hers.

And then suddenly she remembered the magic potion. The forgotten love potion, which now that she thought about it, wasn’t in her pocket. At least she didn’t feel it when she had her hands in her jacket on her way to work.

The potion that she had considered as her “slight push”.

Y/N gulped, her form tensing up slightly as Seungmin stared at her, still in front of the door he almost broke through.

It seemed like he ran all the way here. Out of breath, panting with his hands on his knees, before slowly standing tall as he settled his breathing.

The reserved baseball player attempted to clear his throat as he approached but even that seemed rushed as he got closer to her, hands almost slapping against the counter. And if people weren’t staring because of his dramatic entrance, they were definitely looking now with how loud his palms hit the wood between them.

   “Hi. I don’t know if you remember, but we spoke last night and I know I must look ridiculous and what I’m about to say, even moreso, but I think you’re really cool and would love to take you out.” His exclamation left in a single breath almost, a string of one shocking word after another.

Words that she caught clearly.

And then her eyes widened. She was sure they would bulge out of their sockets with how shocked she was. Her entire body ignited in heat as she stared at him. Seeing which, his eyes mirrored, as if he finally realized what he had said, the rush of the moment finally fading.

   “W-what.” The word left her through a shocked mutter, and he inhaled a silent gasp, stunned all over again.

   “What!?”

The tense air seemed to stretch on forever, the audience that watched this sudden confession scene straight out of a movie, waited with bated breath to see what happened next. 

She was sure somewhere in the back, someone was three seconds away from asking for popcorn.

Except before either of them could say anything, address whatever ramble of words he had said, the shop door swung open again. Breaking away the tension in an instant. 

Less dramatically, the new group of guys entered with chuckles, probably in the midst of a conversation that was definitely better than the awkward stares Y/N and Seungmin exchanged. The duo that garnered all attention. 

Yet even this new group seemed to get caught up in the unfamiliar scene they stumbled upon.

   “S..eungmin?” One of the boys stared in surprise.

Great, it was his teammates. The guys who wore similar school tracksuits, looked between their friend and the wide-eyed barista, instantly recognizing her from the party last night.

   “Ah, Jiwoo. What’s up?” Seungmin’s voice was cool, looking back at the stumped boys, his lips parting into a smile, that mortified stare he looked at her no longer painting his face.

Y/N’s eyes darted to the sudden shift in his demeanor. His expression, much more relaxed than the flustered one she had been staring at only seconds ago.

He cleared his throat, turning back to find Y/N, who stiffened under his gaze again. Her mind reeling.

   “What time do you get off?” His tone dripped confidently, that smile still pulled softly on his lip.

A softness in his gaze that had her sputtering. At least that’s what it sounded like to her. And seeing the way he dropped his head to mask his subtle chuckle, she was sure of it. But somehow she had answered him.

   “I’ll pick you up after work then.” He spoke lowly, knocking softly at the wood counter that separated the two of them.

He turned to face the dumbfounded boys, all confused. All wondering what the hell was going on.

   “See you guys on the field, I have to talk to Coach.” He patted one of the guys, before exiting smoothly.

A nonchalant departure that was no way near as loud and shocking as his arrival.

Y/N’s gaze followed his figure outside the glass until he had disappeared from view. She had gripped the counter, stopping herself from toppling over. Suddenly realizing that her legs felt like jelly, her heart beating rapidly against chest.

That she still had people staring. The baseball boys blinked at her, unsure of what to say or do.

She could feel her co-workers gazes burning holes into the back of her head. All this attention makes the introvert in her want to dig herself into a hole. But Y/N inhaled deeply instead, before she cleared her throat.

   “N-next!” Her voice boomed loud, gaze settling on Jiwoo and his friends as they slowly approached.

The audience that had watched everything slowly returned back to whatever they were doing.

   “Hah...I didn’t realize you knew Seungmin like that.” Jiwoo awkwardly laughed, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck.

She didn’t realize she knew him like that either. Yet she couldn’t even have her meltdown right now, perhaps she would during her break in about fifteen minutes or so.

Which she basically did. Grabbing her head in her hands as she roughly dropped down on the couch in the employee lounge. 

   “What the hell, what the hell, what the—” Her eyes widened as if she suddenly thought of something.

Maybe a hazy memory, or recalling something stupid she did the night prior. Y/N shot up, darting to her locker to look through her things. Rummaging like some mad woman, she found her jacket pockets empty, then she started picking through the contents of her bag. Keys, wallet. Her student ID. 

God, why were there so many gum wrappers in here?

Her things fell onto the ground as she emptied it, her eyes raking over her belongings.

   “Did you lose something?” Her co-worker eyed her curiously, especially after whatever had happened out there with Seungmin, hoping to hear all about it.

Instead she had walked in on the poor girl about three seconds from a real mental breakdown.

   “Fuck!” She turned to her coworker slightly mortified.

────────────────────────

   “—It’s a gold-capped, glass vial. Pink, glittery liquid inside…?” Soyeon had repeated, watching her roommate scour their dorm.

   “Yes! About—” Y/N raised her pinky in the air, showing the girl. “About this big.”

Soyeon tried to remember, glancing around the room, the littered clothing, the pillows on the ground. Hassle to clean up.

   “Hmmmm…I think I did see something small like that on you last night.” She began, yet even before she could continue, Y/N was already in front of her, hands gripping on the now-startled girl’s arms.

   “What did I do with it? Oh god, did I give it to him? Did I lose it!?” Her questions were ones Soyeon couldn’t answer at all, simply staring with wide eyes as this introverted roommate of hers was almost yelling louder than she ever heard. 

   “Is it a drug?” She asked instead, although a pink, glittery liquid drug was not the typical image you’d get when you think of such things.

Y/N groaned, letting her roommate go, melting into her undone bed.

   “Didn’t you say Kim Seungmin picked you up after work? I thought he doesn’t talk to girls.” There was a teasing glint in Soyeon’s gaze, recalling the lengthy conversation the two had the night before.

A glint, Y/N didn’t catch in the midst of her shock.

   “That’s the thing! Apparently he does talk to girls! He spoke to me! He even asked me out!” She seemed genuinely shocked, all over again.

Recalling the awkward way the two of them walked side-by-side after she got off her shift.

Maybe Seungmin had noticed her uneasiness, doing nothing but walking her back to the dorms. They didn’t really exchange words, not when Y/N was busy lost in her thoughts and he wracked his own brains wondering what he should say so she eases up. By the time Y/N had decided she did in fact cast a spell on him, and Seungmin decided he was going to ask her out properly, they had reached her building. 

It seemed he figured out that she didn’t remember their talk last night, clear from the stiffness in her demeanor. Much different from the loose side of her that downed shots before she approached him. 

But it didn’t seem to stop Kim Seungmin or his interest in her.

He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his sweats, glancing around the mostly-empty surrounding, the evening breeze making his hair waver with it, his eyes gleaming brightly as he smiled at her. Maybe the effects of the potion made him look even more radiant than she last remembered, almost mesmerized all over again. 

   “—Or! Maybe he actually likes you?” Soyeon had broken her away from her memories, 

Y/N’s cheeks feeling tingly and warm from the mere image of Kim Seungmin walking her home, smiling at her. 

His hand, awkwardly brushing against her.

Oh, she really did drug that poor man with that love potion. 

What an idiot she was. She shouldn’t have kept it on her, shouldn’t have taken it with her. She should have believed that it really was a magic potion. 

No, she shouldn’t have ever bought it from that witch.

Wait, now that she thought about it. It’s all Theo’s fault. That idiot brother of hers is probably enjoying his dates with his girlfriend, while she was freaking out.

Maybe she should move. Somewhere foreign, where no one knows her. What’s a good country that she could get lost in?

But of course, all these ridiculous thoughts disappear as quickly as they arise. 

Melting away at the sight of Kim Seungmin leaning against the lamppost outside her dorm building the next morning. 

And he really did put effort into his outfit, his white button-up tucked into his jeans. His hair was neatly styled, though the breeze had roused it up slightly. But even with such a tiny flaw, he looked perfect. His eyes lit up as she appeared in front of him.

He really waited for her like he said he would. 

Which wasn’t a surprise seeing as he was the one who offered to walk her to class the evening prior. But a part of Y/N had believed that the effects of the potion would have worn off by now. 

A part of her was slightly sad that he would go back to his world, forgetting her after the high of his spell was over.

Wow, she really was making it sound like an actual drug.

He cleared his throat. Her eyes darted over him, his adam’s apple bobbing slightly as he swallowed from nervousness, the tips of his ears flushed with a red tinge. He was shy, and he looked adorable.

   “I’m nervous, sorry.” He mumbled, taking her bag from her, something that felt so natural even if he claimed to be tense.

And surprisingly, Y/N didn’t find it out-of-norm either.

   “I usually have practice early in the mornings, but Coach pushed it to later this evening.” He glanced over her figure that fell into a steady walk next to him.

His eyes lingering at her downcast eyes focused on their shoes as they moved, her fingers balling and un-balling into fists at her side. He wanted to reach over and lace their hands together. 

Would it be too early to make such a move? She was probably still confused, still trying to wrap her head around him barging into her life, his presence looming at her side.

Instead he inhaled, his lips thinning into a soft smile as he took in her nervous form.

   “I guess you’re a lucky charm, or maybe he knew I had to pick you up this morning and decided to be generous.” Seungmin chuckled.

Y/N’s eyes darted to find him looking at her, the grin on his lips, both making her cheeks heat up, her heart hammer faster in her chest.

   “You didn’t have to…I’m sure you would have wanted to sleep-in.” She murmured.

Seungmin shook his head, adjusting her bag on his shoulder.

   “I’m a morning person. Besides, I want to pursue you, why would I make such a bad impression before I even begin.” He spoke so casually, as if whatever he just said wasn’t anything special.

As if his words weren’t making her do cartwheels in her head, the urge to scream into her pillow growing with every second he lingered by her. Every second his hand grazed against hers.

His hand… that now laced into hers. 

Giving into his urges to take her fingers into his.

The feeling of his warm flesh against her made her stiffen, head shooting to her side, looking at him with eyes widening.

He attempted to mask his expression, turning to look at the tree on the other-side of the street as if it was the most unique tree he had ever seen, yet his ears and neck burned bright and red, vibrant against the white collar of his shirt.

He cleared his throat again, a feigned cough to cover up whatever tingliness that erupted within him. His grip on her hands grew firmer, a squeeze telling her to hold him back.

And she did.

Easily finding her fingers interlacing around his. 

The silence that settled this time was anything but awkward. 

────────────────────────

It was weird. 

When she saw Seungmin, she could barely formulate a sentence. 

Yet, her fingers typed away with such ease. 

Giggling under her blanket as she read whatever text message he had sent her. Maybe it was because his pretty eyes weren’t boring into hers, his smile not making her cover her eyes from its radiance. His presence in front of her, next to her, constantly making her nervous and shy. A blushing mess with her hand in his.

But one thing was for sure, Kim Seungmin was a flirty bastard. 

His pick-up lines, the cringe comments, the one-liners. Things he sent to her nonchalantly throughout the day, made her either stifle her squeal or giggle like some teenager.

   “Please let me sleep!” Soyeon groaned from her side of the room, making Y/N cover her mouth.

   “I’ll talk to you later. Soyeon is getting mad. I think she’s actually going to kick me out this time.” Y/N whispered into the phone.

His chuckles hit her ears like music. Although, every word he muttered over the phone had sounded so nice to her. Even if it’s been a couple of days since they’ve started their hours-long phone conversations.

   “Hah…” He sighed on the other end.

   “So I have to walk home listening to music and not your pretty voice?” He exaggerated incredulously.

   “I’m shaking my head and kicking rocks as I said that by the way.” He added, making Y/N stifle another giggle.

There was a moment of silence as she listened to him shuffle on the other end. A comfortable silence as he thought and she listened.

   “—Are you really really sleepy?” He asked, a question that made her swallow nervously.

   “I’m…slightly sleepy.” She mumbled.

   “Hmmm, not sleepy enough. Come down in five minutes. I’ll tell you a bedtime story.” His chuckle resounded in the silence.

   “I’ll text you. Five minutes.” He didn’t wait for her to answer, not ready to hear any protests, the call cutting right there.

Of course Y/N doesn’t wait five minutes, rushing to slightly tousle her hair and apply whatever lipgloss she could find in the dark. Sparing her poor roommate, who was probably tired of her new routine of late-night conversations, a sorry glance before she grabbed her keycard and sweater. 

She had been pacing the lobby for the first two minutes, but to her it felt like a hundred. The next minute she found herself outside, the evening breeze, slightly chilly but not enough of a bother. Not when her heart was thundering in her chest, and her hands clammy from nervousness.

She could hear the footsteps, the jogging figure of Kim Seungmin coming into her view from down the street. His smile grew wide as he spotted her. Y/N raised her hand to wave, but before she could even do that, the baseball player had engulfed her into a hug. 

Immediately she stiffened, feeling the warmth of him all over her, his heart beating in her ears. Probably from the running, probably from the sight of her.

   “Let me catch my breath.” He mumbled into her ear, his arms tightening around her figure, pulling her close into him as he inhaled.

It was weird. 

They’ve held hands, have been holding hands, walking side-by-side. They’ve spoken about almost everything, from family and friends to classes and majors, random topics that often jumped from one thing to another as they rambled for hours. Giving Seungmin glimpses of the Y/N he met the night of the party. Without any influence of alcohol.

Just her natural smiles, the soft curve of her lips, gleaming eyes that had pulled him instantly it seemed.

But right now, feeling his arms around her, his body-spray mixed with sweat, made her feel so warm and fuzzy. And she found herself embracing him back, almost melting into his arms.

   “I thought about you all day.” He whispered, his voice was soothing, reverberating off his chest.

   “Me too.” She replied.

They stayed in that embrace for a while, the night breeze making their hair flutter. Seungmin had pulled away first, even though he would much rather stay in her arms. But he needed to ask her a question. He leaned away from her face, his arms still holding her in his grasp.

   “Does this count as a date?” He asked, a glimmer in his awaiting gaze.

Her brows furrowed slightly in confusion, head tilting slightly.

   “I guess? I’ve never done this before.” She found herself admitting, yet it was a confession that pleased him in ways he hadn’t expected, his lips widening into a bigger smile.

   “Then... Do you like going on dates with me?” His questions continued.

Y/N bit her bottom lip, wondering why this man was surveying her in the middle of the sidewalk, held in his arms. But still, it was a sweet question, one that reminded her about all the things they’ve done together the past two or so weeks. Almost everyday had started with either his messages, or his figure waiting outside her dorm building.

He’d pop into the coffee shop between classes during her shifts, drinking whatever she wanted him to try, watching her work, catching up on assignments. 

He lingered outside of her class before it ended, waiting to walk her to the next one, to her dorms. To the library where they got some quick work done before he took her to do something new. The dates that he made time for, the dates he dressed up for even if he was rushing from class or practice to his dorm. Constantly on the move, constantly typing cringy, sweet messages to her in between all those.

Dates that made her feel special. Ones she really liked.

   “Yes.” She smiled with her response.

He nodded, a nervous twinge flashing across his eyes for a second before he softened them.

   “Do you want to continue dating me?…Make me your…boyfriend?” His tone had lowered slightly. 

Awaiting eyes that truly made her heart melt.

   “Yes. I’ll make you my boyfriend.” Her answer had come easily.

There truly was no other choice. He had embedded himself into her life with such ease in this short span of time, that she truly saw no other way than to keep him. To continue lingering by his side.

Cheering him on at his games in the coming months, studying with him during finals week. Dating him, holding his hand.

Kissing him.

Her eyes flitted down to his lips for a second, before they met his eyes again.

It seemed he was thinking the same. 

Except he didn’t hesitate at all. Instead he leaned in, his lips pressing against her. A first kiss that he pulled away from as quickly, eyes darting between hers to gauge what she thought of it. If it was okay for him to kiss her again.

And seeing the awaiting glimmer in her eyes, he had his answer. His lips met hers again. A proper kiss this time, hands cradling her jaw to pull her closer, eyes fluttering close to focus on the way her lips felt against his.

A proper kiss that made her feel like she was floating, her hands grabbing at the fabric of his sweater as if her life depended on it. The feeling of his lips working against hers felt foreign, felt amazing. 

Felt like she couldn’t breathe. 

Pulling away, she gasped for a puff of air, her eyes raked over his equally flushed face, his gaze glimmering under the light of the night, settling on her with the gentlest of gazes. Seungmin’s finger grazed at her jaw, sighing once to control his urge to kiss her deeply, passionately once again.

   “Are you sleepy now, girlfriend?” He grinned at her instead.

She couldn’t help but laugh at his words, nudging him away playfully.

   “Really really sleepy. I think I might dream of you.” 

Her response had him groan, shaking his head as he pulled away from her, his arms settling on her shoulders to softly push her back until they were literally arms-length apart.

   “You have to go back now or I’ll never let you leave.” His confession, the mischievous glint in his gaze, had her sputtering instantly, cheeks flaring up with heat.

Imagining them making out in the middle of the night, his lips engulfing hers.  

   “Ye-oka-goodnight!” She almost blabbered, darting up the few steps leading back to her building, struggling to scan her keycard, before rushing inside.

Embarrassed as his chuckles from the sight faded behind her and the slam of the metal doors closed her off from her baseball player.

But the embarrassment didn’t last. Instead, her heart was hammering, the loud beats echoing in her own ears. The dark room of her dorm allowed both her mind and heart to settle. 

She warily glanced towards Soyeon’s bed, hoping to not bother her any more tonight. But still she couldn’t contain herself. Her lips were unable to stop that cheesy grin on her lips as she replayed everything that had just transpired between her and Seungmin.

Between her and her boyfriend. The thought of it made her feel giddy all over again.

Her phone vibrated in the pocket of her sweater, fingers already unlocking it to read the message from her baseball player, her boyfriend.

Thank you for keeping me, girlfriend.

But as her eyes raked over the next words, all her excitement seemed to disappear in an instant. Her smile falling, her heart dropping. 

I’m glad you approached me that night at the party.

Good night, beautiful.

The words should have made her the happiest girl in the world. Should have had her kicking her feet in the air. Yet, all she could think about was the night of the party. The one she couldn’t remember.

The night she had given him the love potion. 

The spell she had cast on him, making him fall in love with her because he was compelled to.

────────────────────────

   “—So let me get this straight. You’re actually dating the baseball player, and you guys like each other but you think it’s all because of what? Some potion?” Theo reiterated with the most confused expression Y/N had ever seen on his face.

But she nodded because that was exactly what had happened.

   “Are you sure you didn’t like… hit your head?” He pointed at his own head as he asked, slightly concerned.

Y/N groaned. She knew he wouldn’t believe her. God, even she didn’t believe her. But that was the only plausible reason. The missing love potion being the biggest clue. Seungmin running to find her the next day to confess, another huge giveaway.

   “Man, I knew you thought he was out of your league but I didn’t think it was that bad.” Her brother uttered, words that would have earned him a smack, but she was too busy wracking her brain.

   “How else do you explain it!?” She exclaimed.

   “We shared two classes our first semester, one the last semester. And none now. How else do you explain him literally barging into my coffee shop on some random Sunday to ask me out?” 

The younger brother pondered for a moment, his brows furrowing so hard, she was sure he was going to strain those muscles.

   “Maybe he had always liked you? Like me, who didn’t ask until I was literally pushed into the situation.” Theo’s reasoning made sense, staring at his older sister who seemed to be processing.

She gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

   “Oh god, I really cast a magic love spell on him. I’m the worst.”

   “God!” Theo almost groaned loudly in annoyance, back to square one.

   “That psychic said that whoever drank it would fall in love with the first person they saw.” She argued.

   “A magic potion really? You don’t actually believe that, do you?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

   “Well, I didn’t at first. But she knew too much about me.”

   “Like?” He muttered.

   “That I had no friends and no boyfriend—”

   “Everyone knows that!” He retorted, but seeing the annoyed glare in her gaze he settled back in his seat, grumbling slightly.

Okay, maybe he was right about that part, especially when she recalled that they had bickered about the same thing right outside the psychic tent that day.

   “But-but she also knew about the baseball player and my crush on him.” Y/N countered, her eyes wide as she tried to find any tangible evidence from her memories.

   “I teased you about the baseball player before we went into the fair because you grumbled about bringing my girlfriend.” The younger man pointed, another reasoning that made sense.

   “Yes! But it was nowhere near her tent—Theo, she knew!” Y/N pressed, her frustrations evident in her expression.

   “I even told her things without really wanting to. It’s like she automatically drew it out of me.”

   “Maybe you needed to talk about these feelings out loud to someone and used her as the listening ear?” He countered again.

Y/N instantly shook her head, turning down his possible explanation. Instead she continued to blabber about how her secrets about her crush and her insecurities were read by some random wannabe witch with mind reading powers, in the middle of their stupid town event.

Theo wanted to yell back. Retort with the most logical answer there was. 

They were at a fair. The whole neighborhood seemed to be there. The crowd, the people, unknown faces that could’ve easily overheard whatever they bickered about that afternoon. Faces that could have easily been the so-called witch his sister insisted was real. 

But he doesn’t say anything of that sort, instead he sighed exasperatedly again.

   “And how would she make you confess these things?—And don’t say anything dumb like a truth-serum or something.” The younger brother had almost given up trying to offer any solutions.

Maybe her memories will help her see how crazy she sounded right now.

   “...Oh my god, the tea!” Her wide eyes shot to Theo as she had the realization.

Her brother pinched the bridge of his nose, furrowed brows of annoyance and frustration settling anew. 

   “Holy shit, she has lost it.” He muttered to himself.

It took another handful of minutes of the same conversation going in a loop, for Theo to finally snap. His figure shot out of his seat to slap at the wood of her dresser, a sound that easily interrupted her crazy rambling.

   “Enough! I don’t understand why you refuse to accept the fact that your baseball player likes you without the influence of some stupid poison or whatever. You’re cool, you’re pretty. Mom and dad love you more because you’re the smarter one. You got into one of the most prestigious colleges and you work to pay for your own things. Any guy should be lucky to have you.—And honestly, I’m starting to think this baseball player might not be enough for you.” The younger brother had confessed frustratingly, a little angry at the end, just imagining some idiot who was nothing else besides a good-looking jock dating his sister.

Y/N blinked at him. At everything he had just shouted, things he had never said aloud before. A silence settled between them, the awkwardness stretching.

Theo cleared his throat, his eyes growing wide slowly as he realized he had spilled his thoughts so easily.

There goes the years of pretending he didn’t look up to her.

   “Should we hug it out?” He attempted to chuckle, his arms extending in the air.

   “Get out of my room.”

   “Leaving.” He instantly agreed, darting for the door, embarrassed almost.

Yet as he tried to run away from the embarrassment that he threw himself in, his legs faltered at the door, his hands gripping at the knob. He let out a deep breath before he turned back to look at her conflicted expression. 

   “Ask him yourself, ask him why he likes you.” Theo began, watching his sister blink, her brows slowly furrowing as she took in his genuine advice.

   “Hear it from his lips. His explanation might help quell whatever stupid thoughts you have—like a magic witch, seriously?” He narrowed his brows again, still unable to fathom the ridiculous thought.

His chuckle faded as he left, the door closing behind him with a click. Leaving Y/N in the aftermath of it all.

Sitting on her bed, she started processing whatever they talked about. Her brother’s thoughts, his words, his compliments suddenly made her feel grateful, slightly emotional. 

His advice made her eyes dart to her phone. Cascade of messages from Seungmin lit up the screen as she stared at it. 

Asking if she got home safe. Telling her that he was back from practice and was going to play videogames with his friends. 

Telling her that she should have fun with her brother and parents today, but tomorrow she’s all his.

That he missed her.

Her fingers typed, heart clenching.

Seungmin smiled at his phone, gaming headset resting over his neck as he responded to his girlfriend.

   “Man, you are so whipped.” His roommate had caught the sight of his cheesy grin as he passed through the sitting room.

   “I’ve always been whipped.” He retorted.

A response that garnered him a disgusted laced expression from the other man. But Seungmin doesn’t seem to care, one hand settling over the game controller on his lap, the other hand pulling the headset back onto him.

   “Hmm, what’s this?” The roommate’s question made Seungmin falter, eyes flitting over to find the other man in the midst of rummaging through his desk drawer, probably in search of the portable charger he often stole from, or rather borrowed as he claimed.

Seungmin’s gaze settled on the object, the one his roommate was now inspecting as if it was something precious, holding it against the light to see the glint of its glass. Shimmering, glimmering.

   “Not really sure. Probably a charm.” Seungmin shrugged, sitting comfortably in his gaming chair.

   “Looks kind of girly. It’s all sparkly.” He smirked at the man on his gaming chair, two seconds away from teasing him, but Seungmin remained indifferent.

   “It’s Y/N’s—Oh! put it next to my wallet, I keep forgetting to give it back to her. Thanks.” He replied not sparing a second glance at the charger thief as he returned to his game.

The roommate looked back at the small thing, then placed it next to the wallet like he was asked to.

────────────────────────

The following day Y/N waited for her spell-bound boyfriend. The one who smiled widely as he approached her, arms extending to pull her into an all-too natural embrace. The one she found herself melting into, arms wrapping around to feel his warmth.

He inhaled deeply, a sigh escaping his lips as he took in her scent. As if she had been gone for weeks and not just one day.

   “I missed you.” He muttered against her before pulling out, his hand already holding hers.

An anxiousness coursed through her at his words, the fear that this was all a persona that was conjured up because of her. A version of him that was simply drawn to her because she fed him something magical.

Laced his drink perhaps?

This Seungmin was nothing like the one she had watched from the sidelines over the past year and a half. The crush that grew bigger the more she heard about him, the more she caught glimpses of his smiles, his polite sides as he interacted with people. His passionate gaze as she hovered around the baseball grounds during her walks. 

She doesn’t recall the first time she spoke to him, perhaps too nervous or maybe she hadn’t realized just how amazing he was at the time. But she was sure it was in one of their few shared classes from some semester ago, during a class discussion or maybe it was when they were broken into smaller circles for the duration of class.

Y/N tried to think back to that evening. To the night of the party she willingly attended. To whatever had transpired after she had a little too much to drink. Curse her lightweight tolerance.

She had hazy recollections. Seungmin’s laughter was one of those sounds that rang in her ears as she tried to remember. A contagious sound, yet it only made her mind reel with all kinds of questions.

Was this before or after she gave him the love potion?

Y/N recalled pulling it out from her pocket, that sudden memory surfaced weeks after the night of the party. She had stared wide-eyed into nothingness as another puzzle piece fell into place. But she had shoved it back into her pockets after.

Did she bring it out again? To pour it into his drink?

Was she showing it off? Like some desperate loser, who truly wished Kim Seungmin would look her way. Speak to her with more than a few polite words and soft smiles. The kinds he gave everyone.

   “—Everything okay?” Seungmin’s question had brought her back to their afternoon, his brows slightly furrowed in concern.

She looked tired, maybe he should have let her rest today, especially with her returning back to campus just this morning.

   “We can stay in and cuddle if you want, I’ll just text my roommate to stay out of the common area.” He was already reaching for his phone, but Y/N quickly held his hand back.

   “No! Let’s do what you planned. I was just a little distracted.” She smiled, making her boyfriend grin back at her with a nod.

They found themselves in an arcade, Seungim rubbed the back of his neck, slightly nervous as he introduced her to the place he frequented between his breaks every now and then. A shabby place compared to anything they’ve been to in the recent days. 

Y/N couldn’t help but grin, his awkward figure standing outside the establishment, his hand still in hers making her worries melt away. Walking forward as she tugged him along, breaking through his doubts.

Y/N swore she was going to tell him. 

She was going to confess all about the potion that she gave him. The magic, the feelings that didn’t belong to him. The emotions that didn’t come from his heart. 

But with Seungmin trying to either show off, or purposefully losing to her. Or his figure stood behind her, with arms wrapped around her wrist coaching her on how to throw a proper punch at the boxing game, she had forgotten all about it. Their giggles, wandering touches replacing every worry that coursed through her.

It wasn’t until they were at the claw-machine that it hit her.

With Seungim swearing he will get her that ugly-plushie she set her eyes on, even after failing three other tries, he had finally conceded. His annoyed sigh, loud between them, although slightly exaggerated.

   “Okay maybe we try something else. How about…that witch!” He pointed a finger at the glass.

But his words made her head snap toward him, smile faltering.

   “Witch?” She found herself repeating, her voice dropping low.

He nodded, unknown to whatever thoughts dashed through her mind.

   “Yeah, that one. Behind the squashed pikachu.” He tapped at the glass, her eyes following its direction.

Settling on the little witch, its vibrant green and purple colors had no resemblance whatsoever to the witch she had met at the fair, but enough to make her heart drop. Reminding her all over again about her worries. About coming clean to her spell-bound boyfriend who grinned like a fool as he fed another bill to the machine.

And even though through his attempt to grab the witch, he managed to somehow nab the ugly-doll she had wanted in the first place, Y/N couldn’t feel the joy. Holding the little plush creature to her chest, she felt guilty.

She hadn’t intended to dampen the mood. Worries flashed across her face, something Seungmin easily noticed, which made him immediately change his plans to suit her mood.

They were supposed to go to a snack bar he often visited after playing the arcade games, but instead, he took her back to the park by the campus. It was quieter at night, still peaceful, though less bustling. Maybe it would help her relax, ease whatever was bothering her.

   “Everything okay?” He asked finally, after walking in silence for what felt like forever, his own uneasiness grew the longer he waited for her to respond.

She met his eyes for a brief moment, a flicker of hurt in her gaze that immediately made his chest tighten. And then, without warning, tears welled up in her eyes. Warm drops trickled down her cheeks, quickly chilling against the night air.

Seungmin’s eyes widened, a soft gasp escaping his lips. In an instant, he was sitting beside her, his hands reaching out for hers. Yet before he could even ask what was going on or try to comfort her, she spoke out first.

   “I’m sorry. I should have told you earlier. I’m so selfish.” She mumbled, freeing a hand from his grasp and wiping away at the tears.

   “Tell me what?” He asked, brows furrowing in concern, worry overtaking his expression.

   “You don’t love me. You think you do, but you don’t. It’s all because of that stupid potion.” The confession fell out into a tumble of words, ones Seungmin couldn’t quite make sense of.

He tilted his head, confusion written all over his face.

   “Huh? What are you even talking about?” He pressed, his fingers squeezing the hand in them to get her to look at him.

   “I drugged you! With love potion.” Her voice cracked with frustration as she reiterated.

The kind of confession that brought silence with it. A quiet settling between them as Seungmin blinked at her crying form next to him. Utterly confused. Yet all he could respond with was a breathy chuckle.

   “Baby, is this a prank?” He asked, his eyes darting around in case their friends were lingering nearby or if she had set a camera up somewhere.

She shook her head.

   “I did! I bought a magic potion from a witch and I laced it in your drink the night of the party—well, I think I did—and you’ve been cast in a love spell ever since. You’re supposed to fall for the first person you see, but you don’t really love me. It’s the potion that’s making you see me this way!” Again, her words were a jumbled ramble, her attempt at explaining almost rushed.

Seungmin was still chuckling, though there was a nervous tinge in his smile.

   “No Y/N seriously, what are you talking about? What love potion? You didn’t lace anyone’s drink at all. You could barely walk straight.” He shook his head, recalling how she collided into him a few times that night.

She sniffled, her wet eyes meeting his, brows furrowed.

   “I didn’t?” 

He smiled, squeezing her hand again, trying to reassure her.

   “No. Nothing of that sort happened. I didn’t even drink that night, I had practice the next morning.” He shook his head.

Her eyes dropped to the ground, her thoughts clearly racing. Attempting to recall something, anything, at all.

   “Then where did that vial go?” She muttered to herself. 

Seungmin’s ears perked up at the mention of the vial, his brows raising as he finally understood what it was. Without thinking, he released her hand and reached into his pocket, pulling out his wallet.

   “This?” He brought out the small vial from inside.

The thing he had picked up the night of the party, watching it fall out of her pocket when she pulled out her phone to take his number. He didn’t mean to keep it on him, but with her shoving her cell in his hands and her loose, and pretty smile only widening on her lips as she waited, he was instantly distracted.

Y/N’s eyes widened at the sight of the small glass thing. The pink liquid inside still sparkled with its glitter, and the gold cap glinted as it caught the park lights. She took it from him, gripping it tightly as she stared ahead, her mind racing.

   “No, that makes no sense.” Her eyes darted back and forth, lost in thought, her gaze unfocused.

The sight of her made Seungmin’s smile falter, uncertainty creeping in. Afraid for some reason.

   “Okay. It’s not funny anymore. What is going on?” His eyes locked on hers, his hand gripping her shoulder gently, pulling her from her daze.

   “If you didn’t drink this magic potion then why are you with me?” She choked out, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.

   “Was I supposed to drink this magic potion?—No wait. What do you mean by that?” Seungmin narrowed his gaze.

   “It’s exactly what I mean. How can you be with me of all people?” She spoke through her whimpers, her bottom lip quivering as she caught a glimpse of his upset expression. 

   “Surely the same reason you’re with me? I like you.” He reiterated even after telling her so countless times these past few weeks, but it seemed it wasn’t enough.

And again she shook her head, as though she didn’t believe him. As though she couldn’t fathom why someone like him could ever like someone like her, and that made his chest tighten with frustration and hurt.

   “Why do you like me then?” He countered.

Y/N wiped away the fresh tears collecting at her jaw, her breath shaky. Seeing her hurt like this, made her boyfriend’s heart clench.

   “Be-because!” She began with a sniffle, voice breaking.

   “You’ve always been the one who easily drew my attention. Even when you weren’t doing anything to stand out. Just a few simple glances of you in your daily life, made me want to get closer to you. To get to know you. To fall in love with you.” She cried.

He nodded, taking in her words, before he shifted closer, his narrow gaze piercing into hers.

   “You could fall in love with me from simple glances, but I can’t?” His tone was calm, yet there was a sharp edge to his question.

   “—No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just, you’re…” She ran a hand through her hair, searching for the right words.

   “You’re you. You’re athletic, you’re polite, you’re handsome. You have tons of people who like you, effortlessly getting along with whoever. But me? I’m just some quiet loner who looks for the farthest desk in the corner of every room I enter to keep to myself.” 

   “It’s because you’re you.” He answered almost immediately, his brows furrowed, the frustration that he was holding in spilling out with his words.

   “You’ve always been the first to enter class. Always the first to finish an exam. Sitting in that corner, doing your thing, always so focused. You try to raise your hand, but second-guess yourself, when we all know you have the answer. And then when you do speak up, there’s this quiet confidence that spills through and it always drew me in.” Seungmin didn’t waste any time to let his true thoughts slip, his eyes softening as memories of her flashed in his mind.

Y/N blinked at him, her teary-eyes staring at him, stunned.

   “You’ve…noticed?” The words fell out in a whisper.

Seungmin sighed, dropping his head for a moment before lifting his gaze back to hers, soft and sincere.

   “I’ve always had my eyes on you.” He confessed.

   “From the day I cut you off from answering that question in Humanities 101. I wanted to apologize, but you seemed so unbothered by it, like it happened all the time. And then my eyes just naturally followed you from that day on. Catching sights of you in our shared classes, in the library. I tried to speak to you but it seemed like you preferred being alone. So I just…watched.” Seungmin rambled, recalling just how quickly, how easily, he had fallen into her orbit.

   “And then you spoke to me. And it felt like I was meeting a celebrity, my heart was pounding so hard, I could barely breathe. But I was so bitter and insecure, I couldn’t do anything but keep my distance. And then, at the party... when you came up to me, practically gushing about how much you respected me, that you knew me, I swear, I almost died.” Seungmin’s eyes dropped to her hands, clenched tightly in her lap.

Hesitating to meet her gaze, afraid that if he did, he’d lose the courage to finish telling her everything.

He was aware she didn’t recall that night. Aware she didn’t remember telling him that she thought he was cool, thought he was kind. Thought he was an amazing person. The kind of man she can’t help but be drawn to.

She made him blush. Her confidence pouring out, giving him flashes of those moments when she spoke up in class, a side of her he could never forget.

She made him laugh. Jokes and stories that she kept to herself, now out in the open for him to hear. Him to laugh along with.

The flush on her cheeks, the gentle curve of her smile. All of it made him want more of this Y/N. Without the influence of liquor, without any distractions.

All of it made him want her.

   “I’ve…I’ve always liked you. Because you’re you. And not because of some-some love drug.” He glanced at the small bottle she clenched in her fist, his voice softer, vulnerable.

The air settled into silence, the breeze billowing softly as Y/N took in his words. His lips attempted to curve into a gentle smile, desperate gaze hoping she would believe him. 

   “I didn’t even drink whatever this is. So you have to believe me.” He added with a murmur, his fingers softly prodding at her tense fist, to ease her grip. 

Her eyes followed his hand that settled over her, the warmth of his touch soothing her instantly.

   “But…why did you barge into the coffee shop like that?” Her voice quivered, the tears on her face had begun to dry in the cool night air, now utterly confused.

The question caught him off guard, making him tense. A blush crept up his neck as he struggled to find the words.

   “Oh. I-uh…I overheard the guys talking in the locker room.” He admitted, his eyes avoiding hers, his grip on her tightening.

   “About the party. About Lee Soyeon’s pretty roommate. And Jiwoo was going on and on about how he thought you were fun. And that he knew where you worked and would try to ask you out…” He trailed off, his face heating up with embarrassment.

   “I just-I found my body moving on it’s own and before I realized, I was running. To get to you first. To ask you out before anyone else had a chance.” His confession hung in the air between them.

Y/N’s eyes that had grown wide from the surprise of his confession, found herself inhaling deeply. Processing his words before the realization hit her.

That was his push.

The reason why he did what he did, the way he did.

Not because of some foolish potion. Not because of some magic. Something that she herself knew and didn’t believe deep down. Aware that all this absurdity took life because she was insecure.

Something he could see right through, as she wiped away the last of her tears.

   “I’m so stupid...” She finally muttered with her sniffles, the words she had spoken to him about the magic potion finally settling into her mind, and a bitter, breathy sound escaped her lips as everything became clearer.

Embarrassment followed almost immediately after the realization hit.

Seungmin’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her close before she could beat herself up over it, before she could doubt herself, or their relationship, again.

   “You’re not stupid. It’s normal to feel insecure. I feel it all the time. But baby, please don’t hold it in. Tell me, confide in me, and I’ll rid whatever misconceptions you have.” He whispered softly.

She sniffled, nodding against his chest, her arms clutching his shirt as she melted into him. He gently patted her back, holding her until her tears stopped.

   “I didn’t know my girlfriend was such a gullible cry-baby.” His playful words made her nudge him in his chest, getting a chuckle out of him.

   “Don’t tease.” She sniffled, slowly pulling out to wipe at her face.

Seungmin’s hands were already on her face, cupping her cheeks to gently wipe away the tears. His touch was warm, and for a moment, he couldn’t help but smile at how her face pressed in his palms made her look like a fish.

   “A cute cry-baby.” He grinned, earning another nudge from her, though this time she couldn’t suppress a laugh. 

His laughter followed hers, and for a moment, everything felt lighter.

As their laughter faded, the baseball player’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, wondering what he could do to make her feel better. His eyes swept over her tear-streaked face, then down to their hands.

   “Should we test it out?” 

Y/N’s confused gaze met his, before following his line of sight to her clenched fist. Her hand, still holding the vial of fake-love potion. She stared at it for a moment, then slowly uncurled her fingers, blinking in bewilderment.

Truth be told, Seungmin had been just as curious about that mysterious liquid that seemed to torment his girlfriend. And judging by the way her eyes now fixed on it, he was pretty sure she was, too.

   “But what if—”

   “I’m already in love with you. Does it matter if I drink it now?” He flashed a slightly smug smile.

She fell into a brief silence, still focused on the glittering, pink liquid in the vial.

   “What if you get sick?” She countered.

He shook his head, gently pulling the object from her grasp.

   “Then you take care of me.” 

An answer that she couldn’t help but smile to. But as he struggled slightly with the tight cap, she couldn’t help but flinch once it was uncapped.

   “Y-you have to look at me after you drink it! Just…in case.” She sniffled again, sheepishly looking at him.

Seungmin’s smile widened, leaning in to brush his lips against hers, catching her off guard.

   “I’m always looking at you.” He muttered softly against her mouth, pressing another kiss before he pulled away.

   “Okay. Time to drink this mystery concoction.” He added with a light laugh, inspecting the vial one last time.

While Y/N tried to steady her thoughts, Seungmin didn’t waste a second. With a tilt of his head, he downed the entire vial in one go. His adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.

An action Y/N unconciously mirrored, her throat dryer than ever. Her breath, bated.

Seungmin blinked, looking at her for a second before he narrowed his brows at the now-empty vial, his tongue rolling in his mouth.

   “It’s sweet. Like... like sugar-water?” 

Now Y/N was curious, wishing he left her a tiny bit so she could finally let this obnoxious moment pass. 

Once again, her boyfriend who always looked at her, seemed to see what was swirling in that mind of hers. His lips widening with a grin.

   “Look, taste and see for yourself.” He hummed.

Before she could even respond, argue that he’d drunk it all, his lips crashed against hers. 

He kissed her deeply. The faint taste of the potion still lingering on his tongue.

Yes, definitely sugar-water.

A sweet, sweet kiss.

────────────────────────

   “—One word to describe your love story?”

   “Magical.” Seungmin replied.

Both Y/N and the journalist turned their attention toward him, stunned.

The baseball player and his girlfriend were being interviewed for a new social column in the school newspaper. They were reporting on campus couples, love stories for the romantics who had no interests in all the other jumble of articles in the Campus Chronicles.

   “‘Magical’ is definitely a fitting description.” The journalism student nodded, jotting down the words.

Y/N raised an eyebrow, her gaze locking with Seungmin’s, as if silently asking a question. A sight that made him chuckle.

   “I’m not teasing, I promise.” He leaned in to whisper, his fingers gently holding hers.

   “Is that all? I have to get to work soon.” Y/N glanced at the time on her phone.

   “Ah! Just a picture and then we’re good.” The Chronicles’ photographer chimed in, adjusting her camera.

   “We should’ve worn matching outfits.” Seungmin muttered, his fingers still intertwined in hers as they got up from their seats.

   “Don’t you have practice today? Won’t the guys tease you if we wear couple outfits?” Y/N asked.

   “Who dares to tease the team captain? I’ll make them run laps.” Seungmin smirked, pulling her closer so they could pose.

She couldn’t help but giggle at the words, the radiant smile captured with ease.

   “Can you send me a copy of that?” Y/N stepped forward, peering to look at the picture on the photographer’s camera.

   “Of course! We’ll send you a rough copy of the article first, just for a last-minute fact checking.” 

   “Same email as the one you submitted your story through right?” The journalist chimed in, looking up from his notes.

Y/N narrowed her brows in confusion. 

   “We had to submit a story? I thought it was a random selection.”

Seungmin cleared his throat, avoiding the three pairs of eyes that now settled on him.

   “Yeah, same email.” He feigned a cough, his eyes scanning the campus grounds like he was seeing it for the first time.

Y/N stifled a laugh, her free hand over her mouth as the realization set in.

   “Thank you. We’ll take our leave now.” She smiled at the newspaper crew, who nodded with their own thank yous and thumbs ups.

   “Don’t.” Seungmin warned, noticing the playful look creeping onto Y/N’s face.

   “I didn’t even say anything.” She giggled, watching him grumble.

   “I thought it was supposed to be anonymous.” He muttered.

A confession that made her laugh heartily, her hand clutching her stomach.

A sight that easily melted her boyfriend’s bitterness, his lips tugging into a fond smile as he watched her. 

   “I had to let the world know how I willingly fell under your spell.” He leaned in so his face was inches from hers, gentle eyes settling over her.

Y/N’s arms crossed around his neck, pulling him closer.

   “I got a taste of it too. Doesn’t it mean I’m also cast in a love spell?” She tilted her head.

   “Let me check.” He muttered, his lips brushing against hers.

   “Oh! Yeah, definitely some magic here.” He nodded, his words making her cringe with laughter.

   “Ewwww. Gross! Stop!” She protested with giggles, his smirk only grew wider at the sounds.

   “The effects are wearing off. We’ll have to fix that.”

   “Seungmin, please—” Before she could protest further, his hands cradled her face, pulling her in for a deep kiss.

Her eyes fluttered as he pulled away, her cheeks dusted pink. A familiar expression the baseball captain couldn’t help but adore.

   “Better.” He murmured as he pulled away, his hand easily finding hers.

Y/N’s gaze lingered on him, taking in his fond expression.

   “Yup. Magical.” She whispered, her mouth matching the grin that widened on his face. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ end.