#POWEROFLOVE💥COLLAB

[soobnny]

three questions (he wished were never answered) — sim jaeyun. spider-man au. best friends to lovers. fluff and angst.

synposis. jake has always been grateful for a lot of things: his grandparents, the opportunity that he has as Spider-man, and so much more he hasn’t fully figured out yet, but he was beginning to or in which three questions are asked and answered (4.2k words)

warnings. major character death

notes. this is my entry for the power of love collab event! the theme is superpowers and i just had to go for spider-jake hehe please enjoy ^_^ also the questions are taken from lang leav(?)’s poem im not a super big fan but i kind of got inspiration for the flow of the fic from the poem

What was it like to love them? Asked Gratitude.

You’re not sure what time of the afternoon it is when you stumble around the side of a hidden building, just a little dizzy – at least, just the right amount of dizzy to still recognize the familiar face that’s grinning in front of you right now.

“You okay?”

The question usually laced with concern is said in complete and genuine laughter as Jake gauges your reaction. 15 minutes ago, he had managed to convince you to join him in a swinging-around-Seoul-City escapade, and you (who didn’t know any better), agreed to your best friend’s proposal. 

Of course, only now that you’re back on the ground did you know that you probably should not have agreed to him. But how can one say “no” when it comes to Jake Sim? Your best friend and the boy who has looked out for you since you were kids.

Jake Sim was the person who continuously taught you and showed you that there is love in the most mundane, everyday things that no one really thinks about – whether that’s him carrying your backpack for you, or in the shared quiet moments of walking home together, in the small talks and worrying about your future, in comforting each other over the pressures of school,  in asking if you’ve eaten already, or why you can’t sleep. There is love in Jake Sim.

“Hello? Earth to _____?”

“Uh, yeah, yeah I’m okay. Sorry.” You grin sheepishly with your untamed hair and short breaths. “It’s just never…. never doing that again, I’m never doing that again.”

“Okay, good.” Jake had managed to let out amidst his little giggles, keeping a hand on the small of your back in case you were still feeling a little dizzy. “Well, grandpa bought pizza and I think grandma’s in the apartment too. Do you uh, maybe wanna come over?”

“Okay, yeah, sure. Let’s just, maybe walk? And maybe you should uh, get changed out of that.” A quiet chuckle escapes your lips, patting your hair down but coming out empty-handed as it refuses to tame. 

Jake tries his turn at gently trying to smoothen your hair, but with a swift gesture of his hand, he ruffles it to mess with you even more which earns him a slap in the hand and a turn of your head when he tries to kiss you on the cheek in apology.

After successfully changing and hiding his suit, the pair of you trekked towards his apartment, stomachs rumbling, pizza in mind. It was a silent walk, noise reserved for the passersby or the cars on the street, and maybe Jake’s working mind - maybe it had something to do with how close you two were walking beside each other. Similarly, Jake thought that there was love in watching ou fondly over from a distance. But sometimes, he wonders what love would be like if it had a chance to step out of the shadows.

Biting his lip, he takes quick glances at your hand, looking straight ahead from time to time as a front before looking back at your brushing hands.

Contrary to popular belief, Jake wasn’t as forward as people put him out to be. While some would think he’s quick to a decision, a million different knobs have to turn through his head before actually being able to do something. 

And choosing to bite the bullet, he shyly takes your hand in his, looking back to see if you were okay with that, and you didn’t seem too fazed with the idea (aside from the creeping blush threatening to spill on your cheeks). Then again you did go full-on swinging around Seoul, so holding hands was basically nothing compared to that. 

Well, nothing for anyone else.

But you and Jake weren’t like anyone else. The two of you have been yearning from a safe distance - and he thinks he’s never seen anything quite like you. His nights are reserved for catching glimpses of you in his mind. Endless hours thinking of every flitting moment with you, every smile, every gentle glance, every soft look.

“Oh my god.” Jake chuckles next to you upon seeing his grandparents dancing to a record playing. You made no remark, eyes glued towards his grandparents who had the brightest smiles on their faces. You didn’t need to look at your reflection to realize you had a small smile playing on your lips. (You didn’t notice how Jake was grinning softly at the sight of your smile, finding happiness in your own smile).

It was something so beautiful to you, the concept of still being so in love even after time had taken so much from the two of you. And unbeknownst to you, Jake thought the same thing. Jake thinks there’s something so beautiful about being in love in general. Not that he has thought about it a lot, but ever since the pair of you turned sixteen, he couldn’t help but start pondering on the word and its meaning - especially when suddenly, he could no longer describe the way you made him feel. A strange yet comfortable uneasiness overwhelmed him every time you were closer than usual, and he thinks it’s funny how he wants to feel it more and more every day.

He didn’t realize he was in love with you at first. 

Sure, the thought of you filled Jake with a warmth he’d never been introduced to, but he didn’t think it was love. And somehow, everyone knew except for the pair of you.

His grandparents knew from the way Jake seemed to always visibly relax on you walk into their apartment. Sunghoon knew every time he caught Jake sharing a soft smile towards you from across the crowd everytime he had a competition. Jay knew when he noticed Jake wearing green shirts more because it was your favorite color. 

It started from the silent gestures that made it obvious for someone like Jake, because he was usually on his guard for the rest of the world, but with you, the armor just seemed to fall. You were his achilles heel.

The day he realized it was just another ordinary day - he was poking fun at Jay and Sunghoon when he heard you laugh. The same laughter he seeks, and he’s staring at you and he’s thinking – ‘you are as beautiful as the day I met you’.

And suddenly, an overwhelming sensation washes through him and he almost wants to vomit, but he holds in it to buy him some time to bid you farewell as you exit his club room, and it was only when he felt a sharp pain sting through his heart once you left the four restraints of the room that it finally dawned on him; he was in love.

And he’d do whatever it takes, whatever is necessary, to deserve you.

“You should join us!” His grandma urged, a knowing look on her face which successfully snapped him out of his thoughts. Jake’s grandparents were very well aware of his feelings for you, and they’ve tried to take every opportunity they got into setting their grandson up with the person he was very much in love with.

“Us? Me and Jake?” You shook your head and crossed your arms over your chest, quick to shoot her down with a soft smile. “Oh well, I don’t dance–”

“Everyone knows how to dance, come on Jake, show her!” His grandma insisted.

And just as quick as you were to shoot down the invitation, Jake was grabbing your hand and pulling you all the way into the living room. You’re pulling yourself back, and he’s laughing so hard at how you were trying to avoid dancing in front of his grandparents. It was especially more amusing when you retreated almost immediately as soon as his grandparents themselves went over to position your hands on Jake’s shoulders.

“That’s it!” His grandpa was smiling so wide that you couldn’t bring yourself to deny them the sight of his grandson dancing with someone any further. If you had, his grandma had planned on pulling out the “we’re old and almost dying” card.

There was laughter in his voice when you awkwardly just stood there, arms sliding down his arms before he told you to put them back where his grandma had placed them on. “That’s right, on his shoulders.” Jake’s grandmother smiles as she watches you place your arms back on his shoulders – she cannot fathom how you and her grandson aren’t together.

“______, darling, I’m gonna need you to explain something to me.” His grandma starts, still in the middle of the living room. You nod, smiling at them politely and encouraging her to continue speaking. “How come you and Jake aren’t together yet? I just, I don’t understand.”

Her comment leaves you in a coughing fit, voice cracking a little as your eyes widen. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I… It’s - me and Jake are, you know, best friends.”

“No, see that’s what he would tell me whenever I asked him too. Alright, get back to dancing kids, but when you two start dating, don’t say I didn’t tell you so.” She smiles mischeviously at the two of you before turning the record’s volume up.

You and Jake try to ignore the obvious tension building – and it’s successful when he playfully scolds you for just swaying side to side. You reply almost defensively, eyes trained on your feet with your hands awkwardly resting on his shoulders.

“God, you have so much to learn. You really aren’t a dancer, huh?” Jake chuckles before taking your chin with his thumb and index finger, lifting it gently so you were looking at him, immediately falling silent upon meeting your eyes. The counting of steps he was doing earlier was completely forgotten. 

And he might’ve gotten distracted from the way you were looking at him because he most definitely stepped on your foot. “Looks like I’m not the one with little coordination.” You grin truimphantly, sticking your tongue out at him.

“I stepped on your foot one time! Compared to the gazillion times you stepped on mine, I’m pretty sure it’s all bruised and sore now.” He joked back at you.

“Really?” You asked, eyebrows shooting up with a playful smirk on your lips. “Let me step on it again and see for myself.”

“No, no! Come on, I’m trying to teach you to dance.” And Jake knew you didn’t like dancing, and his heart warmed at the thought that you’re dancing right now because he asked you to (his grandpa practically forced you, but Jake’s brushing that over).

“Alright, let me try again.” You adjusted yourself, jumping up and down and shaking your hands before resting them back on his shoulders. He seemed to be lost in thought so you reached out to grab his hands and put them around your waist. “Come on, idiot.”

“Okay.” Jake let out a quiet whisper, gulping out loud. He always knew he liked you, but at this moment, he was starting to think it was something more, and that thought scared him, not because he was scared of loving you, but because he was scared of losing you. 

Time feels so fast.

Jake continued to try to joke so he could quiet down his head.

Jake has always been grateful for a lot of things: his grandparents, the opportunity that he has as Spider-man, and so much more he hasn’t fully figured out yet, but he was beginning to, starting with the clumsy person in front of him who kept stepping on his foot.

It was like being exhumed. And brought to life in a flash of brilliance.

-

What was it like to be loved in return? Asked Joy.

Jake didn’t have much luck in the field of love. There was always this voice nagging at the back of his head from the “bad romantic side” of his head that he knew all too well.

When Kyeong said ‘yes’ to his invitation for Homecoming, he thought that was it. He thought she’d be all he’ll ever know, but then Vulture happened, and Kyeong had to leave. 

It was a difficult time for Jake, ditching Kyeong during Homecoming and basically fighting off her dad, and it took him a long time to get over Kyeong moving. He put so much blame on himself, and he thought he was never going to be able to leave that negative headspace. 

Until you happened. 

It was during the first months of you two finally indulging in a relationship that Jake entertained the idea of you possibly feeling the same way as him. He had a small inkling when you danced together in his grandparents’ living room, but he brushed over the idea because he was afraid of losing you. Sure, he felt really shitty when his first relationship didn’t go well, but the thought of losing you (his best friend and his entire world) brought upon a different type of pain Jake never wanted to experience.

Still, the little things you did always made his heart rile up. From the way you smile to the way you curl your lips when you concentrate enough - it always made his stomach flip and he thinks you’re the most beautiful person he has ever seen. He didn’t want to waste the opportunity of being with the person he loved, so after a long debate with himself, he asked you out. 

Jake reasoned he shouldn’t be thinking about the inevitable pain, because if life continued to be kind to him, maybe it wouldn’t have to reach that point. Besides, he was starting to get used to the way your hand felt in his. And he likes the way he could be himself around you, and how you always seemed to know what was going on inside of his head.

So, for once, he ignores the “bad romantic” side of his brain and indulges in romance with you because Jake is truly, madly, deeply in love with you. And he’s sure he will still be years from now. Not that that’s something he would tell you. 

It would always just pass over, and he was never brave enough to utter those three words, afraid that it was all too soon and definitely afraid that he’d scare you off. You were never one for PDA, usually reserved and happy with the little circle of friends and family you had, and Jake didn’t wanna mess anything up.

That was until that one fateful Sunday night. Jake had taken you to the rooftop of an apartment for your first year anniversary (the view there’s amazing, he claimed. Perks of being Spider-man, you thought.)

He tried to plan it all out, really tried to make everything perfect for you, but right when he was about to get the food he had ordered, a bank robbery had ensued, and so takeout was long forgotten and he ended up just buying pizza after a very long night of crime fighting.

However, Jake still made time for you. He always made time for you (despite time constantly chasing the two of you).

“Did you know that the moon is actually lemon-shaped?” You spoke as you chewed on your 3rd slice of pizza.

“Really?”

“Yeah, despite how round it looks, it’s actually lemon-shaped. It has flattened poles and bulges on both the near and far side around its equator, hence the lemon shape.”

Jake munched down on his slice, smiling at your cross-legged figure as you looked out towards the moon, trying to point it out to Jake.

“Come on, tell me something.” You urged him, trying to get out some hidden facts he knew about that you didn’t. Jake was smart, and in the time of that you knew him, he always had something different to say wherever you went.

By now, you’re convinced you’re about to outrank Einstein from the way Jake told you so much about the world you didn’t know before.

“Uh hold on, let me think…. how about how Neptune has only completed one orbit around the sun since its discovery?”

“Hm?” You urged him to continue.

“It takes a whole 165 years for Neptune to complete one full orbit around the sun right? And since it was discovered in 1846, I’m pretty sure, it’s technically only completed one full orbit. And what’s even crazier is how Pluto probably hasn’t even completed one yet.”

He was blabbering about Neptune and Pluto and the number of days it took to complete an orbit, and then about how Pluto’s technically no longer a planet, and once he finished, you had just naturally fallen silent. 

Time always seemed to move slower whenever Jake was talking - especially something he was so fond of, it was almost overwhelming the beauty that rises from him. 

When you continue to stay silent, Jake immediately starts growing a bit more worried, had he been too talkative? Had he taken too much pizza? Did you want more? But that dissipated the moment he saw the way you were looking at him. It was the same look he always gave you.

“I love you, Jake.” 

It was a whole new experience hearing you say it first. He hadn’t felt this whole in a long time, and Jake knew you were always unsure when it came to feelings and being close to people, so hearing those words come from you awakened a whole different part of him, a dangerous spark that made him so excited.

Unbeknownst to him, you had actually known for quite some time that Jake loved you, and you weren’t fully prepared to relay those words back at him for the first few months of their relationship. But hearing him talk about the things you both loved with so much passion, seeing him look at you with adoration, knowing he’d do anything to make you happy, made you realize just how much Jake truly meant to you.

“I really, really do, and it scares me because I don’t want to lose you.”

Hearing you share the same sentiments he thought of that one day you were dancing together was so special to him, to know that you returned his feelings, it was a different kind of happiness, one he wanted to know and have for the rest of his life - with you.

“I love you too, so so much _____.”

And it’s in this moment that Jake understands what it truly means to be in love with someone so deeply. Every moment that he makes with you in his arms makes him feel as if he has never truly been alive before this moment.

It was like being seen after perpetual darkness. To be heard after a lifetime of silence.

-

What was it like to lose them? Asked Sorrow.

Jake knew he’d be putting you at risk by being with you, especially with him being Spider-man, but he took extra precautions and measures to keep you safe. 

He’d always double-check your building during his usual patrolling, and he’d always make sure that you would never be in harm’s reach. Jake was fairly prepared when it came to protecting you, at least that’s what he thought. 

Nothing could ever prepare Jake for what he saw next.

It all happened in a flash. Getting as many people out, the building crashing down, the rubbles, and that one scream, a voice Jake could distinguish anywhere, the voice that usually gave him comfort but was currently the reason why his heart was plummeting down to his gut.

The decision between going after the villain he’d been tailing for months now and digging through the piles of rubble was the easiest he’s made his entire life. 

You weren’t supposed to be there, you were supposed to be in the safety of your own home, how’d you get there? 

His desperation is seeping through him - he didn’t want to lose you.

The running towards the collapsed building came in a slow, untimely motion. All Jake could hear was the beat of his own heart, your name escaping his lips in frantic screams. All rational thinking flew out of his head as he dug aimlessly through the debris. He kept digging and digging, distant sirens echoing in the background but still, all he could hear was the pounding of his heart. 

His hands were bleeding, he was badly beaten up, but he kept digging. Whimpering your name whilst trying to grasp for air as tears kept escaping his eyes.

“______!” The scream that left his mouth was the most heart-wrenching thing anyone has ever heard. Jake’s growing more and more frustrated, tears clouding his vision as he pushed through the debris. 

His head snapped in the direction of the quietest whimper, coming out as a helpless call. Tearing his mask off, he whipped his head around to try and hear better, trying to grasp onto the hope he was refusing to let go.

“_______!” He scrambled towards the faintest cry he heard, pushing away the rubble and the concrete that was holding you down. 

That was when reality dawned on him, this could be it. It only pushed him to move quicker, to remove the concrete faster. He didn’t care that his body yelled out in desperate exhaustion, that wasn’t a choice. 

Just the slightest sight of you and Jake comes to a full realization of the severity of the situation. The tears continued to spill down his bloodied face, picking you up as if you would break at any moment. And it scared him knowing that it could possibly be true. You really could break, your future could be taken away from you in these minutes, and he could really lose you right here right now. 

“_______…” Jake’s voice was weak, limping towards any space his tired and frantic brain considered safe, dropping down to check on you even more. 

There were bruises everywhere, and there was too much blood.

Jake shook his head, caressing your face and looking around for any sign of an ambulance, but there wasn’t any. The thumping of his heart grows louder when your hand finds the material of Jake’s suit in the weakest grip.

“I don’t want to lose you, please don’t go. You’re all I’ve ever known, you’re the only thing that makes sense to me, please I can’t lose you.” Jake was pleading, begging for something you couldn’t give him.

“You’re gonna be okay, none of this is your fault.” your voice was barely a choke, just loud enough to be heard, trying to move your hand to hold onto Jake’s face, a melancholic smile plastered on your own, barely noticeable but it was still there.

“We’re gonna have more time, just hold on, I’m sure the ambulance is coming, just hold on please, so stop it, stop saying those things like you’re going to die, you’re not, you can’t.” 

You just smiled at him, a weak wistful smile, hand falling down to grip his hand. Your fingers tightened around his one last time, words that no longer could be said filled the silence of your thoughts. Life was supposedly going to flash before your eyes before your untimely death, but all you could think about was what your future could’ve been together.

“_______... just hang on. It’s okay, you’re okay. I don’t wanna lose anyone anymore, especially not you, God please, not her.” Jake was trying to stop the bleeding, looking at you with so much desperation in his eyes, a silent prayer to a God he didn’t even know was real or not.

“I love you, Jake.”

He turns to look at the sky, pleading. And then there was silence, and Jake knew, Jake knew but he refused to believe. 

When you’re in love with someone, you spend days wondering why time won’t stop. You wonder why seasons pass by so quickly, and how one day you two are dancing together in his living room, and the next you’re celebrating an anniversary together.

But when love is taken away from you, time seems to stop. Every second feels like forever, and you no longer clip onto a hope that you will still be able to hold your lover the way you used to be able to. It will only just be you. It’s no longer you and someone else - just you. The realization hits Jake harder than it should’ve and he cries over the love he was most afraid to lose.

All anyone could see was a stranger screaming a name, holding onto the lifeless body of the person he dreamt of building a future with. Two teenagers who could’ve been so much more if they had more time. A final “I love you”. A final silent goodbye.

It was like hearing every goodbye ever said to me – said all at once.

[celestialgyu]

For Any Price

genre; fantasy au, non idol au, childhood friends to lovers, fluff

pairings; gn!reader x jungwon (enha), yeonjun (txt), yuna (itzy), & kai (txt)

synopsis; The most feared assassins in Ketterdam, you and Jungwon have made a name for yourselves. When your creditor comes knocking on your door demanding you pay off your hulking debt immediately or risk being dragged back to the place you escaped, you and Jungwon have to find a way to get that money, and quick. Luckily, you two weren't called the best Grishas of their generation for nothing.

wc; 9.4k

warnings; death, violence, mentions of alcohol

notes; First and foremost, I want to express how sorry I am to leave this FAP crew. No, like I genuinely adore them. Moving on, this is for cici's (@iyeonjuni) power of love collab!! Go check out her works (and everyone who was a part of this collab)! I would also like to thank jas (@crispy-chan) for beta-reading this!! Your comments made me smile so much. (PSA: This fic is based on the Grishaverse. All references made can be explained on the fandom page and other informational texts about the Grishaverse.)

You’re cleaning your collection of knives when you hear a knock on the door of your flat. Reluctantly putting down the dagger you were polishing, you grab two others, tuck them into your sleeves and get up to open the door. You look into the peephole and are met with the sight of a person you’d hoped you’d never see again. You stiffen, steeling yourself before you open the door.

“Nice place you have here _____,” The Slave Pirate sneered at you. You didn’t know his real name and you doubted many people did. Jungwon loved to joke about how cheesy the name was.

“What are you doing here?” you narrowed your eyes at him. He moved to walk past you but you blocked him with your arm, shoving him back. “Answer the damn question.”

“Someone’s on edge,” he said as he looked you up and down. “I’m here to get my money so stop acting like a scared child and move.” 

You glared at him as you stepped aside to let him in. Saints, where is Jungwon, he should be getting back soon. He looked around your living room with his nose upturned. “For someone with a reputation like you two have, I was expecting something luxurious.” 

You ignored his comment. “The final payment isn’t due for another two months. You have no business speaking to me till then.”

He smirked at you, “You forget your place. Some things have changed and I need that final half million kruge each now. You have two weeks. Or else… well the Little Palace will be learning the whereabouts and… occupations of two of their Grishas.” 

You scoffed, holding his stare with the fiercest glare you could muster. “You’d never do that. They find out about me and Jungwon, they find out about you too.” You told yourself that if he ever let slip to the Palace where you were, you’d do whatever it took to hunt him down and mail his parts to the Little Palace yourself. The thought was almost comforting. A question then popped into your head. “How did you find me?” 

“First, like you, I cover my tracks well, so it’d be challenging to find me. And second, I’ve had a person on you two since the day you paid me for new identities.” he sneered as he stood up. “Bet you didn’t expect that one, did you? Pity, your reputation was quite impressive, but I suppose like all things, it’s built on a mixture of lies and truth.” 

You fixed him with a steely glare as you moved to hold the door open. “Save it. Get out,” you ordered. 

You reached to shut the door but he grabbed it before you could fully close it. “You have two weeks,” he said before turning on his heel and walking into the street.

Disgusting piece of scum, I cannot wait till he gives me a reason to get rid of him. You thought to yourself as you sat down at your desk, your knives glittering enticingly in the window light. You grabbed four of them and walked to the other side of your flat, where a giant piece of cardboard was attached to the wall by four small daggers. 

You weaved two of the knives between your fingers, thinking of where to aim them. The cardboard was littered with knife indents and holes, the material used and worn out. Focusing on the air around you, you conjured a vacuum of air from your knife tip to wherever you choose as your target. You fixed your eyes at an empty spot in the bottom right corner and threw them both at the same time, watching as they spun gracefully through the air and landed perfectly next to each other, their ends pointed at you. You moved the vacuum a few feet above them. You threw the other two knives, smiling to yourself as they nailed a perfect landing on the cardboard, their pearl-studded ends the only part visible along with a glint of its steel blade. Throwing knives were almost therapeutic for you, calming your nerves and allowing your mind to hone in on what it did best, take aim. 

You were a Squaller, an Etherealki Grisha. You could summon or control air and gaseous matter, from strong winds, pointed currents or removing/adding air from anywhere. Jungwon was a Heartrender, a Coporalki Grisha. He could control human bodies, manipulating any aspect of a body to his will. You stared at where the second dagger hit, recalling your days training as a soldier of the Second Army at the Little Palace. You had been better than most of your classmates, garnering relentless praise from your teachers, and Jungwon was the same. But you left that place (for good reason) and now your home was here, Ketterdam, the city of trade. Stinky, humid, built-on-a-swamp Ketterdam. 

You grabbed a few more knives from the table and scattered them across the cardboard, turning back to get some more when you heard something from the door. Knock knock. Knock. Knock knock. Jungwon. You sprinted to the door, throwing it open. 

“Jungwon, where the hell have you been? Get in!” you rushed him inside, locking the door before turning on him. “You should have been here thirty minutes ago Won, so you better have a good explanation for where you were.”

He smiled sheepishly as he took off his boots and coat. “I got caught up in something. Sorry _____, it won’t happen again.” 

You scoffed, glaring at him. “You made me deal with it on my own,” you said, sitting down at your table and massaging your temples. 

You felt his eyes on you as you stayed silent, knowing you had something to say. You took a deep inhale and looked up. “The Slave Pirate was just here.”

Jungwon’s eyes widened as he took in what you said. “What? How? Why?” The fact that The Slave Pirate knew where you two lived made him feel uneasy. 

You sighed, staring at the piece of cardboard you loved on the other wall. “He wants the rest of our payments in two weeks.”

“But it’s not due in two months—”

“I know,” you cut him off. “Served along with a threat to expose us to the Palace.”

Jungwon grimaced. He never wanted to go back to that place, not after what happened. “And how’d he find us?” he asked, feeling like you’d know. You always did.

“He has a spy. I think you know who that is,” you said, glancing at him. “Take care of that.” 

Jungwon nodded as he watched you get up and grab your coat and knives. “Got it. And where are you headed to?” he said, throwing a lopsided smile at you.

You smiled back softly. “I have something I need to do,” you walked towards the door before turning back, your lips curling upwards. “And Jungwon? Don’t make a mess.” Torture them for information if you had to and make it a clean kill.

Jungwon grinned, “Don’t worry _____, I’ll make them talk.”

You strolled down the streets of Ketterdam, passing the stalls of exotic fruits and fabrics going for the highest prices tourists would pay. You mostly kept to yourself in this city, some of the only people you were somewhat friendly with were the Dregs. Led by Kaz Brekker, or “Dirtyhands” as they called him, was the most feared gang in the Barrels. No job was too morally repulsive for Dirtyhands and you supposed that’s how he and his group of criminals climbed the ranks so quickly. 

But you weren’t headed towards the Dregs. You turned on the West Road, passing the gambling dens, motels, and pleasure houses of West Stave until you got to the Tiger Club. It was an eye-catching building with red and yellow accents, two tiger statues flaunting the sides of the entrance. You nodded at the bouncer, a big man named Barty, as you walked inside, immediately being hit with the smell of alcohol and cash. It was a busy night with all the tables filled, but you weren’t here to gamble. 

You had left that life a long time ago. On the other hand… it hadn’t been as easy for Jungwon. You sighed internally as you recalled the money he used to waste while gambling. 

Spotting your destination, you navigated your way to one of the bigger tables in the back. You found Yeonjun overseeing a card game, standing a few feet away as you watched him taunting and egging on the rich-looking gamblers so they spend as much cash as possible. Choi Yeonjun, one-half of the Choi Twins. He and Yuna, his twin sister, owned this club. They were skilled sharpshooters with an apparent taste for business. When you first arrived in Ketterdam, you and Jungwon had done many favors for them and maintained a good relationship since. You could always go to them for help. 

After watching Yeonjun work the table a little longer, you walked over to him. “Hey Yeonjun,” you said, nodding at him. 

He spun around, his gelled-back hair not moving an inch. “Darling! I haven’t seen you in a long while,” he exclaimed, grabbing you by the shoulders and directing you to an empty chair at the bar. “You wait here while I finish this up… Hey! You there,” he pointed at a barista and then at you. “Anything they want.”

He winked at you before turning back to his customers. You rolled your eyes. Yeonjun was like this to most people and you being younger than him didn’t help things. You didn’t dislike it though, he was a breath of fresh air in a city like this. 

You sipped the Bellini you ordered, the alcohol mellowing your senses. Your eyes roamed over the room, watching the gamblers spend their savings on the probably rigged games. You enjoyed trying to figure people out at casinos, reading their moods and body language to guess their next move (and their chances). It was like a game to you, a way for you to relax and let your mind wander and come up with different scenarios that explained how they wound up in here. 

A big-bellied man at a nearby table was sweating heavily, eyes nervously darting from the dealer’s hands to a large number of chips in front of him. You guessed he had just gambled too much and was about to pay for it. You chuckled to yourself, moving on to a woman dressed in rubies and gold two tables away from him. She looked Zemeni, with dark skin and a tall, slender build. She smiled confidently as she looked at her fellow players, fingers tapping the side of the table as she waited for the play of cards. You sipped your drink again, raising an eyebrow as two burly men sat next to you, whispering to each other. Bored and drunk, you slightly leaned over to catch what they were saying.

“I can’t believe boss turned down that offer. 3 million kruge!” one said, waving his hands dramatically.

“For what the merchant asked of us, 3 million is a low price… And he refused to up the money so his loss,” the other replied, shrugging. “What was the merchant’s name again?”

“Dedrick, I think.” 

You leaned back into your chair, having heard enough. 3 million kruge… for what kinda job? What was worth that much? You thought to yourself, tapping your fingers on the counter. 

“Darling!” Yeonjun said, sitting down on your other side. “How’s the drink?” he said, waving towards your glass.

“Delicious,” you smiled, leaning in towards Yeonjun. He raised an eyebrow before mirroring you. “Hey, who are those men over there?” you whispered, nodding your head towards them. 

“Hmm,” Yeonjun replied, taking them in. “Look like gangsters… My guess is Razorgulls,” he said, waving at their bodies. “The build. But… want to find out?” 

He flashed a dazzling smile your way before taking out a revolver and sending a bullet towards the wall at the other end of the bar counter. You had barely registered what happened before he was slipping off his chair and rounding the room to examine the dent it made. He rocked on his heels for a few seconds before turning towards the room, looking over the people. He slowly turned towards the two men next to you, walking over to them.

“Men, was this you?” he asked. They didn’t respond, sharing a nervous look as a lazy grin spread across Yeonjun’s face. Then Yeonjun’s expression was stone-cold and menacing, two shiny revolvers pointed at the men’s heads. What a showoff. But it was amusing and slightly frightening to see the Yeonjun most people knew, a sly, quick, deadly man with a talent for inserting bullets where he wanted them. A bit foxy, if you did say so yourself.

“Tattoo,” he ordered, hand unwavering. 

The men couldn’t have rolled up their sleeves fast enough and you stretched your neck to look at their arms. Five birds in a wedge formation. Razorgulls. You turned back to your drink, rolling over this new information in your mind. So why would the Razorgulls turn down that offer… They weren’t exactly the brightest and most decisive gang in the Barrels.

You heard a sound next to you, looking up to see Yeonjun sitting back down in his chair. “That was quick.” He winked at you, though it wasn’t really a wink and more of a delayed blink. You learned early on that one way to know if Yeonjun was distracted was if his winks… weren’t exactly winking. 

“So… what about them?” Yeonjun asked, leaning back and looking over the tables. “You got into a quarrel with their gang or something?” 

You grinned at him, remembering the time you and Jungwon helped Yeonjun and Yuna drive off a group of aggressive Razorgulls a couple years ago. “Actually… I overheard something.” From the corner of your eye, you noticed the two men get up and leave. 

He looked back at you, cocking his head to the side. “Oh really?”

You leaned in again and he did the same, lowering your voice. “Apparently, the Razorgulls were offered a job from a rich merchant, Dedrick, for—” you paused for dramatic value. “ —3 million kruge.”

Yeonjun raised his eyebrows, letting out a low whistle. “I’ve heard that name. I wonder what the job was… or how difficult it was that they would turn it down.”

“Well, I plan to find out,” you said, pushing your empty glass towards the barista. “I need that money.”

“Oh really?” Yeonjun replied, staring at you. “What for?”

“I have debts I need to pay. And soon.” “So do I.”

You grinned at him, gathering your things. “I’ll be back soon. Also, where’s Yuna?” you asked.

“In the back. I’ll tell her you came. And about this new information,” he grinned at you, leaning against the table. “And the bill is on the house.”

You smiled at him, nodding. “Till next time, Yeonjun.”

“Watch your back!” he called after you as you navigated your way to the entrance.

“Before your front!” you replied, as you stepped out into the cold, humid Ketterdam night.

Jungwon groaned as he held his forehead, trying to keep from stumbling in the dirty alley. He had gotten caught up at a casino, going in with a promise to himself and you that he would only spend a maximum of 50 kruge and leaving with a loss of triple that. He winced as he imagined what you’d say if you knew about this. 

“Jungwon?” He heard someone say, drunkenly turning his head towards where it came from.

“Fucking Saints, Jungwon, why are you this wasted?” You. He felt you grab his forearm, steadying him. 

He let out a giggle, sidling up to you. He heard you give a defeated sigh before he felt you stiffen next to him. 

“Jungwon, who the hell is that?” you asked. He followed the direction of your stare to his friend from the casino, Kai. He hadn’t been aware Kai had been following him this whole time. Kai was smiling up at your face, eyes glassy.

“Oh that’s—” he weakly waved toward Kai. “A friend from the… bar I was just at.” His words slurred as he tapped his chin, suddenly remembering something important. “He’s also a Grisha!”

He giggled at your alarmed face, waving his hand again dismissively. “It’s okay, _____. No one can hear us.” It was true, he could hear no heartbeats except for yours’ three. Perks of being a Heartrender. 

He giggled for a third time when you shot him a pointed glare. Everything was funny right now. “Okay…” you said, straightening him up again. “Let’s go home. And you, Kai, get home too.”

“Wait, wait, _____, can he please come with us? I promised him he could stay with us for a night.” He distinctly remembered making that promise, struggling to recall it as his head swam. 

“You know what, whatever. Just start walking.” Your voice felt like it was fading away.

And then the world went black.

Jungwon moaned as he came to, his head feeling like it would split apart down the middle. It was morning, the sunlight filtering in through the window bouncing off the glass of water and pancakes (already drenched in syrup with a big block of butter, just how he liked it, he noted) on the table in front of him. He could hear you opening and closing drawers in the kitchen as he slowly sat up. Across from him was Kai, the boy from last night. He looked a lot better now, wavy blonde hair framing his face as he snoozed peacefully on the couch.

He had met Kai at the casino, the two pairing up at one of the tables. He had responded with glee when Kai showed him his metal-laced playing cards, allowing him to know exactly what cards someone held. He later learned that Kai was a Fabrikator and had grown up on a farm in Kerch. When his parents learned of his abilities, they had hidden him from sight till he turned eleven, when the Grisha testers came to take any Grisha children to the palace. Jungwon had lamented on that part of Kai’s life, wondering how different his own life would have been if he was never tested and taken to the Little Palace. Later in the night, Kai confessed he was currently homeless and Jungwon, with his big heart and fondness for Kai, had agreed to give him a place to sleep, at least for a little while. 

And that’s why he was currently wondering what would be the first things you’d say to him, watching you set down a plate and glass of water for Kai as he munched on his breakfast. You could be frightening when you were angry and while watching that anger directed at others was entertaining for Jungwon, he would rather it was never pointing at him. 

You turned to look at him. “Wake him up and then follow me,” you ordered before walking away to your bedroom. 

Jungwon gulps down the last of his food and walks over to Kai, shaking him roughly. “C'mon, Kai. Wake up,” he said as Kai stirred. He gave him another good shake before Kai let out a huge yawn and sat up. 

He said nothing as he squinted around the room, taking in the place. “It’s nicer than I expected.” He stretched his sore arms, eyes lighting up as he spotted the breakfast on the coffee table in front of him. “Oh! Tell _____ thank you so much for me,” he said as he picked up the fork and knife, digging into the food.  

Jungwon shook his head, smiling as he watched Kai scarf down the pancakes, letting out little sounds of contentedness. “I’ll be back,” he called as he headed towards your bedroom. 

You were sitting on your bed, flipping through a stack of papers. You didn’t look up as he closed the door behind him but stopped sifting through the papers, waiting.

He nervously fiddled with the ring on his left index finger. “So…” he trailed off, stretching out the syllable. . “That’s Kai, someone I made friends with last night. He’s currently homeless so… I thought he could stay here for a while. And you already know he’s a Grisha.”

“What kind?” you responded, still looking at the papers. But your posture slightly relaxed, and he gave an silent sigh of relief. 

“Fabrikator.”

“Hm. I figured. After you passed out, I dragged you home and he followed behind me. But he was very silent. His steps made no sound. I guessed his shoes were Fabrikator-made.”

“Well, you were right! He probably made them himself,” Jungwon exclaimed. 

You got up then, placing the papers down at your desk. “Anyways, while you were bar-hopping,” you shot him a pointed look, “I paid a visit to Yeonjun.”

Jungwon raised an eyebrow, a grin spreading across his face. “So did you drink or gamble?”

You turned to him, raising your own eyebrow. Jungwon swore he saw you push down a smile. “You’re ridiculous, you know that.” You rolled your eyes as he gave a playful shrug. “I… I have a plan. To get the money in time. Or half of a plan.”

“Wait, what?” Jungwon blinked. “What kind of plan? …Is Yeonjun involved?”

“Yes, somewhat. I’m still working out the finer details,” you said as you pulled on a leather jacket and newsboy cap. “I’ll be back. There are some chores to do and lunch so don’t forget about that. And keep an eye on Kai.”

Jungwon nodded, watching as you walked towards the door.

You looked back at him, your hand on the doorknob. “I’ll fill you in when I get back, kay?”

He nodded again as you closed the door behind you and listened as your heartbeat got fainter and fainter, till he couldn’t hear it anymore.

You hauled the two overflowing bags of supplies through the door, sighing when you dropped them in the hallway. 

Jungwon was nowhere to be seen but Kai was sitting on your couch, turning a radio over in his hands.

“That’s broken, by the way,” you said, gesturing towards the radio.

“Not anymore,” he smiled at you. “Fixed it.” He tossed it at you and you caught it, switching it on. You raised your eyebrows, impressed, as a channel started playing, some Kerch talk show. 

“Oh,” you said, “Thanks.” You hadn’t known Kai long enough to form a solid opinion of him, but so far… he wasn’t that bad. He had this energy about him, a lightness, that made him seem harmless. He had an oval face with a tall, sharp nose, and dark brown doe eyes. Wavy, blonde hair framed his head, bangs brushing over his eyebrows. Honestly, he was kinda cute. Focus, you told yourself as you shook your head. But another thought fought its way into your mind. Not as cute as Jungwon, though. You didn’t even want to imagine what Jungwon would say if you called him cute. Probably remind you of it. Every. Single. Minute. 

You threw your jacket on the couch, unpacking the bags. Two yards of thick rope, a sewing kit (you wanted to add some knife pockets on each side of your knees), blade polish you had picked up, and other things to restock your supplies. You put them all away, walking towards the kitchen when Jungwon appeared with a tray of food in one hand and one with drinks in the other, shooing you towards the living room. 

You both sit down, Jungwon taking a seat next to Kai. “Ooh, you went all out didn’t you Jungwon? You rarely do this for me,” you exclaimed, grinning as he blushed a bright pink.

“Yes I do, we just don’t usually have much time for lunch,” he mumbled, looking away. He placed the tray on the table before taking a seat, handing you each a plate.

You all ate in silence for some time before you pushed your plate away and looked at the men in front of you.  “Before I go into detail about what we’re going to do, Kai, let this be your only warning that if you betray us: I will not hesitate to kill you.” To Kai’s credit, there was no fear on his face.

You let that sink in for a few seconds before telling them about everything that happened yesterday and today. Meeting Yeonjun, the Razorgulls, the turned-down offer from Dedrick, going to see Yuna today and making a plan with her, and where you all would meet the twins to head over to Dredrick’s house. 

Jungwon fell silent, brows furrowed. “You know… I knew you were cooking up something,” he paused, sighing, “But this is risky.”

You shrugged. “We’ve done much riskier. Like the Exchange raid. And we need the money.” A year ago, you and Jungwon stole sixty thousand kruge from the safes under the Exchange. You chuckled softly to yourself at the memory.

“I could help, I have a few things I’ve been working on,” Kai said, leaning forward. 

Jungwon slowly nodded. “Fine,” he said, looking at you and then Kai, his from morphing into a determined smile. 

“Let’s do this.”

Three hours later, you were hunched on a roof near the merchant’s house in a black cloak, watching the windows for any sign of the man. There was a light on in what you assumed was the master bedroom, moving a few feet to the left to get a better view. The man you saw through the window matched Yuna’s description of Merch Dedrick; tall, burly, and with a brown mustache. You pulled out your small square mirror, flashing it twice. You got three flashes back. Good. You had planned that whoever first spotted Dedrick would signal to the others. You had left Kai at home with instructions to put together his best and a variety of bombs. He had accepted the job with an almost gleeful face. You felt someone crouch down next to you.

“It looks like he’s not alone. There’s a woman in there with him,” Jungwon said.

Yuna arrived at your vantage spot next, leaping nimbly from roof to roof like a cat. “That’s not his wife,” she said, grinning. “It seems the Merch has a mistress. Saint’s, imagine what would happen if his wife knew.”

You tilted your head. This was interesting. “Who’s his wife?”

“A well-known lady from one of the richest families in Kerch. She practically bathes in money. Dedrick? Not so much. It’s only because of his wife that he’s a rich merchant now.”

“And I’m guessing neither she nor her family would enjoy the news of the merchant cheating on her.”

“Not at all,” Yuna replied.

You turned back to the house. “Well,” you said, “That certainly changes things. Jungwon, tell Yeonjun to drop in from the window in the hallway and block the doorway. Go with him. Your powers will make it easier and quieter. Yuna, you’re with me. We’re going to need some time for our lovely talk with Dedrick.”  

Jungwon nodded and got up to join Yeonjun. You looked at Yuna. “Like old times?”

“Whip up a windstorm, _____,” she replied, flashing you a toothy grin. 

You nodded, chuckling. “Let’s do this.”

Yuna moved to the edge of the roof, bending her knees as she measured the distance of the jump into the merchant’s open window. You stood a few feet behind her, focusing your mind on the air around you, the direction of the wind, and the small breeze that ran over your fingers. Air was like a wave, sometimes moving so slowly you couldn’t feel it, and sometimes becoming a harsh crashing force, threatening to throw you off your feet. You sent a small current Yuna’s way, flicking your index finger down as you directed it towards the window. A few seconds later, Yuna gave a nod, and you began counting down. “3, …2, …1!” you said, sending a strong gust of wind at Yuna after the last number. She leaped, stretching herself out like a diver.

And flew like a bird into the window, rolling as she landed.

You chuckled to yourself at the shriek of a man, probably the merchant, before taking a running leap into the house after her.

Jungwon ducked as a club went swinging towards his head. He squeezed his hand, cutting off the guard’s air with his powers. The man clawed at his throat as if he could open a passageway for air, then crumpled to the floor. Across from him, Yeonjun brought down the butt of his revolver on another guard's head, knocking him out. Jungwon arched his hands out, feeling out the heartbeats of the six guards they took out. It felt like a steady drum, underlined by a lively thrumming of life. He grasped onto the six strings of life tangled up in front of him, and pulled, lowering the heart rate of the guards. That should keep them out for a while. 

He heard a yell from the bedroom. You and Yuna must have gotten inside. He didn’t doubt that you could do the job (and do it well) but that didn't keep him from being worried. Friends worry about their friends, right? He shook his head, pushing down the question to the back of his mind. He had a job to do. Yeonjun and he took their positions at either side of the double doors, adorned with golden swirls and intricate patterns. A screaming hawk perched on a branch was carved into the middle, the family symbol of the merchant’s wife. Imagine having all that at your fingers and throwing it away for lust and novelty. 

He felt eyes on him and glanced to the side to find Yeonjun staring at him. Yeonjun gave him a small smile. “Long time no see, Jungwon.”

“Do we only talk to each other on jobs?” Jungwon replied, returning the smile. Yeonjun wasn’t a bad person but… you got along better with Yeonjun than him. He guessed charming and suave plus charming and suave was too much for the universe to handle.

Yeonjun chuckled. “It seems to be so.” He tilted his head at Jungwon. “I’ve been wanting to ask, did you ever give _____ that gift?”

Jungwon blushed a deep crimson at the mention of that. A few weeks ago, while on a job with Yeonjun, Jungwon had come across a Ravkan trader selling draggers. And not just the normal kind, these were bejeweled Ravkan nobility fighting knives, crafted with painstaking attention to detail by a Fabrikator. Yeonjun had confirmed it when he examined the dagger. Jungwon had immediately bought it for you, not caring that his money pouch felt painfully empty. But you weren’t there when he got home and those hours of silence were enough for Jungwon to overthink how you’d react to the gift, eventually putting it away to be gifted at a time where he wouldn’t be so anxious over it. Thus, you never got your beautiful dagger. 

He felt a tap on his bicep, pulling him away from the memory. Yeonjun gave him a knowing look. “When are you going to do something about it?”

He looked down at his shoes, fairly embarrassed. Was he that obvious? He liked to think he hid it well. He didn’t even know when he developed feelings for you, when it went from something platonic to something more. The next thing he knew, all he could think about was you, and it drove him crazy to not be able to figure it out. You were caring and kind to him, sure, but you were also like that to Yuna. And he didn’t think he would survive it if he revealed his feelings and you didn’t feel the same way. He really didn’t.

“Well, I just… not sure about what _____ thinks of me. Or considers me,” Jungwon mumbled.

“They might not show it, but Saints, is it annoying to hear the way _____ constantly talks about you. All praise and mushy stuff,” Yeonjun chuckled. “My point is, they care deeply about you and I think you shouldn’t rule out the possibility just yet.”

Jungwon sighed, throwing his head back. The thought of you praising him to Yeonjun or someone else sent his blood rushing to his face. He’d work up the courage to tell you how he felt… someday.

And as he heard a yelp come from inside the room, this one at a higher pitch, he knew the day was not today.

Yuna was walking over to the other side of the room, near the doorway, hood pulled low. The merchant was gaping at you and his woman… you saw her jump under the covers of the bed. He sputtered, spit flying out and his face red. “Get the hell out of my house! You lowlife thieves!” he exclaimed, enraged. 

You tilted your head at him, flipping a dagger in your right hand. “Calm down. We were sent by the Boss.”

“The Razorgulls boss? Well, tell him that he already refused the job and to get fucking lost!”

“Mm, sorry, no can do. He wants to renegotiate the offer,” you replied cooly. You didn’t know much about the Razorgulls boss actually, probably cause he never shows his face and instead sends his lackeys. 

The merchant—Dedrick—swallowed, throat bobbing. Once, twice, three times. “What I offered was plenty enough.”

“Three million kruge? For a job like that? Don’t kid me.” You kept the details vague, waiting for him to fill in the blanks.

And he did. “How hard could stealing the artifact from a museum be?” Bingo. So the job was an artifact.

“What kind of value does the artifact have to you?” 

He swallowed thickly. “A lot.” You guessed so, or else he wouldn’t be emptying his pockets for it.

“The Boss decided to take back the offer. For an additional two million kruge,” you said, keeping your voice firm and steady.

“Two million… five million kruge?! Absolutely not,” he glowered, huffing out his chest.

You shrugged. “The job is not an easy one. Five is quite reasonable. Or perhaps we instead could… I do enjoy a good drama,” you mumble sweetly, a menacing glint in your eyes.

He glared at you, furious. “My personal life is none of the Razorgull’s business.”

“Perhaps, but you look like you need a little nudge in the right direction.” You tilted your head, holding his gaze as you slid a dagger into your palm. “Either your wife finds out about your infidelity or… five million kruge.”

His eyes darted back and forth between you and his mistress cowering behind the desk. “Five million for your silence.”

You grinned at him. “Five million for my silence.”

You memorized the papers that the merchant gave you before you left his house. The blueprint of the Global Museum including its underground safes and the realistic rendition of the artifact you would steal. After having a pleasant chat with Merch Dedrick, you met up with the rest of the crew and updated Yeonjun and Jungwon on what you and Yuna learned. Jungwon was oddly flustered on the way back home but you didn’t pay it much mind past asking him if it was an allergic reaction. He then got even redder and went fully crimson when you called him cute for his reaction. You shook your head, smiling at the picture. Jungwon could be adorable sometimes.

 Jungwon slid through the door, plopping down on your bed. “Done lasering them into your brain?”

“Oh zip it, you should also be memorizing this,” you replied, rolling your eyes at him from your desk.

He popped a piece of pie into his mouth. “Already did, I was waiting for you to look up from that so we could discuss a plan.”

What’s gotten into him today? You thought. Snarkier than usual. You shelved the papers away, getting up to stretch. “This is not going to be an easy job.”

“Obviously, or else Dedrick wouldn’t be offering so much,” he replied, standing up after you. “Also, Kai has something to show you. This way, milady.” He flourished his hands towards the doorway, grinning at you.

You rolled your eyes at his dramatics, sending a gust of air his way as you walked past him to the living room. 

Kai looked up when you entered, a wild smile alight on his face. “For you and Jungwon,” he said, reaching behind himself to grab a box. He handed it to you. “Open it.”

You raised your eyebrows in curiosity, lifting the lid off the box. Inside sat two pairs of arm and leg sleeves, made of smooth dark brown leather. They had lines of small, almost undetectable stitches. You ran your finger across one. Was that… a knife inside? You looked up at Kai, surprised and a little delighted. “What are these?”

Kai grinned at you, standing up a little straighter. “My newest creation. They’re sleeves with thin but relatively long daggers hidden inside the fabric. You release them by pressing down on the button at the bottom of each dagger—except for the wrist ones—you release those by flicking your wrist. They go back in by pressing the button, which you can also use to get them out if you can’t do the flick. The leather is reinforced and impenetrable, and the daggers have been enhanced to stay sharp.”

You looked between him and the box. Once. Twice. And then you gave him the biggest smile you could and rushed forward to hug him. “Thank you, Kai,” you said, and you really meant it. You never liked spending on yourself—mostly from your years being dirt-poor—but this was such a thoughtful gift and so useful. You wanted to dance imagining how handy it would be.

Kai blushed, hugging you back. “It’s the least I could do for giving me a place to stay. I should be saying thank you to you two.” You pulled back from him, instantly feeling a wave of embarrassment for being so over the moon over a practical gift.

“I appreciate it,” you told him, and he nodded. He glanced at Jungwon, weirdly looking away quickly from him. But when you turned to Jungwon, he looked as pleasant as always. Odd.

You walked back to your room, Jungwon hot on your heels. “Can I get a peek at the gifts now? Unless you’ve forgotten it’s not all yours,” he teased, reaching over your shoulder for the box.

“Okay, wait wait.” You set the box down, grabbing the pair with your name on it. It slid on easily, molding around your arms and legs like a second skin. You tried out the wrist knives, flicking your wrist two times before a dagger popped out with a soft zhink. Okay, so it’s more of a curve. You thought, putting it back in and out again. Jungwon was testing his own sleeves, pressing the buttons on his legs. He looked up at you and gave you a smile. “Would I be superstitious to say this feels like an omen from the Saints that we’ll do well? But imagine the Saints blessing a bunch of assassins. How scandalous.”

You smiled back at him. “Scandalous indeed.”

Days later, after creating a plan with the twins, trips to the Exchange to gain a feel of the place, and endless scheming and worrying, you were standing in front of the Exchange. You wore a fluffy, pale pink fur coat that grazed your calves with a wide-brimmed cream hat. You had bright red lipstick on and were sporting bejeweled sunglasses, with rings stacked on your fingers. You fanned yourself in the humid, hot Kerch summer, looking at every part as the rich, classy tourist woman. You squared your shoulders and strutted into the wide glass doors of the Exchange, purse swinging at your arm. You gave yourself a few seconds to act like you were thinking of where to go and walked over to a clerk who looked like he might pee his pants helping customers.

“Young man, is Alfred here?” you drawled, watching as the clerk took you in and gulped visibly. You waited a few more seconds before repeating yourself. “Young man, I asked if Alfred Krum was here,” you snapped, letting the annoyance clearly show through your voice.

“I- Yes ma’am! He’s h-here.” He stood up, wringing his hands with sheer nerves. “L-Let me take you to him.”

You nodded, checking your watch. “I am a very busy woman. Do not waste my time. I need to see Alfred immediately. An empire relies on your efficiency.”

He paused, looking you up and down. “What’s your name, ma’am?”

“Christine Welverd Krum.” The effect was immediate as he gulped again and stared at his desk nervously. “Right this way, ma’am.”

He led you to the elevator. He murmured something to the guards flanking the elevator, and they gave you a long look before nodding at the clerk. The elevator doors opened and you stepped inside. The clerk clicked a button and stood in front of you, shifting on his feet. The doors opened and you walked into one of the grandest hallways you had ever been in. The Executive Hall of the Exchange. Even the Little Palace was never this grand. The walls were made of smooth marble, with veins of gold, emerald, ruby, and sapphire running on their surface. Four white doors lined the hall on both sides and at the end stood a door with a gold knocker. A wolf’s head. Fitting, you thought. You and Jungwon had described the people who ran this place as rabid carnivores many times.

You heard someone step behind you and turned around to ask the clerk why he was dilly-dallying around. But then something big and heavy hit the side of your head and the world went black.

You woke up as he was tying you to a chair, being careful not to move and keeping your breathing even. You were stripped down of your designer clothes and accessories and left with the suit you had on underneath. At least you still had the sleeves on. He had brought you to a small square room, dark and gray with the door facing you. You furiously thought through all of your options, clocking your captor—the clerk—rummaging in a desk on the left wall for something. You were somewhat impressed, honestly, he had played you well. Acting the nervous inexperienced youngster so you would let your guard down. But that was enough admiration for now.

You flicked your wrist, feeling the daggers slide out. Let’s make this quick. You swiftly sliced through the ropes, throwing your chair back with force as you used your power to suck the air out of the clerk’s airways, waiting until he dropped unconscious. You tied him up with rope sitting on the desk and took the duct tape from his hand (that he planned on using on you), taping his mouth shut. Good, that should keep him occupied for a while. You dragged him to the back of the room, stretching as you walked over to the door to examine it. It was a slab of steel with a lock and handle. You spotted white paint on the side of the door, like it was painted from the outside and splashed onto the other side. So you were in one of the white rooms in the Executive Hall. Nice, that made things simpler. You looked at the clock above the desk. Four thirty in the afternoon. Shit, you needed to be quick.

You bent down to examine the lock. A Belton lock, more complicated than a standard lock but still easy to pick. You sent a tendril of condensed, thick air, feeling out the pins. You applied pressure to the pins and plug of the luck, mapping out the air. Nothing yet. You adjusted the pressure, lifting the condensed air from the nearest pin and then lowering it back… continuing through the lock to see if you missed any inner pins. Wait, there, a missed pin. You pressed one of the buttons on your leg sleeve, releasing a thin dagger. You turned the lock. Click. You checked the clock again. A minute and thirty seconds. You smirked to yourself.

You focused, feeling the air outside for movement or form. Just the furniture. You opened the door, sliding out and locking it behind you. According to your intel, Alfred Krum, the Exchange head, was at a dinner with some foreign benefactors right now. At four thirty-five, Jungwon and Yuna would meet you in Krum’s office (they would come in through the vents and your disguise as Krum’s niece would quell any questions or interruptions) where you would get into his safe and retrieve the artifact. You would then use your powers to propel all five of you onto the roof, where a helicopter (and Yeonjun, who was the pilot and lookout) was waiting for you (courtesy of an acquaintance who owed you a debt).

You briskly walked to the door and scanned it for cracks and slits. The bottom was sealed but the hinges had a connecting space. You felt around the room, registering the form of two people. Jungwon and Yuna. You sent a breeze into their faces, as you had planned before. The knob turned and then the door, bringing you face-to-face with a frustrated Jungwon.

“You’re late. What happened?” Jungwon asked, moving aside so you could make your way to the back of the office.

“Why do you think something happened?” you replied, lifting the huge full-body portrait of Krum from its place. The safe door glinted invitingly at you. “For someone as rich as him, he’s pretty lax with his security. Businessmen.” Thought their money and name were protection enough.

Jungwon stood in front of you, forcing himself into your view. “Because you’re never late. And you dropped the look.” He gave you a vertical scan to prove his point.

You shrugged. “There was a setback. It’s handled. Or would be if you would move.” That sounded harsh. Stress made you snappy. You pressed your lips together. “Please just let me work,” you said, softening your tone.

His eyebrows furrowed but he stepped back, going to join Yuna on watch. This was a Quad lock, a type that needed the four identical keys to be turned two at a time, but not with longer than a five-second gap, or else you would have to start over. You worked swiftly, forming the key shape with your air, pressing your eyes shut as you pictured the pins in your head. Two clicks as the first locks turned. You quickly worked the other two.

The safe door whirred. And swung open.

You pumped a fist into the air. “I’m in.” you breathed to no one in particular.

The dark room seemed to welcome you.

Jungwon smiled to himself as he watched your excitement at unlocking the safe. You were so cute sometimes. Now was the third phase of the plan, where you and he would secure the artifact and get out with minimal obstacles. He trailed you into the safe, the bright lights flicking on when you stepped into the room, illuminating the various collectibles, souvenirs, and artifacts. The item they were stealing was a hand-sized bone from an animal he couldn't remember.

You spotted it before he did, making a beeline to the right corner of the room. You pulled out a small pen-like gadget from your sleeve, clicking a button that turned on a laser, which you aimed at the glass enclosing the artifact. You seared a perfect circle into the glass, wrapping the artifact in a cloth and throwing it into your bag. He noted to ask for a similar tool from Kai.

You looked at him, eyes sparkling. “Let’s wrap this up.”

He grinned at you. “Let’s.”

You both dashed to the safe door, securing it behind you and putting the painting back in its place. He sped-walked to the window, easing it open. So far, except for whatever it was that you faced, the mission was going smoothly. That just made him more nervous. Jungwon sent a quick prayer for success to the Saints, hoping they’d heed the call from a Grisha in need.

Yuna came over to you two, giving you both a determined look. “Okay, _____, let’s jump this ship.”

He glanced at you to catch you giving Yuna a weak smile, which you stifled when you noticed his attention shift to you. He moved to stand right in front of you, looking you in the eyes. “You got this. You’re the strongest, smartest, most capable person I know. You can do this.”

You stared back at him, the anxiety clear in your eyes. “I just… If I fail, we’ll all die.”

“Then don’t fail,” he replied, grinning at you. “Find an anchor in your mind. Ground yourself. Take it one step at a time.”

You nodded, glancing at the window. “I’ll do that.”

“Good. Now if it motivates you, I have been gambling lately and lying to you about it. So you can’t kill me now, it’s too early.”

You whipped your face towards his, glaring at him. “I’ll make sure your death is to your standards.”

“Appreciated. I can’t die like a nobody,” he winked at you, ushering you towards the window. He’d planned on fixing his gambling addiction (or so he tells himself every time he loses) but if the promise of murdering him worked… he’ll take it. Even if it wounded his soul to see you look at him like that.

“Okay, then-” you were cut off by the sound of shouting outside the office, followed by banging on the door.

“We know you’re in there, thieves. Come out.”

And then he heard the click of a lock turning and the door swung open.

Shit.

The clerk barged in, followed by Alfred Krum and a team of security men.

“You’re more capable than I thought,” the clerk sneered, glancing at Jungwon and Yuna who were flanking you. “And these are your cronies? How cute, the three musketeers.”

You snarled at him, flexing your fingers. “It seems I made a mistake by not killing you last time.”

He didn’t get a chance to respond as you lunged at him, giving him two deep cuts on his thigh. And then the fight began. The man was better than you thought, avoiding a third swipe at his throat. He threw a punch at your face and you nimbly dodged it, bringing your hand up to cut into his shoulder. Blood gushed from the cut and he stumbled back, clutching the wound in agony. You took the pause to scan the rest of the room. Jungwon had a pile of unconscious guards around him, currently taking out the eighth. Yuna was shooting down the ones in the hallway, aiming for their hands and legs. You leaped over the guards, moving towards Krum. He was red-faced and waving his hands wildly, shrieking for backup. You slid behind him and held a knife to his throat.

“This is how this is going to go. You are going to go to sleep and forget this ever happened. And if not…,” you sucked the air out of his lungs, watching as he shook with restraint to not thrash and cut his throat with your dagger. You put the air back into his airways and Krum took gulping breaths. “Understood?”

You inched the dagger away from his throat and he furiously nodded. Jungwon met your eyes, done with the guards and you nodded. Jungwon lifted his hand and Krum swayed, before crumpling to the ground.

Yuna holstered her revolvers, running a hand through her hair. “Let’s get out of here.”

You nodded in agreement, pocketing your knives. You ran a hand over the window frame, taking a deep breath. In. Out. In. Out. You turned to face your two friends, people you’ve known for years, and in Jungwon’s case, would trust with your life. You nodded and they returned it. You moved aside so they could crouch on the window, ready to jump. You stood right behind them. What if I fail? You pushed the thought away. After all, you had a Jungwon to maim.

The city clock chimed for five o’ clock, and on the fifth clang, they jumped.

You leaped out after them and sent all three of you soaring upward through the air.

Assassin of the Air and Wind. It had a nice ring to it.

You fell onto the helipad, tucking into a roll. Jungwon rushed up to you, lifting you up and spinning you as he hugged you so hard you knew what your victims felt like. You laughed and patted his shoulder, “Let me down, Won.”

“Fine,” he said, grinning at you. “That was awesome. I knew you had it in you.”

You grinned back. “Well, a certain someone let me know of my next hit. A very important one, he said.”

He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry… I really did try to stop.”

“Well now we’re rich, so all debts are lifted.”

He chuckled, leaning in so your face was inches away from his. “Forgiven, then? For the lying?”

You tilted your head to the side, pretending to think it over. “We’ll see.”

He didn’t respond, staring at your eyes. His gaze slowly lowered, landing on your lips.

You glanced at his. They were smooth, salmon pink, and slightly tilted up at the ends. You forced your heartbeat to stop furiously beating, knowing he could hear it clearly.

Oh, for Saint’s sake, just kiss him.

You put a hand on his cheek and pressed his lips onto yours, swooning at how nice and soft they felt. He stiffened, before putting his hand on the nape of your neck and kissing you back. Your movements were slow and languid, yet still electrifying, and you enjoyed how nice it was to kiss Jungwon compared to your past flings. It was intoxicating, setting the nerves in your lips and brain on fire. He pulled back and smiled softly, touching his forehead to yours. You smiled back, still high from the kiss.

You heard a whoop and clapping, turning to see Yeonjun and Yuna smirking at you two.

“Took you long enough,” Yeonjun chimed, and Yuna nodded in agreement.

She hoisted herself into the passenger seat of the helicopter. “Now, if you’re done snogging each other, we have to leave. Now.”

You both scrambled into the back, strapping yourselves in and securing your headsets.

“Lovebirds, no funny business while I’m flying. Especially you, Airbender. I don’t need you to get excited and send us flying off course.” Yeonjun deadpanned into the microphone.

You chuckled to yourself, watching as the helicopter lifted you off of the ground. Jungwon entwined his fingers with yours, tilting his head to the side in playful question.

You laughed and stretched your arms, turning towards him. “Forgiven,” you mouthed to him.

He beamed at you and squeezed your hand. You squeezed back.

EPILOGUE

You flipped through papers, checking off every Grisha still left in Kerch. It was months after your Exchange job, collecting your money and paying off your debts to the Slave Pirate. Kai had taken his share and moved out, opening a gadget shop that attracted youngsters and eccentrics from around the world. The twins’s business was booming, becoming one of the biggest names in Ketterdam.

You and Jungwon had begun a Grisha safety-and-smuggling practice, keeping an eye on all the Grisha in Kerch and helping those who wanted to leave sail undetected to Ravka. You heard the door open and close and got up to meet Jungwon in the living room. He dropped the bags he was carrying next to the kitchen, slumping onto the couch.

“Tired already?” you teased, sitting down next to him. You ran your fingers through his hair and he visibly relaxed, melting onto the couch.

“That was like… seven delivery trips. I’m spent,” he smiled at you, “But worth it.”

You hummed in agreement. “Well… there’s some chocolate ice cream in the back of the ice box.”

The words “chocolate ice cream” seemed to breathe life into him and he jumped up, round eyes sparkling as he stared at you excitedly. “Say no more.”

© celestialgyu | do not copy or translate

[yyunari]

SIREN’S LAMENT — k.sn

SYNOPSIS . From the day she got her powers, Y/N knew they were given to her because she was meant to use them to get what she wanted. After all, sirens were notorious in Greek Mythology for hypnotizing sailors and leading them to their deaths. She would be a fool to waste her abilities. If you were gifted like her, wouldn’t you do the same?

GENRE . Angst, fluff if you squint, greek mythology AU, highschool AU

PAIRING . Kim Sunoo x Fem! Siren! Reader

WARNINGS . Depictions of violence, vulgar language, Y/N is kind of manipulative sawry <3

WORD COUNT . 4.8k

A/N . my entry for @iyeonjuni’s power of love collab !! this was rly fun to write hehe <33 i guess this is also my celebration for 700 bc it’s the first written fic i’ve written for a while so :)) the idea that i’m more than halfway to 1k followers is insane like i can’t believe it :(( ily narinators take this as a thank u bc i love u all 🤍

TAGLIST . @muhwaa @hoori @yizhoutv @ja4hyvn @koakyuu @carayat @one16core @enhacolor @jangwonie @soobin-chois @moaengenesworld @en-boyz @msxflower @ohmy-fandoms @yunki4evr @centheodd @jungwonize @yeongwonie @strwberrydinosaur @duolingofanaccount @butterflyy-ningg @yjwonz @jaeyunnsworld @sunsunu

Y/N L/N GIGGLED AS SHE CORNERED THE GIRL,

her hair waving elegantly through the wind. However, her intentions were anything but elegant, or kind for that matter. The quivering first year a few feet away from her was surrounded by walls, as the malevolent girl sauntered forward with seemingly no care in the world. The younger was petrified, and Y/N loved it.

As heinous as it was, Y/N bathed in the fear she caused others. It was nothing but a pastime to her. Backing people into a corner, messing around with them a little, and getting them to do things for her. Her powers made it too simple.

"P-Please! leave me a-alone! I'll do anything... just please stop!" The first year, a girl named Hana, begged. She was crouched down with her hands in a pleading position.

It was pathetic.

Seeing her at such mercy only made Y/N feel high with exhilaration. All that begging just for her to leave–

Y/N couldn't get enough.

She knew it was immoral, sure, but she could care less. She was gifted with the power to control whoever she wanted after all, it would be a waste to not use them. Getting people to do her bidding was just how she went about using her powers. Besides, no one ever got hurt. It was all in good fun! Just as long as she never got caught.

Y/N put a hand to her chin, feigning thought. "That's a good idea, Hana! I should do that!"

Hana’s eyes sparkled with relief, delighted to be out of danger. It was almost saddening to see how quickly she thought she was safe. As Hana stood up to say 'thank you', Y/N started vocalizing.

"Ahh, ahh~'' Her perfectly pink lips excreted the spell that made people's knees weak and clouded their minds. She started to approach closer to Hana, and eventually encased her in her arms. Essentially 'kabedoning' her. Y/N’s petrifyingly sweet face was close enough to Hana that she could make out every small detail, every crevice.

Her voice is so nice, Hana started to think. I could just fall a...asleep.

Just a bit more.

Y/N continued to hum her song, as the people passing by stayed blissfully unaware. And anyone who did notice assumed that the two girls were having an intimate moment in a dark alley. Normal high school things.

They couldn't be more wrong. Poor Hana was being hypnotized right under their noses.

Y/N continued her song until Hana was fully under her control. As soon as the victim's eyes turned dull, she smirked.

"Whoops, my bad.”

"That’s it for today, your homework is to annotate the worksheet that you received.”

Everyone thanked the teacher as she left, then dispersed amongst one another to head to lunch.

"N/N!" Runa called out, grabbing onto the said girl's arm. Runa was Y/N's self proclaimed best friend, and an exchange student from Japan. Truthfully, Y/N didn't care much for Runa. But she had to pretend that she did, because she planned to use something for Runa.

She wasn't quite sure why Runa clinged onto her in the first place- seeing as Y/N was dubbed as both terrifying and intimidating. Even if she was doing something casually, there always seemed to be a glare that graced her face at all times. All the students feared her, and often cowered in her presence. Her sharp eyes glared into their souls, intimidating others to no end.

Runa, in contrast, was the sweet beauty. Everyone loved her, guys and girls alike. Her deep brown eyes and shiny brown hair were captivating in their eyes. and her angelic personality was a plus. Runa was all around, utterly perfect.

Y/N hated it.

But she faked their friendship for an entire year.

"Hey, Runa." Y/N groaned out. Runa always dismissed her dismissive behavior because of her reputation. "I need to meet Kim Sunoo during lunch for a project, so i won't be able to sit with you"

"Sunoo? Isn’t he a third year?" Runa scratched her chin, recalling the tall senior.

"I take third year Chemistry." Y/N answered. Despite popular belief, Y/N was incredibly smart. However, she didn't feel the need to take the test required to skip the second year science class, so she used her powers on the principal to help her move into a specific chemistry class. the one with Kim Sunoo. her crush.

Somehow, even the heartless Y/N could harbour feelings for someone. She wasn't sure how it developed, seeing as she had no other connections with the cheerful male besides the one class they had together. But seeing him in the halls made her chest thump and her mind fuddled. She had feelings for him, and she would do anything in her power to be with him.

Maybe it was his captivating smile, or maybe it was the way he made it his own personal mission to befriend everyone in the school. Whatever it was, Y/N constantly found her eyes drawn to the schools’ resident ‘sunshine’. No matter what situation she was in, her gaze never failed to wander to him. It was annoying, really.

But Y/N never minded. After all, Sunoo was just the most enchanting person to be infatuated with.

Unfortunately, her powers weren't strong enough to make someone love her back. Trust her, she's tried. She figured it was due to the fact that being in love was such a powerful emotion— one she hadn't experienced yet. She liked Sunoo and was deeply besotted by him— but she wasn't in love with him. Not yet.

It was a miracle that Sunoo was the one to approach her for the project. She would've used her powers on him, but luckily she didn't need to.

"Oh, okay then! I'll see you next class!" Runa smiled her beautiful smile and left.

Y/N hated that smile.

But she softened at the thought of spending time with Sunoo. She kept this fondness internal, just to protect her notoriety.

"Y/N" a whisper came from a table at the back of the library, trying to grab the delinquent's attention. His whispers traveled to her line of hearing, and she turned to see him. Her one and only crush, Sunoo. "Over here!'

Mentally, Y/N's lips tipped into a grin. "Afternoon." she nonchalantly greeted, which contrasted the rapid beating of her heart.

"Good afternoon! You brought your chemistry book, right?" Sunoo asked, sliding her chair back for her to sit.

Such a gentleman... Y/N inwardly blushed, but quickly shook it off. "Yeah, it’s in my bag."

The surprisingly excited third year ruffled her hair. "Good! Let’s get started then.”

These small actions Sunoo did confused her. Did he like her back? Or did he do this to everyone? Her brain stayed multitasking as she focused on both the project as well as what Sunoo may have thought of her. Deep down, she knew no one would bother to spare a second thought for her besides being frightened. She understood them. as much as she knew, she couldn't bear to consider the fact that Sunoo didn't share the same feelings as her. So she pretended that wasn't the case, and opted to believe he liked her back.

“So it comes from the gaseous particles in Earth’s atmosphere and charged particles in the sun’s atmosphere colliding. And colors come from the type of gas particles.” Y/N explained the magnetism behind the Aurora Borealis to Sunoo since he had asked about it. “For example, the greenish yellow color comes from oxygen molecules, and red colors come from high altitude oxygen-”

Y/N’s explanation was cut off by Sunoo’s (not so) subtle laughter. Before she could ask why he was laughing, he answered for her.

“Sorry for laughing, I just find it a little funny that one of the most scary people in our school is a Chemistry nerd.” Sunoo teased. “But it’s cute! You should show this side of yourself more often.”

If it had been anyone else who said that, Y/N would have rolled her eyes at them and walked out of the room. After all, how could anyone tell her what to do? She was always the one telling people what to do, which made her automatically above everything. She would only abide by the rules when she wanted to. And if she wasn’t in the mood on that particular day, she would hypnotize who she needed to get what she wanted. It was what sirens did.

But somehow with Sunoo who told her, she surprisingly didn’t mind. In a way, him calling her cute made her feel bad about her resentful persona. If cute was what Sunoo wanted, then she could be cute. She would just have to… try a little harder.

As their study session progressed, Y/N gathered a strong emotion radiating off him. On one hand it was good, because she fed off of the strong emotions of others in order to strengthen herself and her siren powers. On the other hand, she was quite worried. For the emotion Sunoo felt, was love.

Love towards whom? That she didn't know. But she could only hope it was her.

“So Y/N,” Sunoo began speaking as he typed his part of the project on his computer. “I feel like we don’t talk a lot during class, and I want to get to know you more.”

His statement caught Y/N a bit off guard. He wanted to get to know her? It somewhat made sense, since Sunoo was a well known social butterfly and was friends with many people in her grade, but it still didn’t fail to make her feel giddy inside.

Kim Sunoo wanted to get to know her….

Maybe she could act normal just for a little bit.

“What do you want to know?”

“Hm… anything?” He shrugged, and looked over at the section of books next to their table and noticed a cookbook. “What’s your favorite fruit?”

“Strawberries.” Y/N answered. “My second favorite would be mangosteen though, because they’re fun to peel and also look like butts.” She let out a small chuckle at her juvenile joke, and she felt proud when Sunoo laughed at it as well.

She’s loosening up… Sunoo smiled.

“Butts? Seriously? I’ve always thought they look more like onions.” Sunoo said.

“Have you ever seen one before?” Y/N couldn’t help but pull up a picture of a peeled mangosteen to show him. “Look, doesn’t that look like a buttcrack to you? They’re really juicy too– not in a weird way though.”

Towards the end she realized what she was saying. Was she really trying to explain to her crush why she thought mangosteens looked like butts? The fact that she was showing any emotion besides anger or indifference was surprising enough. But Sunoo just had the ability to make her act more like a normal person and not a supernatural being. It was relieving, in a way.

To Y/N’s surprise, Sunoo burst out into a fit of laughter. “Hey! Do you even know what you’re talking about? It looks nothing like one.”

“It does though! Next thing I know you’re going to try to tell me that lychee doesn’t look like a vagina.”

Sunoo pursed his lips. “You’re going to ruin eating fruits for me.”

“Hey, you asked a question, and I answered. That’s on you.” Y/N shrugged. She noticed how Sunoo kept checking the time every so often. It was as if he was in a rush to get somewhere. But that couldn’t be right. After all, he wanted to be there, right?

It didn’t matter either way, she would just have to try even harder than before. “Do you like mythology?”

The question surprised Sunoo. He hadn’t expected that she would start the conversation, but he wasn’t complaining. It made his plan a little easier. “It’s not something I actively indulge myself in, but I think it’s very interesting. Are you into it?”

“Yeah, especially Greek Mythology.” Y/N answered. “Percy Jackson got me into it in elementary school, and I’ve been studying it ever since.”

Sunoo pushed aside the neglected chemistry project and leaned on the table ever so slightly. “Tell me what you know then.”

Y/N pulled out her book on different creatures in Greek Mythology, and handed it to Sunoo. “Here, you can flip through it.”

“You really carry this around? You’re an even bigger nerd than I expected.” Sunoo mumbled the last part, and opened to the page about the Hydra. “The hydra is a serpent-like creature, born as the child of Typhon and Echidna. It dwelled around Argos and bore multiple heads. However, anyone who tried to cut off one of the heads would soon find out that two more grew in place of it. Inevitably, the hydra was killed by the Greek hero Hercules.”

“I love Hercules! Like, the Disney movie.” Sunoo giggled. Y/N mentally facepalmed at that. Of course the Disney depiction of Hercules was wildly inaccurate, but she couldn’t complain. It wasn’t as if they had a way of knowing the full accuracy of everything.

Sunoo then turned to the next page, which was about sirens. Ironic, wasn’t it? “Sirens? As in, from My Little Pony- Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks?”

Y/n actually really liked that movie, because it was more accurate as to how she acted as a siren. So of course, Adagio, Sonata, and Aria were her favorite characters (heavy on Adagio, that girl was basically a cartoon version of her). “No, but that’s a really good movie.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Sunoo looked back at the book. “Sirens are creatures of Greek Mythology. They're seductive creatures, embodied as half-woman and half-bird. Their intoxicating voices lure sailors towards the 'sirenum scopuli' islands in which they reside. These sailors were led to an unfortunate fate, as the captivating singing of the sirens distracts them and ultimately leads them to crash into the rocky islands.”

Sunoo closed the book when he finished. “That’s horrible, honestly.”

“Oh? How so?”

“Well, it’s one thing to outright attack people. The hydra for example, at least it can’t trick you. It’s moves are predictable and you can create a plan to get around it. With something like the siren, you’d never be able to predict when they hypnotize you. And once they do, you can’t snap yourself out of it.” He explained, not aware that the girl he was explaining it to was a siren herself.

To say she was a little offended was an understatement, but she easily concealed it. “I’m sure the sirens have their own reasons.

“...They’re seductive killers, Y/N. I’m sure any reason they had would be completely one dimensional.”

Ouch.

“That’s true.” Y/N pursed her lips and stood up. “I’m going to the bathroom real quick, I’ll be right back.”

“Come back soon!” Sunoo whispered out when she left the table.

I can’t believe Sunoo and I are getting along. Y/N thought, as she walked back to the library from the bathroom. I knew talking to him wouldn’t be hard, but I didn’t think it was going to be this easy! It’s almost like we were made to be friends…

The idea humored her.

She never realized how easy conversation came with Sunoo, but it just did. After they got past the initial breath of awkwardness, and when Y/N decided to drop her tough girl act, it was as if the two were made to be friends.

Or maybe it was just the fact that Sunoo was an excellent conversationalist. Whatever it was, Y/N felt extremely comfortable in his presence which was surprising considering the nature of her crush on him and the nature of her character. She didn’t feel the familiar racing of her heart that she normally would’ve if her and Sunoo interacted, nor did she feel her body temperature change in any way. She didn’t feel the need to use her powers on him for her own selfish needs. She just felt, normal.

"It’s going according to plan!”

As Y/N rounded the corner to go back into the library, she heard Sunoo speak on the phone. And maybe it was a little rude, but she was curious and decided to eavesdrop. How bad could it be?

“Yeah, we’re becoming good friends. You know, she’s surprisingly nice when you get to know her.”

That made Y/N feel happy. Sunoo thought she was nice… how could she ever go back to her old ways after hearing that?

Well that was an overstatement, but maybe she would tone it down. Just for him.

“I know right? I was really shocked when she started a conversation with me.” A chuckle was heard from the other line. Perhaps it was Park Sunghoon, Sunoo seemed particularly close with him. “Maybe I’ll introduce you two. I feel like you would get along.”

He’s not Sunoo but if Sunoo wants us to be friends… I’ll consider it.

“Runa?” As she heard that name come out of Sunoo’s mouth, Y/N’s gaze hardened immediately. “I’ll ask about her soon. After all, I can’t make it seem like I’m just using Y/N to get to Runa.

Y/N was about to sigh in relief because surely, it was a misunderstanding? He didn’t want her to think he was using her to get to Runa because he genuinely wanted to be friends with her. Surely that was the case.

But Sunghoon’s words made her break on the inside.

“Isn’t that what you’re doing though?”

Y/N could hypothetically feel her heart crack. Right down the middle. She couldn't speak or think, her mouth was shut tight. Her breathing slowed and stayed heavy. It was a new feeling, one that she wasn’t particularly fond of. Was she experiencing her first heartbreak?

No! she internally yelled. It’s not supposed to happen like this! I'm supposed to break hearts! I don't get heartbroken.

But if that was the case, then why did it hurt so much? Why did she want to crawl into a six feet deep hole and stay there forever?

“Well yeah, but if she catches on then she’s going to tell Runa. Then I’ll never get a chance with her.”

Before either Sunghoon or Sunoo could say anything more, Y/N decided to make her presence known.

“Is that how it is?” Y/N clutched her heart, as she stepped out of the shadows. Sunoo, who was previously holding his phone to his ear, dropped it out of surprise.

“Y/N! H-How much did you hear?”

Y/N looked at his eyes, the eyes she once held dear to her emotions, and gave him the coldest stare she had ever given anyone before. “Enough.”

“Listen I-”

“It’s okay, I understand. Runa’s perfect in every way. She’s kind, cheerful, and pretty. I don’t blame you for doing what you did. After all if it weren’t for me, Runa would never give you the time of day.” Y/N spoke with indifference laced with her words. “We can finish the project another day.”

With that, Y/N stormed out to find her best friend.

It was the first time she had ever felt hurt. It made her feel shitty and unwanted. And frankly, she never wanted to feel it again.

Runa Minami.

I hope you eat shit.

"Oh, N/N!" Runa giggled and waved at her friend. Y/N turned to see the person she despised the most. the one who took Sunoo away from her. the one who hurt her.

"Runa" she disgruntledly huffed out. "Meet me in the abandoned hallway in ten minutes"

She didn't pay another thought to how suspicious she sounded. All she wanted was to teach Runa a lesson.

The innocently unsuspecting girl agreed, and let Y/N saunter off.

Runa followed Y/N's orders and turned the corner to the infamous abandoned hallway ten minutes later, notorious for being the place where couples made out. The invitation confused her, seeing Y/N wasn’t the type to be into romance. But Runa cared about Y/N because she reminded her of herself in elementary school.

Cold, indifferent, and unwelcoming.

It was the reason as to why she stuck with her for their first year, and the reason why she was so quick to dismiss her cold behavior.

She thought Y/N was about to confess to her, which is why she followed her to the hallway. Even if that wasn’t the outcome, she was curious as to what it would be.

"Hey N/N—"

"Come closer."

Runa's breath got hitched in her throat, as she approached closer. to her, the atmosphere was intimate. if you take into consideration the context of the hallway, you might think so as well. But to Y/N, it was anything other than intimate.

In a flash, Y/N had slammed Runa against the wall. In truth, she had a thing for kabedoning girls. It was, for a lack of better words, hot.

But that was besides the point. there was a confused glint in Runa's eyes, one that Y/N desired to crush.

Just as Sunoo had crushed her.

She knew it was cruel. Runa wasn't in control of Sunoo's feelings. She didn't even know the male liked her. And in all honesty, Y/N really did not want to harm Runa.

But she couldn't hold back. Her heart ached too much to not do anything, and she would rather hurt Runa than Sunoo. God forbid she do anything to him.

As sorry as she was, the bottom line was that Y/N was angry. Y/N was angry, and jealous. She needed to ease the pain. and the only way to do that was by inflicting pain from the source of all her problems.

"Sunoo likes you.”

Runa leaped back, not expecting that to be said. Her heart stopped when she realized what the situation was. Her friend got her heart broken, and it was all her fault.

"Oh... does he?" Runa answered, still stunned. She barely even knew the guy, after all. "That's good for him"

Still muddled with her resentment to her friend, Y/N kneed her stomach, and Runa fell to the ground as a result. Y/N placed her foot over Runa's head.

"N/N?" confused, she looked up at Y/N for the answer she so desperately seeked. "What’s going o—"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Y/N yelled. "Fucking hell— shut up for once!"

She let out a large breath, before not hesitating to throw a punch at the defenseless Runa below her.

Runa, who was untrained in self defense, could only take the pain as the girl she cared for attacked her for seemingly no reason.

By the time she had asked why, Y/N burst.

"Why!? Because he chose you over me! The one guy I actually like chooses my friend over me??" Shegroaned and continued to strike at her. "I'm Runa, I'm perfect and everyone loves me!" she mocked Runa's voice. "You’re so annoying— god! I can't stand you!"

She didn’t blame Y/N for hurting. Maybe she was too careless and didn’t care enough for her as much as she thought she did. Maybe she neglected Y/N’s feelings too much and prioritized her own. After all, it was usually Runa who dragged Y/N around to go out.

But in any case, wasn’t Y/N going overboard?

Runa's chest started to hurt. not from Y/N's fists, but from the emotional pain she felt.

Yelling. Yelling was all she heard. Yelling from the principal. Yelling from her parents. Yelling from Runa.

Yelling from Sunoo.

Y/N had ended up in the principal's office, in a situation in which she couldn't get out of. She couldn't help it! She had been emotionally hurt for the first time, and didn't know how to handle it. But her actions were far from forgivable.

Although she was a bully, she only went after people's emotions. She never physically hurt anyone. At least she had some morals. But this time, she let her sentiments get the best of her. and Runa came out hurt in the end.

"Wait— you like Sunoo? Never mind, doesn't matter. Did it ever occur to you that i don't even like him back?? I don't even like men!”

The words that Runa had spoken to her stuck in Y/N's mind all while she was being berated by the school staff and her parents. It had never occurred to her that Runa wasn’t into guys. Perhaps that may have been why Runa stuck to her throughout their first year, because guys would never approach Runa with Y/N there.

Guilt had begun to seep through, once she realized the weight of her actions. I’m getting expelled, my parents are mad at me, Sunoo hates me, and my now ex-best friend got her heart broken. By me. Her head throbbed. She couldn't handle all of it happening at once.

And so Y/N stood up with such hostility that made everyone in the vicinity jump. She didn't pay any mind to it and snatched her bag, then proceeded to storm out of the room. It didn't matter anymore. She was bound to be expelled anyway. She would handle the scolding later.

She wondered why she felt so guilty, seeing as she was a siren. She was meant to cause misfortune upon others. She was somehow granted with such powers, the least she could do was use them properly. Properly, as in seducing others with her voice and then using them. And generally, she never felt regretful of her actions. Instead she would be proud when she saw others fall to her command. She thought she would be especially content too, due to the fact that she didn't care much for Runa.

But no. the moment she retreated, Y/N felt like, for a lack of better words, shit. The pleasing feeling she usually felt when she inflicted distress on people was not present, but rather replaced with guilt.

Did that mean that she would learn from her mistakes and use her powers for the better?

Of course not.

At the end of the day, Y/N knew she would always be the same disgusting creature that held such powers. no matter how much she tried to sugar coat it, that fact would never change.

Sunoo stood outside of the room and waited for Y/N to leave. Once she did, he grabbed her arm.

“What the fuck is your problem?!” Y/N yelled as she ripped her arm out of his clutches.

“Everyone was right about you. You’re cold, heartless, and selfish.” Sunoo glared at the girl he once almost considered a friend. “I can’t believe I ever wanted to befriend you.”

That made Y/N laugh. “Wanted? You only talked to me because you wanted me to help you get closer to Runa. Even if I thought we were getting closer, you only had your own interests at heart.” Her glare on Sunoo hardened. “If I’m selfish, then so are you. I was just more physical with it.”

“And that makes it any better?!”

“I’ll never deny that I’m a horrible person. You, on the other hand, act like you’re innocent when in reality you’re not.” Y/N pulled out her book of mythology. “Remember sirens?”

“...Yeah.” Sunoo hesitantly answered.

Y/N took a breath out of her nose. “You said that it was horrible that they lured people to their lands so they could kill them. But it’s okay for you to do the same thing? You acted like you genuinely wanted to be friends, and then you broke my heart. And all of a sudden, you think you can high road me?”

“Still, you hurt Runa. She was your best friend.” Sunoo criticized.

“I know I did and I feel extremely guilty about it. But there’s nothing I can do to atone for it, so it’s better if I just leave. I’m getting expelled anyway.” Y/N mumbled. “I’ll apologize to Runa before I leave, and I’ll face any punishment the school gives, but I don’t want to hear you of all people criticizing me for it.”

“So you’re just going to leave?” Sunoo inquired.

Y/N looked at the injured Runa, who was woefully scrolling through her phone, and sighed. “Yes, it’s for the best. And I’ll stop liking you, so don’t worry about that.”

“Goodbye, Kim Sunoo. Thank you for being my friend, even if it was just for a moment.”

Something that most people would see as a blessing ended up breaking an innocent girl beyond repair.

And Sunoo realized one thing. That he never truly knew Y/N L/N at all.

[ethereal-engene]

bloom into you | sunghoon

Pairing: Sunghoon x fem!reader

Summary: An unlikely love story between a florist and an upcoming ice-sculptor

Genre: fluff, angst if you squint, florist au & superpower au! // Warnings: mentions of food, feeling scared, cursing, and death (no character death) // Features: members of Tomorrow by Together & ENHYPEN

Word Count: ~5k 

Note: This is for the Power of Love collab! This is my longest work thus far 🤩 Thanks for Cici, Sue, and Val for hosting this collab, I had a lot of fun working with this AU <3 enjoy reading my lovely friends 

also @sungbeam​ it’s here✨

With the day starting off, it consisted of setting up the store to look presentable and ready to serve customers. You placed new batches of bouquets in the front and made sure that pen & paper were readily available. The spring season was right around the corner and that meant that your days were only going to get busier. Taking orders, working hard to arrange them, and handing them to the person who ordered it. It was a lot but luckily you had help from your team. There was no way that you could handle the seemingly infinite list of orders by yourself.

Beomgyu and Yeonjun were in charge of keeping track of the orders overall including ones that were placed on the phone or online. Huening Kai and Taehyun took on the front desk orders and dealt with in-store customers. Lastly, you and Soobin worked on the actual floral arranging.

Before the five of them came in, you’d work on making the flowers bloom in the back of your store. The part of the store that was secluded and the only way someone could possibly see what you were doing was if they were inside the store. Yes, you read that right. In this strange world, you were given the powers to manipulate flowers.

With a wave of your hands above the flowers, it could wither or blossom. It’s quite helpful as you run this store when the flowers aren’t ready in time for an order. No one has ever questioned where you get them, even when said flowers aren’t supposed to be in season. Those who order are simply overjoyed that they’ll have them to give to their loved ones.

This power is pretty much used to its fullest. In your defense, it helps keep this shop in business all year round and besides what they don’t know can’t hurt them.

You debated for a long time about telling the boys as about your powers. They’ve been a huge help and at this point have become your family. Taking you under their wing when they noticed you were new to town. If you could describe your friendship with them, you’d pick the word siblings. They sure acted like it too. The bickering and picking on each other was endless. It left you wondering if they were always like this. As much as they’re great at annoying each other, they’re equally as good at expressing their love and affection to each other.

Maybe today or this week would be when you finally tell them. Even though you weren’t completely sure what their reactions would be, knew deep down that they’d still love you. If you ask me, they’re a little weird for that… but it’s also what makes them so love-able.

You ask them to come in the back once the store is on break time. When they come into the back and are full of curious eyes & ears. Looking at you and then at the two pots filled with flowers then back at you. One of the pots was filled with wilting flowers and the other with thriving flowers.

You place your hand over the pot with the wilting flowers and suddenly its petals start to bloom. Then you do the same to the other flowers except now it’s shriveling up. Not knowing what to expect, you tightly shut your eyes and refuse to open them up until you hear something from them. It doesn’t last for long because Soobin is the first one to do something, and that something is giving you a hug.

The rest of them follow suit. Even if they’re puzzled and the tiniest bit scared, they know that you wouldn’t hurt them with these powers. When the hug is over, Beomgyu and Taehyun’s mountain full of questions come at you. Questions ranging from “Does it hurt when you use your powers?” to “Can you bring back a dead forest??”. Answering to those that you knew the answer to and before Yeonjun harshly lightly kicked Beomgyu to stop asking questions.

“Taehyun, Beomgyu, and Kai. Could y’all please leave that way me and Soobin can talk to y/n alone?” Yeonjun asks with a stern tone and they leave. As they leave, the air starts to feel lighter and you take a nice deep breath in. Letting it out, Soobin and Yeonjun give you your space.

“How are you feeling?” Soobin questions with a worried look painted on his face. Answering with “Feeling better now that you guys know, but I should be the one asking you that! Thank you for the hug by the way, Bin. I hope that didn’t make you guys scared or anything. But I also understand if it’ll take time for y’all to accept that part of me.” All said with sprinkles of uncertainty in your voice.

You hoped that they wouldn’t notice the little squeakiness in your voice. They were both super quick to deny that they felt any different towards you. If anything, they felt like they had another reason to be protective of you. In sync, their hands created the letter X.

For a while, nothing happened after that. Until you brought them into a big hug. Whispering softly “thank you and I love you guys so much more than you’ll ever know”. Giving them a chaste kiss on the cheek before exiting the backroom. The rest of the day, they all acted like nothing happened. You knew that they’d ask you more about it but for now, you were glad that they knew about it. The weight of the secret lifted itself off from your shoulders.

You decided to send them home earlier so that they could enjoy the sun while it was still out. Beomgyu and Taehyun didn’t think twice about leaving. Understandably so since Taehyun wanted to go gym and Beomgyu wanted to game. While Soobin, Yeonjun, and Kai weren’t sure of how they felt about leaving you and they didn’t really know what to do. After re-assuring them that it was fine, you practically kicked them out. Luckily, it wasn’t too busy. To be honest, you kind of enjoyed it. Of course, it was always fun working with everyone but so was working alone.

It allowed you to play music that you liked and run the store like the girlboss you were. Plus, you didn’t have to worry about bumping into each other. Or possibly breaking a vase or even accidentally crushing a flower arrangement that was freshly done. Before you knew it, the sun had set and the tick of the clock served as a gentle reminder that it was almost time for you to close the store.

Cleaning the store is fun when you have your music playing in the background. It makes cleaning up feel less like a task. Taking one last glance at the store before locking the door and making your way home. Stepping outside, you’re hit with a gentle breeze and met with the view of the illuminating night sky. Stars coloring the sky golden. You swear that you could stare forever at it.

Unfortunately it seems like the universe has other plans for you. When an icicle nearly grazes your face, your attention is stolen away. Forcing you to try to find out where that came from and who would do that to you. Last time you checked, there wasn’t anyone you treated horribly in this town - meaning there shouldn’t be anyone who would hate you enough to attempt to harm you.

Frantically turning your head to search for anyone or anything. Alas, your eyes land on a guy. He’s standing under a streetlight and staring confusingly at his hand. As if, he didn’t know that he could do that. You must have been staring way too long because the next thing you know he holds eye contact with you. While it’s dark outside, there is just enough light out to make out that your eyes are shining full of curiosity but also swirling with fear. Before he could utter a word, you ran as fast as your legs could take you. In the distance though, he was screaming apologies in hopes that you’d heard him.

Talking to someone who might have killed you was not a risk you wanted to take. Running for your life was not how you expected closing the store by yourself would go. But then again, does anyone really expect the unexpected to happen?

You arrived at your apartment and spent the night trying to process what the fuck happened. Thinking about if it was worth it or not telling the boys about your strange encounter tonight. Not wanting to make them worry and all. You would never hear the end of it and that they’d never agree to let you close alone again.

After showering, the water must have rinsed away your worries because your mind calmed down enough for you to sleep peacefully.

As the sun starts to rise up, so do you. Getting ready for the day, and making your way to open the store. The boys are already there waiting for you and even got you some breakfast! Knowing your habits, you didn’t eat breakfast. At this point, they’ve heard every single excuse from the books. Hearing you exclaim that you don’t need it, you’ve already eaten (which is a lie or a half-lie), or that you’re too busy.

And only for them to shush you and enjoy the coffee & cinnamon rolls. Which you do after thanking them a bunch. Opening up the store will them makes the process so much earlier and faster (obviously). For people who love to fool around a lot, they sure do get the job done. When you’re all done eating, you head over to the back and work your magic. One by one, they all start to fill the back room. All of their eyes watching it unfold and they’re so mesmerized.

To you, it’s gotten kind of boring and has become mindless work. On the flip side, to them it’s so fucking cool. They already thought you were cool but this elevates it by tenfold. Imagine getting to tell people that their best friend has actual magical powers. Of course, they wouldn’t tell anyone without your permission but the thought of it felt so powerful.

This little show is cut-short when they hear a bell ring coming from the front door. You’re the first one to exit the back to see if this customer needs help. Everyone else disperses into where they’re supposed to be. The customer takes a look around the store before settling on a bouquet. Slowly but surely making their way to the front desk to pay. While it’s not often that you’re the one who handles the cash register or orders, you know just about everyone in this town and this man was someone new.

“Good morning, sir! Are you by any chance new to town?” Taking the bouquet to scan it and wrap it nicely. He chuckles a little before responding “Did I make it too obvious?”. You nod and actually get a good look at the man in front of you. It’s hard to describe how gorgeous he is. The way the morning sun is shining on him, it highlights his facial features. Especially his doe eyes and sharp jawline.

“Definitely made it too obvious. But welcome to Solaris Square! I’m y/n, and you are?”, Handing back the wrapped bouquet to him. “The name’s Sunghoon, and thank you for the welcome!”

“No problem and your total is $20”. So he gives you a twenty dollar bill. You would think he would leave after making his purchase but he doesn’t. When you’re about to put in another bouquet, he hands you what he recently bought. You look around to see if there is someone else he meant to give this to.

“It’s for you, silly”. You scan his face looking for any type of tell-tale sign that he’s messing around with you. Finding nothing, you accept them and give your thanks. When you take them from him, your smile is wide. Thinking about it though, it’s been a while since an attractive guy has done a sweet gesture for you. However, you notice that when you receive the flowers from him, they feel a bit chilly. It was certainly not there when you wrapped them up.

Even as he leaves, the room feels colder than the weather outside. Considering that the weather is warm. You decide to walk back to the back room to think. Giving it some thought, Sunghoon’s figure reminded you of the guy you saw last night. As if you’re in a trance, you’re piecing together the high possibility that it was him last night. You didn’t want to think about it. Recounting the fear that it gave you.

Yeonjun comes to check up on you. He’s been calling your name but he didn’t hear any answer. “Y/n-nie, hellooooo? Are you there?”, Still no response. So he resorts to having to shake you and you’re brought out of your thoughts. His eyes look over you to examine you. “I’m fine, Jun. Don’t worry, I was thinking about something. But what’s up?”. You say nonchalantly.

Shaking his head side to side. “You know y/n, you’re really bad at lying. I’ll ask you about it later. Right now, I need to know if we have these orders ready or not.” Taking them from him, you nod your head yes. “They’re on the shelf in the back of the store. If they’re not there, then it’ll be on one of the shelves on display! Lemme know if you can’t find them.”

With that, he finds them with ease and you go back to work. The work distracts you from these thoughts. And the rest of the day goes smoothly. Instead of closing up by yourself, you’re closing tonight with all of them. Earlier in the day with your interaction with Sunghoon, all of them saw it. They weren’t going to pretend that it wasn’t cute or sweet of him to give you the flowers. It’s not often that someone buys you flowers from your shop and gives it to you. It is also not often that someone new moves into town.

So they’ll take their chances to tease you. That is until you silence them by informing them of your first encounter. And just as you had predicted, they’d all agree that you wouldn’t close alone again. They’re all a bit on edge when they exit the store. It worries them and you. Somehow after a lot of convincing and reassuring that you’d call or text them when you get home. All of them go their own way but for one, that one being Soobin.

You know that there’s no way you’re going to get him to go home without walking you home first. So you don’t say anything as you start walking home and he trails behind you. The silence between y’all is comfortable. On the way, your head finds itself laying on his shoulder. He knows that you weren’t going to say it but you were scared of it happening again. When you finally reach the front door, you thank him with a hug and bid him a safe walk home. Taking out your phone, you text the group-chat that you got home safely.

The rest of the week passes by without any more meetings with Sunghoon. However, you run into him on your weekly run for groceries. When you spot him, you try to avoid him and question if it’d be better to come back later. You already walked here. So you’re going to get what you need and leave.

Everything about the experience so far has been a success. It doesn’t seem that he’s seen you, which gives you more confidence that this trip will be a breeze. Right when you think you’ve succeeded, you accidentally enter the wrong aisle. The wrong aisle where he’s searching for something and you freeze. You don’t mean to stare, but it’s quite hard when he’s handsome — and you know of course, the man who almost injured you. Only then does he see you.

“Oh hey there, y/n!” He takes a quick glance back at the shelf and finds what he was looking for. Putting that into his basket, he makes his way to you. You shyly wave back and make your exit. Hastily grabbing your last items into your basket and paying. It is just your luck that you parked next to his car. As you load things into your trunk, he’s starting packing his bags into his trunk too. Feeling a little bit bad about not making small talk earlier, you decide to help him. He attempts to wave off your help since it’s hot out and he’s sure you’d much rather be elsewhere. But you insist and manage to make small talk.

Asking about what he’s making with all of these things as they look like a lot for one person. To which responds that his friends are coming over to visit. You can’t help but left out an ‘awww’ noise and wish him well. Right before you unlock your car, Sunghoon ever so subtly invites you to the little get-together. You’re about to decline because it’d be weird first off. However, you think about it. The only way you would go is if you weren’t alone. If he’s inviting you to a dinner with his friends, it should only be fair that you get to bring your friends too.

So you pose the question to him, “If you’re okay with my friends tagging along?”, you’re expecting a no due to the long silence. But he responds with “Sure, why not? The more the merrier and I actually think I bought way too much food. Here’s my number and I’ll text you more details!”. Now, you both have each other’s phone numbers.

On the drive home, you can’t help but think he’s odd for saying yes. You still haven’t figured out how to confirm your suspicions. Maybe, it’ll do good to ask at the end of the get-together. Perhaps, maybe you were wrong about him? Recalling that night, he looked confused after what he did. Your fear was heightened so much that it overrode the other possibilities that could have existed.

You learn more about Sunghoon through text message conversations. Basic things like his birthday, his hobbies, where he was before, and about his friends. It was actually kind of cute. He shared pictures of them together that way you have some idea about who was who. It reminded you of your relationship with the boys. He learned more about you and them too.

When you told them about you run in Sunghoon, they were nervous that another incident had happened. To their surprise, you semi-excitedly told them about this gathering.

“I might have accidentally invited y’all to come with me. I hope you don’t mind” Looking up to them, your eyes are pleading. “I didn’t want to go alone and plus there’s going to be free food!”

“Free food? Say less! Let’s do it, plus it’d be fun to meet new people”, Beomgyu speaks up. “I’ve been dying for new friends. No offense to you, Yeonjun, but it’d be cool to have more friends our age.” Gyu continues. It earns him a headlock & noogie from Yeonjun. Everyone laughs and is on board. It relieves you because oh boy, they could be so unpredictable sometimes. If anything, it makes you more eager to go now.

They won’t say anything to you but they can tell you’re ever so slightly glowing. It’s a bit shocking to them that it appears that your distress from Sunghoon has dissipated. Nonetheless, they’re all wary of Sunghoon.

- small time skip to day of the get together -

Sunghoon had asked for your help, that meant you came in earlier before the others. Happily agreeing because you had brought over some flowers and treats you had made for the party. You didn’t want to come to the party empty handed. Plus, talking to Sunghoon has been fun lately. The thrill of getting to know someone new.

Arriving at his place, you were greeted with his dog begging for your attention. Along with, of course, Sunghoon’s beautiful face. He was still in his pajamas but my goodness, he looked so good. “Ah, thank you for the flowers! They look lovely but not as much as you”, his hands grab the flowers from you and finally meet your eyes. The comment took you by surprise. “Thanks”, you chuckle. “Didn’t know that you were quite the sweet talker around here”

Sunghoon is quick to wave his hands back and forth, “I’m not, but you do look prettier than the flowers themselves. No offense to the flowers or anything”

“Thank you and none taken! Now come on, let’s get cooking!” And with that being said, you start cooking all sorts of things. His music is playing in the background and everything is going a lot smoother than you expected it to be. The time passes by and before you two know it, his & your friends have arrived.

It’s really awkward at first until everyone is eating and getting to know each other. After eating, it’s board game time. Somehow it slipped your mind how competitive Yeonjun and Beomgyu were. To be fair, you and the boys haven’t had time to have a game night recently. And putting them with a larger group of competitive people, you already know how chaotic it’ll be. Especially with Sunoo and Ni-ki. You sit and watch as it unfolds.

It‘s your own little entertainment show with the way they’re all seriously playing uno. They’re playing like their life depends on it. No mercy and it’s endless screaming from each other. Claiming that someone didn’t say ‘uno’ after having one card or that they shouted it before the other. If someone had heard them, they’d think that a fight was going on.

At the end of that one of the rounds, you decide to wash the dishes. As soon as Hoon noticed, he instantly mirrored your actions. What type of host would he be to have his guest clean up? A bad one, that’s what. Besides, he didn’t mind. He’s been growing to enjoy being around you. So are you but it’s still too early.

He ends up washing the dishes while you dry them. Setting them aside for now until he tells you where they go. You two talk about how funny it is that your friends get along well. Both of you assumed it was going to be too awkward. The topic of planning more events together came up. You surely weren’t opposed to it and sure that the other boys would love it. Solaris square is filled with older adults and families. So it’s nice to see adults around your age.

The boys and everyone else was outside. Playing yet another game. Leaving you two alone and felt like it was perfect timing to ask him. Your level of courage rose up and clearing your throat while maintaining eye contact with him.

“Sunghoon. Tell me, do you have magical powers? More specifically, ice ones?”

His eyes grew in size. Backing away from you and hands shaking. He hadn’t really told anyone. He was scared of himself and hurting someone accidentally. Sunghoon wondered if you figured that he was the one behind that incident.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to admit it but I have something to show you” Grabbing the flowers from earlier, you demonstrated your powers like you did for the boys. It was crazy to do this but maybe it’d help him feel like he’s not alone.

If you remember correctly, you were the same. Finding out that you had a supernatural power and all. You didn’t know anything about it and how powerful it could be.

A deep breath came in and out of him. “I do, y/n. Please know that I didn’t know I had them until a few months ago, and if you haven’t already figured it out. I’m the one who shot that icicle that one night. I was frustrated and it just came out of my hands. I’m really really sorry. I hope you can forgive me.” A shaky breath follows after his confession.

“I would tell you it’s okay but I forgive, I suppose. After getting to know you more, you don’t seem like someone who would kill me. Please don’t make me regret saying that”, Letting out a nervous chuckle.

“Anyhow, now you know about my powers and I know about yours. Your secret is safe with me if you do the same with mine.”

“Of course, y/n. Thanks again. I’m trying to learn more about my powers and what I could do with mine”, He places a finger on his chin tapping it.A couple seconds pass by. “Hopefully, it’ll be as creative as yours. Running a flower shop. It’s creative and pretty clever too.”

You can only react to hearing that by shooting finger guns at him. Along with wearing a smirk, you know it’s creative and clever.

The day ends with everyone saying goodbye. Exchanging contact numbers and hugs. This would be a day that goes down in the books. Believe it or not, they all almost convinced Sunghoon to hold an impromptu sleepover at his place.

Once you changed into comfortable clothes, you were left thinking about how today went. You finally did it. A little smile on your face before drifting off to sleep. Dreaming about the future of your now larger friend group and the future in general.

Sunghoon drops by more often at your shop. Instead of the boys bringing you breakfast, he’s the one who does it now. Is it really Yeonjun or the others without trying to beat him in doing it? They all joke that he’s stealing their job and whine about it. But they also know that you’re starting to prefer him dropping it off for you than them.

You and Hoon have gotten closer over the time span of a few months. Y’all aren’t dating (yet). He’s still getting used to living here and you’re busy with your store. However, whenever you two hang out (read as dates), the affinity you two hold for each other increases.

A few dates are spent catching up. The others are spent helping him learn about his powers and controlling them.

“Hoon, you can’t be shy about using them. Be confident and blast them!”

“But what if I hurt you? Or hurt something else?”

“We’re in the middle of fucking nowhere. And you can do it. I believe in you!” You pump your arms up and down. Yelling encouraging comments at him until ice shoots out of him. It amazes you every time he does. The progress might be slow but it’s still progress.

“How was that one??” He looks at you for any type of reaction. “It could be better, to be honest.” You deadpan at him.

“Come on! You’re being too mean.” Shaking your head no. “I’m really not. I know you can do better! When you’re better at them, then you can thank me then. For now, let’s practice it again”

----- 

More time passes by and he’s got the hang of it. Hoon can build and shape the ice now. Before you know it, he’s working on ice-sculpting. You’ve never seen him so concentrated something before.

Sunghoon makes you look away when he’s working on it. So whenever you two are hanging out, you’re doing your own thing while he is at work with it. Saying that it’s something really special and a surprise for you. As a major thanks for sticking around with him and helping him out when he didn’t know who to talk to.

It keeps you waiting but you know it’ll be worth the wait. And so you wait. You are proven correct when he finally reveals it to you. It took super long for him to perfect because of the additional coloring and getting the details from Soobin and the others. He won’t tell you this but he was quite nervous to get their help. They’re all kind to him but man are they scary when he approaches them. Especially Yeonjun.

The day of the reveal happens at the beginning of one day. Going to open up your store, Taehyun tells that there’s something and someone waiting for you. Walking in puzzled, you see Sunghoon standing next to a freezer. He tells you to open it.

Your jaw drops and speechless for a few good minutes. There’s no way. It’s so stunning. Even down to the details, it’s practically perfect. Inside the freezer is an ice sculpture of you holding the bouquet he gave you.

“You know how flowers grow and lean towards the sun. Well you’re like my sun and I couldn’t help but bloom into you.” If you weren’t already swooning super hard for him, you were absolutely losing it right now even more. “If you couldn’t already tell, this is my way of telling you that I like you. A lot actually. So what do you say? Will you be mine?”

“Sunghoon. I cannot believe you did all of this. You even got the flowers right and gosh I love this so much”, you make your way to him and kiss him on the cheek.

“To answer your question, yes. Of course! I would be lying if I said that I didn’t like you. I like you a lot too.”

After saying that, your friends and his friends pop out. They holler and cheer for you two finally getting together. Not to mention, some of them even bet on when Hoon was going to do it.

- time skip to years later -

You still run your flower shop and he nows run his little ice-sculpting business. Over the years, you two to a certain extent run a business together. Usually for events and weddings. Taking care of the floral arrangements as he takes care of building the sculpture(s).

It’s a bit strange but you two make it work. Sometimes, you’ll even work with Hoon to create one-of-a-kind pieces; how? by adding your flowers in the artwork.

Who knew a flower shop owner and an ice-making boy would end up together?

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Please forgive me for the quick ending 😭 I was running out of creative juices and it was late! Nonetheless, thank you so much for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it and even if you didn’t thanks for reading.

Please leave feedback! Let it be constructive criticism b/c I know I’m not the best when it comes writing (but I also am writing for fun, so please don’t break my heart). Also reblog, leave feedback through a note or send an ask if you liked it!

Take care, ily, drink water, sleep well, eat good food, and stream MANIFESTO: DAY 1 <33 

signing off

- ash

[iyeonjuni]

hi this is a txt and enhypen collab event hosted by val @fairybinie, sue @soobnny and me @iyeonjuni ! (thank u val and sue <33) i’m treating this collab event as all of us hitting milestones at around the same time so YAY!! i have never done this before SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME .

THEME

the theme for this collab is superpowers! whether your chosen idol or the reader themselves are superheroes, supervillains or even just someone with an ability, the fic HAS to have some sort of power involved! despite the title, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a love story, the dynamic is entirely up to you!

RULES & GUIDELINES

first come, first serve basis. you can only choose one member! there will be a total of 21 slots as all three hosts are participating as well. (2 slots for each member)

no nsfw please! all works must be strictly sfw!! suggestive themes are fine but only for the adult members. please be at least 14+ to join!!

all warnings, synopsis, pairing and genre must be stated before the fic.

works should be no less than 1k. (no timestamps, drabbles, reactions, smaus). all fics should be one shots (no series please). there is no maximum word count so go wild. but make sure to put works under ‘keep reading’. the codeword is #super.

pairings should be member x reader or member x oc only.

NO PLAGIARISM - you will be removed.

HOW TO APPLY

REBLOG this post!

please fill in THIS FORM — once you have been accepted i will dm you with confirmation and put your name next to your desired slot!

the due date for this collab is july 15 (my birth🤩) and the last drop out date will be april 28th! once all works are posted i will be making a masterlist!!

please include #POWEROFLOVE💥COLLAB in your tags when posting your fics!

all forms of communication and updates will be in dms. if you have any questions feel free to dm any of us!

SLOTS

TXT — FULL!

CHOI YEONJUN: @iwonzzi / @jjunis

CHOI SOOBIN: @fairybinie / @day6andetcetera

CHOI BEOMGYU: @iyeonjuni / @ijhyo

KANG TAEHYUN: @choi-y-n / @sunlightwoo

HUENING KAI: @moonsluvr / @heelvsme

ENHYPEN — FULL!

LEE HEESEUNG: @scented-morker / @staysstrays

PARK JONGSEONG: @hyukaas / @mygnolia

SIM JAEYUN: @soobnny / @jung-breadshop

PARK SUNGHOON: @ethereal-engene / @heesplanet

KIM SUNOO: @yyunari / @twilightau

YANG JUNGWON: @jungwoniics / @celestialgyu

NISHIMURA RIKI: @amakumos / @honeyheeseung

[day6andetcetera]

All rights reserved to © day6andetcetera

Please do not copy, translate, repost, steal my work, and/or claim them as your own. All of my works belong to me. Please respect the writers who put time and effort on their writings.

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Groups I'm currently writing/planning to write for: TXT, DAY6, SKZ, GOT7, BTS, ITZY

I will not be writing mature content, all works will be sfw

TXT

Choi Yeonjun

CHILD OF THE VESSEL: imagine, scientist AU, horror, fluff

Prelude to Child of the Vessel: work in progress

love will bloom: drabble, fluff

03:20 p.m. (no specific genre, possibly supernatural and angst)

Choi Soobin

If 🦇 Vampire 🦇 Soobin became a ✨ TikTok star✨ headcanon: crack, Vampire! Soobin, TikTok star! Soobin

7:30 timestamp, fluff

Dream come true: Oneshot, fluff, angst crack, high school AU, super power AU (POWEROFLOVE 💥 COLLAB), fem OC, PG-13

Choi Beomgyu

Ghosting: oneshot, angst

Kang Taehyun

Nothing yet

HueningKai

Nothing yet

Stray Kids

Nothing yet

DAY6 (OT4)

Park Sungjin

Nothing yet

Kang Younghyun (Young K/Brian Kang)

Stray puppy: oneshot, Fluff

Kim Wonpil

Voiceless: headcanon, writer! Wonpil x Mermaid! Reader, slight fluff, angst

Yoon Dowoon

Nothing yet

GOT7

Nothing yet

BTS

Nothing yet

ITZY

Nothing yet

[day6andetcetera]

Dream Come True

word count: 17.2k (I am so sorry)

genre: fluff, angst, crack, high school AU, super power AU 

synopsis: Anaya Tiwari was not only your average highschool idiot, she could see the future in her dreams! She and her best friend Beomgyu are the only ones aware of this. Until she sees fire and a mysterious boy in her dreams, will she be able to stop a disaster that could burn her heart?

warnings: life threatening situation (fire), near death situation/s, hospital description, injury description (blood/burn), dirty jokes, swearing, mention of insects, some scenes of bullying (verbal berating, malicious rumors), physical fights, jokes about being a fujoshi (women who ship male-male romance) (for clarification there is no mlm romance in this story) 

rating: PG-13.

pairing: Choi Soobin X Precognitive dreamer! OC (Anaya Tiwari)

Side characters: Choi Beomgyu and Choi Yeonjun (from TXT)

Author Note: I really took 5 months to write this dumpster fire huh? Anyways, I really put in a lot of effort to write this, special thanks to my irl friends who were willing to read it and give feedback! And thank you Cici for letting me participate in the Power of Love Collab! Hope everyone enjoys my writing! Feedback would be highly appreciated :))))))

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“Hand burn, tree cat, Gyu trips, red t-shirt, nose fly, big fire, hand burn, tree cat, Gyu trips, red t-shirt, nose fly, big fire…” Anaya started to mumble as soon as she woke up and sleepily fumbled around to find her dream journal. Journal would be too grand of a name for the nameless pocket sized red notebook on her study desk, at which she pawed clumsily.

She grabbed it alongside a random pen on the desk and scribbled down the words she was chanting. She stood up in half woken daze and went to the bathroom in the hallway to freshen up. Anaya grabbed the burn ointment, wondering who would get hurt today, but she was sure it wasn't her. She didn't see much in her dreams, just that there was some batter in a pan and the hand touched the hot pan. 

She got ready to go to school, rushing since she was already running late. Well, technically she did have the time to eat something filling for breakfast if she wanted to, but she'd rather catch the bus on time. Running to school was something she’d like not to do again. 

She ran down the stairs and went to the kitchen to see her mother making pancakes for today's breakfast.

"Good morning mom" she quickly said while reaching for an apple from the fruit basket. "I'm running late so I'll be skipping breakfast with you today" Anaya said while going out of the kitchen. "Okay be home before five" her mother said half-heartedly, focused on the task at hand. 

Anaya stopped by the doorway, The pan…. “Hey mom be careful not to—” “OW”  Anaya's mother yelped before her warning got through. “Well” she muttered to herself, “at least I tried.” 

“Anaya stop mumbling and get the first aid kit will you?” her mother said with much annoyance, and ran to the sink to hold her burnt hand under the running tap. 

She nodded with tight lips as she walked to her and took her mother's hand, gently putting the ointment on the burnt areas. Her mother quizzically looked at her. "How did you...". 

Anaya paused before shrugging, "I saw it in my dreams today, though I know you don't believe it anyways." She said, her voice turning into an inaudible mumble towards the end and let go of her mother’s treated hand. 

Her mother shook her head "It's just a coincidence, don't get too worked up" “I always see something in my dream that comes true—” “Not all the time Anaya, you just have an active imagination. Getting some things right once in a while doesn’t mean you can predict the future.” her mother looked back down at her hand to look for any further damage. 

“Oh yeah? How did I know our neighbor fell into the pool of his backyard last month before it happened?” “Mr. Rodriguez is a predictably clumsy man, there’s nothing to get excited about if one of the dreams about him is true. You thought that there would be an earthquake near our town last week but that never happened now did it?” 

“No,” Anaya mumbled, “that earthquake happened in another part of the world”. Her mother nodded, “See? You simply have an active imagination, now stop making up stories like that and get your head in studying, your grades are a disaster!” She went back to the stove to finish up the pancakes.

Anaya sighed, grabbed the apple on the table and walked back to where she dropped her bag “Anyways I'm running late, I'll see you later" she said as she slammed the door on her way out. So much for seeing the future in my dreams, she thought with a huff and took a bite from her apple.

Anaya walked to the neighborhood bus stop to wait for her bus to school. She kept hearing consistent meows as she came under the shade of the tree. Confused, she looked around before looking up. Amongst the darker shade of the leaves, she saw a pair of eyes looking back at her.

Heterochromia, she thought as she noticed the blue and green eyed creature on the tree. It moved to a lighter part of the branch to reveal itself as a white cat. Doesn’t look like a stray, Anaya thought as she looked carefully at the cat, it shook and looked back at her to start meowing.

“Hey kitty kitty are you stuck” she cooed at the cat, the cat meowed back. Anaya felt that she might have seen this cat before, maybe in a dream? She shook her head, she knew than to think that. Not every dream is meant to be.

The cat continued meowing as it looked at her, moving slightly to adjust itself. Suddenly the cat fell from the branch and on instinct, Anaya leaped forward to catch the cat. Stumbling a little as she stood up with the cat in her hand. The cat had its front paws on her shoulder as it was trying to climb on her. 

“Didn’t get enough from climbing on a tree, now you want to climb on me too?” She giggled at the cat’s antics. Shortly after, the bus arrived. Tree cat, check, she thought to herself as she gently put down the cat, waved at it as it walked away, and got up onto the bus.

She looked around and found that Beomgyu was already on the bus. Beomgyu was her ride-or-die partner-in-crime, in other words her best friend since she was in diapers. She sat next to him, he was sleeping with his temple on the window. 

She booped his nose and he stirred from his sleep. "Ugh, stop it", he swatted her hand away from his face. Anaya chuckled. She sat next to him and intertwined her arm with his, Beomgyu fell asleep again. Anaya brought out her dream journal from her backpack and cross marked the dreams that came true, X Hand burn, X Tree cat.

Anaya knows for a fact, that if any random person knew of her abilities, she would be seen as a lucky girl, to see what others want to see, to see things that others spent fortunes to know running after scam fortune tellers, to know the things that people fear the most for not knowing. 

But truthfully, she feels the opposite. She felt lost, even with a seemingly wonderful power, she felt powerless. Time felt like an inevitable winner. No matter how many times she could get a glimpse of the future, time would always surprise her; either for the best, the mundane, or the worst. She could never cheat in the games of time. 

Every dream felt like trying to see Schrödinger's Cat, she could see it alive and well in her dreams but in reality it could be dead. Sometimes her dreams opened the wrong box of possibilities. Because of this, she wondered if she would ever have any sense of direction in her life. 

In all these whirling thoughts, Anaya dozed off not too late. She leaned onto Beomgyu’s shoulder and fell soundly asleep. She was met with a comforting sight , the mysterious boy. The boy whom she's been seeing in her dreams for a very long time. 

She saw him in small snippets, never prolonged sightings. Like long lost memories that resurface for an instance, jumbled up together but never coherent. She never sees a whole lot to tell her much about him, just simple moments of being with him, holding hands with him, conversations filled with sweet but light words, movie nights in pillow forts, study dates in the library. 

He was like the dream boyfriend wrapped in good looks, whatever she could remember about him, his eyes, lips, hair, hands, were so indescribably beautiful to her. She could never get enough of him. 

Truthfully she was in love with him, well maybe not in love but a sort of infatuation for her own dream boy. She wasn’t sure if the universe, time or whatever heck governs the laws of existence, was playing an elaborate prank on her to get her hopes up, because this person felt too good to be true. 

There was a bump on the road and Anaya woke up with a jerk. She woke up rather quickly, too quickly for her liking. She was enjoying the dream she was having. She took out her dream journal from her backpack and started writing out what she saw. 

"Pretty boy" she wrote with hearts on her little grand-but-not-so-grand notebook for a journal, several pages having the same writing. Beomgyu, having had enough sleep, peaked at her journal, only to give a disgusted look. "Seriously? Again?" She simply stuck out her tongue at him in response.

Everyone was bored out of their minds in English class. Anaya felt like the ticking sounds of the clock was worth more to notice than the teacher in front of her. 

The teacher, Miss Jones, was reciting a passage from the assigned story for the week, occasionally instructing everyone to pay attention and take notes of the parts they didn't understand, but the thing is nobody understood anything that came out of her mouth other than noting the obviously fake obnoxious British accent. 

She took sips of tea from her Gryffindor mug to make her hoarse voice sound less like sandpaper to the students’ ears, but to no avail. She continued to read as the students grew impatient for the sweet relief of lunch time.

“To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other and to feel. That is the purpose of life.” Suddenly, as if on cue, a fly went up Miss Jones’s nose as she finished that sentence. She shook up in the sudden attack and tried to blow her nose in instinct, successfully exiting the fly from her nose. 

However the persistent fly kept bugging her, she tried her best to swat away the fly with her book of short stories she was reciting from, the work of the class long forgotten. 

The audience, the whole English class, served a mixed reaction of stifled laughter and plain dumbstruck confusion. Beomgyu sneakily recorded the incident for his snapchat story, Anaya just shook her head at him. 

As if to end Miss Jones’s embarrassment, the bell rang announcing lunch time for all, and Anaya bolted from her seat towards the classroom door, Beomgyu did the same. The fly also stopped going around Miss Jones, probably finding better things to do. 

In the packed hallways, Beomgyu outran Anaya and reached the staircase railings, hands on his knees as he breathed heavily, then stood up for an obnoxious fist pump as if he won the Olympics. “Was that even necessary Gyu?” she chuckled as she got closer to him at the stairs. 

He simply shrugged, “No, but it feels good to beat you every time.” “I wasn’t even trying, you wouldn’t have won if I did.” “Yeah sure keep telling yourself that”, Beomgyu said as he ruffled her hair. Anaya fixed it back with a huff and followed him down the stairs..

“Oh right, Beomgyu, did you get your math paper? The one graded on ten?” She spoke up, the two walked in unison, almost like a casual march down the stairs. Beomgyu looked down at her, “Yeah, I got five.” Anaya stopped walking. 

“WHAT??? I got ten on it, and you basically copied mine!” She looked up at Beomgyu with a bewildered look and he in turn looked at her with a sheepish smile. “Actually I changed my answers cuz I have trust issues when it comes to you and math Anaya.” Both were standing near the window in the staircase facing the school courtyard. 

Anaya glared at him. “You have a LOT of guts for saying that with a five Choi.” Beomgyu laughed at her cute attempt at being intimidating. “This was an exception for the both of us Tiwari, don’t let this get to your head for acing a quiz this once.” He flicked her head and ran down the stairs, Anaya chased after him. 

He giggled like a five year old running down the stairs, just then Anaya had a moment of realization.” Beomgyu be careful, stop running” she reached her hand forward, close enough to grab him. “Catch me loser”, was all he said, turning his head to the side while running. 

Suddenly Beomgyu’s foot slipped from the step. He gripped onto the railing tightly to balance himself and stood up slowly, nodding at the passersby as well as Anaya who stood with one hand still extended and the other holding the railing. “I’m okay.” Beomgyu said with a bashful smile, taking another step. This time, he fell again, and this time, he didn’t hold the railing and hit his left elbow with the sharp edge of one of the steps. 

“Oh my God Beomgyu, you idiot! Are you okay!?” Anaya ran to him, the cut on his elbow seeping blood onto the sleeve of his navy blue oversized t-shirt. “It doesn’t hurt that much, don't worry.” He said, eyes fixated on his sleeve getting darker and darker with the stain of blood as he hyperventilates. “Here, come on, get up. We’re going to the nurse’s office.” She held his right arm and helped him stand up, the both held hands as they walked slowly to the nurse’s office.

They entered the cafeteria together and got into the long line to get their food. “So besides me almost falling to death, has anything else come true from your dreams today?” Beomgyu asked her while following her. She turned her neck to the back and looked up to meet his gaze, the corner of her lips tugging upwards. 

“Surprisingly a lot actually, I saved the cat that fell from the tree near the bus stand, and Miss Jones’s incident in English class.” Beomgyu snickered at the not so distant memory of his teacher. “O yeah, that happened.” Then he paused. “Wait a minute. Hey, you could save a cat and not me? I almost hit my head back there!” 

Anaya shook her head at his accusation as she scanned the cafeteria. “Because Beomgyu, I tried to warn you, but it didn’t work did it? That’s cuz I can’t physically stop something from happening, ‘cause it will manifest itself into something so drastically different.”

She turned around to face Beomgyu while slowly walking backwards “You saw how after warning you before you tripped, caused you to fall anyways? That was how it became different in the worst way possible, you would have only missed a step or two if I hadn’t intervened, but now” she gestured at his injured elbow “you’re left with that." 

Beomgyu crossed his arms and nodded in understanding. "You know, even after all this time, I still don't get your dreams, what's the point of getting to see stuff like this if there's no way to change stuff for the better?" “Well some things aren’t meant to be changed, some things also never end up happening, there’s always a sense of suspense to these dreams''. 

She kept peeking over her shoulder to be sure she won’t bump into anyone, and continued to walk backwards “But sometimes we try to change them, and we get something we could never imagine in our wildest dreams.” Anaya smirked, as if she held some wisdom that Beomgyu will never understand. Beomgyu just gave her a bored look.

Just as Anaya was about to turn, she crashed into something, or more like someone. She looked straight ahead on this person’s chest and instantly saw a soaked red t-shirt. Mentally cursing herself, she reached for some tissues near the cafeteria counter and frantically started dabbing their chest. 

“Oh my God I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to —” she tried looking up at the said person’s face as she kept rambling on her apology when suddenly she froze. She recognized him. Him.

"O my god Soobin your banana milk" she vaguely heard Choi Yeonjun's voice, the star player of the basketball team (and Beomgyu’s “nemesis” but that’s not the point). The Soobin in question was the tall body with broad shoulders she just bumped into, the boy who came to her dreams, who was looking back at her eyes wide with shock. 

Anaya made some observations: Soobin is the name of her dream boy, Soobin is a real person, he is the new kid in school, she spilled banana milk all over his chest. He has the prettiest eyes and the cutest blushing face. Her hand was on his chest for way longer than necessary.

Anaya backed away and kept apologizing the way she was doing before she acted like a creep, Yeonjun was standing behind Soobin, relishing the awkward meeting with stifled laugh, Beomgyu kept looking at Anaya with a “why am I friends with this loser” face. 

She kept apologizing and bowing and walking backwards and then sprinted from the cafeteria. Beomgyu, seeing her behavior, also ran out of the cafeteria. He knew where she would run to so he wasted no time. Soobin and Yeonjun on the other hand, stood in the cafeteria, some people still staring at them after what happened. "What was that about?" Yeonjun was the first one to speak up, Soobin, still in a daze, simply shrugged.

Anaya could swear to God that never ran this fast in her life. Usain Bolt who? Anaya Tiwari is the fastest human alive. Within a minute and a half she ran to the other side of the school area, to the research building housing the labs and the library. 

Well, no one really calls it the “research” building, everyone would rather call it the “red” building owing to the red bricks that were exposed for the aesthetic value. She ran up to the top floor of the library to her spot, a desk next to a window that was sandwiched between the fiction shelves. 

She sprinted to her seat and immediately put her head down, encircling her head with her arms and groaned deeply. She couldn’t tell if her face was hot from the Sun or sheer embarrassment. 

She didn’t know if she should cry or not, and if she did cry would it be happy tears for finally meeting her literal dream boy, or would it be of guilt and embarrassment for ruining his first day in school and potentially creeping him out in the process. 

She took a few deep breaths to ground herself. Anaya, you are completely fine, that was an accident, I’m sure he wouldn’t hate you. She tried to console herself with internal self talk before saying out loud, “What if he does hate me for this?”

“He won’t hate you for this.” Beomgyu said as he approached the table, flushed face from running in the sun. He lazily walked to his spot on the desk and sat opposite to Anaya, placing his bag on the seat next to him. 

She looked up and pouted at him, “How are you so sure about that?” “Because that’s stupid, it was clearly an accident and I’m pretty sure even he wasn’t paying attention” He grabbed Anaya’s bag and took a tissue and wiped his forehead. 

Both of them in silence for a minute in the cool AC room, cooling down from the heat of the afternoon and from the embarrassing event from earlier. 

“Hey, why did you run like that anyways? Like sure, you were groping his barely existing pecs but like, you honestly looked like you saw a ghost or something.” Beomgyu asked while fanning his top, his sleeve that was washed still had outlines of the blood stain from earlier.

Anaya, who zoned out for a second looking out the window, snapped out of it in annoyance and looked at him. “First of all, he has a better chest than you” — she reached out over the table to stab her finger into his chest with significant force to prove her point, Beomgyu winced at the attack, “second of all, he is the same guy from my dreams”. That new information made his jaw drop. 

“Wait, what? WHAT? Like the dream boy? The one you keep obnoxiously writing and doodling about? I thought he wasn’t real? I thought he was just someone you made up.” Anaya reached over the table again to lightly punch him on the shoulder, he whimpered as she sat down again. “Well, I also thought he wasn’t real until I saw him. I am as equally surprised as you are”.

She sighed and took out the notebook that is her dream journal onto the table and crossed the events that came true, double X for “Gyu fall” and scribbling “pretty boy” next to “red t-shirt” and underlining that point for importance. Meanwhile, this new information marinated in Beomgyu’s head, his irises moving around with focus as his mind raced to connect the dots. 

Suddenly he looked at Anaya’s face and leaned in with his elbows on the table, his voice held a sense of uncertainty but a serious concern as he asked “Do you think he knows you?” Anaya stopped stress-doodling paw-prints on her notebook and looked up at him, “What? That’s HIGHLY unlikely to happen” she stressed on her assumption of the likeliness of Beomgyu’s concern. Beomgyu leaned back in his seat and faced towards the window that looked over the volleyball field, the sophomore year students playing in their orange on black sports uniform. 

"But still," Beomgyu spoke up again, "he was very weird about this situation, it makes sense that you were weird but why did he act so… I don't know, he didn't look pissed or weirded out by you. It made me feel really iffy about what he actually felt about the whole situation." 

Anaya closed her notebook and rested her chin on her clasped hands. She thought of Beomgyu's words carefully, or at least as much as she could think with her mind running faster than she could comprehend. 

"True, he did act a little weird" she spoke with furrowed brows and huffed, trying to make sense of everything that happened. "Oh my god, what if we are soulmates?!" she exclaimed all of a sudden. 

She looked at Beomgyu, he looked at her with annoyance as he tried to make sense of her, she continued. "Why else would I see him, him of all people in the world, and that too meeting him now", her index finger pushed down on the table to stress on the significance of the timing of the whole situation. 

Beomgyu held out his hands, his palms facing Anaya, waving as if to physically stop her from jumping to conclusions. "Okay, that could be an option, but don’t get ahead of yourself." Anaya's face dropped for a second but then filled with curiosity, he continued "What if you guys are meant to be friends right? Like soulmates don’t necessarily mean romantic love, it could even be platonic”. 

Anaya deflated at his words, she let her forehead rest on her clasped hands, “well yeah I guess that’s also an option, he could just be here to be my friend” she sighed loudly before continuing, “but even thinking he’d want to be friends would be a stretch after what I did, pretty sure he thinks I’m a man-boob grabbing pervert who spilled milk on him on purpose”. 

Beomgyu, who was drinking from his water bottle, choked and started laughing after he gained his composure. “Okay first of all,” he spoke up with an index finger pointing at Anaya to make sure she gets the point, though his voice still buzzed with the urge to laugh again. “It was an obvious accident, and second of all,” he raised a second finger, “nobody thinks you are a pervert?!?!? You don’t even have the face of a pervert!” he said comically, his voice almost pitched up to a sarcastic whine. 

Anaya responded with a straight face “Dude, I literally make dick jokes with you all the time” Beomgyu waved her comment off  “Eh that’s nothing, we’re bros, bros do that stuff all the time.” 

The duo giggled and fell into a silence as their amusement died down, Anaya spaced out and frowned, Beomgyu noticed. “Hey,” he said to her and held her and to give her some comfort, “don’t worry, things will work out between you guys. I’m sure he won’t hate you. Just talk it out” he smiled the most reassuring smile he could muster, she nodded back. 

They fell into a comfortable silence, he took Anaya’s neglected pen and started doodling on the table a scene of alien abduction, Anaya idly flipped through her notebook and read the dreams she had of Soobin before and smiled fondly. She was having a hard time believing he was real, but seeing is believing right? 

“But there is one problem though” Anaya sighed as she closed her notebook again, Beomgyu looked up at her from the doodle he was making on the table. “What problem? Soobin? You just need to talk to him”. Anaya sheepishly looked down “Yeah…how am I supposed to do that?” she said as she looked up at Beomgyu, who now looked so done with her 

“Anaya you clown I swear to God!” Beomgyu pinched the bridge of his nose. “You already talked to him once—” “Yeah cuz I bumped into him and spilled banana milk over him” “AGAIN IT WAS BY ACCIDENT YOU DIPSHIT, but whatever that’s not the point. The point is he already knows you. So if you ask me, half the work is done here, you just need to talk to him again. Simple”. 

Anaya looked at him as if he grew a second head. At that point she was ready to abandon society and become a hermit rather than having to face Choi Soobin again. She shook her head at Beomgyu and looked down at her notebook and flipped through the pages absent mindedly and said “well then genius I didn’t exactly leave the best first impression in the first place and now you expect me to just straight up talk to him after that?” 

Beomgyu gestured with extended hands as if she said the most obvious thing. “Yes! Think about it. It’ll be the perfect excuse to talk to him, and plus we know he’s new around here. You could apologize again and start a conversation with him talking about where he’s from and so on, later could invite him for a coffee or something as a proper apology for that mishap.” 

Anaya hesitated as she nodded slowly, “I’ll think about it, Gyu.” Beomgyu smiled. He looked around and suddenly froze “O hell no” he said. Anaya looked at him quizzically, “What happened?” Beomgyu paid no mind to what she said. He tried to hide his face with the dream notebook he snatched from Anaya, while chanting a string of curses, mostly saying “o shit o shit o shit”. 

But this was to no avail. Choi Yeonjun already made eye contact with him, and his antics were making him blaringly obvious like a red siren. 

Yeonjun came to their table and slammed his hands onto the desk, the librarian who happened to pass by shushed them loudly with a glare. He smiled at the duo as they looked back at him all the while they felt the need to run again.

“Hey there guys, mind if I sit?” He sat down on the chair next to Beomgyu, lifting the bag from the chair onto the table, before any of them could respond. “Uh… Hi Yeonjun? What are you doing here?” Beomgyu spoke with great hesitation, not wanting to be too impolite but at the same time not wanting to be too welcoming. Yeonjun, gave both of them his Cheshire cat smile but mostly at Anaya, slung his arm over Beomgyu’s shoulder. 

“Well I’m here as a messenger boy for my cousin, you know the new kid, Choi Soobin”. The color from Anaya’s face drained with the mention of that name. “I swear that was an accident! I REALLY didn't mean to bump into him like that and be that weird! I’m really really REALLY sorry about that incident!” she rambled on with a shrill voice, frantically shaking her head and waving her hands. 

The oldest of the three casually waved his hand, dismissing her concerns. Beomgyu was starting to feel uncomfortable and started fidgeting, Yeonjun held onto him tighter while keeping his smile plastered to his face. 

“It’s fine, he didn’t mind. He’s a dumbass and probably would have dropped that milk anyways” Yeonjun shrugged and Beomgyu took the opportunity to shift to the chair next to him, ensuring there was a one seat distance between them. Yeonjun pretended to be offended before he continued. “In fact, he feels the opposite, he actually wanted to talk to you, like in a non-pissed off kind of way”. 

This piqued Anaya’s interest. “Wait a minute, what do you mean by that?” Yeonjun shrugged and frowned, “that asshole didn’t bother to say why, I suppose he thinks you are just… I don’t, different? Is that the right word for it? He probably just found you intriguing.”

After Beomgyu heard this piece of information, he turned towards Anaya with wide eyes and his face grew into a smirk and mouthed “this is your chance”. 

She squinted at him and shook her head, and brought her focus back onto Yeonjun, “Look Yeonjun, I’m pretty sure you’re not here to only say that, what do you want out of all this?” She spoke with the sternest voice she could muster at that moment, trying not to slip up her words and keep up a professional feel.

Yeonjun laughed at her attempt at intimidation, “Aw sweetie, why do you guys have to assume I’m always mean? Just because I’m popular and attractive doesn’t make me a douchebag.” 

Anaya and Beomgyu looked at each other, Anaya tried not to laugh while Beomgyu cackled “Yeonjun, sweetie, nobody here thinks you’re attractive. Also yeah the only reasons you’re popular cuz A. you are in the basketball team, and B. the sophomore girls don’t know any better and fawn over guys who jump around with big balls” 

Anaya raised her eyebrows at Beomgyu but he paid no mind to it, he subconsciously leaned towards Yeonjun. 

Yeonjun was initially taken aback by Beomgyu’s bluntness, but then smirked and leaned towards him. “Well Choi Beomgyu, you sure have some balls of your own talking like that, mind sharing some?” Beomgyu’s face turned red and he backed away into his own space, Yeonjun smirk grew wider. “Thought so.”

Yeonjun faced Anaya, who was totally not weirded out by the whole interaction she just saw, and said to her, “The main reason I’m here is because I wanted to invite you to my party this Saturday—” he could see from his peripheral that Beomgyu was shooting daggers with his eyes so he added “Soobin would be there and he would definitely appreciate if you come.” 

He turned towards Beomgyu “You are free to come as well, pretty sure you wouldn’t want her to go alone to a party” “Of course I’d come, I’d never let her go to a loser’s party on her own, she’d be bored to death.” 

Yeonjun, choosing not to argue with Beomgyu, simply rolled his eyes, his gaze fell on Anaya’s notebook and his eyebrows quirked up. As he reached for it, Anaya grabbed it and hugged it, and only gave Yeonjun a nervous laugh “Uh you can’t read that haha, it has some um… really embarrassing poetry and shit heh.” Yeonjun looked at her quizzically with furrowed brows and nodded slowly as if he totally was not suspicious of her. 

“Uh okay… I don’t want to read your notebook, chill.” he said in a calm tone, his face still a confused look. The bell rang, and on cue Yeonjun got up, “Alright that was a lovely talk, uh hope to see you both on Saturday at my place.” he said with a tight lipped smile. He put his chair back in while Beomgyu looked at him weirdly, Yeonjun pretended not to notice. 

“Man didn’t think a guy like him had the decency to put his chair back in” Beomgyu spoke as soon as Yeonjun was out of ear shot. Anaya shook her head with furrowed eyebrows, “Really you need to stop, it’s getting weird.” “Stop what?” “Nitpicking everything Yeonjun does?? I know he’s an ass but what you are doing is rude and borderline obsessive, you need to keep yourself in check.”

Beomgyu crossed his arms, “I’m being perfectly reasonable, he is so… unbearable to be around? Yeah, that’s why I don’t like being around him, he’s an overrated player with an overinflated ego, with a horrible sense of humor, this better-than-you attitude, just, UGH! WHY DOES THIS GUY EVEN SHARE THE SAME NAME AS ME?? GROSS!! I HATE HIM !!!! ” he ended his usual anti-Yeonjun rant with the usual outburst, his hands in his hair making a mess of his hairdo. 

Anaya sighed at her friend as she packed her bag. “Seriously Beomgyu you are being dramatic—” she paused and smirked “if you think about it, you two would be cute together.” Beomgyu made eye contact with her and glared “Anaya. Don't.”

Anaya’s smirk grew, she loved annoying Beomgyu about Yeonjun. “Hey think about it,—” she said, mimicking Beomgyu’s tone from earlier when he tried to convince her to talk to Soobin “it can be like a double date situation”

Beomgyu’s face hardened “I will literally kill you Anaya.” Anaya cackled, the librarian who passed by again shushed her and looked at them with disapproval. “Okay, I'm just kidding, but I do see the possibility of a bromance between you two.” 

At that moment, Beomgyu was absolutely done with Anaya’s behavior. “I hate you, you know that? I really fucking hate you right now.” Anaya let out another laugh as she got up from her chair with her bag, Beomgyu doing the same. “And I love you too” she said as she did an obnoxious finger heart with a kiss. He shook his head as he made a disgusted face.

They apologized to the librarian for the trouble they caused as they went out of the library. “When will this week end?” Beomgyu groaned as he walked down the stairs, this time taking his steps carefully not caring that he was getting late to class. Anaya followed him. “It’s only Monday Gyu, we still have four more days of school.” 

Beomgyu groaned louder, the sound echoed in the stairway, “Why did you have to mention that? We even have to do Chemistry today, that too the lab class, ugh!” he stomped down the stairs, she followed with lazy steps. It was Monday, and Saturday was a long way to go, Anaya sighed and followed her friend to class.

Saturday came sooner than expected, much to Anaya’s dismay. Surprisingly enough, she shared her Chemistry class with Soobin; with whom she couldn’t find the courage to interact beyond passing a “I’m sorry” note on Monday during his first day. 

But she did catch him looking at her with a smile on his face a couple of times in classes during the span of the whole school week. That kept her hopes high. 

Beomgyu was there to keep her mood up as well, making sure she wasn’t too pessimistic about the Soobin situation, but at the same time not getting too ahead of herself. 

He felt the situation that was unfolding was too good to be true. He had his guard up when it involved Choi Yeonjun. The party they had to go to had occupied their minds during the weekdays.

As much as Anaya wanted to be excited for the party, the dreams she saw made her not want to go at all. She never saw whole events of anything that might happen at the party, just snippets of random scenes from it in her dream.

Every party related dream she woke up from she ended up nursing a migraine that day. All she could remember were pulsing lights, stench of alcohol, excessive PDA of drunk teenagers and people vomiting on the patio. For an introvert like herself, that didn’t sound like a scene she wanted to be a part of.

With a few hours to spare before the party and Anaya being a nervous wreck, Beomgyu dropped by her house early helping her pick out an outfit. Her mother welcomed him in and gave both of them snacks to eat, “Remember Beomgyu, don’t leave her alone, you know how she gets in new crowds.” He smiled at the older woman, “Don’t worry Mrs. Tiwari, you know me, I’ll keep her safe.”, Mrs. Tiwari smiled at the reassurance.

Her mother left the bedroom, the door left open as it always is when Beomgyu came over. He shuffled through her closet for any clothes that would be something that Soobin might like, but also not get Anaya in trouble with her parents. Anaya was sulking as she ate a sandwich, legs crossed as she sat on her bed.

“This party is going to be my worst mistake, I can feel it in my bones.” she huffed as she ate the last bite of her sandwich. Beomgyu shook his head but kept his focus on the task in his hands “It’s not gonna be that Anaya, stop being a sissy.” She stood up from the bed, “First of all you have no rights to tell me that,” Beomgyu gave her a side glance, Anaya held up her index finger as if to stop him from retaliating, “second of all the dreams I saw of the party don’t make it feel too appealing.”

“First of all” he began, he turned to face his friend, “I’m not the one who runs away from their problems, second of all, COME ON!!!! You said it yourself once that dreams don’t turn out the way you see them, why get hung up on them now?” His arms flailed at the last part of the outburst as if to strengthen his point.

“BECAUSE!!!” Anaya’s voice shrills at his outburst, as if to outperform her friend in the department of being extra, “This is wayyy out of my comfort zone! And I’d feel out of place over there…” she started mumbling at the end. Her fingers played with the hem of her oversized hoodie.

“Ugh you worry too much, you’ll be fine,” Beomgyu gave her a half hug and a back rub, she swung her arms around his waist to hold onto the comfort. 

“I’ll be there too. And you remember what Yeonjun said” his face scrunched up to even mention his name, “He said that Soobin is interested in you and wanted to get to know you! This is perfect! What better way to talk to your dream boy than at this party, right?” he looked down at Anaya, who simply pouted.

“Uh I mean I guess I don’t have a better option now do I?” She asked meekly. “You absolutely do not!” he said with a big smile, and patted her shoulder. 

“Ugh fine. But why are you more excited for the party than I am” she said as she brought her study chair close to Beomgyu, who didn’t work on the closet at that moment and was busy talking to her. ”This is not excitement, it’s called being an optimistic nervous wreck, I am scared as fuck for you,” he spoke with much concern in his voice “You are probably going to mess shit up.”

“Gee thanks for having faith in me,” she deadpanned, but then smiled “for a sec I was thinking you were excited to see Yeonjun again.” Beomgyu raised his eyebrow. “First of all I only speak facts, second of all I would never be excited to meet that piece of shit.” Anaya smirked, “Sure, keep telling yourself that.” 

Beomgyu sighed, “At this point I’m sure that you enjoy being an absolute fujoshi when it comes to me and Yeonjun.” Anaya giggled as he glared at her, “Hey, you can’t blame me, you make it too fun for me to quit annoying you about him.” she doubled over with laughter.

He shook his head, ignored her remarks and continued to pick out dresses for her. “Does this look good? Do you know Soobin’s favorite color or something?” he said as he offered her a pink gingham top with bright pink ribbons at the hem, too childish for a party. Anaya’s face scrunched up at it “Ew that looks tacky and no I don’t know that.”

He made an offended face before continuing “Okay whatever,” he said as he shuffled some more before pausing, “Oooo! This top though!” he pulled out a flattering black top “would look good with a pair of jeans right?” Anaya squinted her eyes at it as she comically rubbed her chin, Beomgyu looked at her expectantly. She chuckled, “Yeah I guess so? It does look good”

Beomgyu bumped his fist at his chest with a smile on his face, “See? I’m not half bad at being a stylist now huh?”

She snorted before taking a sip of soda her mother left in the room, “Yeah but you’re not half good either” she said gesturing to the tacky outfit he pulled out earlier. “HEY! Mistakes happen okay? Nobody’s perfect! Except Beyoncé.” Beomgyu said, crossing his arms. They both started laughing.

Beomgyu left the room to let Anaya get ready, and called an Uber to go to the party. They arrived at Yeonjun’s house quite early, most of the guests hadn’t arrived. The house was a typical suburban house, with shrubbery along the fence of the front yard, the patio having a metal frame rocking chair, moving by itself gently as a wind blew by. 

The duo got in the house, Anaya holding onto Beomgyu’s hand. The music was soft and the air cool from the outside wind. They both see Yeonjun talking animatedly to Soobin, Yeonjun waving around his arms while Soobin calmly nodded. 

Yeonjun was  the first one to notice them, he said as soon as they came close enough to hear him “Hey look at you all dolled you Anaya! So glad to see you here.” Both Anaya’s and Soobin’s ears turn red at this comment, Soobin wondering if she dressed up just for him, and Anaya wanting to slap Yeonjun to bring this kind of attention to her.

Yeonjun practically shoved Anaya towards Soobin (much to Beomgyu’s disapproval) and said, “You guys talk, I’ll get Beomgyu some of my special drinks from the kitchen” he took Beomgyu’s hand and speed walked to the kitchen, not before trying and failing to wink at Soobin. 

He sighed at his friend’s desperate wing-man behavior, before realizing he was standing alone with Anaya in the living room.

“Hey Banana girl, can’t believe we met again” Soobin chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. Anaya awkwardly smiled back, her heart running faster than her mind that tried to come with any thought. 

“Uh heh, we have the same Chemistry class silly, it’s not like we don’t see each other often ahah” were the only words she could churn out of her brain. She fidgeted with her hands, not knowing what to do. 

“Yeah true,—” Soobin awkwardly laughed and cleared his throat, “but we don’t get to talk that often”. Anaya bit her tongue. “Yeah that’s true too, I think I am partially responsible for that,” she coughed, she tried to steady her breath and her thoughts, her fingers still fidgeting. 

“I want to apologize for the thing that happened on your first day in school, I didn’t say sorry and ran off like that”, she spoke with her head down, her face burning in heat. She could swear the room got hotter by a few degrees. Sure, there were more people now, but she knew that wasn’t the reason.

Soobin, unaware of Anaya’s real feelings, said “Nah it’s okay, it was my fault too, I wasn’t paying attention". "You're not mad at me, right?” she spoke without thinking, and then resisted the urge to slap herself to sound so insecure. A smile creeped up his lips, without thinking, he patted her head, “I think that is nearly impossible for me, you seem like too sweet of a person to be mad at” 

“You barely know me” she spoke in an audible mumble, looking up at him, he could swear his heart would leap out of him. “Yeah but I wouldn’t mind getting to know you” he stopped himself, panicking how he would come across to Anaya, “As friends, of course” he added with a nervous laugh.

Anaya could swear the first half of what he said got her, but hearing him fully made her smile, she extended her right hand “Friends then?”. Soobin looked at her before he smiled “Friends it is!” He said as he shook her hand comically, which earned him a laugh from her as she shook her head at him.

Unbeknownst to the new friends, two boys were sneaking looks at them in the growing crowd, Beomgyu and Yeonjun were relieved to see them talk so comfortably.

“They grow up so fast.” Beomgyu said jokingly, swiping away non-existent tears from his eyes as he spoke. Yeonjun chuckled, it was a first for him to see Beomgyu act so goofy in front of him, Beomgyu turned to him and crunched up his face, “What are you so happy about?” “You seem so happy about her, you must be really close to her to feel this way.” 

Beomgyu was amazed to get a genuine, sympathetic observation from Yeonjun so it took him longer to respond than he intended. “Uh, yeah actually, we’ve been friends since we were babies, our parents were close, so close that our parents were shipping us since we were in diapers!” He chuckled remembering how awkward their parents made their play dates as kids. 

Yeonjun tilted his head at this “Did you ever have that kind of feelings for her though? I mean your parents were so adamant about your relationship with her and you know her since childhood, I’d not be surprised if there was even an inkling of romance between you two” 

Beomgyu was about to gag, was it from Yeonjun’s assumption, or the jungle juice he just tasted he wasn’t sure. “EW what?? No, she's literally like a sister to me, and she’s been obsessed with one guy for the longest time.” The last part slips from Beomgyu’s mouth before he could stop it, he mumbled a few curses at himself as he covered his mouth.

Yeonjun’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out “wait what, she already has a crush on someone? Oh fuck.” he face palms, head lowered and shaking side to side and groaned. Beomgyu simply looked lost at that moment. “Why are you acting so dramatic over Anaya having a crush on someone? Don’t tell me you were crushing on her or something” 

Yeonjun lifted his face from his palm to offer Beomgyu the most disappointed I-have-never-met-anyone-dumber-than-you face he could muster before he gave an actual response. “Well you moron, my friend Soobin has a thing for her and was hoping to hit it off with her and maybe have a connection with her after this party.” 

Beomgyu’s eyes widened but his smile grew as well, “Oh my God really? I can’t believe I was right, this is gonna be perfect!” he said with a thousand watt smile on his face. Yeonjun looked at Beomgyu as if he saw him suddenly grow a second head. “Why are you happy about this? Do you think it’s funny that my friend likes someone who doesn’t like him back?” 

Beomgyu panicked, “No no no no no” he said as he waved his hands frantically and shook his head. “I forgot to mention that uh, she found Soobin kinda cute and wanted to know him a bit more. I think this connection that Soobin is looking for might be a good chance for Anaya to look for the other fish in the sea? And not obsess over this one boy? Yeah that’s exactly what I meant” he lied through his teeth. He smiled as he finished his part and tried to sell his lie to Yeonjun.

He only offered the same face he offered when Anaya snatched her notebook from him, “Okay, I believe you, but Anaya better not hurt my friend’s feelings, especially to win over someone else”. He said with his finger pointed at Beomgyu as a threat. Beomgyu raised his hands in surrender, “Don’t worry, she won’t, she would never do that.” 

They both looked back at Anaya and Soobin, only to find they weren’t there. Beomgyu grew alarmed and without thinking grabbed Yeonjun by the collar and violently shook him, “WHERE IS ANAYA??? WAS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE A PART OF YOUR SICK PLAN???”. 

Yeonjun yanked Beomgyu’s hands off of him “GET OFF OF ME! And no I don’t know where they went—” Beomgyu simply glared at him, so he added “but I’m pretty sure they didn’t leave the house, otherwise we would have seen them.” 

Beomgyu’s face was red with rage as he pushed Yeonjun away, “Anaya better not get hurt in any way otherwise you and your friend are going to be in BIG trouble.” he growled at Yeonjun’s direction before going out of the kitchen to find Anaya, the people around him looking with concerned faces. 

Yeonjun followed his lead, one searched the top floors and the other the bottom, they found more shit faced drunk couples getting it on than they would want to. Finally they found the two in the backyard, sitting near the stone bonfire pit while looking at the night sky, being in their own world. The two boys looked at them from behind the glass doors of the house, Yeonjun looked fondly and Beomgyu sighed. 

“I’m sorry for acting like that, that was uncalled for.” he spoke up looking at Yeonjun, he shrugged it off, “It’s fine, it shows that you care about her, nothing to apologize for.” Yeonjun came close to him and ruffled his hair, Beomgyu got flustered. 

Just then Anaya slammed her hand on the glass door, the boys flinched at the sound. Anaya simply pressed her face on the door looking at them with a smug smile, before opening the door with Soobin. 

“Well it’s nice to see you two getting along” she said with a singsong voice, Soobin stood behind her with a goofy smile that refused to leave his face. “Yeah, we have a common goal now.” Yeonjun said with a Cheshire grin as he swung his arm over Beomgyu’s shoulder. Beomgyu was neither pleased nor necessarily annoyed with his contact. 

Soobin tilted his head, “And what might that be?” “Like we are going to tell you” Beomgyu snorted, Yeonjun laughed at Soobin’s and Anaya’s collective confusion. 

“You clowns better not do something funny, or else” Anaya stood in front of them with mock anger, Yeonjun flicked her head in a similar way Beomgyu usually does. “Don’t worry, we won’t do anything per se, we are simply going to keep an eye on you two” he pointed two fingers at his eyes then at the newly formed duo, Anaya sighed. “Okay whatever, just please don’t be more annoying than Beomgyu, he’s already a lot to deal with on a daily basis” “Hey!” “WELL IT'S TRUE”. 

Yeonjun grinned at their sibling-like energy, Soobin shifted near him, “Do you think this will work out?” he whispered timidly, “Trust me, you’ll be fine” Yeonjun spoke softly as he patted his cousin on the back. “Hey guys,” Yeonjun said to the bickering pair who seized their fight, “I ordered pizza for everyone a while ago, they should be here by now. Wanna go and eat?” 

Anaya perked up as soon as she heard pizza, “Is that even a question? Of course I want to eat, I’m famished!” Beomgyu shook his head and pushed Anaya’s head with his palm, “Okay Victorian child, we get it you're hungry” “That wasn’t Victorian, if I had to sound Victorian, I’d say Feed me with divine cheese crusted bread of meaty glory! For I am but skin and bones! My heart yearns for the—” “Oh my God please just shut up!” 

Soobin chuckled, Beomgyu pushed Anaya forward to the hallway as she did her best performance of a disparaged Victorian child. Yeonjun smiled at them, then spontaneously jumped onto Soobin’s back, he almost tripped but managed to gain new balance and held him securely on his back as he followed Beomgyu and Anaya to the kitchen. 

The duo gradually became a close group of four friends, most of the people in the school saw them as Yeonjun’s “less popular” friends, even when Yeonjun practically forced the two to sit with him and Soobin with the basketball team during lunch. Anaya never cared what others thought about them, neither did Beomgyu. 

Soobin did get a lot of attention from people, from his good looks and his sweet nature. Many girls fawned over him. Anaya tried her best not to get jealous, but it didn’t seem like a threat to her anyways. Soobin always turned all the other girls down. Things like that got her hopes up.

As the days went by, some of the dreams she saw about Soobin came true, and some moments with him felt better than any dream she ever had of him. Going on ice treats with him, studying in the library together, movie nights at Yeonjun’s place where they sneak glances at each other. She really felt her connection with Soobin was blooming. But one thing that kept bugging her is the dream about the fire. 

As far as she knew, there were no incidents within the past few weeks that involved fire. The fire she saw in her dream was huge, it looked like it wanted to consume everything, a merciless flame that spared no one. She remembered a white garment on fire, a white shirt? She wasn’t sure. But she couldn’t help but have a strange feeling about that dream. 

She would take as many notes as she could from what she retained from her dreams; googled all incidents for fire that involved the things she saw in her dreams, but to no avail. Even though Beomgyu helped her with the search, they still couldn’t find much.

Anaya’s mind was occupied with this persistent dream, so Beomgyu suggested having the four of them go out for movies after school on Friday. Except Beomgyu and Yeonjun bailed at the last moment and it was just Anaya and Soobin at the movie theater. Moments like this made Anaya want to strangle her best friend.

“Are you okay with this Anaya?” Soobin tapped her shoulder when they stood near the entrance of the movie hall, his hand holding the tickets Yeonjun gave him before running away saying something about extended practice. 

“You seemed a little out of it for the past few days, if you don’t want to watch the movie today, I’m sure all four of us will get to watch a movie together some other day.” He gave her a reassuring smile. 

She shook her head and smiled back. “It’s alright Binnie, I want to watch the movie,” she held his free hand, his cheeks grew red, “I want to watch a movie with you, and don’t worry about me, I’m just a tad bit stressed about school. Pretty sure today would be a great de-stresser for me” her smile grew a bit more genuine. 

He cleared his throat as he rubbed the back of his neck, smiling at the nickname she gave him, “Uh yeah um we should get some snacks before we get in the hall. You wanna grab some popcorn?” Anaya nodded eagerly, they both walked hand in hand, got some snacks, and walked into the movie hall.

They were enjoying the movie, giggling at the jokes of the characters and gloomy at their sadness. Anaya tried to keep her head straight but kept dozing off from exhaustion, Soobin noticed it and pulled her head to his shoulder to rest. Anaya mumbled a small “thank you” and he nodded. And soon enough she passed out.

Her dreams lead her back to the fire. A hungry fire in darkness, a strange voice she couldn’t make sense of too. Suddenly she saw herself surrounded by the fire, she was stuck. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t find a way out. She saw a hand reach for her, it was Soobin. Anaya reached for his hand. Then she saw the fire diminishing. Soobin laid on the floor among debris; his pale skin, burned and covered with ash. She ran to him and shook his lifeless body. She kept screaming his name over and over again.

“Anaya, wake up, the movie is over.” Soobin said as he gently shook her awake, they were still in the movie hall, the end credits were playing and the people were filing out of the hall. Anaya was bewildered for a moment before her eyes fixed on Soobin’s face and cupped his face “You’re alive! You okay Soobin?” she said with relief and a tired smile. 

Soobin, taken aback by the sudden affection, took her hands from her face and held them gently, “I’m alright Anaya, you must have seen a scary nightmare huh? You need some proper rest.” Anaya nodded and suddenly gave him a hug, Soobin returned the gesture with a scarlet face.

Soobin and Anaya walked out the theater hand in hand, the sun long gone as the stars twinkled in the sky. He didn’t pry into what her dream was about, considering how shaken up she was. He insisted he took a cab home with her, not wanting her to be alone. 

When they stopped at her house, he gave her a hug before she got off, “Please eat well and get some sleep, I think today was a bad idea” he said as he frowned. 

Anaya adamantly shook her head, “No! I needed this, seriously. And sorry for dozing off in the middle, I literally missed half of the movie.” Soobin chuckled, “It’s okay, you were tired, which is why you need some rest. So rest up this weekend so you can be alright next week, okay?” She nodded. 

Soobin at that moment wanted to hold her once more, so he did. He hugged her again, and kissed her softly on the forehead before letting go. She looked down and fidgeted with her fingers. “Um, okay I need to leave, see you next week?” Soobin nodded. “Good night.” “Good night Anaya.”

She got out of the cab and walked into her house as it drove off. For the rest of the night till she went to bed she thought about her dream. More specifically about Soobin. His burned lifeless body. His hand reached out for her through the fire. The voice that she couldn’t recognize being his. 

He is going to die because of me. She tossed and turned in her bed. What if it doesn’t happen? No, she couldn’t risk it, not when his life was at stake. For the first time ever, Anaya hates seeing the future, she had seen bad, horrible futures before, but nothing compared to seeing Soobin die in her dream. She needed to save him from the fire, no matter what. She would even let go of Soobin if it means that he will live.

Soobin and Yeonjun were having breakfast together the next morning at Yeonjun’s house. Soobin’s parents were out of town for the weekend so he crashed in with his cousin. “So how did Friday go? Did you guys enjoy the movie?” Yeonjun spoke while munching on cereal. 

Soobin lazily poked at his breakfast, still too sleepy to eat. “I mean she did doze off for a bit, but she was sleeping on my shoulder so I ended up looking at her half the time than the movie,” he smiled thinking back to that, “and we hugged each other a couple of times, and I gave her a kiss on the forehead before she went home.” He looked over at his cousin, Yeonjun simply scrunched his face at him.

“Not gonna lie, you sound so in love with her. I mean it’s kinda cute but also lame coming from you.” Yeonjun said, taking a spoonful of cereal in his mouth. Soobin being offended by that was an understatement. “Hey! I thought you were on my side!” 

Yeonjun laughed at his cousin, causing Soobin to sulk. “I am!” Yeonjun said reaching over to Soobin to pat him on the back, he in turn just hummed without looking back at him, “It’s just that I’m not used to seeing you so invested in a girl before, it’s a lot to take in honestly.”

Soobin smiled softly again. “Same for me man, same for me.” He sighed dreamily as his cousin smiled at him. “Hey, are you planning on telling her any time soon?” Yeonjun asked. Soobin chewed his breakfast slowly. “I’m not sure,” he said as he swallowed. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, she doesn’t seem to be in a good mood” he said as he shook his head. 

“Not right now obviously, whenever you are ready.” Yeonjun responded as he took more cereal and milk, one bowl did not suffice for breakfast.

Soobin placed his empty bowl on the table and smiled gleefully, “Honestly, I feel that I’m ready. Whenever I see her smile, my heart just kinda goes out of control and I feel like I’m gonna fall to my knees and say how much I like her, like more than a friend”. Yeonjun smiled at his cousin, but made a show of grumbling at him, “Dude, please stop, I’m trying to eat.”

Soobin chuckled at his response, “Sorry, I didn't mean to be so sappy, but I just… I really like her, maybe love her. She’s one of the few people who gets me. She’s smart, funny, a little quirky but that’s just so her, like she’s perfect in this unique way, no one else can be like her.” He sighed again, but this time a little sad compared to before.

“Hey,” Yeonjun brought his chair closer to Soobin, he looked at his older brother, “ if you’re sure you are ready, then I say go for it. Who knows? Things might work out in ways you could never imagine.” Soobin snorted in response and rolled his eyes. “Do you really think so?” “Trust me, I know so.” They shared a smile before laughing it off. 

Monday after school the brothers returned home with Beomgyu and Anaya, they planned to study together for the quiz at the end of the week. Not much studying was actually done, Yeonjun and Soobin bickered while playing video games, while Beomgyu and Anaya watched animal videos online. 

The four later watched a horror movie around dusk, Anaya got up to get some soda while Soobin got up to get more popcorn. Yeonjun and Beomgyu took notice of this and snickered like children. 

“Anaya, I didn’t get a chance to properly talk to you earlier, are you doing well now?” Soobin asked with concern laced in his voice. Anaya stiffened up a bit, “Yeah, relatively better I’d say.” she smiled a bit before taking a sip of soda from the can she got from the fridge. 

Soobin smiled, but could clearly see through her façade. “I know you’re stressed about something. Whatever it is, just know you have people who care about you and would do whatever they can to help you out.” 

That felt like a punch in the gut for Anaya. She hummed in response, “I appreciate the gesture Binnie, but I’d rather not think about it.” Soobin nodded in understanding. 

“You know,” Soobin started without thinking, Anaya looked up at him again, “I was thinking that since you seem a little stressed out, maybe we can hangout again for a bit, like a date? Well maybe not like a ‘date’ date but ya know, something similar? If you’re up for it that is. You had fun at the movies right? It’ll be something like that…” Soobin rambled on but Anaya filtered most of the words out as soon as she heard the word “Date”

She panicked as she could only think of Soobin burning in the fire, his voice echoing in the dark room as his hands reached out for her, his dead burned body beneath her. Anaya walked out of the kitchen before Soobin could finish talking, leaving him alone in the kitchen. Confused and hurt.

Yeonjun noticed Anaya returned to the living room without Soobin, he got suspicious so he went to the kitchen to check up on his brother. 

Soobin stood there with a blank expression. “I totally had it coming” Soobin said with a sad chuckle, Yeonjun stood at the doorway confused. “What do you mean Soobin? What happened?” “I blurted out that we should date and she just stared at me and walked away. No yes or no, nothing. She didn’t even say anything.”

Yeonjun walked over and hugged Soobin, he sighed into the hug as Yeonjun rubbed his back, “It’s alright man, pretty sure she’ll respond soon enough. And even if she doesn’t say yes, it’s not the end of the world right? I’m sure you’ll still be friends with her.” Soobin nodded sadly and let his brother go. 

Yeonjun cupped his face and shook it gently “Hey, enough with the gloomy face, you look like a clown when you’re sad” Soobin slapped away his hands and laughed. “Seriously? I look like a clown?” “Yes you do, now let’s go before those two come to check up on us.” Soobin nodded and tried to smile at Yeonjun before following him to the living room to the rest of the group.

Beomgyu was grumbling about the movie being trash and Anaya sat in a fetal position near his feet on the floor swaying back and forth. Yeonjun turned on the lights and Beomgyu audibly hissed, but the older pretended not to hear. 

“Hey, the movie sucks anyways, wanna play a game instead?” Yeonjun said, Beomgyu nodded in response, “Sounds good to me, what about you Anaya?” Anaya snapped out of her thoughts to look at the three boys, mostly Soobin who still looked sad, and looked at Beomgyu. “I’m cool with whatever honestly.”

They decided on Truth or Dare, Yeonjun got an empty bottle from the kitchen and the four of them sat around the coffee table. Beomgyu sat with Anaya and Yeonjun with Soobin, a significant gap between Anaya and Soobin but no one chose to comment on that. 

The first two rounds were Beomgyu daring Soobin to do the worm dance and Yeonjun daring Beomgyu to try and lick his own nose. By the third round, Yeonjun spinned the bottle and it faced Anaya. 

“Truth or dare Anaya?” “Listen, I’m not up for any stupid dares so I’m just gonna stick to truth” “Works just fine for me as well, how about you tell us why you didn’t respond to my brother when was talking to you in the kitchen?” 

Anaya was a little shook, Beomgyu noticed her reaction and rubbed her back, “Hey, aren’t the truth questions supposed to be like a yes or no question? What’s with the explanation here?” Beomgyu chuckled to lighten the mood. Yeonjun didn’t react to his question, Soobin grew more anxious. Anaya hung her head down.

“Okay then. Anaya, do you see my brother as a friend?” “Now what kind of question is that supposed to be Yeonjun?” “Whatever your friend makes of it Gyu—” “Hey don’t call me that!” “No! The answer is no!”

The boys stopped bickering and looked at Anaya. “I never saw your brother as a friend. Never”. Soobin looked at her in shock. “Wha-what do you mean Anaya?” 

“I mean that you were never a friend to me. Yes, I wanted to apologize and somehow we all got into this circle, but I never saw you as a friend. The more I knew you…” Anaya looked up at Soobin, his eyes wide in surprise but still curious to know what else she had to say. She tried to muster all the hate she could, hate not for him but she had for herself, “the more I wanted to get away from you. You’re scared of everything, you don’t speak up for yourself, you get so clingy sometimes that it’s suffocating, I hate every minute of being with you Choi Soobin.” Anaya lied through her gritted teeth.

The three boys just stared at her. Anaya stood up and tried to walk away from the situation but Soobin followed, “I know you’re not saying the truth Anaya, just tell us what’s wrong and maybe we can help you—” “No Soobin, I am telling the truth, I hate you and if I can have it my way I never want to talk to you again.” She took her bag from near the doorway and walked out of the house.

Soobin just stood there staring at the door, Yeonjun looked at Beomgyu with rage in his eyes, Beomgyu gulped. “Hey look, I have no idea what that was about, I’m sure Anaya is just tired and confused, she’ll get around don’t worry.” “Just fucking leave will you? You’re overstaying your welcome.” Yeonjun snapped at Beomgyu, who silently nodded and took his bag and got up. He walked past Soobin, bringing his hand to pat on his back but thought against it, and walked out the door.

Soobin, without looking anywhere else, walked up stairs and Yeonjun followed. He went into Yeonjun’s room and sat on the edge of his bed, his brother sat beside him. “I’m sorry Soobin, this didn’t end up the way I thought it would.” “I think both of us fucked up royally today.” 

Yeonjun nodded in agreement. Soobin cried a little thinking back to Anaya’s words, Yeonjun hugged him and tried to hush him. The brothers stayed that way for a while. 

“Do you think she was telling the truth?” Soobin spoke up with a hiccup, Yeonjun didn’t respond. “Was I really that annoying to her? I knew maybe she didn’t see me as more than a friend but I tried so hard to be a good friend to her. I tried to be there for her, but she just kept pushing me away” ''I think you should just forget about her.” 

Soobin looked up at his brother, Yeonjun held a somber face. “What do you mean?” “If your friendship didn’t mean jackass to her then maybe you shouldn’t care about her that much. I know it’s easier said than done. But I don’t think it’s worth caring for someone who doesn’t respect you.” Yeonjun patted his back, he nodded with his head down. Soobin tried to think even when his head couldn’t make sense of the situation. “I guess you are right.”

The way back home, Anaya cried to Beomgyu about what she saw in her dreams, leading to why she basically fucked up her friendship with Soobin. Beomgyu knew it wasn’t her best decision, but he couldn’t think of a better way to mend the damage done. He comforted her the best he could as they walked home.

It felt weird for Anaya to not talk to Yeonjun and Soobin in the days that followed. Whenever Beomgyu and Anaya crossed paths with Yeojun at school, Yeonjun would simply scowl at them and move on. 

Soobin on the other hand, well she didn’t get to see him again. He changed his chemistry class all together. And from what everyone was saying in school, Soobin grew colder. He no longer humored anyone who tried to ask him out or tried to flirt with him. He didn’t even talk to many people aside from his cousin and some of the basketball players.

Beomgyu tried to keep Anaya in a stable mood. The people at school took notice of this change and started making malicious jokes about Anaya. “I bet that girl tried to get Yeonjun and Soobin at the same time” Beomgyu heard someone say not-so-quietly in the busy school hallway. 

The lunch bell rang not too long ago, most people were just getting out of their classes, Anaya stayed back to talk to her teacher. He turned around and saw three girls snickering after seeing Beomgyu’s disgust. 

He was about to walk over to them when Yeonjun came to them. “Ladies, making jokes like that could get you in serious trouble, you know? Do you think it’s even appropriate to crack jokes like that about someone who you don’t even know?” Yeonjun said with a fake smile.

Only Beomgyu could tell that it was fake, the girls were a blushing mess in Yeonjun’s presence. “Well, in our defense, that’s the only logical conclusion anyone at school would come up with. I mean why else would any girl just stop hanging out with you? Either she’s the problem or the problem is you.” one of the girls spoke up, batting her eyelashes at Yeonjun. Beomgyu could gag at the scene.

“You know there could be a better explanation for everything?” Beomgyu said as he walked closer to them, Yeonjun simply glared at him. “And what may that be?” another girl spoke up. 

“Yeah Beomgyu, what may that be?” Yeonjun quipped, Beomgyu stepped closer to him. “Whatever it was, it was for the best” “Says who?” “I said so, you have no idea what the consequences might have been if Anaya didn’t take that decision.” “Stop acting like you guys are higher and mighty than the rest of us Gyu.” “How many times have I told you not to call me that…”

Beomgyu and Yeonjun argued as the three girls who started this took it as their cue to leave. A crowd started to form around them as their argument started to get more heated. 

Suddenly Yeonjun pushed Beomgyu. “All you two are good at is manipulating people into thinking you are the victim when really you like to toy with people’s emotions, unlike you two my friends and I don’t lie about our feelings'', he spat as he walked away. 

Beomgyu reached out to him, and on reflex Yeonjun punched him squarely in the eye. Yeonjun’s eyes widened as Beomgyu wobbled back. “Shit Gyu I didn’t mean that—” Yeonjun was cut off by a punch Beomgyu delivered to his cheekbone. 

“You know what?” Beomgyu said as he shook Yeonjun by the collar, “I’m sick of you, you act like you’re the smartest person in the room, think you know everything that’s going on, when really you don’t know jackshit about anything—” Yeonjun punched Beomgyu in the face again, ensuing a hands on fight between them. The crowd started chanting “fight fight fight”, whistling and howling at every blow each of them made. 

Anaya walked towards the commotion trying to look for Beomgyu. When she walked through the crowd and saw Beomgyu on the ground and Yeonjun on top of him punching his face to his heart’s content. 

Anaya screamed and yanked Yeonjun off of Beomgyu. He fell on his butt as Anaya pulled Beomgyu up. Just as Yeonjun stood up again, one of the students brought a teacher to the scene and had the crowd scurrying away.

“What is going on here?!?” the man’s voice bellowed as Yeonjun gave Beomgyu another glare and hung his head down low, Beomgyu did the same to him. “Listen Mr. Reynold,” said Anaya, “this was just a misunderstanding, they are good friends—” “Good friends don’t try to break each other's faces like that!” Mr. Reynold gestured at the boys. 

“You two,”  he called the boys and they looked up at him, “come to the Principal’s office. Now.” Anaya started to follow them as well and Mr. Reynold stopped her, “Don’t you have better places to be?” “It’s lunch and both of my friends got into trouble, so actually no, I don’t have anywhere else to be.” Anaya quipped. He let her go and mumbled about not getting paid enough for this. 

Beomgyu and Yeonjun sat on a bench in front of the principal’s room, both sat on the farthest ends of the bench. Anaya paced the hallway in front of them. “Why were you two fighting like that?” “None of your business Anaya.” Beomgyu said,  pressing an ice bag on his eye. 

Yeonjun tsked, with a similar ice bag on his face as well, “Just say you can’t come up with good excuses to save your friend’s name in school, so you start picking fights with everyone.” “No. I wasn’t the one picking fights, you were the one who made it personal—” ''I made it personal ‘cause you two essentially toyed with my brother! And now trying to act innocent.” Yeonjun snapped back at Beomgyu.

“I’m sorry.” Anaya said, her voice barely a whisper, eyes brimming with tears. Both of the boys looked at Anaya with pity. Yeonjun looked away from her, “Again playing the victim card. You guys should learn how to owe up to your actions instead of trying to gain people’s sympathy.”

Just then the fire alarm rang. Anaya froze, she and Beomgyu looked at each other, they knew what had happened. “Yeonjun did Soobin come to school today?” Beomgyu asked Yeonjun urgently, he looked back at him confused, “Why do you care? Also yes he did”.

Anaya stepped forward, “Do you know where he might be at this moment?” “Why do you even care? Aren’t you supposed to hate—” “Just tell me where he is!” “FINE!” Yeonjun raised his hands, “he’s probably in the chemistry lab or something”. 

Anaya’s eyes widened, “Well fuck, he’s in trouble.” “I’m sorry but the fuck do you mean by that?” Yeonjun quipped but Anaya and Beomgyu started running as soon as they heard Yeonjun’s answer. He groaned and followed them through the hallway.

Soobin stayed back in the chemistry lab during lunch with his new lab partner Stacy. His new teacher paired him up with her so that he can catch up on the experiments his previous lab classes hadn’t covered up. She wasn’t much of a help to him. Stacy kept batting her eyes at him and laughed at any snarky response he would give to her failed attempts at flirting with him.

“So why did you change your Chem classes?” “Why would you care?” Soobin said not sparing a glance at Stacy. His eyes shifted between the swirling conical flask where a yellow liquid was turning purple and the upright pipette dripping clear liquid into the flask. 

Stacy gave a dreamy sight, “I don’t know, I guess you were having trouble with that weird girl from the other class. What’s her name again? Naya or something—” “Anaya, and no she wasn’t the problem.” Soobin tried to shut her down, his jaws were tightening.

“Oh? She wasn’t?” his lab partner tilted her head feigning innocence. “Well why else would you shift your classes and stop talking to her?” “When was this any of your business? Also hold this,” he handed the flask of now purple liquid to her as she huffed, “I’m lighting the burner, keep an eye on the flask and stir it carefully when heating it.” he commanded, Stacy simply blinked at him.

The smoke detector made a short buzzing sound and blinking lights, then turned off, none of them paid attention to that. “Has Mr Reynold said anything about when he’s coming back to the lab?” Soobin asked Stacy as he adjusted the flames along with the stand and gauze setup. 

“Hm? No, I don’t think so. He said something about hallway duty and that’s about it” she said as she swirled the liquid in the flask. 

She smiled as she stepped closer to Soobin’s side of the desk. “Well, it’s nice that Mr. Reynold isn’t here. I mean I wouldn’t get to talk to you this much if he was here.” she said as she nudged him and giggled. Soobin groaned internally for the nth time having to work with her. 

“Stacy, can you do me a favor and put the flask on the stand.” Soobin made way for her to do the work. Stacy sighed at the distance Soobin made between them, and moved in front of the burner. 

“Careful!” Soobin yelped as she was holding the flask with bare hands, Stacy froze, “Use a clamp or at least a heat glove, you’ll get hurt.” he handed a heat glove from the drawer. Stacy blushed as she put it on. “And here I thought you were rude, you are a true gentleman!” Stacy said looking at Soobin who scrunched his face, her gloved hand placing the flask on the stand.

Except it was placed at the edge of the stand and fell spectacularly over the table, breaking and spreading fire wherever the liquid went. 

Soobin on instinct pushed her away from the table. Stacy noticed her sleeve caught on fire. She took it off and threw it behind her, unfortunately on the resource book shelf, and ran out of the lab. She did all of that while screaming at the top of her lungs.

Soobin stood near the burning desk, dumbstruck by what he just saw. He snapped out of it as soon as Stacy shut the door. He ran to the front of the lab to get the fire extinguisher. He pulled the pin, aimed the hose at the desk first, and pressed on the lever. To his bad luck, the lever was stuck. He frantically worked at the lever a couple of times until he threw it and groaned. 

He ran to the door and tried to open it. Again his luck, the door was locked. Soobin ran to get the jammed extinguisher again and with all his might, broke the narrow glass window of the door. He reached his hand out to open the door from the outside. As if his luck couldn’t get any worse, the lock was jammed.

“FOR FUCK SAKE CAN THIS DAY GET ANY WORSE?!?!?” Soobin screamed in frustration. He tried to get to the windows and open a few of them up. Being on the third floor made the idea of jumping out of the window a less favorable choice, but he made a mental note to try it if all else fails. 

He yells out to the people on the courtyard of the school campus, the smoke coming from behind him effectively gaining much attention. Some of the students ran into the building as soon as they saw the smoke. Soobin hoped they would start the fire alarm.

The fire was getting bigger as more air got inside the room. Soobin was getting dizzy from the heat. He wobbled to the nearest seat and tried to sit down, but the wheels made the seat slide away causing him to fall to the ground. He pants and tries to remain conscious. 

As luck finally was in his favor, the fire alarm went off. Not long after, he heard someone screaming his name outside the door. Then some violent slams till the door fell down. He thought he was going mad, because he thought he heard Anaya scream his name, then maybe Beomgyu and Yeonjun as well. 

Suddenly he saw someone sit down in front of him. It was Anaya. She shook him, and screaming his name, Beomgyu and Yeonjun came up from behind her. Soobin was sure they were screaming his name, but everything sounded so distant. 

But he was happy. Anaya was with him, she was here for him. A part of him was sure everything was going to be alright. He smiled at them and slowly, very slowly, closed his eyes.

Anaya paced back and forth in the hallway of the hospital waiting for Soobin to regain consciousness, Beomgyu sat on a bench with his head low and supported by his hands. 

Soobin's parents reached the hospital after hearing from the school what had happened. Both his parents thanked her profusely with tears in their eyes and Anaya nodded as they shook hands and replied with equally teary eyes and lump in her throat "Of course he's my friend, I had to save him". 

Of course. Soobin was her friend. First and foremost. If she was in the fire instead, then he would have also jumped in to save her as well, just as she saw in her dream. But she didn't die, and hopefully this time, neither will Soobin. 

Or maybe he will die. Because time can never be changed, she was wrong to try and meddle with what was meant to be. Now maybe time will punish her by taking away what she truly learned to cherish. 

Exhausted from her thoughts, she sat next to Beomgyu, he turned his head towards her. She kept staring at the door behind which Soobin laid unconscious. 

The doctors said there were no major physical injuries, however due to smoke inhalation he may be at risk so he was being closely monitored. Through the windows she could see him hooked on life support, his every breath and heartbeat shown on the monitor, proof that he’s still fighting to be alive. 

Anaya slowly leaned onto Beomgyu’s side, turning her head to have her temple rest on his shoulder, and started to cry. They stared as small whimpers and sniffs but gradually grew to a sob and then to a bawl. 

During this he turned towards her and pulled her into a hug and held onto her tightly. She hid her face in his jacket that smelled like smoke and cried harder if it was even possible. 

“I couldn’t stop it, Gyu. He was still in that fire and I couldn’t do jackshit about it!” She sobbed on as he stayed quiet, holding her tightly, patting her head like he’s getting a baby to fall asleep. 

“I messed up Gyu, I messed up big time, there’s no way he’s gonna be alright after this.” She cried and babbled, occasional hiccups breaking her distressed words into fragments. She cried more thinking if the smoke poisoned Soobin, the dust making microscopic tears in his fragile lungs making it difficult to breathe. 

“Even if, by a miracle, he does live through this, do you think he’ll want to be with me? After all I said to him?” He chose silence, she cried on. 

Beomgyu knew no words in the world that would be able to comfort her now, the best he can do for her is to let her cry it out and hope she gets tired enough to go to sleep. Which she did, eventually.

Yeonjun came back with some coffee for Beomgyu and himself, and frowned at Anaya’s state. He sat down on the empty seat next to Beomgyu, both were looking at Soobin’s window. One holding onto a broken friend, another looking at a friend he doesn't want to lose. 

“How did we end up like this Gyu?” Yeonjun spoke up. Beomgyu, who would normally be annoyed if someone besides Anaya called him “Gyu'', didn’t have the emotional capacity to retaliate. “I don't know Yeonjun”, he sighed deeply. “I really don’t know.”

They sat in silence for some time until Yeonjun sighed and spoke up again. “If we only knew better, none of this would have happened.” 

Beomgyu pursed his lips, contemplating his next words but spoke his thoughts anyways, deeming the situation they all were in as a lose and lose scenario. “Actually, we kind of already did know what was going to happen, and by we I mean Anaya specifically.” 

Yeonjun looked at him quizzically, “Wait, what do you mean by that?” Beomgyu looked at Yeonjun too, “Do you remember when I said that Anaya liked someone for a very long time? She actually had a crush on Soobin the entire time.” 

Confusion clouded Yeonjun’s face. “No, that doesn’t sound right, he wasn’t in our school for that long for her to crush on him like that, did she know him before? Was she stalking him the entire time?” 

Beomgyu waved with his free hand and held tightly onto Anaya, still soundly asleep, as he said, “Well, did she stalk him? No, absolutely not. Did she already know him? Well the answer is complicated and is a sort of yes. You see, —” Beomgyu cleared his throat and tried to sort his thoughts, Yeonjun gave him his full attention, “Anaya, has this… ability I guess? Well she can see the future in her dreams. Sort of see the future.”

Yeonjun’s jaw dropped, but grew annoyed. “Seriously? Choi Beomgyu are you kidding right now? Out of all the times you can start pulling shit from your ass for a mouth, you choose now to do that?” he huffed and was about to get up from his seat, Beomgyu pulled him down by the shoulder, “No Yeonjun, I’m being dead serious.” 

He turned to Anaya’s side and reached for the backpack at her feet and gave it to Yeonjun. “Could you open it for me?” Beomgyu said, offering no other explanation to the oldest. 

Yeonjun, who would rather shake Beomgyu by the collar for making up bullshit in a serious moment, followed his orders anyways. He unzipped the bag and gave it back to him, Beomgyu took out the dream journal, looked at Anaya and frowned, before giving it to Yeonjun. 

All of Yeonjun’s rage dissolved into confusion, “Isn’t this Anaya’s poetry journal? I thought she didn’t want me to see it.” 

Beomgyu sighed and shook his head, “It’s not a poetry journal, it’s a dream journal, she uses it to record every dream she sees. She saw what was going to happen. She knew she was going to meet Soobin, she knew she was going to fall for him, and later on —” his voice quivered before he continued, “she saw a future where she was in the fire and Soobin tried to jump in and save her but he died instead.” 

Yeonjun’s eyes widened, Beomgyu continued with a shaky voice “And Anaya being the dumbass she is, thought that, if Soobin wasn’t friends with her, maybe he could live? That’s why she distanced herself and said all those things to him that day at your house. She wanted to break his heart to save him from the fire. But I guess,” he looked at Soobin’s window again, still unconscious, “that didn’t work out quite right.”

Yeonjun was dumbstruck with all this new information. Everything made sense, it was like he found the missing puzzle pieces and made the picture whole to see clearly. Before he could contain his emotions, he started crying. Beomgyu held him close the way he held Anaya, and let Yeonjun sob and ramble as much as he needed to, rubbing his back for comfort. 

“I’m sorry for saying all those things to you guys, you guys aren’t selfish for what you did, I didn’t know any better. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” “Ssh, it’s okay, it wasn’t your fault either, we also screwed up. We could have told you guys sooner. Maybe that could have solved some things”, Beomgyu tried to comfort the older boy. 

Yeonjun looked up, a bit calmer than before. He sat up properly and Beomgyu let him go. He looked at Soobin’s window again, thinking about what Beomgyu said. “There’s no guarantee for that either, I honestly don’t think anything could have stopped the fire from happening. Now that I think about it, someone was bound to get hurt.”

Beomgyu looked at him then at the window of Soobin’s cabin “So you really think nothing would have changed no matter what we did?” Yeonjun looked at him “I’m not saying that either, I’m saying there is no point of giving or taking blame of something we can’t control, we would always try our best to prevent the worst but I guess, —” he looked down at his hands, “only time is the real judge of how things unfold.” Beomgyu nodded in understanding. 

The two boys sat in silence, a girl still asleep and a sick boy still unconscious. Time, the omnipresent judge was contemplating the next course of events.

Yeonjun told Anaya that he knows about her abilities and asked for forgiveness for his behavior; she already forgave him for it, he was just being a good friend. 

She would bring a letter to Soobin and read to him whenever she came, saying all the things she wished she had said earlier, about her dreams, about him, about the fire. Everything. She wished she had warned him instead of leaving him. She wished she was a better person, she wished she was a better friend. 

The letter was a script for her, she was rehearsing for a play she might never play in again, she might get rejected and rightfully so.

Anaya would bump into Soobin’s parents often during hospital visits, they would offer her meals and a ride home too, she would usually decline but sometimes went along, wanting company and familiarity of normalness from a depressing situation. 

She didn’t tell them about her dreams, not sure if they would act in disbelief and ridicule her the same way her parents do, or even if they believed her. Would they blame her for it the way she blames herself?

One morning, Anaya came to the hospital with a bouquet of yellow tulips and the letter she always reads to him. She saw Soobin’s mother walking out with tears in her eyes, his father comforting her. Anaya froze at that scene. No, this can’t be, she thought to herself. She ran as quickly as she could through the hospital hallway, Soobin’s dad noticed her approach them. 

“What happened? Is Soobin alright??” she asked them with panic evident in her voice. Soobin’s mother looked up with teary eyes and… a smile? “Oh my God Anaya! Soobin woke up! He’s finally awake! He’s going to be okay!” She hugged her tightly as she babbled on with excitement. 

Anaya smiled as well. She was happy, if anything happy was an understatement. This felt like a second chance. But for some reason she felt like running in the opposite direction. No way in hell was she ready to face Soobin. Definitely not when their last conversation was her brutally rejecting him.

Her mind was trying to come up with a reason why she couldn’t meet Soobin today when suddenly “Excuse me, is there any Anaya here? Anaya Tiwari?” a nurse said as she came out of Soobin’s room. Anaya froze yet again. “Yes, here she is,” Soobin’s mom nudged her forward. “Good, the patient was looking for her.” 

Anaya gulped, and stepped into the room as the nurse made way for her. Another nurse was dressing Soobin’s burn wounds on his arms and talking to him. The nurse near the door took Anaya’s tulips from her and put them in a vase near his bed. 

Soobin noticed her at the door and smiled. Anaya smiled back, as hard as it was for her at that moment. The nurses left the room after doing their work and she got closer to his bed, his eyes not leaving her form. 

She sat on the chair next to his bed and they smiled at each other again. “Hey.” she croaked, as she tried to keep her emotions steady. “Hey you”, Soobin half whispered with a smile. His tired hands reached to hold Anaya’s face, she held it to her cheek gently. 

They took their time looking at each other, after all that happened, the past few days felt like a horrible fever dream for the both of them. Lots of things were left unsaid between them. 

“I’m sorry.” “Sorry Anaya.” they both spoke up at the same time. Anaya looked at Soobin with furrowed brows, “Why are you apologizing? I’m the one who messed up.” 

Soobin chuckled like he always did, his blush creeping up his cheeks. “Well, for starters I caused you trouble. And in general I guess I want to say sorry for not actually being the friend you wanted, because the last time we talked, you said that… well you basically called me a coward”, he said as the last part turned to a barely audible mumble.

Anaya bit her cheek, “Yeah, just so you know, I didn’t actually mean any of that.” “I know, I just want to know why you said all that then.” Soobin said as he leaned in the pillow and faced her, a ghost of a smile refusing to leave his face. 

She couldn’t bear to look at his face at that moment. She held her letter in hand, as she struggled to come up with words to say. “Soobin, I don’t know where to begin.” “It’s okay, I’m not going anywhere, take your time.” Anaya sighed. “You see, I actually knew you for quite a while—” “Yeah we have known each other for a while—” “No, not in that sense, I mean even before we met each other”. 

This had Soobin sitting up on his bed. “Wait what? What do you mean by that? Did you stalk me on Instagram or something?” “No no no”, Anaya waved her hands and sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose before looking at him again. “I know I won’t make sense but, I met you in my dreams, before we met in reality”. 

Soobin simply looked lost, “What? That doesn’t make sense.” “I know it doesn’t, but that’s the reason why I freaked out when I bumped into you on your first day of school.”

A strange sense of relief washed over Anaya as she spoke more to Soobin about her dreams, how she always saw the future in her dreams, the different possibilities of the future. She read out the letter she wrote for him. She didn’t even realize when she started crying as she read the letter.

Soobin listened through all of what Anaya had to say through her tears. After she stopped, Soobin took some time to think. Finally, he cleared his throat, “Anaya, I’m not sure if you know this, but you are really dumb.”

Anaya was stupefied by Soobin’s response. “I’m sorry but what the fuck? What the actual fuck Soobin? I knew the fire was going to happen, it was my responsibility to—” “Well what made you think that you are responsible for the fire? My lab partner is the one who messed up, look at her, she’s not even taking responsibility for it.” “But Soobin I saw the fire in my dream, it was supposed to be my headache on how to fix it.”

“Said who?” Soobin quipped with his arms crossed. “Really who said that? Look Anaya, if what you’re saying is true, and if some futures have more than one possibility, how are you so sure which one you will get? The one you see or the one you don’t know?” 

Soobin reached out for Anaya’s hand, which she gladly gave. “I am just trying to say that even if you think you know everything because of your ability, the future is still a mystery, and maybe for the best.”

He swiped his thumb over Anaya’s knuckle, and butterflies were erupting in her belly. “Life is supposed to be unpredictable, and we’re supposed to go through with the challenges of it head on with all our might.” 

Anaya nodded as he spoke. “I know the whole concept of the unknown future is scary but the future will become our present whether we like it or not, might as well take it with grace, for the better or worse—” “Mostly for the worse– OW” she yelped as Soobin flicked her forehead and they both giggled.

“Shut up you’re missing the point, the point is you don’t have to be so scared and take on so much unwarranted burden. Live a little, and trust the process.” Soobin smiled at her, and she smiled back with teary eyes. 

She got up to sit on the edge of the bed and gave him a hug. “I’m sorry for all the unwarranted bullshit I put you through.” “It’s okay, shit happens.” They both giggle as they hold each other in their arms. 

Suddenly, Yeonjun and Beomgyu burst through the door. “SOOBIN!!!” Yeonjun wailed as he practically pushed Anaya aside and jumped on him. Beomgyu, giddy with excitement hugged Anaya and went over to the bed to give Soobin, who still had Yeonjun laying on top of him, a quick hug.

“I can’t believe my brother got out of that coma.” “Stop being dramatic bro I wasn’t knocked out for that long.” “Five days and six nights Soob.” “OKAY chill out Beomgyu, and great to see you too.” Soobin smiled at the boys around him as he nudged Yeonjun off of him, his brother pouted before getting off.

Anaya made way towards the bed again and sat near a corner, smiling at Soobin, he smiled back. The two boys and Anaya sat around Soobin on the bed, as he himself sat upright leaning on the pillows behind him.

“Have I ever told you guys how much I love you?” “Soobin if you weren’t in a hospital bed while saying this I’d think you’re asking for money.” Yeonjun laughed, so did Beomgyu; Anaya simply shook her head at their reaction.

“Does death make people gay enough to think about love like that.” Beomgyu said jokingly, “Says the guy who’s literally in love with my boyfriend’s brother” “ANAYA NO WAit a minute did you say boyfriend?” Beomgyu looked at her and then at Soobin, now a blushing mess, and then back at her. Yeonjun was thoroughly confused.

“I never said I was dating you—” “So you don’t want to date me?” “NO no that’s not what I meant.” Soobin waved his hands, Yeonjun finding their interaction endearing. 

“I mean, that was sudden and we didn’t even go on a proper date?” “Okay, as soon as you get discharged we’re going on a date, an official date.” Anaya smiled brightly, Soobin could swear his heart was a mere puddle at that point. “Okay, we’ll go on a date.” “FUCKING FINALLY!”  Beomgyu yelped with his arms up in the air, effectively falling off the edge of the bed.

“Hey Gyu, when are we going on a date?” Yeonjun laughed as he said that, causing Anaya to laugh as well. Beomgyu got up and glared at them. “First of all, I’m straight. And second of all, even if I had ANY form of attraction to men, like hell would I ever date that ugly fucker” Beomgyu said pointing at Yeonjun.

“Why you little–” Yeonjun ran after Beomgyu like a madman, out of the room and into the hallway. A nurse yelled at them to stop running but they probably didn’t listen. 

The new couple laughed at their friends as they went back to cuddling each other. Soobin looked at Anaya, blissful as her eyes closed. I’m not another fleeting dream for you, he thought, I am here to stay, here with you, for as long as I can.

Author note: AAAAAA I hope you guys liked it if you read it entirely. PLEASE DO LEAVE FEEDBACK PLS PLS PLS! And definitely reblog if you want other people to see it!