#SUNBAE & HOOBAE LOVE

[euphor1a]

The thing about btxt is, the mutual respect, admiration and love they hold for each other is very emotionally moving. Even if you don’t follow them as artists, you can never deny that. Both teams have went through a lot of struggles, and even if the struggles were a bit different, they still empathize. And they do that in a way it makes a normal person totally out of their world like me feel included.

BTS are very good and commendable seniors in general, and seeing yoongi acknowledge how txt weren’t exactly training under the best environment or had it easy just because of them (some very common prejudices against txt) makes me feel very emotional. But I also absolutely adore how respectful and admiring txt are because they constantly compliment and talk about bts all while admitting the pressure that is on them as a team who are direct juniors to them. That’s exactly how you know they have a close and comfortable relationship enough to talk about things not everyone will.

Tubatu have made it very clear on multiple occasions how much they admire, love and respect bangtan as not only seniors, but also as older brothers who have been looking out for them since the beginning. And then there’s bangtan, who see the reflection of their own past in tubatu, and taehyun saying their goal is to make the 7 of them proud is just so 🥺

You can agree or disagree all you want, but I’m so glad that they can count on each other outside of their own team members.

[kissablelips-desireslure-vol1]

LOVE CLASS SEASON 1 ( 2022)

HAN HYUN JUN (as Ji Woo)

&

KIM TAE HWAN (as Ro Ah)

[theinfinitedivides]

'it was a dream?' 'no wonder there was a ghost' well no sh*t Sherlock

[bts-trans]

240820 Big Hit's Tweet

[#오늘의방탄] #달려라석진 EP.2 🏫모교에 금의환향한 슈퍼스타 진 선배 왔다! 후배님들의 뜨거운 응원과 사랑받아 힐링하고 갑니다! 고맙다 후배들아! 🔥💜 #오늘의석진 #진 #Jin #BTS #방탄소년단 #선배와_후배의_케미 #진_선배님_사랑해요 #월드와이드핸섬_진_선배

[#Today'sBangtan] #RunJin EP.2 🏫Superstar Jin sunbae's* golden return to his alma mater! Felt comforted thanks to all the warm welcome and love from the hoobaes**! Thank you Hoobaes! 🔥💜

#TodaysSeokjin #Jin #BTS #ChemistryBetweenSunbaeAndHoobae #ILoveYouJinSunbaenim #WorldWideHandsomeJinSunbae

(T/N: *'선배/Sunbae’ is a term used for someone who is your senior in a professional hierachy. **'후배/hoobae' is a term used for someone who is your junior in a professional hierarchy.)

Trans cr; Annie @ bts-trans © TAKE OUT WITH FULL CREDITS

[aphrodite1288]

Jongin is friends with homophobic and generally-horrible-ass-person Siwon? He’s really got no right to be judging any of Kyungsoo’s friends, ever 🥴

First off, I clearly said Exo are not so close with these people just friends and they do talk. And Exo themselves recently with"Eunchae" during Cream Soda promotions updated us on their status with their celebrity friends, and they clearly said " We have no friends anymore in the industry" and Xiumin jumped and said " We only have each other, stay away from making celebrity friends!" They literally warned her. Why would they do that? Because in their 15years to 16 years and for Baek it's 12 years since they joined the company in this period of time of course they made tons of friends and maybe later on they were hurt, offended, lied to, scammed, gaslit, manipulated or exposed so they had to stop these friendships at some point because they found it was wrong and consuming their energy especially during first years of debut and you know the Korean culture, the Hoobaes get forced to be nice and respectful to their sunbaes and older people which is stupid because you should be nice even to people you dislike. So we don't know their status with their celebrity friends now. I don't know Since last time We saw Ji eating with Siwon in 2017 and 2018 we never heard of them ever again. So we never know their friendship status now. For Siwon's case he is a very religious christian and he said This is against God's will in the bible, and in sure every christian knows that being gay is a massive Sin basically in every Religion, it's fine if people think differently from you, if they can't accept something doesn't make them bad people, Siwon ate his own bandmate's head and tried all his best for so many years to make him go back on track and make him believe in God 😂 and you know who I'm talking about "HEECHUL" and the latter many times have shared he was so annoyed and literally fought with Siwon because Siwon insisted on making him believe there's a God and told him several times that he doesn't want him to go to Hell and he literally begged him to do not do this and to start believing in God because he loved him and he doesn't want him to sin and go to hell. So he did it out if a good motive. But that was his bandmate of almost 20 years! Would he be this close to tell Ji " You're gay you're sinning" I don't even think Jongin ever opened up about his personal life and sexual orientation to Siwon ever, Ji is a very private person, I heard even the Exos and their managers never got to see Kadi making out and That there was only twice where Kadi stole a very chast Pecks from each other in Inkigayo and AAA in their waiting room but no members were looking and that's how we got the famous two Kadi kisses. Because they're just too respectful around their bandmates that they don't wanna make them uncomfortable. Because also them believe that not everyone would be accepting of them.

Sometimes your friends do wrong and do something toxic, you either leave them or forgive them and move on, like What Irene did, she is Suho's friend, but she had a massive disrespectful scandal with her Staff, and we still saw suho with her attending events, does that mean he supports her behavior? No! You give your friends advice and you can disagree with them and scold them and even fight them for their wrong but you can still be friends of course if what they did was not so over the limits. And sometimes I saw people in my circle even forgive their friends or partners for being a literal red flag with toxic traits. I'm not saying you should, but you never know when you can forgive someone for even hurting you. I've seen many women forgiving their cheating husbands even! I see them stupid but I don't know their hearts maybe they just couldn't let go of such toxic relationship, if it was me I move on and ghost people the very next day 🤣

For Ksoo's friends, where did I or any admin every say Ji judged Ksoo's "Hyung Actors Squad"? He only didn't like Insung because he has done some very crazy shit to Ksoo and to him, he was also trying to take Ksoo to gay bars introducing him to Sexy almost naked men who dance seductively, which can lead to massive scandals & Ruin his career, he was telling him to leave SM and join his company it's the main reason of their massive fight back in 2019, because Ksoo was so naive and nice, and old group members here do know the full story to this.

I have a non-accepting friend of mine, and my best cousin both can't accept the Gay agenda. I have a friend who disagreedbwith the way I'm dressing and My religion, but we're still friends, she did voice out her opinion with me very respectfully and I accepted it.

My cousin hated watching Young Royals BL with me and she told me she will leave while I was watching if I don't change the Serie to another one, and I did because I respect her opinion, yet she still respects her gay friends who study with her. But she isn't accepting of them from her own beliefs and traditions and religion. You can't force people what to think and like and what to dislike. But they just have to be respectful about it, not offending you directly! And I doubt Siwon or any celebrity would openly be homophobic with their supposedly Gay friend in their face, because after all they're idols and they have a reputation they're scared to ruin.And if Siwon ever offended him after he knew Ji was Gay I'm sure Ji would cut their friendship or maybe if he was shy from his sunbae, he would turn it into a fully Work-Friendship nothing more. You know what I mean.

And not every friend at work is your bestie. And I said they're just friends but not so close. And if there's anyone who's so open-minded it's Super Junior and SHINee and Amber from Fx, because they're besties with each other, and who's the openly gay? Yes Key and Amber. And they were so supportive of them. Also you should know for many years after Exo's debut not everyone knew they were in a relationship, only Key and Krystal and Seulgi Knew. Others were just hearing rumors about them but no one believed it at first, they thought they're baseless gossip from old Trainees who left SM and who trained with Exo.

[muslimintp-1999-girl]

No coz I loved that eventhough he was younger, Moon DongEun referred to YeoJeong as sunbae (he was her senior at uni) (and he referred to her as hoobae) and then later YeoJeong telling Doyoung that Moon DongEun is still stuck at 19 and it made just so much more sense at how they chose to address each other

[jkjmbtsarmy]

240820 BTS_official (@bts_bighit) TWT update (Jin)

[#오늘의방탄] #달려라석진 EP.2 / [#TodaysBangtan] #RunJin EP.2

🏫모교에 금의환향한 슈퍼스타 진 선배 왔다! 후배님들의 뜨거운 응원과 사랑받아 힐링하고 갑니다! 고맙다 후배들아! 🔥💜 / 🏫 Superstar Jin sunbae has returned home in success to his alma mater! He'll need to receive his hoobae's cheers and love to receiving healing! Thank you hoobaes!🔥💜

#오늘의석진 #진 #Jin #BTS #방탄소년단 #선배와_후배의_케미 #진_선배님_사랑해요 #월드와이드핸섬_진_선배 / TodaysJin #진 #Jin #BTS #방탄소년단 # Sunbae_And_Hoobaes_Chemistry #/Jin_Sunbaenim_We_Love_You #/Wordwide_Handsome_Jin_Sunbae

[dudadragneel]

Hello guys! It's me! How are you?

Soo I'm back with another original idea! This one has been sitting in my notes for over a year now 😱

It's about Jake and it's inspired by a video from Youth with you!

I hope you'll enjoy!!

ROOKIE SIDE EFFECTS

It was supposed to be just another typical day for the group, singing practice, dance practice, and rewinding. The only different thing was that they were going to be mentored by Jung Hoseok himself. Given his love for dancing, J-Hope decided to give the rookie group a little bit of advice and evaluate them on their dancing.

They got to the practice room and energetically greeted their sunbae before they started practicing. They danced to a few of their songs and other random songs as well. Everything went smoothly, until the very end.

When they were done dancing and stood in line to hear what their sunbae had to say, one of the members wasn’t quite there anymore.

-   Well done guys! Good work. Now- Jake, are you alright? What’s wrong?

The older asked when he noticed that Jake was bent over his knees, head looking down.

Throughout the dance, Jake started to feel funny, he broke into a cold sweat, his stomach started to act funny and with every movement, every turn, he felt like his stomach’s content just kept on swirling around. When they stopped he braced himself for support and kept looking down, swallowing convulsively, trying to die down the urge to vomit, afraid that if he moved his head, he might lose control.

The boys noticed that something was wrong with Jake and quickly gathered around him. After successfully swallowing down the awful feeling, he lifted his head to look at his sunbae.

-  I’m sorry, can I use the restroom? He asked, face gone pale and sweaty.

- Of course.

With permission from the oldest, Jake quickly left the room.

- Can I go check on him? Jay asked.

- Sure, please.

Jay thought that since the boy was Australian, he would feel more at ease talking in English when feeling sick. When he got to the restroom, the boy was bent over the toilet gagging unproductively.

- Hey, how are you feeling?

- Awful…I don’t know what’s happening. When I was in the room it felt like I could throw up at any minute but now nothing’s coming up.

He said gagging again and spitting out a mouthful of saliva.

- Can I touch you?

Jay asked trying to not make his friend even more uncomfortable.

- Yeah…

Jake said with an exhausted voice

Jay put his hand on the boy’s nape and waist and asked

- Come on, I’ll help you, ok? Try tensing your stomach as if you’re gonna cough.

The boy did as he was told and Jay started to rub his back from bottom to top, gently pressing down when doing so, to stimulate him.

After a few unproductive tries, Jake’s stomach brought up all the food he’d eaten In the past few hours.

He bent even further, painfully arching his back not having time to catch his breath before another wave came up, making him sway on his feet. Jay was fast to grab him by the waist steadying him and guiding him to kneel down.

- There you go. Let it all out, don’t try to hold it in.

He said when he noticed Jake starting to convulsively swallow again.

The boy didn’t want to get sick anymore, everything hurt and he was getting scared and annoyed.

 BACK TO THE PRACTICE ROOM

Everyone in the room looked surprised by the situation, there was an eerie silence before J-Hope spoke.

- What’s going on with him?

He asked, face filled with concern for his hoobae.

- He had a bit of a fever that night, but when he woke up today he said he was feeling better and even had breakfast with us.

The leader answered.

- I guess all the movement made him feel nauseous.

J-Hope took the opportunity to give them a little bit of advice.

- Okay, what I am going to say here is not a lecture ok? Jungwon, as the leader, you need to know every member’s condition, you have the authority to decide whether or not someone is taking part in practice. Of course, you have to talk to the staff before making the best decision.

When he finished his sentence, Jake and Jay walked into the room. The boys gathered around them asking if Jake was alright, the boy gave a quick answer and immediately went to apologize to his sunbae. J-Hope said that he didn’t need to do that and told all of them to sit down, given that Jake wasn’t feeling well. And he sat down as well.

-  Look guys, maybe the staff and the company won't like what I am going to say here but I’m going to be brutally honest. Nothing, nothing, none of this is worth your health. No music, no dance, no show, nothing is worth your health. Your well-being comes first. If you care for your fans as much as you say you do, you need to take care of yourself. Nothing good will come out of you performing while sick or injured and something happening on stage mid-performance. It can be risky to you, and to your members, and it will scare your fans, and you’ll make them worried. It’s best to sit out a few schedules, and a few concerts to treat yourself than to take part in it and worsen your situation, forcing you to take a hiatus, which wouldn’t be needed had you taken care of it earlier. Okay? Remember, your well-being comes before any of this.

The boys looked shocked to hear their sunbae make such a strong statement.

- Now, I’m not lecturing you, just giving some advice, coming from someone who’s been on the run for 8 years. But enough of that. I will give you guys proper individual evaluations at a later date but for now what I can say is that overall all of you improved, your movements are more fluid, your expressions are stronger and your stage presence got way better. I would advise you guys to work on your singing now, given that you evolved in your dancing, your singing abilities need to follow up. You can't come on stage dancing that well and not being able to sing along as well. For now, that’s what I have to say. You guys need to go home, Jake needs to rest. We’ll set up another date so we can get a proper evaluation of all of you, ok?

They all said goodbye to their sunbae and Jake apologized again.

- I’m sorry, sunbaenim.

- There’s no need to apologize. Just focus on getting better, ok? Bye-bye.

As soon as he walked out, the boys went over to check on Jake who had his head in his hands.

- Jake hyung, you okay? – Ni-ki and Sunoo asked

- No…

he said as he felt his stomach’s content making its way up again

– Fuck- pass me the trashcan-

He said in English, which Heeseung was quick to understand, and put the object on the boy’s lap.

Heeseung stayed with Jake rubbing his back while the boy threw up. After he was finished, he started to feel weird, suddenly everything got too much, the lights, the noise, the room, his ears were ringing. His breathing quickened, it felt like he just kept inhaling without getting oxygen. The boys noticed and grew even more concerned.

- Hey, Jake, what’s wrong?

Jay asked, already beside him

- I- I can’t breathe…There’s- there’s too many people… he said in between breaths

- Let’s give him some space

Heeseung said motioning to the boys to get away from the sick boy.

-  I’ll call the manager. – Jungwon said leaving the room.

- Hey, do you want to move to the bathroom? Jay asked.

- I don’t want to move right now, I feel like I’m gonna pass out…- he said holding his head

-  Okay, we’ll leave.

The rest of the boys said as they left the room.

Leaving Jake alone with Jay and Sunghoon.

- Hey, Sunghoon, can you massage his nape for me?

- hm, of course.

Sunghoon kept quiet throughout the whole situation, not because he didn't care, but because he didn't want to do something wrong and make Jake even more annoyed. So when Jay instructed him on what to do, he was quick.

As soon as Sunghoon started massaging Jake's nape, the boy tensed up again, spilling out even more of his stomach's content.

Sunghoon didn't stop what he was doing and Jay went beside Jake to rub his back and try to calm him down, seeing that he was breathing hard again

- Hey, Jake, look at me. I need you to breathe ok? Do it with me. Breathe in 1 2 3 4, hold it 1 2 3 4, and exhale 1 2 3 4. That's it, keep going.

Jake followed along with Jay's instructions until he was breathing normally again.

- There you go, feeling more calm now? Sunghoon asked

- Yeah... sorry for the trouble...

Jake said, voice filled with exhaustion

- There's no need to apologize. We've got you.

- I'm tired...

Jake said as he leaned his weight on Sunghoon.

OUTSIDE THE ROOM

- Oh, Hyung! Jungwon said as the manager answered the phone.

- Oh, Jungwonie. Did you guys finish practice already?

- Yeah, kind of. Jake got sick.

- What? What happened?

- We don't know, he got sick while we were dancing and he threw up 3 times.

- Okay, wait for me. I'll be right there.

- Okay.

- What did he say?

The boys asked Jungwon as soon as he finished the call.

- He's coming here.

The boys went back to the room to find Jake resting on Sunghoon's shoulder and Jay gathering their things.

- The manager is on his way. - Jungwon said coming closer to the trio.

- How is Jake hyung doing? Ni-ki asked with a concerned expression.

- I don't know but he is a little bit more calm now. Jay answered.

A few minutes later the manager got to the room to assess the situation and talk to the boys.

- Hey, guys. Hey Jake, how are you doing?

The manager asked kneeling in front of the boy.

- I feel dizzy, tired and nauseous.

Jake answered not daring to move a muscle, scared that by doing so his stomach would act up again.

- Okay. I'll go talk to the company to cancel the rest of your schedules for the week. Meanwhile, gather your stuff and wait for me in the other room, it's more comfortable there.

- Understood.

- Jake, do you think you can stand up?

Sunghoon asked.

- I think so...

The boy tried to, but his body felt way heavier than he thought. Seeing his struggle, the boys helped him up, careful to not make him even more dizzy, and made their way to the other room.

Jake sat on the couch with Heeseung and Sunghoon by his side, while the others went to buy a sports drink for Jake.

For a while, Jake was calm, the nausea was barely there and he thought he was starting to get better and that all of that could've just been something bad he ate earlier.

Deep down he knew it wasn't the case since the other members were fine, but he tried to hold on to that thought.

The boys came back with a sports drink for Jake, who took it gratefully, the ordeal earlier left his throat dry and raspy, and he was craving for some sort of drink. He took small sips, which his stomach agreed with, and then settled the bottle aside and leaned back on the couch again.

A few minutes after he started to feel his stomach twisting again, the feeling went up to his throat and he quickly sat straight, one hand on his chest and the other tightly gripping Heeseung's hand. He started swallowing convulsively again, trying his best to hold everything in, at least until he could go to the restroom. When he finally managed to swallow it down he asked his hyung for help.

- hyung...can you take me to the bathroom?

He asked taking his hand to cover his mouth.

- Let's go.

Heeseung was quick to help Jake up and guide him to the bathroom. As soon as they got there they went straight into one of the stalls, where Jake immediately threw up, and before he could catch his breath, another wave came up making him sway on his feet again and kneel in front of the toilet.

As he continued to spill his stomach's contents, which by now was basically bile and water, one of the TXT members walked in to find both his hoobaes on the bathroom floor.

- oh my god! Are you guys okay?

Heeseung was startled for a moment, because of the sudden presence of another person and also by the sound of more vomit splattering on the toilet.

- Oh! Soobin hyung!

- What's wrong with Jake? Is he okay?

Soobin asked, clearly worried and walking closer to the duo

- It started about an hour ago, during practice. We don't know what's happening.

Heeseung said as he continued to rub Jake's back.

- H-Heeseung hyung... I think I'm done...

- Okay, let's go. Let's rinse your mouth.

Soobin was quick to help Jake up to his feet and held him close since he swayed when he stood up.

- Thanks Soobin Hyung, sorry for the trouble.

The boys said to the oldest.

- Oh no, you don't need to apologize. If you need any help you can contact us at any time.

- Thank you, Soobin hyung.

The boys left the bathroom and went back to the room and found the manager arriving just in time as well.

- Did he throw up again?

The manager asked.

- Yes, it's the fourth time now.

- Okay. I talked to the company, and your schedules have been canceled for the rest of the week. If by Monday, Jake's still not recovered he will remain resting and you guys will return to your normal schedules. Now we'll go to the hospital to figure out what's happening. Jake, can you walk?

- I feel dizzy, I don't think I can.

- Okay, I'll give you a piggyback ride to the car. Let's go. The manager said, getting the boy on his back.

The boys all settled in the car, Jake sitting closer to the door with Ni-Ki in case something happened while the others sat randomly.

The ride was quite peaceful, Jake tried to keep looking forward so that the movement of the landscape wouldn't make him feel nauseous. And it seemed to be working well, until the manager passed a spring breaker without noticing which made the car move abruptly, leading to Jake's stomach acting up again.

He could feel the burning sensation coming up his throat and saliva pooling inside his mouth. He started swallowing convulsively again, and he grabbed Ni-ki's hand unknowingly and gripped tight, which Ni-ki noticed.

- Hyung? What is it? Do you feel sick again?

The younger asked, squeezing Jake's hand to reassure him he was there.

- Y-yes. P-pull over. He managed to say before he gagged into his hand.

- Hyung! Stop the car! Jungwon told the manager.

They managed to stop at a rest area. Thankfully not so far from the hospital.

Jake stumbled out of the car, bending over as he immediately threw up, using his hands on his knees to not lose balance.

Sunghoon and Ni-ki went over to hold him by the waist as another wave made him arch his back, making him lose his balance.

- We've got you. Dont worry.

Sunghoon said, rubbing Jake's back and removing his sweaty bangs from his forehead.

The other members went to the convenience store to buy him something to drink.

- Here. Drink this. It's a sports drink, your favorite flavor. I think it might help you a little.

Jay said handing him the bottle.

Jake gratefully took the drink, given that his mouth tasted vile. His stomach decided to accept it, for now, apparently giving him a brake.

They waited a few more minutes until Jake felt safe to get into the car again and made their way to the hospital.

AT THE HOSPITAL

- Good afternoon! How are you guys doing?

The doctor who examined Jake was already known to take care of the members' health.

- Hello, doctor. We're well... I guess.

Jungwon and Jay were the ones, along with the manager, who entered the room with Jake.

- what happened with Jake?

The doctor asked, getting up to take his vitals.

- He had a mild fever last night and today during practice he started to vomit.

- How many times did he throw up?

- About five now

- Okay, that's concerning. Jake, what are you feeling right now?

The boy was still feeling nauseous and the thought of having to answer was making the sensation even worse. He took a few breaths in and when the feeling died down a bit he answered.

- Really nauseous....my head hurts and I feel a little dizzy...

- I see. Well. You are running a fever now, it's 37.5 °C. And your blood pressure is rather low.

Here's what we're gonna do. I will take a few blood samples so we can know what's going on. I think it's probably a stomach bug. While we wait for the results, you'll stay here on I.V. drips, since you can't keep anything down and you're getting dehydrated.

But before the doctor could finish what she/he was saying, Jake's nausea increased and made him gag into his hand.

- I-I'm sorry- I'm gonna be sick-

He manages to say before a stream of water and bile hits the bin, which thankfully the doctor managed to put on his lap. Before he could take a breath, another wave came up, hurting his already sore throat, Jungwon was rubbing his hyung's back through the whole ordeal.

- I'm sorry....

he said wiping his mouth and taking a sip of water.

- No, don't worry! You can lay down there, I'll get the I.V. drop ready. It might make you a little nauseous. I'll be back in 40 minutes.

40 MINUTES PASS

- Okay, I got the results. As I suspected, it's a stomach flu/bug. I'll give you a prescription for the nausea and one for the fever. Don't take any of them on an empty stomach, okay? We don't want to further irritate your stomach. The fever reducer only take them if the fever is past 37,6°C, if not, let the body do its work. Other than that, I'll give you some advice. Drink lots of water, and sports drinks as well, it'll keep you hydrated. You can also drink mint tea, ginger tea, or lemongrass tea, they'll also help with the nausea, but don't put any sugar. You can eat some soup, with very little seasoning to not trigger the nausea. And also bread, if you're feeling really hungry but you're afraid of eating anything with the littlest of seasoning, bread will help you. It's got no seasoning other than salt and it'll also help with your stomach acid.

- Thank you, doctor! The boys said together.

- This should take about 4-5 days to get better. If by the fifth day, you're still throwing up, come back here so we can run more tests.

- Understood.

- Great! Get well soon Jake, I hope I don't see you in five days (the doctor said giggling). But do contact me so I'll know how he's doing. Oh! One more thing before you leave. Take this (the doctor said giving them a sick bag). Trust me, it'll be of great help on your way home.

- Thank you, doctor!

They left the hospital and Jungwon updated the members on Jake's condition. The boys were still worried but relieved that they now knew what to do.

- Jake, do you want to go straight home or can we stop by the drugstore to buy your medicines? (The manager asked)

- We can go to the drugstore first.... the sick boy answered clearly exhausted by the whole ordeal.

The ride to the drugstore and the dorm obviously wasn't peaceful with Jake getting sick twice. The boys were very, very grateful to the doctor for giving them the sick bag.

AT THE DORM

Sunghoon and Jungwon helped Jake walk to the dorm. After throwing up more than 6 times, the boy could barely keep his eyes open, or move his legs, they felt like jelly.

- Finally, we're home!

They said letting out a big sigh of relief. Jake was now at home and he could be properly taken care of.

- Jake, what you wanna do now?

- I wanna take a bath, I feel really gross...

- Okay, Sunghoon and I will stay with you.

Jay said getting closer to the boy and wrapping his hand around his waist.

- We'll make something for him to eat. Heeseung said walking to the kitchen with the other boys.

While Sunghoon and Jay were in the bathroom with Jake, Jungwon got a phone call.

- oh! It's Soobin hyung! He said, while his eyes widened in surprise.

The others gathered around him as he put the phone on speaker.

- Oh! Jungwon! How are you guys? Did you get home safely?

- Soobin hyung! We're good! We just got back home.

- How's Jake? Did you guys go to the hospital?

- yes. It's a stomach bug/flu. The doctor gave some prescriptions for medicine and said that it should take about 4 days until he is better.

- I see. Well, at least it's nothing serious. I also called to say that Taehyun was making him some soup.

- oh! There was no need to, sunbaenims are busy.

- he insisted heheh. He said he would do it with very light seasoning. It will be ready in about 40 minutes. We'll go deliver it to you guys.

If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask!

- Thank you Hyung!

IN THE BATHROOM

Jay and Sunghoon decided to help Jake to the shower, as it would be safer that way, given that the sick boy threw up about seven times that day and could barely stand. They were never as grateful as now for having a bathtub.

- Guys....you don't need to be here..... I'm okay...

- No. Nope. No way. You're not passing out on me. No no. We'll stay here, whether you like it or not.

- But... it's embarrassing...

- just cover up then. Come on.

- Get in the bathtub. It's safer this way.

Sunghoon said guiding Jake to sit on the bathtub.

- Okay.... but... leave the bin closed. I don't want to puke on the water I'm bathing with.

- Okay.

The shower was going smoothly until Jake started feeling nauseous again. He shut his eyes and squeezed his hands so tight his knuckles turned white. His breathing labored which caught the boys' attention.

- Hey, Jake, are you feeling sick again?

Sunghoon asked getting closer to him and putting his hand on his shoulder.

Jake was feeling so weak he only managed to nod before gagging.

Thankfully Sunghoon was quick enough to get the bin under Jake's chin before the boy threw up for the eighth time that day. As was expected, only bile and water came out, and even after there was nothing left to come up, his body insisted on convulsing and arching his back which was getting annoyingly painful. But thank heavens Sunghoon kept his hand on Jake's back throughout the whole ordeal.

Seeing his friend in distress Jay decided to help Jake, as he saw the boy's face go pale.

- Hey hey hey. You're not passing out on me, remember? Here, lean your back here. Breathe with me okay? Come on. Breathe in four, hold for, and exhale four.

After a few minutes following Jay's instructions, the color had returned to Jake's face and he felt like he had control of his body again.

- There you go. Feeling better?

- Yeah...a little... thanks.

- let's just try to relax a bit more before we get out okay? Lean your back there, I'm gonna warm up the water a little bit more. There, how is it?

- Woah, relaxing....

Jake said with a tired smile on his face, the first one since all of the ordeal started.

- Great. Let's stay like this for a while, hm? Just feel the water trailing down your back and keep breathing...

A few minutes passed until Jake was finally well enough to come out of the bath without fainting.

While they were in the bathroom the others were quick to get Jake's bed ready so that everything he would have to do now was rest.

Jay and Sunghoon helped him settle down on the bed and make sure he was feeling a little bit better.

- Thanks, guys.... I'm sorry for the trouble...

- There's no need to thank us. We're brothers remember?

Jay said with a smile putting his hand on the sick boy's shoulder.

- How are you feeling?

- Relaxed... I needed that bath, I was feeling really gross. I'm feeling refreshed at least.

- That's good. I need to go finish some things. I'll come back later.

Jay said leaving the boy with Sunghoon.

They all decided to take turns to stay with Jake, to keep him company and also to make sure he would be safe.

Sunghoon was the first one to stay in the bedroom. Despite everything, Jake wasn't really sleepy, he felt tired but not enough to fall asleep. So they just talked. In fact, Jake asked Sunghoon to keep chatting with him so he could distract himself from the nausea. It wasn't gone but it wasn't as strong as before.

The idea worked. Jake was lying down on the bed and Sunghoon was sitting comfortably next to him, chatting until it was time for another member to come in.

Now it was Ni-ki, and he had bought some things with him.

- Hi, hyung. How are you feeling?

- A bit nauseous but better overall I guess... What's that?

He asked pointing to what was in Ni-ki's hands.

- This is something my mom used to do whenever I got sick or had headaches. You said you had a headache, right Hyung?

- Hmm...

- This will help. It's hot water mixed with some herbs. The mix should help with relieving the pain and I hope the smell will help with your nausea.

- Thanks Ni-Ki.

Ni-Ki carefully placed the wet clothes over Jake's forehead and eyes and it did feel heavenly. It helped relax the tenseness he felt and the nausea as well, it didn't take long before he was fast asleep.

About 3 hours later, Jake woke up, feeling better like he really needed that sleep. It took some time for him to take in his surroundings since he still had the wet cloth on his forehead but he looked to the side and found Jay on his phone.

- hey.

- oh! You're awake. Did you sleep well?

- Yeah. That wet cloth Ni-Ki bought really helped.

- How are you feeling now?

- Better.

- And the nausea?

- Barely there. It feels almost gone now.

- Thank goodness. We were thinking of watching a movie now since it's raining. Want to join us?

- Yes. I think getting distracted will help.

- then let's go.

The boys all gathered in the living room, some of them had bowls of popcorn, others some other snacks, and Jake settled for a bottle of water. Even though he was feeling better, popcorn and such probably wouldn't be a good choice for his stomach.

They turned off the lights and put the movie to play. It was an action/horror genre, very suited for a stormy noon. They were all enjoying it, with the scared cats jumping every once in a while, bringing much amusement to the brave ones. Jake was part of the scaredy-cat group, and despite being jumpy, he was enjoying the movie for a while.

But after 1 hour, he started to feel funny again, the brightness from the TV along with the flashing from the movie and the smell of popcorn and chips started to kick in. He felt his head begin to throb again and the nausea that was controlled had come back in full force. He took a small sip of his water and sunk into the couch, eyes fixed anywhere else but the TV. He gripped the fabric of his pants until his knuckles turned white as he began swallowing convulsively. He managed to swallow the urge to vomit and relaxed but that moment of peace only lasted for a few seconds. Another strong wave of nausea enrolled him, making him repeat the process, swallowing convulsively and trying to take deep breaths. Jay who was sitting by his side noticed the sudden change in behaviour.

- Hey, Jake, bro are you okay?

- N-no-

He answered and immediately gagged wetly into his hand making Jay spring into action.

- Shit! Let's go to the bathroom.

He said helping Jake up and darting to the bathroom with him, leaving the other six completely shocked.

Jake went straight to the toilet and bent over as a thick stream of vomit gushed out of him, some hitting his hands and the edges of the toilet and splashing inside the bowl with a sickening sound.

- Easy bro.

Jay said as he rubbed Jake's back and the sick boy let out a wet burp that brought up an even thicker wave of vomit mixing inside the bowl. And to add to his misery, the fever that seemingly gone seemed to have returned. He could feel his body burn, even Jay's hand felt both comforting and painful because of the fever. And Jay noticed through the touch that the fever might've spiked.

- I think your fever spiked again.

He said brushing Jake's bangs out of the way and placing a hand on his forehead.

- yep. It's definitely high.

By now, the others were in the bathroom that Jay forgot to close, clearly worried about Jake's condition.

- How is he?

Jungwon asked voice filled with worry and a slight tone of fear. He was the leader but he was also the second youngest.

- Not good. I think his fever is high again.

- I'll get a thermometer.

Heeseung said already leaving.

Jake choked and started coughing making his head throb in pain which left him lightheaded. He swayed forward and Jay secured him and guided him to kneel in front of the toilet.

- There you go. I don't want you passing out on me.

As soon as he was kneeling, he jerked forward as another wave of pale brown vomit made its way out.

Heeseung came back with the thermometer and handed it to Jay.

- 38.3°C. It's really high. You'll have to take the medication.

- I don't think I can...

- Try to take some anti-emetic first and then you take the other.

- I'll try.

Jake threw up one more time before he was left dry heaving over the toilet.

- I think you're done. Let's rinse your mouth and get you to bed.

Jay helped him to the sink, he rinsed his mouth and the boys took him to the bedroom. They got some sports drinks and the pills for the sick boy.

He managed to take both but the boys placed a bucket in his lap just in case. And indeed, taking the medication triggered his stomach but he managed to control it and didn't throw up.

They left the bucket near the bed, helped him lie down, and covered him.

Ni-Ki had school the other day but he made sure his hyung was taken care of and made the same mix from before to help him. He put the wet cloth on his forehead covering his eyes and then went to sleep.

Jay slept with him and woke up every now and then to check Jake's temperature and help him through vomiting episodes.

Just like the doctor said, Jake spent 4 days throwing up a few times during the day and night but the boys were there to help throughout the process until his recovery.

[armynoonas]

BTS on Twitter

[#오늘의방탄] #달려라석진 EP.2 🏫모교에 금의환향한 슈퍼스타 진 선배 왔다! 후배님들의 뜨거운 응원과 사랑받아 힐링하고 갑니다! 고맙다 후배들아! 🔥💜 #오늘의석진 #진 #Jin #BTS #방탄소년단 #선배와_후배의_케미 #진_선배님_사랑해요 #월드와이드핸섬_진_선배

[#TodaysBangtan] #RunJin EP.2 🏫 superstar jin sunbae (t/n: senior) has returned home in success to his alma mater! he'll need to receive his hoobae's (t/n: junior) cheers and love to receiving healing! thank you hoobaes!🔥💜 #TodaysJin #진 #Jin #BTS #방탄소년단 #Sunbae_And_Hoobaes_Chemistry #Jin_Sunbaenim_We_Love_You #Wordwide_Handsome_Jin_Sunbae

Trans. by miiniyoongs

[240820]

[itzynabi]

230728 evie_oops insta update

visual: soyou is on the left and eve is on the right

an: the episode can be found here

evie_oops Aloha Evie, Evie, Evie

Comments on this post

princessevie they used to be trainer and trainee but now theyre sunbae and hoobae🥺

chaosduosdaughter those hips better WORK

ryubiluvr at this point eve is just have her friends on the show and i love that for her

yejisnabi soyou has a hit on her hands i fear

yuliasprincess summer kpop oh how i love you

©️ kim nabi

[euphor1a]

EMERGENCY ‼️‼️‼️‼️ EMERGENCY ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ GYUKOOK SONOGONG CHALLENGE IS REAL IM BAWLING

[boysplanetrecaps]

Build Up, Ep 4 Recap: Kick It v The Little Prince

Welcome back to the project nobody minds waiting two weeks for -- my MNET Build Up Recaps! In the previous one, we finally finished episode 3, seeing that match up between Jay and Wumuti. In this one, we’ll see WEi’s Seokhwa and AB6IX’s Woong take on two trainees. Will the sunbaes beat the hoobaes? Will the hoobaes rebel? Only one way to find out!

After a super brief recap, the episode dives in to the first match of the episode: idols versus trainees. People comment on the flashy outfits idols Seokhwa and Woong are wearing, and wonder if they’ll dance.

“Idol beauty radiates -- Kang Seokhwa (left) x Jeon Woong team” 

They introduce themselves as “fate,” and I think it’s a pun/meme that would make sense to Korean viewers because it makes everyone else laugh. 

Both Woong and Seokhwa were on team Ditto, and Woong ended up with a low tier ranking even though I think his voice sounded quite nice. 

In comparison to Seokhwa and Woong’s punky idol styling, the trainees Ji Yeonwoo and Jeong Yunseo are dressed simply and cutely. 

Yeonwoo, left, was low tier in Decalcomanie for forgetting the words, poor kid. 

You might remember Yunseo most for his red outfit in the first episode that made him look like he drove racecars for a living. (It was cute, don’t get me wrong.) You might also remember his bold confidence in his team performance of Beautiful, where unlike his fellow trainee Minseo, he seemed to be completely sure that he’d succeed. I really love his attitude! 

The judges start off by asking the trainees if they’re nervous, and Jaehwan reminds Yeonwoo about his mistake. Yeonwoo says that he’s been having nightmares every night reliving that moment and that it was the worst moment of his life. Poor kid, god, can you imagine? I just want to hug him. Anyway, he promises not to make a mistake again. The other judges yell at Jaehwan for bringing it up.

The two teams trash talk a little -- the trainees say that they have nothing to lose, essentially. The idols say that the trainees are cute, and that they think beating the trainees would be a good story for MNET. Eunkwang rightfully points out, however, that a better story for MNET would be if the idols lose!

Time for a flashback. 

It’s the duet-forming portion of the day, and we see Seokhwa go straight for Woong. Since Woong was in the Low Tier and probably was scared no one would pick him, you can tell he’s really glad to see Seokhwa!  

“This is the narrative,” reality-savvy Woong interviews. “If you fall and go back up? That’s the narrative.” Yes, but unfortunately, MNET also likes it if you fall and keep falling. They’re sociopaths that way.

This pair up may not have been the best idea, as we’ll see, but it makes a lot of intuitive sense that these two would want to work together. For one thing, they have had similar careers so far. Both WEi and Ab6ix could be considered post-ProduceX101 groups, and they debuted 15 months apart (first AB6IX, then WEi). They would have friends in common, for starters, and given that both groups put out three singles each in 2021 and 2022, they had to be promoting at the same time at least a few times. Woong is Seokhwa’s sunbae since Woong debuted first, but Seokhwa is older, making their relationship a bit more balanced. Also, they obviously solidified their friendship during their preparations for Ditto. Plus, Seokhwa wanted to work with another idol so they could do an idol-style performance, something more dynamic than Ditto. As I said, it all makes sense, especially if you remember that often times the winning group on Boys Planet would be the group that got along better.

Ok, in this next portion I need to talk about Ji Yeonwoo and Jeong Yunseo. I think that if I were reading these recaps, I’d find those names similar enough that I wouldn’t be able to remember who is who and I might have to scroll up and down a lot. So, I’m going to call Yunseo “driver Yunseo.” This is for two reasons: (1) He looked like a racecar driver on the first day. 

And (2) because he really is a “driver��� in this storyline! 

The flashback also shows us poor Yeonwoo, waiting for a duo partner. He voice-overs that after he messed up the lyrics, he felt like he wanted to “hide in a rat hole.” It looks like no one wants to work with him… until driver Yunseo comes over to rescue him, saying, “Let’s go, ‘04s.” Aww, they’re chingoos! (A “chingoo” is someone the same age as you, which makes you feel like you’re friends -- it’s a Korean cultural thing I don’t totally get.) 

Driver Yunseo thought they’d be a good match, and I think it was smart on his part to pick Yeonwoo too. The two maknae on a show will always get a kind reception, even if they don’t always get the highest scores. 

Driver Yunseo either genuinely wants to cheer up his chingoo or he knows that he has to get Yeonwoo’s confidence up if they are going to have any chance of winning, or both, because he puts his arm around his chingoo’s shoulders, he gives him complicated high-5s, and just generally does everything in his power to pump Yeonwoo up. It’s cute. 

Driver Yunseo says: “Ji Yeonwoo, Nekkoya (you’re mine!)”

With Driver Yunseo’s infectious confidence beginning to spread to him, Yeonwoo vows to “rebel” and win this time. Driver Yunseo says, “I promise you, I’ll make you a narrative.” Yunseo GETS IT, you guys. I really like this kid. 

Anyway, so, all the guys are sitting on the floor whispering to each other about which duos they want to challenge. Driver Yunseo says, “the team I think we can beat no matter what is Kang Seokhwa’s team.” I hate to say it, but that was pretty smart.

Ok, hear me out, because I really like all four of these guys and wouldn’t want any of them to be sad or anything, but I have noticed that Seokhwa’s voice is a bit weak. It’s a very pretty, sweet, light voice; he has a lot of potential, and a lot of current charm, seeing as he did get a judge’s vote. But he often strains on higher notes, and his belts sound like he’s tensing up his throat a lot. He’s super stable as a performer in WEi and is really well suited for the idol life. I’m just not sure that his vocals are quite to the level this show expects. Sorry, RUi! 

I also think that as outwardly cheerful as Woong is, I think he’s really feeling low. I actually really like the texture of his singing voice, and think the judges were unnecessarily rough on him. Being put in the low tier when he’s a main vocal was probably pretty distressing for him.  Even though *I* know his voice is really nice, it doesn’t seem like anyone on the show really seems to think so. No one is telling him his voice is nice. Only 14 people voted that they’d want to work with him. So with Woong’s confidence and reputation both kind of in the dumpster, he’s also an easy target. 

The trainees correctly deduce that the idols are going to want to do something bouncy and higher energy, maybe with the some dancing, and think that they themselves can win by using their vocal skills and youth to charm the judges. “It’s not a bad picture for us if we try to beat the seniors. Not a bad picture at all,” Driver Yunseo whispers to his chingoo. I’m telling you, Yunseo GETS IT.

So up until now, I’ve been unclear as to how the whole situation with the Rival Choosing Platform Area (RCPA) worked. This time, we actually hear Solar announcing Seokwa and Woong’s names, so they were somehow selected to go down to the RCPA. You’d think that maybe the show could have told us how this all works at any point, but that would have eaten into their instant replay time, so I guess not. 

Seokhwa and Woong invite a challenger.

And then a few other teams head down to the RCPA, which kind of hurts the idols’ feelings. Do they look like pushovers? They’re challenged by our two trainees, as well as by Team Geonu x Soomin and Team Hong Seongjun x Kim Seohyung. 

Left to right: Woong, Seokhwa; Kim Seohyung, Hong Seongjun, Geonu, Soomin, Driver Yunseo (hidden), Yeonwoo.

Interesting, those two other teams end up each others’ rivals and are up third in this episode! So we’ll see them in the post after the next one. 

The trainees make their case.

“I thought it would be an interesting scene, you know, for the viewers, you know, if the idols and trainees go against each other.”

“Ahh!”

“Especially if we win!”

“What?”

“Nothing!”

Seokhwa chooses the trainees, reasoning that they’d be easy to beat. And only later do we find out that Woong had told Seokhwa that the trainees were the one team he wanted to avoid, because it would be disastrous to lose to them! But more on that shortly. 

The trainees decide that to show off their singing skills and youthful appeal, they’ll sing “The Little Prince,” originally performed by Ryeowook from SuperJunior. The song was released in 2016, when Ryeowook was almost 30, but it’s a sweet and youthful-feeling little song about love and friendship inspired by the classic story The Little Prince. 

Sample lyrics:

Making a heart that is like the wind stay with me Is such a hard thing I know But I won’t say anything, I’m just waiting for you The Little Prince told me That gaining someone’s heart Is the hardest thing to do, come to me The Little Prince said to me It might be sad right now But we’re never gonna be apart That you’re going to want to laugh with me

As they head into the performance, poor Yeonwoo talks more about how miserable he was after he made his mistake. The stakes are high! He vows to do better this time. 

Watching the trainees getting ready, Baekho and Seungkwan -- who are signed to the same agency -- talk about how their monthly evaluations as trainees made them more nervous than performing ever did. Boy, do I get that! I’d rather perform 100 times than audition once. 

Before they perform, the trainees do some squats, for some reason (I guess maybe to shake off the nervous energy?) and then steel themselves. It’s time!

Full version without reactions 

My thoughts:

Yeonwoo, left, in the s w e a t e r over a collared shirt, and Yunseo, right.

Aww, this was cute. 

Have you ever been watching a competition reality show that involve a creative element, like Top Chef or Project Runway or Glow Up or Bake Off, and a contestant says “I’ve never done this before, but you don’t win by playing it safe!” And you, watching at home, are like, “omg, why are you doing that? If you’ve never worked with leather, if you’ve never cooked lamb, if you’ve never used prosthetics, if you’ve never made caramel, or whatever the hell durned foolish thing you’re going to do for the first time on international TV, why are you doing it now?” And most of the time they end up going home, while someone who made sure to safely land the plane is the one who wins. 

These two landed the plane.

This song isn’t necessarily easy to sing; it has a lot of high notes and requires a lot of vocal agility to make it through the melody and the rhythm, both of which get tricky at times. However, the “concept” or idea behind the song is relatively straight forward and easy for these two to deliver -- a sort of youthful view on love as something that you can hope for if you’re patient. Also, though Ryeowook is a main vocal of SuJu and has a great voice, he’s not someone supernatural like Chen that would be a really, really hard act to follow. 

Yeonwoo and Driver Yunseo both have good, young voices with tons of potential. I think they both could use a bit more training and experience, but they really do both deserve to be on this stage. Both sounded more than a bit nervous, which may have contributed to their breath control issues, but both held strong to the end and I didn’t notice any pitchiness or major tempo mistakes, which is big. 

Of the two voices, I think I like Driver Yunseo’s a little more, as a Yeonwoo is still a bit nasal at times. Yeonwoo also went a tiny bit fast at a few points, and his high notes were a little bit strained. Driver Yunseo’s lower register is really gorgeous, while Yeonwoo’s higher notes are a bit stronger. They made a great duo! I don’t think they’re going to win this show, but I’m glad they’re on it. 

The MNET edit is very retrained. Mostly it’s just the two trainees singing, with occasional shots of the guys backstage looking both proud and hopeful, like this:

Hyukjin, left, and Jeong Inseong from KNK, who will be going third in episode 5.

And the judges smiling indulgently and/or uncertainly, like this: 

When they’re done, everyone applauds for the maknae. 

The judges say things like, “aww, they must have practiced a lot!” 

Backstage, the guys joke about how well the trainees’ did -- “are they our sons? Did we raise them?” -- and also joke a bit about how old they feel in comparison to them. 

“If we sang The Little Prince, it wouldn’t come out like that!” Hwanhee from Up10tion says. “Old princes would come out if we sang.” Hwanji is like, “hey man, stop talking like that.” They’re only 24/25 years old, so he has a point.

Seokhwa and Woong, waiting in the wings, say, “They did a great job. Much better than in rehearsal.” You can see the worry on their faces. 

The judges vote, and we get the high and low score -- a high of 92 from Seungkwan from Seventeen and a low of 70 from Jaehwan. That’s the lowest “high score” and the lowest “low score” we’ve seen thus far, but it’s not embarrassing or anything.  They look pretty happy!

Seungkwan is like, wow, Jaehwan, what’s up with the 70? 

And a glowing light comes out of Jaehwan’s eyes and his body begins to slowly levitate as he says, “In place of a Dark Lord, you would have a queen! Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Treacherous as the sea! Stronger than the foundations of the earth! ALL SHALL LOVE ME, AND DESPAIR!”

I mean, maybe not literally. 

Seungkwan mentions Yunseo’s early lines, which were in fact quite sweet and lovely. “I think it started off well and went along steadily until the end without bumps.” 

Jaehwan says, “Actually I really liked it. Maybe it was the purity that comes form the vocal tone…? I felt like I was listening to angels’ songs.”

Everyone is like, wtf? You cheered for them and loved them and gave these “angels” a 70? Backstage, one of the guys mutters, “He’s going to hell.”

Jaehwan continues: “I still thought about it calmly. When I heard the song, I felt endlless possibilities, but when considering the average level of singing ability, I thought that 70 was the appropriate score. It wasn’t bad, though!” 

Eunkwang says, “it was so good, but….” and he points out that Driver Yunseo sort of bounces in a bowlegged way as he sings. That’s exactly the kind of helpful feedback that a good sunbae should point out, says I, and the other judges agree. 

Backstage, Seokhwa and Woong are really nervous now. I think the trainees had had a really bad rehearsal and so the idols were pretty sure they’d have an easy time of it. But now the idea that a pair of debuted idols would lose to trainees who did a kind of straight-forward performance is just really sinking into their heads. 

Woong is worried that maybe people will lose interest in AB6IX if he doesn’t do well on the show. Oh, I doubt that, Woong-ah. It’s a parasocial thing -- people might even like you better if you lose. 

We see a flashback to the rival choosing moment, and this is when we learn that Woong really didn’t want to go up against the trainees, because the optics of losing to them would be awful and the optics of beating them wouldn’t be much better. He had told Seokhwa as much, which Woong finds perplexing.  

Seokhwa either didn’t hear or didn’t think it really mattered, and chose the trainees because he thought it would make them stand out. I think I’m with Woong on this one! Woong interviews, “I can’t get any lower than I am right now. We better win.” 

The idols have a nice cozy rehearsal studio to work in, but no sweaters. 

Seokhwa reveals that he overheard the trainees talking ant that they’re planning to do a bright, youthful ballad. Seokhwa wants to show that ballad vocals aren’t the only kind of vocals, and maybe doing something more hip, with an R&B vibe, would give them their own lane to drive in. The judges liked their performance skills in Ditto, so they should capitalize on that. That sounds great to me, Seokhwa! 

What about maybe Butter by BTS? That song is catchy af. Or what about Blooming Day or Hey Mama by EXO-CBX? I think both of those songs would sound good as a duet, and both would get the judges on their feet! Ok, sure, with the EXO-CBX songs you’d be following in some amazing vocal footsteps, but I think it would be fine! There’s also a bit of rap to show off here. 

But nope. They want to do “Kick it” by Blackpink. I don’t know why on earth they chose this song!  This is one of those songs where Teddy Park had a lunch date he really wanted to keep, so he just sort of threw some notes in a random order and had Jennie sing with as much swag as humanly possible so that it sounded almost like a melody. 

Also, there's another problem here. See, Woong is a very derivative singer. I really like his voice, as I’ve said before, but if you listen to his vocal check performance and compare it to the original singers’ version, it’s nearly identical, to the smallest detail. I think Woong needs to hear an example of really good singing in order to match it, and he’s not going to get it on this song. Do not get me wrong; the members of Blackpink are all fantastic performers and I always enjoy their vocals. But none of them sings in a way that is likely to draw positive attention on a show like this. Rosé in particular worries me -- she has a gorgeous natural instrument, and the YG singing style is teaching her really bad habits that might hurt her vocal cords long term. In any case, there’s nothing for Woong to appropriately mimic here to pull out an outstanding performance. 

I really get the feeling that they were overwhelmed by the possibility of choosing any song in the whole world. They wanted to do a girls’ song because it would be cool and attention grabbing, and then wanted to do a Blackpink song because Blackpink is so popular, and once they’d made that choice, they sort of randomly chose this song. The choosing was stressful and they wanted to get to the part where they’d already chosen. That happened to me with my fella when we were trying to pick out curtains. Now we have curtains that don’t really match the room. Sigh. 

If they had really wanted to do a girls’ song, I think Impurities by Le Sserafim would have been cool -- it has a beat and you can definitely dance to it, but it’s also kind of smooth and sexy. It has a real tune and real chords and they could have done something cool with it. Or maybe Eleven by IVE. It could have sounded really cool!   (For both of those links, go to speed and set it to 1.25, or if you know how to do custom, 1.15 is perfect. That way it’s at normal speed, just a lower pitch.) 

Anyway, Seokhwa wants to show how cool they can be.

They rehearse at Woong’s agency, Brandnew Music  (I mean, blur it all you want, MNET, the logo is pretty obvious), practicing as hard as they did when they were trainees. 

Before they start, the judges talk about how with the song they’re doing, they’ll have to really light up the stage and have fun. The judges are hoping for a good performance showcasing singing, dancing, and rap. As the lights go down, Wendy says, “This is what they’re best at. They shouldn’t be so nervous.”

Here is the full version without reactions. 

My thoughts:

Overall, it’s just sort of curiously lacking something. I watched this on an airplane on my tablet, and wondered if maybe it just felt “off” because of my environment, but then I remembered that I was really impressed by Jay and Bitsaeon in the same circumstance.  

They both seem so nervous, especially Seokhwa, who runs out of air in the middle of lines, and keeps brushing his hair back anxiously. Woong remembers to smile and connect with the camera, but you can almost see him trying to remember the dance steps. Woong is obviously doing a Jennie impression a lot of time, as I expected him to do, and it just doesn’t  sound as good as it does when he just sings as himself. 

As they sort of settle in, it seems like maybe they can relax and pull it out at the end, but then a Terrible Thing happens: Seokhwa’s voice cracks on a high note. 

Oh no. 

It’s pretty noticeable, and I already know that it will be a lot more noticeable when MNET does a few instant replays. Seokhwa!! Oh no!!! Baby!! 

I really think both of these guys are sweet and lovable, and both have nice singing voices that are well suited to being a main vocalist of an idol group. I think a combination of nerves and bad song choice really brought them down in this case, but they haven’t lost me as a fan. Fighting! 

I almost don’t want to watch the MNET edit. It starts off with lots of appreciative reactions from the judges and other guys, but as the song wears on, we start to see more looks like this from the judges:

Backstage, sympathetic Bitsaeon mutters, “They worked so hard for this,” and you know he’s thinking, “... and it turned out like this.” 

Look how miserable Woong looks even *before* Seokhwa’s crack. 

And then the crack happens. 

We only have to hear it twice, thankfully, and Woong never gives up, to his credit, but there’s no coming back.

When they’re done, the judges applaud politely, if a bit sadly. They’re all vocalists too and they know that cracks can happen, that we’re all just fragile meat bags when you get down to it and are subject to our human failings, but…. Still. This performance wasn’t great, crack or no crack.  

Backstage, the other guys try to be positive, focusing on how much time and effort went into the performance, and how hard they must have practiced. 

Driver Yunseo says, “It was like watching M-Countdown”...

… but his smile tells us that he thinks that maybe, just maybe, his team has just won. 

“You did a good job,” Woong murmurs to Seokhwa, who can’t bear to hear praise right now.

Dahee asks, “Are you happy with your performance?” and of course Seokhwa says no, he made a mistake and is very disappointed with himself. He seems to be barely, barely, barely holding back tears, but he is holding them back. Fighting, Seokhwa, fighting! 

The judges give their scores. Jaehwan seems especially unsure how to vote, but finally he locks it in. 

Wendy has given them a sympathetic 80, but Jaehwan has given a 60. (As a reminder, the trainees’ high and low scores were 92 and 70 respectively.) 

Jaehwan looks genuinely sad about it, but seems to view this judging thing as a responsibility. Backstage, the other trainees say that Jaehwan is so stingy with his points!

Wendy says her favorite part was the rap in verse 2. She asks if they came up with the choreography, and says it’s not easy to do all that, so she gives them credit. Wendy kind of famously has had trouble with dancing in the past, so it makes sense she’d be impressed by dancing. She adds that it would have been better if they had enjoyed it more, which is exactly what I think. She notes that it was probably really tough for them to go up against trainees, and she felt like they deserved the score she gave based on their attempt to show all the elements. 

Jaehwan says he’s “heartbroken” about it because “they’re active singers just like me, and we all perform together on music shows. They’re my colleagues who cheer me up. To be honest it’s very hard for me to rate them. Yet I rated them because I’m sitting here. I expected you to have fun on stage because I know how good you are at performance. I expected you to go crazy on stage, and I just didn’t see that today. So I gave this score because I want to see more confidence from you next time. Fighting!”

VCG chimes in with a good point: because the song was originally intended for women’s voices, changing the pitch made it less exciting. He says, “No matter how excitedly you sing with mens’ voices, it’s never exciting. You need to change your voice or something, but you didn’t. Your tone was the same when you scratched your voice, or for the low tone, or the rap. So it didn’t sound fun.” I think he is right on target with that, and it seems that all the guys listening backstage agree. It didn’t even occur to me before that this could be specifically an issue for when guys sing women’s songs, but it makes so much sense. 

The idols bow 90 degrees and say thank you for the helpful feedback. I wish they could have met with the judges or a mentor in advance of the performance! 

Now it’s time for the winner to be revealed. 

And of course, the trainees took it, 591 to 505. Ouch -- it wasn't even close.

If you subtract out the highest and lowest scores, and take the average of the point value remaining, the average score of the other five judges for the trainees is 85 -- and the average score for the idols is 73. Aww! 

With Woong’s encouragement, Seokhwa holds it together. 

Yeonwoo says, “I wanted to win, but now that I did, I feel bad.” 

I think that makes Seokhwa and Woong feel ever worse, though I think they’re also a bit touched by the trainee’s kindness. 

Woong vows that even though they’re on the elimination list, they’re going to “build up and show their best.” But backstage, Seokhwa feels awful. He says that he thinks that he ruined round one as well and keep dragging Woong down. 

Woong interviews later that he was really upset, but just didn’t want to show it in front of Seokhwa, because he’s Seokhwa’s hyung, and it’s a hyung’s job to be strong. Aww! Woong, fighting!

The judges talk about how difficult competition is. Wendy says that it’s hard to show your skills when you’re nervous, and Jaehwan points out that that’s part of your skills, to stay calm under pressure. 

And on that sad note, this segment draws to a close. 

In the next one, we’ll see Bain and Minseo take on Gwangsuk and Sungjung! Should be a good battle. I’ll see you then!

[brrrkdslek]

OK HAPPY UPDATE I CLEARED UP MY SCHEDULE A BIT SO I'LL START WRITING AND POST SOME TIME NEXT WEEK!!!😻😻😻😻

ALSO IM WORKING ON NOT ONE, NOT TWO, NOT THREE, BUT FOUR NEW SMUTFICS HAHAHAHAHAH IL IK FUCKING CRAZY BUT U GAYS LOVE IT😼

still as a statue; ot8 x male! reader (art uni au)

havent started! professor seonghwa, all others as sophomores. sub reader, dom ateez. no plot, just smut. blowjobs, voyeurism, jacking off, cum eating, rimjob, handjob, praise kink, petnames

pink ribbons over me; khj x male! xikers! reader (idol au)

started writing! supposed to be hongjoong's birthday post😭 sunbae hongjoong, hoobae and member of xikers reader. powerbottom reader, softdom joong. angst to fluff to smut bondage, birthday sex, vanilla, petnames

cotton candy; kys x male! reader (college au)

havent started! all same age. dom reader, sub yeosang. smut to angst to smut to fluff to smut. cheating, creampie, breakups, petnames, eating out, blowjobs, semipublic sex

princess: smg x fem! idol! reader (idol au)

havent started! noona reader, dongsaeng mingi. dom reader, sub mings. fluff to smut. footjobs, fingers in mouth, edging, praising, petnames, handjobs, sexy makeout, more sexy shit

remind u gays that this'll take a lot of time and idk when or which i'll post first but just keep in mind😋 anyways im so excited to be back and i'll finish up the newest chapter of quad love before uploading it before the end of nov😼

[jiihu]

Annyeong!! ~ x3_^ I am a super desu Korean kawaii! ~^ hehe :3 i reallllly sarang this Oppa but Oppa doesn't sarang me >_< -( I want to hold hands with Oppa and be his girl Oppa is so kawaii. but Oppa sarang another unii -( I really Sarang Oppa what should I doooo? :3 >< Ahh Oppa is so kawaii and I really love Oppa too much Oppa Saranghae <3 ^ please help me. oppas and unnis. and alllllll dongsengs I really want you to help me if you are my sunbae in sarang because me is only a hoobae because this is my first sarang and I need lessons kamnashiiminda. Saranghae!! :3 _^ 

so sugoi!!!!

[jisungshotfirst]

i miss moonbin so much :(

astro have always been a comfort space for me, I've loved them as long as I've been around here. bubblegum boy groups are another level of comforting to me and astro have always and will always be the staple. moonbin has been my fav from day 1 hehe with his cute eye smile and his glasses<3 and when he wears a cap And puts his hood up and his face is a lil circle fjfj i'll always be so proud of him as a performer, he is So talented at being an idol and it's come from a long long time of hardwork :( and from that long long time, he's formed so many friendships that are just so nice to watch. he's been a figurehead of making that industry a place full of compassion and friendship, from his friends in the same boat as him being a kid training and working, to sunbaes and hoobaes around him. he's looked after sua so well, given her help and advice about idol world, and giving her people to support her in his stead. his humour is so wonderful to me, the deadpan jokes fjnd and the willingness to be silly with the members fjdj astro are So silly :((( when I'm feeling up to it I'll watch that pool video again jnfjd the most serotonin boosting vid in the world hehe his acting too is incredible he is so talented ... I still remember when I found out he was playing a gay character in moments of eighteen and the relief and comfort I felt from that? he smiled and played his part and it rly felt so so warm :(( and him being so proud and excited for mj playing jamie and going to see him!! he makes me so happy :( and I'll be sad for a long time but I think from now it'll be mixed with a whole load of happy again<3 he is sosososososo loved, I rly rly hope he can feel that. he will be missed forever and ever

[nothoughtsjustficrecs]

This was a cute read; I always forget how much I actually like teacher fics until I read one.

Thank you for writing this story and sharing it with us!

When I was reading, I decided to write down my thoughts as I go because I knew I'd forget otherwise so below this is literally just the thoughts I wrote down because I do not have the brain power to convert them into actual fully coherent comments [I'll put them below a read more cut for the sake of spoilers and such]

-

“ Children with bright cherub faces” cute

“ it’s a position of respect you crave and enjoy ” aww yeahhh bring on the respect

“ You sure feel old after the way that fever broke your immunity like a twig. ” that’s so relatable

“ the white shirt he’s wearing reveals the column of his neck very elegantly ” we love a good neck in this house

“ you’re distracted by how wide Seokmin smiles, and you know the ice has melted ” he’s so precious

“ It also doesn’t matter that your heart paces up when you see Seokmin glance in your direction before loudly proclaiming that he’s not married. ” very subtle

“ “You deserve a second chance at love too, baby.” ” what a precious friend

“ “Even Soonyoung comparing himself to a tiger is better than you comparing yourself to a broccoli.” ” the tiger agenda is timeless and I love that

I have just a little note to make about the format, and obviously you don’t have to listen to me or anything, but it’d make the dialogue and such much clearer if it was on a new line/paragraph for each person.

For example, this section - “ “If you’d like that.” He cups your other cheek with another hand, and you can feel your skin on fire. His eyes are gently inching towards your lips so you slowly close your eyes. “If you’re going to kiss me, know that I don’t have much experience in that. I’ll be your hoobae in that regard, sunbae.” ”

Initially I was confused at the “if you’re going to kiss me” line because I wasn’t sure who said it but then I guessed from context that it’s her saying it, but it would be clearer if it was on another line there. Once again, you obviously don’t have to listen to me, I just wanted to suggest it! 💗

lunch

pairing: elementary school teachers lee seokmin x f.reader

genre: fluff, fluff and some more fluff. a tiny pinch of angst.

summary: as a veteran at sebong elementary school, you don't let any of your juniors get too close to you. the new science teacher, lee seokmin, doesn't seem to get the note, though.

word count: 9.6k words

rating: pg 13 

warnings: use of a few profanities, mention of alcohol and illegal gambling. reader is a bit cold in the beginning. slight age gap.

a/n: SO MUCH FLUFF my body hurts but it was so nice to just write good guy dokyeom after all that angst for wonwoo. i'm sorry to any hyungwon fans who may be reading this though T_T

would love to hear feedback!! reblogs and comments are so so much appreciated <3

this is part of the boys over flowers series featuring booseoksoon + chan! this is the first instalment in that series.

It was a day of much ruckus and excitement. The teachers and students were all waiting eagerly to meet the four new teachers who were joining Sebong Elementary School that day. Children with bright cherub faces peeped from their classroom windows, some crowded in the corridors, and teachers whispered loudly, as they all waited to see the four faces of the new teachers emerge from the Principal’s office. And when they finally did, a loud, collective gasp was heard rippling through every room and corner of Sebong Elementary School. And then the bubble broke, as loud whispers and giggling overtook every other noise, as the four men smiled at the kids and adults gathered through the school. They shone brighter than the tubelights on the ceiling-

“Okay, I think you’re exaggerating, Sohee. I’m sure they don’t have 1000 watt smiles.”

“Oh, Y/N, but they do! Even an ice queen like you is going to melt when you see them. They just exude warmth, kindness, and handsomeness. They look like idols, really!” 

“Now you’re definitely exaggerating. Park carefully, and don’t daydream please. I’ve been nervous from the moment I let you drive my car.”

“It’s a third-hand car. I should, in fact, smash it, so that you can buy something better. The government’s just moments away from declaring it as junk.”

“This is all I can afford, Sohee.”

“Car loans exist!”

“Bankruptcy exists!”

Sohee huffs, and you meticulously check the rear view mirror to ensure she parks neatly. Once done, (read, once Sohee has finished touching up her lipstick and her mascara, and put a few cute hairclips in her long brown hair, cute by her metrics), you both step out of the car. The heat has become harsher, and you’re a little taken aback by the sting of sunlight on your skin. But it feels good to be out again after that stupid bout of fever which had kept you away from school, and consequently, your life. 

You meet several students getting out from the bus in front of the school, some smiling and already chattering with their friends, others shyly holding on to the fingers of their parents. Some of them wave hi to you, others loudly squeal their welcome backs. Your morning grumpiness is slowly wearing away, and you can feel energy bubbling in. It’s barely been the start of the year, and the little ones are very, very gradually warming up to the idea of being away from home for longer than three hours. It’s a trying time for their teachers, and you’re grateful that you don’t teach the youngest class. 

On the short walk from the parking area to the school, and it’s such a miracle that Sohee doesn’t start talking about the four new teachers, because you’re frankly tired of hearing about them. It feels like they don’t exist, and even if they do, they’re going to be massive letdowns compared to Sohee’s descriptions. Sohee does have the habit of hyperbole. 

But you fall headfirst into it as you slide open the door to the staffroom. Everyone stands up and greets you, as you’re one of the earliest members of the staff. You’d like to think that their greetings are out of affection, and not just respect, but you don’t mind. Majority of the staff is quite young, and people look up to you as the sunbae, and it’s a position of respect you crave and enjoy. It’s not like you’re great at showing how you love them either. You can just hope that they get to know about it from time to time, and don’t hate you for not being too affectionate.

As everyone stands up, you bow to the general crowd, and greet them back, but you’re also welcomed by four unknown faces. 

Oh. They must be the new teachers. 

Well, Sohee wasn’t really wrong-

Sohee immediately sparks up and begins talking about how you had really high fever, and every evening she found you lying inside your bed, covered in blankets like a burrito, messy in snot and sweat-

“Okay, that’s enough. Sohee, please spare them the details of my ugly illness.” You’re embarrassed and quite red all over, and out of the corner of your eye, you’re watching the reactions of the four new men. Sure, you may not care much about what other people think, but it’s your first impression after all. Everyone is quite vehemently cooing at you now, and the four men have confused, but concerned expressions on their faces. 

Minseo comes to the rescue, when she diverts the topic to introduce the new faces to you, and you’re grateful for the first time to hear about these new teachers. 

“This is our sunbae, Y/L/N Y/N! She’s one of the first teachers at Sebong Elementary School.” “Aaah, Minseo-yah! You make it sound like she’s old!” Sohee scolds, but you don’t mind. You sure feel old after the way that fever broke your immunity like a twig.

“Aah, sorry. And Y/N Unnie, these are our new joinees this year!” She gestures towards the men, and they bow. You bow in return, and take a full look at them, smiling back at them. 

“Hello! I’m Lee Chan, I’m a ‘99 liner! I’ll work hard and show my best side to you, sunbae!” “Good morning! I’m Boo Seungkwan. Nice to meet you!” “Oh, sunbae, hello! I’m Kwon Soonyoung, I’m also glad to meet you Y/N-ssi!” “And I’m Lee Seokmin! I’ll work hard, please take good care of me, sunbae!” They shake your hands like dominos, and your eyes linger a second too long on the last one, the tall one with the brightest smile. 1000 watt seems about right? “I’m happy to meet you too! Let’s work hard for a long time!” You smile back, and there’s a collective Fighting! through the room, before the school bell rings, and the cacophony of kids entering their classrooms breaks the silence of the school building. 

_

It’s lunchtime, and you’ve already forgotten their names. Sohee insists that you sit with them at the same table for lunch, but you’re not hungry enough to take lunch. It’s been a tiring day, and you just want to sip your iced americano and finish the pending work on your desk in the staffroom. Missing a week of school is as burdensome for teachers as it is for students. There are piles of things left to be done, and you assign yourself the task of finishing filling in the register with the names of the students for that lunch break. The staffroom is empty, and you’re happy to work in peace. 

You’re so focused on your work that you don’t even notice when a tall man walks into the staffroom sometime in the middle of the lunch break, peeps at you from his desk at the other corner of the room, and then leaves. 

_

It’s finally Friday, and that’s how you’ve spent the last four lunch breaks. You’re finally getting through the pile of work at a steady pace. On top of it all, the Principal has promoted you to the Head Teacher of Science Department, as the previous head’s tenure is over, and that means all the science teachers have to approve their lesson plans for this term through you and you’re also in charge of allotting field trips for scientific experiments. 

That’s why Lee Seokmin ambushes you when you’re about to leave at the end of the school day. “Sunbae, I was wondering if you could perhaps look at my lesson plan once? Maybe you could go over it during the weekend?”

You halt your actions of packing your bag, and carefully take the folder from the outstretched hand of the tall man towering over your desk. “Umm, I could look through it now.”

“No, I mean! I’m sorry I didn’t know how to approach you earlier, Sunbae. I’m sorry, I don’t want to keep you from heading home, I’m really sorry-”

“Please stop apologising, Seokmin-ssi. It’s not a big deal. It’s better for me to go through it now in your presence, rather than take it home. I’ll be able to discuss it more smoothly with you then, in case any changes are needed.” 

His puppy brown eyes become tiny slits as he smiles wide. You realise that his hair is draping over his forehead in black curls, and the white shirt he’s wearing reveals the column of his neck very elegantly. He does look good enough to be an idol, you think. 

“Seokmin-ssi, come take a seat here. I won’t bite, in spite of what you may have heard-”

“Oh no! The kids are all praise for you. I’m so thankful to be succeeding you in the classes, because you’ve set such a strong foundation for the students. You’ve made my job a cakewalk, truly.”

“I’m just thankful that you deal with the younger ones now. I enjoy teaching them, but sometimes they can…” You smile lopsidedly, and Seokmin grins. “I’ve heard that I have a lot of patience, sunbae…” “And you have a lot of fighting spirit that we tend to have when we’ve just joined the school. You’ll manage.”

And then the conversation halts. It flows in bits and pieces, as you flip through his lesson plan and discuss changes with him, speaking from experience of having taught these same classes six years more than him. His lesson plan book is very colourful, filled with stickers from cartoons, and brightly drawn smiley flowers. Something in you makes you think that maybe he’s not just doing this as a show for the kids, but also because he likes to do it. He’s very animated in every statement he makes, hand gestures all over his face, but he quietens down when he realises you’re no longer looking at his face, and would rather just get through the work quickly. You’re not annoyed at him, no. It’s just a little overwhelming to see all this energy being thrown at you, and it makes you tired, wondering how to reciprocate it. So you just silently finish your task, and bid him goodbye. He offers to drop you home, but then you say you have your own car, so he gives you another smile and with a natural ease, hops on to his electric bicycle and rides off into the road. 

_

Seokmin-ssi, you realise, doesn’t want reciprocation. He greets you cheerfully every morning, whenever you see him in the campus, whenever you’re making eye contact before leaving for the day, and whenever you both arrive at the same time at school. He doesn’t just say hello, but he also asks if you had a good weekend, if you had a good sleep, if you ate breakfast, if you’ve recovered fully from your cold, if you’re taking your vitamins. It makes you more uncomfortable than before, confusing you whether he’s just buttering you up as a sunbae or whether he’s genuinely this nice. It’s also a little worrying because it makes you feel like he’s trying too hard to be close and you don’t want to be a bother for him, so you hope he takes the hint. But he obviously doesn’t, because the next time you walk into the staffroom determined not to leave your desk, and instead enjoy the peaceful solitude of the staffroom to recharge your battery, you notice a very neat lunch tray sitting on your desk with a note attached on top, “Sunbae, please don’t skip your meals!” It takes you aback, and you stare at it for a good four minutes. Finally you realise you’re too flustered to eat it, and you just keep it aside and get back at your work. 

When Seokmin comes back from his lunch break, he makes the mistake of looking at your desk to see if you’ve eaten, and there. He makes eye contact with your razor sharp eyes looking at him from above your reading glasses. He walks up to your desk and says, “You didn’t eat, sunbae?”

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I- I- just wanted to-”

“Firstly, Seokmin-ssi, I’m not skipping meals. Secondly, I don’t know if this is normal for you, but I’d appreciate it if we could be harmonious as colleagues. I don’t need you to be my mother for me and feed me. I’m an adult and I know when to eat.”

You can see him gulp and fumble, and for a second, you think you’ve been too harsh. You almost backtrack and apologise, scared that the little light in his eyes is going to go out, but he speaks faster, “I just don’t want you to fall sick again, sunbae. I’m sorry if I was too presumptuous. I’ll do better from now on.” And without another second, he turns and walks out of the room, leaving you speechless. The light in his eyes may not have gone out, but you sure were too mean. Afterall, he was just being nice to you, wasn’t he?”

_

So, the next week, when you’re finally on track and completed all your pending work, you walk into the cafeteria looking to take a lunch break. And you spot Seokmin sitting with Chan on one table on the teacher’s side of the cafeteria. Chan is a sweet boy, and you want to make amends with Seokmin, so you carefully walk across the room to their table and ask, “Can I have lunch with you?” You ask them both, and Chan instantly begins to clear space for you to sit down, but you’re distracted by how wide Seokmin smiles, and you know the ice has melted. He’s forgiven you, so you gently sit down next to him.

It’s a mistake. You hadn’t accounted for how broad he is, and how much he moves his body while speaking. His thighs inch closer to yours with every movement, although very much unconsciously. Even though you’re both sitting, he’s still taller than you, and it makes you shy.

You’re thankful when Soonyoung joins you across the table and you can distract yourself by speaking to him. “Sunbae, it’s so nice to see you in the cafeteria! We rarely ever see you outside the staffroom.” You smile as wide as you can, your mouth full of food. Chan joins in, “Yes, sunbae! Seokmin hyung’s been so-” “We’ve all been worried,” Seokmin interjects, and you’re hit by a pang of guilt. It is pretty natural for coworkers to care about each other. Especially since you’re their senior and they must be looking to make a good impression. 

“I’ve been a little busy with all pending work. The start of the year can be stressful for us senior teachers.”

“I hear Seungkwan hyung is being put in charge of the after-school creche duty?”

“You’ve heard right, Chan. He did apply for it, and given his congenial personality, I think he’d do well if he joined the creche roster.”

“A roster? That means he won’t have duty every day?” Soonyoung asks you.

“Yes, there will be two teachers alternating from Monday to Friday.”

“Oh! Someone lucky gets two days only!”

“We try to ensure even distribution through the month,” you say. “Plus, of course, there can be others volunteering from time to time. So for example, next month, there’s a storytelling week at the creche. Sohee and I will be volunteering for that week as storytellers- that way, the ones responsible for the creche can have a week’s leave from the extra duty.”

Soonyoung and Chan nod in understanding, but you’ve noticed Seokmin is extra quiet, uncharacteristically even. “Do you enjoy the cafeteria food, Seokmin-ssi?” you ask him, speaking softer so that Chan and Soonyoung can’t hear you. It must surprise him, because he looks up at you with wide, boba eyes, and he looks more like a puppy than ever. “I do! The variety is good.” “I’m glad. The caterers recently got changed. The previous ones were seriously falling behind on quality.” Seokmin smiles and eats a big bite of rice and soup, and you chuckle at the comical way his mouth fills up. 

_

You didn’t even think Seokmin would remember. In fact, you’d forgotten that you’d mentioned it yourself. 

But he does. He doesn’t just remember, but he also brings a bag full of old picture books.

You swear your heart stops the moment he enters the hall where the after-school creche is organized and hands you the bag. “These were books my mother had kept for ages even after I’d finished reading them a million times. Thought I’d use them somehow, instead of just letting them gather dust on shelves,” he says as he smiles that pretty, wide smile again. It’s been long enough into the new semester now for you to get used to both Seokmin’s smiles, so you can bask in it. The children bask in it too. Most of the tiny members of the creche know him from the class where he’s teaching about animals, and they squeal in excitement. “Aah, Seokmin-ah, you really didn’t have to. You could’ve gone home and rested for the weekend.” His smile drops, and you mentally slap yourself. You really should take care of your words better, so you rephrase it, “What I meant is… you don’t have to do this out of your way.” “I’m not… going out of my way. I just thought I’d come and watch you, sunbae. I want to learn how to handle little children even better.” 

So he sits in a corner of the hall, Byul and Jiwon sitting on his lap, while his eyes are fixed on you. You’ve taken the storytelling class two days this week, and this is your third day, so you really shouldn’t be so slippery, but something about how he’s looking at you so intently is making you stumble and fall over your words, and your pronunciation often comes out as jumbled as the three year olds sitting in front of you. You’re made even more aware of Seokmin’s presence when snack time arrives, and the kids are too distracted with the picture books to pay attention to their food and eat. Thankfully, Seokmin uses his charm and somehow gathers everyone to sit in a circle around the table. The children have incessant questions, some about the characters they met in the story, and some random questions too, like Are you married, Teacher Seokmin? It doesn’t matter that you pause in your movements to hear his response, a wide-eyed Minhyun looking confusedly at you, wondering why your hand holding his candy is stuck mid-air. It also doesn’t matter that your heart paces up when you see Seokmin glance in your direction before loudly proclaiming that he’s not married. 

The parents arrive soon after that, and then there’s only a crying Byul left, who’s wrapped in Seokmin’s arms as you three wait for her father to arrive. You wonder for a second, how did you ever handle kids, because when you see how Seokmin handles them, you think you’ve done it all wrong for years. He holds her two tiny hands in his own, places her in between his legs and quietly brushes her hair while whispering more imaginary stories about the elephant Byul saw earlier in the picture book. You feel unwanted in this perfect scene, Byul going perfectly silent as she listens to Seokmin talk. But then, honestly, who wouldn’t be in rapture of this beautiful young man?

Byul’s father arrives twenty minutes later, and Byul gives Seokmin a little peck on his cheek before she leaves his arms and goes off with her dad. 

“Sunbae, thank you for letting me be here! I had so much fun, and I also learnt so much from you.” You laugh, “I doubt, though. You’re such a natural with children.” He smiles, “That’s just because I have a lot of cousins. But it’s different handling kids at school. I always have to be extra-careful with them because I’m a complete stranger and not a relative.” “You’re right, and that shows in your care too, Seokmin-ah.” He blushes, and you smile as you lock up the hall and finally make your way to leave the campus. Your back hurts from sitting on the floor for so long and you’re surely glad to go home.

“Sunbae, did you bring your car?”

“Aah, no. Today was Sohee’s carpooling turn, she left early. I’ll just take the bus.”

“Let me drop you home, sunbae! It’s late already.”

You pause, and turn to look at him. His hopeful face, still radiant after the long day. And you feel that same overwhelming feeling take over you. Till now, Seokmin has only given and given, never expecting anything in return. He’s extended a helping hand without you asking for it, he’s reminded you for meals even when you’ve ignored him, he’s been nothing but kind to you. And if he’s doing this even after three whole months of him joining the school, then it can’t be just buttering tactics. 

“I don’t want to get you late, Seokmin-ah.”

“I won’t, sunbae. It’s not a worry, honestly.” He bites his lower lip, his eyebrows furrowed as he asks you again, “Please let me drop you, sunbae.”

It’s been years since a man has been this kind to you. Kind enough without coming off as a creep. A part of you is wary, but something in Seokmin’s eyes makes you feel guilty for ever mistrusting his intentions. 

“Alright, Seokmin-ah. Noona owes you one.” 

You can see the stutter in his eyes even before you hear it in his voice. 

“N-noona? Oh. Noona! I’ll drive you safely!”

And he does. Diligent, puppy-like, kind Seokmin drives you home quickly and safely. For the first time in years, you sleep with a smile on your face.

_

You enter the Principal’s office to find a very nervous-looking Seokmin standing next to the Principal. “Good Morning, Mr. Han. Is something wrong?” “Yes, good morning Y/N. I’ve just received a complaint from a parent, and as the head of science teachers, I’d like you to look into it once.” “Of course.”

Then you turn towards Seokmin, who is standing very upright, but you can see him nervously twitching his feet. “Seokmin-ssi, is the parent here in school, or have you received a written complaint?” Seokmin’s voice is barely audible the first time he speaks, so you take a couple of steps to be closer to him. “Don’t be so nervous. Please tell me everything so that I can help resolve this.” He looks at you, his eyes still wide, and the tension obvious in his face. But he takes a deep breath and says, “They’re here, in my science classroom.” “And can you tell me the gist of the matter?” “I… I… I had asked her daughter to not draw with crayons on the walls of the science classroom. And one time… I’d asked her daughter to bring more nutritious food to class instead of chips every single day.” He says softly, his eyes focused on the blue linoleum tiles on the floor. You take a deep breath. As you’ve grown more senior, you’ve eventually detached yourself from the classes of the youngest students, those below four years of age. So naturally, you’d not gotten into messes like this for a long time. But with your experience, you know just how to deal with such cases. 

So you excuse yourself from the office and walk down to Seokmin’s homeroom, gesturing him to enter as you both walk into the classroom. It is deserted, except for a very grim-looking gigantic woman standing next to a tiny girl with even tinier braids. “Good morning. I’m Y/L/N Y/N, Head of the Science Department.” “Yes, well, I’m hoping you’d be more competent about it all rather than Mr. Lee here.” 

You forcefully smile tightly and ask, “Please let me know the details of the matter.” “Where do I begin! Mr. Lee has been… very dictatorial with my daughter. First he forbids her from colouring, and then he forces her to starve herself! It’s absolutely ridiculous that a teacher can do such things!” Out of the corner of your eye, you see Seokmin shrink further away into the corner, his eyes wide. 

“Based on how well I know Mr. Lee, I can’t imagine him forcing a child to starve themselves. Correct me if I’m wrong, but did he ask her to bring a different set of food for lunch, rather than chips?” “Yes, but-” “And that was purely based on nutritional concerns, Ma’am. As teachers at Sebong Elementary School, we want to ensure our students receive proper nutrition at their growing age. And I can assure you that chips are not the most nutritious food your daughter can eat every day.” “I’m a working mother-” “I’m sure you can buy a fruit or toast a single slice of bread along with a slice of cheese along with the chips, if you’re so busy.” 

 The woman in front of you stands speechless for a second, before continuing in her boisterous tone, “But who are you to dictate what I feed my child?” “Nobody, truly. But Mr. Lee is a kindhearted man, who cares for every child in this school, and even his colleagues and peers like me. As a teacher, he has the best interest of his students in mind, you see.” “Certainly can’t be more than that of her mother.” “Of course, which is why I’d advise you too, as would any other paediatrician, that only chips is not the diet a four-year old child should be exposed to on a daily basis.” 

The woman takes a step back. Her grip on her daughter’s fingers loosen, and the child takes a step forward. “Miss, I really like the grapes Mr. Lee gave me the other day! That’s why I’ve stopped eating Eomma’s lunch!” She smiles at you, and you bend down on your knee to meet her at eye level. “Is that so? But darling, you should always eat what your mummy’s giving you. Good girls don’t skip meals, understood?” She nods her little head very seriously, so you pat her once on her head. Then you stand up again and look at her mother. “I see your daughter does enjoy eating grapes. Perhaps you could buy her some fruits for lunch.”

She tilts her head a little bit, looking fully like a kid who’s been punished for being too outspoken, and honestly you’re glad to have made that effect. Some people can be so entitled and so rude, and it leaves such a harsh impression on softer teachers like Seokmin. Which is exactly what you see when the parent does leave with her child a few minutes later, as the man, who hasn’t spoken a single word since entering the room, comes up to you gingerly. 

“Noona, thank you so much. I was so- so scared.” You smile at him as warmly as you can, “Please don’t be. It wasn’t your fault at all that some parents can misunderstand even the best intentions of teachers. It’s pretty common- as time goes on, people will just find more flaws, whether it be in your teaching skills or your child-handling skills. You just need to be less nervous when things like this happen. If you ever need help in these things, of course I’m always here… as are your other seniors. But it’s best if you learn to handle these things without taking them too much to your heart, unless you see there is genuine room for improvement for you.” He nods throughout, and his eyes have become round like a puppy’s eyes again. “I will introspect, Noona.” He laughs a bit, “This honestly isn’t the first time someone’s misunderstanding my intentions. But I will try harder to be more clear and not … not be presumptuous,” he says, looking deep into your eyes, before he bows and leaves the room.

As you stand there in the classroom, alone you realise that the situation oddly reminds you of a similar conversation you had with him at the beginning of the semester. When you’d asked him to keep his distance and not interfere … all while, he was just trying to be kind. Oh god. You’d been just as rude as the parent had been today, hadn’t you? Oh dear god. No wonder he’d looked so downcast and rejected after that.

_

Sohee’s thousand-day anniversary at the school is coming up so Minseo’s put on a surprise party at her house. It’s not a surprise to just Sohee, but also to you. “Oh, why didn’t you let me know earlier, Minseo-yah?” “We would, but you’ve just been so busy with the end of term reports and grades that we didn’t want to bother you.” “Well, that’s not something only I’m doing. I’m sure you all were busy too.” “But none of us are head of departments, you know?” She giggles, and you know it’s not a jibe. But it still feels bad to not be able to contribute when everyone is contributing in some way or the other. 

So you order a six-pound blueberry cheesecake for the party, knowing blueberry to be Sohee’s favourite flavour. And, as expected, it’s a party hit. It turns out to be the favourite flavour of a lot of people, even Seokmin, who helps himself to three slices, and you’re just glad to see them all enjoying it. There’s drinks, pizza and music playing in the background. And although the teacher community at Sebong Elementary School is not too big, you’re a lot of twenty-six people, and you’re thankful that Minseo comes from a rich family that has a big house. And yet, it feels cosy and familiar. You barely attend parties or social gatherings,  and unless it’s family occasions, having been out of the dating scene for years. But this type of party seems fun to you- perhaps it’s you growing old, perhaps it’s you no longer finding staying up late exciting, perhaps it’s you realising that getting wasted is not as interesting as you used to think it was in college. So you settle for being the woman who’s dressed in a sweater although it’s barely autumn, already mentally classified as a spinster for almost everyone you meet, thirty and with no life outside of work, and you’re happy. You’re happy right now, sipping a cocktail and eating the fried chicken Minseo’s airfrying and constantly supplying to the party, celebrating your closest friend, Sohee. You know that although Sohee’s a couple of months younger than you, and definitely has a more active love life, she’s just like you at heart, and she’s the sister you’ve never had. As she gets drunk (you can tell it’s the first time in a long time by the way she’s getting tipsy even faster than she usually does), she leans over to smooch you loudly on the cheek, and you laugh and give in to her. It creates a loud wave of cheers across the room, but it’s such a warm moment. She clinks her glass with yours and rests her head on your shoulder, while raising a toast to the teachers at Sebong Elementary School. There’s another round of cheers, and then your phone reminds you it’s ten pm, and you should be heading home because it’s a school day tomorrow. The buzz feels good, and you want to stay longer, but you’re not drunk enough to forget your responsibilities. And so the party gradually disperses. You hug Minseo and thank her for organising the wonderful party, and somehow Sohee manages to stand up on her feet steadily. Seungkwan takes the duty to drop Sohee home as he lives near her house, and before you can say anything, Seokmin takes on the responsibility of dropping you home. 

“I don’t want to impose-” “But I insist, Y/N Noona.” “Why do you always insist, Seokmin? I feel like I’m a burdensome sunbae, not a nice sunbae.” You try not to pout when he leads you to where his car is parked and opens the door for you. He giggles, his face red with the dopamine (and drinks) from the party. “You’re just fishing for compliments, Noona. You know I never think of taking care of you as a burden.” 

Perhaps drinking that third cocktail was a mistake. 

But you did drink it, so you lean over the centre console of the car and say, with a soft giggle, “If you say things like that, Seokmin-ah, people are going to misunderstand and think you like like me.”

“But I do like like you, Noona.” 

You almost miss his words while waving goodbye to the other teachers standing on the pavement in front of Minseo’s house, waiting for their rides. 

Almost. 

“What?” You spin your head so fast it gives you whiplash, and you feel like you’re instantly sober, the way you become alert instantly. Seokmin’s looking at the road as he drives into the main road, his eyes bright by reflecting the street lights. “I do, Noona.”

“No- no, you can’t. Are you serious, Seokmin-ah? Because if you are, you can’t.” 

“Why?” 

There’s a red light, and he’s looking at you, the street lights shining on his face and the gentle handsomeness of his features are glowing in their full glory. This isn’t the first time you’ve found him awe-strikingly beautiful, but right now, he looks positively angelic. His eyelashes form delicate shadows on his cheeks, and the way his hair gets swayed by the wind coming in from the open car windows makes him seem even prettier. 

“Because… you’re so… young. And fresh, and beautiful. And I’m thirty, I spend my days working and my nights reading romantic classics, and I’m so boring a-and you deserve better.”

His mouth twists bitterly, and he says, “But none of that is true, Noona.”

“It is, Seokmin-ah. You barely know me.”

“But I want to. I’m just asking for a chance.”

You stay silent for a long time. In the sparse traffic of the night, you’re reach your house quicker than you’d thought. 

“I don’t want you to make a mistake, Seokmin-ah. I shouldn’t be someone you like more than simply as a sunbae.”

He pauses, then replies, “If you don’t want to give me a chance, that’s okay Noona. I can make peace with it. But you can’t ask me to stop liking you, Noona. My feelings are mine.” 

You don’t say anything on the rest of the journey. You don’t have anything else to say. You can’t even be harsh to him because what he’s saying is logical. You cannot take away his right to like you, even if you don’t think it’s the right choice for him. You’re an adult, he’s an adult, you both have your own opinions and choices. 

It’s only when the car does reach your house that you attempt to say something. 

“I feel sorry for making you come all the way to my house to drop me. Do you want to come in to eat something? I had some dakgalbi made for tonight’s dinner before I got to know about the party.”

He looks at you for a long time. You can see the wheels turn in his head, before he says, “Okay.” 

_

Your flat is on the third floor, so you’re patiently climbing the stairs. Seokmin makes light conversation, breaking the ice, and you actively try to respond. You don’t want him to feel dejected, but you also don’t want to feel like you’re taking him to your house because you pity him after you outright rejected him. 

Your efforts go to waste when you see a figure sitting on the floor in front of the door to your apartment. 

“Hyungwon?” 

Seokmin pauses behind you, as you stand stunned on the last staircase before the landing, and the man you addressed looks up at the two of you. Even in the dim light of the single bulb lighting up the stairwell, you can see that he’s very wasted. “Y/N-ah! I- I’ve been waiting for you.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh, you haven’t changed, have you? Straight to the point. No hellos, no-”

“Yes, Hyungwon. What are you doing here?”

He sighs as he stands up. “I missed you.” 

Your head starts to spin. It’s like you’ve been transported back to 2022, when Hyungwon had confessed to you that he’d gambled away all your money, and that he’d been doing so for the last seven months, and that was where he was spending all his evenings at instead of the evening college you’d enrolled him into and whose fees you thought you’d been paying.

Your head spins again, and you’re stumbling back until someone catches you midway before you tumble down the stairs. 

“Noona!” that someone whispers in alarm in your ear, and you realise it’s Seokmin. 

Fuck. 

Fuck, fuck, fuck, not Seokmin. 

Why does Seokmin, out of all people, have to see this?

“Seokmin-ah, leave-”

“Ooh, who’s that?” Hyungwon takes a step closer, and takes a drink out of a soju bottle he’s holding in his left hand. “Boyfriend? You’re still into pretty boys, aren’t you?”

Seokmin pulls you closer to him, your back nearly touching his chest. “Who are you?”

“I’m Hyungwon, Y/N’s first love. You better get out of here, kid.”

“What do you want, Hyungwon? Don’t bullshit with me about missing me. No apology, no regrets, and now you’re suddenly at my doorstep?” You carefully break away from Seokmin’s gentle clasp, and walk towards your ex-boyfriend. “You want my money again.” The lanky man in front of you grins, that fucking lazy, pretty grin you’d fallen so hard for in college. 

“Y/N, where’s the love gone, jagi? Why are we talking about money?”

“Fuck off, Hyungwon. The love was gone long before I even broke up with you.”

He lifts his free hand and tries to reach out to you. “Jagiya-”

“I’m not your jagiya! Hyungwon, I’m not giving you anymore money, so you should just leave! And stop coming to me every time you want money, for god’s sake! We’re done, Hyungwon.” 

The man in front of you falls to his knees, “Please, I’m begging you, Y/N-ah! I’ll get into serious trouble if I don’t repay this debt by the end of this month! Y/N, for the sake of old times-”

“Hyungwon, please don’t! I’m not giving you any of my money, no matter how much you beg.”

His hand wraps around your leg, “Y/N-ah, please, just hear me out once! I am sorry for everything I did, and I’m so willing to amend my ways-”

“Please leave, Hyungwon-ssi, you’re making Noona uncomfortable.” Seokmin suddenly says from behind you, and you walk backward down the stairs until you’re again close enough to him that you can feel his body heat on your back. It makes you feel oddly safe.

“Who are you to say anything about Y/N, huh? You don’t even know her for long, I bet! Y/N and I dated for seven years!”

“It doesn’t matter how long I’ve known her, Hyungwon-ssi. What matters is that right now, she feels safe with me, and not around you. So please leave, Hyungwon-ssi.” You don’t even realise when his hands have come to wrap gently around you, not quite touching your body, but caging you away from the man who’s looking at you both with frantic and desperate eyes. You don’t know he knows that you’re feeling safe around him, but you’re so grateful. “If you don’t leave now, I’ll have to call the police, Hyungwon-ssi.”

The man in front of you gulps. “Fuck! I’ll be back, Y/N-ah. And then I’ll see where this boyfriend of yours will be!” And he storms down the stairs, cursing under his breath, and you’re still shaking in Seokmin’s grip. 

Five minutes pass before he asks you, gently whispering in your ear, “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” You slowly turn around and face him. You’re awfully close to him, and as you stand on the higher staircase, you’re eye-to-eye with him. “I’m so sorry you had to see that, Seokmin-ah.”

“No, Noona. I’m just upset thinking of what would happen if I hadn’t come up with you here tonight.”

“No, don’t be. He’s… harmless. He’s all talk and no action.”

“Has he been here before?”

You bite your lip. You don’t want to tell him things which will involve him deeper into this. He doesn’t know anything, he’s a complete stranger to it all, and yet, he is right, you do feel safe around him. But that doesn’t mean you burden him any further.

“Seokmin-ah, I don’t want you to get worried about this. I can take care of myself, it’s just Hyungwon. Like I said, he’s only bark and no bite.”

“Noona-”

“I’ll be fine, honestly! I’m sorry you had to see all this happen.” 

He opens his mouth to say something, but then he becomes silent again. 

“Do you want to come in-”

“No, Noona. I’ll just leave. I won’t take any more of your time. Have a good night, Noona.”

“Seokmin-ah, pl-”

“Goodnight, Noona. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

And then he walks away, and you’re left there, unarmed, uneasy and all alone, swimming in your own thoughts. You feel like you should run after him like in the movies, and stop him from leaving, but your legs feel like lead. There’s a sinking feeling in your heart and a sense of emergency, and it’s not because your ex-boyfriend came up to your door asking for money to waste again.

_

You don’t go to school the next day. The day after that is a Saturday, thankfully a holiday, and you can spend a day moping in regret, stuffing popcorn into your face and pretending like you’re not an adult anymore and you can live without worrying about responsibilities and keep time standing still. 

It doesn’t work. 

Sohee arrives to your door on Sunday morning, sunglasses perched on her head. “Where have you been, sweetie?” She doesn’t wait for you to respond and shoves herself into your flat. 

“Nowhere, Sohee.”

“You’re pouting, your bed isn’t made, and I can smell caramel popcorn. Something’s up. Tell me, baby.”

She sits down on the couch, pulling you down next to her, and taps twice on your shoulder prompting you to spill. So you do spill. 

You tell her every thought that has crossed your mind these last 48 hours. How Seokmin confessed that he likes you. How you’d turned him down instantly. How Hyungwon had turned up at your door and ruined the night after the party. How you’d practically shooed Seokmin away although he’d been nothing but protective and helpful to you. How you’d wallowed in regrets since then, having realised that you’re such a coward. 

“Yeah, you are a coward. In what right mind would you turn down Seokmin when you’re so down bad for him?”

“Huh?”

“Dummy. You can’t even realise your own feelings, and you act like you’re so mature. Age is truly just a number,” she sighs before digging into your bowl of popcorn. 

“I don’t… I don’t have feelings for Seokmin.”

“What makes you think so?”

“He’s… he’s just a hoobae.”

“So are Chan and Soonyoung and Seungkwan. Why do you always blush when you talk to Seokmin, even if it’s over something as mundane as lunch? Why do you so often go to his classroom and aid him in his lessons during your free periods, even though he doesn’t necessarily ask for it? Why do you talk more to him than to your other hoobaes?”

You stay silent for a second. 

“Y/N-ah, think carefully about this.”

“I shouldn’t think of him in this light… he’s so much younger.”

“You’re just three years older than him, Y/N! Stop acting like you’re so old!”

“But…”

“Oh fuck, this isn’t about age, is it? You feel like you’re going to be to him what Hyungwon became to you? Predatory?”

You’re left silent again. Sohee understands from your (lack of) actions, and jumps across the couch to hug you. “Oh, Y/N-ah. Stop beating yourself up for that. It’s been so, so long. Stop blaming yourself for something that’s not even your fault.” 

“But Seokmin deserves better, don’t you think?”

“And you deserve better than beating yourself over an ex like Hyungwon. You deserve a second chance at love too, baby.” She hugs you tightly, and you don’t know when tears have started rolling down your cheek.“I’m a coward, Sohee. I can’t get the courage to even accept my feelings.” “Then let Seokmin help you. Honestly, with the way he always looks at you like you spin his earth and you’re his god, I don’t think he’ll have any issues waiting for you to realise your feelings.” You blush and hide your face in her neck at her sly words. She’s too outspoken for her own good. 

“What if it’s just a crush for him, that’ll pass soon? There’s not much about me that will keep him interested in me after a few months.”

“You’ve got to stop being so pessimistic. Again, just because one guy was stupid and decided to rip off your hard-earned money and your blind trust in him, doesn’t mean another guy will! I’ll say it again, you deserve a second chance!”

The doorbell rings right then. You get up to open the door, to find a letter on the doormat. 

“It’s from the local police station.” You pick it up and show Sohee, who’s equally confounded as you are. “Well, open it, girl!” 

It’s a letter stating a level one restraining order has been requested for your protection against Chae Hyungwon, who has repeatedly disturbed you while drunk, and demanded money for illegal gambling purposes. 

And the request has been made from Lee Seokmin.

“So you just have to sign it and that’s it? Hyungwon out from your life forever?”

You nod, unable to reply, you’re still shocked by the letter. So is Sohee, it seems. Because all she can manage is, “Wow. Y/N, you’ve gotta marry him.”

“Who?!”

“Seokmin, of course. If this is his level of devotion-”

“You don’t think this was unnecessary?”

“Y/N, are you for real? He’s literally looking out for you and doing what you should’ve done ages back, and you think he’s overstepping boundaries? He’s one gem of a person seeing that he’s doing all this without even you prompting him and even after you literally rejected his confession.”

You take a deep breath. She’s right. She’s so right that your heart hurts and you want to bend down on your knees because your body feels limp. How much more does Seokmin have to give you for you to be able to start giving back to him? One voice in your head chastises you. Love isn’t quid pro quo! You fight back. Fair. But at least you’ve started admitting it is love. The voice laughs at you, leaving you vulnerable. 

“Well, he said yes.”

“What?” You spin your head to look at Sohee who’s holding your phone in her hand. 

“Seokmin. He said he’ll meet you at the park near school. In about an hour.”

“Did you just text him from my phone?”

“I did, for your own good. Because if it were up to you, you would have overthought yourself into a hole you’d dig for yourself and not made a move at all even when he’s literally played all his cards and proved his commitment.”

“Aishh, you’re so annoying,” you playfully shove her. 

“Your annoying friend just wants to see you happy,” she pouts cutely, and you laugh at the face she’s making. 

“Okay, now go get dressed. You have to finish this game now, Y/N. I’ll drop you to the park.”

_

When Sohee drops you a little far away from the park, kissing your forehead and wishing you fighting!, you find Seokmin already sitting on a bench on a relatively empty side of the park. He looks up at you as you get closer, and you wave at him. You feel so timid, so nervous, just walking up to him, his handsomeness hitting you with full force as you see him in more casual clothes than ever before, knowing that this man, this beautiful man likes you. And he wants you, and he’s proved how far he can go to care for you, even when you’ve rejected his care.

“Noona, how are you? We were worried after you called your day off on Friday.”

“I’m sorry… I wasn’t sick or anything.” You laugh awkwardly. “Just, taking some time to ponder over things myself.”

“Oh.” He sits down on the bench, the loose end of his checked shirt gently swaying in the breeze. 

“And I regret how I acted that night. I’m sorry for being so harsh-” he starts to say something, but you gently put a finger on his hand, and that makes him shush. “I’m not just talking about Thursday night. I’ve been harsh to you ever since the beginning of the year. You’ve been nothing but kind and generous to me. But… time has made me unnaturally wary and I find it so hard to accept attention or even kindness easily. Thus, time and again I’ve pushed you away, yet you’ve kept coming back. It’s true that I didn’t realise your intentions earlier, but I know, deep down in my heart, that I’ve liked you too for quite some time.”

His eyes are wide, and you move an inch closer to him on the bench.

“I thought it was silly, to have a crush on a man so obviously young like you. I’m thirty now, turning thirty-one in a few weeks. I’ll always be older than you, less energetic, more boring and to be honest, I think it’s not even age but just experience which has made me like this. And I denied myself your attention because I thought you deserved better. And I still do. You sent a restraining request to the police on my ex-boyfriend on my behalf. You… you’ve gone out of your way so many times, even when I’ve been so harsh with you. You’re the one who’s precious, you’re made out of stardust. I’m just a broccoli that’s stacked in the corner of the fridge because no one wanted to eat me when I was fresh and no one should eat me now because now I’m stale.”

“That’s a ridiculous comparison. Even Soonyoung comparing himself to a tiger is better than you comparing yourself to a broccoli.” He finally says, and you laugh before you realise it. 

“Stop calling yourself old, Noona. Three years of an age difference isn’t a big deal. If the reason you’re holding yourself back is Hyungwon-ssi…”

“It is, I won’t lie. Hyungwon and I started dating when we were in college. We were so good, for so long. Until the pandemic came and took his job. That’s when he started getting into these bad habits. He took to gambling, and to stop him, I enrolled him into an evening college, hoping he’d get more productive and use the time we were stuck at home to get himself more educated and get a better job soon. It turned out he was wasting all my money on gambling, again. Every fees I’d paid to him had actually gone down the drain at a local club. And he even had the audacity to refuse me when I told him I want to break up with him.”

“Well, but he eventually did. That didn’t stop him from coming to my doorstep ever three or four months, asking for cash. Sometimes I’d drive him away, sometimes I’d give in if I was too tired to argue with him and if he was sober and dangerous.”

“Would you have given him money that night… had I not been there?”

You look down at your hands in shame. “I may have. I don’t know.”

“Do you still have feelings for him, Noona? It’s okay if you do have feelings, you know.”

“God, no. I don’t have feelings for him. It’s just that… we were together for seven years. We’ve grown up together. Seeing him in a pitiful state like that makes me sad. And I hope each time, that this will be the last time he’s at my door asking for money.” You look away, too ashamed to look at Seokmin. But he uses a hand to gently grip your chin and turn your head towards him. 

“You’re too kind for your own good, Noona.” You blush at the proximity, and the gentle way he’s touching your face. “This is why I like you. Because you’re so human in a world where everyone is plastic. I don’t like you because you’re a sunbae I want to impress. I don’t like you because boys like me find older women hot. Well, I do find you hot-”

“Seokmin!” You haven’t heard someone call you hot in so long, and it makes your skin burn. 

He giggles, and slowly flattens his palm to cup your cheek. 

“I think the restraining order should do the trick, then. He’ll not harass you any longer.”

“Thank you. You’ve been brave when I’ve been a coward.”

“That’s what makes us a good team, Noona.” 

You finally make eye contact with him, gazing into his doe-like brown eyes which are crinkled at the edges with a hint of a smile and wide with hope. 

“Your eyes are so pretty, Seokmin-ah. Just like the rest of you. Especially your heart.”

“It’s pretty because it belongs to you, Noona.”

You blush harder, and turn your face away from him. “I’ll not like you any more if you’re cheesy like this.”

“But it feels good to make you blush like this. How dare you compare yourself to a broccoli, huh? You have no idea what you do to me- when you enter any room, you light it up with your aura, you make it so much warmer, so much brighter. And then a fucking broccoli?”

“Stop! I didn’t mean it to be so deep. It’s just what I ate for lunch because that’s all I had in my fridge.” He giggles again, and you giggle along with him. You realise you’ve both moved closer to each other on the bench, until your thighs are touching. 

“Then you’ve got to have lunch again. No one should exist by eating just broccoli.” 

“With you?”

“If you’d like that.” He cups your other cheek with another hand, and you can feel your skin on fire. His eyes are gently inching towards your lips so you slowly close your eyes. “If you’re going to kiss me, know that I don’t have much experience in that. I’ll be your hoobae in that regard, sunbae.” You hear a soft giggle, and the kiss doesn’t arrive, so you open your eyes again, just to see him blush all over. “God, you’re so pretty, Noona. I could look at you all day.”

“How about you tell me when you started liking me?”

“Umm, I think that time you came to eat lunch with us for the first time? I think it all started with me just trying to get you to eat meals on time. Good girls don’t skip meals, as I heard someone once say,” you playfully hit his chest lightly, and he laughs. “I don’t know, maybe it was before that. But that afternoon, I realised my crush on you was so serious. I was getting tingly all over every time our shoulders touched.”

“Oh! Well, thank goodness it wasn’t just me.”

“Really? From so long ago? Oh, Noona, if you’d just told me earlier…”

“Shh!” You giggle, “I didn’t even realise anything. I was just desperate to get you to forgive me.”

“But I was never angry at you. I could never be.”

You smile again, and he pulls you closer until your entire body is touching him. “So are you giving me a chance, Noona?” 

“Yes. I like you, Lee Seokmin, and I’m still shocked that you like me, after everything you’ve had to see.”

“Well, I do. I like you so much that I might be seeing stars over your head every time you come into my line of sight.”

You giggle again, your insides turning to mush. “Will you be my girlfriend, Y/N Noona?” His voice is, oh, so soft, like a melody. And his eyes so earnest, like an autumn leaf. “I’d be very honoured to, Seokmin-ah.” “May I kiss you?” You feel yourself getting red with anticipation as you quietly nod your consent. 

And so he kisses you. Like your very own Prince Charming, he kisses you, one hand on the back of your neck, and the other cupping onto your cheek, first gentle and slow, and then a little more passionate, as you pull him closer by holding on to his slender waist. “Fuck, Noona. You taste so sweet,” he says while taking a breath, and then attacks your face all over by placing tiny pecks all over your nose, cheeks and forehead. “I like you so much, I think I might die from it.” You laugh once again at his words, unable to say anything else because he’s effectively shut you up through his incessant kisses. When he finally moves his face away from yours, his 1000 watt signature smile bright on his face, you say to him, “Not before we have lunch together, though.”

a/n: read the stories of the other three boys here! lmk your thoughts <3

tagging: kokoiinuts