#also i'm doing this in age order so next is hui!!!

[kdrama-movies-more]

I wouldn't actually say the shaman had "no" motive. His motive for killing his wife was plain and simple and very old school. Si-a died for the same reason in a way. It's basically "Beyond Evil". Everything after that is him rolling with it with this newfound power. Fun as he said. And that I think pretty much had to do ironically with Moon's fatal flaw or how Moon and the police are narratively used. He ain't the real MC but it makes a lot more sense.

TLDR:-

The wife and Si-a's death were the same ol', same ol'...

He more or less confesses his reason he gets off on watching the memories fade from his victim's eyes which is extremely creepy

However there was an order and method behind each victim

The key clue was Park Seung-gil and the real start of the serial murder

The shaman has pretty much been playing det. Moon from the word go

It is all about the thrill of the chase + manipulating someone(ironically something he does as a professional shaman- reads people and convinces them to be swayed by his manipulative hints)

Moon thought out the serial murder connection-> fear and panic with the police announcement-> the shaman's ritual foments more unrest and paranoia and the theatrics were put on especially for the detective duo-> Gwang-sik's copycat murder to free Ae-ran led to the third victim-> Moon's skulking in the shaman's house led to Cha Ju-man being the target and the framing of Dr. Jung-> he invited Bong over to make him tofu after she saw his memory(few montages were sus) aka he has tried to lure Ye-bun out alone so he could kill her except after that there was no need as she lost her credibility since the local cops were taken off the case-> he would have killed Seon-woo as soon as he found the knife anyway

He also hadn't given up on his shaman business and used the situation to his advantage

The Shaman pretty much is playing mind games with Moon and Ye-bun, twisting the psychological knife...

Nah I'm giving him way too much credit...

Ironically the one common factor from the beginning was that all the murders are connected to Moon and Ye-bun's cases and he was just tormenting Moon- playing with him. Since the weightage is kept between the three leads and Moon already got to monologue and express his guilt over his failure I doubt there'll be more specific rubbing of salt in wounds.

I may be wrong about this though:-

Like Ye-bun and Gwang-sik he too has used his power throughout but he also used his charlatan acting chops to keep up his bumbling act. Eg: him guessing Ok-hui has a crush on Moon but giving a vague answer that doesn't really explain how he knew it was Moon exactly. Except it was obvious in retrospect that he saw it in her memory.

And his power is the most powerful being purely eye contact plus he doesn't have the hair loss drawback

Ye-bun got "used" by the nutjob detective to solve crimes and also used it for her job with the animals. Gwang-sik the middle aged bachelor used it to date somewhat dubiously but found himself someone he loved and wanted to marry and take care of and vice versa. Both him and Ae-ran were a lil bit ditzy and cute.

The shaman- as he said initially, inspired by seeing Ye-bun he went to Australia to meet his family. Possibly with hopeful intentions, may even have thought he'd use his powers there not necessarily for evil. What happened is from then on.

He had this nature that he would have killed his wife if he discovered her affair even without psychometry. He gave his background briefly and that's enough. He's a truly awful and dangerous person. I won't say psycho since KDramas are so bad with psychology...psychopaths in every kdrama...

His next victim was Si-a and fresh from his cucked rage heres this girl with a "bad character" messing around with men and being shallow and what not. Beyond Evil reference2.

The shaman could have seen that Bong and Moon saved Si-a and were playing at being a detective duo in her memories. The first victim was Moon's first big case in Mujin and it was a girl Ye-bun saved.

It is Seung-gil who broke the pattern for every suspect in Mujin anyway. And he is the key I guess?

The boy was a delinquent who got "set on the right path" by Moon for over 3 years and then got targeted by Moon's nemesis and used against him to betray the man twice.

Nobody but Moon Jang-yeol or Baek Soon-gil would have had a reason to kill Park Seung-gil in the first place. It was that simple. As much as what he did could count as betrayal, both Moon and Seung-gil still seemed to have a complicated brotherhood with Moon shielding Seung-gil from arrest and Seung-gil trying to protect his hyung and the nun by trying to walk a tightrope with Baek.

He had already seen something briefly from Moon's eyes when Moon interviewed him about the panty thief that very day and rifled through his house. Plus each time they met before that. Everyone in Mujin knew this new detective is a mad dog chasing its own tail with various cases some of which he's making up along the way. And he was a Javert who had Ali arrested.

And then by fate a "bone" came from Seoul right into the Shaman's hands and he could throw this bone for the mad dog to chase.

At that point Si-a's body was not even discovered and could have been washed out further or for longer since he threw her in the sea. There was no point in killing someone so closely tied to the hotblooded detective with whom he has no real connection other than just one- the thrill of wanting to be chased while manipulating the whole scenario. He keeps taking a dig at Moon every time after the reveal in an attempt to torment/have the upper hand.

It is Moon who soon after its discovery tied the two murders together and called it a serial murder essentially giving the Shaman a hobby to pursue as the Mujin Rain Poncho killer or essentially like a truly bad noir detective he was culpable in that he made the wind blow and then on out the criminal rode it playing mind games with this ttorai detective.

In the hospital Moon is wary of Seon-woo talking of how he was stabbed near the spleen which by his naturally suspicious nature he probes about. Moon has also probed other people the same way too. Except this case the shaman was there and seems to have noted this. Moon was also wary of Gwang-sik in the room on that note(he frowns about why Gwang-sik came to visit when neither knew the other at that point). During the dog live burial case det. Moon had aired his view on what killers do normally in front of the shaman and this description loosely fit Seon-woo perfectly which the shaman would have known. "Killers come back to some place they are familiar with - hometown, parent's grave, etc"

The Shaman chose to kill Seung-gil who on the surface betrayed someone's trust but deep down had a complicated relation with that very person who was a hardass about the law. However he chose deliberately or on a whim someone personally related to Moon, someone that would make the man throw himself into a big murder case he was desperate to get to go back to Seoul for. Except it's cruel because Seung-gil was a part of the reason he was desperate to go back. Killing Seung-gil was pretty much an invitation to make Moon and Ye-bun pursue the killer aka himself. And mess with them as he liked.

Another literal tragic case of "it matters who you meet in life" as the Shaman said. Seung-gil's tragedy was his hyung- first Baek targets him and then a soon to be serial killer kills the kid because he was tied to his hyung. In fact the whole "people met in life" of all the people Ye-bun informed the shaman the most early on regarding her power and its progress.

In this episode when Seung-gil goes up the elevator the Shaman's eyes meet Seung-gil's. If the shaman only saw Moon's or Ye-bun's memory he'd know Seung-gil betrayed and stabbed Moon. Unless he wanted to keep Moon alive and assumed the kid came to finish the job? Except he's not all that attached to this weirdo cop and if he didn't want to be arrested in the future about his wife or Si-a having him dead would be better. More likely, heres some gangster from Seoul no one will miss?

He's just playing games.

Except it's two friends/brothers(?) with a complicated relation and Moon didn't report Seung-gil despite knowing him would be clear to the shaman and so it doesn't make sense why he'd think he'd kill for betrayal in this case especially since he sees a lot of memories. He much more likely is reading Moon's memory of the keyword betrayal on the police board which to Moon would rationalize why Seung-gil was targeted and fit the common motive except the Shaman doesn't mean it. And there really was no good reason for Park Seung-gil's untimely death not even with the use of psychometry since he never got to see tht final memory other than the availability of means and opportunity.

Then we get to the ritual the shaman got to put on because the police turning it into a serial murder caused panic in society. The shaman makes sure the meeting allocates funds for his ritual and shoots down every suggestion of CCTVs.

The shaman only starts his dog and pony show when he sees Moon and Bong come to the site. And him going "Hyung, it hurts" looking straight into Moon's eyes making him flinch was just twisting a knife into him.

And then he further fueled Moon's paranoia about suspecting the townpeople which he and Ye-bun were just discussing a few minutes ago while cleverly saying something that is a confession. "The person who killed me is here"

As in, he's definitely messing with them.

This is the point where Moon not suspecting the shaman who talked in the same way Seung-gil talked to him is a major failing. It should have stuck with him as suspicious instead of seeing only the bumbling eccentric of a shaman who gets things right by guesswork.

Not to mention the shaman seemed like a Mujin resident but was actually partly an outsider too. Aka fit the profile. His background check not raising any flags is a plot hole. Big plot hole. Especially since det. Moon checked out the profiles of not just Cha Ju-man, Seon-woo, the grandpa but...this man freaking ran a background check on the onion farmer who went nowhere near Bong that night!!!

Ji-suk I believe died in place of Ae-ran. And frankly it wouldn't have mattered which of the two it was since both fit the red herring motive "betrayal" for the plot. Gwang-sik got the idea to commit a copycat killing to save Ae-ran from her situation using the general air of panic that had gripped the town ever since a serial killer was announced to be on the loose. The shaman didn't mind there being a copycat. It brought him even more revenue. This spiraled when the shaman who was reaping great fortune is shocked out of his wits that Ae-ran is alive. But even though he tries to make it right it is Ji-suk who came for the delivery.

Now we come to Cha Ju-man. The shaman goes to kill him after Moon breaks into their house and the shaman reads him "you suspect Seon-woo". So he uses that single-minded grudge Seon-woo has against Cha Ju-man which was a clue the police were holding on to and this for no other reason than throwing Moon another bone to make him suspect Seon-woo even more. He definitely looks down on Moon for being straightforward(?) and predictable.

Dr Jung was simply at wrong place, wrong time. The shaman was fond of the old man but he couldn't be caught just yet now could he? Cold and cruel just like what Cha Ju-man did to Bong's mom. Tragic again about people not knowing the nature of those they think they know. Ye-bun defending the Shaman when Moon wants to keep him on the suspect list too all because she absolutely won't believe he would kill her grandfather who was kind to him. He killed the old man to keep from getting found out and despite what he tells Bong he would have killed her too if there was a way he'd get caught because of her.

Moon who was paranoid to a hysterical pitch by then about Seon-woo and Cha Ju-man runs to the scene to find himself being right about Cha Ju-man being the next target. All according to keikaku!

He's by now also got his captain into suspecting and focusing on Seon-woo as the Shaman intends because of that connection being fresh in their minds because the Captain was investigating Cha Ju-man's misdeeds. Literally he read det. Moon's psychology perfectly.

Gwang-sik was the one who checked out the memory during the prawn festival, and somehow gets suspicious of him and goes off to investigate solo without informing anyone else. The whole sunglassses trick thing was a plot hole again foreshadowed during his ritual in the mountain but the plot begs for suspension of disbelief... especially with the number of times the rain poncho killer got hit on the head and its as if his hood and sunglasses ought have been secured with superglue...

After he kills Gwang-sik he was looking for the opportunity to kill Ye-bun since a lot of his memory montages is full of Ye-bun. His memory montages also betray a lot of his crimes which Ye-bun skipped through because she didn't suspect him. The time the shaman invites Ye-bun to cook his tofu for him on that note...could be sinister...

He also gets the opportunity to frame Seon-woo for good since det. Moon had cornered Seon-woo and Seon-woo's natural antipathy about the police all of whom were in his opinion viewing him suspiciously(I'll side with det. Kang here tho. Man is cold and rational and he wasn't all that unapproachable unless it was about things like psychics, showed no hositility to Seon-woo and he was professional enough he wouldn't have taken his maddog colleague's side over his own understanding) saved him from being found out last moment and the possibility he'd be selected as the culprit instead since they live in the same house played into it. So basically he also read Seon-woo's psych to a t. The police take the shaman into confidence and he is their trusted inside man but the lad took his knife! Again the police procedure going off key since they never got a warrant to check his shed? Really?

But the biggest is the Australian police- Korean woman is found murdered, her son who was raised in Australia and most likely went to school there is missing, the husband entered and left the country with said son in a hurry...and not a peep?

[soft-pentagon]

Pentagon as artworks

Jinho as Leonid Afremov works + orange

→ Rain Rustle - Yellow Fog III - The Dance of Love 

[paramouradrift]

Honor & OC's (On The High Seas), Batch #2

So there I was, scanning my two master docs with all my OC info arrayed before me, and I was like, "Self, which group should you do next? You've so many options. So many prices and values! Who would make an appropriate follow-up to the officers?"

And then, it came to me. There was really only one, true option.

FIREBENDERS, BABY.

In a fic that center's Zuko's struggles with his own inner sense of right and wrong, naturally his bending--and the people who guide and train him--should take center stage. Besides which, I'm sure some of you are dying to know what half of the secondary ship looks like (fear not, the other half will be covered soon enough).

In terms of rank, the firebenders aboard the Momiji, later the Setsujoku, are all members of the same firebender corps, which puts them above the rhino riders, artillerists, and ordinary seamen, but below the tradesmen, senior non-com officers, and all commissioned officers. This matters a great deal more on a larger, more strictly-run vessel, of course, where ship norms, collective experience, and instinctive bonds of loyalty aren't there to maintain crew cohesion. These people have, after all, all been sailing with Zuko et al for three years, and before that all of them served under Iroh right up until the siege of Ba Sing Se.

Without further ado, in order of seniority...

Zoran (the Team Daddy)

Age: 45

Appearance: tall, long greying black hair and beard which are always singed somewhere, receding hairline, top-knot, burns about the ear and neck, medium skin tone, amber eyes, distinguished face, athletic build. Usually found wearing firebender armor or dressed in casual red-lined tan shirt and trousers. He also wears matching woven bracelets from his home village.

Gender & Sexuality: Cis male, Heteroflexible

Likes: Reading, particularly tales and histories, tea, and martial arts training

Dislikes: strong smells, fermented food

Raison d'etre: duty

Service History: Zoran has served in the Fire Army since he was 18, and has received two commendations for battlefield bravery, including a holding action at Ba Sing Se. In the two years between the siege ending and Zuko's banishment, Zoran was recovering from battlefield wounds and training new recruits as a firebending instructor in the Domestic Forces with Hirume.

Hirume (the Support Carry)

Age: 36

Appearance: average height, short black hair in a top-knot, well-trimmed fringe, olive skin tone, green eyes, round face, broken button nose, numerous burns and scars on her hands, arms, and legs, athletic build. Usually found wearing firebender armor or dressed in a dark grey shirt that covers her burns and matching trousers. Hirume also wears a red necklace from her home village.

Gender & Sexuality: Cis female, Heteroflexible

Likes: Reading, story-telling, and sweets

Dislikes: Taiyou's singing

Raison d'etre: protection

Service History: Hirume started in the Domestic Forces at the age of 18 and managed, through a lot of hard work and determination, to secure a transfer to the front line. She served under Iroh with distinction, but was badly injured during the Siege of Ba Sing Se. The Houka Reforms ended her career in the Fire Army, and she did a short stint in a Domestic Forces training academy with Zoran.

Jin Hui (the Elder Gay)

Age: 32

Appearance: tall, shoulder-length black hair in a top-knot, well-groomed black beard and mustache, amber eyes that low-key bore into your soul, olive skin tone, muscular build, numerous scars and burns on his torso, legs, and left arm. Usually found in firebender armor or wearing casual red tunic and trousers in the style of his home island. He also wears red armbands and bracelets, and keeps his hair neat and tidy.

Gender & Sexuality: Cis male, gay as foretold

Likes: Calligraphy, personal grooming, and wordplay

Dislikes: Loud noises, anyone and anything that fucks with his man

Raison d'etre: guidance & protection

Service History: Jin Hui was in the medic corps of the Fire Army after leaving the Fire Temple at 18, but his firebending skill earned him a place on the front line with his boyfriend Tae Gyun. They kept each other's backs through many engagements until the Siege of Ba Sing Se. Tae was killed in action in a push to capture an artillery emplacement on the wall, and Jin Hui continued to fight until the retreat. He requested, and was granted, a transfer to the Domestic Forces where he worked guard and manual labor posts.

Yang (the Sore Winner)

Age: 29

Appearance: average-height, long brown hair in a top-knot, braided to keep the loose strands out of her face, amber eyes, extremely athletic build, olive skin tone, heart-shaped face, resting cash-me-outside face. Usually found in firebender armor or a standard off-duty soldier outfit: dark grey or crimson shirt and trousers, and boots. On special occasions, she will wear a red jacket and dress in Capital City style.

Gender & Sexuality: Cis female, closeted bisexual

Likes: Games, winning, a proper challenge

Dislikes: Bad food

Raison d'etre: Nationalism

Service History: Yang volunteered in the Junior Domestic Forces as a child, and leveraged the connections she made there to secure a spot on the front line under Iroh's banner. She fought with ferocity at Ba Sing Se, but the Houka Reforms eliminated her post and she was sent back to the Domestic Forces as a firebending instructor, a sidewise promotion she was none-too-pleased with.

Taiyou (the Brat)

Age: 27

Appearance: average-height, long brown hair in a top-knot, brown goatee beard, black eyes, athletic build, fair skin tone, dimples, a smile that makes you swoon (or triggers your punching instinct), shrapnel scarring on his entire left side. Usually found in firebender armor or wearing a tastefully revealing crimson shirt--or an open jacket with no shirt--and dark grey trousers. Taiyou accessorizes with bracelets, rings, and necklaces when he's allowed to.

Gender & Sexuality: Cis male, sloppy pansexual

Likes: Games, gambling, flirty bants

Dislikes: killjoys, hypocrites

Raison d'etre: thrills

Service History: Taiyou joined the military because he believed that it would improve his already-impressive game with the ladies of his home island. This proved to be an entirely accurate assessment, and he spent a few tours in the colonies at guard posts during the day and the brothels at night. He was transferred to the force that went on to besiege Ba Sing Se and discovered that he didn't like the front line at all, actually, and also that he didn't mind the company of other men when times were desperate. He was badly injured in the siege and transferred to the Domestic Forces after his recovery.

Haram (the Hot One)

Age: 24

Appearance: below-average height, luscious black hair, well-groomed in a top-knot, medium skin tone, clean-shaven, cheekbones that could cut through glass, built like a brick shithouse, amber eyes, strong nose, a single dimple on his right cheek. Usually found wearing firebender armor or a casual sleeveless red shirt and matching trousers. Haram accessorizes with armbands and a brace on his right forearm due to past injuries.

Gender & Sexuality: Cis male, bi-curious

Likes: Training, proper hair-care, music

Dislikes: Humidity

Raison d'etre: glory

Service History: Haram had the misfortune of being assigned to a rookie division deployed to Ba Sing Se in the second year of the siege. Right out of basic training, he was thrust into the worst of the fighting from the get-go and proved himself skilled on the field. He received a commendation for valor, but battlefield injuries saw him reassigned to the Domestic Forces as a firebending instructor while he recovered.

Stay tuned for more OCs!

[nananaptime]

Can I have a YeoOne imagine where we're friends (and I'm also friends with the rest of Pentagon) he treats me like a little sister but then I go away for university for 3/4years and then come back completely different and then he starts developing feelings for me but doesn't know how to confess so he asks the boys what he should do and comes up with a plan to confess to me and I accept. Could you make it angsty? My name is Jess. Thank youuuu 😘😘❤️❤️

People change

Why did you have to make it angsty? Now I’m crying xD Also, I’m trying to keep my writing as neutral as possible, just so you know ^-^

MasterlistRules

Requested

Genre: 70% angst 30%fluff

Word count: 1 892

Summary: Experiences change people, sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better….

“The flight to London, England is boarding now, please make your way to gate five.” I turned around to my four friends who had had the possibility to see me off. Hongseok had been very persistent in cancelling his plans in order to make sure I was getting to the airport.

“You better behave over there.” He said before wrapping his arms around me in a hug. I rolled my eyes slightly at his scolding and returned the embrace.

“I’m not that bad, I know how to behave myself mom.” The other three snickered at my teasing and now it was Hongseok’s time to roll his eyes. He then put his hand at the small of my back and gave me a light push in the other boys’ direction. I crashed straight into Hyojong who caught me by the arms swiftly.

“Take them with storm dude. They won’t even know what hit them.” I smiled at his encouragements and embraced his small frame. Then I punched his arm in a joking manner.

“Say bye to Hyuna for me.”

“Of course, captain.” He positioned him in an attention pose with his hand by his head and his back straight making me laugh and move along to the next member.

“You better not stop dancing just because you don’t have me there to push you.” Hyunggu laughed out the words and hugged me, a bit harder than the other two, quickly.

“Of course not, I wouldn’t want to disappoint you, you taught me everything.” He seemed happy with that response as he smiled and let me go.

The last person was someone who literally never stopped smiling, wherever he went he was always in a positive mood and laughing about with everyone. He was the one I would miss the most, well aside from Wooseok, my cousin.

“Wah, when did you grow old enough to go travelling on your own?” Changgu asked as he too hugged me against his warm chest. He then ruffled my hair with a big smile on his face.

“I’m only two years younger than you, you dork.” He laughed at me and inclined that it didn’t matter, I would always be like a smaller sibling he liked to protect.

The last call for the passengers were made and I knew that I had to go. I gave the four boys one last look while waving goodbye, tears of homesickness already made it’s way to my eye, however I turned around quickly in order to not worry them too much. Then I made my way over to the gate and onto the plane.

This was four years ago. Now I was back and more experienced than I’ve ever been. I learned so many new things, English was now like my second language and it would be difficult to adapt back to the extra politeness that was a given here in South Korea. The only one that knows I’m back is Hongseok, it was easier asking him to keep a secret since he was the only one that spoke english so even though the other boys overhear him they still won’t understand what’s going on.

After fetching my bag from the conveyor belt I walked out of the terminal to look for my mom friend. It wasn’t the easiest thing since he and the boys just debuted, finally, and he had to disguise himself a bit in order not to be jumped by fangirls. All of a sudden I felt someone tug at my elbow and who stood there other than one of my best friends. I jumped him with a hug and he almost fell over, however regaining his balance just in time.

“Wow, what happened to you!?” I laughed at him, knowing he meant the change in my appearance. “Where’s the braces? Are those ear piercings? When did you get so much taller?” I patiently waited for him to calm down a bit and stop freaking out.

“I guess London was good to me.” I said as we started walking out of the airport. Him insisting on pulling my suitcase. We got to the car and made our way towards dorm B where most of the boys were gathered at the moment, all the while catching up on everything we both missed out on in each other’s lives.

Soon enough we were parked outside the dorm and thanks to the window being open I could clearly hear that it wasn’t calm at all in there. Poor Jinho, being the oldest of dorm B can’t be the easiest thing in the world, the only one actually actually being of help would probably be Yanan, with Yuto and Wooseok dabbing all the time and just messing around and Changgu probably falling asleep everywhere, not that I expected him to be able to sleep through the chaos erupting in there right this moment. Hongseok and I made our way through the door and into the small hall which was currently filled with six pairs of shoes. We added our own and entered the living room filled with energy.

The first one to spot me was Hyojong who let out a ultra-loud scream and causing everyone to stop what they were doing and stare at the reason of his outburst, not that he always needed a reason. Once Hyojong was out of his shock he ran towards me, jumping over the couch in the process, and tackled me in a hug.

“Wah, Y/N-yah, what are you doing here?” He let me go, his mouth still wide open.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Someone realised how to use their voice again. “Is that Y/N? No way.” I laughed at Jinho’s astonishment and made my way over to him so that I could steal a hug. We were almost the same height, there were just a small difference between us.

After going around the room, returning hugs, I noticed that there was one who hadn’t said a word at all, and this person usually talks a lot.

“Changgussi, you okay?” He was staring at me, stunned, making me giggle. This caused him to snap out of his trance.

“What? Oh, it’s nothing, I’m just surprised because you don’t look so much younger than me anymore. You look so different.”

“Is that a good thing?” I asked, wondering what his answer would be.

“It’s definitely a good thing.” There was that smile I was used to seeing. I gave him one of my own back and offered to cook them something I learned in London. To which they refused but I did anyway.

A week later I was hanging out with Hyunggu, still in dorm B. We were in the middle of Just Dance, he wanted to see if I had kept my promise and not stopped dancing and it was pretty obvious that he was kicking my ass. I sat down on the couch, completely exhausted. I had practiced, but of course Hyunggu would be better since that’s all he’s been doing in order to debut.

“Wah, in all honesty, did you practice at all?” He asked as he sat down beside me. I gave him a joking glare, followed by a small but tired laugh.

“I did, but I had school too you know. You only practiced because that’s what you had to do if you wanted to debut.” He nodded, acknowledging my statement.

“Was it hard?” He asked. “With the english and all.”

“It was in the beginning but it got easier the more I used it. The people over there were really nice. Especially the family I was staying with, especially their kids. They had a five year old daughter and a boy my age.” He reacted at the last few words I said.

“You lived with a boy your age? Was he nice to you? He didn’t hurt you or anything, right?”

“No, I told you he was extremely nice to me. He showed me all the best cafées and everything that was worth doing in the neighbourhood.” I debated on whether or not I was going to tell him the last piece of information or not. In the end I thought, why not. “He was also my boyfriend while I was staying there.” Hyunggu almost fell of the couch.

“What!?” I was expecting the shocked reaction from Hyunggu, however I did not anticipate another voice utter the same word. I turned around to see Changgu standing in the doorway looking absolutely destroyed. Confusion overtook me.

“Changgu?”

“You have a boyfriend?” His voice was small and very quiet, it was hard hearing his question. I didn’t answer him, afraid that he would burst out crying, considering his current expression. Then he shuffled away, clearly in a negative mood. Hyunggu and I exchanged confused glances before I stood up quickly and ran after him.

I found him in his shared room with Yanan, sitting on the bed just staring at his hands.

“Changgu, what’s up?” I asked carefully, knowing how sensitive he can be in situations like this. He looked up at me, his eyes red from crying, he wasn’t a loud cryer. He cleared his throat, wiped away the remaining tears and stood up, dusting off his clean jeans.

“Nothing, I’m fine, you can go out and continue dancing with Hyunggu, I’m sure he’s waiting.” I didn’t, instead I sat down on his bed and pulled him down beside me.

“Talk to me, you know I won’t judge.” He chuckled slightly at that.

“When did you become so grown up.” I smiled at that, happy that I can try to help. “It’s just that, I always saw you as a smaller sibling and never anything else until you came back from London a week ago. You had changed so much that I didn’t believe it was you at first. I don’t know, something changed and I started developing feelings for you and I didn’t know what to do. I asked Hongseok, Hui and Jinho hyung what the best thing to do was and they thought I should confess. I was about to do that just now.” He gestured towards some chocolate and a bouquet of flowers that lay in a corner. “Hui hyung said some gifts was a good idea. But you have feelings for someone else and I just need the time to get over you, I guess.” He was crying again. Then he stood up and started heading for the door. “So if you could just leave me alone for a couple of days I’ll be fine.” He forced a smile in my direction and my heart broke. What he never knew was that all those years that he had treated me like family my heart had been beating for him.

I stood up and grabbed his wrist before he could open the bedroom door. He turned around and looked at me confused. I stood on my toes and pressed a small kiss against his cheek.

“If I leave you alone then how are we supposed to go on dates?” I asked and a big and genuine smile spread across his features. He then pulled me into his body in a big hug and didn’t let go for a very long while. We just stood there, in each other’s arms, knowing that he loved me and I loved him.