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def-initely-soul · 2 years ago

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Burn The Witch {4}

a/n: hello everyone it's been a while. I have no idea if anyone is still around or still interested in this, but here's the fourth part! don't know when i'll update again, figured i should upload this chapter since its been in my drafts for a while

pairing: yoongi x reader (f.)

genre: supernatural; angst; mystery; magical society AU; magicals!AU

rating: PG-15

warnings: violence; emotional abuse; blood; bullying; mentions of murder; mature language; panic attack

words: 5.6k

summary:

↠ {a boy who keeps running away, a girl who can’t seem to no matter how much she tries and a series of murders caught all in between of the cracks spread through what appears as a quiet little town…} ↞

or alternatively, not everything is always what it seems

previous part: {3}

It’s a slow day at “Selkie’s Place” when Yoongi pays you a visit, two days after the second murders.

Trusting him still feels naïve but you can’t help but do it, and it scares you. You’re putting so much faith in him. Too much faith. Blindly trusting someone like this can only lead to disappointment, you know this well enough. But it’s hard not to trust him. And you’re terrified.

When he steps into the pub it takes a whole lot of effort to get Mona to stop pestering him and move along to her other duties. Of course, you didn’t tell her the truth about your sudden partnership, instead opting for an inconspicuous story of making a new friend during interspecies studies. But, of course, she had to see for herself. Resulting in an almost interrogation of Yoongi about how the two of you met.

“She seems nice...” he comments afterwards. He waves at Mona from the couch he’s sitting on, who waves back at him from behind the bar.

You rest your hand at the back of the couch, watching the whole interaction with a careful smile. “She usually is. Today was a surprise for both of us...” you shrug before turning your attention back at him. Wondering what made him choose “Selkie’s Place” of all places for your conversation.

“You know this meeting could’ve happened at uni, right? No need for you to come here...” you raise an eyebrow and now it’s his turn to shrug.

“Better this way. Less eyes watching. After all, the person incriminating you could be someone from campus,” he takes a tentative sip of his beer. Your suspicion grows.

Maybe he’s not just thinking of being under the radar. Maybe he’s not completely unaffected from everyone else’s opinion and he’s afraid to be seen with you. Could that really be the case?

No. You wouldn’t peg Yoongi as someone who cares about other people’s opinions. He does what he wants and that’s the end of it.

But what if this town managed to get him? What if by living in such a remote place, the people’s beliefs became his own? What if he’s rethinking the whole thing?

You try to shake off the doubts creeping in your mind. They won’t do you any good for now.

“So, you think someone is incriminating me then,” you ponder instead.

Yoongi looks at you unimpressed. “Given the circumstances of those murders, I’d say it’d be too much of a coincidence. Someone is definitely trying to put the blame on you,” he replies sternly, confident in his logic. You find it hard to argue.

At least someone else believes you.

“So, what do you suggest we do?” you ask while taking a careful look around the pub. Just because you’re meeting here instead of campus, doesn’t mean you’re completely safe.

“Me?” he raises an eyebrow as he crosses his arms.

You shrug. “You’re the Sherlock here, Sherlock.” The reply has a smile growing on Yoongi and he leans towards you.

“And I suppose you’re my Watson then?”

At that you can’t help but scoff. Nevertheless, a grin is threatening to spill on your lips. “No, that would make me the unwilling victim that paid too much at your agency.”

Yoongi’s smile doesn’t falter. “You’re not paying me though.”

“Is store-credit okay?”

He shakes his head with a chuckle before leaning against his seat. “I was thinking of taking a look,” is his cryptic answer, eyes following the costumers around the pub.

This doesn’t satisfy your curiosity though. “Taking a look where?”

Yoongi is still nonchalantly people-watching when he replies. “The Kim’s estate.”

Your eyes almost pop out of their sockets.

“Where?! Are you mad?! The place will be flooding with Magaux!” you respond incredulously. You’re not willing to take a step into this place, it will be filled with your worlds equivalent for the police! If someone were to catch you there, no evidence would be needed for your arrest.

“This might be our only chance...” Yoongi continues calmly, ignoring your sudden outburst.

“To get arrested?” you level with him but he rolls his eyes, not at all worried about his idea.

You can’t believe you’re hearing this! He can’t be serious.

“To find out anything concerning the identity of the perpetrator! Or would you rather just to sit by idly as everyone else pins this too on you?” it’s his turn to look at you with irritation in his eyes. Your mouth runs dry from words to say. You hadn’t thought of it that way. You should have.

“I...” you mumble taken aback, before you turn your eyes away. “I didn’t mean it like that...” you mutter in response. Yoongi exhales tiredly.

“Look, I know you don’t feel comfortable with this, but it’s our best shot at finding out anything. As for the magaux they cleared the scene not long before the second murders happened. The Kim estate will be empty by now,” his voice is soft, almost comforting and you turn to face him again. The determination and hope in his eyes strangely calm you down.

“How are we going to get in?” you make your decision and Yoongi smiles.

“Can you teleport?”

You nod.

“There’s how,” he announces entirely too pleased with himself, and you roll your eyes as you fight the urge to smile.

“I say we meet and teleport straight into the house, not to raise any alarms, hm?” he takes another sip of his beer, and you nod again.

That’s when you see it.

Yoongi goes on about the details of your plan, but your eyes are trained at the glass window behind him. Did you just see something move?

There’s just darkness outside. Just a heavy, unending black. Your eyes must be playing tricks on you.

But then you see it again. And this time it’s clearer.

What you thought was only black, quickly proves to be a shadow. A shapeless figure, much like the one you saw at that empty classroom. Unnerving, ever-present.

Your breath hitches. Yoongi’s voice becomes a faint buzz as your heartbeat rises when the figure suddenly appears closer to the window.

But the figure is almost the same colour as the night. You’re not sure what you’re seeing is real.

It seems as if you’re staring at nothing.

But “nothing” stares back.

And blinks.

“Y/N!”

You jump in your spot, tension suddenly dissipating. You glance at Yoongi disoriented, who looks at you with a wary expression. Then you take a look at the window again. But there’s nothing there.

“You okay?” Yoongi’s voice sounds as if you’re underwater. It gradually grows stronger, pulling you back to reality with it. You shake your head. It was nothing, you saw nothing.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine...” you clear your throat, unable to meet his eyes. You’re afraid he’ll see right through you. “I just got distracted, sorry. What were you saying?”

Yoongi’s gaze is suspicious, but he decides to say nothing. “That we should meet at my house to discuss somethings beforehand. Just to be careful about this. Wouldn't want to get caught now, would we?” he explains with an easy smile. And while you agree with the general idea, you have one small objection.

“Okay, but it’d be better if it was at my house instead. I still can’t quite get the hang of teleporting from anywhere outside my house,” you reply, and Yoongi looks worried at that.

“Then will you be able to teleport us to your house afterwards?” he asks with concern, and you nod.

“It just takes a bit more energy. Figured I’d keep whatever energy I can for leaving,” you shrug. Only now you realise that means Yoongi will have to actually come to your house.

It’s been so long since anyone stepped foot in your home, besides you and Mona. You’ll need to do some cleaning beforehand, just in case.

Yoongi nods as he thinks it over, tapping his finger on his chin before he shrugs. “Okay, if you’re sure you can do it...” he comments. Although his tone shifts something in you. As if your pride got wounded.

Sure, you’re used to that. It seems to be everyone’s personal chore in this hellhole of a town, but coming from Yoongi, makes you want to prove him wrong. To prove you’re not just some helpless victim, to prove you’re someone capable. Someone strong.

You can do it. You know you can.

And him doubting you makes you angry.

“I’m sure,” you say, and your tone raises no questions. No room for doubt fits in your words and your hair curl at the ends with magic as it seeps out of you with every burst of feeling. You’re not weak. That’s the only thing you’ve never been.

Yoongi’s stare is indecipherable as thunder roars outside. Your chest rises quickly with every worked-up breath.

But then he smiles. “That’s more like it.”

You watch anxiously as Yoongi steps inside your home, two days later. It’s the only day you’re free from work, so the only day you’d be able to do this. You wanted the whole day off to prepare for what you’re about to do.

You mainly slept and ate, to replenish your energy and be ready for later. And also downed more than three cups of coffee. Although that could maybe turn out to be a bad idea. You’re not sure yet.

You're curious to see how Yoongi will take in your home but nothing really reveals much about his thoughts. Not when he stares up at the massive wooden staircase with Alistair curled around the banister, or when his eyes meet the stone walls covered with paintings of your relatives.

Your familiar stares at the man in the middle of your lobby, thoughtfully take in your home and strangely he has nothing to say. The fox only stares at the vampire man with a mild curiosity and a slight apathy. Yoongi, to his credit, acknowledges the fox with a small tip of his head forward but then he keeps on looking around.

Alistair’s familiar voice appears in your head.

Do we trust him?

You give him what you hope is a warning glare.

Be nice Ali.

You swear you see him almost roll his eyes.

I’m always nice.

A snort breaks free from your lips that has Yoongi look at you with a questioning gaze.

You wave him off with your hand. “It’s nothing...” you reply when you decide to tease your familiar. “Ali seems to like you.”

The question doesn’t leave Yoongi’s eyes. “Ali?”

“My familiar...” you move closer to point at Alistair at the top of the stairs who stares at you with a nearly murderous gaze. “His real name is Alistair, but he doesn’t like being called Ali in front of strangers...” you chuckle with Yoongi’s eyes on you. Alistair gets up from his position and stretches before sitting on his back legs on a graceful but indignant pose.

Your smile grows.

Yoongi turns to your familiar and nods his head again. “I’m Yoongi. Nice to meet you Alistair.”

Ali looks at him carefully before his voice reappears.

He’s okay... for now.

Then he tips his head towards Yoongi and turns around to hide in your room.

You chuckle once more at the quizzical look on Yoongi’s face. “Okay, now he really seems to like you.”

Yoongi sighs in relief. “I’m glad. Wouldn’t want to get on your familiar’s bad side...” he replies while turning his eyes upwards to your high ceiling. His gaze turns awed when he sees the ancient magic decorating the glass ceiling and how the endless night outside meets the floating lights underneath your roof.

“What is this...?” he asks in wonder, mouth falling open at the sight above him.

Another smile takes over your lips. “My father did it. When I was young, I used to say how much I loved the floating lights in the sky. I would sit awake for hours trying to come up with spells to bring them closer to me. I thought if I tried hard enough, I could bring them in my room and have them on my ceiling and then I could say “I have the floating lights in my room!”. So, one day my dad brought home some small crystal balls, filled them with starlight and enchanted them to float forever beneath our glass ceiling. To accompany the real floating lights in the night sky,” you reminisce as one of the floating lights slowly descends to meet your open hand.

It’s warmth travels through your skin, reminding you of that time you tried to catch them with a floating spell of your own. Back then, you didn’t know you weren’t supposed to chase them. The starlight would come to you instead.

“And to make sure I didn’t accidently cause earth’s collision with a star,” you add on with a chuckle.

“Your dad could catch starlight?” Yoongi asks still in awe, but his eyes are on you now.

“It was his individual power.”

“And what is yours?” he asks curiously.

At that your smile drops.

You shrug. “I don’t know.”

Both of you remain silent. Yoongi’s gaze doesn’t leave you but where you thought you’d see pity you see nothing but understanding. He doesn’t say anything along the lines of “I’m sorry,” or “That must be hard,”. He just lets you be.

You don’t know what else to say so you focus on the issue at hand. “Okay, so are we ready for this?” is your impatient question as you let the small ball float back into place.

Yoongi stares for another moment before he clears his throat. “Yeah, just a few things first. We need to be really discreet. There might not be any Magaux there but there should be some monitor spells lying around. So, we have to be careful. And we shouldn't split up. I know it’ll take more time but it’s safer this way,” Yoongi explains, all seriousness and even though you agree, you can’t resist the urge to tease him.

“Is someone afraid?” you can’t hide your teasing smile and Yoongi scoffs as he tries to hide his own.

“Me? Please. I’m just saying this for you...” he smirks, and you roll your eyes.

“Alright, let’s do this,” you take his hand in yours as you close your eyes and recount the spell in your mind.

You feel the familiar rush of magic travelling through your body, the magic of your home helping you in the process and then you open your eyes.

But it didn’t work.

You stare confused at your joined hands. This is weird.

Yoongi looks concerned. “Is something the matter?”

“That hasn’t happened before...” you mumble in disbelief, worry filling your mind.

“Maybe it’s because we’re two people. Have you tried teleporting with another person before?” Yoongi casually drags his hands away from yours. You’re too worried about your powers to notice the crimson hue spreading over his cheeks.

“I-… No, I haven’t but I don’t think that’s it...” your confusion is palpable as you close your eyes to try again.

Once more you feel the familiar pull on your gut as your magic concentrates. This time you feel a bit more of it, now that it’s just you, but when you’re about to cross over you feel the difference. There’s something blocking you. Your powers work just fine, moving you along the spell just as they’re supposed to but when it’s time to land, you feel a wall blocking your path.

“There must be a blocking spell on the estate...” you realise out loud and Yoongi curses softly.

“Now what? Should we walk all the way there? Someone might see us,” he says in thought, thinking of possible solutions to your problem but you raise an eyebrow. It's simpler than that.

“...Or we could just teleport outside the estate and walk to the front door?”

“Okay, now that we’re here how do we get in?”

This time, you’re successfully teleported outside of the estate, so you resulted in walking the rest of the way. The blocking spell shimmers as soon as you pass the front gate. You fight a shiver at the peculiar sensation.

True to Yoongi’s words the scene seems cleared, no Magaux anywhere in sight. The Kim’s estate appears larger up close. The building is still standing, yet black spots of fire and ruin grace its appearance and a cold chill runs down your bones.

The lights are out, the house an imposing structure despite its condition, the smell of ashes wafting through the air. You can’t believe this place was full of life just two weeks ago.

That it wasn’t just a ruin.

“The normal way,” Yoongi responds as he climbs the stairs to the front door. You follow close behind.

“Through the front door? How do you know it doesn’t have any monitoring spells?” you inquire with careful step, wary of making too much noise.

Yoongi smirks at you but instead of going through the front door, he nears a broken window to the side. The floor creaks with his steps, a contrast to the silence of the night. You resist the urge to shiver.

He leans in, just barely through the window. He looks around the windowsill, as if looking for something. Once he’s satisfied, he leans back outside with a winning smile. “No monitoring spells here.”

Your gaze is suspicious. “How can you tell?”

He waves you over and you both lean inside to take a peek in what seems to be the living room. “Usually monitoring spells have a tell; they must have a beeper nearby to help them keep running for the desired time. The latest versions don’t need it, hence the increase in their price. I doubt Xefoto’s Magaux can afford them...” he comments. You lean more inside, and he points over your shoulder towards a small rectangle metallic box just above the door.

“Now that’s a beeper. Which means this door is monitored,” he explains as he steps inside the window. Once he’s safely inside he stretches his hand towards you.

You take it with a careful yet amazed gaze. “How do you know all that?” you move inside, wary of dragging anything with you. You finally place both legs inside before dragging your hand away.

Yoongi simply shrugs as his eyes move to the interior. “I’m studying to become a Magau. It’s stuff I should know,” he chuckles as he takes a step inside.

You hum in understanding and your eyes finally take in the living room. Or what used to be the living room.

The wallpaper is burned to a crips as most spots, heavy black marks covering the walls in a pattern; as if the fire spread out in five, even streams of flame and burned everything in their path. The floor beneath the marks is black in streams too, all pointing towards the centre of the room, as if someone lighted a fire and spread it in five, even directions. Like a ritual would have it.

“I guess this is where we should look...” Yoongi comments in a grave voice. His fingers skip the black mark on the walls.

“What happened here...?” you mumble in terror, mostly to yourself. It’s pretty obvious what happened here, but why would someone kill an entire family just for a ritual?

“Whoever did this, did not mess around...” Yoongi whispers, while you near the fireplace. On top of it rest some burning sage along with some geraniums and a few buds of alyssum; all burned to almost a crisp, outside of the five even streams. The flower petals are black, almost destroyed by the fire. Burning sage is used for protection from enchantment, geranium as an alert for approaching guests and alyssum is used to deflect spells and judging by their condition, you’d say the person behind this knew much about the Kim’s.

Your eyes then travel to the wall above; decorated with numerous runes and what must be protection spells. But truth is you never paid attention on rune’s class, so you have no idea how to read them.

“So, we look for anything that might be suspicious?” Yoongi makes an affirmative sound, and you begin looking. Hoping you will at least find something that can help you.

It’s been two hours or so since you started searching but you have nothing so far. You looked into every corner, under all furniture, looking for cracks in the floor, opening every cabinet and little trinket but you’ve come up empty handed.

You’re starting to lose hope. You can’t believe you did all this just to come up with nothing. You refused to be pessimistic all day, to avoid jinxing it but now it seems your doubts became a reality.

You have nothing to move forward from. You only know a witch is somehow involved, someone who knew what they were doing which means it wasn’t anyone from this town.

Which means you’re screwed.

With a huff, you stand up. “Come on Yoongi, I don’t think we’ll find anything here...” you admit, shoulders hunched but Yoongi doesn’t budge.

“I’m not done yet. Plus, we haven’t looked into any of the other rooms yet...” he replies, not really paying attention to you. You tiredly watch as his hands dive in what seems like the hundredth box here.

You groan, your sore muscles complaining along, and you rub your straining neck. “I doubt we’ll find anything in the other rooms either. Let’s just admit this was hopeless and return to-”

Your words get cut short when you hear a sound coming from outside.

Yoongi doesn’t seem to notice it, too immersed in his search, but you’re certain you heard something. Is someone else here?

“Yoongi...” you whisper lowly, taking a step towards him, your eyes glued to the front door.

“Wait, I think I found something...!” he mumbles with barely contained excitement, his hand searching through the outer cracks of the box.

But then you hear it again.

The unmistakeable creak of the wooden floor on the front porch. Meaning someone is coming up the stairs.

“Yoongi, someone is here...” you shake his shoulder to gain his attention, to guide his focus at the impending risk of being found out.

“I can’t get it, just use an invisibility spell or something...” he argues, finger grabbing that... something and yanking it as hard as he can.

Panic and shame are an awful mix, flooding you at the same time as the creaks sound closer.

“Yoongi, please, we have to get out now...” your rushed voice reflects the rhythm of your pulse, and your breaths quicken in fear. Your eyes widen and you stare at the door as whoever seems to be outside takes their sweet time to turn down the doorknob.

A huff comes from your partner. “This is a clue; we have to get it! Why can’t you just cast a disguise or invisibility spell?”

He obviously doesn’t understand why you’d choose to simply run but once you hear the steps sounding just outside the door you snap.

“Because I literally can’t!”

Thankfully your voice was barely a hiss, but it’s enough for Yoongi to hear it and look at you with a surprised gaze.

Great, is that shame creeping back in?

“I- I never learned how...” you admit, your voice barely a whisper this time. You avoid Yoongi’s eyes; they are sure to be filled with pity and you can’t take that just yet. You can take a lot of things admittedly, but surprisingly not this.

The sound of steps travels through the wood again and you remember you’re about to be discovered. “Now can we please get out so I can at least teleport us somewhere safe?!” you hiss, pointing with one hand towards the door.

Yoongi stares at you for a second too long without replying. Instead, he grabs what seems to be a small stick, stuck into the cracks of the box and with one determined move, he finally gets it out.

“Got it! Let’s go,” he exclaims triumphant before you drag him towards the back of the house with a tired groan.

“I used to come here as a kid, there’s a back door at the kitchen and windows we can go out of. If there are monitoring spells in all of them, we can hide until the living room is clear...” you whisper quickly, remembering all the times you came here with your parents for social visits.

You open the door, push Yoongi quickly inside and lock it behind you.

“Check for beepers...” you put a chair against the locked door, just to be safe as Yoongi checks the back door first.

“Clear,” he replies “Although it seems weird the door isn’t monitored, even if it’s just a back door...” he thinks out loud.

“Well, if it was, we’d be stuck here so forgive me for not looking a gift horse in the mouth...” you roll your eyes at him as you drag him towards the door. “Now let’s get out of here...” you open the back door and motion for him to follow you when you both hear the unmistakeable sound of the front door opening.

Both your gazes land at the kitchen door, then at each other.

“Run?” you whisper.

Yoongi swallows the lump in his throat, and he nods. “Run.”

Then you’re both out in the backyard, running through the bushes and flowers as quietly as you can. Actually, the garden is really pretty and normally you’d stick around to gaze through the flora, but this is as far from a normal situation as it could be.

You can’t afford to stop. If you stop now and someone sees you, it’s all over. Noone would care that you had an alibi for that night; they’ll send you straight to prison.

You reach the fence between the Kim’s estate and the forest, and both of you use the momentum to quickly jump over it, only to land ungracefully at the forest floor.

Yoongi lays there for a second to catch his breath, but there’s no time to lose. You grab his arm, closing your eyes and recounting the spell as fast as you can, when the telltale sign of power draining takes over you and you suddenly find yourselves back into the floor of your living room.

“Fuck...” you curse breathlessly, your body slumping down against the floor. Your muscles scream in protest, your legs turned to jelly as your lung struggle to fill up.

Your eyes find the floating lights at your ceiling, dancing around peacefully; such an obvious contrast to what you just did, and you can’t help but wonder what your father would think of this.

You think he’d have a heart attack to be honest.

But your mother? She’d probably be with you all along.

Yoongi chuckles, out of breath. “Yeah... fuck...” he agrees before groaning and rubbing his eyes. “I haven’t had that much exercise in years...” he mumbles and you can’t help the laughter that bubbles from your lips.

You both lay there too tired to move, your eyes naturally following the spells carved on your celling.

And that’s when you remember.

“So, what did we find?” you ask curiously and Yoongi scoffs.

“We? Oh no, you wanted to leave, you get no credit for this...” he teases, still trying to catch his breath and another laugh escapes you.

“Fair enough. So, what did you find, oh great detective Min?” you tease back, and he chuckles (an impossibly clear sound you’re sure you won’t be able to get out of your head).

His hand dives into the pocket of his jeans. Then it emerges, carrying that slim stick you saw him dig out and he passes it to you. You take it cautiously, observing it meticulously. It’s bent at the end in an obtuse angle, frayed at the middle with scratches on its middle part and strings of something soft sticking out of it. Oh wait, it’s not a stick.

“It’s a feather...” you observe and Yoongi hums in agreement.

“Yeah, a black one as you can see and those scratches in the middle part?” he points to them right where you saw them before, “At first look they seem inconspicuous, but I think it’s a rune...”. The more you look at it, the more sense Yoongi’s observation makes. Yes, it is a rune, the one resembling the letter “c”, but you have no idea what it means.

Again, not good with runes.

“And it seems even more plausible since the feather remained intact through all the debacle,” Yoongi mumbles in thought and you turn to him.

“You think it was enchanted to withstand the fire?”

“Maybe. Or maybe it was used to keep the fire from going out, or for something else altogether. I can’t really tell; we’ll have to find out what that rune means...”

His statement has you looking at the feather again, deep in thought. Someone wanted the Kims gone so bad, they not only lighted their house on fire but did everything necessary so that the fire wouldn’t go out.

You weren’t aware the Kims had such enemies. In truth, they were one of the most respected families in Xefoto.

So, who did this, and why?

“Okay, so where do we go from here?” you pass Yoongi back the feather.

He takes it back with nimble fingers, softly grazing your own. “I remember seeing a spell recipe that used a black, bent feather with a rune scratched on the middle part in another witch’s book of spells. I don’t remember what the spell was for though, so we need the book to know the details. Do you have yours somewhere around?” he asks curiously, but you shake your head.

“No. Us witches are supposed to get our books at the age of twelve, along with our mentor. But ever since the accident, the council put a ban in everything regarding casting magic. No mentors, no books, no anything. And you won’t be able to find anything at the local library either, believe me, I’ve tried...” you admit with a sad chuckle.

Yoongi sits up and stares at you in shock. “Is this why you didn’t know how to cast an invisibility spell?” he asks in bewilderment, voice filled to the brim with disbelief.

You simply nod.

His eyes widen, a glim of irritation flashing through them and he drops back to the floor with an angry huff. “I can’t believe this fucking town...” he grits through his teeth, making you shift uncomfortably next to him.

“It’s fine really. After I’m done with college, I’m gonna search for a mentor elsewhere, so no harm done!” you rush to say, words more bubbly and cheerful than you ever felt about your situation, but it feels vulnerable to let him in, in all those aspects of your life that you hate.

And you don’t like feeling vulnerable. Even though, with him, it’s the only thing you seem to be doing.

“No harm done my ass...” he argues with a clipped voice, ready to say some more, when he casts a glance at your side. He sees something that makes him stop though. Instead, he looks at you for a moment longer before he turns his focus forward and clears his throat.

You two remain silent for a few seconds, neither of you knowing what to say. Although it doesn’t feel as strange as it felt a moment ago. Somehow it feels peaceful and quiet and everything you wanted since that fateful day your parents died, and your skin crawls with the whisper of all the things you lost, as if they say you don’t deserve this tranquillity. That this too will be taken away from you because you’ve done nothing in your life to deserve this. Even though life has put you through enough things to owe you this.

But life doesn’t care about balance or justice. It only takes, unyielding and cruel and indifferent to your sorrows until you have nothing left or you give up.

You don’t know at what stage you are yet.

Yoongi somehow senses the dark path your mind has taken you. He knows that for some reason, whatever you’re thinking about now isn’t good for you. The urgency to bring your thoughts back to the present tugs at him so persistently that at first, he sits there in panic, not knowing what to do.

But the longer he sees that distant, almost resigned look in your eyes, the more words keep trying to escape his throat, until he’s sure that if he tries to voice them, no one would be able to make any sense out of them.

So instead, he clears his throat again.

The sound startles you, like waking you up from a nightmare and only realising you’re in the comfort of your bed, and you have to remind yourself you’re safe.

But as your eyes fall on Yoongi again, that small seed of warmth that appeared when Yoongi first found you in that classroom, spreads the tiniest amount.

“So how do we find that book?” he asks.

The question has you smiling. That you know how to get.

“There’s this guy at school, he’s mostly everyone’s weed dealer, but I've heard that for the right price, he can get you anything; besides other drugs that is,” you explain, and Yoongi sits up once again, resting his weight on his hands. This time though, it’s not rage swimming in his eyes, but excitement.

“Okay, so let’s talk to him!” comes his enthusiastic response but you wave him off.

“It’s best if you let me do the talking...” you warn him, knowing if he was to talk to the guy, it wouldn’t end well for any of you.

He regards you with suspicion. “Why? Who is this guy?”

You roll your eyes at him with a smile.

“His name is Dean,” and Yoongi looks even more confused.

“And he’s a werewolf.”

next part: {5}

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wannaghostbts · 5 months ago

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Stop teasing me girl~ Now you made me lay my heart out here!~ ლ(＾ω＾ლ)

A long journey home| 01

Characters: Taehyung x Reader

Word count: 9.1K

Synopsis: All you wanted was to confront your flaky coworker, Taehyung, not get dragged across a magical fantasy realm trying to deliver a baby dragon safely back to its home kingdom.

Fantasy!au

Notes: I’m not really sure what this is, if I’m being honest. Just a fic so big I split it into two. I basically just wrote whatever I thought was fun and so there’s not a huge amount of plot or anything, really. Just me having fun. Hopefully its fun for you too, at least.

1 | 2

Keep reading

#taehyung #taehyung x reader #taehyung fluff #taehyung fic #kim taehyung #bts fluff #writing #taehyung scenario #bts taehyung #kim taehyung ff #taehyung au #taehyung fantasy au #taehyung fantasy ff #taehyung imagine #taehyung fanfic #taehyung dragon au #taehyung magic au

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dycia12 · 1 year ago

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#booklr #dark romance #books and reading #bts #boooklovers #fantasy #enemies to lovers #dark love #magic #dark magic #reincarnation #drama #kthff #bts ff #bts imagines #wattpad #Spotify

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starsyaa · 10 months ago

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Bts ot7 x reader (i)

CEO

Series

The butterseries COMPLETE

Combined beings COMPLETE

Choco bun COMPLETE

Chantaje COMPLETE

Office CEO Au ONGOING

Petrichor ONGOING

MAFIA

Series

Combined beings COMPLETE

Between the bloodshed COMPLETE

Everything between us COMPLETE

Ethereal COMPLETE

Choco bun COMPLETE

War of the hearts ONGOING

Be my light ONGOING

Cry me a river ONGOING

Oneshot

Mafia Au

Your protectors

Secret story of the swan

Eye of the beholder

Their innocent girl

Crumble

IDOL

Series

Quarantine COMPLETE

Beautiful confusion COMPLETE

8th member imagines!

Life with bangtan

Little do you know

The plot twist (soulmate) ONGOING

Change my mind ONGOING

The line between love and war (soulmate) ONGOING

Oneshot

The little things

Hold your promise

Being BTS's baby

Eighth member of BTS

Nothing new

Hurt/Sick

Clumsy/We need bubblewrap

What words can't say

Birthdays & Boyfriends

Shell

Kitchen fairies

00:00

HYBRID

Series

Hybrid house COMPLETE

To build a home COMPLETE

Escape COMPLETE

The little fox COMPLETE

Whirlwind COMPLETE

A place called home COMPLETE

Roses and thorns COMPLETE

Shelter of hope COMPLETE

Hybrid heart attack COMPLETE

Shadows and wolfbane COMPLETE

Oasis COMPLETE

Something thicker than blood COMPLETE

Outside of the fox ONGOING

Loved by seven ONGOING

Strawberry princess ONGOING

Masked miracles ONGOING

Trouvaille ONGOING

Safe and sound ONGOING

7 hybrids move in with me ONGOING

Oneshot

Tangled hearts

Mean kitty, soft kitty

Core pride

Secret story of the swan

COLLEGE

Series

Everything falls into place COMPLETE

Thesis IT COMPLETE

Prove IT COMPLETE

OMEGAVERSE

Series

House of the omegaverse COMPLETE

Belong ONGOING

Find rest for your soul ONGOING

Petrichor ONGOING

Iridescent love ONGOING

You belong ONGOING

Feels like home ONGOING

Moonchild ONGOING

Snow angel ONGOING

Dragon

Series

Ethereal COMPLETE

Choco bun COMPLETE

Dragonheart ONGOING

Fantasy

Series

The galaxy above us COMPLETE

A thousand spring (soulmate) COMPLETE

Tell me your lies COMPLETE

Stay alive ONGOING

Euphoric endeavors ONGOING

Magic shop ONGOING

Ongoing

The eve

Royal

Series

The return of an empress COMPLETE

Royal/Bodyguard COMPLETE

Fall of empire ONGOING

Oneshot

Soulmate/royalty

Others

Series

Boyfriend for hire COMPLETE

Getting back into the swing of things COMPLETE

Enjoy your stay COMPLETE

Death valley COMPLETE

Strangers COMPLETE

Out of love ONGOING

Shadows we trust ONGOING

Oneshot

Pastel snowflake kisses

Thank my lucky stars

Jingle all the way

PART 2

#bts ot7 x reader #bts x reader #btsxreader #bts #bts polyamory #bts army #hybrid bts #mafia bts #bts ceo au

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hamburgerndsprite · 5 months ago

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Sprite's Favourite Fics {Bangtan Fics} Part 11

Note: (I'll keep updating the lists as I read more fics. Also, all the moodboards are edited by me therefore I request everyone not to repost them as theirs)

[Masterlist]

[OT7]

{ONESHOT}

➺ Tangled Hearts by writersrealmbts

Pairing: Hybrid! Poly! Bts x Reader Genre: hybrid au, Monsta X cameos, Angst, Fluff, Suggestive Stuff, SFW Wordcount: 22,844 Description: Hybrid!ot7 x reader: You have seven hybrids and life with them can be both good and stressful. Some days are better than others, but in the end, you know that they’re always there for you, in more ways than one.

{SERIES}

➺ Royal/Bodyguard AU by jiminiesfavouritecolourisblue

Pairing: Bodyguard! BTS x mafia princess! Reader Genre: fluff + angst Summary: your bodyguards became your best friends and you couldn’t imagine your life without them. Chapters: 7/7

➺ Before I Leave You by hollyhomburg [ONGOING]

Pairing: Beta! Yoongi, Omega! Reader, Omega! Jungkook, Omega! Seokjin, Alpha! Namjoon, Alpha! Hoseok, Alpha! Taehyung, Alpha! Jimin, Genre: Omegaverse, Mafia Au, BTS x Reader Parts: 80 chapters Posted Summary: Someone always has to leave first; They just didn’t expect Yoongi to come back with a new omega (who’s clearly been through some shit).

➺ A Place Called Home by agustdakasuga

Pairing: vet! reader x Arcticfox!Seokjin, Panther!Yoongi, Goldenretriever!Hoseok, Wolf!Namjoon, Calicocat!Jimin, Tiger!Taehyung, Rabbit!Jungkook Genre: Hybrid!AU, Poly!AU?, Soulmate AU, romance, fluff, humour Parts: 25/25 Summary: Having saved your own injured hybrid, you were determined to try and help any other hybrid that crossed your path who needed saving. But being a vet in a small hospital wasn’t enough for you. You wanted to do more, you wanted to make a difference. You wanted to give them a home.

[KIM NAMJOON]

{ONESHOT}

➺ Growth by happy-meo

Pairing: Namjoon x Reader Genre: Fluff, mild angst Summary: Namjoon was everything you weren’t but you were everything Namjoon wasn’t.

➺ Autumn Night by sodoyouknowbts

Pairing: Namjoon x Reader Genre: Romance, steamy smut Summary: You attend an event to support Namjoon, who is the keynote speaker for the night. You can’t help but feel insecure about the attention and the advances he is receiving from the girls he lectures. You attempt to leave the event early, but he stops you, intent on reminding you exactly what you mean to him.

[KIM SEOKJIN]

{ONESHOT}

➺ With You by yoonpobs

PAIRING. kim seokjin x reader GENRE. marriage!au, divorce!au, childhood friends2lovers!au, angst, fluff, smut WORDS. 22.1k SUMMARY. Marrying your childhood best friend was not the love story that most painted it to be. you knew that better than anyone else.

➺ Turn Back Time by raplinesmoon

pairing: baseball player!Seokjin x doctor! reader (based on the movie 13 Going On 30) genres/au/rating: fluff, humour, angst, smut, time travel au, 18+ word count: 13.3k summary: After total humiliation at his middle school baseball try outs, Kim Seokjin wants nothing more than for his awkward years to fade away until he’s thirty. Cue a magic baseball glove, and his wish is finally granted. Seokjin suddenly wakes up seventeen years later, now the star pitcher of the team he’d always dreamed of playing for. Confused and overwhelmed at the prospect of the new life waiting for him, he turns to the only person who seems to understand him — you. Will Seokjin learn what it truly means to be thirty, flirty, and thriving? Or will he find himself wishing he could turn back time?

➺ Good Girl by Jamaisjoons

❥ 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔: seokjin x reader x yoonji x jimin ❥ 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑟𝑒: smut • some fluff, pwp au. ❥ 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡: 23k : ) ❥ 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦:〝 accidentally walking in on your boyfriend’s flatmate, min yoonji, and her boyfriend park jimin, was probably the best thing you’d ever done. 〞

➺ The End by Jimlingss

➜ Pairing: Jin x Reader ft. OT6 ➜ Words: 31k ➜ Genres: 50% Fluff, 50% Angst ➜ Summary: It’s been a habit of yours to vent in the form of love letters. There’s six in total. They’re kept secret, hidden in your closet. But on your 30th birthday, what you least expect is for each letter to become reality. All done by the whacky ghost of Christmas future trying to grant your birthday wish.

➺ Lost and Found by taleasnewastime

Pairing: Jin x reader Genre: fluff; angst; sfw; strangers to lovers. Word count: 21.2k Summary: What do you do when your whole world comes crashing down around you? When everything you loved turns out to be a lie? When your fiancé tells you he’s been having an affair, you feel like your whole world comes crashing down, but then you find an antiques shop and the strange man that runs the shop helps you slowly rebuild your life and realise maybe not everything about you is broken.

[MIN YOONGI]

{ONESHOT}

➺ Bangtan's Receptionist by wooataes

Pairing: Mafia Boss!Min Yoongi x Fem! Reader, implied ot7 x Fem! Reader Word Count: 1.8k Warnings: Mafia AU, swearing, Death, blood, injuries, mentions of human trafficking but nothing too detailed, guns, character death. Summary: Bangtan’s contracts are clear and concise. They are to be followed to the letter, including the most important rule, do not touch their men.

➺ Crave You by borathae

Pairing: Yoongi x f. Reader Genre: established relationship!AU, Smut, some Fluff, smol lil Angst Summary: ”You should be angry at him for breaking his promise to you, but how could you, if kissing him feels so good? Or alternatively: all it takes is a small fight to discover a kink you and your fiancé share...”

➺ Anything by jiminrings

pairing: yoongi x reader wordcount: 10k glimpse: yoongi doesn't want to move on from his ex because she's everything he's ever known, whereas you want to move on from him because he's everything you've ever loved. alternatively, yoongi's your best friend and you've been in love with him your whole life.

➺ The Final - Day 02 by yoongiofmine

Pairing: DDAY!Yoongi x Groupie!Reader Genre: idol au, porn with a lot of plot, one-shot WC: 16k Summary: You've been Yoongi's go-to companion for the past few years, well aware that's all you were going to be. Despite your very real, growing feelings for the rapper, you took what you could get every time. Now, you're backstage at day two of the final leg of his tour when another member takes an interest in you. Will it be enough to make Yoongi realize he's got competition?

➺ Damn the Charcuterie Board [M] by bratkook

pairing: min yoongi x reader x park jimin genre: light crack, smut, pwp, warnings: threesome (obvs), oral sex, face riding, unprotected sex, sloppy seconds, stupid jokes about raw meat lmfao word count: 6.7k of pure filth

{SERIES}

➺ Take Five by jiminrings

pairing: yoongi x reader wordcount: 10k genre: angst, fluff, unrequited love, so much pining glimpse: dr. min yoongi’s a board-certified dermatologist; skilled, renowned, and in-demand — oh and also, he’s divorced. alternatively, you’re yoongi’s nurse and you have a crush on him, and he gives you five chances to ask him out — he never said anything about accepting though.

➺ Oh, Baby! by honey-boyyoongi [ONGOING]

Pairing: single dad! Yoongi x Reader Genre: Fluff, angst, crack, neighbor au Chapters: 60/61 Summary: Min Yoongi, is a simple man. He likes his coffee black and iced, he enjoys his job, and he loves his baby girl. But what happens when the new neighbor, quite literally, drops into his life?

➺ Pink Bird House by 54daysormore

Pairing: Single Dad! Yoongi x Reader ft. Mini Tae Genre: Fluff, Angst, Smut, Tae is yoongi's baby Parts: 25/25 Synopsis: Tae really wants a pink bird house, but his dad is definitely too busy to make one with him. Enter Y/N. Then exit Y/N. Right?

[MIN YOONJI]

{ONESHOT}

➺ La Petite Mort by snackhobi

pairing: assassin! Min Yoonji x assassin! reader word count: 9.7k genre: f x f smut, assassin! Au summary: Based on a post that said: "my ex-wife sent an assassin on me but I sent an assassin on that assassin & they fell in gay love & now they're having sex in my guest bathroom"

➺ As we go along by ddaenggtan

pairing | min yoonji x reader genre | NSFW; Fluff, Smut, a dash of Angst bc why not, idiots to lovers, enemies to lovers, Awkward Gays, Idiot/Oblivious Gays, OH The Min Twins aka Yoongi and Yoonji are siblings uwu wc | 10.4k summary | Four years ago, the beautifulstunningattractivefrustrating Min Yoonji came into your life. Ever since, it’s been a competition between the two of you to win the HOA’s Holiday Decorating Contest. The fiery looks she gives you paired with the pointed insults throw you off your game every year, but not this time. This holiday season, you’re determines to win; and along the way you might just find that Yoonji’s been trying to win something else. ;OR the queer hallmark movie of your dreams.

➺ The Song Thief by justanotherstarlightmonger

Pairing: Idol! Min Yoonji x Idol! Female reader Genre: Smut, fxf, idol! au Word count: 4.5 k words Summary: Min Yoonji makes sure you're not stealing her latest song

➺ Good Girl by Jamaisjoons

➺ Chatoyant by jincherie

pairing: min yoonji x reader genre: hybrid!au, magic!au/ witch!au, familiar!au, smut, slight angst words: 15.5k summary: You’re a witch, and Yoonji is your familiar. The tension between you has been rising steadily over the months, and comes to a head after Jungkook and Taehyung pull an April Fools joke that doesn’t quite go right. Perhaps you should thank them for how things turned out... right after they finish running from Yoonji, that is.

[JUNG HOSEOK]

{ONESHOT}

➺ Midnight Rendezvous [M] by kookscrescent

➤ pairing│Hoseok x female reader ➤ genre│smut, fluff, boyfriend au ➤ word count│6k ➤ summary│Because of a rule that was implemented at Hoseok’s apartment, he has to sneak you in without his roommates finding out. But perhaps you were a little too loud...

➺ Us by honeymoonjin

pairing: idol! Jung Hoseok x gf! reader genre: FLUFF, established relationship, idol au summary: ❝ Among the publicity of being an idol, hoseok wants his proposal to be a private affair. ❞

[PARK JIMIN]

{ONESHOT}

➺ 100 km/hour [M] by chateautae

➵ pairing: fuckboy!jimin x f. reader ➵ genre : college!au, smut, pwp ➵ rating : 18+ ➵ word count : 7k ➵ summary : what exactly happens when you and your friends have to pile into one car for the ride home after an insane halloween party, and you find yourself sitting in park jimin’s lap? especially when he's dressed as an angel, and you're in the sluttiest devil costume ever?

➺ Sugar, Spice And Everything Nice by dovechim

➾ pairing: weak sperm jimin x witch! reader ➾ wordcount: 13k ➾ genre: a crack smut essentially ➾ summary: you and jimin have been trying for a baby for the past six months, to no avail, but then you realise one crucial mistake: you’ve been neglecting your witchy heritage. what ensues is a month of trial and tribulation... for jimin at least.

➺ All into You [M] by taegularities

pairing: Jimin x female reader genre: fantasy!au, HP!au, established relationship, fluff, some crack, basically pwp wordcount: 7.1k Summary: “The weather. It was nice today, no?” you repeated yourself, your gaze meeting his hazy, lustful eyes. “You’re literally riding me right now.” Teasing your boyfriend while being surrounded by your closest friends? Entertaining. But when he drags you away to punish you for it? That’s when you’re in for a ride.

➺ Damn the Charcuterie Board [M] by bratkook

➺ Let's get Quizzical by taleasnewastime

Pairing: Jimin x reader Genre: friends to lovers; fluff; angst; smut Word count: 28.6k Summary: Thursday night pub quizzes with your friends are a must. One of those friends being your long-term friend, long-term crush, Park Jimin. At this point 99.9% of the population knows you have feelings towards him, Jimin being the 0.1% that doesn’t. But what happens when a bet goes wrong and your weekly quizzes become more complicated than fun?

➺ Into the Wilderness by gukyi

pairing: park jimin x female reader genre: angst, fluff, comedy, camp counselor!au, unrequited love!au, friends to lovers!au word count: 27k summary: alright, so last summer’s camp was... disastrous. from the murky green showers to the wasps nests, it was all-around a bad time. but none of those things could be quite as catastrophic as the end-of-camp counselor campfire, when you told park jimin that you were in love with him. and if telling him was terrible, then seeing him again this summer, one year after your fruitless confession, just might be the death of you.

➺ Turn to Stone by jjungkookislife

❄ pairing: gorgon!jimin x elemental!reader ❄ genre: established relationship, supernatural au, smut [18+] ❄ wc: 8.4k ❄ summary: Childhood best friend turned boyfriend has only wanted one thing in his life, to be able to look you in the eyes without the risk of turning you into stone. The last (and only) time it occurred, it was nearly fatal for you but with your anniversary coming up, he’s willing to give it another go.

➺ Home is where the heart is by bangtanfanfiction

♢ Pairing: Jimin x Idol!Reader ♢ Word count: 12K ♢ Genre: Fluff, angst if you squint ⌲ Description: You’ve been together with Jimin for about three months. But you’ve been keeping a big secret from him. A secret in the form of your 6 year old daughter

➺ Paper Hearts by namfinessed

pairing: jimin x reader genre: fluff, college au, friends to lovers word count: 9k summary: hearts fragile like paper, tear it or don’t?

➺ Potions by taleasnewastime

Pairing: Jimin x reader Genre: Prince Jimin, Healer reader, royal au, fluff, angst. Word count: 23.6k Summary: Magic is banned, to perform it is an act punishable by death, a law brought in by the queen. And yet, here you are, living in the same palace as her, defying that law by performing the magic she so hates. You don’t feel at risk of being found out, you are only a lowly healer, a nobody. But when the prince discovers you and can’t seem to leave you alone, you may not be as safe as you thought.

{SERIES}

➺ Tainted by muniiimyg

pairing: jimin + oc au/genre: est relationship, angst if you’re a crybaby, fluff COUGH COUGH jimin + oc are SOFTIES, ex-fuckboy!/ex badboy! and angelic oc, and somewhat healing vibes warnings: implied smut, one sided pining, explicit language, self doubt/hate aka insecure jimin parts: 20/20 summary: after going public with their relationship, everyone is amused as jimin isn’t exactly what they had in mind for a girl that is practically an angel. perhaps a dance with the devil is what it takes for both worlds to fall into place. + nobody thinks he’s good enough for her. she think he’s all she needs. he wants her to be right.

[KIM TAEHYUNG]

{ONESHOT}

➺ Unbreakable by smoljimjim

>Pairing: Taehyung x OC named Siri, lovers-exes-lovers >Genre: angst, small fluff, happy ending >Word count: ~16,300 >Description: Taehyung and Siri were the perfect couple and had the perfect relationship. They were known as the 'unbreakable' couple. That was until Taehyung found out something about Siri he couldn't ignore. He thought he knew everything about her, but this... this one thing was a relationship deal breaker.

➺ Requested Drabble by taleasnewastime

pairing: idol! taehyung x reader genre: fluff, smut, strangers to lovers, idol au summary: The reader meets Taehyung, but she initially has no idea who he is until he introduces himself. Taehyung is immediately drawn to her and goes out of his way to charm her. One thing leads to another, and they end up having a passionate encounter together.

➺ Sunflower Boy by happy-meo

pairing: taehyung x reader genre: fluff summary: a fluffy oneshot of when reader met taehyung for the first time. [Part of First Meeting Series]

➺ Good Luck Charm by gukyi

pairing: actor! kim taehyung x female reader genre: fluff, angst, unrequited love, friends to lovers!au, roommates!au word count: 11k summary: kim taehyung has nearly everything he’s ever dreamed of: an apartment in new york city, a lead role in an off-broadway play, and a best friend to share it with. but even still, there’s one thing missing—love. and when he goes on the hunt for it, he dots every i and crosses every t, leaves no stone unturned, but forgets to look at the person who could ever love him the most: you.

{SERIES}

➺ With a brush of fate by yoongiofmine

Pairing: Kim Taehyung x f!reader Genre: Fluff, angst, smut, idol au, strangers to lovers. Parts: 21/21 Summary: Your roommate was sure she found you the perfect man. Her boyfriend believed he found Taehyung’s soulmate. The only problem was that you never wanted to date an idol and he never wanted to drag you into this life. Taehyung didn’t even know what he wanted anymore and was tired of being criticized for simply growing up. You just wanted to finish university and do something for yourself. What started out with the meddling of your friends became something neither of you expected. Could the two of you be what the other is missing? Or would things just fall apart?

[JEON JUNGKOOK]

{ONESHOT}

➺ Daybreak by bbangtans

pairing: rockstar!ex!jk x f!reader genre/tropes: angst, fluff, exes to ???, right person wrong time/second chances, jungkook is so romance film lead coded – charismatic and well-spoken and genuine and ughhhhh i be fawning frrrr, this takes place where both jk and reader are 28ish, jk is a lead singer in a band with tae-jimin-yoongi, and y/n is a working professional wordcount: 10.1k Summary: One of your favorite things to do when you were in your early 20s was stay up late where reflective conversations eventually blurred into nonsense as the sun rose alongside someone you thought you would spend the rest of your days with… Now you’re stuck in New York City for one night due to a delayed flight with that very person standing there in his leather jacket and guitar case in hand across from you at the airport gate. See, fate is a funny thing and Jeon Jungkook could always find the humor in anything.

➺ Lucky Number 7 by smoljimjim

>Pairing: husbandJK x wifeOC named Siri >Genre: slight angst, satisfying ending >Word count: ~7500 >Warnings: swear words, JK's a cheater, the world works in mysterious ways. >Description: The seven-year itch has hit Jungkook. It hit him so bad, he did the unthinkable to his wife, Siri. How will Siri handle it?

➺ Cool with You by kooktrash

➣ pairing: afab!reader [she/her] x neighbor!jk ➣ genre/au: strangers to friends to lovers. smut. ➣ wc: 14.6k words ➣ summary: your break up from kim taehyung sent you spiraling into what felt like a midlife crisis of tear stained cheeks and tubs of half eaten ice cream with a broken heart. after finding out that your neighbor, jeon jungkook, was eavesdropping on your meltdowns and came to find out that your ex was his old friend, he found himself wanting to comfort you. he knew the kind of guy Taehyung was and he didn’t want to see you beat yourself up over a guy who wasn’t worth it so in the end he helped you through it and was unable to ignore the growing attraction you felt toward each other.

{SERIES}

➺ The Cocktail Triology by borathae

Summary: “It takes a trilogy to tell this story. It is a story of love, friendship, the hardships of being young and unexpected encounters. Experience the tingling butterflies of a summer’s love unexpected, witness the significance one little mistake can have on the lives of others and feel the exciting sparks of a love so strong it could move mountains. Find out what it means to grow up, what it takes to find yourself and how to make the best out of your granted time on earth.” 1. Tequila Sunrise 2. Purple Rain 3. Orange Ginger Tea

Tequila Sunrise by borathae

Pairing: Jungkook x f.Reader Genre: s2l!AU, Diner!AU, Biker Gang!AU, Smut, Romance Chapters: 5/5 Summary: “You always thought of your life as nothing exciting. Small town, stable job at the local diner, a roof over your head and nice friends. It didn’t take much to make you happy. But that all changes with the arrival of Jeon Jungkook, mysterious biker with dark hair, inked skin and a preference for leather jackets. It doesn’t take long for you to realise that life has so much more in store for you and Jungkook is happy to show you all of it…”

2. Purple Rain by borathae

Pairing: Jungkook x f.Reader, Yoongi x Jimin Genre: Biker Gang!AU, Road Trip!AU, Smut, Romance, Hurt and Comfort Chapters: 29/29 Summary: “Two months on the road with Jungkook and his friends and you couldn’t be happier about your life. You spend your days laughing, dancing and rolling around the sheets with the boy of your dreams, all whilst visiting beautiful places. But your idyllic life soon changes, when Taehyungs past catches up with him, putting not only him, but your entire gang in danger. Can the group get through his betrayal and if so can you outrun the danger before it is too late?”

3. Orange Ginger Chai by borathae

Pairing: Jungkook x f.Reader, occasional Taehyung x f.Reader & Taehyung x Jungkook Genre: Smut, Fluff, slice of life!AU, established relationship!AU, domestic!AU, tattoo artist!Jungkook, restaurant owner!OC Chapters: 54/54 Summary: “Snippets out of the adventure, you and Jungkook call “your life together”. This is a collection of drabbles all in the name of The Cocktail Trilogy couple. They all play after the events of the main story.”

541 notes · View notes

lo1k-diamonds · 9 months ago

Text

I just love the action and magic fights, it makes the story feel alive and constantly sparks my imagination to picture everything unfolding ✨

You met his gaze, your heart stuttering at the intensity you found there.

I’d be suddenly weak in the knees 👀

As if on cue, a figure emerged from the shadows of the trees, her crimson cloak billowing in the breeze. Your heart stopped.

I did not see this coming!!! 😭 The nations’ love!! No!!!

Love. The word hung in the air between you, a fragile yet powerful truth. You saw a glimmer of something more in the depths of Namjoon's dragon-like eyes.

I was already teary-eyed, and then Namjoon does this. My heart is weak 😭

Also, I adore every description of Namjoon’s eyes as dragon-like or draconian because that’s just unique and spot on.

She quickly pivoted to Yoongi. “Shall we?” Yoongi’s lips quirked upwards in a smirk before nodding and silently following Momo inside.

I squealed when I first read this; I was like, girl, what if they are uncomfortable sharing a room?? 😭

Is this a second pairing in the making?!

He trailed back up, nosing at the underside of your chin. “Say yes,” his husky voice sent shivers down your spine.

Shivers were felt 👀

“I want you,” Namjoon rasped, his voice raw with need. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”

Sooo many shivers👀 The intimacy is so visceral and raw, to say it’s fiery doesn’t even cover it. The want, the desire, but the emotional implications, the bond, the connection. Gosh, I loved every word!

Bound By Magic | Chapter Two

🪄Pairing: Namjoon x Reader

🪄AU/Genre: E2L, Magical AU, smut

🪄WC: 11,698

🪄Warnings: smut, minor character death

A/N: This is for @lo1k-diamonds as a part of @bangtanwritershq Sweet Tricks and Wicked Treats exchange

Your heart pounded in your chest as you raced through the twisted forest, branches clawing at your face, your breath coming in ragged gasps. Namjoon sprinted beside you, his brow furrowed in determination and robes snapping in the wind. The ancient artifact weighed heavy in your satchel, its power thrumming against your hip.

“We have to hurry,” Namjoon panted, his dark eyes flashing with urgency. “If Wooshik gets his hands on this…”

You nodded, not daring to voice the terrible fate if you failed. Images of destruction and uncontrolled magick flooded your mind. You pushed yourself harder, leaping over gnarled roots. The musty scent of decaying leaves filled your nose.

A sharp crack rent the air. You whirled around, your fingers already weaving a defensive spell, magick pulsing beneath your skin. Wooshik’s forces burst from the shadows, eyes gleaming with malice and their hands crackling with arcane energy.

“Scatter!” Namjoon yelled, shoving you out of the way just as a blast of fire scorched the earth where you stood a heartbeat before.

You landed hard on the ground and quickly rolled until you were sheltered behind a tree, your back pressed against the rough bark. You caught glimpses of your friends locked in desperate battles through the smoke and chaos. In a whirlwind of water and ice, Momo held off three attackers simultaneously. Suzy’s illusions flickered and danced, disorienting the enemy. Namjoon and Yoongi fought back to back, their enchanted blades flashing in the dim light.

Dread clawed at your throat, leaving a coppery taste on your tongue. The artifact in your bag was the key to saving the realm; the weight of that knowledge was almost too much to bear. A surge of panic threatened to consume you. Your heart pounded in your chest, your breath fueled by ragged gasps.

With a deep breath, you steadied yourself and channeled your power, summoning a swirling vortex of wind that tore through the fray. Once the tempest cleared, you found your way to Namjoon’s side, freeing Yoongi to go on the offensive and back the enemy up even further. Your hands moved rapidly, with no time to spare to dig out your wand to help focus your power; you weaved a slew of defensive spells and threw them like barbs at the enemy with all your might. Your magick began to fuse into a devastating force to overwhelm your adversaries.

And so, you fought on in solidarity, your determination unwavering. Every deep breath was singed with the smell of smoke and the metallic scent of blood. But you refused to give up. Just as one side wrangled the upper hand, the other wrested it away just like a pendulum.

Finally, just as it seemed you were about to be overrun, the tide of the battle began to turn. Wooshik’s forces began to falter, their attacks growing weaker and less coordinated. Determined to drive the enemy away, you and Namjoon summoned all the energy you could and launched a final counterattack.

This did the trick because, with a loud whistle, all the acolytes started disappearing in whisps of smoke one by one.

Namjoon stood next to you, still tense, unsure if he should let his guard down. After several beats, he lowered his sword and turned to you. He reached out and gripped your arm, his touch electric even through the fabric of your robes. "Are you alright?" His voice was low and urgent.

"I'm fine." You met his gaze, your heart stuttering at the intensity you found there. "But the others..."

Relief flooded your veins at the sight of the rest of the group, battered but alive. Momo leaned heavily against Yoongi, her face pale, his gait altered by a noticeable limp.

"Thank the gods," Namjoon breathed, his hand tightening on your arm. "Is everyone alright?"

Yoongi nodded, his lips pressed into a grim line. "We need to keep moving. Wooshik's forces will return.”

Your gaze swiveled around. “Why isn’t Suzy with you? They didn’t take her, did they?”

As if on cue, a figure emerged from the shadows of the trees, her crimson cloak billowing in the breeze. Your heart stopped.

Suzy.

"You won't be going anywhere," she says, her voice like honey laced with poison. "Not with that artifact."

Namjoon steps forward, his body a shield between you and Suzy. "What are you doing, Suzy? Don't tell me you're working with Wooshik."

A slow smile spread across her face, her green eyes glittering with malice. "Working with him? Oh, Namjoon, you have no idea. Wooshik's plan will bring a new order to the magickal realm, where the strongest will rule. And I intend to be at his side when it happens."

The shock of her betrayal hit you like a physical blow, stealing the breath from your lungs. This couldn’t be happening. Suzy, your friend, your confidante...how could she do this?

"You're insane," you managed to choke out, your voice shaking with a potent mix of anger and hurt. "Wooshik's plan will bring nothing but destruction and suffering. Can't you see that?"

Suzy's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a sneer. "You're too weak to see the truth—all of you. But I'm not. I know where true power lies, and I won't let anything stand in my way. Not even our friendship."

She raised her hands, crackling with dark energy, and your blood ran cold. This is it—the moment of truth. You had to stop her and protect your friends and the artifact.

You shoved the satchel into Yoongi’s arms and stepped forward, your magick swirling around you in a shimmering aura. "I won't let you do this, Suzy. I'll stop you, whatever it takes."

Namjoon's hand brushed against yours, a silent show of support. You drew strength from his presence, from the unwavering determination in his eyes. Together, you faced Suzy, ready to fight.

You lunged forward, one hand wielding your wand while the other weaved intricate patterns in the air. You summoned a torrent of elemental magick and sent it in a surge toward Suzy in a dazzling display of raw power. She countered with a wave of her own dark energy, the two forces colliding in a blinding explosion of light and shadow.

The fight is immediate in its force, a fierce dance of spells and counterspells. Sweat beaded on your brow as you poured every ounce of your strength into the fight, determined to outmatch Suzy's formidable skills. Namjoon was right beside you, his precise incantations and swift movements a testament to his unwavering focus.

As you dodge a particularly vicious curse, your heart aches with the weight of Suzy's betrayal. The memories of your shared laughter and late-night study sessions flash through your mind, a bitter contrast to the cold determination etched on her face now. How could she turn her back on everything you've fought for?

"Suzy, please," you pled, your voice ragged with exertion. "It doesn't have to be this way. We can still make this right."

But your words fell on deaf ears. Suzy's eyes blazed with fanatic fervor, her movements grew more erratic and desperate as she was overpowered. With a final, devastating blast of arcane energy, you and Namjoon brought her to her knees, her magick spent, and her will broken.

In the eerie stillness that followed, you stood over Suzy's defeated form, your chest heaving and your mind reeling. Namjoon's hand found yours again, his touch a silent anchor in the storm of emotions raging within you.

"Why, Suzy?" you whispered, your voice thick with unshed tears. "Why would you betray us like this?"

She looked up at you. "You'll never understand," she rasped, her voice tinged with bitter resignation. "The power Wooshik promised... it was too much to resist. I thought I could have it all, but I was wrong. So wrong." Her once-vibrant green eyes turned dull and lifeless with one last rattled breath.

Namjoon's grip tightened on your hand, his own pain and confusion mirroring yours. At that moment, as you stood amidst the wreckage of your shattered friendship, something shifted between you and Namjoon. The walls you'd both so carefully constructed began to crumble, your shared grief and vulnerability forging a bond deeper than any magick.

"I'm sorry," you murmured, your eyes meeting Namjoon's. "I never wanted it to come to this."

He shook his head, his voice soft yet resolute. "It's not your fault. Suzy made her choice, and we had to make ours. We did what we had to do to protect the ones we love."

Love. The word hung in the air between you, a fragile yet powerful truth. You saw a glimmer of something more in the depths of Namjoon's dragon-like eyes.

As you stood there, you realized that perhaps this is what it meant to find strength in unity. Even in the darkest of times, love can light the way forward.

🪄🪄🪄

Bone-weary and tired, the four of you trudged on until you found a small inn to stop at for the night. Namjoon briefly disappeared and stepped back outside, two heavy brass keys cupped in his palms. Momo slipped one of the keys out of his hand and turned to you.

“Let's hit the hay,” she quipped, her effort to lighten the mood barely breaking the surface.

You hesitated, glancing from her back to Namjoon. You rolled your lip between your teeth. “Um… would you mind if I stayed with Namjoon instead?”

You sensed Namjoon stilling next to you as Momo’s eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing a few times before finding her voice again. “Uh, yeah, that’s cool.” She quickly pivoted to Yoongi. “Shall we?”

Yoongi’s lips quirked upwards in a smirk before nodding and silently following Momo inside.

Avoiding his gaze, you looked down at your shuffling feet before gesturing at the door. “Well, after you then.”

Namjoon let out a breathless laugh but led you inside without question. You walked in his footsteps, eyes trained on the broad breadth of his clothed shoulders, following him to one of the rooms he had booked for the night.

With the clink of the key in the lock, followed by his deep voice, he invited you into the room with a gesture of his arm.

You stepped inside, taking a quick look around. Fully furnished with the bare minimum: a double bed to one side covered in a thick quilt opposite a short chest of drawers. You figured the cracked door in front of you led into the ensuite bathroom.

Shrugging the satchel off, you set it on top of the chest; the click of the lock turned you back toward Namjoon.

You found yourself drawn closer to Namjoon as he leaned back against the solid wood of the door. His eyes only reopened when he sensed your presence right in front of him. You lightly fingered the front of his robes, the adrenaline from the day's events bleeding from your muscles.

His plush lips parted slightly, his breath mingling with yours as the distance between you narrowed. At that moment, the world fell away, and all that remained was the pulsing energy that flowed between you, a connection that transcended the boundaries of your covens and the scars of your pasts.

Namjoon's hand reached up to cup your cheek, his touch feather-light, yet electrifying. Your skin tingled beneath his fingertips, a sensation that rippled through your entire being. His eyes, once cold and calculated, now held a depth of emotion that took your breath away. In their inky depths, you saw a reflection of your own desire, a longing that had simmered beneath the surface for too long, waiting to be unleashed.

Without a word, your lips met in a searing kiss, a collision of passion and pent-up emotions. Namjoon's arms encircled your waist, pulling you flush against him as your fingers tangled in his silky hair. The kiss deepened, a dance of tongues and teeth, a battle for dominance that neither of you were willing to lose. The taste of him, a heady mix of cinnamon and magick, intoxicated you, drowning out the world and its dangers.

At that moment, nothing else mattered. Not the impending threat of Wooshik, not the betrayal of your former friend, not even the ancient rivalries that have kept you apart for so long. All that existed was the fire that burned between you, a flame that consumed and purified, leaving only the truth of your connection in its wake.

As you broke apart, gasping for air, Namjoon rested his forehead against yours, his eyes closed as he savored the lingering sensation of your kiss. "I never thought I could feel this way," he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. "But with you, it feels like anything is possible."

His words echoed in the silence, raw and profound, etching themselves into the deepest corners of your heart. Your fingers stroked across his hairline, brushing the few locks in disarray back off his forehead. Your electric touch sent a thrill of energy through the both of you.

You swallowed, your heart pounding in your chest. “Namjoon, I -” your voice trailed off, the words getting caught in your throat.

Your eyes connected, and a wave of understanding passed between you - an acknowledgment of the past, a consent for the present, and a longing for the future. You’re both drawn to each other, an irresistible force that created an explosion of passion.

You lifted onto your toes to meet his lips, your hearts thudding in unison. You pressed closer as the kiss deepened, his mouth more demanding as his lips plucked at yours. His large palm cupped the back of your head while his tongue teased at the seam of your lips. With a sigh, your lips parted, allowing him to dive deeper.

Your arms slid up and around his shoulders, pulling him even tighter against you as your tongues danced wildly, yet tenderly, together. With each passing minute, your bodies melted against each other, wrapping each other in the melody of your moans and whimpers.

Your mind swirled as Namjoon’s mouth dragged away from your swollen pink lips and trailed down your neck. His hand slid down your spine, and the heat of his palm singed your back even through the layers of your robes.

A shiver racked your body at the feel of him, leaving open-mouthed kisses across your skin. “Namjoon…” the broken whisper emerged from the depths of your chest.

Energy crackled around you both, palpable in every pore of your skin. Your fingers laced tightly into the back of his hair as his lips sealed against your pulse, sucking firmly.

His hands continued their path down your figure until they circled your waist, fingers pressing into your hips as his lips sucked bruises into the tender skin of your neck. The influx of sensations made you quiver, and you needed more contact. His hands explored your body with a reverence that caused both thrill and trepidation, leaving you shuddering beneath his touch.

He trailed back up, nosing at the underside of your chin. “Say yes,” his husky voice sent shivers down your spine.

You pulled back, meeting the dark pools of his dragon eyes. Your hands slid along his collar to grip the opening. You nodded your ascent with a swipe of your tongue along your swollen lower lip. “Yes.”

Namjoon’s hands gripped the fabric of your robes, tugging you impossibly closer as his lips crashed back against yours in a bruising, desperate kiss. A moan escaped your throat, swallowed by the heat of his mouth as his tongue delved deep, tangling with yours in a sensual dance.

Your fingers fumbled with the intricate fastenings of his robes, desire making you clumsy. Namjoon’s hands covered yours, helping you slide the heavy fabric off his broad shoulders. It pooled at his feet, forgotten, as your palms mapped the sculpted planes of his chest, reveling in how his muscles jumped and flexed beneath your touch.

Namjoon’s fingers deftly untied the sash at your waist, his lips never leaving yours as he peeled away the layers that separated your heated skin from his. Cool air kissed your flushed body, quickly replaced by the scorching press of Namjoon’s bare chest against yours.

You didn’t resist as he backed you further into the room until the mattress hit the back of your thighs. Your hands clung to his shoulders, pulling him along as he lowered you to the bed. His weight settled between your thighs, the hard evidence of his arousal nestled against your core. A gasp tore from your lips at the contact, your hips rolling instinctively to seek more delicious friction.

“I want you,” Namjoon rasped, his voice raw with need. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”

“Then take me,” you breathed, your nails raked down his back. “I’m yours, Namjoon. All yours.”

The remaining fabric that covered your heated flesh fell away, leaving you exposed and vulnerable before his hungry gaze. His eyes raked over your form, taking in every curve, scar, and imperfection as if committing them to memory.

“Beautiful,” he breathed, his voice rough with want. “So incredibly beautiful.”

With a growl of possessive desire, he claimed your lips once more, his tongue plundering the warm cavern of your mouth. Emboldened by his words, you reached out, your fingers tracing the hard lines of his chest. Namjoon’s breath hitched as your hands dipped lower, skimming the waistband of his trousers.

With a deft twist of your wrist, you undid the laces, freeing his straining erection. It sprang forth, thick and heavy, the tip glistening with arousal. Your mouth watered at the sight, a primal hunger overtaking you. Namjoon’s eyes fluttered shut as you wrapped your fingers around his length, stroking him with a teasing slowness that drew a guttural moan from his throat.

He captured your lips in an intense kiss, his tongue delving deep as his own hands roamed your body, mapping every inch of your flesh. His mouth wrenched away from yours, leaving you breathless. Namjoon’s lips trailed down your neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin of your collarbone.

Your back bowed off the bed as he took one pert nipple into his mouth, his tongue swirling around the hardened peak. Pleasure sparked through your veins, your magick responding to his in a dizzying feedback loop of sensation.

“Namjoon, please,” you whimpered, your hips canting up in search of friction. “I need more.”

You felt his lips spread in a wicked grin against the tender skin of your chest before blazing a fiery path down the center of your abdomen. Each lick of his tongue and nip of his teeth ratcheted you higher, making you eager for more. His journey south continued with a swirl of his tongue around your navel before dipping lower, his breath hot against your core. Your fingers tangled in his hair, urging him closer, desperate for the sweet relief only he could provide.

Namjoon obliged your begging moans by delving his tongue into your folds, lapping at your essence like a man starved. Your hips bucked against his face, your head thrown back in ecstasy as he worked you closer and closer to the edge. Just as you were about to shatter, he pulled away, his eyes glinting with mischief.

“Not yet,” he murmured, his voice a sinful promise. “I want to feel you come apart around me.”

He settled between your thighs, the blunt head of his length pressing against your entrance. With a slow, deliberate thrust, Namjoon sheathed himself inside you, filling you so completely that you saw stars. Your walls stretched to accommodate his girth, the delicious burn of it making you gasp. He stilled for a moment, allowing you both to adjust to the intensity of the connection, his forehead resting against yours as you shared the same breath.

"You feel incredible," he whispered, his voice strained with the effort of holding back. "Like you were made for me."

Your heart swelled at his words, the depth of emotion behind them making your magick sing. You rolled your hips experimentally, reveling in the way his length dragged against your sensitive walls. Namjoon groaned, his fingers digging into the flesh of your hips as he began to move.

He set a steady rhythm, each thrust hitting that spot deep within you that made your toes curl. Your nails raked down his back, urging him on, needing him to go faster, harder, deeper. Namjoon obliged, his hips snapping against yours with increasing fervor, the sound of skin on skin mingling with your breathy moans.

The air around you crackled with energy, your magick intertwining with his in a dizzying dance. It pulsed through your veins, heightening every sensation until you felt like you might combust from its sheer intensity. Namjoon's lips found yours once more, his kisses sloppy and desperate as he chased his own release.

"Let go," he panted against your mouth, his hand snaking between your bodies to rub tight circles around your clit. "Come for me, my love."

His words, combined with the relentless onslaught of pleasure, pushed you over the edge. Your orgasm crashed over you like a tidal wave, your walls clenching around him as you cried out his name. Namjoon followed soon after, his hips stuttering as he spilled himself inside you with a guttural moan.

In the aftermath, you clung to each other, your bodies slick with sweat and your hearts racing in tandem. As the haze of passion slowly dissipated, you were left with a profound sense of rightness, as if everything in your life had been leading up to this moment.

Namjoon brushed a tender kiss against your temple, his arms tightening around you. "That was..."

"Magickal," you finished for him, a smile playing at the corners of your lips.

He chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. "In more ways than one."

As you lay there, your limbs entangled and your magick humming contentedly, you knew this was more than just a physical connection. It was a merging of souls, a recognition of the unbreakable bond that had been forged in the heat of the battle and the depths of betrayal.

For now, though, you allowed yourself to bask in the glow of this perfect moment. You lay entwined with Namjoon, your head resting on his broad chest as his fingers traced idle patterns along your spine. The steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath your ear soothed you, a reminder that you had found a moment of peace and connection amidst the chaos and uncertainty.

Namjoon pressed a tender kiss to the top of your head, his lips lingering in your hair. “I never thought I could feel this way,” he murmured, his voice rough with emotion. “But with you, it’s like everything makes sense. Like I’ve found a piece of myself I didn’t even know was missing.”

You tilted your chin up to meet his gaze, your heart swelling at the raw honesty you saw reflected in his eyes. “I feel the same way,” you whispered, your fingers coming up to trace the sharp line of his jaw. “It’s as if our magick, our very souls, were meant to intertwine.”

He captured your hand in his, bringing it to his lips to press a reverent kiss to your palm. “I think they were,” he said softly. “All this time, we’ve been fighting against each other when we should have been fighting side by side. Our covens, our rivalry… it all seems so trivial now, in the face of what we’re up against.”

You nodded, a flicker of worry piercing the blissful haze. “Wooshik won’t stop until he has the relic...” You trailed off, unable to voice the full extent of your fears.

Namjoon’s arms tightened around you, his strength a reassuring presence. “We’ll stop him,” he said firmly, a steely determination in his tone. “Together. Our magick is stronger when we’re united. I can feel it. We just have to trust in each other and in the bond we share.”

You let his words wash over you, a balm to your troubled soul. He was right. Apart, you were formidable, but together? You were an unstoppable force, your magick weaving and amplifying in ways you had never experienced before. It was as if your very essences were in sync, a perfect harmony of power and purpose.

“Together,” you echoed, sealing the promise with a searing kiss. As your lips moved against his, you felt a renewed sense of hope and determination flood through you. No matter the challenges, you knew that you could face anything with Namjoon by your side.

You broke the kiss reluctantly, your foreheads resting against each other as you caught your breath. The first rays of dawn filtered through the trees, casting a soft golden glow over you. You disentangled yourself from Namjoon’s embrace, your fingers lingering on his skin as you pulled back, not wanting to break contact.

Namjoon sighed, pulling you close with a hand around your nape to have one last lingering kiss. Breaking apart, he rubbed his nose against yours. “Momo and Yoongi are probably waiting.”

Chapter Three

#namjoon x reader #namjoon smut #namjoon imagines #bts fanfic #bts ff #bts #bts fanfiction #bangtanwhq #kim namjoon x reader #witches #kim namjoon #magical AU #min yoongi #hirai momo #namjoon x you

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spirtualitywithlumi · 25 days ago

Text

What’s Your Inner Calcifer Trying to Say to You? (Theme: Howl's Moving Castle)

(feat. Sophie, Howl, and everyone's favorite sassy flame)

If you’ve ever felt like your spark flickering, or like you're stuck honoring promises you don’t even remember making then this reading is for you. Inspired by Howl’s Moving Castle, this tarot journey channels your inner Calcifer.Your inner fire has something real to say.

Pick your pile. Let Calcifer talk.

PILE 1

PILE 2

🔥PILE 1: Sophie holding Calcifer.

✦ TAROT CARDS: Strength, Page of Cups, Eight of Pentacles

The Strength card shows that you’ve been soft when it was easier to harden. You've tamed your impulses, calmed your own storms, and kept going through grief and burnout. Your inner fire honors how you’ve protected it even in silence. Page of Cups tells me there’s a dream you’ve secretly been feeding. Something small, shy, creative maybe a story, a soft love, a new self-image. Calcifer says: “I know you’ve been scared to believe in it. But I’ve seen the way your heart glows when you imagine it. That’s your truth.” The Eight of Pentacles affirms you’ve been working on yourself steadily, even if no one sees it. This is the card of spiritual craftsmanship. You’re building your inner castle, brick by brick And guess what? That fire you’ve been carrying is the thing that’s lighting every room.

What does Calcifer want to say to you ?

“You’re like Sophie. You think you’re just ‘average,’ but you’re literally holding me....your fire.....in your own hands. You’ve been nurturing your spark even when you didn’t believe it was valuable. That quiet care? That fierce gentleness? That’s power.”

What is Calcifer's advice for you ?

“You don’t have to be loud to be strong. You don’t need to shout to burn bright. Keep nurturing that gentle flame. Hold it like Sophie.......with love, patience, and a bit of stubbornness. You’re not weak. You’re wise so don't listen to the stupid things they say and don't even bat an eye to their stupid actions.You are me, I am you”

🔥PILE 2: Howl holding Calcifer.

✦ TAROT CARDS: The Devil, Knight of Swords, Four of Cups

The Devil here screams of energetic entanglement. You’ve promised yourself to something that keeps you drained whether that’s perfectionism, emotional avoidance, or even love that isn’t reciprocal. Your inner Calcifer is tired.

Knight of Swords is the panic energy.....constantly doing, thinking, chasing, reacting. You’re stuck in a mental loop. Your inner fire is overheating. “You’re running so fast you don’t notice I’m flickering,” Calcifer says.

and Four of Cups? You’ve stopped enjoying the things you once loved. That’s a major sign your fire is low. You feel disconnected. Apathetic. But it’s not because you’re broken. It’s because you’ve left yourself behind.

What does Calcifer want to say to you ?

“You remind me of Howl......beautiful, chaotic,and hiding behind glamours. You’ve bound me to something out of fear. Maybe a relationship, an identity, a hustle. You’re burning yourself out to keep up a pact that your soul outgrew long ago.”

What is Calcifer's advice for you ?

"Break the pact. You don’t need to keep your fire chained to fear, ego, or expectation. Let yourself be reborn. You’ve glamoured yourself into someone else’s idea of ‘worthy’ but you were already magic. Choose freedom. Choose rest. Choose you.”

✦ do you want a personal reading like this?

🌸 I offer:

Celebrity Tarot Reads (K-Pop, BTS, Actors) SP Manifestation Guidance Future Love + Shadow Work Spreads Moon-Coded Letter from Your Twin Flame Channeled Audio Readings + PDF Summaries ✧ First reading? Ask for a free pull!

—

📩 DMs Open: @xuexing-lumi Tumblr inbox

🖤 closing words from Lumi:

We ride or die, even through the mess. 💅 — Lumi, the Moon’s Bride 🌕💋

—

(ignore):

#tarot#tarot cards#tarot reading#tarotblr#tarotcommunity#pick a deck#tarot pick a card#pick a picture#pick a photo#pick a card#spiritual warfare#spiritual awakening#spiritual growth#spirituality#chanelling

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magic-shop-stories · 2 months ago

Note

Hiya! Your writing is really sweet and makes me super emotional. I wanted to ask if you could maybe write something about bangtan being in love with their male friend, who’s had a crush on them for ages, but wasn’t even sure if they were interested in men?

💌 Reply:

hi, lovely...💜 first, THANK YOU for this beautiful request... it made my heart do a little happy dance! Your idea is so tender and real, and I loved writing these moments... I could picture every details like in a movie in my head... so I really hope this is what you imagined... if not, scream at me and i’ll rewrite also, apologies for taking so long...but your request deserved all the love... sending you so lots of love 💜✨ – c –

BTS x Male Friend Realizing Mutual Feelings Headcanons

NAMJOON

intellectual intimacy & love that feels like coming home

REALIZATION

happens on a rainy Thursday night

during one of your weekly philosophy debates

you’re arguing about Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus

specifically, the line “One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

Him:

“Happiness isn’t the absence of struggle. It’s finding meaning in the push.”

gestures wildly

knocking over his chamomile tea

you laugh

then mopping it up with your sleeve

You:

“Maybe it’s about who you’re pushing the boulder for.”

he freezes (for a heartbeat)

his gaze lingers on your hands, the curve of your smile, the way your sweater sleeves are rolled up to your elbows

his throat bobs

“Yeah, maybe it is.”

that night, he journals until 3 a.m.

“Love as a paradox: the weight I’d carry forever, and the anchor that sets me free.”

TENSION

Small Things He Notices

how you bite your lip when concentrating

leaving a faint red mark he wants to soothe with his thumb

the way you always steal his glasses to read menus

claiming they’re “magic”

he buys a spare pair just for you

the scent of your cologne

lingering on his couch long after you’ve left

His Internal Monologue

“Is this… allowed? To want this? To want you?”

researches queer philosophers for days

highlighting passages in Audre Lorde and Ocean Vuong

finds solace in the margin note

“Desire is not a sin. It’s a compass.”

CONFESSION

takes you to the Seoul Botanic Garden

his hands shoved deep in his pockets to hide their trembling

you’re rambling about the symbiotic relationship between orchids and fungi when he interrupts

“I think... no, I know... I’m in love with you.”

the words hang between you

fragile as spider silk

amonarch butterfly lands on his shoulder

as if the universe itself is holding its breath

“But… you’ve never...” “I’ve never felt this seen. You’re… my first language.”

when you kiss him, he exhales like he’s been drowning for years

AFTERMATH

Private Moments

reads Mary Oliver poems to you at dawn

voice rough with sleep

“‘You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.’”

his fingers trace your jaw

“I’m trying.”

buys a vintage typewriter to write you letters signed

“Yours, in every iteration of the universe.”

Public Glimpses

at a press conference, a reporter asks about his “ideal type”

he smirks

“Someone who argues with me about existentialism… and wins.”

ARMYs decode it within minutes

wears a rainbow pin hidden inside his jacket lapel

“For us...”

whispers

adjusting it before stepping onstage

JIN

secret tenderness & love that’s as loud as his laugh

REALIZATION

happens during a mandu-making session at his apartment

you’re flour-dusted and laughing

trying to fold dumplings into “artistic shapes”

yours resemble deflated footballs (soccer balls - for my fellow americans)

You:

“Hyung, if I win the dumpling contest, what’s my prize?”

Him:

“My eternal respect. And… maybe a date?”

says it like a joke

his ears turn red as the gochujang

you freeze

a misshapen dumpling slips from your fingers

“Wait… seriously?”

he coughs

waving a rolling pin

“I mean...! Loser buys samgyeopsal! Obviously!”

his eyes linger on your flour-streaked cheek

TENSION

Chaotic Flirting

“accidentally” texts you a shirtless gym selfie

“Sent that to the wrong person. But… keep it.”

takes you to a mukbang date

“Eat up! I need you strong… to carry my ego.”

feeds you bites of tteokbokki

thumb brushing your lip

His Internal Monologue

“What if he thinks I’m joking? What if I’m not?!”

binge-watches Heartstopper alone

yelling at Nick’s coming-out scene

“JUST KISS HIM, YOU COWARD!”

realizes he’s projecting

CONFESSION

stages a fake game show in his living room

“Who Wants to Date a Worldwide Handsome Man?!”

complete with disco lights and a kazoo soundtrack

Him:

“Contestant! Final question: Do you… wanna be my boyfriend?”

his voice cracks

kazoo drops

“Is this… real?”

deflates, cheeks puffing

“Ugh, fine.”

gets down on one knee

holding a ring pop

“Seokjin’s School of Love: Enroll forever?”

when you kiss him, he whispers

“Thank god. I ate three ring pops practicing.”

AFTERMATH

Private Moments

serenades you with “Super Tuna” rewritten as “Super You-na.”

records it as your alarm (yes I used that before idc)

“Now you’ll wake up to art.”

learns to braid your short strands of hair after you mention childhood insecurities

“Hyung’s a pro. Look! It’s… uh… abstract.”

Public Glimpses

“accidentally” wears matching “Boyfriend” hoodies to the airport

“What? It’s cozy.”

posts a selca with your chin on his shoulder

shuts down a rude comment at a variety show

“Jealousy is bad for your skin. Try moisturizing!”

later buys you ice cream

“Hyung’s got you.”

YOONGI

defiant tenderness & love that speaks in the spaces between notes

REALIZATION

happens in his studio at 2 a.m.

hum of his laptop the only light

you’re slumped on his couch

half-asleep, after staying up to help him edit a track

he’s stuck on a melody

frustration creasing his brow

You:

“Hyung, try lowering the bass here. Let the piano breathe.”

he scoffs but adjusts the track

harmony softens

it's perfect

he swivels his chair

ready to argue, but stops

you’re asleep, head tilted back

his oversized hoodie slipping off your shoulder

His Thoughts

“Why does this feel… familiar? Why does you feel like home?”

saves the project as “Track 07 (revision_for_your_ears_only)

stares at your peaceful face until sunrise

TENSION

Small Things He Notices

the way you always bring him Americanos

even when you're in a hurry

how you memorize his producer aliases: Gloss, Agust D

how you call him “Yoongi-hyung” when you’re alone

= soft and deliberate

the faded band logo on your hoodie

the one he wore in high school

you stole it months ago

he never asked for it back

His Internal Monologue

“This isn’t… I don’t… Fuck.”

he deletes three drafts of texts to you

writes a song instead

“Interlude: Shadow of a Maybe"

buries it in a folder labeled “OLD DEMOS (DO NOT OPEN)”

CONFESSION

it’s not grand

it’s not even planned.

you’re arguing about his sleep schedule again

“Hyung, you’ll collapse before the tour.” “Why do you care so much?” “Because I...!”

you cut yourself off

cheeks flushing

the silence is suffocating

he steps closer

fists clenched

“Say it. Or I will.”

when you don’t speak, he grabs his phone

plays “Interlude: Shadow of a Maybe.”

chorus echoes

“I’m afraid of want / but I want you more.”

“…Since when?” “Since forever. Since you.”

AFTERMATH

Private Moments

lets you sleep in his studio

your head on his shoulder

“Don’t… tell the others”

mutters

always adjusting his jacket over you like a blanket

learns your coffee order by heart

leaves a cup on your desk with a Post-it

“Shut up and drink it. -Y.”

Public Glimpses

mentions a “friend” in interviews who taught him “patience”

ARMYs notice his smile

wears a thin silver chain you gifted him

when asked:

“It’s armor.”

J-HOPE

heartfelt gestures & love that dances to its own rhythm

REALIZATION

happens during a late-night dance practice

you’re helping him choreograph a new routine

your laughter echoing in the empty studio

he teases you for missing a step

suddenly, he freezes mid-spin

watching you attempt a body roll with exaggerated flair

Him:

“Wait... do that again. Slower.”

you comply

hips swaying playfully

his breath hitches

“You’re… really good at this.” “Learned from the best.”

he grins

his pulse races

that night, he replays the moment in his head

texting Jimin:

“...what if I want to hold someone’s hand? Like, hold hold it?”

TENSION

Small Things He Notices

how you bite back smiles during his jokes

like you’re his personal laugh track

the way you always tie his shoes when the laces come undone

fingers brushing his ankles

“Yah, you’re gonna make me blush!”

he already is

your scent

lingering on his hoodies long after you’ve borrowed them

His Internal Monologue

“This isn’t just friendship, is it? But what if I ruin everything? What if he… doesn’t feel the same?”

practices confession lines in the mirror

alternating between “Let’s date!” and “Hypothetically… would you kiss me?”

CONFESSION

plans a “practice date” at Lotte World

claiming it’s research for a “future music video.”

you ride the Gyro Drop, scream through the Atlantis coaster, and split a churro

does it for you, but feels dizzy after an hour

later admits he knew you liked it

you realise he doesn't

as fireworks explode overhead, he blurts

“I’ve never done this with anyone else. The… date thing. Unless you count ARMY? But you’re different. You’re… everything.” “Hobi… are you saying...?” “I’m saying I want to hold your hand on every ride. And… maybe kiss you? If that’s okay?”

when you nod, he cups your face like you’re made of stardust

kiss tastes like sugar and courage

AFTERMATH

Private Moments

dances with you in the kitchen at 2 a.m.

humming “Chicken Noodle Soup” as you spin in mismatched socks

“You’re my favorite duet partner”

then pressing a kiss to your knuckles

leaves sticky notes in your lunchbox

“Eat well, my sunshine 🌞” “P.S. You’re cuter than Baby Chimmy.”

Public Glimpses

during a VLIVE, he “accidentally” shows your intertwined hands

“Oops! Anyway, stream Jack In the Box!”

ARMYs lose their minds

wears a friendship bracelet you made him to the MMA stage

when fans ask, he winks

“Special gift from someone special.”

JIMIN

whispered confessions & love that feels like a safe harbor

REALIZATION

happens after a grueling dance rehearsal

Jimin’s ankle throbs

his shirt soaked with sweat

his frustration peaks when he stumbles during the final routine

you wait outside the studio

thermos of ginger tea in hand

Him:

“You didn’t have to stay...”

mumbles, avoiding your gaze

his voice cracks

= part fatigue, part something deeper

You:

“I wanted to.”

you kneel to wrap his ankle

fingers gentle against his skin

he flinches

not from pain

from the way your touch sears through his walls

that night, he texts Namjoon

“Hyung, what does it mean if someone’s hands feel like… home?”

TENSION

Small Things He Notices

how you always adjust his scarf before he leaves

tucking it snugly under his chin

“So you don’t get cold...”

the way you hum off-key to his playlists

oblivious to how he watches your lips curve around the lyrics

His Internal Monologue

“What if I ruin us? What if he… pities me?”

he starts “accidentally” brushing against you

a hand on your lower back guiding you through doors

a head resting on your shoulder during movie nights

each touch a question he’s too scared to voice

CONFESSION

2 a.m. after a panic attack

Jimin shows up at your door

eyes red-rimmed, hair tousled

“I can’t... I don’t know how to say it...” “You don’t have to.”

you pull him into a hug

he trembles

fingers clutching your shirt like a lifeline

“I’m terrified… but I need you. All of you.”

his confession is a whisper against your collarbone

you cradle his face

thumb stroking his cheek

“You have me. You always have.”

kisses you first

desperate, sweet, tasting of salt and relief

AFTERMATH

Private Moments

becomes clingy in the best way

laces your fingers together under café tables

nuzzles your neck while you cook

“Just… making sure you’re real.”

after nightmares, he presses his ear to your chest

“Your heartbeat’s my favorite song.”

Public Glimpses

during a VLIVE, a fan asks about his “ideal type”

he smirks

“Someone who hates mornings as much as me… but makes them worth it.”

off-camera, your socked foot kicks his shin (softly)

wears your hoodie to rehearsals

sleeves drowning his hands

“It smells like you...”

explains everything

TAEHYUNG

hidden glances & love that blooms like a secret garden

REALIZATION

happens during a golden-hour photoshoot in a sunflower field

you’re adjusting his camera lens

complaining about the lighting

he suddenly freezes

through the viewfinder, he sees you

backlit by the sun, a smudge of dirt on your cheek

laughing at a joke he hasn’t made yet

his breath hitches

Him:

“Wait...stay like that.”

snaps the photo

his hands tremble

later develops the film alone in his darkroom

staring at the image

your smile fills the frame

Journal Entry That Night

“I’ve photographed a thousand faces, but yours is the first that feels like a symphony.”

TENSION

Small Things He Notices

the way you hum old jazz standards while organizing his paintbrushes

your voice blending with the scratch of bristles

the scars from childhood accidents

he sketches it obsessively

labeling the doodles “Topography of Us.”

how you always smell

a scent he buys in candle form “just because”

His Internal Monologue

“Is love supposed to feel like… vertigo? Like standing at the edge of a cliff, wanting to jump but terrified of the fall?”

writes a poem titled “Freefall in G Major”

hides it under his mattress

CONFESSION

takes you to an abandoned train station he’s turned into a makeshift art studio

walls are covered in murals

all of you

you as Icarus mid-flight, as Orpheus with a lyre, as a boy holding a lantern in a starless sky

“I’ve been painting you for months. Not just your face. Your… soul.”

you step closer

tracing a mural where your hands are intertwined with vines

“Tae… what does this mean?”

presses his forehead to yours

voice shaking

“It means I’m yours. In every color, every universe.”

when you kiss, he tastes like acrylic paint, hot chocolate and hope

AFTERMATH

Private Moments

plays saxophone for you at 2 a.m.

improvising a melody he calls “Nocturne for a Stolen Heart.”

lets you (re)name it

leaves Polaroids on your pillow

= close-ups of your hands, your shadow, your coffee cup...

captions them “Proof I Exist.”

Public Glimpses

at a gallery opening, a critic asks about his “muse”

he smirks

nodding at you across the room

“He’s not a muse. He’s the artist. I’m just the brush.”

wears a choker with a tiny paint palette charm

“It’s aesthetic”

you know it matches the one he gifted you

JUNGKOOK

self-doubt & love that crashes through walls like a heartbeat

REALIZATION

happens during a League of Legends marathon at 2 a.m.

you’re slumped on his gaming chair

laughing as he loses for the third time in a row

Him:

“Yah, why are you so good at this?!”

he pouts

controller death-gripped in his hands

You:

“Maybe you’re just distracted.”

he isn’t

but when you lean over to adjust his settings, your breath ghosts his neck

his fingers slip

“Shit”

he mutters

his pulse isn’t racing from the game

that night he lies awake

replaying the moment

“It’s just… adrenaline. From losing. Right?”

TENSION

Small Things He Notices (And Denies)

how you always steal his hoodies

but you give them back smelling like your cologne

he wears them to the gym

then panics

“It’s… laundry day. Obviously.”

the way you bite your lip when drawing him during practice

he catches your sketches later

= his muscles, his eyes

shoves them in his bag

“Not a big deal. Artists draw stuff.”

the heat of your thigh against his in the car

blames the seat warmer

His Internal Monologue

“Hyungs date girls. I date… dumbbells. This is just… confusion.”

googles “Can you catch gay?” at 3 a.m.

deletes his search history

texts Jimin/Namjoon:

“How do you know if you like someone?”

they reply: “You breathe?”

Jungkook throws his phone

CONFESSION

spills out after a concert

adrenaline, sweat, the roar of ARMY still ringing in his ears

you’re backstage

fixing his mic pack

he then suddenly blurts

“I think I’m broken.” “What?” “I...I can’t stop noticing you. Your hands. Your laugh. How you… look at me. Like I’m not… me.”

he’s shaking

“Am I crazy? Tell me I’m crazy.”

you don’t

you kiss him

= soft, tentative

he freezes

then melts

fingers tangling in your shirt

“Oh. Oh.”

AFTERMATH

Private Moments:

learns to knit to make you a “Boyfriend Scarf.”

it’s lopsided

"It’s… abstract”

wears it himself when you’re apart

sends you voice notes of him singing in the shower

“Don’t save these. Ever.”

you do

he knows

Public Glimpses

“accidentally” wears matching Air Force 1s to a fansign (customized)

ARMYs ask if it’s a collab

“Nah. Just… couple goals.”

chaos ensues

posts a gym selfie with your hand on his shoulder cropped out

caption: “Motivation.”

you’re his lock screen

“For luck...”

104 notes · View notes

abyss-seer · 7 months ago

Text

Soul Soothing Messages

Pick any one of the 6 piles

****Viewer Discretion is Advised****

Tarot Readings are meant for entertainment purposes only, take them as a second opinion only. The purpose of these readings is to bring insights into a person's life, hence only take the guidance with your own free will. Tarot Reader is/will not be held responsible for the viewer's actions. Viewer Discretion is strictly advised and to be adhered to while watching tarot readings for themselves.

USE YOUR DISCERNMENT. DO NOT FOLLOW ANYTHING BLINDLY. THESE READINGS ARE MEANT FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY

*******INDIVIDUALS SEEKING LEGAL, MEDICAL, OR ANY PROFESSIONAL ADVICE ARE ADVISED TO SEEK PROFESSIONALS OF THESE RELATED AREAS. ********

Individuals seeking mental, emotional, or psychological attention are advised to seek mental healthcare professionals, or the National Health Care Helplines of their respective countries and consider the opinions, resources, and guidance of these professionals as their first priority and the tarot reader's words as a friendly opinion or as a friendly advice

Pile 1

Confirmations: Golden hour - JVKE, Magic Shop - BTS, Moon - Jin,Bts

Seaweed grass, neck problems, back problems

Dear Pile 1,

My loves, you are amazing, radiant, and beautiful exactly as you are. There’s nothing you need to change about yourself to win the love of someone special. You’ve never had to become someone else or mold yourself into a fictional ideal to be worthy of love. True love comes when you are unapologetically yourself.

Pile 1, take care of yourself—especially your neck and back! Don’t strain them by staring down at your phone all the time, and maybe turn down the blasting music in your ears. There’s a whole world around you waiting to be explored.

Why let the fear of judgment hold you back? Break free from the imaginary cages you’ve built and step into the light. The internet might feel limitless, but it’s still another cage if you use it to hide from the real world. Are you constantly doubting your looks or imagining what kind of person you think others want you to be? Stop overthinking!

The world will love you for who you are. There are people out there who won’t judge your views—some will even find them inspiring and find you incredibly attractive. You have unique perspectives, and people can learn from them. So, ask your questions openly, share your thoughts freely, and embrace this world as a classroom where we are all students, each learning at our own pace.

Take a moment to reflect on what you want in a soulmate and the kind of people you wish to surround yourself with. Let this be a reminder that your authentic self is enough. There are people who will love and accept you wholeheartedly for who you are, who you’ve been, and who you will become.

No matter what happens, someone out there will always cherish you just as you are.

With love,

Your Friend

Abyss Seer

Pile 2

Confirmations: very mindful very demure trend, very subtle, slow and steady, stand offish, emblem, victorious, knowledgeable, September, Virgo Season, Virginia

Dear Pile 2,

Contemplative, introspective, patient, victorious, revolutionary—how many more labels do you need to define yourself? Do you really have to carry the weight of this "serious identity" of being a leader? Do you think anyone—or anything—could truly define who you are?

Why look at yourself through a stranger’s lens? Does that perspective truly capture your essence? Who are you at your core? Is the person within you the one calling the shots, or have you let someone else take the reins? Even Girish (Lord Shiva) himself couldn’t define you—only you can. (Some of you could love mountain strolls, ‘Girish’ means one who resides in mountains. Maybe some of you worship a mountain deity like a Shinto deity)

This isn’t something a tarot reader can tell you because deep down, you already know it. So, what’s holding you back? Are you unaware of your own potential? Haven’t you seen the hurdles you’ve overcome to reach this point in your life?

Why feel embarrassed about being in a better position now? Why isolate yourself when you’ve already earned your victories? Do you really need to shrink yourself to fit into the mold of others, or should those trying to limit you rise to meet your level? Which path sounds more empowering and true to growth?

Pile 2, stop accommodating people who judge others based on superficial flaws. Instead, move at your own pace, staying true to your ethics, standards, and values. Ask yourself: what do you really love to do? What would you pursue if judgment didn’t exist?

Because here’s the truth: it’s possible to live that life. And not just live it—leave a legacy that others will remember. Your soul’s unique signature is meant to inspire, to create waves in the world.

So, go after what excites you. Reignite that spark. Make life worth remembering.

With love,

Your Friend

Abyss Seer

Pile 3

Dear Pile 3,

Alright, Pile 3, who’s the person that’s stolen your heart? Do you feel sad about not being noticed or seen by them? Does this person inspire you in some way? Do they leave you at a loss for words?

Aww, my sweet little angels, don’t be sad! Your heart doesn’t deserve to carry this kind of ache. Let me tell you something: you’ll never know what could happen unless you express your feelings.

This lesson applies to more than just love—it’s the same with your career. Some of you might have experienced hardship, maybe even violence or exclusion, possibly because of poverty or feeling left out. These moments can make you question your path in life. When it comes to love, you’ve been hesitant to take risks. And in your career, you still feel uncertain.

The real issue, Pile 3, is that you’re not standing up for yourself. You fear judgment and hesitate to take bold steps. Your Manipura Chakra (solar plexus) and Visuddha Chakra (throat) are calling out to you. They’re urging you to be honest, make a strategic move, and take charge of your life.

Remember your Shakti! You are not here to be preyed upon or diminished. You’re here to walk this Earth like a tigress—strong, proud, and full of grace. You have the power to reclaim your rightful space and radiate light onto others.

Now is the time to cleanse yourself of negativity, self-doubt, and unrequited energy. Clear your mind, space, and body of anything holding you back. Take a moment to stretch, breathe deeply, and let happiness fill your soul. Go for a walk, feel the freedom, and let yourself reconnect with your purpose.

I promise you, success is within your reach—whether it’s in love, your career, or life itself. Take a step back, relax, and trust that Devi Durga is with you, guiding you toward your light. Embrace who you are, do what excites you, and show courage when it’s needed. Take risks, stand up for yourself, and trust that you’re on the right path.

You’ve got this, Pile 3! Shine bright, take the leap, and know the way will reveal itself.

Good day, my loves. Bubbye!

Your Friend

Abyss Seer

Pile 4

Confirmations:

Film based, happy hare,638,368,63,36,93, multiples of 3,21, sea monsters, percy Jackson, someone’s nickname could be or mean ‘monkey’, mooncake, mid-autumn festival,707,909,yoy,LOL,

This pile reminds me a lot of PJ series and all the sea goddess, Beren and Luthien, Lord of Rings and Hobbit, 3 letter palindrome with letter ‘o’ in the middle could be significant, Having Strict teachers and parents growing up,Sailor Moon, religious leaders like pandits or priests forcing culture on you, Character of Father Nelson from Hilda Furracao, Guru Dronacharya disabling someone's growth to enable someone else.

Dear Pile 4,

Are you constantly changing yourself to be loved by others? Are you holding on to the idea of a “dream partner” from childhood, wishing for someone as idealistic as the fantasy? Do you find yourself torn between loving the real person in front of you and the ideal person in your mind? My loves, isn’t it exhausting to hold people to the impossible standards of your favorite anime or fictional character?

It’s time to stop wasting your energy trying to change people or resenting them for not meeting those expectations. Real love doesn’t come from forcing others to fit your mold. Why do you feel the need to change others? Is it because you struggle to accept them—or maybe even yourself?

Are you in connections where you pretend to be someone you’re not? Does the idea of looking beyond the “mist” of a perfect life seem unbearable? Pile 4, take a deep look within. Where is this mist coming from? Is it the people around you or fears rooted in past trauma? Whatever the source, clarity begins with you.

For some of you, this mist may stem from childhood expectations. Perhaps a mother figure or other authority figures imposed strict control, criticized every small mistake, and denied you the space to fail and learn. Maybe decisions were made for you, leaving you fearful and indecisive despite knowing what you needed to do.

I sense echoes of Eklavya from Indian mythology but in a negative context —someone who was subservient and maladaptive because they weren’t given the freedom to adapt or grow cause their thumb was cut off to stop their growth. You might have faced harsh punishments, controlling parents, or strict teachers, which instilled meekness and fear of failure. For some, even religious or cultural traditions may have felt stifling, leaving little room for individuality.

Pile 4, I’m so sorry if you endured any of this. Do you settle for what you’re given because you were taught that’s all you deserved? Have past experiences, like being bullied for your accent or identity, left you afraid to ask for more or show your true self? (I am specifically getting Kim Kardashian's NYC accent, its as if someone was bullied for their accent which ended up in them never asking questions again out of embarrassment, aww pile 4, iam so sorry for what you went through. This should have never happened, I hope you know that and beleive me when I say so. It should have never happened you, alright? Love you so much 🩷)

Listen to me: you don’t have to be the person others forced you to become. Let your soul breathe. Release yourself from expectations and labels that don’t align with who you truly are. Life is full of gifts if you choose to see them. Heal from your fear of delays and failure. Let go of hyper-independence and control.

You weren’t meant to carry the weight of the world alone. Let others help you. Don’t let past bullying or harshness keep you from caring for yourself or connecting with others. Recognize these patterns, ask yourself the right questions, and start your healing journey.

There is help out there—mental health hotlines, domestic abuse support, and professionals ready to assist you. Please know you never deserved to be treated poorly. You are unique and worthy of expressing your true self. Don’t suppress your light; don’t let these experiences turn into controlling tendencies or victimization.

Pile 4, you are bigger and better than the labels and burdens placed upon you. Let go of the harshness of the world and embrace the beautiful soul you were born to be. Celebrate yourself and find joy in the things that resonate with your spirit.

You might enjoy songs like “Just Right” by GOT7, “Nunu Nana” by Jessie, or “Born to Be” by Nano. Let them remind you of your worth and strength.

With love,

Your Friend

Abyss Seer

Pile 5

Confirmations:

child,baby,chidren,111, zen meditation, earth sign, mother mature, river goddess, mother gaia, a very beautiful meditative spot, a very good ecosystem, jeji,jiji,gg,gigi, shaktivism, devi energy coming through,

Jeju island in korea, best childhood memory relating to cellphone ringtone, come hard at me, hard carry got 7, alternating current, bird sound ringtone, nokia cellphone, 1980s to 1990s, remembering taking a phone call of a beloved family member, message of concern, coffin, news related to someone’s death, one question that doesn’t change in your mind,Rishab or bishop, motherly nature, very organized.

Pile3 and pile 1 could be significant for you

Dear Pile 5,

It seems you might be in a very vulnerable place right now. I’m sensing deep emotional struggles, and for some, even thoughts of self-harm. My dear Pile 5, if this resonates with you, please seek help immediately. If you’ve experienced abuse, emotional suppression, or even substance struggles, know that you are not alone. There are people who care, support systems available, and resources like suicide helplines to turn to.

If you feel lost, start small—reach out to a trusted friend, a past colleague, or someone you feel safe with. Don’t let the doubts planted in your mind stop you from seeking the help you deserve. You are worthy of healing and support.

For those of you who have endured this pain, justice will come—but don’t focus on revenge or the past. Instead, focus on you. Build yourself up, prioritize your mental health, and reclaim your strength. Therapy, support groups, and professional help can be lifesaving. There is no shame in seeking help—it is an act of courage.

You may feel like your dreams, energy, and hope have faded, but that’s just an illusion. You still have strength within you to start over. Listen to “N’y Pense Plus” by Tayc or “Daisy” by Stereo Dive Foundation—they might bring some solace. Remember, no matter how exhausted or defeated you feel, this heaviness is temporary, not your reality.

If your mind replays past memories or clings to moments of comfort during abuse, that’s your trauma talking. Be patient with yourself. Trauma takes time to heal, but healing is possible. If there’s someone you trust—someone whose words could lift you up—reach out to them now.

If you’re in an abusive relationship or situation, get out of it right away. Your intuition already knows who to turn to for safety and support. Listen to that voice inside you. You deserve love, care, and peace. Don’t carry this burden alone—talk to someone, even if it’s online. Vent, share, cry, but don’t keep it bottled up.

Pile 5, I love you, and I want you to take care of yourself. Healing starts when you reach out and let it all out. You are stronger than you think, and your life is worth fighting for.

Take care, my dear. I’ll leave you with this: you can and will rise again. You are not alone.

With love,

Your Friend

Abyss Seer

Pile 6

Confirmations:

Nature sound, bird watching, chirping of birds, nightangle, happy hare song, I need u by bts, run by bts, something about doing drggs in bathtub, Suffered by a bunch of goons, heart shapes, dwarf, someone breaking up on phone due to the other cheating, Taste – Sabrina Carpenter, Someone saying they have been known to share their (cookies) or (peonies) everywhere, hiring a Private Investigator to uncover that the person was lying about their misery to get money out of you 🫠🤷🏽‍♀️, Seven by Jungkook, you could want the cookie or peony seven days a weeks, 24x7, 365 days, s*x addicted, Dimple - BTS but all of it feels heavy illegal so it increases the taboo, Serenity by Jimin. I channeled "Kpop Singers, Kpop Band and Kpop Man" in my head, wanting to commit some sort of treason or illegal deed (or idk make them cheat ) for a lover, 100 ways by Jackson Wang, Pretty Please - Jackson Wang, Pretty Please by Dua Lipa, Someone's beggin someone to bite the forbidden apple, What the heck! Pile 6 you are interesting af, seems like you are hanging on the line between good and bad.

Dear Pile 6,

You’re not just a chess player—you’re the grandmaster of strategy! Your message carries the wisdom of ancestors, and you radiate a fiery resilience that reminds me of Daenerys from Game of Thrones. Like her, you’ve endured pain, abuse, and underestimation but transformed it all into wisdom. You waited, learned, and now stand ready to claim your crown. You’re the underestimated force no one saw coming—what a powerful energy!

Pile 6, I see you. You’ve worked hard, earned your success, and now indulge in the fruits of your labor. Luxury suits you. Seven by Jungkook? That’s your vibe, along with 365 days. But beneath it all, loneliness lingers. You may wonder if you’ll ever find true love or family again. Some of you may even feel orphaned in spirit, longing for connection.

You’re being asked to let things flow. Don’t overthink or take shortcuts to cope with disappointment. If a dream or relationship didn’t work out, stop replaying it in your mind. Release it. Change your perspective and focus on your growth. Your work likely involves communication or intellectual skills, so channel your energy there.

For those who feel a deep sadness from broken relationships or missed opportunities, let go of trying to rationalize what went wrong. The answers won’t soothe you. Focus instead on your aspirations. Someone here might resonate with country music, rural living, or have a love for animals like horses. Express your desires boldly—don’t shy away, even if you’re on the closeted side. Someone here could be from the year of horse or Ashwini, Shatabhisha, moola and Ardra (I was getting dog yoni) Nakshatra or a Sagittarius or can have a pet shop or stable full of horses.

If conflicts around family property, betrayal, or unresolved commitments are weighing on you, it’s time to release the baggage. Feeling cheated or betrayed, especially by family or a past lover, can be overwhelming. But holding onto anger only prolongs your pain. Stop revisiting old wounds or seeking validation from those who wronged you. If a cheater or manipulative ex resurfaces, don’t let their sob stories reel you back in. Protect your peace and move forward.

You’ve been blessed with a fresh start—don’t waste it looking backward. The attachments you hold to past people or situations may feel familiar, but they are chains. Trust me, better people and opportunities are waiting for you. If anyone from your past tries to return, proceed cautiously, and never let them exploit you again. Friends and lovers who only take from you aren’t worth your time.

Pile 6, you’re a star, and you deserve relationships that uplift you, not drag you down. Let go of anyone who dims your light. Cut the snakes from your garden and welcome those who genuinely care for you.

Stay radiant, stay strong, and have a fabulous day!

Bye-bye 😊

Your Friend

Abyss Seer

155 notes · View notes

hobi-side · 3 months ago

Text

Stars We Never Caught | jhs

— summary: At eleven, you met Hoseok. He was your older brother’s best friend, and for years, he was a constant in your world. Growing up alongside him, with Yoongi, your brother, and the rest of your crew, you never imagined that anything would ever change. Hoseok felt like family—always there but never quite a brother. It was a strange kind of closeness, one that never quite fit into the lines of what you understood.

But as you grew older, things started to shift. You got caught up in your own life, distracted by the swirl of adulthood. Now, back in Seoul, you find yourself drawn back to him. Whether it’s fate or coincidence, Hoseok is still there, and you can’t shake the pull that you’ve buried for so long. But perhaps some things are never meant to be—some stars are never meant to be caught, no matter how brightly they shine or are they?

— playlist: what was that - lorde, ribs - lorde, panic - beomgyu, wildest dreams - taylor swift, i need u (urban mix) - bts, run (ballad mix) - bts, cigarette daydreams - cage the elephant, the less i know the better - tame impala, 0x1 love song - txt, writer in the dark - lorde, somebody else - the 1975, your dog - soccer mommy + every mitski album.

— word count: 24.4k for this part—this is a long one shot like around 60k for the full thing and the tumblr editor hates me so we'll have like 4 parts of this

— warnings: angst, longing, yearning, deep Yearn (I meant this), pinning (sorry), slow really slow burn (I meant this), brother's best friend, coming of age, yoongi being a big bro (we love you yoongles), overthinking, lots of inner monologue, growing pains in your 20s, adulthood being a pain in the ass, lots of deep talks, tension... so much tension (shit goes wrong or not....) OKAY, now onto other warnings: sweet love making—then horny people being horny people because they're deep in feelings but freaky as hell: big dick! hobi, f! m! masturbation, sex with feelings™, strenght kink, hickeys, HICKEYS, biting, deep throathing, choking, missionary, manhandling?

please, check the end notes in part four

part 2 | part 3 | part 4

When you met Hoseok, it wasn’t fate or magic—it was more like a random glitch in the universe. Ironic, really. He’d somehow managed to get lost in your tiny house, wandering around like it was a maze instead of a modest three-bedroom.

“Hey, kiddo, where’s the bathroom?” he asked, peeking into the living room with that same bright-eyed grin that would someday undo you.

You were eleven, stubborn, and already suspicious of anyone who called you kiddo. You stared up at him, unimpressed, then pointed to the door literally right beside him.

“Right there,” you said flatly. “Congrats, big guy. You survived the great labyrinth.”

He blinked, looked at the door, then at you again. “Guess I needed a guide.”

“You need glasses,” you muttered under your breath, but he just laughed like you’d told the funniest joke in the world.

“I’m guessing you’re Yoongi’s sister,” he said, squinting at you like you were a puzzle missing the picture on the box.

You didn’t bother to smile. Just crossed your arms and gave him the most unimpressed look an eleven-year-old could possibly summon. “Touché,” you replied, dry as ever.

He blinked, clearly not expecting sass from someone half his height. Maybe he thought you’d be shy or starstruck. Instead, you stared him down like he owed you rent.

“Wow,” he said, a chuckle slipping out. “You really are Yoongi’s sister.”

You tilted your head, slow and judgmental. “And you really got lost in a house with three rooms. That takes talent.”

He laughed—full-on, like you were the best thing that had happened to him all day. “Okay, okay. You got me. Note to self: don’t underestimate the small ones.”

“Good. Because I bite,” you said, deadpan.

He looked mildly alarmed for half a second before grinning even wider. “Duly noted.”

Just as Hoseok opened his mouth to say something else—probably another attempt at recovering from your verbal jab—Yoongi’s voice echoed from down the hall.

“Hobi, did you fall into the toilet or what?”

You smirked.

Hoseok turned toward the hallway. “I got a little… turned around.”

Yoongi appeared a second later, already wearing that look of brotherly exasperation. “How the hell did you get lost? The bathroom’s literally right there.”

“I told him,” you chimed in, hands on your hips like you’d just saved the day. “But apparently, he needs a map. Or a chaperone.”

Yoongi shot you a look, but there was no real heat behind it. “Don’t encourage her,” he told Hoseok, but you could see the faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Hoseok held his hands up. “Hey, I’m just trying to survive here. She’s got your attitude, but, like—weaponized.”

You looked up at Yoongi. “You bring home lost puppies now?”

Yoongi groaned. “He’s not a puppy, he’s a person. Unfortunately.”

But Hoseok just laughed, shoulders shaking. “Nah, she’s cool. Sharp tongue, too. She’s gonna be dangerous when she grows up.”

You didn’t know it then, but that was the first compliment from him you’d ever remember. And years later, you’d still feel the echo of it every time he looked at you like you were the only one in the room.

You were twelve when you realized Jung Hoseok had become a permanent fixture in your family—not out of necessity, but because he simply belonged.

He had parents. A home. A life separate from yours. But he was the kind of person who attached himself to the people he cared about like it was the most natural thing in the world. Loud and vibrant, always quick to laugh, Hoseok moved into your everyday like sunlight slipping through the blinds—quiet, warm, and impossible to ignore.

No one questioned it. He had a seat at your dinner table, his shoes in the entryway, his jokes echoing through your house more days than not. He and Yoongi were inseparable. And somehow, without you noticing, you’d become part of that orbit too.

It didn’t feel strange anymore.

You were twelve too when you started to understand something you couldn’t name yet. And it happened, like most things in your life lately, by accident.

It was a weekend night, the kind where Hoseok and Yoongi holed up in your brother’s room with snacks and open windows and music low enough not to wake your mom. You were passing by the door—okay, lingering near it—when Hoseok’s voice floated out.

“She kissed me first, but… I kept thinking about it afterward.”

You stopped. Not for the first time that week, Hoseok sounded different. Not in a bad way. Just—older.

“I mean,” he continued, “I didn’t feel weird about it. Just… curious. Like, is it supposed to feel like that? Or is that just me being a guy?”

Yoongi let out a quiet snort. “It is you being a guy. But it’s not a bad thing.”

There was a beat.

“It’s not about sex or whatever,” Hoseok said. “I just—I like her. I think I do. But I don’t know what I’m doing. Like, where’s the line between just liking someone and wanting more?”

Yoongi’s voice was softer now. “That’s what growing up is, Hobi. Figuring out what your more is. You’re allowed to want things. You just gotta want them with respect. With clarity.”

“I don’t want to mess it up,” Hoseok murmured. “She’s not just someone I kissed. It’s more like… I want to hold her hand and not let go until she wants me to. That sounds dumb, right?”

“No,” Yoongi said. “That sounds honest.”

You didn’t mean to stay and listen. But you also couldn’t walk away. Because that Hoseok—the one whose voice cracked a little when he talked about someone he liked, who sounded half-nervous and half-hopeful, who admitted to wanting and not knowing—that Hoseok wasn’t just the boy who made up dances in your living room and teased you about your choice in cereal.

He was a guy. A real, living, breathing boy, standing on the edge of something big. Not perfect. Not polished. But real in a way that made your chest feel strange.

Later, you found him in the hallway, stretching his arms over his head. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?” he asked with a smile.

You shrugged. “Shouldn’t you?”

“Touche,” he said, then tapped your head gently with his knuckles. “Your brain never turns off, huh?” You gave him a look. “Takes one to know one.”

He grinned at that, all bright teeth and dimpled cheekbones. For a second, it was just Hoseok again—the one you’d always known.

But something had shifted. Just a little.

"Keep being brilliant, star."

You didn’t know why your face got hot, or why your chest tightened just a little. Maybe it was the way he said it so casually, like he hadn’t just branded a memory into your mind that you wouldn’t be able to shake. You mumbled something back, pretending it was no big deal. Pretending you didn’t already know, deep down, that you’d remember it forever.

It was one of those nights at your house, the kind where everyone was sprawled out in mismatched pajamas, the dim light from the TV flickering softly as a random movie played in the background. The air was heavy with laughter, chatter, and the scent of snacks, but it felt like time was stretching out—suspended, almost.

You had all crammed into Yoongi’s room — yes, you too, despite his half-hearted protests that Hoseok always overruled with a grin and an arm slung around your shoulders, claiming you were “officially part of the crew.” (Yoongi never really meant it anyway. If he had, he would’ve locked the door.)

The night blurred into snapshots — pillows flying through the air, laughter loud and untamed, the stupid kind of jokes that only made sense when you were too young to care about looking cool. The music was ridiculous, some weird mix Yoongi had found online, but Hoseok and Yoongi still danced to it anyway, competing over who could come up with the worst moves.

You sat cross-legged by the dresser, half-watching, half-sinking into the warmth of the room, your cheek pressed against your knee. Hoseok was at the foot of the bed, laughing so hard he nearly tipped over, and you swore you could feel his laugh vibrate through the floor, through the air, through you. It filled the space in a way that made you feel safe. Seen. Like maybe you belonged here too, if only because he made it feel that way.

It was strange, how natural it all felt. How Hoseok fit. Not just in Yoongi’s room. In your life.

At twelve, you didn’t know why your chest squeezed tight when Hoseok caught your eye across the room, or why your stomach flipped when he grinned like you were in on some private joke no one else could hear. You didn’t know why you wanted to memorize the way his hair stuck up in messy tufts, the way his laugh curled around the syllables of your name.

You just knew it mattered. Even if you couldn’t explain why.

“Hey, kid,” Hoseok said, nudging you with his elbow, his voice low and soft, like he didn’t want anyone else to hear. "You good?"

You blinked, startled out of your thoughts, pulling your knees closer like you could hide behind them. "Yeah," you said, too quickly, the word barely a breath.

He looked at you for a beat longer than necessary, head tilted slightly, a small crease between his brows like he didn’t quite believe you.

“You sure?” he asked, quieter now, the teasing edge slipping away. “You’ve been kinda quiet tonight.”

You wanted to tell him it was nothing. That you were just tired, like you always said when you didn’t have the words for the heavy, shapeless thing sitting in your chest. You shrugged instead. "Yeah. Just tired."

Hoseok smiled, easy and warm, and something in you unraveled a little.

“You know, Yoongi always says you’re an old soul,” he said, bumping your shoulder with his, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. “I think you’re just trying to act cool.”

You huffed, the barest hint of a smile tugging at your lips. “I’m not acting cool. I just… don’t talk when I’m stuck with two idiots.”

Yoongi, catching only the tail end of the insult, scoffed from across the room. “Please. You’re the dramatic one. I deserve a medal for surviving you.”

You grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at his head without thinking. Yoongi retaliated instantly, and just like that, the room filled with the sound of laughter and flying pillows once again.

But even as you shouted and ducked for cover, even as you pretended to be annoyed at Yoongi, you could hear Hoseok’s laugh, steady and golden, threading through the noise like music only you could hear. It wrapped around you, soft and aching. It made you want things you didn’t have the language for yet.

Later, when the chaos burned itself out and the room sank into a heavy, comfortable silence, you caught him again — Hoseok, leaning against the wall, head tipped back, eyes tracing invisible patterns on the ceiling. Gone was the teasing, the bright-eyed energy. There was something almost fragile in him now, like he carried a thousand thoughts he didn’t know how to say out loud.

You watched him through half-lidded eyes, pretending you were too tired to notice. Pretending you weren’t memorizing him all over again. The soft rise and fall of his chest. The way his hand twitched restlessly against his knee, like his body couldn’t quite sit still even when his mind drifted somewhere far away.

It hurt. In a small, stupid way, it hurt — wanting to reach out, wanting to stay frozen in this exact moment forever, wanting something you didn’t even have a name for yet.

And somewhere deep inside, you understood: Some part of you would spend the rest of your life chasing this feeling. This night. This boy.

You closed your eyes and let the moment etch itself into you, down to the bone. Knowing even then that you would never really forget.

You sat there, in your pajamas, suddenly aware of how much his presence filled the space around you, how his easy grin and loud laughter had always been there, woven into the fabric of your life.

“Are you awake?” he asked, voice soft, like he wasn’t sure if he should disturb the quiet. You weren’t sure if he was talking to you or just to the room in general, but you answered anyway.

“I’m awake,” you whispered, unsure why your voice felt so small.

Hoseok looked over at you, his smile softening into something... different. Something you couldn’t quite place. "Good."

He didn’t say anything else, and you didn’t either. You could feel the space between you stretch and stretch, an invisible line that you didn’t know how to cross. You just stayed there, side by side, the weight of all the unspoken things hanging in the air.

When he stood to go, he ruffled your hair one last time, and it stung more than it usually did. “Goodnight, star.”

You didn’t reply right away. You just watched him walk out of the room, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the hallway, and suddenly, everything felt too quiet. Too still.

It was the first time you realized that you weren’t just waiting for him to notice you. You were waiting for something else. Something you didn’t know how to name.

And years later, when you looked back at that night, at the way Hoseok’s smile lingered a little longer than it had to, you’d ache for it. For the way you had no idea what you were feeling then, how you hadn’t known that it was already too late to go back to the way things were before.

The room had quieted even more now, the world outside feeling a million miles away. Yoongi was already half-asleep, his head tipped against the headboard, mumbling nonsense under his breath.

You stayed curled up by the dresser, feeling the heaviness of your own body sinking deeper into the carpet. You could hear your own breathing, soft and even, but more than that — you could hear Hoseok shifting, the quiet shuffle of him moving closer.

You didn’t dare open your eyes, too afraid the moment would break.

A hand brushed lightly through your hair, feather-light, so careful you almost thought you dreamed it. Then Hoseok’s voice, rough with sleep, low and barely-there:

"Get some rest, star. You’re gonna outshine us all someday."

You bit the inside of your cheek to keep the sudden, stinging heat from spilling out. You didn’t move. Didn’t answer. Just let yourself pretend — for one night — that he saw you the way you saw him.

Somewhere between one heartbeat and the next, his hand lingered against your hair just a second too long before slipping away. The last thing you heard before sleep pulled you under was the faintest sound of his breath — a sigh, almost a wish — drifting into the quiet.

You were turning thirteen when things got somewhat serious — and not. Deep conversations were starting to be your thing. Funny.

You found Yoongi out on the back steps, hunched over with his elbows on his knees, a hoodie pulled over his head even though it wasn’t cold. The kind of night that smelled like rain and damp earth, thick with the kind of silence that made your chest feel tight.

You hesitated for a second, your bare toes curling against the cool floor. Then you padded over and dropped down beside him, close enough that your shoulders brushed.

Yoongi didn’t look at you. Didn’t have to.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, voice low and rough, like he'd been sitting there a while.

You shook your head, picking at the frayed edge of your pajama sleeve. "You either?"

He gave a humorless laugh, soft and tired. "Yeah. Guess not."

You sat in the quiet together for a long time. The kind of quiet that didn’t need to be filled.

It wasn’t weird. It never was with him. He was always just... there. Solid. Even when the rest of the world felt like it was shifting under your feet.

Maybe that was why you were so restless lately. It felt like everyone was expecting something from you — parents with their questions about school, teachers who suddenly wanted you to plan your future, even your friends who already seemed to know who they wanted to be. You didn’t know. You weren’t sure you even knew yourself yet. And somehow, it already felt like you were falling behind.

"You ever feel like..." you started, then trailed off, cheeks burning. Stupid. He probably thought you were being dramatic again.

But Yoongi just waited, like he had all the time in the world.

"...Like you’re supposed to be someone," you mumbled finally. "But you don't even know who yet. And it’s like — it’s like you’re already failing at it."

The words fell out, heavy and clumsy, but real.

Yoongi finally turned to look at you, his eyes shadowed under the hood. And then, without saying anything, he reached out and flicked your forehead, gentle but firm.

"You're thirteen," he said, voice a little rough. "You don’t have to have it figured out."

You scowled, rubbing the spot he flicked. "Yeah, well. It feels like I do."

Yoongi smiled — small, crooked, the kind of smile he only gave you when no one else was around.

"Listen," he said, bumping his knee against yours. "You don't have to be anything yet. You’re allowed to just... be a mess for a while. You hear me, kid?"

You made a face at him, and he ruffled your hair so hard you nearly toppled over.

But then he pulled you into a headlock — gentle, loose — and you realized he was hugging you. Sort of.

The way Yoongi did when he didn’t have the words either.

"You’re already my favorite person," he said, so soft you almost didn’t catch it. "Even if you’re a mess."

Your throat closed up. You buried your face against his arm and didn’t answer.

You didn’t have to. He already knew.

Maybe that was why you missed it at first — the way his arm stayed around you just a second longer than it needed to. The way his shoulders, usually so loose and careless, felt a little too tense under your cheek.

Maybe you would only realize it later. How Yoongi, seventeen and already carrying more than he let you see, had needed to hear those same words just as much as you had.

But that night, you were just a kid, safe in the only place that didn’t expect you to be anything more.

And Yoongi? Yoongi just sat there, holding you tighter, like he wasn’t quite ready to let go either.

Later, you'd wonder if Yoongi had been talking to himself just as much as to you.

It was the night before Hoseok's sixteenth birthday, and somehow you found yourselves sprawled out on the living room floor — you, Hoseok, and Yoongi — passing a half-eaten bag of chips back and forth while a terrible movie played on TV.

The kind of night that felt like it could stretch on forever if you just didn't move. If you just stayed.

You didn’t even realize you were watching Hoseok more than the movie until you caught the way he was fiddling with the hem of his hoodie, like he had something he wanted to say.

"Hey," Hoseok said suddenly, glancing over at Yoongi. "Can I ask you something?"

Yoongi grunted, not looking up from his phone. "When have you ever waited for permission?"

Hoseok grinned, but there was a nervous edge to it. He glanced once at you — quick, like he wasn’t sure if he should say it — then back at Yoongi.

"It's just... I dunno. Kinda dumb."

Yoongi set his phone down with an exaggerated sigh. "Out with it, idiot."

You hugged your knees to your chest, pretending you weren’t hanging onto every word.

Hoseok shifted, running a hand through his hair.

"Have you ever kissed someone?"

The question hung there, heavy, making your heart thump a little too hard against your ribs.

Yoongi barked out a laugh. "Seriously? That’s what you’re asking?"

"Shut up," Hoseok muttered, shoving his shoulder. "I mean — like — what’s it supposed to feel like? The first time."

You stared hard at the TV, pretending you weren’t listening.

Yoongi leaned back against the couch, smirking a little. "Depends. Was it good or did you both just bump noses and freak out?"

Hoseok groaned. "Not helpful."

"First ones are usually bad," Yoongi said, sounding too casual. "You figure it out."

You could feel Hoseok squirming beside you, the way his leg kept jiggling against the carpet.

"I kissed someone," Hoseok blurted. "Last weekend. Kinda."

Your chest squeezed so tight it hurt.

"Oh?" Yoongi raised a brow. "Kinda?"

"It was just a stupid dare thing," Hoseok rushed to say, looking vaguely embarrassed. "Doesn't count, right?"

Yoongi snorted. "Still a kiss, dumbass."

You didn’t say anything. Didn’t trust yourself to. The words stuck somewhere behind your teeth, thick and aching.

You wished you could laugh it off too. Wished it didn’t feel like you’d swallowed something sharp and bitter.

Hoseok glanced at you again, sheepish. "Not a big deal, Star," he said, nudging your shoulder with his. Like he could sense you withdrawing without even realizing why.

You managed a weak smile. "Yeah. Not a big deal."

But it was. It was.

You were thirteen, and you didn’t have the words for it yet. Didn’t know how to say that you already felt the world tilting — already felt him slipping just a little out of reach.

And Hoseok, still laughing, still right there beside you, didn’t realize he was breaking your heart.

Not yet.

After the conversation about kisses — the one that made your chest feel tight and your breath shaky — the night carried on like nothing had changed. You could still hear Hoseok’s easy laugh. Could still feel his presence next to you, warm and constant.

But somehow, it felt a little quieter. A little farther away.

You weren’t sure if it was just in your head or if something was really shifting. But when Hoseok threw an arm around you later, like he always did when he was feeling too goofy to sit still, it didn’t feel the same.

His arm was heavy around your shoulders, but the touch wasn’t familiar anymore. It didn’t make you feel safe or right in the way it had before. It just felt... wrong. Like you had outgrown it, even if you weren’t ready to let it go.

You let him pull you closer, resting your head against his shoulder, even though your heart wasn’t in it.

"Relax, Star," Hoseok teased, his voice light and playful. "I know you want me to steal the show with all my charm."

You should’ve laughed. You should’ve made a joke back, like you always did.

But you couldn’t. Not tonight.

Instead, you stayed quiet, letting your eyes drift to the dark window, wishing it was easier to ignore the way your heart was pulling in the wrong direction.

When you shifted, trying to get comfortable under his arm, Hoseok didn’t notice. He was already talking to Yoongi about something else, something that made him laugh again — bright, carefree. The kind of laugh that didn’t reach you anymore.

And when he looked down at you, his eyes full of playful energy, you wondered if he had ever really seen you at all. If he ever would again.

"Come on, kid," Hoseok said, giving your shoulder a little shake, pulling you out of your thoughts. "You gotta have more fun on my birthday eve. Got it?"

You looked up at him, forcing a smile. "Yeah, sure," you mumbled, voice hollow.

He didn’t seem to notice. He never did.

But the ache was there, deep in your chest, each beat of your heart a reminder of how everything was already starting to change.

And Hoseok, so lost in the excitement of his almost-birthday, didn’t see it. Didn’t see that even now, you were already slipping further away from him — and he didn’t even know.

At fourteen, you decided you had enough. You had always been the kind of person who, when something really clicked, when you truly wanted it, could put your entire heart into it. And now, as you started becoming aware of the things you didn’t want, the parts of yourself that felt like they were suffocating — that’s when you finally took it seriously.

You’d spent so many years in Yoongi and Hoseok’s orbit. It was almost like you didn’t need anyone else. They were your world — they were your friends, your brothers. It was easier to just be with them. Their laughter, their chaos, their endless antics filled up the spaces where you might’ve needed something else.

But as you turned fourteen, you started noticing the cracks. It wasn’t that you were falling apart from their crew, not exactly. You weren’t leaving them behind or anything, but something inside you was shifting. You weren’t just the girl who hung out with her older brother and his best friend anymore. You were growing into something else — someone else.

You started hanging out with your own friends, something you never really had the chance to do before. Not because you didn't want to, but because Hoseok and Yoongi were around all the time, always the first ones to grab your attention, to fill up your time. But now, with a new sense of self, you realized that you didn’t have to always be the younger one, the one trailing behind, laughing at jokes that only Yoongi and Hoseok found funny.

Jungkook, for instance — he wasn’t the first person you’d met, but somehow, he was the one who stayed. You had something with him that didn’t require much explanation. It wasn’t intense, not like the kind of connection you felt with Yoongi or Hoseok, but there was something comforting about it. Jungkook was just... there. And that mattered.

Then there was Yeji. Slowly, over time, she became a part of your circle, and she had this effortless way of making you feel seen, like you didn’t have to always be the side character in someone else’s story. She made you laugh in ways you didn’t know you needed, and more than that, she made you feel like you could stand on your own.

At fourteen, your world started to look different.

You had Yeji.

It was funny, because you never realized how much you needed a girl like her in your life until she was right there. You had always been with the boys, never really having a close girlfriend. Sure, you’d gotten along with other girls in school, but it was different. Yeji was different.

It wasn’t just that she understood the girl things you never had anyone to talk about before. It was more than that. It was the way she would pull you into her world, the way she could turn a casual conversation into an hour-long talk about everything. She was the kind of girl who would share her deepest thoughts and her biggest secrets, and for the first time, you could do the same. You found yourself talking about things you never thought you’d share with anyone: crushes, the weird shifts in your body you didn’t quite understand yet, or the moments of pure frustration with everything around you that made you feel like you didn’t fit.

Yeji didn’t judge. She just listened, and that made her someone you could trust. A girl who would get it.

You weren’t sure if it was because she was the first girl who really saw you — understood you, without needing to ask the typical “girl” questions, but there was a comfort in her presence that you hadn’t realized was missing. She wasn’t just a friend; she was becoming a part of your inner circle, a person who could share those moments with you that only a girl would understand. The girl things. The little giggles, the late-night secrets, the makeup tutorials, and even the way you both could laugh at something that no one else understood.

And then there was Jungkook. He was... different.

A boy, but so effortlessly part of your world. It wasn’t because he tried to be — it was because he was. He wasn’t the kind of guy who would try to outshine everyone or act like he was too cool for the girls. Jungkook was soft, respectful, and the kind of person who understood when to step back and when to step in. There was something so honorable about him, the way he treated you, Yeji, and everyone around him like equals. Not like the girls were some kind of afterthought, but the kind of respect that made him an important part of the crew, without needing to prove anything.

He was the boy who listened. The one who would just show up, no questions asked. The one who would hand you a hoodie without a second thought when it got chilly, or quietly offer to carry your books without making it a big deal. It wasn’t anything special on the surface, but it was. He was a gentleman in the truest sense, without even trying.

With Jungkook, you never felt like you had to second-guess his intentions. He wasn’t trying to fit into a mold; he was just being himself. And that made it easy to talk to him. Easy to be around him. Easy to let him be a part of the little group that was starting to feel like it was growing into something more.

Your world had expanded beyond Yoongi and Hoseok. You still shared everything with them, of course, but now it was different. You weren’t just the girl hanging around their world anymore. You had your own people, your own circle, your own way of being.

Yeji and Jungkook made sure you never felt alone in this transition. They were there when you needed them, and without even realizing it, they filled spaces you didn’t even know existed.

The three of you, together, were something else. You had your own rhythm. You didn’t need to worry about fitting into the mold anymore because with them, you were finally becoming yourself.

You were growing, yes. And you were growing with them.

Not away from Yoongi and Hoseok, but into something more.

At fifteen, the three of you had an unspoken ritual — after school, you’d all meet up at the small café near your school. It was a cozy little place, tucked away on a quiet street, away from the bustling crowds. The soft hum of conversations, the gentle clinking of coffee cups, and the comforting smell of freshly baked pastries always made it feel like a small haven — a space where you could just be yourselves, without anyone expecting anything more.

It was the kind of place that felt like home, even if it wasn’t. You’d sit for hours, talking about everything and nothing at all. It was where you laughed the loudest, where your hearts felt the lightest, and where things between you, Yeji, and Jungkook just… made sense.

Today, however, the usual comfort of the café felt different. Yeji, usually the life of the group, was quieter than usual. Her eyes, usually bright with laughter, were clouded with something you couldn’t place. You, on the other hand, sat there, trying to make sense of the shift in the air, and Jungkook, the ever-soft and caring presence, seemed to sense it too.

The silence between you felt like a weight, one that only seemed to get heavier as the minutes ticked by. Yeji wasn’t talking, wasn’t joking, wasn’t even smiling. And it bothered you more than you wanted to admit.

Finally, you couldn’t take it any longer. “Yeji,” you asked softly, your voice cutting through the stillness, “What’s going on?”

She looked at you, her eyes wide, as if she hadn’t expected you to ask. And then, after a long pause, she let out a shaky breath and spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t think I can keep pretending,” she admitted, her words fragile and heavy. “Like everything’s fine. Like I’m fine.”

The words landed with a weight in your chest. Yeji had always been the strong one, the one who laughed through the tough moments, who pulled everyone else up when things got hard. To hear her say those words, to see her vulnerability like that — it hit you in a way that made your heart ache.

“What’s going on?” you asked, your voice quieter now, the concern creeping in as you reached for her hand, gently brushing your fingers over her trembling skin.

She swallowed hard, her eyes cast downward. “It’s my parents,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “They’re always fighting. Yelling at each other all the time. I don’t know how to deal with it anymore. I feel like… like I’m falling apart. And I don’t even know how to talk to anyone about it.”

You felt your heart twist, an ache forming deep in your chest. It was the kind of pain that hurt but made you want to do something about it, to ease the weight that was pressing on her. Yeji had always been the bright one, the one who made you laugh even when you didn’t want to. To see her like this was jarring, unsettling.

You squeezed her hand gently, trying to offer the kind of comfort she’d given you so many times before. “You don’t have to carry it all alone,” you whispered, your voice firm with quiet determination. “We’re here. You can talk to us. You don’t have to hide it from us. Not anymore.”

She looked at you, her expression softening just a little, but the rawness of her pain was still there, lingering beneath the surface. The silence that followed wasn’t heavy — it was filled with understanding. Jungkook, who had been watching from across the table, finally spoke, his voice calm but filled with warmth. “We’ve got your back. Always.”

Yeji’s lips trembled as she tried to smile, though it was small, fragile. “I don’t know what I’d do without you two.”

And in that moment, as you sat there with your friends, it felt like time slowed down. Everything else in the world faded away, and the three of you were the only ones that mattered. The love between you wasn’t perfect — it wasn’t even always easy — but it was real, and that was enough. No matter what came next, you would face it together.

It was the kind of evening that made the house feel warmer than it actually was. The laughter from the living room carried through the walls, but you found yourself alone in the kitchen. Your parents were hosting their usual get-together with friends, their voices filling the air like background noise to your thoughts.

You were fifteen, not quite ready to step into the world, but also not quite ready to stay in the same place. Everything was in that limbo, like you were floating somewhere between childhood and something else, something that felt exciting and terrifying. The taste of adulthood, or at least the idea of it, was closer than ever, and tonight, something was off. You felt restless.

The kitchen was quiet, except for the hum of the fridge. Your eyes wandered to a glass on the counter, its pink hue promising something sweet, something light. It didn’t smell strong, just sugary, like it was meant for someone your age. Maybe a cocktail, but not something too serious, not something you couldn’t handle. Or so you thought.

You grabbed the glass without a second thought, sipping it slowly, then quickly, as it spread warmth through you, making the edge of your thoughts blur a little. There was a lightness in your chest, but a nagging sensation too—something you couldn’t explain, like you were caught in between.

And then there was Hoseok. He appeared in the doorway, his presence warm like always, but there was a tension in the air that you couldn’t quite place.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice a little lower than usual, like he was concerned, but still playful. His eyes settled on the glass in your hand, then back to your face.

You blinked at him, your mind fuzzy, but still clear enough to notice how his gaze softened. “I’m fine,” you mumbled, though it felt like everything was spinning in slow motion. “Just a little... fun. You know?”

His eyebrows furrowed as he stepped closer, his smile not reaching his eyes. “You sure about that? You’ve had a lot to drink, Star.”

You only half-heard him. You didn’t care. The world felt too far away, and all you could focus on was him—Hoseok, the one person who had always been there. The one person who never made you feel small, who always made you feel... important. You didn’t know why that mattered so much at this moment, but it did.

You took a step forward, unsteady on your feet, but you didn’t notice the way Hoseok’s face tightened with concern. “Hoseok,” you said, your voice soft, slurring just a little, but he could hear the longing in it. “You’ve always been there. Always.”

He hesitated for a second, his hand instinctively reaching out to steady you as you swayed slightly, and his touch lingered on your arm for just a moment too long. “Hey, hey, you’re not thinking straight, alright?” His voice was soft but firm. “You’ve had too much to drink. Let’s get you to sit down, okay?”

You shook your head, but your feet didn’t seem to listen to you. You were too close to him now, the air between you charged with something—something you couldn’t understand, but you felt it in your chest, a sharp, aching desire. You looked up at him, eyes wide, searching for something in his gaze, anything to make sense of the confusing feelings inside of you.

“I just...” You paused, and your heart raced as you took another step forward, reaching for his hand. “I just want to be close to you.”

His face softened, but there was a quiet sadness in his eyes. He gently pulled his hand back, just enough to put some space between you. “You don’t want that, not like this.” His voice was gentle, the words not sharp, but carrying a weight that made your chest tighten. “You’re drunk. You need to sleep this off, alright?”

You didn’t understand what he meant, but your vision blurred again, the world fading in and out, until all you could focus on was him. You wanted him closer, needed to feel his warmth, but he stepped back, his presence still strong, but now filled with something that felt almost like regret.

“I can’t, Star,” Hoseok murmured, his hand resting lightly on your shoulder, his touch warm but careful. “You’re not ready for this.”

And then, as if sensing how lost you were, he gently guided you to sit down on the kitchen counter. His hands were steady, but there was an unease in him, something he wasn’t showing outwardly. He didn’t want you to remember this moment, not like this.

The last thing you remembered was his voice, soft and calm, saying, “You’re not yourself right now. But you will be again.”

You couldn’t remember what happened after that. Everything slipped away like sand through your fingers. The alcohol fogged your memory, and the next morning, when you woke up with a dull headache and no recollection of the night, something in your chest tightened—a dull ache that lingered but couldn’t be explained.

And Hoseok? He never mentioned it. Never brought it up. As if it had never happened. Maybe, in some part of you, you’d been relieved that he hadn’t.

But for him? Maybe it was just another moment he’d quietly tucked away, hoping you’d never remember.

And you never did.

At fifteen, everything felt like it was happening all at once. Your body was changing in ways you didn't understand, and your emotions were even more confusing. One moment, you felt like you could take on the world. The next, you were staring at the mirror, wondering who the stranger was that was starting to appear.

You hated how your body was betraying you, slowly and relentlessly. It wasn’t just your growing boobs that made you self-conscious. It was the little things. The way your clothes fit differently, the tightness in your jeans that made you uncomfortable, the extra curve in places you didn’t know you could have curves. And then there was the damn pimple that appeared out of nowhere—right on the tip of your nose. You’d never felt so aware of your face.

You spent most of the day trying to cover it up with makeup, but nothing worked. All you could think about was how it made you look like a teenager who still didn’t know how to take care of herself. What if Jiwon noticed? What if he thought you were ugly?

The thought of it gnawed at you as you walked to the café after school, where you met Yeji, Jungkook, and Jiwon. It was a weird dynamic. Yeji had been your best friend for so long, but there was something different now. You and Yeji were becoming closer in ways that felt almost… feminine. The kind of friendship that had secrets and whispered conversations about boys, about growing up. It was a side of yourself you hadn’t realized you’d been missing.

Jungkook, on the other hand, had become a bit like a brother to you. He was always respectful, kind, and effortlessly sweet, but he’d also become part of your growing crew, someone who always made you feel safe and valued.

Then there was Jiwon.

He’d started as just another face in the group, but somewhere along the way, he’d become something more. It wasn’t intentional, but every time he looked at you, it felt like he was seeing you in a way no one else did. It was a weird mix of excitement and fear. You were growing, but you didn’t know what to do with the feelings you had for him. He made you nervous in a way no one else did, and it was all so new.

After the café, the group started walking home, the usual chatter filling the air. But as you neared your house, there was this weird tension between you and Jiwon. He had been close all afternoon, his elbow brushing yours more times than you could count. His smile was easy, but there was something different about how he looked at you. It made your heart race.

You could feel the heat rising in your cheeks as you turned the corner to your street. You hadn’t planned for this—this awkwardness, the sudden shift between friends and something else.

“So,” Jiwon said, his voice a little quieter than usual. “You live around here?”

You nodded, suddenly aware of how close you were to your front door. “Yeah. Just up there.”

He grinned, his eyes glinting with mischief. “That’s cool. I’ve been meaning to ask you… want to hang out sometime? Just the two of us?”

Before you could even process the question, he was already stepping closer, his hand lightly brushing your arm. You looked up at him, and for a moment, it felt like everything stopped. You felt it—the fluttering in your stomach, the heat of your cheeks, the nervousness that made your hands clammy. And then, just like that, he leaned in.

It was quick, sudden, and so soft that you barely had time to react. His lips brushed yours in a gentle, hesitant kiss, and for a split second, everything in your world felt like it was both spinning out of control and perfectly still. Your heart was racing, your thoughts scattering, and the only thing you could focus on was the warmth of his lips against yours.

And then, just as quickly as it had happened, he pulled back, a shy smile on his face. "Sorry," he said, his voice almost apologetic. "I didn’t want to make it weird. But, uh… I liked that."

You were speechless, your heart still thudding in your chest. You didn’t know what to say, how to process the flood of emotions rushing through you.

But just then, you heard a voice—a familiar, distant voice—calling out from the porch.

“Oh?”

It was Yoongi. He had been standing there, watching the whole thing unfold. Your heart dropped. You hadn’t even realized he was home, let alone that he’d seen everything. You turned to him, wide-eyed, suddenly feeling exposed, vulnerable in a way you weren’t used to.

Yoongi didn’t say anything at first, just stared at the two of you with a look you couldn’t quite read. His eyes flickered between you and Jiwon, and for a moment, there was an uncomfortable silence.

“Uh, hey, Yoongi,” you said, trying to sound casual, but your voice was high-pitched, like you were a deer caught in headlights.

Yoongi shrugged, his expression unreadable. “I didn’t know you were hanging out with this guy.” There was a hint of amusement in his voice, but you knew he was trying to hide it.

Jiwon, being the brave soul he was, chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I think we’re getting to know each other better.”

Yoongi raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything more. He turned and disappeared into the house without another word. You felt a wave of relief wash over you, but the awkwardness lingered. You looked back at Jiwon, your heart still racing, and for a moment, neither of you knew what to say.

“Well,” Jiwon said, his grin returning, “I guess I’ll see you around, huh?”

You nodded, still a little dazed, but your lips curved into a small smile. “Yeah. I’ll see you.”

As he walked away, you stood there for a moment, still trying to process what had just happened. Everything was changing—your body, your feelings, your relationships—and it was all moving so fast that you didn’t know how to catch up. But one thing was for sure: you were no longer the same person you’d been just a few months ago.

And that kiss? It was the first taste of a world you didn’t yet understand, a world that was both exciting and terrifying in equal measure.

It had been a few minutes after that kiss—the kiss with Jiwon—and you were figuring out what the hell it even meant. Honestly, it was nice in a way, but you couldn’t help feeling a bit... awkward about it. That kiss was just one small thing in a much bigger world of changes you didn’t know how to handle.

The thing that made it a hundred times worse? Yoongi.

You should’ve known since Yoongi saw both of you. You should’ve know. You could almost hear his smirk as you walked into the living room, his eyes lighting up when he saw you.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the girl who’s been kissed.” Yoongi’s voice was casual, but you could hear the amusement dancing in his words.

You froze, feeling your heart drop into your stomach. “I’m not dealing with this right now,” you muttered, trying to walk past him.

Yoongi blocked your path with ease, his arms folded. “Oh no, you’re dealing with this. So, how was it?” His grin was mischievous, the kind that made you want to disappear into the floor.

You sighed, exasperated. “Yoongi, stop.”

He didn’t stop. He never stopped.

“Oh come on,” he teased, his voice light but edged with that playful brotherly tone you knew all too well. “You’re turning into a real heartbreaker, huh? First kiss and all, with Jiwon of all people.” He laughed, clearly enjoying the moment way too much.

You bit your lip, trying to hide your embarrassment. “It was just a kiss, Yoongi. It wasn’t a big deal.”

“Oh, really?” Yoongi raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Then why do you look like you’re about to burst into flames when I mention his name?” He took a step closer, his teasing growing more intense. “It’s obvious. You’ve got a crush. No need to be shy about it.”

You could feel your face burning. “I don��t!” you protested, but it came out weaker than you intended.

He smirked. “You don’t, huh? Then why did you hide the whole thing for so long? You didn’t want to tell me? You were trying to keep it a secret?”

Before you could reply, Yoongi took it a step further, and you heard the worst possible thing.

“Hey, Hoseok,” Yoongi called out to the other room. He was there too, shit. “Guess what? Our little girl got her first kiss. From Jiwon! Can you believe it?” He gave you a sly wink, as if this was all just a funny game.

Hoseok’s voice echoed from the room. “Wait, what? Friend Jiwon? She did?” He appeared in the doorway, his eyes lighting up with amusement. “You kissed him, huh? Nice one!” Hoseok’s grin was like the cherry on top of your misery.

“No, I didn’t—” you started, but it was no use. Yoongi was already on a roll, and Hoseok had joined in, both of them feeding off each other’s energy like they had no mercy.

You couldn’t even get a word in edgewise. It was like Yoongi and Hoseok had become one unstoppable force of teasing. You buried your face in your hands, wishing for the ground to swallow you up.

You couldn’t even look at Yoongi the same after that. He was the worst kind of older brother—the one who knew all your embarrassing moments and made sure everyone else knew too. He’d throw a random “Hey, don’t forget about Jiwon!” at you while you were in the middle of trying have dinner alone. And Hoseok? Hoseok joined in like it was his new favorite hobby, throwing in his own playful jabs.

But, deep down, you knew they didn’t mean any harm. They were just teasing, and in their own way, they were showing that they noticed—that you were growing up, and that they saw you in a different light.

It had been a couple of days since the kiss with Jiwon. You hadn’t really talked about it with anyone—not with Yoongi, who had been unbearable with his teasing, and certainly not with Hoseok, who had an uncanny way of making everything feel like a joke. But now, as you sat across from Yeji at your usual spot in the park, the weight of it all seemed harder to ignore.

Yeji was always easy to talk to. She had this calm, steady way about her that made everything feel less complicated. You had known her long enough to know that she didn’t judge, and she wasn’t afraid to call you out if she thought you were being ridiculous. And right now, you were feeling ridiculous.

"So, how was it? With Jiwon?" Yeji asked, casually nibbling on a snack, though you could see the curiosity in her eyes. You could never hide anything from her for long.

You shifted uncomfortably, staring at the ground. “It was... nice. But also weird,” you admitted, the words tumbling out before you could stop them. “I don’t even know what I’m doing, Yeji. It’s just... everything’s changing so fast.”

Yeji nodded, her expression softening with understanding. “You’re not alone in that, you know. I remember feeling all over the place when things started shifting for me. Our bodies change, we start liking people differently, and sometimes we feel like we don’t even recognize ourselves. It’s okay to feel confused.”

You sighed, running a hand through your hair. “It’s like... one minute I’m fine, and the next, my heart’s racing and I can’t even think straight. And then Jiwon kisses me, and it’s all I can think about for days. But then it’s like... am I even ready for all this?”

Yeji leaned forward, her gaze steady and reassuring. “No one’s ever really ready for it, you know? Love, or whatever this is. But it doesn’t mean you’re not worth it or that you can’t figure it out as you go along. If Jiwon makes you feel good about yourself, that’s all that matters for now.”

You smiled, grateful for her words. It was simple, but it made you feel less alone in all the confusion. “Thanks, Yeji,” you said softly.

A few days later, you found yourself sitting next to Jungkook during lunch. He had this way of making you feel like everything was less serious, even when your mind was racing with a thousand questions. He was always so laid-back, but you knew he was thoughtful in his own way.

“So, Jiwon, huh?” Jungkook asked, nudging your shoulder with his. “You two still going strong?”

You laughed nervously, looking away for a moment. “I don’t know, Kook. It’s all just... confusing. I mean, I like him, but I don’t even know if I know what I’m doing.” You paused, feeling a little embarrassed by how unsure you sounded. “Is that weird?”

Jungkook shrugged, his smile small but comforting. “Nah, not weird at all. You’re still figuring things out. You’re not supposed to have it all figured out. I don’t think anyone does.” He leaned back, glancing at you with those warm, soft eyes that made everything feel more okay. “And if you like him, then you like him. That’s enough, right?”

You couldn’t help but feel lighter after hearing that from him. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” you said with a sigh. “It’s just... I never thought it would be like this, you know? It’s hard to just... go with the flow when everything’s changing.”

“I get it,” Jungkook said, his voice sincere. “But you’re not alone in it. I mean, I’m here, Yeji’s here... we all are. And no matter what happens with Jiwon, you’ve got us.”

His words felt like a quiet reassurance, like a promise that things would be okay, no matter how messy they felt right now. You looked over at him, feeling grateful for how much he cared, and for the way he never made you feel like you had to be anything other than yourself around him.

“I’m glad you’re here, Kook,” you said softly.

He smiled at you, a little shy but warm. “Always. That’s what friends are for.”

As you laid on your bed later, reflecting on everything—Jiwon, Yeji’s advice, Jungkook’s words—you realized something important. It wasn’t that you needed to have everything figured out, or that you needed to rush through your feelings. You just needed to be honest with yourself, and to trust that whatever was happening with Jiwon was part of your journey. You didn’t need to have all the answers, just the courage to keep going.

And maybe that was the first step toward learning what real love and friendship meant.

Yoongi’s graduation ceremony was a quiet celebration of change. You watched him—your older brother, the one who had always been there in ways only he could—standing in his cap and gown, the weight of it all settling in your chest. He wasn’t just growing up; he was stepping into a future that was further and further from you, and that realization was a strange kind of ache.

He was leaving for Seoul next month to attend SNU, and with each passing day, it felt more real. He wasn’t just your brother anymore. He was someone on his own path, and soon enough, that path would take him places that you wouldn’t always be able to follow.

For the first time, you could feel that distance creeping in—not in the obvious ways, but in the subtle, unspoken shifts. You both understood that things were changing.

“You okay?” Yoongi asked, his voice soft but teasing, as if he already knew what was going through your head. He nudged you lightly with his elbow, the same small, familiar gesture he had always done.

You nodded, but there was a lingering ache in your chest. "Yeah, just... thinking. It’s just weird, you know? You’re going to SNU. Things are really changing, aren’t they?”

Yoongi's gaze softened, the teasing edge to his smile replaced with something quieter, something that seemed to settle between the two of you. “Yeah, they are,” he agreed, pausing for a moment, as though searching for the right words. “But I’m still gonna be around. I’m not going anywhere.”

The way he said it wasn’t just reassurance. It was an understanding. He was making a promise, but you both knew it wasn’t about physical presence—it was about knowing that no matter where life took him, you were still part of the same story. Always.

You swallowed, trying to push past the emotions rising in your chest. “It’s just... you’ve always been my favorite person,” you said, the words slipping out before you could stop them. “You’ve always been the one I could count on.”

For a moment, Yoongi was silent, the air between you two thick with everything unsaid. Then, finally, he spoke, his voice soft but full of that quiet certainty you’d always loved.

“And so you are to me, kiddo,” he said, his voice breaking through the ache in your heart. It was simple, but there was so much meaning behind it.

It wasn’t just a throwaway line. It was Yoongi, admitting, in the quietest way possible, how much you meant to him. He didn’t need grand gestures or words to express it; it was in the weight of those few words, the sincerity behind them.

You couldn’t hold back anymore. Your eyes welled up just slightly, not from sadness, but from the realization that even though things were changing, this—this bond between you two—wasn’t going anywhere. It would stretch, it would bend, but it would never break.

“I’m proud of you,” you said, your voice unsteady. “So proud of you. You’ve always known exactly what you wanted, and now you’re doing it.”

Yoongi looked at you, and for the first time, there was a flicker of something vulnerable in his eyes. He reached out, his hand ruffling your hair in that familiar way that felt like home.

“Don’t get all sentimental on me, alright?” he teased, his usual smirk returning, but it was softer now. “You’re a big girl now. You can’t cry over a stupid graduation.”

But there was no hiding the pride in his voice, the pride he felt in you, too. It was the unspoken connection that tied you both together. Even as he took this next step in his life, he knew you were always going to be there, just as you knew he would be.

“Yeah, I know,” you said, forcing a laugh, but it was laced with the emotions you couldn’t quite explain. “But you’re still my favorite person, Yoongi. Even if you’re going to Seoul. Even if things change.”

Before he could respond, Hoseok, ever the interrupter, popped up behind you, his grin wide and mischievous. “I swear, if you two keep this up, I’m going to need a tissue,” he said, laughing. “Come on, man, don’t get all sappy on us. You’re supposed to be the cool one, Yoongi.”

Yoongi shot Hoseok a look, rolling his eyes but with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Shut up, Hoseok. I’m allowed to be sentimental every once in a while, right?”

Hoseok laughed, shaking his head. “Only because it’s your graduation day. After that, you’re back to being the stoic, mysterious guy we all know and love.”

You smiled at the two of them, the warmth between you all unmistakable. Hoseok had always been the one to break the tension, and right now, his presence reminded you of the little crew you had—Yoongi, Hoseok, and you. Even as things were shifting, that bond was unshakable.

Yoongi took a deep breath, his gaze briefly softening before he spoke again. “I’m gonna miss you, kid,” he said, his voice quieter now, the teasing edge gone. “But I’ll be back. And when I am, we’ll make up for all this sappy stuff.”

You nodded, smiling as you fought back the small knot of emotions in your throat. “I know. Just... make sure you come back and visit, okay?”

“I’ll be back,” Yoongi assured, his tone full of quiet certainty. “And when I do, we’ll do this whole thing all over again.”

You both stood there, in that shared moment of understanding, as Hoseok cracked another joke, but the feeling between you all was deep and lasting. The future was starting to pull them away, but the bond you all shared wasn’t something that would fade with time. You really hoped for that though.

At sixteen, or more accurately, soon to turn sixteen—your birthday just two weeks away—you broke up with Jiwon. It was the kind of breakup that didn’t feel dramatic or full of shouting, but it left an emptiness in its wake, a quiet ache you couldn’t quite place.

You started this whole relationship—or whatever it was—with excitement. You imagined butterflies in your stomach, the thrill of late-night texts, the kind of sweet, innocent things you had read about in books or seen in movies. But, as time passed, it all started to feel... cold. Not in a harsh way, but in a way that made you realize it wasn’t what you had thought it would be.

Jiwon, he was sweet, funny, and yes—he made your heart race in a way that was new, in a way you hadn’t experienced before. But for some reason, that racing heart wasn’t enough to keep you going.

It wasn’t that he had done anything wrong. Jiwon was a good guy. But when you looked at him, you didn’t feel the same pull that you thought you would. The butterflies had faded, and all you could hear was the quiet thrum of uncertainty growing louder inside you.

Part of it was the distance. He was moving to Seoul soon, only a couple of hours away by train, but that felt like the distance of an entire world. And you weren’t sure if you were willing to hold onto something that wasn’t fully there.

Your heart wasn’t in it—not the way it should be, at least. It was a confusing, uncomfortable feeling—like you were floating just outside the lines of what you were supposed to feel. You were supposed to be devastated, right? To have that gut-wrenching pain that everyone talks about after a breakup. But instead, all you felt was a strange kind of relief, mixed with guilt, like you had let something slip through your fingers before you could truly understand it.

“You’re making the right choice,” Yeji had told you, her voice gentle, almost knowing. She was always good at reading you, especially when you didn’t know what to say yourself. “It’s not about him, you know. It’s about where you’re at. You’ve changed. You’re not the same girl you were when you started this.”

And she was right. You had changed, slowly but surely. You didn’t need Jiwon to make you feel complete anymore. You were starting to realize that you needed more than just the idea of a relationship. You needed something real, something that stirred you at a deeper level—something that felt like it would last longer than a few fleeting months of puppy love.

Jiwon wasn’t the one who did it for you. And that was okay. It wasn’t his fault. You just weren’t the same person you had been when you first started the relationship. You weren’t the same person you were at the beginning of the year, at fifteen, with all your emotions so easily tangled up in the idea of romance.

As you sat there in your room, phone in hand, the message you sent him still lingering in the drafts—I think we should take a break—you couldn’t help but wonder if you were making a mistake. But then again, you couldn’t keep pretending either.

There was a subtle ache in your chest, but it was the kind of ache you knew would fade. Maybe not now, but eventually. It was a lesson you had to learn, one that had come a little too soon, but one you were glad you were starting to figure out.

At sixteen, you didn’t fully understand what heartache was until the day you got heartbroken, and even then, you pretended like you didn’t know why it hurt. But you did. You always knew, deep down, but you had never admitted it to yourself. That was the day it all came rushing back—the feelings you had tucked away for so long, buried under layers of denial and distraction. They had always been there, quietly creeping inside your heart, only now did you finally recognize them for what they were.

It was a nice day, the kind of summery warmth that hung in the air before school started again, full of the easy, laid-back vibe of the final days of summer. You were out shopping with Jungkook, a typical day in the life of your friendship. He was excited, nervous even, about buying Eunbi a present. Jungkook, your sweet, loyal friend, had the biggest crush on her, and you couldn’t help but smile as you watched him overthink the smallest details. The way he talked about her, the shy look in his eyes, it was the cutest thing, honestly. Puppy love, you called it with a teasing laugh, but deep down, you couldn’t deny the twinge of something else.

You, being the good best friend, were helping him choose something perfect. Yeji wasn’t with you today—she had to go to a wedding in Seoul, a family relative’s, and she had given Jungkook some advice before leaving. So, there you were, navigating the jewelry stores with him, pointing out earrings, necklaces, and bracelets, trying to find the one that screamed “perfect” for Eunbi.

It was supposed to be a fun day, but then, it happened. Right after Jungkook paid for the gift, his face lighting up with that pleased, nervous smile, you turned and saw something—no, someone.

You saw him.

You saw Hoseok.

See, the thing was, you had seen Hoseok kiss someone before—just once by accident, then again because, well, you were curious. There was that one time when you caught him with a girl at the park, their lips locked in a moment that was more heated than you expected. You remembered feeling something then, something that made your chest ache in a way you didn’t understand. It wasn’t the kiss that bothered you. It was how he was with her, how natural it looked, how right it felt in a way you hadn’t felt about him in a long time.

But that wasn’t the worst part. No, the worst part was when you realized what you had been denying all along.

Hoseok had grown up. He wasn’t the same playful older brother you used to cling to, the one who made you laugh with his dumb jokes or wrapped you in his warm hugs. That version of him had faded, and you hadn’t even noticed it until now. He was taller, more defined, his features sharper. And it wasn’t just his body that had changed—it was how he carried himself. He was different, and in a way that made him... hot. You hated that word. You had never used it to describe him, but now, it was the only word that fit.

His hair, that messy, wild style he used to wear had evolved into something effortlessly cool. He looked older. He looked... like a man, and suddenly, you were curious. You wanted to know what it would be like to see him as someone who was more than just Yoongi’s best friend, more than just that guy who always teased you. You wanted to know what it would be like to feel that about him.

But standing there, frozen in the doorway of the store, you realized you didn’t just want to know. You already did.

And then, you saw it.

Hoseok was standing there, near his car—his car now, because he was nineteen, he was grown up. The girl beside him was someone you recognized, but you hadn’t paid much attention to her before. She was older, confident, and the way she leaned into him was enough to send a wave of unease through your chest.

You weren’t sure what made you step closer, what made you want to see this so badly, but your feet moved before your brain could catch up. And then, it happened.

Hoseok’s hand slipped under the girl’s skirt, his fingers barely brushing the fabric, sliding upward with a confidence that made your stomach flip in ways you didn’t know were possible. You didn’t want to look, but you couldn’t look away.

They weren’t kissing now, not in the way you had seen before. This was... different. More private. More intimate. More inappropriate. His hand, so sure of itself, was moving against her, and the girl’s breath hitched, a soft sound that shouldn’t have been heard by someone standing across the parking lot. You didn’t know how long you stood there, watching, feeling like the world had suddenly gone silent around you. It wasn’t just that you didn’t want to see it—it was that you didn’t want to feel this, didn’t want to feel the ache in your chest, the twisting of your heart as if someone had squeezed it in a vise.

You had known, deep down, that Hoseok wasn’t yours. You had known it in your mind, but your heart... it had been clinging to that hope, to that quiet, secret wish that maybe, just maybe, one day you could be the one who stood next to him like that girl did.

But here you were, watching him with someone else, and everything inside you felt like it was collapsing.

As they pulled away, laughing, Hoseok’s eyes scanned the lot—and for a second, they met yours. His smile faltered just slightly, like he recognized you, but the moment was fleeting.

You quickly turned away, retreating into the store with Jungkook, who was oblivious, still holding his little bag of jewelry for Eunbi. You were glad he didn’t notice the way your hands shook, the way your heart was still racing for reasons you didn’t want to admit.

And as you walked out into the warm summer air, your mind was full of confusion. You had thought you’d moved on from Hoseok. You had told yourself you didn’t feel that way about him anymore. But now, everything felt different. You weren’t sure if it was the kiss, the girl, or something else entirely, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that you had just seen something that would change everything.

The ache in your chest wasn’t going away, not anytime soon.

Hoseok and you acted like nothing had happened. Like the image of him, his hand slipping under another girl’s skirt, hadn’t been burned into your mind. Like you hadn’t seen it, like you hadn’t felt every inch of that uncomfortable, aching feeling in your chest. You went on, pretending nothing was wrong. You saw him, of course, passing by your house just like he always did, his presence familiar, his smile as easy as it had ever been.

But it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t.

Sometimes, he’d stop by to chat with your parents, always charming them with his usual warmth, always the one who knew how to make everyone feel comfortable. And sometimes, he’d linger just a little longer, waiting for you to walk through the door or step out into the yard, as if you were still the girl who had his attention without question, as if you were still the one he came to see.

"Star who shines the brightest," he’d call out, that playful nickname he used to tease you with, his voice light, but underneath, there was an unspoken layer of familiarity. You hadn’t heard it in so long, hadn’t felt it in the way it used to make you smile. You would freeze at the sound of it, that little pang of nostalgia hitting you before you could brush it off.

“Hey, Hoseok,” you’d reply, trying to sound casual, trying to pretend like the knot in your stomach wasn’t there. “I’m sure whatever it is, I can help you with it.” You said it like you meant it, like it was all just another normal day, but the words felt hollow in your mouth. It wasn’t the same. Nothing was the same.

He’d smile that easy, wide smile, the one that always made you feel like everything was going to be okay, the one that used to fill the spaces between your heartbeats. "I’m sure you can," he’d say, but there was something in his eyes that you couldn’t quite read. Something that lingered in the air between you two—an unspoken tension, a shift, a feeling that neither of you were willing to acknowledge, but that was there nonetheless.

You couldn’t look at him the same way anymore. Not after that day. Not after seeing him with her. Not after you had realized that all these years, you’d been in love with him without even knowing it. How could you face him and pretend everything was fine when you were carrying this heavy ache inside? How could you laugh at his stupid jokes and pretend you weren’t desperately trying to keep your distance, to stop the feelings that you had hidden for so long from bubbling to the surface?

But you didn’t know how to stop pretending. How to stop being the girl who had always been by his side, the one who had grown up with him, who had been his little sister in every sense of the word. You didn’t know how to say what you were really feeling because it was messy, and it hurt too much. And maybe, just maybe, you were still afraid of what would happen if you said it out loud.

So, you went on like nothing had changed, like it didn’t eat you up inside every time he said your name. Every time he smiled at you, so casually, so easily. You pretended, because you couldn’t bear the thought of losing him, even if the person you were pretending to be wasn’t the real you anymore.

And Hoseok? He acted like nothing had happened, too. Maybe he didn’t know what to do either. Or maybe he knew and just didn’t want to face it. He’d still show up, still ask for your help with the dumbest things—little things, like helping him with some paperwork or giving him advice on something small. But it always felt like it was more than that. It felt like he was searching for an excuse to be near you, to hold on to that familiarity. Maybe he wasn’t ready to admit that something had shifted between you, either.

But you were the one who felt it. The weight of it. The aching, quiet realization that you couldn’t stay the same. That things had changed, but you couldn’t stop pretending that they hadn’t.

You had to live with it. Live with the feeling of wanting him so much it hurt, and the knowledge that he was with someone else, that he was out there, living his life without even realizing how deeply you were still affected by him. You had to live with the silence that followed him every time he left, that feeling of emptiness that lingered long after he was gone. The feeling that no matter how many times he smiled at you, you’d never be able to go back to the way things used to be.

You couldn’t go back to being the girl who didn’t know how much you needed him, how much you loved him, until it was too late.

Later that year, after playing this endless tug-of-war with Hoseok, pretending that nothing had changed—pretending that you hadn’t seen him with that girl, pretending that the weight in your chest wasn’t there—you finally felt a little bit of freedom. Freedom in the most unexpected of places.

It was the night of Hoseok’s graduation, and the air felt magical, like something out of a dream. The stars hung low in the sky, not too cold, not too warm—just the perfect night. Perfect for him. Perfect for the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. He was leaving Gwangju, heading to Seoul, and you knew this time, it wasn’t just about the transition from high school to university. This was a bigger shift, one that meant he was starting to move away from everything familiar, from everyone who had always known him as the guy who could light up any room.

You tried not to think about how you couldn’t remember the last time you had looked at him without feeling that quiet ache. How it used to be so easy, how everything about your relationship had been so comfortable until suddenly, it wasn’t. But that was the thing, wasn’t it? This ache had always been there, creeping in the shadows, just waiting for the right moment to show itself. You had tried to ignore it, tried to pretend it wasn’t real, but tonight—it was too much to hide anymore.

“Never thought you’d be good at math,” you joked, trying to sound light, to ease the tension that had settled between you.

“Neither did I,” he murmured, his eyes momentarily drifting away from you. He was always so good at pretending nothing was wrong, so good at hiding what was really going on behind his smile. And yet, you could see it in the way his shoulders had squared, in the little lines that formed between his brows. It wasn’t all just about the graduation for him, either.

“Shouldn’t you be happy?” you asked, your voice quieter now, almost hesitant. It wasn’t the question you had meant to ask. But it was the one that slipped out. Because you couldn’t ignore it anymore—the way his eyes never quite met yours, the way his smile seemed forced tonight.

“I am,” he said, but his words were laced with something you couldn’t quite name. “I’m happy. I wanted something practical, something I can do for the long term. I’ll be teaching dance on the weekends, but I’ve got my degree to fall back on.”

You laughed, a small sound that didn’t quite reach your eyes. “You’ve always had a plan, haven’t you?”

He smiled that crooked, easy smile. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

You nodded, but inside, it all felt so much heavier than you expected. You had been expecting this—his quiet confidence, his carefully constructed path, the way he could make everything sound so easy. But you couldn’t help feeling like he was already slipping away. And in a way, you had been preparing yourself for this moment, even if you didn’t know how to let go.

The thing is, you had loved him long before this night. Long before any of this became complicated. You realized that now. The feeling that had been there for so long, the one you had buried deep down—only now, it wasn’t something you could deny. It wasn’t something you could push away anymore. You had loved him for so long that it had become a part of you, woven into the very fabric of who you were. And when you finally accepted that, it was like a heavy curtain had been pulled back, and you saw him clearly for the first time. And that scared you. Because it wasn’t just the boy you had grown up with anymore.

This was Hoseok, the one who had always been there, and now, the one who was leaving.

And yet, tonight—tonight was a new beginning, wasn’t it? He had invited you. Specifically. He had wanted you there. Even now, as he was on the cusp of leaving everything behind to start something new, he had reached out to you. It felt like the perfect chance to close the gap between you two, to break down the walls that had been building over the past months.

He wasn’t just someone you had known for years anymore. He was someone you cared about deeply, someone you had wanted to be close to for so long, even when it hurt. And now, you weren’t sure where this moment would lead.

“Star,” he said suddenly, and your heart skipped at the familiar nickname. “I’m glad you came. I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed tonight as much without you here.”

The ache in your chest deepened. The old, familiar feeling of being the one who belonged to him—the one who had always been his “Star”—seemed to echo in his voice. But there was something more, something heavier in it now. And you didn’t know if it was because he was leaving or because you were finally facing the truth.

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” you said softly, your voice trembling just slightly, even though you tried to hide it. “You know I’ll always be here for you, right?”

He smiled, his eyes softening for a moment, just the smallest crack in his facade. “I know, Star. You’ve always been here for me.”

And for a moment, you just stood there, the silence between you heavy, but warm. You were both standing on the edge of something, not quite sure what was next. But you knew that even though he was leaving, there was no way you could forget how much you had cared for him. No matter how hard you tried to push it down, no matter how hard you tried to pretend, he had always been there. Always.

And maybe, just maybe, tonight—this night, the perfect night with the stars shining down on you both—was a way for you to let go of the past and finally take that first step toward whatever was coming next.

At seventeen, life felt like it was finally yours. For the first time, you were truly free, unencumbered by the shadow of your older brother or the weight of expectations. Yoongi wasn’t around already, neither was Hoseok, no more pretending that everything was fine when it wasn't. The world suddenly seemed vast, and you were ready to chase it on your own terms.

Yeji and Jungkook were still your crew, always your foundation, but along the way, you had adopted Jimin and Taehyung into your world. It felt natural, like they’d always been a part of the group, like they just fit. And they were the ones who pulled you into a world you hadn’t quite been ready for but somehow felt like you were meant to step into. The world of parties, the world of carefree fun, the world of no boundaries, of dancing until your legs ached and laughing until you forgot how to stop.

Jimin and Taehyung were the life of every party, always at the center of things, pulling everyone into their orbit. And that night, they had invited you. Your first real party. You had never felt so alive—so free.

It was a Friday, and you had already asked your parents for permission. It wasn’t even about convincing them; they knew you were growing up. They trusted you. Your mom reminded you to call at 1 a.m. if you needed a ride, but that was it. They gave you a little money for a cab, just in case. And then, they let you go. It wasn’t the first time you’d gone out, but it felt different—like you were finally stepping into a new chapter of your life, a life that wasn’t so tightly monitored, a life where you were free to make your own decisions.

The party was in full swing by the time you arrived. Music thumped through the walls, and the warm summer night air wrapped around you like a blanket. The smell of alcohol, sweat, and perfume filled the air, but you didn’t mind. You were here. You were finally here, in this world that felt so different, but so right. Yeji was already there, her laughter carrying across the room as she caught sight of you. And then Jungkook, who always seemed to know just what you needed—an easy smile, a warm greeting, a constant source of comfort.

And then, of course, Jimin and Taehyung. They were already in the middle of things, as always, pulling you into their circle, making you feel like you were exactly where you were supposed to be. But the night had barely started when the shots began. Taehyung had the mischievous glint in his eyes that told you this was about to get out of hand. “Come on, it’s one shot,” he had said, grinning. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

You had laughed it off. Just one shot, you told yourself. But somehow, it never stopped at one.

By the time you had lost track of how many shots you’d had, the world felt like it was spinning in the most wonderful way. The music was louder, the people around you felt closer, and your laughter was genuine, unburdened. You felt light, like you could float away.

That was when the words spilled out, uninvited, like a confession you had been keeping for far too long. You didn’t even think about it. You were just there, surrounded by your closest friends, and somehow, it all just came out.

“I think... I think I’m still looking for someone else,” you said, your voice slurring just a little, but there was truth in it that couldn’t be ignored. “I keep meeting people, and they’re nice, and they’re... good. But it’s just not enough. I keep looking for him.”

They all stopped, eyes on you for a moment. You didn’t even need to say his name. They all knew. They had always known. Everyone had always known who him was. Who Hoseok was.

Jimin raised an eyebrow, his usual playful smirk fading for just a moment, replaced with something softer. “You’ve always been obsessed with him, haven’t you?” he asked, his voice teasing but warm.

You looked at them—Jimin, Taehyung, Yeji, Jungkook—and realized how much they understood. How much they cared for you, how they could read you without you even saying a word. They had all seen it: the way you carried Hoseok’s memory with you, the way you tried to ignore it, push it away, but always came back to it. Always came back to him.

“Yeah,” you said quietly, almost ashamed of how much you had let it affect you. “I didn’t mean to. But I think I always have.”

The group went silent for a moment, each of them processing your confession in their own way. But then Taehyung, ever the one to bring the mood back to light, clapped his hands and grinned. “Well, now we know,” he said, raising his cup in a mock toast. “The mystery is solved. You’re still in love with Hoseok. And you’re not fooling anyone.”

You laughed, but it was bittersweet. Because the truth of it settled in your chest. It had always been Hoseok. All those feelings you tried to bury, all that distance you had created between yourself and the truth—it was never going to go away. No matter how many parties you went to, no matter how many people you met, you were always looking for him.

The night continued, but it felt like it had changed. You were still with your friends, still laughing, still part of the group. But in the quiet moments, you couldn’t shake the truth that had just spilled from your lips. Hoseok had always been there, lurking in the background, and now—now that you had confessed it out loud—you weren’t sure what to do with it.

You needed to move on, to let go, to forget—but you couldn’t. Not when he was still the one you kept looking for in everyone else.

And as the night went on, you realized something: You couldn’t hide from your feelings anymore. You couldn’t bury them deep enough that they wouldn’t come back up. He wasn’t coming back either. And at seventeen he wasn’t going to take you seriously. At seventeen, him being twenty, nothing was going to happen. It ached, but it was okay too. He had no fault in this.

At nineteen, you were finally graduating. It was a mix of excitement and relief. The years leading up to this moment had blurred together—endless laughs with your group: Yeji, Jungkook, Jimin, and Taehyung. They’d always been there, constant in their own ways. Yoongi still dropped by whenever he could, despite his busy schedule at med school, but he wasn’t home much these days. Hoseok? You saw him only when Yoongi was around. He and Yoongi were at the same university in Seoul, but despite both being on the same campus, their paths didn’t cross too often.

It was exactly one week before graduation.

And today? Hoseok had come over on his own. Yoongi had left with Sunhee—his first girlfriend to officially meet your family—and it was just you at home with Yeji.

You were in the middle of an easy conversation with Yeji when Hoseok arrived. The door creaked open, and there he was, standing in the doorway, a bottle of soju in hand, a sheepish smile on his face. He was tipsy but not out of control. —just enough to give him that carefree energy, a hint of something else in his eyes. Still weird though. What was he doing here anyway?

“Hey, Star,” Hoseok greeted you, his voice warm but quiet. You hadn't heard him call you that in a while. It hit you more than you expected.

“Hey, what’s up?” you replied, trying to keep your tone casual, though a part of you couldn’t help but feel that old familiarity and something else—a pull that felt like comfort mixed with something a little more complicated.

“I need your help with something,” he said, grinning like he was trying to hide his real reason for coming over. His eyes flicked to Yeji, who was standing near the couch, clearly trying to figure out what to make of his presence.

“Oh?” you raised an eyebrow, teasing him. “I’m sure it’s something more than just that.”

Before Hoseok could answer, Yeji, sensing the shift, stood up. “I’m gonna head out for a bit, y’know, errands and stuff,” she said, clearly making her exit. You could tell she was giving you and Hoseok some space—she always did, when it felt like it was time. “Don’t stay up too late, alright?” she added with a smile, disappearing out the door.

And just like that, you and Hoseok were alone.

The silence between you two hung in the air, thick and palpable. Hoseok took a few steps closer, and for a moment, you thought he was going to say something. But instead, he just stood there, holding the bottle loosely in his hand.

“I didn’t expect to see you today,” you said, almost as a way to break the silence, but the words felt hollow the moment they left your mouth. It wasn’t like you hadn’t seen him before, but right now, things felt different—off. Maybe it was because you hadn’t spent time with him alone in so long. Maybe it was just the way everything was changing, slowly, but undeniably.

Hoseok’s gaze softened for a moment, a flash of something you couldn’t quite place. He shrugged and took a step closer to the couch. “Yeah, I know. I don’t know why I came, really... just felt like I needed to be around something... familiar. I guess,” he said, his voice trailing off like he was still trying to make sense of his own words.

Familiar. You. The word settled in the pit of your stomach.

“I get it,” you said quietly, your heart a little heavier than you expected. There was a quiet ache, but you weren’t sure where it came from. Hoseok had always been there. In your life, in your space, your family. And yet, something had shifted. Not just with him, but with you, too.

He let out a small laugh, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah, I mean... I guess things have been weird lately. I don’t know how to explain it.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I guess, I don’t want to feel like everything’s changing. I don’t know... does that make sense?”

You nodded, even though it kind of didn’t. “It does,” you said, but your voice sounded distant, even to your own ears.

Hoseok looked at you for a long moment, his gaze lingering, almost searching, but also filled with a kind of exhaustion you hadn’t noticed before. It was the same exhaustion you saw in Yoongi sometimes when he came back from school, looking like he was carrying more than he could handle.

You didn’t know what else to say.

But the air between you two felt thick, not with the ease of how it used to be, but with the strange tension of something—maybe old memories, maybe feelings that didn’t have names yet. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was familiar, and you both clung to that. Even though you didn’t know where this feeling was coming from, you both knew it was there, hanging in the room, unspoken and heavy.

Finally, Hoseok took a deep breath, like he was ready to change the subject, but before he could speak, you heard the soft sound of Yeji’s car pulling out of the driveway, her engine fading in the distance.

Hoseok stood up, walking to the window as if he didn’t want to break the silence too quickly. “I should probably go,” he said, his voice softer now, more like he was saying it to himself than to you.

You didn’t want him to go, not really. But you didn’t know how to stop him, or if you should.

“Yeah, maybe,” you said, standing up and walking over to where he stood by the window. Your heart was pounding, but you couldn’t tell if it was from the ache or from the weirdness of being so close yet so distant. “I’ll see you later, alright?”

He turned to look at you, his expression still unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something that made you want to reach out, but you didn’t. He nodded slowly, giving you a half-smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah. Later, Star.”

And with that, he left, leaving you standing by the window, still feeling that strange mix of comfort, hope, and confusion, unsure of what was happening or what would come next.

Graduation day arrived in a burst of light, and you had never felt more alive. The air was crisp, carrying the buzz of excitement, and everything seemed perfect. Yeji was by your side, her fingers expertly applying makeup as you both laughed at the absurdity of trying to look perfect for a day that would soon be over. You helped her with her makeup, too, and despite the nerves, there was warmth in the moment. It felt like all the years of hard work were finally culminating in this one day, and you were here—alive, surrounded by your closest friends and family.

Yoongi made sure to make a scene when they called your name. His proud grin was unmistakable, and your dad, smiling broadly, stood next to your mom, both of them cheering you on like they always had. It was the kind of moment that felt timeless, as if you could hold onto the warmth of their pride forever.

But then... there was Hoseok.

Hoseok, standing on the other side of the ceremony hall, his voice almost booming as he yelled, "I knew my Star would make it big!" The words were loud, filled with genuine joy, and for a moment, everything felt perfect. His happiness was infectious, and you couldn’t help but smile, even though the warmth of his voice didn’t quite reach your chest in the same way it used to.

The moment passed quickly, but that smile stayed on your face as you took the family picture, standing between Yoongi and your parents. They all stood so close, like a unit, and as Yoongi whispered in your ear, his voice quiet but full of emotion, “I’m proud of you,” you felt the lump in your throat. This was it—the moment you had been working towards.

But when you looked around, something felt off.

The crowd began to disperse, the noise around you dying down, and you caught sight of Hoseok lingering near the side. His smile had softened, but there was a strange distance in his eyes, something you hadn’t noticed before. It was subtle—just a flicker, but you could see it. His usual brightness was muted, replaced with something heavier. His gaze wasn’t focused on anyone in particular, but on something in the distance, like he was lost in thought.

You excused yourself from your family and made your way toward him. The moment felt inevitable. You had to speak to him—had to acknowledge the strange tension between you two that had been growing ever since the night of your graduation. It wasn’t anything overt, but it lingered.

“Hey,” you said, your voice tentative as you approached him. “I didn’t know you’d be this quiet today. You’re always so loud.”

Hoseok glanced at you, his lips pulling into a small, tight smile. “Yeah, well, things are different now, aren’t they?” His voice was light, but there was something in his eyes that didn’t match the tone.

“Different how?” You pressed, your curiosity edging out the cautious distance you felt between you.

He shifted his weight, hands stuffed in his pockets as he looked away again, almost like he was searching for something in the crowd. “I don’t know.” There was a hesitation in his voice, a hint of something that didn’t belong. “Just... feels like the end of one thing, you know?”

You frowned slightly, your chest tightening. “Yeah... I get that,” you said quietly, suddenly unsure of where the conversation was going. “But it’s not really the end, right? We’ll see each other more.”

His eyes flickered back to you, but they weren’t as bright as they used to be. There was a sadness in them, subtle yet unmistakable. “Yeah, but...” His voice trailed off, and for a moment, it seemed like he didn’t know how to finish the thought. “You know, I’ve always been here. But I feel like we’re all heading in different directions now, and I guess it’s just... hard to tell what’s next.”

Your stomach twisted as you processed his words. There was an ache in his voice, a rawness that you hadn’t expected. Hoseok was always the one who seemed certain of everything—the one who could brighten any room with his presence. And yet now, he sounded uncertain, hesitant, like he wasn’t quite sure where he fit anymore.

You swallowed hard, suddenly aware of the growing distance between the two of you. “I thought things would feel... different,” you admitted quietly, your voice barely above a whisper. “But now I’m not so sure.”

He finally looked at you, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like he was seeing you in a way he hadn’t in a long time—like he wanted to say something, but the words were stuck. The sadness in his eyes deepened, but he masked it with a quick flash of a smile. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I get that. I think we’re all figuring things out, in our own way.”

There was something unsaid between you, something that neither of you wanted to face, but the silence spoke louder than anything else. Hoseok wasn’t just any friend anymore—he wasn’t the boy who used to be part of your world in such a seamless way. And somehow, that truth hurt more than anything.

“I’ll always be here, you know that, right?” Hoseok said after a long pause, his voice sincere, but with an edge of something unspoken. “But maybe... maybe things are just changing, and we have to let them.”

You nodded, though the ache in your chest was heavier than ever. “Yeah. I think I’m starting to understand that.”

Hoseok gave you one last lingering look, his eyes softening as he gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. “I’m proud of you, Star. You’ve got a bright future ahead.”

And with that, he turned, slipping back into the crowd, leaving you standing there, with a heart full of confusion and a lingering sense of longing that you couldn’t explain. You had always known Hoseok, but suddenly, it felt like you didn’t know him at all.

You shocked your parents—and honestly, everyone—when you told them you wouldn’t be going to university in Seoul. Yonsei University had accepted you, and that should have been the dream. It was everything you’d worked for, everything you thought you wanted. But somehow, something didn’t feel right. The more you thought about it, the more the doubt started creeping in. Something about it felt... wrong.

You had always been the person who sought out logic, who found comfort in planning, in structure. Marketing made sense. It was creative but stable, a perfect balance of ambition and practicality. You could see yourself working in that field, building a career, maybe even making something of it. But every time you imagined yourself walking through Yonsei’s gates, something deep inside you twisted. It wasn��t fear, exactly—just a sense of being trapped. A nagging feeling that if you stayed in Seoul, you’d be stuck.

Was it fear of being tied down to a place that wasn’t really yours? Or was it fear of growing into a life you hadn’t chosen for yourself?

You had always done what was expected of you. Your family’s pride was always there, lingering, and you couldn’t shake the idea of disappointing them. But in the quiet of your thoughts, a voice kept telling you it wasn’t enough—this life wasn’t enough. You weren’t meant to be confined to one place, to live the same life your parents had lived. You wanted more.

It wasn’t an easy decision. It wasn’t something you made lightly. You felt a pull toward something different, something far away from the expectations that had been sewn into you from a young age. So you did what you had always done when faced with uncertainty: you pushed forward, took the leap. You applied for scholarships, even though you knew it was a last-minute decision. The kind of decision that could either change everything or fall apart completely.

When the letter from New York University arrived, everything felt surreal. You’d made it. But in the quiet after the excitement, there was this strange mix of relief and confusion. Why didn’t this feel like the victory you thought it would?

Marketing. The major was still there, and it made sense. But now, tucked in the margins of your future was something no one knew about—something for you. A minor in creative writing. It was a part of you that no one expected, not even you at first. You had always been a quiet dreamer, someone who got lost in words but never really let anyone see that part of you.

As you sat there, staring at the acceptance letter, the weight of it all settled in. You could finally take control of your future. But it didn’t come without a price. You’d be far from home, far from the people who had always been there—Yoongi, your family, your old friends.

Was it selfish to choose yourself now? Was it selfish to want something more than what was expected?

But in the end, you didn’t care. You knew this was the right path for you. It didn’t matter that it was scary or uncertain—it felt like freedom. A chance to break away from the life everyone thought you should have and create one that was all your own. But it also felt like a goodbye, like you were walking away from a part of yourself you weren’t sure you were ready to leave behind.

It was bittersweet. It felt like stepping into the unknown, like taking a leap off the edge of a cliff and hoping there was something—anything—to catch you. You didn’t know what your future would look like, but for the first time in a long time, it felt like you were going to be the one to define it. And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.

Yoongi was still your rock, even if things felt different now. The distance between you two, now that you were in another country, had stretched the connection in ways you didn’t quite expect. Sure, you had more conversations than when you lived under the same roof, but they were always brief and less meaningful. Med school had swallowed Yoongi whole, his residency demanding so much of his time and energy. Still, he always found a moment to check in. It was like a habit now—quick messages, updates on his day, sometimes more about his exhaustion than anything else.

“Residency’s kicking my ass, but I’m surviving,” he’d text. You could tell he was tired, not just from the demands of his profession but from the weight of the years he’d put into his studies. Yet, amidst the chaos, there was something that still kept him grounded. He’d mention how music, in the form of an old music set up he found in a second-hand store had become his salvation. It had become an unexpected escape for him.

As for Hoseok, things had changed too. It wasn’t that you and Hoseok didn’t care about each other—it was just that the busy lives you both led had naturally created more distance. Hoseok, now in business school, was submerged in the grind of classes, networking, and all the pressures of pursuing a future that had little to do with dance these days. You were glad he didn’t abandon dance completely though. The spontaneous texts, the late-night talks—all of that had faded away. It wasn’t intentional, just life pulling you both in different directions.

Yoongi would bring him up from time to time “Hoseok’s still in business school, right? He doesn’t have much time to hang out anymore.” It wasn’t a judgment, just a statement of fact. But then Yoongi would chuckle, and you could hear the amusement in his voice when he’d mention Hoseok’s latest endeavor. “He actually joined a street dance crew recently. I think he needed something to balance out the stress. You know how he is.”

But even with all of this change, you knew Yoongi and Hoseok still made time for each other. It wasn’t often, but sometimes, after a long week of med school or business school, they’d find a moment to grab coffee or hang out. It was rare—sometimes it was just a few hours, sometimes it was a quiet evening catching up. But you could feel, even from afar, that those moments meant something. They were still holding on to what they had, even if it was different now. Even when with you it was different. It was bound to happen you guess.

It was sometime during your second semester of Marketing when you met Daniel. Daniel—your first everything, really. Well, everything except for a kiss. You weren't quite sure what you had expected love to feel like when it finally arrived, but with Daniel, it wasn’t the way the movies had promised. There were no fireworks exploding in your chest, no immediate breathlessness. Instead, it felt... right. For the first time in a long time, your heart didn’t ache for someone you couldn't have. It didn’t hurt at all. It just settled, quietly, almost shyly, into something that felt warm and safe.

You remember how desperate you were to tell someone about him. Yeji and Jungkook were the first to hear, of course—dragged into a half-asleep conversation at three in the morning because you couldn't keep it to yourself. You whispered about him through your phone, clutching your pillow, smiling so hard your cheeks hurt. Jimin and Taehyung hadn’t been there for the call, but they heard about Daniel soon after, when you couldn’t resist gushing in your group chat. There’s someone, you had typed with trembling fingers. And I think he’s...different.

Your friends were supportive, naturally. They urged you to give it a shot, to open your heart a little. So you did. Hesitantly at first, like stepping into a pool and letting the water slowly rise up around your ankles.

Daniel was sweet—almost painfully so. He held doors open without thinking about it. He remembered the little things, like how you preferred hot chocolate over coffee, or how you always carried a book in your bag even if you knew you wouldn’t have time to read it. He listened—really listened—to your dreams, your fears, your stupid little stories from when you were a kid. He made you laugh, made you feel seen.

Your first date was cute in the way first dates should be. Nervous smiles, accidental brushes of hands, endless conversations about everything and nothing. You wore your favorite sweater, the one you always wore when you needed a little extra courage. You didn’t kiss him that night. You both wanted to, you could feel it, but somehow it felt more important to savor it, to not rush. To let it mean something.

The second date felt like an extension of the first—effortless, bright. He took you to a bookstore downtown and then for ice cream, and you thought, Maybe this is what it’s supposed to be like. You liked the way he looked at you, like you were some sort of wonder he couldn't believe was real.

And by the time three months had passed—after countless late-night texts, studying together until you fell asleep on FaceTime, clumsy jokes and shy confessions—you were officially dating.

You didn’t know it then, but this was your coming-of-age in motion. You were living it, one soft, uncertain step at a time. You were discovering how thrilling and terrifying it was to be vulnerable with someone, how it meant giving them all the parts of you you usually kept tucked away. There were nights when insecurity gnawed at you, when you wondered if you were saying the right things, doing the right things, being enough. But there were also nights when you felt braver than you ever had—when you realized that maybe growing up wasn't about erasing the fear, but learning to move through it anyway.

Daniel didn’t erase your insecurities. But he stayed. He held your hand through them. He was gentle with you, and in turn, you learned to be gentle with yourself.

It was imperfect. It was real. It was yours.

He was your first.

It was strange, in a way you hadn’t expected. Not bad—just unfamiliar, like stepping into a space you had only seen through windows your whole life. You tried to prepare yourself. You asked your friends at university about it, half-whispered questions between classes or after late-night study sessions, trying to piece together what it was supposed to feel like. You texted Yeji one night, fingers hovering over your phone before finally hitting send: "Is it normal to feel nervous even if you really like someone?" She replied almost immediately. "Of course. Just make sure you’re doing it because you want to, not because you feel like you have to. Trust yourself."

You trusted yourself. You were sure. You liked Daniel—you really liked him. He was sweet, patient, and never once made you feel rushed. He always waited for you to meet him halfway. If anything, you felt lucky to be figuring it out with someone like him.

Still, when the moment finally came, everything felt...awkward. Not wrong, just clumsy, new. You fumbled with your own nerves, overthinking every little thing—the way your hand should move, whether you were supposed to say something, how you were supposed to breathe. Daniel noticed, of course. He noticed everything. But instead of making it worse, he laughed softly and kissed your forehead, whispering something like, "It's just me. No pressure." And somehow, that made you exhale. That made you brave enough to keep going.

The experience wasn’t perfect. It was a little bit messy and a little bit shy, full of quiet giggles and whispered apologies when you bumped into each other awkwardly. But that was part of it, wasn't it? It was supposed to be a little messy. It was your first time learning someone else's body, learning how to be open and vulnerable in a way you had only ever imagined before.

Later that night, lying next to him with your heart still pounding from both adrenaline and tenderness, you texted Yeji again: "It felt weird but...good. Like...like it mattered." And she sent back a long line of hearts and a simple, "It should matter."

You realized then that growing up didn’t mean shedding the nerves or the awkwardness—it meant embracing them, allowing yourself to be imperfect and afraid and still moving forward anyway.

Daniel made it easier. He kissed the top of your head when you overthought. He held your hand when your mind raced ahead of your body. He was gentle with you in every way a person could be gentle, and you knew—even with the doubts, the clumsy moments—you were safe here. You were seen.

It wasn’t a grand, cinematic first. It didn’t look like the movies. It looked like two people trying. Two people caring. And maybe that was even better.

Your friends came to the US, and for a little while, everything felt perfect again.

It was supposed to be a vacation, a treat for surviving your first exhausting semesters abroad—but in so many ways, it felt like reality hitting, too. You were all growing up, you realized. No longer just kids hanging around the same streets, no longer seeing each other every day without trying. You were still tied together, still orbiting around each other's lives, but now there were new paths carving distances between you.

Jimin was specializing in dance at Korea University, pouring every bit of passion into perfecting his craft. Taehyung had decided he wanted to build something of his own, diving headfirst into Business at Yonsei University with a confidence only he could carry. Yeji—steady, kind, wise Yeji—had always known how to listen, how to see people, so it made perfect sense that she found her way into Psychology, also at Yonsei. And then there was Jungkook. Dreamy, sweet, endlessly respectful Jungkook who had once seemed like he could be anything and still somehow managed to surprise you by choosing the uncertain path: photography. He wanted to create things that made people feel, and for the first time, he was serious about it. Really serious.

They all had their own lives now. Their own dreams, their own schedules. And yet—they still chose to come see you. They saved up. They planned it months in advance. Because you weren’t going back home that winter.

The storm had ruined everything. Flights canceled, alarms going crazy, streets flooded and closed. You got your money back, sure, but it didn’t fix the hollow ache that came with realizing you wouldn’t be home for the holidays. You missed your parents. You missed your brother. You missed the warmth of Seoul, the comfort of streets you knew by heart. You missed your friends. You missed Hoseok.

You hadn’t even realized how much until you saw them at the airport, standing there with wide grins and sleepy eyes, dragging their suitcases behind them like lost kids finally found again. You ran to them without thinking, laughter bubbling out of you so fast it almost hurt. They pulled you into a messy, loud group hug, everyone talking at once, the smell of airport coffee and the sound of Yeji’s familiar giggle making your chest squeeze in the most beautiful, painful way.

It felt like nothing had changed. It felt like everything had changed.

The week they stayed was a blur of late-night talks, messy takeout dinners, walking around the city pretending you weren't all a little bit lost. You caught up on everything—Jimin’s dance competitions, Taehyung’s wild business ideas, Yeji’s long, quiet talks about the things people carry inside without ever saying them out loud. Jungkook showed you photos he hadn't shared with anyone else, images that looked a little like homesickness and a little like hope.

Somewhere in between the laughter and the stories, you introduced them to Daniel. It felt big, in a way. Daniel—sweet, kind Daniel who had quietly carved a space in your life over the past few months. The first person who made your heart feel less like an open wound and more like something steady and alive again.

They were curious, naturally. Protective, in the way old friends always are when they meet someone new in your world. But Daniel was... well, Daniel. Gentle, funny, endlessly patient with your friends’ teasing and Jungkook’s wide, curious eyes.

It was surreal to watch your old world meet your new one, to see them laugh together, to realize that somehow, you were weaving all these separate pieces of yourself into something that still made sense. Something that still felt like home.

When they left, you cried. Quietly, after they boarded the plane, tucked away in a corner of the airport where no one could see you. Not because you were sad, exactly. But because you had been reminded—so vividly, so achingly—that even across oceans and time zones, even as life pulled you all in different directions, some things were too deeply rooted to ever really be lost.

You had people worth missing.

Time moved faster than you ever thought it would. One minute you were adjusting to your first year in a foreign country, clinging to calls from home and late-night talks with your friends, and the next—you were standing on the edge of something new, about to graduate.

Somewhere between the lectures and late submissions, you’d found an internship at a mid-sized IT company. It wasn’t exactly where you pictured yourself when you first applied to University, but it taught you things you didn’t know you needed: how to hold your own in meetings, how to send a proper follow-up email, how to find small corners of pride in the work you did, even if no one else noticed it. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was yours. And for a while, that was enough.

Your parents had visited you throughout the four years you spent abroad—sometimes once a year, sometimes less if things at home got too busy. You made it back to Korea too, but only for the holidays. Sometimes for Chuseok, sometimes for Christmas. Always a week at most, a blink and you were gone again. There were years you saw Yoongi in those short trips, catching him between his packed shifts at the hospital, and there were years you missed him entirely, your schedules never quite aligning the way they used to. As for Hoseok—you hadn’t seen him properly in a long time. You heard about him through Yoongi mostly: how he got a corporate job, how he’d somewhat still found time to dance, chasing that old part of himself he couldn’t bear to leave behind. It was strange, the way time stretched between you and the people you once thought you'd never drift from. But you supposed that was just another part of growing up too.

Things with Daniel changed, as things sometimes do. You spent nearly two years together—growing, learning, falling in and out of rhythm. He met your parents during one of their visits to the U.S., and later, you introduced him to Yoongi too, when you finally managed a trip back home that lasted more than a handful of rushed days. Even Hoseok had been there that time, crashing a casual dinner you hadn’t planned on becoming so emotional. It had been... sweet, in a way. A small blending of past and present. You could still remember the way Daniel smiled nervously, how Hoseok had clapped him on the shoulder and said something that made your mother laugh until she was wiping tears from her eyes. For a little while, it felt like everything fit.

But life, as it tends to do, kept moving. Slowly at first, then faster. You both knew it was ending before either of you could say it out loud. He had plans that would take him across the country; you had dreams that hadn’t fully found their shape yet. The breakup wasn’t dramatic or messy—it was mutual, full of quiet sadness and lingering kindness. The kind of ending that didn’t leave you bitter, only a little older, a little wiser, a little more aware that love, no matter how good, sometimes simply isn’t enough to anchor two people in the same place.

By the time your graduation day arrived, it felt like everything had come full circle. Your parents flew in, proud and beaming, holding signs that embarrassed you more than you'd ever admit. You stood there in your cap and gown, diploma in hand, watching the last four years stretch out behind you like a film reel. There were so many things you still didn’t know. But standing there, blinking against the sun and the weight of it all, you realized maybe that was okay.

You had made it.

You hadn’t planned on coming back to Seoul right after graduation.

The original idea — the one you clung to through endless library nights and lonely winters — was to stay in the U.S. a little longer. Find a job. Maybe move to New York or Boston, chase the skyline, lose yourself in the noise. You had dreamed of it for so long it almost felt real. A life crackling with endless, towering possibilities.

But sometimes, life quietly rearranged your plans without asking first.

It was Yoongi who made the choice easier — or maybe just a little less terrifying. He was already a doctor by then, deep into the grind of hospital shifts that stretched until morning, his voice always a little rough around the edges when he called. But he still called. Somehow, despite the impossible hours and the exhaustion you could hear even through the static, he made time.

"You can figure things out here," he said simply. "You don’t have to do it alone."

And somehow, those few words — casual, tossed out like no big deal — cracked something open inside you.

Your parents had been supportive, too. Telling you there was always a place for you back home, a kitchen table with your seat still waiting. A life you could step back into if you wanted.

You thought about it. Really thought about it. About coming back to your childhood home, about building something steady and safe. About giving up the version of yourself you had fought so hard to create on your own.

But the truth was — you didn’t fit there anymore. Not in that version of yourself. Not in that house where the walls still remembered who you used to be.

And Seoul — restless, ruthless, electric Seoul — felt closer to who you were now. Or who you wanted to be, even if you didn’t quite know her yet.

So you said yes.

Landing back home was surreal. The airport smelled like coffee and humidity, like childhood and heartbreak all at once.

Your parents were there, waiting with open arms and bright, shining smiles that made your chest ache. Yoongi too — a little thinner, a little sharper, his white coat slung carelessly over his shoulder. He had carved two whole hours out of a packed schedule to have lunch with you all.

The food was delicious. The conversation was easy. For a little while, it felt like slipping on a favorite hoodie — familiar, broken-in, safe. Your brother teased you over side dishes. Your mother asked if you were eating enough vegetables. Your father told bad jokes that still somehow made you laugh.

It was perfect. Maybe too perfect.

Because later — after the plates were cleared and the hugs exchanged — you found yourself alone in Yoongi’s apartment. The afternoon light slipped in through the windows in muted gold streaks. Your suitcase sat half-unpacked by the door. Your phone buzzed weakly with half-hearted texts from your U.S. friends.

And you sat there, cross-legged on a couch that wasn’t yours, in a city that should have felt like home, with a degree tucked safely into your bag — proof that you had done it. You had finished what you set out to do.

You should have felt proud. You should have felt invincible.

Instead, you just felt... small. Small, and out of place, and a little bit scared.

Because no one told you how hollow it would feel to come back a different person — to find the same streets, the same shops, the same skyline — and realize you didn’t know how to fit yourself into it anymore.

No one told you that success could taste so much like loneliness.

You curled your arms around your knees, your forehead resting against them, feeling the old, familiar ache building quietly behind your ribs.

What if you weren’t enough here? What if you had changed too much — or not enough? What if all the growth you fought for overseas wasn't visible to anyone but yourself?

You stared at the muted blue of the carpet, your chest tight, your breath shallow.

Everyone kept telling you you were doing great. Everyone kept smiling like you had already won.

But they didn’t see the way your hands trembled sometimes when you opened a job application. They didn’t see the doubt gnawing at the back of your mind, whispering that maybe you weren’t as capable, as brilliant, as brave as you had tried so hard to seem.

You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to push the noise away.

You were home. You were supposed to be happy.

But sitting there, in the golden hush of Yoongi’s living room, you couldn’t help but wonder if maybe — deep down — you were more lost than you had ever been.

Yoongi had warned you before you even sat down at lunch. "I'm on call tonight," he said, raking a hand through his hair, the circles under his eyes deeper than you remembered. "Might have to leave early if the hospital needs me."

You nodded, smiled — understanding the way you always had with him. Yoongi didn’t make promises he couldn’t keep. But he also belonged to the world now, not just to you.

Still, when his phone buzzed halfway through the meal and he stood with a sigh heavy enough to pull the air out of the room, it hit you harder than you expected.

"Sorry, kid," he said, pressing a quick kiss to the top of your head. "We’ll catch up properly soon, okay? I swear."

And just like that, you were alone.

You thought, maybe, you could call Yeji. But she wasn’t in Seoul.

She had left for a volunteer project months ago — tucked away somewhere in the countryside, helping rebuild after the floods that summer. She sent photos sometimes: muddy boots, cracked hands, wide fields stretching past the horizon. She was doing something good, something real. But it meant that for now, she was a hundred miles away and unreachable.

You thought about Jungkook too. But he was gone, too.

A last-minute opportunity had whisked him across the world — a creative residency in London, something about music and exhibitions and a chance he couldn’t afford to miss. You had seen the announcement two weeks ago, his excited face lit up under the headline. You had smiled, proud of him, even as a little piece of you folded up inside.

It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Everyone was growing, reaching, becoming more than the little lives you used to share.

You were proud. You really were.

But it didn’t stop the quiet from pressing against your ribs now, in the backseat of the taxi, as the city blurred past — neon-bright, indifferent.

Yoongi’s apartment greeted you with nothing but stillness.

The keys scraped awkwardly in the lock. The door swung open onto spotless wood floors, pale walls, a couch too neat to be truly lived in. A few framed photos leaned on the shelves — crooked smiles, memories that didn’t include you anymore. A half-wilted plant sagged in the corner, stubborn and tired.

You dropped your suitcase by the door. Your sneakers thudded against the floor, the noise too loud, too sharp.

You stood there for a moment, your backpack still slung over one shoulder, your jacket still clutched in your hands — waiting, stupidly, for something to happen.

Nothing did.

You wandered to the kitchen, opened a cabinet, closed it again. The fridge buzzed, empty except for some yogurt cups and two lonely bottles of water.

You weren’t hungry. You weren’t tired either.

You were just... dislodged. Suspended between the life you had built so far away, and the life you were supposed to rebuild here.

You curled up on the worn couch, dragging an old blanket over your shoulders. Your phone sat face-down beside you, buzzing occasionally with messages you didn’t have the energy to answer.

The city pulsed just outside the windows — relentless, glittering, alive.

You stayed very still.

You thought about the degree tucked away carefully in your suitcase — proof that you had finished something, proof that you were supposed to be somebody now.

You thought about the friends who were oceans away, chasing their futures.

You thought about Hoseok, for a brief, aching second — but shoved the thought away before it could bloom into something dangerous.

And you realized, for the first time in months — maybe years — that you were really, truly on your own.

You buried your face into the scratchy fabric of the couch cushion, breathing in the faint scent of detergent and city dust.

You had made it home. You had done everything right.

So why did it feel like you had never been farther away?

Two weeks back in Seoul, and you were going crazy.

At first, it hadn’t seemed so bad. You told yourself you deserved a few days off — a few mornings sleeping in, a few afternoons wandering old streets like a ghost trying to recognize the bones of her old life.

But the days stretched, and the silence thickened, and the applications piled up.

You sat at Yoongi’s kitchen table every morning with your laptop open, wearing the same pair of sweatpants, staring blankly at cover letters you didn’t know how to finish.

Every listing sounded the same: dynamic self-starter. fast-paced environment. salary based on experience.

Experience you didn’t have. Confidence you were quickly losing.

You clicked "submit" on half-hearted applications and tried not to feel like you were throwing little pieces of yourself into a void.

You refreshed your inbox obsessively. Nothing. Or worse — polite rejections that started to feel like tiny fractures spider-webbing through your chest.

By the tenth day, even Yoongi noticed.

"You gotta get out of the house, kid," he said one night between bites of cold takeout, not even looking up from his medical journals. "You’re driving yourself insane."

You had flipped him off half-heartedly, too tired to argue.

He wasn’t wrong.

The walls of his apartment felt closer every day, pressing in. Your own brain felt like it was buzzing, restless and too loud.

You weren’t even sure who you were anymore. A college graduate? A jobless daughter? A drifting stranger in her own hometown?

You scrolled through your phone late at night, seeing snapshots of your old friends — the ones who had stayed in the U.S., the ones who had gotten promotions, internships, shiny new apartments.

Meanwhile, you were stuck here, pressing "apply" over and over into the abyss.

The only thing tethering you to sanity was the news that Yeji was coming back soon. Finally.

She texted you late one night, her photo blurry and grainy from bad countryside signal — muddy boots, windblown hair, wide grin. coming back next weekend, babe🌟 get ready for me 💥

You stared at the text for a long time, heart pinching.

Yeji — your Yeji — the one person who had always known how to pull you back when you drifted too far. Maybe once she got back, things would start to make sense again.

Maybe you wouldn’t feel so lost anymore.

Maybe.

You set your phone down on the nightstand, rolled onto your side, and stared at the pale ceiling above Yoongi’s borrowed bed.

You had thought coming back to Seoul would make you feel whole again. Instead, you felt like a puzzle with pieces missing — scattered and unfinished.

You pressed the heels of your hands against your eyes, breathing out slowly into the empty room.

Two weeks back, and you still didn’t know who you were supposed to be now.

It was a strange thing, feeling out of place in a city you had once dreamed about.

When you were a kid growing up in Gwangju, Seoul had always felt like the answer to everything — a glittering world just out of reach, buzzing with possibility. You were supposed to come here for university, supposed to start your life under these neon skies.

But life had shifted — the U.S. happened — and now, somehow, you were here years later, a little older, a little more worn down, and nothing felt the way you thought it would.

You told yourself this disorientation was new. Something about coming back after so long.

But if you were honest — if you stripped everything else away — maybe it had always been there, waiting underneath.

You had done what you were supposed to do. You had graduated. You had succeeded. You had come back to Korea because it felt safe. Familiar. Because a part of you still believed Seoul was the dream.

But sitting here, drowning in unanswered job applications, scrolling endlessly through postings you couldn't care less about, you were starting to realize: You hadn't just missed your family. You hadn't just missed the comfort of home.

You had missed yourself.

The version of you who moved through life with want instead of fear. The version who chased things for the thrill of it, not to prove a point. The version who said yes to a creative writing minor just because it set her chest on fire — not because it would ever fit neatly on a resume.

The internship at the mid-sized company? You had done that for the validation. For the polished bullet point you could show people back home, proof that you weren't wasting your time.

You sat back in Yoongi’s too-quiet apartment, your chest aching with the weight of all the things you hadn’t admitted until now.

Maybe the scariest part wasn’t that you didn’t know where you belonged. Maybe it was realizing you had built a life chasing a version of yourself you didn’t even recognize anymore.

The front door buzzed, sharp and sudden.

You blinked. You weren’t expecting anyone.

Another buzz, louder this time.

You stumbled up, crossing the room barefoot, and pressed the intercom.

"Star, open the damn door! I’m freezing!" a familiar voice crackled through — blurry but unmistakably Yeji.

Your heart nearly leapt out of your chest.

You flung the door open without even checking, and there she was — Yeji, standing in the hallway, messy ponytail, cheeks pink from the cold, dragging a battered duffel bag that looked about three times her size.

"You look like crap," she announced gleefully, before you could even say hi.

You laughed — this wild, cracked sound that burst out of your chest — and launched yourself at her.

Yeji caught you in a bone-crushing hug, the kind that squeezed the breath right out of you, and you held on like the ground might give out if you let go.

"I missed you, idiot," she muttered into your hair.

"I missed you too," you said, your voice splintering.

Later, you ended up sprawled on Yoongi’s worn-out couch, two mugs of cheap instant coffee between you, legs tangled together like you were sixteen again.

Yeji talked first — about the countryside, about building homes with her bare hands, about the long nights and longer bus rides. You listened, soaking up every word like sunlight after a long winter.

Then it was your turn.

You told her about the job applications, about the quiet panic that crept into your chest when you opened your laptop every morning. You told her how weird it felt to finally be living in Seoul — the Seoul you had dreamed about — and still feel like you didn’t fit.

Yeji didn’t interrupt. She didn’t laugh. She just listened, her face serious, her hand steady on the coffee mug between her palms.

"You don't have to figure it all out right now, you know," she said eventually, her voice soft but certain. "You’re allowed to just... be lost for a bit."

You looked down at your hands — at the invisible tremor you felt deep in your bones.

"But what if I forgot who I’m supposed to be?" you whispered.

Yeji smiled — the kind of smile that was a little sad, a little proud.

"Then maybe it’s time to figure out who you actually are," she said. "And not who you thought you had to be."

You swallowed hard.

Maybe she was right. Maybe it wasn’t about going back to who you were before. Maybe it was about giving yourself permission to start over — here, in this messy, uncertain, imperfect Seoul that didn’t look like your childhood dreams anymore.

Insecurities aside, you and Yeji had a sleepover — and it was pure, chaotic magic.

You dragged every pillow and blanket you could find into a giant mess on the living room floor, ordered enough fried chicken for a small army, and let yourselves be twenty again — loud, messy, unfiltered.

"Babe," Yeji said dramatically, waving a chicken drumstick like a magic wand. "You have missed so much, it’s actually criminal."

You snorted, reaching for a soda. "I was getting a whole-ass degree across the world, Yeji."

She rolled her eyes so hard you thought they might get stuck. "Babe, that’s not an excuse. Life was happening here!"

And then — casually, like she wasn’t about to emotionally assassinate you — she dropped it:

"Anyway, Jungkook set me up on a blind date."

You choked so hard on your drink you actually saw stars.

"WAIT. WHAT?!"

Yeji grinned like the evil little gremlin she was. "Yup. Your sweet little golden boy decided I was 'emotionally constipated' — his words, babe — and said I needed to get laid or I’d wither into a husk."

You howled with laughter, slapping the couch cushions.

"That sounds like Jungkook," you gasped. "I leave for five minutes and you’re getting pimped out like a drama character?!"

Yeji cackled. "AND GUESS WHAT. The guy? Actually hot. Actually amazing."

You sat up, alert. "Okay, DETAILS, BABE. I need the whole menu."

She leaned in like she was telling you state secrets.

"His name’s Namjoon. Works in publishing or editing or something sexy like that. He’s tall — like skyscraper tall — and he has dimples, babe. DIM. PLES." She clutched her chest like she was actually in physical pain.

You shrieked into a pillow.

"And he’s smart — like scary smart. He was talking about some book project and I swear, half the words he used aren’t even in the dictionary. I just sat there nodding like an idiot while falling in love."

You were CRYING laughing at this point. Yeji was full-body storytelling, waving her arms, reenacting every single moment.

"And THEN," she said, grabbing your wrist dramatically, "he took off his jacket, right? And — babe — the forearms. I was actually fighting for my life."

You wheezed. "Yeji, please, I’m BEGGING you."

"I’m not even joking, babe," she said solemnly. "The veins? The watch? I almost proposed."

You were half-sobbing, half-wheezing, sprawled backwards on the floor.

"And he listens, babe. Like actually listens when I talk. No pretending, no glazed-over look. Just... full attention. Like I’m saying something important."

Yeji’s voice softened a little then, and you caught the shine in her eyes.

You sat up properly, resting your chin on your knees. "You deserve that," you said, meaning it with your whole heart. "You deserve someone who looks at you like that."

Yeji smiled — that crumpled, overwhelmed smile she only got when she was trying really hard not to cry.

"And so do you, babe," she said fiercely, pointing a chicken bone at you for emphasis. "You deserve someone who doesn’t make you feel like you have to earn being loved."

Your throat closed up a little.

You grabbed a pillow and chucked it at her head instead of answering.

Yeji caught it, laughing, and for a little while, you just stayed like that — two girls in a blanket fort, talking about hot boys and scary feelings, trying to stitch yourselves back together with bad jokes and too much fried chicken.

The future could wait. Tonight, you had each other.

And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.

The door swung closed behind him with a soft thud.

You stood frozen, blanket slipping off your shoulders, heart crawling painfully up your throat.

It wasn’t Yoongi.

It was Hoseok.

You stared — half-awake, half-shocked — as he stepped inside, keys dangling from his fingers, a bag of takeout clutched in one hand.

It had been a long time.

Too long.

He looked different.

Not drastically, not in a way most people would notice. But you noticed.

The set of his jaw was a little sharper. The shadows under his eyes, a little deeper. The way he carried himself now — less bounce, more quiet gravity — it was all there, woven into the lines of his body like threads only you could see.

Still, he smiled when he saw you — easy, warm, familiar.

Like he always did.

"Long time no see, Star," he said, voice low, a little rough around the edges from sleep and travel.

And you —

You, who had loved him quietly, hopelessly, across countless summers and half-shared glances — you felt the name hit you square in the chest.

You forced a smile back, your fingers tightening unconsciously in the sleeves of Yoongi’s hoodie.

"Yeah," you managed, your voice thinner than you wanted it to be. "It’s been a while."

The words hung awkwardly between you, like wet clothes refusing to dry.

Hoseok shifted, scratching the back of his neck, glancing around the apartment without really seeing it.

He didn’t seem uncomfortable, exactly. Just... unsure.

Like he felt the weight of the years too — heavy and clumsy on his shoulders — but didn’t know what to do with it.

You watched him set the bag of food down carefully on the counter, his movements slower, more measured than you remembered.

You wondered if he noticed it too — the space between you, cracked and uneven now.

Life had pulled you apart. Not in a dramatic, explosive way. No fights, no betrayals.

Just... time.

The slow, inevitable erosion of closeness when neither side tries quite hard enough to hold on.

And it hurt, in a way you hadn’t been prepared for.

Because you remembered — God, you remembered — every stupid little moment from when he was a permanent fixture in your life.

The late nights talking about nothing. The way he used to steal your fries and pretend it was a fair trade. The way he used to laugh — head thrown back, completely unguarded — like nothing in the world could touch him.

You remembered all of it. And looking at him now — older, quieter, somehow lonelier — you realized with a slow, sick twist of your heart:

He probably didn’t.

Or if he did, it wasn’t etched into his bones the way it was for you.

He was just here. Dropping off food. Smiling at you like you were an old photo he forgot he ever loved.

And yet — in the way his eyes softened when they landed on you, in the small crease that appeared between his brows when you hugged your arms tighter around yourself —

you saw something.

A flicker.

A question he didn’t know how to ask.

He felt something too. He just didn’t know what it was yet.

Yeji stirred on the couch behind you, groaning loudly and kicking off a blanket.

You both startled, breaking the heavy, fragile eye contact like it hurt.

Yeji cracked one eye open and grinned sleepily.

"Morning," she mumbled. "Hope I’m not interrupting a moment."

You flushed, ducking your head, while Hoseok huffed a laugh — easy, thoughtless — and turned toward the kitchen.

"No moment," he said lightly.

And it was true.

There was no moment.

Not really.

Just a hundred thousand memories humming between you — all the things you never said, and all the versions of yourselves you could never go back to.

You watched his back as he unpacked the food, your heart heavier than you wanted to admit.

You were older now. You were supposed to know better.

But you still wanted — in quiet, stupid, impossible ways — for him to turn around and see you.

Really see you.

For the first time.

The second his plane touched down in Seoul, Hoseok called Yoongi.

It was instinct, not thought — muscle memory after all these years.

He leaned back in the taxi seat, exhaustion creeping deep into his bones, phone pressed loosely against his ear. The scent of rain on hot pavement bled in through the half-open window.

Three weeks away — three weeks of conferences and endless business dinners in Singapore. It had been good, objectively. A success, by anyone’s standards.

But Hoseok couldn’t shake the hollow feeling that clung to him — something he didn’t want to name.

It wasn’t that he hated what he was doing. It was secure. It was safe.

It just... wasn't the same.

Not the way dancing had been. Not the way it set his veins alight and made him feel like he was alive instead of just existing.

He pushed the thought away, listening as the call rang through.

It went to voicemail.

Typical.

Yoongi was busier these days — a head doctor now, constantly sprinting from one emergency to the next. Hoseok didn’t take it personally. He just shot a lazy text instead: yo you home? just landed.

Yoongi’s reply came a few minutes later: not till lunch. you can wait there if you want. key still works.

No details. No explanations. Just Yoongi.

Hoseok smiled faintly, the way you do when you miss someone without even realizing it.

He checked the time — almost noon.

He figured he had enough time to swing by the old place — their favorite little restaurant tucked behind a pharmacy on the corner — grab some takeout, and settle in at Yoongi’s apartment to wait.

No big deal.

He wasn’t expecting anything.

Definitely not... you.

When he unlocked the door with his copy of the key (because yes, they were those friends — the kind who shared everything without ever needing to ask), he thought he’d find an empty apartment, cold and still.

He did not expect the first thing he saw to be you.

Blankets everywhere. Messy hair. Oversized hoodie swallowing your frame.

And you — standing there barefoot, half-blinking at him like you were still halfway inside a dream.

For a second — a full, frozen second — Hoseok's entire brain short-circuited.

Star.

The name crashed into him like a freight train.

He hadn’t thought about you in months — or maybe he had, in small, quiet ways he hadn’t dared to admit.

You looked... different.

Not in the way that was easy to name. Not just the longer hair or the softer shape of your face.

It was deeper than that.

You held yourself differently now — a little heavier, a little slower, like life had settled into your skin instead of sitting lightly on your shoulders like it used to.

Your body, too — he noticed it before he could stop himself.

The curve of your waist, softer and fuller than he remembered. The slight dip where your hips met the hem of the hoodie, barely hidden, barely decent. The way your legs — longer, stronger — braced you instinctively like you were ready to run, or maybe stay.

You were a woman now.

Not the messy little girl who used to chase after him and Yoongi, trying to keep up. Not the bright-eyed teenager he used to laugh with in the summers.

A woman.

And fuck, it hit him so hard he actually forgot how to breathe for a second.

You were still you — still that soft, stubborn, reckless light he remembered — but everything about you was heavier now, richer. Alive in ways that made something deep inside him ache and burn all at once.

You stared at him like you couldn’t quite believe he was real either.

He managed to pull himself together — just barely — and smiled.

It wasn’t the easy, boyish grin he used to throw at you years ago. It was something smaller. Older. Sadder, maybe.

"Long time no see, Star," he said, voice low and a little rougher than he meant.

You flinched — not in fear, but in recognition.

Like hearing that name had broken something open between you, something you had both tried so hard to bury.

He watched as you fumbled for words, clutching the hem of your hoodie, cheeks coloring even as you tried to act casual.

He could see everything — the nervous twitch of your hands, the way your breath caught at the back of your throat, the way your gaze flickered over him like you didn’t know where to land.

It mirrored the way he felt: unsteady, too full, too much.

You said something — something about Yoongi not being there — but Hoseok barely heard it.

He was too busy memorizing you all over again.

The small things. The new things. The old things you still carried, tucked carefully inside yourself.

Something twisted in his chest — something dangerous and familiar.

He hadn’t expected this. Hadn’t expected you.

And standing there, with your bare feet on the hardwood, hair tangled, hoodie slipping off one shoulder, blinking at him like he was a ghost — he realized, dimly, terrifyingly:

He was completely fucked.

Hoseok had always been a happy teenager. Full of energy, full of noise, full of this impossible need to fill every room he entered.

But there had always been a sadness, too — quiet, stubborn, tucked deep in the marrow of his bones.

Something about him made people notice. Maybe it was his laughter — loud and reckless, daring the world to keep up. Maybe it was the way he carried his heart in his hands without apology.

But there were moments —moments even then where all that light would slip through the cracks, where he felt older than he had any right to be.

He was sixteen when he first realized it — that feeling of being too much and not enough all at once.

He hid it well. With teasing, mostly. With jokes and grins and a devil-may-care attitude that made it easy for everyone else to believe he was fine.

And he was. Mostly.

Especially around you.

You, who he loved to tease more than anyone.

You, his Star — though you didn’t know it then.

You never really knew why he called you that. You never asked. And he never told you.

But it was a memory he kept tucked carefully inside him — something small and sharp he would trace with his fingers when the world got too loud.

It had been a bad day. Not catastrophic. Just... bad in the quiet, ordinary ways that left bruises you couldn’t see.

His parents arguing again like they did sometimes — voices rising, anger curling under the doors. He was fourteen. Reckless, restless, angry at everything and nothing.

So he ran. Not far — just far enough.

He ran to the one place that still felt safe. Your house.

His second home.

And there you were — not waiting for him, not expecting anything—just there.

Sitting cross-legged on the living room floor, a book propped open in your lap, your tongue poking out slightly in concentration.

You were eleven. Far too young to understand the heaviness he carried in his chest.

Far too young to realize you saved him that day without even trying.

He remembered pausing in the doorway, breathless from running, heart pounding against his ribs — and for once, not from movement.

He watched you for a second. Just breathing.

You, who were calm where he was chaos. You, who were stubborn and sweet — to everyone except him. (He liked it that way. He liked that he had to work for your smiles.)

You noticed him eventually — glanced up, wide-eyed and bright.

And without hesitation, you started talking — telling him about whatever story you were reading, voice eager, stumbling over the words in your excitement.

He didn’t hear a single thing you said. Not really.

He just watched.

Listened.

Let the sound of your voice — full of something he had almost forgotten how to feel — wrap around the cracks inside him.

He didn't understand why it mattered so much. Not then.

All he knew was that, for a few stolen minutes, the sadness in him quieted.

And when you smiled God, when you smiled

It was like a whole new universe cracked open right in front of him.

You were so full of life it made his chest ache. So bright it hurt a little to look at you.

So he called you Star.

Because you were.

Because you were light when he needed it most. Because you reminded him — in that stupid, reckless, perfect moment — that not everything in his world was broken.

And even years later — even now, older and quieter and heavier — he remembered.

That day. That smile. That moment of peace he hadn’t known how to ask for but found anyway.

His Star.

Always his Star.

Even if he never told you.

Even if you never knew.

#hoseok smut #hoseok x reader #bts smut #jhope #hoseok #hobi #bts jhope #bts hobi #jung hoseok #bts #jung hoseok smut #namjoon smut #yoongi smut #jin smut #jungkook smut #taehyung smut

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def-initely-soul · 1 year ago

Text

Burn The Witch {5}

pairing: yoongi x reader (f.)

genre: supernatural; angst; mystery; magical society AU; magicals!AU

rating: PG-15

warnings: violence; emotional abuse; blood; bullying; mentions of murder; mature language; sexual themes

words: 4.2k

summary:

or alternatively, not everything is always what it seems

previous part: {4}

It’s another few days before you move on with your plan.

It’s already weird enough to visit Xefoto’s only club on a Tuesday night, even more so when you and Yoongi aren’t even remotely dressed for the occasion.

This is the place Dean usually hangs around and strikes his “business deals”, so you’re bound to run into him here tonight. Eventually.

As to how you know this is Dean’s spot... well, that’s another story.

“Okay, it’s been more than an hour and a half and still no sign of this... “Dean” guy. Just say you wanted to take me out for a drink and be done with it!” Yoongi’s eyes are full of mirth, as he rests sideways at the bar.

You turn on your stool to face him. “I told you, he’s really discreet about these things, you can’t just expect him to barge in and start asking around if someone wants to cut a deal with him,” you explain, ignoring his teasing attempt, before your eyes scan the room for the millionth time. “We got to wait, make sure he’s up for a conversation.”

Yoongi’s chill demeanour dissipates, and he groans, leaning his upper body on the bar. “And how legit is this... werewolf guy?” he utters the word with great difficulty, and you can’t help but look at him disapprovingly.

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those vampires that still believe in that “mortal enemies” bullshit...” Yoongi groans at the obvious disdain in your voice.

“Well, no but still... they’re werewolves,” he continues, though his voice contains significantly less confidence than before.

“So?” you raise an eyebrow.

“So, they’re beasts,” he shrugs his shoulders, turning his gaze away in what seems like an avoidance tactic, but you have none of it.

“Once a month,” you observe, and Yoongi rolls his eyes at your persistence to not drop the subject.

“Still, they’re dangerous...”

“To whom? Humans? In that case we’re all dangerous to humans,” you retaliate, taking a sip from your drink, and Yoongi presses his lips in a thin line, clearly not having put that much thought to it before.

“Yes, but none of us loses control like werewolves do. You must admit, a werewolf out of control isn’t just dangerous to humans but to magicals too...” he casts a glance your way, certain that would be the thing that makes you reconsider but you shake your head.

“Are you telling me that when a vampire goes into bloodlust he’s not as dangerous and catastrophic to humans and magicals?” you answer back defiantly and Yoongi groans tiredly.

“Oh, come on that’s different... A vampire going into bloodlust isn’t happening every month...” he explains, rubbing the base of his taut neck and you have to remind yourself to redirect your gaze.

“No, it may not, but it’s effects are just as severe, or worse, than a werewolf transforming. Plus, werewolves know their transformation is coming so they take the appropriate measures each full moon, to not harm anyone. Can you say the same for vampires going into bloodlust?” you reply calmly and when his eyes widen, you know you have him.

“I... No, I can’t, but still, it’s not the same...” he struggles to justify his reasoning but even in his ears, his retaliation is weak.

“Why? Because one doesn’t get a say in their transformation while the other feeds on human blood to survive? That analogy isn’t doing your species any justice now, is it?” this time your words leave him shocked and confused, failing to give you an answer.

Something finally shifts in his gaze, and you wonder if you managed to at least make him see things from a different point of view.

Yoongi swallows, still taken aback before he turns to face the bar and takes a sip from his drink. You watch with mild interest as he seems to ponder over your words, eyebrows knitted together, surely struggling to digest something himself mustn’t have thought of before.

“I...” he begins, his eyes stuck at the bottom of his glass, “I guess I’ve never thought about it like that... Wow, I sound like a douchebag,” he chuckles in disbelief at the end, his voice lowered in contemplation and almost shame. You didn’t expect him to change his mind immediately of course, but the fact that he even accepted your words for what they are, says an awful lot about his character. People tend to deny whatever doesn’t agree with their beliefs. He didn’t.

Which makes you want to know more about him. As if you didn’t already.

“You do...” you agree calmly, and he looks at you stunned for a moment. Before he sighs and turns to look at his drink with barely concealed disappointment.

“But” you startle him once more, and his eyes find you again, black hair falling just above his eyes, framing them in a soft, innocent kind of way, “You’re aware about it. Which is the most I can say about other people, so that’s a start. It’s not even close to doing better but at least now you have a starting point. And you can do something about it.”

Your words seem to shake something in him, and he hums in understanding. A soft, sheepish smile takes over his lips, showing his gratitude in a simple, discreet way.

And then his smile turns into a teasing smirk. “You should be a professional life coach, that speech was very Tedtalk of you,” he teases with glinting eyes. You find yourself smiling at him, even though your groan.

“I’m never saying anything to you, ever again...” you grumble, returning to your drink.

Yoongi does the same. “Good luck with that...” he winks at you, and a groan breaks free from you throat just as your heart misses a beat.

“Ugh, as soon as Dean arrives, I’m out of here.”

“Isn’t he treating you right, doll?”

The voice sounds right next to your ear, and you jump around.

Only to see the man you came here looking for, staring at you with interest and a sinful smirk to match.

Damn, you forgot how hot he was.

Still, Dean’s arrival doesn’t faze you. Not like it does Yoongi (who almost spits out his drink from the heaviness of the newcomer’s voice). Instead, you look at the werewolf boy who looks like he enjoys what’s in front of him a little too much.

“I’ll take care of you and maybe I’ll teach handsome here a thing or two if he’d like. I’m feeling naughty tonight...” Dean’s eyes are soon upon Yoongi, drinking him in with appreciation, as one would look at a painting. Or dessert.

Then he winks at him with all the confidence in the world and Yoongi sputters something that sound like he’s swearing.

Although you’re sure his ears are turning red.

“Actually, we’re here for something else-” you get interrupted by Dean, leaning over you. His face hovers above yours and one strand of hair falls across his forehead.

“And here I thought you were back for seconds...” he whispers lowly, the timbre of his voice cascading down your spine, reminding you of things which are not appropriate for this particular conversation.

You catch Yoongi faltering with the corner of your eye. But you don’t have your wits gathered to comment on his behaviour, too preoccupied with the man staring at you like he stared at Yoongi a moment earlier.

You swallow the lump in your throat, ignoring his flaming eyes, trying to focus on the issue at hand. Yoongi keeps looking at you with caution, true to his promise of letting you do the talking, as his finger taps against his drink.

“Nope. Not here for that...” you repeat, as if trying to convince yourself as well. You shake your head, trying to escape your sudden stupor and level Dean with a serious gaze.

The werewolf boy raises an eyebrow. “None of you?”

Yoongi coughs loudly and you put your question of it aside, to give Dean a negative shake of your head.

He sighs dramatically as he drops his body against the bar, leisurely staring up at the ceiling. “Fine, I guess I’ll have to entertain myself differently... So, what’s it you’re really here for...?” he comments as he beckons the bartender over.

Yoongi’s scrutinizing eyes keep following the other man, as he finishes the last of his drink.

“We’re here because-” you begin to answer, but Dean interrupts you when the bartender arrives.

“Ah, there you are. I’ll have a White Russian and- what were you drinking pretty boy?”

It takes you a minute to realise he’s talking at Yoongi. You belatedly turn your attention to the vampire boy on the other side of you and you can’t help but notice the way his eyes remain stuck forward.

Like if he stays still enough maybe Dean won’t see him.

“It’s on me...” the werewolf boy says instead, very much seeing Yoongi through half-lidded eyes. Yoongi dares cast him a glance, only to see Dean biting his lip appreciatively.

Yoongi grows redder than a bloody mary, returning his focus forward and you can’t help but feel curious.

“No response? Well, then...” Dean shrugs as the bartender walks away with his order.

You roll your eyes before attempting to, again, pick up his interest.

“We’re here because we need you to find something for us...” you announce with a steady voice, and Dean looks at you. He looks somewhat bored now that he’s come to term with not having any of the two of you on his bed at the end of the night.

“Doesn’t anyone, love?” he replies impassively, as his eyes wonder the now almost-full bar. But it seems his nonchalance has struck a chord in Yoongi’s demeanour. With a tired sigh, the vampire boy turns to at last talk to Dean.

“We’re not talking about your “relaxing substances”. What we’re looking for is something a bit more arcane, and basically “forbidden” in this shitty town,” Yoongi hisses, his irritation palpable in the atmosphere and Dean raises an eyebrow at his sudden outburst.

“Ah, so he speaks...” he comments dryly just as his drink arrives. Yoongi blinks before shaking his head and resuming his previous position, trying to appear as relaxed and calm as possible.

Dean stares at him for another moment before, “Okay, I admit, you’ve piqued my interest. So, what is that “forbidden by Xefoto’s standards” thing you’re looking for?”. Then he takes a sip from his drink.

“A book,” you reply instantly.

Dean’s gaze meets your own this time. “I’m assuming it cannot be found in the public library...”

You shake your head, and he sighs.

“What kind of book are we talking about?” He inquiries.

“A witch’s book,” you say, and he chuckles almost immediately.

“Figured that much. What kind of a witch’s book?”

What kind? There’s a lot?!

Of course, there’s a lot! You can’t expect a witch to go around her life with only one book!

“I...” you mumble, clearly unprepared for that type of question. The truth is you don’t know the answer. You never knew there were more than one book, so whatever you say now is bound to be wrong.

Shame creeps up again, crawling up your spine. What kind of witch are you, not knowing there is more than one book?!

“The apprentice’s guide.”

Shock floods you and you turn at Yoongi, who’s just risen from his stool to look at Dean again. Dean honestly looks like his favourite dessert just arrived.

You release a heavy breath, thankful that at least Yoongi knew what you were looking for. Though now it seems the two boys are locked into a starring match.

Dean looks at Yoongi as if he’s ready to devour him, all heavy-lidded eyes and promising grins and you have to remind yourself to stay focused.

Yoongi on the other hand looks at Dean with the air of calm confidence you’ve learned to pick up whenever he means business. His gaze is made of steel, staring at the werewolf boy perfectly still, willing him to challenge him just to see how far he can go.

“Alright,” Dean replies after a while, setting his drink on the counter. “I’ll see what I can do...”

Your eyes light up, and you jump out of your stool. “Really?”

Dean sighs dramatically. “A deal’s a deal. I assume you’re prepared for the financial compensation...” he looks over at you with a raised eyebrow.

You swallow your nervousness but nod either way. Truth is this will put a dump in your savings but it’s nothing they can’t handle.

Dean hums, satisfied. “Alright. I’m gonna do my research, but you should expect it somewhere in the next two weeks.”

“Great, thank you for helping,” Yoongi says, getting out of his stool to stand next to you. He levels his eyes with Dean in what seems to you only as a silent threat.

Dean regards this only with a knowing smile. “I never back out of an interesting deal. Although...” he pauses to once again check out both of you. “My other offer still stands...” he continues as he leans over you once more.

“I wouldn’t mind repeating that night sweetheart. Great things shouldn’t be done only once...” his eyes fall to your lips, and you have to remind yourself to breathe. His words wake up memories from this very bar from a year ago with stunning detail.

Your cheeks redden, your pulse quickens and you’re pretty sure you feel something between your legs. As if merely his voice managed to remind you of the feeling his hands left on your skin.

A cough brings you back to reality and you look towards the noise. Only to see Yoongi covering his mouth with his fist and looking over the crowd.

Dean, of course, doesn’t miss the sound, the same lustful intention hiding in his eyes as he regards the vampire boy. “Of course, you’re invited as well pretty boy. We three would paint a stunning picture...”

You want the ground to swallow you whole, trying to think of anything other than what Dean is insinuating. “We’re good, thank you,” you reply swiftly, trying to push a very stunned Yoongi backwards toward the exit.

Dean’s smirk only grows at both of your flustered reactions. Then he raises his drink in a departing salute.

And with that mental image in your head, you leave the bar.

As you make your way back to “Selkie’s Place” for a rundown of your visit and a much-needed breather, you can’t help but think of how Yoongi reacted to Dean’s shameless behaviour. One might say the vampire boy wasn’t just angry at his advances.

You can’t help but feel curious.

You steal a look at his pensive figure, his eyes stuck at the road in front of him, just as the bar comes into view.

“So...” you begin cautiously, causing Yoongi’s eyes to meet your own. “What do you think?”

Yoongi takes in your question before, “He seemed legit. Willing to help and pretty cooperative,” he recounts in thought. “But I wouldn’t put it past him to go back on his word. We should tread lightly,” he finishes just as you pass the front gate.

“Uh huh...” you nod dubiously, “but that’s not really what I’m asking about...” you reply calmly, opening the door to the pub. You try to tread the subject lightly, not really sure if Yoongi is up for that conversation with you.

Yoongi stills for a second, eyes wide before, “then what are you asking about?”. His words are cautious but that same glint of mischievousness you’re used to, rises up from his voice.

A wave of relief washes over you quickly, before you roll your eyes playfully. “Come on, you grew redder than a tomato back there...”

“Was it that noticeable?” he muses as you reach the bar stools.

“I’d say...” you climb up the seat, while waiting for his reply but it never comes. He has fallen silent, and you dare take a peek at him.

He’s staring at his joined hands at the top of the counter, dark hair falling at the sides of his face and while he looks like a painting sitting like this, you realize your question must have put him in a tough spot after all.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable...” your voice is soft, remorse evident in it as Yoongi finally turns to look at you, lost in thought.

But then he shakes his head, smiling earnestly at you. “No, you didn’t, I just...” he stops, as if recollecting whatever he was about to say to mull it over. You patiently wait, letting him say whatever he wants, in his own pace.

“I’m... bi,” he responds finally, eyes cautiously searching for your reaction.

Even though you suspected as much, the words still startle you. It’s another thing to believe that something is true and another thing to know it is.

Yoongi’s eyes still look wary of you, and you realise you must have shown no reaction at all.

You smile immediately, wanting to put him at ease. Revealing something like that is never easy. You should know.

“Thank you for telling me,” you say softly, and Yoongi’s shoulders visibly relax. A breathless chuckle escapes him.

He nods at you with a small smile, but his gaze turns curious, almost... expectant.

But you say nothing as you turn to wave at Mona, coming from the kitchen.

A moment passes where Yoongi is silent, and you refuse to look at whatever expression might be on his face.

Instead, he clears his throat, getting rid of the sudden awkwardness. “So, about that book...”

You almost sag down in relief. “What about it?” you ask, raising an eyebrow.

“Have you really never seen one before?”

You blink, unsure of how to answer. “I...” you begin, taken aback, before you sigh. “No... I mean my mom had one of her own when she was younger, but I’ve never seen it....”

Yoongi frowns. “Is it not around your home?”

You shake your head. “She only needed it when she was still learning, at her childhood home. She didn’t have any use for it when she got older. She already knew everything by heart...”

Like all the times she used to practice spells back at home. Of simple ones and hexes to get through every day's chores, or just cute rhymes to make your toys float, simply because you asked her to.

A bittersweet smile takes over your lips. Until you remember of the boy sitting next to you and you shake the memories away.

Yoongi still looks at you intently. His eyes give away nothing of what he’s thinking but for some reason you feel... assured. Understood. Not a peck of judgement or pity resides in his eyes, and you know you can allow yourself to feel safe around him.

You take a breath, willing yourself to get back on track. “Anyways, since you’ve seen one before, I bet it won’t take us long to find the spell now, will it?” you joke, and Yoongi gives you half a chuckle that instantly chases away your melancholy.

But as an impromptu smile almost takes over your lips, a tall figure stumbles into the bar and your eyes go wide. You’d know this clumsiness with feet everywhere.

Namjoon’s wide shoulders bump into someone and as he turns to apologize, you quickly redirect your gaze to Yoongi.

It takes a second to register he was about to tease you back, but when he meets your gaze, he realizes something is wrong.

All you can think right now is that you don’t want Namjoon tangled in all this mess. You can’t have your friend dragged into all this, no matter how much he wants to help.

So, you signal Yoongi to stop talking before Namjoon overhears anything he isn’t supposed to. Cause if he does, there’s no stopping him in helping you.

Yoongi’s mouth shuts immediately. His eyebrows scrunch in and his gaze turns to whoever your frantic smile is directed at, as said stranger approaches your company.

“Heyyy, what’s up guys?” Namjoon steps up to the two of you with his signature smile, although it’s not often you see it come out so forced. You haven’t told him anything about Yoongi, so you guess his reaction is kind of warranted.

“Hi! We were just...” you start though all possible excuses evade you and you’re left staring at your friend like a deer in headlights.

“We were partnered for a project in the “interspecies rights” lectures,” comes Yoongi answer to once again save you from embarrassment. You are thankful for his lie, but you can’t help but wonder how he knows you’re enrolled in those classes.

Namjoon turns to you. He doesn’t look convinced.

He sighs.

“Ah, I see. Well, good luck, I hear Professor Argenal is tough as nails...” he replies as he takes a seat next to Yoongi, the picture of nonchalance.

You can tell though he doesn’t believe you, not really. He’s just letting it go for the time being.

“I’m Namjoon by the way,” he gives out his hand to the vampire boy, who takes it warmly and introduces himself.

“So, I didn’t know you guys hang out here!” the elf boy tries at a conversation opening and your nerves ease for the second time tonight.

“Ah yeah, we figured it’d be easier with Y/N working, and it’s a pretty good space for studying it seems,” Yoongi replies calmly and Namjoon nods.

“What about the campus’s library?” he inquiries.

Yoongi startles at that, and instinctively his gaze turns to you. “I...” he begins, at loss of words.

Why haven’t you visited the library? Ah, yeah, cause Yoongi thought it wiser to remain as under the radar as possible.

You know the sane reaction to this question would be to try and find a reasonable enough excuse of why you can’t go to the library. But truth be told, it seems his attitude towards you two being seen together, bothers you more than you once thought.

So, you cannot help the heated words escaping your mouth.

“Too crowded to work,” you reply, when you see Mona beckoning you over and you stand up to go to her. “People might actually see us.”

You only catch a glimpse of Yoongi’s bewildered gaze, before you leave the two boys alone.

Yoongi watches you go to Mona with perplexity. He took your words for the jab that they were, but he couldn’t understand what the jab was about.

“Uh, did you know what that was about?” he turns to Namjoon.

The blond man looks at him warily before he sighs. “How much do you know about Y/N?”

“Mostly what everyone does, with the small difference of actually knowing she’s innocent,” Yoongi replies quickly, somehow offended by Namjoon’s inquiry.

A tired sigh escapes Namjoon. “Look, I didn’t mean to offend you or whatever. All I wanted to know is how comfortable you are with one another.”

“Oh...” Yoongi deflates. “Sorry...”

Namjoon shakes his apology off. “It’s alright. So, you already know she grew up mostly alone, with basically no friends, right?” The elf boy questions him kindly and Yoongi nods.

“So, you should also be aware of the fact she doesn’t trust people easily. Hell, when we first started hanging out, she constantly tried to bail on me. She thought I was pulling a prank on her or something...”

Yoongi frowns at the thought of a young you, being so hurt you couldn’t believe someone wanted to be friends. “Okay...?”

“What I’m saying is...” Namjoon stops to rethink his words. He turns his focus completely on Yoongi before he speaks again. “I don’t know what it is you’re really doing, and I won’t ask since it’s clear she doesn’t want me to know. But what I’m getting is you don’t want to be seen on campus together?”

Yoongi nods.

“Why is that?” comes Namjoon’s curious question and Yoongi bites his tongue. If he tells him why, then he’ll have to tell him about helping you. And for some strange reason you don’t want that. So, he keeps his mouth shut.

Namjoon exhales once more. “You can’t talk about that either, huh?”. He stops for a second to recollect his thoughts. Yoongi has an inkling the boy tends to do that a lot whenever its concerning Y/N.

The elf boy finally takes a deep breath and sits up straight.

“Your reluctance to be seen together on campus could make her think you’re ashamed to be seen with her at all.”

Yoongi’s eyes widen and his mouth drops open. “What?! That’s definitely not it and she knows that!”

Namjoon’s somber eyes meet the vampire boy. “I didn’t say it makes sense. I’m just telling you what might be going on.”

Yoongi falls silent after that. It never even crossed his mind you’d perceive it as such. He thought it was a pretty smart decision on his part to avoid raising suspicion. But now after everything Namjoon told him, he knows he has to do something about it.

He doesn’t want you thinking he’s ashamed of you. Something inside irks him at the thought.

His eyes find you across the room, talking to Mona about something and already he tries to think of ways to make it up to you.

“Why are you telling me this?” Yoongi asks Namjoon, his eyes still on you.

“Cause she’s my friend. And I want her to be happy,” Namjoon admits as his gaze follows Yoongi’s.

And Yoongi can’t help but agree with his words.

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justbelievinginmagic · 7 months ago

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hi! im haley. she/her. 26. a place to read fanfiction ♡, write fanfiction ♡, & reblog kpop men ♡. i'm trying to update like a waltz & im(mortal) monthly; all of my other fics are updated whenever i feel like it! i do not have a taglist fyi! all my reader fics are fem!reader! please be +18!

✦ . ⁺ about me. my art. my ao3. ⁺ . ✦

ATEEZ Like a Waltz Masterlist

OT8 x Reader | When 8 mysterious bachelors arrive to town and fall for your charms, will you be able to reach your goal to be prima ballerina or will you be dragged into a selfish waltz between love and obsession? Divergent-1900′s Mafia AU.

When Worlds Collide Masterlist

OT8 x Reader | What if Aniteez appeared on Ateez's ship after being sent through a Cromer wormhole? How would the two crews work and live in harmony when worlds collide? Slice of (Sky Pirate) Life AU.

Mirage Masterlist

OT8 x Reader | When a surprise attack by the emotionless Android Guardians strikes the airship, the Illusion, a shattering choice sends you back to a time before you met the crew of Ateez, before piracy, and before the rise of the Guardian's Initiative! Divergent Ateez Lore / Technopunk Pirates / Time Travel AU.

Bewitched Masterlist

Seonghwa x Reader | All your life you had been asked: would you be a good witch or a bad witch? You wanted to be a good witch. and, finally, you would be! the day arrived; you were going to Shiz University, the most-esteemed magical college in all of Oz! You were prepared to work hard and make your dreams come true. but when you stumble upon cold bullies and an even colder sorcerer-in-training named Park Seonghwa who seemed to captivate you at every turn, will you be able to achieve your magical goals or will you fall under his spell? Wicked AU.

The Captain & His Sea ; The Sea & Her Moon Drabbles

Davy Jones!Hongjoong x Calypso!Reader | When the goddess of the sea fell in love, a gift became a curse upon the lovers. Pirates of the Caribbean AU.

you can devour me whole; i dedicate to you my life

Seonghwa x Hongjoong x Reader | you've escaped your vampiric lovers at least... you thought you did. but at every turn you are haunted by them. will you ever feel like yourself again or are you simply theirs? Yandere Vampire AU.

BTS The Dragon-Blood Chronicles Masterlist

OT7 X Fem!Reader | Dragon-blood folk have been gone for centuries. But, when Prince Namjoon gets sent away from the Palace at a young age for unruly behavior, things begin to change in the kingdom, and eight magical fates begin to unravel. Fantasy / Dragon AU.

I Need U Masterlist

Taehyung x Original Female Character | This fic incorporates a female original character named Song Nari into the Bangtan Universe (focusing primarily on HYYH storyline and Smeraldo lore while incorporating BU MVs) and explores her relationships with the boys throughout the years as things go wrong and right before their lives get forever changed by a wish made by not only Seokjin but Nari. Will her presence change what happens in the end? HYYH AU.

One Shots Inspired By Songs Masterlist

ENHYPEN im(mortal) Masterlist

OT7 x Reader | Seven souls search for answers about their forced immortality. In the process, they find more than they could imagine brewing - including a strange magnetic pull towards a human woman. Will they be able to find their humanity once more or will their world crumble beneath the weight of immortality? Sci Fi Vampire AU

STRAY KIDS Ariadne’s Thread Masterlist

Hyunjin x Reader | When tempted by an intoxicating offer by Hyunjin the Goblin King, you fight against him to find your own sense of self once more while in the Labyrinth. Labyrinth / Faerie AU.

Burrow Masterlist

Chan x Hyunjin x Reader | After escaping the facility that made you what you were, you strive to reunite your broken trio and build a life that was worth living. Sci Fi Hybrid AU.

do you even lift, bro??

Changbin x Plus-Sized!Reader | Changbin loves showing off for you. Idol AU.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER Starstruck Masterlist

Yeonjun x Reader x Kai | When the Ever-Lasting Star stops tick-tocking over a fantastical land, the very fabric of the world begins to change. A princess faces magical curses, mythical beasts, corrupt cults, and old friends in order to rewire the universe to find your true happily ever after. Fantasy AU.

(fyi: i cross-post all my works on ao3 under the same username!)

divider credit @anitalenia!!

#pinned post.

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sepublic · 7 months ago

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My hot take is that Pilot Gus has been a thing since the pitch bible, it’s just that he’s the character who’s gone through the most revisions in terms of aesthetic;

He’s Tibbles. Or Tibbles was him. They’re small nerdy friends of Luz who stand out as having an interest in human realm stuff. One of the pitched episode concepts was Tibbles and Eda attempting to throw Luz a human party only for their misunderstanding of human culture to lead to chaos, which is perfectly in line with canon Gus clearly not knowing what he’s talking about but meaning it in full earnest. Tibbles and Paulina AKA Pilot Willow are even on the same page together, and Willow and Gus are a classic duo.

After all, look at Hunter! William is a very different character, with a different name and appearance, different personality/vibes, and a different backstory. Yet there are a lot of recurring elements between both versions of the character that you can’t deny Hunter is William after having gone through multiple revisions.

In the end, it’s clear that the writers took the character of Tibbles and just made him a “human” kid, and then expanded on his character from there. It’s possible they just came to this conclusion on their own. It could be a result of Disney pushing the Hexside angle, so the writers converted Tibbles into another peer for Luz, rather than making a new character. Him being a witch student also allowed the writers to expand on one of the nine coven magics as well! And I wouldn’t be surprised if executives pushed for the revised Tibbles to look human for relatability.

But the writers were obviously attached to the concept of a porcine demon named Tibbles, so they retained him but with a radically different personality to fulfill a separate niche of minor antagonist they’d drafted for some other episodes. Even in canon, Tibbles still retains a connection to human artifacts, albeit much more incidental to his character and out of utilitarian, economic interests; He scavenged human trash and briefly sold The Good Witch Azura books, only to give up once Amity proved to be the only buyer. Which hilariously makes Tibbles a contributor towards Lumity.

Dang I want to imagine a plot where Gus and Tibbles interact directly (amidst a salty exchange acknowledging Tibbles’ attempted revenge on Gus in Really Small Problems) and the show gets really meta about how they’re two halves of the same character, albeit with Gus clearly being the more “whole” of the two. It’s a story that works without the BTS knowledge but with it, it makes the whole bit feel enriched.

Obviously it’d be a plot about the Gus and Tibbles having similarities in their shared connection to human garbage, and maybe their respective dynamics with Eda. Possibly discussing/exploring the motives for their interest, which could get into Gus’ motives and how he fell in love with human culture. In fact if Eda wasn’t necessarily the source of Gus’ first exposure, it could’ve damn well been Tibbles!

And since it’s Tibbles, Gus doesn’t really bond with him (esp if like Amity, Gus got it from Tibbles indirectly) and that’s why he’s fairly lonely by the time S1 rolls around, and he’s more impressed by Eda instead. It explains how Gus knows about human stuff, but doesn’t have a particular connection to Eda until they interact through Luz. Tibbles and Eda have a minor rivalry going along as black market potions sellers who have human garbage as a side gig, so it feels appropriate.

As does Tibbles also having a connection with Mattholomule over this human garbage they’re intentionally misrepresenting, which… Jeez, does this provide a backdrop to Mattholomule usurping the HAS with fake human artifacts???? Huh. I guess Tibbles is a contributor to Gustholomule as well. He’s surprisingly connected but I guess that makes sense when this guy was supposed to be a lot more involved before Gus took his place, or rather Tibbles became Gus. It’s weird.

What’d really sell the connection is Gus having a pig palisman, but a chameleon is more relevant when it comes to the final canon. And what’d make things insane is if Gus and Tibbles look at their family trees and realize they stem from a common ancestor, the implicit Tibbles the First, as Tibbles being the Third indicates. Tibblet-Tibblie Grimm Hammer I looks just like the pitch bible… All of this could be the basis for Tibbles to turn around and explain why he was invited to Luz’s Quincenera years later.

#The Owl House #Gus Porter #Augustus Porter #The Owl House Tibbles #The Owl House Pilot #Meta #Parallels

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btescape · 3 months ago

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Unbound VI - (BTS x Reader)

↳ index

T/W: Mentions of injury.

Pairing: Reader x Taehyung, Reader x Jungkook (and a tiny bit of ot7),

A/N: Here's an extra long chapter because I wanted to add in a lot of details for the first day. I'm sorrrry it's still slow-paced, but in the next chapter I will finally add an actual interaction with Jungkook. And from Chapter 8 I promise will pick up the pace!! Thank you to those who are still interested.

In this one: first class from a shady teacher, an altercation with the school’s queen bee and being paired up with an Elite in class.

** Credits for line divider by strangergraphics-archive

Word count: 6065

Previous ∘•···•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•···• Next

Chapter VI - The First Day

The first class of the day.

And you are already running late.

The Academy's hallways are a labyrinth and the moving staircases seem to have no sympathy for first years who are unfamiliar with its layout. The corridors are ever shifting, sometimes out of convenience, most of the time out of pure spite.

Your boots slam against the stone tiles as you throw yourself upon another spiraling staircase.

“Left corridor, second spiral. Three arches and don't blink or the floor will disappear.” Yuqi had warned this morning.

Somewhere above, the clocktower chimes a warning bell and you mutter a series of curses under your breath your grandmother would certainly not approve of.

Currently, you aren’t sure which is worse: commanding a Wraith in front of an entire school of nobles that already looked down on you or the illogical architecture of this cursed Academy.

With a final jump, you land onto a proper step; one that finally remains still, and sprint your way toward the first classroom.

Trying to ease the nerves in your stomach, you mentally review your schedule:

8:00 | Principles of Evocation (Theory) – Professor Park Jinyoung.

10:00 – History of Lunareth and Magical Theory – Professor Yoo Jae Suk.

12:00 – Lunch

13:30 – Fundamentals of Abjuration (Theory) – Professor Kim Jaejoong.

15:00 – Mixed Practical: Magic Application & Control – Professor Lee Hyori. Instructor-led session with combat demonstrations and spellcasting drills.

Theoretical classes are with other first year students, so you won't be reunited with Yuqi, Soyeon and Shuhua until later. Nor the Elite. Which is both a relief and a disappointment.

On the bright side, your ranking in the trials have earned you the top spot, meaning practical classes are with the best students within the Academy— your friends, enemies, and everything in between.

This also means Jeon Jungkook and Kim Jennie will be breathing down your neck by sunset, though as of right now you had other things to worry about and surviving Evocation Theory is the top priority on that list.

Room 9A: Evocation I: Controlled Energy & Magical Foundations. Instructor: Park J.

With a quick exhale, you push the door open and the moment you step inside, the room falls silent.

Within the classroom, around thirty students are settled behind rows of obsidian marbled desks, perfectly arranged beneath arched, glass windows. Wearing their robes, their family crest is visible in each detail of their accessories; carved into golden rings, embroidered in their crisp, white blouses. Most of them have known magic since birth— you can sense the entitlement radiating from them as their eyes turn to you, none with kindness.

The whispers follow in an instant.

“She’s the one, right? The Necromancer?.”

“A slum rat, ranked first. Can you imagine?”

“No one controls a Leviathan Wraith without selling part of their soul.”

“She probably got lost on her way to the catacombs.”

By now, you are used to the unwanted attention. Your entire life has been this way.

Ignoring their comments, you scan the room to find the only empty seat in a corner in the back. You head straight for it, slipping into a seat beside the window, alone, and grab your quill and parchment from your satchel.

Barely a minute later, the classroom door creaks open. Everyone straightens and the murmurs die down.

In walks a tall, middle-aged man with silver-rimmed glasses framing mud-colored eyes. His dark robes sweep behind him, his ink black hair pulled back as a stack of neatly bound books levitates behind him.

He doesn't speak at first. Instead, he steps onto the platform at the front, studying the room with a stern gaze. “Good morning,” He starts in a calm voice. “I am Professor Park Jinyoung. Welcome to the Principles of Evocation Theory for Beginners,” His eyes are still sweeping the room and linger on you briefly. “Though, some of you have apparently decided to skip the 'beginner' part altogether.”

A few students chuckle, knowing all too well the person those words are meant for.

With a flick of his fingers, the books descend onto his desk. Another gesture with his hand and the chalk scrawls his name across the board in elegant lettering.

“Evocation is the art of destruction,” He begins, “Fire. Lightning. Ice. Sonic waves. It is magic of the physical world and when misused, it becomes the most dangerous form of sorcery in existence. That is why it requires not only power—” He pauses, arching a brow—“but also control.”

It’s clear his words are aimed at you, but you refuse to react.

“I have read your files,” He continues. “I know some of you have a natural affinity for Evocation. That is not the same as understanding it. Instinct may serve you in a battle, but here, it is as much a liability as it is a talent. Wild magic gets people hurt or worse..”

Another glance in your direction and you sit straighter. “Today,” He announces, “we begin with theory. The fundamentals. You may think you have mastered fire because you have lit a few candles or destroyed a training dummy. I assure you—you have not.”

He waves a hand and a globe of fire blooms in the air above him. It hangs, then folds in on itself into a tiny orb. “Control is not about what you can unleash. It’s about what you can withhold.”

The flame flickers out. He turns back to the class, and this time, he doesn’t look at you. “Open your textbooks on page one. And take note—if you find Evocation beneath you, or if you think raw power is enough, I suggest you rethink your place here.”

Your second class of the day, The History of Lunareth, passes in a blur.

Professor Yoo Jae Suk is energetic, oddly charming and clearly passionate about his subject. He displays golden maps, floating diagrams and he speaks like he is narrating a bedtime story for bored nobles. Pacing the room with wild hand gestures, he conjures illusions of past wars and royal decrees and you're still scribbling notes when the bell rings— finally announcing lunch time.

The Grand Hall is everything you expected it to be.

High, vaulted ceilings are enchanted to mirror the sky outside, reflecting scattered clouds, a bright blue sky and golden sunlight pouring through. Tiles of silver and navy gleam beneath your feet and the scent of freshly baked bread, roasted vegetables and smoked meats linger in the air.

It feels inviting, but the hierarchy is clear even here.

On a slightly raised platform, a polished mahogany dining table sits at its centre. Gilded chairs and rows of porcelain dishes have been prepared neatly. Kim Jennie is already seated in the centre with two of her friends on either side; one is called Rosé, you remember her from your first day. The other has a warm-toned skin and brown, doe eyes and the fourth girl, seated across from them, is twirling a spoon in her tea whilst listening to her friends laugh.

Even the dishes in front of them are lavish, more so than the food other nobles are being served. Glazed wyvern meat, smoked lamb and fruits. Floating gently above their goblets, there seems to be fire-spun sugar in the shape of roses.

You didn’t even know food could float.

Then again, you’ve spent your life eating stale bread and whatever stew your grandmother could make using potatoes.

Everyone else sits on the main floor— long wooden tables, sturdy benches. The conversations pause when you enter.

It doesn't take long before you notice your new friends.

Yuqi is already waving at you frantically, nearly knocking over a pitcher in the process, and she ignores every glance that turns her way. Walking past the table of staring students, you try not to pay attention to them. You have food to inhale and exactly zero energy for more ego bruises today.

You slide into the seat beside Yuqi and she shoves a goblet of ice water toward you. “So? Did you make it in time to Principles of Evocation?” She asks, her elbow rest on the table and her head is propped in the palm of her hand as she watches you with mild interest.

You shudder at the thought of the moving stairwells. “Barely.”

“I don't blame you,” She says. “Last year, one of the staircases swallowed an entire sixth year student.”

“Seriously?” You gasp, widening your eyes at her sudden statement.

“No. But it could happen.”

You snort, already feeling some of the tension ease off your shoulders. You glance at the food being served today—silver trays slide down the tables, revealing tomato soup, roasted wild fowl glazed in moonwine, buttered root vegetables and flaky cinammon rolls that refill themselves.

It feels like a crime to eat something set up so beautifully.

Shuhua senses your uncertainty. “Aesthetics and carbs. Welcome to the true nobility experience.” She grins as she plucks a roll from the tray.

Soyeon pops a bite of meat in her mouth, chews and swallows it. “Anyway, how were you first classes?”

You hesitate, before reaching for your fork. “Actually... interesting?”

“Interesting?” Yuqi asks in surprise.

You shrug. “Yeah, the professor was awful. I thought it was supposed to be a magic class, not a roast,” The girls chuckle, presumably aware of Professor Park's critique disguised as a class. “But the subject was interesting. Learning about mana thresholds, elemental channeling—I mean, that’s not stuff I ever thought I’d get to study.”

Back home, you didn't have lectures on Evocation theories or History. You had chalk and maybe half a torn guide on Magical Theory in your grandmother's worn bookcase that had already been re-read around fifty times.

A moment of silence follows. Then a warm smile crosses Shuhua's face. “Right. So you actually enjoyed it?”

You glance down, a little flustered. “I wasn’t supposed to study at all. So yeah.. Even the boring stuff feels kind of.. interesting?”

Yuqi leans over and flicks your forehead gently. “You’re such a nerd. I’m proud of you.”

Soyeon nods once in agreement and acknowledgment.

“You’re still weird for liking class,” Shuhua muses. “But I guess it’s cute.”

You roll your eyes but can’t stop the smile tugging at your mouth. It's nice. For once, the silence around you isn’t hostile.

Until all of a sudden the entire Grand Hall goes quiet.

Forks pause mid-air. Conversations die down and every gaze turns toward the massive entry doors that open with a low, echoing groan.

Five students walk in like they own the place. Which, thinking about it, wouldn't surprise you if their parents actually did own it.

In front of the group, Jeon Jungkook walks. His emotionless eyes flick over the crowd in disinterest and he looks at you once, narrows his eyes, and quickly turns away. You don't question it, he probably doesn't think you are worth his time and you would rather keep it that way.

Your infirmary visitor, Kim Taehyung, strides confidently behind him. Unlike Jungkook, he scans the room as if he is searching for a particular someone and soon enough, his eyes find yours and his lips curve into a smile.

Yuqi doesn't miss it. She nudges you and leans closer. “Do not look now—but Lover Boy’s making eyes at you.”

“He’s not—”

“Yeah, he is.” Shuhua whispers, before you can finish your sentence.

To avert the topic, you decide to focus on the other men: “Who are the others?”

Yuqi smirks. She nods toward the boy trailing just behind Taehyung. His shirt is tucked perfectly and his smile is angelic with platinum-blonde hair framing his face. “That’s Park Jimin. Charming, hard to read, and the only scholarship student the Elite tolerate.” This surprises you; a scholarship student within the Elite? What blackmail would he have on them? Must be spicy.

Then, she points to a tall, devastatingly beautiful boy. He has perfect bone structure, walks with pride and his smirk is just shy of condescending. “Kim Seokjin. Gorgeous, terrifying, and rich enough to buy the damn school. His family controls half the luxury trade. Say his name wrong and you disappear from social life for a year.”

And finally, Yuqi's voice lowers to a whisper as she points to a tall boy with bright eyes and playful smile on his face. “That’s Jung Hoseok. Known flirt. I think he’s slept with half the Academy, though I doubt anyone cares enough. His family owns multiple banks and trade-routes.”

You shift uneasily, suddenly very aware of the influence they hold.

All five of them ascend the platform without hesitation and slide into seats besides and across from the girls. And, as if it's a cue to be allowed to speak again, the conversations from before continue once more.

By the time lunch nears its end, desserts start floating in.

The moment it lands in front of her, Shuhua starts stabbing hers with a fork as if it possessed. Soyeon cocks her brow, while Yuqi's laughter fills the air. “Shuhua, it's a soufflé, not a demon.”

“I don't trust food that levitates,” Shuhua huffs. “Who knows what they put inside it to make it fly?”

Soyeon rolls her eyes, slicing her dessert in half with the side of her fork. “It's called magic. We are literally at a magic academy.”

“I'm just saying..,” Shuhua mutters, stabbing it again for good measure. “If this thing bites me first, I'm suing the system.”

Soyeon nearly chokes on her soufflé. “I swear, you are one skipped meal away from losing your last brain cell.”

You laugh softly into your goblet, finally letting yourself relax. Your body still aches in places and your ribs hurts when you breathe too deeply, but the comfort of your friends makes it easier to ignore.

That changes when Yuqi nudges your arm under the table and leans in slightly. “Care to explain why Taehyung keeps looking at you?”

Shuhua turns her head and Soyeon glances up, anything but in subtle manner. Following Yuqi's gaze, careful not to move too fast, you find Taehyung across the hall. He's leaning back in his chair, laughing at something Hoseok said. His dark curls fall across his forehead, definitely not styled on purpose. Taehyung's eyes slide to you, and just as you catch his, he winks.

Yuqi and Shuhua gasp as if they just witnessed a proposal. Immediately, you focus your eyes back onto your plate. “I don't know.”

“Uh-huh.” Yuqi hums, clearly not believing you.

“What the hell was that?” Soyeon asks, brows raised. “He just winked at you in front of everyone!”

Shuhua fans herself dramatically with a napkin. “Do any of you feel the chemistry too or am I being delusional?”

“You're being delusional,” The words come out too fast and the girls stare at you with narrowed eyes. Finally, a sigh escapes your lips. “Fine. He came to see me in the infirmary.”

Three “What?” hits you at once. Yuqi, Soyeon and Shuhua lean forward, elbows on the table, demanding an explanation.

“Visited? As in sat by your bed visited?” Shuhua beams, eyes and mouth widened in surprise.

“Did you already know him before school?” Soyeon asks, a hint of suspicion hard to miss in the tone of her voice.

You shake your head. “I didn't,” You reply truthfully. “We've only spoken twice. Once in the courtyard for two seconds and once yesterday. He showed up after the Headmistress left. Said he came to check if I was still breathing.”

You deliberately leave out the part where he called you 'mystery girl'.

Yuqi clutches her chest dramatically. “That's either the most romantic thing I've ever heard or a murder confession.”

“I doubt there's anything romantic behind it,” You mutter, pushing a piece of bread into your mouth. “And he said he was just curious.”

“Oh honey,” Shuhua murmurs and shakes her head weakly. “That's not how curiosity looks.”

Soyeon crosses her arms, her tone stern. “You should be careful.. He's not just a noble. He's Kim Taehyung. He doesn't do casual without reason.”

You glance at her. “Do you think he has ulterior motives?”

“I think people like him don't just ‘visit’ the infirmary without a reason,” she claims, keeping her tone even. “Especially not for someone the rest of his circle would prefer to see humiliated.”

Yuqi frowns. “Come on. Taehyung is not like Jungkook. He's different. In a good way, mostly.”

“Sometimes,” Shuhua agrees. “He's the only Elite who doesn't pretend to be perfect.”

You lean back slightly. “Honestly, I get Soyeon. I don't fully trust him either to be honest.”

Soyeon smiles weakly, seemingly content with your answer. “Good. Because I didn't want to be the one to mention that his ex is Kim freaking Jennie.”

“Wait—what?”

“Ugh, we forgot you didn't know,” Yuqi groans. “It was a whole thing They were Astrelia's golden couple. Matching outfits, enchanted couple rings. Both absolutely powerful. And absolutely gross.”

Shuhua quickly adds: “They broke up last year. No one knows why, but rumors say he ended it. Which is probably why Jennie has been so.. uptight ever since the semester started.”

“It's because she doesn't like to lose,” Yuqi follows. “Especially not to someone she thinks is beneath her, yet ranked higher than her.”

You let their words sink in. Making enemies of Kim Jennie was the last thing on your to-do list, but fate had other plans. Because when you speak of the devil, she arrives wearing designer heels.

The following, soft click of heels on the floor is louder than it should be. Kim Jennie descends her throne and her gaze sweeps the room. Then they land on you.

“Everyone. Breathe normally.” Shuhua exclaims as Jennie approaches— her long dark hair falling loosely over her shoulders. Rosé walks slightly behind her left, her ash-blonde hair braided loosely to the side and lips curled in a half-smile that doesn't reach her eyes. (Yuqi had taught you the names of the other girls just a few minutes ago), so on the right you see Lisa with her hair is tucked behind one ear and her arms crossed like she is expecting a fight to break out. Following behind is Jisoo, her eyes conveying little emotion.

A sweet smile is plastered on Jennie's face, but her eyes are pure venom. The entire Grand Hall holds its breath as she stops directly in front of your table. Lisa shifts her weight and narrows her gaze, while Rosé and Jisoo hang back slightly, distant but still highly aware of the situation.

Jennie's smile is blinding. “Well,” she purrs, voice honey-sweet. “Look who decided to sit with the living.”

Meeting Jennie's gaze, you keep your expression neutral. You have faced countless of girls like her, so she does not impress you much. Elite or not.

From your peripheral vision, you see Yuqi slowly lift her gaze whilst Shuhua's eyes narrow slightly, a small frown tugging at her glossed lips.

“I was wondering who kept drawing all the attention lately,” Jennie continues. “And now I see.. New blood always causes a stir. Especially when it forgets its place.”

You're about to respond, when Soyeon leans back in her chair with a scoff. “I’m sorry.. Did we miss something when we took these seats?” She drawls. “I don't remember sitting at the part of the room labeled ‘elitist nonsense and overpriced perfume’?”

Yuqi snorts, hardly trying to hide her discontent. “I thought that scent was just insecurity mixed with daddy's credit.”

“Do you always let your little guards bark for you?” Lisa chimes in, chocolate eyes focused on you.

Jennie doesn’t turn her head when she replies, still staring at you with that soft, soulless smile. “They’re probably just excited. You know how strays get when they find a new pack.”

You swear you weren't going give them the satisfaction of replying, but you weren't going to let them win either. So, you blink slowly and tilt your head with mock-thoughtfulness. “At least strays survive in the wild. It's usually the pampered ones that don't last when their leash comes off,” With a sigh, you start gathering your belongings, ready to leave. “Look, I get it— you're territorial. It must be hard watching someone do more in a week than you did in a year.”

Jennie's smile does not falter, but her eyes twitch ever so slightly. Her voice lowers. “Keep testing me, slum girl, and we’ll see how long it takes before you're sent crawling back to the gutters you came from.”

You raise a brow. “Oh, I’m not worried about going back, but if I do end up back there, I'll be sure to wave at your reputation on the way down. It's already halfway there.”

Yuqi snorts, Soyeon looks at you proudly and Shuhua is holding back her laughter.

Jennie, on the other hand seems furious, and her friends just stand there in silence. None of them look at you as you throw your cloak over your shoulder and quickly leave The Grand Hall before any of them starts throwing fireballs at you.

Being brave (or stupid, depending on who you ask)? It's exhausting.

Across the room, unseen by many, Taehyung's amused eyes are locked on you as you walk through the grand doors.

“Slum rats always bite when they're cornered. Someone should teach her where her place is.” Seokjin mutters beside him as he swirls his goblet.

Taehyung's smirk fades and he doesn't look at Seokjin when he speaks. “Funny. I don’t hear you volunteering.”

Seokjin turns his head slightly, arching a brow. “Don't tell me you're one of those types, Taehyung.”

Taehyung finally glances his way. “What type is that?”

“The type that forgets who they are the moment someone new catches their eye.” Seokjin's eyes are narrowed. “You may find her amusing now, but don't let it distract you from the fact that she's not one of us.”

Taehyung doesn't answer right away. Instead, he turns his gaze back to the doors—the ones you just disappeared through—and lifts his goblet to his lips. “She's not trying to be one of us,” he says simply. “That's what makes her amusing.”

Across them, Jungkook has been silent, but his eyes are on Taehyung as he watches his friend lean back lazily in his chair. His gaze is still locked on the door, mind drifting to the girl who was courageous or stupid enough to bite back.

Your boots against the floor echo through the hallway as you head toward your final class of the day.

Abjuration theories had been.. fine. Professor Kim Jaejoong had the patience of a monk and you'd spent most of the lecture trying to decipher his notes drawn in letters that resembled runes. The rest was trying not to fall asleep as he spoke about barrier structures, defensive layering, and the philosophical merits of magical resistance.

The only part that caught your attention was when he casually mentioned that the strongest Abjurers weren't warriors, but survivors. That part, at least, you understood.

The hallway you are currently in is much more quiet. There are no moving stairs or shifting corridors, only the sound of your echoing footsteps.

You're halfway through, when an all too familiar voice disrupts the silence. “Running off without me, mystery girl?”

Immediately, you let out a frustrated sigh. Turning your head slightly to the side, you find Taehyung leaning against a pillar with his arms folded.

“Are you following me?” You ask without slowing your pace.

He falls into step beside you, his hands tucked into the pocket of his robes. “Let's just say I have great timing.”

“You mean suspicious timing.”

His lips curve into a lazy grin. “You know, where I come from people call it fate.”

You glance at him, unimpressed. “Where I come from, we call it stalking.”

He places a hand over his heart. “Accusing me of stalking already? And here I was thinking we were getting along.”

You raise your brow, shaking your head. “We're not.”

“Shame,” he says lightly, though something flickers in his expression like he's not sure whether to be amused or curious. “I was starting to enjoy our one-sided friendship.”

Without looking at him, you mutter: “That's because it's the only kind of friendship you're good at.”

“Ouch,” Your attempt to dismiss him goes unnoticed. If anything, he seems more interested now. “You've got a sharp tongue. I'm starting to think that's your real affinity. You even went against Jennie.”

The mention of her name makes you stop in your tracks.

“I'm just saying it was impressive,” He shrugs nonchalantly. “Most people cower in fear when she so much as looks at them.”

With a sigh, you continue walking. There was no way you were going to be nearly late for the second time again. And you are unsure why he had to interrupt your calm stroll toward the classroom by mentioning Jennie. “What do you want from me Taehyung?”

He hesitates for a second. “I'm.. just making conversation.”

“Maybe you should try silence instead.”

Taehyung merely laughs— genuinely and annoyingly warm. “You know, you've got a real talent for ruining a perfectly good moment.”

“And you've got a real talent for creating ones that never existed.” You return, while rolling your eyes.

Your words hang in the air between you just as a massive, arched doorway comes into view at the end of the hallway. Its frame is carved with metallic vines and a plaque above reads:

Room 5D: Practical Magic – Application & Control Instructor: Professor Lee Hyori

Slowing your steps, you turn to him. “This is where I pretend I don’t know you. Nothing personal.”

“Don't worry,” he says softly, backing away a step. “I'm hard to forget either way.”

You roll your eyes. “Try not to trip over your ego on the way in.”

He chuckles. “I'll go first. Wouldn't want to ruin your dramatic entrance.”

“Says the one who silences the entire Grand Hall when they enter it.”

He throws you a grin over his shoulder as he walks ahead, and just before he slips into the classroom, you catch him muttering, “Charming as always.”

The classroom for Practical Illusion is built like an amphitheater. Within, a wide circular space with rows of ascending stone benches around a training floor below. Crystalline light pours in from the glass dome above.

At the very top row, The Elite are already seated. Jeon Jungkook's cold gaze lock onto you as you enter and there is no welcome in his stare, only judgment. Sitting beside him are the three men from the Grand Hall. Hoseok is leaned back, legs stretched in front of him like he owns the entire floor. Jimin and Seokjin are both in conversation, barely sparing you a glance, but this time there are two more students. One is a boy with a sharp jaw, dark hair and a frown. He stares ahead in pure disinterest. The other sits with a book on one knee and flips a page with pure focus etched onto his features. You recognize him immediately: the cloaked stranger from the capital who saved you.

Taehyung had entered just before you and you spot him in an instant as he approaches the same row and sits down next to Jisoo. He hesitates, his gaze turning to you once, and Jisoo gives him a tight smile that doesn't reach her eyes. Jennie is in the same bench on the other side, clearly not missing the look Taehyung gave you. She doesn’t comment on it, but the frown she wears says more than words. Clearly, she hasn't forgotten what happened at lunch or that her ex-boyfriend is clearly overly obsessed with you.

Yuqi spots you from the row in the middle and waves dramatically. Soyeon gives a short nod from beside her. And just as you are about to head toward them, a voice whispers behind you. “I saw you with Taehyung just now.”

You jump up slightly and look over your shoulder to find Shuhua standing behind you, grinning, with her arms crossed and eyes gleaming. “Don't worry,” she says as she links her arm through yours. “Your secret's safe with me.”

Before you can reply, she tugs you toward your friends. You fall into the bench beside Yuqi, with Shuhua plopping down next to you, as if excited she knows something the other girls don’t.

Moments later, the torches along the stone walls flicker and dim and sudden bright light appears at the center of the classroom. From it, a woman steps forward —or at least, the illusion of one. That must be Professor Lee Hyori. She arrives in an array of colors, shifts like mist before she changes into her actual form. Long black hair, a black sharp-cut suit and eyes that seem to see through every illusion ever conjured.

“Welcome to Magical Application and Control. Today we focus on Illusions,” she begins in a calm voice. “Illusion is not only what you conjure, but what you convince others to believe.”

Without warning, the light flickers again and suddenly, seven identical versions of her stand across the training floor. Each moves, breathes and blinks in perfect sync. The class stirs in surprise.

“Your first test is to find the real me.” The voices say at the same time.

Around you, nobles begin squinting and whispering. Yuqi mutters under her breath, her eyes studying the seven figures. Soyeon frowns in concentration and Shuhua leans over to whisper: “I think it's the one near the pillar. She blinked twice.”

You try to remember what one of your neighbors with an affinity to illusion said. He would often create something to keep the children's mind off the real world; lush green forests with animals roaming around. “lllusion mimics what we see, not what we feel.”

No longer are you watching the shadows. Instead, you focus on their breathing; each figure inhales in the same rhythm. Except one.

You lean toward Shuhua, trying not to draw more attention to yourself. “It's the second one from the left.”

The figures vanish instantly, leaving only one. Professor Hyori, standing exactly where you said she would be.

She raises a brow and looks at you. “Interesting,” she says. “And why that one?”

Everyone turns to you, eyes and whispers filled with disdain now focused on you.

You meet Professor Lee’s eyes. Ofcourse she would hear it, just when you wished to avoid all attention. “Her breathing was just slightly off.”

A pause follows, until her lips curve into the faintest smile of approval. “Very good. Now, let’s begin.”

The rest of the clones vanish and professor Lee clasps her hands behind her back. “Illusion magic manipulates perception. It is a game of misdirection and projection,” A long scroll unrolls mid-air. “Today’s lesson,” she says, “will be a challenge of breaking an illusion. I will cast one. You, in pairs, will attempt to dismantle it. You may use any means necessary—except violence.”

Names start to appear on the scrolls.

You quickly find yours, and next to it in ornate letters: Kim Taehyung.

Taehyung rises, slowly descending the stone steps. He meets your eyes and smirks.

“Well,” he says softly. “Looks like fate really likes to stalk you today.”

You exhale. “Pretty sure that's just you, not fate.”

The world changes the moment Professor Lee snaps her fingers.

One mere blink and the classroom disappears. Now replaced by a forest with impossibly tall, black-barked trees. A misty veil hovers above the ground. Every sound is too loud— your breath, your heartbeat, the rustle of wind that doesn’t seem quite natural.

Taehyung is standing next to you, completely unbothered as he tilts back his head to examine the trees as if this is a leisurely stroll rather than a test. His robes dance slightly in the breeze and his hands are tucked into his pockets. “Hyori really went all out,” Taehyung murmurs beside you, already scanning the perimeter. “Multi-layered environmental illusion. Sensory included.”

You cock a brow, turning to him. “You can tell that just from standing here?”

He gives a small shrug. “Illusion's kind of my thing.”

You watch him from the corner of your eye. He doesn’t seem rushed or bothered. If anything, he looks amused. Relaxed. “So have you already figured out how to break it?” You ask curiously.

He smiles without looking at you. “More or less. But where's the fun in doing it alone?”

You roll your eyes and start walking, scanning the area for anything unusual with his words lingering your mind.

“Something feels off..” You murmur.

“Good instinct,” Taehyung says as he steps next to you. “Real illusions are about what you ignore, rather than what you can see. She will have buried a flaw somewhere your senses are too overwhelmed to catch it.”

You glance around. “So what am I looking for?”

He hums thoughtfully, then points upward. “Try bending the light.”

“Bending the light? How do I do that?”

He steps closer, near enough that you feel the warmth radiating from him. “Try a detection spell. Lirae Perceptum usually only works on minor illusions, but it should be enough to detect inconsistencies in your surroundings.”

You nod and repeat the incantation under your breath. Your surroundings seem to shift slightly, the tree on the left looks a bit more rigid now. Stepping toward it, you narrow your eyes in concentration.

Behind you, Taehyung coughs. “So what district did you grow up in?”

“Why?” you ask suspiciously.

“Curiousity,” He simply shrugs. “You have sharp instincts. I want to know where they are growing minds like yours.”

You hesitate briefly, but decide to answer him: “Lower edge of the Iron Quarters.”

He arches his brow. “The factories?”

“Didn't think you would know it. It's not exactly a tourist spot,” You state absent-mindedly while you kneel down beside a tree trunk. “But yeah, South of the fumes.”

“I told you that not all nobles are the same,” Then, he whistles low. “That’s a tough place to grow up in. I don't think I've ever met anyone from there.”

That doesn't surprise you. No one from the Iron Quarters ever makes it to Astrelia - and there is no reason for nobles to visit there unless it’s for trade.

Taehyung interrupts your thoughts. “Did you always know you had magic?” He asks next, voice lighter this time.

You glance over your shoulder. “No.”

He tilts his head. “So how did you find out?”

You shrug, fingers tracing along the bark of the tree. “The way most poor kids do— by accident. Something bad happened and suddenly, I was the only one still standing.”

That makes him pause and he doesn't smile this time. “I get that,” he says after a moment. “More than you'd think.”

You study him, unsure of what he means, but he doesn't elaborate. You are about to question him, when he gestures toward the illusion. “Back to work, partner. You're close to the solution.”

Respecting his wish not to talk about it, you spot the inconsistency not long after—a tree that doesn't cast a proper shadow. Upon closer inspection it reveals distorted runes hidden near the roots. “I found the anchor glyph.” You whisper.

“Good. Now disrupt it.”

You glance back confusedly. “How?”

He steps forward, just behind you, his voice close to your ear. Then, he reaches for your hand and moves it downward. “Right hand. Two fingers. Trace the edge of the symbol and say the incantation: Fractum Illusio.”

You gulp from the close proximity, but do as he instructs. The runes pulse, before the world shatters. The trees, sky, light— all gone. The amphitheater returns and the stone under your feet solidifies again.

You turn, blinking against the sudden clarity. Across the amphitheater students are still trapped in their own constructed realities.

Taehyung stretches slightly, like breaking through a world of magic was just a casual errand.

“You could've done all that in five seconds.”

He shrugs again, then smiles. “Sure. But where would be the fun in that?”

He leans in close. “Besides,” he adds, eyes locked on yours, “I didn't sign up for the fastest solution. I just wanted to spend a little time with you.”

And before you can respond—before you can figure out what you would even say—Professor Hyori’s voice cuts through the space.

“Team one. Well done.”

You just hope he doesn't notice the red staining your cheeks, or the way your heartbeat quickens..

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