#do hyeji

[shatygrey]

thinking about seri’s sis in law hyeji trying to get into seri’s house in episode 011 after seri changes the lock of her place.

hyeji is fuming in anger because she can’t get the limited collection items she seems to badly want that seri has in possession 😂

[mverickz]

that was really cute. do it again. (hyeji nd tomoe)

prompts for playful affection ♡ aceitando !

não era comum para que tomoe ficasse sempre cheia de sorrisos e agindo de forma relaxada com ninguém, mas aos poucos hyeji se tornava aquela pessoa com quem ela fazia tudo isso sem sequer perceber. a outra a deixava confortável o suficiente para a japonesa ficar segura, quase como se estar com a mais velha a fizesse sentir que mais nada era impossível, que podia alcançar qualquer coisa; como se ela realmente fosse mais do que pensava ser.

━━ hye-san... você realmente achou fofo ou você quer que eu faça mais uma vez pra rir da minha cara? ━━ perguntou com um bico sutil nos lábios, rindo em seguida enquanto mantinha seu olhar no da mais velha. não se importava de fato com o motivo, se pudesse ver aquele sorriso da coreana novamente ela faria qualquer coisa de novo e de novo. a recompensa era boa o suficiente. tomoe voltou a dançar aquela música de um grupo sul-coreano que ela mal conhecia, entretanto ouvia com frequência em rádios ou na televisão e sabia um pouco da coreografia, pelo menos tanto para arriscar alguns passos enquanto também inventava os seus próprios. ela era boa dançarina, então mesmo que errasse a cena não ficava tão feia, porém o seu riso solto demonstra que o ambiente estava bom o suficiente para ela não precisar se preocupar. ━━ não é justo se só eu fizer. ━━ reclamou, indo até hyeji e segurando suas mãos, a puxando para que se levantasse. ━━ dança comigo agora. ━━ pediu, sorrindo a medida que já a trazia para si, tornando aquele momento algo a dois apenas delas.

@iksuikebaj

[snoopdoggs]

#168 gifs of YANG HYE-JI in 'wonderful world (2024),' can be accessed by joining my discord server, or sending me a message off anon. hyeji is of korean descent and was born in 1996, so cast accordingly. please like and reblog if you found these useful.

tw: flashing lights, alcohol, hospitals

please read my rules before using. all gifs were made by me, so do not redistribute or claim as your own.

[mikachacha]

𝚂𝙿𝙴𝙰𝙺 𝙽𝙾𝚆 (𝙱𝙰𝙳𝙰 𝙻𝙴𝙴 𝚇 𝙰𝙲𝚃𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚂! 𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙴𝚁) 𝙲𝙷. 3

Synopsis: You stole Bada's first kiss while hanging out at the amusement park.

Warnings: cursing (they're playing the game of hiding their feelings)

(A/N: I literally can't with these two 😭😭 teenage/highschool romance is just sweet and everything 😩😩)

Series Master list

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Chapter Three

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"Hyejiiii you gotta be kidding me!? You're not coming?" you whined as you called Hyeji since you wanted to ask them to hang out at this recently opened amusement park and to also celebrate the fact that you made it through 8th grade without anyone failing any subjects.

"I mean, I'm coming but I can't hang out with you guys.. I kind of enrolled in this dance group and luckily got in. They asked if I wanted to go with them and I said yes.." Hyeji explained and you pouted. Hyeji won't be able to come, Haeun is on a vacation abroad and Bada is a bit busy since she's also training to be a dancer.

"Oh okay.. And congratulations by the way! I'll need your autograph when I see you so I can say to people that I got your autograph first before you got famous." you joked and you could hear Hyeji laugh. You miss your friends but then again, all of you are quite busy. Bada and Hyeji are training to be dancers, Haeun is enjoying her vacation and doing some modelling on the side while you're being enrolled in several acting classes not because your mom forced you to do it but because you really want to be an actress yourself like her.

"You're crazy.. See you whenever, bub. Gotta go!" and the call ended. You plopped down on your bed, thinking of who to invite. Well the only one left is Bada. Though you're hesitating if you should call her considering she's on the same path as Hyeji and you'd be extremely sad if she declines as well. Before you could even call her, Bada decided to barge inside your room, completely unannounced and plopping down next to you on the bed.

"Jesus! You scared me!" you complained and smacked her with a pillow and she laughed, ruffling your hair.

"Go get dressed! We're going to that amusement park since I don't have any dance classes today. Hurry or I'm dragging your ass." she says and you immediately get up, getting ready and soon you were racing with Bada to the car.

"Heyyy you didn't return that shirt to me. You have had that since your first day." Bada says as she noticed that you're wearing the shirt she lent you on your first day being transferred to her school.

"It's mine now even though it clearly says Lee 22 at the back." you laughed and made sure your seatbelt was on before your driver began driving to the amusement park.

"Can we go to the rollercoaster please? I've never been on one and I wanna try it so bad!" you asked Bada and she really wanted to say no because you might throw up but the way you looked so cute, eyes twinkling with much excitement had her caving in. How could she ever say no to your adorable face? How could she ever say no to you?

You spent the whole afternoon with Bada, trying on rides and games at the amusement park. You only stopped when it was around 7 in the evening and you're both getting hungry. After getting lost for quite some time, you finally got to the restaurant inside the park and shared a meal together. Bada knew it's just a casual hangout for you but deep in her heart, she wants to believe this is your first date together. She had realized months ago that she is in fact, falling in love with you but she didn't want to lose you and the bond she had created with you so she kept her feelings hidden.

"Badaaaa I really wanted that dog stuffed toy from that ring toss game.. But my aim is bad. And the stuffed toy is way too cute!" you rambled your little problem to her and she couldn't help but chuckle at how adorable you are.

"I'll get it for you but you have to ride the Ferris wheel with me right after. Deal?" she held out her hand towards you and you shook it without hesitation because you really wanted that stuffed toy.

Right after you destroyed the order of corn dogs, boneless chicken wings and some fries with Bada, you immediately dragged her to the ring toss booth where you saw the stuffed toy that you wanted and she immediately got to work. She failed a few times but she's not stopping until she gets that stuffed toy for you. And when she did, you were overjoyed that you weren't really thinking properly. You just turned to Bada, cup her cheeks and just kiss her. Not on the cheeks, but on the lips. You just kissed your best friend on the lips. You just kissed Bada on the lips.

"Shit, shit, shit.. I'm so sorry.. I didn't mean to do that. I was just--" you were rambling apologies to Bada while she just stood there, seemingly in a daze as she's still trying to process the fact that she just had her first kiss. That you just stole her first kiss. She would've freaked out if it was someone else who did that but she felt like she's on cloud nine because it's you who did that. It felt like she could pass away happily knowing that you kissed her. That her crush kissed her.

"No, no it's okay Y/N.. Don't sweat it out. It's all good, we're good." Bada reassured you when you looked like you were about to cry because of that kissing incident. She took you to the ferris wheel but you guys didn't talk about what just happened. Bada wanted to ease your mind so she didn't address it, waiting for you to talk about it if you wanted. You're internally freaking out yourself. You just kissed Bada and it was your first kiss.

"Look, I'm really sorry about earlier.. I really am." you finally spoke as you're both on the ferris wheel and she gives you a smile and a gentle squeeze on the hand.

"It's okay, Y/N. I swear. It's all good, no big deal. Plus, I'll gladly audition as your kiss partner while you're training to be an actress like your mom. You just gotta give me food and tutor me in return." Bada jokes and you finally crack up, laughing at the idea of you practicing a kissing scene with her then paying her with food afterwards. It's ridiculous but deep down, you wanted it just as bad as she does. The way her lips felt against yours is just perfect. It felt right like it was made to be.

"I'll have to think about it but keep your lines open." you told her in a playful manner and she just pinched your cheek, telling you as if you'd get roles with kissing scenes considering you're still a minor and that your dad will kill people if you get that kind of scene.

That night was memorable and it's what brings you comfort, especially when both you and Bada got busy. With you doing workshops for acting and Bada doing dance classes. You barely hang out anymore but would still text along with Hyeji and Haeun. You couldn't wait for the next school year to start so you could be with your friends again, so you could be with Bada again because you're missing her presence. You're missing her deeply.

Bada wanted to just leave her dance classes and go to your house, hang out with you and just be with you but ever since the kissing incident happened, she decided to distance herself a little bit just to regain control over her feelings. She didn't want you to think that she only befriended you because she wanted to date you. She doesn't want you to think that she's using her friendship with you as a leverage for you to love her. It pains her to be away from you for too long but she's got to do it. She's falling dangerously fast for you and she doesn't want you to avoid her if ever you find out about the feelings she's kept locked away. She values your friendship more than anything else, more than her feelings.

Bada: I'm sorry, Y/N but I don't know how I'll ever deal with losing you if you find out I'm so in love with you.. Maybe someday I'll find the courage to tell you all of this but for now, I'll just love you in secret..

Bada typed on her phone, just saving it on her drafts for now since she hasn't found the courage to confess to you yet. She's just hoping that when the day comes that she confesses to you, you're still available by then so she can shower you with all the love she has to give, she can show you how much she cares and cherishes you.

Tag list———;; (It's still open 🫶)

@xiakiyama , @mightymyo , @moonsvrse , @itstrashjustrash , @prilux , @mikaleialt , @azhel, @lil-elliesgf , @1luvkarina , @jhopes-whoopee-cushion, @zhivaxo , @boombadabby , @avocifera , @rhickah

[wooahaeruby]

Chapter 13: Better Beside You

Chapter Word Count: 4,569

Anything in Bold Italics are Korean/Another language.

Master List | Prev | Next

Traveling to Jakarta wasn’t hard, the only big problem was getting through the airport and having a thousand and one flashes blinding you but Jihoon was there every step of the way. It was late when you flew since it was a relatively long flight, seven hours give or take, and it was easier to fly at night to get some decent rest tomorrow. 

He was a steady shield, having you pass through security first, taking your bag from you even when you insisted you could carry it yourself, and even tossing his sweatshirt over you when you were cold in the gate seats. When tucked into your seat, he made sure you were alright and comfortable next to the window, letting you keep his sweatshirt. You asked if he was going to be cold but he waved you off, something about getting a blanket from the stewardess when in the air. 

Recently he had been acting like that. 

Since the kiss, Jihoon has really been into doing things for you. 

It started with good morning text messages on days he wouldn’t see you directly in the morning. He added emojis to each text and always asked how much work you needed to get done before you could come to their practice or the studio. When you would let him know you would be on your way to Hybe, he’d always have either a tea or coffee ready for your arrival even if he was in the middle of practice or composing. He’d always have an extra sweatshirt laying around because he knew you got cold. 

Sometimes…Sometimes you used it to your advantage, like you did when you couldn’t properly zip your suitcase closed and called him to come and help you. He had shown up in five minutes since he was at the dorms and helped with all the last minute things you needed to slip into another bag. 

A few days before flying to the next tour spot, the couch you ended up ordering from IKEA arrived and was installed by two very kind older gentlemen that told you some of their favorite places to visit as they put the pieces together. It was a simple, very comfy L-shaped couch, black fabric perfect to hide any messes that were to happen. You even indulge yourself with a handful of throw pillows within your budget. 

You didn’t tell Jihoon right away since it was your day off and the group was at the company going over any last minute things before they would rest for a day and fly out. He didn’t tell you that they got out until he was knocking on the door with a bag of takeout and his laptop, wanting to spend some time with you even if he had some work needing to be done. He had tucked himself into the corner of the couch and the longer he focused on his work, the more you slowly…. very slowly placed the pillows against his leg and rested against them, blanket thrown over you and your computer on your lap. You both had fallen asleep, a little uncomfortably but together nonetheless. 

That was another new development; falling asleep in close proximity more. Each night after your couch arrived, he came over and you both fell asleep near one another. On the days prior to that, he’d finish work in the studio but you guys were too lazy to move and leave so he relaxed with you on the couch and fell asleep. 

The hotel in Jakarta was nice, cushy even, but enough for two nights then back to Korea then non-stop traveling before another short break. You had jumped into the shower after all your things were accounted for, wanting to get the gross feeling of airplane off of you. 

You went to pull your laptop out when a knock resonated from your door and you shuffled over to answer. Hyeji stood all bundled up in a SVT staff hoodie and jeans, holding a canvas bag in her hands in front of her. 

“ Are you busy?” She questioned. 

“ No- No, come on in, what’s up?”

She stepped in when you moved aside and handed you the bag, smiling. “ It’s a staff sweatshirt and a badge you will need. Since you’ll probably be backstage with all of us, it’s better you have everything than not.” 

Taking the bag, you took a peek inside and began pulling out the contents, smiling at the sweatshirt and placing it on the bed then took the badge out and placed it with your backpack you planned on taking along. “ Ah, thank you, I was going to ask about all this but since I heard about the meeting, I wasn’t going to bother right away.” 

“It isn’t a problem. I actually wanted to speak to you regarding your social media.” Hyeji pulled out her phone. “ Since we are back on the road once more, have you given it any thought of posting or letting us post any behind the scene pictures or videos you take?”

Ah, yeah you never thought about that once properly since the first meeting. 

You gave her a blank stare before she started to laugh which you joined in on. 

“ It completely slipped my mind.” You whined, going towards the wall and lightly banging your forehead against it. “ I don’t see why not, I just don’t want them to look bad.” 

Hyeji continued to chuckle, shaking her head. “ Any picture is a good picture, shows that they are human. Maybe you can post some funny shots too.” 

You grabbed your phone from the bed and opened it, remembering the one picture you took of Jihoon in New York and all the other pictures you had taken. Scrolling through, they weren’t too bad, maybe a little shaky since you were most likely laughing, but they were good. 

“ I have a few if you’d like to see them, maybe we can start with that?” 

Hyeji came to your side and peered over your shoulder, seeing the assortment of pictures you had already gathered. They were fun and carefree, silly faces and shots mid-conversation or mid-action that didn’t come off too odd. She stopped you when it came to the picture of Jihoon outside the ice cream shop and wiggled her eyebrows. 

“ This one is good. Maybe you could have fun with it and make a cheesy caption to go along with it.” Hyeji shook her head side to side. 

“ I think I’d rather just put no captions and let the pictures do the talking.” 

“You sound like Seokmin-ah. Maybe have him teach you how to take pictures.” 

You rolled your eyes and laughed once more with her until you froze. “ Oh- I forgot to tell you-” Groaning, you opened your instagram, still set to private with hundreds of thousands of requests to follow. “ That…” 

Hyeji stared at the screen, opening her mouth then closing it. “ At least you set it to private.” 

Instead of doing any work regarding your job since you only had documents to review by the end of the week, Hyeji and you sat together in your hotel room, figuring out a new social media handle and how you’d discuss posting pictures and videos. When everything was settled and you were both satisfied with the username you’d go with, your first name with a period and  Ruby at the end, you went to put your first picture, the one of Jihoon. 

You tagged his personal account and the group’s official account after following both and sent Jihoon with a link to the post to check once he could before you simply tossed your phone aside. 

“ And time to ignore it!” 

Boredom was setting in. This meeting could have been an email, just going over the timeline for tomorrow when he knew the managers would be up at the crack of dawn to make sure everything would run as smoothly as humanly possible. 

Jihoon sat between Jeonghan and Chan, bouncing his leg impatiently and his fingers drummed against the tabletop. The concert would start at seven-thirty, hair and make up needed to be done by six at least, blah blah. They’d have a run through of the show tonight after dinner for any last minute checks of equipment. The words started to blend together and he was zoning out. 

As his fingers continued to drum, his watch came to life, screen showing a message from Ruby. His face contorted in confusion at the message; Why were they sending him a link? He saw instagram in the URL and that only further confused him. Didn’t Ruby private their instagram? 

“ Does anyone have any questions before you are free to leave?” 

A chorus of nos fluttered through the room and their lead manager dismissed them.

“ Be ready to head out at six-thirty, no delays please.” He called back before the room was soon vacated. 

Quickly he stood from his seat and left the room, making his way to the elevators like the rest of them. Jihoon pulled his phone from his pocket, standing beside Soonyoung who blatantly was looking over his shoulder. Not bothering to stop him, he opened the link and was surprised to be met with a picture of himself. He glanced at the username and tapped it, scoffing at the caption he was met with. 

Y/N, #1 Carat. A rice bowl and diamond emoji were at the end. 

“ Really?” He said out loud, shaking his head as a tiny smile spread on his lips. Jihoon clicked back and looked at the photo. 

He looked at peace, standing outside the ice cream shop. Thinking back, he’d have to admit that it was one of the best days of his life despite everything. His soul had been completed, Ruby was beside both him and the group of guys he called a family. It was a rough start but he was happy either way. 

“It’s a good picture.” Soonyoung said, breaking Jihoon from his thoughts. “ Maybe I should have Ruby-ah take my pictures.” He teased, nudging him once the elevator doors opened. 

“ Shut it-” Stepping into the elevator, he tapped like on the photo before sharing it to his own story. “ I wonder if they have more pictures…” 

Soonyoung was smiling as they took the elevator up to their floor and nudged him once more. “ Maybe get some candid shots of Ruby-ah so they can post.” 

It wasn’t a bad idea…but Ruby would have more opportunity than he would to get pictures with their upcoming schedule…He’d figure it out. Jihoon wanted them to have pictures to post too. Maybe he would recruit some of the guys to help with that… 

“ I’ll see you later.” Soonyoung waved him off once they stepped into the hallway. “ Get some rest before run through!”

Jihoon gave a hum in response, making his way down the hall towards his room first, grabbing his laptop and speaker before heading to Ruby’s room. 

“ All I’m saying is that the dance to Don Quixote is pure perfection.” Hyeji snorted, sitting on the bed across from you as you scrolled through some documents on your computer. 

“ And I’m not disagreeing with you.” You stated, rolling your eyes, “ I’m just saying that Shadow is just as perfect-” 

As you sat against the headboard, legs tucks comfortably under the blankets, your hands paused on the touchpad and a familiar shiver ran down your spine, the feeling evident on your face. Hyeji’s eyes lit up and she smirked. 

“ Ohh, so the rumor is true!” She laughed, hopping off the bed. “ I’ll see myself out since Jihoon is almost here.” 

With a grimace showing on your face, but a knock came to the door which made it even worse. Hyeji practically skipped towards the door and threw it open. “ Hello. They are all yours~” You couldn’t see what she did but Jihoon’s cheeks flushed. She easily slipped out and pushed him inside before the door was firmly shut. 

“ Before you ask. I have no idea.” You called out, going back to your work. Better to get it down now then wait until getting back to South Korea. 

Jihoon shuffled into the room, but more importantly beside you on the bed, letting himself get comfortable against the pillows. The routine was relatively the same even if you weren't back at home. Music, anime, or some kdrama he heard Seungkwan talking about playing in the background for you while you finished work. Most times, Jihoon would fall asleep before long and you’d have to make a note of where the shows left off to go back to later. 

Today he decided on a drama, settling himself under your bed’s blanket without too much effort. 

“ What time do you need to be awake if you fall asleep?” You ask with a tease in your tone, knowing he will fall asleep whether he wants to admit it or not. 

“ Six-thirty.” He quietly muttered, yanking his watch off and tossing it further down the mattress with his phone. Yep, he was getting comfy. 

“ I’ll make sure you eat.” With a roll of your eyes, the room was quiet aside from the dialogue from the show.

Jihoon continued to get comfortable, shimmying down until his head hit the pillow and he could lay on his side. You barely moved, letting yourself get consumed with your work. There still wasn’t much to do but perfection was something that came easy when you relatively enjoyed what you did for work. The first time Jihoon saw you working he did call it a little boring, but he also had a job that continuously kept him on his feet. Nothing slowed down for them. 

It wasn’t long before he was asleep, a quick check at the time showed it was still early from the late night flight and early morning transitions. Since falling into each other’s lives in September, there was a part of you that felt bad that he didn’t have enough time to care for himself. In interviews you’ve seen prior to meeting your match, Jihoon has spoken about how the job can be hard, that it can be difficult to have the weight of the group on his shoulders, but you also knew he loved what he does. 

He either never slept or slept too much and he was always doing something if he wasn’t taking a moment to breathe. You’ve seen him already experience some writer’s block and he took the time to step back and either sat with you in the studio or your apartment to ride through the time. He always felt frustrated and annoyed but kept it at bay. He didn’t like to talk about it, liking to figure out the next course of action himself, but he always listened to you or one of the other members if needed. 

Work only took another hour to finish. Somewhere along the line, your head reached over and gently carded your fingers through his hair. It was a guilty pleasure you came to find out last week when you subconsciously were watching an anime he insisted on showing you and he fell asleep . For your anxiety’s sake, you set an alarm two hours before Jihoon needed to be ready so he could wake up and eat before jumping into rehearsals.

You didn’t bother to pause the show, letting yourself watch to pass the time, fingers still carding through his hair. It was soft, it had been a little while since they dyed it, they had freshened up his undercut recently as well. There was a comment a few days ago where Jihoon said something about growing his hair because he was –  and you quoted – ‘ Too lazy and busy to sit at the salon to get it done ’. 

You don’t know when you fell asleep, your eyes were starting to flutter shut and as you tried to fight the drowsiness, it took over quickly. 

“My little ruby,” Mimi called for you, sitting in the living room of your childhood home. “You know that Mimi and Papa love you, correct?” 

You remember sitting beside her, just thirteen years old, helping her properly wrap up the yarn she used to knit and crochet so many of your favorite sweaters and scarves that kept you warm all winter long. She had always been firm on how she wanted the yarn done. 

“Of course I know, Mimi. You and Papa love me like mommy loved me before she became a star in the sky.” You answered with such confidence and she smiled, tugging you close to her side and peppering kissing all over your cheeks and forehead. 

“One day, sweetheart, you will have someone, a soulmate,  at your side that should love you for the rest of your life. You must be strong for them as they will be strong for you.” 

“I know, Mimi. Papa always tells me that I should talk to my soulmate, that I can be mad but to never stay angry. He said that was how you both have loved each other for so long.” 

It was only a handful of years later when she sat you down once more after your eighteenth birthday, holding your face in her hands as you cried. Mimi had always been forward with your parents, that they didn’t like each other, that their hatred had brought their downfall. You had asked recently if you could learn the full story, wanting to know just how bad it had been. 

“How could they-” You sobbed, “How could he do this? Why did he hate mom- hate me so much to just let her die?” 

“I don’t know, I never understood it.” Mimi wiped your tears and placed a gentle kiss on your forehead, trying to calm you down. “I always told you they didn’t like each other but your…father,” She said the words but it was clear she was trying to hide the animosity in her voice. “He wasn’t ready for responsibility. He held a lot of hatred in his heart against your mother, but she didn’t make it easy either.” 

You curled up in her arms, letting her hum a small lullaby as she ran a hand through your hair. “I don’t want to be like that, Mimi.” Your voice was barely a whisper and throat raw from crying. 

“They weren’t perfect, Y/N, no one is. I’m not perfect, love. They were young, they had to stop living because one thing led to another and your mom had you.” She soothed, rubbing your back. “It’s why Papa and I have wanted you to know communication, to speak about when you are sad or angry. We want you to love someone and understand that a soulmate is your perfect match, but still a person just like you. They are human too.” 

When stepping into the venue for the concert, intimidating wasn’t the word you’d use to describe it. Being in the concert hall already being filled with people in New York was different from being in a completely empty venue, standing on the stage looking out towards all the seats. Mingyu and Seokmin had pulled you from Jihoon once arriving and insisted on having you stand center stage. Your legs felt a little weak and the fast beating of your heart was making you a little dizzy. 

How the hell can they stand up here night after night and perform? 

You let out a shaky breath, closing your agape mouth. 

“ I think it’s going to be near max concert capacity tomorrow.” Seokmin said. 

“ And you can watch it all from backstage!” 

“ I feel so small.” You took a step back, holding onto the cuffs of the sweatshirt Hyeji brought you earlier in the day. 

“ You are.” Mingyu smirked but you hit him in the stomach, not enough to hurt but enough to startle him. He pouted and shrinked away, hiding behind Seokmin who just laughed. 

Offstage, the crew called out to set up their in-ear monitors and mics, each shuffling about with orders being called left and right. You tried to stay out of the way, you knew you were out of the way, but as everyone rushed around to get things done, you felt in the way. 

Hyeji was your savior, grabbing you and heading out onto the stage, walking down towards the stairs beside the extended stage. “ Stay. ” She ordered as if you were a dog but you didn’t fight it, taking a seat on the steps to get out of the way. 

Before long, the stage came to life, the familiar opening visuals lighting the screens and stage. It brought you back to the rush of the concert, sitting front row with Jamie and Kazuki, screaming your heart out. 

They guys started to file out and you took the opportunity to take some – hopefully – good photos of them standing around, waiting for everything to get going. Each wore casual and comfortable clothes, the general consensus a baggy pants and oversized shirts. You even took a video of Mingyu poking at Chan who pouted and tried to stand away from the giant. 

You watched as rehearsals flowed smoothly, or what you hoped was smoothly by the comments and concerns members had. A staff member came from the main stage and stood at the end of the extended stage with a microphone in her hand. They skipped over mentions but played through VCRs for what you assumed was a quality check. While they weren’t putting too much effort into the practice of placements and choreography, each of them were still in sync. 

Mingyu had fun messing with you when Game Boi went through, still meeting his marks but teasing nonetheless. He still reminded you of an over energetic puppy and an older brother. It was cute. 

What you dreaded was the easy run through of Aju Nice at the end. Seungkwan was talking with staff and security about his typical walking off stage and finding a candidate to kick off never ending Aju Nice and the practice for it had him staring you down. You shrunk down and were ready to dart backstage when that shine in his eyes met with Seokmin and Soonyoung once the rehearsal stopped for a small break after the first Aju Nice performance. 

“ Ruby-ah~” Soonyoung said your nickname with the most playful inflection.

“ Kwon Sooyoung, Lee Seokmin, Boo Seungkwan, if either of you dare to bring me on stage for Aju Nice tomorrow, I will kill you.” The seriousness in your tone was evident but that only made the glint in their eyes brighten. 

“ So if someone else does…You’d do it?” Seungkwan knelt down where you sat on the stairs and you quickly shook your head. 

“ If any one of you try, I now know where all of you sleep.” 

That had Seungkwan doubling over in a fit of laughter, slapping the floor with one hand. “ Wah! You look ready to actually kill me!” 

Your cheeks were bright red, you could feel the heat of them radiating off of you. Looking over to Jihoon, he just stood back and watched, arms crossed as he rolled his wrist, red mic spinning as he did. 

“ You either!” Pointing towards your soulmate, you glared. “ You hear me?!”  

Jihoon tilted his head, feigning innocence. 

Note to self, kill Jihoon later.

Jihoon was exhausted. You could feel it on the second day towards the end of the concert, but he never faltered in his dancing or singing, keeping that same hyped up energy. They all had smiles plastered on their faces, but just based off of the slumped bodies that barely made it to the vans yesterday, they’d been in bed directly after eating and a shower for tomorrow’s flight. 

The previous night, you had sat with a small group of the guys after the concert, savoring the food that was staff provided. Soonyoung, though tired, still had energy to burn with terrified you. How could one man just keep going? 

Getting Jihoon back to his room was a feat in itself. He was tired and definitely a little sore just based on the gentle hand you rubbed on his back while hanging out. He reminded you of a toddler that didn’t get his nap in yet; cranky and whiny. You had left him in his room with a small kiss to the cheek as a goodnight before returning to your room to bundle up under the covers. What you didn’t expect was for Jihoon to be knocking on your door an hour later , not even asking to come in when you answered the door because you knew he was there before he even knocked. He just paraded himself inside and face planted onto the mattress and was out in a matter of minutes. You tried to ask him a question but he was dead to the world and you managed to get him under the covers with a decent amount of struggle. 

Today was really no different. A small part of you knew he was going to crawl into bed with you so after walking him to his hotel room. You used the latch on the door to prop it open, taking the time to make sure everything was ready to go tomorrow morning. Mindlessly, you scrolled through your phone in the dark, holding back your snort when the light from the hallway shined in and Jihoon’s silhouette could be seen, closing and locking the door. 

“ Is this going to be a regular thing?” The question was more curious than serious, watching as he pulled the covers back and slid in beside you. 

“ Is that going to be a problem?” His voice broke a bit but still level.

Locking your phone, you placed it on the pillow beside your head, eyes already adjusted to the darkness. “ Don’t answer my question with a question.” 

Jihoon shifted to get comfortable, pulling the comforter up to his chin, laying on his side to face you. He didn’t answer for a moment, taking slow even breaths that signified he was ready to knock out soon. Slowly you reached out and brushed some damp locks from his forehead, shaking your shoulders in a silent snicker. 

“ I sleep better when I’m beside you.” He finally broke the silence. 

Butterflies wreaked havoc on your stomach. Your cheeks flushed and for once you were glad the lights were off so he couldn’t see them, but he could definitely feel you swooning. God, that was one of the cheesiest things he’s said to you. Contentment was evident from his side of the bond, it was felt each time he had you blushing or embarrassed from something he said. 

You brushed his hair back, letting your nails message gently against his scalp. His eyes fluttered shut, leaning into the feeling. Faintly you made out the tired, content smile that was threatening to spread on his lips. He was slowly falling asleep, trying to keep his eyes open but each time they stayed closed longer and longer. Slowly, you leaned forward and placed a short peck to his forehead when he was fully asleep, too flustered to do so when he was awake.

“You’re lucky you’re cute, Jihoon-ie.”

[leledrafts]

001. Girlfriend

summary: first day on set. everyone envies pretty girls.

warnings: swearing, envy, ahyoung is criticized for being pretty and a former idol, ageism, probably more that I forgot.

---

"Street Woman Fighter Season 2!" Hyeji exclaims, stretching out our intertwined hands and pointing eagerly at the glowing sign with her free one.

I let out a small, excited squeak—barely a sound—but enough to express my bubbling excitement at seeing the iconic sign. “Wait, I need to take a photo for my mom—she’s a huge fan!” I say, fumbling for my phone. Behind me, I hear a familiar sigh—probably Jiyoung unnie, rolling her eyes as usual.

“Do you think Kang Daniel will come back as MC? My sister’s obsessed with him.” I add, grinning as I snap the photo.

Before I know it, I’m reaching for Hyeji’s hand again, feeling like a kid at a candy store, completely caught up in the moment.

"Thank goodness you wanted to make a bad girl entrance." Minhee says, smirking as Yeeun and Kayoung burst into laughter.

"Bad girls have loved ones too." I murmur, giving Hyeji's a small kiss in her arm.

"I didn’t know you loved anyone other than yourself." Babysleek quips, her teasing tone cutting through the moment.

I shoot her a mock glare and smack her lightly on the arm. "Keep talking, and you'll be at the bottom of my list."

"I thought I already was." the oldest chimes grins.

"Not even close." I retort, shaking my head with mock seriousness. "Yeeun."

The moment I say her name, she lets out an exaggerated groan. "What? Why me?" she whines, throwing her hands up in protest, making me laugh.

I don’t bother answering Yeeun and keep walking, though she persists, demanding to know why. I ignore her, biting back a smile. It wasn’t true anyway—I just love teasing her.

We enter the building, passing a stall with clothes, and head straight for the stairs. Once we reach the top, our eyes fall on the winning team’s trophy sitting majestically on a table.

“It’s incredible.” Halo breathes, carefully lifting it into her hands. “We have to get this beauty home.”

“Who was the orange crew in the first season?” I ask, running my fingers over the smooth surface of the trophy.

“Prowdmon.” Haechi answers from beside me. She drapes her arm around my waist, and a shiver runs down my spine, though I do my best to play it cool.

“We’re ranking sixth.” my crewmates groaning in unison at my bluntness.

“Don’t say that, kid.” Babysleek scolds, now cradling the trophy protectively in her arms.

“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I tease, grinning. “And careful with that thing. At your age, strength starts to deteriorate.”

I barely finish my sentence before Babysleek smacks me on the arm.

“You hit girls? That’s terrible publicity.” I say, feigning scandal.

Before I can say more, Chocol clamps a hand over my mouth. “Shut up! Someone’s going to believe you.” she shakes her head with a chuckle.

---

After what feels like an eternity sitting in the crew room, they finally let us out onto the main set. Judging by how long we’ve been waiting, I’m pretty sure we’ll be one of the last crews to make an entrance.

“Unnie.” I whisper to Haechi, my voice small. “I’m nervous.” I show her my trembling hands as proof. She doesn’t say a word but smiles softly, taking my hands in hers. Somehow, that simple gesture steadies me.

We start moving, descending to the set in formation—Yeni and Chocol leading the way, their steps confident and deliberate. Behind them, Halo walks with Babysleek and Mini, their expressions sharp and focused. Hyeji and I behind them, the tall girl with a serious face but still taking my hand.

My heart pounds louder with every step we take, nerves bubbling back to the surface. Haechi must notice because she gives my hand a gentle squeeze, grounding me without saying a word. It’s a small gesture, but it’s enough to remind me that I’m not alone.

“Haechi Wang has such a powerful presence.” someone murmurs, their words cutting through the hum of the crowd. I smile to myself and give Haechi’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“Oh, Baek Ahyoung is a doll.” another voice gushes.

“I’m not a doll.” I mutter under my breath to my friends as we stop at the center of the stage, trying to keep a straight face.

“Wow, she was my favorite in Dilemma.”

“She’s so pretty!” someone else chimes in enthusiastically.

“I want to be her friend.” Rena from Tsubakill pouts dramatically, earning a round of soft laughs from her crew.

I keep my composure, my heart still pounding. All I can think is: Focus. Keep it cool.

The big screen flickers to life, and to my surprise, they actually start with positive comments.

Well, that didn’t last long.

“I really don’t want to see their dance.” Biggy’s voice suddenly cuts through the room, sharp and unapologetic.

I blink at the screen, my brows furrowing in confusion. “What?”

“Because I know it’s going to be bad.” she finishes bluntly.

A wave of shocked gasps ripples through the room. Mini and Halo both turn to stare at the woman, their faces a mix of disbelief and offense.

"Honestly, I think their moves are old." Mina Myoung, leader of Deep N Dap, remarks casually.

Silence blankets the set. The air feels heavy, charged with unspoken tension.

“She really doesn’t know the difference between old and classic.” Halo mutters under her breath, her tone sharp but composed. The rest of us nod in quiet agreement, our irritation simmering beneath the surface.

Although they haven’t gotten personal yet—it’s getting dangerously close—I can already feel anger bubbling in my veins, hot and sharp.

“I really don’t understand what Ahyoung is doing in Wolf’lo.” BEBE’s Sowon says in a calm, matter-of-fact tone. “She’s not a dancer.”

Gasps and surprised murmurs spread through the room like wildfire. Before I can even process it, Sowon hops down from her seat and starts bowing repeatedly. “Sorry, sorry!” she says in a small voice, clearly realizing she’s poked the bear.

I can’t help but let out a small laugh, shaking my head as I glance back at the screen.

“She’s just a pretty face.” the leader of LadyBounce says, her words cutting through the air like a blade. I freeze. My body goes still, my gaze locking on her.

Did she really just say that?

“Who said that?” Haechi snaps, her voice sharp and abrupt, though she doesn’t let go of my hand. Her grip tightens slightly, a silent show of support.

What is going with this girl? She is not like this.

Nervous laughter bubbles up from the rest of the room, a weak attempt to diffuse the tension.

“Relax, girl.” Yeni chuckles, stepping in and resting a calming hand on Haechi’s arm.

But Haechi doesn’t look relaxed—neither I do.

"You really think I’m pretty?" I ask with a smirk, my voice dripping with irony.

Nob doesn’t miss a beat—she just smiles knowingly at me.

"Don’t say things I already know." I add, throwing in a playful wink. The Mannequeen girls erupt into laughter, their amusement echoing through the room.

The video cuts off, and we make our way to our seats. My smile lingers, but inside, the words of our competitors replay in my mind.

This is going to be a tough competition.

---

The shoot is in full swing, and finally, the girls from Jam Republic walk in. My 2015 self would have never believed she’d be in the same room as her favorite dancer from JB’s music video. Honestly, even my 2023 self is struggling to wrap her head around it.

The girls from Jam Republic make their way to their seats, their initial smiles now replaced with serious expressions. Honestly, I can’t blame them—not after the ridiculous things that have been said to them.

"I just want this to start already." I murmur, resting my head on Hyeji’s shoulder, who’s sitting to my left. "I’m sure Audrey is going to absolutely crush anyone who dares to challenge her."

"Why are you supporting her?" Yeni asks, making me lift my head to look at her. "She’s our rival."

"More than 30 dancers ranked her as the worst." I reply, still leaning against Hyeji's shoulder. "And yet, she’s the one with the most stickers—four."

"You got ranked as the second-worst dancer." Mini chimes in, and I let out a sigh. She’s not wrong.

"And you’ve been challenged just as many times." Halo adds.

"I think we all knew this was coming—or maybe even worse." I say, and the girls nod. "But this doesn’t define the kind of dancers we are. They don’t know us."

I shift my gaze away from my teammates and look at the team next to us, sitting silently.

"Audrey" I call out to the youngest member of the pink team. The entire group turns to look at me, clearly surprised. "Destroy them."

A sly smile spreads across her face, mirrored by her teammates.

"You too." she replies in a calm, almost casual tone.

What guts this kid has.

Just then, Kang Daniel walks onto the set, immediately sending the room into chaos. The singer-songwriter flashes his signature smile and begins explaining the rules of the show, which remain almost identical to the first season.

"Now, let’s meet our judges." he announces, and the anticipation in the room is palpable. "Shin Monika."

The place erupts into screams of excitement. I can’t believe I’m breathing the same air as the Goddess Monika herself.

She takes her seat with effortless grace, and behind her come the other two judges—Monsta X's Shownu and the special guest judge, Mike Song.

For a moment, the studio falls into a hushed silence, the energy thick with awe. Without thinking, I blurt out, "Unnie, be my girlfriend."

The room bursts into laughter—contestants, judges, even the staff. Regret hits me like a truck as I feel my face heat up.

Hyeji lets go of my arm, with a inexpressive face, while Yeni gives me a playful nudge.

"AhYoung!!" Chocol groans between laughs.

The laughter lingers for a few more seconds, especially when Monika winks at me. My face burns hotter than ever, and I’m pretty sure I’m about to melt into the floor. But then, I notice Hyeji shifting uncomfortably, subtly pulling her body away from mine.

What’s her problem now?

"Contestants, you can go change your clothes." the MC announces. "The No Respect Battle is about to begin."

Once we’re back in our designated space, I quickly swap into a different outfit, something sharper and more fitting for what’s coming next.

"Hyeji." I say softly, my voice unusually timid—a rare occurrence for me. "Can I have a hug? Your hugs always make me feel better."

She stares at me for a few seconds, her expression unreadable, before finally pulling me into one of her signature bear hugs—the kind that nearly knock you off your feet, courtesy of her being almost 15cm taller than me.

"You’re going to do amazing." she says with a small, reassuring smile.

I am going to do amazing.

[jenslvt]

Being his girlfriend part 2 ;)

Made by fans

1.

Woori_041 "not them being the iconic couple 20 year olds are delulu of being. ┌⁠(⁠・⁠。⁠・⁠)⁠┘⁠♪"

Replying

| aerivibesonly_ "why is this so accurate (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)"

| innielovesbinnie23 "Woomin is so whipped for her"

| kyun_aeriluv: "He looks at her like she’s the entire universe, and honestly, I don’t blame him. 😭"

| woominzstan "Woomin has the 'happy wife, happy life' mindset DOWN already, and they’re not even married. King behavior."

| softcouplevibes "Aeri could be doing the most random thing, and Woomin would still be standing there like, 'Yeah, that’s my girl.' 🥹"

| mylifeisaeri "Not me crying over how content he looks just watching her exist. WHERE DO I SIGN UP FOR THIS?"

| binniefan4eva "The way he smiles at her as if she hung the moon… y’all, I’m melting."

| teamwhippedwoomin "This man radiates pure ‘I’d do anything for her happiness’ energy. We’re ALL whipped for Aeri at this point."

| delulucity "Woomin is giving ‘silent protector’ while Aeri is just living her best life. Name a better dynamic—I’ll wait."

| cinnamonrollvibes "Someone tell them to stop being so soft; I’m about to cry in my pillow over how precious they are. 😭"

2.

Posted by

Aeriwifeyy "is this what we call a hot couple? Because I feel like the temperature goes three hundred degrees when I see them together??!! Like gosh I'm sweating like rivers!!??! DAMN!"

riXmin_ox "dude my house got burned when they appeard on my TV screen."

BurnedByLove "riXmin_ox, my TV screen cracked. Forget a fire extinguisher; we need therapy for surviving this power couple."

WoominAeri_4ever "Every time they look at each other, my singlehood slaps me in the face. BRB crying in a corner."

FireFandom99 "Not my electricity bill skyrocketing because I keep replaying their scenes for the 100th time. Someone call the fire department!"

AeriStan94 "I don’t need a heater this winter; just show me Woomin and Aeri together, and I’ll be warm forever."

Woomin’sDimplez "Their chemistry is so real it makes me question if I’m watching a drama or a live feed from their honeymoon."

CoupLeGoals_Lover "Petition to add a 'swoon alert' every time Woomin touches Aeri’s shoulder. My weak heart cannot take this anymore!"

FangirlOnFire "Their smiles together have more energy than the entire power grid. Save the planet—just broadcast them globally!"

Etherealshipper "How are they this perfect together? Are they even acting? Like, blink twice if this is real, guys!"

3.

Posted by

woominzgymbro

woominzgymbro "Bro, Woomin's arms are bigger than my dreams... I'm not fighting him for Aeri; I'm signing the surrender papers NOW."

aeri_4life "Okay, hear me out: Aeri can *definitely* tame the beast, but the rest of us mortals? We wouldn't even make it to round one."

wooaeri_stan "Forget about Aeri, I'm scared to even *look* at Woomin wrong. Sir, you win. Aeri is yours. Please don't come for me."

hot_aeri_lover "I was gonna shoot my shot with Aeri, but Woomin looks like he can catch it mid-air and throw it back at me harder. Nah, I'm good."

musclemadness "This man doesn't skip arm day OR protecting-his-girl day. Meanwhile, I'm out here skipping leg day, lunch, and my pride."

aeri_loves_me "Guys, I was just gonna say Aeri looked cute today, but Woomin's biceps logged me out of my account for disrespecting their dominance."

4.

Post Caption (Fan Account):

"The counter scene lives in my head rent-free. Kyungjun standing between Hyeji’s legs, kissing her like the world doesn’t exist, and her pulling him closer by the shirt?? Yeah, they’re not acting at this point. Who’s gonna tell them??"

Fan Comments:

simmering_kjhj "Kyungjun lifting Hyeji onto the counter like she weighs nothing was peak dominance. That man’s strength isn’t just for show. We ALL KNOW what’s up."

drama_addict_24 "Hyeji sitting on the counter, Kyungjun standing between her legs—this was NOT acting. This was two people committing crimes against my heart."

hyekyunghive "Hyeji holding onto his shirt and pulling him closer? That’s the kind of energy where you KNOW she’d keep up with him in bed. They’re equals, and it’s HOT."

countertopchaos "The way Kyungjun leaned in like he owned her, and Hyeji smirked like she LET him? This isn’t just sexual tension; this is foreplay with no limits."

_silent_screams "Not me pausing and rewinding 17 times to catch the exact moment their lips met. This scene is my new personality."

dom_kj_energy "Okay but Kyungjun is the kind of man who’d have you begging one second and then whisper something filthy that turns YOU into the dom real quick. Hyeji knows her power, and he LOVES it."

kissmesoftly_hj "Hyeji on the counter with her legs around him just gave me 'you can top me, but only because I allow it' vibes. Meanwhile, Kyungjun was like 'Challenge accepted.'"

spicydrama4life "Kyungjun gripping her waist while kissing her like that? That man has ‘manhandle you in bed but still kiss you soft’ written all over him."

powerduodream "You KNOW he’d be the type to pin her down, but then she flips them over, and he just smiles because he likes her wild side. They’re SO balanced, I’m losing my mind."

fireworksandcounters "Y’all, the audacity of the camera to pan out as the kiss got deeper. Like, let us WATCH in HD!! This scene deserved its own episode."

_kitchenheat "Hyeji on the counter = pure confidence. Kyungjun stepping between her legs = the right amount of chaos. Together? The BED WOULD NOT SURVIVE."

alltheheat_98 "Can we talk about how this scene SCREAMS ‘long nights, broken headboards, and mutual exhaustion from too much passion’? Because SAME."

kyungjihive "That counter is lucky to exist. Meanwhile, Kyungjun’s arms are giving pick her up and make her forget her name energy, and I’m HERE FOR IT."

5.

Post Caption (Fan Account):

"Woomin and Aeri still denying their relationship while giving us couple goals content every other day... Okay, sure. But explain the stolen glances, the matching accessories, and the way they literally can’t stop smiling around each other?? WE’RE NOT BLIND."

Fan Comments:

wooaeri_stan "Them: ‘We’re just close colleagues.’ Also them: Looking at each other like they’re in a romantic drama every five seconds."

aeri_myqueen "Not them acting like besties when Woomin literally adjusts Aeri’s hair in every BTS clip like a boyfriend. Who are they fooling?"

denial_is_cute "Fine, don’t confirm the relationship. But explain why Woomin’s jacket was on Aeri’s shoulders last week. I’ll wait."

kyun_aeri_luv "The chemistry is so loud it could set off car alarms. We don’t need a confirmation, y’all, we’ve already seen enough."

matchymatchyduo "Matching bracelets, giggling at inside jokes, and constant eye contact… Yeah, they’re definitely just ‘friends.’ LOL."

silent_shippers "Woomin looks at Aeri like she’s the only person in the room. Meanwhile, Aeri gets flustered every time he calls her name. JUST SAY YOU’RE DATING."

wmin_xoxo "Their body language gives away more than their PR team ever could. The way he leans into her? The way she softens around him? IT’S A RELATIONSHIP, GUYS."

Q1_fkg5 "Plot twist: they think they’re fooling us, but even my mom is like, ‘Those two are totally in love.’"

itstheglances "Every interview: ‘We’re good friends.’ Every interaction: heart eyes and blushes. Keep lying to yourselves, besties."

shipping_in_silence "Let’s all agree that when they finally confirm it, we’ll just say, ‘We knew.’ Because we really did."

[phoxey]

Limbo

Limbo is older than Bebe and more professional. Bebe is just starting out but seems so strong, quickly taking over a bit of Limbo territory. Whether Limbo is too weak to fight back, or if they let Bebe have the territory, is unknown. On the streets are whispers that there is a relationship between Bebe and Limbo. But no one can tell if they are friends or enemies. But the leaders were spotted talking to eachother on neutral ground a few times.

Limbo has their fingers in almost every illegal thing happening in the area. Streetracing, drugs, illegal guns, robbery... you name it, they do it.

Shin Soojin - 28 - Leader of Limbo

Janice - 24 - Sub Leader

Cho Kyeonseo - 25 - driver and street racer

Ran Kyuri - 18 - youngest member

Choi Jihye and Hyeji - 20 - chaos twins

Ghost - 23 - business mastermind

[lucuslavigne]

𖦹 Não fala assim com o papai!

Eunwoo × Leitora.

๑: Eunwoo sendo o pai bobão pela filha, fluffy.

Espero que gostem.

— Me perdoa amor. — disse tentando segurar a risada.

— Sai daqui Eunwoo. — o empurrou. — Eu te falei que eu tinha acabado de lavar o quintal e você foi lá com a Hyeji e sujou tudo.

— Mas ela queria brincar... — tentou se defender.

— Ela podia brincar dentro de casa! Ela tem uma salinha pra' isso, ou eu mandei projetar aquela sala de brinquedos à toa? — respondeu nervosa.

— Não fala assim com o papai! — Hyeji se agarrou nas pernas do pai, o defendendo.

— Sumam vocês dois daqui! — falou. — Vocês vão lavar aquele quintal inteiro e se tiver uma sujeirinha se quer vocês vão dormir na casa da sua vó! — foi para o quarto.

— Eu já pedi desculpas amor! — escutou o Cha rindo.

— Pois faça por merecer! — bateu a porta do quarto.

— A mamãe não pode falar assim com você. — abraçou mais forte.

— Mas a gente desobedeceu ela, então ela pode sim. — explicou para a menor. — E em conversa de adulto, você não se mete no meio 'tá bom? Peça permissão para falar.

— Desculpa... — falou.

— Tudo bem, mas agora vamos arrumar aquela bagunça. — pegou a mão da filha a levando para o quintal. — Você pega os brinquedos e eu lavo a tinta.

— Certo! — disse animada.

Eunwoo ligou a mangueira para encher o balde com a água e foi atrás da vassoura, como viu que a filha já havia recolhido os brinquedos, a mandou para dentro e começou a esfregar os lugares que estavam cobertos por tinta.

— Cadê o esfregão hein? — procurou pelo objeto no respectivo lugar.

— Eu vou te ajudar. — viu a esposa com o esfregão e outro balde em mãos.

— Não precisa amor... — falou.

— Assim é mais rápido, anda logo. — passou a ajudar Dongmin a limpar o quintal.

Pouco tempo depois o quintal já estava limpo novamente, então guardaram os utensílios e foram para dentro de casa, você se direcionou a cozinha, a fim de beber um copo d'água.

— Me desculpa mesmo não ter escutado você. — te beijou.

— Só me escute da próxima vez. — suspirou. — É cansativo cuidar da casa enquanto você está trabalhando.

— Obrigado por cuidar tanto de mim assim. — te abraçou, colocando a cabeça em seu pescoço.

— Eu te amo Dongmin.

— Eu te amo mais minha rainha. — te beijou.

— Eca! — escutaram a filha falar.

— Vai pra' lá filha! — o Cha disse a filha. — Eu quero beijar a mamãe.

— Cuidado hein. — falou como o tio Sanha.

— O Sanha me paga. — Eunwoo riu.

— Deixa ela. — riu junto, dando um selinho carinhoso no homem.

[clearaeipathy]

~Eyes of Compassion~

BTS Jungkook x Reader

______________________________________________________________

-Trigger warnings: none, I think...

-Angst?

-Female reader. Sorry if the character doesn't really represent you...

-All work is mine, please let me know if anyone plagiarizes me!

-Uh, my first actual story, so feedback would be appreciated!

-Since I can't figure out how to type in italic, thoughts might be in all lowercase?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jeon Jungkook thinks he's in serious trouble.

He can't stop looking into her eyes. He's fascinated by the depth of her eyes. A perfect fusion of caramel and chocolate. And her beautiful, lush, healthy hair, cascading like a waterfall down her shoulders and back.

He doesn't think he can bring himself to initiate a conversation either. He's too busy admiring how put together she is, how impeccable her fashion taste is. He swears she looks cuter than she was yesterday. Does she know how good she looks, he wonders, in that white turtleneck sweater and black leggings that emphasize her slim legs? Everything, down to her nails, is perfect.

He hopes he looks somewhat perfect.

Everything needs to be perfect on this date for her.

But it's not.

Jungkook drums his fingers on his leg nervously. Since the start of their date, Hyeji was on her phone, barely sparing a glance at him. He thought he'd make it up to her, for being busy with work lately, and take her out. In his mind, he thought she'd be the same affectionate, warmhearted, giggly person he fell in love with. They had a lot to catch up on, and he missed her.

He remembered the days where they had done everything together. Cooking, karaoke, arcades, movies. They'd done it all. There was nothing he wouldn't do to make her smile. He missed her laugh, the sincere, head-thrown-back giggle she'd make whenever he picked her up and spun her around, not caring who was around.

Gosh, he missed kissing her.

"Babe?" he tried. "Do you not like the food? Do you want me to order something else?" He picks up the cafe menu.

Hyeji looked up from her phone and smiled.

"Jungkook, it's okay," she reassured. "It's just my boss. You know how he is." She looked down at her phone again as it lit up, tapping out a message.

Jungkook frowned. "Is he giving you a hard time? Is everything at work okay?"

Hyeji sighed in defeat. "Honestly, Jungkook, everything's fine. You don't need to worry. I just-" she paused as her phone began ringing. "I need to take this call," she said. "I'm sorry, just wait and I'll be right back."

compassion, jungkook. remember to be compassionate and understanding and patient, he mentally chides to himself as his temper rises slightly.

Jungkook stares longingly after her as she hastily gets up and walks outside the cafe. What did he do wrong? Suddenly the strawberry cheesecake that he ordered for them to share doesn't seem so appetizing. He clenches his fist under the table.

Five minutes pass.

Fifteen minutes.

Has it been half an hour already?

Jungkook makes up his mind to go outside and look for her. He's so done with this silent treatment.

After paying for the meal they barely ate, Jungkook gets up and walks out, running his hands through his hair in frustration. Hyeji isn't outside the cafe. He looks left and right.

No sign of her.

maybe she left, he thought.

she wouldn't leave without telling me. would she?

The street outside is bustling, full of chattering and laughing people. There are happy couples everywhere, giggling and kissing and holding hands. Jungkook feels sick.

He wants to sit down. There's a bench under a tree, right there, but there's only one bench, and there's someone sitting there already.

screw it, he thinks. he needs to sit and think.

As he approaches the bench, you look up.

You're wearing a t-shirt and jeans. He can't help but notice your worn-down blue and white sneakers, the small white clip in your hair, the way your eyebrows press together questioningly as he walks toward you. And your eyes. Your eyes remind him of Hyeji. Caramel and chocolate. Comfort and warmth. Like she used to be.

His eyes sting painfully.

"I... uh, is it okay if I sit here?" he manages. There's something different about you. It's throwing him off.

You nod in confirmation and scoot over to one side of the bench to make room.

"Thanks," Jungkook exhales.

"No problem," you reply.

Jungkook sits down on the other side of the bench and sighs slowly. It's a long, weary sigh, the kind that someone makes when it's been a long day and they don't know what to do.

He fishes for his phone in his pocket and texts Hyeji.

[4:02 PM, July 22]

Jungkook:

Babe, are you okay? (Sent)

Where are you? (Sent)

no answer, he thought.

He shoves his phone in his pocket in disappointment.

You glance at him. "Usually I don't talk to strangers," you chuckle," but are you okay?"

woah.

Jungkook is surprised by your question. He didn't expect you to look at him with that pretty face, let alone ask him something. He searches your eyes hesitantly. He has to give you credit for being kind.

"Um, are you listening?"

"Huh?" he says. "Oh, I'm sorry... just... zoning out for a bit."

"I can tell," you say, with a hint of humor in your voice. "I said, are you okay?"

Jungkook starts to nod, and then pauses. "To be honest, I'm not really sure," he confesses.

He looks at you for any sign of judgement. But you, your eyes tell him that you're open to listening.

"Well..." he runs his hand through his hair, unsure where to start. "My girlfriend, I haven't seen her in a while due to work, so I took her out on a date today. But she was just... she was just on her phone the entire time. She didn't really talk to me, heck, she barely looked at me." A bitter laugh springs out from his throat. "I asked her about it, and she said her boss was just giving her a hard time."

You gaze at him with understanding. "I get that," you murmur.

Jungkook inhales slowly. "She stepped outside to call her boss, and she... never really came back in. God, that sounds stupid, doesn't it?" Another bitter laugh works its way up his throat. "I feel like a jerk, ranting to a stranger."

The corner of your lips go up. "I'm Y/N," you say, and reach your hand out for a handshake. You fully smile when Jungkook shakes your hand. "There, we're not strangers anymore."

Jungkook chuckles. "I'm Jungkook."

"Jungkook," you say thoughtfully. "That sounds familiar."

Alarm bells go off in his head. What was he thinking, giving his name to a stranger? Well, to an acquaintance.

"It's okay," you reassure. "If you're someone famous or something, I won't tell anyone. I can't even remember who you are anyway."

Jungkook laughs slightly at that.

"So, why are you here? I don't think people sit on a bench for an hour," he says lightly.

Your eyes narrow slightly. "And how would you know I was here for an hour?" you challenge.

Jungkook scratches his chin. "I think I saw you sitting here when me and my girlfriend started our date, which was... an hour ago." He furrows his brow as he looks at you more closely.

You do seem calm and unruffled, he'll admit that. He didn't notice the slight red tinge of your eyes when he first sat down. "I think it's my turn to ask if you're okay," he continues.

You smile slightly. "You're observant, I'll give you that."

Jungkook cocks a eyebrow, waiting.

You take a deep breath. "Well, my boyfriend and me were planning to go on a date here. If I assume correctly, it was gonna be at the same cafe that you went to. But, uh," you laugh lightly. "I think he stood me up. Probably for work or something," you say ruefully. "I should've known he didn't really plan to come. We've been drifting apart for a couple months."

It's Jungkook's turn to look at you with understanding.

You take another deep breath. "To be honest," you begin. "I think he's cheating on me."

Well, Jungkook wasn't really expecting that.

"I saw him texting someone, I think another girl," you say as you look down at your hands. "He told me Hyeji was just his employee, but he always has weird marks on his neck coming back from work, and-"

Jungkook tries his best not to gasp. He really did. He still couldn't stop the small intake of breath as he heard Hyeji's name.

hyeji.

hyeji.

hyeji.

she cheated on me?

she cheated on me??

my girlfriend, who i would do anything to make her laugh, cheated on me?

He looks at you with panic in his eyes. And it hits you a moment later.

"Jungkook? Hyeji... she's your girlfriend?"

He barely nods.

it all makes sense.

somehow, i've been cheated on, and so has Y/N.

Forcefully, he wrenches his brain back on to the right track, with "i've been cheated on" thundering in his mind.

You clench your hands. "So I've really been cheated on," you voice aloud. "Jungkook, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." you trail off as Jungkook brushes her hand.

"Y/N, don't be sorry. I guess... some things happen for a reason," he says bitterly.

He hides his face in his hands. "Y/N," he whispers. "I gave her so much. I still love her so much. Is this... is her cheating on me my fault? I went away for work and I wasn't there for her and-" his voice cracks.

You gently pries his hands away from his face and squeezes them. "It's not your fault, Jungkook. Look at me," you command. "Jungkook, listen. It's not your fault, it's my boyfriend's fault. Well, now my ex's fault," you chuckle, bitterness in your tone.

"Jungkook? Listen, Jungkook, it's not- oh, don't cry," you say with a note of worry. Jungkook can't help the lonely tears that trickle down his face. He doesn't want to cry.

"Please don't cry." You brush a tear away with your thumb.

His phone buzzes to life in his pocket, his ringtone warbling out into the world.

Jungkook hastily wipes at his eyes and fumbles for his phone. "Stay quiet and don't say anything," he orders.

"YAH, JUNGKOOK WHERE ARE YOU?! IT'S 5:30 AND YOUR DATE ISN'T OVER YET?? THIS IS NOT HOW I RAISED-"

Jungkook hits the speaker button off and grimaces in apology to you.

"Please, hyung, I'm on my way back. Please don't yell, I'm okay, I'm-" Jungkook's voice breaks just the tiniest bit. "Do you guys still have any leftovers for dinner? The date didn't... really go as planned."

Jungkook mutters a bit more into the phone and then hangs up. "I'm really sorry, I have to go," he murmurs. "I'm sorry for the trouble, I-"

"Wait," you say. You swipe his phone from his hand and quickly add your number, then hand it back to him.

"You can delete my number if you want, but if... if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here, okay?" you say. Jungkook swears he has never heard more understanding or compassion in someone's voice.

"If we ever talk again, maybe I'll remember who you are next time." You give a little laugh.

Jungkook gazes at you with gratefulness. "Thank you, Y/N," he rasps. "Honestly."

He takes off suddenly, jogging down the street.

Jeon Jungkook knows he's in some serious trouble.

[myrswatchlist]

BRANDING IN SEONGSU | 브랜딩 인 성수동 2024 | dir. jung heonsu

YANG HYEJI as do yumi

[hauntingrcund]

nome: sable song. nome verdadeiro: san hwarim. idade: cinquenta e um anos. gênero: feminino (ela/dela). orientação sexual: bissexual. espécie: vampira. afiliação: nenhuma (vampira sem clã). ocupação: auxiliar de necropsia. tempo em arcanum: dois anos. faceclaim: yang hyeji.

(+) otimista, confiável, bem-humorada, meticulosa. (-) reservada, petulante, autoindulgente, excêntrica.

Em outra vida, ela foi San Hwarim: estudante de Medicina, alma rebelde e uma das poucas pessoas a manterem a cultura punk viva em Hongdae, o bairro dos jovens artistas e revolucionários na capital da Coreia do Sul.

Foi após assistir um show em um dive bar que, caminhando para casa, ela o conheceu — seu criador, um vampiro errante com muita sede e pouca discrição. Hwarim perdeu a vida em seus braços, o pescoço quebrado e o corpo largado em uma ruela suja e esquecida. Contudo, tão rebelde quanto fora em sua vida, ela foi no momento de sua morte, mordendo o vampiro até arrancar-lhe sangue em uma tentativa de desvencilhar-se dele. A fuga só durou até a esquina do beco, mas aquele ato desesperado foi o que a fez despertar horas depois, com uma dor latejante na nuca e vendo cores que nunca havia visto antes.

A primeira vítima de sua sede foi sua colega de apartamento, e por horas chorou sobre seu corpo inerte e os lençóis sujos de sangue. Depois, passara a encurralar alunos da universidade enquanto voltavam para os dormitórios, para as casas, para os restaurantes e bares depois de um dia cansativo de aulas. Os professores começaram a reparar em seu sumiço nas aulas matinais, as notícias de um possível assassino nas proximidades se espalharam e, como se ela nunca tivesse existido, Hwarim desapareceu.

Eventualmente, o tempo e a estrada a levaram para fora do país e, depois, para outro continente. Como vampira, ainda era jovem — todas as pessoas que conhecia em vida continuavam vivas, mas estavam na idade de se tornarem pais e avós, enquanto seu rosto de vinte e poucos anos continuava intacto. Precisava do máximo de distância possível de sua vida mundana. De cidade a outra, país em país e com um novo nome e história, boatos sobre o pequeno vilarejo da Alemanha — e o que ele escondia — chegaram a seus ouvidos atentos. Infelizmente, seus conhecimentos de medicina tinham sido engavetados desde que percebera que não conseguia ficar próxima ao sangue dos vivos, porém, essa descoberta lhe rendeu uma nova perspectiva. Afinal, não tinha problema algum em lidar com o sangue e os corpos dos mortos.

♡ Trabalha no necrotério como auxiliar de necropsia, e é comum ouvir música ecoando pelos corredores enquanto ela trabalha. De acordo com ela, isso lhe ajuda a se concentrar. ♡ Adora pintar o cabelo e provavelmente já passou por todas as cores do arco-íris. Atualmente, seu cabelo está preto e vermelho. ♡ Escolheu o nome Sable Song por conta própria e, de acordo com ela, decidiu usar Sable por ser um nome “muito descolado”. ♡ Todos os bares da cidade já a conhecem, e também sabem que ela sempre pedirá cerveja. ♡ Mesmo antes de chegar a Arcanum, não tomava sangue humano há anos. Se acostumou à dieta de sangue animal e é muito grata pelo sangue sintético oferecido na cidade. ♡ Possui um anel encantado para que ela possa andar sob o sol, mas ainda prefere sair apenas à noite. Verdadeiramente, só é vista de dia no trabalho. ♡ Morreu aos vinte e quatro anos, em 1997.

[pupuyvs]

i have a feeling jihye and yeji are going to start pretending to date (like chaewon and yeonjun) but chaewon will get jealous and she'll end up saying something about it to jihye. but then jihye will point out how it's hypocritical that she's complaining when she's doing the same with yeonjun. but i don't think it'll start a fight but just be one of the many things (chaewon's friends and other popular people at the school bullying jihye, yena, and whoever is behind the account) that seem to be going against chaewon and jihye being together

-🦖

ermmm….like ur thinking….but no 😔

hyeji not canon sadly 💔💔💔 chaewon and yeji gf would kill em

[snoopdoggs]

#355 gifs of YANG HYE-JI in 'branding in seongsu (2024),' can be accessed by joining my discord server, or sending me a message off anon. hyeji is of korean descent and was born in 1996, so cast accordingly. please like and reblog if you found these useful.

tw: alcohol, flashing lights

please read my rules before using. all gifs were made by me, so do not redistribute or claim as your own.

[mikachacha]

𝚂𝙿𝙴𝙰𝙺 𝙽𝙾𝚆 (𝙱𝙰𝙳𝙰 𝙻𝙴𝙴 𝚇 𝙰𝙲𝚃𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚂! 𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙴𝚁) 𝙲𝙷. 2

Synopsis: Bada is slowly falling for you but you're still confused about your own feelings.

Warnings: cursing, a bit of angst

(A/N: they're so cute wtf 😭😭 anywaysssss thank u so much for supporting this series and my other stories 🥺🥺 u guys are the best and i love y'all 🫶🫶)

Series Master List

╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗

Chapter Two

╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝

The day of your mom's event came. Bada, Haeun, and Hyeji were able to come and you're having a blast until one of your mom's friends came up to you, with her son in tow.

"Oh my.. You look so pretty, Y/N! This is Hyeok Jae, my son. I hope you guys can be friends." the lady says and you had to fight the urge to not show a disgusted look because the guy looked like he totally made his mom do this whole fiasco to be close to you.

"Ah.. Sure.. Thanks Mrs. Lee.." you said politely as the lady excused herself to go talk with the other adults, leaving the Hyeok Jae with you.

"So.. I see you're looking pretty lonely, want to be my date for this event?" Hyeok Jae offered with a smug smirk and you looked around, desperately looking for Bada or your other friends to get away from this situation.

"I actually have a date. They're just getting me some drinks.. Now if you'll excuse me." you lied and tried to leave but he grabbed you by the wrist, preventing you from leaving and began being really mean to you, calling you a liar and playing hard to get for not accepting to be his date. You struggled to free yourself until Bada came to your rescue, slapping the guy's hand away from your wrist.

"You better stop that if I were you.." Bada threatened and you can see Hyeji and Haeun standing behind the guy, ready to beat his ass if he doesn't stop being an ass.

"Oh come on, Bada.. It's not like she's a lesbian like you so stop being all protective." Hyeok Jae chuckles and you look at Bada, she really looks like she's about to punch this guy's face until it's completely unrecognizable.

"Actually, I am and she's the date I was talking about. So if you would just leave before I call the security, that would be amazing. Thanks." you stepped in before things could escalate because you don't want to cause a scene, especially that your dad's around. You're scared that he might throw you somewhere far away to study if you cause any trouble that'll ruin his and your mom's reputation.

"Move it, asshat." Hyeji says as Hyeok Jae began to leave. You sighed and looked at your friends, giving them a small smile while they pulled you in for a hug.

"You okay bub? You weren't hurt right?" Haeun asked while inspecting your wrist. Sure enough, there were marks that'll leave some bruises which made Bada even angrier.

"That little shit.." she said through gritted teeth and you just rubbed her shoulder, an attempt to calm her down. She looks at you before taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

The night went on without any problems, you forgot about Hyeok Jae as you're having lots of fun with your friends. They even got to meet your dad which was really nice though one thing is really bothering you and you wanted to talk to Bada about it so you dragged to the garden outside so you can talk in private.

"Bada, can I ask you some things?" you asked and Bada looked rather nervous but nodded nonetheless. She has a feeling that you're gonna ask if what Hyeok Jae said was true.

"Is it about what Hyeok Jae said about me? That I'm lesbian? Look, I'm not but it also doesn't mean that I don't like girls. I'm bisexual, I like both male and female.. If you're gonna be disgusted by what I am, then that's completely fine. I respect that.." Bada confessed and you stood there, trying to process everything in your head.

You looked at her then just pulled her in a hug. You couldn't find the right words to say at the moment and you hope that she realizes that despite her sexual orientation, you accept and that you're still best friends. She wrapped her arms around you, soft sobs escaping her lips as both of you just stayed in each other's embrace. No words were spoken yet you completely understood each other's feelings.

Bada thought that after that night, you would distance yourself from her or ignore her completely but you didn't. Things are still the same between you and her and she's very grateful about it.

"You know what, why don't we make a pact? "If you're not married by the time we reach the age of 28, then we will marry each other. Deal?" you held out your hand in front of Bada and the taller girl just laughed and shook your hand firmly. It was just a crazy thought but you felt rather sure about it. If you'd have to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you're sure that you want to spend it with Bada. You only knew each other for almost a year by now but it felt like you've known her your entire life. You completely get each other, completely feel safe with each other and trust each other.

"Deal. Well if we're not dating anyone during holidays each year, we get to take each other out on a date until we find the right people who'll love us and take care of us." Bada grins and you nodded happily. You're confused about your own feelings. You feel like you like Bada more than a friend but you also felt like it's just because you're always together.

"What? You look like you're already about to break off our pact. You good?" Bada asks, noticing you suddenly grew quiet and had a serious look on your face. You just playfully roll your eyes at her before grabbing her cap, laughing as you run to your next class with Bada chasing after you.

"Ha! You fell for it!" you laughed at her face and Hyeji only laughed seeing Bada running after you while Haeun took some pictures.

"Why don't you guys date already? Gosh.. It feels like I'm watching a school drama on tv.." Jong-in playfully says while your other classmates agreed. It's a common thing in your class since you and Bada are very close and sometimes you both act like an old married couple which you totally deny but your classmates says otherwise.

"Chill, guys. We'll get to that soon enough." you say in a playful manner, even winking at Bada who just rolled your eyes and gave you the middle finger which made you and the others laugh. Bada wanted it to be real. Knowing you for months now made her realize that she is slowly falling for you but she knows that you're still confused about your own feelings so she'll patiently wait until you're ready to take your friendship on a next level. But if not, she'll remain loving you until you find the person who you'll love and spend the rest of your life with.

Tag list———;; (still open btw)

@xiakiyama , @mightymyo , @moonsvrse , @itstrashjustrash , @prilux , @mikaleialt , @azhel, @lil-elliesgf , @1luvkarina , @jhopes-whoopee-cushion, @zhivaxo , @boombadabby, @avocifera, @rhickah

[wooahaeruby]

Chapter 29: Important Questions

Chapter Word Count: 4,557

Anything in Bold Italics are Korean/Another language.

Master List | Prev | Next

Ruby had locked themself in the bedroom for their meetings, leaving Jamie, Kazuki, and Jihoon to fend for themselves until he left for rehearsals. There was plenty of food in the fridge for one of them to make breakfast which Kazuki was willing to take charge of. 

The four of them had stayed up late despite his body's tired protests and once his head hit the pillow, he was out. Ruby had tried to stay quiet when they started the work day on the computer but he ended up moving to the couch and crashing once more until Kazuki shuffled out in search of coffee. Both of them just sat on the couch zoning out until Jamie came trudging out for coffee as well. As the three of them came fully into the land of the living, Jihoon gave one peek into the bedroom to see them working before he quickly huddled back with the two and gave a proper run down of the coming events.

Another member of staff under Hyeji would be bringing Ruby’s grandparents to the venue and keeping them far away from everyone so they wouldn’t know. Jamie and Kazuki would be able to view the three day event from a higher level of the stadium with Ruby and security before coming backstage to wait on going back to the apartment after. 

As for the fourteenth, it was more of a wait around until the evening day and Seungcheol already agreed to pick Jamie and Kazu up from the apartment when he and Ruby went out. Jihoon was going to use the new excuse of Ruby wanting date night which Jamie and Kazuki said they would insist on the two going out and the two could figure out a night on their own with no issues. Jihoon had been doing a great job so far keeping his emotions under control but Kazu joked that he would start getting nervous as it got closer and he really didn’t want to jinx himself. 

“ I’m excited.” Jamie whispered, leaning himself into Kazuki’s side. “ I can’t believe my best friend is getting engaged.” 

Jihoon tried to suppress the delight that fluttered in his chest, covering his mouth to hide he stupid grin he was sporting. God, he was so in love that it was getting ridiculously hard to stop the emotions from flowing between the bonds. 

“ I can’t believe they are getting engaged before us.” Kazuki snickered, staying quiet, and Jihoon scoffed with a smile. 

“I can’t believe I’m getting engaged before any of my friends.” Jihoon sighed, pushing his hair back from his face. “ I know my counter was first to finish but it just seems surreal to even think about it.” 

“Just so you know, I want to be in the wedding party.” 

“Jamie, can they get engaged first before you start saying that?” Kazuki deadpanned. 

“No.”

“Welcome to the chaos.” You said, walking into the small kbbq restaurant the Seventeen team had booked for the evening. 

Inside was already loud and bustling, it smelled amazing with the food being cooked seeing as they were a bit late due to traffic. 

“ Ruby-ah!” Mingyu yelled out, standing from his seat the moment he laid eyes on you, hurrying over to bring you into a hug. “ I haven’t seen you in forever!” 

“It’s been less than five days-” 

“And?? You are my friend!”

“Friend- Yeah but it’s only been a couple days-” 

“You’re my friend!” He pushed it a little harder. 

You went to argue more but stopped and closed your mouth as you saw Jamie’s expression from the corner of your eye. His eyes were wide and starstruck, staring up at the man that was currently hugging you. Mingyu let you go and smiled brightly to your two friends, looking between the two. 

“ Hi! Both of you are Ruby-ah’s friends??” 

“This is Jamie.” You motioned to him then to Kazuki. “ And Kazuki.” 

There was an all knowing glint in Mingyu’s eyes. He looked at Jamie, smiling wide. “ You are the one who has me as a bias?” The imaginary tail was definitely wagging. 

“Calm down, hot shot, let’s sit down before that so he doesn’t pass out.” You shook your head and pushed back on Mingyu’s chest. “ Let me guess, there are two seats between you and Jeonghan?” 

He just grinned, leading you over towards the table. A space on the other side of the table was free beside Jihoon with Jamie and Kazuki across from you two. Jeonghan and Mingyu indeed had two seats free between them, the former having a wicked grin on his face. It was going to be an interesting night. 

“ Don’t scare them off.” You gave a warning to Jeonghan whose eyes lit up and his grin turned into a very mischievous smile. 

“ Ah~ Ruby-ah, have some faith in me!” Jeonghan snickered, Seokmin sitting on the other side of Jeonghan joining in on the playful atmosphere.

“ Jeonghanie-hyung won’t scare them off~” 

Rolling your eyes, you took your seat beside Jihoon, watching the hesitance in both Kazuki’s and Jamie’s eyes as they took their respective seats, Mingyu insisting Jamie sit beside him of course. Shooting them both a sympathetic look, Kazuki tried to set his gaze into a more calm, neutral look, something he had perfected over the years while Jamie still looked awestruck. It made sense with the two only meeting some of the group last time they were together in New York, but never their bias.

Jeonghan had been texting you earlier in the week about it, wanting to know ways to mess with Kazuki (at Joshua’s insistence, devil). You didn’t hand any information over to him, having spent enough time with the two older men to know that they were both menaces to society. Mingyu looked ready to burst, already talking Jamie’s ear off, the latter was simply taking in everything and anything Mingyu was saying. 

“This is going to go swimmingly.” You whispered under your breath but Jihoon scoffed a small laugh beside you. “ I’m serious, Jamie looks ready to combust.” 

Jihoon looked across the table and laughed some more, placing one arm across the back of your chair while the other hand worked on flipping the meat. “ I’m sure they will be fine.”

“Kazuki’s lips get loose when he drinks.” 

“Even more fun.” 

Aside from having to send some glares to Jeonghan when he tried to get some stories about you and telling Mingyu to slow the fuck down, you are talking a million miles a minute, everything was going okay. Over time, both your friends got more comfortable and broke out of the shell of meeting new people. Jamie was in the middle of telling Mingyu how the larger man became his bias and Mingyu was eating up every compliment and fawning (it was kinda cute honestly). Kazuki and Jeonghan had fallen into a conversation, in Japanese, about something you couldn’t hear properly over most of the chatter, but they looked pleasantly immersed into whatever they were speaking about. 

Jihoon’s phone lit up for the hundredth time on the table and he was quick to pick it up and reply before tossing the device in his pocket. 

“ Everything okay?” 

“ Yeah-” Okay…he answered a little too fast. “ A friend of mine is asking about something and they spam text.” 

Raising an eyebrow, he only looked at you with a smile and you narrowed your eyes. He didn’t feel anxious, nervous, nothing like that…

“ What?” 

“I don’t know if you are lying to me.” 

“Now why would I do that?” He smirked and you pinched the exposed skin of his thigh in the shorts he wore. “ Ow!” 

“Don’t get smart with me, Lee Jihoon.” 

“ Now I want to get smart with you for the fun of it.” 

“For my soulmate, you are insufferable.” 

He leaned over and placed a kiss to your cheek, his laughter music to your ears. “ You love it.” 

“Hey, Jihoon?” Leaning away some, he tilted his head in question. “Get over yourself.” 

He tossed his head back in laughter and you rolled your eyes, letting a smile spread on your lips.

In all honesty, he didn’t know how Ruby hadn't found out anything yet. With days counting down, literally days until everything happens, he was sure someone would slip. 

Much to their words, Minghao and Wonwoo did a good job at keeping Mingyu and Soonyoung’s mouths shut. There were a few moments where one of them had been kicked in the shin under the table (Mingyu) and another had a hand clamped over his mouth (Soonyoung, he was drinking and his lips got loose ). Hyeji almost fucked up when she continuously texted to him about their grandparents settled into the hotel during the group dinner, but Ruby took the simple bait of a friend (though they did ask later about the friend and he covered it with something about music). 

Which brought them to currently…  

“All I’m saying is that Mingyu has the best ass in the group.” Jamie put his hands up and clapped in Ruby’s face, seeing them roll their eyes and scoff. “I don’t make the rules, babes.” 

“Jamie, you think anything that moves has a nice ass.” Ruby shot back. 

It was the night before Caratland and take out dinner turned into an interesting debate night that Jihoon really didn’t want to be a part of. Especially with Ruby and Jamie drinking.

“That is not true! Take it back!” Jamie gasped, pushing on Ruby’s shoulder but they barely budged. 

Kazuki was clearly staying out of it similar to Jihoon, his arms crossed over his chest and the subtle amusement played out on his face. 

“Jams, the three of us know about your literally ass list on your phone.” 

“ Ass list?” Jihoon leaned over to Kazuki, having moved to sit beside him as both their soulmates were arguing with one another. 

Kazuki snorted quietly but nodded. “ A list of celebrities that he thinks have a nice butt even if they are flatter than a board. Megan Fox is on there, for example, but also Chris Evans.” 

Jihoon didn’t question it, only replying to the information with a nod. He kinda understood…

“Oh just because Coups has a nice ass and he is on the top of your list doesn’t make you high and mighty!” 

Ruby threw their head back in laughter before narrowing their eyes on their friend. “Jokes on you, he isn't at the top of my list.” 

“Who is then, huh? Seungkwan?”

“Nope.” They let the ‘p’ pop as they spoke and pointed directly at Jihoon. “Jokes on you, loser, my soulmate and my wrecker have the best ass.” 

Well that was a first. 

Jihoon blinked once, twice, before he couldn’t hold back from the loud, boisterous laugh that had him falling onto his side. 

“That is so unfair! You literally have a kpop idol as your soulmate that is a gym rat! And he dances all day! Of course he is going to have a nice ass!” Jamie groaned and threw a pillow at Ruby. They caught it and laughed, holding the thrown object close to their chest. “You could bounce a coin off of it.” 

He couldn’t breathe, god his stomach hurt. Catching his breath was hard and tears were welling in the corners of his eyes. 

Really he should feel embarrassed or mortified but the idea that it was an actual conversation happening was only letting him feel humored and baffled. 

“Wait wait-” Wheezing in a breath, he coughed and propped himself up on his elbow. Jihoon wiped the tears from his eyes. “Bounce a coin off my ass ? Both of you are wild-” 

“Babe,” Ruby gave a sigh of disappointment, “ Get with the program. Carat in my first life, soulmate in my second.” 

“Oh oh, I think I still have the tier list we made, like, a year ago.” Jamie reached for his phone on the coffee table and began his eager search. 

This night was just getting more and more wild the more the two went on. Jihoon looked to Kazuki for help but the Japanese man only smirked and shook his head. When he was finally able to catch his breath, Ruby reached out and used their (his) sweatshirt sleeve to finish wiping away any stray tears that fell from his eyes. They felt happy and looked even happier, grinning wide as they were definitely trying not to laugh. 

“ You need to sleep soon.” They whispered and Jihoon only shrugged. 

“I want to listen to this list or I won’t be able to sleep.” He matched his soulmate’s grin and snickered at their scoff. 

“If you are tired tomorrow, it’s your own fault.” 

“I found it!” Jamie squealed , his entire body vibrating with excitement. “ Okay okay, do we want to start from the bottom of the top? Mean or nice first?” 

Jihoon snorted and bit his tongue. “I’m genuinely curious about who is at the bottom first.” 

“From the bottom it is then. So this was a S, A, B, C, and D tier. D tier, after not a whole lot of deliberation, sadly has Jeonghan-ah, Jun-ah, and Vernonie.” 

“Okay, I can agree that Jeonghan-ah has a flat ass.” Kazuki chimed in, waving his hand back and forth. “ Jun-ah and Vernonie are just…twigs.” 

“Jun-hyung doesn’t really gain muscle fast like some of us.” Jihoon nodded, “ He is more ab and chest than anything. Vernonie…He is just skinny.”

“C tier has Joshua, Minghao-ah, Wonwoo-ah, and Channie.” 

“Someone on Twitter says that Wonwoo-ah’s butt is just shy, whatever that means.” 

“Wonwoo-ah is also more upper body.” Nodding, Jihoon rested back on his hands, tilting his head side to side. “ Minghao-ah, Shua-hyung, they do more arms than legs and Chan is more core building.” 

“We are trying to focus on ass here, Jihoonie.” Ruby hummed. 

Jihoon made a cringed expression. “ I’m not going to focus fully on my friends’ butt.” 

They shrugged. “ I am.” 

“Both of you hush,” Jamie shushed both him and Ruby before continuing. “ Alright so B tier, must to my distaste, was a two to one vote of Mingyu-ah in B tier.”

“Mid.” Both Kazuki and Ruby said before high fiving with a smirk. 

“Comment noted was that his butt is nice but it isn’t superior, which hurts but okay. A tier only has Soonyoung-ah and Seokminnie.” 

“I thought Seokmin-ah would be higher.” 

Jamie continued on, “ And finally, our S tier, which no one should be surprised about. Cheol-ah, you, and Seungkwanie.” 

“The fat ass trifecta.” Ruby sighed in what he would call a dreamy manner. 

That made him want to gag. 

“Please never call us that ever again.” 

“Ya, you should be happy I think you have a fat ass.” 

“That is not a conversation we are going to have in front of your friends.” 

“Ohh, kinky.” Jamie laughed and Kazuki lightly slapped his arm. 

“ Before you both say anything more stupid, let's get you to bed.” Kazuki was quick to stand up, taking Jamie by the hand and holding another out for Ruby but Jihoon stood and helped them to their feet. 

“Whatever, mom.” 

“ They are worse than children.” Jihoon pushed Ruby towards the hall and Jamie followed behind them, both giggling and whispering to each other.

“Covid was a horror show since we clustered together.” Kazuki shook his head, grabbing the long forgotten and empty cans of beer. “ I called them my idiots.” 

Jihoon helped before shutting the lights off. “ They are now both of our idiots.” 

Waking up to the gentle feeling of fingers running through his hair was one of his favorite things about waking up beside his soulmate. They never meant to wake him up with the action, he had found that they always woke up and played on their phone for a while before actually getting up. However the mindless feeling of playing with his hair with the other hand while adjusting to being awake was something they loved to do. Once he asked why they enjoyed it and all Ruby could muster in their flushed state was something about just being able to be close to him and let him sleep. 

As he cracked his eyes open, glad for the blackout curtains, Jihoon could see the sleepy, calm gaze Ruby was giving the phone in their hand. Their arm with the phone was resting awkwardly under the pillow his head rested on with the screen brightness seemingly coming from behind his head. The other arm was resting over him, carding their fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. 

His own arms were wrapped loosely around Ruby as they almost always were, letting him press his face closer to their chest and tighten his hold. If they realized he was awake, they didn’t say a word. Given that Jihoon was awake before Ruby woke him up meant he had more time to sleep if he chose to, and honestly he could have if he wasn’t already awake and basking in their affection. 

It was funny to think. Jihoon wasn’t one for physical affection, it was more a situation of if it happens, it happens with the guys, but since meeting Ruby, he could stay in their arms all day and not be bothered to move. Part of him questioned if it was the bonds doing, but he also knew that finding someone he wanted to wake up to every day was amazing. 

There was a low grumble that he didn’t process at first, only lifting his eyes once more when Ruby brushed the hair back from his face. 

“ You can go back to sleep.” Their voice was barely over a whisper, the rise and fall of their chest was tempting to follow the idea. 

“ ‘M okay.” He pressed his cheek into Ruby’s chest, running his hands up their back. “ How long have you been awake?”

“Maybe an hour?” The light from their screen was gone from behind his head, no longer gently illuminating their face, both their hands were scratching at his scalp now. “ I was going to slip out and make us all breakfast soon.” 

“Jamie and Kazuki asleep?” 

They nodded, placing a kiss to the crown of his head. “ They should be for another hour or two. I wanted you to get plenty of rest before the fast pace of the weekend.” 

“I’ll be fine, I’ve run on less.” 

“I know, but Caratland means a lot to you and everyone, Carats all around the world. It’s part of my job as your significant other to make sure you have your best self out there.” 

Always a caring person… How did he get so lucky? 

“ Sometimes I think you are too good for me.” 

There was a rumble of laughter in their chest. “ Sometimes I think you are a pain in my butt.”

“I definitely am.” 

Though he wished they would stay longer, Ruby did slip out from his arms (he totally didn’t whine) and shuffled out in their pajamas (his shirt and joggers of course) to make breakfast. It was going to be American style at Kazuki’s request, not that Jihoon minded, he was going to need all the energy he could for the weekend he was going to have. Jihoon didn’t take too long laying in bed, the warmth once there seeping away and even if he didn’t have to, he wanted to see if he could help in any way. 

Watching Ruby work around the kitchen, trying to be quiet to not wake the two in the other room was fascinating. There was consideration in each gentle placement of a pan or dishware, this was probably what they did on mornings when he was sleeping but they wanted to get things done. 

Shuffling himself over, Jihoon slid into the space beside Ruby, trying to see if there was anything he could be of help to his soulmate but they brushed him off with a hip bump and a haphazard point towards the table. 

“Set the table, I can handle this. I’m going to just put everything on plates when it’s done and we take what we want.” 

So he set to work gathering plates and utensils, grabbing glasses for drinks and setting them up. 

“ What time do you need to be there?” 

“ A manager is picking me up a few hours before so we all can go over things, eat some more, then the show begins.” 

“Jamie, Kazuki, and I will be there one or two hours before from what Jisung said? Then we will get to our spots.” 

And their grandparents are on the complete other side from as far as Hyeji said. The thought made him smile to himself. 

“ And before you ask, we will have masks on and everything.” 

That made him roll his eyes. They forget their mask too much half the time..

“ I’ll be looking for you in the crowd for it.” 

“I expect nothing less.” 

“Oh Jihoon, look at you!” Mimi hurried over backstage, having arrived early with Hyeji, giving him a tight hug.    “Hi, Mimi.” He returned the hug, hearing Papa call his name and give a greeting of his own.    “This is such a nice stadium and Hyeji has been so kind in letting us come in early since we don’t want my baby seeing us just yet.” Mimi patted his face gently, hearing the greetings of Joshua and Mingyu. “And we get to see everyone for the first time properly, hello!”   “Which one of them is holding onto the ring?” Papa asked and Joshua snickered.    “Our fearless leader currently has his hands on it.”    “Well, the kid better not lose it.”    Seungcheol’s head shot up from where he was when Vernon translated the bit of conversation and whined. “ Ya! Tell him I won’t lose it! I know exactly where it is!”    That made Joshua laugh and he shook his head. “He says he knows where it is and won’t lose it.”    “We are in the final days so he better not.” Papa’s tone was playful and Seungcheol only pouted, huffing out childishly.    “ Hyung, do you have it on you?” Jihoon asked, watching Seungcheol grab his backpack and dig around in it. It wasn’t a few moments later before he held up the box and handed it over.   Mimi’s eyes lit up, tugging her husband by the arm to get close. Opening the box towards himself, he took a deep breath in, gazing down upon the custom piece with admiration. Turning the ring box over, Papa took the case gently from Jihoon’s hand, a soft smile resting on the older gentleman’s features. Mimi fitted herself into Papa’s side, resting her head and hand on his chest.    “It’s more beautiful in person.” She whispered, a proud smile spreading on her face.    “I think they will like it a lot, Jihoon.”    Jihoon averted his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the knowing warmth from his cheeks heating up. “I…I hope they do.”   “Hey! I’ll be getting them to their seats in a bit.” Hyeji bounced over, waving her phone. “ When do Ruby-ah and friends arrive?”    “Jisung said in about an hour, they will stop backstage before going to their seats as well.” Jihoon had a nervous shiver run down his spine. He really needed everything to go smoothly. It was nerve wracking.    “Everything will be fine, sweetie.” Mimi patted his cheek again, probably sensing the nerves building up within him, and each time she reminded him of Ruby.   “Mmm, many things are running through my head.”    Her face softened and she smiled lovingly at him. “I can only imagine, but we and all your team can be a shoulder to lean on. Just a handful of days left, sweetheart.” 

“ Ruby-ah!” Seokmin was on them the second they walked through the door, hugging them tightly with a bright smile on his face. “ Are you excited for your first Caratland??” 

“ Minnie, I’m standing literally centimeters from you, you don’t need to be so loud.” They used their hands to cover their ears and cringed, frowning. 

“ Ah- Sorry~” He pulled back and gave a wave to Jamie and Kazuki. “ But are you excited?” 

“I’ve seen the Caratlands online since 2020 so I’m really excited to see one live. Even though I've spent a majority of tour with you guys.” 

“Ah, but Caratland is an amazing experience live!” Seokmin shimmied side to side. “ We have a decent amount planned.” 

“I can’t wait to watch it all.” Ruby gave a smile before looking around. “ Where is Jihoon?” 

“Finishing makeup, he should be out in a few.” 

Looking over their shoulder, Jamie and Kazuki were in conversation with the Maknae line, both Seungkwan and the former man walking animatedly while Vernon and Kazuki spoke with Chan. 

“Oh! I almost forgot.” Ruby pulled the backpack off their back and reached in, pulling out a large container filled to the brim with cookies. “ Since I had time, I baked cookies without nuts that are good for energy.” 

“I heard cookies.” Mingyu and Soonyoung were upon them in a second, makeup covered eyes wide and shining. “ Wahh, you made a lot.” 

“I made a lot for you guys and the staff since they will be running around all night too. Tomorrow I was going to make blueberry muffins.” 

Mingyu swooned. “ Listen, Ruby-ah, I know you are Jihoon-hyung’s soulmate, but please forever be mine.” 

“Excuse me?” Jihoon stood behind the taller man, having just come back from getting his makeup done. 

The tall man tensed and turned around on his heels, looking down at the older man before him. “ O-Oh, hyung, I didn’t say anything!” 

“That’s what I thought.” 

“Ah, leave him alone.” Ruby handed over the container to Soonyoung who ran off almost instantly to share some with the rest of the guys and the staff. “ You’re the only one for me.” 

“And you say I’m cheesy.” 

Ruby wasted no time in placing a chaste kiss to his lips despite the small amount of lipstain he wore and flattened out the front of his black and white striped shirt. “ It’s almost like soulmates are a perfect match.” That sounded slightly condescending, smartass… 

“Yeah yeah.” 

“ Are you nervous?” 

He knew Ruby could feel the nerves, but it wasn’t for Caratland. 

“ Somewhat, but I’m just overthinking it.” 

“You’ll do perfectly.” Their reassurance was simple but it left a lightness in his chest. “ All of you will do perfectly and will have an amazing Caratland before jumping into the next album.” 

“Jihoon-ah! We need you to get your jacket on. Everyone come get your mics and earpieces on.” The stage manager called from the door and multiple of the guys started to file out. 

“Kick ass out there. I’ll see you later.” They leaned close, placing another chaste kiss to his lips, one totally for good luck. “ I love you.” 

“ I love you too.”